The regulatory RAB and ARF GTPases for vesicular trafficking

Genetic architecture of the red blood cell proteome in genetically diverse mice reveals central role of hemoglobin beta cysteine redox status in maintaining circulating glutathione pools

Red blood cells (RBCs) transport oxygen but accumulate oxidative damage over time, reducing function in vivo and during storage-critical for transfusions. To explore genetic influences on RBC resilience, we profiled proteins, metabolites, and lipids from fresh and stored RBCs obtained from 350 genetically diverse mice. Our analysis identified over 6,000 quantitative trait loci (QTL). Compared to other tissues, prevalence of trans genetic effects over cis reflects the absence of de novo protein synthesis in anucleated RBCs. QTL hotspots at Hbb, Hba, Mon1a, and storage-specific Steap3 linked ferroptosis to hemolysis. Proteasome components clustered at multiple loci, underscoring the importance of degrading oxidized proteins. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) mapped predominantly to hemoglobins, particularly cysteine residues. Loss of reactive C93 in humanized mice (HBB C93A) disrupted redox balance, affecting glutathione pools, protein glutathionylation, and redox PTMs. These findings highlight genetic regulation of RBC oxidation, with implications for transfusion biology and oxidative stress-dependent hemolytic disorders.

The interaction networks of small rubber particle proteins in the latex of Taraxacum koksaghyz reveal diverse functions in stress responses and secondary metabolism

The Russian dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz) is a promising source of natural rubber (NR). The synthesis of NR takes place on the surface of organelles known as rubber particles, which are found in latex - the cytoplasm of specialized cells known as laticifers. As well as the enzymes directly responsible for NR synthesis, the rubber particles also contain small rubber particle proteins (SRPPs), the most abundant of which are SRPP3, 4 and 5. These three proteins support NR synthesis by maintaining rubber particle stability. We used homology-based searches to identify the whole TkSRPP gene family and qPCR to create their spatial expression profiles. Affinity enrichment-mass spectrometry was applied to identify TkSRPP3/4/5 protein interaction partners in T. koksaghyz latex and selected interaction partners were analyzed using qPCR, confocal laser scanning microscopy and heterologous expression in yeast. We identified 17 SRPP-like sequences in the T. koksaghyz genome, including three apparent pseudogenes, 10 paralogs arranged as an inverted repeat in a cluster with TkSRPP3/4/5, and one separate gene (TkSRPP6). Their sequence diversity and different expression profiles indicated distinct functions and the latex interactomes obtained for TkSRPP3/4/5 suggested that TkSRPP4 is a promiscuous hub protein that binds many partners from different compartments, whereas TkSRPP3 and 5 have more focused interactomes. Two interactors shared by TkSRPP3/4/5 (TkSRPP6 and TkUGT80B1) were chosen for independent validation and detailed characterization. TkUGT80B1 triterpenoid glycosylating activity provided first evidence for triterpenoid saponin synthesis in T. koksaghyz latex. Based on its identified interaction partners, TkSRPP4 appears to play a special role in the endoplasmic reticulum, interacting with lipidmodifying enzymes that may facilitate rubber particle formation. TkSRPP5 appears to be involved in GTPase-dependent signaling and TkSRPP3 may act as part of a kinase signaling cascade, with roles in stress tolerance. TkSRPP interaction with TkUGT80B1 draws a new connection between TkSRPPs and triterpenoid saponin synthesis in T. koksaghyz latex. Our data contribute to the functional differentiation between TkSRPP paralogs and demonstrate unexpected interactions that will help to further elucidate the network of proteins linking TkSRPPs, stress responses and NR biosynthesis within the cellular complexity of latex.

An RXLR effector disrupts vesicle trafficking at ER-Golgi interface for Phytophthora capsici pathogenicity

Phytophthora species, an oomycete plant pathogen, secrete effectors into plant cells throughout their life cycle for manipulating host immunity to achieve successful colonization. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying effector-triggered necrotic cell death remain elusive. In this study, we identified an RXLR (amino acid residue; Arginine-Any amino acid-Leucine-Arginine motif) effector (Pc12) from Phytophthora capsici, which contributes to virulence and induces necrosis by triggering a distinct endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response through its interaction with Rab13-2. The necrotic cell death induced by Pc12 did not exhibit conventional effector-triggered immunity-mediated hypersensitive cell death, including the involvement of nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat downstream signaling components and transcriptional reprogramming of defense-related genes. Instead, it alters the localization of ER-resident proteins and confines secretory proteins within the ER. Pc12 directly interacts with Rab13-2, which is primarily localized to the ER and Golgi apparatus, resulting in a diminished Rab13-2 signal on the Golgi apparatus. Furthermore, Rab13-2 exhibits increased affinity for its interactor, Rab escort protein 1, in the presence of Pc12. Structural predictions revealed that a specific residue of Rab13-2 is crucial for binding to the C-terminus of Pc12. Substitution of this residue reduced its interaction with Pc12 and impaired P. capsici infection while maintaining its interaction with Rab escort protein 1 and prenylated Rab acceptor 1. These findings provide insight into how a pathogen effector induces a distinct form of necrotic cell death to facilitate colonization of the host plant by disrupting the recycling of Rab13-2, a protein involved in vesicle trafficking at the ER-Golgi interface.

A pathogen effector co-opts a host RabGAP protein to remodel pathogen interface and subvert defense-related secretion

Pathogens have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to manipulate host cell membrane dynamics, a crucial adaptation to survive in hostile environments shaped by innate immune responses. Plant-derived membrane interfaces, engulfing invasive hyphal projections of fungal and oomycete pathogens, are prominent junctures dictating infection outcomes. Understanding how pathogens transform these host-pathogen interfaces to their advantage remains a key biological question. Here, we identified a conserved effector, secreted by plant pathogenic oomycetes, that co-opts a host Rab GTPase-activating protein (RabGAP), TOPGAP, to remodel the host-pathogen interface. The effector, PiE354, hijacks TOPGAP as a susceptibility factor to usurp its GAP activity on Rab8a, a key Rab GTPase crucial for defense-related secretion. By hijacking TOPGAP, PiE354 purges Rab8a from the plasma membrane, diverting Rab8a-mediated immune trafficking away from the pathogen interface. This mechanism signifies an uncanny evolutionary adaptation of a pathogen effector in co-opting a host regulatory component to subvert defense-related secretion, thereby providing unprecedented mechanistic insights into the reprogramming of host membrane dynamics by pathogens.

Identification, Classification, and Transcriptional Analysis of Rab GTPase Genes from Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Reveals Salt Stress Response Genes

Salinity in plants generates an osmotic and ionic imbalance inside cells that compromises the viability of the plant. Rab GTPases, the largest family within the small GTPase superfamily, play pivotal roles as regulators of vesicular trafficking in plants, including the economically important and globally cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Despite their significance, the specific involvement of these small GTPases in tomato vesicular trafficking and their role under saline stress remains poorly understood. In this work, we identified and classified 54 genes encoding Rab GTPases in cultivated tomato, elucidating their genomic distribution and structural characteristics. We conducted an analysis of duplication events within the S. lycopersicum genome, as well as an examination of gene structure and conserved motifs. In addition, we investigated the transcriptional profiles for these Rab GTPases in various tissues of cultivated and wild tomato species using microarray-based analysis. The results showed predominantly low expression in most of the genes in both leaves and vegetative meristem, contrasting with notably high expression levels observed in seedling roots. Also, a greater increase in gene expression in shoots from salt-tolerant wild tomato species was observed under normal conditions when comparing Solanum habrochaites, Solanum pennellii, and Solanum pimpinellifolium with S. lycopersicum. Furthermore, an expression analysis of Rab GTPases from Solanum chilense in leaves and roots under salt stress treatment were also carried out for their characterization. These findings revealed that specific Rab GTPases from the endocytic pathway and the trans-Golgi network (TGN) showed higher induction in plants exposed to saline stress conditions. Likewise, disparities in gene expression were observed both among members of the same Rab GTPase subfamily and between different subfamilies. Overall, this work emphasizes the high degree of conservation of Rab GTPases, their high functional diversification in higher plants, and the essential role in mediating salt stress tolerance and suggests their potential for further exploration of vesicular trafficking mechanisms in response to abiotic stress conditions.

