Protease Inhibitors in Improvement of Plant Resistance to Pathogens and Insects

Identification and Characterization of a Trypsin Inhibitor from Fagopyrum tataricumSeeds

This study was aimed at investigating the purification and identification of serine protease inhibitors, F. tataricum trypsin inhibitor (FtTI) from tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) seeds. The FtTI was isolated by anion exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, and centrifugal ultrafiltration. Under reducing and nonreducing conditions, an SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the isolated protein consists of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of approximately 14 kDa. The two isoforms of FtTI were confirmed by the mass spectrometric profile where the two peaks corresponded to 11.487 and 13.838 kDa. The complete amino acid sequence of FtTI has been established by automatic Edman degradation and mass spectrometry. The molecule of FtTI consists of 86 amino acid residues containing two disulfide bonds which connect Cys8 to Cys65 and Cys49 to Cys58. The active site of FtTI contains an Asp66-Arg67 bond. The Ki value was calculated using the equation for slow tight binding inhibition which was 1.6 nM for trypsin. FtTI retained its inhibitory activity over a wide range of pH (3-10) and temperature (20-80 °C). FtTI can be rapidly inactivated by the combination of high temperature and high pressure. An analysis of the amino acid sequence suggests that FtTI is a member of the protease inhibitor Ι family. Furthermore, FtTI exhibited a strong inhibitory activity against phytopathogenic fungi.

Comprehensive meta-QTL analysis for dissecting the genetic architecture of stripe rust resistance in bread wheat

BACKGROUND

Yellow or stripe rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is an important disease of wheat that threatens wheat production. Since developing resistant cultivars offers a viable solution for disease management, it is essential to understand the genetic basis of stripe rust resistance. In recent years, meta-QTL analysis of identified QTLs has gained popularity as a way to dissect the genetic architecture underpinning quantitative traits, including disease resistance.

RESULTS

Systematic meta-QTL analysis involving 505 QTLs from 101 linkage-based interval mapping studies was conducted for stripe rust resistance in wheat. For this purpose, publicly available high-quality genetic maps were used to create a consensus linkage map involving 138,574 markers. This map was used to project the QTLs and conduct meta-QTL analysis. A total of 67 important meta-QTLs (MQTLs) were identified which were refined to 29 high-confidence MQTLs. The confidence interval (CI) of MQTLs ranged from 0 to 11.68 cM with a mean of 1.97 cM. The mean physical CI of MQTLs was 24.01 Mb, ranging from 0.0749 to 216.23 Mb per MQTL. As many as 44 MQTLs colocalized with marker-trait associations or SNP peaks associated with stripe rust resistance in wheat. Some MQTLs also included the following major genes- Yr5, Yr7, Yr16, Yr26, Yr30, Yr43, Yr44, Yr64, YrCH52, and YrH52. Candidate gene mining in high-confidence MQTLs identified 1,562 gene models. Examining these gene models for differential expressions yielded 123 differentially expressed genes, including the 59 most promising CGs. We also studied how these genes were expressed in wheat tissues at different phases of development.

CONCLUSION

The most promising MQTLs identified in this study may facilitate marker-assisted breeding for stripe rust resistance in wheat. Information on markers flanking the MQTLs can be utilized in genomic selection models to increase the prediction accuracy for stripe rust resistance. The candidate genes identified can also be utilized for enhancing the wheat resistance against stripe rust after in vivo confirmation/validation using one or more of the following methods: gene cloning, reverse genetic methods, and omics approaches.

Protease Inhibitors from Solanum chacoense Inhibit Pectobacterium Virulence by Reducing Bacterial Protease Activity and Motility

