Singlet oxygen triggers chloroplast rupture and cell death in the zeaxanthin epoxidase defective mutant aba1 of Arabidopsis thaliana under high light stress

The two Arabidopsis thaliana mutants, aba1 and max4, were previously identified as sharing a number of co-regulated genes with both the flu mutant and Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures exposed to high light (HL). On this basis, we investigated whether aba1 and max4 were generating high amounts of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and activating ¹O₂-mediated cell death. Thylakoids of aba1 produced twice as much ¹O₂ as thylakoids of max4 and wild type (WT) plants when illuminated with strong red light. ¹O₂ was measured using the spin probe 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidone hydrochloride. 77-K chlorophyll fluorescence emission spectra of thylakoids revealed lower aggregation of the light harvesting complex II in aba1. This was rationalized as a loss of connectivity between photosystem II (PSII) units and as the main cause for the high yield of ¹O₂ generation in aba1. Up-regulation of the ¹O₂ responsive gene AAA-ATPase was only observed with statistical significant in aba1 under HL. Two early jasmonate (JA)-responsive genes, JAZ1 and JAZ5, encoding for two repressor proteins involved in the negative feedback regulation of JA signalling, were not up-regulated to the WT plant levels. Chloroplast aggregation followed by chloroplast rupture and eventual cell death was observed by confocal imaging of the fluorescence emission of leaf cells of transgenic aba1 plants expressing the chimeric fusion protein SSU-GFP. Cell death was not associated with direct ¹O₂ cytotoxicity in aba1, but rather with a delayed stress response. In contrast, max4 did not show evidence of ¹O₂-mediated cell death. In conclusion, aba1 may serve as an alternative model to other ¹O₂-overproducing mutants of Arabidopsis for investigating ¹O₂-mediated cell death.

Programmed cell death activated by Rose Bengal in Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension cultures requires functional chloroplasts

Light-grown Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension culture (ACSC) were subjected to mild photooxidative damage with Rose Bengal (RB) with the aim of gaining a better understanding of singlet oxygen-mediated defence responses in plants. Additionally, ACSC were treated with H2O2 at concentrations that induced comparable levels of protein oxidation damage. Under low to medium light conditions, both RB and H2O2 treatments activated transcriptional defence responses and inhibited photosynthetic activity, but they differed in that programmed cell death (PCD) was only observed in cells treated with RB. When dark-grown ACSC were subjected to RB in the light, PCD was suppressed, indicating that the singlet oxygen-mediated signalling pathway in ACSC requires functional chloroplasts. Analysis of up-regulated transcripts in light-grown ACSC, treated with RB in the light, showed that both singlet oxygen-responsive transcripts and transcripts with a key role in hormone-activated PCD (i.e. ethylene and jasmonic acid) were present. A co-regulation analysis proved that ACSC treated with RB exhibited higher correlation with the conditional fluorescence (flu) mutant than with other singlet oxygen-producing mutants or wild-type plants subjected to high light. However, there was no evidence for the up-regulation of EDS1, suggesting that activation of PCD was not associated with the EXECUTER- and EDS1-dependent signalling pathway described in the flu mutant. Indigo Carmine and Methylene Violet, two photosensitizers unable to enter chloroplasts, did not activate transcriptional defence responses in ACSC; however, whether this was due to their location or to their inherently low singlet oxygen quantum efficiencies was not determined.

Raman spectroscopy adds complementary detail to the high-resolution x-ray crystal structure of photosynthetic PsbP from Spinacia oleracea

Raman microscopy permits structural analysis of protein crystals in situ in hanging drops, allowing for comparison with Raman measurements in solution. Nevertheless, the two methods sometimes reveal subtle differences in structure that are often ascribed to the water layer surrounding the protein. The novel method of drop-coating deposition Raman spectropscopy (DCDR) exploits an intermediate phase that, although nominally "dry," has been shown to preserve protein structural features present in solution. The potential of this new approach to bridge the structural gap between proteins in solution and in crystals is explored here with extrinsic protein PsbP of photosystem II from Spinacia oleracea. In the high-resolution (1.98 Å) x-ray crystal structure of PsbP reported here, several segments of the protein chain are present but unresolved. Analysis of the three kinds of Raman spectra of PsbP suggests that most of the subtle differences can indeed be attributed to the water envelope, which is shown here to have a similar Raman intensity in glassy and crystal states. Using molecular dynamics simulations cross-validated by Raman solution data, two unresolved segments of the PsbP crystal structure were modeled as loops, and the amino terminus was inferred to contain an additional beta segment. The complete PsbP structure was compared with that of the PsbP-like protein CyanoP, which plays a more peripheral role in photosystem II function. The comparison suggests possible interaction surfaces of PsbP with higher-plant photosystem II. This work provides the first complete structural picture of this key protein, and it represents the first systematic comparison of Raman data from solution, glassy, and crystalline states of a protein.

