Phosphorylation-independent interaction between 14-3-3 protein and the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

14-3-3 proteins interact with a novel phosphothreonine motif (Y(946)pTV) at the extreme C-terminal end of the plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase molecule. Phosphorylation-independent binding of 14-3-3 protein to the YTV motif can be induced by the fungal phytotoxin fusicoccin. The molecular basis for the phosphorylation-independent interaction between 14-3-3 and H(+)-ATPase in the presence of fusicoccin has been investigated in more detail. Fusicoccin binds to a heteromeric receptor that involves both 14-3-3 protein and H(+)-ATPase. Binding of fusicoccin is dependent upon the YTV motif in the H(+)-ATPase and, in addition, requires residues further upstream of this motif. Apparently, 14-3-3 proteins interact with the unusual epitope in H(+)-ATPase via its conserved amphipathic groove. This implies that very diverse epitopes bind to a common structure in the 14-3-3 protein.     

Mutational analysis of the interaction between 14-3-3 proteins and plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

In this study, we report on mutational studies performed to investigate the mechanism of binding of 14-3-3 proteins to the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase of plant cells. In fact, although the molecular basis of the interaction between 14-3-3 and the known mode-1 and mode-2 consensus sequences are well characterized, no information is available regarding the association with the H(+)-ATPase, which contains the novel binding site YTV totally unrelated to the 14-3-3 canonical motifs. To this purpose, different mutants of the maize 14-3-3 GF14-6 isoform were produced and used in interaction studies with the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase and with a peptide reproducing the 14-3-3 binding site of the enzyme. The ability of 14-3-3 mutants to stimulate H(+)-ATPase activity was also tested. To investigate the mechanism of fusicoccin-dependent interaction, binding experiments between 14-3-3 proteins and mutants of the extreme portion of the H(+)-ATPase C terminus were also carried out. The results demonstrate that mutations of Lys(56) and Val(185) within the amphipathic groove disrupt the ability of GF14-6 to interact with H(+)-ATPase and to stimulate its activity. Moreover, substitution of Asp(938) and Asp(940) in the MHA2 H(+)-ATPase C terminus greatly decreased association with GF14-6, thereby demonstrating a crucial role of negatively charged residues in the fusicoccin-dependent interaction.     

Polyamines as physiological regulators of 14-3-3 interaction with the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

Polyamines are abundant polycationic compounds involved in many plant physiological processes such as cell division, dormancy breaking, plant morphogenesis and response to environmental stresses. In this study, we investigated the possible role of these polycations in modulating the association of 14-3-3 proteins with the H(+)-ATPase. In vivo experiments demonstrate that, among the different polyamines, spermine brings about 2-fold stimulation of the H(+)-ATPase activity and this effect is due to an increase in 14-3-3 levels associated with the enzyme. In vivo administration of polyamine synthesis inhibitors causes a small but statistically significant decrease of the H(+)-ATPase phosphohydrolytic activity, demonstrating a physiological role for the polyamines in regulating the enzyme activity. Spermine stimulates the activity of the H(+)-ATPase AHA1 expressed in yeast, in the presence of exogenous 14-3-3 proteins, with a calculated S(50) of 70 microM. Moreover, spermine enhances the in vitro interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with the H(+)-ATPase and notably induces 14-3-3 association with the unphosphorylated C-terminal domain of the proton pump. Comparison of spermine with Mg(2+), necessary for binding of 14-3-3 proteins to different target proteins, shows that the polyamine effect is stronger than and additive to that of the divalent cation.     

Tyrosine phosphorylation inhibits the interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

Interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with their targets depends not only on the phosphorylation status of the target but also on that of 14-3-3 (Fu et al., 2000). In this work we demonstrated that the maize 14-3-3 isoform GF14-6 is a substrate of the tyrosine kinase insulin growth factor receptor 1. By means of site-directed mutants of GF14-6, we identified Tyr-137 as the specific tyrosine residue phosphorylated by the insulin growth factor receptor 1. Phosphorylation of GF14-6 on Tyr-137 lowered its affinity for a peptide mimicking the 14-3-3 binding site of the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase. Moreover, phosphorylation in planta of 14-3-3 tyrosine residues, resulting from incubation with the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, phenylarsine oxide, decreased their association to the H+-ATPase.     

