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Biomedical subjects

H Gest

Publications and source records attributed to H Gest.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Bacteriopheophytin g: Properties and some speculations on a possible primary role for bacteriochlorophylls b and g in the biosynthesis of chlorophylls.

Bacteriopheophytin g and small amounts of bacteriochlorophyll g have been obtained in high purity from the recently discovered photosynthetic bacterium Heliobacterium chlorum. Preparative methods and precautions in handling these sensitive compounds are described. The compounds have been characterized by californium-252 plasma desorption mass spectrometry, HPLC, visible absorption, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Our results agree with the structure of bacteriochlorophyll g advanced by H. Brockmann and A. Lipinski [(1983) Arch. Microbiol. 136, 17-19], with the exception that we find the esterifying alcohol to be farnesol and not geranylgeraniol as originally suggested. Zero field splitting parameters of triplet state bacteriopheophytin g and the ESR properties of the cation free radical of bacteriochlorophyll g are reported. The photoisomerization of the subject compounds has been studied. Bacteriopheophytin g undergoes photo-isomerization in white light to pheophytin a with a half-time of approximately 42 min. We suggest that all of the chlorophylls are biosynthesized from a common intermediate containing an ethylidine group, [unk]CH-CH(3), such as is present in bacteriochlorophylls b and g.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Longevity of microorganisms in natural environments.

Bacterial endospores are exceptional among living systems in respect to their resistance to adverse environmental conditions, notably to heat and dessication, and consequently might be expected to show crytobiosis of very long duration. This report considers recent observations indicating that the maximal longevity of bacterial spores is probably much greater than previously believed.

Environment↗
PubMed1987

Evolutionary roots of the citric acid cycle in prokaryotes.

Advances in biochemistry, microbiology, and molecular biology suggest new approaches for exploring the early evolution of bioenergetic systems. These approaches, still in their infancy, are necessarily directed to detection of 'molecular fossils' in diverse extant prokaryotes. Since the Earth was devoid of atmospheric oxygen during early cellular evolution, it is likely that 'precursor fragments' of the classical citric acid cycle are to be found in contemporary anaerobic bacteria. Accumulating evidence indicates that such fragments originally served biosynthetic roles of one kind or another, before they were recruited for assembly of the energy-yielding aerobic cycle. The extraordinary versatility of citric acid cycle intermediates and reactions for multiple uses raises the possibility that origination of the aerobic cycle, viewed as an evolutionary event, occurred more than once.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1986

Sulfur isotope effects associated with protonation of HS- and volatilization of H2S.

The isotope effects associated with: (1) formation of H2S from HS- by protonation in aqueous solution; and (2) volatilization of H2S have been experimentally determined. Both isotopic distributions in closed systems at equilibrium and differential rates of volatilization of isotopic species in open systems were measured at 22 +/- 1 degrees C. It was found that, at equilibrium aqueous H2S is enriched in 34S by 2.0 - 2.7% relative to HS- and that H2S volatilized from solution is depleted in 34S by 0.5% relative to dissolved H2S. A small kinetic isotope effect accompanying volatilization of H2S was observed in the open-system experiments.

Geological Phenomena↗
PubMed1985

Isotope effects associated with the anaerobic oxidation of sulfite and thiosulfate by the photosynthetic bacterium, Chromatium vinosum.

The purple photosynthetic bacterium Chromatium vinosum, strain D, catalyzes several oxidations of reduced sulfur compounds under anaerobic conditions in the light: e.g., sulfide --> sulfur --> sulfate, sulfite --> sulfate, and thiosulfate --> sulfur + sulfate. Here it is shown that no sulfur isotope effect is associated with the last of these processes; isotopic compositions of the sulfur and sulfate produced can differ, however, if the sulfane and sulfonate positions within the thiosulfate have different isotopic compositions. In the second process, an observed change from an inverse to a normal isotope effect during oxidation of sulfite may indicate the operation of 2 enzymatic pathways. In contrast to heterotrophic anaerobic reduction of oxidized sulfur compounds, anaerobic oxidations of inorganic sulfur compounds by photosynthetic bacteria are characterized by relatively small isotope effects.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1982

Photopigments in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata cells grown anaerobically in darkness.

The phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata can obtain energy for dark anaerobic growth from sugar fermentations dependent on accessory oxidants such as trimethylamine-N-oxide or dimethyl sulfoxide. Cells grown for one to two subcultures in this fashion, with fructose as the energy source, showed approximately a twofold increase in bacteriochlorophyll content (per milligram of cell protein) and developed extensive intracytoplasmic membranes in comparison with cells grown photosynthetically at saturating light intensity. Cells harvested from successive anaerobic dark subcultures, however, showed progressively lower pigment contents. After ca. 20 transfers, bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoids were barely detectable, and the amount of intracytoplasmic membrane diminished considerably. Spontaneous mutants incapable of producing normal levels of photosynthetic pigments arose during prolonged anaerobic dark growth. Certain mutants of this kind appear to have a selective advantage over wild-type cells under fermentative growth conditions. Of four pigment mutants characterized (two being completely unable to produce bacteriochlorophyll), only one retained the capacity to grow photosynthetically.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1982

[Normal intrahepatic vessels. Remarks on their echographic image].

The sonographic appearances of intrahepatic vessels are demonstrated by the basic principles of ultrasonography. All intrahepatic vessels have a sonolucent lumen which may be blurred because of the slice-thickness effects. The vascular walls are detected only when they are perpendicularly struck by the ultrasound beam. The portal branches are visualized with satellite echoes which are reflections from the intraparenchymal hepatic arteries and/or biliary ducts, and from the collegenous sheath of the portal triad. These echoes are blended with the wall-echoes of the portal veins as to the major branches. For smaller branches they remain visible when the incidence of the ultrasound beam becomes less accurate, whereas the echoes from the portal veins tend to disappear. The echoes related to the hepatic veins only come from the walls of the veins, which are usually of medium size.

Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic↗
PubMed1981

Biosynthetic and bioenergetic functions of citric acid cycle reactions in Rhodopseudomonas capsulata.

Rhodopseudomonas capsulata can grow in a number of alternative modes, including (i) photosynthetic, defined here as anaerobic growth with light as the energy source, and (ii) heterotrophic, referring to aerobic heterotrophic growth in darkness. The functions of citric acid cycle sequences in these growth modes were investigated using wild-type and appropriate mutant strains. Results of growth tests and O(2) utilization experiments showed that in the heterotrophic mode, energy conversion is dependent on operation of the classical citric acid cycle. Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGD) activity in wild-type strain B10 is substantially higher in cells grown heterotrophically than in cells grown photosynthetically. Molecular oxygen, even at low concentration, appears to be important in regulation of KGD synthesis and, thus, in expression of citric acid cycle activity. Extracts of (photosynthetically grown) mutant strain KGD11 lack demonstrable KGD activity, and in contrast to the wild type, KGD11 is unable to grow heterotrophically on succinate, malate, or pyruvate owing to failure of the energy conversion function of the citric acid cycle. KGD11, however, grows well photosynthetically on malate or on CO(2) + H(2). The KGD activity level required to support the bioenergetic function of the citric acid cycle is evidently much higher than that necessary to satisfy biosynthetic demands; thus, a very low rate of succinyl-coenzyme A formation (needed for biosynthesis) in the mutant would suffice for growth under photosynthetic conditions. In wild-type R. capsulata, the alpha-ketoglutarate required for glutamate synthesis is ordinarily generated via citric acid cycle reactions, which include the conversions catalyzed by citrate synthase and isocitrate dehydrogenase. Mutants blocked in the former or both of these enzymes can grow photosynthetically if provided with an exogenous source of alpha-ketoglutarate or glutamate, but grow very poorly (if at all) as heterotrophs since the energy supply under these conditions depends on operation of the complete citric acid cycle.

Citrate (si)-Synthase↗
PubMed1980

Physiology of dark fermentative growth of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata.

The photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata can grow under anaerobic conditions with light as the energy source or, alternatively, in darkness with D-fructose or certain other sugars as the sole source of carbon and energy. Growth in the latter mode requires an "accessory oxidant" such as trimethylamine-N-oxide, and the resulting cells contain the photosynthetic pigments characteristic of R. capsulata (associated with intracytoplasmic membranes) and substantial deposits of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate. In dark anaerobic batch cultures in fructose plus trimethylamine-N-oxide medium, trimethylamine formation parallels growth, and typical fermentation products accumulate, namely, CO2 and formic, acetic, and lactic acids. These products are also found in dark anaerobic continuous cultures of R. capsulata; acetic acid and CO2 predominate when fructose is limiting, whereas formic and lactic acids are observed at elevated concentrations when trimethylamine-N-oxide is the limiting nutrient. Evidence is presented to support the conclusions that ATP generation during anaerobic dark growth of R. capsulata on fructose plus trimethylamine-N-oxide occurs by substrate level phosphorylations associated with classical glycolysis and pyruvate dissimilation, and that the required accessory oxidant functions as an electron sink to permit the management of fermentative redox balance, rather than as a terminal electron acceptor necessary for electron transport-driven phosphorylation.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1979

Growth of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata chemoautotrophically in darkness with H2 as the energy source.

The phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata was found to be capable of growing chemoautotrophically under aerobic conditions in darkness. Growth was strictly dependent on the presence of H2 as the source of energy and reducing power, O2 as the terminal electron acceptor for energy transduction, and CO2 as the sole carbon source; under optimal conditions the generation time was about 6 h. Chemoautotrophically grown cells showed a relatively high content of bacteriochlorophyll a and intracytoplasmic membranes (chromatophores). Experiments with various mutants of R. capsulata, affected in electron transport, indicate that either of the two terminal oxidases of this bacterium can participate in the energy-yielding oxidation of H2. The ability of R. capsulata to multiply in at least five different physiological growth modes suggests that it is one of the most metabolically versatile procaryotes known.

Bacterial Chromatophores↗
PubMed1979

Derepression of nitrogenase activity in glutamine auxotrophs of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata.

In contrast to wild-type cells, glutamine auxotrophs of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas capsulata synthesize nitrogenase, produce H2 (catalyzed by nitrogenase), and continue to reduce dinitrogen to ammonia in the presence of exogenous NH4+. The glutamine synthetase activity of such mutants is less than 2% of that observed in the wild type. It appears that glutamine synthetase plays a significant role in regulation of nitrogenase synthesis in R. capsulata.

Ammonia↗
PubMed1978

Growth of a photosynthetic bacterium anaerobically in darkness, supported by "oxidant-dependent" sugar fermentation.

Rhodopseudomonas capsulata can obtain energy for growth from light (anaerobically) and can also grow heterotrophically in darkness using alternative energy conversion modes, namely, aerobic respiration or an unusual type of anaerobic catabolism of sugars. Dark anaerobic growth with fructose as sole carbon and energy source is dependent on the presence of an "accessory" oxidant such as trimethylamine-N-oxide, is accompanied by production of lactate and other classical fermentation products, and yields cells with a high content of photosynthetic pigments and polyhydroxybutyrate.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed1978

A comparison of electron transport and photophosphorylation systems of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata and Rhodospirillum rubrum. Effects of antimycin A and dibromothymoquinone.

The photophosphorylation systems of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata and Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores have been compared in respect to the effects of artificial electron carriers [N-methylphenazonium methosulfate (PMS) and diaminodurene], reducing agents (ascorbate in particular), and various quinones in the absence and presence of the electron transport inhibitors antimycin A and dibromothymoquinone (DBMIB). In addition, the effects of both inhibitors on photosynthetic electron transport through cytochromes b and c has been followed. From the results obtained, it appears that in both organisms: a) ubiquinone functions as an electron carrier between the cytochromes, and b) both antimycin A and DBMIB inhibit cyclic electron flow in the segment...cytochrome b leads to ubiquinone leads to cytochrome c..., but at different sites. The systems apparently differ mainly in respect to the nature of the electron flow by-pass "shunt" that is evoked in the presence of PMS; thus, in R. rubrum, PMS catalyzes a shunt that by-passes both cytochrome b and ubiquinone, whereas in Rps. capsulata the PMS shunt seems to circumvent only ubiquinone.

Antimycin A↗
PubMed1977

A pleiotropic mutant of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata defective in nitrogen metabolism.

Wild type strains of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata typically can use N2, NH+4, or various nitrogenous organic compounds as N sources for photosynthetic growth. One class of mutants selected for inability to grow on N2 (Nif-) also shows simultaneous loss of capacity to obtain N from numerous organic substrates. When supplied at relatively high concentrations, ammonia can be used as the sole N source for growth of such strains. Enzymatic analysis of one mutant (W11) indicates that the pleiotropic effect on N nutrition is neither due to detectable alteration in the activities of nitrogenase or the initial enzymes responsible for bulk assimilation of ammonia (glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase) nor to absence of systems required for catabolism of organic N sources. The phenotype of W11 (Nit-; defective in N metabolism) appears to result from loss of ability to grow using low concentrations of ammonia (supplied externally or generated in vivo).

Alanine↗