Identification of the Product of ndhA Gene as a Thylakoid Protein Synthesized in Response to Photooxidative Treatment

A 76 amino acid sequence of NDH-A (the protein encoded by plastidndhA gene) from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was expressed asa fusion protein with rß-galactosidase in E. coli.The corresponding antibody generated in rabbits was used toinvestigate localization, expression and synthesis in vitroof NDH-A. NDH-A was identified as a 35 kDa polypeptide localizedin thylakoid membrane. Western blots shows a large increasein NDH-A levels when barley leaves were incubated under photooxidativeconditions, which was more pronounced in mature-senescent leavesthan in young leaves. Immunoprecipitation of the [³⁵S]methioninelabelled proteins, synthesized in vitro by isolated chloroplasts,demonstrated the synthesis in chloroplasts of the NDH-A 35 kDapolypeptide when barley leaves had been incubated under photooxidativeconditions. The results indicate that ndh genes may be involvedin the protection of chloroplasts against photooxidative stress,particularly in mature-senescent leaves. (Received November 13, 1995; Accepted February 5, 1996)     

Auxin and heat shock activation of a novel member of the calmodulin like domain protein kinase gene family in cultured alfalfa cells

A calmodulin like domain protein kinase (CPK) homologue wasidentified in alfalfa and termed MsCPK3. The full-length sequenceof cDNA encoded a 535 amino acid polypeptide with a molecularweight of 60.2 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence showed allthe conserved motifs that define other members of this kinasefamily, such as serine-threonine kinase domain, a junction regionand four potential Ca²⁺-binding EF sites. The recombinant MsCPK3protein purified from E. coli was activated by Ca²⁺and inhibitedby calmodulin antagonist (W-7) in in vitro phosphorylation assays.The expression of MsCPK3 gene increased in the early phase ofthe 2,4-D induced alfalfa somatic embryogenesis. Heat shockalso activated this gene while kinetin, ABA and NaCl treatmentdid not result in MsCPK3 mRNA accumulation. The data presentedsuggest that the new alfalfa CPK differs in stress responsesfrom the previously described homologues and in its potentialinvolvement in hormone and stress-activated reprogramming ofdevelopmental pathways during somatic embryogenesis. Key words: Medicago sativa, CPK, stress, 2,4-D, phosphorylation, somatic embryogenesis.     

死亡素与泛素在大肠杆菌中的高效融合表达

死亡素是由21个氨基酸残基组成的广谱抗菌肽。为了高效表达可溶性的死亡素,本研究利用递归式PCR（recursive PCR, rPCR）扩增了死亡素基因thanatin,并将其和家蝇Musca domestica泛素基因ubiquitin构成嵌合基因,克隆到表达载体pET-32a,再与硫氧还蛋白融合后构建表达载体pET-TRX-UBI-THA。将酶切和测序鉴定正确的质粒转化表达宿主菌BL21,经0.6 mmol/L IPTG诱导,TRX-UBI-THA融合蛋白得到了高效可溶性表达。SDS-PAGE和Western blot检测结果表明融合蛋白的分子量为28.9 kD,与预期的结果一致,表达量占菌体总蛋白的46％。Western blot分析结果显示融合蛋白能与Ni-NTA鏊合物特异性的结合,表明在融合蛋白的N-端带有6×His标签。利用C-端带有6×His标签的泛素C-端水解酶对融合蛋白进行切割,切割产物经Ni²⁺-NTA亲和柱和HPLC纯化（纯化量为5.4 mg/L）,Tricince-SDS-PAGE电泳得到单一的泛素蛋白条带。电喷雾质谱(ESI-MS)分析表明,纯化的泛素分子量为2.57 kD,与通过氨基酸预测的分子量完全一致。利用琼脂孔穴扩散法对泛素活性进行检测,结果显示纯化的泛素对大肠杆菌K12D31和金黄色葡萄球菌Staphylococcus aureus具有较强的活性抑制。本研究表明,利用泛素融合技术可以高效表达可溶性的死亡素。     

