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Castaldi V, Langella E, Buonanno M, Di Lelio I, Aprile AM, Molisso D, Criscuolo MC, D'Andrea LD, Romanelli A, Amoresano A, Pinto G, Illiano A, Chiaiese P, Becchimanzi A, Pennacchio F, Rao R, Monti SM. Intrinsically disordered Prosystemin discloses biologically active repeat motifs. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 340:111969. [PMID: 38159610 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111969] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The in-depth studies over the years on the defence barriers by tomato plants have shown that the Systemin peptide controls the response to a wealth of environmental stress agents. This multifaceted stress reaction seems to be related to the intrinsic disorder of its precursor protein, Prosystemin (ProSys). Since latest findings show that ProSys has biological functions besides Systemin sequence, here we wanted to assess if this precursor includes peptide motifs able to trigger stress-related pathways. Candidate peptides were identified in silico and synthesized to test their capacity to trigger defence responses in tomato plants against different biotic stressors. Our results demonstrated that ProSys harbours several repeat motifs which triggered plant immune reactions against pathogens and pest insects. Three of these peptides were detected by mass spectrometry in plants expressing ProSys, demonstrating their effective presence in vivo. These experimental data shed light on unrecognized functions of ProSys, mediated by multiple biologically active sequences which may partly account for the capacity of ProSys to induce defense responses to different stress agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Castaldi
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy
| | - Emma Langella
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, National Research Council (IBB, CNR), via Pietro Castellino 111, Naples 80131, Italy.
| | - Martina Buonanno
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, National Research Council (IBB, CNR), via Pietro Castellino 111, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Ilaria Di Lelio
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy; Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Aprile
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy
| | - Donata Molisso
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy
| | - Martina Chiara Criscuolo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy
| | - Luca Domenico D'Andrea
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), via Alfonso Corti 12, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | | | - Angela Amoresano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cynthia 8, Napoli and Interuniversitary Consortium "Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, 80126 Roma, Italy
| | - Gabriella Pinto
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cynthia 8, Napoli and Interuniversitary Consortium "Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, 80126 Roma, Italy
| | - Anna Illiano
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Cynthia 8, Napoli and Interuniversitary Consortium "Istituto Nazionale Biostrutture e Biosistemi, 80126 Roma, Italy
| | - Pasquale Chiaiese
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy
| | - Andrea Becchimanzi
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy; Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Pennacchio
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy; Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, 80055 Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Rao
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, Naples 80055, Italy; Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, Portici, 80055 Naples, Italy.
| | - Simona Maria Monti
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, National Research Council (IBB, CNR), via Pietro Castellino 111, Naples 80131, Italy.
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Wang X, Liu H, Li Y, Zhang L, Wang B. Heterologous overexpression of Tawzy1-2 gene encoding an SK 3 dehydrin enhances multiple abiotic stress tolerance in Escherichia coli and Nicotiania benthamiana. PLANTA 2024; 259:39. [PMID: 38265504 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04328-4] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION The nuclear localized TaWZY1-2 helps plants resist abiotic stress by preserving the cell's ability to remove reactive oxygen species and decrease lipid oxidation under such conditions. In light of the unpredictable environmental conditions in which food crops grow, precise strategies must be developed by crops to effectively cope with abiotic stress and minimize damage over their lifespan. A key component in this endeavor is the group II of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, known as dehydrins, which play crucial roles in enhancing the tolerance of plants to abiotic stress. Tawzy1-2 is a dehydrin-encoding gene which is constitutively expressed in various tissues of wheat. However, the biological function of TaWZY1-2 is not yet fully understood. In this study, TaWZY1-2 was isolated and identified in the wheat genome, and its functional role in conferring tolerance to abiotic stresses was detected in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Results showed that TaWZY1-2 is a nuclear localized hydrophilic protein that accumulates in response to multiple stresses. Escherichia coli cells expressing TaWZY1-2 showed enhanced tolerance to multiple stress conditions. Overexpression of TaWZY1-2 in Nicotiania benthamiana improved growth, germination and survival rate of the transgenic plants exposed to four kinds of abiotic stress conditions. Our results show that Tawzy1-2 transgenic plants exhibit improved capability in clearing reactive oxygen species and reducing lipid degradation, thereby enhancing their resistance to abiotic stress. This demonstrates a significant role of TaWZY1-2 in mitigating abiotic stress-induced damage. Consequently, these findings not only establish a basis for future investigation into the functional mechanism of TaWZY1-2 but also contribute to the expansion of functional diversity within the dehydrin protein family. Moreover, they identify potential candidate genes for crop optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Liu
