Modification of fatty acids changes the flavor volatiles in tomato leaves

Expression of the yeast Delta9 desaturase gene in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) resulted in changes in the profiles of fatty acids in tomato leaves. Transgenic leaves displayed a dramatic increase in cis-Delta9 16:1, which only existed in a small quantity in control leaves. Also higher, but not as dramatic, were 18:1 and 16:3 fatty acids. Several fatty acids, viz. 16:0, 18:0, and 18:3 declined in transgenic leaves. Changes in fatty acids were accompanied by changes in certain volatile compounds derived from fatty acids. On a percentage basis, most notable increases (>3-fold) were 1-hydroxy-2-butanone, 1-penten-3-ol, heptanal, 3-hexen-1-ol, 2-octanol,cis-3-hexenal, hexanal and 2-nonenal. Several flavor compounds not known to be biochemically derived from fatty acids, viz. 2-ethyl-furan, 5-ethyl-2-[5H]-furanone, eugenol, and 2-ethylthiophene also showed sharp increases in transgenic leaves.     

Mung bean lipoxygenase in the production of a C6-aldehyde. Natural green-note flavor generation via biotransformation

Mung bean was investigated as a novel source of lipoxygenase in the natural production of the green-note aroma compound hexanal. Lipoxygenase extracted from mung bean catalyzed the oxidative reaction of linoleic acid, after which the intermediate hydroperoxide compound was split via green bell pepper hydroperoxide lyase to produce hexanal. In comparison to soybean lipoxygenase, mung bean lipoxygenase was found to be a good substitute as it produced 15.4 mM (76% yield) hexanal while soybean gave 60% yield. The mung bean pH profile comprised a wide peak (optimum pH 6.5) representing lipoxygenase-2 and lipoxygenase-3 isozymes, whereas two narrower peaks representing lipoxygenase-1 and lipoxygenase-2/3 isozymes were observed for soybean (optimum pH 10). Extraction at pH 4.5 was preferred, at which specific lipoxygenase activity was also the highest.     

Characteristics of a membrane-associated lipoxygenase in tomato fruit

Microsomal membranes isolated from the pericarp of maturegreen tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) fruit rapidly metabolize exogenous radiolabeled linoleic acid into fatty acid oxidation products at 22°C. The reaction is strongly inhibited by n-propyl gallate, an inhibitor of lipoxygenase. The membranes also rapidly metabolize 16:0/18:2^* phosphatidylcholine into radiolabeled oxidation products that comigrate on TLC plates with those formed from free linoleic acid. At 30°C, the formation of fatty acid oxidation products from 16:0/18:2^* phosphatidylcholine is slower, and there is an initial accumulation of radiolabeled linoleic acid that is not evident at 22°C, which can be attributed to the action of lipolytic acyl hydrolase. Radiolabeled phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol are also formed during metabolism of 16:0/18:2^* phosphatidylcholine by the microsomal membranes, and there is no breakdown of either linoleic acid or phosphatidylcholine by heat-denatured membranes. When Triton X-100 treated membranes were used, the same patterns of metabolite formation from radiolabeled linoleic acid and 16:0/18:2^* phosphatidylcholine were observed. Thus, the enzymes mediating the breakdown of these radiolabeled compounds appear to be tightly associated with the membranes. Collectively, the data indicate that there is a lipoxygenase associated with microsomal membranes from tomato fruit that utilizes free fatty acid substrate released from phospholipids. The microsomal lipoxygenase is strongly active over a pH range of 4.5 to 8.0, comprises approximately 38% of the total (microsomal plus soluble) lipoxygenase activity in the tissue, has an apparent K_m of 0.52 millimolar and an apparent V_max of 0.186 millimoles per minute per milligram of protein. The membranous enzyme also cross-reacts with polyclonal antibodies raised against soybean lipoxygenase-1 and has an apparent molecular mass of 100 kilodaltons.     

Identification of a MAP65 isoform involved in directional expansion of plant cells

MAP65 comprises a multigene family specific to plants. To see which isoform is utilised for the unique mechanism of cell expansion, uncomplicated by division structures, carrot cells were deprived of auxin whereupon they stopped dividing and elongated instead. During elongation, a MAP65 protein triplet reduced to a single band. Mass spectrometric analysis demonstrated that this corresponded to a single carrot cDNA; it also corresponded to the major protein previously shown to form filamentous cross-bridges between microtubules in vitro. This MAP65 isoform is concluded to have a major role in establishing the parallel microtubule arrays characteristic of cells undergoing directional expansion.     

