Exogenous ethanol treatment alleviates oxidative damage of Arabidopsis thaliana under conditions of high-light stress

Abiotic stresses, such as high light and salinity, are major factors that limit crop productivity and sustainability worldwide. Chemical priming is a promising strategy for improving the abiotic stress tolerance of plants. Recently, we discovered that ethanol enhances high-salinity stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice by detoxifying reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the effect of ethanol on other abiotic stress responses is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of ethanol on the high-light stress response. Measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence showed that ethanol mitigates photoinhibition under high-light stress. Staining with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) showed that the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was inhibited by ethanol under high-light stress conditions in A. thaliana. We found that ethanol increased the gene expressions and enzymatic activities of antioxidative enzymes, including ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE1 (AtAPX1), Catalase (AtCAT1 and AtCAT2). Moreover, the expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes and anthocyanin contents were upregulated by ethanol treatment during exposure to high-light stress. These results imply that ethanol alleviates oxidative damage from high-light stress in A. thaliana by suppressing ROS accumulation. Our findings support the hypothesis that ethanol improves tolerance to multiple stresses in field-grown crops.

The basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, bHLH11 functions in the iron-uptake system in Arabidopsis thaliana

Iron (Fe) is a micronutrient that is essential for plant development and growth. Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are a superfamily of transcription factors that are important regulatory components in transcriptional networks in plants. bHLH transcription factors have been divided into subclasses based on their amino acid sequences and domain structures. Among the members of clade IVb (PYE, bHLH121, and bHLH11), the functions of bHLH11 remain unclear. In the present study, we characterized bHLH11 as a negative regulator of Fe homeostasis. bHLH11 expression levels were high in the roots and up-regulated after plants were transferred to Fe sufficient conditions. Although T-DNA knockout mutants of bHLH11 were lethal, dominant negative (DN-) and overexpression (OX-) of bHLH11 plants exhibited sensitivity to Fe deficiency. Furthermore, the expression of FIT, a master regulator of Fe deficiency responses, was suppressed in the transgenic plants. These results suggest that the transcriptional repressor bHLH11 functions as a negative regulator of FIT-dependent Fe uptake and modulates Fe levels in Arabidopsis plants. Salicylic acid (SA) modulates the expression of genes involved in Fe-deficient responses. We found that SA levels were elevated in DN- and OX-bHLH11 plants. The T-DNA insertion mutant sid2-1, which was defective for the production of SA, did not exhibit sensitivity to Fe deficiency; however, the crossed plants of OX-bHLH11 and sid2-1 relieved sensitivity to the Fe deficiency observed in OX-bHLH11 plants. These results suggest that the accumulation of SA is closely related to iron homeostasis.

Sugar Transporter Protein 1 (STP1) contributes to regulation of the genes involved in shoot branching via carbon partitioning in Arabidopsis

We previously demonstrated that alterations in sugar partitioning affect the expression of genes involved in hormone biosynthesis and responses, including BRANCHED1 (BRC1), resulting in enhanced shoot branching in transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase-II in the cytosol (AcF). The exogenous treatment of wild-type Arabidopsis plants with sugars showed the same transcript characteristics, indicating that sugars act as a signal for branching. We also found that the reductions induced in BRC1 expression levels in wild-type plants by the sugar treatments were suppressed in the knockout mutant of sugar transporter 1 (stp1-1). Intracellular sugar contents were similar in stp1-1 and wild-type plants following the sugar treatments, suggesting that STP1 acts as a factor for the regulation of shoot branching depending on extracellular sugar contents. Abbreviations: BRC1: BRABCHED1; FBP/SBPase: fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase; Glc: glucose; HXK: hexokinase; SnRK1.1/AKIN10: SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 1.1; Suc: sucrose; SnRK1: sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinase; STP: sugar transporter protein.

Clade Ib basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, bHLH101, acts as a regulatory component in photo-oxidative stress responses

The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative damage; however, ROS also acts as signaling molecules. We previously demonstrated that the inducible silencing of thylakoid membrane-bound ascorbate peroxidase Arabidopsis plants (IS-tAPX) accumulated H₂O₂ in their chloroplasts, resulting in the clarification of ROS-responsive genes. In IS-tAPX plants, the transcript levels of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor bHLH101, which belongs to clade Ib bHLH, were down-regulated. In order to investigate the participation of bHLH101 in chloroplastic H₂O₂-mediated signaling, we isolated dominant negative expression mutants of bHLH101 (DN-bHLH101). DN-bHLH101 plants showed a significant phenotype that was sensitive to a methylviologen treatment, even under iron-sufficient conditions. Furthermore, the knock out mutant of bHLH101 showed a photo-oxidative sensitive phenotype, indicating that other clade Ib bHLHs do not compensate for the function of bHLH101. Thus, bHLH101 appears to act as a regulatory component in photo-oxidative stress responses. We also found that ferric chelate reductase activity was stronger in IS-tAPX plants than in control plants, suggesting that there is a close relationship between iron metabolism and oxidative stress responses.

Enhanced photosynthetic capacity increases nitrogen metabolism through the coordinated regulation of carbon and nitrogen assimilation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant growth and productivity depend on interactions between the metabolism of carbon and nitrogen. The sensing ability of internal carbon and nitrogen metabolites (the C/N balance) enables plants to regulate metabolism and development. In order to investigate the effects of an enhanced photosynthetic capacity on the metabolism of carbon and nitrogen in photosynthetically active tissus (source leaves), we herein generated transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants (ApFS) that expressed cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase in their chloroplasts. The phenotype of ApFS plants was indistinguishable from that of wild-type plants at the immature stage. However, as plants matured, the growth of ApFS plants was superior to that of wild-type plants. Starch levels were higher in ApFS plants than in wild-type plants at 2 and 5 weeks. Sucrose levels were also higher in ApFS plants than in wild-type plants, but only at 5 weeks. On the other hand, the contents of various free amino acids were lower in ApFS plants than in wild-type plants at 2 weeks, but were similar at 5 weeks. The total C/N ratio was the same in ApFS plants and wild-type plants, whereas nitrite levels increased in parallel with elevations in nitrate reductase activity at 5 weeks in ApFS plants. These results suggest that increases in the contents of photosynthetic intermediates at the early growth stage caused a temporary imbalance in the free-C/free-N ratio and, thus, the feedback inhibition of the expression of genes involved in the Calvin cycle and induction of the expression of those involved in nitrogen metabolism due to supply deficient free amino acids for maintenance of the C/N balance in source leaves of ApFS plants.

Enhancements in sucrose biosynthesis capacity affect shoot branching in Arabidopsis

We previously demonstrated that transgenic tobacco plants expressing cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase in the cytosol increased the number of lateral shoots and leaves at elevated CO2 levels. These findings suggest that alterations in carbon partitioning affect the development of shoot branching. In order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms at the molecular level, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase-II in the cytosol (AcF). At elevated CO2 levels, the number of lateral shoots was significantly increased in AcF plants. Sucrose and hexose levels were also higher in AcF plants than in wild-type plants. The expression levels of MAX1, MAX4, YUCCA8, YUCCA9, and BRC1, which are involved in auxin or strigolactone biosynthesis and responses, were lower in AcF plants than in wild-type plants. These results suggest that alterations in sugar partitioning affect hormone metabolism and responses, resulting in enhanced shoot branching.

