Differences in the thermostabilities of barley (1----3,1----4)-beta-glucanases are only partly determined by N-glycosylation.

Barley (1----3,1----4)-beta-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase (EC 3.2.1.73) isoenzyme EII carries 4% by weight carbohydrate and is more stable at elevated temperatures than isoenzyme EI, which has no associated carbohydrate. The relationship between carbohydrate content and thermostability has been investigated by treatment of the two isoenzymes with N-glycopeptidase F (EC 3.5.1.52). Removal of carbohydrate from isoenzyme EII results in a decrease in the enzyme's thermostability, but treatment of isoenzyme EI with the N-glycopeptidase F has no effect. In addition, removal of a single N-glycosylation site in isoenzyme EII (Asn190-Ala-Ser) by site-directed mutagenesis of the corresponding cDNA led to a reduction in thermostability, while the introduction of this site into isoenzyme EI enhanced stability. We conclude that N-glycosylation of Asn190 enhances the stability of isoenzyme EII at elevated temperatures, but that other factors related to their primary structures also contribute to the differences in thermostabilities of the barley (1----3,1----4)-beta-glucanases.     

Mutant barley (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucan endohydrolases with enhanced thermostability

The similar three-dimensional structures of barley (1-->3)-beta-glucan endohydrolases and (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucan endohydrolases indicate that the enzymes are closely related in evolutionary terms. However, the (1-->3)-beta-glucanases hydrolyze polysaccharides of the type found in fungal cell walls and are members of the pathogenesis-related PR2 group of proteins, while the (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucanases function in plant cell wall metabolism. The (1-->3)-beta-glucanases have evolved to be significantly more stable than the (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucanases, probably as a consequence of the hostile environments imposed upon the plant by invading microorganisms. In attempts to define the molecular basis for the differences in stability, eight amino acid substitutions were introduced into a barley (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucanase using site-directed mutagenesis of a cDNA that encodes the enzyme. The amino acid substitutions chosen were based on structural comparisons of the barley (1-->3)- and (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucanases and of other higher plant (1-->3)-beta-glucanases. Three of the resulting mutant enzymes showed increased thermostability compared with the wild-type (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucanase. The largest increase in stability was observed when the histidine at position 300 was changed to a proline (mutant H300P), a mutation that was likely to decrease the entropy of the unfolded state of the enzyme. Furthermore, the three amino acid substitutions which increased the thermostability of barley (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucanase isoenzyme EII were all located in the COOH-terminal loop of the enzyme. Thus, this loop represents a particularly unstable region of the enzyme and could be involved in the initiation of unfolding of the (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucanase at elevated temperatures.     

Regulation of genes encoding β-d-glucan glucohydrolases in barley (Hordeum vulgare)

Expression patterns of barley β - d -glucan glucohydrolase genes were monitored using cDNAs encoding isoenzymes ExoI and ExoII. The cDNAs were isolated from 5-day-old seedling libraries. The enzymes are encoded by a small gene family, in which marked differences in codon usage are evident. The cDNAs can be used as specific probes for two subfamilies of β - d -glucan glucohydrolase genes. Genes of both subfamilies are transcribed in the scutellum of germinated grain, in elongating coleoptiles, and in young roots and leaves. Low levels of mRNA for the isoenzyme ExoI gene subfamily could be detected in aleurone layers of germinated grain. Most of the β - d -glucan glucohydrolase activity can be extracted from tissues with dilute aqueous buffers. Enzyme activity is highest in young leaves and elongating coleoptiles, but is not well-correlated with mRNA levels. The expression patterns are consistent with proposed roles for β -glucan glucohydrolases in the turnover or modification of cell-wall (1→3,1→4)- β - d -glucans in elongating coleoptiles and in young vegetative tissues.     

Development of (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-d-Glucan Endohydrolase Isoenzymes in Isolated Scutella and Aleurone Layers of Barley (Hordeum vulgare)

An immunological assay has been used to investigate the synthesis of (1→3,1→4)-β-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.73) isoenzymes from isolated barley aleurone layers and scutella. Enzyme release from both tissues is enhanced by 1 micromolar gibberellic acid and 10 millimolar Ca²⁺, although increases induced by gibberellic acid are observed only in the presence of Ca²⁺. Isoenzyme I is synthesized predominantly in the scutellum, while isoenzyme II is synthesized exclusively in the aleurone. A third, putative isoenzyme III has been detected in significant proportions in scutellar secretions and may also be secreted from aleurone layers. Both gibberellic acid and Ca²⁺ appear to preferentially enhance isoenzyme II secretion from the aleurone and isoenzyme III secretion from scutella. The patterns of isoenzyme secretion are suggestive of tissue-specific differences in expression of the genes which code for (1→3,1→4)-β-glucanase isoenzymes. Qualitatively similar results were obtained with barley cultivars harvested in Australia and North America.     

