Molecular cloning and functional characterization of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from liverwort Plagiochasma appendiculatum

Liverworts are rich in phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and the distinctive type of bisbibenzyls. The biosynthesis of both types of compounds is believed to involve the phenylpropanoid pathway. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is thought to be the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of bisbibenzyls and flavonoids in liverworts. In this study, PAL (designated as PaPAL) was cloned and characterized from both the cDNA and genomic DNA of the liverwort Plagiochasma appendiculatum. The full-length cDNA sequence contains 2,202 bp and is predicted to encode a protein with 733 amino acids. Sequence alignment showed that PaPAL’s predicted amino acid sequence shares more than 70 % identity with PAL sequences reported in public databases. The recombinant protein was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and exhibited high PAL activity, catalyzing the conversion of l-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid. However, the enzyme exhibited lower activity in catalyzing the formation of p-coumaric acid from l-tyrosine. Additionally, when the thallus of P. appendiculatum was treated with abiotic stress inducers methyl jasmonate and abscisic acid, PaPAL expression was enhanced, thereby augmenting bisbibenzyl formation. These results suggest that PaPAL plays a key role in the early steps of bisbibenzyl biosynthesis and that abiotic stress can stimulate the expression of PaPAL, resulting in the accumulation of bisbibenzyls in the plant.     

Cloning and characterisation of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene from Rhus chinensis

Key message

The gene and cDNA sequence encoding PAL from Chinese medicinal plant Rhus chinensis were cloned and analyzed, furthermore the biochemical properties, kinetic parameters, differential expression and key sites were studied.

Abstract

Rhus chinensis is a well-known Chinese medicinal plant. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first enzyme of phenylpropanoid pathway. Several recent studies suggested that PAL also play an important role in plant–aphid interaction. In this study, both the cDNA and the genomic sequence encoding PAL from Rhus chinensis (designated as RcPAL) were cloned and analyzed. The 3,833 bp gene contained a 1,342 bp intron and two extrons. The ORF was 2,124 bp and predicted to encode a 707-amino acid polypeptide. The results of real-time PCR showed that RcPAL expressed in all tested tissues and followed the order: stems > young leaves > petioles > roots > seeds > mature leaves. RcPAL was successfully expressed in E. coli with the pET-28a-RcPAL recombinant vector. The recombinant protein exhibited a high level of PAL activity. Biochemical properties and kinetic parameters of recombinant RcPAL were further studied. The results showed that the optimal temperature and pH for RcPAL activity were 45 °C and 9.0, and the K _m and K _cat values were 7.90 mM and 52.31 s^?1, respectively. The active sites and substrate selectivity site were also investigated with site-directed mutagenesis methods, suggesting that Phe¹²⁶ is responsible for the substrate selectivity. To our knowledge, this was the first full-length PAL gene cloned and characterized from the family Anacardiaceae so far.     

独一味苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因的克隆与表达分析

以独一味叶片为材料,采用RT-PCR和RACE方法克隆了独一味苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因（PAL）的全长cDNA,命名为LrPAL基因。测序结果表明,LrPA L基因全长2 298 bp,含有1个2 145 bp的完整开放阅读框（ORF）,编码714个氨基酸。蛋白序列分析表明,其包含典型的PAL活性中心序列（GTITASGDLVPLSYIA）,与其他植物的PAL蛋白有很高的同源性。系统进化树分析表明,独一味LrPAL与唇形科植物的PAL蛋白聚为一类,说明两者的亲缘关系较近。用 Real-Time PCR方法检测发现,LrPAL基因在独一味的叶中表达量最高,茎中表达量最少。研究结果推测,从独一味中克隆获得的苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因（LrPAL）是典型的PAL家族成员,在独一味各组织发育过程中具有重要功能。     

Cloning, expression and characterization of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis

The industrial-scale production of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) mainly uses strains of Rhodotorula. However, the PAL gene from Rhodotorula has not been cloned. Here, the full-length gene of PAL from Rhodotorula glutinis was isolated. It was 2,121 bp, encoding a polypeptide with 706 amino acids and a calculated MW of 75.5 kDa. Though R. glutinis is an anamorph of Rhodosporium toruloides, the amino acid sequences of PALs them are not the same (about 74 % identity). PAL was expressed in E. coli and characterized. Its specific activity was 4.2 U mg^?1 and the k _cat/K _m was 1.9 × 10⁴ mM^?1 s^?1, exhibiting the highest catalytic ability among the reported PALs. The genetic and biochemical information reported here should facilitate future application in industry.     

