植物内源茉莉酸类物质的生物合成途径及其生物学意义

茉莉酸类物质（JAs）是新确认的一类广泛存在于植物体内的内源激素,在植物的生长发育、应激反应和次生代谢过程中起着重要的调控作用。该文主要概述了植物中茉莉酸类物质的生物合成途径、各关键酶的生理作用及其在植物次生代谢工程等方面的研究进展,并探讨了茉莉酸类物质的潜在应用价值。     

植物内源茉莉酸类物质的生物合成途径及其生物学意义

茉莉酸类物质(JAs)是新确认的一类广泛存在于植物体内的内源激素, 在植物的生长发育、应激反应和次生代谢过程中起着重要的调控作用。该文主要概述了植物中茉莉酸类物质的生物合成途径、各关键酶的生理作用及其在植物次生代谢工程等方面的研究进展, 并探讨了茉莉酸类物质的潜在应用价值。     

Role of Jasmonates in the Elicitor- and Wound-Inducible Expression of Defense Genes in Parsley and Transgenic Tobacco

Jasmonates have been proposed to be signaling intermediates in the wound and/or elicitor-activated expression of plant defense genes. We used parsley (Petroselinum crispum) cell cultures and transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants expressing 4CL1-GUS gene fusions to investigate the potential role played by jasmonates in mediating the wound and/or elicitor activation of phenylpropanoid and other defense-related genes. Jasmonates and [alpha]-linolenic acid strongly induced the expression of 4CL in a dose-dependent manner in parsley cells; methyl jasmonate also activated the coordinate expression of other phenylpropanoid genes and the accumulation of furanocoumarin phytoalexins. However, the response of the cells to optimal methyl jasmonate concentrations was distinct quantitatively and qualitatively from the response of elicitor-treated cells. In transgenic tobacco wound-inducible tobacco 4CL genes and a 4CL1 promoter-GUS transgene were responsive to jasmonates and [alpha]-linolenic acid in a dose-dependent manner. Pre-treatment of parsley cells or tobacco leaves with a lipoxygenase inhibitor reduced their responsiveness to the elicitor and to wounding. These results show that the elicitor response in parsley cells can be partially mimicked by jasmonate treatment, which supports a role for jasmonates in mediating wound-induced expression of 4CL and other phenylpropanoid genes.     

Jasmonate-related mutants of Arabidopsis as tools for studying stress signaling

Jasmonates are naturally occurring signal compounds that regulate plant growth and development, and are involved in plant responses to several environmental stress factors. The mode of action of jasmonates has been investigated traditionally by analysis of the effects of exogenous application of these compounds, including identification of jasmonate-responsive genes and determination of their expression and responsive promoter elements. In addition, jasmonate biosynthesis has been studied by identification of biosynthetic enzymes, use of inhibitors and determination of endogenous jasmonate levels. Recently, several mutants defective in jasmonate biosynthesis and signaling have been isolated and their phenotypes shed new light on the role of jasmonates and jasmonate signaling in plant responses to pathogens, insects and ozone.     

Mitochondria-mediated ATP depletion by anti-cancer agents of the jasmonate family

Jasmonates are plant stress hormones that induce suppression of proliferation and death in cancer cells, while being selectively inactive towards non-transformed cells. Jasmonates can overcome apoptotic blocks and exert cytotoxic effects on drug-resistant cells expressing p53 mutations. Jasmonates induce a rapid depletion of ATP in cancer cells. Indeed, this steep drop occurs when no signs of cell death are detectable yet. Experiments using modulators of ATP synthesis via glycolysis or oxidative phosphorylation suggest that the latter is the pathway suppressed by jasmonates. Consequently, the direct effects of jasmonates on mitochondria were evaluated. Jasmonates induced cytochrome c release and swelling in mitochondria isolated from cancer cells but not from normal ones. Thus, the selectivity of jasmonates against cancer cells is rooted at the mitochondrial level, and probably exploits differences between mitochondria from normal versus cancer cells. These findings position jasmonates as promising anti-cancer drugs acting via energetic depletion in neoplastic cells.     

The antiparasitic actions of plant jasmonates

Jasmonates are a group of small lipids produced in plants, which function as plant stress hormones. We have previously shown that jasmonates can exert significant cytotoxic effects upon human cancer cells. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of jasmonates on parasites. To that end, we chose 2 major human blood parasites, Plasmodium falciparum, a unicellular parasite, and Schistosoma mansoni, a multicellular helminth parasite, and studied the effects of jasmonates on these parasites in vitro. We found that jasmonates are cytotoxic toward both parasites, with P. falciparum being the more susceptible. Jasmonates did not cause any damage to control human erythrocytes at the maximum concentration used in the experiments. This is the first study demonstrating the antiparasitic potential of plant-derived jasmonates.     

