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Sarkar B, Bandyopadhyay P, Das A, Pal S, Hasanuzzaman M, Adak MK. Abscisic acid priming confers salt tolerance in maize seedlings by modulating osmotic adjustment, bond energies, ROS homeostasis, and organic acid metabolism. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 202:107980. [PMID: 37634334 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed at investigating the influence of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) on salt homeostasis under 100 mM NaCl stress in maize (Zea mays L. cv. Kaveri 50) through 3 and 5 days of exposure. The ratio of Na+ to K+, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide (O2•‒) accumulation, electrolyte leakage were the major determinants for salt sensitivity. Pretreatment with ABA [ABA (+)] had altered the salt sensitivity of plants maximally through 5 days of treatment. Plants controlled well for endogenous ABA level (92% increase) and bond energy minimization of cell wall residues to support salt tolerance proportionately to ABA (+). Salt stress was mitigated through maintenance of relative water content (RWC) (16%), glycine betaine (GB) (26%), proline (28%) and proline biosynthesis enzyme (ΔP5CS) (26%) under the application of ABA (+). Minimization of lipid peroxides (6% decrease), carbonyl content (9% decrease), acid, alkaline phosphatase activities were more tolerated under 100 mM salinity at 5 days duration. Malate metabolism for salt tolerance was dependent on the activity of the malic enzyme, malate dehydrogenase through transcript abundance in real-time manner as a function of ABA (+). Establishment of oxidative stress through days under salinity recorded by NADPH-oxidase activity (39% increase) following ROS generation as detected in tissue specific level. The ABA (+) significantly altered redox homeostasis through ratio of AsA to DHA (21% increase), GSH to GSSG (12% increase) by dehydroascorbate reductase and glutathione reductase respectively, and other enzymes like guaiacol peroxidase, catalase, glutathione reductase activities. The ABA in priming was substantially explained in stress metabolism as biomarker for salinity stress with reference to maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bipul Sarkar
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India
| | - Pratim Bandyopadhyay
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India
| | - Abir Das
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India
| | - Sayan Pal
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India
| | - Mirza Hasanuzzaman
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, 1207, Bangladesh; Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea.
| | - Malay Kumar Adak
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, 741235, India.
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Taboada J, González-Gordo S, Muñoz-Vargas MA, Palma JM, Corpas FJ. NADP-Dependent Malic Enzyme Genes in Sweet Pepper Fruits: Involvement in Ripening and Modulation by Nitric Oxide (NO). PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2353. [PMID: 37375977 DOI: 10.3390/plants12122353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
NADPH is an indispensable cofactor in a wide range of physiological processes that is generated by a family of NADPH dehydrogenases, of which the NADP-dependent malic enzyme (NADP-ME) is a member. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit is a horticultural product consumed worldwide that has great nutritional and economic relevance. Besides the phenotypical changes that pepper fruit undergoes during ripening, there are many associated modifications at transcriptomic, proteome, biochemical and metabolic levels. Nitric oxide (NO) is a recognized signal molecule with regulatory functions in diverse plant processes. To our knowledge, there is very scarce information about the number of genes encoding for NADP-ME in pepper plants and their expression during the ripening of sweet pepper fruit. Using a data mining approach to evaluate the pepper plant genome and fruit transcriptome (RNA-seq), five NADP-ME genes were identified, and four of them, namely CaNADP-ME2 to CaNADP-ME5, were expressed in fruit. The time course expression analysis of these genes during different fruit ripening stages, including green immature (G), breaking point (BP) and red ripe (R), showed that they were differentially modulated. Thus, while CaNADP-ME3 and CaNADP-ME5 were upregulated, CaNADP-ME2 and CaNADP-ME4 were downregulated. Exogenous NO treatment of fruit triggered the downregulation of CaNADP-ME4. We obtained a 50-75% ammonium-sulfate-enriched protein fraction containing CaNADP-ME enzyme activity, and this was assayed via non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The results allow us to identify four isozymes designated from CaNADP-ME I to CaNADP-ME IV. Taken together, the data provide new pieces of information on the CaNADP-ME system with the identification of five CaNADP-ME genes and how the four genes expressed in pepper fruits are modulated during ripening and exogenous NO gas treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Taboada
- Department of Stress, Development and Signaling in Plants, Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC), C/Profesor Albareda, 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Salvador González-Gordo
- Department of Stress, Development and Signaling in Plants, Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC), C/Profesor Albareda, 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - María A Muñoz-Vargas
- Department of Stress, Development and Signaling in Plants, Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC), C/Profesor Albareda, 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - José M Palma
- Department of Stress, Development and Signaling in Plants, Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC), C/Profesor Albareda, 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco J Corpas
- Department of Stress, Development and Signaling in Plants, Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Estación Experimental del Zaidín (Spanish National Research Council, CSIC), C/Profesor Albareda, 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