- College of Agriculture, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuwei Li
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Linsheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Wang
- College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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Li X, Feng H, Liu S, Cui J, Liu J, Shi M, Zhao J, Wang L. Dehydrin CaDHN2 Enhances Drought Tolerance by Affecting Ascorbic Acid Synthesis under Drought in Peppers. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3895. [PMID: 38005792 PMCID: PMC10675185 DOI: 10.3390/plants12223895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), as a horticultural crop with one of the highest ascorbic acid contents, are negatively affected by detrimental environmental conditions both in terms of quality and productivity. In peppers, the high level of ascorbic acid is not only a nutrient substance but also plays a role in environmental stress, i.e., drought stress. When suffering from drought stress, plants accumulate dehydrins, which play important roles in the stress response. Here, we isolated an SK3-type DHN gene CaDHN2 from peppers. CaDHN2 was located in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane. In CaDHN2-silenced peppers, which are generated by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), the survival rate is much lower, the electrolytic leakage is higher, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is greater when compared with the control under drought stress. Moreover, when CaDHN2 (CaDHN2-OE) is overexpressed in Arabidopsis, theoverexpressing plants show enhanced drought tolerance, increased antioxidant enzyme activities, and lower ROS content. Based on yeast two-hybrid (Y2H), GST-pull down, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) results, we found that CaDHN2 interacts with CaGGP1, the key enzyme in ascorbic acid (AsA) synthesis, in the cytoplasm. Accordingly, the level of ascorbic acid is highly reduced in CaDHN2-silenced peppers, indicating that CaDHN2 interacts with CaGGP1 to affect the synthesis of ascorbic acid under drought stress, thus improving the drought tolerance of peppers. Our research provides a basis for further study of the function of DHN genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- School of Landscape and Ecological Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China; (X.L.); (S.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.)
| | - Hao Feng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (H.F.); (M.S.); (J.Z.)
| | - Sha Liu
- School of Landscape and Ecological Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China; (X.L.); (S.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.)
| | - Junjun Cui
- School of Landscape and Ecological Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China; (X.L.); (S.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.)
| | - Jiannan Liu
- School of Landscape and Ecological Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China; (X.L.); (S.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.)
| | - Mingyu Shi
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (H.F.); (M.S.); (J.Z.)
| | - Jielong Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; (H.F.); (M.S.); (J.Z.)
| | - Lihu Wang
- School of Landscape and Ecological Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China; (X.L.); (S.L.); (J.C.); (J.L.)
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Szlachtowska Z, Rurek M. Plant dehydrins and dehydrin-like proteins: characterization and participation in abiotic stress response. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1213188. [PMID: 37484455 PMCID: PMC10358736 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1213188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Abiotic stress has a significant impact on plant growth and development. It causes changes in the subcellular organelles, which, due to their stress sensitivity, can be affected. Cellular components involved in the abiotic stress response include dehydrins, widely distributed proteins forming a class II of late embryogenesis abundant protein family with characteristic properties including the presence of evolutionarily conserved sequence motifs (including lysine-rich K-segment, N-terminal Y-segment, and often phosphorylated S motif) and high hydrophilicity and disordered structure in the unbound state. Selected dehydrins and few poorly characterized dehydrin-like proteins participate in cellular stress acclimation and are also shown to interact with organelles. Through their functioning in stabilizing biological membranes and binding reactive oxygen species, dehydrins and dehydrin-like proteins contribute to the protection of fragile organellar structures under adverse conditions. Our review characterizes the participation of plant dehydrins and dehydrin-like proteins (including some organellar proteins) in plant acclimation to diverse abiotic stress conditions and summarizes recent updates on their structure (the identification of dehydrin less conserved motifs), classification (new proposed subclasses), tissue- and developmentally specific accumulation, and key cellular activities (including organellar protection under stress acclimation). Recent findings on the subcellular localization (with emphasis on the mitochondria and plastids) and prospective applications of dehydrins and dehydrin-like proteins in functional studies to alleviate the harmful stress consequences by means of plant genetic engineering and a genome editing strategy are also discussed.