Phosphorylation-dependent interaction between plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase and 14-3-3 proteins

The H(+)-ATPase is a key enzyme for the establishment and maintenance of plasma membrane potential and energization of secondary active transport in the plant cell. The phytotoxin fusicoccin induces H(+)-ATPase activation by promoting the association of 14-3-3 proteins. It is still unclear whether 14-3-3 proteins can represent natural regulators of the proton pump, and factors regulating 14-3-3 binding to the H(+)-ATPase under physiological conditions are unknown as well. In the present study in vivo and in vitro evidence is provided that 14-3-3 proteins can associate with the H(+)-ATPase from maize roots also in a fusicoccin-independent manner and that the interaction depends on the phosphorylation status of the proton pump. Furthermore, results indicate that phosphorylation of H(+)-ATPase influences also the fusicoccin-dependent interaction of 14-3-3 proteins. Finally, a protein phosphatase 2A able to impair the interaction between H(+)-ATPase and 14-3-3 proteins was identified and partially purified from maize root.     

Surface crystallisation of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase on a carbon support film for electron crystallography

Large two-dimensional crystals of H+-ATPase, a 100 kDa integral membrane protein, were grown directly onto the carbon surface of an electron microscope grid. This procedure prevented the fragmentation that is normally observed upon transfer of the crystals from the air-water interface to a continuous carbon support film. Crystals grown by this method measure approximately 5 microm across and have a thickness of approximately 240 A. They are of better quality than the monolayers previously obtained at the air-water interface, yielding structure factors to at least 8 A in-plane resolution by electron image processing. Unlike most other two-dimensional crystals of membrane proteins they do not contain a lipid bilayer, but consist of detergent-protein micelles of H+-ATPase hexamers tightly packed on a trigonal lattice. The crystals belong to the two-sided plane group p321 (a=b=165 A), containing two layers of hexamers related by an in-plane axis of 2-fold symmetry. The protein is in contact with the carbon surface through its large, hydrophilic 70 kDa cytoplasmic portion, yet due to the presence of detergent in the crystallizing buffer, the hydrophobicity of the carbon surface does not appear to affect crystal formation. Surface crystallisation may be a useful method for other proteins which form fragile two-dimensional crystals, in particular if conditions for obtaining three-dimensional crystals are known, but their quality or stability is insufficient for X-ray structure determination.     

Structure of a plasma membrane H+-ATPase gene from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana

Physiological and biochemical studies have suggested that the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase controls many important aspects of plant physiology, including growth, development, nutrient transport, and stomata movements. We have started the genetic analysis of this enzyme by isolating both genomic and cDNA clones of an H+-ATPase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana. The cloned gene is interrupted by 15 introns, and there is partial conservation of exon boundaries with respect to animal (Na+/K+)- and Ca2+-ATPases. In general, the relationship between exons and the predicted secondary and transmembrane structure of different ATPases with phosphorylated intermediate support a somewhat degenerate correspondence between exons and structural modules. The predicted amino acid sequence of the plant H+-ATPase is more closely related to fungal and protozoan H+-ATPases than to bacterial K+-ATPases or to animal (Na+/K+)-, (H+/K+)-, and Ca2+-ATPases. There is evidence for the existence of at least three isoforms of the plant H+-ATPase gene. These results open the way for a molecular approach to the structure and function of the plant proton pump.     

Functional organization of clathrin in coats: combining electron cryomicroscopy and X-ray crystallography.

The sorting of specific proteins into clathrin-coated pits and the mechanics of membrane invagination are determined by assembly of the clathrin lattice. Recent structures of a six-fold barrel clathrin coat at 21 A resolution by electron cryomicroscopy and of the clathrin terminal domain and linker at 2.6 A by X-ray crystallography together show how domains of clathrin interact and orient within the coat and reveal the strongly puckered shape and conformational variability of individual triskelions. The beta propeller of the terminal domain faces the membrane so that recognition segments from adaptor proteins can extend along its lateral grooves. Clathrin legs adapt to different coat environments in the barrel by flexing along a segment at the knee that is free of contacts with other molecules.     

