Salete A. Gaziola

Selenium-induced oxidative stress in coffee cell suspension cultures

Selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans and animals that is required for key antioxidant reactions, but can be toxic at high concentrations. We have investigated the effect of Se in the form of selenite on coffee cell suspension cultures over a 12-day period. The antioxidant defence systems were induced in coffee cells grown in the presence of 0.05 and 0.5 mm sodium selenite (Na2SeO3). Lipid peroxidation and alterations in antioxidant enzymes were the main responses observed, including a severe reduction in ascorbate peroxidase activity, even at 0.05 mm sodium selenite. Ten superoxide dismutase (SOD) isoenzymes were detected and the two major Mn-SOD isoenzymes (bands V and VI) responded more to 0.05 mm selenite. SOD band V exhibited a general decrease in activity after 12 h of treatment with 0.05 mm selenite, whereas band VI exhibited the opposite behavior and increased in activity. An extra isoenzyme of glutathione reductase (GR) was induced in the presence of selenite, which confirmed our previous results obtained with Cd and Ni indicating that this GR isoenzyme may have the potential to be a marker for oxidative stress in coffee.

Genetic control of lysine metabolism in maize endosperm mutants

The capacity of three maize endosperm opaque mutants (o10, o11 and o13) to accumulate soluble lysine in the seed in relation to their wildtype counterpart, W22+, was investigated. The W22o13 and W22o11 mutants exhibited 278% and 186% increases in soluble lysine, respectively, while for W22o10, a 36% decrease was observed, compared with the wildtype. A quantitative and qualitative study of the N constituents of the endosperm has been conducted and data obtained for the total protein, non-protein N, soluble amino acids, albumins / globulins, zeins and glutelins present in the seed of the mutants. Following 2D-PAGE, a total of 38 different forms of zein polypeptides were detected and considerable differences were noted between the three mutant lines. The metabolism of lysine was also studied by analysis of the enzymes aspartate kinase, homoserine dehydrogenase, lysine 2-oxoglutarate reductase and saccharopine dehydrogenase, which exhibited major changes in activity, depending on the genotype, suggesting that the mutant genes may have distinct regulatory activities.

Hull-less Barley Varieties: Storage Proteins and Amino Acid Distribution in Relation to Nutritional Quality

Abstract Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has had an important impact on human nutrition. Hull-less barley is a genetically improved type that has been widely used in recent years. Six Brazilian hull-less barley varieties (IAC-IBON 214-82; IAC 8612-421; IAC 8501-31; IAC 8501-12; IAPAR 39-ACUMAI; IAC 8501-22) were analyzed for storage protein constituents, amino acid contents, and similarity among the hull-less barley varieties. Albumins, globulins, prolamins I and II, and glutelins were extracted and separated by SDS-PAGE. The total protein amino acid contents of the flour were also determined for each variety by TLC and HPLC. Variations in intensity and appearance and disappearance of protein bands were observed among the varieties suggesting genetic variability. However, the amino acid profile did not indicate any major variations in the amino acid concentrations. The high lysine and threonine total concentrations detected in the seeds of the hull-less barley varieties encouraged an investigation into the regulation of amino acid metabolism and storage protein synthesis.

Enzymes of lysine metabolism from Coix lacryma-jobi seeds

Lysine, threonine, methionine and isoleucine are synthesized through the aspartate metabolic pathway. The concentrations of soluble lysine and threonine in cereal seeds are very low. Coix lacryma-jobi (coix) is a maize-related grass and the enzymological aspects of the aspartate metabolic pathway are completely unknown. In order to obtain information on lysine metabolism in this plant species, two enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of these amino acids (aspartate kinase AK, EC 2.7.2.4 and homoserine dehydrogenase HSDH, EC 1.1.1.3) and two enzymes involved in lysine degradation (lysine 2-oxoglutarate reductase LOR, EC 1.5.1.8 and saccharopine dehydrogenase SDH, EC 1.5.1.9) were isolated and partially characterized in coix seeds. AK activity was inhibited by threonine and lysine separately, suggesting the presence of two isoenzymes, one sensitive to lysine and the other sensitive to threonine, with the latter corresponding to approximately 60% of the total AK activity. In contrast to previous results from other plant species, the threonine-sensitive AK eluted from an ion exchange chromatography column at higher KCl concentration than the lysine-sensitive form. The HSDH activity extracted from the seeds was partially inhibited by threonine, indicating the presence of threonine-sensitive and threonine-resistant isoenzymes. LOR and SDH activities were detected only in the endosperm tissue and co-purified on an anion exchange chromatography column, suggesting that the two activities may be linked on a single bifunctional polypeptide, as observed for other plant species. One single SDH activity band was observed on non-denaturing PAGE gels. The Km for saccharopine of SDH was determined as 0.143 mM and the Km for NAD as 0.531 mM. Although SDH activity was shown to be stable, LOR, AK and HSDH were extremely unstable, under all buffer systems tested.