Diverse strategies of O2 usage for preventing photo-oxidative damage under CO2 limitation during algal photosynthesis

Photosynthesis produces chemical energy from photon energy in the photosynthetic electron transport and assimilates CO2 using the chemical energy. Thus, CO2 limitation causes an accumulation of excess energy, resulting in reactive oxygen species (ROS) which can cause oxidative damage to cells. O2 can be used as an alternative energy sink when oxygenic phototrophs are exposed to high light. Here, we examined the responses to CO2 limitation and O2 dependency of two secondary algae, Euglena gracilis and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. In E. gracilis, approximately half of the relative electron transport rate (ETR) of CO2-saturated photosynthesis was maintained and was uncoupled from photosynthesis under CO2 limitation. The ETR showed biphasic dependencies on O2 at high and low O2 concentrations. Conversely, in P. tricornutum, most relative ETR decreased in parallel with the photosynthetic O2 evolution rate in response to CO2 limitation. Instead, non-photochemical quenching was strongly activated under CO2 limitation in P. tricornutum. The results indicate that these secondary algae adopt different strategies to acclimatize to CO2 limitation, and that both strategies differ from those utilized by cyanobacteria and green algae. We summarize the diversity of strategies for prevention of photo-oxidative damage under CO2 limitation in cyanobacterial and algal photosynthesis.

Wax Ester Fermentation and Its Application for Biofuel Production

In Euglena cells under anaerobic conditions, paramylon, the storage polysaccharide, is promptly degraded and converted to wax esters. The wax esters synthesized are composed of saturated fatty acids and alcohols with chain lengths of 10-18, and the major constituents are myristic acid and myristyl alcohol. Since the anaerobic cells gain ATP through the conversion of paramylon to wax esters, the phenomenon is named "wax ester fermentation". The wax ester fermentation is quite unique in that the end products, i.e. wax esters, have relatively high molecular weights, are insoluble in water, and accumulate in the cells, in contrast to the common fermentation end products such as lactic acid and ethanol.A unique metabolic pathway involved in the wax ester fermentation is the mitochondrial fatty acid synthetic system. In this system, fatty acid are synthesized by the reversal of β-oxidation with an exception that trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase functions instead of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Therefore, acetyl-CoA is directly used as a C₂ donor in this fatty acid synthesis, and the conversion of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA, which requires ATP, is not necessary. Consequently, the mitochondrial fatty acid synthetic system makes possible the net gain of ATP through the synthesis of wax esters from paramylon. In addition, acetyl-CoA is provided in the anaerobic cells from pyruvate by the action of a unique enzyme, oxygen sensitive pyruvate:NADP⁺ oxidoreductase, instead of the common pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex.Wax esters produced by anaerobic Euglena are promising biofuels because myristic acid (C_14:0) in contrast to other algal produced fatty acids, such as palmitic acid (C_16:0) and stearic acid (C_18:0), has a low freezing point making it suitable as a drop-in jet fuel. To improve wax ester production, the molecular mechanisms by which wax ester fermentation is regulated in response to aerobic and anaerobic conditions have been gradually elucidated by identifying individual genes related to the wax ester fermentation metabolic pathway and by comprehensive gene/protein expression analysis. In addition, expression of the cyanobacterial Calvin cycle fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase/sedohepturose-1,7-bisphosphatase, in Euglena provided photosynthesis resulting in increased paramylon accumulation enhancing wax ester production. This chapter will discuss the biochemistry of the wax ester fermentation, recent advances in our understanding of the regulation of the wax ester fermentation and genetic engineering approaches to increase production of wax esters for biofuels.

Arabidopsis dehydroascorbate reductase 1 and 2 modulate redox states of ascorbate-glutathione cycle in the cytosol in response to photooxidative stress

Ascorbate and glutathione are indispensable cellular redox buffers and allow plants to acclimate stressful conditions. Arabidopsis contains three functional dehydroascorbate reductases (DHAR1-3), which catalyzes the conversion of dehydroascorbate into its reduced form using glutathione as a reductant. We herein attempted to elucidate the physiological role in DHAR1 and DHAR2 in stress responses. The total DHAR activities in DHAR knockout Arabidopsis plants, dhar1 and dhar2, were 22 and 92%, respectively, that in wild-type leaves. Under high light (HL), the levels of total ascorbate and dehydroascorbate were only reduced and increased, respectively, in dhar1. The oxidation of glutathione under HL was significantly inhibited in both dhar1 and dhar2, while glutathione contents were only enhanced in dhar1. The dhar1 showed stronger visible symptoms than the dhar2 under photooxidative stress conditions. Our results demonstrated a pivotal role of DHAR1 in the modulation of cellular redox states under photooxidative stress.

Suppression of Chloroplastic Alkenal/One Oxidoreductase Represses the Carbon Catabolic Pathway in Arabidopsis Leaves during Night

Lipid-derived reactive carbonyl species (RCS) possess electrophilic moieties and cause oxidative stress by reacting with cellular components. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) has a chloroplast-localized alkenal/one oxidoreductase (AtAOR) for the detoxification of lipid-derived RCS, especially α,β-unsaturated carbonyls. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the physiological importance of AtAOR and analyzed AtAOR (aor) mutants, including a transfer DNA knockout, aor (T-DNA), and RNA interference knockdown, aor (RNAi), lines. We found that both aor mutants showed smaller plant sizes than wild-type plants when they were grown under day/night cycle conditions. To elucidate the cause of the aor mutant phenotype, we analyzed the photosynthetic rate and the respiration rate by gas-exchange analysis. Subsequently, we found that both wild-type and aor (RNAi) plants showed similar CO2 assimilation rates; however, the respiration rate was lower in aor (RNAi) than in wild-type plants. Furthermore, we revealed that phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity decreased and starch degradation during the night was suppressed in aor (RNAi). In contrast, the phenotype of aor (RNAi) was rescued when aor (RNAi) plants were grown under constant light conditions. These results indicate that the smaller plant sizes observed in aor mutants grown under day/night cycle conditions were attributable to the decrease in carbon utilization during the night. Here, we propose that the detoxification of lipid-derived RCS by AtAOR in chloroplasts contributes to the protection of dark respiration and supports plant growth during the night.

Identification and characterization of cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in Euglena gracilis

Euglena gracilis has the ability to accumulate a storage polysaccharide, a β-1,3-glucan known as paramylon, under aerobic conditions. Under anaerobic conditions, E. gracilis cells degrade paramylon and synthesize wax esters. Cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) appears to be a key enzyme in gluconeogenesis and position branch point of carbon partitioning between paramylon and wax ester biosynthesis. We herein identified and characterized cytosolic FBPase from E. gracilis. The Km and Vmax values of EgFBPaseIII were 16.5 ± 1.6 μM and 30.4 ± 7.2 μmol min−1 mg protein−1, respectively. The activity of EgFBPaseIII was not regulated by AMP or reversible redox modulation. No significant differences were observed in the production of paramylon in transiently suppressed EgFBPaseIII gene expression cells by RNAi (KD-EgFBPaseIII); nevertheless, FBPase activity was markedly decreased in KD-EgFBPaseIII cells. On the other hand, the growth of KD-EgFBPaseIII cells was slightly higher than that of control cells.

