The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored phosphatase from Spirodela oligorrhiza is a purple acid phosphatase

Survival Strategies of Duckweeds, the World's Smallest Angiosperms

Duckweeds (Lemnaceae) are small, simply constructed aquatic higher plants that grow on or just below the surface of quiet waters. They consist primarily of leaf-like assimilatory organs, or fronds, that reproduce mainly by vegetative replication. Despite their diminutive size and inornate habit, duckweeds have been able to colonize and maintain themselves in almost all of the world's climate zones. They are thereby subject to multiple adverse influences during the growing season, such as high temperatures, extremes of light intensity and pH, nutrient shortage, damage by microorganisms and herbivores, the presence of harmful substances in the water, and competition from other aquatic plants, and they must also be able to withstand winter cold and drought that can be lethal to the fronds. This review discusses the means by which duckweeds come to grips with these adverse influences to ensure their survival. Important duckweed attributes in this regard are a pronounced potential for rapid growth and frond replication, a juvenile developmental status facilitating adventitious organ formation, and clonal diversity. Duckweeds have specific features at their disposal for coping with particular environmental difficulties and can also cooperate with other organisms of their surroundings to improve their survival chances.

Molecular characterization and functional analysis of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (ACP5) gene in red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (ACP5) plays an important biological function in immune defense and is highly expressed in activated macrophages, osteoclasts and dendritic cells. In teleost, the functionality of ACP5 remains to be revealed. In this study, we cloned and identified SoACP5 from red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and analyzed its function in vivo and in vitro. The open reading frame of SoACP5 is 1002 bp in length, encoding 333 amino acids. SoACP5 shares high sequence identities (96.70%-49.25%) with ACP5 of other species. The SoACP5 mRNA was widely distributed in collected tissues of healthy red drum, and with the maximum in gills. The expression of SoACP5 increased significantly in vivo following challenge with Edwardsiella tarda. Moreover, the recombinant SoACP5 protein (rSoACP5) was purified with his-tag band resin columns, and confirmed to have phosphatase activity which was optimal at pH 5 and 55 °C. Various metal ions (K⁺, Zn²⁺, Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺) have different effects on phosphatase activity. rSoACP5 induced the cellular proliferation of peripheral blood leukocytes. The over-expression and knockdown of SoACP5 in vivo had a significant effect on bacterial proliferation. Furthermore, both of the antibacterial activity and phosphatase activity were decreased when the reducedSoACP5 was oxidized by H₂O₂. In summary, the present study indicated that SoACP5 is likely involved in host defense against bacterial infection in S. ocellatus.

Purple acid phosphatases: roles in phosphate utilization and new emerging functions

Plants strive for phosphorus (P), which is an essential mineral for their life. Since P availability is limiting in most of the world's soils, plants have evolved with a complex network of genes and their regulatory mechanisms to cope with soil P deficiency. Among them, purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are predominantly associated with P remobilization within the plant and acquisition from the soil by hydrolyzing organic P compounds. P in such compounds remains otherwise unavailable to plants for assimilation. PAPs are ubiquitous in plants, and similar enzymes exist in bacteria, fungi, mammals, and unicellular eukaryotes, but having some differences in their catalytic center. In the recent past, PAPs' roles have been extended to multiple plant processes like flowering, seed development, senescence, carbon metabolism, response to biotic and abiotic stresses, signaling, and root development. While new functions have been assigned to PAPs, the underlying mechanisms remained understood poorly. Here, we review the known functions of PAPs, the regulatory mechanisms, and their relevance in crop improvement for P-use-efficiency. We then discuss the mechanisms behind their functions and propose areas worthy of future research. Finally, we argue that PAPs could be a potential target for improving P utilization in crops. In turn, this is essential for sustainable agriculture.

Evidence that tolerance of Eutrema salsugineum to low phosphate conditions is hard-wired by constitutive metabolic and root-associated adaptations

The extremophyte Eutrema salsugineum (Yukon ecotype) has adapted to an environment low in available phosphate through metabolic and root-associated traits that enables it to efficiently retrieve, use, and recycle phosphorus. Efficient phosphate (Pi) use by plants would increase crop productivity under Pi-limiting conditions and reduce our reliance on Pi applied as fertilizer. An ecotype of Eutrema salsugineum originating from the Yukon, Canada, shows no evidence of decreased relative growth rate or biomass under low Pi conditions and, as such, offers a promising model for identifying mechanisms to improve Pi use by crops. We evaluated traits associated with efficient Pi use by Eutrema (Yukon ecotype) seedlings and 4-week-old plants, including acquisition, remobilization, and the operation of metabolic bypasses. Relative to Arabidopsis, Eutrema was slower to remobilize phosphorus (P) from senescing leaves, primary and lateral roots showed a lower capacity for rhizosphere acidification, and root acid phosphatase activity was more broadly distributed and not Pi responsive. Both species produced long root hairs on low Pi media, whereas Arabidopsis root hairs were well endowed with phosphatase activity. This capacity was largely absent in Eutrema. In contrast to Arabidopsis, maximal in vitro rates of pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities were not responsive to low Pi conditions suggesting that Eutrema has a constitutive and likely preferential capacity to use glycolytic bypass enzymes. Rhizosphere acidification, exudation of acid phosphatases, and rapid remobilization of leaf P are unlikely strategies used by Eutrema for coping with low Pi. Rather, equipping an entire root system for Pi acquisition and utilizing a metabolic strategy suited to deficient Pi conditions offer better explanations for how Eutrema has adapted to thrive on alkaline, highly saline soil that is naturally low in available Pi.

