beta-Glucan Synthetases of Plasma Membrane and Golgi Apparatus from Onion Stem

Biosynthesis of glucans occurred in cell-free fractions isolated from onion stem (Allium cepa L.) enriched in either dictyosomes or plasma membranes. beta-1,3- and beta-1, 4-Glucans were synthesized in differing proportions and at different rates as the concentration of uridine diphosphoglucose or the proportion of dictyosomes or plasma membrane varied. At low (1.5 mum) UDP-glucose concentrations synthesis of alkali-insoluble glucan was correlated with abundance of dicytosomes; most of the substrate utilized by plasma membrane was for glycolipid synthesis. At high (1 mm) UDP-glucose concentration, the synthesis of alkali-insoluble glucans correlated with the abundance of plasma membrane. Substrate enhancement of beta-1, 4-glucan synthesis in dictyosome fractions was less than proportional to increases in substrate concentration. In contrast, beta-1, 4-glucan synthesis by plasma membrane was more than proportionately increased. At high substrate concentrations the synthesis of beta-1, 3-glucans predominated in both dictyosome and plasma membrane fractions. The results show that the capacity to synthesize glucans resides in both Golgi apparatus and plasma membranes of onion stem, but that the plasma membrane has the greatest capacity for synthesis of alkali-insoluble glucans at high UDP-glucose concentrations.

Mammary carcinoma: enzymatic block in disialoganglioside biosynthesis

The sialyl transferase of disialoganglioside formation is depressed in mammary tumors induced in the rat by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. Specific activities of other glycosyltransferases of the pathway ceramide to monosialo-ganglioside are unchanged or elevated so that the ganglioside GM(1) accumulates and higher gangliosides are depressed. These findings with a solid tumor are critical to an involvement of gangliosides in the cell-surface changes of tumorigenesis.

Tubular and filamentous structures in pollen tubes: Possible involvement as guide elements in protoplasmic streaming and vectorial migration of secretory vesicles

An ultrastructural study of the pollen tubes of Lilium and Clivia has demonstrated three different classes of longitudinal structures which could influence patterns of protoplasmic streaming and/or serve as "guide elements" in the vectorial migration of secretory vesicles: (a), cortical and noncortical microtubules; (b), microfilaments; and (c), subcortical tubules and cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum ("subsurface cisternae"). Morphological details of these structures are described. Colchicine concentrations which lead to the complete disappearance of the microtubules affect neither germination of the pollen nor cytoplasmic streaming and tip growth of the elongating pollen tubes. Tip growth is initially uninhibited by cycloheximide, and cytoplasmic streaming is insensitive to this inhibitor. However, both of these processes are sensitive to cytochalasin B and vinblastine. Our results suggest that neither microtubules nor subsurface cisternae are essential for cytoplasmic streaming and directional secretion of cell surface materials in the pollen tube but would be consistent with an involvement of microfilamentous structures in these processes. Additionally, the possible importance of the lateral cross-link elements interconnecting all three types of structures is discussed.

Enhancement of RNA polymerase activity by a factor released by auxin from plasma membrane

Using recently developed techniques for solubilization of RNA polymerase from soybean chromatin and isolation of plasma membrane fractions from plants we can show the presence of a transcriptional factor specifically released from the membranes by auxin, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. The nonauxin, 3,5-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, does not release the factor, but subsequent exposure of the membranes to auxin results in its release. Factor activity could not be demonstrated in fractions devoid of plasma membranes. The presence of a regulatory factor for RNA polymerase associated with plant plasma membrane and specifically released by auxin provides a mechanism whereby both rapid growth responses and delayed nuclear changes could be derived from a common auxin receptor site associated with plasma membrane.

Synthesis and turnover of membrane proteins in rat liver: an examination of the membrane flow hypothesis

The kinetics of synthesis and degradation of the protein constituents of nuclear membranes, endoplasmic reticulum membranes (rough-surfaced microsomes), Golgi apparatus membranes and plasma membranes were determined following a single administration of L- [guanido-14C] arginine by intraperitoneal injection. Membrane protein was determined as the fraction which resists sonication and sequential extrations with 1.5 M KCl, 0.1% deoxycholate and water to remove intravesicular, intracisternal (secretory), nucleo-, adsorbed and ribosome-associated proteins.