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Gao Y, He X, Lv H, Liu H, Li Y, Hu Y, Liu Y, Huang Y, Zhang J. Epi-Brassinolide Regulates ZmC4 NADP-ME Expression through the Transcription Factors ZmbHLH157 and ZmNF-YC2. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054614. [PMID: 36902048 PMCID: PMC10002761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054614] [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: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Maize is a main food and feed crop with great production potential and high economic benefits. Improving its photosynthesis efficiency is crucial for increasing yield. Maize photosynthesis occurs mainly through the C4 pathway, and NADP-ME (NADP-malic enzyme) is a key enzyme in the photosynthetic carbon assimilation pathway of C4 plants. ZmC4-NADP-ME catalyzes the release of CO2 from oxaloacetate into the Calvin cycle in the maize bundle sheath. Brassinosteroid (BL) can improve photosynthesis; however, its molecular mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of maize seedlings treated with epi-brassinolide (EBL) showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in photosynthetic antenna proteins, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, and photosynthesis pathways. The DEGs of C4-NADP-ME and pyruvate phosphate dikinase in the C4 pathway were significantly enriched in EBL treatment. Co-expression analysis showed that the transcription level of ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 transcription factors was increased under EBL treatment and moderately positively correlated with ZmC4-NADP-ME. Transient overexpression of protoplasts revealed that ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 activate C4-NADP-ME promoters. Further experiments showed ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 transcription factor binding sites on the -1616 bp and -1118 bp ZmC4 NADP-ME promoter. ZmNF-YC2 and ZmbHLH157 were screened as candidate transcription factors mediating brassinosteroid hormone regulation of the ZmC4 NADP-ME gene. The results provide a theoretical basis for improving maize yield using BR hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanfen Gao
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625000, China
| | - Xuewu He
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625000, China
| | - Huayang Lv
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625000, China
| | - Hanmei Liu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625000, China
| | - Yangping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yufeng Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yinghong Liu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yubi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
- Correspondence: (Y.H.); (J.Z.)
| | - Junjie Zhang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625000, China
- Correspondence: (Y.H.); (J.Z.)
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Calace P, Tonetti T, Margarit E, Figueroa CM, Lobertti C, Andreo CS, Gerrard Wheeler MC, Saigo M. The C4 cycle and beyond: diverse metabolic adaptations accompany dual-cell photosynthetic functions in Setaria. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:7876-7890. [PMID: 34402880 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is typically characterized by the spatial compartmentalization of the photosynthetic reactions into mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells. Initial carbon fixation within M cells gives rise to C4 acids, which are transported to the BS cells. There, C4 acids are decarboxylated so that the resulting CO2 is incorporated into the Calvin cycle. This work is focused on the study of Setaria viridis, a C4 model plant, closely related to several major feed and bioenergy grasses. First, we performed the heterologous expression and biochemical characterization of Setaria isoforms for chloroplastic NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and mitochondrial NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME). The kinetic parameters obtained agree with a major role for NADP-ME in the decarboxylation of the C4 acid malate in the chloroplasts of BS cells. In addition, mitochondria-located NAD-ME showed regulatory properties that could be important in the context of the operation of the C4 carbon shuttle. Secondly, we compared the proteomes of M and BS compartments and found 825 differentially accumulated proteins that could support different metabolic scenarios. Most interestingly, we found evidence of metabolic strategies to insulate the C4 core avoiding the leakage of intermediates by either up-regulation or down-regulation of chloroplastic, mitochondrial, and peroxisomal proteins. Overall, the results presented in this work provide novel data concerning the complexity of C4 metabolism, uncovering future lines of research that will undoubtedly contribute to the expansion of knowledge on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Calace
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Tomás Tonetti
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (IAL-CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Margarit
- Grupo de Calidad de Frutos Cítricos, Bayas y Mejoramiento Forestal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carlos M Figueroa
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (IAL-CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Carlos Lobertti
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Patogénesis Bacteriana, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carlos S Andreo
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariel C Gerrard Wheeler
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariana Saigo
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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5
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Gerrard Wheeler MC, Arias CL, E Mello JDFR, Cirauqui Diaz N, Rodrigues CR, Drincovich MF, de Souza AMT, Alvarez CE. Structural insights into the allosteric site of Arabidopsis NADP-malic enzyme 2: role of the second sphere residues in the regulatory signal transmission. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:37-48. [PMID: 34333694 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-021-01176-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
