Suppression of cyclic AMP-induced cell excitation in Dictyostelium discoideum by inhibitors of eicosanoid oxidation

Abstract Receptor-mediated stimulation of Dictyostelium cells by the aggregative chemoattractant cyclic AMP leads to a complex excitatory response resulting in chemotaxis and the synthesis and release of cyclic AMP as the relayed chemotactic signal. However, the mechanism of this stimulus-response coupling is not well understood. In this study, we show that a number of compounds, best known as inhibitors of cyclooxygenase activity in mammalian cells, prevent cyclic AMP receptor-mediated cell excitation and cyclic AMP accumulation in aggregation-competent Dictyostelium cells. These observations suggest that some eicosanoid-like compound(s) may be involved in stimulus-response coupling in this organism, as is the case in higher eukaryotic cells.     

Appearance of a State 1 – State 2 transition during chloroplast development in the wheat leaf: Energetic and structural considerations

The ability of developing chloroplasts to dynamically regulate the distribution of excitation energy between photosystem 1 and photosystem 2, and thus perform a State 1 – State 2 transition, was examined from analyses of chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics in 4- and 8-day-old Triticum aestivum L. cv. Maris Dove leaves grown under a diurnal light regime. Chloroplasts at all stages of development in the two leaf systems could undergo a State 1 – State 2 transition, except those found in the basal 0.5 cm of the 4-day-old leaf. The ability to physiologically modify the excitation energy distribution between the chlorophyll matrices of the two photosystems developed after the development of mature, fully photochemically competent photosystem 2 units and the appearance of excitation energy transfer between photosystem 2 and photosystem 1. Also, changes in the degree of energetic interaction between the two photosystems, in vivo rates of electron transport and the chlorophyll a/b ratio could not be correlated with the appearance of a State 1 – State 2 transition. Ultrastructural studies demonstrated a 32% increase in the degree of thylakoid appression in chloroplasts at the base of the 8-day-old leaf compared to the situation in the basal 0.5 cm of the 4-day-old leaf. This difference in thylakoid stacking can account for the differing abilities of these two tissues to perform a State 1 – State 2 transition when considered in the context of the distribution of the two photosystems within appressed and non-appressed regions of thylakoid membranes.     

Trapping, loss and annihilation of excitations in a photosynthetic system: II. Experiments with the purple bacteria Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodopseudomonas capsulata

In this paper a number of experiments with the purple bacteria Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodopseudomonas capsulata is described in which the total fluorescence yield and/or the total fraction of reaction centers closed after a picosecond laser pulse were measured as a function of the pulse intensity. The conditions were such that the reaction centers were either all in the open or all in the closed state before the pulse arrived. These experiments are analysed using the theoretical formalism discussed in the preceding paper (Den Hollander, W.T.F., Bakker J.G.C., and Van Grondelle, R., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 725, 492–507). From the experimental results the number of connected photosynthetic units, λ, the rate of energy transfer between neighboring antenna molecules, k_h, and the rate of trapping by an open reaction center, k^o_t, can be estimated. For R. rubrum it is found that λ = 14−17, k_h = (1−2)·10¹² s⁻¹ and k^o_t = (4−6)·10¹¹ s⁻¹, for Rps. capsulata λ ≈ 30, k_h ≈ 4·10¹¹ s⁻¹ and k^o_t ≈ 3·10¹¹ s⁻¹. The findings are discussed in terms of current models for the structure of the antenna and the kinetic properties of the decay processes occurring in these purple bacteria.     

Selective disruption of energy flow from phycobilisomes to Photosystem I

Efficient production of ATP and NADPH by the light reactions of oxygen-evolving photosynthesis demands continuous adjustment of transfer of absorbed light energy from antenna complexes to Photosystem I (PS I) and II (PS II) reaction center complexes in response to changes in light quality. Treatment of intact cyanobacterial cells with N-ethylmaleimide appears to disrupt energy transfer from phycobilisomes to Photosystem I (PS I). Energy transfer from phycobilisomes to Photosystem II (PS II) is unperturbed. Spectroscopic analysis indicates that the individual complexes (phycobilisomes, PS II, PS I) remain functionally intact under these conditions. The results are consistent with the presence of connections between phycobiliproteins and both PS II and PS I, but they do not support the existence of direct contacts between the two photosystems.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - EPR electron paramagnetic resonance - NEM N-ethylmaleimide - PBS phycobilisome - PS photosystem     

Protochlorophyllide forms in non-greening epicotyls of dark-grown pea (Pisum sativum)

Low-temperature fluorescence emission spectra of 6.5-day-old dark-grown epicotyls of pea ( Pisum sativum ) revealed the presence of protochlorophyll(ide). The upper part of the epicotyl contained 30% of the protochlorophyll(ide) content per fresh weight found in pea leaves, whereas the lower part contained 3%. Three discrete spectral forms of protochlorophyll(ide) were clearly distinguished after Gaussian deconvolution of fluorescence excitation and emission spectra. Adding the satellite bands of the Qy_(0-0) transitions (the emission vibrational (Emv) bands with correlated amplitudes, gave the following delineation: Ex439–Em629–Emv684, Ex447–Em636–Emv700 and Ex456–Em650–Emv728. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) followed by immunodetection of whole tissue extracts of the epicotyl indicated the presence of NADPH-protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (EC 1.3.1.33). Electron micrographs showed prolamellar bodies in at most 11 % of the plastid profiles of the epicotyl cells. These prolamellar bodies were smaller, and many of them showed less regular structure than those of the leaves. Taken together, the results indicate that the protochlorophyll(ide) in epicotyls is arranged in a different way than in leaves.     

