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Biomedical subjects

S H Strauss

Publications and source records attributed to S H Strauss.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Extensive variation in evolutionary rate of rbcL gene sequences among seed plants.

Extensive variation in synonymous and nonsynonymous rates of substitution was observed among 50 sequences of the gene coding for the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) representing bryophyte, conifer, dicot, and monocot taxa. Relative rate tests revealed rate differences of up to 138% for nonsynonymous substitutions and up to 85% for synonymous ones. Within angiosperms, the annual forms evolved more rapidly, on average, than perennial forms. This rate heterogeneity was more extensive at nonsynonymous sites than synonymous ones, and it resulted primarily from a recent acceleration of substitution rate in many groups of angiosperms.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1992

Complete congruence between morphological and rbcL-based molecular phylogenies in birches and related species (Betulaceae).

Estimations of phylogenies from morphological and molecular data often show contrasting results. We compared morphological and molecular phylogenies in an ancient family of woody dicots, the Betulaceae (birch family). The phylogeny of the family was estimated from parsimony analysis of morphological characters in the genera Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus, Ostrya, and Ostryopsis and from parsimony and distance-matrix analyses of DNA sequences of the chloroplast gene encoding the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) in the genera Alnus, Betula, Carpinus, Corylus, and Ostrya and in two outgroups, Quercus and Liquidambar. The topologies obtained by the different methods were completely congruent, and bootstrapping strongly supported the division of the family Betulaceae into two major clades, Betuleae (Alnus and Betula) and Coryleae (other members). Only slightly more homoplasy was present in the rbcL sequence data set than in the morphological set. Relative-rate tests indicated that the Coryleae clade had a faster rate of rbcL evolution than did the Betuleae clade. Heterogeneity of rates of morphological evolution also paralleled those for rbcL.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Modeling low-pH hemoproteins.

A tetracoordinate ferrous heme (iron-porphyrin) has been proposed as an intermediate at low pH (less than 3.0) for respiratory hemoproteins, peroxidases, and model heme complexes. This intermediate is believed to arise via protonation of the N(epsilon) atom of the proximal histidine and consequent cleavage of the Fe-N(epsilon) bond. To establish a spectral signature for the proposed low-pH tetracoordinate species, we have obtained Soret excitation resonance Raman spectra on samples of crystallographically defined, tetracoordinate iron(II)-octaethylporphyrin (Fe.OEP; S = 1). The high-frequency (greater than or equal to 900 cm-1) resonance Raman spectral features of Fe.OEP are clearly distinct from those of high-spin pentacoordinate or low-spin hexacoordinate ferrous hemes. Rather, they are at frequencies more typically observed for low-spin hexacoordinate ferric porphyrins. Comparative spectral analysis of tetracoordinate Fe.OEP and other proposed tetracoordinate ferrous hemes (e.g. iron(II)-protoporphyrin IX) demonstrates little or no macrocycle effect on the resonance Raman frequencies above 900 cm-1. This work thus serves to provide a testable spectral signature by which the existence of the proposed tetracoordinate biological intermediate may be verified and by which its functional significance may be tested.

Cytochromes b5↗
PubMed1989

Resonance Raman studies of Escherichia coli sulfite reductase hemoprotein. 1. Siroheme vibrational modes.