Binding of phosphatidic acid to 14-3-3 proteins hampers their ability to activate the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

Phosphatidic acid is a phospholipid second messenger implicated in various cellular processes in eukaryotes. In plants, production of phosphatidic acid is triggered in response to a number of biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we show that phosphatidic acid binds to 14-3-3 proteins, a family of regulatory proteins which bind client proteins in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Binding of phosphatidic acid involves the same 14-3-3 region engaged in protein target binding. Consequently, micromolar phosphatidic acid concentrations significantly hamper the interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase, a well characterized plant 14-3-3 target, thus inhibiting the phosphohydrolitic enzyme activity. Moreover, the proton pump is inhibited when endogenous PA production is triggered by phospholipase D and the G protein agonist mastoparan-7. Hence, our data propose a possible mechanism involving PA that regulates 14-3-3-mediated cellular processes in response to stress.     

Molecular cloning of the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase

Summary Mineral transport across the plasma membrane of plant cells is controlled by an electrochemical gradient of protons. This gradient is generated by an ATP-consuming enzyme in the membrane known as a proton pump, or H⁺-ATPase. The protein has a catalytic subunit of Mr=100,000 and is a prominent band when plasma membrane proteins are analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We generated specific rabbit polyclonal antibody against the Mr=100,000 H⁺-ATPase and used the antibody to screen λgtll expression vector libraries of plant DNA. Several phage clones producing immunoreactive protein, and presumably containing DNA sequences for the ATPase structural gene, were isolated and purified from a carrot cDNA library and a Arabidopsis genomic DNA library. These studies represent our first efforts at cloning the structural gene for a plant plasma membrane transport protein. Applicability of the technique to other transport protein genes and the potential for use of recombinant DNA technology in plant mineral transport research are discussed.     

14-3-3 protein-activated and autoinhibited forms of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase

Several authors previously showed that the interaction between 14-3-3 proteins and plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase leads to an activated complex in which the enzyme is endowed with more favorable kinetic parameters and a more physiological pH optimum. In this paper we report immunological studies with antibodies covering a different specific region of the protein, including the N- and the C-terminal ends. The results showed that, beside a free and a complexed form, a third form of H(+)-ATPase in the cell must exist with low activity and no more activation due to the loss of a part of the C-terminal regulatory domain. A model in which 14-3-3 proteins activate H(+)-ATPase by protecting it from a specific proteolytic attack is presented and its generalization is discussed.     

Involvement of 14-3-3 proteins in the osmotic regulation of H+-ATPase in plant plasma membranes

 Taking the binding of fusicoccin to plasma membranes as an indicator of complex formation between the 14-3-3 dimer and H⁺-ATPase, we assessed the effect of osmotic stress on the interaction of these proteins in suspension-cultured cells of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). An increase in osmolarity of the cell incubation medium, accompanied by a decrease in turgor, was found to activate the H⁺ efflux 5-fold. The same increment was observed in the number of high-affinity fusicoccin-binding sites in isolated plasma membranes; the 14-3-3 content in the membranes increased 2- to 3-fold, while the H⁺-ATPase activity changed only slightly. The data obtained indicate that osmotic regulation of H⁺-ATPase in the plant plasma membrane is achieved via modulation of the coupling between H⁺ transport and ATP hydrolysis, and that such regulation involves 14-3-3 proteins. Received: 10 February 2000 / Accepted: 31 March 2000     

Arabidopsis protein kinase PKS5 inhibits the plasma membrane H+ -ATPase by preventing interaction with 14-3-3 protein

Regulation of the trans-plasma membrane pH gradient is an important part of plant responses to several hormonal and environmental cues, including auxin, blue light, and fungal elicitors. However, little is known about the signaling components that mediate this regulation. Here, we report that an Arabidopsis thaliana Ser/Thr protein kinase, PKS5, is a negative regulator of the plasma membrane proton pump (PM H+ -ATPase). Loss-of-function pks5 mutant plants are more tolerant of high external pH due to extrusion of protons to the extracellular space. PKS5 phosphorylates the PM H+ -ATPase AHA2 at a novel site, Ser-931, in the C-terminal regulatory domain. Phosphorylation at this site inhibits interaction between the PM H+ -ATPase and an activating 14-3-3 protein in a yeast expression system. We show that PKS5 interacts with the calcium binding protein SCaBP1 and that high external pH can trigger an increase in the concentration of cytosolic-free calcium. These results suggest that PKS5 is part of a calcium-signaling pathway mediating PM H+ -ATPase regulation.     

