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Phytochromes are an important class of chromoproteins that regulate many cellular and developmental responses to light in plants. The model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana possesses five phytochromes, which mediate distinct and overlapping responses to light. Photobiological analyses have established that, under continuous irradiation, phytochrome A is primarily responsible for plant's sensitivity to far-red light, whereas the other phytochromes respond mainly to red light. The present study reports that the far-red light sensitivity of phytochrome A depends on the structure of the linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) prosthetic group. By reconstitution of holophytochrome in vivo through feeding various synthetic bilins to chromophore-deficient mutants of Arabidopsis , the requirement for a double bond on the bilin D-ring for rescuing phytochrome A function has been established. In contrast, we show that phytochrome B function can be rescued with various bilin analogs with saturated D-ring substituents.

A cytochrome c-553 was isolated from a brown alga, Petalonia fascia, and its physical and chemical properties were investigated. At liquid nitrogen temperature, the α-, β- and γ-band of this cytochrome shifted 1-2 nm to the shorter wavelength in comparison with those at room temperature. The α-band split into two peaks, 551.5 (major band) and 546.5 nm (minor band), at the low temperature. The cytochrome in high concentration showed a shoulder at 695 nm in its oxidized state, suggesting a methionine residue to be the sixth ligand of heme iron. The molecular weight was estimated to be about 10,000 containing one mole of heme c based on analyses of gel filtration, sodium dodecyl sulfate acrylamide gel electrophoresis, amino acid composition and iron content. The isoelectric points of the ferro- and ferricytochromes were estimated to be at pH 4.1 and 4.3, respectively, by the isoelectric focusing method. The amino acid composition of this cytochrome was Lys6, Arg1, Asp15, Thr5, Ser6, Glu11, Pro2, Gly7, Ala7, Cys2, Val6, Met3, Ile6, Leu3, Tyr1, Phe3, Trp1, with a total of 86 residues. The amino- and carboxylterminal sequences and four chymotryptic peptide sequences were compared with those of other cytochromes c to show that these cytochromes were homologous to one another.

Glycinebetaine is an important osmoprotectant in bacteria, plants, and animals, but only little information is available on the synthesis of glycinebetaine in tree plants. Among four mangrove species, glycinebetaine could be detected only in Avicennia marina. Pinitol was the main osmoprotectant in the other three species. The level of glycinebetaine in A. marina increased under high salinity. Betaine-aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) was detected in all four species, but choline monooxygenase could not be detected. A cDNA library was constructed from the leaves of A. marina. Two kinds of BADH cDNAs were isolated, one homologous to the spinach chloroplast BADH, and the other with unique residues SKL at the end of C-terminus. The BADH transcription levels of the former were higher than those of the latter. The levels of the former BADH increased at high salinity whereas those of the latter were independent of salinity. BADHs were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Two kinds of A. marina BADHs exhibited similar kinetic and stability properties, but were significantly different from those of spinach BADH. A. marina BADHs efficiently catalyzed the oxidation of betainealdehyde, but not the oxidation of omega-aminoaldehydes and were more stable at high temperature than the spinach BADH.

The fluctuation of proline content, and protein and mRNA levels of delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) and proline dehydrogenase (ProDH), both of which are involved in proline biosynthesis and degradation, in the shoots of Arabidopsis grown in light/dark cycles were demonstrated under salt-stressed and unstressed conditions. Proline content, as well as proteins and mRNAs of these enzymes, clearly oscillated in the light/dark cycles under the stressed and unstressed conditions. A reciprocal relationship between P5CS and ProDH was observed. Protein levels of P5CS and ProDH were well synchronized with their mRNA levels, although the fluctuation of protein levels was not as significant as that of their mRNA levels. Both mRNA and protein levels of the two enzymes as well as the proline content did not oscillate under the continuous light or the dark conditions. Thus, P5CS and ProDH gene expressions seemed to be involved in light irradiation. Moreover, relative water content (RWC) in the plants oscillated in the light/dark cycles. The fluctuations of proline content in shoot reversely responded to that of RWC. It is suggested that the expression of two genes responds sensitively to a subtle change of cellular water status, and accumulated proline keeps the osmotic balance between cells and the outer environment.

Involvement of residues of acidic amino acids in photoligation of manganese into the apo-water-oxidizing complex was investigated by use of l-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC), a water-soluble carboxyl modifier. Treatment of Mn-depleted PSII membranes by EDC in the presence of nucleophiles induced a loss of photoactivation capability in the Mn complex and partial loss of capability of photooxidation of Mil 2 *, but little decrease in the DCIP photoreduction supported by diphenylcarbazide. The inhibition of diphenylcarbazide-photooxidation by submicromolar Mn 2+ , indicative of the intactness of high-affinity Mn-binding sites, was apparently abolished by EDC treatment. From amino acid quantitation analysis of Dl and D2 proteins and CP47 of the chemically-modified membranes, approximately three carboxyl groups of the Dl protein were found to be chemically-modified with EDC after removal of the functional Mn. These results suggest that acidic amino acids on the Dl protein are involved in photoactivation of the apo-water-oxidizing complex and probably in ligation of Mn to the water-oxidizing complex.

