Enhanced arsenic tolerance of transgenic eastern cottonwood plants expressing gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase

Arsenic is a metalloid that occurs naturally at parts per million (ppm) levels in the earth's crust. Natural and human activities have contributed to arsenic mobilization and increased concentration in the environment, such that World Health Organization guidelines for arsenic levels in drinking water are exceeded at many locations, worldwide. This translates into an increased risk of arsenic-related illnesses for millions of people. Recent studies demonstrate that increasing thiol-sinks in transgenic plants by overexpressing the bacterial gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (ECS) gene results in a higher tolerance and accumulation of metals and metalloids such as cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. We used Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to genetically engineer eastern cottonwood with a bacterial ECS gene. Eastern cottonwood plants expressing ECS had elevated thiol group levels, consistent with increased ECS activity. In addition, these ECS-expressing plants had enhanced growth on levels of arsenate toxic to control plants in vitro. Furthermore, roots of ECS-expressing plants accumulated significantly more arsenic than control roots (approximately twice as much), while shoots accumulated significantly less arsenic than control shoots (approximately two-thirds as much). We discuss potential mechanisms for shifting the balance of plant arsenic distribution from root accumulation to shoot accumulation, as it pertains to arsenic phytoremediation.     

Engineering tolerance and hyperaccumulation of arsenic in plants by combining arsenate reductase and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase expression

We have developed a genetics-based phytoremediation strategy for arsenic in which the oxyanion arsenate is transported aboveground, reduced to arsenite, and sequestered in thiol-peptide complexes. The Escherichia coli arsC gene encodes arsenate reductase (ArsC), which catalyzes the glutathione (GSH)-coupled electrochemical reduction of arsenate to the more toxic arsenite. Arabidopsis thaliana plants transformed with the arsC gene expressed from a light-induced soybean rubisco promoter (SRS1p) strongly express ArsC protein in leaves, but not roots, and were consequently hypersensitive to arsenate. Arabidopsis plants expressing the E. coli gene encoding gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-ECS) from a strong constitutive actin promoter (ACT2p) were moderately tolerant to arsenic compared with wild type. However, plants expressing SRS1p/ArsC and ACT2p/gamma-ECS together showed substantially greater arsenic tolerance than gamma-ECS or wild-type plants. When grown on arsenic, these plants accumulated 4- to 17-fold greater fresh shoot weight and accumulated 2- to 3-fold more arsenic per gram of tissue than wild type or plants expressing gamma-ECS or ArsC alone. This arsenic remediation strategy should be applicable to a wide variety of plant species.     

Inducers of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and their effects on glutathione synthetase expression

Synthesis of GSH occurs via two enzymatic steps, the first is catalyzed by gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) and the second is catalyzed by GSH synthetase (GS). A heavy (HS) and light subunit (LS) make up GCS; regulation of both subunits have been well characterized, whereas regulation of GS is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of treatments known to influence the gene expression of GCS subunits on GS expression. Insulin and hydrocortisone treatment of rat hepatocytes or ethanol-feeding of rats for 9 weeks, which increased the expression of GCS-HS only, had no influence on GS expression. However, two-thirds partial hepatectomy in rats which increased the expression of GCS-HS only, also increased GS expression. Treatment of hepatocytes or rats with diethyl maleate, buthionine sulfoximine, tert-butylhydroquinone, or thioacetamide, which increased the expression of both GCS subunits, increased the expression of GS. The GSH synthesis capacity increased 50-100% by treatments that increased only the GCS-HS expression, whereas it increased 161-200% by treatments that increased both GCS-HS and GS expression. Thioacetamide treatment of Chang cells increased cell GSH and GS expression by 50%, but had minimal influence on GCS subunits. Thus, GS induction can further increase the cell's GSH synthetic capacity and in some cells may be as important as GCS in determining the rate of GSH synthesis.     

Regulation of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase expression in response to oxidative stress.

Glutathione (GSH) is synthesized by the activity of two ATP-requiring GSH synthesizing enzymes. Gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS) is the rate limiting enzyme for the GSH synthesis. Gamma-GCS is a heterodimer of heavy, catalytic subunit and light, regulatory subunit and responsive to many stresses, such as heat shock, oxidative stress or cytokines. To know the regulation of the expression of gamma-GCS gene, in the present study, we show evidences that gamma-GCS heavy subunit is upregulated by oxidative stress by ionizing radiation and TNF-alpha mediated by nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), and impairment of the expression of gamma-GCS by TNF-alpha in diabetic condition. Furthermore we describe the importance of GSH in the regulation of NF-kappaB subunits.     

