The Effects Of Humic Substances On Pinus Callus Are Reversed By 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

The reversal of humic matter-induced inhibition of callus growth and metabolism by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) was studied in Pinus laricio. Two forest humic fractions (relative molecular mass (M_r) > 3500), derived from soil under Fagus sylvatica (Fs) and Abies alba (Aa) plantation, were used. Pinus laricio callus was grown for a subculture period (4 weeks) on Basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium plus forest humic matters (Fs or Aa), at a concentration of 1 mg C/l, and then was transferred, for an additional four weeks, to a MS medium culture without humic matter, but with different hormones: indole-3-acetic acid (IAA, 2 mg/1) or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D, 0.5 mg/1) and/or 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP, 0.25 mg/1). Growth of calluse, glucose, fructose, and sucrose contents, and activities of soluble and bound invertases, glucokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, aldolase, and pyruvate kinase were monitored. The results show a negative effect of humic fractions on callus growth, due to decreased utilization of glucose and fructose, and decreased activities of glycolytic enzymes. The effects are reversible. Substitution of humic fractions with 2,4-D+BAP or 2,4-D is followed by an increase of glycolytic enzyme activities and, consequently, by the utilization of glucose and fructose that induces a restart of growth. In contrast, the inhibitory effects of humic fractions persist when they are substituted with BAP alone, indicating that only the auxin 2,4-D is capable of reversing the negative effects. A possible competitive action on the auxin-binding site between 2,4-D and the chemical structures in the forest humic fractions is suggested.     

Theoretical examination of the mechanism of aldose-ketose isomerization

Two mechanisms for an aldose–ketose isomerization havebeen examined using high level ab initio and semiempirical molecularorbital methods. The proton transfer pathway via an enediolintermediate is shown to be favored in the absence of a metalion, while the hydride transfer pathway becomes favored in thepresence of a metal ion. Our calculations explain why the protontransfer pathway is operative in most aldose–ketose isomerizationreactions. These calculations also provide further support forthe previously proposed metal ion-mediated hydride transfermechanism for xylose isomerase.     

嗜酸乳杆菌亚油酸异构酶的结构与催化机理

对嗜酸乳杆菌亚油酸异构酶基因及其启动子进行了定位,采用多种软件分析了酶蛋白中α螺旋、β折叠等二级结构的组成以及酶蛋白中的糖基化位点、磷酸化位点的分布.证明了该蛋白具有肌凝蛋白交叉反应抗原、链状球菌的67 000肌凝蛋白交叉反应抗原、番茄红素脱氢酶相关蛋白和FAD结合蛋白等4个功能结构域,并首次提出其催化共轭亚油酸合成时可能存在氧化还原反应过程.     

Accumulation of triosephosphate isomerase, with sequence homology to Beta amyloid peptides, in vessel walls of the newborn piglet hippocampus

We investigated whether beta-amyloid (Abeta)-like immunoreactivity was seen in the brains of newborn piglets. The immunoreactivity for Abeta(1-42) and Abeta(1-40) proteins, but not Abeta precursor protein, was present in CD68-positive perivascular cells of the hippocampus and in parts of the meninges. It was colocalized with immunoreactivity for receptor for advanced glycation end product and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The protein with a molecular mass of 27 kDa, which was recognized by the Abeta antibodies, was identified as triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) with sequence homology to Abeta peptides by N-terminal amino acid sequencing, mass fingerprint analysis using matrix-associated laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, and Western blotting. Western blotting assay also revealed that detectable expression of Abeta proteins were not seen in the piglet brains. These findings indicate that TPI with sequence homology to Abeta peptides accumulates in perivascular cells of the microglia/macrophage lineage located around arterial vessels of the newborn piglet hippocampus.     

Noncanonical Reactions of Flavoenzymes

Enzymes containing flavin cofactors are predominantly involved in redox reactions in numerous cellular processes where the protein environment modulates the chemical reactivity of the flavin to either transfer one or two electrons. Some flavoenzymes catalyze reactions with no net redox change. In these reactions, the protein environment modulates the reactivity of the flavin to perform novel chemistries. Recent mechanistic and structural data supporting novel flavin functionalities in reactions catalyzed by chorismate synthase, type II isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, UDP-galactopyranose mutase, and alkyl-dihydroxyacetonephosphate synthase are presented in this review. In these enzymes, the flavin plays either a direct role in acid/base reactions or as a nucleophile or electrophile. In addition, the flavin cofactor is proposed to function as a “molecular scaffold” in the formation of UDP-galactofuranose and alkyl-dihydroxyacetonephosphate by forming a covalent adduct with reaction intermediates.     