NADP-ME2 from Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits a distinctive and complex regulation by fumarate, acting as an activator or an inhibitor according to substrate and effector concentrations. In this work, we used molecular modeling approach and site-directed mutagenesis to characterized the NADP-ME2 structural determinants necessary for allosteric regulation providing new insights for enzyme optimization. Structure-function studies contribute to deciphering how small modifications in the primary structure could introduce desirable characteristics into enzymes without affecting its overall functioning. Malic enzymes (ME) are ubiquitous and responsible for a wide variety of functions. The availability of a high number of ME crystal structures from different species facilitates comparisons between sequence and structure. Specifically, the structural determinants necessary for fumarate allosteric regulation of ME has been of particular interest. NADP-ME2 from Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits a distinctive and complex regulation by fumarate, acting as an activator or an inhibitor according to substrate and effector concentrations. However, the 3D structure for this enzyme is not yet reported. In this work, we characterized the NADP-ME2 allosteric site by structural modeling, molecular docking, normal mode analysis and mutagenesis. The regulatory site model and its docking analysis suggested that other C4 acids including malate, NADP-ME2 substrate, could also fit into fumarate's pocket. Besides, a non-conserved cluster of hydrophobic residues in the second sphere of the allosteric site was identified. The substitution of one of those residues, L62, by a less flexible residue as tryptophan, resulted in a complete loss of fumarate activation and a reduction of substrate affinities for the active site. In addition, normal mode analysis indicated that conformational changes leading to the activation could originate in the region surrounding L62, extending through the allosteric site till the active site. Finally, the results in this work contribute to the understanding of structural determinants necessary for allosteric regulation providing new insights for enzyme optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariel Claudia Gerrard Wheeler
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (CEFOBI-CONICET-UNR), Suipacha 570, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Cintia Lucía Arias
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (CEFOBI-CONICET-UNR), Suipacha 570, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Juliana da Fonseca Rezende E Mello
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular & QSAR (ModMolQSAR), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 bloco L subsolo, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Nuria Cirauqui Diaz
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular & QSAR (ModMolQSAR), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 bloco L subsolo, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos Rangel Rodrigues
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular & QSAR (ModMolQSAR), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 bloco L subsolo, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - María Fabiana Drincovich
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (CEFOBI-CONICET-UNR), Suipacha 570, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Alessandra Mendonça Teles de Souza
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Laboratório de Modelagem Molecular & QSAR (ModMolQSAR), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 bloco L subsolo, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Clarisa Ester Alvarez
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (CEFOBI-CONICET-UNR), Suipacha 570, Rosario, Argentina.
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6
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Shi W, Yue L, Guo J, Wang J, Yuan X, Dong S, Guo J, Guo P. Identification and evolution of C 4 photosynthetic pathway genes in plants. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 20:132. [PMID: 32228460 PMCID: PMC7106689 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02339-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND NADP-malic enzyme (NAPD-ME), and pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) are important enzymes that participate in C4 photosynthesis. However, the evolutionary history and forces driving evolution of these genes in C4 plants are not completely understood. RESULTS We identified 162 NADP-ME and 35 PPDK genes in 25 species and constructed respective phylogenetic trees. We classified NADP-ME genes into four branches, A1, A2, B1 and B2, whereas PPDK was classified into two branches in which monocots were in branch I and dicots were in branch II. Analyses of selective pressure on the NAPD-ME and PPDK gene families identified four positively selected sites, including 94H and 196H in the a5 branch of NADP-ME, and 95A and 559E in the e branch of PPDK at posterior probability thresholds of 95%. The positively selected sites were located in the helix and sheet regions. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that expression levels of 6 NADP-ME and 2 PPDK genes from foxtail millet were up-regulated after exposure to light. CONCLUSION This study revealed that positively selected sites of NADP-ME and PPDK evolution in C4 plants. It provides information on the classification and positive selection of plant NADP-ME and PPDK genes, and the results should be useful in further research on the evolutionary history of C4 plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiping Shi
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Linqi Yue
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Jiahui Guo
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Jianming Wang
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Xiangyang Yuan
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Shuqi Dong
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Jie Guo
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China.
| | - Pingyi Guo
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China.