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Hernández-Sánchez IE, Maruri-López I, Martinez-Martinez C, Janis B, Jiménez-Bremont JF, Covarrubias AA, Menze MA, Graether SP, Thalhammer A. LEAfing through literature: late embryogenesis abundant proteins coming of age-achievements and perspectives. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:6525-6546. [PMID: 35793147 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To deal with increasingly severe periods of dehydration related to global climate change, it becomes increasingly important to understand the complex strategies many organisms have developed to cope with dehydration and desiccation. While it is undisputed that late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play a key role in the tolerance of plants and many anhydrobiotic organisms to water limitation, the molecular mechanisms are not well understood. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the physiological roles of LEA proteins and discuss their potential molecular functions. As these are ultimately linked to conformational changes in the presence of binding partners, post-translational modifications, or water deprivation, we provide a detailed summary of current knowledge on the structure-function relationship of LEA proteins, including their disordered state in solution, coil to helix transitions, self-assembly, and their recently discovered ability to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation. We point out the promising potential of LEA proteins in biotechnological and agronomic applications, and summarize recent advances. We identify the most relevant open questions and discuss major challenges in establishing a solid understanding of how these intriguing molecules accomplish their tasks as cellular sentinels at the limits of surviving water scarcity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itzell E Hernández-Sánchez
- Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Israel Maruri-López
- Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Coral Martinez-Martinez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | - Brett Janis
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Juan Francisco Jiménez-Bremont
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular de Plantas, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, 78216, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Alejandra A Covarrubias
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62210, Mexico
| | - Michael A Menze
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Steffen P Graether
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anja Thalhammer
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, University of Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam, Germany
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Ginsawaeng O, Heise C, Sangwan R, Karcher D, Hernández-Sánchez IE, Sampathkumar A, Zuther E. Subcellular Localization of Seed-Expressed LEA_4 Proteins Reveals Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation for LEA9 and for LEA48 Homo- and LEA42-LEA48 Heterodimers. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11121770. [PMID: 34944414 PMCID: PMC8698616 DOI: 10.3390/biom11121770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
LEA proteins are involved in plant stress tolerance. In Arabidopsis, the LEA_4 Pfam group is the biggest group with the majority of its members being expressed in dry seeds. To assess subcellular localization in vivo, we investigated 11 seed-expressed LEA_4 proteins in embryos dissected from dry seeds expressing LEA_4 fusion proteins under its native promoters with the Venus fluorescent protein (proLEA_4::LEA_4:Venus). LEA_4 proteins were shown to be localized in the endoplasmic reticulum, nucleus, mitochondria, and plastids. LEA9, in addition to the nucleus, was also found in cytoplasmic condensates in dry seeds dependent on cellular hydration level. Most investigated LEA_4 proteins were detected in 4-d-old seedlings. In addition, we assessed bioinformatic tools for predicting subcellular localization and promoter motifs of 11 seed-expressed LEA_4 proteins. Ratiometric bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays showed that LEA7, LEA29, and LEA48 form homodimers while heterodimers were formed between LEA7-LEA29 and LEA42-LEA48 in tobacco leaves. Interestingly, LEA48 homodimers and LEA42-LEA48 heterodimers formed droplets structures with liquid-like behavior. These structures, along with LEA9 cytoplasmic condensates, may have been formed through liquid-liquid phase separation. These findings suggest possible important roles of LLPS for LEA protein functions.
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