Potato is a major staple crop, and necrotrophic bacterial pathogens such as Pectobacterium spp. are a major threat to global food security. Most lines of cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum) are susceptible to Pectobacterium spp., but some lines of wild potato are resistant, including Solanum chacoense M6. Despite the discovery of resistance in wild potatoes, specific resistance genes are yet to be discovered. Crude protein extract from M6 had a global effect on Pectobacterium brasiliense Pb1692 (Pb1692) virulence phenotypes. Specifically, M6 protein extracts resulted in reduced Pectobacterium exo-protease activity and motility, induced cell elongation, and affected bacterial virulence and metabolic gene expression. These effects were not observed from protein extracts of susceptible potato S. tuberosum DM1. A proteomics approach identified protease inhibitors (PIs) as candidates for S. chacoense resistance, and genomic analysis showed higher abundance and diversity of PIs in M6 than in DM1. We cloned five PIs that are unique or had high abundance in M6 compared with DM1 and purified the proteins (g18987, g28531, g39249, g40384, g6571). Four of the PIs significantly reduced bacterial protease activity, with strongest effects from g28531 and g6571. Three PIs (g18987, g28531, g6571) inhibited disease when co-inoculated with Pectobacterium pathogens into potato tubers. Two PIs (g28531, g6571) also significantly reduced Pb1692 motility and are promising as resistance genes. These results show that S. chacoense PIs contribute to bacterial disease resistance by inhibiting exo-proteases, motility, and tuber maceration and by modulating cell morphology and metabolism. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Aspartic protease inhibitor enhances resistance to potato virus Y and A in transgenic potato plants

BACKGROUND

Viruses are the major threat to commercial potato (Solanum tuberosum) production worldwide. Because viral genomes only encode a small number of proteins, all stages of viral infection rely on interactions between viral proteins and host factors. Previously, we presented a list of the most important candidate genes involved in potato plants' defense response to viruses that are significantly activated in resistant cultivars. Isolated from this list, Aspartic Protease Inhibitor 5 (API5) is a critical host regulatory component of plant defense responses against pathogens. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of StAPI5 in defense of potato against potato virus Y and potato virus A, as well as its ability to confer virus resistance in a transgenic susceptible cultivar of potato (Desiree). Potato plants were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens via a construct encoding the potato StAPI5 gene under the control of the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter.

RESULTS

Transgenic plants overexpressing StAPI5 exhibited comparable virus resistance to non-transgenic control plants, indicating that StAPI5 functions in gene regulation during virus resistance. The endogenous StAPI5 and CaMV 35S promoter regions shared nine transcription factor binding sites. Additionally, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductivity, and maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II were significantly higher in virus-infected transgenic plants than in wild-type plants.

CONCLUSION

Overall, these findings indicate that StAPI5 may be a viable candidate gene for engineering plant disease resistance to viruses that inhibit disease development.

Consequences of 'no-choice, fixed time' reciprocal host plant switches on nutrition and gut serine protease gene expression in Pieris brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

Rapid adaptive responses were evident from reciprocal host-plant switches on performance, digestive physiology and relative gene expression of gut serine proteases in larvae of crucifer pest P. brassicae transferred from cauliflower (CF, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, family Brassicaceae) to an alternate host, garden nasturtium, (GN, Tropaeolum majus L., family Tropaeolaceae) and vice-versa under laboratory conditions. Estimation of nutritional indices indicated that larvae of all instars tested consumed the least food and gained less weight on CF-GN diet (significant at p≤0.05) as compared to larvae feeding on CF-CF, GN-GN and GN-CF diets suggesting that the switch to GN was nutritionally less favorable for larval growth. Nevertheless, these larvae, especially fourth instars, were adroit in utilizing and digesting GN as a new host plant type. In vitro protease assays conducted to understand associated physiological responses within twelve hours indicated that levels and properties of gut proteases were significantly influenced by type of natal host-plant consumed, change in diet as well as larval age. Activities of gut trypsins and chymotrypsins in larvae feeding on CF-GN and GN-CF diets were distinct, and represented shifts toward profiles observed in larvae feeding continuously on GN-GN and CF-CF diets respectively. Results with diagnostic protease inhibitors like TLCK, STI and SBBI in these assays and gelatinolytic zymograms indicated complex and contrasting trends in gut serine protease activities in different instars from CF-GN diet versus GN-CF diet, likely due to ingestion of plant protease inhibitors present in the new diet. Cloning and sequencing of serine protease gene fragments expressed in gut tissues of fourth instar P. brassicae revealed diverse transcripts encoding putative trypsins and chymotrypsins belonging to at least ten lineages. Sequences of members of each lineage closely resembled lepidopteran serine protease orthologs including uncharacterized transcripts from Pieris rapae. Differential regulation of serine protease genes (Pbr1-Pbr5) was observed in larval guts of P. brassicae from CF-CF and GN-GN diets while expression of transcripts encoding two putative trypsins (Pbr3 and Pbr5) were significantly different in larvae from CF-GN and GN-CF diets. These results suggested that some gut serine proteases that were differentially expressed in larvae feeding on different species of host plants were also involved in rapid adaptations to dietary switches. A gene encoding nitrile-specifier protein (nsp) likely involved in detoxification of toxic products from interactions of ingested host plant glucosinolates with myrosinases was expressed to similar levels in these larvae. Taken together, these snapshots reflected contrasts in physiological and developmental plasticity of P. brassicae larvae to nutritional challenges from wide dietary switches in the short term and the prominent role of gut serine proteases in rapid dietary adaptations. This study may be useful in designing novel management strategies targeting candidate gut serine proteases of P. brassicae using RNA interference, gene editing or crops with transgenes encoding protease inhibitors from taxonomically-distant host plants.

