The eukaryotes

In the earlier taxonomic studies of marine phytoplankton, only eukaryotes were determined, as the prokaryotes were too small to be measured using the available methodologies. Kimor etal. (1987) reported that the most common eukaryotes were coccolithophores, followed (numerically) by diatoms and dinoflagellates. On some occasions silicoflagellates were reported but they were rare. Large species 65 pm in diameter occasionally occurred at low concentrations. An example was the prasinophyte Halosphaera virtidis that was found at the DCM but not in the surface water. 

Modern HPLC techniques allow characterisation of the eukaryotes by their pigment signatures. HPLC has demonstrated, that prymesiophytes dominated the eukaryotic group in the Cyprus Eddy in March 1992 whereas diatoms were rare. In 2001, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores dominated the eukaryotes (Psarra, personal communication). 

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Yeasts. Among the eukaryotic microbes yeast has drawn a lot of attention for the production of heterologous proteins (see Yeasts) (25). 

In cyanobacteria and the eukaryotic photosynthetic cells of algae and higher plants, HgA is HgO, as implied earlier, and 2 A is O,. The accumulation of O, to constitute 20% of the earth s atmosphere is the direct result of eons of global oxygenic photosynthesis. 

The eukaryotic somatic cell cycle is defined by a sequential order of tasks a dividing cell has to complete it must replicate its DNA, segregate its chromosomes, grow, and divide. The cell cycle can be divided into four discrete phases. DNA replication is restricted to S phase (DNA synthesis phase), which is preceded by a gap phase called G1 and followed by a gap phase called G2. During mitosis (M phase) the sister chromatids are segregated into two new daughter nuclei and mitosis is completed by the division of the cytoplasm termed cytokinesis (Fig. 1). 

The eukaryotic expression cassette is the part of an expression vector that enables production of a protein in a eukaryotic cell. The cassette consists of a eukaryotic promoter for mRNA transcription, the gene and an mRNA termination and processing signal (Poly-A signal). 

Seven subfamilies of eukaryotic Kir channels, each sharing 60% amino acid identity between individual members within each subfamily and 40% identity between subfamilies, are known [1]. In addition, multiple prokaryotic Kir channels (Kirbacl.1-9) are now being identified in bacterial genomes. We will focus on the eukaryotic channels. 

The inhibitors of RNA polymerase, which generates RNA from DNA, inhibit a crucial step in gene expression. Inhibition of the eukaryotic form of RNA polymerase is used in cancer chemotherapy and is also an important experimental tool. For example, actinomy-cin D binds to the guanine residues in DNA and blocks the movement of the eukaryotic RNA polymerase. Specific inhibitors of bacterial RNA polymerase can be used as antibacterial agents. Most of these inhibitors like rifamycin bind to the prokaryotic enzyme. 

Kornberg RD, Lorch Y (1999). Twenty-five years of the nucleosome, fundamental particle of the eukaryote chromosome. Cell 98 285-294. 

Structural analysis of the rhinovirus and the hepatitis A virus 3C proteases (Allaire et al. 1994 Matthews et al. 1994) confirmed earlier predictions that the picomavirus 3C proteases are similar to chymotrypsin-Uke serine proteases in their fold. An important difference is that the serine nucleophile of serine proteases is replaced with a cysteine however, the 3C protease is stracturally distinct from the eukaryotic cysteine protease class of enzymes. 

The protein coding regions of DNA, the transcripts of which ultimately appear in the cytoplasm as single mRNA molecules, are usually interrupted in the eukaryotic genome by large intervening sequences of... 

One peptide toxin from the mushroom Amanita phalhides, a-amanitin, is a specific differential inhibitor of the eukaryotic nuclear DNA-dependent RNA polymerases and as such has proved to be a powerful research tool (Table 37-2). a-Amanitin blocks the translocation of RNA polymerase during transcription. 

