1
|
Ferreira MM, Santos AS, Santos AS, Zugaib M, Pirovani CP. Plant Serpins: Potential Inhibitors of Serine and Cysteine Proteases with Multiple Functions. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:3619. [PMID: 37896082 PMCID: PMC10609998 DOI: 10.3390/plants12203619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Plant serpins are a superfamily of protein inhibitors that have been continuously studied in different species and have great biotechnological potential. However, despite ongoing studies with these inhibitors, the biological role of this family in the plant kingdom has not yet been fully clarified. In order to obtain new insights into the potential of plant serpins, this study presents the first systematic review of the topic, whose main objective was to scrutinize the published literature to increase knowledge about this superfamily. Using keywords and the eligibility criteria defined in the protocol, we selected studies from the Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. According to the eligible studies, serpins inhibit different serine and non-serine proteases from plants, animals, and pathogens, and their expression is affected by biotic and abiotic stresses. Moreover, serpins like AtSerpin1, OSP-LRS, MtSer6, AtSRP4, AtSRP5, and MtPiI4, act in resistance and are involved in stress-induced cell death in the plant. Also, the system biology analysis demonstrates that serpins are related to proteolysis control, cell regulation, pollen development, catabolism, and protein dephosphorylation. The information systematized here contributes to the design of new studies of plant serpins, especially those aimed at exploring their biotechnological potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monaliza Macêdo Ferreira
- Center for Biotechnology and Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Santa Cruz State University, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (A.S.S.); (M.Z.); (C.P.P.)
| | - Ariana Silva Santos
- Center for Biotechnology and Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Santa Cruz State University, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (A.S.S.); (M.Z.); (C.P.P.)
| | | | - Maria Zugaib
- Center for Biotechnology and Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Santa Cruz State University, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (A.S.S.); (M.Z.); (C.P.P.)
| | - Carlos Priminho Pirovani
- Center for Biotechnology and Genetics, Department of Biological Sciences, Santa Cruz State University, Ilhéus 45662-900, BA, Brazil; (A.S.S.); (M.Z.); (C.P.P.)
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rehman S, Jørgensen B, Aziz E, Batool R, Naseer S, Rasmussen SK. Genome Wide Identification and Comparative Analysis of the Serpin Gene Family in Brachypodium and Barley. Plants (Basel) 2020; 9:plants9111439. [PMID: 33114466 PMCID: PMC7692276 DOI: 10.3390/plants9111439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Serpins (serine protease inhibitors) constitute one of the largest and most widely distributed superfamilies of protease inhibitors and have been identified in nearly all organisms. To gain significant insights, a comprehensive in silico analysis of the serpin gene family was carried out in the model plant for temperate grasses Brachypodium distachyon and barley Hordeum vulgare using bioinformatic tools at the genome level for the first time. We identified a total of 27 BdSRPs and 25 HvSRP genes in Brachypodium and barley, respectively, showing an unexpectedly high gene number in these model plants. Gene structure, conserved motifs and phylogenetic comparisons of serpin genes supported the role of duplication events in the expansion and evolution of serpin gene family. Further, purifying selection pressure was found to be a main driving force in the evolution of serpin genes. Genome synteny analysis indicated that BdSRP genes were present in syntenic regions of barley, rice, sorghum and maize, suggesting that they evolved before the divergence of these species from common ancestor. The distinct expression pattern in specific tissues further suggested a specialization of functions during development and in plant defense. These results suggest that the LR serpins (serpins with Leu-Arg residues at P2-P1') identified here can be utilized as candidates for exploitation in disease resistance, pest control and preventing stress-induced cell death. Additionally, serpins were identified that could lead to further research aimed at validating and functionally characterizing the role of potential serpin genes from other plants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shazia Rehman
- Department of Botany, Rawalpindi Women University, 6th Road, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi 46200, Pakistan
- Department of Botany, Govt. Gordon College Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
- Correspondence: (S.R.); (S.K.R.)
