用毛地黄皂苷分离异形胞及其对光合和固氮的某些特性的影响

本文叙述一种从多变鱼腥藻(Anabaena variabilis)中分离异形胞的简易方法。这种新方法是用毛地黄皂苷和甘露醇的 TES 缓冲液处理藻丝,破碎营养细胞,并结合分级离心的方法获得异形胞。所分离异形胞的纯度,在显微镜下观察达到90%左右。当提供 ATP 和Na_2S_2O_4时,能够测到所分离异形胞的固氮活性,其最大速率是5.31毫微克分子 C_2H_2/10~6异形胞/小时,为整体藻丝活性的10%。这种比活性,在4小时内,甚至更长的时间内,保持不变。但是,在氢气下和照光条件下,分离的异形胞缺乏受光促进的固氮活性。分离的异形胞在77°K下波长为430nm 光激发的荧光光谱和完整藻丝的相比,它缺乏属于光合系统Ⅱ的685nm 和695nm 的荧光发射峰,而仅具有光合系统 I 的730nm 荧光发射峰。当提供 DCIP 和抗坏血酸时,被压碎的异形胞能够光还原甲基紫精,其活性为360消耗 O_2的微克分子/毫克叶绿素/小时。上述结果表明用毛地黄皂苷法分离的异形胞具有较完整的 DCIPH_2→MV 的 PSI 活性。     

Interaction of catechol and non-catechol substrates with externally or internally facing dopamine transporters

Our previous work suggested that collapsing the Na⁺ gradient and membrane potential converts the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) to an inward-facing conformation with a different substrate binding profile. Here, DAT expressing human embryonic kidney 293 cells were permeabilized with digitonin, disrupting ion/voltage gradients and allowing passage of DAT substrates. The potency of p-tyramine and other non-catechols ( d -amphetamine, β-phenethylamine, MPP⁺) in inhibiting cocaine analog binding to DAT in digitonin-treated cells was markedly weakened to a level similar to that observed in cell-free membranes. In contrast, the potency of DA and another catechol, norepinephrine, was not significantly changed by the same treatment, whereas epinephrine showed only a modest reduction. These findings suggest that catechol substrates interact symmetrically with both sides of DAT and non-catechol substrates, favoring binding to outward-facing transporter. In the cocaine analog binding assay, the mutant W84L displayed enhanced intrinsic binding affinity for substrates in interacting with both outward- and inward-facing states; D313N showed wild-type-like symmetric binding; but D267L and E428Q showed an apparent improvement in the permeation pathway from the external face towards the substrate site. Thus, the structure of both substrate and transporter play a role in the sidedness and mode of interaction between them.     

A method for estimating free Ca within human red blood cells,with an application to the study of their Ca-dependent K permeability

Summary Murphy, Coll, Rich and Williamson (J. Biol. Chem. 255:6600–6608, 1980) described a null-point method for estimating intracellular free Ca in liver cells. They used digitonin to lyse the cells in solutions of varying Ca concentration. This method has been adapted for use with human red cells. The values found are about 0.4 m Ca in fresh cells, and from 0.4 to 0.7 m Ca in blood-bank cells, at pH 7.2 and 37°C. These are likely to be overestimates, and the errors and limitations of the method are discussed. Red cells may be loaded with Ca by metabolic depletion in Ca-containing solutions. Such cells have an elevated K permeability, and the relationships between free Ca, total Ca and K permeability were investigated, using⁸⁶Rb as a tracer for K.⁸⁶Rb flux studies show that the affinity of the K channel for Ca is the same in cells as in resealed ghosts where intracellular Ca can be controlled with Ca buffers, but the rate of tracer equilibration is 3–6 times faster in ghosts than in cells.     

Properties of rat erythrocyte membrane cytoskeletal structures produced by digitonin extraction: Digitonin-insoluble β-adrenergic receptor,adenylate cyclase,and cholera toxin substrate

Summary Rat erythrocyte plasma membranes have been extracted exhaustively with digitonin at low temperature, and the residual, detergent-extracted membrane cytoskeletal material is compared to that prepared with Triton X-100 with respect to protein, glycoprotein, phospholipid, and cholesterol content. Digitonin, a weaker detergent than Triton X-100, solubilizes only 26% of the phospholipids and none of the cholesterol. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis reveals that differences between the proteins extracted by the two detergents are primarily quantitative. In terms of functional preservation, digitonin retains in the cytoskeleton 28% of the -adrenergic receptor binding activity (with the balance accounted for in the supernatant), >90% of the adenylate cyclase and >90% of the 45,000 mol wt polypeptide cholera toxin substrate. The cytoskeletal-associated -adrenergic receptor retains binding properties for antagonist and agonist which are identical to those of the native membrane receptor. The digitonin-extracted cytoskeleton containing the -adrenergic receptor may provide a useful vehicle for the reconstitution of a hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase.     

