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The galactolipid digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGGD) is one of the major constituents of thylakoids, accounting for about 25% of polar lipids found in these membranes. Although the presence of DGDG has frequently been correlated with the structural and functional integrity of the photosynthetic apparatus, it is still a matter of debate of what the in-vivo function of DGDG actually might be. To further the understanding of the role of DGDG within the photosynthetic apparatus, experiments were conducted on different Arabidopsis thaliana lines with altered DGDG content. The dgd1 mutant is characterized by a 90% reduction in the DGDG content, resulting in a severe dwarfism during growth. Complementation of the dgd1 mutant with a DGD1 cDNA completely restored the wild-type characteristics, while photosynthesis-related parameters were intermediate in transgenic plants with a partial reduction in DGD1 activity caused by post-transcription gene silencing due to over-expression of a DGD1 cDNA in wild-type plants. These data provide clear evidence for a causal relationship between the DGDG content, and the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus. However, a significant DGDG accumulation in the dgd1/pho1 double mutant was without any detectable effect on photosynthetic activity, indicating that the molecular DGDG species synthesized upon phosphate deprivation in leaves cannot substitute for the DGDG species present under normal nutrient supply of plants. It is suggested that depending on the environmental growth conditions different pools of DGDG species exist in plants of which one is not associated with the photosynthetic apparatus.

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Galactolipids make up the bulk of chloroplast lipids. Therefore, the genes involved in the synthesis of the galactolipids monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) play a critical role in chloroplast development. In this study, we analyzed the subcellular localization of the Arabidopsis DGDG synthase DGD1, which was recently identified by complementation of the Arabidopsis dgd1 mutant. In vitro import experiments demonstrated that DGD1 was targeted to the chloroplast outer envelope in an ATP-independent manner. DGD1 could not be extracted from the membranes by high salt or alkali, suggesting that it is an integral membrane protein. Uptake experiments with truncated versions of DGD1 indicated that the information for targeting and insertion into the outer envelope resides in the N-terminal half of DGD1, but not in the first 33 amino acids. DGD1 apparently does not contain a cleavable signal peptide. Antibodies to Arabidopsis DGD1 detected a 90-kDa protein localized to the chloroplast envelopes of both pea and Arabidopsis. Transformation of DGD1 constructs into cyanobacteria resulted in the expression of active DGDG synthase and demonstrated that DGDG synthesis depends on MGDG lipid, but does not require direct interaction with the plant MGDG synthase.

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Multiparallel analyses of mRNA and proteins are central to today's functional genomics initiatives. We describe here the use of metabolite profiling as a new tool for a comparative display of gene function. It has the potential not only to provide deeper insight into complex regulatory processes but also to determine phenotype directly. Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), we automatically quantified 326 distinct compounds from Arabidopsis thaliana leaf extracts. It was possible to assign a chemical structure to approximately half of these compounds. Comparison of four Arabidopsis genotypes (two homozygous ecotypes and a mutant of each ecotype) showed that each genotype possesses a distinct metabolic profile. Data mining tools such as principal component analysis enabled the assignment of "metabolic phenotypes" using these large data sets. The metabolic phenotypes of the two ecotypes were more divergent than were the metabolic phenotypes of the single-loci mutant and their parental ecotypes. These results demonstrate the use of metabolite profiling as a tool to significantly extend and enhance the power of existing functional genomics approaches.

