Comparison among the isozyme profiles associated with ethrel treatments of leaves, and with senescence and plum pox virus infection in Chenopodium foetidum

Changes in the isozyme profiles of peroxidases (POX, EC 1.11.1.7), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT, EC 2.6.1.1) and esterases (EST, EC 3.1.1.1) have been studies in leaves of Chenopodium foetidum S. treated with ethrel. Different systems for administration of the ethrel led to different responses. In intact plants, treatment of the complete surface of leaves or local administration by pricking the leaves induced senescence and wilting as well as quick changes, characteristic of ageing, in the isozyme patterns of the treated leaves. Isolated leaves treated with ethrel in vitro also showed a senescence response, but this was followed by a necrosis that displayed an isozyme pattern highly similar to that of necrotic lesions induced by plum pox virus (PPV) infection. An accelerated senescence process seems to be involved in the induction of changes in the isozyme patterns of expression during the hypersensitive response of Chenopodium foetidum to PPV infection, and ethylene could participate in this process. However, other factors may also be required for necrotization.     

Inhibition of maize leaf phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase by diethyl oxaloacetate

Diethyl oxaloacetate was found to be a competitive inhibitor of maize leaf phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity with respect to the substrate phosphoenolpyruvate. The K_i values, based on total diethyl oxaloacetate, decreased with increasing pH, while the K_i values, based on the enol tautomer (average of 4 M), were similar and independent of pH. The results suggest that inhibition is dependent on the enol tautomer. Diethyl oxaloacetate was a weak inhibitor following treatment of the enzyme with dithiothreitol; inhibition could be restored by treatment with diamide, indicating inhibition depends on the reduction state of thiol groups on the enzyme.Abbreviations DTT dithiothreitol - HPLC high performance liquid chromatography - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid - Hepes 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid - MES 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid - MOPS 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid - Tricine N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methylglycine     

Isozyme profiles associated with the hypersensitive response of Chenopodium foetidum to plum pox virus infection

Isozyme profiles of esterases (E.C. 3.1.1.1), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (E.C. 2.6.1.1) and peroxidases (E.C. 1.11.1.7) have been determined in healthy tissues of Chenopodium foetidum as well as their modifications during leaf development. The effect of plum pox virus infection on the isozyme profiles has also been studied. Virus-induced necrotic lesions displayed a peroxidase (POX) pattern that has not been found in any other tissue of the plant so far analyzed. The pattern was similar to that of old yellow leaves, except that POX-B, which was detected in the necrotic lesions, has not been detected in any developmental stage of healthy leaves. Changes in the peroxidase profile seem to begin early during infection, even before necrosis is visible. We suggest that senescence is established at necrotic lesions extending from there to the rest of the infected leaf affecting the peroxidase isozyme pattern. However, other changes, which induce POX-B, must also take place at necrotic lesions. These do not extend to the rest of the infected leaves. Plum pox virus infection has less effect on the glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and esterase isozyme patterns, inducing an almost normal senescence pattern.     

Genotype dependent radiosensitivity of autotetraploids in Trigonella foenum-graecum L.

Summary Primary trisomics were used to locate the structural loci coding for particular forms of the dimeric enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase in Lolium perenne. The polymorphy of these loci enabled triallelic trisomics to be produced. Each locus could thus be directly assigned to a particular chromosome without the need to examine segregant progeny. The loci for GOT/3 and PGI/2 were found to be located on chromosomes 2 and 6 respectively.     

Photosynthetic characteristics of hybrid rice with phospho<Emphasis Type="Italic">enol</Emphasis>pyruvate carboxylase gene

High level of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene was stably inherited and transferred from the male parent, PEPC transgenic rice, into a female parent, japonica rice cv. 9516. Relative to the female parent, the produced JAAS45 pollen lines exhibited high PEPC activity (17-fold increase) and also higher photosynthetic rates (about 36 %-fold increase). The JAAS45 pollen lines were more tolerant to photoinhibition and to photo-oxidative stress. Furthermore, JAAS45 pollen lines, as well as their male parent, were tested to exhibit a limiting C₄ cycle by feeding with exogenous C₄ primary products such as oxaloacetate (OAA). Thus the PEPC gene and photosynthetic characteristics of PEPC transgenic rice could be stably transferred to the hybrid progenies, which might open a new breeding approach to the integration of conventional hybridization and biological technology. An erratum to this article is available at .