Glutamate 59 is critical for transport function of the amino acid cotransporter KAAT1

KAAT1 is a neutral amino acid transporter activated by K⁺ or by Na⁺ (9). The protein shows significant homology with members of the Na⁺/Cl^–-dependent neurotransmitter transporter super family. E59G KAAT1, expressed in Xenopus oocytes, exhibited a reduced leucine uptake [20–30% of wild-type (WT)], and kinetic analysis indicated that the loss of activity was due to reduction of V_max and apparent affinity for substrates. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that E59G KAAT1 has presteady-state and uncoupled currents larger than WT but no leucine-induced currents. Site-directed mutagenesis analysis showed the requirement of a negative charge in position 59 of KAAT1. The analysis of permeant and impermeant methanethiosulfonate reagent effects confirmed the intracellular localization of glutamate 59. Because the 2-aminoethyl methanethiosulfonate hydrobromid inhibition was not prevented by the presence of Na⁺ or leucine, we concluded that E59 is not directly involved in the binding of substrates. N-ethylmaleimide inhibition was qualitatively and quantitatively different in the two transporters, WT and E59G KAAT1, having the same cysteine residues. This indicates an altered accessibility of native cysteine residues due to a modified spatial organization of E59G KAAT1. The arginine modifier phenylglyoxal effect supports this hypothesis: not only cysteine but also arginine residues become more accessible to the modifying reagents in the mutant E59G. In conclusion, the results presented indicate that glutamate 59 plays a critical role in the three-dimensional organization of KAAT1. amino acid transport; structure/function; amino acid modifiers; Manduca sexta     

A Protein Encoded by din1, a Dark-Inducible and Senescence-Associated Gene of Radish, Can Be Imported by Isolated Chloroplasts and Has Sequence Similarity to Sulfide Dehydrogenase and Other Small Stress Proteins

In an attempt to isolate cDNA clones for dark-inducible chloroplastproteins, we screened a cDNA library which was prepared fromradish cotyledons by a two-step method. The source plants weregrown under continuous light for 14 d and kept in darkness for24 h. One of the selected clones, S2D12, corresponded to thedin1 gene which we previously reported as a dark-inducible,senescence-associated gene [Azumi and Watanabe (1991) PlantPhysiol. 95: 577]. A 22 kDa polypeptide was produced from thecDNA in an in vitro expression system in the presence of [³⁵S]methionine.This polypeptide was capable of being imported by isolated chloroplasts,processed to a smaller mature form and localized in the stromalfraction. As the amino acid sequence of the putative matureprotein has no homology to any known chloroplast protein, din1was suggested to be the first gene for a chloroplast proteinwhich is negatively controlled by light. The putative matureprotein has similarity to sulfide dehydrogenase from Wolinellasuccinogenes and other small stress proteins; glpE and pspEfrom Escherichia coli and hsp67B2 from Drosophila melanogaster. ¹ The nucleotide sequence data in this paper has been submittedto EMBL, GenBank and DDBJ Data Libraries under the acces sionnumber AB004242 ² Present address: The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research(RIKEN), 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, 351-01 Japan     

Effects of Some Amino Acid Analogues on the Uptake and Transport of K+ and Ca2+ in Wheat and Mung Bean Seedlings: II. UPTAKE AND TRANSLOCATION IN WHOLE SEEDLING PLANTS

The effects of some amino acid analogues (o-, m- and p-fluorophenylalanineand azetidine-2-carboxylic acid) on uptake of⁴²K and ⁴⁵Ca intothe roots and transport to the shoots of whole wheat and mungbean seedlings were measured. The effect of each analogue oneither K⁺ or Ca²⁺ movement could be placed into one of fourcategories: (1) No effect on either ion uptake or transport;(2) No effect on ion uptake, but a reduction in transport; (3)Similar reductions in ion uptake and transport; (4) A relativelygreater reduction in ion transport than in uptake. At leasttwo independent sites of protein involvement in ion movementwere required to account for all four types of analogue effectobserved; one site of protein involvement was probably at theplasmalemma of root cortex cells and the second site, involvinga protein that turned over more quickly, was within the stele.Some evidence was found that Ca²⁺ transport is a passive process.Light did not stimulate uptake. Key words: Triticum aestivum, Vigna radiata, Two pump hypothesis     

Mechanism of Action of Lycoricidinol, a Plant Growth Inhibitor Isolated from Lycoris radiata Herb.

