The cysteine-free single mutant C32S of APEX2 is a highly expressed and active fusion tag for proximity labeling applications

APEX2, an engineered ascorbate peroxidase for high activity, is a powerful tool for proximity labeling applications. Owing to its lack of disulfides and the calcium-independent activity, APEX2 can be applied intracellularly for targeted electron microscopy imaging or interactome mapping when fusing to a protein of interest. However, APEX2 fusion is often deleterious to the protein expression, which seriously hampers its wide utility. This problem is especially compelling when APEX2 is fused to structurally delicate proteins, such as multi-pass membrane proteins. In this study, we found that a cysteine-free single mutant C32S of APEX2 dramatically improved the expression of fusion proteins in mammalian cells without compromising the enzyme activity. We fused APEX2 and APEX2^C32S to four multi-transmembrane solute carriers (SLCs), SLC1A5, SLC6A5, SLC6A14, and SLC7A1, and compared their expressions in stable HEK293T cell lines. Except the SLC6A5 fusions expressing at decent levels for both APEX2 (70%) and APEX2^C32S (73%), other three SLC proteins showed significantly better expression when fusing to APEX2^C32S (69 ± 13%) than APEX2 (29 ± 15%). Immunofluorescence and western blot experiments showed correct plasma membrane localization and strong proximity labeling efficiency in all four SLC-APEX2^C32S cells. Enzyme kinetic experiments revealed that APEX2 and APEX2^C32S have comparable activities in terms of oxidizing guaiacol. Overall, we believe APEX2^C32S is a superior fusion tag to APEX2 for proximity labeling applications, especially when mismatched disulfide bonding or poor expression is a concern.

Genome-Wide Analysis of ROS Antioxidant Genes in Resurrection Species Suggest an Involvement of Distinct ROS Detoxification Systems during Desiccation

Abiotic stress is one of the major threats to plant crop yield and productivity. When plants are exposed to stress, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases, which could lead to extensive cellular damage and hence crop loss. During evolution, plants have acquired antioxidant defense systems which can not only detoxify ROS but also adjust ROS levels required for proper cell signaling. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) are crucial enzymes involved in ROS detoxification. In this study, 40 putative APX, 28 GPX, 16 CAT, and 41 SOD genes were identified from genomes of the resurrection species Boea hygrometrica, Selaginella lepidophylla, Xerophyta viscosa, and Oropetium thomaeum, and the mesophile Selaginellamoellendorffii. Phylogenetic analyses classified the APX, GPX, and SOD proteins into five clades each, and CAT proteins into three clades. Using co-expression network analysis, various regulatory modules were discovered, mainly involving glutathione, that likely work together to maintain ROS homeostasis upon desiccation stress in resurrection species. These regulatory modules also support the existence of species-specific ROS detoxification systems. The results suggest molecular pathways that regulate ROS in resurrection species and the role of APX, GPX, CAT and SOD genes in resurrection species during stress.

Impairment of peroxisomal APX and CAT activities increases protection of photosynthesis under oxidative stress

Retrograde signalling pathways that are triggered by changes in cellular redox homeostasis remain poorly understood. Transformed rice plants that are deficient in peroxisomal ascorbate peroxidase APX4 (OsAPX4-RNAi) are known to exhibit more effective protection of photosynthesis against oxidative stress than controls when catalase (CAT) is inhibited, but the mechanisms involved have not been characterized. An in-depth physiological and proteomics analysis was therefore performed on OsAPX4-RNAi CAT-inhibited rice plants. Loss of APX4 function led to an increased abundance of several proteins that are involved in essential metabolic pathways, possibly as a result of increased tissue H2O2 levels. Higher photosynthetic activities observed in the OsAPX4-RNAi plants under CAT inhibition were accompanied by higher levels of Rubisco, higher maximum rates of Rubisco carboxylation, and increased photochemical efficiencies, together with large increases in photosynthesis-related proteins. Large increases were also observed in the levels of proteins involved in the ascorbate/glutathione cycle and in other antioxidant-related pathways, and these changes may be important in the protection of photosynthesis in the OsAPX4-RNAi plants. Large increases in the abundance of proteins localized in the nuclei and mitochondria were also observed, together with increased levels of proteins involved in important cellular pathways, particularly protein translation. Taken together, the results show that OsAPX4-RNAi plants exhibit significant metabolic reprogramming, which incorporates a more effective antioxidant response to protect photosynthesis under conditions of impaired CAT activity.

