Lignin is a key component of plant secondary cell walls, providing strength to the plant and allowing water transport. Lignin is a polymer of monolignols that are synthesized in the cell and transported into the cellulose rich cell wall. The primary goal of this thesis is to understand the mechanism(s) of monolignol deposition during xylogenesis. The currently accepted theory is that monolignols are exported by Golgi-mediated vesicle delivery to the secondary cell wall. When this theory was re-examined using cryofixed developing pine, quantitative autoradiography showed that monolignols did not accumulate in Golgi but were rapidly translocated from cytosol to cell wall. This suggests alternative mechanisms, such as membrane transporters, work in monolignol export. ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters were chosen because they transport other secondary metabolites and some ABC transporter encoding genes are highly expressed in lignifying cells. Four candidate ABC transporters were selected in Arabidopsis (ABCB11, ABCB14, ABCB15 from the ABCB/MDR subfamily and ABCG33 from the ABCG/PDR subfamily) and shown to have overlapping, high vasculature expression patterns. Mutants with T-DNA insertions in single ABC transporter genes had no change in lignification of inflorescence stems. However, a reduced polar auxin transport phenotype was detected in mutants of ABCB11, ABCB14 and ABCB15. An additional approach was the use of inhibitors of ABC transporters. A new assay, which was developed to quantify lignification in primary xylem of Arabidopsis roots, demonstrated that ABC inhibitors did not change lignin deposition. Monolignols are exported and polymerized in the polysaccharide matrix of the cell wall, which includes hemicelluloses that may organize monolignols during polymerization. Since diverse lignified cell types are enriched in either G- or S-lignin, I hypothesized that this pattern could reflect different hemicellulose distributions, which was examined using antibody labeling of xylans or mannans in hybrid poplar xylem. While xylans were generally distributed in all secondary cell walls, mannans were enriched in fibers but not in the ray and vessel walls. In summary, during secondary cell wall deposition, monolignols are exported by unknown transporter(s) rather than Golgi vesicles. In developing poplar wood, the monolignols are deposited into diverse hemicellulose domains in different cell types.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 9 uppsatser.

The cyanobacterial amino acid β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) is a neurotoxin implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Cyanobacteria are cosmopolitan organisms present in various environments. BMAA can cause long-term neurodegenerative alterations in rats exposed during the neonatal period, a period that corresponds to the last trimester and the first few years of life in humans. As BMAA has been reported to be bioaccumulated in the aquatic food chain and detected in mussels, crayfish and fish used for human consumption, the main aim of this thesis has been to investigate the final step in the mammalian food-chain, i.e. the transfer of BMAA into breast milk. Autoradiographic imaging and mass spectrometry analysis showed an enantiomer-selective uptake of BMAA and that the neurotoxin was transferred from lactating mice and rat, via the milk, to the brain of the nursed pups. The results show that transport of BMAA may be disproportional to dose. In addition, BMAA was found present both as free amino acid and tightly associated to proteins in rat brains. Surprisingly, however, no association to milk proteins was found. In vitro studies of murine (HC11) and human (MCF7) mammary epithelial cells suggest that BMAA can pass the human mammary epithelium into milk. Additional transport studies on human intestinal, glioblastoma and neuroblastoma cells showed that L-BMAA was consistently favored over D-BMAA and that the transport was mediated by several amino acid transporters. We also demonstrated that egg-laying quail transfer BMAA to its offspring by deposition in the eggs, particularly in the yolk but also in the albumen. Furthermore, comparative analysis of carboxyl- and methyl-labeled [14C]-BMAA suggested that BMAA was not metabolized to a large degree. Altogether, the results indicate that BMAA can be transferred from mothers, via the milk, to the brain of nursed human infants. Determinations of BMAA in mothers’ milk and cows’ milk are therefore warranted. We also propose that birds’ eggs could be an additional source of BMAA exposure in humans. It might therefore be of concern that mussels are increasingly used as feed in commercial egg production.