Figure 37-9. The eukaryotic basal transcription complex. Formation of the basal transcription complex begins when TFIID binds to the TATA box. It directs the assembly of several other components by protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions. The entire complex spans DNA from position -30 to +30 relative to the initiation site (+1, marked by bent arrow). The atomic level, x-ray-derived structures of RNA polymerase II alone and ofTBP bound to TATA promoter DNA in the presence of either TFIIB or TFIIA have all been solved at 3 A resolution. The structure of TFIID complexes have been determined by electron microscopy at 30 A resolution. Thus, the molecular structures of the transcription machinery are beginning to be elucidated. Much of this structural information is consistent with the models presented here.

Fig. 2.2 Landmark events in the cell cycle of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gl, S, G2 and M are the classical phases of the eukaryotic cell cycle.

Adamantane (A) and adamantan-4-one (B) were specifically hydroxylated at the quaternary C-1 by cytochrome P450j, to produce C and D. In contrast, the eukaryotic cytochrome P450lm2 formed in addition to the C-2 compound from adamantane, and both 5-hydroxy-adamantan-l-one (D) and the 4-a fi-hydroxyadamantan-l-one (E) from adamantan-4-one (Figure 3.18b) (White et al. 1984). 

Muraki T, M Taki, Y Hasegawa, H Iwaki, PCK Lau (2003) Prokaryotic homologues of the eukaryotic 3-hydroxyanthranilate 3,4-dioxygenase and 2-amino-3-carboxymuconate-6-semialdehyde decarboxylase in the 2-nitrobenzoate degradation pathway of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain KU-7. Appl Environ Microbiol 69 1564-1572. 

Figure 1. The cell cycle as a Cdc2 cycle. Progression through the eukaryotic cell cycle is sensitive to the phosphorylation state of Cdc2. A block to DNA synthesis (S) prevents dephosphorylation, and hence activation, of Cdc2. Impaired spindle function will prevent deactivation of Cdc2 and thus blocks exit from M phase (Hoyt et al., 1991 Li and Murray, 1991 reviewed in Nurse, 1991). Exit from M phase requires destruction of the regulatory subunit, Cyc B. Dephosphorylation of Cdc2 at thr-161 may act to destabilize the Cdc2/Cyc B complex and thus allow the ubiquitination of Cyc B followed by its destruction.

Redundancy is seen when cells have available more than one protein for the same function. In such a situation, during evolution, one of the proteins - and the corresponding DNA - can be co-opted for another function. For instance, the prokaryotic protein FtsA and the eukaryotic protein actin are believed to be derived from a common ancestor. Both bind ATP but, in spite of structural similarity, are only 20% identical in sequence.24 They... 

The eukaryotes these include animals, plants, fungi and protozoa, the DNA of which is enclosed in a membrane-enclosed organelle (the cell nucleus). They have a cytoskeleton (a fine membrane-like network in the interior of the cell, which provides stability) and contain mitochondria. Higher plants, as well as algae, are equipped with chloroplasts for photosynthesis. 

Fig. 10.10 Differences in the membrane lipids between eukaryotes (including eubacteria) and the archaea. The main components of the membrane in the eukaryotes are fatty acid glycerine esters, while in archaea, the membranes contain mainly di- (or other) ethers of glycerine with phytanol residues...

The eukaryotes developed from archaea-like precursors. 

According to the endosymbiotic hypothesis, the eukaryotes used genes from both bacteria (alpha-protobacteria) and cyanobacteria. The first led to the development of mitochondria, the second to that of chloroplasts, i.e., cell organelles which are highly important for energy production (ATP synthesis) and photosynthesis. 

Fig. 10.11 The modified tree of life still has the usual tree-like structure and also confirms that the eukaryotes originally took over mitochondria and chloroplasts from bacteria. It does, however, also show a network of links between the branches. The many interconnections indicate a frequent transfer of genes between unicellular organisms. The modified tree of life is not derived, as had previously been assumed, from a single cell (the hypothetical primeval cell ). Instead, the three main kingdoms are more likely to have developed from a community of primitive cells with different genomes (Doolittle, 2000)...

Additional Distributions of Elements in Unicellular Eukaryote Compartments the Eukaryote Metallome and the Advantages of Compartmentalised... 

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