马铃薯StPSKRs基因的克隆及其亚细胞定位分析

该研究采用同源克隆与PCR扩增方法,从马铃薯品种‘Desiree’中克隆植物磺肽素受体基因StPSKR1和StPSKR2的全长cDNA,并对其进行生物信息学分析及亚细胞定位分析,为深入研究StPSKR1和StPSKR2基因在马铃薯生长发育和生物胁迫中的作用提供理论依据。结果发现:(1)通过同源克隆与PCR扩增获得StPSKR1和StPSKR2的全长cDNA片段,并将其克隆到pGWB5-GFP载体;测序结果显示这2个基因编码的蛋白质与数据库给定的蛋白质序列保持一致,表明成功克隆到StPSKR1和StPSKR2基因。(2)StPSKR1位于马铃薯1号染色体上,cDNA全长3 042 bp,编码1 013个氨基酸,预测蛋白相对分子质量为112.16 kD,理论等电点6.27;StPSKR2位于7号染色体,cDNA全长3 135 bp,编码1 044个氨基酸,相对分子量为114.99 kD,理论等电点6.19。(3)生物信息学分析显示,StPSKR1和StPSKR2都属于跨膜蛋白。(4)亚细胞定位结果显示,StPSKR1和StPSKR2均定位于细胞膜上。     

植物肽类信号分子

近年来研究表明植物中也存在着肽类信号分子,类似于动物的肽激素。目前可分成三类：即EN-OD40、植物硫动蛋白（phytosulfokine）和系统素。ENOD40影响着细胞分裂,可能是参与控制了细胞对生长素的反应所致。植物硫动蛋白最初从芦笋叶肉细胞培养中分离,是一种减数分裂诱导因子,为细胞增殖必需,但具体机制还不清楚。系统素的研究较为深入,巳提出了它所激发的植物伤诱信号传导过程和模型。     

Analyses of non-leucine-rich repeat (non-LRR) regions intervening between LRRs in proteins

Background

Many proteins have LRR (leucine-rich repeat) units interrupted by non-LRRs which we call IR (non-LRR island region).

Methods

We identified proteins containing LRR@IRs (LRRs having IR) by using a new method and then analyzed their natures and distributions.

Results

LRR@IR proteins were found in over two hundred proteins from prokaryotes and from eukaryotes. These are divided into twenty-one different protein families. The IRs occur one to four times in LRR regions and range in length from 5 to 11,265 residues. The IR lengths in Fungi adenylate cyclases (acys) range from 5 to 116 residues; there are 22 LRR repeats. The IRs in Leishmania proteophosphoglycans (ppgs) vary from 105 to 11,265 residues. These results indicate that the IRs evolved rapidly. A group of LRR@IR proteins—LRRC17, chondroadherin-like protein, ppgs, and four Pseudomonas proteins—have a super motif consisting of an LRR block and its adjacent LRR@IR region. This indicates that the entire super motif experienced duplication. The sequence analysis of IRs offers functional similarity in some LRR@IR protein families.

General significance

This study suggests that various IRs and super motifs provide a great variety of structures and functions for LRRs.     

Moonlighting kinases with guanylate cyclase activity can tune regulatory signal networks

Guanylate cyclase (GC) catalyzes the formation of cGMP and it is only recently that such enzymes have been characterized in plants. One family of plant GCs contains the GC catalytic center encapsulated within the intracellular kinase domain of leucine rich repeat receptor like kinases such as the phytosulfokine and brassinosteroid receptors. In vitro studies show that both the kinase and GC domain have catalytic activity indicating that these kinase-GCs are examples of moonlighting proteins with dual catalytic function. The natural ligands for both receptors increase intracellular cGMP levels in isolated mesophyll protoplast assays suggesting that the GC activity is functionally relevant. cGMP production may have an autoregulatory role on receptor kinase activity and/or contribute to downstream cell expansion responses. We postulate that the receptors are members of a novel class of receptor kinases that contain functional moonlighting GC domains essential for complex signaling roles.     

Plant peptide hormone phytosulfokine (PSK-alpha): synthesis of new analogues and their biological evaluation.

Phytosulfokine-alpha (PSK-alpha), a sulfated growth factor (H-Tyr(SO3H)-Ile-Tyr(SO3H)-Thr-Gln-OH) universally found in both monocotyledons and dicotyledons, strongly promotes proliferation of plant cells in culture. In our studies on structure/activity relationship in PSK-alpha the synthesis of a series of analogues was performed: [H-D-Tyr(SO3H)1]- (9), [H-Phe(4-SO3H)1]- (10), [H-D-Phe(4-SO3H)1]- (11), [H-Phg(4-SO3H)1]- (12), [H-D-Phg(4-SO3H)1]- (13), H-Phe(4-NHSO2CH3)1]- (14), [H-D-Phe(4-NHSO2CH3)1]- (15), [H-Phe(4-NO2)1]- (16), [H-D-Phe(4-NO2)1]- (17), [H-Phg(4-NO2)1]- (18), [H-D-Phg(4-NO2)1]- (19), [H-Hph(4-NO2)1]- (20), [H-Phg(4-OSO3H)1]- (21), [Phe(4-NO2)3]- (22), [Phg(4-NO2)3]- (23), [Hph(4-NO2)3]- (24), [H-Phe(4-SO3H)1, Phe(4-SO3H)3]- (25) [H-Phe(4-NO2)1, Phe(4-NO2)3]- (26), [H-Phg(4-NO2)1, Phg(4-NO2)3]- (27), [H-Hph(4-NO2)1, Hph(4-NO2)3]- (28) and [Val3]- PSK-alpha (29). For modification of the PSK-alpha peptide chain the novel amino acids and their derivatives were synthesized, such as: H-L-Phg(4-SO3H)-OH (1), H-D-Phg(4-SO3H)-OH (2), Fmoc-Phg(4-SO3H)-OH (3), Fmoc-D-Phg(4-SO3H)-OH (4), Boc-Phg(4-NHSO2CH3)-OH (5), Boc-D-Phg(4-NHSO2CH3)-OH (6) Boc-Phe(4-NHSO2CH3)-OH (7), and Boc-D-Phe(4-NHSO2CH3)-OH (8). Peptides were synthesized by a solid phase method according to the Fmoc procedure on a Wang-resin. Free peptides were released from the resin by 95% TFA in the presence of EDT. All peptides were tested by competitive binding assay to the carrot membrane using 3H-labelled PSK according to the Matsubayashi et al. test.     