Isolation of the bifunctional enzyme lysine 2-oxoglutarate reductase-saccharopine dehydrogenase from Phaseolus vulgaris

Summary. Lysine is catabolyzed by the bifunctional enzyme lysine 2-oxoglutarate reductase-saccharopine dehydrogenase (LOR-SDH) in both animals and plants. LOR condenses lysine and 2-oxoglutarate into saccharopine, using NADPH as cofactor and SDH converts saccharopine into α-aminoadipate δ-semialdehyde and glutamic acid, using NAD as cofactor. The distribution pattern of LOR and SDH among different tissues of Phaseolus vulgaris was determined. The hypocotyl contained the highest specific activity, whereas in seeds the activities of LOR and SDH were below the limit of detection. Precipitation of hypocotyl proteins with increasing concentrations of PEG 8000 revealed one broad peak of SDH activity, indicating that two isoforms may be present, a bifunctional LOR-SDH and possibly a monofunctional SDH. During the purification of the hypocotyl enzyme, the LOR activity proved to be very unstable, following ion-exchange chromatography. Depending on the purification procedure, the protein eluted as a monomer of 91–94 kDa containing only SDH activity, or as a dimer of 190 kDa with both, LOR and SDH activities, eluting together.

Efeitos de tratamentos térmicos aplicados sobre frutas cítricas armazenadas sob refrigeração

In the present study thermal treatments on,‘Valencia’ orange, ‘Murcott’ tangor and ‘Tahiti’ (temperature conditioning and intermittent warming) were applied lime. The following treatments were applied: T1: Fruits stored at 1°C (Controls); T2: Fast heating of the fruits in hot water at 53°C for 3 minutes and stored at 1°C; T3: Slow heating of the fruits in camera regulated at 37°C for 2 days, with subsequent storage at 1°C; and T4: Intermittent heating in cycles of 6 days at 1°C + 1 day at 25°C. Fruits were stored under low temperature (1°C) and 90-95% relative humidity (RH) during 90 days. Chilling injury incidence and changes in physical-chemical characteristics were evaluated every 15 days. Activity of catalase, glutathione reductase and ascorbate peroxidase was also determined. Intermittent warming was more efficient than temperature conditioning to reduce chilling injury. ‘Tahiti’ lime and ‘Murcott’ tangor supported up to 90 days of intermittent warming stored at 1°C, while control fruits showed chilling injury after 30 days (‘Tahiti’ lime) and 45 days (‘Murcott’ tangor). ‘Valencia’ orange was affected by chilling injury after 45 days of cold storage, and temperature conditioning has caused lower incidence of this disorder. The effect of thermal treatments can be related to the activity of

Effects of calcium, S-adenosylmethionine, S-(2-aminoethyl)-l-cysteine, methionine, valine and salt concentration on rice aspartate kinase isoenzymes

Abstract The activities of two aspartate kinase (EC 2.7.2.4) isoenzymes that have been partially purified from developing rice seeds, were studied in the presence of calcium, calmodulin inhibitors, S -adenosylmethionine, S -(2-aminoetyl)- l -cysteine, methionine, valine and increased salt concentrations. None of the compounds tested was able to produce any significant alteration in threonine-sensitive aspartate kinase activity. On the other hand, the activity of the lysine-sensitive aspartate kinase was slightly increased by calcium. The increase in activity was not observed when EGTA was added in combination with calcium. S -adenosylmethionine alone inhibited the activity by 12% and intensified the inhibition caused by lysine. S -(2-aminoethyl)- l -cysteine also inhibited the activity of aspartate kinase, but not to the same extent of lysine. Methionine and valine stimulated slight increases in activity, whereas KCl up to 500 mM did not cause any change in aspartate kinase activity. These results with rice aspartate kinase indicate that lysine-sensitive aspartate kinase is also synergistically inhibited by S -adenosylmethionine, as observed for other plants species. Although some increase in aspartate kinase activity was observed in the presence of calcium, the magnitude of the alterations was not sufficient to indicate a regulatory role of calcium on aspartate kinase.

