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Biomedical subjects

E Komor

Publications and source records attributed to E Komor.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Glucose induces two amino acid transport systems in Chlorella.

In autotrophically grown Chlorella cells, glucose induces a hexose transport system but, at the same time, the synthesis of two amino acid transport systems is also induced. Thus, the rates of uptake of glycine, L-alanine, L-proline, and L-serine, all of which compete with each other for entry into the cells, increase more than 100-fold when the algae are pretreated with glucose. The rates of L-arginine and L-lysine uptake increase by a factor of 25 to 50. The accumulation of proline and arginine within the cells amounts to 200- and 600-fold, respectively. Glucose does not cause the positive effect on amino acid uptake by serving as metabolic substrate because the nonmetabolizable 6-deoxyglucose also acts as inducer. Cycloheximide prevents the induction. The induced transport system for the four neutral amino acids has a turnover with a half-life of 7 hr, which corresponds closely to the half-life of the hexose transport system. The transport system for the basic amino acids, on the other hand, disappears with a half-life of 25 hr.

Alanine↗
PubMed1979

The effect of intracellular pH on the rate of hexose uptake in Chlorella.

The rate of hexose uptake by Chlorella is reduced by uncouplers such as carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone or dinitrophenol even before concentration equilibrium is reached. The addition of uncouplers changes the membrane potential and the intracellular pH. The membrane potential does not influence the initial velocity of net sugar uptake, whereas manipulation of the cell pH by means of dimethyloxazolidinedione or by butyric acid uncovered a dramatic influence of cell pH on the rate of hexose uptake: at pH values of 7.5--6.8 maximal rate of uptake is observed but at more acid pH a strong inhibition takes place with virtually total blockage of uptake at pH 6.1. The decrease of cell pH to 6.1 in the presence of carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone could therefore account for the decrease in hexose transport rate. It was shown that the intracellular pH as such determines the rate of uptake and not the pH difference between inside and outside; the transport rate did not correlate with delta pH.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1979

Greatly decreased susceptibility of nonmetabolizing cells towards detergents.

The addition of different detergents to Chlorella cells that had previously accumulated 6-deoxyglucose causes a rapid release of the hexose analogue into the medium. This effect is independent of the nature of the detergent and is observed only when the cells are in an energized state. Thus, in the presence of the uncoupler p-trifluoromethoxycarbonylcyanide phenylhydrazone or of inhibitors such as N-ethylmaleimide, the cells show a greatly reduced susceptibility towards detergents. Similarly, the detergent-induced loss of accumulated alpha-aminoisobutyric acid from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and of potassium from Escherichia coli is also strongly affected by the energy state of the cells. The differential susceptibility of energized and nonenergized cells was observed at all detergent concentrations tested. Measurements of substrate efflux at different concentrations of Triton indicated that only Triton monomers are responsible for the increase in permeability. The absorption of [14C]Triton X-100 by Chlorella and the binding of detergent to the cells were measured in the presence of metabolic inhibitors. Again, nonenergized cells bound a significantly lower amount of Triton X-100. The amphiphilic antibiotic nystatin produced effects on cell permeability similar to those of detergents, whereas toluene, which is apolar, gave opposite results.

Aminoisobutyric Acids↗
PubMed1978

Essential Sulfhydryl Group in the Transport-catalyzing Protein of the Hexose-Proton Cotransport System of Chlorella.

The polyene antibiotic nystatin transforms the sugar-proton contransport system of Chlorella to a mere facilitated diffusion system. This experimental condition was used to test the sugar-translocating unit of the active uptake system for possible essential sulfhydryl groups. It could be shown that the catalyzed translocation of sugar is sensitive to the sulfhydryl-reactive compound N-ethylmaleimide. Sugar flow by passive leak as induced by the detergent Triton X-100 is not affected by sulfhydryl reagents. These results show that the sugar-translocating carrier protein possesses a sulfhydryl group, which is essential for its function.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1976

The determination of the membrane ptoential of Chlorella vulgaris. Evidence for electrogenic sugar transport.

