scholarly journals Functional Analysis of Rice Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Synthetase 9 (OsLACS9) in the Chloroplast Envelope Membrane

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2223
Author(s):  
Aya Kitajima-Koga ◽  
Marouane Baslam ◽  
Yuuki Hamada ◽  
Namiko Ito ◽  
Tomoko Taniuchi ◽  
...  

The long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (LACSs) are involved in lipid synthesis, fatty acid catabolism, and the transport of fatty acids between subcellular compartments. These enzymes catalyze the critical reaction of fatty acyl chains to fatty acyl-CoAs for the triacylglycerol biosynthesis used as carbon and energy reserves. In Arabidopsis, LACSs are encoded by a family of nine genes, with LACS9 being the only member located in the chloroplast envelope membrane. However, the comprehensive role of LACS9 and its contribution to plant metabolism have not been explored thoroughly. In this study, we report on the identification and characterization of LACS9 mutants in rice plants. Our results indicate that the loss-of-function mutations in OsLACS9 affect the architecture of internodes resulting in dwarf plants with large starch granules in the chloroplast, showing the suppression of starch degradation. Moreover, the plastid localization of α-amylase I-1 (AmyI-1)—a key enzyme involved in starch breakdown in plastids—was suppressed in the lacs9 mutant line. Immunological and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses showed that OsLACS9-GFP is located in the chloroplast envelope in green tissue. Microscopic analysis showed that OsLACS9s interact with each other in the plastid envelope membrane. Furthermore, OsLACS9 is also one of the proteins transported to plastids without a transit peptide or involvement of the Toc/Tic complex system. To identify the plastid-targeting signal of OsLACS9, the transient expression and localization of a series of N-terminal truncated OsLACS9-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins were examined. Truncation analyses identified the N-terminal 30 amino acid residues to be required for OsLACS9 plastid localization. Overall, the data in this study provide an advanced understanding of the function of OsLACS9 and its role in starch degradation and plant growth.

Author(s):  
Thomas M. Jovin ◽  
Michel Robert-Nicoud ◽  
Donna J. Arndt-Jovin ◽  
Thorsten Schormann

Light microscopic techniques for visualizing biomolecules and biochemical processes in situ have become indispensable in studies concerning the structural organization of supramolecular assemblies in cells and of processes during the cell cycle, transformation, differentiation, and development. Confocal laser scanning microscopy offers a number of advantages for the in situ localization and quantitation of fluorescence labeled targets and probes: (i) rejection of interfering signals emanating from out-of-focus and adjacent structures, allowing the “optical sectioning” of the specimen and 3-D reconstruction without time consuming deconvolution; (ii) increased spatial resolution; (iii) electronic control of contrast and magnification; (iv) simultanous imaging of the specimen by optical phenomena based on incident, scattered, emitted, and transmitted light; and (v) simultanous use of different fluorescent probes and types of detectors.We currently use a confocal laser scanning microscope CLSM (Zeiss, Oberkochen) equipped with 3-laser excitation (u.v - visible) and confocal optics in the fluorescence mode, as well as a computer-controlled X-Y-Z scanning stage with 0.1 μ resolution.


Author(s):  
M. H. Chestnut ◽  
C. E. Catrenich

Helicobacter pylori is a non-invasive, Gram-negative spiral bacterium first identified in 1983, and subsequently implicated in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal disease including gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. Cytotoxic activity, manifested by intracytoplasmic vacuolation of mammalian cells in vitro, was identified in 55% of H. pylori strains examined. The vacuoles increase in number and size during extended incubation, resulting in vacuolar and cellular degeneration after 24 h to 48 h. Vacuolation of gastric epithelial cells is also observed in vivo during infection by H. pylori. A high molecular weight, heat labile protein is believed to be responsible for vacuolation and to significantly contribute to the development of gastroduodenal disease in humans. The mechanism by which the cytotoxin exerts its effect is unknown, as is the intracellular origin of the vacuolar membrane and contents. Acridine orange is a membrane-permeant weak base that initially accumulates in low-pH compartments. We have used acridine orange accumulation in conjunction with confocal laser scanning microscopy of toxin-treated cells to begin probing the nature and origin of these vacuoles.


TAPPI Journal ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 7-15
Author(s):  
HANNA KOIVULA ◽  
DOUGLAS BOUSFIELD ◽  
MARTTI TOIVAKKA

In the offset printing process, ink film splitting has an important impact on formation of ink filaments. The filament size and its distribution influence the leveling of ink and hence affect ink setting and the print quality. However, ink filaments are difficult to image due to their short lifetime and fine length scale. Due to this difficulty, limited work has been reported on the parameters that influence filament size and methods to characterize it. We imaged ink filament remains and quantified some of their characteristics by changing printing speed, ink amount, and fountain solution type. Printed samples were prepared using a laboratory printability tester with varying ink levels and operating settings. Rhodamine B dye was incorporated into fountain solutions to aid in the detection of the filaments. The prints were then imaged with a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and images were further analyzed for their surface topography. Modeling of the pressure pulses in the printing nip was included to better understand the mechanism of filament formation and the origin of filament length scale. Printing speed and ink amount changed the size distribution of the observed filament remains. There was no significant difference between fountain solutions with or without isopropyl alcohol on the observed patterns of the filament remains.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Szabolcs Szilveszter ◽  
Botond Raduly ◽  
Szilard Bucs ◽  
Beata Abraham ◽  
Szabolcs Lanyi ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16
Author(s):  
E.V. Soldatenko ◽  
A.A. Petrov

The morphology of the copulatory apparatus and associated cuticular structures in Planorbis planorbis was studied by light microscopy, SEM, TEM and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The significance of these cuticular structures for the taxonomic status of the species and for the systematics of the family Planorbidae in general is discussed.


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