Change in the physical state of platelet plasma membranes upon ionophore A23187 activation. A fluorescence polarization study

Human platelets were isolated and fluorescence-labelled by 1,6-diphenylhexatriene. Diphenylhexatriene was essentially localized in the plasma membrane, as indicated by trinitrobenzenesulfonate-quenching experiments. A decrease of the fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene was observed upon ionophore A23187 addition in the absence of aggregation. 0.3 microM ionophore allowed to reach the maximum rate of the decrease of fluorescence polarization; it also maximally stimulated the light transmission change, the serotonin release and the thromboxane B2 synthesis. The amplitude of the fluorescence polarization decrease was maximum at platelet concentrations between 4 X 10(7) and 7 X 10(7)/ml. The presence of Ca2+ in the medium increased the rate constant of the polarization change. Chlorpromazine (60 microM) completely inhibited this transition, but at 30 microM its inhibitory effect was reversed by Ca2+. The membrane events implied in platelet activation very likely lead to fluidization of the plasma membrane, perhaps by its fusion with the membranes of internal granules which are relatively depleted of cholesterol. Ca2+ plays a central role in the triggering of the observed effects at the membrane level.     

Lignin genetic engineering

Although lignins play important roles in plants, they often represent an obstacle to the utilization of plant biomass in different areas: pulp industry, forage digestibility. The recent characterization of different lignification genes has stimulated research programmes aimed at modifying the lignin profiles of plants through genetic engineering (antisense and sense suppression of gene expression). The first transgenic plants with a modification of monomeric composition of lignins and lignin content have been recently obtained. Down regulation of the OMT gene induces dramatic reduction of syringyl units. CAD down regulated plants exhibit a unusual red phenotype associated with the developing xylem and several chemical modifications of their lignins including an increase in cinnamaldehydes in the polymer structure. Interestingly this novel lignin is removed more easily during the pulping process. In both OMT and CAD down regulated plants no changes in phenotypic characteristics such as growth architecture and morphology were observed. More recent experiments have shown that a reduction of CCR activity determines specific changes in the coloration of the xylem area suggesting significant chemical modifications which are currently being studied.These different results show that it is possible to manipulate lignins through targeted genetic transformation of plants and that lignins exhibit a relative flexibility of their chemical structure. Future developments should probe the impact of down regulating the expression of other recently characterized lignification genes such as F5H and CCoAOMT and also of a combination of genes in order to tailor lignins more adapted to specific purposes. In addition to biotechnological applications which should provide important economical benefits for utilization of wood in the pulp industry, genetic engineering of lignins offer very promising perspectives for the understanding of lignin synthesis, structure and properties.     

Purification and characterization of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase from tobacco stems

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) is an enzyme involved in lignin biosynthesis. In this paper, we report the purification of CAD to homogeneity from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) stems. The enzyme is low in abundance, comprising approximately 0.05% of total soluble cell protein. A simple and efficient purification procedure for CAD was developed. It employs three chromatography steps, including two affinity matrices, Blue Sepharose and 2′5′ ADP-Sepharose. The purified enzyme has a specific cofactor requirement for NADP and has high affinity for coniferyl alcohol (K_m = 12 micromolar) and coniferaldehyde (K_m = 0.3 micromolar). Two different sized polypeptide subunits of 42.5 and 44 kilodaltons were identified and separated by reverse-phase HPLC. Peptide mapping and amino acid composition analysis of the polypeptides showed that they are closely related, although not identical.     

Subcellular Localization of 2-(beta-d-Glucosyloxy)-Cinnamic Acids and the Related beta-glucosidase in Leaves of Melilotus alba Desr

The distribution of the glucosides of trans- and cis-2-hydroxy cinnamic acid and of the β-glucosidase which hydrolyzes the latter glucoside was examined in preparations of epidermal and mesophyll tissue obtained from leaves of sweet clover (Melilotus alba Desr.). The concentrations of glucosides in the two tissues were about equal when compared on the basis of fresh or dry weight. Inasmuch as the epidermal layers account for no more than 10% of the leaf volume, the mesophyll tissue contains 90% or more of the glucosides. Vacuoles isolated from mesophyll protoplasts contained all of the glucosides present initially in the protoplasts.     

3-Deoxy-D-arabino heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase from Zea mays: General properties and regulation by tryptophan

In extracts from Zea mays shoots, the presence of thiol compoundsin the extraction buffer was necessary to get an active 3 deoxy-D-arabinoheptulosonic acid 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase. Its pH optimumfor activity was about 7.5. Of the different cations tested,only Mn⁺⁺ was an activator. Enzyme stability was optimal inTris-HCl buffer, pH 7.5, that contained a reducing agent, Mn⁺⁺and a polyol. Contrary to other reports, phosphoenolpyruvate(PEP) did not stabilize the preparation significantly. The synthaseexhibited high affinities for both erythrose-4-phosphate (Km:0.24 mM) and PEP (Km: 0.31 mM). Its specific activity was highestin young shoots. Corn DAHP synthase was inhibited in vitro by tryptophan. Moreover,the enzyme was retarded on a tryptophan agarose affinity column,but it was removed with the bulk of protein from the same supportwhen eluted with buffer containing tryptophan. Inhibition whichwas easily lost during storage at 4°C was pH dependent andincreased during development. Maximal inhibition, about 60%with 1 mM tryptophan, was observed in extracts from 8 day-oldshoots. Phenylalanine and tyrosine were not inhibitory, andno synergistic effects were observed when the aromatic aminoacids were tested in combination. Isoenzymes could not be demonstrated. (Received April 23, 1980; )     

1H, 13C and 15N resonance assignments of YajG, an Escherichia coli protein of unknown structure and function

The ampG gene codes for a permease required to uptake anhydro-muropeptides into bacterial cytoplasm. Located upstream in the same operon, is another 579-base-pair-long open reading frame encoding a putative lipoprotein YajG, whose nearly complete ¹H,¹³C,¹⁵N assignments are reported here.