A cDNA for Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) synthetase (cOsP5CS), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of proline, was isolated and characterized from a cDNA library prepared from 14-day-old seedlings of Oryza sativa cv. Akibare. The deduced amino acid sequence of the P5CS protein (OsP5CS) from O. sativa exhibited 74.2% and 75.5% homology to that of the P5CS from Arabidopsis thaliana and Vigna aconitifolia, respectively. Northern blot analysis revealed that the gene for P5CS (OsP5CS) was induced by high salt, dehydration, treatment of ABA and cold treatment, while it was not induced by heat treatment. Simultaneously, accumulation of proline was observed as a result of high salt treatment in O. sativa. Moreover, the levels of expression of OsP5CS mRNA and content of proline under salt stress condition were compared between a salt-tolerant cultivar, Dee-gee-woo-gen (DGWG) and a salt-sensitive breeding line, IR28. It was observed that the expression of the P5CS gene and the accumulation of proline in DGWG steadily increased, whereas those in IR28 increased slightly.

Five ferredoxin (Fd) isoproteins (FdA, FdB, FdC, FdD, and FdE) were isolated from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv Momotaro) fruit. These isoproteins showed differential temporal and spatial accumulation patterns. FdA and FdC were present in leaves, FdE was present in roots, and FdB and FdD were fruit-specific. During fruit growth, the relative abundance of FdA decreased and that of FdE increased. The FdE/FdA ratio was higher in the inner tissues of the fruit than in the outer tissue, and it was correlated with starch accumulation. In dark-grown fruit the contents of FdA, FdB, and FdC, as well as chlorophyll, decreased remarkably relative to their light-grown counterparts; however, the contents of FdE and starch did not change significantly. Under in vitro conditions FdE showed higher cytochrome c reduction activity than FdA and FdB. These results, together with their N-terminal sequences, indicate that both photosynthetic- and heterotrophic- type Fd isoproteins are present in tomato fruit.

The isolation and characterization is reported of a cDNA for delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) synthetase (cAtP5CS), an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of proline, from a cDNA library prepared from a dehydrated rosette plant of Arabidopsis thaliana. Southern blot analysis suggested that only one copy of the corresponding gene (AtP5CS) is present in A. thaliana. The deduced amino acid sequence of the P5CS protein (AtP5CS) from A. thaliana exhibited 74% homology to that of the P5CS from Vigna aconitifolia. Northern blot analysis revealed that the gene for P5CS was induced by dehydration, high salt and treatment with ABA, while it was not induced by heat or cold treatment. Moreover, the simultaneous accumulation of proline was observed as a result of the former treatments in A. thaliana. A cDNA for P5C reductase (cAtP5CR) was also isolated from A. thaliana and Northern blot analysis was performed. The AtP5CR gene was not induced to a significant extent by dehydration or high-salt stress. These observations suggest that the AtP5CS gene plays a principal role in the biosynthesis of proline in A. thaliana under osmotic stress.

Two forms of Fd-NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) isoproteins have been purified and characterized from the first foliage leaves of 5-d-old mung bean (Vigna radiata). They could be separated by either Mono Q HR 5/5 or ferredoxin (Fd)-Sepharose 4B affinity columns. Based on immunoblot analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequences, one form resembles the FNR purified from photosynthetic tissues of higher plants and the other resembles that from nonphotosynthetic tissues. Like their leaf and root FNR counterparts from spinach and radish, the mung bean leaf FNR isozymes differ from each other in primary structure and immunogenic properties but are similar in reaction activities, including cytochrome c reduction and NADP+ photoreduction assays. The mung bean isozymes also show similar kinetics parameters such as optimal pH and Km values for Fd and NADPH. Although the function of the root-type FNR in chloroplasts is not clear from in vitro experiments, we consider it plausible that it functions nonphotosynthetically, especially in seedlings at an early development stage. Two Fd isoforms were purified from young mung bean leaves, as reported on Fds in higher plant leaves. Based on their N-terminal sequences, both mung bean isoforms were similar to leguminous leaf Fds.

The amino acid sequences of ferredoxins (Fd A and Fd B) from Japanese taro (Colocasia esculenta Schott) were determined. They consisted of single polypeptide chains of 98 residues, and both Fds had molecular masses of 10700 and 10500, respectively. There was a 92% homology between the sequences of the isoproteins (Fd A and Fd B). These sequences were compared with those of the closely related plant Fds and their phylogenetic tree was constructed. Two ferredoxin isoproteins from Hawaiian taro (Colocasia esculenta Schott) were also isolated and their N-terminal sequences were determined to be identical to those of Japanese taro.

The phylogeny of the terrestrial cyanobacterium N ostoc commune and its neighboring N ostoc species was studied using molecular genetic and chemotaxonomic approaches. At least eight genotypes of N . commune were characterized by the differences among 16S rRNA gene sequences and the petH gene encoding ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase and by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. The genotypes of N . commune were distributed in Japan without regional specificity. The nrtP gene encoding NrtP-type nitrate/nitrite permease was widely distributed in the genus N ostoc , suggesting that the occurrence of the nrtP gene can be one of the characteristic features that separate cyanobacteria into two groups. The wspA gene encoding a 36-kDa water stress protein was only found in N . commune and N ostoc verrucosum , suggesting that these N ostoc species that form massive colonies with extracellular polysaccharides can be exclusively characterized by the occurrence of the wspA gene. Fifteen species of N ostoc and A nabaena were investigated by comparing their carotenoid composition. Three groups with distinct patterns of carotenoids were related to the phylogenic tree constructed on the basis of 16S rRNA sequences. N ostoc commune and N ostoc punctiforme were clustered in one monophyletic group and characterized by the occurrence of nostoxanthin, canthaxanthin, and myxol glycosides.