Identification and characterization of Arabidopsis AtNUDX9 as a GDP-d-mannose pyrophosphohydrolase: its involvement in root growth inhibition in response to ammonium

GDP-d-mannose (GDP-d-Man) is an important intermediate in ascorbic acid (AsA) synthesis, cell wall synthesis, protein N-glycosylation, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchoring in plants. Thus, the modulation of intracellular levels of GDP-d-Man could be important for maintaining various cellular processes. Here an Arabidopsis GDP-d-Man pyrophosphohydrolase, AtNUDX9 (AtNUDT9; At3g46200), which hydrolysed GDP-d-Man to GMP and mannose 1-phosphate, was identified. The K m and V max values for GDP-d-Man of AtNUDX9 were 376±24 μM and 1.61±0.15 μmol min(-1) mg(-1) protein, respectively. Among various tissues, the expression levels of AtNUDX9 and the total activity of GDP-d-Man pyrophosphohydrolase were the highest in the roots. The GDP-d-Man pyrophosphohydrolase activity was increased in the root of plants grown in the presence of ammonium. No difference was observed in the levels of AsA in the leaf and root tissues of the wild-type and knockout-nudx9 (KO-nudx9) plants, whereas a marked increase in N-glycoprotein levels and enhanced growth were detected in the roots of KO-nudx9 plants in the presence of ammonium. These results suggest that AtNUDX9 is involved in the regulation of GDP-d-Man levels affecting ammonium sensitivity via modulation of protein N-glycosylation in the roots.

The sweet potato RbcS gene (IbRbcS1) promoter confers high-level and green tissue-specific expression of the GUS reporter gene in transgenic Arabidopsis

Sweet potato is an important crop because of its high yield and biomass production. We herein investigated the potential of the promoter activity of a small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RbcS) from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) in order to develop the high expression system of exogenous DNA in Arabidopsis. We isolated two different cDNAs (IbRbcS1 and IbRbcS2) encoding RbcS from sweet potato. Their predicted amino acid sequences were well conserved with the mature RbcS protein of other plants. The tissue-specific expression patterns of these two genes revealed that expression of IbRbcS1 was specific to green tissue, whereas that of IbRbcS2 was non-photosynthetic tissues such as roots and tubers. These results suggested that IbRbcS1 was predominantly expressed in the green tissue-specific of sweet potato over IbRbcS2. Therefore, the IbRbcS1 promoter was transformed into Arabidopsis along with β-glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter gene. GUS staining and semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that the IbRbcS1 promoter conferred the expression of the GUS reporter gene in green tissue-specific and light-inducible manners. Furthermore, qPCR showed that the expression levels of GUS reporter gene in IbRbcS1 pro:GUS were same as those in CaMV 35S pro:GUS plants. These results suggest that the IbRbcS1 promoter is a potentially strong foreign gene expression system for genetic transformation in plants.

A gain-of-function mutation of plastidic invertase alters nuclear gene expression with sucrose treatment partially via GENOMES UNCOUPLED1-mediated signaling

Plastid gene expression (PGE) is one of the signals that regulate the expression of photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes (PhANGs) via GENOMES UNCOUPLED1 (GUN1)-dependent retrograde signaling. We recently isolated Arabidopsis sugar-inducible cotyledon yellow-192 (sicy-192), a gain-of-function mutant of plastidic invertase, and showed that following the treatment of this mutant with sucrose, the expression of PhANGs as well as PGE decreased, suggesting that the sicy-192 mutation activates a PGE-evoked and GUN1-mediated retrograde pathway. To clarify the relationship between the sicy-192 mutation, PGE, and GUN1-mediated pathway, plastid and nuclear gene expression in a double mutant of sicy-192 and gun1-101, a null mutant of GUN1 was studied. Plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP)-dependent PGE was markedly suppressed in the sicy-192 mutant by the sucrose treatment, but the suppression as well as cotyledon yellow phenotype was not mitigated by GUN1 disruption. Microarray analysis revealed that the altered expression of nuclear genes such as PhANG in the sucrose-treated sicy-192 mutant was largely dependent on GUN1. The present findings demonstrated that the sicy-192 mutation alters nuclear gene expression with sucrose treatment via GUN1, which is possibly followed by inhibiting PEP-dependent PGE, providing a new insight into the role of plastid sugar metabolism in nuclear gene expression.

Diversity of regulatory mechanisms of photosynthetic carbon metabolism in plants and algae

To clarify the regulatory mechanisms of the Calvin cycle in algae, we analyzed the molecular properties of the enzymes involved in this cycle. We demonstrated that these enzymes were not regulated by redox modulation through the ferredoxin/thioredoxin system under light/dark conditions and were not sensitive to treatments with hydrogen peroxide in vitro, unlike the chloroplastic thiol-modulated enzymes of plants. On the other hand, we found that cyanobacteria possessed a unique enzyme involved in the Calvin cycle. The CP12 protein played an important role in regulating carbon metabolism in the Calvin cycle in cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae. This review described the regulatory mechanisms of the Calvin cycle in algae and also the effects of alterations to photosynthetic carbon metabolism on plant productivity, carbon partitioning, and the carbon/nitrogen balance using transgenic plants expressing algal genes.

Transcriptional control of vitamin C defective 2 and tocopherol cyclase genes by light and plastid-derived signals: the partial involvement of GENOMES UNCOUPLED 1

Previous findings have suggested that light and plastid-derived signals are involved in the regulation of biosynthetic pathways for l-ascorbic acid (AsA) and tocopherols (Toc). Photosynthetic electron transport (PET) activity, plastid gene expression (PGE), and the tetrapyrrole metabolism have been identified as signals that regulate nuclear gene expression through the GENOMES UNCOUPLED 1 (GUN1) protein. Here, we examined the effects of disrupting GUN1 on these pathways. The expression of vitamin C defective 2 (VTC2) and tocopherol cyclase (TC) genes, which encode key enzymes in the AsA and Toc biosynthetic pathways, respectively, was affected by illumination and darkness in parallel with the levels of both these antioxidants. However, the GUN1 disruption had no effect on these biosynthetic pathways under light-dark conditions. All treatments that inhibited PET, PGE, and the tetrapyrrole metabolism interrupted both biosynthetic pathways; however, this was partially mitigated by the GUN1 disruption. The expression patterns of VTC2 and TC reflected the levels of both antioxidants under most of the conditions examined. Our results suggest that the transcriptional control of VTC2 and TC by light and plastid-derived signals is important for the regulation of the biosynthetic pathways, and that GUN1 is at least partially involved in the plastid-derived signals-dependent regulation.

Enhancement of photosynthetic capacity in Euglena gracilis by expression of cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase leads to increases in biomass and wax ester production

BACKGROUND

Microalgae have recently been attracting attention as a potential platform for the production of biofuels. Euglena gracilis, a unicellular phytoflagellate, has been proposed as an attractive feedstock to produce biodiesel because it can produce large amounts of wax esters, consisting of medium-chain fatty acids and alcohols with 14:0 carbon chains. E. gracilis cells highly accumulate a storage polysaccharide, a β-1,3-glucan known as paramylon, under aerobic conditions. When grown aerobically and then transferred into anaerobic conditions, E. gracilis cells degrade paramylon to actively synthesize and accumulate wax esters. Thus, the enhanced accumulation of paramylon through the genetic engineering of photosynthesis should increase the capacity for wax ester production.

