scholarly journals Polyprenyl phosphate sugars synthesized during slime-polysaccharide production by membranes of the root-cap cells of maize (Zea mays)

1979 ◽  
Vol 178 (3) ◽  
pp. 661-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
J R Green ◽  
D H Northcote

Two types of experiments were carried out; either maize roots were incubated in L-[1-3H]fucose or membranes were prepared from root tips and these were incubated with GDP-L-[U-14C]fucose or UDP-D-[U-4C]glucose. The radioactively labelled lipids that were synthesized in vivo and in vitro were extracted and separated into polar and neutral components. The polar lipids had the characteristics of polyprenyl phosphate and diphosphate fucose or glucose derivatives, and the neutral lipids of sterol glycosides (fucose or glucose). A partial separation of the glycolipid synthetase reactions was achieved. Membranes were fractionated into material that sedimented at 20,000g and 100,000g. Most of the polar glycolipid synthetase activity (for the incorporation of both fucose and glucose) was located in the 100,000 g pellet, and this activity was probably located in the endoplasmic reticulum. The neutral lipid, which contained fucose, was synthesized mainly by membranes of the 20,000g pellet, and the activity was probably associated with the dictyosomes, whereas the neutral glucolipids were synthesized by all the membrane fractions. It is suggested that the polar (polyprenyl) lipids labelled with fucose could act as possible intermediates during the synthesis of the glycoproteins and slime in the root tip.

1979 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 235-244
Author(s):  
J.R. Green ◽  
D.H. Northcote

There are two fucosyl transferase activities present within the endomembranes of the cells of maize root-tips. One transfers fucose to polyprenyl phosphate and occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum, the second transfers fucose probably to polysaccharide or glycoprotein. In order to show an association of this second fucosyl transferase activity with the endoplasmic reticulum as well as the Golgi apparatus, a method of fractionating the membranes in a discontinuous sucrose gradient was used. Membranes were prepared in the presence of Mg2+, which maintained the attachment of ribosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum, and also in the presence of EDTA, which removed most of the ribosome complex. This caused a shift in density of these membranes. Two types of experiments were carried out; either maize roots were incubated in L-[1-3H]fucose and then membranes prepared and the amount of polymer synthesized in vivo determined or isolated membranes were incubated with GDP-L-[U-14C]fucose in vitro and the amount of polymer synthesized was found. The results showed that the Golgi apparatus had the highest amount of this fucosyl transferase activity, but there was a significant amount of activity associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and the latter was shifted in the sucrose gradient depending on the conditions used.


Author(s):  
Changhong Li ◽  
Kui Zhang ◽  
Guangzhao Pan ◽  
Haoyan Ji ◽  
Chongyang Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dehydrodiisoeugenol (DEH), a novel lignan component extracted from nutmeg, which is the seed of Myristica fragrans Houtt, displays noticeable anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects in digestive system diseases. However, the mechanism of its anticancer activity in gastrointestinal cancer remains to be investigated. Methods In this study, the anticancer effect of DEH on human colorectal cancer and its underlying mechanism were evaluated. Assays including MTT, EdU, Plate clone formation, Soft agar, Flow cytometry, Electron microscopy, Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were used in vitro. The CDX and PDX tumor xenograft models were used in vivo. Results Our findings indicated that treatment with DEH arrested the cell cycle of colorectal cancer cells at the G1/S phase, leading to significant inhibition in cell growth. Moreover, DEH induced strong cellular autophagy, which could be inhibited through autophagic inhibitors, with a rction in the DEH-induced inhibition of cell growth in colorectal cancer cells. Further analysis indicated that DEH also induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and subsequently stimulated autophagy through the activation of PERK/eIF2α and IRE1α/XBP-1 s/CHOP pathways. Knockdown of PERK or IRE1α significantly decreased DEH-induced autophagy and retrieved cell viability in cells treated with DEH. Furthermore, DEH also exhibited significant anticancer activities in the CDX- and PDX-models. Conclusions Collectively, our studies strongly suggest that DEH might be a potential anticancer agent against colorectal cancer by activating ER stress-induced inhibition of autophagy.


Author(s):  
Nadar Sowmya ◽  
Chouhan Raghavendra Singh ◽  
Kosha Patel ◽  
Harshil Patel ◽  
Tanvi Dodiya ◽  
...  