Structural biology of viruses by the combination of electron cryomicroscopy and X-ray crystallography

Recent developments in electron cryomicroscopy and image analysis have made it a powerful tool to investigate the structure, assembly, and dynamics of biological supramolecular assemblies. The subjects of study now include a variety of biological samples that may be homogeneous or heterogeneous, symmetric or nonsymmetric. The combination of this technique with X-ray crystallography plays an increasingly important role in structural biology and provides unique structural information for understanding large, complex biological systems. Here we provide an overview of the technologies and specific applications to virus structure and function.     

The 14-3-3 protein interacts directly with the C-terminal region of the plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase.

Accumulating evidence suggests that 14-3-3 proteins are involved in the regulation of plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase activity. However, it is not known whether the 14-3-3 protein interacts directly or indirectly with the H(+)-ATPase. In this study, detergent-solubilized plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase isolated from fusicoccin-treated maize shoots was copurified with the 14-3-3 protein (as determined by protein gel blotting), and the H(+)-ATPase was recovered in an activated state. In the absence of fusicoccin treatment, H(+)-ATPase and the 14-3-3 protein were well separated, and the H(+)-ATPase was recovered in a nonactivated form. Trypsin treatment removed the 10-kD C-terminal region from the H(+)-ATPase as well as the 14-3-3 protein. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we could show a direct interaction between Arabidopsis 14-3-3 GF14-phi and the last 98 C-terminal amino acids of the Arabidopsis AHA2 plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase. We propose that the 14-3-3 protein is a natural ligand of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase, regulating proton pumping by displacing the C-terminal autoinhibitory domain of the H(+)-ATPase.     

Adenosine 5'-monophosphate inhibits the association of 14-3-3 proteins with the plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase.

Although a well ascertained evidence proves that the activity of the plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase is regulated by 14-3-3 proteins, information about physiological factors modulating the phosphorylation-dependent association between 14-3-3 proteins and the proton pump is largely incomplete. In this paper we show that the 5'-AMP-mimetic, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside (AICAR), inhibits the fusicoccin-promoted proton extrusion in maize roots. We also demonstrate that 5'-AMP inhibits the association of 14-3-3 proteins with the C-terminal domain of the H(+)-ATPase in an overlay assay as well as the 14-3-3-dependent stimulation of the Arabidopsis thaliana H(+)-ATPase AHA1 isoform expressed in yeast membranes. Finally, by means of affinity chromatography with immobilized 5'-AMP and trinitrophenyl-AMP fluorescence analysis, we demonstrate that the 14-3-3 isoform GF14-6 from maize is able to bind 5'-AMP. The possible role of 5'-AMP as a general regulator of 14-3-3 functions in the plant cell is discussed.     

Biochemical evidence for the requirement of 14-3-3 protein binding in activation of the guard-cell plasma membrane H+-ATPase by blue light

Blue light (BL) activates the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase via phosphorylation of the C-terminus with concomitant binding of 14-3-3 protein to the terminus in stomatal guard cells. However, the binding site and role of 14-3-3 protein in this physiological response have not been elucidated. We investigated the above using synthetic phosphopeptides designed from the C-terminus of Vicia H(+)-ATPase (isoform 1; VHA1). The presence of KGLDIDTIQQHYphospho-T(950)V peptide (P-950) prevented binding of 14-3-3 protein to the phosphorylated H(+)-ATPase. Dephosphorylated P-950 and other phosphopeptides, including typical phosphorylation sites in the C-terminus, had no effect on the binding. Incubation of BL-activated plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase with P-950 dissociated the 14-3-3 protein from the H(+)-ATPase without affecting phosphorylation levels and decreased the H(+)-ATPase activity. By contrast, incubation of P-950 with the activated H(+)-ATPase from fusicoccin-treated guard-cell protoplasts neither dissociated the 14-3-3 protein nor decreased the H(+)-ATPase activity. These results indicate that BL induces phosphorylation on threonine residue (Thr(950)) in the C-terminus of H(+)-ATPase, and that the binding of 14-3-3 to this site is required for the activation of H(+)-ATPase in stomatal guard cells.     

