Quantitative analysis of plant polyamines including thermospermine during growth and salinity stress

A Solanum lycopersicum polyamine oxidase contributes to the control of plant growth, xylem differentiation, and drought stress tolerance

Polyamines are involved in several plant physiological processes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, five FAD-dependent polyamine oxidases (AtPAO1 to AtPAO5) contribute to polyamine homeostasis. AtPAO5 catalyzes the back-conversion of thermospermine (T-Spm) to spermidine and plays a role in plant development, xylem differentiation, and abiotic stress tolerance. In the present study, to verify whether T-Spm metabolism can be exploited as a new route to improve stress tolerance in crops and to investigate the underlying mechanisms, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) AtPAO5 homologs were identified (SlPAO2, SlPAO3, and SlPAO4) and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated loss-of-function slpao3 mutants were obtained. Morphological, molecular, and physiological analyses showed that slpao3 mutants display increased T-Spm levels and exhibit changes in growth parameters, number and size of xylem elements, and expression levels of auxin- and gibberellin-related genes compared to wild-type plants. The slpao3 mutants are also characterized by improved tolerance to drought stress, which can be attributed to a diminished xylem hydraulic conductivity that limits water loss, as well as to a reduced vulnerability to embolism. Altogether, this study evidences conservation, though with some significant variations, of the T-Spm-mediated regulatory mechanisms controlling plant growth and differentiation across different plant species and highlights the T-Spm role in improving stress tolerance while not constraining growth.

ACL5 acquired strict thermospermine synthesis activity during the emergence of vascular plants

Norspermine (Nspm), one of the uncommon polyamines (PAs), was detected in bryophytes and lycophytes; therefore, the aminopropyltransferases involved in the synthesis of Nspm were investigated. The enzymatic activity was evaluated by the transient high expression of various aminopropyltransferase genes in Nicotiana benthamiana, followed by quantification of PA distribution in the leaves using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The bryophyte orthologues of ACL5, which is known to synthesise thermospermine (Tspm) in flowering plants, were found to have strong Nspm synthesis activity. In addition, two ACL5 orthologous with different substrate specificities were conserved in Selaginella moellendorffii, one of which was involved in Tspm synthesis and the other in Nspm synthesis. Therefore, further detailed analysis using these two factors revealed that the β-hairpin structural region consisting of β-strands 1 and 2 at the N-terminus of ACL5 is involved in substrate specificity. Through functional analysis of a total of 40 ACL5 genes in 33 organisms, including algae, it was shown that ACL5 has changed its substrate specificity several times during plant evolution and diversification. Furthermore, it was strongly suggested that ACL5 acquired strict Tspm synthesis activity during the emergence of vascular plants, especially through major changes around the β-hairpin structural region.

Polyamine depletion enhances oil body mobilization through possible regulation of oleosin degradation and aquaporin abundance on its membrane

Oil body (OB) mobilization, a crucial event associated with early seedling growth, is delayed in response to salt stress. Previous reports suggest that careful regulation of polyamine (PA) metabolism is essential for salt stress tolerance in plants. Many aspects of PA-mediated regulation of metabolism have been uncovered. However, their role in the process of OB mobilization remains unexplored. Interestingly, the present investigations reveal a possible influence of PA homeostasis on OB mobilization, while implicating complex regulation of oleosin degradation and aquaporin abundance in OB membranes in the process. Application of PA inhibitors resulted in the accumulation of smaller OBs when compared to control (-NaCl) and the salt-stressed counterparts, suggesting a faster rate of mobilization. PA deficit also resulted in reduced retention of some larger oleosins under controlled conditions but enhanced retention of all oleosins under salt stress. Additionally, with respect to aquaporins, a higher abundance of PIP2 under PA deficit both under control and saline conditions, is correlated with a faster mobilization of OBs. Contrarily, TIP1s, and TIP2s remained almost undetectable in response to PA depletion and were differentially regulated by salt stress. The present work, thus, provides novel insights into PA homeostasis-mediated regulation of OB mobilization, oleosin degradation, and aquaporin abundance on OB membranes.

The Effect of Glycine Betaine on Nitrogen and Polyamine Metabolisms, Expression of Glycoside-Related Biosynthetic Enzymes, and K/Na Balance of Stevia under Salt Stress

The beneficial role of glycine betaine (GB) in the adaptation of plants to abiotic stresses is well known; therefore, the study of physiological and molecular responses induced by exogenous GB under NaCl stress can provide a suitable reference for the application of this compound to enhance the adaptation of plants to salinity. The present study was conducted under in vitro conditions to evaluate the effect of GB (25 and 50 mM) on the growth, physiological, and molecular traits of Stevia rebaudiana during NaCl toxicity (50 mM). The results showed that applying NaCl treatment increased Na accumulation, induced oxidative stress, and disrupted N metabolism and K/Na homeostasis, which, as a result, decreased the stevia plant's growth and biomass. However, application of GB improved the adaptation of NaCl-stressed plants by improving N metabolism and modulating the metabolism of polyamines. By increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, GB diminished oxidative stress, protected the plasma membrane, and restored photosynthetic pigments under NaCl toxicity. By reducing Na accumulation and increasing K accumulation, GB maintained the K/Na balance and reduced the effects of toxicity caused by the high Na concentration in stevia leaves. GB increased the leaf accumulation of rebaudioside A in NaCl-stressed plants by modulating the expression of genes (KAH, UGT74G1, UGT76G1, and UGT85C2) involved in the sugar compounds of the stevia plants. Our results provide a broad understanding of GB-induced responses in NaCl-stressed plants, which can help increase our knowledge of the role of GB in the defense mechanisms of plants under abiotic stresses.

Spermine-Salicylic Acid Interplay Restrains Salt Toxicity in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Spermine (SPM) and salicylic acid (SA) are plant growth regulators, eliciting specific responses against salt toxicity. In this study, the potential role of 30 mgL^-1 SPM and/or 100 mgL^-1 SA in preventing salt damage was investigated. Wheat plants were grown under non-saline or saline conditions (6.0 and 12.0 dS m^-1) with and without SA and/or SPM foliar applications. Exogenously applied SA and/or SPM alleviated the inhibition of plant growth and productivity under saline conditions by increasing Calvin cycle enzyme activity. Foliage applications also improved ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase activities, which effectively scavenged hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals in stressed plants. Furthermore, foliar treatments increased antioxidants such as ascorbate and glutathione, which effectively detoxified reactive oxygen species (ROS). Exogenous applications also increased N, P, and K⁺ acquisition, roots' ATP content, and H⁺-pump activity, accompanied by significantly lower Na⁺ accumulation in stressed plants. Under saline environments, exogenous SA and/or SPM applications raised endogenous SA and SPM levels. Co-application of SA and SPM gave the best response. The newly discovered data suggest that the increased activities of Calvin cycle enzymes, root H⁺-pump, and antioxidant defense machinery in treated plants are a mechanism for salt tolerance. Therefore, combining the use of SA and SPM can be a superior method for reducing salt toxicity in sustainable agricultural systems.

Enhancement of γ-aminobutyric acid content in shells of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) under anoxic vacuum conditions

Passiflora edulis, commonly known as passion fruit, is a popular all-weather fruit eaten fresh or processed. Its shells, which currently are mostly discarded as waste and hurt the environment, account for more than half of the passion fruit. The shells contain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) which is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter and has many proven medical values such as antidepressant, anti-anxiety, etc. Many studies have shown that GABA production in plants can be significantly increased by reverse stress. Taking Tainong 1 as a typical passion fruit cultivar, this study explored the optimal anoxic vacuum treatment for increasing the GABA content of passion fruit shells. The content increased to 2139.25 ± 26.69 mg/100 g on day 4 of chill storage after vacuum packing (63.68% higher than the control). The activities of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and diamine oxidase (DAO) were significantly higher in the vacuum-treated group than in the control group after 4 days of vacuum-chill storage. On day 5 of vacuum-chill storage, the activities of all measured enzymes decreased except for the increase of GABA transaminase (GABA-T), which was accompanied by a decrease in GABA content. Vacuum treatment and subsequent chill storage increased the content of GABA, thereby increasing functional value of passion fruit shells.