Extracellular vesicle formation in Euryarchaeota is driven by a small GTPase

Since their discovery, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have changed our view on how organisms interact with their extracellular world. EVs are able to traffic a diverse array of molecules across different species and even domains, facilitating numerous functions. In this study, we investigate EV production in Euryarchaeota, using the model organism Haloferax volcanii. We uncover that EVs enclose RNA, with specific transcripts preferentially enriched, including those with regulatory potential, and conclude that EVs can act as an RNA communication system between haloarchaea. We demonstrate the key role of an EV-associated small GTPase for EV formation in H. volcanii that is also present across other diverse evolutionary branches of Archaea. We propose the name, ArvA, for the identified family of archaeal vesiculating GTPases. Additionally, we show that two genes in the same operon with arvA (arvB and arvC) are also involved in EV formation. Both, arvB and arvC, are closely associated with arvA in the majority of other archaea encoding ArvA. Our work demonstrates that small GTPases involved in membrane deformation and vesiculation, ubiquitous in Eukaryotes, are also present in Archaea and are widely distributed across diverse archaeal phyla.

A defined clathrin-mediated trafficking pathway regulates sFLT1/VEGFR1 secretion from endothelial cells

FLT1/VEGFR1 negatively regulates VEGF-A signaling and is required for proper vessel morphogenesis during vascular development and vessel homeostasis. Although a soluble isoform, sFLT1, is often mis-regulated in disease and aging, how sFLT1 is trafficked and secreted from endothelial cells is not well understood. Here we define requirements for constitutive sFLT1 trafficking and secretion in endothelial cells from the Golgi to the plasma membrane, and we show that sFLT1 secretion requires clathrin at or near the Golgi. Perturbations that affect sFLT1 trafficking blunted endothelial cell secretion and promoted intracellular mis-localization in cells and zebrafish embryos. siRNA-mediated depletion of specific trafficking components revealed requirements for RAB27A, VAMP3, and STX3 for post-Golgi vesicle trafficking and sFLT1 secretion, while STX6, ARF1, and AP1 were required at the Golgi. Live-imaging of temporally controlled sFLT1 release from the endoplasmic reticulum showed clathrin-dependent sFLT1 trafficking at the Golgi into secretory vesicles that then trafficked to the plasma membrane. Depletion of STX6 altered vessel sprouting in 3D, suggesting that endothelial cell sFLT1 secretion influences proper vessel sprouting. Thus, specific trafficking components provide a secretory path from the Golgi to the plasma membrane for sFLT1 in endothelial cells that utilizes a specialized clathrin-dependent intermediate, suggesting novel therapeutic targets.

Molecular Machinery of Lipid Droplet Degradation and Turnover in Plants

Lipid droplets (LDs) are important organelles conserved across eukaryotes with a fascinating biogenesis and consumption cycle. Recent intensive research has focused on uncovering the cellular biology of LDs, with emphasis on their degradation. Briefly, two major pathways for LD degradation have been recognized: (1) lipolysis, in which lipid degradation is catalyzed by lipases on the LD surface, and (2) lipophagy, in which LDs are degraded by autophagy. Both of these pathways require the collective actions of several lipolytic and proteolytic enzymes, some of which have been purified and analyzed for their in vitro activities. Furthermore, several genes encoding these proteins have been cloned and characterized. In seed plants, seed germination is initiated by the hydrolysis of stored lipids in LDs to provide energy and carbon equivalents for the germinating seedling. However, little is known about the mechanism regulating the LD mobilization. In this review, we focus on recent progress toward understanding how lipids are degraded and the specific pathways that coordinate LD mobilization in plants, aiming to provide an accurate and detailed outline of the process. This will set the stage for future studies of LD dynamics and help to utilize LDs to their full potential.

Traffic Control: Subversion of Plant Membrane Trafficking by Pathogens

Membrane trafficking pathways play a prominent role in plant immunity. The endomembrane transport system coordinates membrane-bound cellular organelles to ensure that immunological components are utilized effectively during pathogen resistance. Adapted pathogens and pests have evolved to interfere with aspects of membrane transport systems to subvert plant immunity. To do this, they secrete virulence factors known as effectors, many of which converge on host membrane trafficking routes. The emerging paradigm is that effectors redundantly target every step of membrane trafficking from vesicle budding to trafficking and membrane fusion. In this review, we focus on the mechanisms adopted by plant pathogens to reprogram host plant vesicle trafficking, providing examples of effector-targeted transport pathways and highlighting key questions for the field to answer moving forward.

Integrins in cancer: Emerging mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities

Integrins are vital surface adhesion receptors that mediate the interactions between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cells and are essential for cell migration and the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Aberrant integrin activation promotes initial tumor formation, growth, and metastasis. Recently, many lines of evidence have indicated that integrins are highly expressed in numerous cancer types and have documented many functions of integrins in tumorigenesis. Thus, integrins have emerged as attractive targets for the development of cancer therapeutics. In this review, we discuss the underlying molecular mechanisms by which integrins contribute to most of the hallmarks of cancer. We focus on recent progress on integrin regulators, binding proteins, and downstream effectors. We highlight the role of integrins in the regulation of tumor metastasis, immune evasion, metabolic reprogramming, and other hallmarks of cancer. In addition, integrin-targeted immunotherapy and other integrin inhibitors that have been used in preclinical and clinical studies are summarized.

Dissection of Developmental Programs and Regulatory Modules Directing Endosperm Transfer Cell and Aleurone Identity in the Syncytial Endosperm of Barley

Endosperm development in barley starts with the formation of a multinucleate syncytium, followed by cellularization in the ventral part of the syncytium generating endosperm transfer cells (ETCs) as first differentiating subdomain, whereas aleurone (AL) cells will originate from the periphery of the enclosing syncytium. Positional signaling in the syncytial stage determines cell identity in the cereal endosperm. Here, we performed a morphological analysis and employed laser capture microdissection (LCM)-based RNA-seq of the ETC region and the peripheral syncytium at the onset of cellularization to dissect developmental and regulatory programs directing cell specification in the early endosperm. Transcriptome data revealed domain-specific characteristics and identified two-component signaling (TCS) and hormone activities (auxin, ABA, ethylene) with associated transcription factors (TFs) as the main regulatory links for ETC specification. On the contrary, differential hormone signaling (canonical auxin, gibberellins, cytokinin) and interacting TFs control the duration of the syncytial phase and timing of cellularization of AL initials. Domain-specific expression of candidate genes was validated by in situ hybridization and putative protein-protein interactions were confirmed by split-YFP assays. This is the first transcriptome analysis dissecting syncytial subdomains of cereal seeds and provides an essential framework for initial endosperm differentiation in barley, which is likely also valuable for comparative studies with other cereal crops.

Protease inhibitor ASP enhances freezing tolerance by inhibiting protein degradation in kumquat

Cold acclimation is a complex biological process leading to the development of freezing tolerance in plants. In this study, we demonstrated that cold-induced expression of protease inhibitor FmASP in a Citrus-relative species kumquat [Fortunella margarita (Lour.) Swingle] contributes to its freezing tolerance by minimizing protein degradation. Firstly, we found that only cold-acclimated kumquat plants, despite extensive leaf cellular damage during freezing, were able to resume their normal growth upon stress relief. To dissect the impact of cold acclimation on this anti-freezing performance, we conducted protein abundance assays and quantitative proteomic analysis of kumquat leaves subjected to cold acclimation (4°C), freezing treatment (-10°C) and post-freezing recovery (25°C). FmASP (Against Serine Protease) and several non-specific proteases were identified as differentially expressed proteins induced by cold acclimation and associated with stable protein abundance throughout the course of low-temperature treatment. FmASP was further characterized as a robust inhibitor of multiple proteases. In addition, heterogeneous expression of FmASP in Arabidopsis confirmed its positive role in freezing tolerance. Finally, we proposed a working model of FmASP and illustrated how this extracellular-localized protease inhibitor protects proteins from degradation, thereby maintaining essential cellular function for post-freezing recovery. These findings revealed the important role of protease inhibition in freezing response and provide insights on how this role may help develop new strategies to enhance plant freezing tolerance.

