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D S Bendall

Publications and source records attributed to D S Bendall.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The redox potentials of the b-type cytochromes of higher plant chloroplasts.

1. In fresh chloroplasts,three b-type cytochromes exist. These are b-559HP (lambda max, 559 nm; Em at pH 7, +370 mV; pH-independent Em), b-559LP (lambda max, 559 nm; Em at pH 7, +20 mV; pH-independent Em) and b-563 (lambda max, 563 nm; Em at pH 7, -110 mV; pH-independent Em), b-559HP may be converted to a lower potential form (lambda max, 559 nm; Em at pH 7, +110 mV; pH-independent Em). 2. In catalytically active b-f particle preparations, three cytochromes exist. These are cytochrome f (lambda max, 554 nm; Em at pH 7, +375 mV, pK on oxidised cytochrome at pH 9), b-563 (lambda max, 563 nm; Em at pH 7, -90 mV, small pH-dependence of Em) and a b-559 species (lambda max, 559 nm, Em at pH 7, +85 mV; pH-independent Em). 3. A positive method of demonstration and estimation of b-559LP in fresh chloroplasts is described which involves the use of menadiol as a selective reductant of b-559LP.

Chloroplasts↗

Photosynthetic electron transport in a cell-free preparation from the thermophilic blue-green alga Phormidium laminosum.

1. A cell-free preparation of membrane fragments was prepared from the thermophilic blue-green alga Phormidium laminosum by lysozyme treatment of the cells followed by osmotic shock to lyse the spheroplasts. The membrane fragments showed high rates of photosynthetic electron transport and O2 evolution (180-250 mumol of O2/h per mg of chlorophyll a with 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-benzoquinone as electron acceptor). O2-evolution activity was stable provided that cations (e.g. 10mM-Mg2+ or 100mM-Na+) or glycerol (25%, v/v) were present in the suspending medium. 2. The components of the electron-transport chain in P. laminosum were similar to those of other blue-green algae: the cells contained Pigment P700, plastocyanin, soluble high-potential cytochrome c-553, soluble low-potential cytochrome c-54 and membrane-bound cytochromes f, b-563 and b-559 (both low- and high-potential forms). The amounts and midpoint potentials of the membrane-bound cytochromes were similar to those in higher-plant chloroplasts. 3. Although O2 evolution in P. laminosum spheroplasts was resistant to high temperatures, thermal stability was not retained in the cell-free preparation. However, in contrast with higher plants, O2 evolution in P. laminosum membrane fragments was remarkably resistant to the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100.

Cell Membrane↗

The reduction of plastocyanin by plastoquinol-1 in the presence of chloroplasts. A dark electron transfer reaction involving components between the two photosystems.

The reduction of plastocyanin by plastoquinol-1 was efficiently catalysed by disrupted chloroplasts or etioplasts in the dark. The reaction was inhibited by 2,5-dibromomethylisopropyl-p-benzo-quinone which inhibits photosynthetic electron transport between plastoquinone and cytochrome f. Evidence is presented that the reduction took place via cytochrome f, and that plastoquinone-9 was not involved. Triton X-100 and organic solvents were inhibitory, but partial fractionation was achieved without loss of activity by density gradient centrifugation in the presence of high digitonin concentrations. All active material contained cytochromes b-559LP and b-563 in addition to cytochrome f, but these b-type cytochromes were not directly involved. Other 1-electron acceptors could be used in place of plastocyanin, for instance ferricyanide and Pseudomonas cytochrome c-551. The reaction can be applied to give a sensitive dark assay for active cytochrome f. It is suggested that cytochrome f possesses two sites for interaction with redox reagents: a hydrophilic site with which plastocyanin reacts by electron transfer and a hydrophobic site with which plastoquinol reacts by hydrogen atom transfer.

Binding Sites↗

Electron paramagnetic resonance studies of cytochrome P-450 in plant microsomes.