宁夏枸杞苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因的cDNA克隆及其表达分析

为探讨宁夏枸杞(Lycium barbarum)苯丙氨酸解氨酶基因(LbPAL)的表达特征,采用PCR法克隆了宁夏枸杞LbPAL基因的cDNA,并用实时定量PCR法分析了其表达特征。结果表明:宁夏枸杞的LbPAL基因的全长cDNA为2321 bp,包含2163 bp、编码720个氨基酸的开放阅读框;LbPAL与茄科其他物种的PAL氨基酸序列及三维结构具有较高保守性;与茄科物种的PAL聚类在同一个分支中。LbPAL在叶、花瓣、S1期果实的表达量较高,而在根及S2~S5期果实的表达水平较低。在NaCl胁迫处理下,LbPAL在根和茎中的表达量均有下调的趋势;而在叶片中,LbPAL表达量先急剧增加而后急剧下降并趋于稳定。这为解析宁夏枸杞中类黄酮化合物的生物合成调节及生理功能提供了参考。     

Molecular characterization of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene (BoPAL1) from Bambusa oldhamii

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase is the first enzyme of general phenylpropanoid pathway. A PAL gene, designated as BoPAL1, was cloned from a Bambusa oldhamii cDNA library. The open reading frame of BoPAL1 was 2,139 bp in size and predicted to encode a 712-amino acid polypeptide. BoPAL1 was the first intronless PAL gene found in angiosperm plant. Several putative cis-acting elements such as P box, GT-1motif, and SOLIPs involved in light responsiveness were found in the 5??-flanking sequence of BoPAL1 which was obtained by TAIL-PCR method. Recombinant BoPAL1 protein expressed in Pichia pastoris was active. The optimum temperature and pH for BoPAL1 activity was 50°C and 9.0, respectively. The molecular mass of recombinant BoPAL1 was estimated as 323 kDa using gel filtration chromatography and the molecular mass of full-length BoPAL was about 80 kDa, indicating that BoPAL1 presents as a homotetramer. The K _m and k _cat values of BoPAL1 for L-Phe were 1.01 mM and 10.11 s^?1, respectively. The recombinant protein had similar biochemical properties with PALs reported in other plants.     

Indoleamines and phenylpropanoids modify development in the bryophyte <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plagiomnium cuspidatum</Emphasis> (Hedw.) T.J. Kop

An efficient method for in vitro propagation of the bryophyte moss Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Hedw.) T.J. Kop is presented. Protocol optimization investigated media salt strength (quarter, third, or half-strength Murashige and Skoog; MS), sugar concentration (1 to 3% (w/v) sucrose), growth regulator content (presence of benzylaminopurine (BA) at 0–5 μM and napthaleneacetic acid (NAA) at 0–5 μM), and the addition of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis inhibitor 2-aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid (AIP). Optimal media composition was determined to be half-strength MS with 2% (w/v) sucrose and 0.1 μM NAA. This method was then utilized to examine the effects of modified phenylpropanoid metabolism via application of AIP, an inhibitor of the first dedicated enzyme in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). Treatment with AIP greatly reduced tissue browning and initiation of branching in P. cuspidatum and resulted in prolific production of straw to pale green-colored rhizoids. Treatment of plants with AIP in combination with the biosynthetic product of PAL, trans-cinnamic acid, was not able to fully recover the branching or browning phenotype, but several other phenolics, including p-coumaric acid and kaempferol, produced farther downstream in the biosynthetic pathway, were capable of partial recovery of the phenotype. Additionally, treatment with two indoleamines, melatonin and its biosynthetic precursor N-acetylserotonin, was also capable of partial recovery of the phenotype, showing greatly increased branching and increased browning of rhizoids. These results suggest that cross talk between phenylpropanoid and indoleamine metabolism is involved in bryophyte growth and development, beyond their traditional roles, leading to modified developmental outcomes.     

