Biochemical Characterization of Stromal and Thylakoid-Bound Isoforms of Isoprene Synthase in Willow Leaves

Isoprene synthase is the enzyme responsible for the foliar emission of the hydrocarbon isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) from many C₃ plants. Previously, thylakoid-bound and soluble forms of isoprene synthase had been isolated separately, each from different plant species using different procedures. Here we describe the isolation of thylakoid-bound and soluble isoprene synthases from a single willow (Salix discolor L.) leaf-fractionation protocol. Willow leaf isoprene synthase appears to be plastidic, with whole-leaf and intact chloroplast fractionations yielding approximately equal soluble (i.e. stromal) and thylakoid-bound isoprene synthase activities. Although thylakoid-bound isoprene synthase is tightly bound to the thylakoid membrane (M.C. Wildermuth, R. Fall [1996] Plant Physiol 112: 171–182), it can be solubilized by pH 10.0 treatment. The solubilized thylakoid-bound and stromal isoprene synthases exhibit similar catalytic properties, and contain essential cysteine, histidine, and arginine residues, as do other isoprenoid synthases. In addition, two regulators of foliar isoprene emission, leaf age and light, do not alter the percentage of isoprene synthase activity in the bound or soluble form. The relationship between the isoprene synthase isoforms and the implications for function and regulation of isoprene production are discussed.     

Characterization of an Isoprene Synthase from Leaves of Quercus petraea (Mattuschka) Liebl.

Biogenic emission of isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) by many plant species plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry. Its rapid breakdown in the atmosphere substantially affects the oxidation potential of the atmosphere. Leaves of Quercus petraea were found to contain an enzyme which catalyses the conversion of dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP) to isoprene. A standard enzyme assay was established and the isoprene synthase activity was characterized in purified leaf extracts. Optimum enzyme activity was observed at pH 8.5. The enzyme had an apparent K_m of 0.97 mM for its substrate DMAPP, but isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), the isomeric form of DMAPP, was not converted to isoprene by the enzyme extract. The temperature optimum of the enzyme activity was 35 °C. Isoprene synthase activity was strictly dependent on the presence of bivalent cations, with magnesium being most effective. Molecular weight determination by FPLC revealed the presence of a single protein with a native molecular weight of approximately 90–100 kDa.     

Seasonal Pattern of Isoprene Synthase Activity in Quercus robur Leaves and its Significance for Modeling Isoprene Emission Rates

Biogenic emission of hydrocarbons plays an important role in the interactions between plants, especially trees, and the atmosphere. Among these volatile organic compounds isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) is the predominant component emitted by many photosynthesizing leaves. Its rapid atmospheric breakdown substantially affects the oxidation potential of the atmosphere. An enzyme, isoprene synthase, extracted from leaves of European oak (Quercus robur L.) was previously found to catalyse the Mg ^2+–dependent elimination of diphosphate from dimethylallyldiphosphate to form isoprene. The present paper describes the seasonal variation of this enzyme acitivity in Quercus robur (L.) leaves in 1995. The enzymatic data obtained were used to create an additional term for the isoprene emission algorithm (ISOC93). The addition of this correction term for the seasonality of isoprene synthase to the emission model improved considerably the simulation of seasonal isoprene emission rates in oaks, avoiding over- and underestimations in the current modeling approach.     

Structure of Isoprene Synthase Illuminates the Chemical Mechanism of Teragram Atmospheric Carbon Emission

The X-ray crystal structure of recombinant PcISPS (isoprene synthase from gray poplar hybrid Populus × canescens) has been determined at 2.7 Å resolution, and the structure of its complex with three Mg²⁺ and the unreactive substrate analogue dimethylallyl-S-thiolodiphosphate has been determined at 2.8 Å resolution. Analysis of these structures suggests that the generation of isoprene from substrate dimethylallyl diphosphate occurs via a syn-periplanar elimination mechanism in which the diphosphate-leaving group serves as a general base. This chemical mechanism is responsible for the annual atmospheric emission of 100 Tg of isoprene by terrestrial plant life. Importantly, the PcISPS structure promises to guide future protein engineering studies, potentially leading to hydrocarbon fuels and products that do not rely on traditional petrochemical sources.     

