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Perri M, Licausi F. Thiol dioxygenases: from structures to functions. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:545-556. [PMID: 38622038 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Thiol oxidation to dioxygenated sulfinic acid is catalyzed by an enzyme family characterized by a cupin fold. These proteins act on free thiol-containing molecules to generate central metabolism precursors and signaling compounds in bacteria, fungi, and animal cells. In plants and animals, they also oxidize exposed N-cysteinyl residues, directing proteins to proteolysis. Enzyme kinetics, X-ray crystallography, and spectroscopy studies prompted the formulation and testing of hypotheses about the mechanism of action and the different substrate specificity of these enzymes. Concomitantly, the physiological role of thiol dioxygenation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes has been studied through genetic and physiological approaches. Further structural characterization is necessary to enable precise and safe manipulation of thiol dioxygenases (TDOs) for therapeutic, industrial, and agricultural applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Perri
- Plant Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Francesco Licausi
- Plant Molecular Biology Section, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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2
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Lavilla-Puerta M, Latter R, Bellè F, Cervelli T, Galli A, Perata P, Chini A, Flashman E, Giuntoli B. Identification of novel plant cysteine oxidase inhibitors from a yeast chemical genetic screen. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105366. [PMID: 37863264 PMCID: PMC10692734 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxic responses in plants involve Plant Cysteine Oxidases (PCOs). They catalyze the N-terminal cysteine oxidation of Ethylene Response Factors VII (ERF-VII) in an oxygen-dependent manner, leading to their degradation via the cysteine N-degron pathway (Cys-NDP) in normoxia. In hypoxia, PCO activity drops, leading to the stabilization of ERF-VIIs and subsequent hypoxic gene upregulation. Thus far, no chemicals have been described to specifically inhibit PCO enzymes. In this work, we devised an in vivo pipeline to discover Cys-NDP effector molecules. Budding yeast expressing AtPCO4 and plant-based ERF-VII reporters was deployed to screen a library of natural-like chemical scaffolds and was further combined with an Arabidopsis Cys-NDP reporter line. This strategy allowed us to identify three PCO inhibitors, two of which were shown to affect PCO activity in vitro. Application of these molecules to Arabidopsis seedlings led to an increase in ERF-VII stability, induction of anaerobic gene expression, and improvement of tolerance to anoxia. By combining a high-throughput heterologous platform and the plant model Arabidopsis, our synthetic pipeline provides a versatile system to study how the Cys-NDP is modulated. Its first application here led to the discovery of at least two hypoxia-mimicking molecules with the potential to impact plant tolerance to low oxygen stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca Latter
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Chini
- Department of Plant Molecular Genetics, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Beatrice Giuntoli
- Plantlab, Center of Plant Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy; Biology Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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3
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Dalle Carbonare L, Jiménez JDLC, Lichtenauer S, van Veen H. Plant responses to limited aeration: Advances and future challenges. PLANT DIRECT 2023; 7:e488. [PMID: 36993903 PMCID: PMC10040318 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Limited aeration that is caused by tissue geometry, diffusion barriers, high elevation, or a flooding event poses major challenges to plants and is often, but not exclusively, associated with low oxygen. These processes span a broad interest in the research community ranging from whole plant and crop responses, post-harvest physiology, plant morphology and anatomy, fermentative metabolism, plant developmental processes, oxygen sensing by ERF-VIIs, gene expression profiles, the gaseous hormone ethylene, and O2 dynamics at cellular resolution. The International Society for Plant Anaerobiosis (ISPA) gathers researchers from all over the world contributing to understand the