Role of metabolites in flower development and discovery of compounds controlling flowering time

Flowering is one of the most important physiological processes of plants that ensures continuity of genetic flow from one generation to the next and also maintains food security. Therefore, impact of various climate-related abiotic stresses on flowering have been assessed to evaluate the long-term impact of global climate change. In contrast to the enormous volume of research that has been conducted at the genetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and protein level, much less attention has been paid to understand the role of various metabolites in flower induction and floral organ development during normal growth or in stressed environmental condition. This review article aims at summarizing information on various primary (e.g., carbohydrates, lipids, fatty acid derivatives, protein and amino acids) and secondary metabolites (e.g., polyamines, phenolics, neuro-indoles, phenylpropanoid, flavonoids and terpenes) that have so far been identified either during flower induction or in individual floral organs implying their possible role in organ development. Specialized metabolites responsible for flower colour, scent and shape to support plant-pollinator interaction have been extensively reviewed by many research groups and hence are not considered in this article. Many of the metabolites discussed here may be used as metabolomarkers to identify tolerant crop genotypes. Several agrochemicals have been successfully used to release endodormancy in temperate trees. Along the same line, a strategy that combines metabolite profiling, screening of small-molecule libraries, and structural alteration of selected compounds has been proposed in order to identify novel lead compounds that can regulate flowering time when applied exogenously.

Overexpression of EiKCS confers paraquat-resistance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) by promoting the polyamine pathway

BACKGROUND

Paraquat is used widely as one of the bipyridine herbicides, which generates reactive oxygen species to cause cell death. With a growing number of paraquat-resistant weeds, the mechanism of paraquat-resistance in plants remains unclear. This research verified the functions of a previously confirmed putative paraquat-resistant gene, EiKCS, from paraquat-resistant goosegrass by genetic engineering in a single overexpressing line in rice.

RESULTS

Overexpression of EiKCS improved paraquat resistance in transgenic rice (KCSox). Pre-applied (12 h) exogenous spermidine (1.5 mmol L^-1 ), alleviated the injury of paraquat in rice. Paraquat induced injury in KCSox was 19.57%, which was lower than 32.22% injury it induced in wild-type (WT) rice. The paraquat-resistant mechanism was through the increased activity of antioxidant enzymes and the overproduction of endogenous polyamines. The spermine content in KCSox was more than 30 μg mL^-1 , while that in WT rice was less than 5 μg mL^-1 . Quantitative proteomics showed that β-ketoacyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthase (51.81 folds) encoded by the transgenic EiKCS gene promoted the synthesis of the proteins involved with the polyamine pathway. The synthesized putrescine was promoted by the arginine decarboxylase (ADC) pathway. The spermidine synthase I (1.10-fold) and three eceriferum cofactors (CERs) were responsive to the paraquat stress. We validated putrescine (C₁₈ H₂₀ N₂ O₂ ) spermidine (C₂₈ H₃₁ N₃ O₃ ), and spermine (C₃₈ H₄₂ N₄ O₄ ) in this study.

CONCLUSION

EiKCS encoding β-ketoacyl-CoA synthase from goosegrass has been shown as an ideal candidate gene for engineering genetically modified organism (GMO) crops, as its overexpression does not only bring paraquat-resistance, but also have potential benefits without decreasing yield and rice grain quality. © 2021 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Differential Association of Free, Conjugated, and Bound Forms of Polyamines and Transcript Abundance of Their Biosynthetic and Catabolic Genes During Drought/Salinity Stress in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Leaves

Polyamines have been implicated in ameliorating the detrimental effects of drought and saline conditions on plant growth and development. The independent impact of these two abiotic stresses on polyamine (PA) biosynthesis, catabolism, and homeostasis, as well as on their transcript abundance in tomato leaves, is presented here. We show that the total levels of putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD), and spermine (SPM) increase up to 72 h during drought and up to 48 h during salinity stress before their precipitable drop thereafter. Thus, tomato plants maintain survivability to drought as well as salinity stress for up to 3 and 2 days, respectively. Independent multivariant analyses of drought and salinity stress kinetic data separately showed a closer association with levels of free, conjugated, and bound forms of SPD and SPM, but not with free or bound PUT. However, combined multivariant analyses showed a closer association of free SPD, conjugated SPD, and bound SPD with both stresses; SPD-bound and SPM conjugated with drought; and free SPM and conjugated PUT with salinity stress, respectively. PA biosynthesis genes, ARG1, SPDS1, and SAMDc3, segregated with drought and SPDS2 with salinity stress. PA catabolic genes CuAO4-like and PAO4 were associated with drought and salinity stresses, respectively, suggesting differential involvement of PA biosynthesis and catabolic genes in drought and salinity stresses. Pearson correlation indicated mostly positive correlations between the levels of free, conjugated, and bound forms of PUT, SPD, and SPM under drought and salinity stress. However, negative correlations were mostly seen between the levels of various forms of the PAs and their biosynthesis/catabolic genes. Levels of different PA forms had a twofold higher negative correlation during drought as compared to salinity stress (66 vs. 32) and with transcript levels of PA biosynthesis and catabolic genes. Transcripts of light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding genes were generally positively associated with different forms of PAs but negatively to carbon flow genes. Most of the PA biosynthesis genes were coordinately regulated under both stresses. Collectively, these results indicate that PAs are distinctly regulated under drought and salinity stress with different but specific homologs of PA biosynthesis and catabolic genes contributing to the accumulation of free, conjugated, and bound forms of PAs.

Heat stress promotes the conversion of putrescine to spermidine and plays an important role in regulating ganoderic acid biosynthesis in Ganoderma lucidum

Heat stress (HS) is inescapable environmental stress that can induce the production of ganoderic acids (GAs) in Ganoderma lucidum. Our previous studies found that putrescine (Put) played an inhibitory role in GAs biosynthesis, which appeared to be inconsistent with the upregulated transcription of the Put biosynthetic gene GlOdc under HS. To uncover the mechanism underlying this phenomenon, two spermidine (Spd) biosynthetic genes, GlSpds1 and GlSpds2, were identified and upregulated under HS. Put and Spd increased by 94% and 160% under HS, respectively, suggesting that HS induces polyamine biosynthesis and promotes the conversion of Put to Spd. By using GlSpds knockdown mutants, it is confirmed that Spd played a stimulatory role in GAs biosynthesis. In GlOdc-kd mutants, Put decreased by 62-67%, Spd decreased by approximately 34%, and GAs increased by 15-22% but sharply increased by 75-89% after supplementation with Spd. In GlSpds-kd mutants, Put increased by 31-41%, Spd decreased by approximately 63%, and GAs decreased by 24-32% and were restored to slightly higher levels than a wild type after supplementation with Spd. This result suggested that Spd, rather than Put, is a crucial factor that leads to the accumulation of GAs under HS. Spd plays a more predominant and stimulative role than Put under HS, possibly because the absolute content of Spd is 10 times greater than that of Put. GABA and H₂O₂, two major catabolites of Spd, had little effect on GAs biosynthesis. This study provides new insight into the mechanism by which environmental stimuli regulate secondary metabolism via polyamines in fungi. KEY POINTS: • HS induces polyamine biosynthesis and promotes the conversion of Put to Spd in G. lucidum. • Put and Spd played the inhibitory and stimulatory roles in regulating GAs biosynthesis, respectively. • The stimulatory role of Spd was more predominant than the inhibitory role of Put in GAs biosynthesis.

Expression profile of seven polyamine oxidase genes in rice (Oryza sativa) in response to abiotic stresses, phytohormones and polyamines

Polyamine levels are controlled by biosynthesis, intra- and inter-cellular flux by the respective transporters, and catabolism. The catabolism is catalyzed by two groups of enzymes. One is copper-containing amine oxidases and the other is polyamine oxidases (PAOs). In Oryza sativa, seven PAO genes exist and they are termed as OsPAO1 to OsPAO7. However, their physiological function has not been elucidated yet. Here, we examined the expressional changes of seven OsPAO genes upon abiotic and oxidative stress, phytohormone, and exogenous polyamines application. The transcript of extracellular polyamine oxidase OsPAO2 and OsPAO6 are strongly induced upon wounding, drought, salinity, oxidative stress (H₂O₂), and exogenous application of jasmonic acid, spermidine, spermine, thermospermine and negatively regulated upon indole acetic acid, isopentenyl adenine (iPT), gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid; OsPAO7 is to iPT, GA and all polyamines; OsPAO4 and OsPAO5 are mildly responsive to heat, cold, oxidative stress. These results suggest that polyamine oxidase encoding extracellular enzyme may play a pivotal role during exogenous stimulus to protect the plant cell.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01006-1.