| | - Bodil Jørgensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
| | - Ejaz Aziz
- Department of Botany, Government Degree College Khanpur, Haripur 22650, Pakistan;
| | - Riffat Batool
- University Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, PMAS, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi 46300, Pakistan;
| | - Samar Naseer
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Sciences, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan;
| | - Søren K. Rasmussen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
- Correspondence: (S.R.); (S.K.R.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Johnson ET, Skory CD, Naumann TA, Jairajpuri MA, Dowd PF. Three sorghum serpin recombinant proteins inhibit midgut trypsin activity and growth of corn earworm. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 2:11-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aggene.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
4
|
Francis SE, Ersoy RA, Ahn JW, Atwell BJ, Roberts TH. Serpins in rice: protein sequence analysis, phylogeny and gene expression during development. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:449. [PMID: 22947050 PMCID: PMC3534287 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2012] [Accepted: 03/19/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most members of the serpin family of proteins are potent, irreversible inhibitors of specific serine or cysteine proteinases. Inhibitory serpins are distinguished from members of other families of proteinase inhibitors by their metastable structure and unique suicide-substrate mechanism. Animal serpins exert control over a remarkable diversity of physiological processes including blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, innate immunity and aspects of development. Relatively little is known about the complement of serpin genes in plant genomes and the biological functions of plant serpins. RESULTS A structurally refined amino-acid sequence alignment of the 14 full-length serpins encoded in the genome of the japonica rice Oryza sativa cv. Nipponbare (a monocot) showed a diversity of reactive-centre sequences (which largely determine inhibitory specificity) and a low degree of identity with those of serpins in Arabidopsis (a eudicot). A new convenient and functionally informative nomenclature for plant serpins in which the reactive-centre sequence is incorporated into the serpin name was developed and applied to the rice serpins. A phylogenetic analysis of the rice serpins provided evidence for two main clades and a number of relatively recent gene duplications. Transcriptional analysis showed vastly different levels of basal expression among eight selected rice serpin genes in callus tissue, during seedling development, among vegetative tissues of mature plants and throughout seed development. The gene OsSRP-LRS (Os03g41419), encoding a putative orthologue of Arabidopsis AtSerpin1 (At1g47710), was expressed ubiquitously and at high levels. The second most highly expressed serpin gene was OsSRP-PLP (Os11g11500), encoding a non-inhibitory serpin with a surprisingly well-conserved reactive-centre loop (RCL) sequence among putative orthologues in other grass species. CONCLUSIONS The diversity of reactive-centre sequences among the putatively inhibitory serpins of rice point to a range of target proteases with different proteolytic specificities. Large differences in basal expression levels of the eight selected rice serpin genes during development further suggest a range of functions in regulation and in plant defence for the corresponding proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheila E Francis
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Renan A Ersoy
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Joon-Woo Ahn
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
- Green Bio Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 111 Gwahangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, Korea
| | - Brian J Atwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Thomas H Roberts
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
- Department of Plant and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
|
6
|
Ahn JW, Atwell BJ, Roberts TH. Serpin genes AtSRP2 and AtSRP3 are required for normal growth sensitivity to a DNA alkylating agent in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biol 2009; 9:52. [PMID: 19426562 PMCID: PMC2689219 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-9-52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2008] [Accepted: 05/11/2009] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The complex responses of plants to DNA damage are incompletely understood and the role of members of the serpin protein family has not been investigated. Serpins are functionally diverse but structurally conserved proteins found in all three domains of life. In animals, most serpins have regulatory functions through potent, irreversible inhibition of specific serine or cysteine proteinases via a unique suicide-substrate mechanism. Plant serpins are also potent proteinase inhibitors, but their physiological roles are largely unknown. RESULTS Six Arabidopsis genes encoding full-length serpins were differentially expressed in developing seedlings and mature tissues. Basal levels of AtSRP2 (At2g14540) and AtSRP3 (At1g64030) transcripts were highest in reproductive tissues. AtSRP2 