A phosphorylation in the c-terminal auto-inhibitory domain of the plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase activates the enzyme with no requirement for regulatory 14-3-3 proteins

The plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase is regulated by an auto-inhibitory C-terminal domain that can be displaced by phosphorylation of the penultimate residue, a Thr, and the subsequent binding of 14-3-3 proteins. By mass spectrometric analysis of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase isoform 2 (PMA2) isolated from Nicotiana tabacum plants and suspension cells, we identified a new phosphorylation site, Thr-889, in a region of the C-terminal domain upstream of the 14-3-3 protein binding site. This residue was mutated into aspartate or alanine, and the mutated H(+)-ATPases expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Unlike wild-type PMA2, which could replace the yeast H(+)-ATPases, the PMA2-Thr889Ala mutant did not allow yeast growth, whereas the PMA2-Thr889Asp mutant resulted in improved growth and increased H(+)-ATPase activity despite reduced phosphorylation of the PMA2 penultimate residue and reduced 14-3-3 protein binding. To determine whether the regulation taking place at Thr-889 was independent of phosphorylation of the penultimate residue and 14-3-3 protein binding, we examined the effect of combining the PMA2-Thr889Asp mutation with mutations of other residues that impair phosphorylation of the penultimate residue and/or binding of 14-3-3 proteins. The results showed that in yeast, PMA2 Thr-889 phosphorylation could activate H(+)-ATPase if PMA2 was also phosphorylated at its penultimate residue. However, binding of 14-3-3 proteins was not required, although 14-3-3 binding resulted in further activation. These results were confirmed in N. tabacum suspension cells. These data define a new H(+)-ATPase activation mechanism that can take place without 14-3-3 proteins.     

A plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase expressed in yeast is activated by phosphorylation at its penultimate residue and binding of 14-3-3 regulatory proteins in the absence of fusicoccin

The Nicotiana plumbaginifolia plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase isoform PMA2, equipped with a His(6) tag, was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and purified. Unexpectedly, a fraction of the purified tagged PMA2 associated with the two yeast 14-3-3 regulatory proteins, BMH1 and BMH2. This complex was formed in vivo without treatment with fusicoccin, a fungal toxin known to stabilize the equivalent complex in plants. When gel filtration chromatography was used to separate the free ATPase from the 14-3-3.H(+)-ATPase complex, the complexed ATPase was twice as active as the free form. Trypsin treatment of the complex released a smaller complex, composed of a 14-3-3 dimer and a fragment from the PMA2 C-terminal region. The latter was identified by Edman degradation and mass spectrometry as the PMA2 C-terminal 57 residues, whose penultimate residue (Thr-955) was phosphorylated. In vitro dephosphorylation of this C-terminal fragment prevented binding of 14-3-3 proteins, even in the presence of fusicoccin. Mutation of Thr-955 to alanine, aspartate, or a stop codon prevented PMA2 from complementing the yeast H(+)-ATPase. These mutations were also introduced in an activated PMA2 mutant (Gln-14 --> Asp) characterized by a higher H(+) pumping activity. Each mutation directly modifying Thr-955 prevented 14-3-3 binding, decreased ATPase specific activity, and reduced yeast growth. We conclude that the phosphorylation of Thr-955 is required for 14-3-3 binding and that formation of the complex activates the enzyme.     

The binding site for regulatory 14-3-3 protein in plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase: involvement of a region promoting phosphorylation-independent interaction in addition to the phosphorylation-dependent C-terminal end

14-3-3 proteins constitute a family of well conserved proteins interacting with a large number of phosphorylated binding partners in eukaryotic cells. The plant plasma membrane H+-ATPase is an unusual target in that a unique phosphothreonine motif (946YpTV, where pT represents phosphothreonine) in the extreme C-terminal end of the H+-ATPase interacts with the binding cleft of 14-3-3 protein (Wurtele, M., Jelich-Ottmann, C., Wittinghofer, A., and Oecking, C. (2003) EMBO J. 22, 987-994). We report binding of 14-3-3 protein to a nonphosphorylated peptide representing the 34 C-terminal residues of the Arabidopsis plasma membrane H+-ATPase isoform 2 (AHA2). Following site-directed mutagenesis within the 45 C-terminal residues of AHA2, we conclude that, in addition to the 946YpTV motif, a number of residues located further upstream are required for phosphorylation-independent binding of 14-3-3. Among these, Thr-924 is important for interaction with 14-3-3 protein even when Thr-947 is phosphorylated. We suggest that the role of phosphorylation, which is accentuated by fusicoccin, is to stabilize protein-protein interaction between 14-3-3 protein and several residues of the H+-ATPase C-terminal domain.