Particle regularity on thylakoid fracture faces is influenced by storage conditions

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 1676-1682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina A. Semenova

Specific temperature, storage times, and medium composition enable initiation of regular arrays of intramembranous particles on the exoplasmic fracture face during prolonged storage of isolated chloroplasts at 4 °C, producing about 2 – 10 regular arrays with 2 – 30 particles in each array, with a period of about 36 nm, oriented in 1 – 4 directions. The particle sizes do not change throughout the time of storage (1 – 4 weeks). The second type of particle regularity arises during prolonged storage of chloroplasts in greater than 1 M sucrose at −18 °C. Rounded areas of small particles tightly packed into paracrystalline arrays are found among less densely packed particles. The density of small particles is 4700 particles/μm2, and the mean size is 11 nm, whereas the particle density of the background is 1600 particles/μm2 with a mean particle size of 13 nm compared with 1200 particles/μm2 and mean size 16 nm in fresh chloroplasts. Based on the reduction of particle sizes and manner of packing on the fracture face, it is proposed that the small particles are a light-harvesting complex, separate from photosystem II and aggregated into paracrystalline arrays. The thylakoid lipids may participate in formation of particle regularity. Key words: thylakoid membrane, freeze fracture, particle regularity, low temperatures.

Author(s):  
George C. Ruben

The freeze-fracture of cellular membranes generally reveals particles of different sizes distributed on a membrane fracture face. These views of the membrane are generally characterized by the frequency of particles per area and a particle shadow width distribution with its mean. It is generally assumed that these particle size and frequency parameters can be influenced by the replica film thickness and the shadowing angle. It is not known whether the extent of Pt-C electron beam gun degassing prior to the replication step can change the shadow width distribution means of spherical gold particles, and their percent representation following replication.Two experiments were performed in a Balzer's model 360M freezing microtome (10-6 torr) in which the EKV 552 Pt-C electron beam gun was degassed for 19 sec. (film I) and for 120 sec. (film II) at a current setting of 5 on the EVM 052 control unit. The gold ball calibration grids (2) were cooled to -96°C and covered with the knife arm (-196°C) during degassing.


Author(s):  
O.O Fadipe

The study investigated the characteristics of packaged water stored under ambient and sunlight conditions. This is with a view to testing the effect of prolonged storage under different storage conditions on its quality. In addition it analyzed the interactions between the parameters. Two packs each of bottled and sachet water was purchased from each factory at the point of production and ready for distribution to wholesalers. Twenty eight pieces of packaged water from each factory were kept at room temperature and the same quantity were kept under sunlight. Physico-chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out on the remaining packaged water within 24hrs. Half of the samples stored at the two storage conditions were removed for analysis at 3 weeks while the remaining half was analyzed after 6weeks. The physico-chemical characteristics were within the WHO recommended values except for the pH of some samples that have values in the acidic range of 6.2-6.48. All the physico-chemical values increased for samples kept under sunlight. All the water samples showed growth in faecal coliform (4-46 cfu/100 mL) and E. coli (0-13 cfu/100 mL) for samples kept under sunlight at three weeks and this growth increased to the sixth week. The presence of E. coli is an indication that the packaged water is not pure. Displaying packaged water under the sunlight and storing beyond 3 weeks by vendors have effect on the potability of the product. The regulatory bodies should raise awareness and ensure manufacturer have a quality control unit to test on a routine basis.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Monroy ◽  
Emilio Hernández-García ◽  
Vincent Rossi ◽  
Cristóbal López

Abstract. We study the problem of sinking particles in a realistic oceanic flow, with major energetic structures in the mesoscale, focussing on the range of particle sizes and densities appropriate for marine biogenic particles. Our aim is to evaluate the relevance of theoretical results of finite size particle dynamics in their applications in the oceanographic context. By using a simplified equation of motion of small particles in a mesoscale simulation of the oceanic velocity field, we estimate the influence of physical processes such as the Coriolis force and the inertia of the particles, and we conclude that they represent negligible corrections to the most important terms, which are passive motion with the velocity of the flow, and a constant added vertical velocity due to gravity. Even if within this approximation three-dimensional clustering of particles can not occur, two-dimensional cuts or projections of the evolving three-dimensional density can display inhomogeneities similar to the ones observed in sinking ocean particles.