We studied the action mechanism of lycoricidinol, a plant growthinhibitor isolated from Lycoris radiata Herb. Lycoricidinolinhibited protein synthesis in mung bean hypocotyls, but notRNA synthesis. Protein synthesis in Escherichia coli was notaffected by the inhibitor. Results of in vitro translation experimentswith the wheat germ system and the E. coli system indicatedthat lycoricidinol inhibited only eukaryotic but not prokaryotictranslation. Use of specific inhibitors of initiation and polypeptidechain elongation of polypeptide synthesis revealed that chainelongation was inhibited by lycoricidinol. ¹Permanent address: Department of Biology, Yonsei University,Seoul 120, Korea. (Received September 30, 1983; Accepted December 28, 1983)     

DNA sequence analysis of the recA genes from Proteus vulgaris, Erwinia carotovora, Shigella flexneri and Escherichia coli B/r

Summary The complete nucleotide sequences of therecA genes fromEscherichia coli B/r,Shigella flexneri, Erwinia carotovora andProteus vulgaris were determined. The DNA sequence of the coding region of theE. coli B/r gene contained a single nucleotide change compared with theE. coli K12 gene sequence whereas theS. flexneri gene differed at 7 residues. In both cases, the predicted proteins were identical in primary structure to theE. coli K12 RecA protein. The DNA sequences of the recA genes fromE. carotovora andP. vulgaris were 80% and 74% homologous, respectively, to theE. coli K12 gene. The predicted amino acid sequences of theE. carotovora andP. vulgaris RecA proteins were 91% and 85% identical respectively, to that ofE. coli K12. The RecA proteins from bothP. vulgaris andE. carotovora diverged significantly in sequence in the last 50 residues whereas they showed striking conservation throughout the first 300 amino acids which include an ATP-binding region and a subunit interaction domain. A putative LexA repressor binding site was localized upstream of each of the heterologous genes.     

Polysialic acid export in Escherichia coli K1: the role of KpsT, the ATP-binding component of an ABC transporter, in chain translocation

The polysialic acid (polySia) capsule of Escherichia coli K1is a key virulence determinant of the organism, allowing itto evade host defenses. The proteins necessary for expressionof the capsule are encoded by the 17 kb kps gene cluster. Thiscluster contains two genes, kpsM and kpsT, that are requiredfor polySia transport across the cytoplasmic membrane. KpsMis a hydrophobic integral inner membrane protein, while KpsTis a peripheral inner membrane protein that binds ATP. Theybelong to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) superfamily of transporters.To study the role of KpsT in polySia translocation, we usedPCR mutagenesis to isolate dominant negative mutations of plasniid-encodedkpsT. All mutations mapped to the same glutamic acid residueat position 150, adjacent to Walker motif B of KpsT. Wild-type(kps⁺) cells harboring one such allele, E150G, did not transportpolySia to the cell surface but accumulated intracellular polysaccharideand produced small colonies containing cells that grew as longfilaments. The E150G protein still bound ATP as shown by 8-azidoATPphotolabeling assays. We combined the E150G allele with eachof five mutations isolated previously in kpsT. Mutations thatdisrupt ATP-binding (K44E) or alter regions of the protein thoughtto interact with KpsM (G84D, S126F) suppressed the dominantnegative phenotype while mutations in the C-terminal portionof the protein (C163Y, H181Y) did not suppress. These studieshave allowed the development of a working model for the roleof KpsT in polySia chain translocation. ABC-transporter dominant negative mutation Escherichia coli Kl KpsT polysialic acid     

