Polyvinylalcohol Stabilizes Anthocyanins of Red Wine in the Solid Phase but Not in the Aqueous Phase

Monomeric anthocyanins exhibit color variations at different pH, but they are highly unstable at physiological pH. To improve the stability, the effects of polyvinylalcohol on the anthocyanins of young red wine prepared from Cambell Early grapes were examined in aqueous solution and in the solid phase on a cotton swab? and inert materials. Cyanidin-3-glucoside and mal-vidin-3-glucoside represented approximately 43.6% of total anthocyanins in the red wine. The anthocyanins decreased to 11.3% of the initial amount in aqueous solution at physiological pH after storage for 60 days at room temperature. On the other hand, from 66.9% to 87.2% remained in the solid phase on a cotton swab? and polypropylene membrane in the presence of polyvinylalcohol. The stability of the anthocyanins increased with the concentration of polyvinyl-alcohol in the solid phase but not in the aqueous solution. The anthocyanins were found to be condensed and immobilized in the complexes of anthocyanins and polyvinylalcohol on the poly-propylene membrane by phase-contrast microscopy analysis. The anthocyanins in the cotton swab? displayed color variations when dipped into different pH buffer solutions. These results suggest that anthocyanins from red wine stabilized in the solid phase by polyvinylalcohol can be used as a visual indicator of pH.

A novel visual test for hydrogen sulfide on the tongue dorsum

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a novel colorimetric system for direct detection of hydrogen sulfide on the tongue dorsum from subjects with complaints of halitosis. Method: An assay system comprised of a cotton swab impregnated with zinc sulfate, attached chromatography paper, stabilizing solution, and coloring reagents for the methylene blue technique was developed. Using this system we investigated on the visualization of the hydrogen sulfide on the solid phase and possibility for evaluating the origin of oral malodor on the tongue dorsum. Results: The assay system made possible visualization of a linear curve ranging from 5.3 ng to 85 ng of hydrogen sulfide, with low reagent consumption and miniaturization. However, the sensitivity was different for gaseous and fluid samples. The biofilm of the tongue dorsum from subjects with complaints of halitosis showed different shades of methylene blue depending on the concentration of hydrogen sulfide. A positive correlation was found between hydrogen sulfide on the tongue dorsum and the concentration of VSC hydrogen sulfide in mouth breath as measured using an Oral Chroma semiconductor gas sensor. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the novel assay system can be used as a visual warning sensor for halitosis by measuring hydrogen sulfide on the tongue dorsum.

Essentials of Proteolytic Machineries in Chloroplasts

Plastids are unique organelles that can alter their structure and function in response to environmental and developmental stimuli. Chloroplasts are one type of plastid and are the sites for various metabolic pro- cesses, including photosynthesis. For optimal photosynthetic activity, the chloroplast proteome must be properly shaped and maintained through regulated proteolysis and protein quality control mechanisms. Enzymatic functions and activities are conferred by protein maturation processes involving consecutive proteolytic reactions. Protein abundances are optimized by the balanced protein synthesis and degrada- tion, which is depending on the metabolic status. Malfunctioning proteins are promptly degraded. Twenty chloroplast proteolytic machineries have been characterized to date. Specifically, processing peptidases and energy-driven processive proteases are the major players in chloroplast proteome biogenesis, remod- eling, and maintenance. Recently identified putative proteases are potential regulators of photosynthetic functions. Here we provide an updated, comprehensive overview of chloroplast protein degradation ma- chineries and discuss their importance for photosynthesis. Wherever possible, we also provide structural insights into chloroplast proteases that implement regulated proteolysis of substrate proteins/peptides.

Phototropin-and photosynthesis-dependent mitochondrial positioning in Arabidopsis thaliana mesophyll cells^FA

Mitochondria are frequently observed in the vicinity of chloroplasts in photosynthesizing cells, and this association is considered necessary for their metabolic in-teractions. We previously reported that, in leaf palisade cel s of Arabidopsis thaliana, mitochondria exhibit blue-light-dependent redistribution together with chloroplasts, which conduct accumulation and avoidance responses under the control of blue-light receptor phototropins. In this study, precise motility analyses by fluorescent micro-scopy revealed that the individual mitochondria in palisade cel s, labeled with green fluorescent protein, exhibit typical stop-and-go movement. When exposed to blue light, the velocity of moving mitochondria increased in 30 min, whereas after 4 h, the frequency of stoppage of mi-tochondrial movement markedly increased. Using different mutant plants, we concluded that the presence of both phototropin1 and phototropin2 is necessary for the early acceleration of mitochondrial movement. On the contrary, the late enhancement of stoppage of mitochondrial movement occurs only in the presence of phototropin2 and only when intact photosynthesis takes place. A plasma-membrane ghost assay suggested that the stopped mi-tochondria are firmly adhered to chloroplasts. These re-sults indicate that the physical interaction between mi-tochondria and chloroplasts is cooperatively mediated by phototropin2- and photosynthesis-dependent signals. The present study might add novel regulatory mechanism for light-dependent plant organel e interactions.