Functional differentiation of peroxisomes revealed by expression profiles of peroxisomal genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Peroxisomal KAT2 (3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase 2) gene has a key role in gingerol biosynthesis in ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.)

Ginger is an important spice crop with medicinal values and gingerols are the most abundant pungent polyphenols present in ginger, responsible for most of its pharmacological properties. The present study focuses on the molecular mechanism of gingerol biosynthesis in ginger using transcriptome analysis. Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) was done in leaf and rhizome tissues using high gingerol-producing ginger somaclone B3 as the tester and parent cultivar Maran as the driver and generated high-quality leaf and rhizome Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs). The Blast2GO annotations of the ESTs revealed the involvement of leaf ESTs in secondary metabolite production, identifying the peroxisomal KAT2 gene (Leaf EST 9) for the high gingerol production in ginger. Rhizome ESTs mostly coded for DNA metabolic processes and differential genes for high gingerol production were not observed in rhizomes. In the qRT-PCR analysis, somaclone B3 had shown high chalcone synthase (CHS: rate-limiting gene in gingerol biosynthetic pathway) activity (0.54 fold) in the leaves of rhizome sprouts. The presence of a high gingerol gene in leaf ESTs and high expression of CHS in leaves presumed that the site of synthesis of gingerols in ginger is the leaves. A modified pathway for gingerol/polyketide backbone formation has been constructed explaining the involvement of KAT gene isoforms KAT2 and KAT5 in gingerol/flavonoid biosynthesis, specifically the KAT2 gene which is otherwise thought to be involved mainly in β-oxidation. The results of the present investigations have the potential of utilizing KAT/thiolase superfamily enzymes for protein/metabolic pathway engineering in ginger for large-scale production of gingerols.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13562-022-00825-x.

Ubiquitin-conjugating activity by PEX4 is required for efficient protein transport to peroxisomes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Protein transport to peroxisomes requires various proteins, such as receptors in the cytosol and components of the transport machinery on peroxisomal membranes. The Arabidopsis apem (aberrant peroxisome morphology) mutant apem7 shows decreased efficiency of peroxisome targeting signal 1–dependent protein transport to peroxisomes. In apem7 mutants, peroxisome targeting signal 2–dependent protein transport is also disturbed, and plant growth is repressed. The APEM7 gene encodes a protein homologous to peroxin 4 (PEX4), which belongs to the ubiquitin-conjugating (UBC) protein family; however, the UBC activity of Arabidopsis PEX4 remains to be investigated. Here, we show using electron microscopy and immunoblot analysis using specific PEX4 antibodies and in vitro transcription/translation assay that PEX4 localizes to peroxisomal membranes and possesses UBC activity. We found that the substitution of proline with leucine by apem7 mutation alters ubiquitination of PEX4. Furthermore, substitution of the active-site cysteine residue at position 90 in PEX4, which was predicted to be a ubiquitin-conjugation site, with alanine did not restore the apem7 phenotype. Taken together, these findings indicate that abnormal ubiquitination in the apem7 mutant alters ubiquitin signaling during the process of protein transport, suggesting that the UBC activity of PEX4 is indispensable for efficient protein transport to peroxisomes.

Image-Based Analysis Revealing the Molecular Mechanism of Peroxisome Dynamics in Plants

Peroxisomes are present in eukaryotic cells and have essential roles in various biological processes. Plant peroxisomes proliferate by de novo biosynthesis or division of pre-existing peroxisomes, degrade, or replace metabolic enzymes, in response to developmental stages, environmental changes, or external stimuli. Defects of peroxisome functions and biogenesis alter a variety of biological processes and cause aberrant plant growth. Traditionally, peroxisomal function-based screening has been employed to isolate Arabidopsis thaliana mutants that are defective in peroxisomal metabolism, such as lipid degradation and photorespiration. These analyses have revealed that the number, subcellular localization, and activity of peroxisomes are closely related to their efficient function, and the molecular mechanisms underlying peroxisome dynamics including organelle biogenesis, protein transport, and organelle interactions must be understood. Various approaches have been adopted to identify factors involved in peroxisome dynamics. With the development of imaging techniques and fluorescent proteins, peroxisome research has been accelerated. Image-based analyses provide intriguing results concerning the movement, morphology, and number of peroxisomes that were hard to obtain by other approaches. This review addresses image-based analysis of peroxisome dynamics in plants, especially A. thaliana and Marchantia polymorpha.

Conserved and Diversified Mechanism of Autophagy between Plants and Animals upon Various Stresses

Autophagy is a highly conserved degradation mechanism in eukaryotes, executing the breakdown of unwanted cell components and subsequent recycling of cellular material for stress relief through vacuole-dependence in plants and yeast while it is lysosome-dependent in animal manner. Upon stress, different types of autophagy are stimulated to operate certain biological processes by employing specific selective autophagy receptors (SARs), which hijack the cargo proteins or organelles to the autophagy machinery for subsequent destruction in the vacuole/lysosome. Despite recent advances in autophagy, the conserved and diversified mechanism of autophagy in response to various stresses between plants and animals still remain a mystery. In this review, we intend to summarize and discuss the characterization of the SARs and their corresponding processes, expectantly advancing the scope and perspective of the evolutionary fate of autophagy between plants and animals.

In Vivo Imaging with Genetically Encoded Redox Biosensors

Redox reactions are of high fundamental and practical interest since they are involved in both normal physiology and the pathogenesis of various diseases. However, this area of research has always been a relatively problematic field in the context of analytical approaches, mostly because of the unstable nature of the compounds that are measured. Genetically encoded sensors allow for the registration of highly reactive molecules in real-time mode and, therefore, they began a new era in redox biology. Their strongest points manifest most brightly in in vivo experiments and pave the way for the non-invasive investigation of biochemical pathways that proceed in organisms from different systematic groups. In the first part of the review, we briefly describe the redox sensors that were used in vivo as well as summarize the model systems to which they were applied. Next, we thoroughly discuss the biological results obtained in these studies in regard to animals, plants, as well as unicellular eukaryotes and prokaryotes. We hope that this work reflects the amazing power of this technology and can serve as a useful guide for biologists and chemists who work in the field of redox processes.

Selective Autophagy of Peroxisomes in Plants: From Housekeeping to Development and Stress Responses

Peroxisomes are dynamic organelles involved in multiple functions, including oxygen and nitrogen reactive species metabolism. In plants, these organelles have a close relationship with chloroplasts and mitochondria, characterized by intense metabolic activity and signal transduction. Peroxisomes undergo rapid changes in size, morphology, and abundance depending on the plant development stage and environmental conditions. As peroxisomes are essential not only for redox homeostasis but also for sensing stress, signaling transduction, and cell survival, their formation and degradation need to be rigorously regulated. In this review, new insights into the regulation of plant peroxisomes are briefly described, with a particular emphasis on pexophagy components and their regulation.

Re-evaluation of physical interaction between plant peroxisomes and other organelles using live-cell imaging techniques

The dynamic behavior of organelles is essential for plant survival under various environmental conditions. Plant organelles, with various functions, migrate along actin filaments and contact other types of organelles, leading to physical interactions at a specific site called the membrane contact site. Recent studies have revealed the importance of physical interactions in maintaining efficient metabolite flow between organelles. In this review, we first summarize peroxisome function under different environmental conditions and growth stages to understand organelle interactions. We then discuss current knowledge regarding the interactions between peroxisome and other organelles, i.e., the oil bodies, chloroplast, and mitochondria from the perspective of metabolic and physiological regulation, with reference to various organelle interactions and techniques for estimating organelle interactions occurring in plant cells.