Differential antioxidant enzyme activity in rapid-response glyphosate-resistant Ambrosia trifida

BACKGROUND

The giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) rapid-response (RR) biotype exhibits a sacrificial form of glyphosate resistance whereby an oxidative burst in mature leaves results in foliage loss, while juvenile leaves remain uninjured. This work investigated the safening capacity of antioxidant enzymes in RR juvenile leaves following glyphosate treatment and examined cross tolerance to paraquat.

RESULTS

Basal antioxidant enzyme activities were similar between glyphosate-susceptible (GS) and RR biotypes. Lipid peroxidation was first detected in RR mature leaves at 8 h after treatment (HAT) and by 32 HAT was 5.3 and 21.1 times greater than that in RR juvenile leaves and GS leaves, respectively. Preceding lipid peroxidation in the RR biotype at 2 and 4 HAT, the only increase in enzymatic activity was observed in ascorbate-glutathione cycle enzymes in RR juvenile leaves, particularly ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase. Sensitivity to paraquat was similar between biotypes.

CONCLUSION

The RR biotype is not inherently more tolerant to oxidative stress. The difference in tissue damage between RR juvenile and mature leaves following glyphosate treatment is attributable at least partially to the transient increase in antioxidant enzyme expression in juvenile leaves (0-8 HAT), but may also be attributable to lower overall RR induction in juvenile leaves compared with mature leaves. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ascorbate peroxidase proximity labeling coupled with biochemical fractionation identifies promoters of endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial contacts

To maintain cellular homeostasis, subcellular organelles communicate with each other and form physical and functional networks through membrane contact sites coupled by protein tethers. In particular, endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondrial contacts (EMC) regulate diverse cellular activities such as metabolite exchange (Ca2+ and lipids), intracellular signaling, apoptosis, and autophagy. The significance of EMCs has been highlighted by reports indicating that EMC dysregulation is linked to neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, obtaining a better understanding of the physical and functional components of EMCs should provide new insights into the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we applied engineered ascorbate peroxidase (APEX) to map the proteome at EMCs in live HEK293 cells. APEX was targeted to the outer mitochondrial membrane, and proximity-labeled proteins were analyzed by stable isotope labeling with amino acids in culture (SILAC)-LC/MS-MS. We further refined the specificity of the proteins identified by combining biochemical subcellular fractionation to the protein isolation method. We identified 405 proteins with a 2.0-fold cutoff ratio (log base 2) in SILAC quantification from replicate experiments. We performed validation screening with a Split-Rluc8 complementation assay that identified reticulon 1A (RTN1A), an ER-shaping protein localized to EMCs as an EMC promoter. Proximity mapping augmented with biochemical fractionation and additional validation methods reported here could be useful to discover other components of EMCs, identify mitochondrial contacts with other organelles, and further unravel their communication.

In Vitro Evaluation of Antileishmanial Activity of Computationally Screened Compounds against Ascorbate Peroxidase To Combat Amphotericin B Drug Resistance

In visceral leishmaniasis (VL), the host macrophages generate oxidative stress to destroy the pathogen, while Leishmania combats the harmful effect of radicals by redox homeostasis through its unique trypanothione cascade. Leishmania donovani ascorbate peroxidase (LdAPx) is a redox enzyme that regulates the trypanothione cascade and detoxifies the effect of H₂O₂ The absence of an LdAPx homologue in humans makes it an excellent drug target. In this study, the homology model of LdAPx was built, including heme, and diverse compounds were prefiltered (PAINS, ADMET, and Lipinski's rule of five) and thereafter screened against the LdAPx model. Compounds having good affinity in terms of the Glide XP (extra precision) score were clustered to select diverse compounds for experimental validation. A total of 26 cluster representatives were procured and tested on promastigote culture, yielding 12 compounds with good antileishmanial activity. Out of them, six compounds were safer on the BALB/c peritoneal macrophages and were also effective against disease-causing intracellular amastigotes. Three out of six compounds inhibited recombinant LdAPx in a noncompetitive manner and also demonstrated partial reversion of the resistance property in an amphotericin B (AmB)-resistant strain, which may be due to an increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decrease of glutathione (GSH) content. However, inhibition of LdAPx in resistant parasites enhanced annexin V staining and activation of metacaspase-like protease activity, which may help in DNA fragmentation and apoptosis-like cell death. Thus, the present study will help in the search for specific hits and templates of potential therapeutic interest and therefore may facilitate the development of new drugs for combination therapy against VL.

