Effect of ubiquinone extraction on ubiquinol-1 oxidase activity in beef heart mitochondria

Extraction of endogenous ubiquinone with different methods does not influence ubiquinol oxidase activity in lyophilized mitochondria in terms ofK _M, although a decrease ofV _max is sometimes observed. Experiments with submitochondrial particles from a UQ-deficient mutant ofS. cerevisiae confirm the results with UQ-depleted mitochondria and support the idea that endogenous ubiquinone is not required for the oxidation of exogenous ubiquinols by complex III.     

Inverted pyramidal neurons and their axons in the neocortex of reeler mutant mice

Summary Inverted pyramidal neurons are very abundant in the cerebral cortex of the adult reeler mutant mouse. Two types of inverted pyramid are found in rapid Golgi impregnations. In the first type the axon starts from the base of the cell body and bends towards the white matter. In the second type, which is more common, the axon emerges from the apical dendritic tree and descends directly towards the white matter.Despite its abnormal topography, the site of origin of the axon in pyramids of the second type displays a normal differentiation, when analysed with the electron microscopic Golgi technique, suggesting that the ectopic initial axon segment is able to fulfil its normal functions.     

Developmental controls of morphological mutants of Phaseolus vulgaris L.: Differential expression of mutant loci in plant organs

Developmental controls of morphological mutants of Phaseolus vulgaris L. conditioned by two independent loci, DL₁ and DL₂, were examined through grafting experiments and hydroponic studies. Phenotypes of mutant classes were duplicated by unions of scions and stocks derived from different genotypes. Results indicate that DL₁ and DL₂ regulate a root and shoot factor respectively, contributing to the mutant types. The allelic dosages of DL₁ in the root and DL₂ in the shoot rather than the genotype of the whole plant per se determine the severity of the mutant expression. Plants heterozygous for both loci with a temperature-sensitive expression of the mutant phenotype were used to determine physiological components involved. The primary abnormal developmental event associated with the appearance of mutant phenotypes, the restricted root growth at high temperature, could be overcome by the addition of cytokinin in hydroponic solution. These observations suggest that DL₁ and DL₂ may be related to the regulation of hormonal function or metabolism.     

Drosophila mutant with a transducer defect

The trp is a conditional phototransduction mutant of Drosophila. Direct electrical measurements and shot noise analysis suggest that a prolonged intense light causes in the mutant a reduction in the quantum efficiency for quantum bump production that does not arise from bleaching of the visual pigment. This effect depends on the duration of the light and only weakly on its intensity. In the normal fly, an intense blue light that shifts the visual pigment from rhodopsin to metarhodopsin, induces an excitatory process manifested by a prolonged depolarizing after potential (PDA). In the mutant, the PDA has a small amplitude and bump noise is superimposed on the response. It can thus be shown that the excitatory process underlying the PDA is also present in those trp mutants where the PDA voltage response is small or absent. It is suggested that the absence of the PDA voltage response in the mutant is probably due to a defect in an intermediate process, which links the excitatory process to the membrane conductance change.Presented at the EMBO-Workshop on Transduction Mechanism of Photoreceptors, Jülich, Germany, October 4–8, 1976     

Energetics of galactose,proline, and glutamine transport in a cytochrome-deficient mutant of salmonella typhimurium

The effect of inhibitors and uncouplers on the osmotic shock-sensitive transport systems for glutamine and galactose (by the β-methyl galactoside permease) was compared to their effect on the osmotic shock-resistant proline and galactose permease systems in cytochrome-deficient cells of Salmonella typhimurium SASY28. Both osmotic shock-sensitive and -resistant systems were sensitive to uncouplers and to inhibitors of the membrane-bound Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺-activated adenosine triphosphatase. This suggests that uptake by both types of systems is energized in these cells by an electrochemical gradient of protons formed by ATP hydrolysis through the ATPase.     

