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Luo C, Akhtar M, Min W, Bai X, Ma T, Liu C. Domain of unknown function (DUF) proteins in plants: function and perspective. PROTOPLASMA 2024; 261:397-410. [PMID: 38158398 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-023-01917-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Domains of unknown function (DUFs), which are deposited in the protein family database (Pfam), are protein domains with conserved amino acid sequences and uncharacterized functions. Proteins with the same DUF were classified as DUF families. Although DUF families are generally not essential for the survival of plants, they play roles in plant development and adaptation. Characterizing the functions of DUFs is important for deciphering biological puzzles. DUFs were generally studied through forward and reverse genetics. Some novelty approaches, especially the determination of crystal structures and interaction partners of the DUFs, should attract more attention. This review described the identification of DUF genes by genome-wide and transcriptome-wide analyses, summarized the function of DUF-containing proteins, and addressed the prospects for future studies in DUFs in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengke Luo
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China
| | - Maryam Akhtar
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China
| | - Weifang Min
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China
| | - Xiaorong Bai
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China
| | - Tianli Ma
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China
| | - Caixia Liu
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, China.
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2
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Nagasato D, Sugita Y, Tsuno Y, Tanaka R, Fukuda M, Matsuoka K. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchoring is required for the proper transport and extensive glycosylation of a classical arabinogalactan protein precursor in tobacco BY-2 cells. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2023; 87:991-1008. [PMID: 37348475 DOI: 10.1093/bbb/zbad081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Many precursors of plant arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) contain a C-terminal glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchoring signal. Using NtAGP1, a classical tobacco AGP, as a model, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) and sweet potato sporamin (SPO) as tags, we analyzed the localization and modification of AGP and its mutant without GPI-anchoring signal (AGPΔC) in tobacco BY-2 cells. The NtAGP1 fusion proteins migrated as large smear on SDS-polyacrylamide gel, and these proteins also localized preferentially to the plasma membrane. In contrast, fusions of AGPΔC with GFP and SPO yielded several forms: The largest were secreted, whereas others were recovered in the endomembrane organelles, including vacuoles. Comparison of the glycan structures of the microsomal SPO-AGP and the secreted SPO-AGPΔC using antibodies against the glycan epitopes of AGP indicated that the glycan structures of these proteins are different. These observations indicate that GPI-anchoring is required for the proper transport and glycosylation of the AGP precursor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiki Nagasato
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuto Sugita
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yuhei Tsuno
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | - Maki Fukuda
- School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ken Matsuoka
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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3
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Zhu Y, Yuan G, Wang Y, An G, Li W, Liu J, Sun D. Mapping and functional verification of leaf yellowing genes in watermelon during whole growth period. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1049114. [PMID: 36340411 PMCID: PMC9627507 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1049114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Increasing light energy utilization efficiency is an effective way to increase yield and improve quality of watermelon. Leaf is the main place for photosynthesis, and the color of leaf is directly related to the change of photosynthesis. In addition, leaf yellowing can be used as a marker trait to play an important role in watermelon hybrid breeding and improve seed breeding. It can not only be used to eliminate hybrids at seedling stage, but also be used to determine seed purity. In this study, transcriptome analysis was first carried out using the whole growth period leaf yellowing watermelon mutant w-yl and inbred line ZK, and identified 2,471 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the comparison group w-yl-vs-ZK. Among the top 20 terms of the gene ontology (GO) enrichment pathway, 17 terms were related to photosynthesis. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the most abundant pathway was photosynthesis-antenna proteins. The F2 population was constructed by conventional hybridization with the inbred line ZK. Genetic analysis showed that leaf yellowing of the mutant was controlled by a single recessive gene. The leaf yellowing gene of watermelon located between Ind14,179,011 and InD16,396,362 on chromosome 2 by using indel-specific PCR markers, with a region of 2.217 Mb. In the interval, it was found that five genes may have gene fragment deletion in w-yl, among which Cla97C02G036010, Cla97C02G036030, Cla97C02G036040, Cla97C02G036050 were the whole fragment loss, and Cla97C02G0360 was the C-terminal partial base loss. Gene function verification results showed that Cla97C02G036040, Cla97C02G036050 and Cla97C02G036060 may be the key factors leading to yellowing of w-yl leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchun Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource Evaluation and Application of Horticultural Crops (Fruit), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