The technique of electron paramagnetic resonnance spectrometry has been applied to the study of plant microsomal electron-transport components. Only tulip-bulb microsomes were found to give strong enough signals to allow detailed study. At 77 K in the oxidised state, signals were observed at g values of 2.40, 2.25 and 1.93, characteristic of cytochrome P-450 in the low-spin state, and also at g = 4.27, attributable to ferric iron in a rhombic environment. The signals at g = 2.40, 2.25 and 1.93 disappeared upon reduction with sodium dithionite. At 10 K in the oxidised state, signals at g = 8.3 and 3.3 appeared, and these were attributed to high-spin cytochrome P-450. At this temperature a further signal at g = 6, due to cytochrome P-420, was seen in aged tulip-bulb microsomes. Redox titration of both high-spin and low-spin cytochrome P-450 gave the same apparent midpoint potential of -315 +/- mV at pH 6.8 and 25 degrees C. The significance of this value is discussed. Addition of "type I" or "type II" ligands to oxidized cytochrome P-450 caused an increase and a decrease, respectively, in the ratio of the high-spin to the low-spin form. A second effect of aniline, a type II ligand of cytochrome P-450, was to remove the g = 6 signal, suggesting that it also interacts with cytochrome P-420. No iron-sulphur proteins similar to those found in some other cytochrome P-450 electron-transport chains could be detected in any of the microsomes analysed.

Binding Sites↗

Cytochrome components of plant microsomes.

The electron transport components of the microsomal fraction of cauliflower buds and mung bean hypocotyls were investigated using split-beam and dual wavelength spectrophotometry under a variety of reducing conditions. Cauliflower microsomes were found to contain an ascorbate-reducible component, termed cytochrome b-559.5 [E'0 = +135 +/- 20 mV; lambdamax (reduced minus oxidised) = 559.5, 527 and 429 nm at 23 degrees C], cytochrome b5 [E'0 = -20 +/- 20 mV; lambdamax (reduced minus oxidised) = 556, 526 and 425 nm at 23 degrees C], cytochromes P-450 and P-420. On the basis of binding studies with ethyl isocyanide, degradation of cytochrome P-450 to P-420, redox potential, aniline binding, and relative rates of reduction by NADPH and NADH, it is suggested that the cytochrome P-450 system is analogous to that mammalian microsomes. Other components, reducible only by dithionite, may also be present. Mung bean microsomes were found to contain an ascorbate-reducible component, termed cytochrome b-562 [E'0 = +120 +/- 20 mV; lambdamax (reduced minus oxidised) = 562, 528 and 430 nm at 23 degrees C], cytochrome b5, and a low potential component which was reducible only by sodium dithionite. No cytochrome P-450 or P-420 could be detected. A general method of analysis of the cytochromes was developed and applied to the microsomes from a variety of plant sources. The results indicate that large variations, both in type and amount of components, occur between the microsomes from different plant materials.

Aniline Compounds↗

The kinetics and specificity of electron transfer from cytochromes and copper proteins to P700.

The rates of electron transfer to P700 from plastocyanin and cytochrome f have been compared with those from three other c-type cytochromes and azurin, a copper protein resembling plastocyanin. Three different disruptive techniques were used to expose P700; digitonin, Triton X-100 and sonication. The following rate constants were measured at 25 degrees C, pH 7.0, with digitonin-treated chloroplasts: plastocyanin, 8 x 10(7)M(-1) x s(-1); red-algal cytochrome c-553, 1.9 x 10(7)M(-1) x s (-1); Pseudomonas cytochrome c-551, 8 x 10(6)M(-1) x s (-1); azurin, less than or = 3 x 10(5)M(-1) x s (-1); cytochrome f, less than or = 2 x 10(4)M(-1) x s (-1); mammalian cytochrome c, less than or = 2 x 10(4)M(-1) x s (-1). For electron transfer from plastocyanin, the effects of ionic strength, pH and temperature were also studied, and saturation effects found in earlier work were avoided by a full consideration of the various secondary reactions and inclusion of superoxide dismutase. The relative rates are discussed in relation to photosynthetic electron transport.