Glutathione regulates the expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase via the Met4 transcription factor

Our previous studies have shown that glutathione is an essential metabolite in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae because a mutant deleted for GSH1, encoding the first enzyme in gamma-l-glutamyl-l-cysteinylglycine (GSH) biosynthesis, cannot grow in its absence. In contrast, strains deleted for GSH2, encoding the second step in GSH synthesis, grow poorly as the dipeptide intermediate, gamma-glutamylcysteine, can partially substitute for GSH. In this present study, we identify two high copy suppressors that rescue the poor growth of the gsh2 mutant in the absence of GSH. The first contains GSH1, indicating that gamma-glutamylcysteine can functionally replace GSH if it is present in sufficiently high quantities. The second contains CDC34, encoding a ubiquitin conjugating enzyme, indicating a link between the ubiquitin and GSH stress protective systems. We show that CDC34 rescues the growth of the gsh2 mutant by inducing the Met4-dependent expression of GSH1 and elevating the cellular levels of gamma-glutamylcysteine. Furthermore, this mechanism normally operates to regulate GSH biosynthesis in the cell, as GSH1 promoter activity is induced in a Met4-dependent manner in a gsh1 mutant which is devoid of GSH, and the addition of exogenous GSH represses GSH1 expression. Analysis of a cis2 mutant, which cannot breakdown GSH, confirmed that GSH and not a metabolic product, serves as the regulatory molecule. However, this is not a general mechanism affecting all Met4-regulated genes, as MET16 expression is unaffected in a gsh1 mutant, and GSH acts as a poor repressor of MET16 expression compared with methionine. In summary, GSH biosynthesis is regulated in parallel with sulphate assimilation by activity of the Met4 protein, but GSH1-specific mechanisms exist that respond to GSH availability.     

Cysteine regulates expression of cysteine dioxygenase and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase in cultured rat hepatocytes

Rat hepatocytes cultured for 3 days in basal medium expressed low levels of cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and high levels of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS). When the medium was supplemented with 2 mmol/l methionine or cysteine, CDO activity and CDO protein increased by >10-fold and CDO mRNA increased by 1.5- or 3.2-fold. In contrast, GCS activity decreased to 51 or 29% of basal, GCS heavy subunit (GCS-HS) protein decreased to 89 or 58% of basal, and GCS mRNA decreased to 79 or 37% of basal for methionine or cysteine supplementation, respectively. Supplementation with cysteine consistently yielded responses of greater magnitude than did supplementation with an equimolar amount of methionine. Addition of propargylglycine to inhibit cystathionine gamma-lyase activity and, hence, cysteine formation from methionine prevented the effects of methionine, but not those of cysteine, on CDO and GCS expression. Addition of buthionine sulfoximine to inhibit GCS, and thus block glutathione synthesis from cysteine, did not alter the ability of methionine or cysteine to increase CDO. GSH concentration was not correlated with changes in either CDO or GCS-HS expression. The effectiveness of cysteine was equivalent to or greater than that of its precursors (S-adenosylmethionine, cystathionine, homocysteine) or metabolites (taurine, sulfate). Taken together, these results suggest that cysteine itself is an important cellular signal for upregulation of CDO and downregulation of GCS.     

Transgenic rice overexpressing the Brassica juncea gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase gene enhances tolerance to abiotic stress and improves grain yield under paddy field conditions

Glutathione (GSH), a low-molecular-weight tripeptide molecule that plays an important role in cell function and metabolism as an antioxidant, is synthesized by γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase and glutathione synthetase. To investigate the functional role of GSH in the adaptation of plants to abiotic stresses, we developed Brassica juncea L. ECS (BrECS)-expressing transgenic rice plants (BrECS1 and BrECS2) under the regulation of a stress-inducible Rab21 promoter. BrECS1 and BrECS2 transgenic rice plants with BrECS overexpression tolerated high salinity by maintaining a cellular glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide redox buffer, which prevented unnecessary membrane oxidation. BrECS1 and BrECS2 rice plants also showed lower ion leakage and higher chlorophyll-fluorescence than wild-type (WT) rice plants in the presence of methyl viologen (MV) and salt, resulting in enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses. During germination, BrECS overexpression increased growth and development, resulting in an increased germination rate in the presence of salt conditions, but not under salt-free normal conditions. Furthermore, BrECS1 and BrECS2 rice plants displayed a moderate increase in biomass and rice grain yield under general paddy field conditions when compared to WT rice plants under general paddy field conditions. Therefore, our results suggest that BrECS-overexpression was critical for cellular defense from reactive oxygen species attacks produced by salt and MV, promotion of germination, and metabolic processes involved in natural environmental stress tolerance, thereby enhancing growth development and rice grain yield.     