- Western Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Gaopeng Yuan
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource Evaluation and Application of Horticultural Crops (Fruit), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource Evaluation and Application of Horticultural Crops (Fruit), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guolin An
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource Evaluation and Application of Horticultural Crops (Fruit), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Weihua Li
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource Evaluation and Application of Horticultural Crops (Fruit), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junpu Liu
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource Evaluation and Application of Horticultural Crops (Fruit), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
- Western Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, China
| | - Dexi Sun
- The Key Laboratory of Genetic Resource Evaluation and Application of Horticultural Crops (Fruit), Ministry of Agriculture, Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
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Temple H, Phyo P, Yang W, Lyczakowski JJ, Echevarría-Poza A, Yakunin I, Parra-Rojas JP, Terrett OM, Saez-Aguayo S, Dupree R, Orellana A, Hong M, Dupree P. Golgi-localized putative S-adenosyl methionine transporters required for plant cell wall polysaccharide methylation. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:656-669. [PMID: 35681018 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01156-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polysaccharide methylation, especially that of pectin, is a common and important feature of land plant cell walls. Polysaccharide methylation takes place in the Golgi apparatus and therefore relies on the import of S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) from the cytosol into the Golgi. However, so far, no Golgi SAM transporter has been identified in plants. Here we studied major facilitator superfamily members in Arabidopsis that we identified as putative Golgi SAM transporters (GoSAMTs). Knockout of the two most highly expressed GoSAMTs led to a strong reduction in Golgi-synthesized polysaccharide methylation. Furthermore, solid-state NMR experiments revealed that reduced methylation changed cell wall polysaccharide conformations, interactions and mobilities. Notably, NMR revealed the existence of pectin 'egg-box' structures in intact cell walls and showed that their formation is enhanced by reduced methyl esterification. These changes in wall architecture were linked to substantial growth and developmental phenotypes. In particular, anisotropic growth was strongly impaired in the double mutant. The identification of putative transporters involved in import of SAM into the Golgi lumen in plants provides new insights into the paramount importance of polysaccharide methylation for plant cell wall structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Temple
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pyae Phyo
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Weibing Yang
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and CAS-JIC Center of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Sciences (CEPAMS), Shanghai, China
| | - Jan J Lyczakowski
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Igor Yakunin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Juan Pablo Parra-Rojas
- Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal, FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Oliver M Terrett
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Susana Saez-Aguayo
- Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal, FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ray Dupree
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Ariel Orellana
- Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal, FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Paul Dupree
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Přerovská T, Jindřichová B, Henke S, Yvin JC, Ferrieres V, Burketová L, Lipovová P, Nguema-Ona E. Arabinogalactan Protein-Like Proteins From Ulva lactuca Activate Immune Responses and Plant Resistance in an Oilseed Crop. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:893858. [PMID: 35668790 PMCID: PMC9164130 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.893858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Natural compounds isolated from macroalgae are promising, ecofriendly, and multifunctional bioinoculants, which have been tested and used in agriculture. Ulvans, for instance, one of the major polysaccharides present in Ulva spp. cell walls, have been tested for their plant growth-promoting properties as well as their ability to activate plant immune defense, on a large variety of crops. Recently, we have characterized for the first time an arabinogalactan protein-like (AGP-like) from Ulva lactuca, which exhibits several features associated to land plant AGPs. In land plant, AGPs were shown to play a role in several plant biological functions, including cell morphogenesis, reproduction, and plant-microbe interactions. Thus, isolated AGP-like proteins may be good candidates for either the plant growth-promoting