RESULTS

We herein generated transgenic Euglena (EpFS) cells expressing the cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (FBP/SBPase), which is involved in the Calvin cycle, to enhance its photosynthetic activity. FBP/SBPase was successfully expressed within Euglena chloroplasts. The cell volume of the EpFS4 cell line was significantly larger than that of wild-type cells under normal growth conditions. The photosynthetic activity of EpFS4 cells was significantly higher than that of wild type under high light and high CO2, resulting in enhanced biomass production, and the accumulation of paramylon was increased in transgenic cell lines than in wild-type cells. Furthermore, when EpFS cell lines grown under high light and high CO2 were placed on anaerobiosis, the productivity of wax esters was approximately 13- to 100-fold higher in EpFS cell lines than in wild-type cells.

CONCLUSION

Our results obtained here indicate that the efficiency of biomass production in E. gracilis can be improved by genetically modulating photosynthetic capacity, resulting in the enhanced production of wax esters. This is the first step toward the utilization of E. gracilis as a sustainable source for biofuel production under photoautotrophic cultivation.

Crystal structure of the catalase-peroxidase KatG W78F mutant from Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 in complex with the antitubercular pro-drug isoniazid

Isoniazid (INH) is a pro-drug that has been extensively used to treat tuberculosis. INH is activated by the heme enzyme catalase-peroxidase (KatG), but the mechanism of the activation is poorly understood, in part because the INH binding site has not been clearly established. Here, we observed that a single-residue mutation of KatG from Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 (SeKatG), W78F, enhances INH activation. The crystal structure of INH-bound KatG-W78F revealed that INH binds to the heme pocket. The results of a thermal-shift assay implied that the flexibility of the SeKatG molecule is increased by the W78F mutation, allowing the INH molecule to easily invade the heme pocket through the access channel on the γ-edge side of the heme.

The crystal structure of isoniazid-bound KatG catalase-peroxidase from Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942

Isoniazid (INH) is one of the most effective antibiotics against tuberculosis. INH is a prodrug that is activated by KatG. Although extensive studies have been performed in order to understand the mechanism of KatG, even the binding site of INH in KatG remains controversial. In this study, we determined the crystal structure of KatG from Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 (SeKatG) in a complex with INH at 2.12-Å resolution. Three INH molecules were bound to the molecular surface. One INH molecule was bound at the entrance to the ε-edge side of heme (designated site 1), another was bound at the entrance to the γ-edge side of heme (site 2), and another was bound to the loop structures in front of the heme propionate side chain (site 3). All of the interactions between KatG and the bound INH seemed to be weak, being mediated mainly by van der Waals contacts. Structural comparisons revealed that the identity and configuration of the residues in site 1 were very similar among SeKatG, Burkholderia pseudomallei KatG, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis KatG. In contrast, sites 2 and 3 were structurally diverse among the three proteins. Thus, site 1 is probably the common KatG INH-binding site. A static enzymatic analysis and thermal shift assay suggested that the INH-activating reaction does not proceed in site 1, but rather that this site may function as an initial trapping site for the INH molecule. Database: The atomic coordinates and structure factors have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under the accession number 3WXO.

O2-dependent large electron flow functioned as an electron sink, replacing the steady-state electron flux in photosynthesis in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, but not in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942

To determine whether alternative electron flow (AEF) can replace the photosynthetic electron flow in cyanobacteria, we used an open O2-electrode system to monitor O2-exchange over a long period. In air-grown Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (S. 6803(WT)), the quantum yield of PSII, Y(II), held even after photosynthesis was suppressed by CO2 shortage. The S. 6803 mutant, deficient in flavodiiron (FLV) proteins 1 and 3, showed the same phenotype as S. 6803(WT). In contrast, Y(II) decreased in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 (S. 7942). These results suggest that AEF functioned as the Y(II) in S. 6803 and replaced the photosynthetic electron flux. In contrast, the activity of AEF in S. 7942 was lower. The affinity of AEF for O2 in S. 6803 did not correspond to those of FLVs in bacteria or terminal oxidases in respiration. AEF might be driven by photorespiration.

Ferulic acid 5-hydroxylase 1 is essential for expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis-associated genes and anthocyanin accumulation under photooxidative stress in Arabidopsis

Anthocyanins are important for preventing photoinhibition and photodamage. By comprehensive reverse genetic analysis of chloroplast-produced H2O2-responsive genes, we isolated here an anthocyanin-deficient mutant under photooxidative stress, which lacked ferulate 5-hydroxylase 1 (FAH1) involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway. Interestingly, the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis-associated genes was also inhibited in this mutant. These findings suggest that FAH1 is essential for expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis-associated genes and anthocyanin accumulation under photooxidative stress in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, we found that estrogen-inducible silencing of thylakoid membrane-bound ascorbate peroxidase, which is a major H2O2-scavenging enzyme in chloroplasts, enhances the expression of FAH1 and anthocyanin biosynthesis-associated genes and accumulation of anthocyanin without any application of stress. Thus, it is likely that chloroplastic H2O2 activates FAH1 expression to induce anthocyanin accumulation for protecting cells from photooxidative stress.

The 2.2 Å resolution structure of the catalase-peroxidase KatG from Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942

The crystal structure of catalase-peroxidase from Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 (SeKatG) was solved by molecular replacement and refined to an Rwork of 16.8% and an Rfree of 20.6% at 2.2 Å resolution. The asymmetric unit consisted of only one subunit of the catalase-peroxidase molecule, including a protoporphyrin IX haem moiety and two sodium ions. A typical KatG covalent adduct was formed, Met248-Tyr222-Trp94, which is a key structural element for catalase activity. The crystallographic equivalent subunit was created by a twofold symmetry operation to form the functional dimer. The overall structure of the dimer was quite similar to other KatGs. One sodium ion was located close to the proximal Trp314. The location and configuration of the proximal cation site were very similar to those of typical peroxidases such as ascorbate peroxidase. These features may provide a structural basis for the behaviour of the radical localization/delocalization during the course of the enzymatic reaction.

Improvement of vitamin E quality and quantity in tobacco and lettuce by chloroplast genetic engineering

Vitamin E (tocopherol: Toc) is an important lipid-soluble antioxidant synthesized in chloroplasts. Among the 8 isoforms of vitamin E, α-Toc has the highest activity in humans. To generate transgenic plants with enhanced vitamin E activity, we applied a chloroplast transformation technique. Three types of the transplastomic tobacco plants (pTTC, pTTMT and pTTC-TMT) carrying the Toc cyclase (TC) or γ-Toc methyltransferase (γ-TMT) gene and the TC plus γ-TMT genes as an operon in the plastid genome, respectively, were generated. There was a significant increase in total levels of Toc due to an increase in γ-Toc in the pTTC plants. Compared to the wild-type plants, Toc composition was altered in the pTTMT plants. In the pTTC-TMT plants, total Toc levels increased and α-Toc was a major Toc isoform. Furthermore, to use chloroplast transformation to produce α-Toc-rich vegetable, TC-overexpressing transplastomic lettuce plants (pLTC) were generated. Total Toc levels and vitamin E activity increased in the pLTC plants compared with the wild-type lettuce plants. These findings indicated that chloroplast genetic engineering is useful to improve vitamin E quality and quantity in plants.

