Effects of water stress on major photosystem II gene expression and protein metabolism in barley leaves

Although it has long been recognized that water deficit in plants reduces photosystem (PS) II mRNAs and proteins, the detailed mechanisms behind this have not been thoroughly elucidated. In the present study, effects of water stress in barley leaves on degradation of major PSII mRNA and dissociation and migration of PSII proteins were investigated. The results indicated that (1) the steady-state levels of major PSII mRNAs and proteins declined with increasing water stress, as a consequence of increased degradation; under severe water stress, the half-lives of D1 and D2 proteins decreased from 12–14 h to 7–8 h and the half-lives of psbA and psbD mRNA decreased from above 16 to 6–10 h; (2) monomerization of PSII were increased during water stress. Severe water stress accelerated turnover of PSII and inhibited PSII activities.     

Water stress provokes a generalized increase in phosphatidylcholine turnover in barley leaves

Water and salt stress promote betaine accumulation in leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) by accelerating the de-novo synthesis of betaine, via choline. Previous radiotracer kinetic studies have implicated stress-enhanced turnover of the choline moiety of phosphatidylcholine (PC) as a major source of choline for betaine synthesis. Two approaches have therefore been followed to show whether stress-induced PC turnover is a cellor organelle-specific phenomenon, or a generalized one. In the first approach, [³H]ethanolamine of high specific activity was supplied to second leaves of unstressed and water-stressed barley plants; after 1 h, paired sections of tissue were excised from each leaf, one for extraction and analysis of [³H]metabolites and the other for autoradiography. The³H-activity remaining in the leaf tissue after washing out the water-soluble³H-metabolites during preparation for autoradiography was taken to be mainly in phospholipids. In unstressed leaves, [³H]phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was the major labeled phospholipid, whereas there were approximately equal amounts of [³H]PE and [³H]PC in stressed leaves. At the light-microscope level, silver grains were associated with all living cells in both unstressed and stressed leaves; grains were concentrated in the cytoplasmic regions of highly vacuolate mesophyll cells, and were distributed throughout densely cytoplasmic vascular parenchyma. At the electron-microscope level, silver grains were not confined to any particular types of membranes in unstressed or stressed leaves. In the second approach, second leaves of stressed plants received a 1-h pulse of [¹⁴C]ethanolamine, and were then homogenized. The brei was subjected to sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The specific radioactivity of [¹⁴C]PC was quite similar in the gradient fractions, whether they contained microsomes or mitochondrial plus chloroplast membranes. We infer that stress does not enhance the turnover of any structurally discrete class of PC, but rather stimulates PC turnover in several or all classes of membranes in most cells of the leaf.Abbreviations and symbols PE phosphatidylethanolamine - PC phosphatidylcholine - PMME phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine - PDME phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine - TLC thin-layer chromatography - _leaf leaf water potential     

Suppression of alpha-amylase gene expression by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide in barley cultured aleurone layers.

Antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) have been applied to regulate gene expression using cell-free media or animal cells. Here we demonstrate the specific inhibition of barley alpha-amylase gene expression by synthetic antisense ODNs. In a cell free system using wheat-germ extracts, 5 microM of a 20-mer antisense ODN prevented the synthesis of the polypeptide corresponding to the predetermined length of alpha-amylase translated in vitro, whereas there was no effect on other protein synthesis. Furthermore, in cultured aleurone cells, alpha-amylase activity was efficiently decreased by addition of ODNs. At the concentrations higher than 5 microM, antisense ODN inhibited alpha-amylase gene expression almost completely. These results imply that ODN could transport into the cultured aleurone cells crossing the cell membrane, and regulate specific gene expression. This simple model system could be applicable not only for the analysis of the alpha-amylase multigene family in barley but also for studying functions of cryptic genes in higher plant.     

Gibberellin-responsive elements in the promoter of a barley high-pI alpha-amylase gene.

Deletion analysis has previously shown that the major gibberellic acid (GA)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive elements in the promoter of a high-pI alpha-amylase gene of barley are located downstream of -174 (Jacobsen and Close, 1991). We have used transient expression assays in barley aleurone protoplasts to identify sequences between -174 and +53 that confer GA and ABA responsiveness on expression of a beta-glucuronidase reporter gene. Using alpha-amylase promoter fragments and synthetic oligonucleotides fused to minimal promoters, we have shown that the hormone-responsive region is located between -174 and -108. A single copy of this region fused to a minimal alpha-amylase promoter (-41) conferred both GA- and ABA-responsive expression on the reporter gene comparable to the positive control, Am(-174)IGN. Multiple copies of this region were able to activate even greater levels of expression. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to determine the functional importance of the conserved motifs (-169pyrimidine box, -143TAACAAA box, and -124TATCCAC box) and nonconserved intervening sequences within the region between -174 and -108. Our results showed that both the TAACAAA and TATCCAC boxes play an important role in GA-regulated expression. We propose that the TAACAAA box is a gibberellin response element, that the TATCCAC box acts cooperatively with the TAACAAA box to give a high level of GA-regulated expression, and that together these motifs form important components of a gibberellin response complex in high-pI alpha-amylase genes. The TAACAAA box also appears to be the site of action of ABA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Phosphatidylethanolamine in wheat and barley leaves under water stress

