Cloning of a cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase gene from Lycium chinense Mill. and enhanced salt tolerance by overexpressing in tobacco

To evaluate the physiological importance of cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging system, a full-length cDNA clone, named LmAPX, encoding a cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase was isolated from Lycium chinense Mill. using homologous cloning, then the expression of LmAPX under salt stress was investigated. After sequencing and related analysis, the LmAPX cDNA sequence was 965 bp in length and had an open reading frame (ORF) of 750 bp coding for 250 amino acids. Furthermore, the LmAPX sequence was sub-cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET28a and the recombinant proteins had a high expression level in Escherichia coli. Results from a southern blot analysis indicated that three inserts of this gene existed in the tobacco genome encoding LmAPX. Compared with the control plants (wild-type and empty vector control), the transgenic plants expressing the LmAPX gene exhibited lower amount of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and relatively higher values of ascorbate peroxidase activity, proline content, and net photosynthetic rate (P_n) under the same salt stress. These results suggested that overexpression of the LmAPX gene could decrease ROS production caused by salt stress and protect plants from oxidative stress.     

Molecular cloning, expression and mapping analysis of a novel cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase gene from tomato.

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) plays a major role in H(2)O(2)-scavenging in plants and can help to avoid reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage. A new cytosolic APX gene was cloned from tomato (designated LecAPX2) by RACE-PCR. The full-length cDNA of LecAPX2 contained a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 753 bp, which encoding 250 amino acid residues. Homology analysis of LecAPX2 showed a 94% identity with potato cAPX gene and 92% identity with another tomato cAPX gene (APX20), the deduced amino acid showed 88% homology with APX20 protein and 75-92% identity with cAPX from other plants such as potato, tobacco, broccoli, spinach, pea, rice, etc. LecAPX2 revealed the existence of a haem peroxidase and plant APX family signatures. Northern blot analysis showed that LecAPX2 was constitutively expressed in root, stem, leaf, flower and fruit of tomato, whereas the expression levels were different. LecAPX2 was mapped to 6-A using 75 tomato introgression lines (ILs), each containing a single homozygous RFLP-defined chromosome segment from the green-fruited species Lycopersicon pennellii.     

Cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase from Arabidopsis thaliana L. is encoded by a small multigene family

A second cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (cAPX; EC 1.11.1.11) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana has been characterised. This second gene (designated APX1b) maps to linkage group 3 and potentially encodes a cAPX as closely related to that from other dicotyledonous species as to the other member of this gene family (Kubo et al, 1993, FEBS Lett 315: 313–317; here designated APX1a), which maps to linkage group 1. In contrast, the lack of sequence similarity in non-coding regions of the genes implies that they are differentially regulated. Under non-stressed conditions only APX1a is expressed. APX1b was identified during low-stringency probing using a cDNA coding for pea cAPX which, in turn, was recovered from a cDNA library by immunoscreening with an antiserum raised against tea plastidial APX (pAPX). No pAPX cDNAs were recovered, despite the antiserum displaying specificity for pAPX in Western blots.Abbreviations ATG methionine translation initiation codon - bp base pair - cAPX cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase - pAPX plastidial ascorbate peroxidase - RFLP restriction fragment length polymorphism Accession numbers: The APX1b sequence is in the EMBL database under accession number X80036M.S. gratefully acknowledges the support from the Junta Nacional de Investigaçâo Cientifica e Tecnológia, Portugal (grant number BD/394/90-IE). This work was supported by the Biotechnological and Biological Sciences Research Council through a grant-in-aid to the John Innes Centre.     

Cloning, expression and physiological analysis of broccoli catalase gene and Chinese cabbage ascorbate peroxidase gene under heat stress

The objectives of this work were to clone the catalase (CAT) gene from broccoli (Brassica oleracea) and the ascorbate peroxidase (APX) gene from Chinese cabbage and measure the regulation of CAT and APX gene expressions under heat-stress conditions. Different genotypes responded differently to heat stress according to their various antioxidant enzymes and physiological parameters. CAT and APX gene expression profiles were well matched with the data for CAT and APX enzyme activities in the broccoli and Chinese cabbage plants, respectively. Full-length of the CAT and APX cDNA were 1,768 and 1,070 bp, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis of CAT and APX indicated that plant CATs and APXs diverged into two major clusters.     

