RecA-like strand-transfer activity at the meiotic prophase in Bombyx mori

An ATP-independent strand-transfer activity has been identified in nuclear extracts prepared from Drosophila tissue culture cells and isolated nuclei from Bombyx testes. Extraction of the activity from testes at larval stages where the majority of the cells were in meiotic prophase was only possible when the chromosome scaffold/synaptonemal complex was dissolved by addition of high concentrations of DTT (80 mM). No cross reaction was detected when partly purified extracts were assayed with antibodies against E. coli RecA protein.

Food product models developed to evaluate starch as a food ingredient

Three highly reproducible food models have been developed to evaluate rheological and functional properties of starches. The food models are dutch vla, dressing, and white sauce, and they vary in pH, serving temperature, oil content, and content of other functional ingredients than starch (milk proteins, whole egg, carrageenan). The viscous properties were calculated in a controlled stress rheometer, and the power law index, n, and the consistency index, K, was calculated. The viscoelastic properties at small deformations were measured by oscillating viscometry. Also a spreadability analysis was performed. The rheological data for the three food models were analysed by use of a principal component analysis (PCA), which enabled an evaluation of the functionality of the models and visualisation of the correlation to the concentration of starch. The rheological parameters all varied significantly with starch concentration in dutch vla. In dressing and white sauce most of the rheological parameters depended on the starch concentration. In addition, it was found that results from the empirical rheological method (USDA consistometer) correlate well with fundamental rheological parameters. Syneresis was measured for a period of time up to 15 days. The degree of syneresis of dressing was highly dependent on starch concentration, while the syneresis of the white sauce was dependent on time but not on starch concentration. The dutch vla showed no syneresis at all.

In vitro biosynthesis of phosphorylated starch in intact potato amyloplasts

Intact amyloplasts from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) were used to study starch biosynthesis and phosphorylation. Assessed by the degree of intactness and by the level of cytosolic and vacuolar contamination, the best preparations were selected by searching for amyloplasts containing small starch grains. The isolated, small amyloplasts were 80% intact and were free from cytosolic and vacuolar contamination. Biosynthetic studies of the amyloplasts showed that [1-14C]glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) was an efficient precursor for starch synthesis in a manner highly dependent on amyloplast integrity. Starch biosynthesis from [1-14C]Glc-1-P in small, intact amyloplasts was 5-fold lower and largely independent of amyloplast intactness. When [33P]Glc-6-P was administered to the amyloplasts, radiophosphorylated starch was produced. Isoamylase treatment of the starch followed by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection revealed the separated phosphorylated alpha-glucans. Acid hydrolysis of the phosphorylated alpha-glucans and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography analyses showed that the incorporated phosphate was preferentially positioned at C-6 of the Glc moiety. The incorporation of radiolabel from Glc-1-P into starch in preparations of amyloplasts containing large grains was independent of intactness and most likely catalyzed by starch phosphorylase bound to naked starch grains.

Quantitative Aspects of the in Vivo Regulation of Pyrophosphate:Fructose-6-Phosphate 1-Phosphotransferase by Fructose-2,6-Bisphosphate

Pyrophosphate:fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase (PFP) was quantified in developing barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves by immunostaining on western blots using a purified preparation of barley leaf PFP as standard. Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-bisP) was quantified in the same tissues. Depending on age and tissue development, the concentration of PFP varied between 11 and 80 [mu]g PFP protein g-1 fresh weight, which corresponds to 0.09 to 0.65 nmol g-1 fresh weight of each of the [alpha] and [beta] PFP subunits. The level depends primarily on the maturity of the tissue. In the same tissues the concentration of Fru-2,6-bisP varied between 0.07 and 0.46 nmol g-1 fresh weight. Thus, the concentrations of PFP subunits and Fru-2,6-bisP were of the same order of magnitude. In young leaf tissues the concentration of PFP subunits may exceed the concentration of Fru-2,6-bisP. This means that the amount of Fru-2,6-bisP present will be too low to occupy all the allosteric binding sites on PFP even though the concentration of Fru-2,6-bisP exceeds the Ka(Fru-2,6-bisP) by several orders of magnitude. These results are discussed in relation to Fru-2,6-bisP as a regulator of enzyme activities under in vivo conditions.

Starch Phosphorylation in Potato Tubers Proceeds Concurrently with de Novo Biosynthesis of Starch

The in vivo phosphorylation of starch was studied in Solanum tuberosum cv Dianella and Posmo. Small starch granules contain 25% more ester-bound phosphate per glucose residue than large starch granules. The degree of phosphorylation was found to be almost constant during tuber development. Isolated tuber discs synthesize starch from externally supplied glucose at a significant rate. Tuber discs supplied with glucose and [32P]orthophosphate incorporate radiolabeled phosphorus into the starch. The level of 32P incorporation is proportional to the amount of starch synthesized. The incorporation of 32P from orthophosphate is correlated to de novo synthesis of starch, since the incorporation of 32P is diminished upon inhibition of starch synthesis by fluoride. Based on the amount of [14C]glucose phosphate isolated after hydrolysis of purified starch from tuber discs incubated in the presence of [U-14C]glucose, approximately 0.5% of the glucose residues of the de novo-synthesized starch are phosphorylated. This value is in general agreement with the observed levels of phosphorus in starch accumulated during tuber development. Thus, the enzyme system responsible for starch phosphorylation is fully active in the isolated tuber discs, and the starch phosphorylation proceeds as an integrated part of de novo starch synthesis.