Summary The relationship between malate accumulation and respiration during the dark period was studied by using a Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) plant, Kalanchoe daigremontiana. The malate accumulation by K. daigremontiana during the dark period was completely inhibited in oxygen-free air. Regardless of the presence or absence of oxygen, the phosphoenolpyruvate level in leaf cells was almost constant and higher than the Km value of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, a key enzyme of CO2-dark fixation in CAM plants. The concentration of CO2, the other substrate of the enzyme, is rate-limiting in the presence of oxygen but not rate-limiting in the absence of oxygen. The malate accumulation was strongly dependent upon the respiration rate. In the presence of a respiratory inhibitor, KCN, or oxygen-free air, malate accumulation was completely inhibited. It was suggested from these results that malate accumulation and preservation with plants on CAM mode during the dark period needed an energy supply from respiration.

A ferredoxin was purified as the pure state from a club moss (Lycopodium clavatum L.) and sequenced. The ferredoxin was composed of 99 amino acids and had a molecular mass of 10,728, excluding iron and sulfur atoms. The ferredoxin sequence was rather distinct from that fromMarchantia polymorpha, Equisetum andGleichenia japonica. Based on comparison of ferredoxin sequences thus far established, the phylogenetic relationship between lower vascular plants is discussed.

Ferredoxin and ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) were purified from leaves, roots, and red and green pericarp of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, cv VFNT and cv Momotaro). Four different ferredoxins were identified on the basis of N-terminal amino acid sequence and charge. Ferredoxins I and II were the most prevalent forms in leaves and green pericarp, and ferredoxin III was the most prevalent in roots. Red pericarp of the VFNT cv yielded variable amounts of ferredoxins II and III plus a unique form, ferredoxin IV. Red pericarp of the Momotaro cv contained ferredoxins I, II, and IV. This represents the first demonstration of ferredoxin in a chromoplast-containing tissue. There were no major differences among the tomato ferredoxins in absorption spectrum or cytochrome c reduction activity. Two forms of FNR were present in tomato as judged by anion exchange chromatography and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. FNR II had a lower apparent relative molecular weight, a slightly altered absorption spectrum, and a lower specific activity for cytochrome c reduction than FNR I. FNR II could be a partially degraded form of FNR I. The FNRs from the different tissues of tomato plants all showed diaphorase activity, with FNR II being more active than FNR I. The presence of ferredoxin and FNR in heterotrophic tissues of tomato is consistent with the existence of a nonphotosynthetic ferredoxin/FNR redox pathway to support the function of ferredoxin-dependent enzymes.

Ferredoxin and the enzyme catalyzing its reduction by NADPH, ferredoxin-NADP reductase (ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase or FNR), were found to be present in roots of spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Localization experiments with endosperm of germinating castor beans (Ricinus communis), a classical nonphotosynthetic tissue for cell fractionation studies, confirmed that ferredoxin and FNR are localized in the plastid fraction. Both proteins were purified from spinach roots and found to resemble their leaf counterparts in activity, spectral properties, and complex formation, but to differ in amino acid composition and amino terminal sequence. The results indicate that the primary structures of the FNR and ferredoxin of spinach roots differ from that of the corresponding leaf proteins. Together with earlier findings, the present results provide evidence that nonphotosynthetic plastids, including those of roots, are capable of reducing ferredoxin with heterotrophically generated NADPH.

Heat treatment of spinach thylakoids or Photosystem I particles in the presence of ethylene glycol caused the selective destruction of iron sulfur centers FA, FB and FX as judged by low-temperature EPR and flash spectroscopy. Incubation of thylakoids or Photosystem I particles in the presence of 50% ethylene glycol for 5 min selectively destroyed FA and FB at temperatures between 50 and 55°C, and FX between 60 and 70°C. P-700 was destroyed only above 70°C, and electron transport from ascorbate-dichlorophenolindophenol to methyl viologen was inhibited between 35 and 50°C by the same treatment. The destruction of FA and FB occurred at the same temperature range and resulted in the decrease of the decay phase with a 30 ms half-time in re-reduction kinetics of flash-oxidized P-700. This was accompanied by the appearance of the 1 ms decay phase, which reflects reduction of P-700+ by F−X. The 1 ms phase disappeared when FX was destroyed. Photosystem I core complex was isolated by solubilizing the heat/ethylene glycol-treated Photosystem I particles with Triton X-100, followed by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The complex obtained from 60°C/ethylene glycol-treated preparation lacked the 8 kDa FA/FB polypeptide and was composed of the polypeptides of apparent molecular weight 63, 60 and 5 kDa. This complex showed a small and broadened g = 1.77 FX signal. It is concluded that the heat/ethylene glycol treatment gives a simple and selective degradation-isolation method of Photosystem I reaction center complex.

Ferredoxin-NADP(+) oxidoreductase (FNR) catalyzing the terminal step of the linear photosynthetic electron transport was purified from the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis and the red alga Cyanidium caldarium. FNR of Spirulina consisted of three domains (CpcD-like domain, FAD-binding domain, and NADP(+)-binding domain) with a molecular mass of 46 kDa and was localized in either phycobilisomes or thylakoid membranes. The membrane-bound FNR with 46 kDa was solublized by NaCl and the solublized FNR had an apparent molecular mass of 90 kDa. FNR of Cyanidium consisted of two domains (FAD-binding domain and NADP(+)-binding domain) with a molecular mass of 33 kDa. In Cyanidium, FNR was found on thylakoid membranes, but there was no FNR on phycobilisomes. The membrane-bound FNR of Cyanidium was not solublized by NaCl, suggesting the enzyme is tightly bound in the membrane. Although both cyanobacteria and red algae are photoautotrophic organisms bearing phycobilisomes as light harvesting complexes, FNR localization and membrane-binding characteristics were different. These results suggest that FNR binding to phycobilisomes is not characteristic for all phycobilisome retaining oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, and that the rhodoplast of red algae had possibly originated from a cyanobacterium ancestor, whose FNR lacked the CpcD-like domain.