Binding Sites↗

The photochemical activities and electron carriers of developing barley leaves.

The development of photochemical activities in isolated barley plastids during illumination of dark-grown plants has been studied and compared with the behaviour of plastocyanin, cytochromes f, b-559(LP), b-563 and b-559(HP) and pigments P546 (C550) and P700. Electron-transport activity dependent on Photosystem 1 and cyclic photophosphorylation dependent on N-methylphenazonium methosulphate (phenazine methosulphate) were very active relative to the chlorophyll content after only a few minutes of illumination of etiolated leaves, and then rapidly declined during the first few hours of greening. By contrast, Photosystem 2 activity (measured with ferricyanide as electron acceptor) and non-cyclic photophosphorylation were not detectable during the first 2(1/2)h of greening, but then increased in total amount in parallel with chlorophyll. The behaviour of the electron carriers suggested their association with either Photosystem 1 or 2 respectively. In the first group were plastocyanin, cytochrome f and cytochrome b-563, whose concentrations in the leaf did not change during greening, and cytochrome b-559(LP) whose concentration fell to one-half its original value, and in the second group were cytochrome b-559(HP) and pigment P546, the concentrations of which closely followed the activities of Photosystem 2. Pigment P700 could not be detected during the first hour, during which time some other form of chlorophyll may take its place in the reaction centre of Photosystem 1. The plastids started to develop grana at about the time that Photosystem 2 activity became detectable.

Chlorophyll↗

The peroxidase-catalysed oxidation of a chalcone and its possible physiological significance.

1. Crystalline horseradish peroxidase catalysed the oxidation of 2',4,4'-trihydroxychalcone (isoliquiritigenin) in the presence of trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide under aerobic conditions. One atom of oxygen was consumed for each molecule of substrate. 2. The reaction course comprised a lag phase and a linear phase. The optimum pH for the linear phase of the reaction was about 7.5. The length of the lag phase decreased with increasing pH. It is suggested that the chalcone anion is the actual substrate for the reaction. 3. No evidence for the production of reducing free radicals or perhydroxyl radicals during the reaction could be found. 4. 4',7-Dihydroxyflavonol and 4',6-dihydroxyaurone were isolated from the reaction mixture. The immediate products of the reaction may have included 3,4',7-trihydroxyflavanone and 4',6-dihydroxy-2-(alpha-hydroxybenzyl)coumaran-one, which can be readily converted non-enzymically into the flavonol and aurone respectively. 5. A similar reaction was catalysed by cell-free extracts of hypocotyls of Phaseolus vulgaris. 6. The physiological significance of the reaction is discussed in terms of a possible free-radical mechanism. An analogy may exist between flavonoid biosynthesis and lignin formation.

Aerobiosis↗

Cyanide-insensitive Respiration in Plant Mitochondria.

Pathways of electron transport have been studied in mitochondria isolated from hypocotyls of etiolated mung bean seedlings and skunk cabbage spadices that show cyanide-resistant respiratory activity. The residual flux through cytochrome c oxidase is shown to be small in comparison with the flux through an unidentified alternative oxidase that is known to have a high affinity for oxygen. This alternative oxidase is not a cytochrome. Skunk cabbage and mung bean mitochondria contain cytochromes a and a(3) that have absorption peaks differing slightly from those of animal preparations. A slow oxidation-reduction of cytochrome a(3)-CN has been demonstrated. Cytochromes b undergo oxidation and reduction in the presence of cyanide but play no essential role in the cyanide-resistant pathway. Antimycin inhibits to an extent similar to that of cyanide; the respiratory chain bifurcates on the substrate side of the antimycin-sensitive site. Evidence is presented for the selective inhibition by thiocyanate, alpha, alpha'-dipyridyl, and 8-hydroxyquinoline of the alternative oxidase pathway, which may therefore contain a non-heme iron protein.

Journal Article↗