A defined clathrin-mediated trafficking pathway regulates sFLT1/VEGFR1 secretion from endothelial cells

FLT1/VEGFR1 negatively regulates VEGF-A signaling and is required for proper vessel morphogenesis during vascular development and vessel homeostasis. Although a soluble isoform, sFLT1, is often mis-regulated in disease and aging, how sFLT1 is trafficked and secreted from endothelial cells is not well understood. Here we define requirements for constitutive sFLT1 trafficking and secretion in endothelial cells from the Golgi to the plasma membrane, and we show that sFLT1 secretion requires clathrin at or near the Golgi. Perturbations that affect sFLT1 trafficking blunted endothelial cell secretion and promoted intracellular mis-localization in cells and zebrafish embryos. siRNA-mediated depletion of specific trafficking components revealed requirements for RAB27A, VAMP3, and STX3 for post-Golgi vesicle trafficking and sFLT1 secretion, while STX6, ARF1, and AP1 were required at the Golgi. Depletion of STX6 altered vessel sprouting in a 3D angiogenesis model, indicating that endothelial cell sFLT1 secretion is important for proper vessel sprouting. Thus, specific trafficking components provide a secretory path from the Golgi to the plasma membrane for sFLT1 in endothelial cells that utilizes a specialized clathrin-dependent intermediate, suggesting novel therapeutic targets.

Plant UVRAG interacts with ATG14 to regulate autophagosome maturation and geminivirus infection

Autophagy is an essential degradation pathway that assists eukaryote survival under multiple stress conditions. Autophagosomes engulfing cargoes accomplish degradation only when they have matured through fusing with lysosomes or vacuoles. However, the molecular machinery mediating autophagosome maturation in plants remains unknown. Using the combined approaches of mass spectrometry, biochemistry, reverse genetics and microscopy, we uncover that UVRAG, a subunit of the class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complexes in Nicotiana benthamiana, plays an essential role in autophagsome maturation via ATG14-assisted recruitment to autophagosomes and by facilitating RAB7 activation. An interaction between N. benthamiana UVRAG and ATG14 was observed in vitro and in vivo, which strikingly differed from their mutually exclusive appearance in different PI3KC3 complexes in yeast and mammals. This interaction increased the localisation of UVRAG on autophagosomes and enabled the convergence of autophagic and late endosomal structures, where they contributed to fusions between these two types of organelles by recruiting the essential membrane fusion factors RAB7 GTPase and the homotypic fusion and protein sorting (HOPS) complex. In addition, we uncovered a joint contribution of ATG14 and UVRAG to geminiviral infection, beyond autophagy. Our study provides insights into the mechanisms of autophagosome maturation in plants and expands the understanding of organisations and roles of the PI3KC3 complexes.

ADP-ribosylation factor D1 modulates Golgi morphology, cell plate formation, and plant growth in Arabidopsis

ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) family proteins, one type of small guanine-nucleotide-binding (G) proteins, play a central role in regulating vesicular traffic and organelle structures in eukaryotes. The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome contains more than 21 ARF proteins, but relatively little is known about the functional heterogeneity of ARF homologs in plants. Here, we characterized the function of a unique ARF protein, ARFD1B, in Arabidopsis. ARFD1B exhibited both cytosol and punctate localization patterns, colocalizing with a Golgi marker in protoplasts and transgenic plants. Distinct from other ARF1 homologs, overexpression of a dominant-negative mutant form of ARFD1B did not alter the localization of the Golgi marker mannosidase I (ManI)-RFP in Arabidopsis cells. Interestingly, the ARFD1 artificial microRNA knockdown mutant arfd1 displayed a deleterious growth phenotype, while this phenotype was restored in complemented plants. Further, confocal imaging and transmission electron microscopy analyses of the arfd1 mutant revealed defective cell plate formation and abnormal Golgi morphology. Pull-down and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses identified Coat Protein I (COPI) components as interacting partners of ARFD1B, and subsequent bimolecular fluorescence complementation, yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid, and co-immunoprecipitation assays further confirmed these interactions. These results demonstrate that ARFD1 is required for cell plate formation, maintenance of Golgi morphology, and plant growth in Arabidopsis.

An Update on the Key Factors Required for Plant Golgi Structure Maintenance

Plant Golgi apparatus serves as the central station of the secretory pathway and is the site where protein modification and cell wall matrix polysaccharides synthesis occur. The polarized and stacked cisternal structure is a prerequisite for Golgi function. Our understanding of Golgi structure maintenance and trafficking are largely obtained from mammals and yeast, yet, plant Golgi has many different aspects. In this review, we summarize the key players in Golgi maintenance demonstrated by genetic studies in plants, which function in ER-Golgi, intra-Golgi and post-Golgi transport pathways. Among these, we emphasize on players in intra-Golgi trafficking.

Endocytosis is a significant contributor to uranium(VI) uptake in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) BY-2 cells in phosphate-deficient culture

Endocytosis of metals in plants is a growing field of study involving metal uptake from the rhizosphere. Uranium, which is naturally and artificially released into the rhizosphere, is known to be taken up by certain species of plant, such as Nicotiana tabacum, and we hypothesize that endocytosis contributes to the uptake of uranium in tobacco. The endocytic uptake of uranium was investigated in tobacco BY-2 cells using an optimized setup of culture in phosphate-deficient medium. A combination of methods in biochemistry, microscopy and spectroscopy, supplemented by proteomics, were used to study the interaction of uranium and the plant cell. We found that under environmentally relevant uranium concentrations, endocytosis remained active and contributed to 14% of the total uranium bioassociation. Proteomics analyses revealed that uranium induced a change in expression of the clathrin heavy chain variant, signifying a shift in the type of endocytosis taking place. However, the rate of endocytosis remained largely unaltered. Electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed an adsorption of uranium to cell surfaces and deposition in vacuoles. Our results demonstrate that endocytosis constitutes a considerable proportion of uranium uptake in BY-2 cells, and that endocytosed uranium is likely targeted to the vacuole for sequestration, providing a physiologically safer route for the plant than uranium transported through the cytosol.

Proteomic characterization of isolated Arabidopsis clathrin-coated vesicles reveals evolutionarily conserved and plant-specific components

In eukaryotes, clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) facilitate the internalization of material from the cell surface as well as the movement of cargo in post-Golgi trafficking pathways. This diversity of functions is partially provided by multiple monomeric and multimeric clathrin adaptor complexes that provide compartment and cargo selectivity. The adaptor-protein assembly polypeptide-1 (AP-1) complex operates as part of the secretory pathway at the trans-Golgi network (TGN), while the AP-2 complex and the TPLATE complex jointly operate at the plasma membrane to execute clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Key to our further understanding of clathrin-mediated trafficking in plants will be the comprehensive identification and characterization of the network of evolutionarily conserved and plant-specific core and accessory machinery involved in the formation and targeting of CCVs. To facilitate these studies, we have analyzed the proteome of enriched TGN/early endosome-derived and endocytic CCVs isolated from dividing and expanding suspension-cultured Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cells. Tandem mass spectrometry analysis results were validated by differential chemical labeling experiments to identify proteins co-enriching with CCVs. Proteins enriched in CCVs included previously characterized CCV components and cargos such as the vacuolar sorting receptors in addition to conserved and plant-specific components whose function in clathrin-mediated trafficking has not been previously defined. Notably, in addition to AP-1 and AP-2, all subunits of the AP-4 complex, but not AP-3 or AP-5, were found to be in high abundance in the CCV proteome. The association of AP-4 with suspension-cultured Arabidopsis CCVs is further supported via additional biochemical data.