Exposure of Lemna minor L. to gentian violet or Congo red is associated with changes in the biosynthesis pathway of biogenic amines

In the literature, there is a lack of data on the effect of gentian violet (GV) and congo red (CR) dyes on the biosynthesis pathway of biogenic amines (BAs) in Lemna minor L. (common duckweed). This plant species is an important link in the food chain. Both dyes inhibited growth, biomass yield and the biosynthesis of chlorophyll a in common duckweed. The predicted toxic units demonstrated that GV had a more toxic effect on the growth rate and biomass yield of common duckweed than CR. Decarboxylase activity in the biosynthesis of BAs in common duckweed is also a useful indicator for evaluating the toxicity of both dyes. Gentian violet also exerted more phytotoxic effects on the analyzed biochemical features of common duckweed because it changed the putrescine (Put) biosynthesis pathway, increased tyramine content 1.6 fold, inhibited the activity of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase by 40% and the activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) by 80%. Tyrosine decarboxylase (TDC) was most active in plants exposed to the highest concentration of GV. Similarly to control plants, in common duckweed exposed to CR, Put was synthesized from ornithine; however, spermidine content was 86% higher, Put content was 51% lower, and ODC activity was 86% lower.

Enhanced performance of Bacillus megaterium OSR-3 in combination with putrescine ammeliorated hydrocarbon stress in Nicotiana tabacum

Hydrocarbon stress (HS) has been causing decreased plant growth and productivity. Putrescine (Put) and growth promoting microbes are vital for plant growth and development under hydrocarbon stress. Current research work was carried out to evaluate the potential of Bacillus megaterium OSR-3 alone and in combination with Put to alleviate HS in Nicotiana tabacum (L.). The crude petroleum contaminated soil significantly reduced growth attributes of N. tabacum. B. megaterium OSR-3 inoculated plants subjected to HS exhibited improved photosynthetic rate, gas exchange characteristics, poline contents and protein level. Furthermore, bacterial inoculation enhanced the antioxidative activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in tobacco plants subjected to HS. The HS alleviation in B. megaterium OSR-3 inoculated N. tabacum can be credited to the heightened activity of antioxidative enzymes, reduction in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and abridged synthesis of malondialdehyde (MDA). The increased synthesis of indole acetic acid (IAA) in HS stressed N. tabacum plants treated with co-application of B. megaterium OSR-3 and Put attenuated toxicity and amplified growth of plants. Additionally, the co-application of B. megaterium OSR-3 and Put also upregulated the activity of antioxidative enzymes and induced augmented level of proline and IAA in plants under HS regimes. Current research provides novel insight into the potential and mechanism of B. megaterium OSR-3 and Put in mitigation of HS in N. tabacum plants.

What is the role of putrescine accumulated under potassium deficiency?

Biomarker metabolites are of increasing interest in crops since they open avenues for precision agriculture, whereby nutritional needs and stresses can be monitored optimally. Putrescine has the potential to be a useful biomarker to reveal potassium (K⁺ ) deficiency. In fact, although this diamine has also been observed to increase during other stresses such as drought, cold or heavy metals, respective changes are comparably low. Due to its multifaceted biochemical properties, several roles for putrescine under K⁺ deficiency have been suggested, such as cation balance, antioxidant, reactive oxygen species mediated signalling, osmolyte or pH regulator. However, the specific association of putrescine build-up with low K⁺ availability in plants remains poorly understood, and possible regulatory roles must be consistent with putrescine concentration found in plant tissues. We hypothesize that the massive increase of putrescine upon K⁺ starvation plays an adaptive role. A distinction of putrescine function from that of other polyamines (spermine, spermidine) may be based either on its specificity or (which is probably more relevant under K⁺ deficiency) on a very high attainable concentration of putrescine, which far exceeds those for spermidine and spermine. putrescine and its catabolites appear to possess a strong potential in controlling cellular K⁺ and Ca²⁺ , and mitochondria and chloroplasts bioenergetics under K⁺ stress.

Enhanced accumulation of gibberellins rendered rice seedlings sensitive to ammonium toxicity

Ammonium (NH4+) phytotoxicity is a worldwide phenomenon, but the primary toxic mechanisms are still controversial. In the present study, we investigated the physiological function of gibberellins (GAs) in the response of rice plants to NH4+ toxicity and polyamine accumulation using GA biosynthesis-related rice mutants. Exposure to NH4+ significantly decreased GA4 production in shoots of wild-type (WT) plants. Both exogenous GA application to the WT and increases in endogenous GA levels in eui1 mutants rendered them more sensitive to NH4+ toxicity. In contrast, growth of sd1 GA-deficient mutants was more tolerant to NH4+ toxicity than that of their WT counterparts. The role of polyamines in GA-mediated NH4+ toxicity was evaluated using WT rice plants and their GA-related mutants. The eui1 mutants with GA overproduction displayed a higher endogenous putrescine (Put) accumulation than WT plants, leading to an enhanced Put/[spermidine (Spd)+spermine (Spm)] ratio in their shoots. In contrast, mutation of the SD1 gene encoding a defective enzyme in GA biosynthesis resulted in a significant increase in Spd and Spm production, and reduction in the Put/(Spd+Spm) ratio when exposed to a high NH4+ medium. Exogenous application of Put exacerbated symptoms associated with NH4+ toxicity in rice shoots, while the symptoms were alleviated by an inhibitor of Put biosynthesis. These findings highlight the involvement of GAs in NH4+ toxicity, and that GA-induced Put accumulation is responsible for the increased sensitivity to NH4+ toxicity in rice plants.

Salt hypersensitivity is associated with excessive xylem development in a thermospermine-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana

In Arabidopsis, spermine is produced in most tissues and has been implicated in stress response, while its structural isomer thermospermine is only in xylem precursor cells. Studies on acaulis5 (acl5), a mutant defective in the biosynthesis of thermospermine, have revealed that thermospermine plays a repressive role in xylem development through enhancement of mRNA translation of the SAC51 family. In contrast, the pao5 mutant defective in the degradation of thermospermine has high levels of thermospermine and shows increased salt tolerance, suggesting a role of thermospermine in salt stress response. Here we compared acl5 with a mutant of spermine synthase, spms, in terms of abiotic stress tolerance and found that acl5 was much more sensitive to sodium than the wild-type and spms. A double-mutant of acl5 and sac51-d, which suppresses the excessive xylem phenotype of acl5, recovered normal sensitivity, while a quadruple T-DNA insertion mutant of the SAC51 family, which has an increased thermospermine level but shows excessive xylem development, showed increased salt sensitivity, unlike pao5. Together with the result that the salt tolerance of both wild-type and acl5 seedlings was improved by long-term treatment with thermospermine, we suggest a correlation of the salt tolerance with reduced xylem development rather than with the thermospermine level. We further found that the mutants containing high thermospermine levels showed increased tolerance to drought and heat stress, suggesting another role of thermospermine that may be common with that of spermine and secondary to that in restricting excess xylem development associated with salt hypersensitivity.

Polyamine Action under Metal/Metalloid Stress: Regulation of Biosynthesis, Metabolism, and Molecular Interactions

Polyamines (PAs) are found in all living organisms and serve many vital physiological processes. In plants, PAs are ubiquitous in plant growth, physiology, reproduction, and yield. In the last decades, PAs have been studied widely for exploring their function in conferring abiotic stresses (salt, drought, and metal/metalloid toxicity) tolerance. The role of PAs in enhancing antioxidant defense mechanism and subsequent oxidative stress tolerance in plants is well-evident. However, the enzymatic regulation in PAs biosynthesis and metabolism is still under research and widely variable under various stresses and plant types. Recently, exogenous use of PAs, such as putrescine, spermidine, and spermine, was found to play a vital role in enhancing stress tolerance traits in plants. Polyamines also interact with other molecules like phytohormones, nitric oxides, trace elements, and other signaling molecules to providing coordinating actions towards stress tolerance. Due to the rapid industrialization metal/metalloid(s) contamination in the soil and subsequent uptake and toxicity in plants causes the most significant yield loss in cultivated plants, which also hamper food security. Finding the ways in enhancing tolerance and remediation mechanism is one of the critical tasks for plant biologists. In this review, we will focus the recent update on the roles of PAs in conferring metal/metalloid(s) tolerance in plants.