Novel gateway binary vectors for rapid tripartite DNA assembly and promoter analysis with various reporters and tags in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha is an emerging model species for basal lineage plant research. In this study, two Gateway cloning-compatible binary vector series, R4pMpGWB and R4L1pMpGWB, were generated to facilitate production of transgenic M. polymorpha. The R4pMpGWB series allows tripartite recombination of any promoter and any coding sequence with a specific reporter or tag. Reporters/tags for the R4pMpGWB series are GUS, ELuc(PEST), FLAG, 3×HA, 4×Myc, mRFP1, Citrine, mCitrine, ER-targeted mCitrine and nucleus-targeted mCitrine. The R4L1pMpGWB series is suitable for promoter analysis. R4L1pMpGWB vector structure is the same as that of R4pMpGWB vectors, except that the attR2 site is replaced with attL1, enabling bipartite recombination of any promoter with a reporter or tag. Reporters/tags for the R4L1pMpGWB series are GUS, G3GFP-GUS, LUC, ELuc(PEST), Citrine, mCitrine, ER-targeted mCitrine and mCitrine-NLS. Both vector series were functional in M. polymorpha cells. These vectors will facilitate the design and assembly of plasmid constructs and generation of transgenic M. polymorpha.

Catalytic and functional aspects of different isozymes of glycolate oxidase in rice

BACKGROUND

Glycolate oxidase (GLO) is a key enzyme for photorespiration in plants. There are four GLO genes encoding and forming different isozymes in rice, but their functional differences are not well understood. In this study, enzymatic and physiological characteristics of the GLO isozymes were comparatively analyzed.

RESULTS

When expressed heterologously in yeast, GLO1, GLO4 and GLO1 + 4 showed the highest activities and lowest K _m for glycolate as substrate, whereas GLO3 displayed high activities and affinities for both glycolate and L-lactate, and GLO5 was catalytically inactive with all substrates tested. To further reveal the physiological role of each GLO isozyme in plants, various GLO genetically modified rice lines were generated and functionally analyzed. GLO activity was significantly increased both in GLO1 and GLO4 overexpression lines. Nevertheless, when either GLO1 or GLO4 was knocked out, the activity was suppressed much more significantly in GLO1 knockout lines than in GLO4 knockout lines, and both knockout mutants exhibited obvious dwarfism phenotypes. Among GLO3 and GLO5 overexpression lines and RNAi lines, only GLO3 overexpression lines showed significantly increased L-lactate-oxidizing activity but no other noticeable phenotype changes.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that rice GLO isozymes have distinct enzymatic characteristics, and they may have different physiological functions in rice.

PPero, a Computational Model for Plant PTS1 Type Peroxisomal Protein Prediction

Well-defined motifs often make it easy to investigate protein function and localization. In plants, peroxisomal proteins are guided to peroxisomes mainly by a conserved type 1 (PTS1) or type 2 (PTS2) targeting signal, and the PTS1 motif is commonly used for peroxisome targeting protein prediction. Currently computational prediction of peroxisome targeted PTS1-type proteins are mostly based on the 3 amino acids PTS1 motif and the adjacent sequence which is less than 14 amino acid residue in length. The potential contribution of the adjacent sequences beyond this short region has never been well investigated in plants. In this work, we develop a bi-profile Bayesian SVM method to extract and learn position-based amino acid features for both PTS1 motifs and their extended adjacent sequences in plants. Our proposed model outperformed other implementations with similar applications and achieved the highest accuracy of 93.6% and 92.6% for Arabidosis and other plant species respectively. A large scale analysis for Arabidopsis, Rice, Maize, Potato, Wheat, and Soybean proteome was conducted using the proposed model and a batch of candidate PTS1 proteins were predicted. The DNA segments corresponding to the C-terminal sequences of 9 selected candidates were cloned and transformed into Arabidopsis for experimental validation, and 5 of them demonstrated peroxisome targeting.

New Insight into the Mechanism and Function of Autophagy in Plant Cells

Autophagy is a degradation pathway that is conserved throughout eukaryotic organisms and plays important roles in the tolerance of abiotic and biotic stresses. It functions as a housekeeping process to remove unwanted cell components under normal conditions, and is induced during stress and senescence to break down damaged cellular contents and to recycle materials. The target components are engulfed into specialized transport structures termed autophagosomes and are subsequently delivered to the vacuole for degradation. Here, we review milestones in the study of autophagy in plants, discuss recent advances in our understanding of the mechanism and physiological roles of plant autophagy, and highlight potential future directions of research.

Dynamics of the Light-Dependent Transition of Plant Peroxisomes

Peroxisomes are present in almost all plant cells. These organelles are involved in various metabolic processes, such as lipid catabolism and photorespiration. A notable feature of plant peroxisomes is their flexible adaptive responses to environmental conditions such as light. When plants shift from heterotrophic to autotrophic growth during the post-germinative stage, peroxisomes undergo a dynamic response, i.e. enzymes involved in lipid catabolism are replaced with photorespiratory enzymes. Although the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the functional transition of peroxisomes have previously been unclear, recent analyses at the cellular level have enabled this detailed machinery to be characterized. During the functional transition, obsolete enzymes are degraded inside peroxisomes by Lon protease, while newly synthesized enzymes are transported into peroxisomes. In parallel, mature and oxidized peroxisomes are eliminated via autophagy; this functional transition occurs in an efficient manner. Moreover, it has become clear that quality control mechanisms are important for the peroxisomal response to environmental stimuli. In this review, we highlight recent advances in elucidating the molecular mechanisms required for the regulation of peroxisomal roles in response to changes in environmental conditions.

BURSTING POLLEN is required to organize the pollen germination plaque and pollen tube tip in Arabidopsis thaliana

Pollen germination may occur via the so-called germination pores or directly through the pollen wall at the site of contact with the stigma. In this study, we addressed what processes take place during pollen hydration (i.e. before tube emergence), in a species with extra-poral pollen germination, Arabidopsis thaliana. A T-DNA mutant population was screened by segregation distortion analysis. Histological and electron microscopy techniques were applied to examine the wild-type and mutant phenotypes. Within 1 h of the start of pollen hydration, an intine-like structure consisting of cellulose, callose and at least partly de-esterified pectin was formed at the pollen wall. Subsequently, this 'germination plaque' gradually extended and opened up to provide passage for the cytoplasm into the emerging pollen tube. BURSTING POLLEN (BUP) was identified as a gene essential for the correct organization of this plaque and the tip of the pollen tube. BUP encodes a novel Golgi-located glycosyltransferase related to the glycosyltransferase 4 (GT4) subfamily which is conserved throughout the plant kingdom. Extra-poral pollen germination involves the development of a germination plaque and BUP defines the correct plastic-elastic properties of this plaque and the pollen tube tip by affecting pectin synthesis or delivery.