Proteomic characterization of isolated Arabidopsis clathrin-coated vesicles reveals evolutionarily conserved and plant-specific components

In eukaryotes, clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) facilitate the internalization of material from the cell surface as well as the movement of cargo in post-Golgi trafficking pathways. This diversity of functions is partially provided by multiple monomeric and multimeric clathrin adaptor complexes that provide compartment and cargo selectivity. The adaptor-protein assembly polypeptide-1 (AP-1) complex operates as part of the secretory pathway at the trans-Golgi network (TGN), while the AP-2 complex and the TPLATE complex jointly operate at the plasma membrane to execute clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Key to our further understanding of clathrin-mediated trafficking in plants will be the comprehensive identification and characterization of the network of evolutionarily conserved and plant-specific core and accessory machinery involved in the formation and targeting of CCVs. To facilitate these studies, we have analyzed the proteome of enriched TGN/early endosome-derived and endocytic CCVs isolated from dividing and expanding suspension-cultured Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cells. Tandem mass spectrometry analysis results were validated by differential chemical labeling experiments to identify proteins co-enriching with CCVs. Proteins enriched in CCVs included previously characterized CCV components and cargos such as the vacuolar sorting receptors in addition to conserved and plant-specific components whose function in clathrin-mediated trafficking has not been previously defined. Notably, in addition to AP-1 and AP-2, all subunits of the AP-4 complex, but not AP-3 or AP-5, were found to be in high abundance in the CCV proteome. The association of AP-4 with suspension-cultured Arabidopsis CCVs is further supported via additional biochemical data.

The Golgi Apparatus and its Next-Door Neighbors

The Golgi apparatus represents a central compartment of membrane traffic. Its apparent architecture, however, differs considerably among species, from unstacked and scattered cisternae in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to beautiful ministacks in plants and further to gigantic ribbon structures typically seen in mammals. Considering the well-conserved functions of the Golgi, its fundamental structure must have been optimized despite seemingly different architectures. In addition to the core layers of cisternae, the Golgi is usually accompanied by next-door compartments on its cis and trans sides. The trans-Golgi network (TGN) can be now considered as a compartment independent from the Golgi stack. On the cis side, the intermediate compartment between the ER and the Golgi (ERGIC) has been known in mammalian cells, and its functional equivalent is now suggested for yeast and plant cells. High-resolution live imaging is extremely powerful for elucidating the dynamics of these compartments and has revealed amazing similarities in their behaviors, indicating common mechanisms conserved along the long course of evolution. From these new findings, I would like to propose reconsideration of compartments and suggest a new concept to describe their roles comprehensively around the Golgi and in the post-Golgi trafficking.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Plasma Membrane Proteins in Rice Leaves Reveals a Vesicle Trafficking Network in Plant Immunity That Is Provoked by Blast Fungi

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most devastating diseases in rice and can affect rice production worldwide. Rice plasma membrane (PM) proteins are crucial for rapidly and precisely establishing a defense response in plant immunity when rice and blast fungi interact. However, the plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network mediated by PM proteins is poorly understood. In this study, to explore changes in PM proteins during M. oryzae infection, the PM proteome was analyzed via iTRAQ in the resistant rice landrace Heikezijing. A total of 831 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 434 upregulated and 397 downregulated DEPs. In functional analyses, DEPs associated with vesicle trafficking were significantly enriched, including the "transport" term in a Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, the endocytosis and phagosome pathways in a Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, and vesicle-associated proteins identified via a protein-protein interaction network analysis. OsNPSN13, a novel plant-specific soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) 13 protein, was identified as an upregulated DEP, and transgenic plants overexpressing this gene showed enhanced blast resistance, while transgenic knockdown plants were more susceptible than wild-type plants. The changes in abundance and putative functions of 20 DEPs revealed a possible vesicle trafficking network in the M. oryzae-rice interaction. A comparative proteomic analysis of plasma membrane proteins in rice leaves revealed a plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network that is provoked by blast fungi; these results provide new insights into rice resistance responses against rice blast fungi.

The small GTPase RABA2a recruits SNARE proteins to regulate the secretory pathway in parallel with the exocyst complex in Arabidopsis

Delivery of proteins to the plasma membrane occurs via secretion, which requires tethering, docking, priming, and fusion of vesicles. In yeast and mammalian cells, an evolutionarily conserved RAB GTPase activation cascade functions together with the exocyst and SNARE proteins to coordinate vesicle transport with fusion at the plasma membrane. However, it is unclear whether this is the case in plants. In this study, we show that the small GTPase RABA2a recruits and interacts with the VAMP721/722-SYP121-SNAP33 SNARE ternary complex for membrane fusion. Through immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry analysis followed by the validatation with a series of biochemical assays, we identified the SNARE proteins VAMP721 and SYP121 as the interactors and downstream effectors of RABA2a. Further expreiments showed that RABA2a interacts with all members of the SNARE complex in its GTP-bound form and modulates the assembly of the VAMP721/722-SYP121-SNAP33 SNARE ternary complex. Intriguingly, we did not observe the interaction of the exocyst subunits with either RABA2a or theSNARE proteins in several different experiments. Neither RABA2a inactivation affects the subcellular localization or assembly of the exocystnor the exocyst subunit mutant exo84b shows the disrupted RABA2a-SNARE association or SNARE assembly, suggesting that the RABA2a-SNARE- and exocyst-mediated secretory pathways are largely independent. Consistently, our live imaging experiments reveal that the two sets of proteins follow non-overlapping trafficking routes, and genetic and cell biologyanalyses indicate that the two pathways select different cargos. Finally, we demonstrate that the plant-specific RABA2a-SNARE pathway is essential for the maintenance of potassium homeostasis in Arabisopsis seedlings. Collectively, our findings imply that higher plants might have generated different endomembrane sorting pathways during evolution and may enable the highly conserved endomembrane proteins to participate in plant-specific trafficking mechanisms for adaptation to the changing environment.

Connected function of PRAF/RLD and GNOM in membrane trafficking controls intrinsic cell polarity in plants

Cell polarity is a fundamental feature underlying cell morphogenesis and organismal development. In the Arabidopsis stomatal lineage, the polarity protein BASL controls stomatal asymmetric cell division. However, the cellular machinery by which this intrinsic polarity site is established remains unknown. Here, we identify the PRAF/RLD proteins as BASL physical partners and mutating four PRAF members leads to defects in BASL polarization. Members of PRAF proteins are polarized in stomatal lineage cells in a BASL-dependent manner. Developmental defects of the praf mutants phenocopy those of the gnom mutants. GNOM is an activator of the conserved Arf GTPases and plays important roles in membrane trafficking. We further find PRAF physically interacts with GNOM in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we propose that the positive feedback of BASL and PRAF at the plasma membrane and the connected function of PRAF and GNOM in endosomal trafficking establish intrinsic cell polarity in the Arabidopsis stomatal lineage.

Transport, functions, and interaction of calcium and manganese in plant organellar compartments

Calcium (Ca2+) and manganese (Mn2+) are essential elements for plants and have similar ionic radii and binding coordination. They are assigned specific functions within organelles, but share many transport mechanisms to cross organellar membranes. Despite their points of interaction, those elements are usually investigated and reviewed separately. This review takes them out of this isolation. It highlights our current mechanistic understanding and points to open questions of their functions, their transport, and their interplay in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), vesicular compartments (Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network, pre-vacuolar compartment), vacuoles, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and peroxisomes. Complex processes demanding these cations, such as Mn2+-dependent glycosylation or systemic Ca2+ signaling, are covered in some detail if they have not been reviewed recently or if recent findings add to current models. The function of Ca2+ as signaling agent released from organelles into the cytosol and within the organelles themselves is a recurrent theme of this review, again keeping the interference by Mn2+ in mind. The involvement of organellar channels [e.g. glutamate receptor-likes (GLR), cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGC), mitochondrial conductivity units (MCU), and two-pore channel1 (TPC1)], transporters (e.g. natural resistance-associated macrophage proteins (NRAMP), Ca2+ exchangers (CAX), metal tolerance proteins (MTP), and bivalent cation transporters (BICAT)], and pumps [autoinhibited Ca2+-ATPases (ACA) and ER Ca2+-ATPases (ECA)] in the import and export of organellar Ca2+ and Mn2+ is scrutinized, whereby current controversial issues are pointed out. Mechanisms in animals and yeast are taken into account where they may provide a blueprint for processes in plants, in particular, with respect to tunable molecular mechanisms of Ca2+ versus Mn2+ selectivity.

