Microtubules and the tax payer

Proteomic and Biochemical Approaches Elucidate the Role of Millimeter-Wave Irradiation in Wheat Growth under Flooding Stress

Flooding impairs wheat growth and considerably affects yield productivity worldwide. On the other hand, irradiation with millimeter waves enhanced the growth of chickpea and soybean under flooding stress. In the current work, millimeter-wave irradiation notably enhanced wheat growth, even under flooding stress. To explore the protective mechanisms of millimeter-wave irradiation on wheat under flooding, quantitative proteomics was performed. According to functional categorization, proteins whose abundances were changed significantly with and without irradiation under flooding stress were correlated to glycolysis, reactive-oxygen species scavenging, cell organization, and hormonal metabolism. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that fructose-bisphosphate aldolase and β tubulin accumulated in root and leaf under flooding; however, even in such condition, their accumulations were recovered to the control level in irradiated wheat. The abundance of ascorbate peroxidase increased in leaf under flooding and recovered to the control level in irradiated wheat. Because the abundance of auxin-related proteins changed with millimeter-wave irradiation, auxin was applied to wheat under flooding, resulting in the application of auxin improving its growth, even in such condition. These results suggest that millimeter-wave irradiation on wheat seeds improves the recovery of plant growth from flooding via the regulation of glycolysis, reactive-oxygen species scavenging, and cell organization. Additionally, millimeter-wave irradiation could promote tolerance against flooding through the regulation of auxin contents in wheat.

Mechanical stress effects on transcriptional regulation of genes encoding microtubule- and actin-associated proteins

Plant cytoskeleton regulation has been studied using a new approach based on both (1) pharmacological analysis of tubulin and actin inhibitors and (2) mechanical stimulation achieved by using a slow-rotating (2 rpm) clinostat in combination with transcriptional analysis of genes encoding TUA6, ACT2, MAP65-1, CLASP, PLDδ, FH4 and FH1 proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana seedling roots. The obtained data suggest feedback between the organization of microtubule (MT) and actin filament (AF) networks and the expression of the ACT2, TUA6, MAP65-1, CLASP and FH1/FH4 genes. Different regulation of feedback between MT/AF organization and TUA6, ACT2, MAP65-1, CLASP, FH4 and FH1 gene expression was noted during slow clinorotation, possibly due to altered mechanical impact on the cortical cytoskeleton. For the first time, the expression of the tubulin-associated gene MAP65-1 was shown to be dependent upon the organization of AFs. TUA6, MAP65-1, CLASP, FH1 and FH4 likely participate in mechanical signal transduction. Our work demonstrated that slow clinorotation is able to cause mechanical stress.

Transcriptome Analysis and Cell Morphology of Vitis rupestris Cells to Botryosphaeria Dieback Pathogen Diplodia seriata

Diplodia seriata, one of the major causal agents of Botryosphaeria dieback, spreads worldwide, causing cankers, leaf spots and fruit black rot in grapevine. Vitis rupestris is an American wild grapevine widely used for resistance and rootstock breeding and was found to be highly resistant to Botryosphaeria dieback. The defense responses of V. rupestris to D. seriata 98.1 were analyzed by RNA-seq in this study. There were 1365 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) annotated with Gene Ontology (GO) and enriched by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The DEGs could be allocated to the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and the plant–pathogen interaction pathway. Among them, 53 DEGs were transcription factors (TFs). The expression levels of 12 genes were further verified by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The aggregation of proteins on the plasma membrane, formation variations in the cytoskeleton and plasmodesmata and hormone regulations revealed a declined physiological status in V. rupestris suspension cells after incubation with the culture filtrates of D. seriata 98.1. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms in grapevine cells’ response to D. seriata 98.1, which will be valuable for the control of Botryosphaeria dieback.

Cell shape can be uncoupled from formononetin induction in a novel cell line from Callerya speciosa

It is the first time that formononetin produced by cell culture and its accumulation was shown to be triggered by specific stress signalling linked jasmonate pathway. Callerya speciosa, an endangered traditional Chinese medicine plant, is intensively used in traditional folk medicine. To develop sustainable alternatives for the overexploitation of natural resources, a suspension cell line was created from C. speciosa. Ingredients of C. speciosa, for instance the isoflavone formononetin, are formed during a peculiar swelling response of the root, which is considered as a quality trait for commercial application. A cell strain with elongated cells was obtained by using synthetic cytokinin 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) and synthetic auxin picloram. Both, picloram and 6-BA, promote cell division, whereas picloram was shown to be crucial for the maintenance of axial cell expansion. We addressed the question, whether the loss of axiality observed in the maturating root is necessary and sufficient for the accumulation of formononetin. While we were able to mimic a loss of axiality for cell expansion, either by specific combinations of 6-BA and picloram, or by treatment with the anti-microtubular compound oryzalin, formononetin was not detectable. However, formononetin could be induced by the stress hormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA), as well as by the bacterial elicitor flagellin peptide (flg22), but not by a necrosis inducing protein. Combined the fact that none of these treatments induced the loss of axiality, we conclude that formononetin accumulates in response to basal defence and unrelated with cell swelling.