Inhibition of the 26S proteasome induces expression of GLCLC, the catalytic subunit for gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase

The majority of short- and long-lived cellular proteins are degraded by the activities of the 26S proteasome, a large multi-catalytic protease. Its unique function places it as a central regulatory activity for many important physiological processes. Lactacystin is a very specific 26S proteasome inhibitor and represents an excellent tool for demonstrating that a pathway exhibits proteasome-dependent biochemical regulation. Exposure of HepG2 cells to lactacystin resulted in robust elevation of GLCLC mRNA levels, followed by an increase in GSH concentrations. GLCLC is the gene that encodes the catalytic subunit for gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of glutathione (GSH). Inhibition of non-proteasome, protease activities did not induce GLCLC. Gel mobility shift assays and expression of CAT activity from heterologous reporter vectors identified Nrf2 mediation of the GLCLC antioxidant response element, ARE4, as the mechanism by which lactacystin induced GLCLC. These studies have identified 26S proteasome activity as a central regulatory pathway for glutathione synthesis.     

Localization of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase messenger rna expression in lungs of smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Cigarette smoking results in an oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in the lungs and inflammation, which are considered to be key factors in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Glutathione (GSH) is an important protective antioxidant in lung epithelial cells and epithelial lining fluid. De novo GSH synthesis in cells occurs by a two-enzyme process. The rate-limiting enzyme is gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS), in which the heavy subunit (HS) constitutes most of its catalytic activity. The localization and expression of gamma-GCS-HS in specific lung cells as well as possible differences in its expression between smokers with and without COPD have not yet been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate gamma-GCS-HS expression using messenger RNA in situ hybridization in peripheral lung tissue. We studied 23 current or ex-smokers with similar smoking histories with (n = 11; forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV(1)] < 75% predicted) or without COPD (n = 12; FEV(1) < 84% predicted). We assessed the relations between pulmonary gamma-GCS-HS expression, FEV(1) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta(1)), because TGFbeta(1) can modulate gamma-GCS-HS expression in lung epithelial cells. Gamma-GCS-HS is predominantly expressed by airway and alveolar epithelial cells, alveolar CD68+ cells (macrophages), and endothelial cells of both arteries and veins. In subjects with COPD, semiquantitative analysis revealed higher levels of gamma-GCS-HS messenger RNA in alveolar epithelium (1.5 times, p <.04) and a trend for a higher expression in bronchiolar epithelium (1.3 times, p =.075) compared with subjects without COPD. We did not observe a significant correlation between airway and alveolar epithelial gamma-GCS-HS expression and TGFbeta(1) expression (r =.20), FEV(1) percentage predicted (r =.18), or FEV(1)/forced vital capacity ratio (r =.14; p.05). Our results show that gamma-GCS-HS is localized, particularly in lung epithelium, and shows higher expression in smokers with COPD. This suggests a specific role for enhanced GSH synthesis as a mechanism to provide an adaptive response against oxidative stress in patients with COPD.     

PI3K/Akt-aPKC_（ι/ζ）-Nrf2调控大鼠气道上皮细胞γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸合成酶表达