causes, responses, and consequences of limited aeration in plants. During the 14th ISPA meeting, major research progress was related to the evolution of O2 sensing mechanisms and the intricate network that balances low O2 signaling. Here, the work moved beyond flooding stress and emphasized novel underexplored roles of low O2 and limited aeration in altitude adaptation, fruit development and storage, and the vegetative development of growth apices. Regarding tolerance towards flooding, the meeting stressed the relevance and regulation of developmental plasticity, aerenchyma, and barrier formation to improve internal aeration. Additional newly explored flood tolerance traits concerned resource balance, senescence, and the exploration of natural genetic variation for novel tolerance loci. In this report, we summarize and synthesize the major progress and future challenges for low O2 and aeration research presented at the conference.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sophie Lichtenauer
- Institute of Plant Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
| | - Hans van Veen
- Plant Stress Resilience, Institute of Environmental BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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4
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Lavilla-Puerta M, Giuntoli B. Assessing In Vivo Oxygen Dynamics Using Plant N-Terminal Degrons in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2564:269-286. [PMID: 36107348 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2667-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The expression of plant cysteine oxidase (PCO) enzyme in Saccharomyces cerevisiae enables the Arg/Cys N-degron pathway (Cys-NDP) for selective protein degradation that, in plants, functions as direct oxygen perception mechanism. A synthetic construct based on the plant Cys-NDP substrate related to apetala 2.12 (RAP2.12), the dual luciferase oxygen reporter (DLOR), exploits the N-terminal Cys of RAP2.12, and its oxygen-dependent degradation through the Cys-NDP. The luminescent output of DLOR can be used as a proxy for intracellular oxygen dynamics in budding yeast. Replacement of the luciferase reporter of the DLOR with fluorescent proteins would furthermore facilitate the imaging of reporter dynamics in living cells. In this chapter, we describe the methods for delivering the DLOR synthetic construct to yeast and calibrating its output by means of oxygen quantification in the culture with a physical oxygen sensor. We explain the setup needed to carry out hypoxic treatments with several colonies as replicates. We also describe the method to measure oxygen concentration in the culture, the closest indication of intracellular oxygen levels, as a way that would serve to calibrate the DLOR output. Finally, we propose a strategy to replace the luminescent reporters in the DLOR with fluorescent proteins to visualize oxygen dynamics in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Beatrice Giuntoli
- Biology Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
- Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Plantlab, Pisa, Italy.
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5
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Smith E, Keeley TP. Monitoring ADO dependent proteolysis in cells using fluorescent reporter proteins. Methods Enzymol 2023. [PMID: 37532403 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
2-Aminoethanethiol dioxygenase (ADO) is the mammalian orthologue of the plant cysteine oxidases and together these enzymes are responsible for catalysing dioxygenation of N-terminal cysteine residues of certain proteins. This modification creates an N-degron motif that permits arginylation and subsequent proteasomal degradation of such proteins via the Arg-branch of the N-degron pathway. In humans 4 proteins have been identified as substrates of ADO; regulators of G-protein signalling (RGS) 4, 5 and 16, and interleukin-32 (IL-32). Nt-cysteine dioxygenation of these proteins occurs rapidly under normoxic conditions, but ADO activity is very sensitive to O2 availability and as such the stability of substrate proteins is inversely proportional to cellular O2 levels. Much is still to understand about the biochemistry and physiology of this pathway in vitro and in vivo, and Cys N-degron targeted fluorescent proteins can provide a simple and effective tool to study this at both subcellular and high-throughput scales. This chapter describes the design, production and implementation of a fluorescent fusion protein proteolytically regulated by ADO and the N-degron pathway.