Molecular cloning and expression of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 gene in Hu sheep

17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17β-HSD2) catalyzes the NADP+-dependent oxidation of the most potent estrogen 17β-estradiol into the weak estrogen estrone, and the conversion of testosterone to androstenedione. It has been reported that 17β-HSD2 was expressed in many tissues in human, rats, however, the full-length sequence of 17β-HSD2 gene and its expression in ewe were still unknown. In this study, we cloned the full-length cDNA sequence and investigated mRNA differential expression in 28 tissues of 12 adult Hu-Sheep which were fed with high- and low- dietary intake. The 1,317 bp full-length cDNA sequence was first cloned. The coding region was 1,167 bp in length, and the monomer was estimated to contain 389 amino acid residues. It shares high AA sequence identity with that of bos Taurus (96.13 %), sus scrofa (77.06 %), canis lupus familiaris (70.44 %), Callithrix jacchus (65.72 %), Nomascus leucogenys (65.46 %), pan troglodytes (65.21 %), human (64.69 %), mus musculus (58.35 %), and a comparatively lower identity to danio rerio (37.85 %). 17β-HSD2 gene was high expressed in gastrointestinal (GI) tract, liver, but weakly expressed in other tissues. No detected expression was examined in lung. 17β-HSD2 gene expression was significantly difference in rumen, omasum, duodenum, cecum, hypophysis after high- and low- dietary intake. Results from the present study suggested that 17β-HSD2 plays a crucial role in almost all tissues protecting against excessive levels of active steroid hormone, and GI tract maybe an important steroid hormone metabolizing organ in Hu-Sheep. This present study is the first to provide the primary foundation for further insight into this ovine gene.     

cDNA cloning, characterization and expression analysis of peroxiredoxin 5 gene in the ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda

Peroxiredoxin is a superfamily of antioxidative proteins that play important roles in protecting organisms against the toxicity of reactive oxygen species. In this study, a full-length of peroxiredoxin 5 (designated EcPrx5) cDNA was cloned from the ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda by using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) approaches. The full-length cDNA of the EcPrx5 was of 827 bp, containing a 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of 14 bp, a 3′ UTR of 228 bp with a poly (A) tail, and an open reading frame of 585 bp encoding a polypeptide of 194 amino acids with the predicted molecular weight of 20.83 kDa and estimated isoelectric point of 7.62. BLAST analysis revealed that amino acids of EcPrx5 shared 89, 68, 66, 65, 53 and 51 % identity with that of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Megachile rotundata, Harpegnathos saltator, Acromyrmex echinatior, Danio rerio, and Homo sapiens counterparts, respectively. The conserved Prx domain and the signature of peroxiredoxin catalytic center identified in EcPrx5 suggested that EcPrx5 belonged to the atypical 2-Cys Prx subgroup. Real time quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that EcPrx5 could be detected in all the tested tissues with highest expression level in hepatopancreas. As time progressed, the expression level of EcPrx5 both in hemocytes and hepatopancreas increased in the first 6 h after Vibrio anguillarum and white spot syndrome virus challenge, and showed different expression profiles. The results indicated that EcPrx5 involved in immune response against bacterial and viral infection in E. carinicauda.     

RING box protein-1 gene involved in flagellar disassembly of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dunaliella salina</Emphasis>

Ring box protein-1 (RBX1), also called Regulator of Cullins-1 (ROC1), is a key component of SCF (Skp-1, cullins, F-box proteins) E3 ubiquitin ligases, which regulate diverse cellular processes by targeting protein substrates for degradation. Although RBX1 plays an important role in ubiquitination machinery of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, studies on the RBX1 have not been involved in the unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina. In this study, a full-length RBX1 cDNA fragment of 817 bp was cloned using rapid amplification of cDNA end (RACE) technique. The full-length sequence contained an open reading frame of 411 bp encoding 136 amino acids. The predicted protein had a molecular molar mass of 14.8 kDa and pI of 5.9 with a high degree of homology to RBX1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (92 %). Recombinant RBX1 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 and was purified and characterized. The apparent molecular mass of the recombinant protein was approximately 17 kDa, and the optimal induction time and concentration were 3 h and 0.1 mmol/L IPTG, respectively. The predicted 3D structures of RBX1 proteins contained RING-H2 finger domain including “Cys59-X2-Cys62-X30-Cys93-X1-His95-X2-His98-X2-Cys101-X10-Cys112-X2-Cys115.” The expression of RBX1 protein was increased by 132 % during flagellar disassembly and decreased by 76 % during flagellar assembly of D. salina. The expression of RBX1 mRNA had a similar tendency with the expression of RBX1 protein. The results indicated that RBX1 responded to flagellar disassembly of D. salina.