Polyamine Oxidases Play Various Roles in Plant Development and Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Polyamines not only play roles in plant growth and development, but also adapt to environmental stresses. Polyamines can be oxidized by copper-containing diamine oxidases (CuAOs) and flavin-containing polyamine oxidases (PAOs). Two types of PAOs exist in the plant kingdom; one type catalyzes the back conversion (BC-type) pathway and the other catalyzes the terminal catabolism (TC-type) pathway. The catabolic features and biological functions of plant PAOs have been investigated in various plants in the past years. In this review, we focus on the advance of PAO studies in rice, Arabidopsis, and tomato, and other plant species.

Conservation of Thermospermine Synthase Activity in Vascular and Non-vascular Plants

In plants, the only confirmed function for thermospermine is regulating xylem cells maturation. However, genes putatively encoding thermospermine synthases have been identified in the genomes of both vascular and non-vascular plants. Here, we verify the activity of the thermospermine synthase genes and the presence of thermospermine in vascular and non-vascular land plants as well as in the aquatic plant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In addition, we provide information about differential content of thermospermine in diverse organs at different developmental stages in some vascular species that suggest that, although the major role of thermospermine in vascular plants is likely to be xylem development, other potential roles in development and/or responses to stress conditions could be associated to such polyamine. In summary, our results in vascular and non-vascular species indicate that the capacity to synthesize thermospermine is conserved throughout the entire plant kingdom.

A Polyamine Oxidase from Selaginella lepidophylla (SelPAO5) can Replace AtPAO5 in Arabidopsis through Converting Thermospermine to Norspermidine instead to Spermidine

Of the five polyamine oxidases in Arabidopsis thaliana, AtPAO5 has a substrate preference for the tetraamine thermospermine (T-Spm) which is converted to triamine spermidine (Spd) in a back-conversion reaction in vitro. A homologue of AtPAO5 from the lycophyte Selaginella lepidophylla (SelPAO5) back-converts T-Spm to the uncommon polyamine norspermidine (NorSpd) instead of Spd. An Atpao5 loss-of-function mutant shows a strong reduced growth phenotype when growing on a T-Spm containing medium. When SelPAO5 was expressed in the Atpao5 mutant, T-Spm level decreased to almost normal values of wild type plants, and NorSpd was produced. Furthermore the reduced growth phenotype was cured by the expression of SelPAO5. Thus, a NorSpd synthesis pathway by PAO reaction and T-Spm as substrate was demonstrated in planta and the assumption that a balanced T-Spm homeostasis is needed for normal growth was strengthened.

Polyamine Function in Plants: Metabolism, Regulation on Development, and Roles in Abiotic Stress Responses

Polyamines (PAs) are low molecular weight aliphatic nitrogenous bases containing two or more amino groups. They are produced by organisms during metabolism and are present in almost all cells. Because they play important roles in diverse plant growth and developmental processes and in environmental stress responses, they are considered as a new kind of plant biostimulant. With the development of molecular biotechnology techniques, there is increasing evidence that PAs, whether applied exogenously or produced endogenously via genetic engineering, can positively affect plant growth, productivity, and stress tolerance. However, it is still not fully understood how PAs regulate plant growth and stress responses. In this review, we attempt to cover these information gaps and provide a comprehensive and critical assessment of the published literature on the relationships between PAs and plant flowering, embryo development, senescence, and responses to several (mainly abiotic) stresses. The aim of this review is to summarize how PAs improve plants' productivity, and to provide a basis for future research on the mechanism of action of PAs in plant growth and development. Future perspectives for PA research are also suggested.

Proteomic and ecophysiological responses of soybean (Glycine max L.) root nodules to Pb and hg stress

BACKGROUND

Lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) are persistent hazardous metals in industrially polluted soils which can be toxic in low quantities. Metal toxicity can cause changes at cellular and molecular level which should be studied for better understanding of tolerance mechanism in plants. Soybean (Glycine max L.) is an important oilseed crop of the world including India. Indian soils growing soybean are often contaminated by Pb and Hg. The aim of this study was to explore how soybean root nodule responds to Pb and Hg through proteomic and ecophysiological alterations in order to enhance tolerance to metal stress.

RESULTS

Soybean plants were exposed to Pb (30 ppm PbCl2) and Hg (0.5 ppm HgCl2) to study histological, histochemical, biochemical and molecular response of N2-fixing symbiotic nodules. Both Pb and Hg treatment increased the level of oxidative stress in leaves and nodules. Chlorosis in leaves and morphological/anatomical changes in nodules were observed. Activities of ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase were also modulated. Significant changes were observed in abundance of 76 proteins by Pb and Hg. Pb and Hg influenced abundance of 33 proteins (17 up and 16 down) and 43 proteins (33 up and 10 down), respectively. MS/MS ion search identified 55 proteins which were functionally associated with numerous cellular functions. Six crucial proteins namely catalase (CAT), allene oxide synthase (AOS), glutathione S-transferase (GST), calcineurin B like (CBL), calmodulin like (CML) and rapid alkalinisation factor (RAF) were selected for transcript abundance estimation. The qRT-PCR based real time expression exhibited a positive correlation with proteomics expression except for GST and RAF.

CONCLUSION

Soybean root nodule responds to metal stress by increased abundance of defence, development and repair related proteins. An efficient proteomic modulation might lead to metal-induced stress tolerance in N2-fixing nodules. Although concentrations of Pb and Hg used in the study cannot be considered equimolar, yet Hg seems to induce more changes in nodule proteomic profile, and higher damage to both bacteroides and root anatomy.

Identification of seven polyamine oxidase genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and their expression profiles under physiological and various stress conditions

Polyamines (PAs) are implicated in developmental processes and stress responses of plants. Polyamine oxidases (PAOs), flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzymes that function in PA catabolism, play a critical role. Even though PAO gene families of Arabidopsis and rice have been intensely characterized and their expression in response to developmental and environmental changes has been investigated, little is known about PAOs in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). We found seven PAO genes in S. lycopersicum and named them SlPAO1∼7. Plant PAOs form four clades in phylogenetic analysis, of which SlPAO1 belongs to clade-I, SlPAO6 and SlPAO7 to clade-III, and the residual four (SlPAO2∼5) to clade-IV, while none belongs to clade-II. All the clade-IV members in tomato also retain the putative peroxisomal-targeting signals in their carboxy termini, suggesting their peroxisome localization. SlPAO1 to SlPAO5 genes consist of 10 exons and 9 introns, while SlPAO6 and SlPAO7 are intronless genes. To address the individual roles of SlPAOs, we analyzed their expression in various tissues and during flowering and fruit development. The expression of SlPAO2∼4 was constitutively high, while that of the other SlPAO members was relatively lower. We further analyzed the expressional changes of SlPAOs upon abiotic stresses, oxidative stresses, phytohormone application, and PA application. Based on the data obtained, we discuss the distinctive roles of SlPAOs.

Uptake and reaction to roundup ultra 360 SL in soybean seedlings

Due to the widespread and frequent use of Roundup Ultra 360 SL in crops production, the active substance glyphosate is often present (in the soil or in post-harvest remnants) and may be toxic to plants, including the non-target species. The aim of the current study was to determine the sensitivity of young soybean seedlings to glyphosate in concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 μM. It was demonstrated that the seedlings take small quantities of soil glyphosate up. More of the active substance was found in the shoots than in the roots. From the doses applied, the plant absorbs up to 4% of soil glyphosate, while over 96% remains in the soil. This suggests that only 4% of glyphosate taken up from the soil affects plant seedling development and water management. It modifies the contents of the biogenic amines cadaverine and putrescine as well as the activity of enzymes involved in their biosynthesis, i.e. ornithine decarboxylase and lysine decarboxylase. The free radical content of the roots increased with increasing herbicide doses and time of exposure. The main enzyme involved in the rapid removal of free radicals was superoxide peroxidase, activated by the herbicide treatment, while catalase was not significantly stimulated.