The order of maximum labeling of membrane proteins was a) endoplasmic reticulum (nuclear membrane), b) Golgi apparatus, and c) plasma membrane. Rapid decreases in specific radioactivity followed maximal labeling of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus membranes. These rapid turnover components of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus were sufficient to account for labeling of plasma membranes via a flow mechanism.

Incorporation of radioactivity into plasma membranes showed two distinct phases. The ultrastructural features underlying the biphasic pattern of incorporation into plasma membranes are discussed.

Following initial incorporation and rapid turnover, membrane proteins were characterized by degradation kinetics approximating 1st order. Rates of degradation for Golgi apparatus and plasma membranes were faster than those for nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum membranes.

Assuming steady state conditions, an absolute synthetic rate of 7.1 mpg/min/avergage hepatocyte was calculated for membrane proteins of the plasma membrane.

The results are compatible with intracellular movement and conversion of rough endoplasmic reticulum to plasma membrane via the membranes of the Golgi apparatus, i. e., membrane flow. Additionally, the kinetics indicate that membrane synthesis and transfer is restricted to specific parts of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.

Vitamin A: concentration in the rat liver Golgi apparatus

Vitamin A compounds (principally as retinyl esters) are concentrated in Golgi apparatus fractions from rat liver. The amounts vary with the vitamin A status of the liver and show an inverse relation to the concentration of ubiubinone. The results suggest a specific role of the Golgi apparatus in the mobilization or action, or both, of vitamin A compounds.

Isolation of a Golgi apparatus-rich fraction from rat liver. IV. Thiamine pyrophosphatase

The thiamine pyrophosphatase (the enzyme [s] catalyzing the release of inorganic phosphate with thiamine pyrophosphate as the substrate) activities of Golgi apparatus-, plasma membrane-, endoplasmic reticulum-, and mitochondria-rich fractions from rat liver were compared at pH 8. Activity was concentrated in the Golgi apparatus fractions, which, on a protein basis, had a specific activity six to eight times that of the total homogenates or purified endoplasmic reticulum fractions. However, only 1-3% of the total activity was recovered in the Golgi apparatus fractions under conditions where 30-50% of the UDPgalactose:N-acetylglucosamine-galactosyl transferase activity was recovered. Considering both recovery of galactosyl transferase and fraction purity, we estimate that approximately 10% of the total thiamine pyrophosphatase activity of the liver was localized within the Golgi apparatus, with a specific activity of about ten times that of the total homogenate. Cytochemically, reaction product was found in the cisternae of the endoplasmic reticulum as well as in the Golgi apparatus. This is in contrast to results obtained in most other tissues, where reaction product was restricted to the Golgi apparatus. Thus, enzymes of rat liver catalyzing the hydrolysis of thiamine pyrophosphate, although concentrated in the Golgi apparatus, are widely distributed among other cell components in this tissue.

Growth-regulating properties of picloram, 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid

Picloram, 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) cause similar stimulations of polarized cell elongation in stem and coleoptile sections floated on solutions containing the growth regulator. Picloram, like 2,4-D and IAA, supports growth of tissue explants in culture, inhibits root growth, induces cell wall loosening, produces stem curvature and other formative effects, promotes loss of chlorophyll, and regulates abscission and rooting responses. A kinetic analysis of root growth inhibition indicates a common mode of action for picloram and 2,4-D. Picloram meets the minimal structural requirements for auxin activity. The greater herbicidal effectiveness of picloram is attributed to increased mobility and resistance to breakdown within the plant. The ability of picloram to increase markedly the growth of intact shoot cuttings is not shared by either 2,4-D or IAA and neither picloram nor 2,4-D are readily transported in a polar manner in the Avena curvature test. We conclude that picloram functions as a growth regulator of the auxin type with a herbicidal action similar to that of 2,4-D.