RabA2b Overexpression Alters the Plasma-Membrane Proteome and Improves Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis

Rab proteins are small GTPases that are important in the regulation of vesicle trafficking. Through data mining, we identified RabA2b to be stress responsive, though little is known about the involvement of RabA in plant responses to abiotic stresses. Analysis of the RabA2b native promoter showed strong activity during osmotic stress, which required the stress hormone Abscisic acid (ABA) and was restricted to the vasculature. Sequence analysis of the promoter region identified predicted binding motifs for several ABA-responsive transcription factors. We cloned RabA2b and overexpressed it in Arabidopsis. The resulting transgenic plants were strikingly drought resistant. The reduced water loss observed in detached leaves of the transgenic plants could not be explained by stomatal aperture or density, which was similar in all the genotypes. Subcellular localization studies detected strong colocalization between RabA2b and the plasma membrane (PM) marker PIP2. Further studies of the PM showed, for the first time, a distinguished alteration in the PM proteome as a result of RabA2b overexpression. Proteomic analysis of isolated PM fractions showed enrichment of stress-coping proteins as well as cell wall/cuticle modifiers in the transgenic lines. Finally, the cuticle permeability of transgenic leaves was significantly reduced compared to the wild type, suggesting that it plays a role in its drought resistant properties. Overall, these data provide new insights into the roles and modes of action of RabA2b during water stresses, and indicate that increased RabA2b mediated PM trafficking can affect the PM proteome and increase drought tolerance.

An oomycete effector subverts host vesicle trafficking to channel starvation-induced autophagy to the pathogen interface

Eukaryotic cells deploy autophagy to eliminate invading microbes. In turn, pathogens have evolved effector proteins to counteract antimicrobial autophagy. How adapted pathogens co-opt autophagy for their own benefit is poorly understood. The Irish famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans secretes the effector protein PexRD54 that selectively activates an unknown plant autophagy pathway that antagonizes antimicrobial autophagy at the pathogen interface. Here, we show that PexRD54 induces autophagosome formation by bridging vesicles decorated by the small GTPase Rab8a with autophagic compartments labeled by the core autophagy protein ATG8CL. Rab8a is required for pathogen-triggered and starvation-induced but not antimicrobial autophagy, revealing specific trafficking pathways underpin selective autophagy. By subverting Rab8a-mediated vesicle trafficking, PexRD54 utilizes lipid droplets to facilitate biogenesis of autophagosomes diverted to pathogen feeding sites. Altogether, we show that PexRD54 mimics starvation-induced autophagy to subvert endomembrane trafficking at the host-pathogen interface, revealing how effectors bridge distinct host compartments to expedite colonization.

With its long filaments reaching deep inside its prey, the tiny fungi-like organism known as Phytophthora infestans has had a disproportionate impact on human history. Latching onto plants and feeding on their cells, it has caused large-scale starvation events such as the Irish or Highland potato famines.

Many specialized proteins allow the parasite to accomplish its feat. For instance, PexRD54 helps P. infestans hijack a cellular process known as autophagy. Healthy cells use this ‘self-eating’ mechanism to break down invaders or to recycle their components, for example when they require specific nutrients. The process is set in motion by various pathways of molecular events that result in specific sac-like ‘vesicles’ filled with cargo being transported to specialized compartments for recycling. PexRD54 can take over this mechanism by activating one of the plant autophagy pathways, directing cells to form autophagic vesicles that Phytophthora could then possibly use to feed on or to destroy antimicrobial components. How or why this is the case remains poorly understood.

To examine these questions, Pandey, Leary et al. used a combination of genetic and microscopy techniques and tracked how PexRD54 alters autophagy as P. infestans infects a tobacco-related plant. The results show that PexRD54 works by bridging two proteins: one is present on cellular vesicles filled with cargo, and the other on autophagic structures surrounding the parasite. This allows PexRD54 to direct the vesicles to the feeding sites of P. infestans so the parasite can potentially divert nutrients. Pandey, Leary et al. then went on to develop a molecule called the AIM peptide, which could block autophagy by mimicking part of PexRD54.

These results help to better grasp how a key disease affects crops, potentially leading to new ways to protect plants without the use of pesticides. They also shed light on autophagy: ultimately, a deeper understanding of this fundamental biological process could allow the development of plants which can adapt to changing environments.

An oomycete effector subverts host vesicle trafficking to channel starvation-induced autophagy to the pathogen interface

Eukaryotic cells deploy autophagy to eliminate invading microbes. In turn, pathogens have evolved effector proteins to counteract antimicrobial autophagy. How adapted pathogens co-opt autophagy for their own benefit is poorly understood. The Irish famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans secretes the effector protein PexRD54 that selectively activates an unknown plant autophagy pathway that antagonizes antimicrobial autophagy at the pathogen interface. Here, we show that PexRD54 induces autophagosome formation by bridging vesicles decorated by the small GTPase Rab8a with autophagic compartments labeled by the core autophagy protein ATG8CL. Rab8a is required for pathogen-triggered and starvation-induced but not antimicrobial autophagy, revealing specific trafficking pathways underpin selective autophagy. By subverting Rab8a-mediated vesicle trafficking, PexRD54 utilizes lipid droplets to facilitate biogenesis of autophagosomes diverted to pathogen feeding sites. Altogether, we show that PexRD54 mimics starvation-induced autophagy to subvert endomembrane trafficking at the host-pathogen interface, revealing how effectors bridge distinct host compartments to expedite colonization.

Exosomes mediate horizontal transmission of viral pathogens from insect vectors to plant phloem

Numerous piercing-sucking insects can horizontally transmit viral pathogens together with saliva to plant phloem, but the mechanism remains elusive. Here, we report that an important rice reovirus has hijacked small vesicles, referred to as exosomes, to traverse the apical plasmalemma into saliva-stored cavities in the salivary glands of leafhopper vectors. Thus, virions were horizontally transmitted with exosomes into rice phloem to establish the initial plant infection during vector feeding. The purified exosomes secreted from cultured leafhopper cells were enriched with virions. Silencing the exosomal secretion-related small GTPase Rab27a or treatment with the exosomal biogenesis inhibitor GW4869 strongly prevented viral exosomal release in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the specific interaction of the 15-nm-long domain of the viral outer capsid protein with Rab5 induced the packaging of virions in exosomes, ultimately activating the Rab27a-dependent exosomal release pathway. We thus anticipate that exosome-mediated viral horizontal transmission is the conserved strategy hijacked by vector-borne viruses.

GLOBAL AND TARGETED PROFILING OF GTP-BINDING PROTEINS IN BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES BY MASS SPECTROMETRY

GTP-binding proteins are among the most important enzyme families that are involved in a plethora of biological processes. However, owing to the enormous diversity of the nucleotide-binding protein family, comprehensive analyses of the expression level, structure, activity, and regulatory mechanisms of GTP-binding proteins remain challenging with the use of conventional approaches. The many advances in mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation and data acquisition methods, together with a variety of enrichment approaches in sample preparation, render MS a powerful tool for the comprehensive characterizations of the activities and expression levels of various GTP-binding proteins. We review herein the recent developments in the application of MS-based techniques, together with general and widely used affinity enrichment approaches, for the proteome-wide and targeted capture, identification, and quantification of GTP-binding proteins. The working principles, advantages, and limitations of various strategies for profiling the expression level, activity, posttranslational modifications, and interactome of GTP-binding proteins are discussed. It can be envisaged that future applications of MS-based proteomics will lead to a better understanding about the roles of GTP-binding proteins in different biological processes and human diseases. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Mass Spec Rev.