Purification and Molecular Properties of the Thylakoid-Bound Ascorbate Peroxidase in Spinach Chloroplasts

The hydrogen peroxide that is photoproduced in thylakoids isscavenged by the thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidase (tAPX)[Miyake and Asada (1992) Plant Cell Physiol. 33: 541]. tAPXwas purified from spinach thylakoids to homogeneity as judgedby SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and its molecularproperties were studied. Spinach tAPX was a monomer with a molecularweight of 40,000, which is about 10,000 higher than that ofthe stromal ascorbate peroxidase (sAPX) from spinach chloroplasts.tAPX cross-reacted with the antibody raised against sAPX fromtea leaves, as determined by Western blotting, which also providedevidence for the higher molecular weight of tAPX from spinachthylakoids than that of tea sAPX. The amino acid sequence ofthe amino-terminal region of tAPX showed a low degree of homologyto those of cytosolic APXs from spinach, pea and Arabidopsisthaliana, but a high degree of homology to that of stromal APXfrom tea. Thus, the amino-terminal region of tAPX seems notto be a domain required for binding of the enzyme to the thylakoidmembranes. tAPX contained protoheme IX, as identified by itspyridine hemochromogen, and gave a Soret peak at 403 nm and433 nm with an a band at 555 nm in its oxidized and reducedforms, respectively. Resembling sAPX but differing from cytosolicAPX, tAPX showed high specificity for ascorbate as the electrondonor. tAPX was inhibited by cyanide, thiol-modifying reagents,thiols and several suicide inhibitors, such as hydroxyurea andp-aminophenol. ¹Present address: Beijing Vegetable Research Centre, PO Box2443, Beijing, China.     

Hydroxyl Radicals and a Thylakoid-Bound Endopeptidase are Involved in Light- and Oxygen-Induced Proteolysis in Oat Chloroplasts

The hypothesis that light- and oxygen-induced proteolysis inchloroplasts is mediated by active oxygen species was examined.In order to determine whether or not H₂O₂ and/or ^{dot}OH radicalsare involved in these degradative processes we compared thedegradation of proteins in isolated oat chloroplasts exposedto white light at 80 W m^-2 with that in chloroplasts incubatedin darkness in the absence or presence of H₂O₂ or a ^{dot}OH-generatingsystem composed by ascorbic acid, FeCl₃ and H₂O₂ (Asc-Fe-H₂O₂).Light enhanced the rate of degradation of at least 18 polypeptides,while proteolysis was almost negligible in darkness in the abscenceof additives. H₂O₂ had a very small effect. However, Asc-Fe-H₂O₂-treatedchloroplasts in darkness showed a pattern of protein degradationalmost identical to that observed in the light. A thylakoid-boundendopeptidase (EP), the activity of which increased under photooxidativeenvironmental conditions and treatment with an ^{dot}OH-generatingsystem, was partially purified and characterized as a serinetypeprotease. Treatments with inhibitors of serine-type proteaseprevented both light- and Asc- Fe-H₂O₂-induced proteolysis.EP was more active against both soluble and membranous proteinsthat had been pretreated with Asc-Fe-H₂O₂ than against untreatedproteins. It is proposed that a high dose of light irradiationpromotes proteolysis by increasing the formation of ^{dot}OH,which may modify proteins such that they become more susceptibleto EP-catalyzed hydrolysis. ¹Fisiología Vegetal, Dept. de Biología Vegetal,Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Present address: 28871Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), España.     

Phenylmereuric Acetate and Phosphate Control of Light-Dependent Shrinkage and Reactions in Chloroplasts

An investigation of the action of phenylmereuric acetate (PMA) and phosphate on light-induced shrinkage (measured by light scattering and Coulter Counter techniques) and on photosynthetic reactions in spinach chloroplasts led to the following conclusions:

• 1) PMA stimulated light-induced shrinkage (under conditions of cyclic and non-cyclic electron flow) at concentrations which completely inhibited cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) reduction, though ferricyanide reduction was activated. Although PMA inhibited NADP reduction (probably because this sulfhydryl reagent interfered with the ferredoxin-NADP rednetase) it ean also be considered an uncoiipler (when ferricyanide is the electron acceptor).
• 2) Phosphate maximized light-induced shrinkage (under conditions of cyclic and non cyclic electron flow) at concentrations which did not affect ferricyanide reduction but caused a 40 to 50 per cent inhibition of NADP reduction.
• 3) The pattern of the light scattering response to these two compounds was quite different. In the presence of PMA, the forward (light on) and hack (light off) reactions went to completion rapidly. In the presence of phosphate, the back reaction was rapid but, in the light-induced reaction, three phases were discernible.
• 4) Compared with uncouplers such as NH₄Cl, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone, pentachlorophenol, and dicoumarol, all of which inhibited both photophosphorylation and conformational changes in chloroplasts, PMA (like quinacrine) had a specific action since it inhibited photophosphorylation while shrinkage was stimulated.
• 5) It appeared that PMA acted at a site beyond the formation of high energy inter-mediates and that, in the absence of photophosphorylation, more energy was diverted to mechanical work (shrinkage). It would seem that, in a cyclic electron flow system, in which ATP synthesis is blocked at a late step (e.g. by PMA), shrinkage may be an indirect method for measuring electron flow.

     

Constitutive expression of the SAP1 gene from willow (Salix discolor) causes early flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana

SAP1-1 and SAP1-2 were isolated from the male reproductive buds of willow (Salix discolor, clone S365). SAP1-1 differs from SAP1-2 based on a few nucleotide substitutions, but the sizes of their full-length cDNAs are identical. The deduced amino acid sequences of SAP1-1 and SAP1-2 were 98% similar and contain the same C-terminal amino acid motif “GYGA” like that of PTAP1-2 from Populus trichocarpa. The expression patterns of SAP1 in various parts of the male reproductive buds of S. discolor implicate this gene in the formation of the inflorescence meristems, bracts, and floral meristems. To characterize the functions of SAP1, we assessed Arabidopsis thaliana transformed with 35S∷SAP1-1. A total of 52 transgenic T₁ lines were obtained, and a 3:1 segregation ratio was obtained in the T₂ generation of each line. In the T₃ generation, five homozygous transgenic lines were obtained, which were used for further analysis. Screening of transgenic lines was greatly facilitated by the detection of GFP expression starting with germinating seeds. Phenotypes of the homozygous transgenic lines included early flowering, conversion of inflorescence branches to solitary flowers, formation of terminal flowers, and formation of flowers with greater number of petals, stamens, and pistils. Northern analysis showed similar expression levels in all five lines. This study provides the first functional analysis of an APETALA1 (AP1)/SQUAMOSA (SQUA) homolog from a dioecious species and suggests that SAP1 is a homolog of the AP1/SQUA gene.     

Thylakoid-Bound Ascorbate Peroxidase in Spinach Chloroplasts and Photoreduction of Its Primary Oxidation Product Monodehydroascorbate Radicals in Thylakoids

Ascorbate peroxidase, a key enzyme for the scavenging of hydrogenperoxide in chloroplasts, was found in a thylakoid-bound formin spinach chloroplasts at comparable activity to that in thestroma. The activity of peroxidase was detectable in the thylakoidsonly when prepared by an ascorbate-containing medium, and enrichedin the stroma thylakoids. The thylakoid enzyme was not releasedfrom the membranes by either 2 mM EDTA, 1 M KCl, 2 M NaBr or2 M NaSCN, but was solubilized by detergents. Enzymatic propertiesof the thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidase were very similarto those of the stromal ascorbate peroxidase. Thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidase could scavenge the hydrogenperoxide either added or photoproduced by the thylakoids. Nophotoreduction of hydrogen peroxide was observed, however, inthe thylakoids whose ascorbate peroxidase was inhibited by KCNand thiol reagents or inactivated by the treatment with ascorbate-depletion.The primary oxidation product of ascorbate in a reaction ofascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate (MDA) radical, wasphotoreduced in the thylakoids, as detected by the quenchingof chlorophyll fluorescence, disappearance of EPR signals ofthe MDA radicals and the MDA radical-induced oxygen evolution.Thus, ascorbate is photoregenerated in the thylakoids from theMDA radicals produced in a reaction of ascorbate peroxidasefor the scavenging of hydrogen peroxide. (Received March 26, 1992; Accepted April 22, 1992)     

cDNA Cloning of Thylakoid-Bound Ascorbate Peroxidase in Pumpkin and Its Characterization

