Differential detergent-solubilization of integral thylakoid membrane complexes in spinach chloroplasts. Localization of photosystem II, cytochrome b6-f complex and photosystem I

TREM-1 activation is a potential key regulator in driving severe pathogenesis of enterovirus A71 infection

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), caused by enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), presents mild to severe disease, and sometimes fatal neurological and respiratory manifestations. However, reasons for the severe pathogenesis remain undefined. To investigate this, infection and viral kinetics of EV-A71 isolates from clinical disease (mild, moderate and severe) from Sarawak, Malaysia, were characterised in human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD), neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). High resolution transcriptomics was used to decipher EV-A71-host interactions in PBMCs. Ingenuity analyses revealed similar pathways triggered by all EV-A71 isolates, although the extent of activation varied. Importantly, several pathways were found to be specific to the severe isolate, including triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) signalling. Depletion of TREM-1 in EV-A71-infected PBMCs with peptide LP17 resulted in decreased levels of pro-inflammatory genes for the moderate and severe isolates. Mechanistically, this is the first report describing the transcriptome profiles during EV-A71 infections in primary human cells, and the potential involvement of TREM-1 in the severe disease pathogenesis, thus providing new insights for future treatment targets.

Nanodomains of cytochrome b6f and photosystem II complexes in spinach grana thylakoid membranes

The cytochrome b6f (cytb6f) complex plays a central role in photosynthesis, coupling electron transport between photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I to the generation of a transmembrane proton gradient used for the biosynthesis of ATP. Photosynthesis relies on rapid shuttling of electrons by plastoquinone (PQ) molecules between PSII and cytb6f complexes in the lipid phase of the thylakoid membrane. Thus, the relative membrane location of these complexes is crucial, yet remains unknown. Here, we exploit the selective binding of the electron transfer protein plastocyanin (Pc) to the lumenal membrane surface of the cytb6f complex using a Pc-functionalized atomic force microscope (AFM) probe to identify the position of cytb6f complexes in grana thylakoid membranes from spinach (Spinacia oleracea). This affinity-mapping AFM method directly correlates membrane surface topography with Pc-cytb6f interactions, allowing us to construct a map of the grana thylakoid membrane that reveals nanodomains of colocalized PSII and cytb6f complexes. We suggest that the close proximity between PSII and cytb6f complexes integrates solar energy conversion and electron transfer by fostering short-range diffusion of PQ in the protein-crowded thylakoid membrane, thereby optimizing photosynthetic efficiency.

Comparison of the α and β isomeric forms of the detergent n-dodecyl-D-maltoside for solubilizing photosynthetic complexes from pea thylakoid membranes

Mild non-ionic detergents are indispensable in the isolation of intact integral membrane proteins and protein-complexes from biological membranes. Dodecylmaltoside (DM) belongs to this class of detergents being a glucoside-based surfactant with a bulky hydrophilic head group composed of two sugar rings and a non-charged alkyl glycoside chain. Two isomers of this molecule exist, differing only in the configuration of the alkyl chain around the anomeric center of the carbohydrate head group, axial in α-DM and equatorial in β-DM. In this paper, we have investigated the solubilizing properties of α-DM and β-DM on the isolation of photosynthetic complexes from pea thylakoids membranes maintaining their native architecture of stacked grana and stroma lamellae. Exposure of these stacked thylakoids to a single step treatment with increasing concentrations (5-100mM) of α-DM or β-DM resulted in a quick partial or complete solubilization of the membranes. Regardless of the isomeric form used: 1) at the lowest DM concentrations only a partial solubilization of thylakoids was achieved, giving rise to the release of mainly small protein complexes mixed with membrane fragments enriched in PSI from stroma lamellae; 2) at concentrations above 30mM a complete solubilization occurred with the further release of high molecular weight protein complexes identified as dimeric PSII, PSI-LHCI and PSII-LHCII supercomplexes. However, at concentrations of detergent which fully solubilized the thylakoids, the α and β isomeric forms of DM exerted a somewhat different solubilizing effect on the membranes: higher abundance of larger sized PSII-LHCII supercomplexes retaining a higher proportion of LHCII and lower amounts of PSI-LHCI intermediates were observed in α-DM treated membranes, reflecting the mildness of α-DM compared with its isomer. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Artificial.

