Synthesis of plastoquinone-9 and phytylplastoquinone from homogentisate in lettuce chloroplasts.

Chloroform-soluble extracts of unpurified chloroplast preparations of lettuce, pea and spinach and of class I lettuce chloroplasts that have been incubated in the light with [methylene-3H]homogentisate contain 3H-labelled plastoquinones-9 and -8 (minor homologue), 2-demethyplastoquinones-9 and -8 (minor homologue), pytylplastoquinone and 2-demethylphytylplastoquinone. The absence of demethylquinols, the presumed precursors of the dimethylquinones, from the extracts to the fact that no precautions were taken in the extraction procedure to present their oxidation to the corresponding quinones. In unpurified lettuce chloroplasts the synthesis of these compounds from [methylene-3H]homogentisate is Mg2+-dependent and it is stimulated by light. The addition of isopentenyl pyrophosphate to the incubation mixtures increases the amounts of both groups of quinones (polyprenyl quinones and phytyl quinones) synthesised in the light and the amounts of polyprenyl quinones synthesised in the dark. Replacement of isopentenyl pyrophosphate with a source of preformed polyprenyl pyrophosphates brings about a marked rise in the amounts of polyprenyl quinones synthesized. This rise in polyprenyl quinone synthesis is further increased if the chloroplasts are subjected to osmotic shock. The presence of S-adenosylmethionine increases the amounts of dimethylquinones synthesized at the expense of the demethylquinones. The implied precursor-product relationships between 2-demethylphytylplastoquinone (quinol?) and phytylplastoquinone and between the 2-demethylplastoquinones (quinols) and plastoquinones were verified in a pulse-labelling experiment. Confirmation that these quinones, or their corresponding quinols, are synthesized in the chloroplast is provided by the fact that they are made in class I lettuce chloroplasts. In none of the many incubations carried out in the course of the study were any [3H]tocopherols produced.

Formation of spirodilactone of 4-(2'-carboxyphenyl)-4,4-dihydroxybutyrate from 2-succinylbenzoate in cell-free extracts of Micrococcus luteus.

The enzyme mediated ATP- and, to a lesser extent, CoASH-dependent synthesis of the spirodilactone of 4-(2'-carboxyphenyl)-4,4-dihydroxybutyrate from 2-succinylbenzoate has been demonstrated in membrane-free extracts of Micrococcus luteus and Escherichia coli. The suggestion is made that the spirodilactone is the product of an aberrant reaction involving a compound that is normally an intermediate in the conversion of 2-succinylbenzoate to 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoate.

Comparative studies on two ferredoxins from the cyanobacterium Nostoc strain MAC.

Two ferredoxins were isolated from the cyanobacterium Nostoc strain MAC grown autotrophically in the light or heterotrophically in the dark. In either case approximately three times as much ferredoxin I as ferredoxin II was obtained. Both ferredoxins had absorption maxima at 276, 282 (shoulder), 330, 423 and 465 nm in the oxidized state, and each possessed a single 2 Fe-2S active centre. Their isoelectric points were approx. 3.2. The midpoint redox potentials of the ferredoxins differed markedly; that of ferredoxin I was --350mV and that of ferredoxin II was --445mV, at pH 8.0. The midpoint potential of ferredoxin II was unusual in being pH dependent. Ferredoxin I was most active in supporting NADP+ photoreduction by chloroplasts, whereas ferredoxin II was somewhat more active in pyruvate decarboxylation by the phosphoroclastic system of Clostridum pasteurianum. Though the molecular weights of the ferredoxins determined by ultracentrifugation were the same within experimetnal error, the amino acid compositions showed marked differences. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of ferredoxins I and II were determined by means of an automatic sequencer. There are 11--12 differences between the sequences of the first 32 residues. It appears that the two ferredoxins have evolved separately to fulfil different roles in the organism.

Midpoint redox potentials of plant and algal ferredoxins.

Midpoint potentials of plant-type ferredoxins from a range of sources were measured by redox titrations combined with electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectroscopy. For ferredoxins from higher plants, green algae and most red algae, the midpoint potentials (at pH 8.0) were between --390 and --425 mV. Values for the major ferredoxin fractions from blue-green algae were less negative (between --325 and --390 mV). In addition, Spirulina maxima and Nostoc strain MAC contain second minor ferredoxin components with a different potential, --305 mV (the highest so far measured for a plant-algal ferrodoxin) for Spirulina ferrodoxin II, and --455 mV (the lowest so far measured for a plant-algal ferredoxin) for Nostoc strain MAC ferredoxin II. However, two ferredoxins extracted from a variety of the higher plant Pisum sativum (pea) had midpoint potentials that were only slightly different from each other. These values are discussed in terms of possible roles for the ferredoxins in addition to their involvement in photosynthetic electron transport.