大鼠尾核痛反应神经元放电和甩尾反射关系的研究

用浅麻醉的Ｗｉｓｔａｒ大鼠４０只,以辐射热照尾作为伤害性刺激,经玻璃微电极引导尾核痛兴奋神经元（ＰＥＮ）和痛抑制神经元（ＰＩＮ）的放电,同时测量甩尾反射潜伏期（ＴＦＬ）作为甩尾痛阈的指标。结果表明：（１）自然状态下辐射热照尾引起尾核中ＰＥＮ放电频率增加和ＰＩＮ放电频率减少与甩尾反射（ＴＦ）相伴行。放电变化发生在ＴＦ之前,结束在ＴＦ之后,ＰＥＮ和ＰＩＮ放电变化与ＴＦＬ呈高度正相关。（２）辐射热照尾同时引起一侧尾核ＰＥＮ放电频率增加和另一侧ＰＩＮ放电频率减少,二者协同活动,并发生在ＴＦ之前,结束在ＴＦ之后。（３）侧脑室注射５５μｇ／１０μｌ吗啡呈镇痛作用时,尾核ＰＥＮ放电频率减少和ＰＩＮ放电频率增加,放电变化仍发生在ＴＦ之前,结束在ＴＦ之后。结果提示,尾核中ＰＥＮ、ＰＩＮ放电和ＴＦ是中枢不同水平同时对痛觉调制所产生的结果。     

Noncytotoxic Dy3+-activated glass emits cool white light for near ultraviolet-based white light-emitting diodes,visible lasers,and biomedical applications

Using the melt quenching technique, a lithium zinc borate glass (LZB) system with trivalent dysprosium ions (Dy³⁺) was synthesized, and the luminescence and lasing properties of these materials were examined for the generation of white light. Structural investigation through X-ray diffraction revealed that the prepared glass had an amorphous nature. The optimized glass containing 0.5 Dy³⁺ had a direct optical band gap of 2.782 eV and an indirect optical band gap of 3.110 eV. A strong excitation band at 386 nm (⁶H_15/2→⁴I_13/2) was recognized in the ultraviolet (UV) light region of its excitation spectrum. Emission bands could be seen in the photoluminescence spectrum at 659, 573, and 480 nm under the 386 nm excitation. These transitions of emission resembled electronic transitions such as (⁴F_9/2→⁶H_11/2), (⁴F_9/2→⁶H_13/2), and (⁴F_9/2→⁶H_15/2). In a pristine glass matrix, the higher intensity ratio of yellow to blue can result in the production of white light. The optimized Dy³⁺ ion concentration was observed to be 0.5 mol%. In addition, an analysis of lifetime decay was conducted for all synthesized glasses, and their decay trends were systematically investigated. Noticeably, we assessed the photometric parameters and found that they were close to the white light standard. Furthermore, a cytotoxicity study was carried out using lung fibroblast (WI-38) cell lines for the optimized 0.5Dy³⁺-doped LZB glass and it appeared to be noncytotoxic. It is clear from the results that the noncytotoxic LZB glass doped with 0.5 Dy³⁺ ions could be a suggestive choice for the manufacture of white light-emitting diodes and lasers using near-UVs.     

New pulsed field gradient NMR experiments for the detection of bound water in proteins

Summary New H₂O-selective homonuclear and heteronuclear 2D NMR experiments have been designed for the observation of protein hydration (PHOGSY, Protein Hydration Observed by Gradient Spectroscop Y). These experiments utilize selective excitation of the H₂O resonance and pulsed field gradients for coherence selection and efficient H₂O suppression. The method allows for a rapid and sensitive detection of H₂O molecules in labelled and unlabelled proteins. In addition it opens a way to measure the residence time of water bound to proteins. Its application to uniformly ¹⁵N-labelled FKBP-12 (FK-506 binding protein) is demonstrated.     

Pyramidal cell-to-inhibitory cell spike transduction explicable by active dendritic conductances in inhibitory cell

In the guinea-pig hippocampal CA3 region, the synaptic connection from pyramidal neurons tostratum pyramidale inhibitory neurons is remarkable. Anatomically, the connection usually consists of a single release site on an interneuronal dendrite, sometimes 200 m or more from the soma. Nevertheless, the connection is physiologically powerful, in that a single presynaptic action potential can evoke, with probability 0.1 to 0.6, a postsynaptic action potential with latency 2 to 6 ms. We construct a model interneuron and show that the anatomical and physiological observations can be reconciled if the interneuron dendrites are electrically excitable. Excitable dendrites could also account for depolarization-induced amplification of the pyramidal cell-interneuron EPSP in the voltage range subthreshold for spike generation.