Update on chloroplast proteomics

Proteomic pattern alterations of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in response to cadmium, nickel and cobalt

Cyanobacteria represent the largest and most diverse group of prokaryotes capable of performing oxygenic photosynthesis and are frequently found in environments contaminated with heavy metals. Several studies have been performed in these organisms in order to better understand the effects of metals such as Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni and Co. In Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, genes involved in Ni, Co, Cu and Zn resistance have been reported. However, proteomic studies for the identification of proteins modulated by heavy metals have not been carried out. In the present work, we have analyzed the proteomic pattern alterations of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 in response to Ni, Co and Cd in order to identify the metabolic processes affected by these metals. We show that some proteins are commonly regulated in response to the different metal ions, including ribulose1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase and the periplasmic iron-binding protein FutA2, while others, such as chaperones, were specifically induced by each metal. We also show that the main processes affected by the metals are carbon metabolism and photosynthesis, since heavy metals affect proteins required for the correct functioning of these activities.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This is the first report on the proteomic profile of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 wild type and mutant strains for the identification of proteins affected by the heavy metals Ni, Co and Cd. We have identified proteins commonly responsive to all three metals and also chaperones specifically modulated by each metal. Our data also supports previous studies that suggest the existence of additional sensor systems for Co.

Solute transporters in plant thylakoid membranes: Key players during photosynthesis and light stress

Plants utilize sunlight to drive photosynthetic energy conversion in the chloroplast thylakoid membrane. Here are located four major photosynthetic complexes, about which we have great knowledge in terms of structure and function. However, much less we know about auxiliary proteins, such as transporters, ensuring an optimum function and turnover of these complexes. The most prominent thylakoid transporter is the proton-translocating ATP-synthase. Recently, four additional transporters have been identified in the thylakoid membrane of Arabidopsis thaliana, namely one copper-transporting P-ATPase, one chloride channel, one phosphate transporter, and one ATP/ADP carrier. Here, we review the current knowledge on the function and physiological role of these transporters during photosynthesis and light stress in plants. Subsequently, we make a survey on the outlook of thylakoid activities awaiting identification of responsible proteins. Such knowledge is necessary to understand the thylakoid network of transporters, and to design strategies for bioengineering crop plants in the future.

Advances in qualitative and quantitative plant membrane proteomics

The membrane proteome consists of integral and membrane-associated proteins that are involved in various physiological and biochemical functions critical for cellular function. It is also dynamic in nature, where many proteins are only expressed during certain developmental stages or in response to environmental stress. These proteins can undergo post-translational modifications in response to these different conditions, allowing them to transiently associate with the membrane or other membrane proteins. Along with their increased size, hydrophobicity, and the additional organelle and cellular features of plant cells relative to mammalian systems, the characterization of the plant membrane proteome presents unique challenges for effective qualitative and quantitative analysis using mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Here, we present the latest advancements developed for the isolation and fractionation of plant organelles and their membrane components amenable to MS analysis. Separations of membrane proteins from these enriched preparations that have proven effective are discussed for both gel- and liquid chromatography-based MS analysis. In this context, quantitative membrane proteomic analyses using both isotope-coded and label-free approaches are presented and reveal the potential to establish a wider-biological interpretation of the function of plant membrane proteins that will ultimately lead to a more comprehensive understanding of plant physiology and their response mechanisms.

The significance of protein maturation by plastidic type I signal peptidase 1 for thylakoid development in Arabidopsis chloroplasts

Thylakoids are the chloroplast internal membrane systems that house light-harvesting and electron transport reactions. Despite the important functions and well-studied constituents of thylakoids, the molecular mechanism of their development remains largely elusive. A recent genetic study has demonstrated that plastidic type I signal peptidase 1 (Plsp1) is vital for proper thylakoid development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) chloroplasts. Plsp1 was also shown to be necessary for processing of an envelope protein, Toc75, and a thylakoid lumenal protein, OE33; however, the relevance of the protein maturation in both of the two distinct subcompartments for proper chloroplast development remained unknown. Here, we conducted an extensive analysis of the plsp1-null mutant to address the significance of lumenal protein maturation in thylakoid development. Plastids that lack Plsp1 were found to accumulate vesicles of variable sizes in the stroma. Analyses of the mutant plastids revealed that the lack of Plsp1 causes a reduction in accumulation of thylakoid proteins and that Plsp1 is involved in maturation of two additional lumenal proteins, OE23 and plastocyanin. Further immunoblotting and electron microscopy immunolocalization studies showed that OE33 associates with the stromal vesicles of the mutant plastids. Finally, we used a genetic complementation system to demonstrate that accumulation of improperly processed forms of Toc75 in the plastid envelope does not disrupt normal plant development. These results suggest that proper maturation of lumenal proteins may be a key process for correct assembly of thylakoids.