properties or the activation of plant immune defense. Here, we have isolated an AGP-like enriched fraction from Ulva lactuca and we have evaluated its ability to (i) protect oilseed rape (Brassica napus) cotyledons against Leptosphaeria maculans, and (ii) its ability to activate immune responses. Preventive application of the Ulva AGP-like enriched fraction on oilseed rape, followed by cotyledon inoculation with the fungal hemibiotroph L. maculans, resulted in a major reduction of infection propagation. The noticed reduction correlated with an accumulation of H2O2 in treated cotyledons and with the activation of SA and ET signaling pathways in oilseed rape cotyledons. In parallel, an ulvan was also isolated from Ulva lactuca. Preventive application of ulvan also enhanced plant resistance against L. maculans. Surprisingly, reduction of infection severity was only observed at high concentration of ulvan. Here, no such significant changes in gene expression and H2O2 production were observed. Together, this study indicates that U. lactuca AGP-like glycoproteins exhibit promising elicitor activity and that plant eliciting properties of Ulva extract, might result not only from an ulvan-originated eliciting activities, but also AGP-like originated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Přerovská
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR-UMR 6226, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Barbora Jindřichová
- Laboratory of Pathological Plant Physiology, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Svatopluk Henke
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jean-Claude Yvin
- Agro Innovation International TIMAC AGRO, Laboratoire de Nutrition Végétale, Pôle Stress Biotique, Saint Malo, France
| | - Vincent Ferrieres
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR-UMR 6226, Univ Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Lenka Burketová
- Laboratory of Pathological Plant Physiology, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petra Lipovová
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Eric Nguema-Ona
- Agro Innovation International TIMAC AGRO, Laboratoire de Nutrition Végétale, Pôle Stress Biotique, Saint Malo, France
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Pfeifer L, Utermöhlen J, Happ K, Permann C, Holzinger A, von Schwartzenberg K, Classen B. Search for evolutionary roots of land plant arabinogalactan-proteins in charophytes: presence of a rhamnogalactan-protein in Spirogyra pratensis (Zygnematophyceae). THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:568-584. [PMID: 34767672 PMCID: PMC7612518 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Charophyte green algae (CGA) are assigned to be the closest relatives of land plants and therefore enlighten processes in the colonization of terrestrial habitats. For the transition from water to land, plants needed significant physiological and structural changes, as well as with regard to cell wall composition. Sequential extraction of cell walls of Nitellopsis obtusa (Charophyceae) and Spirogyra pratensis (Zygnematophyceae) offered a comparative overview on cell wall composition of late branching CGA. Because arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) are considered common for all land plant cell walls, we were interested in whether these special glycoproteins are present in CGA. Therefore, we investigated both species with regard to characteristic features of AGPs. In the cell wall of Nitellopsis, no hydroxyproline was present and no AGP was precipitable with the β-glucosyl Yariv's reagent (βGlcY). By contrast, βGlcY precipitation of the water-soluble cell wall fraction of Spirogyra yielded a glycoprotein fraction rich in hydroxyproline, indicating the presence of AGPs. Putative AGPs in the cell walls of non-conjugating Spirogyra filaments, especially in the area of transverse walls, were detected by staining with βGlcY. Labelling increased strongly in generative growth stages, especially during zygospore development. Investigations of the fine structure of the glycan part of βGlcY-precipitated molecules revealed that the galactan backbone resembled that of AGPs with 1,3- 1,6- and 1,3,6-linked Galp moieties. Araf was present only in small amounts and the terminating sugars consisted predominantly of pyranosidic terminal and 1,3-linked rhamnose residues. We introduce the term 'rhamnogalactan-protein' for this special AGP-modification present in S. pratensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Pfeifer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel 24118, Germany
| | - Jon Utermöhlen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel 24118, Germany
| | - Kathrin Happ
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel 24118, Germany
| | - Charlotte Permann
- Department of Botany, Functional Plant Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | - Andreas Holzinger
- Department of Botany, Functional Plant Biology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck 6020, Austria
| | | | - Birgit Classen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Pharmaceutical Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Kiel 24118, Germany