Detection of Thermospermine and Spermine by HPLC in Plants

Thermospermine, a structural isomer of spermine, is widely spread in the plant kingdom and has recently been shown to play a key role in the repression of xylem differentiation in vascular plants. However, a standard high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) protocol for detecting polyamines as their dansyl derivative cannot distinguish themospermine from spermine. These isomers become separated from each other after benzoylation. In this chapter, we describe a simple protocol for extraction, benzoylation, and HPLC detection of thermospermine and spermine with other polyamines from plant material.

Scots pine aminopropyltransferases shed new light on evolution of the polyamine biosynthesis pathway in seed plants

Background and Aims

Polyamines are small metabolites present in all living cells and play fundamental roles in numerous physiological events in plants. The aminopropyltransferases (APTs), spermidine synthase (SPDS), spermine synthase (SPMS) and thermospermine synthase (ACL5), are essential enzymes in the polyamine biosynthesis pathway. In angiosperms, SPMS has evolved from SPDS via gene duplication, whereas in gymnosperms APTs are mostly unexplored and no SPMS gene has been reported. The present study aimed to investigate the functional properties of the SPDS and ACL5 proteins of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in order to elucidate the role and evolution of APTs in higher plants.

Methods

Germinating Scots pine seeds and seedlings were analysed for polyamines by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and the expression of PsSPDS and PsACL5 genes by in situ hybridization. Recombinant proteins of PsSPDS and PsACL5 were produced and investigated for functional properties. Also gene structures, promoter regions and phylogenetic relationships of PsSPDS and PsACL5 genes were analysed.

Key Results

Scots pine tissues were found to contain spermidine, spermine and thermospermine. PsSPDS enzyme catalysed synthesis of both spermidine and spermine. PsACL5 was found to produce thermospermine, and PsACL5 gene expression was localized in the developing procambium in embryos and tracheary elements in seedlings.

Conclusions

Contrary to previous views, our results demonstrate that SPMS activity is not a novel feature developed solely in the angiosperm lineage of seed plants but also exists as a secondary property in the Scots pine SPDS enzyme. The discovery of bifunctional SPDS from an evolutionarily old conifer reveals the missing link in the evolution of the polyamine biosynthesis pathway. The finding emphasizes the importance of pre-existing secondary functions in the evolution of new enzyme activities via gene duplication. Our results also associate PsACL5 with the development of vascular structures in Scots pine.

Determination of Polyamines by Dansylation, Benzoylation, and Capillary Electrophoresis

Polyamines are polycationic nitrogenous compounds that accumulate in plants exposed to abiotic stresses. In higher animals, they influence gene expression, brain development, and nerve growth and regeneration. Because of their known roles in plant stress responses, quantitative determination of polyamines is very important. Polyamines in their native form cannot be detected by optical and/or electrochemical methods as they do not show any structural features, and hence derivatization of polyamines is essential to make them to produce either chromophores or fluorescence. Here we describe various methods of derivatization using different labeling agents and suitable separation and detecting methods for a vast source of polyamines existing in living cells.

Highly-expressed polyamine oxidases catalyze polyamine back conversion in Brachypodium distachyon

To understand the polyamine (PA) catabolic pathways in Brachypodium distachyon, we focused on the flavin-containing polyamine oxidase enzymes (PAO), and characterized them at the molecular and biochemical levels. Five PAO isoforms were identified from database searches, and we named them BdPAO1 to BdPAO5. By gene expression analysis using above-ground tissues such as leaf, stem and inflorescence, it was revealed that BdPAO2 is the most abundant PAO gene in normal growth conditions, followed by BdPAO3 and BdPAO4. BdPAO1 and BdPAO5 were expressed at very low levels. All Arabidopsis thaliana and rice orthologs belonging to the same clade as BdPAO2, BdPAO3 and BdPAO4 have conserved peroxisome-targeting signal sequences at their C-termini. Amino acid sequences of BdPAO2 and BdPAO4 also showed such a sequence, but BdPAO3 did not. We selected the gene with the highest expression level (BdPAO2) and the peroxisome-targeting signal lacking PAO (BdPAO3) for biochemical analysis of substrate specificity and catabolic pathways. BdPAO2 catalyzed conversion of spermine (Spm) or thermospermine to spermidine (Spd), and Spd to putrescine, but its most-favored substrate was Spd. In contrast, BdPAO3 favored Spm as substrate and catalyzed conversion of tetraamines to Spd. These results indicated that the major PAOs in B. distachyon have back-conversion activity.

Thermospermine: An Evolutionarily Ancient but Functionally New Compound in Plants

Themospermine is a structural isomer of spermine and is present in some bacteria and most of plants. An Arabidopsis mutant, acaulis5 (acl5), that is defective in the biosynthesis of thermospermine displays excessive proliferation of xylem vessels with dwarfed growth. Recent studies using acl5 and its suppressor mutants that recover the growth without thermospermine have revealed that thermospermine plays a key role in the negative control of the proliferation of xylem vessels through enhancing translation of specific mRNAs that contain a conserved upstream open-reading-frame (uORF) in the 5' leader region.

Ornithine Decarboxylase-Mediated Production of Putrescine Influences Ganoderic Acid Biosynthesis by Regulating Reactive Oxygen Species in Ganoderma lucidum

Putrescine is an important polyamine that participates in a variety of stress responses. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of putrescine. A homolog of the gene encoding ODC was cloned from Ganoderma lucidum In the ODC-silenced strains, the transcript levels of the ODC gene and the putrescine content were significantly decreased. The ODC-silenced strains were more sensitive to oxidative stress. The content of ganoderic acid was increased by approximately 43 to 46% in the ODC-silenced strains. The content of ganoderic acid could be recovered after the addition of exogenous putrescine. Additionally, the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly increased by approximately 1.3-fold in the ODC-silenced strains. The ROS content was significantly reduced after the addition of exogenous putrescine. The gene transcript levels and the activities of four major antioxidant enzymes were measured to further explore the effect of putrescine on the intracellular ROS levels. Further studies showed that the effect of the ODC-mediated production of putrescine on ROS might be a factor influencing the biosynthesis of ganoderic acid. Our study reports the role of putrescine in large basidiomycetes, providing a basis for future studies of the physiological functions of putrescine in microbes.IMPORTANCE It is well known that ODC and the ODC-mediated production of putrescine play an important role in resisting various environmental stresses, but there are few reports regarding the mechanisms underlying the effect of putrescine on secondary metabolism in microorganisms, particularly in fungi. G. lucidum is gradually becoming a model organism for studying environmental regulation and metabolism. In this study, a homolog of the gene encoding ODC was cloned in Ganoderma lucidum We found that the transcript level of the ODC gene and the content of putrescine were significantly decreased in the ODC-silenced strains. The content of ganoderic acid was significantly increased in the ODC-silenced strains. Further studies showed that the effect of the ODC-mediated production of putrescine on ROS might be a factor influencing the biosynthesis of ganoderic acid. Our study reports the role of putrescine in large basidiomycetes, providing a basis for future studies of the physiological functions of putrescine in microbes.

Altered expression of polyamine transporters reveals a role for spermidine in the timing of flowering and other developmental response pathways

Changes in the levels of polyamines are correlated with the activation or repression of developmental response pathways, but the role of polyamine transporters in the regulation of polyamine homeostasis and thus indirectly gene expression, has not been previously addressed. Here we show that the A. thaliana and rice transporters AtPUT5 and OsPUT1 were localized to the ER, while the AtPUT2, AtPUT3, and OsPUT3 were localized to the chloroplast by transient expression in N. benthamiana. A. thaliana plants that were transformed with OsPUT1 under the control the PUT5 promoter were delayed in flowering by 16days. In contrast, put5 mutants flowered four days earlier than WT plants. The delay of flowering was associated with significantly higher levels of spermidine and spermidine conjugates in the leaves prior to flowering. A similar delay in flowering was also noted in transgenic lines with constitutive expression of either OsPUT1 or OsPUT3. All three transgenic lines had larger rosette leaves, thicker flowering stems, and produced more siliques than wild type plants. In contrast, put5 plants had smaller leaves, thinner flowering stems, and produced fewer siliques. Constitutive expression of PUTs was also associated with an extreme delay in both plant senescence and maturation rate of siliques. These experiments provide the first genetic evidence of polyamine transport in the timing of flowering, and indicate the importance of polyamine transporters in the regulation of flowering and senescence pathways.

