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At least 757 records · Page 42Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Evolution of phosphagen kinase VII. Isolation of glycocyamine kinase from the polychaete Neanthes diversicolor and the cDNA-derived amino acid sequences of alpha and beta chains.

Glycocyamine kinase (GK) was isolated from the marine polychaete Neanthes diversicolor by gel filtration, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, butyl-Toyopearl hydrophobic chromatography, and chromatofocusing. The GK was eluted as a single peak on the latter three chromatographies, and the molecular mass for the native GK was estimated to be about 80 kDa. The SDS-PAGE showed that the isolated GK consists of two distinct subunits in equal proportion, alpha and beta chains, with molecular masses of 42.2 and 43.8 kDa, respectively. The present results suggest that the Neanthes GK has a heterodimeric structure. The cDNAs for alpha and beta chains of Neanthes GK were amplified by PCR and their cDNA-derived amino acid sequences were determined. The alpha and beta chains are composed of 374 and 390 amino acids, and the molecular masses were calculated to be 42,392 and 43,966 Da, respectively, in good agreement with the apparent masses on SDS PAGE. The beta chain has a characteristic N-terminal extension of 15 amino acids, and all of the sequence differences between alpha and beta chains were restricted in the N-terminal region of 50 residues. The overall sequence identity was 92%. The occurrence of heterodimeric nature in Neanthes GK is of great interest from the evolutionary point of view, because the heterodimeric structure is only known for creatine kinase MB-isozyme specific for mammalian heart muscle among phosphagen kinases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Isolation of bacterial metabolites as natural inducers for larval settlement in the marine polychaete Hydroides elegans (Haswell).

The bacterial component of marine biofilms plays an important role in the induction of larval settlement in the polychaete Hydroides elegans. In this study, we provide experimental evidence that bacterial metabolites comprise the chemical signal for larval settlement. Bacteria were isolated from biofilms, purified and cultured according to standard procedures. Bacterial metabolites were isolated from spent culture broth by chloroform extraction as well as by closed-loop stripping and adsorption of volatile components on surface-modified silica gel. A pronounced biological activity was exclusively observed when concentrated metabolites were adsorbed on activated charcoal. Larvae did not respond to waterbome metabolites when prevented from contacting the bacterial film surface. These results indicate that an association of the chemical signal with a sorbent-like substratum may be an essential cofactor for the expression of biological activity. The functional role of bacterial exopolymers as an adsorptive matrix for larval settlement signals is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric study of the multiple intracellular monomeric and polymeric hemoglobins of Glycera dibranchiata.

The intracellular hemoglobin (Hb) of the marine polychaete Glycera dibranchiata is comprised of two groups of globins differing in their primary structures and state of aggregation. About six electrophoretically and chromatographically distinct monomeric Hbs which have Leu as the distal residue, and an equal number of polymeric Hbs which have the usual distal His, have been identified to date. Deconvolution of the electrospray ionization mass spectra (ESI-MS) of the Hbs and of their carbamidomethylated, reduced, and reduced/carbamidomethylated forms, using a maximum entropy-based approach (MaxEnt), showed the presence of at least 18 peaks attributable to monomer Hbs (14,500-15,200 Da) and an approximately equal number of polymer Hb peaks (15,500-16,400 Da). Although the ratio of the monomer to polymer components in pooled Hb preparations remained constant at 60:40, Hb from individuals had generally less than 6 monomer and 6 polymer components; -2 of the 19 individuals appeared to be deficient in polymer Hbs. Taking into account possible fragmentations of the known monomeric and polymeric globin sequences, we estimate conservatively that there are 10 monomeric and an equal number of polymeric Hbs, the majority comprising a single free Cys. Surprisingly, the calculated mass of the sequence deduced from the high-resolution monomer Hb crystal structures does not correspond to any of the observed masses. ESI-MS of the monomer Hb crystal revealed 11 components, of which 5, accounting for 67% of total, were related to the three major sequences GMG2-4. These findings underline the need for routine mass spectrometric characterization of all protein preparations. The complete resolution of the Glycera Hb ESI-MS using MaxEnt processing illustrates the power of this method to resolve complex protein mixtures.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Chromium in intertidal sediments of the Clyde, UK: potential for remobilisation and bioaccumulation.