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Přerovská T, Henke S, Bleha R, Spiwok V, Gillarová S, Yvin JC, Ferrières V, Nguema-Ona E, Lipovová P. Arabinogalactan-like Glycoproteins from Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyta) Show Unique Features Compared to Land Plants AGPs. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2021; 57:619-635. [PMID: 33338254 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) encompass a diverse group of plant cell wall proteoglycans, which play an essential role in plant development, signaling, plant-microbe interactions, and many others. Although they are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom and extensively studied, they remain largely unexplored in the lower plants, especially in seaweeds. Ulva species have high economic potential since various applications were previously described including bioremediation, biofuel production, and as a source of bioactive compounds. This article presents the first experimental confirmation of AGP-like glycoproteins in Ulva species and provides a simple extraction protocol of Ulva lactuca AGP-like glycoproteins, their partial characterization and unique comparison to scarcely described Solanum lycopersicum AGPs. The reactivity with primary anti-AGP antibodies as well as Yariv reagent showed a great variety between Ulva lactuca and Solanum lycopersicum AGP-like glycoproteins. While the amino acid analysis of the AGP-like glycoproteins purified by the β-d-glucosyl Yariv reagent showed a similarity between algal and land plant AGP-like glycoproteins, neutral saccharide analysis revealed unique glycosylation of the Ulva lactuca AGP-like glycoproteins. Surprisingly, arabinose and galactose were not the most prevalent monosaccharides and the most outstanding was the presence of 3-O-methyl-hexose, which has never been described in the AGPs. The exceptional structure of the Ulva lactuca AGP-like glycoproteins implies a specialized adaptation to the marine environment and might bring new insight into the evolution of the plant cell wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Přerovská
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 3, Prague, 16625, Czech Republic
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR-UMR 6226, Univ Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Svatopluk Henke
- Department of Carbohydrates and Cerials, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 3, Prague, 16625, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Bleha
- Department of Carbohydrates and Cerials, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 3, Prague, 16625, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtěch Spiwok
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 3, Prague, 16625, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Gillarová
- Department of Carbohydrates and Cerials, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 3, Prague, 16625, Czech Republic
| | - Jean-Claude Yvin
- Centre Mondial de l'Innovation Roullier, Laboratoire de Nutrition Végétal, 18 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Saint-Malo, 35400, France
| | - Vincent Ferrières
- Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, ISCR-UMR 6226, Univ Rennes, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Eric Nguema-Ona
- Centre Mondial de l'Innovation Roullier, Laboratoire de Nutrition Végétal, 18 Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Saint-Malo, 35400, France
| | - Petra Lipovová
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Technická 3, Prague, 16625, Czech Republic
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Strasser R, Seifert G, Doblin MS, Johnson KL, Ruprecht C, Pfrengle F, Bacic A, Estevez JM. Cracking the "Sugar Code": A Snapshot of N- and O-Glycosylation Pathways and Functions in Plants Cells. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:640919. [PMID: 33679857 PMCID: PMC7933510 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.640919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation is a fundamental co-translational and/or post-translational modification process where an attachment of sugars onto either proteins or lipids can alter their biological function, subcellular location and modulate the development and physiology of an organism. Glycosylation is not a template driven process and as such produces a vastly larger array of glycan structures through combinatorial use of enzymes and of repeated common scaffolds and as a consequence it provides a huge expansion of both the proteome and lipidome. While the essential role of N- and O-glycan modifications on mammalian glycoproteins is already well documented, we are just starting to decode their biological functions in plants. Although significant advances have been made in plant glycobiology in the last decades, there are still key challenges impeding progress in the field and, as such, holistic modern high throughput approaches may help to address these conceptual gaps. In this snapshot, we present an update of the most common O- and N-glycan structures present on plant glycoproteins as well as (1) the plant glycosyltransferases (GTs) and glycosyl hydrolases (GHs) responsible for their biosynthesis; (2) a summary of microorganism-derived GHs characterized to cleave specific glycosidic linkages; (3) a summary of the available tools ranging from monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), lectins to chemical probes for the detection of specific sugar moieties within these complex macromolecules; (4) selected examples of N- and O-glycoproteins as well as in their related GTs to illustrate the complexity on their mode of action in plant cell growth and stress responses processes, and finally (5) we present the carbohydrate microarray approach that could revolutionize the way in which unknown plant GTs and GHs are identified and their specificities characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Strasser
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Seifert
- Department of Applied Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika S. Doblin
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant & Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- The Sino-Australia Plant Cell Wall Research Centre, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kim L. Johnson