Catalytic mechanisms of metallohydrolases containing two metal ions

At least one-third of enzymes contain metal ions as cofactors necessary for a diverse range of catalytic activities. In the case of polymetallic enzymes (i.e., two or more metal ions involved in catalysis), the presence of two (or more) closely spaced metal ions gives an additional advantage in terms of (i) charge delocalisation, (ii) smaller activation barriers, (iii) the ability to bind larger substrates, (iv) enhanced electrostatic activation of substrates, and (v) decreased transition-state energies. Among this group of proteins, enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of ester and amide bonds form a very prominent family, the metallohydrolases. These enzymes are involved in a multitude of biological functions, and an increasing number of them gain attention for translational research in medicine and biotechnology. Their functional versatility and catalytic proficiency are largely due to the presence of metal ions in their active sites. In this chapter, we thus discuss and compare the reaction mechanisms of several closely related enzymes with a view to highlighting the functional diversity bestowed upon them by their metal ion cofactors.

Expression pattern and subcellular localization of Arabidopsis purple acid phosphatase AtPAP9

Purple acid phosphatase (PAP; EC 3.1.3.2) enzymes are metallophosphoesterases that hydrolysis phosphate ester bonds in a wide range of substrates. Twenty-nine PAP-encoding loci have been identified in the Arabidopsis genome, many of which have multiple transcript variants expressed in response to diverse environmental conditions. Having analyzed T-DNA insertion mutants, we have provided strong pieces of evidence that AtPAP9 locus encodes at least two types of transcripts, designated as AtPAP9-1 and AtPAP9-2. These transcript variants expressed distinctly during the course of growth in medium containing sufficient phosphate or none. Further histochemical analysis by the use of AtPAP9-1 promoter fused to β-glucuronidase reporter gene indicated the expression of this gene is regulated in a tissue-specific manner. AtPAP9-1 was highly expressed in stipule and vascular tissue, particularly in response to fungal infection. Subcellular localization of AtPAP9-1:green fluorescent fusion protein showed that it must be involved in plasma membrane and cell wall adhesion.

Homeostatic regulation of elemental stoichiometry by Lemna gibba L. G3 when nutrient interact with toxic metals

We investigated responses of Lemna gibba L. to exposure to UO(2)(2+) and AsO(4)(3-) under variable PO(4)(3-) concentration. Total plant phosphorus (P(tot)) in L. gibba and accumulation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the media were quantified and tested for correlation with plant yield and initial concentrations of PO(4)(3-), UO(2)(2+) and AsO(4)(3-). The accumulation of DOC in medium was high under low PO(4)(3-) supply and increased loading of either UO(2)(2+) or AsO(4)(3-). The P(tot) was low in high initial concentration of UO(2)(2+) and AsO(4)(3-) as well under acute low PO(4)(3-) supply. The DOC accumulation correlated negatively to the P(tot). This reveals interaction between PO(4)(3-) and UO(2)(2+) or AsO(4)(3-) in the medium interferes with the uptake process of PO(4) (3-). Hence, the DOC accumulation is exudation of low molecular weight organic substance by L. gibba in response to the reduced P(tot): biomass ratio (carbon in the yield) due to delimited acquisition of phosphorus from the medium. It is a homeostatic regulation of the stoichiometry, which is disturbed during the interaction between PO(4)(3-) and UO(2)(2+) or AsO(4)(3-). Further investigations are necessary to relate these interactions to traditional resource stoichiometry elements of C, N, and P.

Inorganic phosphate as an important regulator of phosphatases

Cellular metabolism depends on the appropriate concentration of intracellular inorganic phosphate (Pi). Pi starvation-responsive genes appear to be involved in multiple metabolic pathways, implying a complex Pi regulation system in microorganisms and plants. A group of enzymes is required for absorption and maintenance of adequate phosphate levels, which is released from phosphate esters and anhydrides. The phosphatase system is particularly suited for the study of regulatory mechanisms because phosphatase activity is easily measured using specific methods and the difference between the repressed and derepressed levels of phosphatase activity is easily detected. This paper analyzes the protein phosphatase system induced during phosphate starvation in different organisms.