Ascorbic acid accumulates as a defense response to Turnip mosaic virus in resistant Brassica rapa cultivars

We initially observed that Brassica rapa cultivars containing the Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) resistance gene, Rnt1-1, accumulated a high level of endogenous ascorbic acid (AS) and dehydroascobic acid (DHA) when infected with TuMV. We here hypothesized a possible contribution of an elevated level of AS+DHA (TAA) to the Rnt1-1-mediated resistance, and conducted a series of experiments using B. rapa and Arabidopsis plants. The application of l-galactose (the key substrate in AS synthesis) to a susceptible cultivar could increase the TAA level ~2-fold, and simultaneously lead to some degree of enhanced viral resistance. To confirm some positive correlation between TAA levels and viral resistance, we analyzed two Arabidopsis knockout mutants (ao and vtc1) in the AS pathways; the TAA levels were significantly increased and decreased in ao and vtc1 plants, respectively. While the ao plants showed enhanced resistance to TuMV, vtc1 plants were more susceptible than the control, supporting our hypothesis. When we analyzed the expression profiles of the genes involved in the AS pathways upon TuMV infection, we found that the observed TAA increase was mainly brought about by the reduction of AS oxidation and activation of AS recycling. We then investigated the secondary signals that regulate endogenous TAA levels in response to viral infection, and found that jasmonic acid (JA) might play an important role in TAA accumulation. In conclusion, we reason that the elevated TAA accumulation in B. rapa plants would be at least partly mediated by the JA-dependent signaling pathway and may significantly contribute to viral resistance.

Proximity-dependent biotin labelling in yeast using the engineered ascorbate peroxidase APEX2

The engineered ascorbate peroxidase (APEX2) has been effectively employed in mammalian cells to identify protein-protein interactions. APEX2 fused to a protein of interest covalently tags nearby proteins with biotin-phenol (BP) when H2O2 is added to the cell culture medium. Subsequent affinity purification of biotinylated proteins allows for identification by MS. BP labelling occurs in 1 min, providing temporal control of labelling. The APEX2 tool enables proteomic mapping of subcellular compartments as well as identification of dynamic protein complexes, and has emerged as a new methodology for proteomic analysis. Despite these advantages, a related APEX2 approach has not been developed for yeast. Here we report methods to enable APEX2-mediated biotin labelling in yeast. Our work demonstrated that high osmolarity and disruption of cell wall integrity permits live-cell biotin labelling in Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Saccharomyces cerevisiae respectively. Under these conditions, APEX2 permitted targeted and proximity-dependent labelling of proteins. The methods described herein set the stage for large-scale proteomic studies in yeast. With modifications, the method is also expected to be effective in other organisms with cell walls, such as bacteria and plants.

Coordinated Changes in Antioxidative Enzymes Protect the Photosynthetic Machinery from Salinity Induced Oxidative Damage and Confer Salt Tolerance in an Extreme Halophyte Salvadora persica L

Salinity-induced modulations in growth, photosynthetic pigments, relative water content (RWC), lipid peroxidation, photosynthesis, photosystem II efficiency, and changes in activity of various antioxidative enzymes were studied in the halophyte Salvadora persica treated with various levels of salinity (0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mM NaCl) to obtain an insight into the salt tolerance ability of this halophyte. Both fresh and dry biomass as well as leaf area (LA) declined at all levels of salinity whereas salinity caused an increase in leaf succulence. A gradual increase was observed in the Na(+) content of leaf with increasing salt concentration up to 750 mM NaCl, but at higher salt concentration (1000 mM NaCl), the Na(+) content surprisingly dropped down to the level of 250 mM NaCl. The chlorophyll and carotenoid contents of the leaf remained unaffected by salinity. The photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), the transpiration rate (E), quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII), photochemical quenching (qP), and electron transport rate remained unchanged at low salinity (250 to 500 mM NaCl) whereas, significant reduction in these parameters were observed at high salinity (750 to 1000 mM NaCl). The RWC% and water use efficiency (WUE) of leaf remained unaffected by salinity. The salinity had no effect on maximum quantum efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm) which indicates that PS II is not perturbed by salinity-induced oxidative damage. Analysis of the isoforms of antioxidative enzymes revealed that the leaves of S. persica have two isoforms each of Mn-SOD and Fe-SOD and one isoform of Cu-Zn SOD, three isoforms of POX, two isoforms of APX and one isoform of CAT. There was differential responses in activity and expression of different isoforms of various antioxidative enzymes. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content (a product of lipid peroxidation) of leaf remained unchanged in S. persica treated with various levels of salinity. Our results suggest that the absence of pigment degradation, the reduction of water loss, and the maintenance of WUE and protection of PSII from salinity-induced oxidative damage by the coordinated changes in antioxidative enzymes are important factors responsible for salt tolerance of S. persica.