A cDNA for thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidase of pumpkin wascloned and characterized. Thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidasehad a high similarity to cytosolic ascorbate peroxidases, andthe precursor contained a transit peptide to chloroplasts atits ammo-terminus and a putative membrane-spanning region atits carboxy-terminus. (Received February 23, 1996; Accepted March 25, 1996)     

Delayed Fluorescence and Ultraweak Light Emission from Isolated Chloroplasts (Comparison of Emission Spectra and Concentration Dependence)

The ultraweak light emission of isolated chloroplasts (Hidegand Inaba (1991) Photochem. Photobiol. 52: 137) was investigatedin comparison to delayed light emission. We compared the concentrationdependence and the spectral distribution of the light emittedfrom isolated chloroplasts stored in the dark for 10 s, 2 min(delayed light emission), 4 and 10 h (ultraweak light emission),respectively. In samples with low chlorophyll concentration, spectra of allemission phenomena were maximal at 685–695 nm, but spectraof ultraweak light, especially that of long term (10 h) emission,were broader in the 700–800 nm region than spectra ofdelayed light, indicating emission from a bigger variety ofchlorophyll molecules. The intensity of delayed light and short term (4 h) ultraweaklight exhibited a simple, saturating exponential dependenceon chlorophyll concentration, while long term (10 h) ultraweaklight emission was best described as a saturating exponentialcontaining a quadratic function of the concentration. This differencesuggests that long term ultraweak light emission is broughtabout by reactions distinct from the earlier described mechanismof electron transport related dark photoemission. (Received November 15, 1991; Accepted May 18, 1992)     

Light-Dependent Uptake of Pyruvate by Mesophyll Chloroplasts of a C4 Plant, Panicum miliaceum L.

Light-dependent active uptake of pyruvate was reported in mesophyllchloroplasts of a C₄ plant, Panicum miliaceum [Ohnishi and Kanai(1987) Plant Cell Physiol. 28: 1]. The present study tried toclarify the energy source of this active uptake. Preilluminationof the mesophyll chloroplasts increased over tenfold their pyruvateuptake in the light and dark. This indicates that light itselfis not essential for the enhancement. The pyruvate uptake capacity(the initial uptake rate) of the mesophyll chloroplasts increasedon illumination and reached a steady-state level after a fewminutes; this rise was faster under higher light intensities.When the chloroplasts were returned to darkness, the uptakecapacity decayed with a half-life of about 1 min; this was independentof the light intensity of preillumination. Illumination of thechloroplasts also increased the stromal pH from about 7 to 8and the stromal ATP level from about 5 to 15–25 nmol.(mg chl)^–1. The change of the former during dark-to-lightand light-to-dark transitions occurred within 2 to 5 min, whilethe change of the latter took place much faster within 1 min.The steady-state levels of the pyruvate uptake capacity andstromal pH were saturated at a light intensity of 3 µE.m^–2.s^–1,while the ATP level increased with a further increase in thelight intensity. The former two parameters also showed similarsensitivity to the inhibition by carbonylcyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone,while a higher concentration of the inhibitor was needed toreduce the ATP level. Nitrite at 4 mM inhibited the light-dependentpyruvate uptake and stromal alkalization but had little effecton the stromal ATP level, while 2 mM arsenate decreased thestromal ATP without significant effects on pyruvate uptake andstromal pH. The good correlation of pyruvate uptake and stromalpH suggests that the active pyruvate uptake by the mesophyllchloroplasts is primarily driven by the pH gradient across theenvelope. (Received August 15, 1986; Accepted December 8, 1986)     

Biogenic Isoprene (A Review)

Biogenic isoprene was discovered in the mid-1950s as a component of volatile substances emitted from leaves. In plant species emitting isoprene under illumination, this process is closely related to photosynthesis. Thus, a photobiological phenomenon termed isoprene effect or isoprene emission (IE) was discovered. Subsequent studies showed that leaves are capable of releasing isoprene also in darkness, though at a rate two orders of magnitude lower than that in illuminated leaves. It is presently known that the isoprene is emitted not by all plant species from various taxonomic groups, whereas the dark release of isoprene occurs in cells of all living organisms. This review presents a brief historical account of studies dealt with IE. A special emphasis is placed on the roles of light as an energy source and of CO₂ as a carbon source; these factors create the energy–metabolite flow that runs through the green photosynthesizing cell. The data available suggest that IE can be considered as a manifestation of excretory function of the leaf. An attempt is made to describe IE from the standpoint of thermodynamics of irreversible processes. It is shown that the cell represents a dissipative structure whose organization and stability is provided by irreversible processes running far from equilibrium. General view on isoprene emission is that it results from regulated conversions of carbon and free energy in a series of photosynthetic reactions under stressful conditions caused by CO₂ deficit inside illuminated autotrophic cells. This stress generates the energy overflow, far in excess of the energy-consuming capacity. The necessity of discharging this energy excess is dictated by the fact that the living cell is a dissipative structure.     