Diverse stomatal signaling and the signal integration mechanism

Guard cells perceive a variety of chemicals produced metabolically in response to abiotic and biotic stresses, integrate the signals into reactive oxygen species and calcium signatures, and convert these signatures into stomatal movements by regulating turgor pressure. Guard cell behaviors in response to such complex signals are critical for plant growth and sustenance in stressful, ever-changing environments. The key open question is how guard cells achieve the signal integration to optimize stomatal aperture. Abscisic acid is responsible for stomatal closure in plants in response to drought, and its signal transduction has been well studied. Other plant hormones and low-molecular-weight compounds function as inducers of stomatal closure and mediators of signaling in guard cells. In this review, we summarize recent advances in research on the diverse stomatal signaling pathways, with specific emphasis on signal integration and signal interaction in guard cell movement.

Knockout of the two evolutionarily conserved peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolases in Arabidopsis recapitulates the abnormal inflorescence meristem 1 phenotype

A specific function for peroxisomal β-oxidation in inflorescence development in Arabidopsis thaliana is suggested by the mutation of the abnormal inflorescence meristem 1 gene, which encodes one of two peroxisomal multifunctional proteins. Therefore, it should be possible to identify other β-oxidation mutants that recapitulate the aim1 phenotype. Three genes encode peroxisomal 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (KAT) in Arabidopsis. KAT2 and KAT5 are present throughout angiosperms whereas KAT1 is a Brassicaceae-specific duplication of KAT2 expressed at low levels in Arabidopsis. KAT2 plays a dominant role in all known aspects of peroxisomal β-oxidation, including that of fatty acids, pro-auxins, jasmonate precursor oxophytodienoic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid. The functions of KAT1 and KAT5 are unknown. Since KAT5 is conserved throughout vascular plants and expressed strongly in flowers, kat2 kat5 double mutants were generated. These were slow growing, had abnormally branched inflorescences, and ectopic organ growth. They made viable pollen, but produced no seed indicating that infertility was due to defective gynaecium function. These phenotypes are strikingly similar to those of aim1. KAT5 in the Brassicaceae encodes both cytosolic and peroxisomal proteins and kat2 kat5 defects could be complemented by the re-introduction of peroxisomal (but not cytosolic) KAT5. It is concluded that peroxisomal KAT2 and KAT5 have partially redundant functions and operate downstream of AIM1 to provide β-oxidation functions essential for inflorescence development and fertility.

Inducible knockdown of MONOGALACTOSYLDIACYLGLYCEROL SYNTHASE1 reveals roles of galactolipids in organelle differentiation in Arabidopsis cotyledons

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) is the major lipid constituent of thylakoid membranes and is essential for chloroplast biogenesis in plants. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), MGDG is predominantly synthesized by inner envelope-localized MONOGALACTOSYLDIACYLGLYCEROL SYNTHASE1 (MGD1); its knockout causes albino seedlings. Because of the lethal phenotype of the null MGD1 mutant, functional details of MGDG synthesis at seedling development have remained elusive. In this study, we used an inducible gene-suppression system to investigate the impact of MGDG synthesis on cotyledon development. We created transgenic Arabidopsis lines that express an artificial microRNA targeting MGD1 (amiR-MGD1) under the control of a dexamethasone-inducible promoter. The induction of amiR-MGD1 resulted in up to 75% suppression of MGD1 expression, although the resulting phenotypes related to chloroplast development were diverse, even within a line. The strong MGD1 suppression by continuous dexamethasone treatment caused substantial decreases in galactolipid content in cotyledons, leading to severe defects in the formation of thylakoid membranes and impaired photosynthetic electron transport. Time-course analyses of the MGD1 suppression during seedling germination revealed that MGDG synthesis at the very early germination stage is particularly important for chloroplast biogenesis. The MGD1 suppression down-regulated genes associated with the photorespiratory pathway in peroxisomes and mitochondria as well as those responsible for photosynthesis in chloroplasts and caused high expression of genes for the glyoxylate cycle. MGD1 function may link galactolipid synthesis with the coordinated transcriptional regulation of chloroplasts and other organelles during cotyledon greening.

Mutation of Arabidopsis CATALASE2 results in hyponastic leaves by changes of auxin levels

Auxin and H2 O2 play vital roles in plant development and environmental responses; however, it is unclear whether and how H2 O2 modulates auxin levels. Here, we investigate this question using cat2-1 mutant, which exhibits reduced catalase activity and accumulates high levels of H2 O2 under photorespiratory conditions. At a light intensity of 150 μmol m(-2) s(-1) , the mutant exhibited up-curled leaves that have increased H2 O2 contents and decreased auxin levels. At low light intensities (30 μmol m(-2) s(-1)), the leaves of the mutant were normal, but exhibited reduced H2 O2 contents and elevated auxin levels. These findings suggest that H2 O2 modulates auxin levels. When auxin was directly applied to cat2-1 leaves, the up-curled leaves curled downwards. In addition, transformation of cat2-1 plants with pCAT2:iaaM, which increases auxin levels, rescued the hyponastic leaf phenotype. Using qRT-PCR, we demonstrated that the transcription of auxin synthesis-related genes and of genes that regulate leaf curvature is suppressed in cat2-1. Furthermore, application of glutathione rescued the up-curled leaves of cat2-1 and increased auxin levels, but did not change H2 O2 levels. Thus, the hyponastic leaves of cat2-1 reveal crosstalk between H2 O2 and auxin signalling that is mediated by changes in glutathione redox status.

Interaction between chaperone and protease functions of LON2, and autophagy during the functional transition of peroxisomes

Functional transition of glyoxysomes to leaf peroxisomes is observed in greening cotyledons. Glyoxysomal proteins are rapidly degraded and leaf-peroxisomal proteins are transported into peroxisomes after cotyledons are exposed to light, but the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes remain unclear. We recently discovered that two degradation pathways are involved in the functional transition of peroxisomes using Arabidopsis thaliana. Lon protease 2 (LON2) is responsible for the degradation of glyoxysomal proteins inside peroxisomes, and, in parallel, autophagy eliminates damaged or obsolete peroxisomes. A double mutant defective in both the LON2- and autophagy-dependent degradation pathways accumulated glyoxysomal proteins after the cotyledons became green. Our study also demonstrated that the LON2- and autophagy-dependent pathways are interdependent, with the chaperone function of LON2 suppressing autophagic peroxisome degradation. Moreover, the peptidase domain of LON2 interferes with the suppression of autophagy, indicating that autophagy is regulated by intramolecular modulation between the proteolysis and chaperone functions of LON2.

Arabidopsis thaliana transgenics overexpressing IBR3 show enhanced susceptibility to the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae

The gene, indole-3-butyric acid (IBA)-RESPONSE (IBR) 3, is thought to participate in peroxisomal β-oxidation of IBA to indole-3-acetic acid. Here we show that IBR3 may also play a role in Arabidopsis thaliana defence response to microbial pathogens. IBR3 is up-regulated during infection by virulent Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 bacteria. Although mutant ibr3-4 did not show a pathogen phenotype, lines overexpressing IBR3 demonstrated enhanced susceptibility to Pst DC3000. Increased susceptibility phenotypes of IBR3 overexpressors were correlated with defective SA defence signalling and impairment of pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) activation. Notably, reactive oxygen species production was reduced in IBR3 overexpressors after treatment with the microbe-associated molecular patterns flg22 and efl26. Later PTI responses, such as accumulation of FRK1 transcripts and callose deposition were also reduced in transgenics overexpressing IBR3 after inoculation with the Type III secretion system deficient bacterial mutant Pst DC3000 hrcC or treatment with flg22 or elf26. Importantly, overexpression of IBR3 did not affect indole-3-acetic acid content or auxin-responsive gene expression. These results suggest a novel role for IBR3 in A. thaliana defence response against bacterial pathogens.

