Arginine, scurvy and Cartier's "tree of life"

Several conifers have been considered as candidates for "Annedda", which was the source for a miraculous cure for scurvy in Jacques Cartier's critically ill crew in 1536. Vitamin C was responsible for the cure of scurvy and was obtained as an Iroquois decoction from the bark and leaves from this "tree of life", now commonly referred to as arborvitae. Based on seasonal and diurnal amino acid analyses of candidate "trees of life", high levels of arginine, proline, and guanidino compounds were also probably present in decoctions prepared in the severe winter

Salmine and the homeotic integrity of early embryos of Norway spruce

Salmine, an arginine-rich protamine, is explored for its concentration-dependent potential to restructure the genome and remodel the homeotic development of Norway spruce embryos expressing monozygotic cleavage polyembryony (MCP). In controls and at low salmine, two protein fractions on SDS-PAGE gels were associated with cells responsible for generating the basal plan for early embryogenesis. With high salmine, embryonal initials no longer differentiated into embryonal tubes. Embryos having embryonal tubes no longer enucleated and differentiated into embryonal suspensors. Biomass and amino acid N declined. Nuclear and cytoplasmic organization was disrupted and nucleoli were highly vacuolated. The transcription of the two protein fractions, PCNA (cyclin) activity and MCP were blocked. Cellular proteins were turned over by proteasomal ubiquitination and others released into the culture medium. Biomass loss and gluconeogenesis of amino acids led to the accumulation of free arginine N. No evidence was obtained with salmine for the remodeling of cells into gametes.Сальмин, богатый аргинином протамин, вовлечен в реструктуризацию генома и изменение гомеозисного развития зародышей ели обыкновенной, проявляющих монозиготную расщепленную полиэмбрионию благодаря его зависимому от концентрации потенциалу. В контрольных экспериментах и при низкой кон центрации сальмина с помощью гель-электрофореза в присутствии додецилсульфата натрия обнаружено, что две белковые фракции ассоциированы с клетками, ответственными за развитие самых начальных этапов раннего эмбриогенеза. При высоких концентрациях сальмина эмбриональные инициалии не дифференцировались в эмбриональные трубки. Зародыши, имеющие эмбриональные трубки, не теряли ядро и дифференцировались в эмбриональные суспензоры. Биомасса и содержание аминокислотного азота при этом уменьшались. Ядерная и цитоплазматическая организация нарушались, а ядрышки были сильно вакуолизированы. Транскрипция двух белковых фракций, активность циклина PCNA и монозиготная расщепленная полиэмбриония блокировались. Часть клеточных белков посттрансляционно убихитинилировалась, а часть выделялась в культуральную среду. Потеря биомассы и глюконеогенез аминокислот приводили к накоплению свободного аргинина. Не получено доказательств участия сальмина в ремоделировании клеток в гаметы.Сальмін, багатий аргініном проталін, залучений в реструктуризацію геному та зміни гомеозисного розвитку зародків ялини звичайної, що проявляють монозиготну розщеплену поліембріонію завдяки його залежному від концентрації потенціалу. В контрольних експериментах і при низькій концентрації сальміну за допомогою гель-електрофорезу у присутності додецилсульфату натрію виявлено, що дві білкові фракції асоційовані з клітинами, що відповідають за розвиток початкових етапів раннього ембріогенезу. При високих концентраціях сальміну ембріональні ініціалії не диференціювались в ембріональні трубки. Зародки, що мали ембріональні трубки, не губили ядро і диференціювались в ембріональні суспензори. Біомаса та вміст амінокислотного азоту при цьому знижувались. Ядерна та цитоплазматична організація порушувались, а ядерця були сильно вакуолізовані. Транскрипція двох білкових фракцій, активність цикліну PCNA та монозиготна розщеплена поліембріонія блокувались. Частина клітинних білків посттрансляційно убіхітинувалась, а частина виділялась в культуральне середовище. Втрата біомаси та глюконеогенез амінокислот приводили до накопичення вільного аргініну. Не одержано доказів участі сальміну в ремоделюванні клітин у гамети

Arginine, scurvy and Cartier's "tree of life".

Several conifers have been considered as candidates for "Annedda", which was the source for a miraculous cure for scurvy in Jacques Cartier's critically ill crew in 1536. Vitamin C was responsible for the cure of scurvy and was obtained as an Iroquois decoction from the bark and leaves from this "tree of life", now commonly referred to as arborvitae. Based on seasonal and diurnal amino acid analyses of candidate "trees of life", high levels of arginine, proline, and guanidino compounds were also probably present in decoctions prepared in the severe winter. The semi-essential arginine, proline and all the essential amino acids, would have provided additional nutritional benefits for the rapid recovery from scurvy by vitamin C when food supply was limited. The value of arginine, especially in the recovery of the critically ill sailors, is postulated as a source of nitric oxide, and the arginine-derived guanidino compounds as controlling factors for the activities of different nitric oxide synthases. This review provides further insights into the use of the candidate "trees of life" by indigenous peoples in eastern Canada. It raises hypotheses on the nutritional and synergistic roles of arginine, its metabolites, and other biofactors complementing the role of vitamin C especially in treating Cartier's critically ill sailors

Transamidination of [1-14C]-guanidinoacetic acid to 14C-glycine and decarboxylation to 14CO2 in white spruce shoot primordia entering winter dormancy

Feeding [1-14C]-guanidinoacetic acid to shoot primordia, O2 uptake was inhibited and major products were 14C-glycine, 14CO2 and 14C-serine. The direct decarboxylation of [1-14C]-guanidinoacetic acid to 14CO2 and N-methylguanidine, the methylation of [1-14C]-guanidinoacetic acid to 14C-creatine, and the lytic cleavage to urea and 14C-glycine were all ruled out. Enzymatic transamidinations of [1-14C]-guanidinoacetic acid with amino acid acceptors occurred as arginine-rich storage proteins were being turned over and new proteins synthesized containing 14C-glycine and 14C-serine. The products of transamidination were recycled as substrates until 14C-glycine was metabolized in different directions and transported to mitochondria and peroxisomes. 14C-Glycine was decarboxylated by a glycine decarboxylase multienzyme complex resulting in a net carbon loss and a sharp decline in total protein rich in arginine N. Under these conditions, unlabelled arginine and ornithine contributed as substrates for reversible transamidination reactions. Peroxisomes and mitochondria are hypothesized as providing arginine-derived nitric oxide to maintain redox homeostasis in response to the stresses imposed by [1-14C]-guanidinoacetic acid and to protect against the inhibitory activity of sulfhydryls on transamidinase activity. The destruction of a respiratory inhibitor by transamidination may comprise a mechanism associated with the awakening from of dormancy and the mobilization of storage protein reserves in conifers