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The galactolipids, mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), are the most common nonphosphorous lipids in the biosphere and account for 80% of the membrane lipids found in green plant tissues. These lipids are major constituents of photosynthetic membranes (thylakoids), and a large body of evidence suggests that galactolipids are associated primarily with plastid membranes in seed plants. A null-mutant of Arabidopsis (dgd1), which lacks the DGDG synthase (DGD1) resulting in a 90% reduction in the amount of DGDG under normal growth conditions, accumulated DGDG after phosphate deprivation up to 60% of the amount present in the wild type. This observation suggests the existence of a DGD1-independent pathway of galactolipid biosynthesis. The fatty acid composition of the newly formed DGDG was distinct, showing an enrichment of 16-carbon fatty acids in the C-1 position of the glycerol backbone of DGDG. Roots with their rudimentary plastids accumulated large amounts of DGDG after phosphate deprivation, suggesting that this galactolipid may be located in extraplastidic membranes. Corroborating evidence for this hypothesis was obtained directly by fractionation of subcellular membranes from leaf tissue and indirectly by lipid analysis of the phosphate-deprived fad3 mutant primarily deficient in extraplastidic fatty acid desaturation. The discovery of extraplastidic DGDG biosynthesis induced by phosphate deprivation has revealed a biochemical mechanism for plants to conserve phosphate. Apparently, plants replace phospholipids with nonphosphorous galactolipids if environmental conditions such as phosphate deprivation require this for survival.

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The lipid monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGD) is a major structural component of photosynthetic membranes in chloroplasts. Its formation is catalyzed by the enzyme MGD synthase. In many plants, MGD derives from two different biosynthetic pathways: the prokaryotic pathway, which operates entirely within the plastid, and the eukaryotic pathway, which involves steps in the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of an Arabidopsis mutant with a defective MGD synthase gene (MGD1). The mutant was identified in a screen of T-DNA lines for individuals with defects in chloroplast biogenesis. It has a yellow-green phenotype that correlates with a approximately 50% deficiency in total chlorophyll per plant. A single T-DNA insertion is located adjacent to the transcription initiation site of the MGD1 gene, and the abundance of MGD1 mRNA is reduced by 75% compared with wild type. Correlation between steady-state MGD1 transcript levels and MGD synthase activity (also reduced by 75% in mgd1) suggests that MGD1 is the most important MGD synthase in green tissues. The amount of MGD in mutant leaves is reduced by 42% compared with wild type. MGD from the mutant contains 23% less 16:3 fatty acid and 10% more 18:3 fatty acid. Because 16:3 is a characteristic feature of MGD from the prokaryotic pathway, it is possible that MGD1 operates with some preference in the prokaryotic pathway. Finally, the MGD-deficiency of mgd1 is correlated with striking defects in chloroplast ultrastructure, strongly suggesting a unique role for MGD in the structural organization of plastidic membranes.

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The acyl-acyl carrier protein thioesterase B1 from Arabidopsis (AtFATB1) was previously shown to exhibit in vitro hydrolytic activity for long chain acyl-acyl carrier proteins (P. Dörmann, T.A. Voelker, J.B. Ohlrogge [1995] Arch Biochem Biophys 316: 612-618). In this study, we address the question of which role in fatty acid biosynthesis this enzyme plays within the plant. Over-expression of the AtFATB1 cDNA under a seed-specific promoter resulted in accumulation of high amounts of palmitate (16:0) in seeds. RNA and protein-blot analysis in Arabidopsis and rapeseed (Brassica napus) showed that the endogenous AtFATB1 expression was highest in flowers and lower in leaves. All floral tissues of wild-type plants contained elevated amounts of 16:0, and in the polar lipid fraction of flowers close to 50 mol % of the fatty acids were 16:0. Therefore, flowers contain polar lipids with an unusually high amount of saturated fatty acids as compared to all other plant tissues. Antisense expression of the AtFATB1 cDNA under the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter resulted in a reduction of seed and flower 16:0 content, but no changes in leaf fatty acids. We conclude that the AtFATB1 thioesterase contributes to 16:0 production particularly in flowers, but that additional factors are involved in leaves.

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The photosynthetic apparatus in plant cells is associated with membranes of the thylakoids within the chloroplast and is embedded into a highly specialized lipid matrix. Diacylglycerol galactolipids are common in thylakoid membranes but are excluded from all others. Isolation of the gene DGD1, encoding a galactosyltransferase-like protein, now provides insights into assembly of the thylakoid lipid matrix and subcellular lipid trafficking in Arabidopsis thaliana.

