New constitutive latex osmotin-like proteins lacking antifungal activity

Novel Multiresistant Osmotin-like Protein from Sweetpotato as a Promising Biofungicide to Control Ceratocystis fimbriata by Destroying Spores through Accumulation of Reactive Oxygen Species

Osmotin-like proteins (OLPs) play an important role in host-plant defense. In this study, a novel multiresistant OLP (IbOLP1) was screened from sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) with a molecular weight of 26.3 kDa. The expression level of IbOLP1 was significantly higher in resistant cultivars than susceptible ones after inoculation with Ceratocystis fimbriata, which causes black rot disease in sweetpotato. The expression of IbOLP1 in Pichia pastoris led to the lysis of yeast cells themselves. The recombinant IbOLP1 displayed antifungal, antibacterial, and antinematode activity and stability. IbOLP1 could restrain the mycelial growth and lyse spores of C. fimbriata, distinctly reducing the incidence of black rot in sweetpotato. The IbOLP1 can trigger the apoptosis of black rot spores by elevating the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. Collectively, these findings suggest that IbOLP1 can be used to develop natural antimicrobial resources instead of chemical agents and generate new, disease-resistant germplasm.

Wound tissue remodeling by latex exudate of Himatanthus drasticus: A plant species used in Brazilian folk medicine

This work investigated the healing properties of proteins extracted of latex (HdLP) on excisional wounds. Cell toxicity of HdLP was investigated carried out in murine fibroblasts after incubation with HdLP (12.5-100 μg/ml). The dermal irritability test was performed to evaluate dermal reactions. The wounds were performed and treated with vehicle or HdLP (0.5 %, 1.0 %, and 2.0 %). The macroscopic parameters, histological analysis and measurement of inflammatory markers and mediators were evaluated. HdLP did not exhibit cytotoxicity and did not induce skin irritation. HdLP stimulated the release of IL-1β at the beginning of the inflammatory phase. This effect probably favored the earlier release of IL-10 by macrophages, during the proliferative phase. The shortening and completeness of healing were characterized by fibroblast proliferation and the presence of newly synthesized collagen fibers. This was accompanied by well-organized re-epithelialization. The involvement of latex proteins in this activity is reported for the first time.

Serine carboxypeptidases from the carnivorous plant Nepenthes mirabilis: Partial characterization and heterologous expression

This study aimed to partially characterize the three main serine carboxypeptidases (SCP3, SCP20, and SCP47) from Nepenthes mirabilis. Furthermore, one peptidase (SCP3) was chosen for further heterologous expression in Escherichia coli Shuffle®T7. SCP3 also was characterized in terms of its allergenic potential using bioinformatics tools. SCP3, SCP20, and SCP47 showed very similar 3D structures and mechanistic features to other plant serine peptidases belonging to clan SC and family S10. Although SCP3 was obtained in its soluble form, using 1% ethanol during induction with 0.5 mM IPTG at 16 °C for 18 h, it did not show proteolytic activity by zymography or in vitro analysis. SCP3 presented a few allergenic peptides and several cleavage sites for digestive enzymes. This work describes additional features of these enzymes, opening new perspectives for further studies for characterization and analysis of heterologous expression, as well as their potential biotechnological applications.

Genome-Wide Identification of the Thaumatin-like Protein Family Genes in Gossypium barbadense and Analysis of Their Responses to Verticillium dahliae Infection

(1) Background: Plants respond to pathogen challenge by activating a defense system involving pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins. The PR-5 family includes thaumatin, thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), and other related proteins. TLPs play an important role in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Many TLP-encoding genes have been identified and functionally characterized in the model plant species. (2) Results: We identified a total of 90 TLP genes in the G. barbadense genome. They were phylogenetically classified into 10 subfamilies and distributed across 19 chromosomes and nine scaffolds. The genes were characterized by examining their exon-intron structures, promoter cis-elements, conserved domains, synteny and collinearity, gene family evolution, and gene duplications. Several TLP genes were predicted to be targets of miRNAs. Investigation of expression changes of 21 GbTLPs in a G. barbadense cultivar (Hai7124) resistance to Verticillium dahliae revealed 13 GbTLPs being upregulated in response to V. dahliae infection, suggesting a potential role of these GbTLP genes in disease response. (3) Conclusions: The results of this study allow insight into the GbTLP gene family, identify GbTLP genes responsive to V. dahliae infection, and provide candidate genes for future studies of their roles in disease resistance.