Pathogen proteases and host protease inhibitors in molluscan infectious diseases

The development of infectious diseases represents an outcome of dynamic interactions between the disease-producing agent's pathogenicity and the host's self-defense mechanism. Proteases secreted by pathogenic microorganisms and protease inhibitors produced by host species play an important role in the process. This review aimed at summarizing major findings in research on pathogen proteases and host protease inhibitors that had been proposed to be related to the development of mollusk diseases. Metalloproteases and serine proteases respectively belonging to Family M4 and Family S8 of the MEROPS system are among the most studied proteases that may function as virulence factors in mollusk pathogens. On the other hand, a mollusk-specific family (Family I84) of novel serine protease inhibitors and homologues of the tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease have been studied for their potential in the molluscan host defense. In addition, research at the genomic and transcriptomic levels showed that more proteases of pathogens and protease inhibitor of hosts are likely involved in mollusk disease processes. Therefore, the pathological significance of interactions between pathogen proteases and host protease inhibitors in the development of molluscan infectious diseases deserves more research efforts.

Exposure in vitro to an Environmentally Isolated Strain TC09 of Cladosporium sphaerospermum Triggers Plant Growth Promotion, Early Flowering, and Fruit Yield Increase

A growing number of bacteria and fungi have been found to promote plant growth through mutualistic interactions involving elements such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here, we report the identification of an environmentally isolated strain of Cladosporium sphaerospermum (herein named TC09), that substantially enhances plant growth after exposure in vitro beyond what has previously been reported. When cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium under in vitro conditions, tobacco seedlings (Nicotiana tabacum) exposed to TC09 cultures for 20 days increased stem height and whole plant biomass up to 25- and 15-fold, respectively, over controls without exposure. TC09-mediated growth promotion required >5 g/L sucrose in the plant culture medium and was influenced by the duration of exposure ranging from one to 10 days, beyond which no differences were detected. When transplanted to soil under greenhouse conditions, TC09-exposed tobacco plants retained higher rates of growth. Comparative transcriptome analyses using tobacco seedlings exposed to TC09 for 10 days uncovered differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with diverse biological processes including cell expansion and cell cycle, photosynthesis, phytohormone homeostasis and defense responses. To test the potential efficacy of TC09-mediated growth promotion on agricultural productivity, pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L.) of two different varieties, Cayenne and Minisweet, were pre-exposed to TC09 and planted in the greenhouse to monitor growth, flowering, and fruit production. Results showed that treated pepper plants flowered 20 days earlier and yielded up to 213% more fruit than untreated controls. Altogether the data suggest that exposure of young plants to C. sphaerospermum produced VOCs may provide a useful tool to improve crop productivity.

Key metabolic traits of Pisum sativum maintain cell vitality during Didymella pinodes infection: cultivar resistance and the microsymbionts' influence

Ascochyta blight causes severe losses in field pea production and the search for resistance traits towards the causal agent Didymella pinodes is of particular importance for farmers. Various microsymbionts have been reported to shape the plants' immune response. However, regardless their contribution to resistance, they are hardly included in experimental designs. We delineate the effect of symbionts (rhizobia, mycorrhiza) on the leaf proteome and metabolome of two field pea cultivars with varying resistance levels against D. pinodes and, furthermore, show cultivar specific symbiont colonisation efficiency. The pathogen infection showed a stronger influence on the interaction with the microsymbionts in the susceptible cultivar, which was reflected in decreased nodule weight and root mycorrhiza colonisation. Vice versa, symbionts induced variation of the host's infection response which, however, was overruled by genotypic resistance associated traits of the tolerant cultivar such as maintenance of photosynthesis and provision of sugars and carbon back bones to fuel secondary metabolism. Moreover, resistance appears to be linked to sulphur metabolism, a functional glutathione-ascorbate hub and fine adjustment of jasmonate and ethylene synthesis to suppress induced cell death. We conclude that these metabolic traits are essential for sustainment of cell vitality and thus, a more efficient infection response.