A Potentially Polymerizable Heterodinuclear FeIIIZnII Purple Acid Phosphatase Mimic. Synthesis, Characterization, and Phosphate Ester Hydrolysis Studies

An analogue of the purple acid phosphatase biomimetic 2-((bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)methyl)-6-(((2-hydroxybenzyl)(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)methyl)-4-methylphenol has been synthesized. The analogue, 2-((bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)methyl)-6-(((2-hydroxy-4-(4-vinylbenzyloxy)benzyl)(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)methyl)-4-methylphenol (H2BPBPMPV) possesses a pendant olefin suitable for copolymerization. Complexation with FeIII/ZnII resulted in the complex [FeIIIZnII(BPBPMPV)(CH3COO)2](ClO4), characterized with mass spectrometry, microanalysis, UV/vis, and IR spectrometry. The catalytic activity of the complex toward bis-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) phosphate was determined, resulting in Km of 4.1 ± 0.6 mM, with kcat 3.8 ± 0.2 × 10–3 s–1 and a bell-shaped pH–rate profile with pKa values of 4.31, 5.66, 8.96, the profile exhibiting residual activity above pH 9.5.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of PvPAP3, a novel purple acid phosphatase isolated from common bean enhancing extracellular ATP utilization

Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) play diverse physiological roles in plants. In this study, we purified a novel PAP, PvPAP3, from the roots of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown under phosphate (Pi) starvation. PvPAP3 was identified as a 34-kD monomer acting on the specific substrate, ATP, with a broad pH range and a high heat stability. The activity of PvPAP3 was insensitive to tartrate, indicating that PvPAP3 is a PAP-like protein. Amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis suggest that PvPAP3 belongs to the group of plant PAPs with low molecular mass. Transient expression of 35S:PvPAP3-green fluorescent protein in onion (Allium cepa) epidermal cells verified that it might anchor on plasma membrane and be secreted into apoplast. Pi starvation led to induction of PvPAP3 expression in both leaves and roots of common bean, and expression of PvPAP3 was strictly dependent on phosphorus (P) availability and duration of Pi starvation. Furthermore, induction of PvPAP3 expression was more rapid and higher in a P-efficient genotype, G19833, than in a P-inefficient genotype, DOR364, suggesting possible roles of PvPAP3 in P efficiency in bean. In vivo analysis using a transgenic hairy root system of common bean showed that both growth and P uptake of bean hairy roots from the PvPAP3 overexpression transgenic lines were significantly enhanced when ATP was supplied as the sole external P source. Taken together, our results suggest that PvPAP3 is a novel PAP that might function in the adaptation of common bean to P deficiency, possibly through enhancing utilization of extracellular ATP as a P source.

Biology and clinical significance of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatases: new perspectives on an old enzyme

Type 5 tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) has been a clinically relevant biomarker for about 50 years. It has always been a reliable and specific cytochemical marker for hairy cell leukemia and for differentiated cells of monocytic lineage. Only recently has the test for serum TRAP activity been accepted as sensitive and specific enough for clinical use as a marker of osteoclasts and bone resorption. This has come about through steady advances in knowledge about TRAP enzymology, structure, function, and molecular regulation and a consequent appreciation that TRAP isoforms 5a and 5b have very different clinical significance. As a measure of osteoclast number and bone resorption, TRAP 5b has diagnostic and prognostic applications in osteoporosis, cancers with bone metastasis, chronic renal failure, and perhaps other metabolic and pathologic bone diseases. Serum TRAP 5a, on the other hand, has no relationship to bone metabolism but seems instead to be a measure of activated macrophages and chronic inflammation. Exploration of the real clinical usefulness of serum TRAP 5a for diagnosis and disease management in a wide variety of chronic inflammatory diseases is only now beginning. This perspective traces the important basic scientific developments that have led up to the refinement of serum TRAP isoform immunoassays and their validation as biomarkers of disease. Many unanswered questions remain, providing a wealth of opportunity for continued research of this multifaceted enzyme.

Ectopic expression of GmPAP3 alleviates oxidative damage caused by salinity and osmotic stresses

The primary biochemical reaction of purple acid phosphatases (PAP) is to catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphate esters and anhydrides. However, the soybean GmPAP3 gene expression is induced by NaCl, osmotic, and oxidative treatments, indicating a possible role of PAP in abiotic stress responses. Confocal and electron microscopic studies demonstrated that GmPAP3 protein is mainly localized in mitochondria, a primary site for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. When subjected to NaCl and polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatments, ectopic expression of GmPAP3 in transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells mimicked the protective effects exhibited by the antioxidant ascorbic acid: increase in the percentage of cells with active mitochondria; reduction in the percentage of dead cells; and reduced accumulation of ROS. In addition, when GmPAP3 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings were subjected to NaCl, PEG, and paraquat (PQ) treatments, the percentage of root elongation was significantly higher than the wild type. Furthermore, PQ-induced lipid peroxidation in these transgenic seedlings was also reduced. In summary, the mitochondrial localized GmPAP3 may play a role in stress tolerance by enhancing ROS scavenging.

