Polyamine Oxidation Is Indispensable for Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Oxidative Response and Necrotic Reactions during Leaf Rust (Puccinia triticina Eriks.) Infection

Hydrogen peroxide is a signal and effector molecule in the plant response to pathogen infection. Wheat resistance to Puccinia triticina Eriks. is associated with necrosis triggered by oxidative burst. We investigated which enzyme system dominated in host oxidative reaction to P. triticina infection. The susceptible Thatcher cultivar and isogenic lines with defined resistance genes were inoculated with P. triticina spores. Using diamine oxidase (DAO) and polyamine oxidase (PAO) inhibitors, accumulation of H2O2 was analyzed in the infection sites. Both enzymes participated in the oxidative burst during compatible and incompatible interactions. Accumulation of H2O2 in guard cells, i.e., the first phase of the response, depended on DAO and the role of PAO was negligible. During the second phase, the patterns of H2O2 accumulation in the infection sites were more complex. Accumulation of H2O2 during compatible interaction (Thatcher and TcLr34 line) moderately depended on DAO and the reaction of TcLr34 was stronger than that of Thatcher. Accumulation of H2O2 during incompatible interaction of moderately resistant plants (TcLr24, TcLr25 and TcLr29) was DAO-dependent in TcLr29, while the changes in the remaining lines were not statistically significant. A strong oxidative burst in resistant plants (TcLr9, TcLr19, TcLr26) was associated with both enzymes’ activities in TcLr9 and only with DAO in TcLr19 and TcLr26. The results are discussed in relation to other host oxidative systems, necrosis, and resistance level.

Plant Polyamines

Polyamines are small organic compounds found in all living organisms. According to the high degree of positive charge at physiological pH, they interact with negatively charged macromolecules, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, and modulate their activities. In plants, polyamines, some of which are presented as a conjugated form with cinnamic acids and proteins, are involved in a variety of physiological processes. In recent years, the study of plant polyamines, such as their biosynthetic and catabolic pathways and the roles they play in cellular processes, has flourished, becoming an exciting field of research. There is accumulating evidence that polyamine oxidation, the main catabolic pathway of polyamines, may have a potential role as a source of hydrogen peroxide. The papers in this Special Issue highlight new discoveries and research in the field of plant polyamine biology. The information will help to stimulate further research and make readers aware of the link between their own work and topics related to polyamines.

Hepatocyte-specific ablation of spermine/spermidine-N1-acetyltransferase gene reduces the severity of CCl4-induced acute liver injury

Activation of spermine/spermidine- N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT) leads to DNA damage and growth arrest in mammalian cells, and its ablation reduces the severity of ischemic and endotoxic injuries. Here we have examined the role of SSAT in the pathogenesis of toxic liver injury caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The expression and activity of SSAT increase in the liver subsequent to CCl4 administration. Furthermore, the early liver injury after CCl4 treatment was significantly attenuated in hepatocyte-specific SSAT knockout mice (Hep-SSAT-Cko) compared with wild-type (WT) mice as determined by the reduced serum alanine aminotransferase levels, decreased hepatic lipid peroxidation, and less severe liver damage. Cytochrome P450 2e1 levels remained comparable in both genotypes, suggesting that SSAT deficiency does not affect the metabolism of CCl4. Hepatocyte-specific deficiency of SSAT also modulated the induction of cytokines involved in inflammation and repair as well as leukocyte infiltration. In addition, Noxa and activated caspase 3 levels were elevated in the livers of WT compared with Hep-SSAT-Cko mice. Interestingly, the onset of cell proliferation was significantly more robust in the WT compared with Hep-SSAT Cko mice. The inhibition of polyamine oxidases protected the animals against CCl4-induced liver injury. Our studies suggest that while the abrogation of polyamine back conversion or inhibition of polyamine oxidation attenuate the early injury, they may delay the onset of hepatic regeneration.