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Uridine 5'-diphospho-glucose-4-epimerase (UDP-Glc epimerase) catalyses the reversible epimerization of UDP-galactose and UDP-glucose. In contrast to bacteria and yeast, expression of the UDP-Glc epimerase gene in Arabidopsis was found not to be induced by galactose. To elucidate the metabolic role of this enzyme, transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing the respective cDNA in sense or antisense orientation were constructed, leading to a range of plant lines with different UDP-Glc epimerase activities. No alterations in morphology were observed and the relative amounts of different galactose-containing compounds were not affected if the plants were raised on soil. However, on agar plates in the presence of galactose, the growth of different lines was increasingly repressed with decreasing enzyme activity, and an increase in the UDP-Gal content was observed in parallel, whereas the UDP-Glc content was nearly constant. The amount of galactose in the cell wall was increased in plants with low UDP-Glc epimerase activity grown on galactose, whereas the cellulose content in the leaves was not altered. Furthermore, starch determined at different times of the day was highly abundant in plants with low UDP-Glc epimerase activity in the presence of galactose. It is proposed that low endogenous UDP-Glc epimerase activity is responsible for the galactose toxicity of the wild-type. Possible mechanisms by which the starch content might be modulated are discussed.

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The glycerolipid digalactosyl diacylglycerol (DGDG) is exclusively associated with photosynthetic membranes and thus may play a role in the proper assembly and maintenance of the photosynthetic apparatus. Here we employ a genetic approach based on the dgd1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate the function of DGDG in thylakoid membranes. The primary defect in the genetically well-characterized dgd1 mutant resulted in a 90% reduction of the DGDG content. The mutant showed a decreased photosystem II (PSII) to photosystem I ratio. In vivo room- and low-temperature (77 K) chlorophyll fluorescence measurements with thylakoid preparations are in agreement with a drastically altered excitation energy allocation to the reaction centers. Quantification of pigment-binding apoproteins and pigments supports an altered stoichiometry of individual pigment-protein complexes in the mutant. Most strikingly, an increase in the amount of peripheral light-harvesting complexes of PSII relative to the inner antenna complexes and the PSII reaction center/core complexes was observed. Regardless of the severe alterations in thylakoid organization, photosynthetic oxygen evolution was virtually not compromised in dgd1 mutant leaves.

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The primary biochemical defect in the genetically well characterized dgd1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana causes a 90% reduction in the relative amount of the galactolipid digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG). To study the effect of this DGDG deficiency on photosystem II (PS II), time-resolved transients of laser-flash-induced changes of the relative fluorescence quantum yield Fvar,rel(t) were measured in whole leaves from wild-type and the dgd1 mutant. The results obtained reveal (i) in untreated leaves the decay kinetics of Fvar, rel(t) reflecting QA.- reoxidation by endogenous plastoquinone are very similar in wild-type and the dgd1 mutant at room temperature, (ii) the Arrhenius plot of the temperature dependence of electron transfer from QA.- to QB exhibits a break point at about 19 degrees C in wild-type and about 12 degrees C in the dgd1 mutant, (iii) in leaves treated with DCMU the slow reoxidation of QA.- by the PS II donor side is blocked to a much higher extent in the dgd1 mutant (about 50%) compared to wild-type (about 10%), and iv) the normalized amplitude of Fvar,rel(t = 1 micros) reflecting the percentage of fast P680.+ reduction by YZ exhibits a characteristic period four oscillation in wild-type while this feature is strongly damped in the dgd1 mutant. Presumably, the severe DGDG deficiency is causing the thermal down shift of a lipid phase transition that affects the QA.- reoxidation by QB. Most strikingly, the properties of the WOC are modified as a result of reduced DGDG content. Thus, the lipid DGDG appears to be of structural relevance for the WOC.