Expression patterns of purple acid phosphatase genes in Arabidopsis organs and functional analysis of AtPAP23 predominantly transcribed in flower

Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are metallo-phosphoesterases. Their expression and function have not been systematically investigated in higher plants. In this work, we compared the transcript levels of 28 Arabidopsis PAP (AtPAP) genes in five Arabidopsis organs. The 28 members, although differed in their expression patterns in vegetative organs, were all transcribed in flower. Furthermore, the transcription of seven members (AtPAPs 6, 11, 14, 19, 23, 24 and 25) occurred predominantly in the flower. To begin dissecting the role of AtPAP genes in flower development, further expression and functional analyses were conducted using AtPAP23. Histochemical staining of transgenic plants expressing AtPAP23 promoter-beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene construct revealed that AtPAP23 transcription was strong in flower apical meristems, but became restricted to petals and anther filaments in fully developed flower. A GST (glutathione S-transferase) fusion protein of AtPAP23 (GST:AtPAP23) was expressed in bacterial cells, and was found to contain significant amounts of Fe and Mn (whereas the control GST protein contained none). In biochemical tests, GST:AtPAP23 showed typical acid phosphatase activities. The fusion protein was also highly active on phosphoserine, but not phosphotyrosine. Despite its highly specific expression pattern and the demonstrated biochemical function of its protein product, the RNAi (RNA interference), T-DNA knock-out and overexpression lines of AtPAP23 were indistinguishable from wild type plants in the development of flower (or other organs). Interestingly, the Fe and Mn contents were found significantly increased in AtPAP23 overexpression lines, which may offer a new direction for further functional studies of AtPAPs in Arabidopsis.

Differential expression of three purple acid phosphatases from potato

Three cDNAs encoding purple acid phosphatase (PAP) were cloned from potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Désirée) and expression of the corresponding genes was characterised. StPAP1 encodes a low-molecular weight PAP clustering with mammalian, cyanobacterial, and other plant PAPs. It was highly expressed in stem and root and its expression did not change in response to phosphorus (P) deprivation. StPAP2 and StPAP3 code for high-molecular weight PAPs typical for plants. Corresponding gene expression was shown to be responsive to the level of P supply, with transcripts of StPAP2 and StPAP3 being most abundant in P-deprived roots or both stem and roots, respectively. Root colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi had no effect on the expression of any of the three PAP genes. StPAP1 mRNA is easily detectable along the root axis, including root hairs, but is barely detectable in root tips. In contrast, both StPAP2 and StPAP3 transcripts are abundant along the root axis, but absent in root hairs, and are most abundant in the root tip. All three PAPs described contain a predicted N-terminal secretion signal and could play a role in extracellular P scavenging, P mobilisation from the rhizosphere, or cell wall regeneration.

Acid phosphatases from beet root (Beta vulgaris) plasma membranes

Several acid phosphatases (EC 3.1.3.2) were found in beet root (Beta vulgaris L.) plasma membranes. Two of them were partially purified by an extraction of plasma membranes with octylglucoside and successive gel-filtration and anion-exchange chromatographies. With p-nitrophenyl-phosphate (pNPP) as substrate, most of the phosphatase activity was found in a fraction containing an 82-kDa protein. This phosphatase showed an optimum pH of 5.4 and was inhibited by Cu(2+), Zn(2+), molybdate or vanadate. The other phosphatase had a lower specific activity with pNPP, but was able to dephosphorylate phospho-myelin basic protein (phospho-MBP). This phosphatase presented two polypeptides with molecular masses of 36 and 65 kDa and was 83% inhibited by 2 nM okadaic acid, which suggests it is a PP2A protein phosphatase. As the phosphatase activity was high in soluble (non-membrane) fractions, the possibility that phosphatases in plasma membranes were soluble contaminants was assessed. Following the method of Bérczi and Møller (Plant Physiol. 116:1029, 1998), it was found that about 45% of both acid and protein phosphatase activities could be due to soluble enzymes trapped inside membrane vesicles.

Phosphatase under-producer mutants have altered phosphorus relations

Phosphorus (P) acquisition and partitioning are essential for plant homeostasis. P is available for plant uptake when in its inorganic form (H2PO4-, or Pi), but Pi is often limiting in soils. Plants secrete acid phosphatases (APases) into the apoplastic space, which may be important for obtaining Pi from organic P sources; however, the relative importance of these enzymes for plant P nutrition has yet to be determined. We demonstrate that the root-associated APase pool is increased in Arabidopsis when Pi is limiting and document five APase isoforms secreted from Arabidopsis roots. Previously, we presented the identification of the phosphatase under-producer (pup) mutants, which have decreased in vivo root APase staining when grown under low P conditions. Here, we present the characterization of one of these, pup3, and further studies with pup1. pup3 has 49%, 38%, and 37% less specific APase activity in exudates, roots, and shoots, respectively. Root-associated APase activity is decreased by 16% in pup1 and 25% in pup3, regardless of P treatment. Two APase activity isoforms are reduced in pup3 exudates, and root and shoot isoforms are also affected. One of the two exudate isoforms is recognized by a polyclonal antibody raised to an Arabidopsis purple APase recombinant protein (AtPAP12); however, AtPAP12 transcript levels are unaffected in the mutant. The pup3 mutation was mapped to 68.4 +/- 6.0 centimorgans on chromosome 5. Although P concentrations were not altered in pup1 and pup3 tissues when grown in nutrient solution in which Pi was the sole source of P, the mutants had 10% (pup1) and 17% (pup3) lower shoot P concentrations when grown in a peat-vermiculite mix in which the majority of the total P was present as organic P. Therefore, the pup defects, which include secreted APases, are functionally important for plant P nutrition.