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Alvarez CE, Bovdilova A, Höppner A, Wolff CC, Saigo M, Trajtenberg F, Zhang T, Buschiazzo A, Nagel-Steger L, Drincovich MF, Lercher MJ, Maurino VG. Molecular adaptations of NADP-malic enzyme for its function in C 4 photosynthesis in grasses. NATURE PLANTS 2019; 5:755-765. [PMID: 31235877 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In C4 grasses of agronomical interest, malate shuttled into the bundle sheath cells is decarboxylated mainly by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-malic enzyme (C4-NADP-ME). The activity of C4-NADP-ME was optimized by natural selection to efficiently deliver CO2 to Rubisco. During its evolution from a plastidic non-photosynthetic NADP-ME, C4-NADP-ME acquired increased catalytic efficiency, tetrameric structure and pH-dependent inhibition by its substrate malate. Here, we identified specific amino acids important for these C4 adaptions based on strict differential conservation of amino acids, combined with solving the crystal structures of maize and sorghum C4-NADP-ME. Site-directed mutagenesis and structural analyses show that Q503, L544 and E339 are involved in catalytic efficiency; E339 confers pH-dependent regulation by malate, F140 is critical for the stabilization of the oligomeric structure and the N-terminal region is involved in tetramerization. Together, the identified molecular adaptations form the basis for the efficient catalysis and regulation of one of the central biochemical steps in C4 metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa E Alvarez
- Centro de Estudios Fotosinteticos y Bioquimicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Anastasiia Bovdilova
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Astrid Höppner
- Center for Structural Studies, Hreinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian-Claus Wolff
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mariana Saigo
- Centro de Estudios Fotosinteticos y Bioquimicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Felipe Trajtenberg
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Tao Zhang
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institut of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Jülich, Germany
| | - Alejandro Buschiazzo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Luitgard Nagel-Steger
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institut of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Jülich, Germany
| | - Maria F Drincovich
- Centro de Estudios Fotosinteticos y Bioquimicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Martin J Lercher
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute for Computer Science and Department of Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Veronica G Maurino
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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8
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Tronconi MA, Andreo CS, Drincovich MF. Chimeric Structure of Plant Malic Enzyme Family: Different Evolutionary Scenarios for NAD- and NADP-Dependent Isoforms. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:565. [PMID: 29868045 PMCID: PMC5958461 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Malic enzyme (ME) comprises a family of proteins with multiple isoforms located in different compartments of eukaryotic cells. In plants, cytosolic and plastidic enzymes share several characteristics such as NADP specificity (NADP-ME), oxaloacetate decarboxylase (OAD) activity, and homo-oligomeric assembly. However, mitochondrial counterparts are NAD-dependent proteins (mNAD-ME) lacking OAD activity, which can be structured as homo- and hetero-oligomers of two different subunits. In this study, we examined the molecular basis of these differences using multiple sequence analysis, structural modeling, and phylogenetic approaches. Plant mNAD-MEs show the lowest identity values when compared with other eukaryotic MEs with major differences including short amino acid insertions distributed throughout the primary sequence. Some residues in these exclusive segments are co-evolutionarily connected, suggesting that they could be important for enzymatic functionality. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that eukaryotes from different kingdoms used different strategies for acquiring the current set of NAD(P)-ME isoforms. In this sense, while the full gene family of vertebrates derives from the same ancestral gene, plant NADP-ME and NAD-ME isoforms have a distinct evolutionary history. Plant NADP-ME genes may have arisen from the α-protobacterial-like mitochondrial ancestor, a characteristic shared with major eukaryotic taxa. On the other hand, plant mNAD-ME genes were probably gained through an independent process involving the Archaeplastida ancestor. Finally, several residue signatures unique to all plant mNAD-MEs could be identified, some of which might be functionally connected to their exclusive biochemical properties. In light of these results, molecular evolutionary scenarios for these widely distributed enzymes in plants are discussed.