Site specific recombination involved in the generation of small plasmids

Summary The physical structures of seven small plasmids, Rsc10, Rsc11, Rsc12, Rsc13, Rsc15, Rsc10-1 and pEM1 were analyzed. Molecular lengths of these plasmids were determined to range from 7.65 to 19.8 kilobases or kb. Electron microscope heteroduplex analysis of these plasmids show that the plasmids were all derived from pKN102 (86.3kb) in a complicated process that takes place by a series of deletion and, in some cases, transposition events. Rsc10 and Rsc11 were each formed by a simple deletion event from the parental plasmid. The physical structures of Rsc13 and pEM1 suggest that these plasmids must have been derived by a single and two successive deletion events from Rsc11. In the formation of these plasmids, all the deletions occured at the ends of the transposon, Tn3, which confers ampicillin resistance (amp) to the plasmid, or at the ends of the insertion sequence, IS1. Rsc15 was assumed to be formed in a two step process. The first step was a deletion event to form Rsc10-1 which occurs at one end of the IS1 present in pKN102. At first, the deletion event leaves out the ampicillin gene but in the second step Tn3 is transposed to the newly formed plasmid, Rsc10-1. Rsc12 is believed to have been formed in a similar fashion; first, a series of deletions and second, the transposition of Tn3.Studies on these small plasmids enabled us to also map the regions of the replication genes and ampicillin resistance on pKN102.     

Glycine betaine protects tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants at low temperature by inducing fatty acid desaturase7 and lipoxygenase gene expression

Cold stress is among the environmental stressors limiting productivity, yield and quality of agricultural plants. Tolerance to cold stress is associated with the increased unsaturated fatty acids ratio in the plant membranes which are also known to be substrates of octadecanoid pathway for jasmonate and other oxylipins biosynthesis. Accumulation of osmoprotectant, glycine betaine (GB) is well known to be effective in the protecting membranes and mitigating cold stress effects but, the mode of action is poorly understood. We studied the role of GB in cold stress responses of two tomato cultivated varieties; Gerry (cold stress sensitive) and T47657 (moderately cold stress tolerant) and compared the differences in lypoxygenase-13 (TomLOXF) and fatty acid desaturase 7 (FAD7) gene expression profiles and physiological parameters including relative growth rates, relative water content, osmotic potential, photosynthetic efficiency, membrane leakage, lipid peroxidation levels. Our results indicated that GB might have a role in inducing FAD7 and LOX expressions for providing protection against cold stress in tomato plants which could be related to the desaturation process of lipids leading to increased membrane stability and/or induction of other genes related to stress defense mechanisms via octadecanoid pathway or lipid peroxidation products.     

Identification of a novel calreticulin isoform (Crt2) in human and mouse

The human REIC gene is a recently found mortalization-related gene and a candidate tumor suppressor gene expression of which is largely attenuated in many immortalized and tumor-derived cell lines (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 268 (2000) 20-24). To gain insight into the mechanisms of the down-regulation, we investigated the genomic structure and promoter activity of the human REIC gene. The gene, identical with the DKK-3 gene, resides on chromosome 11p15.1, consists of nine exons, and has two promoters. Methylation in the main promoter region was detected in 11 out of 21 cell lines tested (52%) derived from a variety of human tumors, in which the expression of the REIC gene was decreased. In ten of these 11 cell lines the minor promoter was also methylated. Similarly, the REIC gene expression was decreased in 14 of 24 fresh non-small cell lung cancer specimens (58%) compared to that in corresponding non-cancerous tissue, though allelic loss and tumor-specific mutation were rare. Of these 14 tumors, at least five tumors exhibited heavy methylation of the REIC promoter region. These results indicate that the down-regulation of the REIC gene expression is ascribed to the aberrant promoter hyper-methylation at least in a subset of human tumors. The expression was restored upon treatment of SQ5 cells with 5-aza-deoxycytidine, confirming DNA methylation as the mode of downregulation. A notable single nucleotide polymorphism in the coding region (cSNP) with an amino acid substitution of glycine (GGG) to arginine (AGG) was found at codon 335 of the REIC gene. However, the distribution of the cSNP showed no significant difference between lung cancer patients and healthy population.     