发状念珠藻(发菜)细胞质膜的分离与性质分析

使用一种新方法首次从野生发菜(Nostoc flagelliforme Born.et Flah.)中分离得到细胞质膜并对其性质进行了分析,该方法的主要特点为联合使用细胞破碎仪和毛地黄皂甙对发菜细胞进行破碎.经过细胞破碎仪处理两次(80MPa)后,样品(20mg干重/mL)中的细胞可被毛地黄皂甙(3mg/mL)有效破碎,细胞质膜即可通过蔗糖密度梯度离心得以分离.纯化后的质膜,其吸收光谱中类胡萝卜素的3个吸收峰分别位于458、487和524 nm,另外一种叶绿素前体在673 nm处有少量吸收,质膜的荧光发射来自该叶绿素前体.通过变性电泳对其进行多肽组成分析,可分辨出30多条多肽,其中分子量为80、28、19和17 kD的多肽含量最高.其膜脂主要包含4种成分:单半乳糖甘油二酯(62.4%)、双半乳糖甘油二酯(18.9%)、硫代异鼠李糖甘油二酯(16.7%)和磷酯酰甘油(2.0%).膜脂酯酰基连接有棕榈酸(16:0)、十六碳烯酸(16:1[9])、硬脂酸(18:0)、油酸(18:1[9])、亚油酸(18:2[9,12])和亚麻酸(18:3[9,12,15])等六种脂肪酸,其中十六碳烯酸和亚麻酸为主要成分,分别占总脂肪酸含量的32.3%和34.4%.质膜中高含量的亚麻酸可能是发菜具有极强抗旱能力的一个重要因素.     

Involvement of the S100B in cAMP-Induced Cytoskeleton Remodeling in Astrocytes: A Study Using TRTK-12 in Digitonin-Permeabilized Cells

1. Stellation of astrocytes in culture involves a complex rearrangement of microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules, which reflects in part the plasticity of these cells observed during development or after injury.2. An astrocytic calcium-binding protein, S100B, has been implicated in the regulation of plasticity due to its ability to interact with cytoskeletal proteins.3. We used digitonin-permeabilized astrocytes to introduce TRTK-12, a peptide that binds to the C-terminal of S100B and blocks its interaction with cytoskeletal proteins.4. TRTK-12 was able to block cAMP-induced astrocyte stellation and this effect was dependent on the concentration of the peptide. These results support the idea that S100B has a modulatory role on astrocyte morphology.     

Studies with digitonin-treated rat hepatocytes (nude cells)

Isolated rat hepatocytes were treated with digitonin to strip the plasma membrane. The effect of digitonin concentration and exposure time on the recovery of marker enzymes for cell organelles was examined. Hepatocytes treated at room temperature for 1-2 min with 1 mg/ml of digitonin lose some 40% of their protein but retain over 95% of their intact mitochondria and peroxisomes, 90-95% of their endoplasmic reticulum, and about 80% of their lysosomal enzymes. There is little loss of the mitochondrial intermembrane content, and both oxygen uptake and phosphorylation are unimpaired by the treatment. Electron microscopy reveals a complete loss of the plasma membrane, in spite of limited loss of marker enzymes for this membrane. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the interior of the cells to be made up of a dense network of fibers and lamellae attached to the nucleus, mitochondria, and small organelles. The treated cells were stable for many hours when kept in 0.25 M sucrose containing 25 mM monovalent salts. In salt-free sucrose the cells broke up very rapidly into nuclei and other single organelles. Addition of 5 mM NaCl or KCl retards breakup, and 15-20 min were required for dissolution. Intermediate stages, illustrated by scanning electron micrographs, show structure and chains made up mainly of mitochondria held together by a lamellar network. The rapid breakdown occurred at a pH above 7.5 in an oxygen atmosphere and in the presence of phosphate and apparently is an energy-requiring process. It is slow below a pH of 7.2, and at a pH of 6.8 the treated cells remain completely stable in salt-free sucrose. Our results suggest that endoplastic reticulum is a major component of the cytostructure holding together nuclei and organelles.     

Cell wall pectin content modulates aluminium sensitivity of Zea mays (L.) cells grown in suspension culture

The pectin content of the cell walls of maize suspension cells was modified to investigate its role in the expression of aluminium (Al) toxicity. Long‐term adaptation to NaCl or to the cellulose synthesis inhibitor 2,6‐dichlorbenzonitirle (DCB) increased the pectin content by 31 and 86%, respectively. Subculturing salt‐adapted cells for up to 3 weeks without NaCl supply or treatment of cells with pectolyase for up to 15 min reduced pectin contents by up to 46%. Such pre‐cultured cells were incubated for 2 h in presence of Al. There was a close positive correlation between pectin and both total and BaCl₂ non‐exchangeable Al contents. Aluminium‐induced callose formation as an indicator of Al injury was closely positively correlated to the loss of cell viability. In NaCl‐adapted and pectolyase‐treated cells, Al‐induced callose formation was reduced when compared with normal cells. However, there was a close positive relationship between pectin contents and relative callose induction (digitonin‐induced callose formation, reflecting the different capabilities of cells to synthesize callose set to 100%) indicating that cells with higher pectin contents are more Al‐sensitive. The results presented support our view that the binding of Al to the cell wall pectin‐matrix represents an important step in the expression of Al toxicity.