Respiratory components in acidophilic bacteria that respire on iron

Abstract

Microorganisms capable of aerobic respiration on ferrous ions are spread throughout eubacterial and archaebacterial phyla. Phylogenetically distinct organisms were shown to express spectrally distinct redox‐active biomolecules during autotrophic growth on soluble iron. A new iron‐oxidizing eubacterium, designated as strain Funis, was investigated. Strain Funis was judged to be different from other known iron‐oxidizing bacteria on the bases of comparative lipid analyses, 16S rRNA sequence analyses, and cytochrome composition studies. When grown autotrophically on ferrous ions, Funis produced conspicuous levels of a novel acid‐stable, acid‐soluble yellow cytochrome with a distinctive absorbance peak at 579 nm in the reduced state.

Stopped‐flow spectrophotometric kinetic studies were conducted on respiratory chain components isolated from cell‐free extracts of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Experimental results were consistent with a model where the primary oxidant of ferrous ions is a highly aggregated c‐type cytochrome that then reduces the periplasmic rusticyanin. The Fe(II)‐dependent, cytochrome c‐catalyzed reduction of the rusticyanin possessed three kinetic properties in common with corresponding intact cells that respire on iron: the same anion specificity, a similar dependence of the rate on the concentration of ferrous ions, and similar rates at saturating concentrations of ferrous ions     

Diminished Reovirus Capsid Stability Alters Disease Pathogenesis and Littermate Transmission

Reovirus is a nonenveloped mammalian virus that provides a useful model system for studies of viral infections in the young. Following internalization into host cells, the outermost capsid of reovirus virions is removed by endosomal cathepsin proteases. Determinants of capsid disassembly kinetics reside in the viral σ3 protein. However, the contribution of capsid stability to reovirus-induced disease is unknown. In this study, we found that mice inoculated intramuscularly with a serotype 3 reovirus containing σ3-Y354H, a mutation that reduces viral capsid stability, succumbed at a higher rate than those infected with wild-type virus. At early times after inoculation, σ3-Y354H virus reached higher titers than wild-type virus at several sites within the host. Animals inoculated perorally with a serotype 1 reassortant reovirus containing σ3-Y354H developed exaggerated myocarditis accompanied by elaboration of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Surprisingly, unchallenged littermates of mice infected with σ3-Y354H virus displayed higher titers in the intestine, heart, and brain than littermates of mice inoculated with wild-type virus. Together, these findings suggest that diminished capsid stability enhances reovirus replication, dissemination, lethality, and host-to-host spread, establishing a new virulence determinant for nonenveloped viruses.     

Fluorometric, Chromatographic, and Spectronic Evidence for the Non-indolic Nature of Citrus Auxin

Evidence for the non-indolic nature of the new citrus auxinis presented on the basis of fluorometric properties, thin-layerchromatography, Ehrlich's colour reaction, paper electrophoresis,and the infra-red spectra determinations. Citrus auxin had alower Rf in TLC than IAA, did not give the typical indole reactionwith Ehrlich's reagent, and behaved differently in electrophoresis.The infra-red spectra also provided preliminary informationconcerning chemical structure. The hypothesis that indolic compoundsconstitute the only natural auxins in higher plants should berevised in view of this evidence that a non-indole auxin existsin higher plants.     

Major histocompatibility (B) complex and sex effects on the phytohaemagglutinin wattle response

The influence of the major histocompatibility (B) complex and sex on the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) wattle response was studied in 136 segregants (B2/B2, B2/B5 and B5/B5) of a fourth generation cross between inbred lines 6(1) and 15(1). At 6 weeks of age, chickens were injected with 100 micrograms purified PHA-P. Wattle thickness measurements were taken 4, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after injection. Analysis of variance showed that 4 h after injection, males had a significantly higher response than females but the sex-genotype interaction was also significant. Females had higher responses than males 24 and 48 h after injection as a consequence of more rapid development and earlier resolution of the reaction in males. B2/B2 chickens had significantly lower responses than B5/B5 chickens 72 and 96 h after injection, signifying a faster late resolution phase in the B2/B2 genotype. The developmental and early resolution phases of the PHA wattle response were influenced by sex while the late resolution phase was influenced by B genotype.     

