Inhibition of postharvest senescence of green leafy vegetables by exogenous D-cysteine and L-cysteine as precursors of hydrogen sulphide

Hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) inhibits senescence in harvested fruit and vegetables but presents logistical, safety and regulatory issues to become a commercial treatment. D-cysteine and L-cysteine are semi-essential amino acids that are metabolised to hydrogen sulphide by plant tissues albeit by different pathways. This paper examines the effect of cysteine on postharvest senescence of three green leafy vegetables. Spraying pak choy leaves with 10 mmol D-cysteine, L-cysteine or DL-cysteine inhibited leaf senescence through a delayed loss of green colour expressed as market life, reduced respiration rate and reduced ethylene production. The beneficial effects of cysteine were similar to those achieved by fumigation with hydrogen sulphide. L-cysteine sprays on parsley and peppermint leaves also showed reduced leaf colour loss and respiration compared to untreated leaves. Cysteine, either as the racemate or individual enantiomers, is considered to have commercial potential for green leafy vegetables as it provides the beneficial effect of hydrogen sulphide but should be easier to register for commercial use due to the GRAS status of L-cysteine.     

Changes in Endopeptidase Activity during Photosynthetic Declination in Rice Leaf

Two japonica rice varieties, Wuyujing 3 and 97-7, were used to study the changes in contents of soluble protein, free amino acids and endopeptidase activity during photosynthetic declination. The content of soluble protein in flag leaf of cv.Wuyujing 3 was higher than that of cv. 97-7, but decreased rapidly in Wuyujing 3. Free amino acids in flag leaf and the thirteenth leaf of Wuyujing 3 started to increase 10 days before the turning point of photosynthetic declination (TPPD), while it occurred just 1-2 days before TPPD in the flag leaf and the thirteenth leaf of 97-7. During reversible phase of photosynthetic declination,endopeptidase activity remained at a low level and increased slightly only in the later part of this phase. Then it rose up rapidly at irreversible decline phase and reached a very high level. For Wuyujing 3, the change in endopeptidase activity in the thirteenth leaf was parallel to that in flag leaf. However, for 97-7, the rapid increase of endopeptidase activity in the thirteenth leaf started later than that of flag leaf. The results implied that the rate of protein breakdown and conversion to transportable nitrogen in leaves of 97-7 was slower than that in leaves of Wuyujing 3 during photosynthetic declination and it led to relatively lower seed setting rate and fully filling grains rate in 97-7. This may be one of the important reasons why 97-7 could not bring the high yield potentiality into play and the findings may be taken into consideration while breeding for high potential varieties in future.     

饲粮半胱氨酸水平对獭兔生产性能和SLC1A4基因表达的影响

试验旨在研究饲粮中半胱氨酸含量对獭兔生长性能、毛皮品质和SLC1A4基因表达的影响。选取90日龄健康獭兔144只,随机分为4组(每组36个重复,每个重复1只)。对照组饲喂基础饲粮(半胱氨酸含量为0.25%),试验组饲喂半胱氨酸含量分别为0.60%、0.70%和0.80%的试验饲粮(在基础饲粮中分别添加0.35%、0.45%和0.55%半胱氨酸)。预饲期7d,正饲期40d。试验期间每隔10d,每组随机屠宰4只獭兔,取样测定皮毛品质和SLC1A4基因表达。结果表明:(1)饲粮半胱氨酸水平为0.70%的试验组末重和平均日增重显著提高(P0.05);料重比显著降低(P0.05);四个组间平均日采食量差异不显著(P0.05)。(2)饲粮半胱氨酸水平为0.60%和0.70%的试验组饲喂到130日龄时皮张面积显著增大(P0.05);三个试验组獭兔在100日龄时被毛密度均显著大于对照组(P0.05);半胱氨酸水平为0.70%的试验组被毛密度在130日龄时显著大于其他三个组(P0.05);半胱氨酸对獭兔皮张厚度无显著性影响(P0.05)。(3)饲粮半胱氨酸含量对獭兔皮肤、肝脏和十二指肠组织中SLC1A4基因的表达量影响极显著(P0.01)。SLC1A4基因的表达量均呈现先增高后降低的趋势,饲粮中半胱氨酸水平为0.70%的试验组达到最高值。这一趋势在皮肤组织中、肝脏和十二指肠组织中分别于110日龄和100日龄时表现得较为显著。由此可见,獭兔饲粮中半胱氨酸的最优水平为0.70%,且在110日龄前使用效果最佳。     

邻二氮菲-铁(Ⅲ)测定半胱氨酸

研究了邻二氮菲-Fe3+与半胱氮酸的反应,发现半胱氨酸浓度在1.0×10-5~1.8×10-4mol.L-1范围内其产物吸光度值符合朗伯比耳定律。检测限1.0×10-6mol.L-1,表观摩尔吸光系数7.9×103L.mol-1.cm-1。采用本法测定谷氨酸、赖氨酸、半胱氨酸混合试样中半胱氨酸含量,相对标准偏差≤2%,结果令人满意。     