SIGNIFICANCE

The infection response of two Pisum sativum cultivars with varying resistance levels towards Didymella pinodes was analysed most comprehensively at proteomic and metabolomic levels. Enhanced tolerance was linked to newly discovered cultivar specific metabolic traits such as hormone synthesis and presumably suppression of cell death.

Plant antiherbivore defenses in Fabaceae species of the Chaco

The establishment and maintenance of plant species in the Chaco, one of the widest continuous areas of forests in the South American with sharp climatic variations, are possibly related to biological features favoring plants with particular defenses. This study assesses the physical and chemical defenses mechanisms against herbivores of vegetative and reproductive organs. Its analyses of 12 species of Fabaceae (Leguminosae) collected in remnants of Brazilian Chaco shows that 75% present structural defense characters and 50% have chemical defense - defense proteins in their seeds, like protease inhibitors and lectins. Physical defenses occur mainly on branches (78% of the species), leaves (67%), and reproductive organs (56%). The most common physical characters are trichomes and thorns, whose color represents a cryptic character since it does not contrast with the other plant structures. Defense proteins occur in different concentrations and molecular weight classes in the seeds of most species. Protease inhibitors are reported for the first time in seeds of: Albizia niopoides, Anadenanthera colubrina, Mimosa glutinosa, Prosopis rubriflora, and Poincianella pluviosa. The occurrence of physical and chemical defenses in members of Fabaceae indicate no associations between defense characters in these plant species of the Chaco.

Characterization, biomedical and agricultural applications of protease inhibitors: A review

This review describes Protease Inhibitors (PIs) which target or inhibit proteases, protein digesting enzymes. These proteases play a crucial task in many biological events including digestion, blood coagulation, apoptosis etc. Regardless of their crucial roles, they need to be checked regularly by PIs as their excess may possibly damage host organism. On basis of amino acid composition of PIs where Protease-PI enzymatic reactions occur i.e. serine, cysteine, and aspartic acid, they are classified. Nowadays, various PIs are being worked upon to fight various parasitic or viral diseases including malaria, schistosomiasis, colds, flu', dengue etc. They prevent an ongoing process begun by carcinogen exposure by keeping a check on metastasis. They also possess potential to reduce carcinogen-induced, increased levels of gene amplification to almost normal levels. Some PIs can principally be used for treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure by blocking conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II for example Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). Also PIs target amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) level in brain which is prime responsible for development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Also, PIs inhibit enzymatic activity of HIV-1 Protease Receptor (PR) by preventing cleavage events in Gag and Gag-Pol that result in production of non-virulent virus particles.

Fungal inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes: classification, properties, possible biological roles, and perspectives for practical use

Peptidase inhibitors are ubiquitous regulatory proteins controlling catalytic activity of proteolytic enzymes. Interest in these proteins increased substantially after it became clear that they can be used for therapy of various important diseases including cancer, malaria, and autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review we summarize available data on peptidase inhibitors from fungi, emphasizing their properties, biological role, and possible practical applications of these proteins in the future. A number of fungal peptidase inhibitors with unique structure and specificity of action have no sequence homology with other classes of peptidase inhibitors, thus representing new and specific candidates for therapeutic use. The main classifications of inhibitors in current use are considered. Available data on structure, mechanisms and conditions of action, and diversity of functions of peptidase inhibitors of fungi are analyzed. It is mentioned that on one side the unique properties of some inhibitors can be used for selective inhibition of peptidases responsible for initiation and development of pathogenic processes. On the other side, general inhibitory activity of other inhibitors towards peptidases of various catalytic classes might be able to provide efficient defense of transgenic plants against insect pests by overcoming compensatory synthesis of new peptidases by these pests in response to introduction of a fungal inhibitor. Together, the data analyzed in this review reveal that fungal inhibitors extend the spectrum of known peptidase inhibitors potentially suitable for use in medicine and agriculture.