Lignin is a key component of plant secondary cell walls, providing strength to the plant and allowing water transport. Lignin is a polymer of monolignols that are synthesized in the cell and transported into the cellulose rich cell wall. The primary goal of this thesis is to understand the mechanism(s) of monolignol deposition during xylogenesis. The currently accepted theory is that monolignols are exported by Golgi-mediated vesicle delivery to the secondary cell wall. When this theory was re-examined using cryofixed developing pine, quantitative autoradiography showed that monolignols did not accumulate in Golgi but were rapidly translocated from cytosol to cell wall. This suggests alternative mechanisms, such as membrane transporters, work in monolignol export. ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters were chosen because they transport other secondary metabolites and some ABC transporter encoding genes are highly expressed in lignifying cells. Four candidate ABC transporters were selected in Arabidopsis (ABCB11, ABCB14, ABCB15 from the ABCB/MDR subfamily and ABCG33 from the ABCG/PDR subfamily) and shown to have overlapping, high vasculature expression patterns. Mutants with T-DNA insertions in single ABC transporter genes had no change in lignification of inflorescence stems. However, a reduced polar auxin transport phenotype was detected in mutants of ABCB11, ABCB14 and ABCB15. An additional approach was the use of inhibitors of ABC transporters. A new assay, which was developed to quantify lignification in primary xylem of Arabidopsis roots, demonstrated that ABC inhibitors did not change lignin deposition. Monolignols are exported and polymerized in the polysaccharide matrix of the cell wall, which includes hemicelluloses that may organize monolignols during polymerization. Since diverse lignified cell types are enriched in either G- or S-lignin, I hypothesized that this pattern could reflect different hemicellulose distributions, which was examined using antibody labeling of xylans or mannans in hybrid poplar xylem. While xylans were generally distributed in all secondary cell walls, mannans were enriched in fibers but not in the ray and vessel walls. In summary, during secondary cell wall deposition, monolignols are exported by unknown transporter(s) rather than Golgi vesicles. In developing poplar wood, the monolignols are deposited into diverse hemicellulose domains in different cell types. / Science, Faculty of / Botany, Department of / Graduate

The localization of substance P (SP) binding sites in guinea-pig heart was studied by in vitro autoradiography, and pharmacological effects of SP were examined with isolated heart preparations. Specific binding of [125I]SP was found in association with cardiac parasympathetic ganglia and some coronary arteries. No specific SP binding sites were associated with coronary veins, atria, ventricles, ascending aorta or pulmonary trunk. Local bolus injections of SP (2.5 and 25 nmol) caused a bradycardia which, in some preparations, was followed by a slight tachycardia. SP produced a prominent coronary vasodilator effect after basal perfusion pressure had been elevated by 1 μM vasopressin. The vasodilator response was probably mediated by the SP binding sites associated with the coronary arteries. Bradycardia might be elicited by binding of SP to the receptors present in the parasympathetic ganglia and subsequent release of acetylcholine. It is suggested that these effects of SP on the isolated heart could be of physiological significance.

Angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)) is reported to be equipotent with angiotensin II (AII) in producing some central biological effects but the receptors responsible for these actions have not been defined. Three classes of receptor have been proposed: AT1, AT2, and a putative Ang-(1-7) selective receptor. This study specifically evaluates Ang-(1-7) competition at AII binding sites (AT1 and AT2) in the rat brain. 125I Sar1 Ile8 AII (269-312 pM) was used to conduct receptor autoradiographic binding assays in brain sections. Competition with Ile5 AII and Val5 AII was similar at nuclei in which either AT1 or AT2 receptor subtypes predominate (Ki = 11-18 nM). Ang-(1-7) competed 150-fold less effectively than native AII at AT1 predominant brain nuclei (Ki = 2.4 μM). At brain regions where AT2 receptors predominate, Ang-(1-7) showed a very low affinity (Ki = 104 μM) for the majority of the 125I Sar1 Ile8 AII binding sites (AT2). A small proportion of 125I Sar1 Ile3 AII binding sites showed an affinity of 2.0 μM, presumably AT1 receptors present in those brain regions. For biological responses where Ang-(1-7) is reported to be equipotent with AII, it is unlikely that these actions are mediated by the widely distributed AT1 or AT2 receptor subtypes which recognize 125I Sar1 Ile8 AII.