Role and activity of jasmonates in plants under in vitro conditions

Jasmonates (JAs), such as jasmonic acid and its methyl ester, are lipid-derived compounds with signal functions in plant growth and development, as well as in responses to stress. JAs are widely distributed in plants as natural plant growth regulators. JAs do not work independently but work as a part of a complex signaling network with other phytohormones. They are deployed to induce response during wounding and are often used for elicitation and stimulation of secondary metabolites production in different in vitro culture systems. Application of JAs seems to be promising during different steps of the micropropagation system for different species. JAs stimulate proliferation rate of shoots, roots, callus and induce microtubers and bulblets formation. However, negative effects of JAs on the condition of plant tissues are also reported, e.g. leaf senescence, reduced growth and inhibited somatic embryogenesis. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the application and properties of jasmonates under in vitro conditions in terms of cell division, explant growth, proliferation ability, storage organ formation and stress response.

     

Jasmonates in flower and seed development

Jasmonates are ubiquitously occurring lipid-derived signaling compounds active in plant development and plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Upon environmental stimuli jasmonates are formed and accumulate transiently. During flower and seed development, jasmonic acid (JA) and a remarkable number of different metabolites accumulate organ- and tissue specifically. The accumulation is accompanied with expression of jasmonate-inducible genes. Among these genes there are defense genes and developmentally regulated genes. The profile of jasmonate compounds in flowers and seeds covers active signaling molecules such as JA, its precursor 12-oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA) and amino acid conjugates such as JA-Ile, but also inactive signaling molecules occur such as 12-hydroxy-JA and its sulfated derivative. These latter compounds can occur at several orders of magnitude higher level than JA. Metabolic conversion of JA and JA-Ile to hydroxylated compounds seems to inactivate JA signaling, but also specific functions of jasmonates in flower and seed development were detected. In tomato OPDA is involved in embryo development. Occurrence of jasmonates, expression of JA-inducible genes and JA-dependent processes in flower and seed development will be discussed.     

Involvement and interaction of various signaling compounds on the plant metabolic events during defense response,resistance to stress factors,formation of secondary metabolites and their molecular aspects

Plants are a nearly unlimited source of phytochemicals. The plants produce various secondary metabolites, which are useful in its interaction with the environment, various stress factors and development of resistance against pathogen attack. A wide array of external stimuli are capable of triggering changes in the plant cell which leads to a cascade of reactions, ultimately resulting in the formation and accumulation of secondary metabolites which helps the plant to overcome the stress factors. The biotic and abiotic elicitors can result in an enhancement of the secondary metabolite production. The stimuli are perceived by receptors, which then result in the activation of the secondary messengers. These then transmit the signals into the cell through the signal transduction pathways leading to gene expression and biochemical changes. There is interplay of the signaling molecules also which regulates the entire pathway. This review is oriented towards the factors, which influence signal transduction pathway(s) with special reference to polyamines, calcium, jasmonates, salicylates, nitric oxide and ethylene. The interplay of these components to elicit a defense response is discussed. Molecular aspects of disease resistance and regulation of plant secondary metabolism has also been presented.     

植物的环境信号分子茉莉酸及其生物学功能

茉莉酸信号分子参与植物生长发育众多生理过程的调控,尤其是作为环境信号分子能有效地介导植物对生物及非生物胁迫的防御反应。迄今已知具有信号分子生理功能的至少包括茉莉酸(jasmonic acid,JA)以及茉莉酸甲酯(methyl jasmonate,Me JA)和茉莉酸-异亮氨酸复合物(jasmonoyl-isoleucine,JA-Ile)等茉莉酸衍生物,统称为茉莉酸类化合物(jasmonates,JAs)。从环境信号分子角度介绍了茉莉酸信号的启动(环境信号感知与转导、茉莉酸类化合物合成)、传递(局部传递、维管束传输、空气传播)和生物学功能(茉莉酸信号受体、调控的转录因子、参与的生物学过程)。     

An Arabidopsis mutant cex1 exhibits constant accumulation of jasmonate-regulated AtVSP, Thi2.1 and PDF1.2

Jasmonates (JA) act as a regulator in plant growth as well as a signal in plant defense. The Arabidopsis vegetative storage protein (AtVSP) and plant defense-related proteins thionin (Thi2.1) and defensin (PDF1.2) have previously been shown to accumulate in response to JA induction. In this report, we isolated and characterized a novel recessive mutant, cex1, conferring constitutive JA-responsive phenotypes including JA-inhibitory growth and constitutive expression of JA-regulated AtVSP, Thi2.1 and PDF1.2. The plant morphology and the gene expression pattern of the cex1 mutant could be phenocopied by treatment of wild-type plants with exogenous JA, indicating that CEX1 might be a negative regulator of the JA response pathway.     