Evolution and differential expression of the (1-->3)-beta-glucan endohydrolase-encoding gene family in barley, Hordeum vulgare.

The (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan glucanohydrolases [(1-->3)-GGH; EC 3.2.1.39] of barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv Clipper) are encoded by a small gene family. Amino acid sequences deduced from cDNA and genomic clones for six members of the family exhibit overall positional identities ranging from 44% to 78%. Specific DNA and oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo) probes have been used to demonstrate that the (1-->3)-GGH-encoding genes are differentially transcribed in young roots, young leaves and the aleurone of germinated grain. The high degree of sequence homology, coupled with characteristic patterns of codon usage and insertion of a single intron at a highly conserved position in the signal peptide region, indicate that the genes have shared a common evolutionary history. Similar structural features in genes encoding barley (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucan 4-glucanohydrolases [(1-->3,1-->4)-GGH; EC 3.2.1.73] further indicate that the (1-->3)-GGHs and (1-->3,1-->4)-GGHs are derived from a single 'super' gene family, in which genes encoding enzymes with related yet quite distinct substrate specificities have evolved, with an associated specialization of function. The (1-->3,1-->4)-GGHs mediate in plant cell wall metabolism through their ability to hydrolyse the (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucans that are the major constituents in barley walls, while the (1-->3)-GGHs, which are unable to degrade the plant (1-->3,1-->4)-beta-glucans, can hydrolyse the (1-->3)- and (1-->3,1-->6)-beta-glucans of fungal cell walls.     

Structure of the genes encoding Hordeum vulgare (1→3,1→4)-β-glucanase isoenzymes I and II and functional analysis of their promoters in barley aleurone protoplasts

Summary Barley (1 3,1 4)--glucanase isoenzyme II is synthesized in the aleurone cells during germination and secreted into the endosperm for hydrolysis of the cell walls. Its synthesis is stimulated by gibberellic acid (GA₃) and repressed by abscisic acid. The gene for isoenzyme I is expressed in the aleurone, scutellum and prominently in young leaves. Close functional relatedness between the two enzymes is attested by 92 % identity at the level of the amino acid sequence. The structural genes for the two enzymes each contain a large intron of 2505 by and 2952 bp, respectively, in the codon for amino acid 25 of the 28-residue signal peptide. During evolution, homologous regions of the two introns have changed position and orientation. Furthermore, a large palindromic sequence of 327 by in the 5 end of the intron is present only in the gene for isoenzyme II. In transient expression assays using barley aleurone protoplasts and chloramphenicol acetyl transferase as reporter the promoter of the isoenzyme I gene showed no response to GA₃. However, removal of a unique 151 by region extending from positions –402 to –552 upstream of the TATA box permitted low levels of GA₃-induced expression of the reporter gene, suggesting a silencer function for this domain. High levels of GA₃-responsive expression were obtained in aleurone protoplasts using the promoter of the gene encoding isoenzyme II. Truncation of this promoter revealed that sequences located within 253 bp upstream from the TATA box are sufficient to direct GA₃-stimulated expression. Using the homologous barley aleurone protoplast transfection assay, it was possible to reproduce the in vivo expression characteristics of the genes for the barley (1 3,1 4)--glucanase isoenzymes I and II with reporter gene constructs.     