Glutathione, Cysteine, and Ascorbate Concentrations in Clinically Ill Dogs and Cats

Background: Oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of many systemic diseases. Hospitalized human patients are glutathione, cysteine, and ascorbate deficient, and antioxidant depletion has been correlated with poor clinical outcome. To date little is known about antioxidant concentrations in hospitalized veterinary patients. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ascorbate, cysteine, or glutathione depletion is present in ill dogs and cats compared with healthy controls.
Hypothesis: Clinically ill dogs and cats would be antioxidant depleted, and depletion would correlate with illness severity and clinical outcome.
Animals: Clinically ill client-owned dogs (n = 61) and cats (n = 37), healthy control dogs (n = 37) and cats (n = 33).
Methods: Prospective, observational, case control study. Erythrocyte reduced glutathione, plasma cysteine, and plasma ascorbate were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography.
Results: Clinically ill dogs had significantly lower erythrocyte glutathione concentrations (1.22 mM, range 0.55–3.61) compared with controls (1.91 mM, range 0.87–3.51; P = .0004), and glutathione depletion correlated with both illness severity ( P = .038) and mortality ( P = .010). Cats had higher ascorbate concentrations when ill (10.65 μM, range 1.13–25.26) compared with controls (3.68 μM, range 0.36–13.57; P = .0009).
Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Clinically ill dogs had decreased erythrocyte glutathione concentrations, which could be a marker of illness severity and prognostic of a poor outcome. Clinically ill cats had an unexpectedly high plasma ascorbate, which could represent a unique species response to oxidative stress.     

条斑紫菜半胱氨酸合成酶基因表达对重金属铅胁迫的响应

为了研究条斑紫菜的重金属解毒机制,分别采用Pb2+1、4、7、10 mg/L对条斑紫菜叶状体进行短期铅胁迫,同时,用10 mg/L的pb2+对叶状体进行持续铅胁迫,胁迫处理后提取总RNA并采用实时荧光定量PCR技术检测条斑紫菜半胱氨酸合成酶基因(PyCSase -B)的表达变化.结果显示,铅胁迫能迅速且显著诱导PyCS...     

Enzymatic dynamics of catechol oxidase from Gastrolina depressa

Properties of the phenoloxidase (PO) from adult of Gastrolina depressa Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) as well as effects of some metal ions and inhibitors on the activity of PO purified by (NH₄)₂SO₄ were determined. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme for the oxidation of catechol were determined to be at pH 7.5 and at 40 °C, respectively. The kinetic parameters for the oxidation of L-DOPA and catechol by the PO were 15.01 and 9.17 mM, respectively. The PO activity was strongly inhibited by Zn²⁺ and Cu²⁺, different to Mg²⁺ slightly. Both ascorbic acid and cysteine exhibited competitive inhibition and the inhibitory constants (K_i) were determined to be 2.22 mM and 0.40 mM, respectively.     

用凝胶电泳法研究小麦叶片衰老期间的内肽酶同工酶

采用SDS－聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（SDS－PAGE）和梯度凝胶电泳方法，研究了小麦旗叶暗诱导衰老过程中内肽酶同工酶的变化。发现用SDS－PAGE法几科检测不到新的内肽酶同工酶；用梯度凝胶电泳法则能检测到6种新的同工酶，而且在第一叶自然衰老过程中也能检测到。表明在这两种衰老过程中内肽酶酶谱变化基本相似。     

植物半胱氨酸合成酶复合体(SAT/OAS-TL)研究进展

综述了植物半胱氨酸的合成调节和半胱氨酸合成酶复合体的结构、调节机理及其植物转基因的研究进展。     

Early Morphological and Physiological Events Occurring During Germination of Maize Seeds

The early morphological and physiological events occurring during maize （Zea mays cv. Nongda 108） seed imbibition and germination were studied. Water uptake of seeds exhibited a triphasic pattern with a marked increase during the initial phase of imbibition, and then a slow increase, followed by a second substantial increase. Imbibition time for 10 and 50% of seed germination was about 26 and 46 h at 30℃, respectively. The relative conductivity of maize seeds dramatically decreased during the initial phase of imbibition, followed by a substantial increase. Respiratory rate of seeds gradually increased with imbibition. Length of root cap cells decreased during the initial phase and then increased; those of meristematic zone cells increased during the initial phase and then decreased; and those of elongation zone cells and of the whole elongation zone of the radicle gradually increased during germination. The contents of soluble sugars and starch in embryos gradually decreased as the activities of α- and β-amylase strikingly increased with imbibition. In the meantime, protein contents of embryos gradually decreased and free amino acid content increased. The activities of aminopeptidase and endopeptidase increased until 12 h of imbibition and then decreased. It is concluded that germination of maize seeds is mainly completed by extension of cells in the elongation zone of the radicle, and that mobilization of stored reserves in the embryo during the initial phase of imbibition is also an early event during seed germination.