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It is our goal to investigate the biosynthesis of galactose-containing compounds in higher plants. Searching a database of expressed sequence tags, a cDNA from Arabidopsis thaliana (clone 108G20T7) with sequence similarity to UDP-glucose epimerase was identified and further analyzed. The 1356-bp-long cDNA included an open reading frame predicted to encode a 351 amino acid protein of 39 kDa. The presumed protein sequence showed a high degree of similarity to UDP-glucose epimerase sequences from bacteria, rat, and yeast. Complementation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gal1O mutant and expression of an active enzyme in Escherichia coli demonstrated that the cDNA encoded a functional UDP-glucose epimerase. The recombinant enzyme was purified to homogeneity. It showed a broad pH optimum of 7.0 to 9.5 and a Km of 0.11 mM. The UDP-glucose epimerase activity was not dependent on the addition of the cofactor NAD+ and was only moderately inhibited by high salt concentrations. Tissue-specific Northern analysis showed that the gene is expressed in all tissues of A. thaliana with highest expression levels in the stems and roots. Based on Southern analysis, there seems to be a single gene encoding UDP-glucose epimerase in A. thaliana. The cDNA analyzed during this study is the first known to encode a sugar-nucleotide modifying enzyme from higher plants. Its availability provides the means to investigate the role of UDP-glucose epimerase for the biosynthesis of UDP-galactose as precursor of galactolipids and cell wall polysaccharides.

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The galactolipids monogalactosyl and digalactosyl diacylglycerol occur in all higher plants and are the predominant lipid components of chloroplast membranes. They are thought to be of major importance to chloroplast morphology and physiology, although direct experimental evidence is still lacking. The enzymes responsible for final assembly of galactolipids are associated with the envelope membranes of plastids, and their biochemical analysis has been notoriously difficult. Therefore, we have chosen a genetic approach to study the biosynthesis and function of galactolipids in higher plants. We isolated a mutant of Arabidopsis that is deficient in digalactosyl diacylglycerol by directly screening a mutagenized M2 population for individuals with altered leaf lipid composition. This mutant carries a recessive nuclear mutation at a single locus designated dgd1. Backcrossed mutants show stunted growth, pale green leaf color, reduced photosynthetic capability, and altered thylakoid membrane ultrastructure.

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An Arabidopsis thaliana partial cDNA was previously identified with a sequence similar to the lauroyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase from Umbellularia california (Grellet et al., 1993, Plant Physiol. Biochem. 31, 599-602). Using this DNA fragment, we isolated a 1.8-kb cDNA coding for a 412-amino-acid preprotein. The deduced amino acid sequence is 51% identical to the lauroyl-ACP thioesterase but only 39% identical to safflower oleoyl-ACP thioesterase. The cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli and the gene product showed thioesterase activity for long-chain acyl-ACPs (14:0, 16:0, 18:0, 18:1 delta 9cis). When expressed in beta-oxidation mutants of E. coli, lipid analysis revealed that cells transformed with the thioesterase produced high amounts of free fatty acids that mostly consisted of 16:0 and some 14:0, 16:1 delta 9cis, and 18:1 delta 11cis. Antibodies were raised to the recombinant protein and used to determine tissue-specific and developmental expression in A. thaliana and Brassica napus. A 40-kDa protein was detected by immunoblots in A. thaliana siliques, leaves, and roots. A maximal expression of the B. napus protein between 18 and 31 days after flowering was found, which correlates with the rapid accumulation of triacylglycerols in the seeds. Based upon these results, we suggest that this long-chain acyl-ACP thioesterase may be a ubiquitous enzyme in plants which is involved in the synthesis of long-chain fatty acids.

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A cDNA for the oleoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase (E.C. 3.1.2.14) from coriander seed endosperm (Coriandrum sativum) was isolated using a safflower oleoyl-ACP thioesterase cDNA probe. The coriander cDNA coded for a 42.3 kDa protein including a putative 40 amino acid plastid targeting transit peptide. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein was isolated to homogeneity by alkyl-ACP affinity and anion-exchange chromatography. The pure protein showed a high thioesterase activity for oleoyl-ACP vs. other acyl-ACPs and therefore was identified as the coriander oleoyl-ACP thioesterase. Antibodies were raised against the recombinant protein and used to detect the coriander thioesterase in enriched endosperm fractions.