Mechanism of REP27 protein action in the D1 protein turnover and photosystem II repair from photodamage

The function of the REP27 protein (GenBank accession no. EF127650) in the photosystem II (PSII) repair process was elucidated. REP27 is a nucleus-encoded and chloroplast-targeted protein containing two tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) motifs, two putative transmembrane domains, and an extended carboxyl (C)-terminal region. Cell fractionation and western-blot analysis localized the REP27 protein in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplast thylakoids. A folding model for REP27 suggested chloroplast stroma localization for amino- and C-terminal regions as well as the two TPRs. A REP27 gene knockout strain of Chlamydomonas, termed the rep27 mutant, was employed for complementation studies. The rep27 mutant was aberrant in the PSII-repair process and had substantially lower than wild-type levels of D1 protein. Truncated REP27 cDNA constructs were made for complementation of rep27, whereby TPR1, TPR2, TPR1+TPR2, or the C-terminal domains were deleted. rep27-complemented strains minus the TPR motifs showed elevated levels of D1 in thylakoids, comparable to those in the wild type, but the PSII photochemical efficiency of these strains was not restored, suggesting that the functionality of the PSII reaction center could not be recovered in the absence of the TPR motifs. It is suggested that TPR motifs play a role in the functional activation of the newly integrated D1 protein in the PSII reaction center. rep27-complemented strains missing the C-terminal domain showed low levels of D1 protein in thylakoids as well as low PSII photochemical efficiency, comparable to those in the rep27 mutant. Therefore, the C-terminal domain is needed for a de novo biosynthesis and/or assembly of D1 in the photodamaged PSII template. We conclude that REP27 plays a dual role in the regulation of D1 protein turnover by facilitating cotranslational biosynthesis insertion (C-terminal domain) and activation (TPR motifs) of the nascent D1 during the PSII repair process.

Topology of the plastid Ndh complex and its NDH-F subunit in thylakoid membranes

We have investigated the topologies of Ndh (a plastid complex with NADH dehydrogenase activity) and its NDH-F subunit in thylakoids by trypsin and proteinase V8 digestion of both intact and Triton X-100-permeabilized barley thylakoids and identification of the products with antibodies against specific sequences of the NDH-A, NDH-K and NDH-F subunits. Antibody binding and protection against proteinases were also assayed. The analysis of the digestion products of NDH-F by immunodetection and matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization-time-of-flight allowed us to propose its membrane topology and to compare it with bioinformatic predictions and with that of the homologous subunit (ND5/NuoL/NQO12) of the respiratory complex I. Results indicate that the thylakoid Ndh complex may have an L-shaped structure, similar to that of respiratory complex I, with the hydrophilic arm orientated towards the stroma and the hydrophobic arm inserted into the thylakoid. NDH-A and NDH-K may be located at the bridge between the two arms. Similar to ND5/NuoL/NQO12 of complex I, NDH-F must be distally located in the hydrophobic arm. NDH-F would include up to 15 transmembrane helices and 14 hydrophilic regions. A conserved His-349 in the X transmembrane helix could be involved in H+ pumping. The conserved Thr-181 NDH-F, whose probable phosphorylation increases the activity of the Ndh complex, is located within the hydrophilic region between the V and VI transmembrane helices.