Conservation of two lineages of peroxisomal (Type I) 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolases in land plants, specialization of the genes in Brassicaceae, and characterization of their expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis thaliana has three genes encoding type I 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolases (KAT1, KAT2, and KAT5), one of which (KAT5) is alternatively transcribed to produce both peroxisomal and cytosolic proteins. To evaluate the potential importance of these four gene products, their evolutionary history in plants and their expression patterns in Arabidopsis were investigated. Land plants as a whole have gene lineages corresponding to KAT2 and KAT5, implying conservation of distinct functions for these two genes. By contrast, analysis of synteny shows that KAT1 arose by duplication of the KAT2 locus. KAT1 is found in the Brassicaceae family, including in the genera Arabidopsis, Capsella, Thellungiella (=Eutrema) and Brassica, but not in the more distantly related Caricaceae (order Brassicales), or other plants. Gene expression analysis using qRT-PCR and β-glucuronidase reporter genes showed strong expression of KAT2 during germination and in many plant tissues throughout the life cycle, consistent with its observed dominant function in fatty acid β-oxidation. KAT1 was expressed very weakly while KAT5 was most strongly expressed during flower development and in seedlings after germination. Isoform-specific qRT-PCR analysis and promoter β-glucuronidase reporters revealed that the two splicing variants of KAT5 have similar expression profiles. Alternative splicing of KAT5 to produce cytosolic and peroxisomal proteins is specific to and ubiquitous in the Brassicaceae, and possibly had an earlier origin in the order Brassicales. This implies that an additional function for KAT5 arose between 43 and 115 mybp. We speculate that this KAT5 mutation was recruited for a cytosolic function in secondary metabolism.

Non-canonical peroxisome targeting signals: identification of novel PTS1 tripeptides and characterization of enhancer elements by computational permutation analysis

BACKGROUND

High-accuracy prediction tools are essential in the post-genomic era to define organellar proteomes in their full complexity. We recently applied a discriminative machine learning approach to predict plant proteins carrying peroxisome targeting signals (PTS) type 1 from genome sequences. For Arabidopsis thaliana 392 gene models were predicted to be peroxisome-targeted. The predictions were extensively tested in vivo, resulting in a high experimental verification rate of Arabidopsis proteins previously not known to be peroxisomal.

RESULTS

In this study, we experimentally validated the predictions in greater depth by focusing on the most challenging Arabidopsis proteins with unknown non-canonical PTS1 tripeptides and prediction scores close to the threshold. By in vivo subcellular targeting analysis, three novel PTS1 tripeptides (QRL>, SQM>, and SDL>) and two novel tripeptide residues (Q at position -3 and D at pos. -2) were identified. To understand why, among many Arabidopsis proteins carrying the same C-terminal tripeptides, these proteins were specifically predicted as peroxisomal, the residues upstream of the PTS1 tripeptide were computationally permuted and the changes in prediction scores were analyzed. The newly identified Arabidopsis proteins were found to contain four to five amino acid residues of high predicted targeting enhancing properties at position -4 to -12 in front of the non-canonical PTS1 tripeptide. The identity of the predicted targeting enhancing residues was unexpectedly diverse, comprising besides basic residues also proline, hydroxylated (Ser, Thr), hydrophobic (Ala, Val), and even acidic residues.

CONCLUSIONS

Our computational and experimental analyses demonstrate that the plant PTS1 tripeptide motif is more diverse than previously thought, including an increasing number of non-canonical sequences and allowed residues. Specific targeting enhancing elements can be predicted for particular sequences of interest and are far more diverse in amino acid composition and positioning than previously assumed. Machine learning methods become indispensable to predict which specific proteins, among numerous candidate proteins carrying the same non-canonical PTS1 tripeptide, contain sufficient enhancer elements in terms of number, positioning and total strength to cause peroxisome targeting.

Deg proteases and their role in protein quality control and processing in different subcellular compartments of the plant cell

Degradation of periplasmic proteins (Deg)/high temperature requirement A (HtrA) proteases are ATP-independent serine endopeptidases found in almost every organism. Database searches revealed that 16 Deg paralogues are encoded by the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana, six of which were experimentally shown to be located in chloroplasts, one in peroxisomes, one in mitochondria and one in the nucleus. Two more Deg proteases are predicted to reside in chloroplasts, five in mitochondria (one of them with a dual chloroplastidial/mitochondrial localization) and the subcellular location of one protein is uncertain. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of Deg proteases in maintaining protein homeostasis and protein processing in various subcompartments of the plant cell. The chloroplast Deg proteases are the best examined so far, especially with respect to their role in the degradation of photodamaged photosynthetic proteins and in biogenesis of photosystem II (PSII). A combined action of thylakoid lumen and stroma Deg proteases in the primary cleavage of photodamaged D1 protein from PSII reaction centre is discussed on the basis of a recently resolved crystal structure of plant Deg1. The peroxisomal Deg protease is a processing enzyme responsible for the cleavage of N-terminal peroxisomal targeting signals (PTSs). A. thaliana mutants lacking this enzyme show reduced peroxisomal β-oxidation, indicating for the first time the impact of protein processing on peroxisomal functions in plants. Much less data is available for mitochondrial and nuclear Deg proteases. Based on the available expression data we hypothesize a role in general protein quality control and during acquired heat resistance.

Reference genes for the normalization of gene expression in eucalyptus species

Gene expression analysis is increasingly important in biological research, with reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) becoming the method of choice for high-throughput and accurate expression profiling of selected genes. Considering the increased sensitivity, reproducibility and large dynamic range of this method, the requirements for proper internal reference gene(s) for relative expression normalization have become much more stringent. Given the increasing interest in the functional genomics of Eucalyptus, we sought to identify and experimentally verify suitable reference genes for the normalization of gene expression associated with the flower, leaf and xylem of six species of the genus. We selected 50 genes that exhibited the least variation in microarrays of E. grandis leaves and xylem, and E. globulus xylem. We further performed the experimental analysis using RT-qPCR for six Eucalyptus species and three different organs/tissues. Employing algorithms geNorm and NormFinder, we assessed the gene expression stability of eight candidate new reference genes. Classic housekeeping genes were also included in the analysis. The stability profiles of candidate genes were in very good agreement. PCR results proved that the expression of novel Eucons04, Eucons08 and Eucons21 genes was the most stable in all Eucalyptus organs/tissues and species studied. We showed that the combination of these genes as references when measuring the expression of a test gene results in more reliable patterns of expression than traditional housekeeping genes. Hence, novel Eucons04, Eucons08 and Eucons21 genes are the best suitable references for the normalization of expression studies in the Eucalyptus genus.