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6
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Weits DA, Zhou L, Giuntoli B, Carbonare LD, Iacopino S, Piccinini L, Lombardi L, Shukla V, Bui LT, Novi G, van Dongen JT, Licausi F. Acquisition of hypoxia inducibility by oxygen sensing N-terminal cysteine oxidase in spermatophytes. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:322-338. [PMID: 36120894 PMCID: PMC10092093 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
N-terminal cysteine oxidases (NCOs) use molecular oxygen to oxidise the amino-terminal cysteine of specific proteins, thereby initiating the proteolytic N-degron pathway. To expand the characterisation of the plant family of NCOs (plant cysteine oxidases [PCOs]), we performed a phylogenetic analysis across different taxa in terms of sequence similarity and transcriptional regulation. Based on this survey, we propose a distinction of PCOs into two main groups. A-type PCOs are conserved across all plant species and are generally unaffected at the messenger RNA level by oxygen availability. Instead, B-type PCOs appeared in spermatophytes to acquire transcriptional regulation in response to hypoxia. The inactivation of two A-type PCOs in Arabidopsis thaliana, PCO4 and PCO5, is sufficient to activate the anaerobic response in young seedlings, whereas the additional removal of B-type PCOs leads to a stronger induction of anaerobic genes and impairs plant growth and development. Our results show that both PCO types are required to regulate the anaerobic response in angiosperms. Therefore, while it is possible to distinguish two clades within the PCO family, we conclude that they all contribute to restrain the anaerobic transcriptional programme in normoxic conditions and together generate a molecular switch to toggle the hypoxic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan A. Weits
- Institute of Biology 1, Aachen Biology and BiotechnologyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
- Plant‐Environment Signaling, Institute of Environmental BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Lina Zhou
- Institute of Biology 1, Aachen Biology and BiotechnologyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
- School of Life SciencesLanzhou UniversityLanzhouChina
- School of Ecology and EnvironmentNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Beatrice Giuntoli
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
| | | | - Sergio Iacopino
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Luca Piccinini
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
| | | | - Vinay Shukla
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
| | - Liem T. Bui
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
- Biotechnology Research and Development InstituteCan Tho UniversityCan ThoVietnam
| | - Giacomo Novi
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
| | - Joost T. van Dongen
- Institute of Biology 1, Aachen Biology and BiotechnologyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Francesco Licausi
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant'AnnaPisaItaly
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PisaPisaItaly
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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7
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Kozlic A, Winter N, Telser T, Reimann J, Rose K, Nehlin L, Berckhan S, Sharma G, Dambire C, Boeckx T, Holdsworth MJ, Bachmair A. A Yeast-Based Functional Assay to Study Plant N-Degron - N-Recognin Interactions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:806129. [PMID: 35069663 PMCID: PMC8777003 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.806129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The N-degron pathway is a branch of the ubiquitin-proteasome system where amino-terminal residues serve as degradation signals. In a synthetic biology approach, we expressed ubiquitin ligase PRT6 and ubiquitin conjugating enzyme 2 (AtUBC2) from Arabidopsis thaliana in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with mutation in its endogenous N-degron pathway. The two enzymes re-constitute part of the plant N-degron pathway and were probed by monitoring the stability of co-expressed GFP-linked plant proteins starting with Arginine N-degrons. The novel assay allows for straightforward analysis, whereas in vitro interaction assays often do not allow detection of the weak binding of N-degron recognizing ubiquitin ligases to their substrates, and in planta testing is usually complex and time-consuming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Kozlic
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nikola Winter
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Theresia Telser
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jakob Reimann
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katrin Rose
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lilian Nehlin
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sophie Berckhan
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gunjan Sharma
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Charlene Dambire
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Tinne Boeckx
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andreas Bachmair
- Max Perutz Labs, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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8
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León J. Protein Tyrosine Nitration in Plant Nitric Oxide Signaling. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:859374. [PMID: 35360296 PMCID: PMC8963475 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.859374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO), which is ubiquitously present in living organisms, regulates many developmental and stress-activated processes in plants. Regulatory effects exerted by NO lies mostly in its chemical reactivity as a free radical. Proteins are main targets of NO action as several amino acids can undergo NO-related post-translational modifications (PTMs) that include mainly S-nitrosylation of cysteine, and nitration of tyrosine and tryptophan. This review is focused on the role of protein tyrosine nitration on NO signaling, making emphasis on the production of NO and peroxynitrite, which is the main physiological nitrating agent; the main metabolic and signaling pathways targeted by protein nitration; and the past, present, and future of methodological and strategic approaches to study this PTM. Available information on identification of nitrated plant proteins, the corresponding nitration sites, and the functional effects on the modified proteins will be summarized. However, due to the low proportion of in vivo nitrated peptides and their inherent instability, the identification of nitration sites by proteomic analyses is a difficult task. Artificial nitration procedures are likely not the best strategy for nitration site identification due to the lack of specificity. An alternative to get artificial site-specific nitration comes from the application of genetic code expansion technologies based on the use of orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNA pairs engineered for specific noncanonical amino acids. This strategy permits the programmable site-specific installation of genetically encoded 3-nitrotyrosine sites in proteins expressed in Escherichia coli, thus allowing the study of the effects of specific site nitration on protein structure and function.