Stable form of ascorbate peroxidase from the red alga Galdieria partita similar to both chloroplastic and cytosolic isoforms of higher plants

Depletion of the electron donor ascorbate causes rapid inactivation of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) of higher plants, while cytosolic APX is stable under such conditions. Here we report the cloning of cDNA from Galdieria partita, a unicellular red alga, encoding a novel type of APX (APX-B). The electrophoretic mobility, Km values, kcat and absorption spectra of recombinant APX-B produced in Escherichia coli were measured. Recombinant APX-B remained active for at least 180 min after depletion of ascorbate. The amino-terminal half of APX-B, which forms the distal pocket of the active site, was richer in amino acid residues conserved in chloroplastic APXs of higher plants rather than cytosolic APXs. In contrast, the sequence of the carboxyl-terminal half, which forms the proximal pocket, was similar to that of the cytosolic isoform. The stability of APX-B might be due to its cytosolic isoform-like structure of the carboxyl-terminal half.     

Peroxidase-mediated conjugation of glutathione to unsaturated phenylpropanoids. Evidence against glutathione S-transferase involvement

A number of plant species are thought to possess a glutathione S-transferase enzyme (GST: EC 2.5.1.18) that will conjugate glutathione (GSH) to trans -cinnamic acid (CA) and para -coumaric acid (4-CA). However, we present evidence that this activity is mediated by peroxidase enzymes and not GSTs. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the GSH-conjugating enzyme purified from etiolated corn shoots exhibited a strong degree of homology to cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase enzymes (APX: EC 1.11.1.11) from a number of plant species. The GSH-conjugating and APX activities of corn could not be separated during chromatography on hydrophobic-interaction. anion-exchange, and gel filtration columns. Spectral analysis of the enzyme revealed that the protein had a Soret band at 405 nm. When the enzyme was reduced with dithionite, the peak was shifted to 423 nm with an additional peak at 554 nm. The spectrum of the dithionite-reduced enzyme in the presence of 0.1 m M KCN exhibited peaks at 430, 534 and 563 nm. These spectra are consistent with the presence of a heme moiety. The GSH-conjugating and APX activities of the enzyme were both inhibited by KCN. NaN₃, p -chloromercuribenzoate ( p CMB), and iodoacetate. The APX specific activity of the enzyme was 1.5-fold greater than the GSH-conjugating specific activity with 4-CA. In addition to the corn enzyme, a pea recombinant APX (rAPX) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP; EC 1.11.1.7) were also able to conjugate GSH to CA and 4-CA. The peroxidase enzymes may generate thiyl free radicals of GSH that react with the alkyl double bond of CA and 4-CA resulting in the formation of a GSH conjugate.     

Stable Form of Ascorbate Peroxidase from the Red Alga Galdieria partita Similar to Both Chloroplastic and Cytosolic Isoforms of Higher Plants

Depletion of the electron donor ascorbate causes rapid inactivation of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) of higher plants, while cytosolic APX is stable under such conditions. Here we report the cloning of cDNA from Galdieria partita, a unicellular red alga, encoding a novel type of APX (APX-B). The electrophoretic mobility, K _m values, k _cat and absorption spectra of recombinant APX-B produced in Escherichia coli were measured. Recombinant APX-B remained active for at least 180 min after depletion of ascorbate. The amino-terminal half of APX-B, which forms the distal pocket of the active site, was richer in amino acid residues conserved in chloroplastic APXs of higher plants rather than cytosolic APXs. In contrast, the sequence of the carboxyl-terminal half, which forms the proximal pocket, was similar to that of the cytosolic isoform. The stability of APX-B might be due to its cytosolic isoform-like structure of the carboxyl-terminal half.     

Electrostatic modulation of electron transfer in the active site of heme peroxidases

 The heme enyzmes cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) and pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) show a high level of sequence identity. The main difference near the active sites is the presence of a cation binding site in APX located about 1 nm from the Trp-179 side chain, which is hydrogen-bonded to Asp-208. It is possible that this difference in electrostatics provided by the protein environment is an essential determinant of the stabilization of the ion-pair or neutral form of the Trp...Asp couple in APX and CCP. Semiempirical molecular orbital calculations support the hypothesis that the position of the moving proton inside the couple influences the location of the free electron, leading to radical formation either on the heme or on the Trp side chain of these enzymes. Received, accepted: 26 November 1996     

The Arabidopsis ascorbate peroxidase 3 is a peroxisomal membrane-bound antioxidant enzyme and is dispensable for Arabidopsis growth and development

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) exists as several isoforms that are found in various compartments in plant cells. The cytosolic and chloroplast APXs appear to play important roles in antioxidation metabolism in plant cells, yet the function of peroxisomal APX is not well studied. In this study, the localization of a putative peroxisomal membrane-bound ascorbate peroxidase, APX3 from Arabidopsis, was confirmed by studying the green fluorescent protein (GFP)-APX3 fusion protein in transgenic plants. GFP-APX3 was found to co-localize with a reporter protein that was targeted to peroxisomes by the peroxisomal targeting signal 1. The function of APX3 in Arabidopsis was investigated by analysing an APX3 knockout mutant under normal and several stress conditions. It was found that loss of function in APX3 does not affect Arabidopsis growth and development, suggesting that APX3 may not be an important antioxidant enzyme in Arabidopsis, at least under the conditions that were tested, or the function of APX3 could be compensated by other antioxidant enzymes in plant cells.     

