The characteristic high sulfate content in Brassica oleracea is controlled by the expression and activity of sulfate transporters

The uptake and distribution of sulfate in BRASSICA OLERACEA, a species characterised by its high sulfate content in root and shoot, are coordinated and adjusted to the sulfur requirement for growth, even at external sulfate concentrations close to the K (m) value of the high-affinity sulfate transporters. Plants were able to grow normally and maintain a high sulfur content when grown at 5 or 10 microM sulfate in the root environment. Abundance of mRNAs for the high affinity sulfate transporters, BolSultr1;1 and BolSultr1;2, were enhanced at 相似文献   

Expression of a tomato sugar transporter is increased in leaves of mycorrhizal or Phytophthora parasitica-infected plants

A full-length cDNA clone (LeST3), encoding a putative tomato sugar transporter, was isolated from mycorrhizal roots by using a PCR-based approach. Based on sequence similarity, conserved motifs and predicted membrane topology, LeST3 was classified as a putative monosaccharide transporter of the sugar transporter subgroup of the major facilitator superfamily. Southern blot analysis showed that LeST3 represents a single-copy gene in tomato. To investigate its function, LeST3 was expressed in a hexose transport-deficient mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although LeST3 was correctly transcribed in yeast, it did not restore growth on hexoses of the S. cerevisiae mutant. LeST3 gene expression was increased in the leaves of plants colonised by the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi Glomus mosseae or Glomus intraradices and in those of plants infected with the root pathogen Phytophthora parasitica. These data suggest that LeST3 plays a role in the transport of sugars into the sink tissues and responds to the increased demand for carbohydrates exerted by two AM fungi and by a root pathogen to cope with the increased metabolic activity of the colonised/infected tissues or to supply carbohydrates to the AM fungus.     

Constitutive expression of high-affinity sulfate transporter (HAST) gene in Indian mustard showed enhanced sulfur uptake and assimilation

Lycopersicon esculantum sulfate transporter gene (LeST 1.1) encodes a high-affinity sulfate transporter (HAST) located in root epidermis. In this study, the LeST 1.1 gene was constitutively expressed in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea cv. Pusa Jai Kisan). Transgenic as well as untransformed plants were grown in sulfur-insufficient (25 and 50 μM) and sulfur-sufficient (1,000 μM) conditions for 30 days. Two-fold increase was noticed in the sulfate uptake rate of transgenic plants grown in both sulfur-insufficient and -sufficient conditions as compared to untransformed plants. The transgenic B. juncea plants were able to accumulate higher biomass and showed improved sulfur status even in sulfur-insufficient conditions when compared with untransformed plants. Chlorophyll content, ATP sulfurylase activity and protein content were also higher in transgenic plants than untranformed plants under sulfur-insufficient conditions. Our results, thus, clearly indicate that constitutive expression of LeST 1.1 gene in B. juncea had led to enhanced capacity of sulfur uptake and assimilation even in sulfur-insufficient conditions. This approach can also be used in other crops to enhance their sulfate uptake and assimilation potential under S-insufficient conditions.     

Regulation of sulfate uptake and expression of sulfate transporter genes in Brassica oleracea as affected by atmospheric H(2)S and pedospheric sulfate nutrition

Demand-driven signaling will contribute to regulation of sulfur acquisition and distribution within the plant. To investigate the regulatory mechanisms pedospheric sulfate and atmospheric H(2)S supply were manipulated in Brassica oleracea. Sulfate deprivation of B. oleracea seedlings induced a rapid increase of the sulfate uptake capacity by the roots, accompanied by an increased expression of genes encoding specific sulfate transporters in roots and other plant parts. More prolonged sulfate deprivation resulted in an altered shoot-root partitioning of biomass in favor of the root. B. oleracea was able to utilize atmospheric H(2)S as S-source; however, root proliferation and increased sulfate transporter expression occurred as in S-deficient plants. It was evident that in B. oleracea there was a poor shoot to root signaling for the regulation of sulfate uptake and expression of the sulfate transporters. cDNAs corresponding to 12 different sulfate transporter genes representing the complete gene family were isolated from Brassica napus and B. oleracea species. The sequence analysis classified the Brassica sulfate transporter genes into four different groups. The expression of the different sulfate transporters showed a complex pattern of tissue specificity and regulation by sulfur nutritional status. The sulfate transporter genes of Groups 1, 2, and 4 were induced or up-regulated under sulfate deprivation, although the expression of Group 3 sulfate transporters was not affected by the sulfate status. The significance of sulfate, thiols, and O-acetylserine as possible signal compounds in the regulation of the sulfate uptake and expression of the transporter genes is evaluated.     