Peroxisomal APX knockdown triggers antioxidant mechanisms favourable for coping with high photorespiratory H2 O2 induced by CAT deficiency in rice

The physiological role of peroxisomal ascorbate peroxidases (pAPX) is unknown; therefore, we utilized pAPX4 knockdown rice and catalase (CAT) inhibition to assess its role in CAT compensation under high photorespiration. pAPX4 knockdown induced co-suppression in the expression of pAPX3. The rice mutants exhibited metabolic changes such as lower CAT and glycolate oxidase (GO) activities and reduced glyoxylate content; however, APX activity was not altered. CAT inhibition triggered different changes in the expression of CAT, APX and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) isoforms between non-transformed (NT) and silenced plants. These responses were associated with alterations in APX, GPX and GO activities, suggesting redox homeostasis differences. The glutathione oxidation-reduction states were modulated differently in mutants, and the ascorbate redox state was greatly affected in both genotypes. The pAPX suffered less oxidative stress and photosystem II (PSII) damage and displayed higher photosynthesis than the NT plants. The improved acclimation exhibited by the pAPX plants was indicated by lower H2 O2 accumulation, which was associated with lower GO activity and glyoxylate content. The suppression of both pAPXs and/or its downstream metabolic and molecular effects may trigger favourable antioxidant and compensatory mechanisms to cope with CAT deficiency. This physiological acclimation may involve signalling by peroxisomal H2 O2 , which minimized the photorespiration.

Dehydroascorbate: a possible surveillance molecule of oxidative stress and programmed cell death in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii tolerates relatively high H2 O2 levels that induce an array of antioxidant activities. However, rather than rendering the cells more resistant to oxidative stress, the cells become far more sensitive to an additional H2 O2 dose. If H2 O2 is provided 1.5-9 h after an initial dose, it induces programmed cell death (PCD) in the wild-type, but not in the dum1 mutant impaired in the mitochondrial respiratory complex III. This mutant does not exhibit a secondary oxidative burst 4-5 h after the inducing H2 O2 , nor does it activate metacaspase-1 after the second H2 O2 treatment. The intracellular dehydroascorbate level, a product of ascorbate peroxidase, increases under conditions leading to PCD. The addition of dehydroascorbate induces PCD in the wild-type and dum1 cultures, but higher levels are required in dum1 cells, where it is metabolized faster. The application of dehydroascorbate induces the expression of metacaspase-2, which is much stronger than the expression of metacaspase-1. The presence or absence of oxidative stress, in addition to the rise in internal dehydroascorbate, may determine which metacaspase is activated during Chlamydomonas PCD. Cell death is strongly affected by the timing of H2 O2 or dehydroascorbate admission to synchronously grown cultures, suggesting that the cell cycle phase may distinguish cells that perish from those that do not.

Melia azedarach plants show tolerance properties to water shortage treatment: an ecophysiological study

Candidate species for reforestation of areas prone to drought must combine water stress (WS) tolerance and economic or medicinal interest. Melia azedarach produces high quality timber and has insecticidal and medicinal properties. However, the impact of WS on M. azedarach has not yet been studied. Two-month old M. azedarach plants were exposed to WS during 20 days. After this period, plant's growth, water potential, photosynthetic performance and antioxidant capacity were evaluated. WS did not affect plants' growth, but induced stomatal closure, reduced net CO₂ assimilation rate (A) and the intercellular CO₂ availability in mesophyll (C(i)). WS also reduced the photosynthetic efficiency of PSII but not the pigment levels. WS up-regulated the antioxidant enzymes and stimulated the production of antioxidant metabolites, preventing lipid peroxidation. Therefore, despite some repression of photosynthetic parameters by WS, they did not compromise plant growth, and plants increased their antioxidant capacity. Our data demonstrate that M. azedarach juvenile plants have the potential to acclimate to water shortage conditions, opening new perspectives to the use of this species in reforestation/afforestation programs of drought prone areas.