Delta(1)-Pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR) (EC 1.5.1.2. L-proline: NAD(P)-5-oxidoreductase), the second enzyme in the proline biosynthetic pathway, was purified from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves. Following ammonium sulfate fractionation, purification was performed by several chromatographic methods: Blue Cellulofine, DEAE-TOYOPEARL, Sephacryl S-300 HR, and POROS QE/M. Two isoenzymes resolved by anion exchange chromatography were designated P5CR-1 and P5CR-2. Only P5CR-2 was purified from the intact chloroplasts, indicating differential distribution of the isoenzymes. P5CR isoenzymes, P5CR-1 and P5CR-2, are a homopolymer with an apparent molecular mass of 310 kDa, consisting of 10 to 12 subunits of about 28.5 kDa. P5CR-1 and P5CR-2 showed K(m) values of 9 and 19 microM for NADPH and values of 0.122 and 0.162 mM for Delta(1)-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C), respectively. We decided partial amino acid sequences of P5CR-1 which showed the 70 to 80% homology to the deduced amino acid sequences of several plant P5CR cDNAs. Both isoenzymes had much lower affinity for NADH than for NADPH and were inhibited by free ATP and Mg(2+) ion. The inhibition was partially mitigated when ATP and Mg(2+) were added simultaneously to the reaction mixture. Cations at high concentration were inhibitory to P5CR activity. Interestingly, P5CR-2 was more stable to heat treatment at 40 degrees C than P5CR-1.

Phytochrome B (PhyB), one of the major photosensory chromoproteins in plants, mediates a variety of light-responsive developmental processes in a photoreversible manner. To analyze the structural requirements of the chromophore for the spectral properties of PhyB, we have designed and chemically synthesized 20 analogs of the linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophore and reconstituted them with PhyB apoprotein (PHYB). The A-ring acts mainly as the anchor for ligation to PHYB, because the modification of the side chains at the C2 and C3 positions did not significantly influence the formation or difference spectra of adducts. In contrast, the side chains of the B- and C-rings are crucial to position the chromophore properly in the chromophore pocket of PHYB and for photoreversible spectral changes. The side-chain structure of the D-ring is required for the photoreversible spectral change of the adducts. When methyl and ethyl groups at the C17 and C18 positions are replaced with an n -propyl, n -pentyl, or n -octyl group, respectively, the photoreversible spectral change of the adducts depends on the length of the side chains. From these studies, we conclude that each pyrrole ring of the linear tetrapyrrole chromophore plays a different role in chromophore assembly and the photochromic properties of PhyB.

Mutagenized Arabidopsis seedlings (ecotype Columbia) were screened for the ability to grow photoautotrophically on solid medium containing 200 mM NaCl. A novel mutant line, designated pst1 (for photoautotrophic salt tolerance1), was obtained. There were no significant differences between pst1 and wild-type plants with regard to their ability to induce proline as an osmoregulatory solute. In addition, the content of monovalent cations in pst1 plants grown with or without salt stress was equal to that in the wild type. We observed that light, even at moderate intensities, increased the effects of salt stress on wild-type plants. The pst1 seedlings were nearly 10 times more tolerant to methyl viologen than were wild-type seedlings. We also found that the activities of the active oxygen scavengers superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase were enhanced significantly in pst1 plants. The pst1 plants also were tolerant to other stresses, such as high light intensity and toxic monovalent cations. The recessive nature of the pst1 mutation indicates that the potential for salt-stress tolerance is blocked in wild-type Arabidopsis.

Many organisms, including higher plants, accumulate free proline (Pro) in response to osmotic stress. Although various studies have focused on the ability of Pro as a compatible osmolyte involved in osmotolerance, its specific role throughout plant growth is still unclear. It has been reported that Pro is synthesized from Glu catalyzed by a key enzyme, delta 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), in plants. To elucidate essential roles of Pro, we generated antisense transgenic Arabidopsis plants with a P5CS cDNA. Several transgenics accumulated Pro at a significantly lower level than wild-type plants, providing direct evidence for a key role of P5CS in Pro production in Arabidopsis. These antisense transgenics showed morphological alterations in leaves and a defect in elongation of inflorescences. Furthermore, transgenic leaves were hypersensitive to osmotic stress. Microscopic analysis of transgenic leaves, in which the mutated phenotype clearly occurred, showed morphological abnormalities of epidermal and parenchymatous cells and retardation of differentiation of vascular systems. These phenotypes were suppressed by exogenous L-Pro but not by D-Pro or other Pro analogues. In addition, Pro deficiency did not broadly affect all proteins but specifically affected structural proteins of cell walls in the antisense transgenic plants. These results indicate that Pro is not just an osmoregulator in stressed plants but has a unique function involved in osmotolerance as well as in morphogenesis as a major constituent of cell wall structural proteins in plants.