The involvement of Arabidopsis glutathione peroxidase 8 in the suppression of oxidative damage in the nucleus and cytosol

A family of eight genes with homology to mammalian glutathione peroxidase (GPX) isoenzymes, designated AtGPX1-AtGPX8, has been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. In this study we demonstrated the functional analysis of Arabidopsis AtGPX8 with peroxidase activity toward H(2)O(2) and lipid hydroperoxides using thioredoxin as an electron donor. The transcript and protein levels of AtGPX8 in Arabidopsis were up-regulated coordinately in response to oxidative damage caused by high-light (HL) stress or treatment with paraquat (PQ). Furthermore, the knockout Arabidopsis mutants of AtGPX8 (KO-gpx8) exhibited increased sensitivity to oxidative damage caused by PQ treatment in root elongation compared with the wild-type plants. In contrast, transgenic lines overexpressing AtGPX8 (Ox-AtGPX8) were less sensitive to oxidative damage than the wild-type plants. The levels of oxidized proteins in the KO-gpx8 and Ox-AtGPX8 lines were enhanced and suppressed, respectively, compared with the wild-type plants under HL stress or PQ treatment. The fusion protein of AtGPX8 tagged with green fluorescent protein was localized in the cytosol and nucleus of onion epidermal cells. In addition, the AtGPX8 protein was detected in the cytosolic and nuclear fractions prepared from leaves of Arabidopsis plants using the AtGPX8 antibody. Oxidative DNA damage under treatment with PQ increased in the wild-type and KO-gpx8 plants, while it decreased in the OX-AtGPX8 plants. These results suggest that AtGPX8 plays an important role in the protection of cellular components including nuclear DNA against oxidative stress.

An Arabidopsis FAD pyrophosphohydrolase, AtNUDX23, is involved in flavin homeostasis

Although flavins, riboflavin (RF), FMN and FAD, are essential for primary and secondary metabolism in plants, the metabolic regulation of flavins is still largely unknown. Recently, we found that an Arabidopsis Nudix hydrolase, AtNUDX23, has FAD pyrophosphohydrolase activity and is distributed in plastids. Levels of RF and FAD but not FMN in Arabidopsis leaves significantly increased under continuous light and decreased in the dark. The transcript levels of AtNUDX23 as well as genes involved in flavin metabolism (AtFADS, AtRibF1, AtRibF2, AtFMN/FHy, LS and AtRibA) significantly increased under continuous light. The pyrophosphohydrolase activity toward FAD was enhanced in AtNUDX23-overexpressing (OX-NUDX23) plants and reduced in AtNUDX23-suppressed (KD-nudx23) plants, compared with the control plants. Interestingly intracellular levels of RF, FMN and FAD significantly decreased in not only OX-NUDX23 but also KD-nudx23 plants. The transcript levels of the flavin metabolic genes also decreased in both plants. Similarly, the increase in intracellular levels on treatment with flavins caused a reduction in the transcript levels of genes involved in flavin metabolism. These results suggest that negative feedback regulation of the metabolism of flavins through the hydrolysis of FAD by AtNUDX23 in plastids is involved in flavin homeostasis in plant cells.

Structure basis for the regulation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity via the intrinsically disordered protein CP12

The reversible formation of a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH)-CP12-phosphoribulokinase (PRK) supramolecular complex, identified in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, provides light-dependent Calvin cycle regulation in a coordinated manner. An intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) CP12 acts as a linker to sequentially bind GAPDH and PRK to downregulate both enzymes. Here, we report the crystal structures of the ternary GAPDH-CP12-NAD and binary GAPDH-NAD complexes from Synechococcus elongates. The GAPDH-CP12 complex structure reveals that the oxidized CP12 becomes partially structured upon GAPDH binding. The C-terminus of CP12 is inserted into the active-site region of GAPDH, resulting in competitive inhibition of GAPDH. This study also provides insight into how the GAPDH-CP12 complex is dissociated by a high NADP(H)/NAD(H) ratio. An unexpected increase in negative charge potential that emerged upon CP12 binding highlights the biological function of CP12 in the sequential assembly of the supramolecular complex.

H2O2-triggered retrograde signaling from chloroplasts to nucleus plays specific role in response to stress

Recent findings have suggested that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important signaling molecules for regulating plant responses to abiotic and biotic stress and that there exist source- and kind-specific pathways for ROS signaling. In plant cells, a major source of ROS is chloroplasts, in which thylakoid membrane-bound ascorbate peroxidase (tAPX) plays a role in the regulation of H(2)O(2) levels. Here, to clarify the signaling function of H(2)O(2) derived from the chloroplast, we created a conditional system for producing H(2)O(2) in the organelle by chemical-dependent tAPX silencing using estrogen-inducible RNAi. When the expression of tAPX was silenced in leaves, levels of oxidized protein in chloroplasts increased in the absence of stress. Microarray analysis revealed that tAPX silencing affects the expression of a large set of genes, some of which are involved in the response to chilling and pathogens. In response to tAPX silencing, the transcript levels of C-repeat/DRE binding factor (CBF1), a central regulator for cold acclimation, was suppressed, resulting in a high sensitivity of tAPX-silenced plants to cold. Furthermore, tAPX silencing enhanced the levels of salicylic acid (SA) and the response to SA. Interestingly, we found that tAPX silencing-responsive genes were up- or down-regulated by high light (HL) and that tAPX silencing had a negative effect on expression of ROS-responsive genes under HL, suggesting synergistic and antagonistic roles of chloroplastic H(2)O(2) in HL response. These findings provide a new insight into the role of H(2)O(2)-triggered retrograde signaling from chloroplasts in the response to stress in planta.

Involvement of Arabidopsis NAC transcription factor in the regulation of 20S and 26S proteasomes

We investigated the transcript levels of 13 proteasome subunit genes, the protein levels of proteasomes, and the activities of the 26S proteasome in ANAC078-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants (Ox-ANAC078) and knockout ANAC078 (KO-ANAC078) mutants. The transcript levels and the protein levels of proteasomes were increased in the Ox-ANAC078 plants compared with the wild-type plants and KO-ANAC078 mutants under normal conditions and high-light (HL) stress. Although the activities of the 26S proteasome were decreased in all the plants under HL stress, they were higher in the Ox-ANAC078 plants than wild-type plants and KO-ANAC078 mutants under normal conditions and HL stress. These findings suggest that ANAC078 regulates the levels of proteasomes. To explore the function of the increased levels of proteasomes to HL stress, we assessed the tolerance to HL stress of the Ox-ANAC078 plants and KO-ANAC078 mutants. The photosystem II activities of Ox-ANAC078 remained high compared with those of the wild-type plants and KO-ANAC078 mutants under HL stress, suggesting that ANAC078 may play an important role in the response and adaptation to HL stress.

Comparison of three Chlamydomonas strains which show distinctive oxidative stress tolerance

Methyl viologen (MV) causes severe oxidative stress by generating superoxide in the photosystem. The marine Chlamydomonas strain W80 is highly tolerant to MV (inhibitory concentration 50% [IC₅₀]=110 μM), and another marine Chlamydomonas strain HS5 shows also relatively a high tolerance (IC₅₀=12 μM). These two marine strains and a freshwater Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, which is highly sensitive to MV (IC₅₀=0.03 μM), were compared with respect to their reactive oxygen species (ROS) eliminating enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase), intracellular free amino acids, and antioxidant activities of the cell extracts. The marked difference between the marine Chlamydomonas strains and C. reinhardtii is the much higher (more than 5 fold) ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity in the marine strains. The marine strains also kept the high APX activities (more than 100% of non-stressed condition) under the MV stressed condition, while the APX activity in C. reinhardtii was significantly decreased (36% of non-stressed condition) under the stressed condition, indicating that APX activity potentially contributes to the oxidative stress tolerance in Chlamydomonas. In addition, the levels of intracellular free proline, which is supposed to ameliorate oxidative stress, were several tens of times higher in the marine Chlamydomonas strains than in C. reinhardtii.