Localization of phytase and acid phosphatase isoenzymes in aleurone layers of barley

The localization of acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) in aleurone layers of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya) grains was studied. Phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.26) activity, assayed with phytic acid as the substrate, is present in the dry grain at low leveis and increases during incubation in H₂O at 25°C for three days. When aleurone layers are isolated from imbibed grain and incubated for 18 h in buffer with or without 50 μM gibberellic acid (GA₃), the level of extractable phosphatase activity increases two- to threefold, and phosphatase is released into the medium. GA, promotes the release of phosphatase activity: aleurone layers incubated in GA, release twice as much phosphatase as layers incubated in buffer. Nine isoenzymes of phosphatase are found in aleurone layers of barley by non-denaturing polyacrvlamide gel electropho-resis. Six of these forms, isoenzymes 1,2,3,5,6 and 8, can be extracted from dry tissue, and after three days of imbibition in H₂O an additional isoenzyme, isoenzyme 9, is found in aleurone extracts. When isolated aleurone layers are incubated for a further 22 h in buffer with or without GA₃, isoenzyme 7 is found and yet another form, isoenzyme 4, is found in layers incubated in GA₃. Eight isoenzymes are released from aleurone layers into the incubation medium. Isoenzymes 5 and 6 are released in buffer both with and without GA₃, even when cycloheximide is present; cycloheximide inhibits the release of the other isoenzymes. Isoenzymes 1-4, 7 and 8, on the other hand, are secreted into the incubation medium only when GA₃, is present. Isoenzyme 9 is not released into the incubation medium. Acid phosphatase activity was localized in aleurone tissue using cytochemical, cell fractionation, and enzymatic methods. Cytochemical localization of ATPase (EC 3.6.1.8) in aleurone tissue showed the presence of enzyme activity in cell wall, protein bodies, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and mitochondria. Analysis of organelle fractions isolated by density gradient centrifugation showed that the activity of acid phosphatase isoenzymes 1, 2 and 3 was prominently associated with the phytin globoid of protein bodies, and analysis of the activity released from the cell wall by enzymatic digestion showed that it was almost exclusively isoenzymes 5 and 6.     

cGMP Is Required for Gibberellic Acid-Induced Gene Expression in Barley Aleurone

The occurrence and roles of cGMP were investigated in aleurone layers and protoplasts isolated from barley (cv Himalaya) grain. Levels of cGMP in freshly isolated barley aleurone layers ranged from 0.065 to 0.08 pmol/g fresh weight of tissue, and cGMP levels increased transiently after incubation in gibberellic acid (GA). Abscisic acid (ABA) did not increase cGMP levels in aleurone layers. LY 83583 (LY), an inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase, prevented the GA-induced increase in cGMP and inhibited GA-induced [alpha]-amylase synthesis and secretion. The inhibitory effects of LY could be overcome by membrane-permeant analogs of cGMP. LY also prevented GA-induced accumulation of [alpha]-amylase and GAMYB mRNAs. cGMP alone was not sufficient to induce the accumulation of [alpha]-amylase or GAMYB mRNA. LY had a less dramatic effect on the accumulation of mRNAs encoding the ABA-responsive gene Rab21. We conclude that cGMP plays an important role in GA, but not ABA, signaling in the barley aleurone cell.     

Modulation of Calmodulin mRNA and Protein Levels in Barley Aleurone

Changes in calmodulin (CaM) mRNA and protein were investigated in aleurone layers of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Himalaya) incubated in the presence and absence of calcium, gibberellic acid (GA3), and abscisic acid (ABA). CaM mRNA levels increased rapidly and transiently following incubation of aleurone layers in H2O, CaCl2, or GA3. The increase in CaM mRNA was prevented by ABA. This increase in CaM mRNA was brought about by physical stimulation during removal of the starchy endosperm from the aleurone layer. CaM protein levels did not increase in response to physical stimulation. Only incubation in GA3 plus CaCl2 brought about a rapid increase in CaM protein levels in the aleurone cell. ABA reduced the level of CaM protein below that found at the beginning of the incubation period. The rise in CaM protein preceded increases in the synthesis and secretion of [alpha]-amylase. Immunocytochemistry with monoclonal antibodies to carrot and mung bean CaM was used to localize CaM in aleurone protoplasts. Monoclonal antibodies to tubulin and polyclonal antibodies to tonoplast intrinsic protein and malate synthase were used as controls. CaM was localized to the nucleus, the vacuolar membrane, and the cytosol, but was not associated with microtubules.     