Genetic Engineering of the Processing Site of D1 Precursor Protein of Photosystem II Reaction Center in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The D1 protein (D1) of photosystem II (PSII) reaction centeris synthesized as a precursor (pD1) and then processed at itscarboxyl terminus to establish the function of water cleavage.The amino acid sequence of the carboxyl terminal extension excisedby this process is poorly conserved except for a residue afterthe cleavage site at position of 345. We have constructed avector for site-directed mutagenesis of the chloroplast psbAgene encoding D1 of the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.The vector enables one to transform the chloroplasts of a psbAdeletion mutant (Fud7) and directly select transformants forresistance to spectinomycin. Using this transforming vector,we have substituted Ser345 to Gly, Cys, Val and Phe in orderto investigate effects of the amino acid side chain at thisposition on the processing rate. All of the resulting transformantsexhibited the PSII activity as wild type and grew normally underphotoautotrophic conditions even under strong light where rapidturnover of Dl protein is expected to occur. Western blottinganalysis demonstrated that mature D1 accumulates in these transformantsat wild type level. Pulse and chase labeling of chloroplast-encodedproteins using [³⁵S]sulfate revealed that the processing ofD1 precursor protein occurs in all four transformants as efficientlyas in wild type, at least under the experimental conditionsexamined. The results suggest that either the amino acid sidechain at position of 345 (+1 position) is not crucial to theenzymatic cleavage of pD1 in vivo or the apparent rate of processingin vivo is not limited by the enzymatic cleavage. (Received September 22, 1995; Accepted December 25, 1995)     

Escherichia coli as an expression system for K(+) transport systems from plants

The value of theEscherichia coli expression system has long been establishedbecause of its effectiveness in characterizing the structure andfunction of exogenously expressed proteins. When eukaryotic membraneproteins are functionally expressed in E. coli, thisorganism can serve as an alternative to eukaryotic host cells. A fewexamples have been reported of functional expression of animal andplant membrane proteins in E. coli. This mini-review describes the following findings: 1) homologousK⁺ transporters exist in prokaryotic cells and ineukaryotic cells; 2) plant K⁺ transporters canfunctionally complement mutant K⁺ transporter genes inE. coli; and 3) membrane structures of plant K⁺ transporters can be elucidated in an E. colisystem. These experimental findings suggest the possibility ofutilizing the E. coli bacterium as an expression system forother eukaryotic membrane transport proteins.

     

Cloning of the Gene Encoding a Protochlorophyllide Reductase: the Physiological Significance of the Co-Existence of Light-Dependent and -Independent Protochlorophyllide Reduction Systems in the Cyanobacterium Plectonema boryanum

Cyanobacteria have two protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) reductasescatalyzing the conversion of Pchlide to chloro-phyllide, a keystep in the biosynthetic pathway of chlorophylls (Chls); a light-dependent(LPOR) and a light-independent (DPOR) reductase. We found anopen reading frame (ORF322) in a 2,131-bp EcoRI fragment fromthe genomic DNA of the cyanobacterium Plectonema boryanum. Becausethe deduced amino acid sequence showed a high similarity tothose of various plant LPORs and the LPOR activity was detectedin the soluble fraction of Esche-richia coli cells over-expressingthe ORF322 protein, ORF322 was defined as the por gene encodingLPOR in P. boryanum. A por-disrupted mutant, YFP12, was isolatedby targeted mutagenesiss to investigate the physiological importanceof LPOR. YFP12 grew as well as wild type under low light conditions(10-25 µE m^–2 S^–1). However, its growth wassignificantly retarded as a result of a significant decreasein its Chl content under higher light conditions (85-130 µEm^–2 s^–1). Furthermore, YFP12 stopped growing andsuffered from photobleaching under the highest light intensity(170 µE m^–2 s^–1). In contrast, a chlL-dis-rupted(DPOR-less) mutant YFC2 grew as well as wild type irrespectiveof light intensity. From these phenotypic characteristics, weconcluded that, although both LPOR and DPOR contribute to Chlsynthesis in the cells growing in the light, the extent of thecontribution by LPOR increases with increasing light intensity;without it, the cells are unable to grow under light intensitiesof more than 130 µ Em^–2s-^–. (Received September 26, 1997; Accepted November 21, 1997)     

