The effects of freezing and desiccation of spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea L. cv Yates) on the thylakoid membranes were assessed using antibodies specific for thylakoid membrane proteins. The peripheral part of the chloroplast coupling factor ATPase (CF1) was used as a molecular marker for chemical membrane damage by chaotropic solutes. Plastocyanin, a soluble protein localized inside the clo...

A pathway for steryl ester biosynthesis in acetone powder preparations from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves has been elucidated; free sterol and 1,2-diglyceride were the substrates. Although animals synthesize cholesteryl esters by three distinct biosynthetic pathways, none of these pathways utilizes 1,2-diglyceride as an acyl donor. Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, triglyceride, 1...

Glycidate (2,3-epoxypropionate) increased CO(2) photoassimilation in intact spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts in the presence of various inhibitors of photosynthesis, including O(2), arsenite, azide, iodo-acetamide, and carbonylcyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone. Although the mechanism by which glycidate enhances photosynthesis is obscure, the stimulatory effect cannot be ascribed to eit...

We have isolated a protein, mature RRFHCP, from chloroplasts of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) that shows 46% sequence identity and 66% sequence homology with ribosome recycling factor (RRF) of Escherichia coli. RRF recycles ribosomes through disassembly of the posttermination complex. From the cDNA analysis and from the amino-terminal sequencing of the isolated protein, the mature RRFHCP was d...

We have identified a new minor chlorophyll a/b-protein complex in the thylakoid membranes of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), which migrates as a green band below CPII on mildly denaturing polyacrylamide gels. This complex, designated CP24, was isolated from octyl glucoside/sodium dodecyl sulfate solubilized spinach grana membrane fractions by preparative gel electrophoresis and has been charact...

Trypsin digestion of photosynthetic membranes isolated from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves eliminates the cation stimulation of chlorophyll fluorescence. High concentrations of cations protect the fluorescence yield against trypsin digestion, and the cation specificity for this protection closely resembles that required for the stimulation of fluorescence by cations. Trypsin digestion re...

Bergquist, S. 2006. Bioactive compounds in baby spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Effects of preand postharvest factors. Doctoral dissertation. ISSN 1652-6880, ISBN 91-576-7111-7. A high intake of fruit and vegetables is well known to have positive effects on human health, and has been correlated to a decreased risk of most degenerative diseases of ageing, such as cardiovascular disease, cataract...

Increased consumption of fresh vegetables that are high in polyphenols has been associated with a reduced risk of oxidative stress-induced disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant effects of spinach in vitro and in vivo in hyperlipidemic rats. For measurement of in vitro antioxidant activity, spinach was subjected to hot water extraction (WE) or ethanol extraction (EE) and e...

The distribution of (14)C in the various glucose residues of maltotriose was studied as a function of time of photosynthesis of isolated chloroplasts of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) using (14)CO(2). The distribution of label showed that the reducing-end glucose residue was labeled first and the label subsequently distributed to the second and third glucose residues at approximately equal rate...