Polyamine oxidase 5 loss-of-function mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana trigger metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming and promote salt stress tolerance

The family of polyamine oxidases (PAO) in Arabidopsis (AtPAO1-5) mediates polyamine (PA) back-conversion, which reverses the PA biosynthetic pathway from spermine and its structural isomer thermospermine (tSpm) into spermidine and then putrescine. Here, we have studied the involvement of PA back-conversion in Arabidopsis salinity tolerance. AtPAO5 is the Arabidopsis PAO gene member most transcriptionally induced by salt stress. Two independent loss-of-function mutants (atpao5-2 and atpao5-3) were found to exhibit constitutively higher tSpm levels, with associated increased salt tolerance. Using global transcriptional and metabolomic analyses, the underlying mechanisms were studied. Stimulation of abscisic acid and jasmonate (JA) biosynthesis and accumulation of important compatible solutes, such as sugars, polyols and proline, as well as TCA cycle intermediates were observed in atpao5 mutants under salt stress. Expression analyses indicate that tSpm modulates the transcript levels of several target genes, including many involved in the biosynthesis and signalling of JA, some of which are already known to promote salinity tolerance. Transcriptional modulation by tSpm is isomer-dependent, thus demonstrating the specificity of this response. Overall, we conclude that tSpm triggers metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming that promotes salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.

The Arabidopsis polyamine oxidase/dehydrogenase 5 interferes with cytokinin and auxin signaling pathways to control xylem differentiation

In plants, the polyamines putrescine, spermidine, spermine (Spm), and thermospermine (Therm-Spm) participate in several physiological processes. In particular, Therm-Spm is involved in the control of xylem differentiation, having an auxin antagonizing effect. Polyamine oxidases (PAOs) are FAD-dependent enzymes involved in polyamine catabolism. In Arabidopsis, five PAOs are present, among which AtPAO5 catalyzes the back-conversion of Spm, Therm-Spm, and N1-acetyl-Spm to spermidine. In the present study, it is shown that two loss-of-function atpao5 mutants and a 35S::AtPAO5 Arabidopsis transgenic line present phenotypical differences from the wild-type plants with regard to stem and root elongation, differences that are accompanied by changes in polyamine levels and the number of xylem vessels. It is additionally shown that cytokinin treatment, which up-regulates AtPAO5 expression in roots, differentially affects protoxylem differentiation in 35S::AtPAO5, atpao5, and wild-type roots. Together with these findings, Therm-Spm biosynthetic genes, as well as auxin-, xylem-, and cytokinin-related genes (such as ACL5, SAMDC4, PIN1, PIN6, VND6, VND7, ATHB8, PHB, CNA, PXY, XTH3, XCP1, and AHP6) are shown to be differentially expressed in the various genotypes. These data suggest that AtPAO5, being involved in the control of Therm-Spm homeostasis, participates in the tightly controlled interplay between auxin and cytokinins that is necessary for proper xylem differentiation.

Elucidation of the polyamine biosynthesis pathway during Brazilian pine (Araucaria angustifolia) seed development

Polyamines (PAs), such as spermidine and spermine, as well as amino acids that are substrates for their biosynthesis, are known to be essential for plant development. However, little is known about the gene expression and metabolic switches associated with the ornithine/arginine and PA biosynthetic pathway during seed development in conifers. To understand these metabolic switches, the enzyme activity of arginine decarboxylase and ornithine decarboxylase, as well as the contents of PAs and amino acids were evaluated in three Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze) seed developmental stages in combination with expression profile analyses of genes associated with the ornithine/arginine and PA biosynthetic pathway. Twelve genes were selected for further analysis and it was shown that the expression profiles of AaADC and AaSAMDC were up-regulated during zygotic embryo development. Polyamines and amino acids were found to accumulate differently in embryos and megagametophytes, and the transition from the globular to the cotyledonary stage was marked by an increase in free and conjugated spermidine and spermine contents. Putrescine is made from arginine, which was present at low content at the late embryogenesis stage, when high content of citrulline was observed. Differences in amino acids, PAs and gene expression profiles of biosynthetic genes at specific seed stages and at each seed transition stage were investigated, providing insights into molecular and physiological aspects of conifer embryogenesis for use in future both basic and applied studies.

Content of biogenic amines in Lemna minor (common duckweed) growing in medium contaminated with tetracycline

Aquatic plants are continuously exposed to a variety of stress factors. No data on the impact of antibiotics on the biogenic amines in duckweed (Lemna minor) have been available so far, and such data could be significant, considering the ecological role of this plant in animal food chains. In the tissues of control (non-stressed) nine-day-old duckweed, the following biogenic amines were identified: tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine and spermine. Based on the tetracycline contents and the computed EC values, the predicted toxicity units have been calculated. The obtained results demonstrated phytoxicity caused by tetracycline in relation to duckweed growth rate, yield and the contents of chlorophylls a and b. The carotenoid content was not modified by tetracycline. It was found that tetracycline as a water pollutant was a stress factor triggering an increase in the synthesis of amines. Tetracycline at 19, 39 and 78μM concentrations increased biogenic amine synthesis by 3.5 times. Although the content of tyramine increased fourteen times with the highest concentration of the drug (and of spermidine - only three-fold) the increase of spermidine was numerically the highest. Among the biogenic amines the most responsive to tetracycline were spermine and tyramine, while the least affected were putrescine and spermidine. Despite putrescine and spermidine being the least sensitive, their sum of contents increased five-fold compared to the control. These studies suggest that tetracycline in water reservoirs is taken up by L. minor as the antibiotic clearly modifies the metabolism of this plant and it may likely pose a risk.

Spermine modulates the expression of two probable polyamine transporter genes and determines growth responses to cadaverine in Arabidopsis

Two genes, LAT1 and OCT1 , are likely to be involved in polyamine transport in Arabidopsis. Endogenous spermine levels modulate their expression and determine the sensitivity to cadaverine. Arabidopsis spermine (Spm) synthase (SPMS) gene-deficient mutant was previously shown to be rather resistant to the diamine cadaverine (Cad). Furthermore, a mutant deficient in polyamine oxidase 4 gene, accumulating about twofold more of Spm than wild type plants, showed increased sensitivity to Cad. It suggests that endogenous Spm content determines growth responses to Cad in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we showed that Arabidopsis seedlings pretreated with Spm absorbs more Cad and has shorter root growth, and that the transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the SPMS gene are hypersensitive to Cad, further supporting the above idea. The transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing L-Amino acid Transporter 1 (LAT1) absorbed more Cad and showed increased Cad sensitivity, suggesting that LAT1 functions as a Cad importer. Recently, other research group reported that Organic Cation Transporter 1 (OCT1) is a causal gene which determines the Cad sensitivity of various Arabidopsis accessions. Furthermore, their results suggested that OCT1 is involved in Cad efflux. Thus we monitored the expression of OCT1 and LAT1 during the above experiments. Based on the results, we proposed a model in which the level of Spm content modulates the expression of OCT1 and LAT1, and determines Cad sensitivity of Arabidopsis.

Chemical control of xylem differentiation by thermospermine, xylemin, and auxin

The xylem conducts water and minerals from the root to the shoot and provides mechanical strength to the plant body. The vascular precursor cells of the procambium differentiate to form continuous vascular strands, from which xylem and phloem cells are generated in the proper spatiotemporal pattern. Procambium formation and xylem differentiation are directed by auxin. In angiosperms, thermospermine, a structural isomer of spermine, suppresses xylem differentiation by limiting auxin signalling. However, the process of auxin-inducible xylem differentiation has not been fully elucidated and remains difficult to manipulate. Here, we found that an antagonist of spermidine can act as an inhibitor of thermospermine biosynthesis and results in excessive xylem differentiation, which is a phenocopy of a thermospermine-deficient mutant acaulis5 in Arabidopsis thaliana. We named this compound xylemin owing to its xylem-inducing effect. Application of a combination of xylemin and thermospermine to wild-type seedlings negates the effect of xylemin, whereas co-treatment with xylemin and a synthetic proauxin, which undergoes hydrolysis to release active auxin, has a synergistic inductive effect on xylem differentiation. Thus, xylemin may serve as a useful transformative chemical tool not only for the study of thermospermine function in various plant species but also for the control of xylem induction and woody biomass production.