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9
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Shokoohi-Rad S, Heidarzadeh HR. In Vivo Imaging of Plant Oxygen Levels. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 62:1251-1258. [PMID: 33725087 PMCID: PMC8410434 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen is essential for multicellular aerobic life due to its central role in energy metabolism. The availability of oxygen can drop below the level to sustain oxidative phosphorylation when plants are flooded, posing a severe threat to survival. However, under non-stressful conditions, the internal oxygen concentration of most plant tissue is not in equilibrium with the environment, which is attributed to cellular respiration and diffusion constrains imposed by O2 barriers and bulky tissue. This is exemplified by the observations of steep oxygen gradients in roots, fruits, tubers, anthers and meristems. To adapt to a varying availability of oxygen, plants sense O2 via the conditional proteolysis of transcriptional regulators. This mechanism acts to switch oxidative metabolism to anaerobic fermentation, but it was also shown to play a role in plant development and pathogen defense. To investigate how dynamic and spatial distribution of O2 impacts on these processes, accurate mapping of its concentration in plants is essential. Physical oxygen sensors have been employed for decades to profile internal oxygen concentrations in plants, while genetically encoded oxygen biosensors have only recently started to see use. Driven by the critical role of hypoxia in human pathology and development, several novel oxygen-sensing devices have also been characterized in cell lines and animal model organisms. This review aims to provide an overview of available oxygen biosensors and to discuss their potential application to image oxygen levels in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Shokoohi-Rad
- Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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10
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León J, Castillo MC, Gayubas B. The hypoxia-reoxygenation stress in plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:5841-5856. [PMID: 33367851 PMCID: PMC8355755 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Plants are very plastic in adapting growth and development to changing adverse environmental conditions. This feature will be essential for plants to survive climate changes characterized by extreme temperatures and rainfall. Although plants require molecular oxygen (O2) to live, they can overcome transient low-O2 conditions (hypoxia) until return to standard 21% O2 atmospheric conditions (normoxia). After heavy rainfall, submerged plants in flooded lands undergo transient hypoxia until water recedes and normoxia is recovered. The accumulated information on the physiological and molecular events occurring during the hypoxia phase contrasts with the limited knowledge on the reoxygenation process after hypoxia, which has often been overlooked in many studies in plants. Phenotypic alterations during recovery are due to potentiated oxidative stress generated by simultaneous reoxygenation and reillumination leading to cell damage. Besides processes such as N-degron proteolytic pathway-mediated O2 sensing, or mitochondria-driven metabolic alterations, other molecular events controlling gene expression have been recently proposed as key regulators of hypoxia and reoxygenation. RNA regulatory functions, chromatin remodeling, protein synthesis, and post-translational modifications must all be studied in depth in the coming years to improve our knowledge on hypoxia-reoxygenation transition in plants, a topic with relevance in agricultural biotechnology in the context of global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- José León
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Mari Cruz Castillo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Valencia, Spain
| | - Beatriz Gayubas
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Valencia, Spain
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11
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Pucciariello C, Perata P. The Oxidative Paradox in Low Oxygen Stress in Plants. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:332. [PMID: 33672303 PMCID: PMC7926446 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10020332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are part of aerobic environments, and variations in the availability of oxygen (O2) in the environment can lead to altered ROS levels. In plants, the O2 sensing machinery guides the molecular response to low O2, regulating a subset of genes involved in metabolic adaptations to hypoxia, including proteins involved in ROS homeostasis and acclimation. In addition, nitric oxide (NO) participates in signaling events that modulate the low O2 stress response. In this review, we summarize recent findings that highlight the roles of ROS and NO under environmentally or developmentally defined low O2 conditions. We conclude that ROS and NO are emerging regulators during low O2 signalling and key molecules in plant adaptation to flooding conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Pucciariello
- PlantLab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, 56127 Pisa, Italy;
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12
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Sasidharan R, Voesenek LACJ, Perata P. Plant performance and food security in a wetter world. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:5-7. [PMID: 33285019 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Sasidharan
- Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CH, the Netherlands
| | - Laurentius A C J Voesenek
- Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, 3584 CH, the Netherlands
| | - Pierdomenico Perata
- The Plant Lab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Giudiccioni 10, San Giuliano Terme, Pisa, 56010, Italy
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13
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Licausi F, Giuntoli B. Synthetic biology of hypoxia. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:50-56. [PMID: 31960974 PMCID: PMC7754509 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology can greatly aid the investigation of fundamental regulatory mechanisms and enable their direct deployment in the host organisms of choice. In the field of plant hypoxia physiology, a synthetic biology approach has recently been exploited to infer general properties of the plant oxygen sensing mechanism, by expression of plant-specific components in yeast. Moreover, genetic sensors have been devised to report cellular oxygen levels or physiological parameters associated with hypoxia, and orthogonal switches have been introduced in plants to trigger oxygen-specific responses. Upcoming applications are expected, such as genetic tailoring of oxygen-responsive traits, engineering of plant hypoxic metabolism and oxygen delivery to hypoxic tissues, and expansion of the repertoire of genetically encoded oxygen sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Licausi
- Biology DepartmentUniversity of PisaVia L. Ghini 1356126PisaItaly
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant’AnnaPlantlab, Via Guidiccioni 8/10PisaItaly
| | - Beatrice Giuntoli
- Biology DepartmentUniversity of PisaVia L. Ghini 1356126PisaItaly
- Institute of Life SciencesScuola Superiore Sant’AnnaPlantlab, Via Guidiccioni 8/10PisaItaly
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14
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Hammarlund EU, Flashman E, Mohlin S, Licausi F. Oxygen-sensing mechanisms across eukaryotic kingdoms and their roles in complex multicellularity. Science 2020; 370:370/6515/eaba3512. [PMID: 33093080 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba3512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Oxygen-sensing mechanisms of eukaryotic multicellular organisms coordinate hypoxic cellular responses in a spatiotemporal manner. Although this capacity partly allows animals and plants to acutely adapt to oxygen deprivation, its functional and historical roots in hypoxia emphasize a broader evolutionary role. For multicellular life-forms that persist in settings with variable oxygen concentrations, the capacity to perceive and modulate responses in and between cells is pivotal. Animals and higher plants represent the most complex life-forms that ever diversified on Earth, and their oxygen-sensing mechanisms demonstrate convergent evolution from a functional perspective. Exploring oxygen-sensing mechanisms across eukaryotic kingdoms can inform us on biological innovations to harness ever-changing oxygen availability at the dawn of complex life and its utilization for their organismal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma U Hammarlund
- Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Scheelevägen 8, 223 81 Lund, Sweden. .,Nordic Center for Earth Evolution, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M, Denmark.,Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Emily Flashman
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Sofie Mohlin
- Translational Cancer Research, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Scheelevägen 8, 223 81 Lund, Sweden.,Division of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Francesco Licausi
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK. .,PlantLab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore, Sant'Anna, 56124 Pisa, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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15
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White MD, Dalle Carbonare L, Lavilla Puerta M, Iacopino S, Edwards M, Dunne K, Pires E, Levy C, McDonough MA, Licausi F, Flashman E. Structures of Arabidopsis thaliana oxygen-sensing plant cysteine oxidases 4 and 5 enable targeted manipulation of their activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:23140-23147. [PMID: 32868422 PMCID: PMC7502726 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000206117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In higher plants, molecular responses to exogenous hypoxia are driven by group VII ethylene response factors (ERF-VIIs). These transcriptional regulators accumulate in the nucleus under hypoxia to activate anaerobic genes but are destabilized in normoxic conditions through the action of oxygen-sensing plant cysteine oxidases (PCOs). The PCOs catalyze the reaction of oxygen with the conserved N-terminal cysteine of ERF-VIIs to form cysteine sulfinic acid, triggering degradation via the Cys/Arg branch of the N-degron pathway. The PCOs are therefore a vital component of the plant oxygen signaling system, connecting environmental stimulus with cellular and physiological response. Rational manipulation of PCO activity could regulate ERF-VII levels and improve flood tolerance, but requires detailed structural information. We report crystal structures of the constitutively expressed PCO4 and PCO5 from Arabidopsis thaliana to 1.24 and 1.91 Å resolution, respectively. The structures reveal that the PCOs comprise a cupin-like scaffold, which supports a central metal cofactor coordinated by three histidines. While this overall structure is consistent with other thiol dioxygenases, closer inspection of the active site indicates that other catalytic features are not conserved, suggesting that the PCOs may use divergent mechanisms to oxidize their substrates. Conservative substitution of two active site residues had dramatic effects on PCO4 function both in vitro and in vivo, through yeast and plant complementation assays. Collectively, our data identify key structural elements that are required for PCO activity and provide a platform for engineering crops with improved hypoxia tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D White
