Photochemical activity of isolated mesophyll chloroplasts was measured as Hill reaction activity (HRA) and photosystem 1 (PS1) activity in three diallel crosses of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines and F1 hybrids. Statistically significant differences between genotypes together with positive heterotic effect in F1 generation were found for both traits studied. These differences were more pronounced when HRA or PS1 activity was expressed per leaf area unit or dry matter unit compared to the expression per chlorophyll content unit. Analysis of variance showed that both the genetic and non-genetic components of variation in the photochemical activity of isolated mesophyll chloroplasts are present in all three diallel crosses examined. The positive heterosis in F1 hybrids probably arises from non-additive genetic effects of a positive dominance type. Additive genetic effects were also statistically highly significant. We found no differences between reciprocal crosses. and D. Holá ... [et al.].
Pigment-protein complexes enriched in photosystem 1 (PS1) and, for comparison, enriched in photosystem 2 (PS2) were isolated from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus Nag. f. thermalis Geitl. They were immobilized and oriented in the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films, and studied by linear dichroism (LD), fluorescence polarization (FP), photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), and polarized photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS|| and PAS⊥). The LD signal of β-carotene in the region with maximum at 500 nm was positive in the PS1 complex. The maximum value of fluorescence polarization (FP) in the measured photosynthetic pigment region was 1.25 and was similar to higher plant values. Carotenoids exhibited different efficiencies of thermal deactivation (max. at 500 nm) in PS1 and PS2. The thermal deactivation efficiency of carotenoids in comparison with that of chlorophyll (Chl) a at its red absorbance maximum was much higher in PS1 than in PS2 complexes. Cyanobacterial complexes did not contain Chl b, interpretation of the LD, PAS, and FP results is thus easier and can be compared with PS1 and PS2 values of higher plants, especially with Chl b-less mutant values. and G. E. Białek-Bylka ... [et al.].
Myofibrillar creatine kinase (CK) that buffers ATP during fluctuating muscle energy metabolism has been selected for studies of conformational changes underlying the cellular control of enzyme activity. The force field was computed for three energetic states, namely for the substrate-free CK molecule, for the molecule conjugated with the MgATP complex, and for the molecule conjugated with the pair of reactants MgATP-creatine. Without its substrates, the enzyme molecule assumes an inactive "open" form. Upon binding of the MgATP complex, the CK molecule takes up a reactive "closed" conformation. Subsequent binding of creatine yields a nonreactive "intermediary" conformation. Acid-base catalysis is considered to be the basic principle for the reversible transfer of the phosphoryl group between the substrates. The results indicate that the substrate-induced energy minimizing conformational changes do not represent a sufficient condition for CK activity and that some other essential component of physiological control at the cellular level is involved in the transition from the intermediary to the closed structure of the molecule., J. A. Mejsnar, B. Sopko, M. Gergor., and Obsahuje bibliografii