Mobilization of Endosperm Reserves and Uptake of Sucrose and Valine by the Cotyledons of Euphorbia lathyris L.

Upon germination, the endosperm triacylglycerols and proteinswere converted to sucrose and amino acids. During early postgerminativegrowth, the rate of sucrose and amino acid production exceededthe rate of uptake by the cotyledons. As a result, the levelsof total amino acid and sucrose in the endosperm increased;maximum levels were reached at 7 d and 10 d after imbibition(DAI), respectively. Intact seedlings were used to measure thedevelopment of valine, arginine, glutamic acid, and sucroseuptake rate throughout the course of endosperm depletion. Maximumamino acid uptake rates were measured at around 9 DAI, the highestuptake rate for sucrose was obtained at 12 DAI (just beforedepletion of the endosperm). The daily increase of sucrose andamino acid uptake could be manipulated, by replacing the endospermwith a pre-incubation solution during 1 d. The increase in sucroseuptake in vitro was equal to that measured with intact seedlingswhen the cotyledons were pre-incubated in 10 mol m^–3 sucrose.Higher sucrose concentrations reduced the increase of sucroseuptake; at 300 mol m^–3 sucrose (corresponding to the meanendosperm sucrose concentration) sucrose uptake after pre-incubationwas even lower than before. This reduction was largely counteractedwhen the pre-incubation solution was supplemented with minerals.The development of the valine uptake was hardly affected bysucrose, but was inhibited by several amino acids. Key words: Euphorbia lathyris seedling, sucrose uptake, amino acid uptake, reserve mobilization     

The VANA glycopeptide resistance protein is related to d-alanyl-d-alanine ligase cell wall biosynthesis enzymes

Summary Inducible resistance to the glycopeptide antibiotics vancomycin and teicoplanin is mediated by plasmid pIP816 in Enterococcus faecium strain BM4147. Vancomycin induced the synthesis of a ca. 40 kDa membrane-associated protein designated VANA. The resistance protein was partially purified and its N-terminal sequence was determined. A 1761 by DNA restriction fragment of pIP816 was cloned into Escherichia coli and sequenced. When expressed in E. coli, this fragment encoded a ca. 40 kDa protein that comigrated with VANA from enterococcal membrane fractions. The ATG translation initiation codon for VANA specified the methionine present at the N-terminus of the protein indicating the absence of signal peptide processing. The amino acid sequence deduced from the sequence of the vanA gene consisted of 343 amino acids giving a protein with a calculated Mr of 37400. VANA was structurally related to the d-alanyl-d-alanine (d-ala-d-ala) ligases of Salmonella typhimurium (36% amino acid identity) and of E. coli (28%). The vanA gene was able to transcomplement an E. coli mutant with thermosensitive d-ala-d-ala ligase activity. Thus, the inducible resistance protein VANA was structurally and functionally related to cytoplasmic enzymes that synthesize the target of glycopeptide antibiotics. Based on these observations we discuss the possibility that resistance is due to modification of the glycopeptide target.     

