Effect of Acetate on Esterase C Activity During the Growth Cycle of Paramecium*

SYNOPSIS Enhanced esterase C activity could be demonstrated by starch gel electrophoresis in various stocks of Paramecium spp. (P. primaurelia stocks 90 and 540, P. biaurelia stock 93, P. tetraurelia stock 29. P. pentaurelia stock 87, P. octaurelia stocks 31 and 300, and P. multimicronucleatum species 3, stock 8 MO) grown in Adaptation Medium. This esterase, however, was barely detectable when they were cultivated in Axenic Medium. Addition of trypticase to Adaptation Medium resulted in reduction of esterase C in the ciliates. This effect is ascribable to Na acetate present in trypticase. Since esterase C increased with the decrease in acetate concentration (as estimated by gas-liquid chromatography) during growth of Paramecium, acetate appears to be utilized by the cells. Sensitivity of esterase C to acetate occurs in all 6 species of Paramecium examined. Different stocks within a species may have different levels of sensitivity; in one case this is genetically determined. The results emphasize the importance of controlling and manipulating growth conditions for the assessment of inter- and intraspecies variations in the isozymes of Paramecium.     

两种穗型冬小麦籽粒淀粉积累动态及其有关酶活性变化

花后25d内,大穗型品种豫麦66籽粒中淀粉积累比多穗型品种豫麦49慢,但花后25d后情况则相反。2个品种籽粒中淀粉积累速率的变化均呈单峰曲线,豫麦49峰值出现在花后15～20d,而豫麦66峰值则出现在花后20～25d。灌浆期豫麦66和豫麦49籽粒中蔗糖合成酶(SS)活性变化呈单峰曲线,峰值分别出现在花后20d和15d,整个灌浆期内豫麦66籽粒中SS活性高于豫麦49;2个品种籽粒中腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(AGPP)和淀粉分支酶(SBE)活性变化均呈单峰曲线,峰值出现在花后20d,而可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)活性变化则呈双峰曲线,峰值分别出现在花后10d和20d,且第二个峰值显著高于第一个。相关分析表明,SS、AGPP、SSS和SBE是影响小麦籽粒淀粉积累的关键酶。     

Studies on the Pungent Principle of Capsicum

The chemical constitutions of the pungent principle of Capsicum were investigated. These principles are assumed to consist of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, nordihydrocapsaicin, homodihydrocapsaicin and two or more analogues of these materials. Thin-layer chromatography and open tubular gas chromatography showed that the natural pungent mixture contains no cis-isomer of capsaicin. The chemical structure of nordihydrocapsaicin was determined as N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-7-methyloctanamide by gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, homodihydrocapsaicin was identified as N-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-9-methyl-decanamide. These identities were also proven by comparison with synthetic samples.     

Seasonal variation in foliar carbon exchange in Pinus radiata and Populus deltoides: respiration acclimates fully to changes in temperature but photosynthesis does not

We investigated seasonal variation in dark respiration and photosynthesis by measuring gas exchange characteristics on Pinus radiata and Populus deltoides under field conditions each month for 1 year. The field site in the South Island of New Zealand is characterized by large day-to-day and seasonal changes in air temperature. The rate of foliar respiration at a base temperature of 10 °C ( R ₁₀) in both pine and poplar was found to be greater during autumn and winter and displayed a strong downward adjustment in warmer months. The sensitivity of instantaneous leaf respiration to a 10 °C increase in temperature ( Q ₁₀) was also greater during the winter period. The net effect of this strong acclimation was that the long-term temperature response of respiration was essentially flat over a wide range of ambient temperatures. Seasonal changes in photosynthesis were sensitive to temperature but largely independent of leaf nitrogen concentration or stomatal conductance. Over the range of day time growth temperatures (5–32 °C), we did not observe strong evidence of photosynthetic acclimation to temperature, and the long-term responses of photosynthetic parameters to ambient temperature were similar to previously published instantaneous responses. The ratio of foliar respiration to photosynthetic capacity ( R _d/ A _sat) was significantly greater in winter than in spring/summer. This indicates that there is little likelihood that respiration would be stimulated significantly in either of these species with moderate increases in temperature – in fact net carbon uptake was favoured at moderately higher temperatures. Model calculations demonstrate that failing to account for strong thermal acclimation of leaf respiration influences determinations of leaf carbon exchange significantly, especially for the evergreen conifer.     