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant & Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- The Sino-Australia Plant Cell Wall Research Centre, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Colin Ruprecht
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Pfrengle
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Antony Bacic
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant & Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- The Sino-Australia Plant Cell Wall Research Centre, Zhejiang Agriculture & Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
| | - José M. Estevez
- Fundación Instituto Leloir and Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
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9
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Soto MJ, Prabhakar PK, Wang HT, Backe J, Chapla D, Bartetzko M, Black IM, Azadi P, Peña MJ, Pfrengle F, Moremen KW, Urbanowicz BR, Hahn MG. AtFUT4 and AtFUT6 Are Arabinofuranose-Specific Fucosyltransferases. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:589518. [PMID: 33633757 PMCID: PMC7900004 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.589518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The bulk of plant biomass is comprised of plant cell walls, which are complex polymeric networks, composed of diverse polysaccharides, proteins, polyphenolics, and hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs). Glycosyltransferases (GTs) work together to synthesize the saccharide components of the plant cell wall. The Arabidopsis thaliana fucosyltransferases (FUTs), AtFUT4, and AtFUT6, are members of the plant-specific GT family 37 (GT37). AtFUT4 and AtFUT6 transfer fucose (Fuc) onto arabinose (Ara) residues of arabinogalactan (AG) proteins (AGPs) and have been postulated to be non-redundant AGP-specific FUTs. AtFUT4 and AtFUT6 were recombinantly expressed in mammalian HEK293 cells and purified for biochemical analysis. We report an updated understanding on the specificities of AtFUT4 and AtFUT6 that are involved in the synthesis of wall localized AGPs. Our findings suggest that they are selective enzymes that can utilize various arabinogalactan (AG)-like and non-AG-like oligosaccharide acceptors, and only require a free, terminal arabinofuranose. We also report with GUS promoter-reporter gene studies that AtFUT4 and AtFUT6 gene expression is sub-localized in different parts of developing A. thaliana roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria J. Soto
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DOE Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Pradeep Kumar Prabhakar
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Hsin-Tzu Wang
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Jason Backe
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Digantkumar Chapla
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Max Bartetzko
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Ian M. Black
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Maria J. Peña
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Fabian Pfrengle
- Department of Biomolecular Systems, Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kelley W. Moremen
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Breeanna R. Urbanowicz
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- *Correspondence: Breeanna R. Urbanowicz,
| | - Michael G. Hahn
- The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Michael G. Hahn,
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10
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Abedi T, Castilleux R, Nibbering P, Niittylä T. The Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Cell Wall-Associated Glycoproteins During Wood Formation in Populus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:611607. [PMID: 33381142 PMCID: PMC7768015 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.611607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Plant cell wall associated hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs) are involved in several aspects of plant growth and development, including wood formation in trees. HRGPs such as arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), extensins (EXTs), and proline rich proteins (PRPs) are important for the development and architecture of plant cell walls. Analysis of publicly available gene expression data revealed that many HRGP encoding genes show tight spatio-temporal expression patterns in the developing wood of Populus that are indicative of specific functions during wood formation. Similar results were obtained for the expression of glycosyl transferases putatively involved in HRGP glycosylation. In situ immunolabelling of transverse wood sections using AGP and EXT antibodies revealed the cell type specificity of different epitopes. In mature wood AGP epitopes were located in xylem ray cell walls, whereas EXT epitopes were specifically observed between neighboring xylem vessels, and on the ray cell side of the vessel walls, likely in association with pits. Molecular mass and glycan analysis of AGPs and EXTs in phloem/cambium, developing xylem, and mature xylem revealed clear differences in glycan structures and size between the tissues. Separation of AGPs by agarose gel electrophoresis and staining with β-D-glucosyl Yariv confirmed the presence of different AGP populations in phloem/cambium and xylem. These results reveal the diverse changes in HRGP-related processes that occur during wood formation at the gene expression and HRGP glycan biosynthesis levels, and relate HRGPs and glycosylation processes to the developmental processes of wood formation.