目的：观察香烟烟雾提取物（CSE）是否通过磷酯酰肌醇-3-激酶（PI3K）/Akt-不典型蛋白激酶Cι/ζ（aP-KCι/ζ）-核因子相关因子2（Nrf2）信号通路调控大鼠气道上皮细胞γ-谷氨酰半胱氨酸合成酶（-γGCS）表达。方法：用Western blot法检测-γGCS、Nrf2、p-Akt和p-aPKCι/ζ蛋白质,细胞免疫化学法观察-γGCS蛋白质表达,反转录-聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）法检测-γGCSmRNA,免疫荧光法检测Nrf2蛋白质,流式分析法检测p-Akt阳性细胞率,双酶法测定-γGCS活性,酶循环分析法测定总还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）含量。结果：暴露CSE 3 h,GSH含量显著升高,Nrf2胞核蛋白质、p-aPKCι/ζ蛋白质、p-Akt蛋白质及其阳性细胞率、-γGCS蛋白质及其mRNA和活性均显著增强。aPKCι/ζ抑制剂RO813220明显减弱p-aPKCι/ζ蛋白质、-γGCS蛋白质及其mRNA和活性表达,但增强Nrf2胞浆蛋白质表达,对p-Akt无影响。p-Akt抑制剂LY294002及RO813220＋LY294002均降低p-aPKCι/ζ蛋白质、p-Akt蛋白质及阳性细胞率、-γGCS蛋白质及其mRNA和活性表达,增强Nrf2胞浆蛋白质表达。直线相关性分析显示Nrf2与-γGCS、p-Akt及p-aPKCι/ζ呈正相关,p-Akt与Nrf2、p-aPKCι/ζ及-γGCS呈正相关,p-aPKCι/ζ与Nrf2、p-Akt及-γGCS呈正相关（P〈0.05）。结论：CSE可能通过PI3K/Akt-aPKCι/-ζNrf2调节-γGCS表达。     

The roots of defense: plant resistance and tolerance to belowground herbivory

Background

There is conclusive evidence that there are fitness costs of plant defense and that herbivores can drive selection for defense. However, most work has focused on above-ground interactions, even though belowground herbivory may have greater impacts on individual plants than above-ground herbivory. Given the role of belowground plant structures in resource acquisition and storage, research on belowground herbivores has much to contribute to theories on the evolution of plant defense. Pocket gophers (Geomyidae) provide an excellent opportunity to study root herbivory. These subterranean rodents spend their entire lives belowground and specialize on consuming belowground plant parts.

Methodology and Principal Findings

We compared the root defenses of native forbs from mainland populations (with a history of gopher herbivory) to island populations (free from gophers for up to 500,000 years). Defense includes both resistance against herbivores and tolerance of herbivore damage. We used three approaches to compare these traits in island and mainland populations of two native California forbs: 1) Eschscholzia californica populations were assayed to compare alkaloid deterrents, 2) captive gophers were used to test the palatability of E. californica roots and 3) simulated root herbivory assessed tolerance to root damage in Deinandra fasciculata and E. californica. Mainland forms of E. californica contained 2.5 times greater concentration of alkaloids and were less palatable to gophers than island forms. Mainland forms of D. fasciculata and, to a lesser extent, E. californica were also more tolerant of root damage than island conspecifics. Interestingly, undamaged island individuals of D. fasciculata produced significantly more fruit than either damaged or undamaged mainland individuals.

Conclusions and Significance

These results suggest that mainland plants are effective at deterring and tolerating pocket gopher herbivory. Results also suggest that both forms of defense are costly to fitness and thus reduced in the absence of the putative target herbivore.     

Gene structure and expression of the high-affinity nitrate transport system in rice roots

Rice has a preference for uptake of ammonium over nitrate and can use ammonium-N efficiently. Consequently, transporters mediating ammonium uptake have been extensively studied, but nitrate transporters have been largely ignored. Recently,some reports have shown that rice also has high capacity to acquire nitrate from growth medium, so understanding the nitrate transport system in rice roots is very important for improving N use efficiency in rice. The present study identified four putative NRT2 and two putative NAR2 genes that encode components of the high-affinity nitrate transport system (HATS) in the rice (Oryza sativa L. subsp, japonica cv. Nipponbare) genome. OsNRT2.1 and OsNRT2.2 share an identical coding region sequence, and their deduced proteins are closely related to those from monocotyledonous plants. The two NAR2 proteins are closely related to those from mono-cotyledonous plants as well. However, OsNRT2.3 and OsNRT2.4 are more closely related to Arabidopsis NRT2 proteins. Relative quantitative reverse tranecdption-polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that all of the six genes were rapidly upregulated and then downregulated in the roots of N-starved rice plants after they were re-supplied with 0.2 mM nitrate, but the response to nitrate differed among gene members.The results from phylogenetic tree, gene structure and expression analysis implied the divergent roles for the individual members of the rice NRT2 and NAR2 families. High-affinity nitrate influx rates associated with nitrate induction in rice roots were investigated and were found to be regulated by external pH. Compared with the nitrate influx rates at pH 6.5, alkaline pH (pH 8.0) inhibited nitrate Influx, and acidic pH (pH 5.0) enhanced the nitrate influx In I h nitrate induced roots, but did not significantly affect that in 4 to 8 h nitrate induced roots.     