Reducing Cytoplasmic Polyamine Oxidase Activity in Arabidopsis Increases Salt and Drought Tolerance by Reducing Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Increasing Defense Gene Expression

The link between polyamine oxidases (PAOs), which function in polyamine catabolism, and stress responses remains elusive. Here, we address this issue using Arabidopsis pao mutants in which the expression of the five PAO genes is knocked-out or knocked-down. As the five single pao mutants and wild type (WT) showed similar response to salt stress, we tried to generate the mutants that have either the cytoplasmic PAO pathway (pao1 pao5) or the peroxisomal PAO pathway (pao2 pao3 pao4) silenced. However, the latter triple mutant was not obtained. Thus, in this study, we used two double mutants, pao1 pao5 and pao2 pao4. Of interest, pao1 pao5 mutant was NaCl- and drought-tolerant, whereas pao2 pao4 showed similar sensitivity to those stresses as WT. To reveal the underlying mechanism of salt tolerance, further analyses were performed. Na uptake of the mutant (pao1 pao5) decreased to 75% of WT. PAO activity of the mutant was reduced to 62% of WT. The content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide, a reaction product of PAO action, and superoxide anion in the mutant became 81 and 72% of the levels in WT upon salt treatment. The mutant contained 2.8-fold higher thermospermine compared to WT. Moreover, the mutant induced the genes of salt overly sensitive-, abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent- and ABA-independent- pathways more strongly than WT upon salt treatment. The results suggest that the Arabidopsis plant silencing cytoplasmic PAOs shows salinity tolerance by reducing ROS production and strongly inducing subsets of stress-responsive genes under stress conditions.

Simultaneous Silencing of Two Arginine Decarboxylase Genes Alters Development in Arabidopsis

Polyamines (PAs) are small aliphatic polycations that are found ubiquitously in all organisms. In plants, PAs are involved in diverse biological processes such as growth, development, and stress responses. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the arginine decarboxylase enzymes (ADC1 and 2) catalyze the first step of PA biosynthesis. For a better understanding of PA biological functions, mutants in PA biosynthesis have been generated; however, the double adc1/adc2 mutant is not viable in A. thaliana. In this study, we generated non-lethal A. thaliana lines through an artificial microRNA that simultaneously silenced the two ADC genes (amiR:ADC). The generated transgenic lines (amiR:ADC-L1 and -L2) showed reduced AtADC1 and AtADC2 transcript levels. For further analyses the amiR:ADC-L2 line was selected. We found that the amiR:ADC-L2 line showed a significant decrease of their PA levels. The co-silencing revealed a stunted growth in A. thaliana seedlings, plantlets and delay in its flowering rate; these phenotypes were reverted with PA treatment. In addition, amiR:ADC-L2 plants displayed two seed phenotypes, such as yellow and brownish seeds. The yellow mutant seeds were smaller than adc1, adc2 mutants and wild type seeds; however, the brownish were the smallest seeds with arrested embryos at the torpedo stage. These data reinforce the importance of PA homeostasis in the plant development processes.

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Spermine Synthesis Gene Associated with Cold Tolerance in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis)

Spermine synthase (SPMS, EC 2.5.1.22), enzyme of spermine (Spm) biosynthesis, has been shown to be related to stress response. In this study, attempts were made to clone and characterize a gene encoding SPMS from tea plant (Camellia sinensis). The effect of exogenous application of Spm in C. sinensis subjected to low-temperature stress was also investigated. A full-length SPMS complementary DNA (cDNA) (CsSPMS) with an open reading frame of 1113 bp was cloned using reverse transcription-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques from cultivar "Yingshuang". The CsSPMS gene, which encoded a 371 amino acid polypeptide, in four cultivars is highly homologous. Quantitative real-time PCR indicated that the CsSPMS gene shows tissue-specific expression, mainly in the leaf and root of tea plant. The expression analysis demonstrated that the CsSPMS gene is quickly induced by cold stress and had similar trends in four cultivars. Spm-supplemented "Baicha" cultivar contains higher endogenous polyamines compared to the control, coupling with higher expression levels of ADC and SPMS. In addition, activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), as well as free proline content in the Spm-supplemented samples were higher than the control during the experiment course or at a given time point, indicating that Spm exerted a positive effect on antioxidant systems. Moreover, Agrobacterium-mediated expression of CsSPMS in tobacco leaves showed relatively higher cold tolerance. Taken together, these findings will enhance the understanding of the relationships among CsSPMS gene regulatory, polyamines accumulation, and cold tolerance in tea plant.

The polyamine oxidase from lycophyte Selaginella lepidophylla (SelPAO5), unlike that of angiosperms, back-converts thermospermine to norspermidine

In the phylogeny of plant polyamine oxidases (PAOs), clade III members from angiosperms, such as Arabidopsis thaliana PAO5 and Oryza sativa PAO1, prefer spermine and thermospermine as substrates and back-convert both of these substrates to spermidine in vitro. A clade III representative of lycophytes, SelPAO5 from Selaginella lepidophylla, also prefers spermine and thermospermine but instead back-converts these substrates to spermidine and norspermidine, respectively. This finding indicates that the clade III PAOs of lycophytes and angiosperms oxidize thermospermine at different carbon positions. We discuss the physiological significance of this difference.

The polyamine spermine induces the unfolded protein response via the MAPK cascade in Arabidopsis

In Arabidopsis three basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor genes, bZIP17, bZIP28, and bZIP60, play crucial roles in the unfolded protein response (UPR). Previously we found that bZIP60 is one of the spermine-induced genes. Consequently we further investigated the response of all the three bZIP genes to spermine. Expression of bZIP17, bZIP28, and bZIP60, and also their target genes was activated by spermine application as well as in plants with elevated endogenous spermine levels. Furthermore, spermine activated the splicing of the bZIP60 transcript mediated by the ribonuclease activity of inositol-requiring enzyme 1 and also recruited bZIP17 and bZIP60 proteins from endoplasmic reticulum to nucleus. We therefore propose that spermine is a novel UPR inducer. Moreover, induction of UPR by spermine required calcium-influx to the cytoplasm and the genes for mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 9 (MKK9), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MPK3) and MPK6. The result indicates that spermine-induced UPR is mediated by the MKK9-MPK3/MPK6 cascade in Arabidopsis.

Mutations in ribosomal proteins, RPL4 and RACK1, suppress the phenotype of a thermospermine-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana

Thermospermine acts in negative regulation of xylem differentiation and its deficient mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, acaulis5 (acl5), shows excessive xylem formation and severe dwarfism. Studies of two dominant suppressors of acl5, sac51-d and sac52-d, have revealed that SAC51 and SAC52 encode a transcription factor and a ribosomal protein L10 (RPL10), respectively, and these mutations enhance translation of the SAC51 mRNA, which contains conserved upstream open reading frames in the 5’ leader. Here we report identification of SAC53 and SAC56 responsible for additional suppressors of acl5. sac53-d is a semi-dominant allele of the gene encoding a receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) homolog, a component of the 40S ribosomal subunit. sac56-d represents a semi-dominant allele of the gene for RPL4. We show that the GUS reporter activity driven by the CaMV 35S promoter plus the SAC51 5’ leader is reduced in acl5 and restored by sac52-d, sac53-d, and sac56-d as well as thermospermine. Furthermore, the SAC51 mRNA, which may be a target of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, was found to be stabilized in these ribosomal mutants and by thermospermine. These ribosomal proteins are suggested to act in the control of uORF-mediated translation repression of SAC51, which is derepressed by thermospermine.