Plant RABs: Role in Development and in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Responses

Endosomal trafficking plays an integral role in various eukaryotic cellular activities and is vital for higher-order functions in multicellular organisms. RAB GTPases are important proteins that influence various aspects of membrane traffic, which consequently influence many cellular functions and responses. Compared to yeast and mammals, plants have evolved a unique set of plant-specific RABs that play a significant role in their development. RABs form the largest family of small guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins, and are divided into eight sub-families named RAB1, RAB2, RAB5, RAB6, RAB7, RAB8, RAB11 and RAB18. Recent studies on different species suggest that RAB proteins play crucial roles in intracellular trafficking and cytokinesis, in autophagy, plant microbe interactions and in biotic and abiotic stress responses. This review recaptures and summarizes the roles of RABs in plant cell functions and in enhancing plant survival under stress conditions.

Salt-induced expression of intracellular vesicle trafficking genes, CaRab-GTP, and their association with Na+ accumulation in leaves of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

BACKGROUND

Chickpea is an important legume and is moderately tolerant to salinity stress during the growing season. However, the level and mechanisms for salinity tolerance can vary among accessions and cultivars. A large family of CaRab-GTP genes, previously identified in chickpea, is homologous to intracellular vesicle trafficking superfamily genes that play essential roles in response to salinity stress in plants.

RESULTS

To determine which of the gene family members are involved in the chickpea salt response, plants from six selected chickpea accessions (Genesis 836, Hattrick, ICC12726, Rupali, Slasher and Yubileiny) were exposed to salinity stress and expression profiles resolved for the major CaRab-GTP gene clades after 5, 9 and 15 days of salt exposure. Gene clade expression profiles (using degenerate primers targeting all members of each clade) were tested for their relationship to salinity tolerance measures, namely plant biomass and Na⁺ accumulation. Transcripts representing 11 out of the 13 CaRab clades could be detected by RT-PCR, but only six (CaRabA2, -B, -C, -D, -E and -H) could be quantified using qRT-PCR due to low expression levels or poor amplification efficiency of the degenerate primers for clades containing several gene members. Expression profiles of three gene clades, CaRabB, -D and -E, were very similar across all six chickpea accessions, showing a strongly coordinated network. Salt-induced enhancement of CaRabA2 expression at 15 days showed a very strong positive correlation (R² = 0.905) with Na⁺ accumulation in leaves. However, salinity tolerance estimated as relative plant biomass production compared to controls, did not correlate with Na⁺ accumulation in leaves, nor with expression profiles of any of the investigated CaRab-GTP genes.

CONCLUSION

A coordinated network of CaRab-GTP genes, which are likely involved in intracellular trafficking, are important for the salinity stress response of chickpea plants.

The Tip-Localized Phosphatidylserine Established by Arabidopsis ALA3 Is Crucial for Rab GTPase-Mediated Vesicle Trafficking and Pollen Tube Growth

RabA4 subfamily proteins, the key regulators of intracellular transport, are vital for tip growth of plant polar cells, but their unique distribution in the apical zone and role in vesicle targeting and trafficking in the tips remain poorly understood. Here, we found that loss of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) AMINOPHOSPHOLIPID ATPASE 3 (ALA3) function resulted in a marked decrease in YFP-RabA4b/ RFP-RabA4d- and FM4-64-labeled vesicles from the inverted-cone zone of the pollen tube tip, misdistribution of certain intramembrane compartment markers, and an obvious increase in pollen tube width. Additionally, we revealed that phosphatidylserine (PS) was abundant in the inverted-cone zone of the apical pollen tube in wild-type Arabidopsis and was mainly colocalized with the trans-Golgi network/early endosome, certain post-Golgi compartments, and the plasma membrane. Loss of ALA3 function resulted in loss of polar localization of apical PS and significantly decreased PS distribution, suggesting that ALA3 is a key regulator for establishing and maintaining the polar localization of apical PS in pollen tubes. We further demonstrated that certain Rab GTPases colocalized with PS in vivo and bound to PS in vitro. Moreover, ALA3 and RabA4d collectively regulated pollen tube growth genetically. Thus, we propose that the tip-localized PS established by ALA3 is crucial for Rab GTPase-mediated vesicle targeting/trafficking and polar growth of pollen tubes in Arabidopsis.

Identification and characterization of unconventional membrane protein trafficking regulators in Arabidopsis: A genetic approach

Proper trafficking and subcellular localization of membrane proteins are essential for plant growth and development. The plant endomembrane system contains several membrane-bound organelles with distinct functions including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network (TGN) or early endosome, prevacuolar compartment (PVC) or multivesicular body (MVB) and vacuole. Multiple approaches have been successfully used to identify and study the regulators and components important for signal transduction, growth and development, as well as membrane trafficking in the endomembrane system in plants. These include the homologous characterization of the counterparts in mammals or yeast employing both reverse genetic as well as the forward genetic screen approaches. However, the deletion or mutation of membrane trafficking related proteins usually leads to seedling lethality due to their essential roles in plant development and organelle biogenesis. To overcome the limitation of lethal phenotype of the target proteins, we used DEX-inducible RNAi knock-down lines to study their function in plants. More recently, we developed and used both RNAi knock-down and T-DNA insertional lines as starting materials to screen for mutations that could suppress and rescue the lethal phenotype, or a suppressor screening. Further characterization of the newly identified suppressor mutants has resulted in the identification of novel negative regulators in mediating membrane trafficking and organelle biogenesis in plants. In this review, we summarize the current approaches in studying protein trafficking in the endomembrane system. We then describe three examples of suppressor screening with distinct starting materials (i.e. FREE1, MON1, and SH3P2 that are regulators of MVB, vacuole, and autophagosomes, respectively) to discuss the rationale, procedures, advantages and disadvantages, and possible outcomes of such a suppressor screening. We finally propose that these novel screening approaches will lead to the identification of new unconventional players in regulating protein trafficking and organelle biogenesis in plants and discuss their impact on plant cell biology research.

Defective Microspore Development 1 is required for microspore cell integrity and pollen wall formation in rice

Highly coordinated pollen wall patterning is essential for male reproductive development. Here, we report the identification of Defective Microspore Development 1 (DMD1), which encodes a nuclear-localized protein possessing transactivation activity. DMD1 is preferentially expressed in the tapetum and microspores during post-meiotic development. Mutations in DMD1 cause a male-sterile phenotype with impaired microspore cell integrity. The mutants display abnormal callose degradation, accompanied by inhibited primexine thickening in the newly released microspores. Several genes associated with callose degradation and primexine formation are downregulated in dmd1 anthers. In addition, irregular Ubisch body morphology and discontinuous endexine occur, and the baculum is completely absent in dmd1. DMD1 interacts with Tapetum Degeneration Retardation (TDR), a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor required for exine formation. Taken together, our results suggest that DMD1 is responsible for microspore cell integrity, primexine formation and exine pattern formation during Oryza sativa (rice) microspore development.

The Small GTPase Superfamily in Plants: A Conserved Regulatory Module with Novel Functions

Small GTP-binding proteins represent a highly conserved signaling module in eukaryotes that regulates diverse cellular processes such as signal transduction, cytoskeletal organization and cell polarity, cell proliferation and differentiation, intracellular membrane trafficking and transport vesicle formation, and nucleocytoplasmic transport. These proteins function as molecular switches that cycle between active and inactive states, and this cycle is linked to GTP binding and hydrolysis. In this review, the roles of the plant complement of small GTP-binding proteins in these cellular processes are described, as well as accessory proteins that control their activity, and current understanding of the functions of individual members of these families in plants-with a focus on the model organism Arabidopsis-is presented. Some potential novel roles of these GTPases in plants, relative to their established roles in yeast and/or animal systems, are also discussed.