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, Australia
| | | | - Mikel Lavilla Puerta
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56010 Pisa, Italy
| | - Sergio Iacopino
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, OX1 3RB Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Edwards
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Dunne
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabete Pires
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Levy
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, M1 7DN Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael A McDonough
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Licausi
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56010 Pisa, Italy
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, OX1 3RB Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Flashman
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom;
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16
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León J, Costa-Broseta Á, Castillo MC. RAP2.3 negatively regulates nitric oxide biosynthesis and related responses through a rheostat-like mechanism in Arabidopsis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:3157-3171. [PMID: 32052059 PMCID: PMC7260729 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is sensed through a mechanism involving the degradation of group-VII ERF transcription factors (ERFVIIs) that is mediated by the N-degron pathway. However, the mechanisms regulating NO homeostasis and downstream responses remain mostly unknown. To explore the role of ERFVIIs in regulating NO production and signaling, genome-wide transcriptome analyses were performed on single and multiple erfvii mutants of Arabidopsis following exposure to NO. Transgenic plants overexpressing degradable or non-degradable versions of RAP2.3, one of the five ERFVIIs, were also examined. Enhanced RAP2.3 expression attenuated the changes in the transcriptome upon exposure to NO, and thereby acted as a brake for NO-triggered responses that included the activation of jasmonate and ABA signaling. The expression of non-degradable RAP2.3 attenuated NO biosynthesis in shoots but not in roots, and released the NO-triggered inhibition of hypocotyl and root elongation. In the guard cells of stomata, the control of NO accumulation depended on PRT6-triggered degradation of RAP2.3 more than on RAP2.3 levels. RAP2.3 therefore seemed to work as a molecular rheostat controlling NO homeostasis and signaling. Its function as a brake for NO signaling was released upon NO-triggered PRT6-mediated degradation, thus allowing the inhibition of growth, and the potentiation of jasmonate- and ABA-related signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- José León
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas–Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Valencia, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Álvaro Costa-Broseta
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas–Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Valencia, Spain
| | - Mari Cruz Castillo
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas–Universidad Politécnica de Valencia), Valencia, Spain
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17
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Masson N, Keeley TP, Giuntoli B, White MD, Puerta ML, Perata P, Hopkinson RJ, Flashman E, Licausi F, Ratcliffe PJ. Conserved N-terminal cysteine dioxygenases transduce responses to hypoxia in animals and plants. Science 2020; 365:65-69. [PMID: 31273118 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Organisms must respond to hypoxia to preserve oxygen homeostasis. We identify a thiol oxidase, previously assigned as cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) dioxygenase (ADO), as a low oxygen affinity (high-K mO2) amino-terminal cysteine dioxygenase that transduces the oxygen-regulated stability of proteins by the N-degron pathway in human cells. ADO catalyzes the conversion of amino-terminal cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid and is related to the plant cysteine oxidases that mediate responses to hypoxia by an identical posttranslational modification. We show in human cells that ADO regulates RGS4/5 (regulator of G protein signaling) N-degron substrates, modulates G protein-coupled calcium ion signals and mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, and that its activity extends to other N-cysteine proteins including the angiogenic cytokine interleukin-32. Identification of a conserved enzymatic oxygen sensor in multicellular eukaryotes opens routes to better understanding and therapeutic targeting of adaptive responses to hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma Masson
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Thomas P Keeley
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Beatrice Giuntoli
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Luca Ghini 13, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Guidiccioni 8/10, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Mark D White
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Mikel Lavilla Puerta
