HETEROGENEITY OF THE PHOTOCHEMICAL CENTERS IN SYSTEM II OF CHLOROPLASTS*

Abstract— In 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) poisoned chloroplasts of algae and‘ higher plants the area over the fluorescence induction curve increases with biphasic first order kinetics (Melis and Homann, 1975). Two possibilities are considered to explain the biphasic nature of the area growth. The first is a sequential double reduction of the primary electron acceptor in system II while the second envisages a heterogeneity of its photochemical centers. The kinetic properties of the area growth after firing a single saturating flash proved to be incompatible with the predictions of the “sequential double reduction” model. This conclusion was corroborated by results obtained from a kinetic analysis of the area restoration process in the dark, and an analysis of the partially restored areas. Assuming an existence of a heterogeneous pool of photochemical centers, the growth of the area over the fluorescence curve could be further analyzed to yield two components, a fast a-component, and a relatively slow β-component. The kinetic characteristics of these components, and the effect of a short saturating flash on their respective size, led to the conclusion that one type of photochemical center had a faster recombination rate of the photochemically separated charges and was less efficient in trapping excitation energy.     

BIMANES—26. AN ELECTRON TRANSFER REACTION BETWEEN PHOTOSYSTEM I1 AND MONOBROMOBIMANE INDUCES STATIC CHLOROPHYLL a QUENCHING IN SPINACH CHLOROPLASTS

Abstract— Monobromobimane in chloroplasts lowers both the quantum yield of system II photochemistry and the yield of chlorophyll a fluorescence. Illumination of the chloroplasts in the presence of monohromobimane is an absolute prerequisite to the manifestation of this phenomenon, which proceeds via the Photosystem II intermediate, the semiquinone radical anion, Q_A-. The latter transfers an electron to monobromobimane to yield an anion radical (mBBr^·), which may either lose bromide ion to yield a reactive radical (mB^·), or acquire a proton and undergo further reduction, eventually forming syn-(methyl, methyl) bimane. In turn, mB reacts with the protein of the light-harvesting complex, to form a product which acts as static excitation energy quencher in the chlorophyll pigment bed of photosystem 11. Polarographic reduction of monobromobimane shows an adsorption wave at O V and two reduction waves. Prolonged reduction in water at -0.5 V yields syn-(methyl, methyl) bimane (which is further reduced at more negative potentials) and bromide ion. Thus, both electrochemical and chloroplast-induced reduction produce syn-(methyl, methyl) bimane. Monobromobimane may then serve as a Photosystem II activated probe in elucidating the conformation of intrinsic thylakoid membrane polypeptides.     

Heavy-Atom Tunneling in Bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-trienes

Heavy-atom tunneling limits the lifetime and observability of bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-triene, a key intermediate in the rearrangement of phenylcarbene. Bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-triene had been proposed as the primary intermediate of the rearrangement of phenylcarbene, but despite many efforts evaded its characterization even in cryogenic matrices. By introducing fluorine substituents into the ortho-positions of the phenyl ring of phenylcarbene, the highly strained cyclopropene 1,5-difluorobicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-triene becomes stable enough to be characterized in argon matrices. However, even at 3 K this cyclopropene is only metastable and rearranges via heavy-atom tunneling to the corresponding cycloheptatetraene. Calculations suggest that fluorination is necessary to slow down the tunneling rearrangement of the bicycloheptatriene. The parent bicycloheptatriene rapidly rearranges via heavy-atom tunneling and therefore cannot be detected under matrix isolation conditions.     

Strict double diagonal dominance in Euclidean Jordan algebras

In the first part of the paper, we deal with Euclidean Jordan algebraic generalizations of some results of Brualdi on inclusion regions for the eigenvalues of complex matrices using directed graphs. As a consequence, the theorems of Brauer–Ostrowski and Brauer on the location of eigenvalues are extended to the setting of Euclidean Jordan algebras. In the second part, motivated by the work of Li and Tsatsomeros on the class of doubly diagonally dominant matrices with complex entries and its subclasses, we present some inter-relations between the H-property, generalized strict diagonal dominance, invertibility, and strict double diagonal dominance in Euclidean Jordan algebras. In addition, we show that in a Euclidean Jordan algebra, the Schur complements of a strictly doubly diagonally dominant element inherit this property.     

Investigation of Vipera Anatolica Venom Disintegrin via Intracellular Uptake with Radiolabeling Study and Cell-Based Electrochemical Biosensing Assay

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - Snake venoms are a natural biological source that has potential therapeutic value with various protein compounds. Disintegrins originally were discovered as...     

Two-dimensional static black holes with pointlike sources

We study the static black hole solutions of generalized two-dimensional dilaton-gravity theories generated by pointlike mass sources, in the hypothesis that the matter is conformally coupled.We also discuss the motion of test particles. Due to conformal coupling, these follow the geodesics of a metric obtained by rescaling the canonical metric with the dilaton.     

Metallation reactions XXVII.: Metallation of (methylthio)anilines

The metallation reactions of (methylthio)anilines with organolithium reagents and with the butyllithium–potassium tert-butoxide superbasic mixture are here described. The results show that the para isomer when treated with butyllithium gave a mixture of products with no selectivity. Using tert-butyllithium or superbases we obtained the substitution of the thiomethyl hydrogen. Moreover, superbase allowed to prepare the disubstituted product with the new groups in the thiomethyl and in ortho to this group. On the other side, both ortho and meta isomers were lithiated at the thiomethyl carbon by butyllithium and the other reagents. Starting from the unalkylated amine we prepared through three successive one-pot monometallations N,N-disubstituted amines with equal or different groups and bearing an alkylthio chain as long as wanted.     

An unusual behaviour of N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)- and N-pivaloyl-(methylthio)anilines in metallation reactions

The metallation reaction of N-Boc-and N-Piv-(methylthio)anilines are here described. The results show that N-Boc derivatives are metallated only by superbases to give products substituted at the thiomethylic group. N-Piv derivatives show a different behaviour: ortho-derivative is metallated by both butyllithium and superbase at the thiomethylic carbon atom, while para-derivative is metallated in ortho to the N-Piv group by butyllithium and at the thiomethylic carbon atom by superbase. The meta-derivative is metallated only by superbase at the thiomethylic carbon atom.     

OH−-induced β-elimination reactions with 1-(2-Xethyl)-4-nitrobenzene substrates in solvent mixture H2O/CH3CN and H2O/DMSO: Reactivity and mechanism

The behaviour of 1-(2-bromoethyl) 4-nitrobenzene (1), N,N,N-triethyl-2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethanaminium bromide (2) and N,N-diethyl-N-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethyl]octan-1-aminium bromide (3) in the OH⁻-induced elimination reactions with formation of 1-nitro-4-vinylbenzene in mixtures of DMSO/H₂O or CH₃CN/H₂O has been investigated. With all three substrates an increase in dipolar aprotic solvent content implies a limited increase of the second-order rate constant k _OH up to ≅605, and then an exponential increase is observed. The variation of activation parameters ΔH ^# and dGS ^#, measured in DMSO/H₂O mixtures, is parallel for 1 and 2. This similar behaviour of 1 and 2 with respect to variation in solvent composition is evidence that it is not possible to use this technique of solvent effect for the mechanistic diagnosis of elimination reactions.