Enhanced expression of EsWAX1 improves drought tolerance with increased accumulation of cuticular wax and ascorbic acid in transgenic Arabidopsis

Drought can activate several stress responses in plants, such as stomatal closure, accumulation of cuticular wax and ascorbic acid (AsA), which have been correlated with improvement of drought tolerance. In this study, a novel MYB gene, designed as EsWAX1, was isolated and characterized from Eutrema salsugineum. EsWAX1 contained a full-length open reading frame (ORF) of 1068 bp, which encoding 355 amino acids. Transcript levels of EsWAX1 were quickly inducible by drought stress and ABA treatment, indicating that EsWAX1 may act as a positive regulator in response to drought stress. Ectopic expression of EsWAX1 increased accumulation of cuticular wax via modulating the expression of several wax-related genes, such as CER1, KCS2 and KCR1. Scanning electron microscopy further revealed higher densities of wax crystalline structures on the adaxial surfaces of leaves in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. In addition, the expression of several AsA biosynthetic genes (VTC1, GLDH and MIOX4) was significantly up-regulated in EsWAX1-overexpressing lines and these transgenic plants have approximately 23-27% more total AsA content than WT plants. However, the high-level expression of EsWAX1 severely disrupted plant normal growth and development. To reduce negative effects of EsWAX1 over-expression on plant growth, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing EsWAX1 driven by the stress-inducible RD29A promoter. Our data indicated the RD29A::EsWAX1 transgenic plants had greater tolerance to drought stress than wild-type plants. Taken together, the EsWAX1 gene is a potential regulator that may be utilized to improve plant drought tolerance by genetic manipulation.

Manipulation of monoubiquitin improves chilling tolerance in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Ubiquitin (Ub) is a multifunctional protein that mainly functions to tag proteins for selective degradation by the 26S proteasome. We cloned an Ub gene TaUb2 from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) previously. To study the function of TaUB2 in chilling stress, sense and antisense Ub transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.), as well as wild type (WT) and vector control β-glucuronidase (T-GUS) plants, were used. Under stress, leaf wilting in sense plants was significantly less than in controls, but more severe in antisense plants. Meanwhile, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) in sense plants were greater than controls, but lower in antisense plants during chilling stress and recovery. Less wilting in sense plants resulted from improved water status, which may be related to the accumulation of proline and solute sugar. Furthermore, as indicated by electrolyte leakage, membrane damage under stress was less in sense plants and more severe in antisense plants than controls. Consistent with electrolyte leakage, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was less in sense plants, but more in antisense plants compared to controls. Meanwhile, the less accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the greater antioxidant enzyme activity in sense plants implied the improved antioxidant competence by the overexpression of monoubiquitin gene Ta-Ub2 from wheat. We suggest that overexpressing Ub is a useful strategy to promote chilling tolerance. The improvement of ROS scavenging may be an important mechanism underlying the role of Ub in promoting plants tolerant to chilling stress.

Reduced mitochondrial and ascorbate-glutathione activity after artificial ageing in soybean seed

The effect of artificial ageing on the relationship between mitochondrial activities and the antioxidant system was studied in soybean seeds (Glycine max L. cv. Zhongdou No. 27). Ageing seeds for 18d and 41d at 40°C reduced germination from 99% to 52% and 0%, respectively. In comparison to the control, malondialdehyde content and leachate conductivity in aged seeds increased and were associated with membrane damage. Transmission electron microscopy and Percoll density gradient centrifugation showed that aged seeds mainly contained poorly developed mitochondria in which respiration and marker enzymes activities were significantly reduced. Heavy mitochondria isolated from the interface of the 21% and 40% Percoll were analyzed. Mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes activities including superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase were significantly reduced in aged seeds. A decrease in total ascorbic acid (ASC) and glutathione (GSH) content as well as the reduced/oxidized ratio of ASC and GSH in mitochondria with prolonged ageing showed that artificial ageing reduced ASC-GSH cycle activity. These results suggested an elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the aged seeds, which was confirmed by measurements of superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide levels. We conclude that mitochondrial dysfunction in artificially aged seeds is due to retarded mitochondrial and ASC-GSH cycle activity and elevated ROS accumulation.