Plant VDAC: facts and speculations

The voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) is the most abundant protein in the mitochondrial outer membrane and the major transport pathway for a large variety of compounds ranging from ions to large polymeric molecules such as DNA and tRNA. Plant VDACs feature a secondary structure content and electrophysiological properties akin to those of VDACs from other organisms. They however undergo a specific regulation. The general importance of VDAC in plant physiology has only recently emerged. Besides their role in metabolite transport, plant VDACs are also involved in the programmed cell death triggered in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Moreover, their colocalization in non-mitochondrial membranes suggests a diversity of function. This review summarizes our current understanding of the structure and function of plant VDACs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: VDAC structure, function, and regulation of mitochondrial metabolism.

A defect of peroxisomal membrane protein 38 causes enlargement of peroxisomes

Peroxisome proliferation occurs through enlargement, elongation and division of pre-existing peroxisomes. In the Arabidopsis apem mutant, apem3, peroxisomes are dramatically enlarged and reduced in number, revealing a defect in peroxisome proliferation. The APEM3 gene was found to encode peroxisomal membrane protein 38 (PMP38). To examine the relative role of PMP38 during proliferation, a double mutant was constructed consisting of apem3 and the peroxisome division mutant, apem1, in which a defect in dynamin-related protein 3A (DRP3A) results in elongation of peroxisomes. In the double mutant, almost all peroxisomes were predominantly enlarged but not elongated. DRP3A is still able to localize at the peroxisomal membrane on enlarged peroxisomes in the apem3 mutants. PMP38 is revealed to be capable of interacting with itself, but not with DRP3A. These results indicate that PMP38 has a role at a different step that requires APEM1/DRP3A. PMP38 is expressed in various tissues throughout the plant, indicating that PMP38 may participate in multiple unidentified functions in these tissues. PMP38 belongs to a mitochondrial carrier family (MCF) protein. However, unlike Arabidopsis nucleotide carrier protein 1 (AtPNC1) and AtPNC2, two other peroxisome-resident MCF proteins that function as adenine nucleotide transporters, PMP38 has no ATP or ADP transport activity. In addition, unlike AtPNC1 and AtPNC2 knock-down plants, apem3 mutants do not exhibit any gross morphological abnormalities. These results demonstrate that APEM3/PMP38 plays a role distinct from that of AtPNC1 and AtPNC2. We discuss possible mechanism of enlargement of peroxisomes in the apem3 mutants.

Plant organelle proteomics: collaborating for optimal cell function

Organelle proteomics describes the study of proteins present in organelle at a particular instance during the whole period of their life cycle in a cell. Organelles are specialized membrane bound structures within a cell that function by interacting with cytosolic and luminal soluble proteins making the protein composition of each organelle dynamic. Depending on organism, the total number of organelles within a cell varies, indicating their evolution with respect to protein number and function. For example, one of the striking differences between plant and animal cells is the plastids in plants. Organelles have their own proteins, and few organelles like mitochondria and chloroplast have their own genome to synthesize proteins for specific function and also require nuclear-encoded proteins. Enormous work has been performed on animal organelle proteomics. However, plant organelle proteomics has seen limited work mainly due to: (i) inter-plant and inter-tissue complexity, (ii) difficulties in isolation of subcellular compartments, and (iii) their enrichment and purity. Despite these concerns, the field of organelle proteomics is growing in plants, such as Arabidopsis, rice and maize. The available data are beginning to help better understand organelles and their distinct and/or overlapping functions in different plant tissues, organs or cell types, and more importantly, how protein components of organelles behave during development and with surrounding environments. Studies on organelles have provided a few good reviews, but none of them are comprehensive. Here, we present a comprehensive review on plant organelle proteomics starting from the significance of organelle in cells, to organelle isolation, to protein identification and to biology and beyond. To put together such a systematic, in-depth review and to translate acquired knowledge in a proper and adequate form, we join minds to provide discussion and viewpoints on the collaborative nature of organelles in cell, their proper function and evolution.

Toward a definition of the complete proteome of plant peroxisomes: Where experimental proteomics must be complemented by bioinformatics

In the past few years, proteome analysis of Arabidopsis peroxisomes has been established by the complementary efforts of four research groups and has emerged as the major unbiased approach to identify new peroxisomal proteins on a large scale. Collectively, more than 100 new candidate proteins from plant peroxisomes have been identified, including long-awaited low-abundance proteins. More than 50 proteins have been validated as peroxisome targeted, nearly doubling the number of established plant peroxisomal proteins. Sequence homologies of the new proteins predict unexpected enzyme activities, novel metabolic pathways and unknown non-metabolic peroxisome functions. Despite this remarkable success, proteome analyses of plant peroxisomes remain highly material intensive and require major preparative efforts. Characterization of the membrane proteome or post-translational protein modifications poses major technical challenges. New strategies, including quantitative mass spectrometry methods, need to be applied to allow further identifications of plant peroxisomal proteins, such as of stress-inducible proteins. In the long process of defining the complete proteome of plant peroxisomes, the prediction of peroxisome-targeted proteins from plant genome sequences emerges as an essential complementary approach to identify additional peroxisomal proteins that are, for instance, specific to peroxisome variants from minor tissues and organs or to abiotically stressed model and crop plants.

Arabidopsis ABERRANT PEROXISOME MORPHOLOGY9 is a peroxin that recruits the PEX1-PEX6 complex to peroxisomes

Peroxisomes have pivotal roles in several metabolic processes, such as the detoxification of H₂O₂ and β-oxidation of fatty acids, and their functions are tightly regulated by multiple factors involved in peroxisome biogenesis, including protein transport. This study describes the isolation of an embryonic lethal Arabidopsis thaliana mutant, aberrant peroxisome morphology9 (apem9), which is compromised in protein transport into peroxisomes. The APEM9 gene was found to encode an unknown protein. Compared with apem9 having the nucleotide substitution, the knockdown mutants showed severe defects in peroxisomal functions and plant growth. We showed that expression of APEM9 altered PEROXIN6 (PEX6) subcellular localization from the cytosol to peroxisomes. In addition, we showed that PEX1 and PEX6 comprise a heterooligomer and that this complex was recruited to peroxisomal membranes via protein-protein interactions of APEM9 with PEX6. These findings show that APEM9 functions as an anchoring protein, similar to Pex26 in mammals and Pex15p in yeast. Interestingly, however, the identities of amino acids among these anchoring proteins are quite low. These results indicate that although the association of the PEX1-PEX6 complex with peroxisomal membranes is essential for peroxisomal functions, the protein that anchors this complex evolved uniquely in plants.