海藻酸钠固定化亚油酸异构酶及其酶学性质初步研究

以海藻酸钠为载体固定化亚油酸异构酶。研究了海藻酸钠浓度、酶用量、CaC12浓度、固定化时间对固定化过程的影响。结果表明,最佳固定化工艺是：以4%的海藻酸钠为载体、应用海藻酸钠溶液用量与酶液量的体积比3：1、3%的CaC12固定化5h。固定化酶的最适pH值为7.0,与游离酶相比,提高了0.5个pH单位;固定化酶和游离酶最适温度分别为35℃和30℃;固定化酶比游离酶具有更好的温度和pH值适应性。     

微生物亚油酸异构酶的生物信息学分析

运用生物信息学方法,对已在GenBank上公开发表的罗伊氏乳杆菌、疮疱丙酸杆菌、嗜酸乳杆菌、植物乳杆菌和短双岐杆菌等的亚油酸异构酶基因序列进行了分析,并对这些基因序列编码的蛋白质进行了预测.     

微生物共轭亚油酸异构酶的生物学研究

在各种共轭亚油酸异构体中,c9,t11-18∶2和t10,c12-18∶2这两种天然不饱和脂肪酸异构体被认为具有生物活性,如抗癌、抗动脉粥样硬化、减肥、促进生长、缓和免疫反应副作用等,因而在医药、食品、保健品、化妆品等领域有着广阔的应用前景.一些微生物能产生共轭亚油酸异构酶(Conjugated linoleic acid isomerase,EC 5.2.1.5),该酶又能专一性地催化亚油酸转化为活性共轭亚油酸异构体的反应,因此近几年来倍受关注,利用生物合成法生产共轭亚油酸已成为该领域未来的发展趋势.然而目前,共轭亚油酸异构酶的物种分布及进化关系、在细胞中的生物学功能、结构域、催化反应机理等尚未得到完整的阐释,利用基因工程技术大量高效地表达有活性的重组酶也尚未得到很好的解决.本文在前人对共轭亚油酸异构酶进行的多方面研究的基础上,对近年来共轭亚油酸异构酶的分布、生物学作用、酶的催化反应机理、酶基因的克隆表达等生物学方面的研究进展进行了综述,并利用生物信息学方法对已知的共轭亚油酸异构酶序列进行了初步分析.     

A proteomic analysis of green and white sturgeon larvae exposed to heat stress and selenium

Temperature and selenium are two environmental parameters that potentially affect reproduction and stock recruitment of sturgeon in the San Francisco Bay/Delta Estuary. To identify proteins whose expression is modified by these environmental stressors, we performed a proteomic analysis on larval green and white sturgeons exposed to 18 or 26 °C and micro-injected with Seleno-L-Methionine to reach 8 µg g⁻¹ selenium body burden, with L-Methionine as a control. Selenium and high temperature induced mortalities and abnormal morphologies in both species, with a higher mortality in green sturgeon. Larval proteins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and differential abundances were detected following spot quantitation and hierarchical cluster analysis. In green sturgeon, 34 of 551 protein spots detected on gels showed a variation in abundance whereas in white sturgeon only 9 of 580 protein spots were differentially expressed (P < 0.01). Gel replicates were first grouped according to heat treatment. Fifteen of these spots were identified using MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. Proteins involved in protein folding, protein synthesis, protein degradation, ATP supply and structural proteins changed in abundance in response to heat and/or selenium. 40S ribosomal protein SA, FK506-binding protein 10, 65 kDa regulatory subunit A of protein phosphatase 2, protein disulfide isomerase, stress-induced-phosphoprotein 1, suppression of tumorigenicity 13 and collagen type II alpha 1, were differentially expressed in high temperature treatment only. Serine/arginine repetitive matrix protein 1, creatine kinase, serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type 5 and HSP90 were sensitive to combined temperature and selenium exposure. Valosin-containing protein, a protein involved in aggresome formation and in protein quality control decreased more than 50% in response to selenium treatment. Potential use of such proteins as biomarkers of environmental stressors in larval sturgeons could indicate early warning signals preceding population decline.     

Alterations of the glucose metabolism in a triose phosphate isomerase-negative Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant

The absence of triose phosphate isomerase activity causes an accumulation of only one of the two trioses, dihydroxyacetone phosphate, and this produces a shift in the final product of glucose catabolism from ethanol to glycerol (Compagno et al., 1996). Alterations of glucose metabolism imposed by the deletion of the TPI1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae were studied in batch and continuous cultures. The Deltatpi1 null mutant was unable to grow on glucose as the sole carbon source. The addition of ethanol or acetate in media containing glucose, but also raffinose or galactose, relieved this effect in batch cultivation, suggesting that the Crabtree effect is not the primary cause for the mutant's impaired growth on glucose. The addition of an energy source like formic acid restored glucose utilization, suggesting that a NADH/energy shortage in the Deltatpi1 mutant could be a cause of the impaired growth on glucose. The amount of glycerol production in the Deltatpi1 mutant could represent a good indicator of the fraction of carbon source channelled through glycolysis. Data obtained in continuous cultures on mixed substrates indicated that different contributions of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, as well as of the HMP pathway, to glucose utilization by the Deltatpi1 mutant may occur in relation to the fraction of ethanol present in the media.