The non-peptidic angiotensin II receptor subtype selective antagonists, DuP 753 and PD123177, were used to characterize angiotensin II receptor binding sites in the rat brain. Competitive receptor autoradiography with 125I-Sar1-Ile8 angiotensin II defined a regional distribution of binding sites that were sensitive to either DuP 753 (designated AIIα subtype) or PD123177 (designated AIIβ subtype). Whereas most brain nuclei could be assigned to a category containing a predominant subtype, a multiple receptor subtype analysis indicated that some regions are homogeneous, while others contain a mixture of both AIIα and AIIβ subtypes.

This study provides information on the rates of DNA synthesis, sites of DNA synthesis, and DNA content of the avian salt gland during the osmoticstressing (plasma membrane synthesis) and destressing (plasma membrane turnover) cycle, in an effort to better understand the relationship of cell turnover to the initial events in plasma membrane amplification, differentiation, and turnover. The rate of DNA synthesis increases 12-24 h after the onset of osmotic stress, is maximal at about 24 h of osmotic stress, and decreases thereafter in fully stressed and destressed glands. The maximum DNA and protein content, and the maximum protein/DNA ratio are obtained after about 3 days of stress. Autoradiograms show that at 24 h of stress 70-80% of DNA synthesis occurs in connective tissue cells and 20-30% in parenchymal cells, but by 6 days of stress, synthesis occurs about equally in these cell groups. Because destressing is characterized by a large decrease in plasma membrane and in glandular protein, but by little DNA turnover or loss, the loss of plasma membrane is likely due to some type of cell dedifferentiation rather than cell turnover.

In vitro receptor autoradiography was performed on rat brain and kidney sections stored frozen at -20°C for extended time periods (17, 40, 64, 121, 183, 251, and 333 days). The results indicate that prolonged tissue storage has a differential effect upon125I sar1ile8 angiotensin II binding to AT1 and AT2 receptor sites. Binding at AT1 receptor rich tissues studied (renal medulla, renal cortex, anterior pituitary, ventral hippocampus, spinal trigeminal nucleus, and nucleus of the solitary tract) shows a first order exponential decay pattern. The logarithmic linear regression slope (log(e) specific binding versus time), is significantly different from zero (p<0.05) in all AT1 rich tissues except for nucleus of the solitary tract (p=0.086). There is no detected loss of 125I sar1ile8 angiotensin II binding at the AT2 prominent regions in the superior colliculus, medial geniculate nucleus, and the inferior olivary nucleus. The half lives of AT1 receptors are highly variable, ranging from 36 days in the anterior pituitary to 442 days in the nucleus of the solitary tract, and this might be related to variable stability of AT(1A) and AT(1B) receptors. These observations should be taken into account when assessing and comparing AT1 and AT2 receptor subtype densities.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neurotransmitter that is released within the heart during myocardial ischemia. The present study was done to determine the regional localization and abundance of CGRP receptors in the guinea pig heart. CGRP binding sites in 20 μm frozen sections of heart were labeled using [125I]CGRP. Non-specific binding was determined in the presence of 1 μM unlabeled CGRP or CGRP8-37. Significant amounts of specific CGRP binding were identified in atrial and ventricular myocardium, all portions of the conducting system, coronary arteries, the aorta and pulmonary trunk and intracardiac ganglia. Specific binding of CGRP to the left atrium was two-fold higher than binding to the right atrium (0.667±0.052 v 0.340 ± 0.029 fmol/mg tissue, n = 5, CGRPs8-37 group). In contrast to the atria, a lower and uniform density of CGRP receptors occurred in contractile tissue of the ventricular myocardium (e.g. 0.239 ± 0.013 fmol/mg left ventricle, n = 5). The highest concentration of CGRP receptors in guinea pig cardiac tissue occurred at the bundle of His and the bundle branches (0.752 ± 0.087 and 0.71.3 ± 0.138 fmol/mg tissue, respectively, n = 5). CGRP receptors were localized to coronary vessels throughout the heart and to the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk. Lastly, intracardiac ganglia exhibited moderate levels of specific [125I]CGRP binding (0.475 ± 0.043 fmol/mg, n = 5). These findings support the concept that CGRP can have direct effects on atrial and ventricular function as well as coronary flow. The high density of CGRP receptors in the distal conducting system and the presence of CGRP receptors in intracardiac ganglia further suggest that CGRP could have important effects on cardiac conduction velocity and parasympathetic regulation of the heart.