Resonance Raman (RR) spectra are reported for the hemoprotein subunit (SiR-HP) of Escherichia coli NADPH-sulfite reductase (EC 1.8.1.2) in various ligation and redox states. Comparison of the RR spectra of extracted siroheme and the mu-oxo FeIII dimer of octaethylisobacteriochlorin with those of mu-oxo FeIII octaethylchlorin dimer and mu-oxo FeIII octaethylporphyrin dimer demonstrates that many siroheme bands can be correlated with established porphyrin skeletal modes. Depolarization measurements are a powerful tool in this correlation, since the 45 degrees rotation of the C2 symmetry axis of the isobacteriochlorin ring relative to the chlorin system results in reversal of the polarization properties (polarized vs anomalously polarized) of bands correlating with B1g and B2g modes of porphyrin. Various SiR-HP adducts (CO, NO, CN-, SO3(2-] show upshifted high-frequency bands, characteristic of the low-spin state and consistent with the expected core size sensitivity of the skeletal modes. Fully reduced unliganded SiR-HP (both siroheme and Fe4S4 cluster reduced) in liquid solution displays RR features comparable to those of high-spin ferrous porphyrins; on freezing, the RR spectrum changes, reflecting an apparent mixture of siroheme spin states. At intermediate reduction levels in solution a RR species is observed whose high-frequency bands are upshifted relative to oxidized and fully reduced SiR-HP. This spectrum, thought to arise from the "one-electron" state of SiR-HP (siroheme reduced, cluster oxidized), may be due to S = 1 FeII siroheme.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1989

Dispersed repetitive sequences in the chloroplast genome of Douglas-fir.

Restriction mapping and DNA sequencing were used to characterize dispersed repetitive DNA in the chloroplast genome of Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco]. To map repeat families, chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) clones were hybridized at high stringency to one another and to cpDNA cut with restriction enzymes. Repeats are clustered in four regions of the genome and comprise at least six families. Sequence analysis of one repeat family shared among three XbaI fragments indicated the presence of a 633 bp inverted repeat which contains a complete tRNA-Serine (GCU) gene and a highly conserved open reading frame (ORF 3.6). Both ends of this 633 bp dispersed repeat have a transposon-like combination of short direct and inverted repeats. One copy of the repeat flanks one of the endpoints of a major inversion which differentiates Douglas-fir from tobacco cpDNA. Dispersion of repetitive DNA by transposition, coupled with loss of the large inverted repeat, appears to have predisposed conifer cpDNA to a number of inversions. An 8 bp (CATCTTTT) direct repeat in tobacco is located between two inverted sections in Douglas-fir; it may be a target sequence for homologous recombination.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Chloroplast genomes of two conifers lack a large inverted repeat and are extensively rearranged.

Chloroplast genomes of Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] and radiata (Monterey) pine [Pinus radiata D. Don], two conifers from the widespread Pinaceae, were mapped and their genomes were compared to other land plants. Douglas-fir and radiata pine lack the large (20-25 kilobases) inverted repeat that characterizes most land plants. To our knowledge, this is only the second recorded loss of this ancient and highly conserved inverted repeat among all lineages of land plants thus far examined. Loss of the repeat largely accounts for the small size of the conifer genome, 120 kilobase, versus 140-160 kilobases in most land plants. Douglas-fir possesses a major inversion of 40-50 kilobases relative to radiata pine and nonconiferous plants. Nucleotide sequence differentiation between Douglas-fir and radiata pine was estimated to be 3.8%. Both conifer genomes possess a number of rearrangements relative to Osmunda, a fern, Ginkgo, a gymnosperm, and Petunia, an angiosperm. Among land plants, structural changes of this degree have occurred primarily within tribes of the legume family (Fabaceae) that have also lost the inverted repeat. These results support the hypothesis that the presence of the large inverted repeat stabilizes the chloroplast genome against major structural rearrangements.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1986

Rates of pi-electron oxidation and reduction of free base and Zn(II) porphyrins, chlorins, and isobacteriochlorins.

The rates of pi-electron oxidation and reduction of two homologous series of free base and Zn(II) porphyrins, chlorins, and isobacteriochlorins were studied by chronocoulometry at a platinum disk electrode. The macrocycles were octaethylporphyrin, tetraphenylporphyrin, and the chlorins and isobacteriochlorins derived therefrom. The rates were found to vary to within a factor of 3, and some consistent trends are noted. However, the most important conclusion of this work is that pi-electron redox processes for these macrocycles occur at essentially the same rate, despite the previously noted large differences in pi-electron redox potentials.

Bacteria↗