An efficient method for the extraction of chloroplast proteins compatible for 2-DE and MS analysis

Comparative proteomic analysis of chloroplast by 2-DE has received significant attention in recent years. However, the complication of membrane systems in chloroplast made it challenging to elucidate entire chloroplast proteome by 2-DE. Here, we developed an efficient method for extracting chloroplast proteins, and produced excellent 2-DE profiles from both Arabidopsis thaliana and Salicornia europaea. Comparison of this method with another two protocols for the extraction of A. thaliana chloroplast proteins showed that our method obtained higher protein yields and produced more protein spots on both pH 3-10 and 4-7 2-DE gels. Moreover, this method recovered more proteins in the basic and high M(r) regions, thereby offering the best extraction of chloroplast proteins. Identification of 15 specific chloroplast-targeted proteins on our gels by MALDI-TOF MS revealed that this method was compatible with MS, and recovered more chloroplast membrane proteins than the commonly used methods. This protocol is expected to have a wide application in future chloroplast proteomic analysis.

Organelle proteomics

The proteome of the cell is at the frontier of being too complex for proteomic analysis. Organelles provide a step up. Organelles compartmentalize the cell enabling a proteome, physiology and metabolism analysis in time and in space. Protein complexes separated by electrophoresis have been identified as the next natural level to characterize the organelles' compartmentalized membrane and soluble proteomes by mass spectrometry. Work on mitochondria and chloroplasts has shown where we are in the characterization of complex proteomes to understand the network of endogenous and extrinsic factors which regulate growth and development, adaptation and evolution.

Plastocyanin-ferredoxin oxidoreduction and endosymbiotic gene transfer

Sequence similarities of proteins associated with plastocyanin-ferredoxin oxidoreduction (PcFdOR) activity of Photosystem I (PSI) were grouped and compared. PsaA, psaB, psaC, and petG represent genes that have been retained in the chloroplasts of both green- and red-lineage species. PsaD, psaE, psaF, and petF represent genes that have been retained in the chloroplast of red-lineage species, but have been transferred to the nuclear genome of green-lineage species. Translated sequences from red- and green-lineage proteins were compared to that of contemporary cyanobacteria, Synechocystis PCC 6803, and Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421. Within the green lineage, a lower level of sequence conservation coincided with gene transfer to the nuclear genome. Surprisingly, a similar pattern of sequence conservation existed for the same set of genes found in the red lineage even though all those genes were retained in their chloroplast genomes. This discrepancy between green and red lineage is discussed in terms of endosymbiotic gene transfer.

Focus on plant proteomics

Proteomics covers the systematic analysis of proteins expressed by a genome, from the identification of their primary amino-acid sequence to the determination of their relative amounts, their state of modification and association with other proteins or molecules of different types. Tremendous progress has been made in this field in the past few years, especially in plant biology, mostly due to major developments of mass spectrometry dedicated to protein analyses and advanced information technology. The aim of this special issue of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry devoted to Plant Proteomics is not to present a comprehensive coverage of this rapidly expanding field but to focus on the representation of some key aspects to illustrate the importance of proteomics in plant functional genomics.

Isolation of Outer Membrane of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Its Proteomic Characterization

In this report, we describe a newly developed method for isolating outer membranes from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells. The purity of the outer membrane fraction was verified by immunoblot analysis using antibodies against membrane-specific marker proteins. We investigated the protein composition of the outer membrane using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry followed by database identification. Forty-nine proteins were identified corresponding to 29 different gene products. All of the identified proteins have a putative N-terminal signal peptide. About 40% of the proteins identified represent hypothetical proteins with unknown function. Among the proteins identified are a Toc75 homologue, a protein that was initially found in the outer envelope of chloroplasts in pea, as well as TolC, putative porins, and a pilus protein. Other proteins identified include ABC transporters and GumB, which has a suggested function in carbohydrate export. A number of proteases such as HtrA were also found in the outer membrane of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.