According to the literature survey most of the studies done on Adarak (Zingiber officinale rhizome) were performed on alcoholic extracts or isolated entities of ginger but no profound work has been done on the traditionally prepared or commonly consumed way of ginger. So, in this current study, fresh ginger rhizomes were traditionally pounded to make Adarak juice. The different concentration (0.05%, 0.5%, 1%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%) were taken as sample to perform onion root tip inhibition assay and brine shrimp lethality bioassay. It showed antimitotic inhibition in the range of 0.05-10% concentration with an IC50 value of 0.37 % on number of rootlets was 0.08 % on length of rootlets. The traditionally prepared Adarak juice showed cytotoxicity in the range of 0.05-2.5% concentration with LC50 value of 1.59%. The traditionally prepared Adarak juice possesses cytotoxic and antimitotic activity.


Author(s):  
Feng Tian ◽  
Ying Zhang

Our previous research has shown that type-2a Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2a) undergoes posttranscriptional oxidative modifications in cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) in the context of excessive cardiac oxidative injury. However, whether SERCA2a inactivity induces cytosolic Ca2+ imbalance in mitochondrial homeostasis is far from clear. Mitofusin2 (Mfn2) is well known as an important protein involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/mitochondrial Ca2+ tethering and the regulation of mitochondrial quality. Therefore, the aim of our study was to elucidate the specific mechanism of SERCA2a-mediated Ca2+ overload in the mitochondria via Mfn2 tethering and the survival rate of the heart under conditions of cardiac microvascular ischemic injury. In vitro, CMECs extracted from mice were subjected to 6 h of hypoxic injury to mimic ischemic heart injury. C57-WT and Mfn2KO mice were subjected to a 1 h ischemia procedure via ligation of the left anterior descending branch to establish an in vivo cardiac ischemic injury model. TTC staining, immunohistochemistry and echocardiography were used to assess the myocardial infarct size, microvascular damage, and heart function. In vitro, ischemic injury induced irreversible oxidative modification of SERCA2a, including sulfonylation at cysteine 674 and nitration at tyrosine 294/295, and inactivation of SERCA2a, which initiated calcium overload. In addition, ischemic injury-triggered [Ca2+]c overload and subsequent [Ca2+]m overload led to mPTP opening and ΔΨm dissipation compared with the control. Furthermore, ablation of Mfn2 alleviated SERCA2a-induced mitochondrial calcium overload and subsequent mito-apoptosis in the context of CMEC hypoxic injury. In vivo, compared with that in wild-type mice, the myocardial infarct size in Mfn2KO mice was significantly decreased. In addition, the findings revealed that Mfn2KO mice had better heart contractile function, decreased myocardial infarction indicators, and improved mitochondrial morphology. Taken together, the results of our study suggested that SERCA2a-dependent [Ca2+]c overload led to mitochondrial dysfunction and activation of Mfn2-mediated [Ca2+]m overload. Overexpression of SERCA2a or ablation of Mfn2 expression mitigated mitochondrial morphological and functional damage by modifying the SERCA2a/Ca2+-Mfn2 pathway. Overall, these pathways are promising therapeutic targets for acute cardiac microvascular ischemic injury.


Author(s):  
Lynda Kelvin Asogwa ◽  
Frank C. Ogbo

Aims: To isolate Plant Growth Promoting Bacillus strain from maize roots, to evaluate its biocontrol potentials and to characterize the isolate using16S rRNA sequencing. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, between February 2019 and March 2020. Methodology: The isolation of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) from maize roots was done using Pikovskaya (PVK) agar. Quantitative determination of phosphate was carried out using PVK broth. Evaluations of other plant growth promoting properties were carried out such as IAA, etc. Fusarium and Enterobacter plant pathogens were isolated from diseased maize plants. The in vitro antagonism effects of the PGPR isolates against the pathogens were analyzed using the dual culture plate technique. The pot experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design. Plant characteristics such as plant height, shoot  and root weight, chlorophyll content, as well as disease assessment were recorded accordingly. The organisms were identified using phenotypic and molecular methods. Results: Seven PGPR bacteria were isolated from maize (Zea mays) roots using PVK agar. Aneurinibacillus migulanus gave the highest solubilization index of 4.21 while isolate IS48 gave the lowest solubilization index of 1.47. A. migulanus produced IAA, ammonia and cellulase enzyme but no hydrogen cyanide. The organism showed antagonism activity against the two tested phytopathogens. In the pot experiment, A. migulanus treated plants showed a statistically insignificant difference in maize plant height at P=0.05 but gave significant increases in shoot and root wet weights. The organism offered 83.33% and 71.43% protection against Enterobacter and Fusarium pathogens respectively in the pot experiment. Conclusion: A. migulanus solubilized phosphate in addition to other plant growth promoting  properties. It showed biocontrol potentials both in vitro and in vivo and thus can be used as substitute for synthetic agrochemicals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-min Guo ◽  
Sheng-biao Qu ◽  
Hui-ling Lu ◽  
Wen-bo Wang ◽  
Mu-Liang He ◽  
...  