Light-harvesting pigment-protein complex deficiency in Hosta (Liliaceae)

A yellow-leaved plastome mutant of Hosta (Hosta sieboldii Ingram complex, Liliaceae) known as Wogan Gold lacks normal granal stacks, but has numerous stroma lamellae extending throughout the chloroplast. The chlorophyll a/b ratio is 0.76 in the mutant and 2.9 in wild type. The mutant contains a qualitatively normal pattern of other photosynthetic co-pigments. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a deficiency in the photosystem (PS) II light-harvesting complex. Since PS II is localized mainly in the granal region, the absence of the light-harvesting complex may explain the loss of granal stacking in this mutant.Abbreviation PS photosystem     

Culture and morphogenetic response of a lethal,chlorophyll-deficient mutant of tobacco to hormones,amino acid and sucrose

Summary This report describes the culture of Su/Su, Su/su and su/su tissue in vitro. High levels of auxin and low levels of cytokinin increase growth of the cells. The cells do not need exogenous amino acids for rapid growth and the chlorophyll deficiency cannot be overcome by amino acids. Reduced levels of auxin and sucrose enhance differentiation, whereas cysteine in the autoclaved medium inhibit differentiation. The Su chlorophyll mutant of tobacco provides a marker for in vitro studies on photosynthesis and photorespiration, chloroplast genetics and cell fusion techniques.     

两株粗糙型沙门氏菌对小鼠抗异源G~-杆菌攻击的免疫保护研究

本文对引自日本的一株粗糙化学型变异株明尼苏达沙门氏菌Re595(J)和引自美国的一株Re595(A)对小鼠异源性G~-杆菌主动和被动保护作用进行了比较。结果表明,两株菌对异源G~-杆菌的大肠杆菌和变形杆菌攻击均有良好的保护作用,但Re595(J)对抗肺炎克雷伯氏杆菌攻击的保护作用明显优于Re595(A),而Re595(A)抗绿脓杆菌攻击的保护作用则明显优于Ke595(J)。表明两株Re595的免疫原存在着差异。     

A partially deficient mutant, recA1730, that fails to form normal nucleoprotein filaments.

Summary The phenotype of the recA1730 mutant is highly dependent on the level of expression of the RecA1730 protein. If the recA1730 gene was expressed from its own promoter, the cells were deficient in recombination and SOS induction. In contrast, when the recA1730 gene was expressed under the control of recAo98, a constitutive operator that increased the RecA1730 concentration 20-fold, cells became proficient in recombination and SOS induction. Likewise, in crude extracts, fivefold more RecA1730 than RecAwt was required to produce full cleavage of LexA protein. The requirement for a high RecA1730 concentration for recombination and LexA cleavage suggests that the recA1730 defect alters a common reaction step. In fact, in vitro data show that the impaired assembly of RecA1730 protein on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) can account for the mutant phenotype. Purified RecA1730 protein was assayed in vitro for ssDNA binding and ATPase activities. RecA1730, like RecAwt, retained ssDNA equally well on nitrocellulose filters; this activity was specifically inhibited by a monoclonal anti-RecA antibody. However, RecA1730 protein did not form complete filaments on ssDNA, as shown by two observations: (i) most of the protein did not elute with ssDNA during gel filtration; and (ii) binding of RecA1730 to ssDNA did not protect it from being digested by DNaseI. RecA1730 hydrolysed ATP in high salt but was defective in ssDNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis. These results strongly suggest that RecA1730 binds to ATP and ssDNA but does not form normal nucleoprotein filaments.Abbreviations RecAwt RecA wind-type protein - ssDNA singlestranded DNA - dsDNA dmble-stranded DNA     

Protein analysis during the ontogeny of normal and male sterile stamenless-2 mutant stamens of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

The levels and synthesis of proteins during the ontogeny of normal and male sterile stamenless-2 (sl-2/sl-2) mutant stamens of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) were examined. The mutant stamens contained low levels of soluble protein which were related to reduction in protein synthesis. The mutant stamens, however, possessed many polypeptides similar to the normal and synthesized a 53-kd polypeptide at stages when there are abnormalities in tapetum development. The mutant stamens also possessed a 23-kd and some low molecular weight polypeptides that were considered as degradative proteins. Normal stamens exhibited the synthesis of many polypeptides not found in the mutant, from microspore mother cell to the preanthesis stages. In addition, at the time of pollen maturation there was a greater synthesis of several polypeptides, particularly those of 42 and 37 kd. Although the causative mechanisms of male sterility in the sl-2/sl-2 mutant are not known, the synthesis, and the lack, of specific polypeptides reported here appears to be associated with pollen degeneration.This work was supported by an operating grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada to V.K.S.