[Secretion of proteolytic enzymes by three phytopathogenic microorganisms].

Serine proteinases from three phytopathogenic microorganisms that belong to different fungal families and cause diseases in potatoes were studied and characterized. The oomycete Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary and the fungi Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium culmorum were shown to secrete serine proteinases. An analysis of the substrate specificity of these enzymes and their sensitivity to synthetic and protein inhibitors allowed us to refer them to trypsin- and subtilisin-like proteinases. The correlation between the trypsin- and subtilisin-like proteinases depended on the composition of the culture medium, particularly on the form of the nitrogen source. A phylogenetic analysis was carried out. In contrast to basidiomycetes R. solani, ascomycetes F. culmorum and oomycetes P. infestans produced a similar set of exoproteinases, although they had more distant phylogenetic positions. This indicated that the secretion of serine proteinases by various phytopathogenic microorganisms also depended on their phylogenetic position. These results allowed us to suggest that exoproteinases from phytopathogenic fungi play a different role in pathogenesis. They may promote the adaptation of fungi if the range of hosts is enlarged. On the other hand, they may play an important role in the survival of microorganisms in hostile environements outside their hosts.

[The influence of cultural medium composition on the proteolytic enzyme secretion of fungus Rhizoctonia solani].

It was shown that change of medium growth composition of photopathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, especially accessible sources of nutrition, leads to change of both quantity of produced proteinases and their action specificity. The mineral source of nitrogen suppressed the fungus proteinase secretion on cultivation medium containing potato thermostable proteins but an organic source of nitrogen accelerated mycelium growth and increased proteinase secretion. On the basis of an analysis of a fungus extracellular proteinase substrate-specificity, it is established that the presence of thermostable proteins of a potato in the cultural liquid induces the secretion of trypsin-like proteinases mainly, and the addition of yeast extract to this growth medium induces the secretion of subtilisin-like ones, thus suppressing the trypsin-like enzymes production. This fact can indicate that mycelium of fungus R. solani loses pathogenic properties and becomes saprophytes when the growth medium was enriched by an organic source of nitrogen.

[Interaction between proteinases secreted by the fungal plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani and natural proteinase inhibitors produced by plants].

The fungal plant pathogen Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn. grown in a medium containing thermostable potato tuber proteins produced proteinases active at moderately alkaline pH values. Electrophoretic analysis in polyacrylamide gel with SDS and copolymerized gelatin showed that the extracellular proteinase complex contained four components that differed in molecular weight. Studies on the action of the exoenzymes on various synthetic substrates indicated that the culture liquid of R. solani contained mainly trypsin-like proteinases. The exoproteinase activity was virtually completely suppressed by trypsin inhibitor proteins isolated from potato tubers and seeds of various legume species. The results suggest that the extracellular proteinases produced by R. solani play a significant role in attacking plant tissue, and natural inhibitors contribute to the protection of Solanaceae and Leguminosae from this fungal pathogen.

[Extracellular proteinases from the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium culmorum].

The growth of Fusarium culmorum fungus on a medium containing thermostable proteins from potato tubers was accompanied by the production of proteinases, exhibiting activity over a broad pH range (from 6.0-10.0). When studied by SDS-PAGE in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol, extracellular proteinases were represented by at least five species with a molecular weight of 30-60 kDa. Inhibitor analysis and studies of enzyme activities with synthetic substrates demonstrated that the culture liquid of Fusarium culmorum contained serine proteinases of various classes. The amount of subtilisin-like proteinases was the highest. A near-complete inhibition of the enzymes was caused by proteinaceous proteinase inhibitors from potato tubers. These data suggest that proteinases of the phytopathogen Fusarium culmorum serve as a metabolic target for natural inhibitors of potato proteinases.

[Activities of certain enzymes in blood of the Pleurodeles waltl newt]. / Aktivnosti nekotorykh fermentov v krovi tritona Pleurodeles waltli.

The goal of the study was to evaluate the physiological and biochemical status of Pleurodeles waltli (urodele amphibian) by monitoring enzymatic activity in blood plasma and/or lood cell components. The following enzymes were chosen: glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (GOT and GPT), superoxide dismutase, catalase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. With the exception of GDH, GOT and GPT, enzymatic activity was noticeably higher in blood of females as compared to males. Reflecting destructive processes in organism, under normal conditions levels of GOT and GPT activity in plasma are very much equal in females and males. Differences in activities of the other enzymes were proportional to levels of steroid hormones in blood plasma of animals.

[The enzymatic activity of the antioxidant system in the ontogeny of mutant norflurazone-tolerant Arabidopsis thaliana]. / Izuchenie aktivnosti fermentov antioksidantnoi sistemy v ontogeneze mutantov Arabinopsis thaliana, tolerantnykh k norflurazonu.

The activities of superoxide dismutase and guaiacol-dependent peroxidase were studied in the ontogenesis of recessive homozygous mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana Heynh. le-2 and nfz24, which are characterized by two- to threefold increases in tolerance to the herbicide norflurazone. The mutants le-2 and nfz24 differed from the initial race Dijon in some phenotypic features, duration of ontogenetic stages, and dynamics of the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities in ontogenesis. A single treatment of plants with norflurazone induced an accelerated increase in the level of both enzymes in the mutants as compared to the wild type plants. Under the conditions of multiple treatment with norflurazone, the mutants le-2 and nfz24 displayed a higher tolerance to the bleaching effect of the herbicide and were characterized by a higher level of superoxide dismutase. The data obtained suggest that the superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities are controlled by both ontogenetic factors and stress signals. Mutations in the lines le-2 and nfz24 increase sensitivity to a stress signal or increase efficiency of an adaptive response due to long-term maintenance of a high level of the antioxidant enzymes under the conditions of stress.

The role of chloroplast and cytoplasm in the NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase synthesis in Ankistrodesmus cells.

The effects of transcription and translation inhibitors on NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase synthesis in nitrogen-starving Ankistrodesmus braunii cells have been studied. Considering the results obtained one can suggest that both enzymes are coded in the chloroplast genome and that during nitrogen starvation specific mRNA's are partly transferred from the chloroplast into the cytoplasm and can be translated there on 80S ribosomes.

The role of chloroplast and cytoplasm in the NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase synthesis in Ankistrodesmus cells.

The effects of transcription and translation inhibitors on NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase synthesis in nitrogen-starving Ankistrodesmus braunii cells have been studied. Considering the results obtained one can suggest that both enzymes are coded in a chloroplast genome and that during nitrogen starvation specific mRNA's are partly transferred from chloroplast into cytoplasm and can be translated there on 80S ribosomes.

[Ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase of Chlorella]. / O ferredoksin-zavisimoi glutamatsintaze khlorelly.

Ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase has been found in cells of thermophylic Chlorella strain Ch. pyrenoidosa 82T. The enzyme is active with its own ferredoxin and that of Spirulina. Glutamate synthase activity increases during nitrogen starvation and than decreases in the course of successive ammonium assimilation. The scheme of ammonium assimilation in Chlorella pyrenoidosa 82T cells is proposed.