Purification and partial characterization of a membrane-associated lipoxygenase in tomato fruit

Membrane-associated lipoxygenase from green tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv Caruso) fruit has been purified 49-fold to a specific activity of 8.3 μmol·min⁻¹·mg⁻¹ of protein by solubilization of microsomal membranes with Triton X-100, followed by anion- exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. The apparent molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 97 and 102 kD by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and size-exclusion chromatography, respectively. The purified membrane lipoxygenase preparation consisted of a single major band following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which cross-reacts with immunoserum raised against soluble soybean lipoxygenase 1. It has a pH optimum of 6.5, an apparent K_m of 6.2 μm, and V_max of 103. μmol·min⁻¹·mg⁻¹ of protein with linoleic acid as substrate. Corresponding values for the partially purified soluble lipoxygenase from tomato are 3.8 μm and 1.3 μmol·min⁻¹·mg⁻¹ of protein, respectively. Thus, the membrane-associated enzyme is kinetically distinguishable from its soluble counterpart. Sucrose density gradient fractionation of the isolated membranes indicated that the membrane-associated lipoxygenase sediments with thylakoids. A lipoxygenase band with a corresponding apparent mol wt of 97,000 was identified immunologically in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-resolved proteins of purified thylakoids prepared from intact chloroplasts isolated from tomato leaves and fruit.     

Identification of the SAAT gene involved in strawberry flavor biogenesis by use of DNA microarrays

Fruit flavor is a result of a complex mixture of numerous compounds. The formation of these compounds is closely correlated with the metabolic changes occurring during fruit maturation. Here, we describe the use of DNA microarrays and appropriate statistical analyses to dissect a complex developmental process. In doing so, we have identified a novel strawberry alcohol acyltransferase (SAAT) gene that plays a crucial role in flavor biogenesis in ripening fruit. Volatile esters are quantitatively and qualitatively the most important compounds providing fruity odors. Biochemical evidence for involvement of the SAAT gene in formation of fruity esters is provided by characterizing the recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli. The SAAT enzyme showed maximum activity with aliphatic medium-chain alcohols, whose corresponding esters are major components of strawberry volatiles. The enzyme was capable of utilizing short- and medium-chain, branched, and aromatic acyl-CoA molecules as cosubstrates. The results suggest that the formation of volatile esters in fruit is subject to the availability of acyl-CoA molecules and alcohol substrates and is dictated by the temporal expression pattern of the SAAT gene(s) and substrate specificity of the SAAT enzyme(s).     

Identification of a 521-kilodalton protein (Gli521) involved in force generation or force transmission for Mycoplasma mobile gliding

Several mycoplasma species are known to glide on solid surfaces such as glass in the direction of the membrane protrusion, but the mechanism underlying this movement is unknown. To identify a novel protein involved in gliding, we raised monoclonal antibodies against a detergent-insoluble protein fraction of Mycoplasma mobile, the fastest glider, and screened the antibodies for inhibitory effects on gliding. Five monoclonal antibodies stopped the movement of gliding mycoplasmas, keeping them on the glass surface, and all of them recognized a large protein in immunoblotting. This protein, named Gli521, is composed of 4,738 amino acids, has a predicted molecular mass of 520,559 Da, and is coded downstream of a gene for another gliding protein, Gli349, which is known to be responsible for glass binding during gliding. Edman degradation analysis indicated that the N-terminal region is processed at the peptide bond between the amino acid residues at positions 43 and 44. Analysis of gliding mutants isolated previously revealed that the Gli521 protein is missing in a nonbinding mutant, m9, where the gli521 gene is truncated by a nonsense mutation at the codon for the amino acid at position 1170. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy indicated that Gli521 localizes all around the base of the membrane protrusion, at the "neck," as previously observed for Gli349. Analysis of the inhibitory effects of the anti-Gli521 antibody on gliding motility revealed that this protein is responsible for force generation or force transmission, a role distinct from that of Gli349, and also suggested conformational changes of Gli349 and Gli521 during gliding.     

Investigation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) aminotransferases involved in biosynthesis of branched-chain-amino-acids

This study presents evidence for the role of BCAT3 and BCAT4 proteins in the synthesis of branched-chain-amino-acids in tomato Solanum lycopersicum. BCAT3 and BCAT4 genes were located on tomato chromosomal map by RFLP method (restriction fragment length polymorphism). Using confocal microscopy it was shown that BCAT3-GFP and BCAT4-GFP fusion proteins were localised in chloroplasts. It was observed that these aminotransferase isoforms exhibited distinct kinetic properties and a differential expression pattern of mRNA levels in various tomato tissues.     