Allometric Root/Shoot Relationships and Predicted Water Uptake for Desert Succulents

Root morphology, shoot morphology, and water uptake for Agavedeserti and Ferocactus acanthodes of various sizes were studiedusing allometric relationships (y = ax^b) and a previously developedwater uptake model. Shoot surface area increased with shootvolume with an exponent b of 0.75 for both species. Root lengthand the ground area explored by the roots increased with shootsurface area with b's of 0.72 for A. deserti and 0.92 for F.acanthodes. Various sized individuals had about the same ratioof root length to explored ground area, with higher values occurringfor A. deserti. Predicted water uptake averaged over the exploredground area was approximately constant over a 10⁴-fold rangein shoot surface area, suggesting that shoot size confers nointraspecific competitive advantage for water uptake. For theroot lengths per explored ground area observed in the field,water uptake was predicted to be 85 per cent of maximal; wateruptake could be increased by the production of more rain roots.When differences in shoot volume were accounted for by allometry,small plants had relatively less shoot surface area and relativelymore root length per shoot volume than did large plants, whichmay be important for the water relations of seedling establishment. Agave deserti, Ferocactus acanthodes, allometry, desert succulents, root distribution, root length, seedling growth, seedling establishment, shoot surface area, shoot volume, water uptake     

Dynamics of Imbibition in Phaseolus vulgaris L. in Relation to Initial Seed Moisture Content

The seed moisture level marking the onset of imbibitional injury (breakpoint) was determined for two cultivars of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cvs `Tendercrop' (TC) and `Kinghorn Wax' (KW). At 20°C the breakpoints were 0.15 gram H₂O/gram dry weight (gram per gram) for TC and 0.11 gram per gram for KW. When seeds were imbibed at 5°C, the breakpoints were 0.19 gram per gram (TC) and 0.16 gram per gram (KW). Below the breakpoint germination changed 4.6%/0.01 gram per gram for all treatments. Imbibition rates were maximal at 0.07 gram per gram and 0.33 gram per gram after 20 minutes imbibition. Rates of electrolyte leakage were correlated with the imbibition rate maximum at 0.07 gram per gram but were unaffected by the maximum at 0.33 gram per gram. The transition from tightly bound to semibound water occurred at 0.09 gram per gram and 0.11 gram per gram for KW and TC, respectively. T1 values increased exponentially as seed moisture decreased from 0.47 gram per gram to 0.05 gram per gram. ¹³C-NMR sugar signals increased at moisture levels above 0.14 gram per gram and plateaued at approximately 0.33 gram per gram seed moisture. These results suggest that the breakpoint moisture level for imbibitional damage is a function of temperature while the injury process is similar at both 5 and 20°C. Imbibition and leakage rate maxima reflect transitions in the states of seed water. NMR data support the application of the Water Replacement Hypothesis to seeds. Thus, imbibitional injury may be related to specific, temperature dependent moisture levels that are determined by water binding characteristics in the seed tissue.     

Purified maturation promoting factor phosphorylates pp60c-src at the sites phosphorylated during fibroblast mitosis

We have previously shown that overexpressed chicken pp60c-src has retarded mobility, novel serine/threonine phosphorylation, and enhanced kinase activity during NIH 3T3 cell mitosis. Here we show that novel mitotic phosphorylations occur at Thr 34, Thr 46, and Ser 72. The possibility, previously raised, that Ser 17 is dephosphorylated during mitosis is excluded. The phosphorylated sites lie in consensus sequences for phosphorylation by p34cdc2, the catalytic component of maturation promoting factor (MPF). Furthermore, highly purified MPF from metaphase-arrested Xenopus eggs phosphorylated both wild-type and kinase-defective pp60c-src at these sites. Altered phosphorylation alone is sufficient to account for the large retardation in mitotic pp60c-src electrophoretic mobility: phosphorylation of normal pp60c-src by MPF retarded mobility and dephosphorylation of mitotic pp60c-src restored normal mobility. These results suggest that pp60c-src is one of the targets for MPF action, which may account in part for the pleiotropic changes in protein phosphorylation and cellular architecture that occur during mitosis.     

Recombinant Inbred Strain and Interspecific Backcross Analysis of Molecular Markers Flanking the Murine Agouti Coat Color Locus

Recombinant inbred strain and interspecific backcross mice were used to create a molecular genetic linkage map of the distal portion of mouse chromosome 2. The orientation and distance of the Ada, Emv-13, Emv-15, Hck-1, Il-1a, Pck-1, Psp, Src-1 and Svp-1 loci from the beta 2-microglobulin locus and the agouti locus were established. Our mapping results have provided the identification of molecular markers both proximal and distal to the agouti locus. The recombinants obtained provide valuable resources for determining the direction of chromosome walking experiments designed to clone sequences at the agouti locus. Comparisons between the mouse and human genome maps suggest that the human homolog of the agouti locus resides on human chromosome 20q. Three loci not present on mouse chromosome 2 were also identified and were provisionally named Psp-2, Hck-2 and Hck-3. The Psp-2 locus maps to mouse chromosome 14. The Hck-2 locus maps near the centromere of mouse chromosome 4 and may identify the Lyn locus. The Hck-3 locus maps near the distal end of mouse chromosome 4 and may identify the Lck locus.