2002 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.I. Getman ◽  
V.V. Holoptsev ◽  
V.V. Panichkina ◽  
I.V. Plotnikov ◽  
V.K. Soolshenko

The mechanical properties and microstructure formation processes in Si3N4+3% AI2O3+5% Y2O3(Yb2O3) ceramic compacts sintered under microwave heating (MWH) and under traditional heating (TH) were investigated. The initial ceramic materials were powder blends of silicon nitride with oxides. The mean powder particle sizes were 0.5-1.0 mim. The content of alfa-phase in the Si3N4 powder was more than 95 %. The samples were sintered at 1800BC in nitrogen at normal pressure, the heating rate in all experiments was 60BC/min. The Vickers hardness (HV), fracture toughness (K1C) and bending strength (on) were determined. The microstructures of fracture surfaces of samples were studied by SEM. Quantitative microstructure analysis was carried out. It was shown that the values of HV and Kic of ceramic samples sintered under MWH at 1800BC rose steadily with the sintering time. This caused an increase in density, which reached maximum as fast as after 30 min of the MWH sintering; the mass loss at that time amounted to 3-4 %. The porosity of sintered samples with an addition of yttria was less than 1 %, that of ytterbia was greater, 2.4 %. For similar values of relative density, the hardness and fracture toughness of ceramic samples produced under MWH were higher as compared with those of samples sintered under TH. The microstructure of samples had the form of elongated grains in a matrix of polyhedral grains of the beta-Si3N4 phase. Measurements showed the mean size of grains in samples produced by MWH to be greater that in samples produced by TH. A larger number of elongated grains were formed. It was concluded that for sintering under MWH of Si3N4-based ceramics the growth of elongated beta-Si3N4 grains and formation of a "reinforced" microstructure were promoted and thereby improved the mechanical properties of such ceramics.


1975 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-355
Author(s):  
A.R. Limbrick ◽  
S. Knutton

A study has been made of freeze-fractured preparations of erythrocyte ghosts modified by phospholipase C (Clostridium welchii). Such membranes show a decrease in surface area of up to about 47% and lipid droplets appear on their external surface but there is no loss of protein. Freeze-fracture of maximally hydrolysed membranes exposes only very small areas of A faces and these appear particle-free. Most of the membranes are simply cross-fractured. At lower levels of hydrolysis there is more extensive exposure of A fracture faces but the particle density is less than in control preparations. If such exposed faces were representative of the whole membrane then the particle density would have been expected to increase. It is suggested either that areas of membrane with increased particle density do not fracture or that the particles revealed by freeze-fracture involve phospholipid as well as protein and are not revealed in the absence of phospholipid.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (3) ◽  
pp. C513-C527 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Spray ◽  
M. Chanson ◽  
A. P. Moreno ◽  
R. Dermietzel ◽  
P. Meda

Gap junctions, dye coupling, and junctional conductance were studied in a cell line (WB) that is derived from rat liver and displays a phenotype similar to “oval” cells. In freeze-fracture replicas, two distinctive particle sizes were detected in gap junctional plaques. Immunocytochemical studies indicated punctate staining at membrane appositions using antibodies to connexin 43 and to a brain gap junction-associated antigen (34 kDa). No staining was observed using antibodies prepared against rat liver gap junction proteins (connexins 32 and 26). Pairs of WB cells were electrically and dye coupled. Junctional conductance (gj) between cell pairs averaged approximately 10 nS; occasionally, gj was low enough that unitary junctional conductances (gamma j) could be detected. Using a CsCl-containing electrode solution, distinctive gamma j values were recorded: approximately 20-30 pS, approximately 80-90 pS, and the sum of the other sizes. The largest gamma j events were apparently due to random coincident openings or closures of the smaller channels. Several treatments reduced gj. Frequency distributions of gamma j were unaltered by 2 mM halothane or 3.5 heptanol, but the sizes of intermediate and largest events were reduced slightly by 100 nM phorbol ester, and the relative frequency of the largest events was increased by 10 microM glutaraldehyde. We conclude that the distinctive gamma j values represent openings and closures of two distinct types of gap junction channels rather than substates of a single channel type; these unitary conductances may correspond to the dual immunoreactivity and to the two particle sizes seen in freeze fracture.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renilson Luiz Teixeira ◽  
Raphael Nogueira Rezende ◽  
José Reinaldo Moreira da Silva ◽  
Luana Elís de Ramos e Paula