mRNA-Sequencing Analysis Reveals Transcriptional Changes in Root of Maize Seedlings Treated with Two Increasing Concentrations of a New Biostimulant

Biostimulants are a wide range of natural or synthetic products containing substances and/or microorganisms that can stimulate plant processes to improve nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress, and crop quality ( http://www.biostimulants.eu/ , accessed September 27, 2017). The use of biostimulants is proposed as an advanced solution to face the demand for sustainable agriculture by ensuring optimal crop performances and better resilience to environment changes. The proposed approach is to predict and characterize the function of natural compounds as biostimulants. In this research, plant growth assessments and transcriptomic approaches are combined to investigate and understand the specific mode(s) of action of APR, a new product provided by the ILSA group (Arzignano, Vicenza). Maize seedlings (B73) were kept in a climatic chamber and grown in a solid medium to test the effects of two different combinations of the protein hydrolysate APR (A₁ and A_1/2). Data on root growth evidenced a significant enhancement of the dry weight of both roots and root/shoot ratio in response to APR. Transcriptomic profiles of lateral roots of maize seedlings treated with two increasing concentrations of APR were studied by mRNA-sequencing analysis (RNA-seq). Pairwise comparisons of the RNA-seq data identified a total of 1006 differentially expressed genes between treated and control plants. The two APR concentrations were demonstrated to affect the expression of genes involved in both common and specific pathways. On the basis of the putative function of the isolated differentially expressed genes, APR has been proposed to enhance plant response to adverse environmental conditions.

Suppression of tubulin detyrosination by parthenolide recruits the plant-specific kinesin KCH to cortical microtubules

Detyrosination of α-tubulin seems to be conserved in all eukaryotes. However, its biological function in plants has remained obscure. A conserved C-terminal tyrosine is removed by a still unidentified tubulin-tyrosine carboxypeptidase (TTC) and can be religated by a tubulin-tyrosine ligase (TTL). To obtain insight into the still elusive biological function of this detyrosination-tyrosination cycle, the effects of the TTC inhibitor parthenolide were analysed in BY-2 tobacco cells. Parthenolide caused a depletion of detyrosinated α-tubulin, whereas the level of tyrosinated tubulin was elevated. This biochemical effect was accompanied by growth inhibition in cycling BY-2 cells and alteration of microtubule-dependent events that define division and expansion geometry such as cell plate alignment or axial expansion. Furthermore, parthenolide triggered an apoplastic alkalinization indicative of activation of defence-related calcium influx channels. At the same time, parthenolide promoted the association of the plant-specific kinesin KCH with cortical microtubules. These observations are integrated into a working model, where detyrosination acts as signal to modulate the binding of kinesin motors involved in structural and sensory functions of the microtubular cytoskeleton.

Tubulin marker line of grapevine suspension cells as a tool to follow early stress responses

Plant microtubules (MTs), in addition to their role in cell division and cell expansion, respond to various stress signals. To understand the biological function of this early response requires non-destructive strategies for visualization in cellular models that are highly responsive to stress signals. We have therefore generated a transgenic tubulin marker line for a cell line from the grapevine Vitis rupestris that readily responds to stress factors of defense-related and abiotic stresses based on a fusion of the green fluorescent protein with Arabidopsis β-tubulin 6. By a combination of spinning-disk confocal microscopy with quantitative image analysis, we could detect early and specific responses of MTs to defense-related and abiotic stress factors in vivo. We observed that Harpin Z (HrpZ), a bacterial elicitor that can trigger programmed cell death, rapidly eliminated radial MTs, followed by a slower depletion of the cortical array. Jasmonic acid (JA), in contrast, induced bundling of cortical MTs. Auxin reduced the thickness of cortical MTs. This effect followed a characteristic bell-shaped dose-dependency and could revert JA-induced bundling. Impeded cell expansion as a consequence of stress treatment or superoptimal auxin was linked with the appearance of intranuclear tubulin speckles. The early and stimulus-specific responses of MTs are discussed with respect to a function in processing or decoding of stress signals.