Amending an As/Pb contaminated soil with biochar, compost and iron grit: effect on Salix viminalis growth, root proteome profiles and metal(loid) accumulation indexes

There is currently a large amount of research being done into the phytoremediation of polluted soils. Plant installation in contaminated soils may require the application of soil amendments, such as biochar, compost and/or iron grit, which can improve the soil conditions and reduce the metal (loid) phytoavailability and mobility. The beneficial effects of these amendments on soil properties, plant growth and metal (loid) accumulation ability have already been described, although their effect on the plants response machinery has been poorly studied. This study aimed to assess the effect of these amendments on Salix viminalis growth and metal (loid) accumulation, as well as elucidating associated molecular mechanisms. The results showed that the amendment applications improved plant growth by three fold, except for the biochar plus iron combination. It also revealed that metal (loid)s were not effectively translocated from the roots to the shoots (translocation factors <1), their bioaccumulation peaked in the roots, and increased in the presence of iron-based amendments. Corresponding proteomic profiles revealed 34 protein spots differentially represented and suggested that plants counteracted metal (loid)-induced oxidative stress after the addition of biochar and/or compost by eliciting proper defense and signaling pathways, and by redirecting the metabolic fluxes towards primary and secondary metabolism. However, they did highlight the occurrence of oxidative stress markers when the biochar plus iron amendment was applied, which could be both the cause and result of protein degradation impairment.

Spatio-temporal control of post-Golgi exocytic trafficking in plants

A complex and dynamic endomembrane system is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells and underpins the evolution of specialised cell types in multicellular organisms. Endomembrane system function critically depends on the ability of the cell to (1) define compartment and pathway identity, and (2) organise compartments and pathways dynamically in space and time. Eukaryotes possess a complex molecular machinery to control these processes, including small GTPases and their regulators, SNAREs, tethering factors, motor proteins, and cytoskeletal elements. Whereas many of the core components of the eukaryotic endomembrane system are broadly conserved, there have been substantial diversifications within different lineages, possibly reflecting lineage-specific requirements of endomembrane trafficking. This Review focusses on the spatio-temporal regulation of post-Golgi exocytic transport in plants. It highlights recent advances in our understanding of the elaborate network of pathways transporting different cargoes to different domains of the cell surface, and the molecular machinery underpinning them (with a focus on Rab GTPases, their interactors and the cytoskeleton). We primarily focus on transport in the context of growth, but also highlight how these pathways are co-opted during plant immunity responses and at the plant-pathogen interface.

Cell polarity: Regulators and mechanisms in plants

Cell polarity plays an important role in a wide range of biological processes in plant growth and development. Cell polarity is manifested as the asymmetric distribution of molecules, for example, proteins and lipids, at the plasma membrane and/or inside of a cell. Here, we summarize a few polarized proteins that have been characterized in plants and we review recent advances towards understanding the molecular mechanism for them to polarize at the plasma membrane. Multiple mechanisms, including membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal activities, and protein phosphorylation, and so forth define the polarized plasma membrane domains. Recent discoveries suggest that the polar positioning of the proteo-lipid membrane domain may instruct the formation of polarity complexes in plants. In this review, we highlight the factors and regulators for their functions in establishing the membrane asymmetries in plant development. Furthermore, we discuss a few outstanding questions to be addressed to better understand the mechanisms by which cell polarity is regulated in plants.

VAPYRIN Marks an Endosomal Trafficking Compartment Involved in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a symbiosis between plants and AM fungi that requires the intracellular accommodation of the fungal partner in the host. For reciprocal nutrient exchange, AM fungi form intracellular arbuscules that are surrounded by the peri-arbuscular membrane. This membrane, together with the fungal plasma membrane, and the space in between, constitute the symbiotic interface, over which nutrients are exchanged. Intracellular establishment of AM fungi requires the VAPYRIN protein which is induced in colonized cells, and which localizes to numerous small mobile structures of unknown identity (Vapyrin-bodies). In order to characterize the identity and function of the Vapyrin-bodies we pursued a dual strategy. First, we co-expressed fluorescently tagged VAPYRIN with a range of subcellular marker proteins, and secondly, we employed biochemical tools to identify interacting partner proteins of VAPYRIN. As an important tool for the quantitative analysis of confocal microscopic data sets from co-expression of fluorescent proteins, we developed a semi-automated image analysis pipeline that allows for precise spatio-temporal quantification of protein co-localization and of the dynamics of organelle association from movies. Taken together, these experiments revealed that Vapyrin-bodies have an endosomal identity with trans-Golgi features, and that VAPYRIN interacts with a symbiotic R-SNARE of the VAMP721 family, that localizes to the same compartment.

Proportional subcellular localization of Arabidopsis thaliana RabA1a

Subcellular localization of trafficking proteins in a single cell affects the assembly of trafficking machinery between organelles and vesicles throughout the targeting pathway. RabGTPase is one of the regulators to direct specific targeting of cargo molecules depending on GDP/GTP bound status. We have recently determined the crystal structures of GDP-bound inactive and both GTP- and GppNHp-bound active forms of Arabidopsis RabA1a. It is notable that the switch regions of RabA1a exhibit conformational changes derived by GDP or GTP binding. However, it was not clear that where the GDP- or GTP-bound RabA1a is localized at the subcellular level in a cell. Here we demonstrate that the distinct proportion of subcellular localization of RabA1a depends on its site-specific mutation as the GDP- or GTP-bound form. RabA1a proteins located at the plasma membrane, endosomes, and cytosol. While the GDP-bound form of RabA1a^S27N located more at endosomes than the plasma membrane compared to the proportions of RabA1a wild-type, and the GTP-bound RabA1a^Q72L located mainly at the plasma membrane in comparison to RabA1a wild-type and RabA1a^S27N. These distinct proportional localizations of RabA1a enable a cognate interaction between inactive/active RabA1 and effector molecules to direct specific targeting of its cargo molecules.

Possible Roles of Membrane Trafficking Components for Lipid Droplet Dynamics in Higher Plants and Green Algae

Lipid droplets are ubiquitous dynamic organelles that contain neutral lipids surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer. They can store and supply lipids for energy metabolism and membrane synthesis. In addition, protein transport and lipid exchange often occur between LDs and various organelles to control lipid homeostasis in response to multiple stress responses and cellular signaling. In recent years, multiple membrane trafficking proteins have been identified through LD proteomics and genetic analyses. These membrane trafficking machineries are emerging as critical regulators to function in different LD-organelle interactions, e.g., for LD dynamics, biogenesis and turnover. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in regard to LD-related membrane trafficking proteins and discuss future investigations in higher plants and green algae.

Chloroplast vesicle transport

Photosynthesis is a well-known process that has been intensively investigated, but less is known about the biogenesis of the thylakoid membrane that harbors the photosynthetic machinery. Thylakoid membranes are constituted by several components, the major ones being proteins and lipids. However, neither of these two are produced in the thylakoid membranes themselves but are targeted there by different mechanisms. The interior of the chloroplast, the stroma, is an aqueous compartment that prevents spontaneous transport of single lipids and/or membrane proteins due to their hydrophobicities. Thylakoid targeted proteins are encoded either in the nucleus or plastid, and thus some cross the envelope membrane before entering one of the identified thylakoid targeting pathways. However, the pathway for all thylakoid proteins is not known. Lipids are produced at the envelope membrane and have been proposed to reach the thylakoid membrane by different means: invaginations of the envelope membrane, direct contact sites between these membranes, or through vesicles. Vesicles have been observed in chloroplasts but not much is yet known about the mechanism or regulation of their formation. The question of whether proteins can also make use of vesicles as one mechanism of transport remains to be answered. Here we discuss the presence of vesicles in chloroplasts and their potential role in transporting lipids and proteins. We additionally discuss what is known about the proteins involved in the vesicle transport and the gaps in knowledge that remain to be filled.