Fruit tissues of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) contain both photosynthetic and heterotrophic ferredoxin (FdA and FdE, respectively) isoproteins, irrespective of their photosynthetic competence, but we did not previously determine whether these proteins were colocalized in the same plastids. In isolated fruit chloroplasts and chromoplasts, both FdA and FdE were detected by immunoblotting. Colocalization of FdA and FdE in the same plastids was demonstrated using double-staining immunofluorescence microscopy. We also found that FdA and FdE were colocalized in fruit chloroplasts and chloroamyloplasts irrespective of sink status of the plastid. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that FdA and FdE were randomly distributed within the plastid stroma. To investigate the significance of the heterotrophic Fd in fruit plastids, Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity was measured in isolated fruit and leaf plastids. Fruit chloroplasts and chromoplasts showed much higher G6PDH activity than did leaf chloroplasts, suggesting that high G6PDH activity is linked with FdE to maintain nonphotosynthetic production of reducing power. This result suggested that, despite their morphological resemblance, fruit chloroplasts are functionally different from their leaf counterparts.

Environmental stress, especially drought stress, is the most serious problem in plant growth and crop productivity (1). Many investigations on the responses of plants to the water stress have so far been performed and reported. As one of the most important responses, we point out an accumulation of osmolytes, such as proline, glycine-betaine and/or polyols. Spinach and Arabidopsis under drought or salt stress conditions, for instance, accumulate free amino acid, proline, at a high level reaching to some tens of millimolar concentration in cytoplasm. The outline of regulation on proline accumulation in cells exposed to the stress conditions became clear in the recent years (cf. ref.2). It is easily imagined that pollen grains and spores are always exposed to severe drought stress, even though they might have a extraordinarily protective device on their surface coat, as they have an extremely large surface area relative to their volume. As shown in Table I, the ratio of surface area to volume in pollen grains and spores is larger by a factor of the fifth power than that of plum fruit. What is the protectant of pollen grains and spores against drought stress ?

Several forms (isoproteins) of ferredoxin in roots, leaves, and green and red pericarps in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were earlier identified on the basis of N-terminal amino acid sequence and chromatographic behavior (Green et al. 1991). In the present study, a large scale preparation made possible determination of the full length amino acid sequence of the two ferredoxins from leaves. The ferredoxins characteristic of fruit and root were sequenced from the amino terminus to the 30th residue or beyond. The leaf ferredoxins were confirmed to be expressed in pericarp of both green and red fruit. The ferredoxins characteristic of fruit and root appeared to be restricted to those tissue. The results extend earlier findings in demonstrating that ferredoxin occurs in the major organs of the tomato plant where it appears to function irrespective of photosynthetic competence.

Determination of the prosthetic group and titration of sulfhydryl group of ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) from roots of radish (Raphanus sativus var acanthiformis cv Miyashige) confirmed its similarity to leaf-FNR. Antisera directed against radish root-FNR and leaf-FNR distinguished the enzyme forms from roots and leaves of radish as well as other flowering plants. The FNR isoenzymes showed organ-specific distributions. In horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) and cultured liverwort cells (Marchantia polymorpha), at least two FNR isoenzymes were distinguished by the antisera. FNR from Chlorella vulgaris reacted only with the anti-root-FNR antiserum. FNR from a cyanobacterium, Spirulina spp., failed to react with either antiserum.

The (Fe2S2)2+ complex of an artificial 20-peptide ligand, Ac-Pro-Tyr-Ser-Cys-Arg-Ala-Gly-Ala-Cys-Ser-Thr-Cys-Ala-Gly-Pro-Leu-Leu-Thr-Cys-Val-NH2, containing an invariant Cys-A-B-C-D-Cys-X-Y-Cys (A, B, C, D, X, Y = amino acid residues) fragment of plant-type ferredoxins was synthesized by a ligand exchange method with [Fe2S2(S-t-Bu)4]2−. 1H-nmr spectroscopic and electrochemical data of the complex indicate the presence of two coordination isomers. One of them having a Cys-X-Y-Cys bridging coordination to the two Fe(III) ions, has the (Fe2S2)2+ core environment similar to those of the denatured plant-type ferredoxins and exhibits a positive shifted redox potential at −0.64 V vs saturated colonel electrode (SCE) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Another isomer with the Cys-A-B-C-D-Cys bridging coordination shows a negative redox potential at −0.96 V vs SCE in DMF. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The reducing side of photosystem I (PS I) reaction center of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms is known to consist of five different acceptors (1,2). The primary electron acceptor, called A0, is assumed to be a monomeric chlorophyll molecule. An electron is passed from A0− to a secondary acceptor A1 which is believed to be phylloquinone. The electron transfer involves three different iron-sulfur centers, called FX, FB and FA. PS I high-molecular-mass subunits (about 82 kDa) are known to contain A0, A1, and FX as well as P700 (1,2). FA and FB are believed to be located in a small polypeptide of about 9 kDa (3,4). As we demonstrated elsewhere (5), heat treatment of spinach PS I particles in the presence of ethylene glycol (EG) caused the selective destruction of the iron-sulfur centers and led to the dissociation of polypeptides from the particles. A small subunit of about 5 kDa was closely associated with large subunits under this treatment. In this paper, we present the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 5 kDa polypeptide.