Phytomodulatory proteins isolated from Calotropis procera latex promote glycemic control by improving hepatic mitochondrial function in HepG2 cells

The medicinal uses of Calotropis procera are diverse, yet some of them are based on effects that still lack scientific support. Control of diabetes is one of them. Recently, latex proteins from C. procera latex (LP) have been shown to promote in vivo glycemic control by the inhibition of hepatic glucose production via AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Glycemic control has been attributed to an isolated fraction of LP (CpPII), which is composed of cysteine peptidases (95%) and osmotin (5%) isoforms. Those proteins are extensively characterized in terms of chemistry, biochemistry and structural aspects. Furthermore, we evaluated some aspects of the mitochondrial function and cellular mechanisms involved in CpPII activity. The effect of CpPII on glycemic control was evaluated in fasting mice by glycemic curve and glucose and pyruvate tolerance tests. HepG2 cells was treated with CpPII, and cell viability, oxygen consumption, PPAR activity, production of lactate and reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial density and protein and gene expression were analyzed. CpPII reduced fasting glycemia, improved glucose tolerance and inhibited hepatic glucose production in control animals. Additionally, CpPII increased the consumption of ATP-linked oxygen and mitochondrial uncoupling, reduced lactate concentration, increased protein expression of mitochondrial complexes I, III and V, and activity of peroxisome-proliferator-responsive elements (PPRE), reduced the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increased mitochondrial density in HepG2 cells by activation of AMPK/PPAR. Our findings strongly support the medicinal use of the plant and suggest that CpPII is a potential therapy for prevention and/or treatment of type-2 diabetes. A common epitope sequence shared among the proteases and osmotin is possibly the responsible for the beneficial effects of CpPII.

Characterization of Three Osmotin-Like Proteins from Plumeria rubra and Prospection for Adiponectin Peptidomimetics

BACKGROUND

Osmotin-Like Proteins (OLPs) have been purified and characterized from different plant tissues, including latex fluids. Besides its defensive role, tobacco osmotin seems to induce adiponectin-like physiological effects, acting as an agonist. However, molecular information about this agonistic effect on adiponectin receptors has been poorly exploited and other osmotins have not been investigated yet.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS

The present study involved the characterization of three OLPs from Plumeria rubra latex and molecular docking studies to evaluate the interaction between them and adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2).

RESULTS

P. rubra Osmotin-Like Proteins (PrOLPs) exhibited molecular masses from 21 to 25 kDa and isoelectric points ranging from 4.4 to 7.7. The proteins have 16 cysteine residues, which are involved in eight disulfide bonds, conserved in the same positions as other plant OLPs. The threedimensional (3D) models exhibited the three typical domains of OLPs, and molecular docking analysis showed that two PrOLP peptides interacted with two adiponectin receptors similarly to tobacco osmotin peptide.

CONCLUSION

As observed for tobacco osmotin, the latex osmotins of P. rubra exhibited compatible interactions with adiponectin receptors. Therefore, these plant defense proteins (without known counterparts in humans) are potential tools to study modulation of glucose metabolism in type II diabetes, where adiponectin plays a pivotal role in homeostasis.

Anti-inflammatory latex proteins of the medicinal plant Calotropis procera: a promising alternative for oral mucositis treatment

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN

Oral mucositis (OM) is an intense inflammatory reaction progressing to tissue damage and ulceration. The medicinal uses of Calotropis procera are supported by anti-inflammatory capacity. PII-IAA, a highly homogenous cocktail of laticifer proteins (LP) prepared from the latex of C. procera, with recognized pharmacological properties was tested to treat OM.