FAM134B promotes adipogenesis by increasing vesicular activity in porcine and 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Family with sequence similarity 134, Member B (FAM134B), is a cis-Golgi transmembrane protein that is known to be necessary for the long-term survival of nociceptive and autonomic ganglion neurons. Recent work has shown that FAM134B plays a pivotal role in autophagy-mediated turnover of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, tumor inhibition and lipid homeostasis. In this study, we provide mechanistic links between FAM134B and ARF-related protein 1 (ARFRP1) and further show that FAM134B resides in the Golgi apparatus. Here, we found that FAM134B increased lipid accumulation in adipocytes. Transport vehicle number and ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) family gene expression were also increased by FAM134B overexpression, suggesting that vesicular transport activity enhanced lipid accumulation. ARF-related protein 1 (ARFRP1) is a GTPase that promotes protein trafficking. We show that FAM134B regulates the expression of ARFRP1, and the knockdown of ARFRP1 abolishes enhancement on lipid accumulation caused by FAM134B. In addition, FAM134B upregulates the PAT family protein (PAT), which associates with the lipid droplets (LDs) surface and promotes lipolysis by recruiting adipocyte triglyceride lipase (ATGL). These findings indicate that FAM134B promotes lipid accumulation and adipogenic differentiation by increasing vesicle transport activity in the Golgi apparatus and inhibiting the lipolysis of LDs.

The Inhibitor Endosidin 4 Targets SEC7 Domain-Type ARF GTPase Exchange Factors and Interferes with Subcellular Trafficking in Eukaryotes

The trafficking of subcellular cargos in eukaryotic cells crucially depends on vesicle budding, a process mediated by ARF-GEFs (ADP-ribosylation factor guanine nucleotide exchange factors). In plants, ARF-GEFs play essential roles in endocytosis, vacuolar trafficking, recycling, secretion, and polar trafficking. Moreover, they are important for plant development, mainly through controlling the polar subcellular localization of PIN-FORMED transporters of the plant hormone auxin. Here, using a chemical genetics screen in Arabidopsis thaliana, we identified Endosidin 4 (ES4), an inhibitor of eukaryotic ARF-GEFs. ES4 acts similarly to and synergistically with the established ARF-GEF inhibitor Brefeldin A and has broad effects on intracellular trafficking, including endocytosis, exocytosis, and vacuolar targeting. Additionally, Arabidopsis and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutants defective in ARF-GEF show altered sensitivity to ES4. ES4 interferes with the activation-based membrane association of the ARF1 GTPases, but not of their mutant variants that are activated independently of ARF-GEF activity. Biochemical approaches and docking simulations confirmed that ES4 specifically targets the SEC7 domain-containing ARF-GEFs. These observations collectively identify ES4 as a chemical tool enabling the study of ARF-GEF-mediated processes, including ARF-GEF-mediated plant development.

Including gene networks to predict calving difficulty in Holstein, Brown Swiss and Jersey cattle

Background

Calving difficulty or dystocia has a great economic impact in the US dairy industry. Reported risk factors associated with calving difficulty are feto-pelvic disproportion, gestation length and conformation. Different dairy cattle breeds have different incidence of calving difficulty, with Holstein having the highest dystocia rates and Jersey the lowest. Genomic selection becomes important especially for complex traits with low heritability, where the accuracy of conventional selection is lower. However, for complex traits where a large number of genes influence the phenotype, genome-wide association studies showed limitations. Biological networks could overcome some of these limitations and better capture the genetic architecture of complex traits. In this paper, we characterize Holstein, Brown Swiss and Jersey breed-specific dystocia networks and employ them in genomic predictions.

Results

Marker association analysis identified single nucleotide polymorphisms explaining the largest average proportion of genetic variance on BTA18 in Holstein, BTA25 in Brown Swiss, and BTA15 in Jersey. Gene networks derived from the genome-wide association included 1272 genes in Holstein, 1454 genes in Brown Swiss, and 1455 genes in Jersey. Furthermore, 256 genes in Holstein network, 275 genes in the Brown Swiss network, and 253 genes in the Jersey network were within previously reported dystocia quantitative trait loci. The across-breed network included 80 genes, with 9 genes being within previously reported dystocia quantitative trait loci. The gene-gene interactions in this network differed in the different breeds. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of genes in the networks showed Regulation of ARF GTPase was very significant (FDR ≤ 0.0098) on Holstein. Neuron morphogenesis and differentiation was the term most enriched (FDR ≤ 0.0539) on the across-breed network. Genomic prediction models enriched with network-derived relationship matrices did not outperform regular GBLUP models.

Conclusions

Regions identified in the genome were in the proximity of previously described quantitative trait loci that would most likely affect calving difficulty by altering the feto-pelvic proportion. Inclusion of identified networks did not increase prediction accuracy. The approach used in this paper could be extended to any instance with asymmetric distribution of phenotypes, for example, resistance to disease data.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12863-018-0606-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Epidermal growth factor-mediated Rab25 pathway regulates integrin β1 trafficking in colon cancer

Background

Integrins play a critical role in carcinogenesis. Integrin β1 localization is regulated by the guanosine-5′-triphosphate hydrolase Rab25 and integrin β1 levels are elevated in the serum of colon cancer patients; thus, the present study examined the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and Rab25 on integrin β1 localization in colon cancer cells.

Methods

HCT116 human colon cancer cells were treated with increasing concentrations of EGF, and cell proliferation and protein expression were monitored by MTT and western blot analyses, respectively. Cell fractionation was performed to determine integrin β1 localization in the membrane and cytosol. Integrin β1 extracellular shedding was monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with culture supernatants from stimulated cells. HCT116 cells were transfected with Rab25-specific siRNA to determine the significance of Rab25 in integrin β1 trafficking in the presence of EGF.

Results

Total integrin β1 expression increased in response to EGF and subsequently decreased at 24 h post-stimulation. A similar decrease was observed in purified membrane fractions, whereas no changes were observed in cytosolic levels. ELISAs using media from stimulated cell cultures demonstrated increased integrin β1 levels corresponding to the decrease observed in membrane fractions, suggesting that EGF induces integrin receptor shedding. EGF stimulation in Rab25-knockdown cells resulted in integrin β1 accumulation in the membrane, suggesting that Rab25 promotes integrin endocytosis.

Conclusions

Integrin β1 is shed from colon cancer cells in response to EGF stimulation in a Rab25-dependent manner. These results further the present understanding of the role of integrin β1 in colon cancer progression.

AtCAP2 is crucial for lytic vacuole biogenesis during germination by positively regulating vacuolar protein trafficking

Protein trafficking is a fundamental mechanism of subcellular organization and contributes to organellar biogenesis. AtCAP2 is an Arabidopsis homolog of the Mesembryanthemum crystallinum calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 adaptor protein 2 (McCAP2), a member of the syntaxin superfamily. Here, we show that AtCAP2 plays an important role in the conversion to the lytic vacuole (LV) during early plant development. The AtCAP2 loss-of-function mutant atcap2-1 displayed delays in protein storage vacuole (PSV) protein degradation, PSV fusion, LV acidification, and biosynthesis of several vacuolar proteins during germination. At the mature stage, atcap2-1 plants accumulated vacuolar proteins in the prevacuolar compartment (PVC) instead of the LV. In wild-type plants, AtCAP2 localizes to the PVC as a peripheral membrane protein and in the PVC compartment recruits glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase C2 (GAPC2) to the PVC. We propose that AtCAP2 contributes to LV biogenesis during early plant development by supporting the trafficking of specific proteins involved in the PSV-to-LV transition and LV acidification during early stages of plant development.

Trans-Golgi network/early endosome: a central sorting station for cargo proteins in plant immunity

In plants, the trans-Golgi network (TGN) functionally overlaps with the early endosome (EE), serving as a central sorting hub to direct newly synthesized and endocytosed cargo to the cell surface or vacuole. Here, we focus on the emerging role of the TGN/EE in sorting of immune cargo proteins for effective plant immunity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Specific vesicle coat and regulatory components at the TGN/EE ensure that immune cargoes are correctly sorted and transported to the location of their cellular functions. Our understanding of the identity of immune cargoes and the underlying cellular mechanisms regulating their sorting are still rudimentary, but this knowledge is essential to understanding the physiological contribution of the TGN/EE to effective immune responses.