Production of biologically active human thioredoxin 1 protein in lettuce chloroplasts

The production of human therapeutic proteins in plants provides opportunities for low-cost production, and minimizes the risk of contamination from potential human pathogens. Chloroplast genetic engineering is a particularly promising strategy, because plant chloroplasts can produce large amounts of foreign target proteins. Oxidative stress is a key factor in various human diseases. Human thioredoxin 1 (hTrx1) is a stress-induced protein that functions as an antioxidant against oxidative stress, and overexpression of hTrx1 has been shown to suppress various diseases in mice. Therefore, hTrx1 is a prospective candidate as a new human therapeutic protein. We created transplastomic lettuce expressing hTrx1 under the control of the psbA promoter. Transplastomic plants grew normally and were fertile. The hTrx1 protein accumulated to approximately 1% of total soluble protein in mature leaves. The hTrx1 protein purified from lettuce leaves was functionally active, and reduced insulin disulfides. The purified protein protected mouse insulinoma line 6 cells from damage by hydrogen peroxide, as reported previously for a recombinant hTrx1 expressed in Escherichia coli. This is the first report of expression of the biologically active hTrx1 protein in plant chloroplasts. This research opens up possibilities for plant-based production of hTrx1. Considering that this expression host is an edible crop plant, this transplastomic lettuce may be suitable for oral delivery of hTrx1.

HsfA1d and HsfA1e involved in the transcriptional regulation of HsfA2 function as key regulators for the Hsf signaling network in response to environmental stress

Heat shock transcription factor A2 (HsfA2) acts as a key component of the Hsf signaling network involved in cellular responses to various types of environmental stress. However, the mechanism governing the regulation of HsfA2 expression is still largely unknown. We demonstrated here that a heat shock element (HSE) cluster in the 5'-flanking region of the HsfA2 gene is involved in high light (HL)-inducible HsfA2 expression. Accordingly, to identify the Hsf regulating the expression of HsfA2, we analyzed the effect of loss-of-function mutations of class A Hsfs on the expression of HsfA2 in response to HL stress. Overexpression of an HsfA1d or HsfA1e chimeric repressor and double knockout of HsfA1d and HsfA1e Arabidopsis mutants (KO-HsfA1d/A1e) significantly suppressed the induction of HsfA2 expression in response to HL and heat shock (HS) stress. Transient reporter assays showed that HsfA1d and HsfA1e activate HsfA2 transcription through the HSEs in the 5'-flanking region of HsfA2. In the KO-HsfA1d/A1e mutants, 560 genes, including a number of stress-related genes and several Hsf genes, HsfA7a, HsfA7b, HsfB1 and HsfB2a, were down-regulated compared with those in the wild-type plants under HL stress. The PSII activity of KO-HsfA1d/A1e mutants decreased under HL stress, while the activity of wild-type plants remained high. Furthermore, double knockout of HsfA1d and HsfA1e impaired tolerance to HS stress. These findings indicated that HsfA1d and HsfA1e not only regulate HsfA2 expression but also function as key regulators of the Hsf signaling network in response to environmental stress.

Increase in the activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in cytosol affects sugar partitioning and increases the lateral shoots in tobacco plants at elevated CO2 levels

We generated transgenic tobacco plants with high levels of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase expressing cyanobacterialfructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase in the cytosol. At ambient CO(2) levels (360 ppm), growth, photosynthetic activity, and fresh weight were unchanged but the sucrose/hexose/starch ratio was slightly altered in the transgenic plants compared with wild-type plants. At elevated CO(2) levels (1200 ppm), lateral shoot, leaf number, and fresh weight were significantly increased in the transgenic plants. Photosynthetic activity was also increased. Hexose accumulated in the upper leaves in the wild-type plants, while sucrose and starch accumulated in the lower leaves and lateral shoots in the transgenic plants. These findings suggest that cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase contributes to the efficient conversion of hexose into sucrose, and that the change in carbon partitioning affects photosynthetic capacity and morphogenesis at elevated CO(2) levels.

Arabidopsis NADPH oxidases, AtrbohD and AtrbohF, are essential for jasmonic acid-induced expression of genes regulated by MYC2 transcription factor

To clarify genetically the involvement of two Arabidopsis NADPH oxidases (AtrbohD and AtrbohF) in the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, we characterized single knockout mutants lacking either Atrboh. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and expression of the genes regulated by MYC2, a transcription factor involved in the JA-evoked response, were significantly suppressed by treatment with methyl JA (MeJA) in both mutants. Further experiments using knockout mutants lacking CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE1 (COI1), a master regulator of the JA-evoked response, and MYC2 indicated a possibility that the production of ROS via Atrbohs depends on the function of COI1, but not MYC2.

Generation of transplastomic lettuce with enhanced growth and high yield

We generated transplastomic lettuce plants expressing cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (FBP/SBPase) in chloroplasts. Their photosynthetic capacity and productivity were increased 1.3-fold and 1.6-fold, respectively, compared with control plants transformed with pRL200, indicating that the introduction of the enzyme affects the photosynthetic capacity and growth of lettuce plants at ambient CO(2) levels (360 ppm).

New insights into the regulation of greening and carbon-nitrogen balance by sugar metabolism through a plastidic invertase

Since the photosynthetic apparatus of plants contains a massive amount of nitrogen, the regulation of its development by sugar signals is important to the maintenance of the carbon-nitrogen balance. Recently, we isolated a new Arabidopsis mutant, sicy (sugar-inducible cotyledon yellow)-192, whose cotyledons were prevented from greening by treatment with sucrose. On treatment with sucrose, the expression of photosynthesis- and nitrogen assimilation-related genes was respectively weaker and stronger in the mutant seedlings than the wild-type seedlings. In the mutants, the gene encoding plastidic alkaline/neutral (A/N) invertase (INV-E) was point-mutated at codon 294, with Tyr substituted for Cys (C294Y). These findings provide new insights into the regulation of greening and carbon-nitrogen balance by sugar metabolism through INV-E in plastids. In this addendum, we describe the phenotypes of sicy-192 on treatment with sucrose in more detail, and propose a possible relationship among sugar metabolism through INV-E, plastid-to-nucleus retrograde signaling, and ethylene, a plant hormone, in the regulation of plant development and metabolism.

The contribution of Arabidopsis homologs of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase to the biosynthesis of ascorbic acid

To clarify the involvement of seven Arabidopsis homologs of rat L-gulono-1,4-lactone (L-GulL) oxidase, AtGulLOs, in the biosynthesis of L-ascorbic acid (AsA), transgenic tobacco cells overexpressing the various AtGulLOs were generated. Under treatment with L-GulL, the levels of total AsA in three transgenic tobacco cell lines, overexpressing AtGulLO2, 3, or 5, were significantly increased as compared with those in control cells.