Purification and characterization of a stable Kunitz trypsin inhibitor from Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) seeds

Kunitz trypsin inhibitor was purified from the seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum (TfgKTI) belonging to fabaceae family by ammonium sulphate precipitation, cation exchange, gel filtration and hydrophobic chromatography. Purity of the protein was analyzed by RP-HPLC and native-PAGE. SDS-PAGE analysis under reducing and non-reducing conditions showed that protein consists of a single polypeptide chain with molecular mass of approximately 20 kDa. Mass spectroscopy analysis revealed that the intact mass of purified inhibitor is 19,842.154 Da. One dimensional SDS gel was tryptically digested, resulting peptides were subjected to MALDI-TOF-MS analysis, and peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) analysis of TfgKTI shows sequence similarity with Kunitz trypsin inhibitor in database search. Two dimensional electrophoresis identified presence of four isoinhibitors (pI values of 5.1, 5.4, 5.7 and 6.1). Kinetic studies showed that the protein is a competitive inhibitor and has high binding affinity with trypsin (Ki 3.01×10(-9)M) and chymotrypsin (Ki 0.52×10(-9)M). The TfgKTI retained the inhibitory activity over a broad range of pH (pH 3-10), temperature (37-100°C) and salt concentration (up to 3.5%). Far-UV circular dichroism measurements revealed that TfgKTI is predominantly composed of β-sheets (39%) and unordered structures (48%) with slight helical content (13%). TfgKTI retained over 90% trypsin inhibition upon storage at 4°C for over a period of six months.

Employing in vitro directed molecular evolution for the selection of α-amylase variant inhibitors with activity toward cotton boll weevil enzyme

Numerous species of insect pests attack cotton plants, out of which the cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is the main insect in Brazil and must be controlled to avert large economic losses. Like other insect pests, A. grandis secretes a high level of α-amylases in the midgut lumen, which are required for digestion of carbohydrates. Thus, α-amylase inhibitors (α-AIs) represent a powerful tool to apply in the control of insect pests. Here, we applied DNA shuffling and phage display techniques and obtained a combinatorial library containing 10⁸ α-AI variant forms. From this library, variants were selected exhibiting in vitro affinity for cotton boll weevil α-amylases. Twenty-six variant sequences were cloned into plant expression vectors and expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. Transformed plant extracts were assayed in vitro to select specific and potent α-amylase inhibitors against boll weevil amylases. While the wild type inhibitors, used to create the shuffled library, did not inhibit the A. grandis α-amylases, three α-AI mutants, named α-AIC3, α-AIA11 and α-AIG4 revealed high inhibitory activities against A. grandis α-amylases in an in vitro assay. In summary, data reported here shown the potential biotechnology of new α-AI variant genes for cotton boll weevil control.

Plant domestication and resistance to herbivory

Transformation of wild species into elite cultivars through "domestication" entails evolutionary responses in which plant populations adapt to selection. Domestication is a process characterized by the occurrence of key mutations in morphological, phenological, or utility genes, which leads to the increased adaptation and use of the plant; however, this process followed by modern plant breeding practices has presumably narrowed the genetic diversity in crop plants. The reduction of genetic diversity could result in "broad susceptibility" to newly emerging herbivores and pathogens, thereby threatening long-term crop retention. Different QTLs influencing herbivore resistance have also been identified, which overlap with other genes of small effect regulating resistance indicating the presence of pleiotropism or linkage between such genes. However, this reduction in genetic variability could be remunerated by introgression of novel traits from wild perhaps with antifeedant and antinutritional toxic components. Thus it is strongly believed that transgenic technologies may provide a radical and promising solution to combat herbivory as these avoid linkage drag and also the antifeedant angle. Here, important questions related to the temporal dynamics of resistance to herbivory and intricate genetic phenomenon with their impact on crop evolution are addressed and at times hypothesized for future validation.

Microbial and fungal protease inhibitors--current and potential applications

Proteolytic enzymes play essential metabolic and regulatory functions in many biological processes and also offer a wide range of biotechnological applications. Because of their essential roles, their proteolytic activity needs to be tightly regulated. Therefore, small molecules and proteins that inhibit proteases can be versatile tools in the fields of medicine, agriculture and biotechnology. In medicine, protease inhibitors can be used as diagnostic or therapeutic agents for viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic diseases as well as for treating cancer and immunological, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. They can be involved in crop protection against plant pathogens and herbivorous pests as well as against abiotic stress such as drought. Furthermore, protease inhibitors are indispensable in protein purification procedures to prevent undesired proteolysis during heterologous expression or protein extraction. They are also valuable tools for simple and effective purification of proteases, using affinity chromatography. Because there are such a large number and diversity of proteases in prokaryotes, yeasts, filamentous fungi and mushrooms, we can expect them to be a rich source of protease inhibitors as well.