Does singlet oxygen activate cell death in Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures?: analysis of the early transcriptional defense responses to high light stress

Can Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures (ACSC) provide a useful working model to investigate genetically-controlled defense responses with signaling cascades starting in chloroplasts? In order to provide a convincing answer, we analyzed the early transcriptional profile of Arabidopsis cells at high light (HL). The results showed that ACSC respond to HL in a manner that resembles the singlet oxygen ((1)O(2))-mediated defense responses described for the conditional fluorescent (flu) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana. The flu mutant is characterized by the accumulation of free protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) in plastids when put into darkness and the subsequent production of (1)O(2) when the light is on. In ACSC, (1)O(2) is produced in chloroplasts at HL when excess excitation energy flows into photosystem II (PSII). Other reactive oxygen species are also produced in ACSC at HL, but to a lesser extent. When the HL stress ceases, ACSC recovers the initial rate of oxygen evolution and cell growth continues. We can conclude that chloroplasts of ACSC are both photosynthetically active and capable of initiating (1)O(2)-mediated signaling cascades that activate a broad range of genetically-controlled defense responses. The upregulation of transcripts associated with the biosynthesis and signaling pathways of OPDA (12-oxophytodienoic acid) and ethylene (ET) suggests that the activated defense responses at HL are governed by these two hormones. In contrast to the flu mutant, the (1)O(2)-mediated defense responses were independent of the upregulation of EDS1 (enhanced disease susceptibility) required for the accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) and genetically-controlled cell death. Interestingly, a high correlation in transcriptional expression was also observed between ACSC at HL, and the aba1 and max4 mutants of Arabidopsis, characterized by defects in the biosynthesis pathways of abscisic acid (ABA) and strigolactones, respectively.

Trolox, a water-soluble analogue of α-tocopherol, photoprotects the surface-exposed regions of the photosystem II reaction center in vitro. Is this physiologically relevant?

Can Trolox, a water-soluble analogue of α-tocopherol and a scavenger of singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)), provide photoprotection, under high irradiance, to the isolated photosystem II (PSII) reaction center (RC)? To answer the question, we studied the endogenous production of (1)O(2) in preparations of the five-chlorophyll PSII RC (RC5) containing only one β-carotene molecule. The temporal profile of (1)O(2) emission at 1270 nm photogenerated by RC5 in D(2)O followed the expected biexponential behavior, with a rise time, unaffected by Trolox, of 13 ± 1 μs and decay times of 54 ± 2 μs (without Trolox) and 38 ± 2 μs (in the presence of 25 μM Trolox). The ratio between the total (k(t)) and chemical (k(r)) bimolecular rate constants for the scavenging of (1)O(2) by Trolox in aqueous buffer was calculated to be ~1.3, with a k(t) of (2.4 ± 0.2) × 10(8) M(-1) s(-1) and a k(r) of (1.8 ± 0.2) × 10(8) M(-1) s(-1), indicating that most of the (1)O(2) photosensitized by methylene blue chemically reacts with Trolox in the assay buffer. The photoinduced oxygen consumption in the oxygen electrode, when RC5 and Trolox were mixed, revealed that Trolox was a better (1)O(2) scavenger than histidine and furfuryl alcohol at low concentrations (i.e., <1 mM). After its incorporation into detergent micelles in unbuffered solutions, Trolox was able to photoprotect the surface-exposed regions of the D1-D2 heterodimer, but not the RC5 pigments, which were oxidized, together with the membrane region of the protein matrix of the PSII RC, by (1)O(2). These results are discussed and compared with those of studies dealing with the physiological role of tocopherol molecules as a (1)O(2) scavenger in thylakoid membranes of photosynthetic organisms.