Light stress-induced one-helix protein of the chlorophyll a/b-binding family associated with photosystem I

The superfamily of light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding (Lhc) proteins in higher plants and green algae is composed of more than 20 different antenna proteins associated either with photosystem I (PSI) or photosystem II (PSII). Several distant relatives of this family with conserved chlorophyll-binding residues and proposed photoprotective functions are induced transiently under various stress conditions. Whereas "classical" Lhc proteins contain three-transmembrane alpha-helices, their distant relatives span the membrane with between one and four transmembrane segments. Here, we report the identification and isolation of a novel member of the Lhc family from Arabidopsis with one predicted transmembrane alpha-helix closely related to helix I of Lhc protein from PSI (Lhca4) that we named Ohp2 (for a second one-helix protein of Lhc family described from higher plants). We showed that the Ohp2 gene expression is triggered by light stress and that the Ohp2 transcript and protein accumulated in a light intensity-dependent manner. Other stress conditions did not up-regulate the expression of the Ohp2 gene. Localization studies revealed that Ohp2 is associated with PSI under low- or high-light conditions. Because all stress-induced Lhc relatives reported so far were found in PSII, we propose that the accumulation of Ohp2 might represent a novel photoprotective strategy induced within PSI in response to light stress.

The activity of the chloroplastic Ndh complex is regulated by phosphorylation of the NDH-F subunit

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) induces increases, to different degrees, in transcripts, protein levels, and activity of the Ndh complex (EC 1.6.5.3). In the present work, we have compared the effects of relatively excess light, H(2)O(2), dimethylthiourea (a scavenger of H(2)O(2)), and/or EGTA (a Ca(2+) chelator) on the activity and protein levels of the Ndh complex of barley (Hordeum vulgare cv Hassan) leaf segments. The results show the involvement of H(2)O(2) in the modulation of both the protein level and activity of the Ndh complex and the participation of Ca(2+) mainly in the activity regulation of pre-existing protein. Changes in Ndh complex activity could not be explained only by changes in Ndh protein levels, suggesting posttranslational modifications. Hence, we investigate the possible phosphorylation of the Ndh complex both in thylakoids and in the immunopurified Ndh complex using monoclonal phosphoamino acid antibodies. We demonstrate that the Ndh complex is phosphorylated in vivo at threonine residue(s) of the NDH-F polypeptide and that the level of phosphorylation is closely correlated with the Ndh complex activity. The emerging picture is that full activity of the Ndh complex is reached by phosphorylation of its NDH-F subunit in a H(2)O(2)- and Ca(2+)-mediated action.

A chloroplast DegP2 protease performs the primary cleavage of the photodamaged D1 protein in plant photosystem II

Although light is the ultimate substrate in photosynthesis, it can also be harmful and lead to oxidative damage of the photosynthetic apparatus. The main target for light stress is the central oxygen-evolving photosystem II (PSII) and its D1 reaction centre protein. Degradation of the damaged D1 protein and its rapid replacement by a de novo synthesized copy represent the important repair mechanism of PSII crucial for plant survival under light stress conditions. Here we report the isolation of a single-copy nuclear gene from Arabidopsis thaliana, encoding a protease that performs GTP-dependent primary cleavage of the photodamaged D1 protein and hence catalysing the key step in the repair cycle in plants. This protease, designated DegP2, is a homologue of the prokaryotic Deg/Htr family of serine endopeptidases and is associated with the stromal side of the non-appressed region of the thylakoid membranes. Increased expression of DegP2 under high salt, desiccation and light stress conditions was measured at the protein level.

Evidence for the localization of the nuclear-coded 22-kDa heat-shock protein in a subfraction of thylakoid membranes

The precursor to the nuclear-coded 22-kDa heat-shock protein of chloroplasts (HSP 22) has been transported into isolated intact chloroplasts from heat-shocked plants. The localization of the mature protein in the chloroplast membrane was investigated. We have shown that the processed HSP 22 of pea was not bound to envelopes and found predominantly in thylakoid membranes. The binding of HSP 22 was stable in the presence of high salt concentrations. Solubilization of thylakoid membranes with Triton X-100 and phase partitioning with Triton X-114 indicate an intrinsic localization of HSP 22 or, alternatively, a non-covalent association with integral membrane protein(s). After fractionation into grana and stroma lamellae, HSP 22 was found mostly in the grana-membrane subfraction.