Hydrogen sulfide delays GA-triggered programmed cell death in wheat aleurone layers by the modulation of glutathione homeostasis and heme oxygenase-1 expression

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is considered as a cellular signaling intermediate in higher plants, but corresponding molecular mechanisms and signal transduction pathways in plant biology are still limited. In the present study, a combination of pharmacological and biochemical approaches was used to study the effect of H2S on the alleviation of GA-induced programmed cell death (PCD) in wheat aleurone cells. The results showed that in contrast with the responses of ABA, GA brought about a gradual decrease of l-cysteine desulfhydrase (LCD) activity and H2S production, and thereafter PCD occurred. Exogenous H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) not only effectively blocked the decrease of endogenous H2S release, but also alleviated GA-triggered PCD in wheat aleurone cells. These responses were sensitive to hypotaurine (HT), a H2S scavenger, suggesting that this effect of NaHS was in an H2S-dependent fashion. Further experiment confirmed that H2S, rather than other sodium- or sulphur-containing compounds derived from the decomposing of NaHS, was attributed to the rescuing response. Importantly, the reversing effect was associated with glutathione (GSH) because the NaHS triggered increases of endogenous GSH content and the ratio of GSH/oxidized GSH (GSSG) in GA-treated layers, and the NaHS-mediated alleviation of PCD was markedly eliminated by l-buthionine-sulfoximine (BSO, a selective inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis). The inducible effect of NaHS was also ascribed to the modulation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), because the specific inhibitor of HO-1 zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP) significantly suppressed the NaHS-related responses. By contrast, the above inhibitory effects were reversed partially when carbon monoxide (CO) aqueous solution or bilirubin (BR), two of the by-products of HO-1, was added, respectively. NaHS-triggered HO-1 gene expression in GA-treated layers was also confirmed. Together, the above results clearly suggested that the H2S-delayed PCD in GA-treated wheat aleurone cells was associated with the modulation of GSH homeostasis and HO-1 gene expression.

Combating photooxidative stress in green hairy roots of Daucus carota cultivated under light irradiation

The light-dependent generation of active oxygen species, which can disrupt normal metabolic process of plant, is termed as photo-oxidative stress. Plants are equipped with enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative defence system to reduce the effect of such stress. Hairy root culture of Daucus carota when cultivated under continuous illumination (250 μmol m(-2)s(-1)) turned green. To know the reason behind that and photo-oxidative stress response in green hairy roots, activities of several antioxidant enzymes were measured. When compared with normal hairy roots, green hairy roots showed an enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Treatment with a SOD inhibitor diethyldithiocarbamate led to suppression of SOD activity in a concentration-dependent manner in green hairy roots. Interestingly, SOD-suppressed root showed three-fold enhanced caffeic acid glucoside accumulation in the soluble fraction as compared to untreated ones. While ascorbate peroxidase activity showed marginal increase in green hairy roots, a decrease in the activities of guaiacol peroxidase and catalase were observed. SDS-PAGE of crude protein profile from green hairy roots showed a distinct band, which was absent in normal hairy roots. MALDI-TOF-MS/MS analysis of the extracted protein confirmed it as the large subunit of RuBisCO. RT-PCR based expression analysis of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase showed enhanced transcript levels in green hairy roots as compared to normal hairy roots, whereas reverse trends were observed with the transcripts accumulation for phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase. These findings corroborate with the in vitro BADH activities in hairy roots, and thus indicate an important role of this stress enzyme in combating photo-oxidative stress in green hairy roots upon continuous light exposure.

Reduced mitochondrial and ascorbate-glutathione activity after artificial ageing in soybean seed

The effect of artificial ageing on the relationship between mitochondrial activities and the antioxidant system was studied in soybean seeds (Glycine max L. cv. Zhongdou No. 27). Ageing seeds for 18d and 41d at 40°C reduced germination from 99% to 52% and 0%, respectively. In comparison to the control, malondialdehyde content and leachate conductivity in aged seeds increased and were associated with membrane damage. Transmission electron microscopy and Percoll density gradient centrifugation showed that aged seeds mainly contained poorly developed mitochondria in which respiration and marker enzymes activities were significantly reduced. Heavy mitochondria isolated from the interface of the 21% and 40% Percoll were analyzed. Mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes activities including superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and dehydroascorbate reductase were significantly reduced in aged seeds. A decrease in total ascorbic acid (ASC) and glutathione (GSH) content as well as the reduced/oxidized ratio of ASC and GSH in mitochondria with prolonged ageing showed that artificial ageing reduced ASC-GSH cycle activity. These results suggested an elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the aged seeds, which was confirmed by measurements of superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide levels. We conclude that mitochondrial dysfunction in artificially aged seeds is due to retarded mitochondrial and ASC-GSH cycle activity and elevated ROS accumulation.