Loss‐of‐function mutations in the APX1 gene result in enhanced selenium tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

It is generally recognized that excess selenium (Se) has a negative effect on the growth and development of plants. Numerous studies have identified key genes involved in selenium tolerance in plants; however, our understanding of its molecular mechanisms is far from complete. In this study, we isolated an Arabidopsis selenium‐resistant mutant from the mutant XVE pool lines because of its increased root growth and fresh weight in Se stress, and cloned the gene, which encodes the cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (APX1). Two other APX1 gene knockout allelic lines were also selenium resistant, and the APX1‐complementary COM1 restored the growth state of wild type under Se stress. In addition, these APX1 allelic lines accumulated more Se than did wild‐type plants when subjected to Se stress. Further analysis revealed that the APX1‐mediated Se tolerance was associated, at least in part, with the enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. Moreover, enhanced Se resistance of the mutants was associated with glutathione (GSH), which had the higher expression level of GSH1 gene involved in GSH synthesis and consequently increased GSH content. Our results provide genetic evidence indicating that loss‐of‐function of APX1 results in tolerance to Se stress.     

Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of a cDNA encoding pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase

A cDNA clone encoding the cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase of pea (Pisum sativum L.) was isolated and its nucleotide sequence determined. While ascorbate peroxidase shares limited overall homology with other peroxidases, significant homology with all known peroxidases was found in the vicinity of the putative active site.     

中国绿水螅抗坏血酸过氧化物酶基因的克隆、抗体制备及表达分析

为探讨中国绿水螅(Hydra sinensis)抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(Ascorbate peroxidase, APX)基因的起源及功能, 研究采用RACE方法克隆了中国绿水螅APX基因的全长cDNA序列。该cDNA序列总长1357 bp, 包括5′非编码区107 bp, 3′非编码区146 bp及开放阅读框(Open reading frame, ORF) 1104 bp, 共编码367个氨基酸, 预测蛋白质分子量为40.79 kD。BLAST结果表明中国绿水螅APX蛋白同源序列绝大部分来自植物界; 通过最大似然法(Maximum-likelihood)和贝叶斯分析(Bayesian inference)进行的系统发生分析显示植物界及动物界物种的APX序列各自形成单系群。把APX基因ORF全长序列克隆到原核表达质粒pET-GST中, 重组质粒转化E. coli BL21 (DE3)菌株, IPTG诱导后成功表达重组融合蛋白GST-APX, 再使用纯化的重组蛋白免疫新西兰兔制备多克隆抗体用于APX蛋白的免疫印迹分析(Western blotting assay, WB)。在不同光照时长梯度(光强度2000 lx, 每天分别光照0、4h、8h、12h、16h、20h及24h)下培养中国绿水螅30d, 实时定量PCR (Quantitative real-time PCR, qPCR)及WB检测结果均表明光照时间较长时(每天光照12h以上)绿水螅APX表达呈现一定程度的上调。在长时间光辐射下水螅体内共生绿藻连续进行光合作用所累积的大量活性氧能够扩散到水螅细胞内, 此时水螅体内表达上调的APX可能参与清除其细胞内的活性氧。     

Genetic basis of heterosis explored by simple sequence repeat markers in a random-mated maize population

We investigated the isozyme profiles of antioxidant enzymes in cultivars and lines with different seed productivity in cool climate conditions as a step towards understanding the physiological and genetical mechanisms underlying chilling tolerance in soybean. While no difference in superoxide dismutase, or catalase isozyme profiles was observed among the cultivars and lines tested, we found polymorphism in the ascorbate peroxidase isozyme profile; there were two types, with or without a cytosolic isoform (APX1). The cultivars and lines lacking APX1 proved more tolerant to chilling temperatures, as evaluated by yielding ability. The genotype-dependent deficiency of APX1 was consistent in plants and tissues under various oxidative stress conditions including the exposure to low-temperatures. In addition, the genetic analysis of progeny derived from crossing between cultivars differing in the isozyme profile indicated that the APX1 deficiency is controlled by a single recessive gene (apx1), and is inherited independently of the genes that have previously been identified for their association with chilling tolerance. Molecular and linkage analyses suggested that the variant gene of the APX1-absent genotype coding for a cytosolic APX, which contained a single nucleotide substitution and a single nucleotide deletion in the coding region, is responsible for the genotype-dependent deficiency of APX1. The association of APX1 deficiency with chilling tolerance is discussed in detail.     