Gravity sensing, a largely misunderstood trigger of plant orientated growth

Gravity is a crucial environmental factor regulating plant growth and development. Plants have the ability to sense a change in the direction of gravity, which leads to the re-orientation of their growth direction, so-called gravitropism. In general, plant stems grow upward (negative gravitropism), whereas roots grow downward (positive gravitropism). Models describing the gravitropic response following the tilting of plants are presented and highlight that gravitropic curvature involves both gravisensing and mechanosensing, thus allowing to revisit experimental data. We also discuss the challenge to set up experimental designs for discriminating between gravisensing and mechanosensing. We then present the cellular events and the molecular actors known to be specifically involved in gravity sensing.

Effects of endogenous signals and Fusarium oxysporum on the mechanism regulating genistein synthesis and accumulation in yellow lupine and their impact on plant cell cytoskeleton

The aim of the study was to examine cross-talk interactions of soluble sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) and infection caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lupini on the synthesis of genistein in embryo axes of Lupinus luteus L.cv. Juno. Genistein is a free aglycone, highly reactive and with the potential to inhibit fungal infection and development of plant diseases. As signal molecules, sugars strongly stimulated accumulation of isoflavones, including genistein, and the expression of the isoflavonoid biosynthetic genes. Infection significantly enhanced the synthesis of genistein and other isoflavone aglycones in cells of embryo axes of yellow lupine with high endogenous sugar levels. The activity of β-glucosidase, the enzyme that releases free aglycones from their glucoside bindings, was higher in the infected tissues than in the control ones. At the same time, a very strong generation of the superoxide anion radical was observed in tissues with high sugar contents already in the initial stage of infection. During later stages after inoculation, a strong generation of semiquinone radicals was observed, which level was relatively higher in tissues deficient in sugars than in those with high sugar levels. Observations of actin and tubulin cytoskeletons in cells of infected embryo axes cultured on the medium with sucrose, as well as the medium without sugar, showed significant differences in their organization.

Actin marker lines in grapevine reveal a gatekeeper function of guard cells

Resistance to abiotic and biotic stress is a central topic for sustainable agriculture, especially in grapevine, one of the field crops with the highest economic output per acreage. As early cellular factors for plant defense, actin microfilaments (AF) are of high relevance. We therefore generated a transgenic actin marker line for grapevine by expressing a fusion protein between green fluorescent protein and the second actin-binding domain of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) fimbrin, AtFIM1. Based on this first cytoskeletal-marker line in grapevine, the response of AFs to phytopathogenic microorganisms could be followed in vivo. Upon inoculation with fluorescently labeled strains of phytopathogenic bacteria, actin responses were confined to the guard cells. In contrast, upon contact with zoospores of Plasmopara viticola, not only the guard cells, but also epidermal pavement cells, where no zoospores had attached responded with the formation of a perinuclear actin basket. Our data support the hypothesis that guard cells act as pacemakers of defense, dominating the responses of the remaining epidermal cells.

Effect of short-term cold stress on oxidative damage and transcript accumulation of defense-related genes in chickpea seedlings

Cold stress affects many plant physiological and biochemical components and induces cascades of alterations in metabolic pathways, amongst them the membrane fatty acid compositions, the activity of antioxidative enzymes and the regulation of gene expression. The present work aimed to characterize the changes of some of these factors in both cold acclimated (CA) and non-acclimated (NA) plants of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to identify the role of the acclimation process in adjusting plant responses to severe cold stress. The results showed an increase in the unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) ratio compared to saturated fatty acids, which was more obvious in CA plants. Defense enzymes had an important role in CA plants to create greater cold tolerance compared to NA ones in the cases of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities. During cold stress, a high transcription level of CaCAT and CaSOD genes was detected in CA plants, but a low transcription of CaLOX gene was observed in CA plants compared to NA plants, which might have prevented the decline of UFAs (confirmed by double bond index (DBI) data). Moreover, the transcription level of the Carubisco gene, as an energy producing agent, was higher in CA plants than in NA plants and the transcription of the Catubulin gene, as a crucial substance of cell cytoskeleton, showed a decreasing trend in both CA and NA plants, but this decline was greater in NA plants. These responses showed the possible targets of cold stress as chloroplast and signal transduction to balance stress programs. The above results indicate the crucial role of FA compositions in creating cold tolerance in susceptible chickpea plants with possible responsive components and the possible interactions in protein and transcript levels even in facing extreme cold stress.

