Properties of the Permeability Transition of Pea Stem Mitochondria.

In striking analogy with , etiolated pea stem mitochondria did not show appreciable Ca uptake. Only treatment with the ionophore ETH129 (which allows electrophoretic Ca equilibration) caused Ca uptake followed by increased inner membrane permeability, membrane depolarization and Ca release. Like the permeability transition (PT) of mammals, yeast and Drosophila, the PT of pea stem mitochondria was stimulated by diamide and phenylarsine oxide and inhibited by Mg-ADP and Mg-ATP, suggesting a common underlying mechanism; yet, the plant PT also displayed distinctive features: (i) as in mammals it was desensitized by cyclosporin A, which does not affect the PT of yeast and Drosophila; (ii) similarly to and Drosophila it was inhibited by Pi, which stimulates the PT of mammals; (iii) like in mammals and Drosophila it was sensitized by benzodiazepine 423, which is ineffective in ; (iv) like what observed in Drosophila it did not mediate swelling and cytochrome release, which is instead seen in mammals and .

ATP sensing in living plant cells reveals tissue gradients and stress dynamics of energy physiology.

Growth and development of plants is ultimately driven by light energy captured through photosynthesis. ATP acts as universal cellular energy cofactor fuelling all life processes, including gene expression, metabolism, and transport. Despite a mechanistic understanding of ATP biochemistry, ATP dynamics in the living plant have been largely elusive.

Mastering Dendrimer Self-Assembly for Efficient siRNA Delivery: From Conceptual Design to In Vivo Efficient Gene Silencing.

Self-assembly is a fundamental concept and a powerful approach in molecular science. However, creating functional materials with the desired properties through self-assembly remains challenging. In this work, through a combination of experimental and computational approaches, the self-assembly of small amphiphilic dendrons into nanosized supramolecular dendrimer micelles with a degree of structural definition similar to traditional covalent high-generation dendrimers is reported.

The Permeability Transition in Plant Mitochondria: The Missing Link.

The synthesis of ATP in mitochondria is dependent on a low permeability of the inner membrane. Nevertheless, mitochondria can undergo an increased permeability to solutes, named permeability transition (PT) that is mediated by a permeability transition pore (PTP). PTP opening requires matrix Ca(2+) and leads to mitochondrial swelling and release of intramembrane space proteins (e.

Water relations of an invasive halophyte (Spartina patens): osmoregulation and ionic effects on xylem hydraulics.

Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl. is a grass native to the Atlantic coastal area of North America currently invading salt marsh ecosystems in several regions of Europe.