An introduction to plant sphingolipids and a review of recent advances in understanding their metabolism and function

Sphingolipids are ubiquitous constituents of eukaryotic cells, and have been intensively investigated in mammals and yeast for decades. Aspects of sphingolipid biochemistry in plants have been explored only recently. To date, progress has been made in determining the structure and occurrence of sphingolipids in plant tissues; in characterizing the enzymatic steps involved in production and turnover of sphingolipids (and, in some cases, the genes encoding the relevant enzymes); and in identifying a variety of biological functions for sphingolipids in plants. Given that these efforts are far from complete and much remains to be learned, this review represents a status report on the burgeoning field of plant sphingolipid biochemistry. Contents Summary 677 I. Introduction 678 II. Plant sphingolipid structure 678 III. Sphingolipid metabolism in plants 683 IV. Sphingolipid functions in plants 693 V. Conclusions 696 Acknowledgements 696 References 696.

Induction of high affinity phosphate transporter in the duckweed Spirodela oligorrhiza

Duckweed plants (Spirodela oligorrhiza) grown under phosphate (Pi)-deficient conditions (- P plants) exhibited more than 50-fold higher Pi uptake activity than plants grown under Pi-sufficient conditions (+ P plants). The Pi uptake activity of - P plants measured using (32)Pi was significantly inhibited by carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, indicating that Pi uptake is energized by the electrochemical proton gradient across the plasma membrane (PM). When Pi uptake was examined at various concentrations of Pi, more active uptake of Pi was observed in - P plants than in + P plants, irrespective of the Pi concentrations. An immunoblot analysis of the PM proteins using antiserum against the conserved sequence of the high-affinity Pi transporter recognized the occurrence and large accumulation of a novel protein band at 48 kDa in - P plants. The protein was almost completely extracted with chloroform-methanol (2:1, v/v), but only a trace amount of the protein was detected in + P plants. Immunohistochemical studies of plant roots using the same antiserum demonstrated a large accumulation of high-affinity Pi transporters at the outermost cortical cells of - P plants, but not of + P plants. When an immunoblot analysis of PM proteins was performed using antiserum against the PM H(+)-ATPase, a positive band of about 96 kDa was detected in both plants with a similar signal intensity. Furthermore, ATP-hydrolytic and ATP-dependent H(+)-transporting activities of PM H(+)-ATPase in - P plants were not higher than those in + P plants. However, kinetic analyses showed that the PM H(+)-ATPase in - P plants had a lower K(m) value and a higher coupling efficiency between ATP hydrolysis and H(+) pumping than the corresponding values in + P plants. These results suggest that the significant stimulation of Pi uptake in - P plants may be due mainly to the induction and accumulation of the high-affinity Pi transporter in the PM, and that the electrochemical proton gradient across the PM may be generated by the high-ATP-affinity and energy-efficient H(+) pump in - P plants. This would facilitate the acquisition of Pi in S. oligorrhiza under Pi-depleted conditions.

Structural and kinetic properties of a novel purple acid phosphatase from phosphate-starved tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) cell cultures

An intracellular acid phosphatase (IAP) from P(i)-starved (-P(i)) tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum ) suspension cells has been purified to homogeneity. IAP is a purple acid phosphatase (PAP), as the purified protein was violet in colour (lambda(max)=546 nm) and was insensitive to L-tartrate. PAGE, periodic acid-Schiff staining and peptide mapping demonstrated that the enzyme exists as a 142 kDa heterodimer composed of an equivalent ratio of glycosylated and structurally dissimilar 63 (alpha-subunit) and 57 kDa (beta-subunit) polypeptides. However, the nine N-terminal amino acids of the alpha- and beta-subunits were identical, exhibiting similarity to the deduced N-terminal portions of several putative plant PAPs. Quantification of immunoblots probed with rabbit anti-(tomato acid phosphatase) immune serum revealed that the 4-fold increase in IAP activity due to P(i)-deprivation was correlated with similar increases in the amount of antigenic IAP alpha- and beta-subunits. IAP displayed optimal activity at pH 5.1, was activated 150% by 10 mM Mg(2+), but was potently inhibited by Zn(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(3+), molybdate, vanadate, fluoride and P(i). Although IAP demonstrated broad substrate selectivity, its specificity constant ( V (max)/ K (m)) with phosphoenolpyruvate was >250% greater than that obtained with any other substrate. IAP exhibited significant peroxidase activity, which was optimal at pH 9.0 and insensitive to Mg(2+) or molybdate. This IAP is proposed to scavenge P(i) from intracellular phosphate esters in -P(i) tomato. A possible secondary IAP role in the metabolism of reactive oxygen species is discussed. IAP properties are compared with those of two extracellular PAP isoenzymes that are secreted into the medium of -P(i) tomato cells [Bozzo, Raghothama and Plaxton (2002) Eur. J. Biochem. 269, 6278-6286].