AtNUDX6, an ADP-ribose/NADH pyrophosphohydrolase in Arabidopsis, positively regulates NPR1-dependent salicylic acid signaling

Here, we investigated the physiological role of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) AtNUDX6, the gene encoding ADP-ribose (Rib)/NADH pyrophosphohydrolase, using its overexpressor (Pro35S:AtNUDX6) or disruptant (KO-nudx6). The level of NADH in Pro35S:AtNUDX6 and KO-nudx6 plants was decreased and increased, respectively, compared with that of the control plants, while the level of ADP-Rib was not changed in either plant. The activity of pyrophosphohydrolase toward NADH was enhanced and reduced in the Pro35S:AtNUDX6 and KO-nudx6 plants, respectively. The decrease in the activity of NADH pyrophosphohydrolase and the increase in the level of NADH were observed in the rosette and cauline leaves, but not in the roots, of the KO-nudx6 plants. Notably, the expression level of AtNUDX6 and the activity of NADH pyrophosphohydrolase in the control plants, but not in the KO-nudx6 plants, were increased by the treatment with salicylic acid (SA). The expression of SA-induced genes (PR1, WRKY70, NIMIN1, and NIMIN2) depending on NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1 (NPR1), a key component required for pathogen resistance, was significantly suppressed and enhanced in the KO-nudx6 and Pro35S:AtNUDX6 plants, respectively, under the treatment with SA. Induction of thioredoxin h5 (TRX-h5) expression, which catalyzes a SA-induced NPR1 activation, was suppressed and accelerated in the KO-nudx6 and Pro35S:AtNUDX6 plants, respectively. The expression of isochorismate synthase1, required for the regulation of SA synthesis through the NPR1-mediated feedback loop, was decreased and increased in the KO-nudx6 and Pro35S:AtNUDX6 plants, respectively. Judging from seed germination rates, the KO-nudx6 plants had enhanced sensitivity to the toxicity of high-level SA. These results indicated that AtNUDX6 is a modulator of NADH rather than ADP-Rib metabolism and that, through induction of TRX-h5 expression, AtNUDX6 significantly impacts the plant immune response as a positive regulator of NPR1-dependent SA signaling pathways.

Point mutation of a plastidic invertase inhibits development of the photosynthetic apparatus and enhances nitrate assimilation in sugar-treated Arabidopsis seedlings

Because the photosynthetic apparatus contains a massive amount of nitrogen in plants, the regulation of its development by sugar signals is important to the maintenance of the carbon-nitrogen balance. In this study we isolated an Arabidopsis mutant (sicy-192) whose cotyledon greening was inhibited by treatments with sugars such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose. In the mutant, the gene encoding plastidic alkaline/neutral invertase (INV-E) was point-mutated at codon 294, with Tyr substituted for Cys (C294Y). Interestingly, the greening of cotyledons in the knock-out INV-E lines was not inhibited by treatment with the sugars. In addition, the knock-out INV-E lines expressing an INV-E:C294Y or INV-E:C294A gene had the same phenotype as sicy-192 mutants, whereas the lines expressing a wild-type INV-E gene had the same phenotype as wild-type plants. A recombinant INV-E:C294Y protein had the same enzymatic activity as a recombinant INV-E protein, suggesting that the Cys-294 residue of INV-E is important for its functions in the chloroplasts. On treatment with sucrose, the expression of photosynthesis-related genes was weaker in seedlings of mutant plants than wild-type seedlings, whereas the activity of nitrate reductase was stronger in the mutant plants than wild-type plants. These findings suggest that Cys-294 of INV-E is associated with the development of the photosynthetic apparatus and the assimilation of nitrogen in Arabidopsis seedlings to control the ratio of sucrose content to hexose content.

Arabidopsis chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase isoenzymes play a dual role in photoprotection and gene regulation under photooxidative stress

Though two types of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) located in the thylakoid membrane (tAPX) and stroma (sAPX) have been thought to be key regulators of intracellular levels of H(2)O(2), their physiological significance in the response to photooxidative stress is still under discussion. Here we characterized single mutants lacking either tAPX (KO-tAPX) or sAPX (KO-sAPX). Under exposure to high light or treatment with methylviologen under light, H(2)O(2) and oxidized proteins accumulated to higher levels in both mutant plants than in the wild-type plants. On the other hand, the absence of sAPX and tAPX drastically suppressed the expression of H(2)O(2)-responsive genes under photooxidative stress. Interestingly, the most marked effect of photooxidative stress on the accumulation of H(2)O(2) and oxidized protein and gene expression was observed in the KO-tAPX plants rather than the KO-sAPX plants. The present findings suggest that both chloroplastic APXs, but particularly tAPX, are important for photoprotection and gene regulation under photooxidative stress in Arabidopsis leaves.

Evaluation of the toxicity of stress-related aldehydes to photosynthesis in chloroplasts

Aldehydes produced under various environmental stresses can cause cellular injury in plants, but their toxicology in photosynthesis has been scarcely investigated. We here evaluated their effects on photosynthetic reactions in chloroplasts isolated from Spinacia oleracea L. leaves. Aldehydes that are known to stem from lipid peroxides inactivated the CO(2) photoreduction to various extents, while their corresponding alcohols and carboxylic acids did not affect photosynthesis. alpha,beta-Unsaturated aldehydes (2-alkenals) showed greater inactivation than the saturated aliphatic aldehydes. The oxygenated short aldehydes malondialdehyde, methylglyoxal, glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde showed only weak toxicity to photosynthesis. Among tested 2-alkenals, 2-propenal (acrolein) was the most toxic, and then followed 4-hydroxy-(E)-2-nonenal and (E)-2-hexenal. While the CO(2)-photoreduction was inactivated, envelope intactness and photosynthetic electron transport activity (H(2)O --> ferredoxin) were only slightly affected. In the acrolein-treated chloroplasts, the Calvin cycle enzymes phosphoribulokinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, fructose-1,6-bisphophatase, sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase, aldolase, and Rubisco were irreversibly inactivated. Acrolein treatment caused a rapid drop of the glutathione pool, prior to the inactivation of photosynthesis. GSH exogenously added to chloroplasts suppressed the acrolein-induced inactivation of photosynthesis, but ascorbic acid did not show such a protective effect. Thus, lipid peroxide-derived 2-alkenals can inhibit photosynthesis by depleting GSH in chloroplasts and then inactivating multiple enzymes in the Calvin cycle.

Arabidopsis phosphomannose isomerase 1, but not phosphomannose isomerase 2, is essential for ascorbic acid biosynthesis

We studied molecular and functional properties of Arabidopsis phosphomannose isomerase isoenzymes (PMI1 and PMI2) that catalyze reversible isomerization between D-fructose 6-phosphate and D-mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6P). The apparent K(m) and V(max) values for Man-6P of purified recombinant PMI1 were 41.3+/-4.2 microm and 1.89 micromol/min/mg protein, respectively, whereas those of purified recombinant PMI2 were 372+/-13 microm and 22.5 micromol/min/mg protein, respectively. Both PMI1 and PMI2 were inhibited by incubation with EDTA, Zn(2+), Cd(2+), and L-ascorbic acid (AsA). Arabidopsis PMI1 protein was constitutively expressed in both vegetative and reproductive organs under normal growth conditions, whereas the PMI2 protein was not expressed in any organs under light. The induction of PMI1 expression and an increase in the AsA level were observed in leaves under continuous light, whereas the induction of PMI2 expression and a decrease in the AsA level were observed under long term darkness. PMI1 showed a diurnal expression pattern in parallel with the total PMI activity and the total AsA content in leaves. Moreover, a reduction of PMI1 expression through RNA interference resulted in a substantial decrease in the total AsA content of leaves of knockdown PMI1 plants, whereas the complete inhibition of PMI2 expression did not affect the total AsA levels in leaves of knock-out PMI2 plants. Consequently, this study improves our understanding of the molecular and functional properties of Arabidopsis PMI isoenzymes and provides genetic evidence of the involvement of PMI1, but not PMI2, in the biosynthesis of AsA in Arabidopsis plants.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of 1,3-1,4-beta-glucosyl oligosaccharides by 1,3-1,4-beta-glucanase from Synechocystis PCC6803: a comparison with assays using polymer and chromophoric oligosaccharide substrates