Gall midges (Hessian flies) as plant pathogens

Gall midges constitute an important group of plant-parasitic insects. The Hessian fly (HF; Mayetiola destructor), the most investigated gall midge, was the first insect hypothesized to have a gene-for-gene interaction with its host plant, wheat (Triticum spp.). Recent investigations support that hypothesis. The minute larval mandibles appear to act in a manner that is analogous to nematode stylets and the haustoria of filamentous plant pathogens. Putative effector proteins are encoded by hundreds of genes and expressed in the HF larval salivary gland. Cultivar-specific resistance (R) genes mediate a highly localized plant reaction that prevents the survival of avirulent HF larvae. Fine-scale mapping of HF avirulence (Avr) genes provides further evidence of effector-triggered immunity (ETI) against HF in wheat. Taken together, these discoveries suggest that the HF, and other gall midges, may be considered biotrophic, or hemibiotrophic, plant pathogens, and they demonstrate the potential that the wheat-HF interaction has in the study of insect-induced plant gall formation.

An antifungal peptide from Fagopyrum tataricum seeds

A major trypsin inhibitor was isolated and characterized from the seeds of the tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) (FtTI) by ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and centrifugal ultrafiltration. SDS-PAGE analysis under reducing condition showed that FtTI is a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of approximately 14kDa. The complete amino acid sequence of FtTI was established by automatic Edman degradation and mass spectrometry. It was found that the trypsin inhibitor molecule consists of 86 amino acid residues containing two disulfide bonds which connect Cys(8) to Cys(65) and Cys(49) to Cys(58). The active site of the inhibitor was found to contain an Asp(66)-Arg(67) bond. MALDI-TOF analysis showed that FtTI has two isoforms (Mr: 11.487 and 13.838kDa). Dixon plots revealed a competitive inhibition of trypsin with inhibition constants (Ki) of 1.6nM. Analysis of the amino acid sequence suggests that FtTI is a member of the protease inhibitor I family. What is more, FtTI exhibited strong inhibitory activity against phytopathogenic fungi.

Characterization of a glutenin-specific serine proteinase of Sunn bug Eurygaster integricepts Put

Glutenin hydrolyzing proteinases (GHPs) have been purified, by affinity chromatography, from wheat seeds damaged by the Sunn bug Eurygaster integriceps (Hemiptera, Scutelleridae). A 28 kDa protein was partially sequenced by mass spectrometry and Edman degradation which showed homology to serine proteases from various insects. Three full length clones were obtained from cDNA isolated from Sunn bug salivary glands using degenerate PCR based on the sequences obtained. The cleavage site of the protease was determined using recombinant and synthetic peptides and shown to be between the consensus hexapeptide and nonapeptide repeat motifs present in the high molecular weight subunits of wheat glutenin (PGQGQQ∧GYYPTSLQQ). Homology models were generated for the three proteinases identified in this study using the high resolution X-ray structure of a crayfish (Pontastacus leptodactylus) trypsin complexed with a peptide inhibitor as template (PDB accession 2F91). The novel specificity of this protease may find applications in both fundamental and applied studies.

Microarray analysis reveals strategies of Tribolium castaneum larvae to compensate for cysteine and serine protease inhibitors

The transcriptome response of Tribolium castaneum larvae to dietary protease inhibitors was evaluated by whole-genome microarray analysis. RNA was isolated from guts of larvae fed control diet (no inhibitor), or diets containing 0.1% E-64 (cysteine protease inhibitor), 5.0% soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI, serine protease inhibitor), or a combination of 0.1% E-64 and 5.0% STI. Data were analyzed by pairwise analysis, in which each inhibitor treatment group was compared to control, or ANOVA of all treatment groups. In pairwise analysis, the expression of only 253 genes was significantly altered (p<0.05) in response to STI treatment, whereas E-64 and combination treatments resulted in 1574 and 1584 differentially regulated genes. The data indicate that treatments containing E-64, whether alone or in combination, significantly impacts gene expression in T. castaneum larvae. ANOVA analysis revealed 2175 genes differentially expressed in inhibitor-treated larvae compared to control (p<0.05), including genes related to proteases that were mostly up-regulated, namely cathepsins B and L, chymotrypsins, and nonproteolytic cysteine cathepsin or serine protease homologs. Inhibitor treatments induced the differential expression of other gut-related genes, as well as genes encoding proteins of unknown function. These data suggest that T. castaneum larvae compensate for dietary cysteine protease inhibitors by altering large-scale gene expression patterns.