Two distinct high-affinity sulfate transporters with different inducibilities mediate uptake of sulfate in Arabidopsis roots

Sulfate transporters present at the root surface facilitate uptake of sulfate from the environment. Here we report that uptake of sulfate at the outermost cell layers of Arabidopsis root is associated with the functions of highly and low-inducible sulfate transporters, Sultr1;1 and Sultr1;2, respectively. We have previously reported that Sultr1;1 is a high-affinity sulfate transporter expressed in root hairs, epidermal and cortical cells of Arabidopsis roots, and its expression is strongly upregulated in plants deprived of external sulfate. A novel sulfate transporter gene, Sultr1;2, identified on the BAC clone F28K19 of Arabidopsis, encoded a polypeptide of 653 amino acids that is 72.6% identical to Sultr1;1 and was able to restore sulfate uptake capacity of a yeast mutant lacking sulfate transporter genes (K(m) for sulfate = 6.9 +/- 1.0 microm). Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing the fusion gene construct of the Sultr1;2 promoter and green fluorescent protein (GFP) showed specific localization of GFP in the root hairs, epidermal and cortical cells of roots, and in the guard cells of leaves, suggesting that Sultr1;2 may co-localize with Sultr1;1 in the same cell layers at the root surface. Sultr1;1 mRNA was abundantly expressed under low-sulfur conditions (50-100 microm sulfate), whereas Sultr1;2 mRNA accumulated constitutively at high levels under a wide range of sulfur conditions (50-1500 microm sulfate), indicating that Sultr1;2 is less responsive to changes in sulfur conditions. Addition of selenate to the medium increased the level of Sultr1;1 mRNA in parallel with a decrease in the internal sulfate pool in roots. The level of Sultr1;2 mRNA was not influenced under these conditions. Antisense plants of Sultr1;1 showed reduced accumulation of sulfate in roots, particularly in plants treated with selenate, suggesting that the inducible transporter Sultr1;1 contributes to the uptake of sulfate under stressed conditions.     

Hexose transporters of tomato: molecular cloning,expression analysis and functional characterization

A full-length (LeHT2) and two partial (LeHT1 and LeHT3) cDNA clones, encoding hexose transporters, were isolated from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruit and flower cDNA libraries. Southern blot analysis confirmed the presence of a gene family of hexose transporters in tomato consisting of at least three members. The full-length cDNA (LeHT2) encodes a protein of 523 amino acids, with a calculated molecular mass of 57.6 kDa. The predicted protein has 12 putative membrane-spanning domains and belongs to the Major Facilitator Superfamily of membrane carriers. The three clones encode polypeptides that are homologous to other plant monosaccharide transporters and contain conserved amino acid motifs characteristic of this superfamily. Expression of the three genes in different organs of tomato was investigated by quantitative PCR. LeHT1 and LeHT3 are expressed predominantly in sink tissues, with both genes showing highest expression in young fruit and root tips. LeHT2 is expressed at relatively high levels in source leaves and certain sink tissues such as flowers. LeHT2 was functionally expressed in a hexose transport-deficient mutant (RE700A) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. LeHT2-dependent transport of glucose in RE700A exhibited properties consistent with the operation of an energy-coupled transporter and probably a H⁺/hexose symporter. The K _m of the symporter for glucose is 45 M.     