Expression of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apx</Emphasis> gene family during leaf senescence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis>

Oxygen-free radicals are thought to play an essential role in senescence. Therefore, the expression patterns of the small gene family encoding the H₂O₂ scavenging enzymes ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC 1.11.1.11) were analyzed during senescence of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heinh. Applying real-time RT-PCR, the mRNA levels were quantified for three cytosolic (APX1, APX2, APX6), two chloroplastic types (stromal sAPX, thylakoid tAPX), and three microsomal (APX3, APX4, APX5) isoforms identified in the genome of Arabidopsis. The genes of chloroplastic thylakoid-bound tAPX and the microsomal APX4 exhibit a strong age-related decrease of mRNA level in leaves derived from one rosette as well as in leaves derived from plants of different ages. In contrast to the tAPX, the mRNA of sAPX was only reduced in old leaves of old plants. The microsomal APX3 and APX5, and the cytosolic APX1, APX2, and APX6 did not show remarkable age-related changes in mRNA levels. The data show that expression of the individual APX genes is differentially regulated during senescence indicating possible functional specialization of respective isoenzymes. The hydrogen peroxide levels seem to be controlled very precisely in different cell compartments during plant development.     

Purification and characterization of pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase

The cytosolic isoform of ascorbate peroxidase was purified to homogeneity from 14-day-old pea (Pisum sativum L.) shoots. The enzyme is a homodimer with molecular weight of 57,500, composed of two subunits with molecular weight of 29,500. Spectral analysis and inhibitor studies were consistent with the presence of a heme moiety. When compared with ascorbate peroxidase activity derived from ruptured intact chloroplasts, the purified enzyme was found to have a higher stability, a broader pH optimum for activity, and the capacity to utilize alternate electron donors. Unlike classical plant peroxidases, the cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase had a very high preference for ascorbate as an electron donor and was specifically inhibited by p-chloromercurisulfonic acid and hydroxyurea. Antibodies raised against the cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase from pea did not cross-react with either protein extracts obtained from intact pea chloroplasts or horseradish peroxidase. The amino acid sequence of the N-terminal region of the purified enzyme was determined. Little homology was observed among pea cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase, the tea chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase, and horseradish peroxidase; homology was, however, found with chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase isolated from spinach leaves.     

Cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding the cytosolic copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase from sweet potato tuberous root

A full-length cDNA clone encoding a putative copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (SOD) of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. cv Tainong 57, was isolated from a cDNA library constructed in gt10 from tuber root mRNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this cDNA clone revealed that it comprises a complete open reading frame coding for 152 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence showed higher homology (78–86%) with the sequence of the cytosolic SOD than that of the chloroplast SOD from other plant species. The residues required for coordinating copper and zinc are conserved as they are among all reported Cu/Zn-SOD sequences. In addition, it lacks recognizable plastic or mitochondrial targeting sequences. These data suggest that the isolated sweet potato clone encodes a cytosolic Cu/Zn-SOD.     

Over-expression of ascorbate peroxidase in tobacco chloroplasts enhances the tolerance to salt stress and water deficit

The role of APX (ascorbate peroxidase) in protection against oxidative stress was examined using transgenic tobacco plants. The full length cDNA, coding Arabidopsis thaliana L. APX fused downstream to the chloroplast transit sequence from A. thaliana glutathione reductase, was cloned into appropriate binary vector and mobilized into Agrobacterium tumefaciens C58C2. Leaf discs were infected with the Agrobacterium and cultured on medium supplied with kanamycin. The incorporation of the gene in tobacco genome was confirmed by Southern dot blot hybridization. Transgenic lines were generated, and the line Chl-APX5 shown to have 3.8-fold the level of APX activity in the wild-type plants. The isolated chloroplasts from this line showed higher APX activity. During early investigation, this line showed enhanced tolerance to the active oxygen-generating paraquat and sodium sulphite. The first generation of this line, also, showed enhanced tolerance to salt, PEG and water stresses, as determined by net photosynthesis. The present data indicate that overproducing the cytosolic APX in tobacco chloroplasts reduces the toxicity of H₂O₂.