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Guidiccioni 8/10, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Pierdomenico Perata
- Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Guidiccioni 8/10, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Richard J Hopkinson
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Emily Flashman
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Francesco Licausi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Luca Ghini 13, 56126 Pisa, Italy.,Plantlab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Guidiccioni 8/10, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Peter J Ratcliffe
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, UK. .,The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
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18
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Perata P. Ethylene Signaling Controls Fast Oxygen Sensing in Plants. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:3-6. [PMID: 31734094 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
When plants are submerged by water they suffer from hypoxia. Although it has long been known that ethylene accumulates in submerged plants, its role in plant tolerance to hypoxia remained elusive. Recently, Hartman et al. described a mechanism that explains the role of ethylene in oxygen sensing and signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierdomenico Perata
- PlantLab, Institute of Life Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Via Giudiccioni 10, San Giuliano Terme, Pisa, Italy.
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19
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Iacopino S, Licausi F. The Contribution of Plant Dioxygenases to Hypoxia Signaling. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1008. [PMID: 32733514 PMCID: PMC7360844 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Dioxygenases catalyze the incorporation of one or two oxygen atoms into target organic substrates. Besides their metabolic role, these enzymes are involved in plant signaling pathways as this reaction is in several instances required for hormone metabolism, to control proteostasis and regulate chromatin accessibility. For these reasons, alteration of dioxygenase expression or activity can affect plant growth, development, and adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. Moreover, the requirement of co-substrates and co-factors, such as oxygen, 2-oxoglutarate, and iron (Fe2+), invests dioxygenases with a potential role as cellular sensors for these molecules. For example, inhibition of cysteine deoxygenation under hypoxia elicits adaptive responses to cope with oxygen shortage. However, biochemical and molecular evidence regarding the role of other dioxygenases under low oxygen stresses is still limited, and thus further investigation is needed to identify additional sensing roles for oxygen or other co-substrates and co-factors. Here, we summarize the main signaling roles of dioxygenases in plants and discuss how they control plant growth, development and metabolism, with a focus on the adaptive responses to low oxygen conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Iacopino
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute of Life Sciences, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Licausi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Institute of Life Sciences, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Francesco Licausi,
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20
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Holdsworth MJ, Vicente J, Sharma G, Abbas M, Zubrycka A. The plant N-degron pathways of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 62:70-89. [PMID: 31638740 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The amino-terminal residue of a protein (or amino-terminus of a peptide following protease cleavage) can be an important determinant of its stability, through the Ubiquitin Proteasome System associated N-degron pathways. Plants contain a unique combination of N-degron pathways (previously called the N-end rule pathways) E3 ligases, PROTEOLYSIS (PRT)6 and PRT1, recognizing non-overlapping sets of amino-terminal residues, and others remain to be identified. Although only very few substrates of PRT1 or PRT6 have been identified, substrates of the oxygen and nitric oxide sensing branch of the PRT6 N-degron pathway include key nuclear-located transcription factors (ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR VIIs and LITTLE ZIPPER 2) and the histone-modifying Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 component VERNALIZATION 2. In response to reduced oxygen or nitric oxide levels (and other mechanisms that reduce pathway activity) these stabilized substrates regulate diverse aspects of growth and development, including response to flooding, salinity, vernalization (cold-induced flowering) and shoot apical meristem function. The N-degron pathways show great promise for use in the improvement of crop performance and for biotechnological applications. Upstream proteases, components of the different pathways and associated substrates still remain to be identified and characterized to fully appreciate how regulation of protein stability through the amino-terminal residue impacts plant biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge Vicente
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Gunjan Sharma
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Mohamad Abbas
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Agata Zubrycka
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
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