We have previously shown that biochanin A exhibits neuroprotective properties in the context of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The mechanistic basis for such properties, however, remains poorly understood. This study was therefore designed to explore the manner whereby biochanin A controls endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, apoptosis, and inflammation within fetal rat primary cortical neurons in response to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) injury, and in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) injury. For the OGD/R in vitro model system, cells were evaluated after a 2 h OGD following a 24 h reoxygenation period, whereas in vivo neurological deficits were evaluated following 2 h of ischemia and 24 h of reperfusion. The expression of proteins associated with apoptosis, ER stress (ERS), and p38 MAPK phosphorylation was evaluated in these samples. Rats treated with biochanin A exhibited reduced neurological deficits relative to control rats following MCAO/R injury. Additionally, GRP78 and CHOP levels rose following I/R modeling both in vitro and in vivo, whereas biochanin A treatment was associated with reductions in CHOP levels but further increases in GRP78 levels. In addition, OGD/R or MCAO/R were associated with markedly enhanced p38 MAPK phosphorylation that was alleviated by biochanin A treatment. Similarly, OGD/R or MCAO/R injury resulted in increases in caspase-3, caspase-12, and Bax levels as well as decreases in Bcl-2 levels, whereas biochanin A treatment was sufficient to reverse these phenotypes. Together, these findings thus demonstrate that biochanin A can alleviate cerebral I/R-induced damage at least in part via suppressing apoptosis, ER stress, and p38 MAPK signaling, thereby serving as a potent neuroprotective agent.


1964 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 227-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burton Goldberg ◽  
Howard Green

In vitro synthesis of collagen by established mouse fibroblast lines has been examined by electron microscopy. During rapid growth (log phase), when collagen could not be detected in the cultures, the cells lacked a well developed granular ergastoplasm and Golgi system. Upon cessation of growth (stationary phase), collagen accumulated in the cultures and the cells demonstrated highly developed granular and smooth ergastoplasm. Collagen appeared to be synthesized in the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and to be transported as a soluble protein to the cell surface by vesicular elements of the agranular ergastoplasm. Fusion of the limiting membranes of these vesicles with the cell membrane permitted the discharge of the soluble collagen into the extracellular space, where fibrils of two diameter distributions formed. The secretion of collagen is concluded to be of the merocrine type. Alternative theories of collagen secretion are discussed and the data for established lines compared with the results of other in vitro and in vivo studies of collagen fibrillogenesis.


1967 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-370
Author(s):  
J. A. CHAPMAN ◽  
M. W. ELVES ◽  
J. GOUGH

Electron-microscope studies of cultured small lymphocytes from human peripheral blood transforming into larger blastoid cells in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) show that the transformed cell possesses the preliminary stages of development of a protein-synthesizing system. The transformed blastoid cell has abundant ribosomes, although, in contrast with in vivo protein-secreting cells, many of these occur as single particles with only a small proportion Linked in polysomal clusters. Endoplasmic reticulum membranes occur to a very limited extent and with a marked paucity of attached ribosomal particles; the few attached particles are usually located in groups. Some endoplasmic reticulum membranes revealed degenerative changes in otherwise normal cells. A moderately well-developed Golgi apparatus was a characteristic feature of the cells. Apart from the relatively low proportion of polysomes, in vitro PHA-transformed blastoid cells are identical in fine structure to in vivo blast cells (otherwise known as immunoblasts, haemocytoblasts, etc.) occurring in the immune response. It is suggested that messenger-RNA production in PHA-stimulated transformed cells may be reduced and that this could explain the limited number of polysomes and the restricted development of the endoplasmic reticulum.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document