Evolution and differential expression of the (1→3)-β-glucan endohydrolaseencoding gene family in barley, Hordeum vulgare

The (1→3)-β-d-glucan glucanohydrolases [(1→ 3)-GGH; EC 3.2.1.39] of barley (Hordeum vulgare L., cv Clipper) are encoded by a small gene family. Amino acid sequences deduced from cDNA and genomic clones for six members of the family exhibit overall positional identities ranging from 44% to 78%. Specific DNA and oligodeoxyribonucleotide (oligo) probes have been used to demonstrate that the (1→3)-GGH-encoding genes are differentially transcribed in young roots, young leaves and the aleurone of germinated grain. The high degree of sequence homology, coupled with characteristic patterns of codon usage and insertion of a single intron at a highly conserved position in the signal peptide region, indicate that the genes have shared a common evolutionary history. Similar structural features in genes encoding barley (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan 4-glucanohydrolases [(1→3,1→4)-GGH; EC 3.2.1.73] further indicate that the (l→3)-GGHs and (l→3,1→4)-GGHs are derived from a single ‘super’ gene family, in which genes encoding enzymes with related yet quite distinct substrate specificities have evolved, with an associated specialization of function. The (1→3,1→4)-GGHs mediate in plant cell wall metabolism through their ability to hydrolyse the (1→3,1→4)-β-glucans that are the major constituents in barley walls, while the (1→3)-GGHs, which are unable to degrade the plant (1→3,1→4)-β-glucans, can hydrolyse the (1→3)- and (1→3,1→6)-β-glucans of fungal cell walls.     

Exo-(1----3)-beta-glucanase, autolysin and trehalase activities during yeast growth and germ-tube formation in Candida albicans

Exo-(1----3)-beta-glucanase, beta-glucosidase, autolysin and trehalase were assayed in situ in Candida albicans during yeast growth, starvation and germ-tube formation. Cell viability, germ-tube formation, intracellular glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and beta-glucosidase were unaffected in cells incubated in 0.1 M-HC1 for 15 min at 4 degrees C. However, in situ trehalase, (1----3)-beta-glucanase and autolysin activities in acid-treated cells decreased by 95, 50 and 35% respectively, indicating that these enzymes are, in part, associated with the cell envelope. Trehalase activity increased throughout yeast growth and remained elevated during the first hour of incubation for germ-tube formation. All of the in situ trehalase activity in starved yeast cells could be measured without the permeabilizing treatment. beta-Glucosidase activity declined throughout yeast growth and did not alter during germ-tube formation. Both the (1----3)-beta-glucanase and autolysin activities were optimal at pH 5 X 6, inhibited by gluconolactone and HgCl2, and maximal at 15-16 h during yeast growth. Although autolysin activity increased by 50-100% when starved yeast cells were incubated for germ-tube formation, the in situ (1----3)-beta-glucanase remained constant. When acid-treated starved yeast cells were similarly induced, in situ (1----3)-beta-glucanase increased 100% over 3 h of germ-tube formation. Yeast cells secreted (1----3)-beta-glucanase into the growth medium. This was highest in early exponential phase cultures (34% of the maximum in situ activity) and declined throughout growth. (1----3)-beta-Glucanase was also secreted into the medium during germ-tube formation and this represented 80-100% of the in situ activity in germ-tube forming cells. Both secretion of (1----3)-beta-glucanase and germ-tube formation were inhibited by 2-deoxyglucose, ethidium bromide, trichodermin and azaserine.     

Hormonal regulation, processing, and secretion of cysteine proteinases in barley aleurone layers.

Barley aleurone layers synthesize and secrete several proteases in response to gibberellic acid (GA3). Two major cysteine proteinases designated EP-A (37,000 M(r)) and EP-B (30,000 M(r)) have been described [Koehler and Ho (1988). Plant Physiol. 87, 95-103]. We now report the cDNA cloning of EP-B and describe the post-translational processing and hormonal regulation of both cysteine proteinases. Three cDNAs for cysteine proteinases were cloned from GA3-induced barley aleurone layers. Genomic DNA gel blot analysis indicated that these are members of a small gene family with no more than four to five different genes. The proteins encoded by two of these clones, pHVEP1 and 4, are 98% similar to each other and are isozymes of EP-B. The proteins contain large preprosequences followed by the amino acid sequence described as the mature N terminus of purified EP-B, and are antigenic to EP-B antiserum. The results of pulse-chase experiments indicated that the post-translational processing of large prosequences proceeds in a multistep fashion to produce the mature enzymes. Processing intermediates for EP-B are observed both in the aleurone layers and surrounding incubation medium, but only mature EP-A is secreted. The regulation of synthesis of EP-A, EP-B, and other aleurone cysteine proteinases was compared at the protein and mRNA levels. We conclude that barley aleurone cysteine proteinases are differentially regulated with respect to their temporal and hormonally induced expression.