Cloning and characterization of two genes encoding sulfate transporters from rice (Oryza sativa L.)*

Two genes were isolated from a rice genomic library and the coding region of their corresponding cDNAs generated by RT-PCR. These single copy genes, designated ORYsa;Sultr1;1 and ORYsa;Sultr4;1, encode putative sulfate transporters. Both genes encode proteins with predicted topologies and signature sequences of the H⁺/SO₄^2- symporter family of transporters and exhibit a high degree of homology to other plant sulfate transporters. ORYsa;Sultr1;1 is expressed in roots with levels of expression being strongly enhanced by sulfate starvation. In situ hybridization experiments revealed that ORYsa;Sultr1;1 expression is localized to the main absorptive region of roots. This gene probably encodes a transporter that is responsible for uptake of sulfate from the soil solution. In contrast, ORYsa;Sultr4;1 was expressed in both roots and shoots and was unresponsive to the sulfur status of the plant. The sequence of ORYsa;Sultr4;1 contains a possible plastid-targeting transit peptide which may indicate a role in transport of sulfate to sites of sulfate reduction in plastids. The role of the transporter encoded by ORYsa;Sultr4;1 is likely to be significantly different fromORYsa;Sultr1;1. These are the first reports of isolation of genes encoding sulfate transporters from rice and provide a basis for further studies involving sulfate transport.     

Characterization of two phosphate transporters from barley; evidence for diverse function and kinetic properties among members of the Pht1 family

Putative phosphate transporters have been identified in a barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genomic library by their homology to known phosphate transporters from dicot species. The genes designated HORvu;Pht1;1 and HORvu;Pht1;6 encode proteins of 521 and 535 amino acids respectively with 12 predicted membrane-spanning domains and other motifs common to the Phtl family of phosphate transporters. HORvu;Pht1;1 is expressed exclusively in roots and is strongly induced by phosphate deprivation. HORvu;Pht1;6 is expressed in the aerial parts of the plant with strongest expression in old leaves and flag leaves. In situ hybridization showed that HORvu;Pht1;6 is expressed in the phloem of vascular bundles in leaves and ears. In order to study the biochemical properties of HORvu;Pht1;1 and HORvu;Pht1;6, the genes were expressed in transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants under the control of the rice actin promoter and suspension cell cultures were generated. Cells derived from transgenic plants were able to take up phosphate at a much higher rate than control cells, demonstrating that both genes encode functional phosphate transporters. The estimated Km for phosphate for cells expressing HORvu;Pht1;1 was 9.06 +/- 0.82 microM, which is characteristic of a high-affinity transporter. The rate of phosphate uptake decreased with increasing pH, suggesting that HORvu;Pht1;1 operates as a H+/H2PO4(-) symporter. In contrast, the estimated Km for phosphate for cells expressing HORvu;Pht1;6 was 385 +/- 61 microM, which is characteristic of a low-affinity transporter. Taken together, the results suggest that HORvu;Pht1;1 functions in uptake of phosphate at the root surface, while HORvu;Pht1;6 probably functions in remobilization of stored phosphate from leaves.     

Coordinated expression of sulfate uptake and components of the sulfate assimilatory pathway in maize

A high-affinity-type sulfate transporter (Group 1: ZmST1;1, Accession No. AF355602) has been cloned from maize seedlings by RT-PCR. Tissue and cell specific localisation of this sulfate transporter has been determined along the developmental gradient of the root and in leaves of different ages. In S-sufficient conditions there was uniform low expression of ZmST1;1 in the root and very low expression in the leaves. Increased mRNA abundance and sulfate influx capacity indicated that S-starvation increased ZmST1;1 expression in roots, especially at the top of the root (just behind the seed, the area possessing most laterals and root hairs) compared to the root tip. Similarly a group 2, probable low affinity-type sulfate transporter, ZmST2;1, and also ATP-sulfurylase and APS-reductase but not OAS(thiol)lyase were induced by S-starvation and showed highest expression in the upper section of the root. S-starvation increased root/shoot ratio by 20 % and increased root lateral length and abundance in the region closest to the root tip. As the increase in root proliferation was not as great as the increase in mRNA pools, it was clear that there was a higher cellular abundance of the mRNAs for sulfate transporters, ATP-sulfurylase, and APS-reductase in response to sulfur starvation. In the leaves, the sulfate transporters, ATP-sulfurylase and APS-reductase were induced by S-starvation with the most mature leaf showing increased mRNA abundance first. In situ hybridization indicated that ZmST1;1 was expressed in epidermal and endodermal cell layers throughout the root whilst OAS(thiol)lyase was highly expressed in the root cortex.     