was induced 5-fold and AtSRP3 100-fold after exposure of seedlings to low concentrations of methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), a model alkylating reagent that causes DNA damage. Homozygous T-DNA insertion mutants atsrp2 and atsrp3 exhibited no differential growth when mutant and wild-type plants were left untreated or exposed to gamma-radiation or ultraviolet light. In contrast, atsrp2 and atsrp3 plants exhibited greater root length, leaf number and overall size than wild-type plants when exposed to MMS. Neither of the two serpins was required for meiosis. GFP-AtSRP2 was localized to the nucleus, whereas GFP-AtSRP3 was cytosolic, suggesting that they target different proteinases. Induction of cell cycle- and DNA damage-related genes AtBRCA1, AtBARD1, AtRAD51, AtCYCB1;1 and AtCYCD1;1, but not AtATM, was reduced relative to wild-type in atsrp2 and atsrp3 mutants exposed to MMS. CONCLUSION Expression of specific serpin genes (AtSRP2 and AtSRP3 in Arabidopsis) is required for normal responses of plants following exposure to alkylating genotoxins such as MMS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joon-Woo Ahn
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Brian J Atwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Thomas H Roberts
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde NSW 2109, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Roberts TH, Hejgaard J. Serpins in plants and green algae. Funct Integr Genomics 2008; 8:1-27. [PMID: 18060440 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-007-0059-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2007] [Revised: 09/06/2007] [Accepted: 09/15/2007] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Control of proteolysis is important for plant growth, development, responses to stress, and defence against insects and pathogens. Members of the serpin protein family are likely to play a critical role in this control through irreversible inhibition of endogenous and exogenous target proteinases. Serpins have been found in diverse species of the plant kingdom and represent a distinct clade among serpins in multicellular organisms. Serpins are also found in green algae, but the evolutionary relationship between these serpins and those of plants remains unknown. Plant serpins are potent inhibitors of mammalian serine proteinases of the chymotrypsin family in vitro but, intriguingly, plants and green algae lack endogenous members of this proteinase family, the most common targets for animal serpins. An Arabidopsis serpin with a conserved reactive centre is now known to be capable of inhibiting an endogenous cysteine proteinase. Here, knowledge of plant serpins in terms of sequence diversity, inhibitory specificity, gene expression and function is reviewed. This was advanced through a phylogenetic analysis of amino acid sequences of expressed plant serpins, delineation of plant serpin gene structures and prediction of inhibitory specificities based on identification of reactive centres. The review is intended to encourage elucidation of plant serpin functions.
Collapse
|
8
|
la Cour Petersen M, Hejgaard J, Thompson GA, Schulz A. Cucurbit phloem serpins are graft-transmissible and appear to be resistant to turnover in the sieve element-companion cell complex. J Exp Bot 2005; 56:3111-20. [PMID: 16246856 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eri308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Serpins are unique inhibitors of serine proteases that are located in various plant tissues and organs. An orthologue of the pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) phloem serpin CmPS-1 was amplified from cucumber (Cucumis sativus) RNA by RT-PCR, cloned, and designated as CsPS-1 (GenBank accession no. AJ866989). Alternative amino acid sequences in the reactive centre loop suggest distinct inhibitory specificity between CmPS-1 and CsPS-1. A difference in the electrophoretic mobility of these serpins was used in heterografts to establish that serpins are phloem-mobile. Immuno light microscopy revealed that the phloem serpins are localized exclusively to sieve elements (SE), while the phloem filament protein CmPP1, used as a reference, is localized to both SEs and companion cells (CCs). Similar to CmPS-1, CsPS-1 accumulates over time in phloem exudates, indicating that serpins differ from other phloem-mobile proteins whose concentrations appear to be stable in phloem exudates. These differences could reflect alternative mechanisms regulating protein turnover and/or inaccessibility of protein degradation. The functionality of the pore/plasmodesma units connecting SEs and CCs was tested with graft-transmitted CmPP1 as a transport marker. The occurrence of CmPP1 in the CCs of the Cucumis graft partner shows that translocated 88 kDa phloem filament protein monomers can symplasmically exit the SE and accumulate in the CC. By contrast, serial sections probed with the serpin antibody demonstrate that the 43 kDa serpin does not enter CCs. Collectively, these data indicate that CCs play a decisive role in homeostasis of exudate proteins; proteins not accessing the CCs accumulate in SEs and display a time-dependent increase in concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mette la Cour Petersen
- Department of Plant Biology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL), Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|