The binding protein BiP attenuates stress-induced cell death in soybean via modulation of the N-rich protein-mediated signaling pathway

N-rich protein (NRP)-mediated cell death signaling: a new branch of the ER stress response with implications for plant biotechnology

Upon disruption of ER homeostasis, plant cells activate at least two branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR) through IRE1-like and ATAF6-like transducers, resulting in the upregulation of ER-resident molecular chaperones and the activation of the ER-associated degradation protein system. Here, we discuss a new ER stress response pathway in plants that is associated with an osmotic stress response in transducing a cell death signal. Both ER and osmotic stress induce the expression of the novel transcription factor GmERD15, which binds and activates N-rich protein (NRP) promoters to induce NRP expression and cause the upregulation of GmNAC6, an effector of the cell death response. In contrast to this activation mechanism, the ER-resident molecular chaperone binding protein (BiP) attenuates the propagation of the cell death signal by modulating the expression and activity of components of the ER and osmotic stress-induced NRP-mediated cell death signaling. This interaction attenuates dehydration-induced cell death and promotes a better adaptation of BiP-overexpressing transgenic lines to drought.

The soluble proteome of tobacco Bright Yellow-2 cells undergoing H₂O₂-induced programmed cell death

Plant programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled process that plays an important role in development and stress responses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key inducers of PCD. The addition of 50 mM H₂O₂ to tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (TBY-2) cell cultures induces PCD. A comparative proteomic analysis of TBY-2 cells treated with 50 mM H₂O₂ for 30 min and 3 h was performed. The results showed early down-regulation of several elements in the cellular redox hub and inhibition of the protein repair-degradation system. The expression patterns of proteins involved in the homeostatic response, in particular those associated with metabolism, were consistently altered. The changes in abundance of several cytoskeleton proteins confirmed the active role of the cytoskeleton in PCD signalling. Cells undergoing H₂O₂-induced PCD fail to cope with oxidative stress. The antioxidant defence system and the anti-PCD signalling cascades are inhibited. This promotes a genetically programmed cell suicide pathway. Fifteen differentially expressed proteins showed an expression pattern similar to that previously observed in TBY-2 cells undergoing heat shock-induced PCD. The possibility that these proteins are part of a core complex required for PCD induction is discussed.