Optimal Distribution Of Iron To Sink Organs Via Autophagy Is Important For Tolerance To Excess Zinc In Arabidopsis

Author(s):  
Daiki Shinozaki ◽  
Keitaro Tanoi ◽  
Kohki Yoshimoto

Abstract Zinc (Zn) is a nutritionally essential metal element, but excess Zn in the environment is toxic to plants. Autophagy is a major pathway responsible for intracellular degradation. Here, we demonstrate the important role of autophagy in adaptation to excess Zn stress. We found that autophagy-defective Arabidopsis thaliana (atg2 and atg5) exhibited marked excess Zn–induced chlorosis and growth defects relative to wild-type. Imaging and biochemical analyses revealed that autophagic activity was elevated under excess Zn. Interestingly, the excess Zn symptoms of atg5 were alleviated by supplementation of high levels of iron (Fe) to the media. Under excess Zn, in atg5, Fe starvation was especially severe in juvenile true leaves. Consistent with this, accumulation levels of Fe3+ near the shoot apical meristem was remarkably reduced in atg5. Furthermore, excision of cotyledons induced severe excess Zn symptoms in wild-type, similar to those observed in atg5. Our data suggest that Fe3+ supplied from source leaves (cotyledons) via autophagy is distributed to sink leaves (true leaves) to promote healthy growth under excess Zn, revealing a new dimension, the importance of heavy-metal stress responses by the intracellular recycling.

Endocrinology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (11) ◽  
pp. 5428-5437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Bourghardt ◽  
Anna S. K. Wilhelmson ◽  
Camilla Alexanderson ◽  
Karel De Gendt ◽  
Guido Verhoeven ◽  
...  

The atheroprotective effect of testosterone is thought to require aromatization of testosterone to estradiol, but no study has adequately addressed the role of the androgen receptor (AR), the major pathway for the physiological effects of testosterone. We used AR knockout (ARKO) mice on apolipoprotein E-deficient background to study the role of the AR in testosterone atheroprotection in male mice. Because ARKO mice are testosterone deficient, we sham operated or orchiectomized (Orx) the mice before puberty, and Orx mice were supplemented with placebo or a physiological testosterone dose. From 8 to 16 wk of age, the mice consumed a high-fat diet. In the aortic root, ARKO mice showed increased atherosclerotic lesion area (+80%, P < 0.05). Compared with placebo, testosterone reduced lesion area both in Orx wild-type (WT) mice (by 50%, P < 0.001) and ARKO mice (by 24%, P < 0.05). However, lesion area was larger in testosterone-supplemented ARKO compared with testosterone-supplemented WT mice (+57%, P < 0.05). In WT mice, testosterone reduced the presence of a necrotic core in the plaque (80% among placebo-treated vs. 12% among testosterone-treated mice; P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant effect in ARKO mice (P = 0.20). In conclusion, ARKO mice on apolipoprotein E-deficient background display accelerated atherosclerosis. Testosterone treatment reduced atherosclerosis in both WT and ARKO mice. However, the effect on lesion area and complexity was more pronounced in WT than in ARKO mice, and lesion area was larger in ARKO mice even after testosterone supplementation. These results are consistent with an AR-dependent as well as an AR-independent component of testosterone atheroprotection in male mice.


2004 ◽  
Vol 279 (50) ◽  
pp. 52390-52398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven P. Anderson ◽  
Paul Howroyd ◽  
Jie Liu ◽  
Xun Qian ◽  
Rainer Bahnemann ◽  
...  

The nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), in addition to regulating lipid homeostasis, controls the level of tissue damage after chemical or physical stress. To determine the role of PPARα in oxidative stress responses, we examined damage after exposure to chemicals that increase oxidative stress in wild-type or PPARα-null mice. Primary hepatocytes from wild-type but not PPARα-null mice pretreated with the PPAR pan-agonist WY-14,643 (WY) were protected from damage to cadmium and paraquat. The livers from intact wild-type but not PPARα-null mice were more resistant to damage after carbon tetrachloride treatment. To determine the molecular basis of the protection by PPARα, we identified by transcript profiling genes whose expression was altered by a 7-day exposure to WY in wild-type and PPARα-null mice. Of the 815 genes regulated by WY in wild-type mice (p≤ 0.001; ≥1.5-fold or ≤-1.5-fold), only two genes were regulated similarly by WY in PPARα-null mice. WY increased expression of stress modifier genes that maintain the health of the proteome, including those that prevent protein aggregation (heat stress-inducible chaperones) and eliminate damaged proteins (proteasome components). Although the induction of proteasomal genes significantly overlapped with those regulated by 1,2-dithiole-3-thione, an activator of oxidant-inducible Nrf2, WY increased expression of proteasomal genes independently of Nrf2. Thus, PPARα controls the vast majority of gene expression changes after exposure to WY in the mouse liver and protects the liver from oxidant-induced damage, possibly through regulation of a distinct set of proteome maintenance genes.


2002 ◽  
Vol 70 (9) ◽  
pp. 4968-4976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanna Ricci ◽  
Robert Janulczyk ◽  
Lars Björck

ABSTRACT Ferric uptake regulator (Fur) and Fur-like proteins form an important family of transcriptional regulators in many bacterial species. In this work we have characterized a Fur-like protein, the peroxide regulator PerR, in an M1 serotype of Streptococcus pyogenes. To determine the role of PerR in S. pyogenes, we inactivated the gene by allelic replacement. PerR-deficient bacteria showed 48% reduction of 55Fe incorporation from the culture medium. Transcriptional analysis revealed that mtsA, encoding a metal-binding protein of an ABC transporter in S. pyogenes, was transcribed at lower levels than were wild-type cells. Although total iron accumulation was reduced, the growth of the mutant strain was not significantly hampered. The mutant showed hyperresistance to hydrogen peroxide, and this response was induced in wild-type cells by growth in aerobiosis, suggesting that PerR acts as an oxidative stress-responsive repressor. PerR may also participate in the response to superoxide stress, as the perR mutant was more sensitive to the superoxide anion and had a reduced transcription of sodA, which encodes the sole superoxide dismutase of S. pyogenes. Complementation of the mutation with a functional perR gene restored 55Fe incorporation, response to peroxide stress, and transcription of both mtsA and sodA to levels comparable to those of wild-type bacteria. Finally, the perR mutant was attenuated in virulence in a murine air sac model of infection (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that PerR is involved in the regulation of iron homeostasis and oxidative stress responses and that it contributes to the virulence of S. pyogenes.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Levente Kovács ◽  
Ágota Nagy ◽  
Margit Pál ◽  
Peter Deák

ABSTRACTDeubiquitinating (DUB) enzymes free covalently linked ubiquitins from ubiquitin-ubiquitin and ubiquitin-protein conjugates, and thereby maintain the equilibrium between free and conjugated ubiquitins and regulate ubiquitin-mediated cellular processes. The present genetic analyses of mutant phenotypes demonstrate that loss of Usp14 function results in male sterility, with defects in spermatid individualization and reduced testicular free monoubiquitin levels. These phenotypes were rescued by germline specific overexpression of wild type Usp14. Synergistic genetic interactions with Ubi-p63E and cycloheximide sensitivity suggest that ubiquitin shortage is a primary cause of male sterility. In addition, Usp14 is predominantly expressed in testes in Drosophila, and differential expression patterns may be causative of testis-specific loss of function Usp14 phenotypes. Collectively, these results suggest a major role of Usp14 in maintaining normal steady state free monoubiquitin levels during the later stages of Drosophila spermatogenesis.


2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (10) ◽  
pp. 3415-3420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parampal Deol ◽  
Reena Vohra ◽  
Adesh Kumar Saini ◽  
Amit Singh ◽  
Harish Chandra ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Protein kinases have a diverse array of functions in bacterial physiology, with a distinct role in the regulation of development, stress responses, and pathogenicity. pknF, one of the 11 kinases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, encodes an autophosphorylating, transmembrane serine/threonine protein kinase, which is absent in the fast-growing, nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis. Herein, we investigate the physiological role of PknF using an antisense strategy with M. tuberculosis and expressing PknF and its kinase mutant (K41M) in M. smegmatis. Expression of PknF in M. smegmatis led to reduction in the growth rate and shortening and swelling of cells with constrictions. Interestingly, an antisense strain of M. tuberculosis expressing a low level of PknF displayed fast growth and a deformed cell morphology compared to the wild-type strain. Electron microscopy showed that most of the cells of the antisense strain were of a smaller size with an aberrant septum. Furthermore, nutrient transport analysis of these strains was conducted using 3H-labeled and 14C-labeled substrates. A significant increase in the uptake of d-glucose but not of glycerol, leucine, or oleic acid was observed in the antisense strain compared to the wild-type strain. The results suggest that PknF plays a direct/indirect role in the regulation of glucose transport, cell growth, and septum formation in M. tuberculosis.


2005 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 694-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Beck Jensen ◽  
Osei Yaw Ampomah ◽  
Richard Darrah ◽  
N. Kent Peters ◽  
T. V. Bhuvaneswari

Genes thuA and thuB in Sinorhizobium meliloti Rm1021 code for a major pathway for trehalose catabolism and are induced by trehalose but not by related structurally similar disaccharides like sucrose or maltose. S. meliloti strains mutated in either of these two genes were severely impaired in their ability to grow on trehalose as the sole source of carbon. ThuA and ThuB show no homology to any known enzymes in trehalose utilization. ThuA has similarity to proteins of unknown function in Mesorhizobium loti, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and Brucella melitensis, and ThuB possesses homology to dehydrogenases containing the consensus motif AGKHVXCEKP. thuAB genes are expressed in bacteria growing on the root surface and in the infection threads but not in the symbiotic zone of the nodules. Even though thuA and thuB mutants were impaired in competitive colonization of Medicago sativa roots, these strains were more competitive than the wild-type Rm1021 in infecting alfalfa roots and forming nitrogen-fixing nodules. Possible reasons for their increased competitiveness are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 2538-2548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwanuk Lee ◽  
Su Jung Park ◽  
Youn-Il Park ◽  
Hunseung Kang