Early transcriptional defense responses in Arabidopsis cell suspension culture under high-light conditions

The early transcriptional defense responses and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cell suspension culture (ACSC), containing functional chloroplasts, were examined at high light (HL). The transcriptional analysis revealed that most of the ROS markers identified among the 449 transcripts with significant differential expression were transcripts specifically up-regulated by singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)). On the contrary, minimal correlation was established with transcripts specifically up-regulated by superoxide radical or hydrogen peroxide. The transcriptional analysis was supported by fluorescence microscopy experiments. The incubation of ACSC with the (1)O(2) sensor green reagent and 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate showed that the 30-min-HL-treated cultures emitted fluorescence that corresponded with the production of (1)O(2) but not of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, the in vivo photodamage of the D1 protein of photosystem II indicated that the photogeneration of (1)O(2) took place within the photosystem II reaction center. Functional enrichment analyses identified transcripts that are key components of the ROS signaling transduction pathway in plants as well as others encoding transcription factors that regulate both ROS scavenging and water deficit stress. A meta-analysis examining the transcriptional profiles of mutants and hormone treatments in Arabidopsis showed a high correlation between ACSC at HL and the fluorescent mutant family of Arabidopsis, a producer of (1)O(2) in plastids. Intriguingly, a high correlation was also observed with ABA deficient1 and more axillary growth4, two mutants with defects in the biosynthesis pathways of two key (apo)carotenoid-derived plant hormones (i.e. abscisic acid and strigolactones, respectively). ACSC has proven to be a valuable system for studying early transcriptional responses to HL stress.

Growth of nanocrystals in a Nd3+-Yb3+ codoped oxyfluoride glass by laser irradiation

A local nanocrystalline formation in a Neodymium-Ytterbium codoped oxyfluoride glass has been obtained. It has been studied the intense emissions around 880 and 975 nm originated from the 4F3/2(Nd3+) and 2F5/2(Yb3+) levels when the glass structure changes to a glass ceramic structure due to the irradiation of the laser beam. The emission spectra before and after the irradiation with 2900 mW reveals that the desvitrification process made by the laser power beam has been successfully achieved. The intensities and lifetime changes of these levels inside and outside the hole made by the laser damage have been analyzed. These results confirm that nanocrystals of betaPbF2 have been created by the laser action confirming that the transition from glass to glass ceramic has been completed. These results are in agreement with the bulk spectroscopic measurements.

Femtosecond laser disruption of filamentous cyanobacteria unveils dissimilar cellular stability between heterocysts and vegetative cells

Filamentous cyanobacteria develop heterocysts in response to deprivation for combined nitrogen under aerobic conditions. The most prominent structural change in heterocysts is the biosynthesis of an envelope that restricts gas permeability, providing an appropriate micro-oxic environment for N2 fixation inside. The additional thickness of the differentiated cells, when compared to vegetative cells, makes filamentous cyanobacteria an attractive biological system to investigate cellular response against femtosecond laser processing. By irradiating the cyanobacterial filaments with 120 fs, 795 nm, 1 kHz pulses focused through a 100x microscope objective with a numerical aperture of 0.85, we have determined that the pulse energy threshold for an apparent disruption of the cell wall of vegetative cells is 13 +/- 4 nJ per pulse. A further increase in the pulse energy to 43 +/- 13 nJ causes the complete removal of vegetative cells. In contrast, the pulse energy threshold has to be augmented about three-fold for heterocyst envelope disruption or two-fold for complete removal of heterocysts. We propose that the singular cross-linked structure of the glycolipid multilayer of the envelope, required to restrict gas permeability, accounts for the remarked difference in the ablation energy threshold between vegetative cells and heterocysts.

Formation and stability of foams made with sunflower (Helianthus annuus) proteins

Foam properties of a sunflower isolate (SI), as well as those of helianthinin and sunflower albumins (SFAs), were studied at various pH values and ionic strengths and after heat treatment. Less foam could be formed from helianthinin than from SFAs, but foam prepared with helianthinin was more stable against Ostwald ripening and drainage than foam prepared with SFAs. Foams made with SFAs suffered from extensive coalescence. The formation and stability of foams made from reconstituted mixtures of both proteins and from SI showed the deteriorating effect of SFAs on foam stability. Foam stability against Ostwald ripening increased after acid and heat treatment of helianthinin. Partial unfolding of sunflower proteins, resulting in increased structural flexibility, improved protein performance at the air/water interface. Furthermore, it was observed that the protein available is used inefficiently and that typically only approximately 20% of the protein present is incorporated in the foam.