Phloem-localizing sulfate transporter,Sultr1;3, mediates re-distribution of sulfur from source to sink organs in Arabidopsis

For the effective recycling of nutrients, vascular plants transport pooled inorganic ions and metabolites through the sieve tube. A novel sulfate transporter gene, Sultr1;3, was identified as an essential member contributing to this process for redistribution of sulfur source in Arabidopsis. Sultr1;3 belonged to the family of high-affinity sulfate transporters, and was able to complement the yeast sulfate transporter mutant. The fusion protein of Sultr1;3 and green fluorescent protein was expressed by the Sultr1;3 promoter in transgenic plants, which revealed phloem-specific expression of Sultr1;3 in Arabidopsis. Sultr1;3-green fluorescent protein was found in the sieve element-companion cell complexes of the phloem in cotyledons and roots. Limitation of external sulfate caused accumulation of Sultr1;3 mRNA both in leaves and roots. Movement of (35)S-labeled sulfate from cotyledons to the sink organs was restricted in the T-DNA insertion mutant of Sultr1;3. These results provide evidence that Sultr1;3 transporter plays an important role in loading of sulfate to the sieve tube, initiating the source-to-sink translocation of sulfur nutrient in Arabidopsis.     

Role of SulP, a nuclear-encoded chloroplast sulfate permease, in sulfate transport and H2evolution in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Antisense technology was applied to the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtiito probe the function of a novel nuclear gene encoding a chloroplast-envelope localized sulfate permease (SulP; GenBank Accession Numbers AF467891 and AF481828). Analysis showed that antiSulP transformants are impaired in sulfate uptake, a consequence of repression in the SulP gene expression. Antisense antiSulP transformants exhibited a sulfur-deprivation phenotype, strong induction of arylsulfatase activity, and global induction of sulfate assimilation gene expression. In sealed cultures, opposite to the wild-type control, antiSulP strains photo-evolved H₂, underlining the notion of sulfate uptake limitation by the chloroplast, a slow-down in the rate of oxygen evolution, establishment of anaerobiosis due to internal respiration and spontaneous expression of the [Fe]-hydrogenase in these strains. It is concluded that antiSulP strains are promising as tools to limit the supply of sulfates to the chloroplast, leading to a down-regulation of H₂O-oxidation and O₂-evolution activity, to the constitutive expression of the [Fe]-hydrogenase and continuous H₂-photoproduction in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.Thus, antisulPstrains might permit a study of the biochemistry of H₂ metabolism in this green alga under constitutive anaerobic oxygenic photosynthesis conditions.     

Molecular cloning,functional characterization and expression analysis of a novel monosaccharide transporter gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">OsMST6</Emphasis> from rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.)

Monosaccharides transporters play important roles in assimilate supply for sink tissue development. In this study, a new monosaccharide transporter gene OsMST6 was identified from rice (Oryza sativa L.). The predicted OsMST6 protein shows typical features of sugar transporters and shares 79.6% identity with the rice monosaccharide transporter OsMST3. Heterologous expression in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) demonstrated that OsMST6 is a broad-spectrum monosaccharide transporter, with a K (m) of 266.1 muMu for glucose. OsMST6-green fluorescent protein fusion protein is localized to the plasma membrane in plant. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis exhibited that OsMST6 is expressed in all tested organs/tissues. In developing seeds, OsMST6 expression level is high at the early and middle grain filling stages and gradually declines later. Further analysis detected its expression in both maternal and filial tissues. RNA in situ hybridization analysis indicated that OsMST6 is predominantly expressed in the vascular parenchyma of the chalazal vein, cross-cells, nucellar tissue and endosperm of young seeds, in mesophyll cells of source leaf blades, and in pollens and the connective vein of anthers. In addition, OsMST6 expression is up-regulated by salt stress and sugars. The physiological role of OsMST6 for seed development and its roles in other sink and source tissues are discussed.     