Photosystem I core complexes were isolated from spinach photosystem I particles after heat treatment in the presence of 50% ( v v ) ethylene glycol (heat/EG treatment). The core complex from 58°C/EG-treated particles was composed of polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 63, 60 and 5 kDA; this complex contained the iron sulfur center Fx but lacked center FA and FB. The core complex obtained from the 70°C/EG-treated preparation lacked Fx and contained a lesser amount of the 5 kDa polypeptide. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 5 kDa polypeptide did not correspond to the sequence derived from any possible reading frame in the chloroplast DNA of liverwort or tobacco. Twelve of the first 29 N-terminal amino acids were hydrophobic, suggesting that this protein is intrinsic to the photosystem I reaction center.

The amino acid sequences of two ferredoxins from Phytolacca esculenta were determined by a combination of solid-phase sequencing and the conventional methods. Ferredoxins I and II were composed of 96 and 98 amino acid residues, respectively, and ferredoxin I showed sequence heterogeneity at two positions. The amino acid sequences of ferredoxins I and II from Phytolacca esculenta were very similar to those of corresponding ferredoxins I and II from Phytolacca americana. Amino acid differences among Phytolacca ferredoxins and other higher plant ferredoxins suggest that duplication of the ferredoxin gene occurred after the divergence of Phytolacca from other higher plants and preceded the separation of two species of Phytolacca.

The amino acid sequence of ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase [EC 1.18.1.2, FNR] from Spirulina sp., a blue-green alga, was determined. Spirulina ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase was composed of 294 amino acid residues and the molecular weight of the holoenzyme was 34,135. An apparent homology of the amino(N)-terminal region was found between ferredoxin-NADP+ reductases from Spirulina and spinach. We also found some sequence similarities in human erythrocyte glutathione reductase and p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas fluorescens, both of which are NADPH-dependent FAD enzymes.

Two ferredoxins, ferredoxins I and II, were prepared from Rhodopseudomonas palustris. They were separated on a Sephadex column after carboxymethylation and ferredoxin I, the major component, was subjected to an amino acid sequence study. The protein was composed of 63 amino acid residues and the sequence was as follows: (sequence; see text). The molecular weight was calculated to be 6,718, excluding iron and sulfur atoms. The distribution of the nine cysteine residues was similar to but clearly distinct from those of ferredoxins of other photosynthetic bacteria. Comparison of this ferredoxin with those of other bacteria suggests that the photosynthetic bacteria evolved on separate lines. Ferredoxin II was also subjected to analyses of amino acid composition and terminal sequences, but no further study was possible due to the limited material. Although the composition was different from that of ferredoxin I, the terminal sequences were exactly the same as those of ferredoxin I.

A [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin of M r 11 100 was isolated from the Chrysophycean flagellate Ochromonas danica . In its oxidized form the ferredoxin had absorption maxima at 275, sh. 281, 330, 423, 458 nm. The midpoint potential of the ferredoxin was - 380 mV; it was active in a NADPH-cytochrome c reductase assay. The amino acid sequence determination was based on Edman degradation of the Cm-ferredoxin and peptides obtained by protease treatments. Comparison with other ferredoxin sequences by constructing a phylogenetic tree showed that Ochromonas danica ferredoxin was more closely related to the ferredoxins from red algae and filamentous cyanobacteria than to those from green algae.

About 20% of the total extractable ferredoxin from a blue-green alga, Aphanothece sacrum, was separated as a minor component on a DEAE-cellulose column during the preparation of the major component of the cells. It was always found in cells collected in three different seasons. The chemical properties of the minor component was different from those of the major one. The enzymatic activity and spectral properties were those of typical chloroplast-type ferredoxins. The significance of isozymes in ferredoxin is discussed.

The effects of metal ions on the thermal denaturation and Mg2+ binding of native spinach ferredoxin and its acetylated derivative were investigated. The denaturation of ferredoxin in a metal-free solution at 40 degrees C was quickly prevented by the addition of Mg2+ or Na+ at appropriate concentrations. The metal concentrations required for 50% protection from thermal denaturation were 1.54 x 10(-4) M Mg2+ or 8.0 x 10(-3) M Na+ for native ferredoxin and 1.05 x 10(-3) M Mg2+ or 6.0 x 10(-2) M Na+ for acetylated ferredoxin. It was also found that native ferredoxin in the presence of over 20 mM Mg2+ was almost completely protected from thermal denaturation at 40 degrees C. The D-form which has been observed in acetylated ferredoxin by Masaki et al. (1977) (J. Biochem. 81, 1-9) was confirmed to be present in native ferredoxin at high temperature (49 degrees C) and is suggested to be an important form in the denaturation processes of the ferredoxin molecule.

Amino acid sequences of two ferredoxins isolated from Equisetum arvense were determined by conventional procedures. Ferredoxins I and II of E. arvense had 95 and 93 residues, respectively, and nearly identical sequences each with only one amino acid difference from ferredoxins. I and II of E. telmateia (1). The overall structural characteristics of these two ferredoxins were therefore very similar to those of E. telmateia ferredoxins. Ferredoxins I and II from E. arvense differ in 31 sites and those from E. telmateia in 29 sites from each other. These facts suggested that duplication of the ferredoxin gene in one organism occurred at an early evolutionary stage long before the divergence of the two horsetail species. The number of differences in amino acids between horsetail ferredoxins and other chloroplast-type ferredoxins indicated that the duplication occurred after divergence of horsetails from other plants. Comparing green plant ferredoxins, it was estimated that this gene duplication occurred about 250 million years ago. Some comments on the unique amino acid substitutions in horsetail ferredoxins are also presented.