Defining the plant peroxisomal proteome: from Arabidopsis to rice

Peroxisomes are small subcellular organelles mediating a multitude of processes in plants. Proteomics studies over the last several years have yielded much needed information on the composition of plant peroxisomes. In this review, the status of peroxisome proteomics studies in Arabidopsis and other plant species and the cumulative advances made through these studies are summarized. A reference Arabidopsis peroxisome proteome is generated, and some unique aspects of Arabidopsis peroxisomes that were uncovered through proteomics studies and hint at unanticipated peroxisomal functions are also highlighted. Knowledge gained from Arabidopsis was utilized to compile a tentative list of peroxisome proteins for the model monocot plant, rice. Differences in the peroxisomal proteome between these two model plants were drawn, and novel facets in rice were expounded upon. Finally, we discuss about the current limitations of experimental proteomics in decoding the complete and dynamic makeup of peroxisomes, and complementary and integrated approaches that would be beneficial to defining the peroxisomal metabolic and regulatory roadmaps. The synteny of genomes in the grass family makes rice an ideal model to study peroxisomes in cereal crops, in which these organelles have received much less attention, with the ultimate goal to improve crop yield.

pex5 Mutants that differentially disrupt PTS1 and PTS2 peroxisomal matrix protein import in Arabidopsis

PEX5 and PEX7 are receptors required for the import of peroxisome-bound proteins containing one of two peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS1 or PTS2). To better understand the role of PEX5 in plant peroxisomal import, we characterized the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) pex5-10 mutant, which has a T-DNA insertion in exon 5 of the PEX5 gene. Sequencing results revealed that exon 5, along with the T-DNA, is removed in this mutant, resulting in a truncated pex5 protein. The pex5-10 mutant has germination defects and is completely dependent on exogenous Suc for early seedling establishment, based on poor utilization of seed-storage fatty acids. This mutant also has delayed development and reduced fertility, although adult pex5-10 plants appear normal. Peroxisomal metabolism of indole-3-butyric acid, propionate, and isobutyrate also is disrupted. The pex5-10 mutant has reduced import of both PTS1 and PTS2 proteins, and enzymatic processes that occur in peroxisomes are disrupted. To specifically study the import and importance of PTS1 proteins, we made a truncated PEX5 construct lacking the PTS1-binding region (PEX5(454)). Transformation of this construct into pex5-10 resulted in the rescue of PTS2 import, thereby creating a line with PTS1-specific import defects. The pex5-10 (PEX5(454)) plants still had developmental defects, although restoring PTS2 import resulted in a less severe mutant phenotype. Comparison of pex5-10 and pex5-10 (PEX5(454)) phenotypes can separate the import mechanisms for enzymes acting in different peroxisomal processes, including indole-3-butyric acid/2,4-dichlorophenoxybutyric acid oxidation, isobutyrate and propionate metabolism, and photorespiration.

Functional comparison of catalase genes in the elimination of photorespiratory H2O2 using promoter- and 3'-untranslated region exchange experiments in the Arabidopsis cat2 photorespiratory mutant

Photorespiration-associated production of H(2) O(2) accounts for the majority of total H(2) O(2) in leaves of C(3) plants and is mainly eliminated by catalases. In Arabidopsis, lack of CAT2, but not CAT1 or CAT3, results in growth suppression and a marked accumulation of H(2) O(2) in leaves. To evaluate the contribution of individual catalase genes and their promoters to catalase function, we investigated the growth suppression and H(2) O(2) accumulation phenotypes of Arabidopsis derivatives expressing catalase genes from heterologous CAT promoters in a cat2 mutant background. The expression of CAT2 from the CAT2 promoter restored the wild-type phenotype in a cat2-1 mutant, while CAT1 and CAT3 promoter-driven expression of CAT2 did not. Ectopic expression of CAT3 from the CAT2 promoter also restored the normal phenotype, unlike that of CAT1 which required replacement of the CAT1 3'-untranslated region (UTR) with that of CAT2. These results demonstrated that the photorespiratory role of CAT2 is determined mainly by the regulation of its promoter activity. The 3'-UTR of CAT2 was vital for controlling CAT2 protein levels under photorespiratory conditions. Identification of component of heterotetramers catalase isoforms suggested that there is some functional redundancy between CAT2 and CAT1 and CAT3.

A peroxisomal ABC transporter promotes seed germination by inducing pectin degradation under the control of ABI5

Seed dormancy is essential for most plants to control the timing of germination. In Arabidopsis thaliana, PED3 is a single-copy gene encoding an ATP-binding cassette transporter that is required for peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation. PED3 is involved in the import of several biologically important molecules into the peroxisome, including very-long-chain fatty acids associated with the breakdown of seed-reserve lipids, and precursors of auxin and jasmonic acid. The germination of ped3 mutants is significantly impaired, suggesting that PED3 regulates dormancy and germination. A transcriptome analysis revealed that many genes containing the core motif of the ABA responsive element (ABRE) in their promoter regions, and the ABA insensitive 5 (ABI5) transcription factor that binds to ABRE, are abnormally up-regulated in imbibed ped3 seeds. Expression of polygalacturonase inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) is also up-regulated specifically in ped3 after imbibition. By contrast, the ped3 abi5 double mutant does not show any of these expression patterns. The results indicate that the abi5 mutation normalizes PGIP expression and rescues the impaired germination phenotype of the ped3 mutant. PGIPs are known to act as inhibitors of polygalacturonases that degrade pectin. The amount of PGIP1 transcript regulates the timing of radicle protrusion. The impaired germination of ped3 could also be rescued by removal of pectin from the seed coat using exogenous polygalacturonase or acidic conditions. Overall, our results suggest that PED3, a peroxisomal ABC transporter, promotes seed germination by suppressing PGIPs under the control of ABI5.

The proteome map of spinach leaf peroxisomes indicates partial compartmentalization of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) biosynthesis in plant peroxisomes

Leaf peroxisomes are fragile, low-abundance plant cell organelles that are difficult to isolate from one of the few plant species whose nuclear genome has been sequenced. Leaf peroxisomes were enriched at high purity from spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and approximately 100 protein spots identified from 2-dimensional gels by a combination of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and de novo sequencing. In addition to the predominant enzymes involved in photorespiration and detoxification, several minor enzymes were detected, underscoring the high sensitivity of the protein identification. The tryptic peptides of three unknown proteins shared high sequence similarity with Arabidopsis proteins that carry putative peroxisomal targeting signals type 1 or 2 (PTS1/2). The apparent Arabidopsis orthologues are a short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase (SDRa/IBR1, At4g05530, SRL>) and two enoyl-CoA hydratases/isomerases (ECHIa, At4g16210, SKL>; NS/ECHId, At1g60550, RLx(5)HL). The peroxisomal localization of the three proteins was confirmed in vivo by tagging with enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP), and the targeting signals were identified. The single Arabidopsis isoform of naphthoate synthase (NS) is orthologous to MenB from cyanobacteria, which catalyses an essential reaction in phylloquinone biosynthesis, a pathway previously assumed to be entirely compartmentalized in plastids in higher plants. In an extension of a previous study, the present in vivo targeting data furthermore demonstrate that the enzyme upstream of NS, chloroplastic acyl-CoA activating enzyme isoform 14 (AAE14, SSL>), is dually targeted to both plastids and peroxisomes. This proteomic study, extended by in vivo subcellular localization analyses, indicates a novel function for plant peroxisomes in phylloquinone biosynthesis.