Leaf developmental stage affects sulfate depletion and specific sulfate transporter expression during sulfur deprivation in Brassica napus L

BRASSICA NAPUS was grown under hydroponic conditions and responses to the removal of the external supply of sulfur (S) were analysed in roots and in leaves of different developmental age. The concentrations of sulfate and nitrate were greatest in the older leaves and least in younger leaves, whilst phosphate was greatest in roots and youngest leaves and least in old leaves. S-deprivation resulted in decreases in tissue sulfate concentrations at variable rates in the order: roots and young leaves > middle-aged leaves > oldest leaves. Phosphate concentrations were unaffected and nitrate concentrations were only depleted in the oldest leaves. Expression of representative members of the sulfate transporter gene family was assessed by Northern blotting in the respective tissues. Group 1 transporters (high affinity type) were induced in response to S-deprivation in all tissues except old leaves, where no expression was detected, and to the greatest extent in roots. Groups 2 and 5 (a BRASSICA Group 5 sulfate transporter is reported here, accession number: AJ311389) transporters showed either no or only a small induction by S-deprivation. Group 4 transporters (localised in the tonoplast membrane and thought to be involved in vacuolar sulfate efflux) were induced by S-deprivation with a complex pattern: 4;1 was expressed in root and mature leaves, was strongly induced by sulfur-deprivation in roots, and was also induced in the middle-aged leaves alone; 4;2 was only expressed under S-deprivation in parallel with the observed pattern of tissue sulfate concentrations. Expression patterns indicated that both differences in intracellular sulfate pools and localised aspects of the signal transduction pathway link tissue sulfate-status and sulfur-nutrition regulated gene expression.     

Elucidation of the Mechanisms Underlying Hypo-osmotically Induced Turgor Pressure Regulation in the Marine Alga Valonia utricularis

Exposure of the giant marine alga Valonia utricularis to acute hypo-osmotic shocks induces a transient increase in turgor pressure and subsequent back-regulation. Separate recording of the electrical properties of tonoplast and plasmalemma together with turgor pressure was performed by using a vacuolar perfusion assembly. Hypo-osmotic turgor pressure regulation was inhibited by external addition of 300 microM of the membrane-permeable ion channel blocker 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB). In the presence of 100 microM NPPB, regulation could only be inhibited by simultaneous external addition of 200 microM 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS), a membrane-impermeable inhibitor of Cl(-) transport. At concentrations of about 100 microM, NPPB seems to selectively inhibit Cl(-) transporters in the tonoplast and K(+) transporters in the plasmalemma, whereas 300 microM NPPB inhibits K(+) and Cl(-) transporters in both membranes. Evidence was achieved by measuring the tonoplast and plasmalemma conductances (G(t) and G(p)) in low-Cl(-) and K(+)-free artificial seawater. Inhibition of turgor pressure regulation by 300 microM NPPB was accompanied by about 85% reduction of G(t) and G(p). Vacuolar addition of sulfate, an inhibitor of tonoplast Cl(-) transporters, together with external addition of DIDS and Ba(2+) (an inhibitor of K(+) transporters) also strongly reduced G(p) and G(t) but did not affect hypo-osmotic turgor pressure regulation. These and many other findings suggest that KCl efflux partly occurs via electrically silent transport systems. Candidates are vacuolar entities that are disconnected from the huge and many-folded central vacuole or that become disconnected upon disproportionate swelling of originally interconnected vacuolar entities upon acute hypo-osmotic challenge.