The amino acid sequences of the cysteinyl peptides of Spirulina sp. glutathione reductase were determined. Spirulina glutathione reductase was covalently bound to Thiopropyl-Sepharose 6B in the presence of 8M urea through thiol-disulfide exchange. After tryptic digestion, 4 distinct cysteinyl peptides were finally isolated from NADPH-reduced glutathione reductase and 2 from oxidized glutathione reductase. The amino acid sequences of the two cysteinyl peptides which could not be isolated from the oxidized glutathione reductase were very similar to those around the active site disulfide of the other flavoprotein disulfide oxidoreductases and a unique replacement of asparagine and valine by isoleucine and arginine between the two cysteine residues was found. The other two peptides isolated from both oxidized and reduced glutathione reductase also show considerable homology to the corresponding parts of human and Escherichia coli glutathione reductases.

We isolated a mutant strain of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli by nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis, which produces an immunologically altered B subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin. This mutant B subunit was detected as a monomer on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis even without prior heating, suggesting a problem in oligomer formation. Furthermore, this mutant B subunit could not form holotoxin with the native A subunit, and the affinity to GM1-ganglioside receptor was 10-fold lower than that of the native B subunit. The amino acid sequence analysis of this mutant B subunit revealed only one amino acid substitution compared with the native B subunit, at the 64th position from the N terminus (valine instead of alanine). These data suggest that the alanine at position 64 from the N terminus is important for the native B subunit to form an oligomer structure and express its functions.

The 33-kDa protein is one of the three extrinsic proteins in the oxygen-evolving photosystem II complexes. The protein has one intrachain disulfide bond. On reduction of this disulfide bond, the protein was unfolded and lost its activity. On the basis of the unfolding equilibrium curve obtained by using guanidine hydrochloride, the free energy change of unfolding in the absence of guanidine hydrochloride was estimated to be 4.4 kcal/mol using the Tanford method [Tanford, C. (1970) Adv. Protein Chem. 24, 1-95] and 2.8 kcal/mol using the linear extrapolation method. The unfolding of the 33-kDa protein caused by reduction was explained in terms of the entropy change associated with reduction of the intrachain disulfide bond. The kinetics of the reduction of the disulfide bond using dithiothreitol were studied at various concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C. The disulfide bond was reduced even in the absence of guanidine hydrochloride. The unfolding and refolding kinetics of the 33-kDa protein using guanidine hydrochloride were also studied under the same conditions, and the results were compared with those for the reduction kinetics. It was shown that the reduction of the disulfide bond proceeds through a species in which the disulfide bond is exposed by local fluctuations.

Nostoc muscorum (Strain 7119) cells were disrupted and the accessory pigment phycocyanin was removed from membrane fragments by digitonin treatment. The phycocyanin-depleted membrane fragments retained both Photosystem I and Photosystem II activity, as evidenced by high rates of NADP+ photoreduction either by water or by reduced 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, indicating that phycocyanin is not an essential component for electron transport activity. No separation of the two photosystems was effected by the digitonin treatment. Even drastic digitonin treatments failed to diminish significantly the remarkably stable electron transport from water to NADP+. Action spectra and relative quantum efficiency measurements demonstrated the existence of both Photosystem I and Photosystem II in membrane fragments which contained chlorophyll a as the only significant light-absorbing pigment.

Purothionin from wheat flour was chemically modified by acetic or succinic anhydride under specific conditions. The complete modification of all amino groups of purothionin caused a large change in the net charge of the molecule, leading to the loss of the toxicity to mice and yeast. The sole tyrosyl residue in purothionin was nitrated by tetranitromethane at neutral pH or iodinated by the lactoperoxidase method. The nitro- and diiodo-derivatives of purothionin showed considerably reduced toxicity. Based on these modification studies we conclude that the positive charges of lysyl residues have an important role in the interaction with the negatively charged cell surface, and that the emergence of the toxicity of purothionin depends on a certain state of the tyrosyl residue.

Two ferredoxin-NADP+ reductases (FNRs I and II) [EC 1.6.7.1] were purified from a blue-green alga, Spirulina platensis, by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 and DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography. FNRs I and II were both FAD-containing enzymes with molecular weights of 33,000, and could photochemically reduce NADP+ to the same extent in the presence of S. platensis ferredoxin, using FNR-depleted membrane fragments of S. platensis. They had similar physical and enzymatic properties, except for chemical properties such as the amino (N)-terminal sequences and the patterns of their peptide maps. The significance of the presence of two FNRs in S. platensis as as of the multiple forms found in other organisms is discussed.

The preparation procedure for Spirulina ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (ferredoxin: NADP+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.18.1.2, FNR) was improved by adding protease inhibitors, phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride (PMSF) and EDTA, through the whole process of preparation and by introducing an affinity chromatography step on Blue Sepharose CL-6B. The addition of the inhibitors largely prevented the formation of the minor component (FNR I), and the affinity gel chromatography simplified the preparation process, shortening the exposure period of FNR to proteolysis. However, complete removal of the heterogeneity of FNR found at the amino (N)-terminal region was not achieved even by applying the new method. The affinity chromatography on the Blue Sepharose gel was also effective in purifying spinach FNR. The affinity of this gel for Spirulina FNR was compared with that for the enzyme derived from spinach leaves. The spinach enzyme had a higher affinity than the Spirulina one. Both enzymes showed the highest affinities to Blue Sepharose at 20--30 mM NaCl concentration. The N-terminal sequence analysis revealed that there was 4 forms, which were probably modifications produced by exopeptidase action during the preparation, or even in the living cells. The longest component gave the N-terminal sequence Ala-Lys-Thr-Asp-Ile-Pro-Val-Asn-Ile-Tyr-. The others lacked amino acids successively one by one from the N-terminus. In contrast, the carboxyl(C)-terminal residues of all 4 FNR forms were tyrosine. The probable C-terminal sequence was predicted to be -Trp-His-Val-Gln-Thr-Tyr based on a study of a cyanogen bromide peptide.