Detailed surveys of intertidal sediments have been performed along the north and south shores of the Inner Clyde estuary, UK. Surface sediment data reveal significant spatial variation in Cr content and an association with major sediment characteristics and location within the estuary. Depth variation for Cr and other heavy metals cannot be explained by variation in major geochemical controls such as grain size and organic matter and highlights the impact of historical contamination on sediment quality. These elevated levels at depth may still have environmental impact through redox-reactivity, in association with iron and manganese. Sequential extraction of sediments and pore water analysis of Cr(VI) and Cr(III) provide detailed information on release potential from the sediments. The implication of Cr mobility for biota in the estuary has been assessed by the analysis of a common marine bivalve, Mytilus edulis (Blue Mussel) and a burrowing polychaete, Nereis diversicolor (rag worm) from a number of survey sites. Bioconcentration factors for Mytilus indicate that the weakly held portion of sediment Cr is available for uptake and in the case of Nereis, bioaccumulation appears to be inhibited by sediment organic matter.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Evolution of the bilaterian larval foregut.

Bilateria are subdivided into Protostomia and Deuterostomia. Indirect development through primary, ciliary larvae occurs in both of these branches; however, the closing blastopore develops into mouth and anus in Protostomia and into anus only in Deuterostomia. Because of this important difference in larval gut ontogeny, the tube-shaped guts in protostome and deuterostome primary larvae are thought to have evolved independently. To test this hypothesis, we have analysed the expression of brachyury, otx and goosecoid homologues in the polychaete Platynereis dumerilii, which develops by means of a trochophora larva-the primary, ciliary larva prototypic for Protostomia. Here we show that brachyury expression in the ventral portion of the developing foregut in Platynereis and also otx expression along ciliated bands in the mouth region of the trochophora larva parallels expression in primary larvae in Deuterostomia. In addition, goosecoid expression in the foregut of Platynereis mirrors the function in higher Deuterostomia. We present molecular evidence for the evolutionary conservation of larval foreguts and mouth regions of Protostomia and Deuterostomia. Our data indicate that Urbilateria, the common bilaterian ancestors, developed through a primary, ciliary larva that already possessed a tripartite tube-shaped gut.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Chemical speciation drives hydrothermal vent ecology.

The physiology and biochemistry of many taxa inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vents have been elucidated; however, the physicochemical factors controlling the distribution of these organisms at a given vent site remain an enigma after 20 years of research. The chemical speciation of particular elements has been suggested as key to controlling biological community structure in these extreme aquatic environments. Implementation of electrochemical technology has allowed us to make in situ measurements of chemical speciation at vents located at the East Pacific Rise (9 degrees 50' N) and on a scale relevant to the biology. Here we report that significant differences in oxygen, iron and sulphur speciation strongly correlate with the distribution of specific taxa in different microhabitats. In higher temperature (> 30 degrees C) microhabitats, the appreciable formation of soluble iron-sulphide molecular clusters markedly reduces the availability of free H2S/HS- to vent (micro)organisms, thus controlling the available habitat.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Consistent patterns and the idiosyncratic effects of biodiversity in marine ecosystems.

Revealing the consequences of species extinctions for ecosystem function has been a chief research goal and has been accompanied by enthusiastic debate. Studies carried out predominantly in terrestrial grassland and soil ecosystems have demonstrated that as the number of species in assembled communities increases, so too do certain ecosystem processes, such as productivity, whereas others such as decomposition can remain unaffected. Diversity can influence aspects of ecosystem function, but questions remain as to how generic the patterns observed are, and whether they are the product of diversity, as such, or of the functional roles and traits that characterize species in ecological systems. Here we demonstrate variable diversity effects for species representative of marine coastal systems at both global and regional scales. We provide evidence for an increase in complementary resource use as diversity increases and show strong evidence for diversity effects in naturally assembled communities at a regional scale. The variability among individual species responses is consistent with a positive but idiosyncratic pattern of ecosystem function with increased diversity.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Deep-sea ecology. Developmental arrest in vent worm embryos.

Temperature is a key factor in controlling the distribution of marine organisms and is particularly important at hydrothermal vents, where steep thermal gradients are present over a scale of centimetres. The thermophilic worm Alvinella pompejana, which is found at the vents of the East Pacific Rise (2,500-m depth), has an unusually broad thermotolerance (20-80 degrees C) as an adult, but we show here that the temperature range required by the developing embryo is very different from that tolerated by adults. Our results indicate that early embryos may disperse through cold abyssal water in a state of developmental arrest, completing their development only when they encounter water that is warm enough for their growth and survival.

Animals↗