Phosphorylation of a p38-like MAPK is involved in sensing cellular redox state and drives atypical tubulin polymer assembly in angiosperms

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) imbalance is a stressful condition for plant cells accompanied by dramatic changes in tubulin cytoskeleton. Here, evidence is provided that alterations in ROS levels directly interfere with the phosphorylation state of a p38-like MAPK in the angiosperms Triticum turgidum and Arabidopsis thaliana. Both oxidative stress generators and chemicals inducing ROS scavenging or decreasing ROS production resulted in the accumulation of a phospho-p46 protein similar to p38-MAPK. Importantly, the rhd2 A. thaliana mutants exhibited a remarkable increase in levels of phospho-p46. The presence of the p38-MAPK inhibitor SB203580 attenuated the response to ROS disturbance, prevented microtubule disappearance and resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of atypical tubulin polymers. Moreover, in roots treated simultaneously with substances inducing ROS overproduction and others resulting in low ROS levels, phospho-p46 levels and the organization of tubulin cytoskeleton were similar to controls. Collectively, our experimental data suggest, for the first time in plants, that p46 functions as a putative sensor of redox state, the activation of which initiates downstream signalling events leading to microtubule disruption and subsequent assembly of atypical tubulin polymers. Thus, p46 seems to participate in perception of ROS homeostasis disturbance as well as in cellular responses to redox imbalance.

The evolution and diversification of plant microtubule-associated proteins

Plant evolution is marked by major advances in structural characteristics that facilitated the highly successful colonization of dry land. Underlying these advances is the evolution of genes encoding specialized proteins that form novel microtubular arrays of the cytoskeleton. This review investigates the evolution of plant families of microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) through the recently sequenced genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Selaginella moellendorffii, Physcomitrella patens, Volvox carteri and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The families of MAPs examined are AIR9, CLASP, CRIPT, MAP18, MOR1, TON, EB1, AtMAP70, SPR2, SPR1, WVD2 and MAP65 families (abbreviations are defined in the footnote to Table 1). Conjectures are made regarding the evolution of MAPs in plants in relation to the evolution of multicellularity, oriented cell division and vasculature. Angiosperms in particular have high numbers of proteins that are involved in promotion of helical growth or its suppression, and novel plant microtubular structures may have acted as a catalyst for the development of novel plant MAPs. Comparisons of plant MAP gene families with those of animals show that animals may have more flexibility in the structure of their microtubule cytoskeletons than plants, but with both plants and animals possessing many MAP splice variants.

Microtubules, signalling and abiotic stress

Plant microtubules, in addition to their role in cell division and axial cell expansion, convey a sensory function that is relevant for the perception of mechanical membrane stress and its derivatives, such as osmotic or cold stress. During development, sensory microtubules participate in the mechanical integration of plant architecture, including the patterning of incipient organogenesis and the alignment with gravity-dependent load. The sensory function of microtubules depends on dynamic instability, and often involves a transient elimination of cortical microtubules followed by adaptive events accompanied by subsequent formation of stable microtubule bundles. It is proposed that microtubules, because of their relative rigidity in combination with their innate nonlinear dynamics, are pre-adapted for a function as mechanosensors and, in concert with the flexible actin filaments and the anisotropic cell wall, comprise a tensegral system that allows plant cells to sense geometry and to respond to fields of mechanical strains such that the load is minimized. Microtubules are proposed as elements of a sensory hub that decodes stress-related signal signatures, with phospholipase D as an important player.

α-tubulin is rapidly phosphorylated in response to hyperosmotic stress in rice and Arabidopsis

By using high-resolution two-dimensional PAGE followed by phosphoprotein-specific staining and peptide mass fingerprint analysis along with other assays, we found that α-tubulin is phosphorylated in response to hyperosmotic stress in rice and Arabidopsis. The onset of the phosphorylation response was as early as 2 min after hyperosmotic stress treatment, and a major proportion of α-tubulin was phosphorylated after 60 min in root tissues. However, the phosphorylated form of α-tubulin was readily dephosphorylated upon stress removal. The phosphorylation site was identified as Thr349 by comprehensive mutagenesis of serine/threonine residues in a rice α-tubulin isoform followed by evaluation in cultured cell protoplasts. This residue is located at the surface for the interaction with β-tubulin in polymerized α-β tubulin dimers and has been proposed to be directly involved in this interaction. Thus, α-tubulin phosphorylation was considered to occur on free tubulin dimers in response to hyperosmotic stress. The incorporation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-α-tubulin into cortical microtubules was completely inhibited in transgenic Arabidopsis when Thr349 was substituted with glutamate or aspartate. Using transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing GFP-α-tubulin, we found that hyperosmotic stress causes extensive cortical microtubule depolymerization. Microtubule-destabilizing treatments such as propyzamide or oryzalin and temperature stresses resulted in α-tubulin phosphorylation, whereas hyperosmotic stress-induced α-tubulin phosphorylation was partially inhibited by taxol, which stabilizes microtubules. These results and the three-dimensional location of the phosphorylation site suggested that microtubules are depolymerized in response to hyperosmotic stress via α-tubulin phosphorylation. Together, the results of the present study reveal a novel mechanism that globally regulates the microtubule polymerization.