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9
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Badia MB, Mans R, Lis AV, Tronconi MA, Arias CL, Maurino VG, Andreo CS, Drincovich MF, van Maris AJA, Gerrard Wheeler MC. Specific Arabidopsis thaliana malic enzyme isoforms can provide anaplerotic pyruvate carboxylation function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FEBS J 2017; 284:654-665. [PMID: 28075062 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
NAD(P)-malic enzyme (NAD(P)-ME) catalyzes the reversible oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate, CO2 , and NAD(P)H and is present as a multigene family in Arabidopsis thaliana. The carboxylation reaction catalyzed by purified recombinant Arabidopsis NADP-ME proteins is faster than those reported for other animal or plant isoforms. In contrast, no carboxylation activity could be detected in vitro for the NAD-dependent counterparts. In order to further investigate their putative carboxylating role in vivo, Arabidopsis NAD(P)-ME isoforms, as well as the NADP-ME2del2 (with a decreased ability to carboxylate pyruvate) and NADP-ME2R115A (lacking fumarate activation) versions, were functionally expressed in the cytosol of pyruvate carboxylase-negative (Pyc- ) Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. The heterologous expression of NADP-ME1, NADP-ME2 (and its mutant proteins), and NADP-ME3 restored the growth of Pyc- S. cerevisiae on glucose, and this capacity was dependent on the availability of CO2 . On the other hand, NADP-ME4, NAD-ME1, and NAD-ME2 could not rescue the Pyc- strains from C4 auxotrophy. NADP-ME carboxylation activity could be measured in leaf crude extracts of knockout and overexpressing Arabidopsis lines with modified levels of NADP-ME, where this activity was correlated with the amount of NADP-ME2 transcript. These results indicate that specific A. thaliana NADP-ME isoforms are able to play an anaplerotic role in vivo and provide a basis for the study on the carboxylating activity of NADP-ME, which may contribute to the synthesis of C4 compounds and redox shuttling in plant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Beatriz Badia
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina
| | - Robert Mans
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
| | - Alicia V Lis
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.,Biochemical Engineering Institute, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Marcos Ariel Tronconi
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina
| | - Cintia Lucía Arias
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina
| | - Verónica Graciela Maurino
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carlos Santiago Andreo
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina
| | - María Fabiana Drincovich
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina
| | - Antonius J A van Maris
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands.,Division of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm, Sweden
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Ludwig M. The Roles of Organic Acids in C4 Photosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:647. [PMID: 27242848 PMCID: PMC4868847 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Organic acids are involved in numerous metabolic pathways in all plants. The finding that some plants, known as C4 plants, have four-carbon dicarboxylic acids as the first product of carbon fixation showed these organic acids play essential roles as photosynthetic intermediates. Oxaloacetate (OAA), malate, and aspartate (Asp) are substrates for the C4 acid cycle that underpins the CO2 concentrating mechanism of C4 photosynthesis. In this cycle, OAA is the immediate, short-lived, product of the initial CO2 fixation step in C4 leaf mesophyll cells. The malate and Asp, resulting from the rapid conversion of OAA, are the organic acids delivered to the sites of carbon reduction in the bundle-sheath cells of the leaf, where they are decarboxylated, with the released CO2 used to make carbohydrates. The three-carbon organic acids resulting from the decarboxylation reactions are returned to the mesophyll cells where they are used to regenerate the CO2 acceptor pool. NADP-malic enzyme-type, NAD-malic enzyme-type, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-type C4 plants were identified, based on the most abundant decarboxylating enzyme in the leaf tissue. The genes encoding these C4 pathway-associated decarboxylases were co-opted from ancestral C3 plant genes during the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. Malate was recognized as the major organic acid transferred in NADP-malic enzyme-type C4 species, while Asp fills this role in NAD-malic enzyme-type and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase-type plants. However, accumulating evidence indicates that many C4 plants use a combination of organic acids and decarboxylases during CO2 fixation, and the C4-type categories are not rigid. The ability to transfer multiple organic acid species and utilize different decarboxylases has been suggested to give C4 plants advantages in changing and stressful environments, as well as during development, by facilitating the balance of energy between the two cell types involved in the C4 pathway of CO2 assimilation. The results of recent empirical and modeling studies support this suggestion and indicate that a combination of transferred organic acids and decarboxylases is beneficial to C4 plants in different light environments.