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This study was designed to address the question: How specific for double bond position and conformation are plant enzymes that act on oleoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP)? Octadecenoyl-ACPs with cis double bonds at positions [delta]6, [delta]7, [delta]8, [delta]9, [delta]10, [delta]11, or [delta]12 and elaidyl (18:1[delta]9trans)-ACP were synthesized and used to characterize the substrate specificity of the acyl-ACP thioesterase and acyl-ACP:sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase. The two enzymes were found to be specific for the [delta]9 position of the double bond. The thioesterase was highly specific for the [delta]9 cis conformation, but the transferase was almost equally active with the cis and the trans isomer of 18:1[delta]9-ACP. In plants such as the Umbelliferae species coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) that accumulate petroselinic acid (18:1[delta]6cis) in their seed triacylglycerols, a high petroselinoyl-ACP thioesterase activity was found in addition to the oleoyl-ACP thioesterase. The two activities could be separated by anion-exchange chromatography, indicating that the petroselinoyl-ACP thioesterase is represented by a distinct polypeptide.

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A unique property of the liver-type member of the family of fatty acid-binding proteins is the heterogeneic pattern observed upon isolation, which can only partly be ascribed to the state of lipidation. Here we unraveled the structural basis of the heterogeneity of delipidated liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP). Charge fractions of L-FABP focusing at pH 6.0 and at pH 7.0/7.1 were first isolated from bovine liver. Upon reduction, however, two distinct isoforms, namely pI 6.0 L-FABP and pI 7.0 L-FABP, were observed. From these isoforms peptides were generated enzymically and chemically by four independent methods. Peptides were separated by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography and analyzed by Edman degradation and plasma desorption mass spectrometry. The complete amino acid sequences of the isoforms were established; they consist of 127 amino acids and each is N-terminally blocked with an acetyl group. The difference between pI 6.0 L-FABP and pI 7.0 L-FABP was attributed to an asparagine-aspartate exchange at position 105. When tryptic peptides of the pH 7.0/7.1 fraction were analyzed, discrepancies between sequence and mass data of the peptides containing at position 69 the sole cysteine of L-FABP led to the disclosure of a cysteinylation occurring at this position and giving rise to the slightly more basic pH 7.1 species. Moreover, chemical modification studies revealed that a part of the pH 6.0 fraction was pI 7.0 L-FABP that was glutathionylated at Cys69. Neither modification, however, prevented the binding of fatty acids. Together amino acid exchange and covalent modification of cysteine entirely explain the heterogeneity of L-FABP from bovine liver.

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Two acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterases were partially purified from developing seeds of Cuphea lanceolata Ait., a plant with decanoic acid-rich triacylglycerols. The two enzymes differ markedly in their substrate specificity. One is specific for medium-chain acyl-ACPs, the other one for oleoyl-ACP. In addition, these enzymes are distinct with regard to molecular weight, pH optimum and sensitivity to salt. The thioesterases could be separated by Mono Q chromatography or gel filtration. The medium-chain acyl-ACP thioesterase and oleoyl-ACP thioesterase were purified from a crude extract 29- and 180-fold, respectively. In Cuphea wrightii A. Gray, which predominantly contains decanoic a nd lauric acid in the seeds, two different thioesterases were also found with a similar substrate specificity as in Cuphea lanceolata.

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The effects of the H1-receptor antagonist dimethpyrindene and the H2-receptor antagonist burimamide on circulatory and respiratory parameters and on plasma histamine levels were tested in 21 mongrel dogs. Both drugs released histamine. The incidence for this effect was 10/11 in the case of dimethpyrindene and 5/10 in the case of burimamide. Following dimethpyrindene all animals showed arterial hypotension, pulmonal hypertension, decrease in peripheral resistance and hyperventilation. The portal venous pressure was increased in dogs reacting by a histamine release. Following burimamide both an initial arterial hypertension and a subsequent hypotension were observed the latter being more pronounced in the group with histamine release. In this group the portal venous pressure raised considerably. In the non-reacting animals cardiac output was elevated, probably due to a release of catecholamines. It seemed remarkable that the effect of exogenous histamine on portal venous pressure was completely blocked by dimethpyrindene, but not the action of histamine released by the drug itself. It is concluded that the effects of anti-histaminic drugs on possibly histamine-induced physiological and pathophysiological processes should be interpreted very carefully as far as their specificity is concerned.

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