MATERIALS AND SUBJECTS

Male Golden Sirius hamsters were used in all treatments.

TREATMENT

The latex protein samples were injected i.p. (5 mg/Kg) 24 h before mucositis induction (mechanical trauma) and 24 h later.

METHODS

Histology, cytokine measurements [ELISA], and macroscopic evaluation [scores] were performed.

RESULTS

PII-IAA eliminated OM, accompanied by total disappearance of myeloperoxidase activity and release of IL-1b, as well as reduced TNF-a. Oxidative stress was relieved by PII-IAA treatment, as revealed by MDA and GSH measurements. PII-IAA also reduced the expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1) and Iba-1, two important markers of inflammation, indicating modulatory effects. Histological analyses of the cheek epithelium revealed greater deposition of type I collagen fibers in animals given PII-IAA compared with the control group. This performance was only reached when LPPII was treated with iodoacetamide (IAA), an irreversible inhibitor of proteolytic activity of cysteine proteases. The endogenous proteolytic activity of LPPII induced adverse effects in animals. Candidate proteins involved in the phytomodulatory activity are proposed.

CONCLUSIONS

Therapy was successful in treating OM with the laticifer protein fraction, containing peptidases and osmotin, from Calotropis procera. The effective candidate from the latex proteins for therapeutic use is PII-IAA.

Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression analysis of the TLP gene family in melon (Cucumis melo L.)

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), which belong to pathogenesis-related (PR) protein family 5 (PR5), are involved in plant host defense and various developmental processes. The functions of the TLP family have been extensively discussed in multiple organisms, whereas the detailed information of this family in melon has not been reported yet. In this study, we identified 28 TLP genes in the melon genome and a N-terminal signal peptide was found highly conserved within each member of this family. Phylogeny analysis indicated that TLPs from melon and other plant species were clustered into ten groups. Twelve segmental and seven tandem duplication gene pairs that underwent purifying selection were identified. TLP genes expressed differentially in different tissues/organs, and were significantly induced after Podosphaera xanthii infection. TLPs in breeding line MR-1 tend to express early after pathogen infection compared with cultivar Top Mark. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the melon TLP family and demonstrates their potential roles in disease resistance, therefore provides more reference for further research.

Laticifers, Latex, and Their Role in Plant Defense

Latex, a sap produced by cells called laticifers, occurs in plants of wide taxonomic diversity. Plants exude latex sap in response to physical damage. Questions about the function of latex or the underlying mechanisms persist, but a role in defense is likely. The presence of constitutive peptidases in latex sap in addition to inducible and de novo synthesized pathogenesis-related proteins (PR-proteins), raises the question about the role that each sap component plays to protect plants and how synergism occurs among sap proteins in the course of herbivory or infection. Here we discuss a variety of functions for laticifer and latex in plant defense. We propose that latex peptidases build the front line of defense against herbivores or pathogens.

Osmotin: A plant defense tool against biotic and abiotic stresses

Plants are prone to a number of pathogens and abiotic stresses that cause various disorders. However, plants possess a defense mechanism to cope with these stresses. The osmotin protein belongs to the PR-5 family of Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, which are produced in response to diseases caused by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Osmotin uses a signal transduction pathway to inhibit the activity of defensive cell wall barriers and increases its own cytotoxic efficiency. However, in response to cytotoxic effects, this pathway stimulates a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade that triggers changes in the cell wall and enables osmotin's entrance into the plasma membrane. This mechanism involves cell wall binding and membrane perturbation, although the complete mechanism of osmotin activity has not been fully elucidated. Osmotin possesses an acidic cleft that is responsible for communication with its receptor in the plasma membrane of fungi. Osmotin is also involved in the initiation of apoptosis and programmed cell death, whereas its overexpression causes the accumulation of proline in transgenic plants. A higher concentration of osmotin can cause the lysis of hyphae tips. This review highlights the role of osmotin protein in the plant defense mechanism and its mode of action against numerous pathogens in wild and transgenic plants.

