The structure and evolution of the spider monkey delta-globin gene

We have isolated the delta-globin gene of the New-World spider monkey, Ateles geoffroyi, and compared its nucleotide sequence with those of other primate delta- and beta-globin genes. Among primate delta-globin genes, the rate of nonsynonymous substitutions is much less than the rate of synonymous substitutions. This suggests that primate delta- globin genes may remain under evolutionary conservation, perhaps because hemoglobin A2 has an as yet unknown physiological importance.      

Biochemical pathways in prokaryotes can be traced backward through evolutionary time

For the first time, a credible prokaryotic phylogenetic tree is being assembled by Woese and others using quantitative sequence analysis of oligonucleotides in the highly conservative rRNA. This provides an evolutionary scale against which the evolutionary steps that led to the arrangement and regulation of contemporary biochemical pathways can be measured. This paper presents an emerging evolutionary picture of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis within a large superfamily assemblage of prokaryotes that is sufficiently developed to illustrate a new perspective that will be applicable to many other biochemical pathways.      

Cloning, sequencing and overexpression of the mannitol-specific enzyme-III-encoding gene of Staphylococcus carnosus

The gene which encodes the mannitol-specific enzyme III (EIIImtl) of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system of Staphylococcus carnosus, has been cloned. Genomic libraries of S. carnosus DNA were constructed using the expression vector pUC19 and EIIImtl-producing clones were identified using rabbit polyclonal antiserum. A 700-bp Dde I fragment, containing the complete gene encoding EIIImtl, was sequenced by the dideoxy chain-termination technique. Upstream from the ORF for EIIImtl one can find a sequence analogous to that of the Escherichia coli promoter. This region acts as a strong promoter when subcloned into the promoter test vector M13HDL17. EIIImtl was overproduced using the inducible T7 polymerase system and purified to homogeneity. Amino acid sequence comparison confirmed a 38% similarity to the hydrophilic enzyme-III-like portion of enzyme IImtl of E. coli. There is also a 36% similarity to the N terminus of the fructose-specific phospho-carrier protein from E. coli.     

The evolutionary history of the amylase multigene family in Drosophila pseudoobscura

In Drosophila pseudoobscura, the amylase (Amy) multigene family is contained within a series of inversions, or gene arrangements, on the third chromosome. The Standard (ST), Santa Cruz (SC), and Tree Line (TL) inversions are central to the phylogeny of arrangements, and have clusters of other arrangements derived from them. The gene arrangements belonging to each of these three clusters have a characteristic number of Amy genes, ranging from three in ST to two in SC to one in TL. This distribution pattern can reflect a history of either duplications or deletions, although the data available in the past did not permit a decision between these alternatives. We provide unambiguous evidence that three Amy genes were present before the divergence of the ST, SC, and TL arrangements. Thus, the current status of the Amy multigene family is the result of deletions in the TL and SC arrangements, which created three new pseudogenes: TL Amy2-psi, TL Amy3-psi, and SC Amy3- psi. Analysis of pseudogene sequences revealed that, in the SC and ST arrangements, pseudogene evolution has been retarded, most likely due to the homogenization effect of gene conversion. Finally, by determining the original copy number, we have reconstructed the evolutionary history of the Amy multigene family and linked it with the evolution of the central gene arrangements.      

USE OF SENSORY EVALUATION FOR MEASURING DEODORIZING EFFECTS OF AN AIR CONDITIONER

The application of sensory methodology for measuring deodorizing effect of an air conditioner equipped with electric plasma was introduced. Deodorizing effect was measured using chemical and sensory methods at different time (0, 30 and 60 min) and mode (control, blowing and cooling) of an air conditioner. Smoke from a roll of cigarette in a closed room was used as a source of odor and the concentrations of acetic acid and ammonia were measured as odorous chemical components. As one of the sensory methods triangle test was used and as a first step to obtain deodorizing effects by triangle test, the threshold of each panelist was obtained as the log dilution ratio of odor concentration at which the difference from odorless air was detected. The odor concentration at each time and mode was calculated using the threshold of the panel and the deodorizing effect was obtained on the basis of the odor concentration. In addition to a triangle test, scaling methods such as category scaling or magnitude estimation were used to measure deodorizing effect of an air conditioner. Deodorizing effects by scaling methods were calculated based on odor intensity with time at each mode. The regression analysis was done between the efficacy of deodorizing effect by sensory test and those by acetic acid and ammonia, the R² values of the regression equations for triangle test, category scale, and magnitude estimation were 0.84, 0.72 and 0.69, respectively. Deodorizing effect by triangle test explained the decrease of acetic acid and ammonia better than those by category scaling or magnitude estimation while high cost and time consuming labor involved in triangle tests reduced the merit. The results of this study demonstrated that various sensory methods could be used to measure deodorizing effect of air conditioners and further researches on fast and reliable methods are needed to establish the official procedures.     