Kinetics and Specificity of Amino Acid Uptake by the Duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden

Borstlap, A. G, Meenks, J. L. D., van Eck, W. F. and Bicker,J. T. E. 1986. Kinetics and specificity of amino acid uptakeby the duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden.—J.exp. Bot. 37: 1020–1035. Uptake of ¹⁴C-labelled amino acids by intact, axenically grownplants of Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden was investigated.Experiments in which uptake was measured from the decrease inthe amino acid concentration in the medium, indicated that saturableuptake conforms to the sum of two Michaelis-Menten terms, possiblycorresponding with a high-affinity and a low-affinity system.Further experiments with L-leucine, L-glutamic acid, and L-lysine,in which uptake was measured by assaying the amount of ¹⁴ inthe plants, showed the presence of a non-saturable componentin addition to the dual saturable uptake. Uptake of L-glutamic acid precipitously declined between pH4?0 and 6? and that of L-leucine between pH 4?0 and 8? whereasL-lysine uptake was optimal at pH 6?0. No evidence was foundthat the apparent high-affinity and low-affinity systems respondeddifferently to changes in external pH or to the addition ofCCCP. The non-saturable uptake component was not affected bychanges in external pH or by adding CCCP, and might have beendue to free space uptake. Mutual inhibition of uptake was found between acidic and neutralamino acids (L-leucine, L-methionine, L-glutamic acid) and betweenbasic amino acids (L-lysine, L-ornithine). The basic amino acidshad no effect on the uptake of L-leucine, L-methionine and L-glutamicacid, although the uptake of basic amino acids was inhibitedby glutaminc acid and several neutral amino acids. It is suggested that the duckweed has a high-affinity transportsystem for neutral and acidic amino acids, and a distinct high-affinitysystem for basic amino acids. It is argued that the first systemtransports zwitterionic amino acids (z-system), and that thesecond system transports cationic amino acids(y⁺-system). Thespecificity of the low-affinity system is less certain, butthere is some evidence that it is similar to that of their high-affinitycounterparts. Key words: Kinetics, membrane transport, pH-dependency, transport systems, uptake isotherms     

EFFECTS OF CHLORAMPHENICOL AND KINETIN ON UPTAKE AND INCORPORATION OF AMINO ACIDS BY TOBACCO LEAF DISKS

The effects of chloramphenicol and kinetin on uptake and incorporationof ³⁵S-methionine and some ₁₄C-amino acids have been investigatedin leaf-disks of Nicotiana rustica in light and dark. Chloramphenicolin a concentration of 1 mg per ml inhibits the uptake of aminoacids from 30 to 60 per cent compared with the water control.The incorporation of amino acids into bulk protein is stronglyinhibited in light (40 to 70 per cent), but only to a smalldegree in dark (10 to 20 per cent), as revealed also by ¹⁴CO₂-photosynthesisof the disks and following treatment with chloramphenicol indark. The stimulating effect of kinetin on uptake and incorporationof amino acids is dependent upon its concentration (10^–5to 10^–6 M ; but 10^–4 M solution inhibits stronglyboth uptake and incorporation). The stimulation seems to influencemore incorporation than uptake processes. Possible interactionsof chloramphenicol and kinetin in the protein metabolism oftobacco leaves have been discussed. (Received April 27, 1964; )     

Molecular Cloning of Plant Spermidine Synthases

Four cDNAs for spermidine synthase (SPDS), which converts thediamine putrescine to the higher polyamine spermidine usingdecarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine as the co-factor, were isolatedfrom Nicotiana sylvestris, Hyoscyamus niger, and Arabidopsisthaliana. When the N. sylvestris SPDS cDNA was expressed ina SPDS-deficient E. coli mutant, the recombinant protein showedhigh SPDS activity, but did not have any spermine synthase activity.The plant SPDSs have molecular masses of about 34 kDa, possessthe co-factor binding motifs which have been proposed for S-adenosylmethionine,and are more homologous in amino acid sequence to tobacco putrescineN-methyltransferase (PMT) than to SPDSs from mammals and E.coli. The SPDS gene is expressed in root, stem, and leaf inN. sylvestris, whereas the PMT gene is expressed only in root.The potential evolution of plant SPDS and PMT, and their evolutionaryrelationships with animal SPDS are discussed. (Received September 3, 1997; Accepted November 5, 1997)