The enzyme alternative cyanide-resistant oxidase (AOX) localized in mitochondria is involved in the processes of plant adaptation to various unfavorable biotic and abiotic factors. Transfer of electrons from ubiquinone to oxygen by alternative oxidase has a nonprotonmotive character and, by bypassing two sites of H+ pumping in complexes III and IV, lowers the energy efficiency of respiration and energy of electron flow through AOX is released as heat. In this work, we characterized heterotrophic suspension cultures of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh cells obtained from seeds of plants with altered (reduced (AS-12 line) and increased (XX-2 line)) expression of the alternative oxidase gene AOX1a and studied their viability under subzero temperature (-10 °С for 3, 6, 9 hours). Cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were assessed using fluorescence microscopy with fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and propidium iodide (PI) for cell viability measurement and H2DCF-DA for ROS measurement. The proportion of living cells was calculated as the proportion of FDApositive and PI-negative cells. Differences between the studied lines were determined in the content of mitochondrial proteins of the respiratory chain (AOX, COXII, NDB) and uncoupling protein (UCP), as well as in the intensity of formation of ROS and frost resistance. The obtained results confirmed the higher content of the AOX protein and its high contribution to mitochondrial respiration in line XX-2. Suspension culture cells of the AS-12 line showed a decrease in the AOX protein content and its contribution to mitochondrial respiration, compared to the wild type (Col-0) and line XX-2. Simultaneously with a decrease in the AOX protein content in the AS-12 cell culture, an increase in the content of the uncoupling protein UCP and subunit II of cytochrome oxidase (COXII) was observed. ROS generation was reduced in cell cultures of both XX-2 and AS-12. The obtained results indicate that the cells of the wildtype (Col-0) suspension culture were subjected to the most significant effect of subzero temperature. Long-term exposure (for 9 h) under -10 °С revealed significant differences in the viability of wild-type culture cells and lines with altered AOX1a gene expression. Cells of line XX-2 with an increased content of AOX turned out to be more resistant to subzero temperature compared to wild-type and AS-12 cells. However, while the proportion of living cells in the culture of the AS-12 line 48 h after exposure remained at the same level as immediately after it, in the suspension culture of the wild type cell death developed over time. The obtained results indicate the importance of alternative oxidase in the development of frost resistance in plant cell.
Proline oxidation fuels mitochondrial respiration during dark-induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana
