scholarly journals Structural and functional features of phytoene synthase isoforms PSY1 and PSY2 in pepper Capsicum annuum L. cultivars

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 687-696
Author(s):  
E. A. Dyachenko ◽  
M. A. Filyushin ◽  
G. I. Efremov ◽  
E. A. Dzhos ◽  
A. V. Shchennikova ◽  
...  

The fruits of various pepper cultivars are characterized by a different colour, which is determined by the pigment ratio; carotenoids dominate in ripe fruits, while chlorophylls, in immature fruits. A key regulator of carotenoid biosynthesis is the phytoene synthase encoded by the PSY gene. The Capsicum annuum genome contains two isoforms of this enzyme, localized in leaf (PSY2) and fruit (PSY1) plastids. In this work, the complete PSY1 and PSY2 genes were identified in nine C. annuum cultivars, which differ in ripe fruit colour. PSY1 and PSY2 sequence variability was 2.43 % (69 SNPs) and 1.21 % (36 SNPs). The most variable were PSY1 proteins of the cultivars ‘Maria’ (red-fruited) and ‘Sladkij shokolad’ (red-brown-fruited). All identified PSY1 and PSY2 homologs contained the phytoene synthase domain HH-IPPS and the transit peptide. In the PSY1 and PSY2 HH-IPPS domains, functionally significant sites were determined. For all accessions studied, the active sites (YAKTF and RAYV), aspartate-rich substrate-Mg2+-binding sites (DELVD and DVGED), and other functional residues were shown to be conserved. Transit peptides were more variable, and their similarity in the PSY1 and PSY2 proteins did not exceed 78.68 %. According to the biochemical data obtained, the largest amounts of chlorophylls and carotenoids across the cultivars studied were detected in immature and ripe fruits of the cv. ‘Sladkij shokolad’ and ‘Shokoladnyj’. Also, ripe fruits of the cv. ‘Nesozrevayuschij’ (green-fruited) were marked by significant chlorophyll content, but a minimum of carotenoids. The PSY1 and PSY2 expression patterns were determined in the fruit pericarp at three ripening stages in ‘Zheltyj buket’, ‘Sladkij shokolad’, ‘Karmin’ and ‘Nesozrevayuschij’, which have different ripe fruit colours: yellow, red-brown, dark red and green, respectively. In the leaves of the cultivars studied, PSY1 expression levels varied significantly. All cultivars were characterized by increased PSY1 transcription as the fruit ripened; the maximum transcription level was found in the ripe fruit of ‘Sladkij shokolad’, and the lowest, in ‘Nesozrevayuschij’. PSY2 transcripts were detected not only in the leaves and immature fruits, but also in ripe fruits. Assessment of a possible correlation of PSY1 and PSY2 transcription with carotenoid and chlorophyll content revealed a direct relationship between PSY1 expression level and carotenoid pigmentation during fruit ripening. It has been suggested that the absence of a typical pericarp pigmentation pattern in ‘Nesozrevayuschij’ may be associated with impaired chromoplast formation.

Genome ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenghao Zhang ◽  
Wenqi Dong ◽  
Zong-an Huang ◽  
MyeongCheoul Cho ◽  
Qingcang Yu ◽  
...  

Auxin plays key roles in regulating plant growth and development as well as in response to environmental stresses. The intercellular transport of auxin is mediated by the following four gene families: ATP-binding cassette family B (ABCB), auxin resistant1/like aux1 (AUX/LAX), PIN-formed (PIN), and PIN-like (PILS). Here, the latest assembled pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) genome was used to characterise and analyse the CaLAX and CaPIN gene families. Genome-wide investigations into these families, including chromosomal distributions, phytogenic relationships, and intron/exon structures, were performed. In total, 4 CaLAX and 10 CaPIN genes were mapped to 10 chromosomes. Most of these genes exhibited varied tissue-specific expression patterns assessed by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression profiles of the CaLAX and CaPIN genes under various abiotic stresses (salt, drought, and cold), exogenous phytohormones (IAA, 6-BA, ABA, SA, and MeJA), and polar auxin transport inhibitor treatments were evaluated. Most CaLAX and CaPIN genes were altered by abiotic stress at the transcriptional level in both shoots and roots, and many CaLAX and CaPIN genes were regulated by exogenous phytohormones. Our study helps to identify candidate auxin transporter genes and to further analyse their biological functions in pepper development and in its adaptation to environmental stresses.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guori Gao ◽  
Zhongrui Lv ◽  
Guoyun Zhang ◽  
Jiayi Li ◽  
Jianguo Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Drought is the most severe abiotic stress and hinders the normal growth and development of plants. Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides Linn.) is a typical drought-resistant tree species. In this study, the leaves of the H. rhamnoides ssp. sinensis (“FN”) and H. rhamnoides ssp. mongolica (“XY”) were selected during drought-recovery cycles for RNA sequencing, and physiological and biochemical analyses. The results revealed that drought stress significantly decreased leaf water potential, net photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance in both sea buckthorn subspecies. Similarly, the contents of flavone, flavonol, isoflavone and flavanone significantly decreased under drought stress in “XY.” Conversely, in “FN,” the flavone and abscisic acid (ABA) contents were significantly higher under drought stress and recovered after rehydration. Meanwhile, 4,618 and 6,100 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under drought stress in “FN” and “XY,” respectively. In total, 5,164 DEGs were observed in the comparison between “FN” and “XY” under drought stress. This was more than the 3,821 and 3,387 DEGs found when comparing the subspecies under control and rehydration conditions, respectively. These DEGs were mainly associated with carotenoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and plant hormone signal transduction. Six hub DEGs (ABCG5, ABCG22, ABCG32, ABCG36, ABF2 and PYL4) were identified to respond to drought stress based on WGCNA and BLAST analysis using DroughtDB. These six DEGs were annotated to play roles in the ABA-dependent signaling pathway. Sixteen RNA sequencing results involving eight genes and similar expression patterns (12/16) were validated using quantitative real-time PCR. The biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of drought responses by ABA and flavonoids in sea buckthorn were clarified. In this study, gene co-expression networks were constructed, and the results suggested that the mutual regulation of ABA and flavonoid signaling contributed to the difference in drought resistance between the different sea buckthorn subspecies.


2004 ◽  
Vol 165 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Smith ◽  
Caleb M. Rounds ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Kunhua Chen ◽  
Meshack Afitlhile ◽  
...  

The members of the Toc159 family of GTPases act as the primary receptors for the import of nucleus-encoded preproteins into plastids. Toc159, the most abundant member of this family in chloroplasts, is required for chloroplast biogenesis (Bauer, J., K. Chen, A. Hiltbunner, E. Wehrli, M. Eugster, D. Schnell, and F. Kessler. 2000. Nature. 403:203–207) and has been shown to covalently cross-link to bound preproteins at the chloroplast surface (Ma, Y., A. Kouranov, S. LaSala, and D.J. Schnell. 1996. J. Cell Biol. 134:1–13; Perry, S.E., and K. Keegstra. 1994. Plant Cell. 6:93–105). These reports led to the hypothesis that Toc159 functions as a selective import receptor for preproteins that are required for chloroplast development. In this report, we provide evidence that Toc159 is required for the import of several highly expressed photosynthetic preproteins in vivo. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the cytoplasmic and recombinant forms of soluble Toc159 bind directly and selectively to the transit peptides of these representative photosynthetic preproteins, but not representative constitutively expressed plastid preproteins. These data support the function of Toc159 as a selective import receptor for the targeting of a set of preproteins required for chloroplast biogenesis.


2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 663-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omar S. Harb ◽  
Bithi Chatterjee ◽  
Martin J. Fraunholz ◽  
Michael J. Crawford ◽  
Manami Nishi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Most species of the protozoan phylum Apicomplexa harbor an endosymbiotic organelle—the apicoplast—acquired when an ancestral parasite engulfed a eukaryotic plastid-containing alga. Several hundred proteins are encoded in the parasite nucleus and are posttranslationally targeted to the apicoplast by a distinctive bipartite signal. The N-terminal 20 to 30 amino acids of nucleus-encoded apicoplast targeted proteins function as a classical signal sequence, mediating entry into the secretory pathway. Cleavage of the signal sequence exposes a transit peptide of variable length (50 to 200 amino acids) that is required for directing proteins to the apicoplast. Although these peptides are enriched in basic amino acids, their structural and functional characteristics are not well understood, which hampers the identification of apicoplast proteins that may constitute novel chemotherapeutic targets. To identify functional domains for a model apicoplast transit peptide, we generated more than 80 deletions and mutations throughout the transit peptide of Toxoplasma gondii ferredoxin NADP+ reductase (TgFNR) and examined the ability of these altered transit peptides to mediate proper targeting and processing of a fluorescent protein reporter. These studies revealed the presence of numerous functional domains. Processing can take place at multiple sites in the protein sequence and may occur outside of the apicoplast lumen. The TgFNR transit peptide contains at least two independent and functionally redundant targeting signals, each of which contains a subdomain that is required for release from or proper sorting within the endoplasmic reticulum. Certain deletion constructs traffic to multiple locations, including the apicoplast periphery, the rhoptries, and the parasitophorous vacuole, suggesting a common thread for targeting to these specialized compartments.


2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1726) ◽  
pp. 3-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan L. Porter ◽  
Joseph R. Blasic ◽  
Michael J. Bok ◽  
Evan G. Cameron ◽  
Thomas Pringle ◽  
...  

Opsin proteins are essential molecules in mediating the ability of animals to detect and use light for diverse biological functions. Therefore, understanding the evolutionary history of opsins is key to understanding the evolution of light detection and photoreception in animals. As genomic data have appeared and rapidly expanded in quantity, it has become possible to analyse opsins that functionally and histologically are less well characterized, and thus to examine opsin evolution strictly from a genetic perspective. We have incorporated these new data into a large-scale, genome-based analysis of opsin evolution. We use an extensive phylogeny of currently known opsin sequence diversity as a foundation for examining the evolutionary distributions of key functional features within the opsin clade. This new analysis illustrates the lability of opsin protein-expression patterns, site-specific functionality (i.e. counterion position) and G-protein binding interactions. Further, it demonstrates the limitations of current model organisms, and highlights the need for further characterization of many of the opsin sequence groups with unknown function.


1999 ◽  
Vol 147 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Richter ◽  
Gayle K. Lamppa

A stromal processing peptidase (SPP) cleaves a broad range of precursors targeted to the chloroplast, yielding proteins for numerous biosynthetic pathways in different compartments. SPP contains a signature zinc-binding motif, His-X-X-Glu-His, that places it in a metallopeptidase family which includes the mitochondrial processing peptidase. Here, we have investigated the mechanism of cleavage by SPP, a late, yet key event in the import pathway. Recombinant SPP removed the transit peptide from a variety of precursors in a single endoproteolytic step. Whereas the mature protein was immediately released, the transit peptide remained bound to SPP. SPP converted the transit peptide to a subfragment form that it no longer recognized. We conclude that SPP contains a specific binding site for the transit peptide and additional proteolysis by SPP triggers its release. A stable interaction between SPP and an intact transit peptide was directly demonstrated using a newly developed binding assay. Unlike recombinant SPP, a chloroplast extract rapidly degraded both the transit peptide and subfragment. A new degradative activity, distinguishable from SPP, was identified that is ATP- and metal-dependent. Our results indicate a regulated sequence of events as SPP functions during precursor import, and demonstrate a previously unrecognized ATP-requirement for transit peptide turnover.


Archaea ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Yu. Bezsudnova ◽  
Tatiana E. Petrova ◽  
Natalia V. Artemova ◽  
Konstantin M. Boyko ◽  
Ivan G. Shabalin ◽  
...  

We present the functional and structural characterization of the first archaeal thermostable NADP-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase AlDHPyr1147. In vitro, AlDHPyr1147 catalyzes the irreversible oxidation of short aliphatic aldehydes at 60–85°С, and the affinity of AlDHPyr1147 to the NADP+ at 60°С is comparable to that for mesophilic analogues at 25°С. We determined the structures of the apo form of AlDHPyr1147 (3.04 Å resolution), three binary complexes with the coenzyme (1.90, 2.06, and 2.19 Å), and the ternary complex with the coenzyme and isobutyraldehyde as a substrate (2.66 Å). The nicotinamide moiety of the coenzyme is disordered in two binary complexes, while it is ordered in the ternary complex, as well as in the binary complex obtained after additional soaking with the substrate. AlDHPyr1147 structures demonstrate the strengthening of the dimeric contact (as compared with the analogues) and the concerted conformational flexibility of catalytic Cys287 and Glu253, as well as Leu254 and the nicotinamide moiety of the coenzyme. A comparison of the active sites of AlDHPyr1147 and dehydrogenases characterized earlier suggests that proton relay systems, which were previously proposed for dehydrogenases of this family, are blocked in AlDHPyr1147, and the proton release in the latter can occur through the substrate channel.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 2022
Author(s):  
Yihan Zhao ◽  
Junhao Li ◽  
Shaohua Huang ◽  
Huayong Li ◽  
Yutao Liu ◽  
...  

Pomelo is an important cultivar of the genus Citrus that contains a variety of beneficial nutrients, and its young fruit is an agricultural by-product that is currently not fully utilized because it is often thrown away during cultivation and management. In this study, the dynamics of tocochromanol during young pomelo development were investigated by measuring chlorophyll content, tocochromanol accumulation, and expression levels of related genes during early fruit development. The results showed that chlorophyll content decreased overall during these four developmental stages and had some synergism with tocochromanol. Four tocochromanol components were detected in pomelo of both genotypes, and α-tocopherol was the main component. The tocochromanol content of honey pomelo was highest in the first period, reaching 70 ± 5 μg/g in dry weight (DW), and golden pomelo peaked in the second period at 86.10 ± 0.18 μg/g DW, with an overall decreasing trend in both genotypes. The different gene expression patterns of the tocochromanol biosynthesis pathway could partially explain the changes in these components and further elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of tocochromanol accumulation during early fruit development. As a natural product, young pomelo fruit is an attractive source of tocochromanol and has potential application in industrial production. The results of this study may provide directions for the high additional value utilization of young pomelo fruit.


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