N-1-napthylphthalamic-acid-binding activity of a plasma membrane-rich fraction from maize coleoptiles

Plasma membrane-rich fractions were prepared from maize coleoptiles by low-shear homogenization and differential and sucrose-gradient centrifugation. Plasma membrane fragments were identified using a specific cytochemical stain based on phosphotungstic acid prepared in chromic acid. In a comparison of 10 different cell fractions of varying plasma membrane content, the N-1-napthylphthalamic-acid (NPA)-binding activity of the fractions was directly proportional to the content of plasma membrane. The NPA binding appears to be strong K M between 10(-8) and 10(-7) M) but non-covalent. NPA is known to inhibit auxin transport efficiently and quickly. Thus, the results are consistent with the localization of auxin transport sites at the plasma membrane of plant cells.

Isolation and Characterization of Secretory Vesicles in Germinated Pollen of Lilium longiflorum

Secretory vesicles containing polysaccharide were isolated from germinated pollen of Lilium longiflorum and characterized by biochemical and ultrastructural investigation. Pollen tubes exhibit a secretory pathway in which the vesicles concentrated in the tube apex are produced by the Golgi apparatus and contributed to the cell wall at the apex upon fusion of the vesicle membrane with the plasma membrane.

Secretory vesicles were isolated by a method involving the size discrimination of cytoplasmic components using Millipore filters. Cells were disrupted under conditions which minimized membrane vesiculation. Identification was made by electron-microscopic comparison of the periodic acid-silver hexamine (PASH) reactivities of in situ and isolated secretory vesicles.

The secretory vesicles contained polysaccharides which were high in galacturonic acid and similar in sugar composition to those of the hot-water-soluble fraction of pollen tube cell wall. A hot-water-insoluble, non-cellulosic glucan was the major component of the cell wall. Less than 7% of the wall was cellulosic. Chitin was absent. Similarities in the ultrastructure and PASH staining of apical secretory vesicles and an amorphous component of the cell wall support a precursor-product relationship between these 2 cell components. Ultrastructural investigations revealed complexes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) associated with electron-translucent regions of cytoplasm, suggesting a possible function of the ER in cell wall formation. Additionally, patterns of PASH staining show that changes in polysaccharides occur in secretory vesicles after vesicles have been formed by dictyosomes. Therefore, secretory vesicles may have a role in polysaccharide synthesis as well as in membrane and product transport.

In vivo incorporation of radioactive metabolites by Golgi apparatus and other cell fractions of onion stem

Incorporation in vivo of various (14)C-labeled substrates into dictyosomes of onion (Allium cepa) stem was determined, and comparisons were made with other cell fractions on a nitrogen basis. Tissue explants were incubated for varying times in the presence of the radioactive metabolites supplied in the external medium. Fractions were then obtained from homogenates stabilized with glutaraldehyde. Purified fractions containing dictyosomes (individual stacks of cisternae) of the Golgi apparatus were obtained by centrifugation in a sucrose gradient also yielding a smooth membrane fraction free of dictyosomes. Dictyosomes were preferentially labeled with choline-1,2-(14)C and acetate-2-(14)C, suggesting that plant Golgi apparatus participate in the synthesis or modification of membrane lipids. Dictyosomes were also labeled with glucose-U-(14)C and leucine-U-(14)C, but on a molar basis incorporation was less than with choline or acetate.

Lecithin Biosynthetic Enzymes of Onion Stem and the Distribution of Phosphorylcholine-Cytidyl Transferase among Cell Fractions

Enzymatic activities of the cytidine 5'-diphosphate choline pathway for lecithin biosynthesis were demonstrated in homogenates of onion stem (Allium cepa). Choline kinase activity was present in the postmicrosomal supernatant, with less than 3% sedimenting with the particulate fractions. Phosphorylcholine-cytidyl transferase was distributed among all fractions, and phosphorylcholine-glyceride transferase was predominantly found in the particulate fraction.The phosphorylcholine-cytidyl transferase activity of onion stem required a divalent ion (Mg(2+) or Mn(2+)) for activity, was inhibited by Ca(2+), and was specific for cytidine triphosphate, with optimal activity in the range pH 6 to 7. To evaluate the distribution among cell fractions, conditions of pH, cofactors, substrate, and assay were optimized for each fraction. One-third of the transferase activity sedimented with the mitochondria-proplastids fraction, and one-third was in the microsomal supernatant. The dictyosome fraction contained about 10% of the total activity but showed a greater specific activity than the other fractions. Similar results were obtained with homogenates from rat liver, in that purified Golgi apparatus fractions contained the highest phosphorylcholine-cytidyl transferase activity on a protein basis when compared with other cell fractions at pH 7.2.

Isolation of a Golgi apparatus-rich fraction from rat liver. I. Method and morphology

Golgi apparatus were released without fixatives from rat hepatocytes by gentle homogenization, concentrated by differential centrifugation, and purified by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Examination of sections of purified fractions by electron microscopy showed fields of morphologically intact units of Golgi apparatus consisting of stacks of parallel flattened cisternae, secretory vesicles, and small vesicular profiles. Negative staining of unfixed pellets revealed a complex network of anastomotic tubules continuous with platelike structures and secretory vesicles. These structures corresponded, respectively, to the small vesicular profiles and parallel flattened cisternae with attached secretory vesicles of sectioned material. Small fragments of granular endoplasmic reticulum were often closely associated with the peripheral tubules, suggesting sites of continuity in intact hepatocytes.

Biochemical and morphological comparison of plasma membrane and milk fat globule membrane from bovine mammary gland

Purified plasma membrane fractions from lactating bovine mammary glands and membranes of milk fat globules from the same source were similar in distribution and fatty acid composition of phospholipids. The sphingomyelin content of the phospholipid fraction of both membranes was higher than in these fractions from other cell components, beta-carotene, a constituent characteristic of milk fat, was present in the lipid fraction of the plasma membrane. Cholesterol esters of plasma membrane were similar in fatty acid composition to those of milk fat globule membranes. Disc electrophoresis of either membrane preparation on polyacrylamide gels revealed a single major protein component characteristic of plasma membrane from other sources. Distinct morphological differences between plasma membrane and milk fat globule membranes were observed in both thin sections and in negatively stained material. Plasma membrane was vesicular in appearance while milk fat globule membranes had a platelike aspect. These observations are consistent with derivation of fat globule membrane from plasma membrane accompanied by structural rearrangement of membrane constituents.

Cytomembrane differentiation in the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi apparatus-vesicle complex

Diversity of cytomembrane types is confirmed in hyphae of the fungus Pythium ultimum by electron microscopy. A transition in membrane morphology across stacks of dictyosome cisternae (from endoplasmic reticulumlike at one pole to plasma membrane-like at the opposite pole) suggests that dictyosomes of the Golgi apparatus are sites of membrane interconversion.

Structure of isolated plant Golgi apparatus revealed by negative staining

Sucrose-gradient-purified dictyosomes of plant Golgi apparatus appear, after glutaraldehyde stabilization, as stacks of highly fenestrate and tubate cisternae when negatively stained with phosphotungstic acid, shadowed with heavy metal, or OsO(4)-stained in thin section. The tubular proliferations (diameter 200 to 400 A) extend for several microns from the central region and are united at intervals into an anastomosing network. Associated with the tubules are two kinds of vesicles which are distinguishable on the basis of texture, size, shape, and staining characteristics. One vesicle type is rough-surfaced, nearly spherical, and of uniform dimensions (diameter approximately 600 A). Metal shadowing shows that these vesicles remain spherical after drying. The other vesicle type is smooth-surfaced and varies in both size and shape. Intercisternal elements are revealed, by negative staining, on the surface of internal cisternae after fragmentation of the dictyosome. The progressive differentiation of cisternae from the forming face to the maturing face is observed in thin sections of these isolated preparations. The morphological characteristics observed in negatively stained dictyosomes indicate regions of functional specialization within the dictyosome cisternae and reveal a dictyosome structure more extensive than that envisioned from sections.