Heterologous expression of the yeast arsenite efflux system ACR3 improves Arabidopsis thaliana tolerance to arsenic stress

? Arsenic contamination has a negative impact on crop cultivation and on human health. As yet, no proteins have been identified in plants that mediate the extrusion of arsenic. Here, we heterologously expressed the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) arsenite efflux transporter ACR3 into Arabidopsis to evaluate how this affects plant tolerance and tissue arsenic contents. ? ACR3 was cloned from yeast and transformed into wild-type and nip7;1 Arabidopsis. Arsenic tolerance was determined at the cellular level using vitality stains in protoplasts, in intact seedlings grown on agar plates and in mature plants grown hydroponically. Arsenic efflux was measured from protoplasts and from intact plants, and arsenic levels were measured in roots and shoots of plants exposed to arsenate. ? At the cellular level, all transgenic lines showed increased tolerance to arsenite and arsenate and a greater capacity for arsenate efflux. With intact plants, three of four stably transformed lines showed improved growth, whereas only transgenic lines in the wild-type background showed increased efflux of arsenite into the external medium. The presence of ACR3 hardly affected tissue arsenic levels, but increased arsenic translocation to the shoot. ? Heterologous expression of yeast ACR3 endows plants with greater arsenic resistance, but does not lower significantly arsenic tissue levels.     

The purification and properties of the alanyl-transfer ribonucleic acid synthetase of tomato roots

1. The alanyl-s-RNA synthetase of tomato roots has been purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, adsorption on calcium phosphate gel and DEAE-cellulose chromatography and its properties have been investigated. 2. Enzyme activity was measured by using the hydroxamate assay, the [(32)P]pyrophosphate-ATP-exchange assay and the [(14)C]alanyl-s-RNA assay. The purified enzyme was specific for l-alanine and was activated by Mg(2+) ions and to a smaller extent by Co(2+) and Mn(2+) ions. It was free from adenosine triphosphatase, pyrophosphatase and ribonuclease, and possessed a specific activity comparable with that of the most highly purified aminoacyl-s-RNA synthetases from animal and microbial systems. 3. The properties of the purified enzyme were similar in many respects to most other highly purified aminoacyl-s-RNA synthetases. It differed, however, in that the pH optimum of the hydroxamate assay was almost the same as that of the pyrophosphate-ATP-exchange assay and in requiring a high concentration of l-alanine for maximum activity (100mumoles/ml.). 4. The purified enzyme was not absolutely specific for tomato-root s-RNA; slight activity was also observed with yeast s-RNA. 5. The properties of this enzyme are fully consistent with the suggestion that the enzymic formation of alanyl-s-RNA proceeds via the intermediate formation of alanyl acyl-adenylate with the elimination of pyrophosphate from ATP. It remains to be shown the extent to which alanyl-s-RNA participates further in subsequent stages of protein synthesis in plants.     

The distribution of arsenate and arsenite in shoots and roots of Holcus lanatus is influenced by arsenic tolerance and arsenate and phosphate supply

The recent discovery that phytochelatins are important for arsenic (As) detoxification in terrestrial plants results in the necessity to understand As speciation and metabolism in plant material. A hydroponic study was therefore conducted to examine the effects of different levels of phosphate and arsenate [As(V)] on As speciation and distribution in tolerant and non-tolerant clones of Holcus lanatus. Speciation of As in tissue (using high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) revealed that the predominant species present were the inorganic As species (As(V) and arsenite [As(III)]), although small levels (<1%) of organic As species (dimethylarsinic acid and monomethylarsonic acid) were detected in shoot material. In roots, the proportion of total As present as As(III) generally increased with increasing levels of As(V) in the nutrient solution, whereas in shoots, the proportion of total As present as As(III) generally decreased with increasing levels of As(V). H. lanatus plants growing in the high-phosphorus (P) (100 micro M) solution contained a higher proportion of As(V) (with regard to total As) in both roots and shoots than plants supplied with low P (10 micro M); in addition, tolerant clones generally contained a higher proportion of As(V) with regard to total As than non-tolerant clones. The study further revealed that As(V) can be reduced to As(III) in both roots and shoots. Although the reduction capacity was limited, the reduction was closely regulated by As influx for all treatments. The results therefore provide a new understanding about As metabolism in H. lanatus.