Isolation, partial purification and characterization of isoenzymes of aspartate kinase from rice seeds

Summary Aspartate kinase (AK, EC 2.7.2.4) and homoserine dehydrogenase (HSDH, EC 1.1.1.3) have been isolated and partially purified from immature rice (Oriza sativa L.) seeds. Three methods of protein separation (ammonium sulphate precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography) were used in order to purify and identify the isoenzymes of AK and HSDH. Two peaks of AK activity were eluted from the anion-exchange chromatography column (FFQ-Sepharose) with 230 and 286 mmol/L KCl. The first peak in elution order was inhibited by threonine, while the second peak was strongly inhibited by lysine. An optimum pH of 7.4 was determined for total AK activity. The optimum temperature for AK action was about 35 °C, whereas a combination of 12.5 mmol/L magnesium sulphate and 20 mmol/L ATP produced the highest level of activity. After the ammonium sulphate step, only one form of HSDH that was completely inhibited by threonine, was observed. The threonine-sensitive forms of HSDH and AK co-purified, independent of the protein purification method used exhibiting a molecular mass of 186 kDa. The lysine-sensitive AK had a molecular mass estimated to be 167 kDa. These results confirm the hypothesis that in higher plants, threonine and lysine-sensitive forms of AK are present and suggest that a bifunctional polypetide containing threonine-sensitive AK and HSDH is present is rice seeds.

Saccharopine Dehydrogenase Activity in the High-Lysine Opaque and Floury Maize Mutants

Lysine is an essential amino acid normally present in very low concentration in cereal seeds. In previous reports we have studied the metabolism of lysine in several distinct high-lysine maize mutants and observed drastic variations in the activity of saccharopine dehydrogenase (SDH), a key enzyme involved in lysine degradation. We have now analyzed the activity of SDH using non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) to identify possible isoenzymes that could explain the patterns of activity previously observed. The results indicated the presence of at least two SDH isoenzymes, one contributing to approximately 90% of the total enzyme activity and a minor form only present in the wild type lines and the opaque-1 mutant. The results suggest that the differences in total SDH activity among the genotypes tested are due to alterations in the predominant SDH isoenzymic form, which is likely to be the bifunctional polypeptide containing lysine 2-oxoglutarate reductase.

Manipulating cereal crops for high lysine accumulation in seeds

The nutrition value of a protein is directly related to its amino acid composition. Some of these amino acids, termed essential amino acids, cannot be synthesized by humans and therefore must be supplied in the diet for adults and in particular for infants and children. Lysine is an essential amino acid synthesized via the aspartic acid metabolic pathway, in which threonine, methionine and isoleucine are also endproducts. Moreover, lysine is the first limiting amino acid in all cereal grains. For over 30 years, the aspartic acid metabolic pathway has been studied in higher plants with the aim of identifying and characterizing the key regulatory points controlling the biosynthetic pathway. Two clear distinct time periods, one begining with the development of tissue culture techniques (1970-80s) and the second with the development of plant transformation techniques (90s), has encouraged the production of biochemical mutants and transgenic plants with specific alterations in key enzymes of the pathway, leading to the overproduction and accumulation of threonine in all plant tissues. However, the accumulation of lysine in seeds has been particularly difficult to achieve. Such an observation, associated with the recent biochemical studies on lysine degradation in cereal and legume plant species, has indicated that the manipulation of lysine degradation is as important as the manipulation of lysine synthesis, if the goal of accumulating this amino acid in cereal seeds is to be achieved. In maize, the study and use of other mutants such as the opaque-2 and QPM (Quality Protein Maize) varieties, has contributed significantly to our understanding of the regulatory aspects of the aspartate pathway. The strategies of obtaining cereals rich in lysine and their relevance to the manipulation of other amino acids have been discussed.The nutrition value of a protein is directly related to its amino acid composition. Some of these amino acids, termed essential amino acids, cannot be synthesized by humans and therefore must be supplied in the diet for adults and in particular for infants and children. Lysine is an essential amino acid synthesized via the aspartic acid metabolic pathway, in which threonine, methionine and isoleucine are also endproducts. Moreover, lysine is the first limiting amino acid in all cereal grains. For over 30 years, the aspartic acid metabolic pathway has been studied in higher plants with the aim of identifying and characterizing the key regulatory points controlling the biosynthetic pathway. Two clear distinct time periods, one begining with the development of tissue culture techniques (1970-80‘s) and the second with the development of plant transformation techniques (90‘s), has encouraged the production of biochemical mutants and transgenic plants with specific alterations in key enzymes of the pathway, leading to the overproduction and accumulation of threonine in all plant tissues. However, the accumulation of lysine in seeds has been particularly difficult to achieve. Such an observation, associated with the recent biochemical studies on lysine degradation in cereal and legume plant species, has indicated that the manipulation of lysine degradation is as important as the manipulation of lysine synthesis, if the goal of accumulating this amino acid in cereal seeds is to be achieved. In maize, the study and use of other mutants such as the opaque-2 and QPM (Quality Protein Maize) varieties, has contributed significantly to our understanding of the regulatory aspects of the aspartate pathway. The strategies of obtaining cereals rich in lysine and their relevance to the manipulation of other amino acids have been discussed.