The K+/H+ antiporter LeNHX2 increases salt tolerance by improving K+ homeostasis in transgenic tomato

The endosomal LeNHX2 ion transporter exchanges H⁺ with K⁺ and, to lesser extent, Na⁺. Here, we investigated the response to NaCl supply and K⁺ deprivation in transgenic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) overexpressing LeNHX2 and show that transformed tomato plants grew better in saline conditions than untransformed controls, whereas in the absence of K⁺ the opposite was found. Analysis of mineral composition showed a higher K⁺ content in roots, shoots and xylem sap of transgenic plants and no differences in Na⁺ content between transgenic and untransformed plants grown either in the presence or the absence of 120 mm NaCl. Transgenic plants showed higher Na⁺/H⁺ and, above all, K⁺/H⁺ transport activity in root intracellular membrane vesicles. Under K⁺ limiting conditions, transgenic plants enhanced root expression of the high‐affinity K⁺ uptake system HAK5 compared to untransformed controls. Furthermore, tomato overexpressing LeNHX2 showed twofold higher K⁺ depletion rates and half cytosolic K⁺ activity than untransformed controls. Under NaCl stress, transgenic plants showed higher uptake velocity for K⁺ and lower cytosolic K⁺ activity than untransformed plants. These results indicate the fundamental role of K⁺ homeostasis in the better performance of LeNHX2 overexpressing tomato under NaCl stress.     

Insights into the Structure and Metabolic Function of Microbes That Shape Pelagic Iron-Rich Aggregates (“Iron Snow”)

Microbial ferrous iron [Fe(II)] oxidation leads to the formation of iron-rich macroscopic aggregates (“iron snow”) at the redoxcline in a stratified lignite mine lake in east-central Germany. We aimed to identify the abundant Fe-oxidizing and Fe-reducing microorganisms likely to be involved in the formation and transformation of iron snow present in the redoxcline in two basins of the lake that differ in their pH values. Nucleic acid- and lipid-stained microbial cells of various morphologies detected by confocal laser scanning microscopy were homogeneously distributed in all iron snow samples. The dominant iron mineral appeared to be schwertmannite, with shorter needles in the northern than in the central basin samples. Total bacterial 16S rRNA gene copies ranged from 5.0 × 10⁸ copies g (dry weight)⁻¹ in the acidic central lake basin (pH 3.3) to 4.0 × 10¹⁰ copies g (dry weight)⁻¹ in the less acidic (pH 5.9) northern basin. Total RNA-based quantitative PCR assigned up to 61% of metabolically active microbial communities to Fe-oxidizing- and Fe-reducing-related bacteria, indicating that iron metabolism was an important metabolic strategy. Molecular identification of abundant groups suggested that iron snow surfaces were formed by chemoautotrophic iron oxidizers, such as Acidimicrobium, Ferrovum, Acidithiobacillus, Thiobacillus, and Chlorobium, in the redoxcline and were rapidly colonized by heterotrophic iron reducers, such as Acidiphilium, Albidiferax-like, and Geobacter-like groups. Metaproteomics yielded 283 different proteins from northern basin iron snow samples, and protein identification provided a glimpse into some of their in situ metabolic processes, such as primary production (CO₂ fixation), respiration, motility, and survival strategies.     

Phylogenetic utility of the nuclear gene arginine decarboxylase: an example from Brassicaceae

Arginine decarboxylase (ADC) is an important enzyme in the production of putrescine and polyamines in plants. It is encoded by a single or low-copy nuclear gene that lacks introns in sequences studied to date. The rate of Adc amino acid sequence evolution is similar to that of ndhF for the angiosperm family studied. Highly conserved regions provide several target sites for PCR priming and sequencing and aid in nucleotide and amino acid sequence alignment across a range of taxonomic levels, while a variable region provides an increased number of potentially informative characters relative to ndhF for the taxa surveyed. The utility of the Adc gene in plant molecular systematic studies is demonstrated by analysis of its partial nucleotide sequences obtained from 13 representatives of Brassicaceae and 3 outgroup taxa, 2 from the mustard oil clade (order Capparales) and 1 from the related order Malvales. Two copies of the Adc gene, Adc1 and Adc2, are found in all members of the Brassicaceae studied to data except the basal genus Aethionema. The resulting Adc gene tree provides robust phylogenetic data regarding relationships within the complex mustard family, as well as independent support for proposed tribal realignments based on other molecular data sets such as those from chloroplast DNA.