The analysis of protein sorting signals responsible for the retention of reticuloplasmins (RPLs), a group of soluble proteins that reside in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), has revealed a structural similarity between mammalian and plant ER retention signals. We present evidence that the corresponding epitope is conserved in a vast family of soluble ER resident proteins. Microsequences of RPL60 and RPL90, two abundant members of this family, show high sequence similarity with mammalian calreticulin and endoplasmin. RPL60/calreticulin cofractionates and costains with the lumenal binding protein (BiP). Both proteins were detected in the nuclear envelope and the ER, and in mitotic cells in association with the spindle apparatus and the phragmoplast. Immunoprecipitation of proteins from in vivo-labeled cells demonstrated that RPL60/calreticulin is associated with other polypeptides in a stress- and ATP-dependent fashion. RPL60/calreticulin transcript levels increased rapidly in abundance during the proliferation of the secretory apparatus and the onset of hydrolase secretion in gibberellic acid-treated barley aleurone cells. This induction profile is identical to that of the well-characterized ER chaperones BiP and endoplasmin. However, expression patterns in response to different stress conditions as well as tissue-specific expression patterns indicate that these genes are differentially regulated and may not act in concert.

Phytoene synthase catalyzes the dimerization of two molecules of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to phytoene and has been shown to be rate limiting for the synthesis of carotenoids. To elucidate if the capacity to produce phytoene is limiting also in the seed of Arabidopsis (Wassilewskija), a gene coding for an endogenous phytoene synthase was cloned and coupled to a seed-specific promoter, and the effects of the overexpression were examined. The resulting transgenic plants produced darker seeds, and extracts from the seed of five overexpressing plants had a 43-fold average increase of ␤-carotene and a total average amount of ␤-carotene of approximately 260 g g Ϫ1 fresh weight. Lutein, violaxanthin, and chlorophyll were significantly increased, whereas the levels of zeaxanthin only increased by a factor 1.1. In addition, substantial levels of lycopene and ␣-carotene were produced in the seeds, whereas only trace amounts were found in the control plants. Seeds from the transgenic plants exhibited delayed germination, and the degree of delay was positively correlated with the increased levels of carotenoids. The abscisic acid levels followed the increase of the carotenoids, and plants having the highest carotenoid levels also had the highest abscisic acid content. Addition of gibberellic acid to the growth medium only partly restored germination of the transgenic seeds.In higher plants, carotenoids are synthesized in the plastid via the 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate (DOXP) isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway (Lichtenthaler et al., 1997). These pigments can act as visual attractants, function as structural components in the photosystems, and trigger biochemical reactions. Phytoene synthases dimerize two geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate molecules to prephytoene diphosphate and the following conversion to phytoene, a noncolored hydrophobic C 40 carbon molecule (Dogbo et al., 1988). Consecutive desaturation, isomerization, cyclization, and oxygenation result in a number of different carotenoids (Fig. 1). Phytoene synthases are regulated both at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels and are a rate-limiting key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of carotenoid synthesis (Burkhardt et al., 1997;Hirschberg, 2001). In white mustard (Sinapis alba), the enzyme is inactive in darkgrown plantlets and localized to the prolamellar body of the plastid. White light results in relocalization, formation of thylakoids, and activation of the enzyme (Welsch et al., 2000). Purified phytoene synthase requires Mn 2ϩ and ATP for its activity, and ␤-carotene was shown to inhibit the reaction (Fraser et al., 2000). Constitutive expressions of phytoene synthases in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) resulted in dwarfism, chlorosis, and differential coloring of the plants (Fray et al., 1995;Busch et al., 2002). In the tomato plants, the levels of GA were decreased, and in some instances, a small decrease of the levels of abscisic acid (ABA) was also found (Fray et al., 1995). By using tissue-specific promoters f...

Macromolecular engineering is presented as a tool to control the degradation rate and release rate of acidic degradation products from biomedical polyester ethers. Three different caprolactone/1,5-dioxepan-2-one (CL/DXO) copolymers were synthesized: DXO/CL/DXO triblock, CL/DXO multiblock, and random cross-linked CL/DXO copolymer. The relation of CL and DXO units in all three copolymers was 60/40 mol %. The polymer discs were immersed in phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C for up to 364 days. After different time periods degradation products were extracted from the buffer solution and analyzed. In addition mass loss, water absorption, molecular weight changes, and changes in thermal properties were determined. The results show that the release rate of acidic degradation products, a possible cause of acidic microclimates and inflammatory responses, is controllable through macromolecular design, i.e., different distribution of the weak linkages in the copolymers.

SummarySugar signalling cascades are important components of regulatory networks in cells. Compared with the situation in bacteria, yeast and animals, participants of the sugar signalling pathways in plants are poorly understood. Several genes involved in starch synthesis are known to be sugar inducible, although the signal transduction pathways remain undisclosed. We reported recently the isolation of SUSIBA2, a transcription factor involved in sugar-mediated regulation of starch synthesis. Here, we used antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) inhibition, a powerful approach in medical sciences, to block the effects of SUSIBA2 in sugartreated barley leaves. The uptake and intracellular trafficking of an 18-mer susiba2 antisense ODN in leaves were followed by confocal microscopy. Administration of the antisense ODN to the leaves impeded susiba2 expression by RNase H activation. This dramatically diminished the ectopic expression of the iso1 and sbeIIb genes and resulted in altered starch synthesis. This study illustrates the successful exploitation of the antisense ODN technology in plant biology, e.g. as a rapid antecedent to time-consuming transgenic studies, and identifies SUSIBA2 as a transcriptional activator in plant sugar signalling. Based on our findings, we propose a model for sugar-signalling control of starch synthesis.

Porosity and pore size regulated the degradation rate and the release of low molar mass degradation products from porous polylactide (PLA) scaffolds. PLA scaffolds with porosities above 90% and different pore size ranges were subjected to hydrolytic degradation and compared to their solid analog. The solid film degraded fastest and the degradation rate of the porous structures decreased with decreasing pore size. Degradation products were detected earlier from the solid films compared to the porous structures as a result of the additional migration path within the porous structures. An intermediate degradation rate profile was observed when the pore size range was broadened. The morphology of the scaffolds changed during hydrolysis where the larger pore size scaffolds showed sharp pore edges and cavities on the scaffold surface. In the scaffolds with smaller pores, the pore size decreased during degradation and a solid surface was formed on the top of the scaffold. Porosity and pore size, thus, influenced the degradation and the release of degradation products that should be taken into consideration when designing porous scaffolds for tissue engineering.