Rabbit reticulocyte lipoxygenase catalyzes specific 12(S) and 15(S) oxygenation of arachidonoyl-phosphatidylcholine

The rabbit reticulocyte lipoxygenase is known to display an unusual facility for oxygenation of esterified polyunsaturated fatty acids, yet the precise structures of the products are not known. With free arachidonate as substrate the enzyme is known to catalyze 15S and 12S oxygenations, and demonstration of a facility for catalysis of these reactions on phospholipids would extend the potential scope of lipoxygenase reactions in cells. We elected to study in detail the reaction of the enzyme with a natural phospholipid, palmitoyl/arachidonoyl-phosphatidylcholine. We determined the nature of the products by initial isolation by RP-HPLC, followed by transesterification and identification of the oxygenated products by HPLC, uv, GC-MS, and steric analysis of hydroxyl configuration by HPLC. The major product was identified as a phosphatidylcholine in which the arachidonate component was converted to the 15(S)-hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoate. A second oxygenated phospholipid was produced in smaller quantities (2-5% of the latter product) and identified as the 12(S)-oxygenated analog. These products were also identified after reaction of the reticulocyte lipoxygenase with human red cell membranes which were radiolabeled by preincubation with [3H]arachidonic acid. The finding of 12S oxygenation represents the first evidence that a lipoxygenase can control a reaction centered on the 10-carbon of an arachidonoyl phospholipid. This is an important precedent, because hydrogen abstraction from carbon-10 is a critical step in the lipoxygenase-catalyzed synthesis of 8- and 12-hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoates (HPETEs) and for the conversion of 5- and 15-HPETEs to leukotrienes.     

Identification of a pollen-specific gene,SlCRK1 (RFK2) in tomato

Plant receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are proteins that are involved in the regulation of development, hormone signaling, abiotic, and biotic stress responses. It has been suggested that cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs), which are one of the largest RLK groups, is significant in pathogen defense and programmed cell death. The CRK1 gene is isolated and characterized from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The SlCRK1 has two C-X8-C-X2-C motifs: a trans-membrane region and a kinase domain similar to other CRKs. The semi-quantitative RT-PCR exhibits the specific expression of SlCRK1 in the flower, but not in the root, leaf, seed, and fruit of the tomato. In addition, SlCRK1 exhibits pollen-specific expression in the floral organ. SlCRK1 has pollen-specific cis-acting elements in the promoter region, and its promoter has pollen-specific activity in the homozygous transgenic plants of tomato and Arabidopsis as confirmed through histochemical GUS assays. Moreover, the expression of SlCRK1 is not detected via stress treatment or hormone treatment. In this study, SlCRK1 from tomato is characterized and its promoter can be useful in developing transgenic plants with foreign genes that should be expressed in pollens.     

Identification of putative residues involved in the accessibility of the substrate-binding site of lipoxygenase by site-directed mutagenesis studies

Lipoxygenases (LOXs) are a class of widespread dioxygenases catalyzing the hydroperoxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Recently, we isolated a cDNA encoding a LOX, named olive LOX1, from olive fruit of which the deduced amino acid sequence shows more than 50% identity with plant LOXs. In the present study, a model of olive LOX1 based on the crystal structure of soybean LOX-1 as template has been generated and two bulky amino acid residues highly conserved in LOXs (Phe277) and in plant LOXs (Tyr280), located at the putative entrance of catalytic site were identified. These residues may perturb accessibility of the substrate-binding site and therefore were substituted by less space-filling residues. Kinetic studies using linoleic and linolenic acids as substrates were carried out on wild type and mutants. The results show that the removal of steric bulk at the entrance of the catalytic site induces an increase of substrate affinity and of catalytic efficiency, and demonstrate that penetration of substrates into active site of olive LOX1 requires the movement of the side chains of the Phe277 and Tyr280 residues. This study suggests the involvement of these residues in the accessibility of the substrate-binding site in the lipoxygenase family.     

Identification of pectin methylesterase 3 as a basic pectin methylesterase isoform involved in adventitious rooting in Arabidopsis thaliana

? Here, we focused on the biochemical characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana pectin methylesterase 3 gene (AtPME3; At3g14310) and its role in plant development. ? A combination of biochemical, gene expression, Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy and reverse genetics approaches were used. ? We showed that AtPME3 is ubiquitously expressed in A. thaliana, particularly in vascular tissues. In cell wall-enriched fractions, only the mature part of the protein was identified, suggesting that it is processed before targeting the cell wall. In all the organs tested, PME activity was reduced in the atpme3-1 mutant compared with the wild type. This was related to the disappearance of an activity band corresponding to a pI of 9.6 revealed by a zymogram. Analysis of the cell wall composition showed that the degree of methylesterification (DM) of galacturonic acids was affected in the atpme3-1 mutant. A change in the number of adventitious roots was found in the mutant, which correlated with the expression of the gene in adventitious root primordia. ? Our results enable the characterization of AtPME3 as a major basic PME isoform in A. thaliana and highlight its role in adventitious rooting.