Polyamine Oxidase5 Regulates Arabidopsis Growth through Thermospermine Oxidase Activity

The major plant polyamines (PAs) are the tetraamines spermine (Spm) and thermospermine (T-Spm), the triamine spermidine, and the diamine putrescine. PA homeostasis is governed by the balance between biosynthesis and catabolism; the latter is catalyzed by polyamine oxidase (PAO). Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) has five PAO genes, AtPAO1 to AtPAO5, and all encoded proteins have been biochemically characterized. All AtPAO enzymes function in the back-conversion of tetraamine to triamine and/or triamine to diamine, albeit with different PA specificities. Here, we demonstrate that AtPAO5 loss-of-function mutants (pao5) contain 2-fold higher T-Spm levels and exhibit delayed transition from vegetative to reproductive growth compared with that of wild-type plants. Although the wild type and pao5 are indistinguishable at the early seedling stage, externally supplied low-dose T-Spm, but not other PAs, inhibits aerial growth of pao5 mutants in a dose-dependent manner. Introduction of wild-type AtPAO5 into pao5 mutants rescues growth and reduces the T-Spm content, demonstrating that AtPAO5 is a T-Spm oxidase. Recombinant AtPAO5 catalyzes the conversion of T-Spm and Spm to triamine spermidine in vitro. AtPAO5 specificity for T-Spm in planta may be explained by coexpression with T-Spm synthase but not with Spm synthase. The pao5 mutant lacking T-Spm oxidation and the acl5 mutant lacking T-Spm synthesis both exhibit growth defects. This study indicates a crucial role for T-Spm in plant growth and development.

Polyamine oxidase 7 is a terminal catabolism-type enzyme in Oryza sativa and is specifically expressed in anthers

Polyamine oxidase (PAO), which requires FAD as a cofactor, functions in polyamine catabolism. Plant PAOs are classified into two groups based on their reaction modes. The terminal catabolism (TC) reaction always produces 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP), H2O2, and the respective aldehydes, while the back-conversion (BC) reaction produces spermidine (Spd) from tetraamines, spermine (Spm) and thermospermine (T-Spm) and/or putrescine from Spd, along with 3-aminopropanal and H2O2. The Oryza sativa genome contains seven PAO-encoded genes termed OsPAO1-OsPAO7. To date, we have characterized four OsPAO genes. The products of these genes, i.e. OsPAO1, OsPAO3, OsPAO4 and OsPAO5, catalyze BC-type reactions. Whereas OsPAO1 remains in the cytoplasm, the other three PAOs localize to peroxisomes. Here, we examined OsPAO7 and its gene product. OsPAO7 shows high identity to maize ZmPAO1, the best characterized plant PAO having TC-type activity. OsPAO7 seems to remain in a peripheral layer of the plant cell with the aid of its predicted signal peptide and transmembrane domain. Recombinant OsPAO7 prefers Spm and Spd as substrates, and it produces DAP from both substrates in a time-dependent manner, indicating that OsPAO7 is the first TC-type enzyme identified in O. sativa. The results clearly show that two types of PAOs co-exist in O. sativa. Furthermore, OsPAO7 is specifically expressed in anthers, with an expressional peak at the bicellular pollen stage. The physiological function of OsPAO7 in anthers is discussed.

Arabidopsis mutant plants with diverse defects in polyamine metabolism show unequal sensitivity to exogenous cadaverine probably based on their spermine content

Arabidopsis plants do not synthesize the polyamine cadaverine, a five carbon-chain diamine and structural analog of putrescine. Mutants defective in polyamine metabolic genes were exposed to exogenous cadaverine. Spermine-deficient spms mutant grew well while a T-DNA insertion mutant (pao4-1) of polyamine oxidase (PAO) 4 was severely inhibited in root growth compared to wild type (WT) or other pao loss-of-function mutants. To understand the molecular basis of this phenomenon, polyamine contents of WT, spms and pao4-1 plants treated with cadaverine were analyzed. Putrescine contents increased in all the three plants, and spermidine contents decreased in WT and pao4-1 but not in spms. Spermine contents increased in WT and pao4-1. As there were good correlations between putrescine (or spermine) contents and the degree of root growth inhibition, effects of exogenously added putrescine and spermine were examined. Spermine mimicked the original phenomenon, whereas high levels of putrescine evenly inhibited root growth, suggesting that cadaverine-induced spermine accumulation may explain the phenomenon. We also tested growth response of cadaverine-treated WT and pao4-1 plants to NaCl and found that spermine-accumulated pao4-1 plant was not NaCl tolerant. Based on the results, the effect of cadaverine on Arabidopsis growth and the role of PAO during NaCl stress are discussed.

POLYAMINE OXIDASE 1 from rice (Oryza sativa) is a functional ortholog of Arabidopsis POLYAMINE OXIDASE 5

POLYAMINE OXIDASE 1 (OsPAO1), from rice (Oryza sativa), and POLYAMINE OXIDASE 5 (AtPAO5), from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), are enzymes sharing high identity at the amino acid level and with similar characteristics, such as polyamine specificity and pH preference; furthermore, both proteins localize to the cytosol. A loss-of-function Arabidopsis mutant, Atpao5-2, was hypersensitive to low doses of exogenous thermospermine but this phenotype could be rescued by introduction of the wild-type AtPAO5 gene. Introduction of OsPAO1, under the control of a constitutive promoter, into Atpao5-2 mutants also restored normal thermospermine sensitivity, allowing growth in the presence of low levels of thermospermine, along with a concomitant decrease in thermospermine content in plants. By contrast, introduction of OsPAO3, which encodes a peroxisome-localized polyamine oxidase, into Atpao5-2 plants could not rescue any of the mutant phenotypes in the presence of thermospermine. These results suggest that OsPAO1 is the functional ortholog of AtPAO5.

Oryza sativa polyamine oxidase 1 back-converts tetraamines, spermine and thermospermine, to spermidine

KEY MESSAGE

Oryza sativa polyamine oxidase 1 back-converts spermine (or thermospermine) to spermidine. Considering the previous work, major path of polyamine catabolism in rice plant is suggestive to be back-conversion but not terminal catabolism. Rice (Oryza sativa) contains seven genes encoding polyamine oxidases (PAOs), termed OsPAO1 to OsPAO7, based on their chromosomal number and gene ID number. We previously showed that three of these members, OsPAO3, OsPAO4 and OsPAO5, are abundantly expressed, that their products localize to peroxisomes and that they catalyze the polyamine back-conversion reaction. Here, we have focused on OsPAO1. The OsPAO1 gene product shares a high level of identity with those of Arabidopsis PAO5 and Brassica juncea PAO. Expression of OsPAO1 appears to be quite low under physiological conditions, but is markedly induced in rice roots by spermine (Spm) or T-Spm treatment. Consistent with the above finding, the recombinant OsPAO1 prefers T-Spm as a substrate at pH 6.0 and Spm at pH 8.5 and, in both cases, back-converts these tetraamines to spermidine, but not to putrescine. OsPAO1 localizes to the cytoplasm of onion epidermal cells. Differing in subcellular localization, four out of seven rice PAOs, OsPAO1, OsPAO3, OsPAO4 and OsPAO5, catalyze back-conversion reactions of PAs. Based on the results, we discuss the catabolic path(s) of PAs in rice plant.

Longer uncommon polyamines have a stronger defense gene-induction activity and a higher suppressing activity of Cucumber mosaic virus multiplication compared to that of spermine in Arabidopsis thaliana

KEY MESSAGE

Our work suggests that long chain polyamines and their derivatives are potential chemicals to control viral pathogens for crop production. Previously we showed that two tetraamines, spermine (Spm) and thermospermine (T-Spm), induce the expression of a subset of defense-related genes and repress proliferation of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in Arabidopsis. Here we tested whether the longer uncommon polyamines (LUPAs) such as caldopentamine, caldohexamine, homocaldopentamine and homocaldohexamine have such the activity. LUPAs had higher gene induction activity than Spm and T-Spm. Interestingly the genes induced by LUPAs could be classified into two groups: the one group was most responsive to caldohexamine while the other one was most responsive to homocaldopentamine. In both the cases, the inducing activity was dose-dependent. LUPAs caused local cell death and repressed CMV multiplication more efficiently as compared to Spm. LUPAs inhibited the viral multiplication of not only avirulent CMV but also of virulent CMV in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, LUPAs can activate the systemic acquired resistance against CMV more efficiently as compared to Spm. When Arabidopsis leaves were incubated with LUPAs, the putative polyamine oxidase (PAO)-mediated catabolites were detected even though the conversion rate was very low. In addition, we found that LUPAs induced the expression of three NADPH oxidase genes (rbohC, rbohE and rbohH) among ten isoforms. Taken together, we propose that LUPAs activate two alternative reactive oxygen species evoked pathways, a PAO-mediated one and an NADPH-oxidase-mediated one, which lead to induce defense-related genes and restrict CMV multiplication.