The peptide growth factor, phytosulfokine, attenuates pattern-triggered immunity

Pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) is triggered by recognition of elicitors called microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). Although immune responses may provide good protection of plants from pathogen attack, excessive immune responses have negative impacts on plant growth and development. Thus, a good balance between positive and negative effects on the immune signaling network is important for plant fitness. However, little information is known about the molecular mechanisms that are involved in attenuation of PTI. Here, we describe a growth-promoting peptide hormone, phytosulfokine (PSK), as attenuating PTI signaling in Arabidopsis. This research was motivated by the observation that expression of the PSK Receptor 1 (PSKR1) gene was induced by MAMP treatment. Plants homozygous for pskr1 T-DNA insertions showed enhanced defense gene expression and seedling growth inhibition triggered by MAMPs. The pskr1 plants also showed enhanced PTI against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. These results indicate that the PSKR-mediated signaling attenuates immune responses. Tyrosyl protein sulfotransferase (TPST) is an enzyme required for production of the mature sulfated PSK. Like pskr1 mutants, a tpst T-DNA insertion line exhibited enhanced MAMP-triggered seedling growth inhibition, which was suppressed by exogenous application of PSK. Thus, PSK signaling mediated by PSKR1 attenuates PTI but stimulates growth.     

Proteolytic processing of a precursor protein for a growth-promoting peptide by a subtilisin serine protease in Arabidopsis

Phytosulfokines (PSKs) are secreted, sulfated peptide hormones derived from larger prepropeptide precursors. Proteolytic processing of one of the precursors, AtPSK4, was demonstrated by cleavage of a preproAtPSK4-myc transgene product to AtPSK4-myc. Cleavage of proAtPSK4 was induced by placing root explants in tissue culture. The processing of proAtPSK4 was dependent on AtSBT1.1, a subtilisin-like serine protease, encoded by one of 56 subtilase genes in Arabidopsis. The gene encoding AtSBT1.1 was up-regulated following the transfer of root explants to tissue culture, suggesting that activation of the proteolytic machinery that cleaves proAtPSK4 is dependent on AtSBT1.1 expression. We also demonstrated that a fluorogenic peptide representing the putative subtilase recognition site in proAtPSK4 is cleaved in vitro by affinity-purified AtSBT1.1. An alanine scan through the recognition site peptide indicated that AtSBT1.1 is fairly specific for the AtPSK4 precursor. Thus, this peptide growth factor, which promotes callus formation in culture, is proteolytically cleaved from its precursor by a specific plant subtilase encoded by a gene that is up-regulated during the process of transferring root explants to tissue culture.     

Effect of the plant peptide regulator, phytosulfokine-alpha, on the growth and Taxol production from Taxus sp. suspension cultures

Phytosulfokine-alpha (PSK-alpha) is a small plant peptide (5 amino acids) that displays characteristics typically associated with animal peptide hormones. PSK-alpha was originally isolated based on its mitogenic activity with plant cultures; it has been reported to increase production of tropane alkaloids from Atropa belladonna, although its general influence on secondary metabolite production is unknown. The studies reported in this article were initiated to evaluate the effects of PSK-alpha supplementation on production of Taxol (paclitaxel) from plant cell cultures of Taxus sp. particularly when methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is added as an elicitor of secondary metabolism. The response to PSK-alpha supplementation was cell line dependent. Taxus cuspidata P93AF showed no statistically significant response to PSK-alpha supplementation while Taxus canadensis C93AD and T. cuspidata PO93X displayed a concentration-dependent response (up to 100 nM PSK-alpha added in first 24 h of culture) with a decrease in initial growth rate, an increase in cell density (dry weight/fresh weight), and increased Taxol production. More remarkably with T. canadensis (C93AD), a very strong synergistic response of PSK-alpha (100 nM) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA, 100 microM) elicitation was observed, resulting in Taxol level of 35.3 +/- 2.1 mg/L or 1.83 +/- 0.02 mg Taxol/g dry cell weight achieved at day 21, a level of approximately 10-fold higher than for either treatment by itself. Although the level of Taxol production achieved is not remarkable, this synergistic treatment was able to partially revive taxane production in cultures that have lost productivity due to extended time (over 10 years) in continuous subculture.