Two Methyl Jasmonate-Insensitive Mutants Show Altered Expression of AtVsp in Response to Methyl Jasmonate and Wounding

Jasmonates are plant signal molecules that are derived from lipids through the action of lipoxygenase. Jasmonates regulate gene expression during plant development and in response to water deficit, wounding, and pathogen elicitors. The signal transduction chain that mediates jasmonate action was investigated by isolating and studying two methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-insensitive mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana. The recessive mutants, jin1 and jin4, are nonallelic and neither corresponds to coi1, a previously identified MeJA-insensitive mutant. Both mutants showed reduced sensitivity to MeJA-mediated root growth inhibition as well as reduced MeJA induction of AtVsp in leaves. Expression of AtVsp in flowers was not altered in the mutants. Furthermore, MeJA modulation of the jasmonate-responsive lipoxygenase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase genes was not altered in the mutants. jin4 plants exhibited increased sensitivity to abscisic acid in seed germination assays, whereas jin1 plants showed wild-type sensitivity. Neither mutant showed altered sensitivity to ethylene in hypocotyl growth inhibition assays. jin1 and jin4 identify genes that modulate the response of AtVsp to MeJA in leaves of A. thaliana.     

The isoprostanoid pathway in plants

Higher plants are generally unable to synthesize arachidonic acid, and thus, do neither form prostaglandins nor C20-isoprostanes. Instead, plants utilize linolenic acid for the synthesis of prostaglandin-like compounds of the jasmonate type via the lipoxygenase/allene oxide synthase pathway and C18-isoprostanoids, termed phytoprostanes, via a nonenzymatic, free radical catalyzed pathway analogous to the isoprostane pathway in animals. Both pathways are constitutively present in many if not all plants. Formation of jasmonates can be triggered by specific stimuli interacting with membrane receptors while phytoprostane synthesis can be induced by ROS and heavy metals. Jasmonates are established plant signal compounds that induce defense responses including accumulation of antimicrobial secondary metabolites (phytoalexins). Preliminary data indicates that phytoprostanes also induce phytoalexins in a variety of plant species suggesting a possible function of phytoprostanes as mediators of defense reactions in response to oxidative stress in plants.     

Coordinated activation of metabolic pathways for antioxidants and defence compounds by jasmonates and their roles in stress tolerance in Arabidopsis

Jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), collectively termed jasmonates, are ubiquitous plant signalling compounds. Several types of stress conditions, such as wounding and pathogen infection, cause endogenous JA accumulation and the expression of jasmonate-responsive genes. Although jasmonates are important signalling components for the stress response in plants, the mechanism by which jasmonate signalling contributes to stress tolerance has not been clearly defined. A comprehensive analysis of jasmonate-regulated metabolic pathways in Arabidopsis was performed using cDNA macroarrays containing 13516 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) covering 8384 loci. The results showed that jasmonates activate the coordinated gene expression of factors involved in nine metabolic pathways belonging to two functionally related groups: (i) ascorbate and glutathione metabolic pathways, which are important in defence responses to oxidative stress, and (ii) biosynthesis of indole glucosinolate, which is a defence compound occurring in the Brassicaceae family. We confirmed that JA induces the accumulation of ascorbate, glutathione and cysteine and increases the activity of dehydroascorbate reductase, an enzyme in the ascorbate recycling pathway. These antioxidant metabolic pathways are known to be activated under oxidative stress conditions. Ozone (O3) exposure, a representative oxidative stress, is known to cause activation of antioxidant metabolism. We showed that O3 exposure caused the induction of several genes involved in antioxidant metabolism in the wild type. However, in jasmonate-deficient Arabidopsis 12-oxophytodienoate reductase 3 (opr3) mutants, the induction of antioxidant genes was abolished. Compared with the wild type, opr3 mutants were more sensitive to O3 exposure. These results suggest that the coordinated activation of the metabolic pathways mediated by jasmonates provides resistance to environmental stresses.