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11
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Silva J, Ferraz R, Dupree P, Showalter AM, Coimbra S. Three Decades of Advances in Arabinogalactan-Protein Biosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:610377. [PMID: 33384708 PMCID: PMC7769824 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.610377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) are a large, complex, and highly diverse class of heavily glycosylated proteins that belong to the family of cell wall hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins. Approximately 90% of the molecules consist of arabinogalactan polysaccharides, which are composed of arabinose and galactose as major sugars and minor sugars such as glucuronic acid, fucose, and rhamnose. About half of the AGP family members contain a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) lipid anchor, which allows for an association with the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. The mysterious AGP family has captivated the attention of plant biologists for several decades. This diverse family of glycoproteins is widely distributed in the plant kingdom, including many algae, where they play fundamental roles in growth and development processes. The journey of AGP biosynthesis begins with the assembly of amino acids into peptide chains of proteins. An N-terminal signal peptide directs AGPs toward the endoplasmic reticulum, where proline hydroxylation occurs and a GPI anchor may be added. GPI-anchored AGPs, as well as unanchored AGPs, are then transferred to the Golgi apparatus, where extensive glycosylation occurs by the action of a variety glycosyltransferase enzymes. Following glycosylation, AGPs are transported by secretory vesicles to the cell wall or to the extracellular face of the plasma membrane (in the case of GPI-anchored AGPs). GPI-anchored proteins can be released from the plasma membrane into the cell wall by phospholipases. In this review, we present an overview of the accumulated knowledge on AGP biosynthesis over the past three decades. Particular emphasis is placed on the glycosylation of AGPs as the sugar moiety is essential to their function. Recent genetics and genomics approaches have significantly contributed to a broader knowledge of AGP biosynthesis. However, many questions remain to be elucidated in the decades ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessy Silva
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Ferraz
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paul Dupree
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Allan M. Showalter
- Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, OH, United States
| | - Sílvia Coimbra
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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12
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Liu C, Feng C, Peng W, Hao J, Wang J, Pan J, He Y. Chromosome-level draft genome of a diploid plum (Prunus salicina). Gigascience 2020; 9:giaa130. [PMID: 33300949 PMCID: PMC7727024 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plums are one of the most economically important Rosaceae fruit crops and comprise dozens of species distributed across the world. Until now, only limited genomic information has been available for the genetic studies and breeding programs of plums. Prunus salicina, an important diploid plum species, plays a predominant role in modern commercial plum production. Here we selected P. salicina for whole-genome sequencing and present a chromosome-level genome assembly through the combination of Pacific Biosciences sequencing, Illumina sequencing, and Hi-C technology. FINDINGS The assembly had a total size of 284.2 Mb, with contig N50 of 1.78 Mb and scaffold N50 of 32.32 Mb. A total of 96.56% of the assembled sequences were anchored onto 8 pseudochromosomes, and 24,448 protein-coding genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that P. salicina had a close relationship with Prunus mume and Prunus armeniaca, with P. salicina diverging from their common ancestor ∼9.05 million years ago. During P. salicina evolution 146 gene families were expanded, and some cell wall-related GO terms were significantly enriched. It was noteworthy that members of the DUF579 family, a new class involved in xylan biosynthesis, were significantly expanded in P. salicina, which provided new insight into the xylan metabolism in plums. CONCLUSIONS We constructed the first high-quality chromosome-level plum genome using Pacific Biosciences, Illumina, and Hi-C technologies. This work provides a valuable resource for facilitating plum breeding programs and studying the genetic diversity mechanisms of plums and Prunus species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Chao Feng
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1190 Tianyuan Road, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Weizhuo Peng
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, 5 Youchengliu Road, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Jingjing Hao
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, 5 Youchengliu Road, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Juntao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, 5 Youchengliu Road, Maoming 525000, China
| | - Jianjun Pan
- Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Conghua District, 468 Tianlu Road, Guangzhou 510900, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yehua He
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou 510642, China
- Maoming Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, 5 Youchengliu Road, Maoming 525000, China
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13