Abstract Although the importance of chloroplast RNA splicing and ribosome maturation (CRM) domain-containing proteins has been established for chloroplast RNA metabolism and plant development, the functional role of CRM proteins in mitochondria remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of a mitochondria-targeted CRM protein (At3g27550), named CFM9, in Arabidopsis thaliana. Confocal analysis revealed that CFM9 is localized in mitochondria. The cfm9 mutant exhibited delayed seed germination, retarded growth and shorter height compared with the wild type under normal conditions. The growth-defect phenotypes were more manifested upon high salinity, dehydration or ABA application. Complementation lines expressing CFM9 in the mutant background fully recovered the wild-type phenotypes. Notably, the mutant had abnormal mitochondria, increased hydrogen peroxide and reduced respiration activity, implying that CFM9 is indispensable for normal mitochondrial function. More important, the splicing of many intron-containing genes in mitochondria was defective in the mutant, suggesting that CFM9 plays a crucial role in the splicing of mitochondrial introns. Collectively, our results provide clear evidence emphasizing that CFM9 is an essential factor in the splicing of mitochondrial introns, which is crucial for mitochondrial biogenesis and function and the growth and development of Arabidopsis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (30) ◽  
pp. e2100073118
Author(s):  
Yoshiaki Kamiyama ◽  
Misaki Hirotani ◽  
Shinnosuke Ishikawa ◽  
Fuko Minegishi ◽  
Sotaro Katagiri ◽  
...  

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in abiotic stress responses in plants, and subclass III SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) kinases mediate ABA signaling. In this study, we identified Raf36, a group C Raf-like protein kinase in Arabidopsis, as a protein that interacts with multiple SnRK2s. A series of reverse genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that 1) Raf36 negatively regulates ABA responses during postgermination growth, 2) the N terminus of Raf36 is directly phosphorylated by SnRK2s, and 3) Raf36 degradation is enhanced in response to ABA. In addition, Raf22, another C-type Raf-like kinase, functions partially redundantly with Raf36 to regulate ABA responses. A comparative phosphoproteomic analysis of ABA-induced responses of wild-type and raf22raf36-1 plants identified proteins that are phosphorylated downstream of Raf36 and Raf22 in planta. Together, these results support a model in which Raf36/Raf22 function mainly under optimal conditions to suppress ABA responses, whereas in response to ABA, the SnRK2 module promotes Raf36 degradation as a means of alleviating Raf36-dependent inhibition and allowing for heightened ABA signaling to occur.


Author(s):  
Yoshiaki Kamiyama ◽  
Misaki Hirotani ◽  
Shinnosuke Ishikawa ◽  
Fuko Minegishi ◽  
Sotaro Katagiri ◽  
...  

ABSTRUCTA phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) has a major role in abiotic stress responses in plants, and subclass III SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) mediates ABA signaling. In this study, we identified Raf36, a group C Raf-like protein kinase in Arabidopsis, as an interacting protein with SnRK2. A series of reverse genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that Raf36 negatively regulates ABA responses and is directly phosphorylated by SnRK2s. In addition, we found that Raf22, another C-type Raf-like kinase, functions partially redundantly with Raf36 to regulate ABA responses. Comparative phosphoproteomic analysis using Arabidopsis wild-type and raf22raf36-1 plants identified proteins that are phosphorylated downstream of Raf36 and Raf22 in planta. Together, these results reveal a novel subsection of ABA-responsive phosphosignaling pathways branching from SnRK2.


2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (24) ◽  
pp. 8469-8478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie N. DiDonato ◽  
Sara A. Sullivan ◽  
Barbara A. Methé ◽  
Kelly P. Nevin ◽  
Reg England ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Geobacter species are key members of the microbial community in many subsurface environments in which dissimilatory metal reduction is an important process. The genome of Geobacter sulfurreducens contains a gene designated relGsu , which encodes a RelA homolog predicted to catalyze both the synthesis and the degradation of guanosine 3′,5′-bispyrophosphate (ppGpp), a regulatory molecule that signals slow growth in response to nutrient limitation in bacteria. To evaluate the physiological role of Rel Gsu in G. sulfurreducens, a relGsu mutant was constructed and characterized, and ppGpp levels were monitored under various conditions in both the wild-type and relGsu mutant strains. In the wild-type strain, ppGpp and ppGp were produced in response to acetate and nitrogen deprivation, whereas exposure to oxygen resulted in an accumulation of ppGpp alone. Neither ppGpp nor ppGp could be detected in the relGsu mutant. The relGsu mutant consistently grew to a higher cell density than the wild type in acetate-fumarate medium and was less tolerant of oxidative stress than the wild type. The capacity for Fe(III) reduction was substantially diminished in the mutant. Microarray and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analyses indicated that during stationary-phase growth, protein synthesis genes were up-regulated in the relGsu mutant and genes involved in stress responses and electron transport, including several implicated in Fe(III) reduction, were down-regulated in the mutant. The results are consistent with a role for Rel Gsu in regulating growth, stress responses, and Fe(III) reduction in G. sulfurreducens under conditions likely to be prevalent in subsurface environments.


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