ABSTRACT In furniture factories, the cutting of medium density fiberboard (MDF) generates high concentrations of particulates suspended in the air, which, depending on their dimensions, can reach the sensitive areas of the respiratory tract of workers. The aim of this study was to test a method to measure particle sizes derived from the cutting of wood paneling. The experiment was conducted in two small furniture factories located in the municipality of Lavras, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. During the cutting of MDF, airborne particles were collected and measured by means of optical microscopy. The data obtained showed a critical condition in the work environments, with high concentrations of small particles (<10 microns), which could be lodged in the workers’ lungs. The particle measuring process proved to be accurate and easy to perform. In addition, it is worth noting the importance of investment in personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hoods and/ or PFF2 dust masks for the protection of workers.


1971 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 389-393
Author(s):  
Fred L. Whipple

Calculations of upper limits to the quantity of small particles in the asteroid belt are based on (1) the brightness of the counterglow coupled with observations and theory for the zodiacal cloud near Earth's orbit and (2) the destruction and erosion of asteroidal particles as they spiral toward the Sun because of solar radiation via the Poynting-Robertson effect. These calculations place the likely upper limit on asteroidal space particle density at the order of 5 to 10 times and the hazard to space vehicles at 2 to 4 times those near Earth's orbit. No such evidence indicates, however, that the hazard from small particles is actually much greater in the asteroid belt.


1977 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 400-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
P A Armond ◽  
L A Staehelin ◽  
C J Arntzen

We have previously demonstrated (Armond, P. A., C. J. Arntzen, J.-M. Briantais, and C. Vernotte. 1976. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 175:54-63; and Davis, D. J., P. A. Armond, E. L. Gross, and C. J. Arntzen. 1976. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 175:64-70) that pea seedlings which were exposed to intermittent illumination contained incompletely developed chloroplasts. These plastids were photosynthetically competent, but did not contain grana. We now demonstrate that the incompletely developed plastids have a smaller photosynthetic unit size; this is primarily due to the absence of a major light-harvesting pigment-protein complex which is present in the mature membranes. Upon exposure of intermittent-light seedlings to continuous white light for periods up to 48 h, a ligh-harvesting chlorophyll-protein complex was inserted into the chloroplast membrane with a concomitant appearance of grana stacks and an increase in photosynthetic unit size. Plastid membranes from plants grown under intermediate light were examined by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. The membrane particles on both the outer (PF) and inner (EF) leaflets of the thylakoid membrane were found to be randomly distributed. The particle density of the PF fracture face was approx. four times that of the EF fracture face. While only small changes in particle density were observed during the greening process under continuous light, major changes in particle size were noted, particularly in the EF particles of stacked regions (EFs) of the chloroplast membrane. Both the changes in particle size and an observed aggregation of the EF particles into the newly stacked regions of the membrane were correlated with the insertion of light-harvesting pigment-protein into the membrane. Evidence is presented for identification of the EF particles as the morphological equivalent of a "complete" photosystem II complex, consisting of a phosochemically active "core" complex surrounded by discrete aggregates of the light-harvesting pigment protein. A model demonstrating the spatial relationships of photosystem I, photosystem II, and the light-harvesting complex in the chloroplast membrane is presented.


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