Benfotiamine blocks three major pathways of hyperglycemic damage and prevents experimental diabetic retinopathy.

Three of the major biochemical pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of hyperglycemia induced vascular damage (the hexosamine pathway, the advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation pathway and the diacylglycerol (DAG)-protein kinase C (PKC) pathway) are activated by increased availability of the glycolytic metabolites glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate. We have discovered that the lipid-soluble thiamine derivative benfotiamine can inhibit these three pathways, as well as hyperglycemia-associated NF-kappaB activation, by activating the pentose phosphate pathway enzyme transketolase, which converts glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate into pentose-5-phosphates and other sugars. In retinas of diabetic animals, benfotiamine treatment inhibited these three pathways and NF-kappaB activation by activating transketolase, and also prevented experimental diabetic retinopathy.

Arabinogalactan proteins in maize coleoptiles: developmental relationship to cell death during xylem differentiation but not to extension growth.

The spatial and temporal expression of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) in the coleoptile of maize seedlings was investigated with monoclonal antibodies (MAC207, JIM13, JIM14) raised against particular AGP epitopes in carrot. MAC207 binds to a buffer-soluble AGP fraction of 90-210 kDa that also reacts with beta-glucosyl Yariv reagent and the lectin RCA120. Immunogold-labelling showed that the MAC207 epitope is exclusively localized in the plasma membrane.

Unilateral reorientation of microtubules at the outer epidermal wall during photo- and gravitropic curvature of maize coleoptiles and sunflower hypocotyls.

Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) controls the orientation of cortical microtubes (MT) at the outer wall of the outer epidermis of growing maize coleoptiles (Bergfeld, R., Speth, V., Schopfer, P.

Role of cell-wall biogenesis in the initiation of auxin-mediated growth in coleoptiles of Zea mays L.

The involvement of cell-wall polymer synthesis in auxin-mediated elongation of coleoptile segments from Zea mays L. was investigated with particular regard to the growth-limiting outer epidermis. There was no effect of indole acetic acid (IAA) on the incorporation of labeled glucose into the major polysaccharide wall fractions (cellulose, hemicellulose) within the first 2 h of IAA-induced growth.

Recovery of plastids from photooxidative damage: Significance of a plastidic factor.

It was inferred from previous findings that a plastid-derived factor (plastidic factor) is involved in the transcriptional control of nuclear genes coding for proteins destined for the chloroplast. Photooxidative damage to the plastid destroys the ability of the organelle to give off this factor. Cytosolic enzyme levels are not impaired if plastids are damaged, and morphogenesis of seedlings is normal.

Cooperation of epidermis and inner tissues in auxin-mediated growth of maize coleoptiles.

The function of the epidermis in auxinmediated elongation growth of maize (Zea mays L.) coleoptile segments was investigated. The following results were obtained: i) In the intact organ, there is a strong tissue tension produced by the expanding force of the inner tissues which is balanced by the contracting force of the outer epidermal wall.

Expression of nuclear genes as affected by treatments acting on the plastids.

Unlabelled: In a preceding paper (Oelmüller and Mohr 1986, Planta 167, 106-113) it was shown that in the cotyledons of the mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seedling the integrity of the plastid is a necessary prerequisite for phytochrome-controlled appearance of translatable mRNA for the nuclear-encoded small subunit (SSU) of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding protein of photosystem II (LHCP). It was concluded that a signal from the plastid is essential for the expression of nuclear genes involved in plastidogenesis.

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase capacity and chlorophyll content in developing seedlings of Chenopodium rubrum L. growing under light of different qualities and fluence rates.

In order to evaluate the aclimation of Chenopodium seedlings to different quantum fluence rates of R and BL, kinetics of Rubisco capacity, Chl content and chloroplast structure were studied. Under monochromatic light photoreceptors are stimulated selectively and their influence on biosynthetis capacities during chloroplast development can be studied.R irradiations saturate Rubisco capacity even at the lowest quantum fluence rates applied, whereas Chl a+b synthesis depends strongly upon fluence rate of R.

Transitory development of rough endoplasmic reticulum aggregates during embryo maturation in seeds of mustard (Sinapis alba L.).

During the final period of maturation of mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seeds conspicuous aggregates of rough endoplasmic reticulum are found specifically in some tissues of the differentiation zone of the radicle. The appearance of these structures is temporally correlated with the disappearance of single-stranded reticulum and the onset of seed dehydration.

Photooxidative destruction of chloroplasts and its consequences for cytosolic enzyme levels and plant development.

Mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seedlings were grown in the presence of herbicides (Difunon, Norflurazon) which inhibit carotenoid synthesis without affecting development, in darkness or in continuous far-red light. In strong white light (12,000 lx) the cotyledons of the herbicide-treated seedlings did not contain normal chloroplasts, but only small chlorophyll-free rudiments whose internal structure had almost disappeared.