The osmotin of Calotropis procera latex is not expressed in laticifer-free cultivated callus and under salt stress

The latex of Calotropis procera has previously been reported to contain osmotin. This protein (CpOsm) inhibited phytopathogens and this was mechanistically characterized. Here, the time-course profile of CpOsm transcripts was examined in the salt-stressed cultivated callus of C. procera in order to better understand its role in the physiology of the plant. Stressed callus (80 mM NaCl) showed an unbalanced content of organic compounds (proline and total soluble sugar) and inorganic ions (Na⁺, Cl^-, and K⁺). Under salt treatment, the transcripts of CpOsm were detected after 12 h and slightly increased to a maximum at day seven, followed by reduction. Interestingly, CpOsm was not detected in the soluble protein fraction recovered from the salt-stressed callus as probed by electrophoresis, dot/Western blotting and mass spectrometry. The results suggested that (1) CpOsm is not constitutive in cultivated cells (laticifer-free tissues); (2) CpOsm transcripts appear under salt-stressed conditions; (3) the absence of CpOsm in the protein fractions of stressed cultivated cells indicated that salt-induced transcripts were not used for protein synthesis and this accounts to the belief that CpOsm may be a true laticifer protein in C. procera. More effort will be needed to unveil this process. In this study we show evidences that CpOsm gene is responsive to salt stress. However the corresponding protein is not produced in cultivated cells. Therefore, presently the hypothesis that CpOsm is involved in abiotic stress is not fully supported.

Identification and characterization of two germin-like proteins with oxalate oxidase activity from Calotropis procera latex

Germin-like proteins (GLPs) have been identified in several plant tissues. However, only one work describes GLP in latex fluids. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate GLPs in latex and get new insights concerning the structural and functional aspects of these proteins. Two complete sequences with high identity (>50%) with other GLPs, termed CpGLP1 and CpGLP2, were obtained and consecutively presented 216 and 206 amino acid residues, corresponding to molecular masses of 22.7 and 21.7kDa, pI 6.8 and 6.5. The three-dimensional models revealed overall folding similar to those reported for other plant GLPs. Both deduced sequences were grouped into the GER 2 subfamily. Molecular docking studies indicated a putative binding site consisting of three highly conserved histidines and a glutamate residue, which interacted with oxalate. This interaction was later supported by enzymatic assays. Superoxide dismutase (common activity in GLPs) was not detected for CpGLP1 and CpGLP2 by zymogram. The two proteins were detected in the latex, but not in non-germinated or germinated seeds and calli. These results give additional support that germin-like proteins are broadly distributed in plants and they are tissue-specific. This particularity deserves further studies to better understand their functions in latex.

The Latex Protein MLX56 from Mulberry (Morus multicaulis) Protects Plants against Insect Pests and Pathogens

Biotic stresses are major constraints limiting the leaf quality and productivity of mulberry. MLX56 is a unique chitin-binding protein isolated from Shin-Ichinose (Morus alba) latex that displays toxicity against lepidopteran caterpillars. In this study, the full-length cDNA encoding MLX56 was isolated from Husang 32 (M. multicaulis) and designated HMLX56. Amino acid sequence analysis and protein modeling of three MLX56 proteins showed that they were highly conserved among Morus species. Tissue expression pattern analysis showed that the HMLX56 gene was strongly expressed in mulberry bark and leaves but only slightly expressed in fruits. In addition, analysis of GUS expression indicated that the promoter of HMLX56 showed higher transcriptional activity along the vascular strands, and its activity can be regulated by various environmental factors. Like the MLX56 protein from M. alba, the HMLX56 protein showed toxicity to Plutella xylostella. Moreover, when the HMLX56 gene was ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis, the transgenic plants showed enhanced resistance to aphids, the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea and the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. Our data suggest that the HMLX56 protein has a lectin-like molecular structure consisting of two hevein-like chitin-binding domains which provide not only chitin-binding activities but also other mechanisms of defense. The information provided here improves our understanding of the potential functions and defense mechanisms of MLX56 proteins, enabling in-depth functional analysis of latex exudates and perhaps facilitating mulberry genetic improvement in the future.