Emulsion properties of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) proteins

Emulsions were made with sunflower protein isolate (SI), helianthinin, and sunflower albumins (SFAs). Emulsion formation and stabilization were studied as a function of pH and ionic strength and after heat treatment of the proteins. The emulsions were characterized with respect to average droplet size, surface excess, and the occurrence of coalescence and/or droplet aggregation. Sunflower proteins were shown to form stable emulsions, with the exception of SFAs at neutral and alkaline pH values. Droplet aggregation occurred in emulsions made with SI, helianthinin, and SFAs. Droplet aggregation and subsequent coalescence of emulsions made with SFAs could be prevented at pH 3. Calcium was found to cause droplet aggregation of emulsions made with helianthinin, at neutral and alkaline pH values. Treatments that increase conformational flexibility of the protein molecule improved the emulsion properties of sunflower proteins.

Conformational states of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) Helianthinin: effect of heat and pH

The structure and solubility of helianthinin, the most abundant protein of sunflower seeds, was investigated as a function of pH and temperature. Dissociation of the 11S form (hexamer) into the 7S form (trimer) gradually increased with increasing pH from 5.8 to 9.0. High ionic strength (I = 250 mM) stabilizes the 11S form at pH > 7.0. Heating and low pH resulted in dissociation into the monomeric constituents (2-3S). Next, the 7S and 11S forms of helianthinin were isolated and shown to differ in their secondary and tertiary structure, and to have denaturation temperatures (T(d)) of 65 and 90 degrees C, respectively. Furthermore, the existence of two populations of the monomeric form of helianthinin with denaturation temperatures of 65 and 90 degrees C was described. This leads to the hypothesis that helianthinin can adopt two different conformational states: one with T(d) = 65 degrees C and a second with T(d) = 90 degrees C.

Isolation and characterization of undenatured chlorogenic acid free sunflower (Helianthus annuus) proteins

A method for obtaining sunflower protein (SFP) isolate, nondenatured and free of chlorogenic acid (CGA), has been developed. During the isolating procedure, the extent of CGA removal and protein denaturation was monitored. The defatted flour contained 2.5% CGA as the main phenolic compound. Phenolic compounds were removed by aqueous methanol (80%) extraction, before protein extraction at alkaline pH and diafiltration. Differential scanning calorimetry and solubility tests indicated that no denaturation of the proteins had occurred. The resulting protein products were biochemically characterized, and the presence of protein-CGA complexes was investigated. SFPs of the studied variety were found to be composed of two main protein fractions: 2S albumins and 11S globulins. In contrast to what has been previously reported, CGA was found to elute as free CGA, not covalently associated to any protein fraction.

[Prevalence of dental caries and rampant caries in a preschool population]

The results from a study on prevalence of ordinary dental caries and rampant caries in a children population are presented. The study was carried out at Dentistry Out patient Service in the Children Hospital "San Juan de Aragón" of the Federal District Department. The DMF index was obtained and its was proposed another one, in order to classify the different degrees of rampant caries in function of dental damage. An interview was applied to the fathers of the children of the study group in order to determinate hygiene oral habits, eating and familiar antecedents that could influence in the process of the ordinary and rampant caries and to compare between them. Serum and saliva were analyzed to determinate levels of albumin and IgM, IgG and IgA; there were also others factors tested that could indicate caries development.

[Mast cells in Peyer's patches in the mouse]

Mast Cells participate in immediate and late hypersensitivity activities, immunoregulation and inflammation. Recently two groups of them have been detected on the basis to its morphology, content of granules and function: a) Those who are localized in connective tissue and b) Those of the intestinal mucosa. Those of the intestinal mucosa are T dependent and proliferate in parasitic as well as in intestinal hypersensitivity conditions to diverse antigens, in turn, Peyer's Patches (PP) are considered antigen catcher and initiators of intestinal immune responses; these are subject to the influence of diverse substances, several of which are within mast cells (for example: histamine, prostaglandins, etc); for which in this work we investigate the morphology relation between PP and mast cells. Balb/c mice small intestine segments with muscular layer and PP of proximal, middle and distal levels where studied; were histologically processed, toluidine blues stained and mast cells counted in different intestinal layers (PP underlying zone, rest of the muscular, corium and submucosa. Data were analyzed by the paired double T test for mean differences. A greater Quantity of mast cells were observed at the marginal zone of the PP in comparison to the rest of the muscular layer, submucosa and corium. The abundance of mast cells in relation to the PP possibly indicates its modulatory influence on the function of lymphoid cells of the PP.