The knockdown of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidases reveals its regulatory role in the photosynthesis and protection under photo-oxidative stress in rice

The inactivation of the chloroplast ascorbate peroxidases (chlAPXs) has been thought to limit the efficiency of the water-water cycle and photo-oxidative protection under stress conditions. In this study, we have generated double knockdown rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants in both OsAPX7 (sAPX) and OsAPX8 (tAPX) genes, which encode chloroplastic APXs (chlAPXs). By employing an integrated approach involving gene expression, proteomics, biochemical and physiological analyses of photosynthesis, we have assessed the role of chlAPXs in the regulation of the protection of the photosystem II (PSII) activity and CO2 assimilation in rice plants exposed to high light (HL) and methyl violagen (MV). The chlAPX knockdown plants were affected more severely than the non-transformed (NT) plants in the activity and structure of PSII and CO2 assimilation in the presence of MV. Although MV induced significant increases in pigment content in the knockdown plants, the increases were apparently not sufficient for protection. Treatment with HL also caused generalized damage in PSII in both types of plants. The knockdown and NT plants exhibited differences in photosynthetic parameters related to efficiency of utilization of light and CO2. The knockdown plants overexpressed other antioxidant enzymes in response to the stresses and increased the GPX activity in the chloroplast-enriched fraction. Our data suggest that a partial deficiency of chlAPX expression modulate the PSII activity and integrity, reflecting the overall photosynthesis when rice plants are subjected to acute oxidative stress. However, under normal growth conditions, the knockdown plants exhibit normal phenotype, biochemical and physiological performance.

ZmMKK1, a novel group A mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase gene in maize, conferred chilling stress tolerance and was involved in pathogen defense in transgenic tobacco

As an important intracellular signaling module, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades have been previously implicated in signal transduction during plants responsing to various environmental stresses as well as pathogen attack. The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase acts as the convergent point of MAPK cascades during a variety of stress signaling. In this study, a novel MAPKK gene, ZmMKK1, in maize (Zea mays L.) belonging to group A MAPKK was isolated and functionally characterized. ZmMKK1 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm and its constitutive kinase-active form ZmMKK1DD was localized in both cytoplasm and nucleus. QRT-PCR analysis uncovered that ZmMKK1 expression was triggered by abiotic and biotic stresses and exogenous signaling molecules. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and Ca(2+) mediated 12°C-induced up-regulated expressing of ZmMKK1 at mRNA level. Ectopic expression of ZmMKK1 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) conferred tolerance to chilling stress by higher antioxidant enzyme activities, more accumulation of osmoregulatory substances and more significantly up-expression of ROS-related and stress-responsive genes compared with empty vector control plants. Furthermore, ZmMKK1 played differential functions in biotrophic versus necrotrophic pathogen-induced responses. These results suggested ZmMKK1 played a crucial role in chilling stress and pathogen defense in plants.

Hydrogen peroxide regulated photosynthesis in C4-pepc transgenic rice

In this study, we investigated the photosynthetic physiological basis in 'PC' transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.), showing high-level expression of the gene encoding C4 phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (pepc), by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The C4-PEPC gene (pepc) from maize in the transgenic rice plants was checked by PCR. Comparison of yield components and photosynthetic indices between PC and untransformed wild-type (WT) plants indicated that increased yield in PC was associated with higher net photosynthetic rate and higher activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC). Both PC and WT plants were treated with 1 mmol L(-1) abscisic acid (ABA), 0.04% 1-butanol (BA), 2 mmol L(-1) neomycin (NS), or 2 mmol L(-1) diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI) to investigate the relationship between photosynthesis and levels of H2O2 and phosphatidic acid. In both PC and WT, ABA induced H2O2 generation and simultaneous decrease in stomatal conductance (g(s)). PC plants treated with BA showed decreased H2O2 content and strongly increased g(s) within 2 h of treatment. Similar results were observed in response to DPI treatment in PC. However, WT did not observe the decrease of H2O2 during the treatments of BA and DPI. The reduced H2O2 content in PC caused by BA treatment differed to that induced by DPI because BA did not inhibit NADPH oxidase activities. While BA induced a larger PEPC activity in PC, and higher catalase activity as well. These results indicated that the regulation of endogenous H2O2 metabolism of PC could be helpful for enhancing photosynthetic capability.