Phytochrome-mediated delay of plastid senescence in mustard cotyledons: changes in pigment contents and ultrastructure.

Changes in pigment contents and ultrastructure have followed in cotyledons of mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seedlings during dark-mediated senescence. The seedlings were kept in white light for 7 d, treated with 5 min long wavelength far-red light and then kept in darkness up to 14 d after sowing.

Formation of protein storage bodies during embryogenesis in cotyledons of Sinapis alba L.

An electron microscopic investigation of fine structural changes in post-meristematic cotyledon mesophyll cells during the period of storage protein accumulation (16-32 d after pollination) showed that the rough ER, the Golgi apparatus and the developing vacuome are intimately involved in the formation of storage protein bodies (aleurone bodies). At the onset of storage protein accumulation (16-18 d after pollination) storage protein-like material appears within Golgi vesicles and preformed vacuoles. At a later stage (24 d after pollination) similar material can also be detected within vesicles formed directly by the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

Inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis by the herbicide SAN 9789 and its consequences for the action of phytochrome on plastogenesis.

Treatment of the mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seedling with the herbicide SAN 9789 inhibits synthesis of colored carotenoids and interferes with the formation of plastid membrane lipids without affecting growth and morphogenesis significantly. In farred light, which is hardly absorbed by chlorophyll, development of plastid ultrastructure, synthesis of ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase and synthesis of chlorophyll are not affected by SAN 9789.

Phytochrome-mediated control of grana and stroma thylakoid formation in plastids of mustard cotyledons.

The etioplast»chloroplast transition in the cotyledons of mustard seedlings (Sinapis alba L.) has been studied by electron microscopy. It was found that the active form of phytochrome, established by a red light pulse pretreatment, increases the initial rate and eliminates the lag of grana and stroma thylakoid formation after the onset of white light 60 h after sowing.

Formation of oleosomes (storage lipid bodies) during embryogenesis and their breakdown during seedling development in cotyledons of Sinapis alba L.

Electron microscopic and biochemical investigations of developing embryonic mustard cotyledons provided no evidence for the widely accepted hypothesis that oleosomes of fat-storing tissues originate from the endoplasmic reticulum and are surrounded by a unit- or half-unit membrane. In contrast, it was found that the first lipid droplets appear (about 12-14 d after pollination) in the ground cytoplasm near the surface of plastids. Subsequently these nascent lipid droplets, which lack any detectable boundary structure at this stage, become encircled by a cisterna of rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Pattern formation underlying phytochrome-mediated anthocyanin synthesis in the cotyledons ofSinapis alba L.

The ability to respond to phytochrome (Pfr, the far-red light absorbing from of phytochrome) with anthocyanin synthesis appears first in some marginal regions of the abaxial epidermis of the mustard cotyledons and from there spreads gradually over the entire tissue (transient phase). The pertinent pattern is independent of environmental influences such as light quality and nutritional culture conditions. The competence for Pfr in the epidermal cells, with regard to the initial action of Pfr (concerning anthocyanin synthesis), appears considerably earlier than the ability for actual anthocyanin synthesis.

Phytochrome-mediated transformation of glyoxysomes into peroxisomes in the cotyledons of mustard (Sinapis alba L.) seedlings.

The specific changes in the temporal pattern of glyoxysomal and peroxisomal enzymes in dark-grown and continuously far-red irradiated mustard seedlings are accompanied by specific changes in the spatial associations of microbodies with other cell organelles which can be quantitatively estimated from electron micrographs. The association (surface contact) with oleosomes (lipid bodies) and with plastids have been used as operational criteria for the glyoxysomal and peroxisomal engagement, respectively, of individual microbodies. The time course of these specific associations during the phytochrome-mediated changeover from glyoxysomal to peroxisomal character reveals the transient formation of functionally intermediary microbodies ("glyoxyperoxisomes") which are associated to oleosomes as well as to plastids.

Light control of plastogenesis and ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase levels in mustard seedling cotyledons.

We have studied the problem whether the phytochrome-mediated accumulation of ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase ("carboxylase"; EC 4.1.1.

[Effect of chloramphenicol and cycloheximide on chloroplast development and morphogenesis in sporelings of dryopteris].

Morphogenesis and differentiation of the young gametophytes (=sporelings) of Dryopteris filix-mas are controlled by light. Blue light leads to the formation of "normal" two-dimensional prothallia; under red light, however, the gametophytes grow as cellular filaments. Morphogenesis in blue light is connected with an increase in protein synthesis; in red light the protein content of the sporelings is markedly lower.