Gas exchange and water relations of three <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vitis vinifera</Emphasis> L. cultivars growing under Mediterranean climate

Optical characteristics, contents of photosynthetic pigments, total soluble sugars, and starch, rates of gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence, and leaf water relations were analysed in three Vitis vinifera L. cultivars, Tinto Cão (TC), Touriga Nacional (TN), and Tinta Roriz (TR), grown in Mediterranean climate. Chl content was significantly lower in TC than in TN and TR leaves, while the Chl a/b ratio was higher. TR had the lowest net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and contents of soluble sugars and starch than TN and TC. In spite of low Chl content, TC showed the lowest photon absorbance and the highest photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2. TC had the lowest predawn and midday leaf water potential. The capability for osmotic adjustment was similar among cultivars and the calculated modulus of elasticity was higher in TC leaves. The typical lighter green leaves of TC seemed to be an adaptive strategy to high irradiance and air temperature associated to water stress.     

1株植物乳杆菌生物学特性的研究

研究1株植物乳杆菌(N3)的生物学特性,实验结果表明该菌能耐受80~85℃的高温和0.20kg/cm2蒸汽压力;直接分解玉米淀粉的乳酸产率为7.05%(36 h)和8.19%(48 h);能耐受pH为4.5的酸性环境;在人工胃液中的活菌数为4.1×106CFU/g;对金霉素、土霉素、痢特灵和氟哌酸等抗生素的敏感性强,而对防霉剂和脱霉素不敏感。植物乳杆菌(N3)是1株优良的益生素生产菌。     

An investigation of the use of recovered vegetable oil for the preparation of starch thermoplastics

The main components (90%) in recovered vegetable oil (RVO) are esters of higher carboxylic acids and glycerol (triglycerides) which consist of three fatty acids: oleic (C18:1, Z), palmitic (C16:0) and linoleic (C18:2, Z) in the ratio 2.8:1.4:1. RVO may provide a low cost new supply of unsaturated fatty acid chlorides. Modification of potato starch using the mixture of fatty acid chlorides derived from RVO and using acid chlorides of the two major pure component acids has been performed. Films were prepared from the starch esters and mechanical properties tested. Commercially available potato starch, modified to DS-value 1.5 with RVO-derived acyl chlorides, was thermoplastic with a maximum tensile strength of 1.4 MPa and an elongation at break of 54%.     

Effect of sodium chloride on the gelatinization of starch: a multimeasurement study.

The effect of sodium chloride on the gelatinization and rheological properties of wheat and potato starches has been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, and electron spin resonance techniques. All samples contained 60% water (w/w wet starch basis) and the salt content ranged from 0 to 16% (g/100 g starch-water). The presence of salt affected the onset (T(o)), peak (T(p)), and end (T(e)) temperatures of gelatinization, gelatinization enthalpy (DeltaH), storage modulus (G'), and rotational mobility coefficient (D(rot)), and the effect differed by salt concentration. 1H-NMR was used in parallel in order to elucidate how salts affect the properties of water in starch suspensions and in aqueous salt solutions according to their position on the Hofmeister series classification. The obtained results suggest that the mechanism of starch gelatinization in salt solutions can be attributed to the effect of solute on water properties and direct polymer-solute interactions. These two effects conflict with one another and result in complex effect patterns depending on the concentration of the salts.     

Probing the role of a mobile loop in substrate binding and enzyme activity of human salivary amylase

Mammalian amylases harbor a flexible, glycine-rich loop 304GHGAGGA(310), which becomes ordered upon oligosaccharide binding and moves in toward the substrate. In order to probe the role of this loop in catalysis, a deletion mutant lacking residues 306-310 (Delta306) was generated. Kinetic studies showed that Delta306 exhibited: (1) a reduction (>200-fold) in the specific activity using starch as a substrate; (2) a reduction in k(cat) for maltopentaose and maltoheptaose as substrates; and (3) a twofold increase in K(m) (maltopentaose as substrate) compared to the wild-type (rHSAmy). More cleavage sites were observed for the mutant than for rHSAmy, suggesting that the mutant exhibits additional productive binding modes. Further insight into its role is obtained from the crystal structures of the two enzymes soaked with acarbose, a transition-state analog. Both enzymes modify acarbose upon binding through hydrolysis, condensation or transglycosylation reactions. Electron density corresponding to six and seven fully occupied subsites in the active site of rHSAmy and Delta306, respectively, were observed. Comparison of the crystal structures showed that: (1) the hydrophobic cover provided by the mobile loop for the subsites at the reducing end of the rHSAmy complex is notably absent in the mutant; (2) minimal changes in the protein-ligand interactions around subsites S1 and S1', where the cleavage would occur; (3) a well-positioned water molecule in the mutant provides a hydrogen bond interaction similar to that provided by the His305 in rHSAmy complex; (4) the active site-bound oligosaccharides exhibit minimal conformational differences between the two enzymes. Collectively, while the kinetic data suggest that the mobile loop may be involved in assisting the catalysis during the transition state, crystallographic data suggest that the loop may play a role in the release of the product(s) from the active site.