New cross talk between ROS, ABA and auxin controlling seed maturation and germination unraveled in APX6 deficient Arabidopsis seeds

Successful execution of germination program greatly depends on the seeds' oxidative homeostasis. We recently identified new roles for the H2O2-reducing enzyme ascorbate peroxidase 6 (APX6) in germination control and seeds' stress tolerance. APX6 replaces APX1 as the dominant APX in dry seeds, and its loss-of-function results in reduced germination due to over accumulation of ROS and oxidative damage. Metabolic analyses in dry apx6 seeds, revealed altered homeostasis of primary metabolites including accumulation of TCA cycle metabolites, ABA and auxin, supporting a novel role for APX6 in regulating cellular metabolism. Increased sensitivity of apx6 mutants to ABA or IAA in germination assays indicated impaired perception of these signals. Relative suppression of ABI3 and ABI5 expression, and induction of ABI4, suggested the activation of a signaling route inhibiting germination in apx6 seeds that is independent of ABI3. Here we provide additional evidence linking ABI4 with ABA- and auxin-controlled inhibition of germination and suggest a hypothetical model for the role of APX6 in the regulation of the crosstalk between these hormones and ROS.

Effect of copper on pro- and antioxidative reactions in radish (Raphanus sativus L.) in vitro and in vivo

The generation of superoxide radicals, lipid peroxidation (as measured by malone dialdehyde formation) and the activity of selected antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase) were assessed in radish (Raphanus sativus L.), in response to elevated concentrations of copper ions in the culture medium in vitro and in vivo. Experiments were performed on 7-day-old seedlings and 5-week-old calluses grown on media supplemented with CuSO4 in concentrations of 10, 100 and 1000μМ. The exposure to elevated Cu concentrations in the medium significantly reduced both callogenesis and the proliferation of radish calluses in vitro. Cu treatment resulted in the increased generation of the superoxide radical (O2(-)) in radish seedlings and calluses indicating the occurrence of oxidative stress in radish cells, whereas the level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) remained unchanged. Both in calluses and in radish seedlings in vivo, the relative level of oxidative stress was maximal at micromolar Cu concentrations and became attenuated with increasing Cu concentrations. Stronger oxidative stress occurred in the radish seedlings in vivo, compared with radish calluses in vitro. The observed lower sensitivity of calluses to Cu-induced oxidative stress and their ability to proliferate upon exposure to Cu concentrations of up to 1000μМ demonstrate the potential of in vitro cell-selection to obtain metal-tolerant radish plant lines.

A novel thylakoid ascorbate peroxidase from Jatrophacurcas enhances salt tolerance in transgenic tobacco

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) plays an important role in the metabolism of hydrogen peroxide in higher plants. In the present study, a novel APX gene (JctAPX) was cloned from Jatropha curcas L. The deduced amino acid sequence was similar to that of APX of some other plant species. JctAPX has a chloroplast transit peptide and was localized to the chloroplasts by analysis with a JctAPX-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis showed that JctAPX was constitutively expressed in different tissues from J. curcas and was upregulated by NaCl stress. To characterize its function in salt tolerance, the construct p35S: JctAPX was created and successfully introduced into tobacco by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Compared with wild type (WT), the transgenic plants exhibited no morphological abnormalities in the no-stress condition. However, under 200 mM NaCl treatment, JctAPX over-expressing plants showed increased tolerance to salt during seedling establishment and growth. In addition, the transgenic lines showed higher chlorophyll content and APX activity, which resulted in lower H2O2 content than WT when subjected to 400 mM NaCl stress. These results suggest that the increased APX activity in the chloroplasts from transformed plants increased salt tolerance by enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capacity under short-term NaCl stress conditions.

Characterization of the response of in vitro cultured Myrtus communis L. plants to high concentrations of NaCl

Effect of salt stress was examined in in vitro shoot cultures of Myrtus communis L. a species of the Mediterranean maquis. To determine the effects of high salt concentrations on myrtle plantlets and contribute toward understanding the mechanisms adopted from this species to counteract soil salinity, in vitro rooted shoots were transferred to a liquid culture medium containing 0, 125 or 250 mM NaCl for 30 days. After 15 and 30 days of in vitro culture, shoot and root growth, chlorosis and necrosis extension, chlorophylls, carotenoids, proline, arginine, cysteine and total sugars content, as well as guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD, EC 1.11.1.7) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) activities were determined. In treated plants shoot and root growth, as well as chlorophyll content, significantly decreased, while carotenoids content was not affected by the NaCl treatment. Among osmolytes, proline did not significantly increase, arginine and cysteine decreased, while total sugars were found to be higher in the treated plants than in the control. Enhancement of G-POD and APX activities was positively related to increasing salt concentrations in the culture media, regardless of the exposure time. Salt-treated plants did not show significant changes in lipid peroxidation or DNA fragmentation after 30 days salt treatment, regardless of the NaCl concentrations applied. The results represent a contribution towards understanding the mechanisms adopted by this species to high salinity.