Intraspecific variation in herbivore community composition and transcriptional profiles in field-grown Brassica oleracea cultivars

Intraspecific differences in plant defence traits are often correlated with variation in transcriptional profiles and can affect the composition of herbivore communities on field-grown plants. However, most studies on transcriptional profiling of plant-herbivore interactions have been carried out under controlled conditions in the laboratory or greenhouse and only a few examine intraspecific transcriptional variation. Here, intraspecific variation in herbivore community composition and transcriptional profiles between two Brassica oleracea cultivars grown in the field is addressed. Early in the season, no differences in community composition were found for naturally occurring herbivores, whereas cultivars differed greatly in abundance, species richness, and herbivore community later in the season. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis using an Arabidopsis thaliana oligonucleotide microarray showed clear differences for the expression levels of 26 genes between the two cultivars later in the season. Several defence-related genes showed higher levels of expression in the cultivar that harboured the lowest numbers of herbivores. Our study shows that herbivore community composition develops differentially throughout the season on the two B. oleracea cultivars grown in the field. The correlation between the differences in herbivore communities and differential expression of particular defence-related genes is discussed.

cDNA-AFLP analysis reveals differential gene expression in compatible interaction of wheat challenged with Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici

BACKGROUND

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici is a fungal pathogen causing stripe rust, one of the most important wheat diseases worldwide. The fungus is strictly biotrophic and thus, completely dependent on living host cells for its reproduction, which makes it difficult to study genes of the pathogen. In spite of its economic importance, little is known about the molecular basis of compatible interaction between the pathogen and wheat host. In this study, we identified wheat and P. striiformis genes associated with the infection process by conducting a large-scale transcriptomic analysis using cDNA-AFLP.

RESULTS

Of the total 54,912 transcript derived fragments (TDFs) obtained using cDNA-AFLP with 64 primer pairs, 2,306 (4.2%) displayed altered expression patterns after inoculation, of which 966 showed up-regulated and 1,340 down-regulated. 186 TDFs produced reliable sequences after sequencing of 208 TDFs selected, of which 74 (40%) had known functions through BLAST searching the GenBank database. Majority of the latter group had predicted gene products involved in energy (13%), signal transduction (5.4%), disease/defence (5.9%) and metabolism (5% of the sequenced TDFs). BLAST searching of the wheat stem rust fungus genome database identified 18 TDFs possibly from the stripe rust pathogen, of which 9 were validated of the pathogen origin using PCR-based assays followed by sequencing confirmation. Of the 186 reliable TDFs, 29 homologous to genes known to play a role in disease/defense, signal transduction or uncharacterized genes were further selected for validation of cDNA-AFLP expression patterns using qRT-PCR analyses. Results confirmed the altered expression patterns of 28 (96.5%) genes revealed by the cDNA-AFLP technique.

CONCLUSION

The results show that cDNA-AFLP is a reliable technique for studying expression patterns of genes involved in the wheat-stripe rust interactions. Genes involved in compatible interactions between wheat and the stripe rust pathogen were identified and their expression patterns were determined. The present study should be helpful in elucidating the molecular basis of the infection process, and identifying genes that can be targeted for inhibiting the growth and reproduction of the pathogen. Moreover, this study can also be used to elucidate the defence responses of the genes that were of plant origin.

Use of buckwheat seed protease inhibitor gene for improvement of tobacco and potato plant resistance to biotic stress

The possibility to use agrobacterial transformation of leaf discs to produce resistance to bacterial infections in tobacco and potato plants by introduction of a single gene encoding the serine proteinase inhibitor BWI-1a (ISP) from buckwheat seeds is shown. All studied PCR-positive transgenic plants exhibited antibacterial activity in biotests. It was shown that the presence of just a single gene of serine proteinase inhibitor provides sufficient protection at least against two bacterial phytopathogens, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato and Clavibacter michiganensis sbsp. michiganensis. The biotest including tobacco plant infection by the white wings butterfly in the green house has also demonstrated the existence of protective effect in transgenic tobacco plants. Significant genotypic variations in the protection efficiency were found between members of different genera of the same family (potato and tobacco) as well as between different lines of the same species. Northern blot analysis of four transgenic potato lines and three tobacco lines transformed by a vector plasmid containing the ISP gene of serine proteinases BWI-1a from buckwheat seeds has shown the presence of the expected size mRNA transcript.