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11
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Badia MB, Arias CL, Tronconi MA, Maurino VG, Andreo CS, Drincovich MF, Wheeler MCG. Enhanced cytosolic NADP-ME2 activity in A. thaliana affects plant development, stress tolerance and specific diurnal and nocturnal cellular processes. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 240:193-203. [PMID: 26475199 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis thaliana has four NADP-dependent malic enzymes (NADP-ME 1-4) for reversible malate decarboxylation, with NADP-ME2 being the only cytosolic isoform ubiquitously expressed and responsible for most of the total activity. In this work, we further investigated its physiological function by characterizing Arabidopsis plants over-expressing NADP-ME2 constitutively. In comparison to wild type, these plants exhibited reduced rosette and root sizes, delayed flowering time and increased sensitivity to mannitol and polyethylene glycol. The increased NADP-ME2 activity led to a decreased expression of other ME and malate dehydrogenase isoforms and generated a redox imbalance with opposite characteristics depending on the time point of the day analyzed. The over-expressing plants also presented a higher content of C4 organic acids and sugars under normal growth conditions. However, the accumulation of these metabolites in the over-expressing plants was substantially less pronounced after osmotic stress exposure compared to wild type. Also, a lower level of several amino acids and osmoprotector compounds was observed in transgenic plants. Thus, the gain of NADP-ME2 expression has profound consequences in the modulation of primary metabolism in A. thaliana, which reflect the relevance of this enzyme and its substrates and products in plant homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana B Badia
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Cintia L Arias
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Marcos A Tronconi
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Verónica G Maurino
- Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Universitätsstr. 1, and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Carlos S Andreo
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - María F Drincovich
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariel C Gerrard Wheeler
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000 Rosario, Argentina.
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12
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Saigo M, Tronconi MA, Gerrard Wheeler MC, Alvarez CE, Drincovich MF, Andreo CS. Biochemical approaches to C4 photosynthesis evolution studies: the case of malic enzymes decarboxylases. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2013; 117:177-187. [PMID: 23832612 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-013-9879-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis enables the capture of atmospheric CO2 and its concentration at the site of RuBisCO, thus counteracting the negative effects of low atmospheric levels of CO2 and high atmospheric levels of O2 (21 %) on photosynthesis. The evolution of this complex syndrome was a multistep process. It did not occur by simply recruiting pre-exiting components of the pathway from C3 ancestors which were already optimized for C4 function. Rather it involved modifications in the kinetics and regulatory properties of pre-existing isoforms of non-photosynthetic enzymes in C3 plants. Thus, biochemical studies aimed at elucidating the functional adaptations of these enzymes are central to the development of an integrative view of the C4 mechanism. In the present review, the most important biochemical approaches that we currently use to understand the evolution of the C4 isoforms of malic enzyme are summarized. It is expected that this information will help in the rational design of the best decarboxylation processes to provide CO2 for RuBisCO in engineering C3 species to perform C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Saigo
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI), Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha, 531, Rosario, Argentina
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13
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Alvarez CE, Saigo M, Margarit E, Andreo CS, Drincovich MF. Kinetics and functional diversity among the five members of the NADP-malic enzyme family from Zea mays, a C4 species. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2013; 115:65-80. [PMID: 23649167 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-013-9839-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2013] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) is involved in different metabolic pathways in several organisms due to the relevant physiological functions of the substrates and products of its reaction. In plants, it is one of the most important proteins that were recruited to fulfil key roles in C4 photosynthesis. Recent advances in genomics allowed the characterization of the complete set of NADP-ME genes from some C3 species, as Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa; however, the characterization of the complete NADP-ME family from a C4 species has not been performed yet. In this study, while taking advantage of the complete Zea mays genome sequence recently released, the characterization of the whole NADP-ME family is presented. The maize NADP-ME family is composed of five genes, two encoding plastidic NADP-MEs (ZmC4- and ZmnonC4-NADP-ME), and three cytosolic enzymes (Zmcyt1-, Zmcyt2-, and Zmcyt3-NADP-ME). The results presented clearly show that each maize NADP-ME displays particular organ distribution, response to stress stimuli, and differential biochemical properties. Phylogenetic footprinting studies performed with the NADP-MEs from several grasses, indicate that four members of the maize NADP-ME family share conserved transcription factor binding motifs with their orthologs, indicating conserved physiological functions for these genes in monocots. Based on the results obtained in this study, and considering the biochemical plasticity shown by the NADP-ME, it is discussed the relevance of the presence of a multigene family, in which each member encodes an isoform with particular biochemical properties, in the evolution of the C4 NADP-ME, improved to fulfil the requirements for an efficient C4 mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa E Alvarez
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos CEFOBI, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, Rosario, Argentina
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