Interdependence of the peroxisome-targeting receptors in Arabidopsis thaliana: PEX7 facilitates PEX5 accumulation and import of PTS1 cargo into peroxisomes

Peroxisomes compartmentalize certain metabolic reactions critical to plant and animal development. The import of proteins from the cytosol into the organelle matrix depends on more than a dozen peroxin (PEX) proteins, with PEX5 and PEX7 serving as receptors that shuttle proteins bearing one of two peroxisome-targeting signals (PTSs) into the organelle. PEX5 is the PTS1 receptor; PEX7 is the PTS2 receptor. In plants and mammals, PEX7 depends on PEX5 binding to deliver PTS2 cargo into the peroxisome. In this study, we characterized a pex7 missense mutation, pex7-2, that disrupts both PEX7 cargo binding and PEX7-PEX5 interactions in yeast, as well as PEX7 protein accumulation in plants. We examined localization of peroxisomally targeted green fluorescent protein derivatives in light-grown pex7 mutants and observed not only the expected defects in PTS2 protein import but also defects in PTS1 import. These PTS1 import defects were accompanied by reduced PEX5 accumulation in light-grown pex7 seedlings. Our data suggest that PEX5 and PTS1 import depend on the PTS2 receptor PEX7 in Arabidopsis and that the environment may influence this dependence. These data advance our understanding of the biogenesis of these essential organelles and provide a possible rationale for the retention of the PTS2 pathway in some organisms.

Suppression of peroxisome biogenesis factor 10 reduces cuticular wax accumulation by disrupting the ER network in Arabidopsis thaliana

Peroxisome biogenesis factor 10 (PEX10) is a component of the peroxisomal matrix protein import machinery. To analyze the physiological function of PEX10, we used transgenic AtPEX10i Arabidopsis plants that had suppressed expression of the PEX10 gene due to RNA interference. AtPEX10i plants had patches of paleness on leaves, and abnormal floral organs that were typical of cuticular wax-deficient mutants. Quantitative analysis of cuticular wax revealed that the amount of wax in AtPEX10i plants was indeed lower than that in control plants. This result was confirmed by toluidine blue staining and scanning electron microscopic analysis of AtPEX10i. The CER1, CER4, WAX2 and SHN1 genes are known to be responsible for wax biosynthesis in Arabidopsis. Of these, CER1, CER4 and WAX2 were found to be localized on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In AtPEX10i plants, the expression of these genes was down-regulated, and CER1, CER4 and WAX2 were mislocalized to the cytosol. We also found that AtPEX10i plants had defects in ER morphology. Based on these results, we propose that PEX10 is essential for the maintenance of ER morphology and for the expression of CER1, CER4, WAX2 and SHN1 genes, which contribute to the biosynthesis of cuticular wax.

Molecular components required for the targeting of PEX7 to peroxisomes in Arabidopsis thaliana

PEX7 is a soluble import receptor that recognizes peroxisomal targeting signal type 2 (PTS2)-containing proteins. In the present study, using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein of PEX7 (GFP-PEX7), we analyzed the molecular function and subcellular localization of PEX7 in Arabidopsis thaliana. The overexpression of GFP-PEX7 resulted in defective glyoxysomal fatty acid beta-oxidation, but had no significant effect on leaf peroxisomal function. Analysis of the subcellular localization of GFP-PEX7 in transgenic Arabidopsis showed that GFP-PEX7 localizes primarily to the peroxisome. Transient expression of a C- or N-terminal fusion protein of PEX7 and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) (PEX7-YFP and YFP-PEX7, respectively) in leek epidermal cells, using the particle bombardment technique, confirmed that fluorescent protein-tagged PEX7 localizes to peroxisomes in Arabidopsis. Immunoblot analysis revealed that GFP-PEX7 accumulates primarily in peroxisomal membrane fractions, whereas endogenous PEX7 was distributed evenly in cytosolic and peroxisomal membrane fractions, which indicated that both endogenous PEX7 and GFP-PEX7 are properly targeted to peroxisomal membranes. The results of bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and yeast two-hybrid analyses showed that PEX7 binds directly to PTS2-containing proteins and PEX12 in the peroxisomal membrane. We used red fluorescent protein (tdTomato) fusion protein of PEX7 (tdTomato-PEX7) in several Arabidopsis pex mutants to identify proteins required for the targeting of PEX7 to peroxisomes in planta. The results demonstrated that pex14, pex13 and pex12 mutations disrupt the proper targeting of PEX7 to peroxisomes. Overall, our results suggest that the targeting of PEX7 to peroxisomes requires four proteins: a PTS2-containing protein, PEX14, PEX13 and PEX12.

Peroxisome biogenesis and function

Peroxisomes are small and single membrane-delimited organelles that execute numerous metabolic reactions and have pivotal roles in plant growth and development. In recent years, forward and reverse genetic studies along with biochemical and cell biological analyses in Arabidopsis have enabled researchers to identify many peroxisome proteins and elucidate their functions. This review focuses on the advances in our understanding of peroxisome biogenesis and metabolism, and further explores the contribution of large-scale analysis, such as in sillco predictions and proteomics, in augmenting our knowledge of peroxisome function In Arabidopsis.

Proteome of plant peroxisomes: new perspectives on the role of these organelles in cell biology

Peroxisomes are cell organelles bounded by a single membrane with a basically oxidative metabolism. Peroxisomes house catalase and H(2)O(2)-producing flavin-oxidases as the main protein constituents. However, since their discovery in early fifties, a number of new enzymes and metabolic pathways have been reported to be also confined to these organelles. Thus, the presence of exo- and endo-peptidases, superoxide dismutases, the enzymes of the plant ascorbate-glutathione cycle plus ascorbate and glutathione, several NADP-dehydrogenases, and also L-arginine-dependent nitric oxide synthase activity has evidenced the relevant role of these organelles in cell physiology. In recent years, the study of new functions of peroxisomes has become a field of intensive research in cell biology, and these organelles have been proposed to be a source of important signal molecules for different transduction pathways. In plants, peroxisomes participate in seed germination, leaf senescence, fruit maturation, response to abiotic and biotic stress, photomorphogenesis, biosynthesis of the plant hormones jasmonic acid and auxin, and in cell signaling by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively). In order to decipher the nature and specific role of the peroxisomal proteins in these processes, several approaches including in vivo and in vitro import assays and generation of mutants have been used. In the last decade, the development of genomics and the report of the first plant genomes provided plant biologists a powerful tool to assign to peroxisomes those proteins which harbored any of the two peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS, either PTS1 or PTS2) described so far. Unfortunately, those molecular approaches could not give any response to those proteins previously localized in plant peroxisomes by classical biochemical and cell biology methods that did not contain any PTS. However, more recently, proteomic studies of highly purified organelles have provided evidence of the presence in peroxisomes of new proteins not previously reported. Thus, the contribution of proteomic approaches to the biology of peroxisomes is essential, not only for elucidation of the mechanisms involved in the import of the PTS1- and PTS2-independent proteins, but also to the understanding of the role of these organelles in the cell physiology of plant growth and development.

ArabidopsisPEX19 is a dimeric protein that binds the peroxin PEX10

Peroxisomes are organelles found in all eukaryotic cells. Peroxisomes import integral membrane proteins post-translationally, and PEX19 is a predominantly cytosolic, farnesylated protein of mammalian and yeast cells that binds multiple peroxisome membrane proteins and is required for their correct targeting/insertion to the peroxisome membrane. We report the characterisation of the Arabidopsisthaliana homologue of PEX19 which is a predominantly cytosolic protein. AtPEX19 is encoded by two genes (designated AtPEX19-1 and AtPEX19-2) that are expressed in all tissues and at all developmental stages of the plant. Quantitative real time PCR shows that AtPEX19-1 and AtPEX19-2 have distinct expression profiles. Using in vitro translation and co-immunoprecipitation AtPEX19-1 was shown to bind to the Arabidopsis peroxisomal membrane protein PEX10. Additionally, bacterially expressed recombinant AtPEX19-1 was able to bind a fusion protein consisting of the C-terminus of PEX10 and glutathione S-transferase in pull-down assays, thereby demonstrating that non-farnesylated AtPEX19 can interact with the C-terminus of AtPEX10. Purified recombinant AtPEX19-1 was analysed by gel filtration chromatography and was found to have a molecular weight consistent with it forming a dimer and a dimer was detected in Arabidopsis cell extracts that was slightly destabilised in the presence of DTT. Moreover, cross-linking studies of native AtPEX19 suggest that in vivo it is the dimeric species of the protein that preferentially forms complexes with other proteins.