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Lopez-Hernandez F, Tryfona T, Rizza A, Yu XL, Harris MOB, Webb AAR, Kotake T, Dupree P. Calcium Binding by Arabinogalactan Polysaccharides Is Important for Normal Plant Development. THE PLANT CELL 2020; 32:3346-3369. [PMID: 32769130 PMCID: PMC7534474 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.20.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are a family of plant extracellular proteoglycans involved in many physiological events. AGPs are often anchored to the extracellular side of the plasma membrane and are highly glycosylated with arabinogalactan (AG) polysaccharides, but the molecular function of this glycosylation remains largely unknown. The β-linked glucuronic acid (GlcA) residues in AG polysaccharides have been shown in vitro to bind to calcium in a pH-dependent manner. Here, we used Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants in four AG β-glucuronyltransferases (GlcAT14A, -B, -D, and -E) to understand the role of glucuronidation of AG. AG isolated from glcat14 triple mutants had a strong reduction in glucuronidation. AG from a glcat14a/b/d triple mutant had lower calcium binding capacity in vitro than AG from wild-type plants. Some mutants had multiple developmental defects such as reduced trichome branching. glcat14a/b/e triple mutant plants had severely limited seedling growth and were sterile, and the propagation of calcium waves was perturbed in roots. Several of the developmental phenotypes were suppressed by increasing the calcium concentration in the growth medium. Our results show that AG glucuronidation is crucial for multiple developmental processes in plants and suggest that a function of AGPs might be to bind and release cell-surface apoplastic calcium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Theodora Tryfona
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Annalisa Rizza
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaolan L Yu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew O B Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Alex A R Webb
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Toshihisa Kotake
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan
| | - Paul Dupree
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
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14
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Validation of a Rapid GC-MS Procedure for Quantitative Distinction between 3-O-Methyl- and 4-O-Methyl-Hexoses and Its Application to a Complex Carbohydrate Sample. SEPARATIONS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/separations7030042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylation of one hydroxyl group of monosaccharides occurs in some bacteria, fungi, worms, molluscs, and also in plants. Although knowledge on the exact functions of this process is missing, methylation is an option to modulate glycan structures thereby leading to new biological activities. In plants, methylated monosaccharides are often present in minor amounts and, therefore, overseen in analytical investigations. A special difficulty is the distinction between 3-O-methyl- and 4-O-methyl-hexoses, due to similar fragmentation patterns of methylated alditol acetates in gas-chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and, in the case of galactose, identical retention times due to symmetry. We, therefore, developed and validated an easy method for the quantitative distinction between 3-O-methyl- and 4-O-methyl-hexoses and showed its functionality by quantification of 3-O-methyl galactose in a high molecular weight polysaccharide mixture from the charophyte Spirogyra. A systematic search for methylated monosaccharides in different plant lineages may offer new insights in plant cell wall evolution.
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15
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Pfeifer L, Shafee T, Johnson KL, Bacic A, Classen B. Arabinogalactan-proteins of Zostera marina L. contain unique glycan structures and provide insight into adaption processes to saline environments. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8232. [PMID: 32427862 PMCID: PMC7237498 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65135-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Seagrasses evolved from monocotyledonous land plants that returned to the marine habitat. This transition was accomplished by substantial changes in cell wall composition, revealing habitat-driven adaption to the new environment. Whether arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), important signalling molecules of land plants, are present in seagrass cell walls is of evolutionary and plant development interest. AGPs of Zostera marina L. were isolated and structurally characterised by analytical and bioinformatics methods as well as by ELISA with different anti-AGP antibodies. Calcium-binding capacity of AGPs was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and microscopy. Bioinformatic searches of the Z. marina proteome identified 9 classical AGPs and a large number of chimeric AGPs. The glycan structures exhibit unique features, including a high degree of branching and an unusually high content of terminating 4-O-methyl-glucuronic acid (4-OMe GlcA) residues. Although the common backbone structure of land plant AGPs is conserved in Z. marina, the terminating residues are distinct with high amounts of uronic acids. These differences likely result from the glycan-active enzymes (glycosyltransferases and methyltransferases) and are essential for calcium-binding properties. The role of this polyanionic surface is discussed with regard to adaption to the marine environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Pfeifer
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Gutenbergstr. 76, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thomas Shafee
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Kim L Johnson
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia
- Sino-Australia Plant Cell Wall Research Centre, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Antony Bacic
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture & Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia
- Sino-Australia Plant Cell Wall Research Centre, School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Birgit Classen
- Pharmaceutical Institute, Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Gutenbergstr. 76, 24118, Kiel, Germany.