From data on the accumulation of tetraphenylphosphonium within Chlorella vulgaris cells, it can be estimated that these cells possess a membrane potential of --120 to --150 mV (inside negative). Under anaerobic conditions as well as in the presence of uncoupling agents the membrane potential drops to about -60 to -80 mV. Nystatin (50 mug/ml) abolishes it almost completely. Since it took more than 1 h before the tetraphenylphosphonium equilibrium was reached, this method could not be used to measure relatively fast transient changes in membrane potential. However, the rate of influx of tetraphenylphosphonium is also directly dependent on membrane potential and can be followed within minutes. Using this phenomenon as an indicator for membrane potential a brief transient depolarisation was detected after the addition of sugars taken up by Chlorella via the proton cotransport system. The depolarisation was absent from cells not induced for sugar uptake and induced cells did not show it with substances not transported, like mannitol. The maximal depolarisation observed amounted to about 70 mV; after 1 min, however, the membrane potential returned to a value about 25 mV less negative than the one before sugars was added. The results demonstrate that sugar uptake in Chlorella is electrogenic. The delta pH plus membrane potential measured for Chlorella completely cover the energy required to explain the 1600-fold accumulation of 6-deoxyglucose experimentally observed.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1976

Different proton-sugar stoichiometries for the uptake of glucose analogues by Chlorella vulgaris. Evidence for sugar-dependent proton uptake without concomitant sugar uptake by the proton-sugar symport system.

The uptake of hexoses by Chlorella vulgaris is accompanied by the uptake of protons. For 6-deoxyglucose a stoichiometry of one proton taken up per sugar molecule has been measured, whereas for 1-deoxyglucose approximately two protons are taken up per sugar molecule. It was found that in the presence of 1-deoxyglucose a considerable proportion of "carrier" catalyzes the transport of protons without the concomitant transport of sugar. Presumably, the binding of sugar initiates the translocation of the carrier-proton-sugar complex, but whereas 1-deoxyglucose can still dissociate from the complex at the external side of the cytoplasmic membrane, the translocation of the carrier-proton complex continues. This conclusion was reached since (a) the composition of the translocated carrier-proton-sugar complex is the same for both sugar. Its formation is a first order reaction with respect to protons. (b) When 6-deoxyglucose, present inside cells, is exchanged for external sugar, the exchange ratio is two to one when the external sugar is 1-deoxyglucose, two molecules of 6-deoxyglucose are lost for each molecule of 1-deoxyglucose entering. This result indicates that during uptake of 1-deoxyglucose statistically only each second carrier molecule appearing at the internal side of the cytoplasmic membrane is carrying sugar.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1974

The hexose-proton cotransport system of chlorella. pH-dependent change in Km values and translocation constants of the uptake system.

The proton concentration in the medium affects the maximal velocity of sugar uptake with a K(m) of 0.3 mM (high affinity uptake). By decreasing the proton concentration a decrease in high affinity sugar uptake is observed, in parallel the activity of a low affinity uptake system (K(m) of 50 mM) rises. Both systems add up to 100%. The existence of the carrier in two conformational states (protonated and unprotonated) has been proposed therefore, the protonated form with high affinity to 6-deoxyglucose, the unprotonated form with low affinity. A plot of extrapolated V(max) values at low substrate concentration versus proton concentration results in a K(m) for protons of 0.14 microM, i.e. half-maximal protonation of the carrier is achieved at pH 6.85. The stoichiometry of protons cotransported per 6-deoxyglucose is close to 1 at pH 6.0-6.5. At higher pH values the stoichiometry continuously decreases; at pH 8.0 only one proton is cotransported per four molecules of sugar. Whereas the translocation of the protonated carrier is strictly dependent on sugar this coupling is less strict for the unprotonated form. Therefore at alkaline pH a considerable net efflux of accumulated sugar can occur. The dependence of sugar accumulation on pH has been measured. The decrease in accumulation with higher pH values can quantitatively be explained by the decrease in the amount of protonated carrier. The properties of the unprotonated carrier resemble strikingly the properties of carrier at the inner side of the membrane. The inside pH of Chlorella was measured with the weak acid 5,5-dimethyl-2, 4-oxazolidinedion (DMO). At an outside pH of 6.5 the internal pH was found to be 7.2. To explain the extent of sugar accumulation it has to be assumed that the membrane potential also contributes to active sugar transport in this alga.

Biological Transport↗