The purified B subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin produced from a human strain, 240-3, of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (LTh(240-3)) was carboxymethylated, succinylated, digested with chymotrypsin and subjected to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the amino acid compositions of the peptide peaks from the column were analyzed and compared with the data reported by Yamamoto and Yokota (J. Bacteriol. 155, 728.1983), who deduced the amino acid sequence of LTh(H10407) from the DNA sequence of a human strain H10407. Only one fraction differed in amino acid composition from that reported by them. This fraction was found to consist of peptides with the sequences Arg-Asn-Thr-Gln-Ile-Tyr and Arg-Ile-Ala-Tyr. Yamamoto and Yokota reported the sequence of the latter peptide as Arg-Ile-Thr∗-Tyr, which corresponds to the peptide from 73rd to 76th from amino (N-) terminus. Thus amino acid residue 75 from the N-terminus of LTh-B(240-3) is alanine, not threonine. The B subunit of cholera toxin also has alanine at position 75. LTh(240-3) appeared similar to LTh(H10407) in an Ouchterlony test, vascular permeability test and GMI ganglioside ELISA. These data show that substitution of threonine for alanine at position 75 from the N-terminus does not affect the immunological and biological characteristics of LTh.

A cytochrome b 6 f complex was isolated and purified from Spirulina sp. The complex was solubilized with n-heptyl β-D-thioglucoside and chromatographed on a DEAE-Toyopearl 650M column

Three ferredoxin isoproteins (R-Fd A, R-Fd B-1, and R-Fd B-2) were purified from white roots of radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. acantiformis cultivar Miyashige) and two isoproteins (L-Fd A and L-Fd B) from leaves. The amino acid sequences of three of them (L-Fd A, R-Fd B-1, and R-Fd B-2) were determined and compared with one another and with those of other higher plant ferredoxins so far studied. L-Fd A and R-Fd B-1 had heterogeneities at four and two amino acid sites, respectively. Two isoprotein (R-Fd B-1 and R-Fd B-2) were deduced to be expressed only in root tissue on the basis of sequence studies and amino acid compositions of all isoferredoxins isolated from the radish plant. The root ferredoxins sequenced in this study were similar to each other, but quite different from other higher plant ferredoxins, all of which were isolated from leaf tissue. The coupling activities of these ferredoxin isoproteins were measured in the NADP+-photoreduction system of radish chloroplasts and glutamate synthase [EC 1.4.7.1] systems isolated from radish leaf and root tissues. No distinctive physiological characteristics were observed among these isoferredoxins.

A purothionin homolog was isolated from barley flour and purified by CM-52 column chromatography. It showed potent lethal activity towards brewer's yeast and its complete amino acid sequence was determined to be as follows. Lys-Ser-Cys-Cys-Arg-Ser-Thr-Leu-Gly-Arg-Asn-Cys-Tyr-Asn-Leu-Cys-Arg-Val-Arg-Gly-Ala-Gln-Lys-Leu-Cys-Ala-Gly-Val-Cys-Arg-Cys-Lys-Leu-Thr-Ser-Ser-Gly-Lys-Cys-Pro-Thr-Gly-Phe-Pro-Lys. It thus consists of 45 amino acid residues with 8 cysteines. The number of amino acid residues and the positions of the 8 cysteines are identical with those of wheat purothionins. There is a high degree of homology in the primary structures of these proteins.

The amino acid sequence of a ferredoxin from a thermoacidophilic archaebacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, was determined by a combination of various conventional methods to be as follows: Gly-Ile-Asp-Pro-Tyr-Arg-Thr-His-Lys-Pro-Val-Val-Gly-Asp-Ser-Ser-Gly-His- Lys-Ile -Tyr-Gly-Pro-Val-Glu-Ser-Pro-Lys(Me)-Val-Leu-Gly-Val-His-Gly-Thr-Ile-Val -Gly-Va l-Asp-Phe-Asp-Leu-Cys-Ile-Ala-Asp-Gly-Ser-Cys-Ile-Thr-Ala-Cys-Pro-Val-As n-Val-P he-Gln-Trp-Tyr-Glu-Thr-Pro-Gly-His-Pro-Ala-Ser-Glu-Lys-Lys-Ala-Asp-Pro-V al-Asn- Glu-Gln-Ala-Cys-Ile-Phe-Cys-Met-Ala-Cys-Val-Asn-Val-Cys-Pro-Val-Ala-Ala- Ile-Asp -Val-Lys-Pro-Pro. It was composed of 103 amino acid residues giving a molecular weight of 10,908 excluding Fe and S atoms. This ferredoxin contained an N6-monomethyllysine residue at position 29 which was determined by a comparison of the elution profile of the acid hydrolysates of the protein and peptides on an amino acid analyzer with three methyl derivatives of lysine and also by field desorption mass spectrometry of a purified peptide. The ferredoxin has only 7 cysteine residues, which probably participate in constructing the Fe-S clusters of this ferredoxin, indicating the presence of a unique chelate structure. Comparison of this ferredoxin with other archaebacterial ferredoxins indicated that the archaebacteria might have multiple origins in an evolutionary tree.