In-depth proteome analysis of Arabidopsis leaf peroxisomes combined with in vivo subcellular targeting verification indicates novel metabolic and regulatory functions of peroxisomes

Peroxisomes are metabolically diverse organelles with essential roles in plant development. The major protein constituents of plant peroxisomes are well characterized, whereas only a few low-abundance and regulatory proteins have been reported to date. We performed an in-depth proteome analysis of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf peroxisomes using one-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. We detected 65 established plant peroxisomal proteins, 30 proteins whose association with Arabidopsis peroxisomes had been previously demonstrated only by proteomic data, and 55 putative novel proteins of peroxisomes. We subsequently tested the subcellular targeting of yellow fluorescent protein fusions for selected proteins and confirmed the peroxisomal localization for 12 proteins containing predicted peroxisome targeting signals type 1 or 2 (PTS1/2), three proteins carrying PTS-related peptides, and four proteins that lack conventional targeting signals. We thereby established the tripeptides SLM> and SKV> (where > indicates the stop codon) as new PTS1s and the nonapeptide RVx(5)HF as a putative new PTS2. The 19 peroxisomal proteins conclusively identified from this study potentially carry out novel metabolic and regulatory functions of peroxisomes. Thus, this study represents an important step toward defining the complete plant peroxisomal proteome.

Identification of two Arabidopsis genes encoding a peroxisomal oxidoreductase-like protein and an acyl-CoA synthetase-like protein that are required for responses to pro-auxins

Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxybutyric acid (2,4-DB) are metabolised by peroxisomal beta-oxidation to active auxins that inhibit root growth. We screened Arabidopsis mutants for resistance to IBA and 2,4-DB and identified two new 2,4-DB resistant mutants. The mutant genes encode a putative oxidoreductase (SDRa) and a putative acyl-activating enzyme (AAE18). Both proteins are localised to peroxisomes. SDRa is coexpressed with core beta-oxidation genes, but germination, seedling growth and the fatty acid profile of sdra seedlings are indistinguishable from wild type. The sdra mutant is also resistant to IBA, but aae18 is not. AAE18 is the first example of a gene required for response to 2,4-DB but not IBA. The closest relative of AAE18 is AAE17. AAE17 is predicted to be peroxisomal, but an aae17 aae18 double mutant responded similarly to aae18 for all assays. We propose that AAE18 is capable of activating 2,4-DB but IBA activating enzymes remain to be discovered. We present an updated model for peroxisomal pro-auxin metabolism in Arabidopsis that includes SDRa and AAE18.

Novel proteins, putative membrane transporters, and an integrated metabolic network are revealed by quantitative proteomic analysis of Arabidopsis cell culture peroxisomes

Peroxisomes play key roles in energy metabolism, cell signaling, and plant development. A better understanding of these important functions will be achieved with a more complete definition of the peroxisome proteome. The isolation of peroxisomes and their separation from mitochondria and other major membrane systems have been significant challenges in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) model system. In this study, we present new data on the Arabidopsis peroxisome proteome obtained using two new technical advances that have not previously been applied to studies of plant peroxisomes. First, we followed density gradient centrifugation with free-flow electrophoresis to improve the separation of peroxisomes from mitochondria. Second, we used quantitative proteomics to identify proteins enriched in the peroxisome fractions relative to mitochondrial fractions. We provide evidence for peroxisomal localization of 89 proteins, 36 of which have not previously been identified in other analyses of Arabidopsis peroxisomes. Chimeric green fluorescent protein constructs of 35 proteins have been used to confirm their localization in peroxisomes or to identify endoplasmic reticulum contaminants. The distribution of many of these peroxisomal proteins between soluble, membrane-associated, and integral membrane locations has also been determined. This core peroxisomal proteome from nonphotosynthetic cultured cells contains a proportion of proteins that cannot be predicted to be peroxisomal due to the lack of recognizable peroxisomal targeting sequence 1 (PTS1) or PTS2 signals. Proteins identified are likely to be components in peroxisome biogenesis, beta-oxidation for fatty acid degradation and hormone biosynthesis, photorespiration, and metabolite transport. A considerable number of the proteins found in peroxisomes have no known function, and potential roles of these proteins in peroxisomal metabolism are discussed. This is aided by a metabolic network analysis that reveals a tight integration of functions and highlights specific metabolite nodes that most probably represent entry and exit metabolites that could require transport across the peroxisomal membrane.

Proteomic identification and characterization of a novel peroxisomal adenine nucleotide transporter supplying ATP for fatty acid beta-oxidation in soybean and Arabidopsis

We have identified the novel protein Glycine max PEROXISOMAL ADENINE NUCLEOTIDE CARRIER (Gm PNC1) by proteomic analyses of peroxisomal membrane proteins using a blue native/SDS-PAGE technique combined with peptide mass fingerprinting. Gm PNC1, and the Arabidopsis thaliana orthologs At PNC1 and At PNC2, were targeted to peroxisomes. Functional integration of Gm PNC1 and At PNC2 into the cytoplasmic membranes of intact Escherichia coli cells revealed ATP and ADP import activities. The amount of Gm PNC1 in cotyledons increased until 5 d after germination under constant darkness and then decreased very rapidly in response to illumination. We investigated the physiological functions of PNC1 in peroxisomal metabolism by analyzing a transgenic Arabidopsis plant in which At PNC1 and At PNC2 expression was suppressed using RNA interference. The pnc1/2i mutant required sucrose for germination and suppressed the degradation of storage lipids during postgerminative growth. These results suggest that PNC1 contributes to the transport of adenine nucleotides that are consumed by reactions that generate acyl-CoA for peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation during postgerminative growth.

A putative peroxisomal polyamine oxidase, AtPAO4, is involved in polyamine catabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana

We characterized three Arabidopsis polyamine oxidase genes, AtPAO2, AtPAO3 and AtPAO4. Transient expression of these genes as monomeric red fluorescent protein fusion proteins in Arabidopsis root cells revealed that all are peroxisomal proteins. Quantitative analysis of their transcripts in various organs suggested that AtPAO4 is the major isoform in root peroxisomes. Analysis of recombinant AtPAO4 protein indicated that it is a flavoprotein that catalyzed the oxidative conversion of spermine to spermidine. AtPAO4-deficient mutants established by using T-DNA insertion and RNA interference techniques had markedly increased spermine and decreased spermidine levels in the roots. These results suggest that AtPAO4 is a root peroxisomal polyamine oxidase that participates in polyamine catabolism. Microarray analysis showed that AtPAO4 deficiency induced alterations in the expression of genes related to the drought stress response and flavonoid biosynthesis.