Phosphatidylethanolamine could not be detected in the leaves of less drought-tolerant varieties of wheat (S-308) and barley (BG-25) when the plants wer     

Ectopic expression of constitutively activated RACB in barley enhances susceptibility to powdery mildew and abiotic stress

Small RAC/ROP-family G proteins regulate development and stress responses in plants. Transient overexpression and RNA interference experiments suggested that the barley (Hordeum vulgare) RAC/ROP protein RACB is involved in susceptibility to the powdery mildew fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. We created transgenic barley plants expressing the constitutively activated RACB mutant racb-G15V under control of the maize (Zea mays) ubiquitin 1 promoter. Individuals of the T1 generation expressing racb-G15V were significantly more susceptible to B. graminis when compared to segregating individuals that did not express racb-G15V. Additionally, racb-G15V-expressing plants showed delayed shoot development from the third leaf stage on, downward rolled leaves, and stunted roots. Expression of racb-G15V decreased photosynthetic CO(2)-assimilation rates and transpiration of nonstressed leaves. In contrast, racb-G15V-expressing barley leaves, when detached from water supply, showed increased water loss and enhanced transpiration. Water loss was associated with reduced responsiveness to abscisic acid in regard to transpiration when compared to segregants not expressing racb-G15V. Hence, RACB might be a common signaling element in response to both biotic and abiotic stress.     

High-level expression of the native barley alpha-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor in Pichia pastoris

An expression system for high-level expression of the native Hordeum vulgare alpha-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (BASI) has been developed in Pichia pastoris, using the methanol inducible alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) promoter. To optimize expression, two codon-optimized coding regions have been designed and expressed alongside the wild-type coding region. To ensure secretion of the native mature protein, a truncated version of the alpha mating factor secretion signal from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used. In order to be able to compare expression levels from different clones, single insertion transformants generated by gene replacement of the AOX1 gene was selected by PCR screening. Following methanol induction, expression levels reached 125 mgL(-1) from the wild-type coding region while expression from the two codon-optimized variants reached 65 and 125 mgL(-1), respectively. The protein was purified and characterized by Edman degradation, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and insoluble blue starch assay, and was shown to possess the same characteristics as wild-type protein purified from barley grains.     

Translational control of alpha-amylase gene expression in Aspergillus awamori

Regulation of alpha-amylase gene expression in Aspergillus awamori was studied by analyzing the enzyme activity levels, rate of protein synthesis, and alpha-amylase-specific mRNA levels under various conditions of growth. alpha-Amylase synthesis was sensitive to catabolite repression as glucose repressed its synthesis by about fourfold. The stimulation of alpha-amylase synthesis in the presence of its substrate starch was shown to be due to derepression rather than induction as the enzyme was synthesized at similar rates in both starch and starvation media. Repression and derepression of enzyme synthesis was found to be mediated at the translational level. The cellular levels of alpha-amylase-specific mRNA as measured by an in vitro translation assay system, were almost identical under all conditions of enzyme synthesis. Relative in vivo and in vitro alpha-amylase mRNA template activities suggest that alpha-amylase mRNA is translated much more efficiently during the derepression than under the conditions of repressed synthesis.     

Phospholipid changes in wheat and barley leaves under water stress

Total phospholipid content of leaves of wheat and barley increased and phospholipid components changed under water stress. Notable among these were the absence of phosphatidyl serine in barley varieties, decrease in phosphatidyl glycerol content in a less drought-tolerant variety of wheat (S-308) and barley (BG-25), and appearance of phosphatidic acid in both crops. The phospholipid content and its components did not return to normal upon release of the stress by subsequent irrigations. Such observations are indicative of water stress effected alterations in membranes.     

Purification and characteristics of an endogenous alpha-amylase inhibitor from barley kernels

An inhibitor of malted barley (Hordeum vulgare cv Conquest) α-amylase II was purified 125-fold from a crude extract of barley kernels by (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, and gel filtration on Bio-Gel P 60. The inhibitor was a protein with an approximate molecular weight of 20,000 daltons and an isoelectric point of 7.3. The protein was homogeneous, as assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Amino acid analysis indicated the presence of about 9 half-cystine residues per mole. The neutral isoelectric point of the inhibitor suggested that some of the apparently acidic residues (glutamic and aspartic) existed in the amide form. The first twenty N-terminal amino acids were sequenced. Some homology appeared to exist between the α-amylase II inhibitor and trypsin inhibitor from barley. Complex formation between α-amylase II and the inhibitor was detected by the appearance of a new molecular weight species after gel filtration on Bio-Gel P 100. Enzyme and inhibitor had to be preincubated for 5 min, prior to assaying for enzyme activity before maximum inhibition was attained. Inhibition increased at higher pH values. At pH 5.5, an approximately 1100 molar excess of inhibitor over α-amylase II produced 40% inhibition, whereas, at pH 8.0, a 1:1 molar ratio of inhibitor to enzyme produced the same degree of inhibition.     

Alterations in glycolipids of wheat and barley leaves under water stress

Glycolipids of leaves from water-stressed and stress-recovered wheat and barley plants were studied. A decrease in the content of total glycolipid, mon