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16
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Smith PJ, O'Neill MA, Backe J, York WS, Peña MJ, Urbanowicz BR. Analytical Techniques for Determining the Role of Domain of Unknown Function 579 Proteins in the Synthesis of O-Methylated Plant Polysaccharides. SLAS Technol 2020; 25:345-355. [PMID: 32204644 DOI: 10.1177/2472630320912692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Matrix polysaccharides are a diverse group of structurally complex carbohydrates and account for a large portion of the biomass consumed as food or used to produce fuels and materials. Glucuronoxylan and arabinogalactan protein are matrix glycans that have sidechains decorated with 4-O-methyl glucuronosyl residues. Methylation is a key determinant of the physical properties of these wall glycopolymers and consequently affects both their biological function and ability to interact with other wall polymers. Indeed, there is increasing interest in determining the distribution and abundance of methyl-etherified polysaccharides in different plant species, tissues, and developmental stages. There is also a need to understand the mechanisms involved in their biosynthesis. Members of the Domain of Unknown Function (DUF) 579 family have been demonstrated to have a role in the biosynthesis of methyl-etherified glycans. Here we describe methods for the analysis of the 4-O-methyl glucuronic acid moieties that are present in sidechains of arabinogalactan proteins. These methods are then applied toward the analysis of loss-of-function mutants of two DUF579 family members that lack this modification in muro. We also present a procedure to assay DUF579 family members for enzymatic activity in vitro using acceptor oligosaccharides prepared from xylan of loss-of-function mutants. Our approach facilitates the characterization of enzymes that modify glycosyl residues during cell wall synthesis and the structures that they generate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Smith
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, OakRidge, TN, USA
| | - Malcolm A O'Neill
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jason Backe
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, OakRidge, TN, USA
| | - William S York
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, OakRidge, TN, USA
| | - Maria J Peña
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, OakRidge, TN, USA
| | - Breeanna R Urbanowicz
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, OakRidge, TN, USA
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17
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Tan QW, Mutwil M. Inferring biosynthetic and gene regulatory networks from Artemisia annua RNA sequencing data on a credit card-sized ARM computer. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1863:194429. [PMID: 31634636 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.194429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Prediction of gene function and gene regulatory networks is one of the most active topics in bioinformatics. The accumulation of publicly available gene expression data for hundreds of plant species, together with advances in bioinformatical methods and affordable computing, sets ingenuity as one of the major bottlenecks in understanding gene function and regulation. Here, we show how a credit card-sized computer retailing for <50 USD can be used to rapidly predict gene function and infer regulatory networks from RNA sequencing data. To achieve this, we constructed a bioinformatical pipeline that downloads and allows quality-control of RNA sequencing data; and generates a gene co-expression network that can reveal enzymes and transcription factors participating and controlling a given biosynthetic pathway. We exemplify this by first identifying genes and transcription factors involved in the biosynthesis of secondary cell wall in the plant Artemisia annua, the main natural source of the anti-malarial drug artemisinin. Networks were then used to dissect the artemisinin biosynthesis pathway, which suggest potential transcription factors regulating artemisinin biosynthesis. We provide the source code of our pipeline (https://github.com/mutwil/LSTrAP-Lite) and envision that the ubiquity of affordable computing, availability of biological data and increased bioinformatical training of biologists will transform the field of bioinformatics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Transcriptional Profiles and Regulatory Gene Networks edited by Dr. Dr. Federico Manuel Giorgi and Dr. Shaun Mahony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao Wen Tan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Marek Mutwil
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551, Singapore.
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