Identification and characterization of protease inhibitors in Diplotaxis species

PCR analysis of the genomes of two wild Brassicaceae plants, Diplotaxis muralis and Diplotaxis tenuifolia, demonstrated the presence of several genes coding for potential protease inhibitors, classifiable within the mustard inhibitor family (MSI). This is a small family of plant protease inhibitors named after the mustard trypsin inhibitor MTI-2, the first protease inhibitor characterized in Brassicaceae. From identified sequences two recombinant inhibitors were expressed in Pichia pastoris. In comparison with MTI-2, they show a reduced activity against bovine trypsin. However, when tested against trypsin-like proteases present in the guts of Helicoverpa zea larvae, the Diplotaxis inhibitors and MTI-2 show similar activities, indicating that the usually adopted procedure of reporting activity of plant protease inhibitors against bovine trypsin may lead to wrong estimation of their effect on insect proteases. This issue is of particular relevance when planning the use of PI genes for developing insect resistant plants.

Papain-like cysteine proteases: key players at molecular battlefields employed by both plants and their invaders

Papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) play crucial roles in plant-pathogen/pest interactions. During these parasitic interactions, PLCPs act on non-self substrates, provoking the selection of counteracting inhibitors and other means to evade proteolysis. We review examples of PLCPs acting on molecular battlefields in the extracellular space, plant cytoplasm and herbivore gut. Examples are maize Mir1 (Maize inbred resistance 1), tomato Rcr3 (Required for Cladosporium resistance-3), Pseudomonas AvrRpt2 and AurPphB, insect DvCAL1 (Diabrotica virgifera cathepsin L-like protease-1) and nematode MiCpl1 (Meloidogyne incognita cathepsin L-like protease 1). The data suggest that PLCPs cleave specific proteins and that their translocation, activation and inhibition of PLCPs are tightly regulated.

Heterologous expression, purification, and properties of a potato protein inhibitor of serine proteinases

The gene PKPI-B10 [AF536175] encoding in potato (Solanum tuberosum L., cv. Istrinskii) a Kunitz-type protein inhibitor of proteinases (PKPI) has been cloned into the pET23a vector and then expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein PKPI-B10 obtained as inclusion bodies was denatured, separated from admixtures by ion-exchange fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on MonoQ under denaturing conditions, and renatured. The native protein was additionally purified by ion-exchange FPLC on DEAE-Toyopearl. The PKPI-B10 protein effectively inhibits the activity of trypsin, significantly weaker suppresses the activity of chymotrypsin, and has no effect on other serine proteinases: human leukocyte elastase, subtilisin Carlsberg, and proteinase K, and also the plant cysteine proteinase papain.

Characterization of a Kunitz trypsin inhibitor with a single disulfide bridge from seeds of Inga laurina (SW.) Willd

Inga laurina is a tree that belongs to the Mimosoideae sub-family of the Leguminosae. A protein inhibitor of trypsin (ILTI) was isolated from its seeds by ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography and rechromatography on an HiTrap Q ion-exchange column. By SDS-PAGE, ILTI yielded a single band with a Mr of 20 kDa with or without reduction. ILTI was found to be a single polypeptide chain containing 180 amino acids, the sequence of which was clearly homologous to the Kunitz family of serine protease plant protein inhibitors, and it also showed significant similarity to the seed storage proteins, sporamin and miraculin. However, ILTI displayed major differences to most other Kunitz inhibitors in that it contained only one disulfide bridge, and did not have two polypeptide chains as for the majority of other Kunitz inhibitors purified from Mimosoideae species. ILTI inhibited bovine trypsin with an equilibrium dissociation constant (K(i)) of 6 x 10(-9)M, but did not inhibit chymotrypsin, papain and alpha-amylase. Its amino acid sequence contained a Lys residue at the putative reactive site (position 64). ILTI was stable over a wide range of temperature and pH and in the presence of DTT.