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol lipid anchoring of plant proteins. Sensitive prediction from sequence- and genome-wide studies for Arabidopsis and rice

Posttranslational glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) lipid anchoring is common not only for animal and fungal but also for plant proteins. The attachment of the GPI moiety to the carboxyl-terminus after proteolytic cleavage of a C-terminal propeptide is performed by the transamidase complex. Its four known subunits also have obvious full-length orthologs in the Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa) genomes; thus, the mechanism of substrate protein processing appears similar for all eukaryotes. A learning set of plant proteins (substrates for the transamidase complex) has been collected both from the literature and plant sequence databases. We find that the plant GPI lipid anchor motif differs in minor aspects from the animal signal (e.g. the plant hydrophobic tail region can contain a higher fraction of aromatic residues). We have developed the "big-Pi plant" program for prediction of compatibility of query protein C-termini with the plant GPI lipid anchor motif requirements. Validation tests show that the sensitivity for transamidase targets is approximately 94%, and the rate of false positive prediction is about 0.1%. Thus, the big-Pi predictor can be applied as unsupervised genome annotation and target selection tool. The program is also suited for the design of modified protein constructs to test their GPI lipid anchoring capacity. The big-Pi plant predictor Web server and lists of potential plant precursor proteins in Swiss-Prot, SPTrEMBL, Arabidopsis, and rice proteomes are available at http://mendel.imp.univie.ac.at/gpi/plants/gpi_plants.html. Arabidopsis and rice protein hits have been functionally classified. Several GPI lipid-anchored arabinogalactan-related proteins have been identified in rice.

GmPAP3, a novel purple acid phosphatase-like gene in soybean induced by NaCl stress but not phosphorus deficiency

Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are commonly found in plants, but the physiological functions of different classes of PAPs are not thoroughly understood. In the present study, we identified a novel gene, GmPAP3, from salt-stressed soybean using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) techniques. Protein sequence alignment studies and phylogenetic analysis strongly suggested that GmPAP3 belongs to the group of plant PAPs and PAP-like proteins that are distinct from those of fungi and animals. In addition, the invariable consensus metal binding residues of PAPs were all conserved in GmPAP3. Surprisingly, analysis of protein sorting signals showed that a putative mitochondrion targeting transit peptide is present on GmPAP3. Northern blot analysis revealed that NaCl stress causes a general induction of GmPAP3 expression in both roots and leaves of various cultivated (Glycine max) and wild (Glycine soja) soybean varieties. Further test using two genetically unrelated cultivated soybean varieties showed that the expression pattern of GmPAP3 is distinct from other PAP genes in soybeans. NaCl stress and oxidative stress but not phosphorus (P) starvation induces the expression of GmPAP3. These results suggest that the physiological role of GmPAP3 might be related to the adaptation of soybean to NaCl stress, possibly through its involvement in reactive oxygen species (ROS) forming and/or scavenging or stress-responding signal transduction pathways.

Complex sphingolipid synthesis in plants: characterization of inositolphosphorylceramide synthase activity in bean microsomes

Complex glycophosphosphingolipids present in plants are composed of ceramide, inositolphosphate, and diverse polar oligosaccharide substituents. The activity of inositolphosphorylceramide (IPC) synthase (phosphatidylinositol:ceramide inositolphosphate transferase), the enzyme proposed to catalyze the initial committed step in the formation of these complex sphingolipids, was characterized in wax bean hypocotyl microsomes. Enzyme activity was assayed by monitoring the incorporation of fluorescent NBD-C(6) ceramide or [3H]inositolphosphate from radiolabeled phosphatidylinositol (PI) into product identified by TLC. IPC synthase was found to utilize nonhydroxy fatty acid-containing ceramide, hydroxy fatty acid-containing ceramide, and NBD-C(6) ceramide as substrate. Maximum product formation was observed at PI concentrations in excess of 600 microM (with half-maximum activity at approximately 200 microM). Both endogenous PI and ceramide appeared to serve as substrates. Aureobasidin A and rustmicin, two potent inhibitors of fungal IPC synthase, inhibited enzyme activity in bean microsomes with values for IC(50) of 0.4-0.8 and 16-20 nM, respectively. IPC synthase activity appeared most closely associated with the Golgi based on results using selected marker enzymes. Enzyme activity was detected in a variety of plant tissues. This report, the first to characterize IPC synthase in plant tissues, demonstrates the similarities between the plant enzyme and its yeast counterpart, and provides insight into plant glycophosphosphingolipid biology.

Purification and characterization of two secreted purple acid phosphatase isozymes from phosphate-starved tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) cell cultures