The specificity of 1,3-1,4-beta-glucanase from Synechocystis PCC6803 (SsGlc) was investigated using novel substrates 1,3-1,4-beta-glucosyl oligosaccharides, in which 1,3- and 1,4-linkages are located in various arrangements. After the enzymatic reaction, the reaction products were separated and determined by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). As a result, SsGlc was found to hydrolyze the pentasaccharides, which possess three contiguous 1,4-beta-glycosidic linkages (cellotetraose sequence) adjacent to 1,3-beta-linkage, but none of the other oligosaccharides were hydrolyzed. To further analyze the specificity, kinetic measurements were performed using polymeric substrates and 4-methylumbelliferyl derivatives of laminaribiose and cellobiose (1,3-beta-(Glc)(2)-MU and 1,4-beta-(Glc)(2)-MU). The k(cat)/K(m) value obtained for barley beta-glucan was considerably larger than that for lichenan, indicating that SsGlc prefers 1,3-1,4-beta-glucan possessing a larger amount of cellotetraose sequence. This is consistent with the data obtained for 1,3-1,4-beta-glucosyl oligosaccharides. However, the k(cat)/K(m) value obtained for 1,4-beta-(Glc)(2)-MU was considerably lower than that for 1,3-beta-(Glc)(2)-MU, suggesting inconsistency with the data obtained from the other natural substrates. It is likely that the kinetic data obtained from such chromophoric substrates do not always reflect the true enzymatic properties.

Molecular design of photosynthesis-elevated chloroplasts for mass accumulation of a foreign protein

In order to increase production of a useful protein by the chloroplast transformation technique, it seems to be necessary to determine the upper limit for the accumulation of a biologically active foreign protein in chloroplasts and then improve photosynthetic capacity and plant productivity. Here we show that the stromal fractions of tobacco chloroplasts could accommodate an additional 200-260 mg ml(-1) of green fluorescent protein in the stroma without any inhibition of gas exchange under various light intensity and growth conditions. The minimum amount of fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (FBP/SBPase) limiting photosynthesis was then calculated. Analyses of the photosynthetic parameters and the metabolites of transformants into which FBP/SBPase was introduced with various types of promoter (PpsbA, Prrn, Prps2 and Prps12) indicated that a 2- to 3-fold increase in levels of FBPase and SBPase activity is sufficient to increase the final amount of dry matter by up to 1.8-fold relative to the wild-type plants. Their increases were equivalent to an increase of <1 mg ml(-1) of the FBP/SBPase protein in chloroplasts and were calculated to represent <1% of the protein accumulated via chloroplast transformation. Consequently, >99% of the additional 200-260 mg ml(-1) of protein expressed in the chloroplasts could be used for the production of useful proteins in the photosynthesis-elevated transplastomic plants having FBP/SBPase.

Beta-1,4-glucanase-like protein from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC6803 is a beta-1,3-1,4-glucanase and functions in salt stress tolerance

In the present study, we characterized the gene (Cyanobase accession number slr0897) designated Ssglc encoding a beta-1,4-glucanase-like protein (SsGlc) from Synechocystis PCC6803. The deduced amino acid sequence for Ssglc showed a high degree of similarity to sequences of GH (glycoside hydrolase) family 9 beta-1,4-glucanases (cellulases) from various sources. Surprisingly, the recombinant protein obtained from the Escherichia coli expression system was able to hydrolyse barley beta-glucan and lichenan (beta-1,3-1,4-glucan), but not cellulose (beta-1,4-glucan), curdlan (beta-1,3-glucan), or laminarin (beta-1,3-1,6-glucan). A 1H-NMR analysis of the enzymatic products revealed that the enzyme hydrolyses the beta-1,4-glycosidic linkage of barley beta-glucan through an inverting mechanism. The data indicated that SsGlc was a novel type of GH9 glucanase which could specifically hydrolyse the beta-1,3-1,4-linkage of glucan. The growth of mutant Synechocystis cells in which the Ssglc gene was disrupted by a kanamycin-resistance cartridge gene was almost the same as that of the wild-type cells under continuous light (40 micromol of photons/m2 per s), a 12 h light (40 micromol of photons/m2 per s)/12 h dark cycle, cold stress (4 degrees C), and high light stress (200 micromol of photons/m2 per s). However, under salt stress (300-450 mM NaCl), growth of the Ssglc-disrupted mutant cells was significantly inhibited as compared with that of the wild-type cells. The Ssglc-disrupted mutant cells showed a decreased rate of O2 consumption and NaHCO3-dependent O2 evolution as compared with the wild-type cells under salt stress. Under osmotic stress (100-400 mM sorbitol), there was no difference in growth between the wild-type and the Ssglc-disrupted mutant cells. These results suggest that SsGlc functions in salt stress tolerance in Synechocystis PCC6803.

Rice chitinases: sugar recognition specificities of the individual subsites

Sugar recognition specificities of class III (OsChib1a) and class I (OsChia1cDeltaChBD) chitinases from rice, Oryza sativa L., were investigated by analyzing (1)H- and (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the enzymatic products from partially N-acetylated chitosans. The reducing end residue of the enzymatic products obtained by the class III enzyme was found to be exclusively acetylated, whereas both acetylated and deacetylated units were found at the nearest neighbor to the reducing end residue. Both acetylated and deacetylated units were also found at the nonreducing end residue and its nearest neighbor of the class III enzyme products. Thus, only subsite (-1) among the contiguous subsites (-2) to (+2) of the class III enzyme was found to be specific to an acetylated residue. For the class I enzyme, the reducing end residue was preferentially acetylated, although the specificity was not absolute. The nearest neighbor to the acetylated reducing end residue was specifically acetylated. Moreover, the nonreducing end residue produced by the class I enzyme was exclusively acetylated, although there was a low but significant preference for deacetylated units at the nearest neighbor to the nonreducing end. These results suggest that the three contiguous subsites (-2), (-1), and (+1) of the class I enzyme are specific to three consecutive GlcNAc residues of the substrate. In rice plants, the target of the class I enzyme might be a consecutive GlcNAc sequence probably in the cell wall of fungal pathogen, whereas the class III enzyme might act toward an endogenous complex carbohydrate containing GlcNAc residue.

Structure of apo-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from Synechococcus PCC7942

The crystal structure of NADP-dependent apo-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (apo-GAPDH) from Synechococcus PCC 7942 is reported. The crystal structure was solved by molecular replacement and refined to an R of 21.7% and R(free) of 27.5% at 2.9 angstroms resolution. The structural features of apo-GAPDH are as follows. The S-loop has an extremely flexible conformation and the sulfate ion is only taken into the classical P(i) site. A structural comparison with holo-GAPDHs indicated that the S-loop fixation is essential in the discrimination of NADP and NAD molecules.