Characterization and Expression of a Phytochelatin Synthase Gene in Birch-leaf Pear (Pyrus betulaefolia Bunge)

Phytochelatins play a major role in metal detoxification in plants. However, the molecular mechanisms of heavy metal detoxification remain unknown, and birch-leaf pear genes related to metal detoxification have not yet been identified. Here, we report the isolation of cDNA and genomic DNA sequences encoding a phytochelatin synthase (PCS) from birch-leaf pear (Pyrus betulaefolia Bunge). The PbPCS1 cDNA sequence contained 1,965 nucleotides of a 1,494?bp open reading frame (ORF), which encodes a 497-amino-acid protein with a molecular weight of 55.00?kDa. Its corresponding genomic DNA sequence consists of 3,820 nucleotides and eight?exons separated by seven?introns. The deduced amino acid sequence of PbPCS1 contains five Cys residues (56, 90, 91, 109 and 113 amino acids) that are highly conserved in the plant PCS1 family, and 12 cysteine residues putatively involved in heavy metal binding sites, which included three adjacent Cys?CCys components (331?C332, 351?C352 and 369?C370 amino acids) in the C-terminal variable domain. Homology analysis of the deduced PbPCS1 amino acid sequence revealed that it shares a high sequence similarity amongst N-terminal amino acids and low similarity with C-terminal amino acids with plant PCS1 proteins deposited with NCBI. PbPCS1 was most related to PCS1 from legume plants Lotus japonicus (GenBank accession no. AAT80342) and soybean (Glycine max L.; AAL78384) as they were clustered into the same clade in a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) expression analysis revealed that PbPCS1 had a very low basal expression level in untreated whole seedlings, and levels were higher in roots than in leaves and stems. After 24?h of exposure to 20???M CdSO₄, CuSO₄ or ZnSO₄, PbPCS1 expression increased significantly in different organs. In addition, L-buthionine-sulfo-ximine (BSO) can inhibit PbPCS1 expression in roots, stems and leaves, while L-glutathionereduced (GSH) stimulates PbPCS1 expression in different organs of birch-leaf pear.     

Purification and Partial Characterization of a Genetically-Defined Superoxide Dismutase (SOD-1) Associated with Maize Chloroplasts

The chloroplast-associated form of superoxide dismutase from maize (Zea mays L.) (SOD-1) has been purified by a stepwise procedure consisting of (NH₄)₂SO₄ fractionation, G-100 Sephadex gel filtration, DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, and hydroxylapatite chromatography. This procedure resulted in a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels indicating that the preparation is homogeneous. The holoenzyme molecular weight was estimated at 31,000 to 33,000 by gel filtration. The subunit molecular weight of this dimeric protein was estimated at 14,500 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Studies involving amino acid composition analysis, immunological cross-reactivity, in vitro subunit hybridizations, and H₂O₂ sensitivity indicate that SOD-1 differs significantly from SOD-2 and SOD-4, the other cupro-zinc forms of SOD from maize. The possible physiological role of SOD-1 within the chloroplast is discussed.     

Delayed Onset of Isoprene Emission in Developing Velvet Bean (Mucuna sp.) Leaves

Isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) is one of the major volatile hydrocarbons emitted by plants, but its biosynthetic pathway and role in plant metabolism are unknown. Mucuna sp. (velvet bean) is an isoprene emitter, and leaf isoprene emission rate increased as much as 125-fold as leaves developed, and declined in older leaves. Net CO₂ assimilation and stomatal conductance, under different growth and environmental conditions, increased 3 to 5 days prior to an increase in isoprene emission rate, indicating that photosynthetic competence develops before significant isoprene emission occurs.