Two secreted acid phosphatases (SAP1 and SAP2) were markedly up-regulated during Pi-starvation of tomato suspension cells. SAP1 and SAP2 were resolved during cation-exchange FPLC of culture media proteins from 8-day-old Pi-starved cells, and purified to homogeneity and final p-nitrophenylphosphate hydrolyzing specific activities of 246 and 940 micro mol Pi produced.min-1 mg.protein-1, respectively. SDS/PAGE, periodic acid-Schiff staining and analytical gel filtration demonstrated that SAP1 and SAP2, respectively, exist as 84 and 57 kDa glycosylated monomers. SAP1 and SAP2 are purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) as they displayed an absorption maximum at 518 and 538 nm, respectively, and were not inhibited by l-tartrate. The respective sequence of a SAP1 and SAP2 tryptic peptide was very similar to a portion of the deduced sequence of several putative Arabidopsis thaliana PAPs. CNBr peptide mapping indicated that SAP1 and SAP2 are structurally distinct. Both isozymes displayed a pH optimum of approximately pH 5.3 and were heat stable. Although they exhibited wide substrate specificities, the Vmax of SAP2 with various phosphate-esters was significantly greater than that of SAP1. SAP1 and SAP2 were activated by up to 80% by 5 mm Mg2+, and demonstrated potent competitive inhibition by molybdate, but mixed and competitive inhibition by Pi, respectively. Interestingly, both SAPs exhibited significant peroxidase activity, which was optimal at approximately pH 8.4 and insensitive to Mg2+ or molybdate. This suggests that SAP1 and SAP2 may be multifunctional proteins that operate: (a) PAPs that scavenge Pi from extracellular phosphate-esters during Pi deprivation, or (b) alkaline peroxidases that participate in the production of extracellular reactive oxygen species during the oxidative burst associated with the defense response of plants to pathogen infection.

Purple acid phosphatases of Arabidopsis thaliana. Comparative analysis and differential regulation by phosphate deprivation

Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are members of the metallo-phosphoesterase family. They are characterized by the presence of seven conserved amino acid residues involved in coordinating the dimetal nuclear center in their reactive site. We compared the 29 PAPs predicted for Arabidopsis thaliana in their varieties of potential metal-ligating residues. Although 24 members possessed sets of metal-ligating residues typical of known PAPs, 1 member lacked four of the seven residues. For the remaining four members, potential metal-ligating residues were generally more similar to those in metal-dependent exonucleases and related proteins. Evidence was obtained for the expression of the majority of the 29 PAPs. To facilitate future investigations, a scheme for naming Arabidopsis PAPs and a system for classifying the 29 PAPs are proposed. The cDNA sequences and the responses to phosphate deprivation of seven Arabidopsis PAPs (AtPAP7-AtPAP13) were characterized. For some AtPAPs analyzed, there were fully processed transcripts as well as splice variants. The splice variants of AtPAP10 were found to associate with polyribosomes and may be translated into a NH(2)-terminal truncated protein. Phylogenetic investigations showed that AtPAPs 7 and 8, together with similar enzymes from other plant species, formed the low molecular weight plant PAP group. Members of this group were more closely related to PAPs from mammalian cells. AtPAPs 9-13, together with kidney bean PAP, formed the high molecular weight PAP group. In phosphate deprivation experiments, gene transcription of AtPAP11 and AtPAP12 was induced and increased, respectively, whereas that of the remaining five AtPAPs was not affected by phosphate deprivation. The present work demonstrates that structure variation and expression regulation of plant PAPs are more complex than previously described and provides a framework for comprehensive molecular genetic and biochemical studies of all Arabidopsis PAPs in the future.

Prediction of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in Arabidopsis. A genomic analysis

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring of proteins provides a potential mechanism for targeting to the plant plasma membrane and cell wall. However, relatively few such proteins have been identified. Here, we develop a procedure for database analysis to identify GPI-anchored proteins (GAP) based on their possession of common features. In a comprehensive search of the annotated Arabidopsis genome, we identified 167 novel putative GAP in addition to the 43 previously described candidates. Many of these 210 proteins show similarity to characterized cell surface proteins. The predicted GAP include homologs of beta-1,3-glucanases (16), metallo- and aspartyl proteases (13), glycerophosphodiesterases (6), phytocyanins (25), multi-copper oxidases (2), extensins (6), plasma membrane receptors (19), and lipid-transfer-proteins (18). Classical arabinogalactan (AG) proteins (13), AG peptides (9), fasciclin-like proteins (20), COBRA and 10 homologs, and novel potential signaling peptides that we name GAPEPs (8) were also identified. A further 34 proteins of unknown function were predicted to be GPI anchored. A surprising finding was that over 40% of the proteins identified here have probable AG glycosylation modules, suggesting that AG glycosylation of cell surface proteins is widespread. This analysis shows that GPI anchoring is likely to be a major modification in plants that is used to target a specific subset of proteins to the cell surface for extracellular matrix remodeling and signaling.

Cloning and characterization of cDNA of the GPI-anchored purple acid phosphatase and its root tissue distribution in Spirodela oligorrhiza

A cDNA clone of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored purple acid phosphatase (PAP) has been obtained by a combination of cDNA library screening and 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends from Spirodela oligorrhiza plants grown under phosphate-deficient (-P) conditions. The open reading frame of the S. oligorrhiza PAP cDNA consists of 1 365 bp encoding a 455 amino acid protein. Its deduced amino acid sequence shows 82 and 80% similarity to Arabidopsis thaliana and Phaseolus vulgaris PAP, respectively. The amino acid residue, Ala439, followed by two more small amino acid residues, Asp and Ser, is predicted to be the GPI-anchoring (omega) site. The absence of a dibasic motif upstream of the putative omega site suggests that the PAP is a cell wall protein. This presumption is supported by the finding that PAP was released by digestion of the cell wall fraction with cellulase. The GPI anchor is speculated to be a signal for transporting PAP to the cell wall. Immunohistochemical results using -P plant roots demonstrate that PAP is preferentially distributed in the outermost cortical cells of roots but not in the epidermis, suggesting its role in acquiring inorganic phosphate under phosphate-deficient conditions. Northern blot analysis using the S. oligorrhiza PAP cDNA as a probe demonstrates that expression of the PAP gene increased during growth of -P plants and this time-dependent occurrence in mRNA levels of the PAP in -P plants was also observed in their protein and activity levels.

Glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchor addition signals are processed in Nicotiana tabacum

Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins in higher plants. In this study we tested whether GPI-addition signals from diverse evolutionary sources would function to link a GPI-anchor to a reporter protein in plant cells. Tobacco protoplasts were transiently transfected with a truncated form of the Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase E reporter gene (celE') fused with a tobacco secretion signal (PR-1a) at the N-terminus and either a yeast (GAS1), mammalian (Thy-1) or putative plant (LeAGP-1) GPI-anchor addition signal at the C-terminus. The yeast and plant C-terminal signals were found to be capable of directing the addition of a GPI-anchor to the endoglucanase protein (EGE') as shown by the sensitivity of the lipid component of GPI to phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) digestion. In contrast, the mammalian signal was poorly processed for anchor addition. When EGE' was fused to a truncated form of the LeAGP-1 signal (missing three amino acids predicted to be critical to signal cleavage and anchor addition), a GPI-anchor was not linked to the EGE' protein indicating the necessity for the missing amino acids. Our results show the conservation of the properties of GPI-signals in plant cells and that there may be some similar preferences in GPI-addition signal sequences for yeast and plant cells.

Lipid-linked proteins of plants

Increasing numbers of plant proteins are being shown to have posttranslationally-attached lipids. The modifications include N-myristoylation, S-palmitoylation, prenylation by farnesyl or geranylgeranyl moieties, or attachment of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors. This report summarizes recent findings regarding the structure, metabolism and physiological functions of these important protein-linked lipids.

Binuclear metal centers in plant purple acid phosphatases: Fe-Mn in sweet potato and Fe-Zn in soybean

Purple acid phosphatases comprise a family of binuclear metal-containing acid hydrolases, representatives of which have been found in animals, plants, and fungi. The goal of this study was to characterize purple acid phosphatases from sweet potato tubers and soybean seeds and to establish their relationship with the only well-characterized plant purple acid phosphatase, the FeIII-ZnII-containing red kidney bean enzyme. Metal analysis indicated the presence in the purified sweet potato enzyme of 1.0 g-atom of iron, 0.6-0.7 g-atom of manganese, and small amounts of zinc and copper. The soybean enzyme contained 0.8-0.9 g-atom of iron, 0.7-0.8 g-atom of zinc per subunit, and small amounts of manganese, copper, and magnesium. Both enzymes exhibited visible absorption maxima at 550-560 nm, with molar absorption coefficients of 3200 and 3300 M(-1) cm(-1), respectively, very similar to the red kidney bean enzyme. Substrate specificities were markedly different from those of the red kidney bean enzyme. A cloning strategy was developed based on N-terminal sequences of the sweet potato and soybean enzymes and short sequences around the conserved metal ligands of the mammalian and red kidney bean enzymes. Three sequences were obtained, one from soybean and two from sweet potato. All three showed extensive sequence identity (>66%) with red kidney bean purple acid phosphatase, and all of the metal ligands were conserved. The combined results establish that these enzymes are binuclear metalloenzymes: Fe-Mn in the sweet potato enzyme and Fe-Zn in soybean. The sweet potato enzyme is the first well-defined example of an Fe-Mn binuclear center in a protein.

A type 5 acid phosphatase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana is induced by phosphate starvation and by some other types of phosphate mobilising/oxidative stress conditions

Low phosphorous availability, a common condition of many soils, is known to stimulate phosphatase activity in plants; however, the molecular details of this response remain mostly unknown. We purified and sequenced the N-terminal region of a phosphate starvation induced acid phosphatase (AtACP5) from Arabidopsis thaliana, and cloned its cDNA and the corresponding genomic DNA. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA predicted that AtACP5 is synthesised as a 338 amino acid-long precursor with a signal peptide. AtACP5 was found to be related to known purple acid phosphatases, especially to mammal type 5 acid phosphatases. Other similarities with purple acid phosphatases, which contain a dinuclear metal centre, include the conservation of all residues involved in metal ligand binding and resistance to tartrate inhibition. In addition, AtACP5, like other type 5 acid phosphatases, displayed peroxidation activity. Northern hybridisation experiments, as well as in situ glucuronidase (GUS) activity assays on transgenic plants harbouring AtACP5:GUS translational fusions, showed that AtACP5 is not only responsive to phosphate starvation but also to ABA and salt stress. It is also expressed in senescent leaves and during oxidative stress induced by H2O2, but not by paraquat or salicylic acid. Given its bifunctionality, as it displays both phosphatase and peroxidation activity, we propose that AtACP5 could be involved in phosphate mobilisation and in the metabolism of reactive oxygen species in stressed or senescent parts of the plant.