N-linked glycosylation of AtVSR1 is important for vacuolar protein sorting in Arabidopsis

N-glycosylation of SnRK2s affects NADPH maintenance in peroxisomes during prolonged ABA signalling

Unfavourable conditions, such as prolonged drought and high salinity, pose a threat to the survival and agricultural yield of plants. The phytohormone ABA plays a key role in the regulation of plant stress adaptation and is often maintained at high levels for extended periods. While much is known about ABA signal perception and activation in the early signalling stage, the molecular mechanism underlying desensitization of ABA signalling remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi network, the key regulators of ABA signalling, SnRK2.2/2.3, undergo N-glycosylation, which promotes their redistribution from the nucleus to the peroxisomes in Arabidopsis roots and influences the transcriptional response in the nucleus during prolonged ABA signalling. On the peroxisomal membrane, SnRK2s can interact with glucose-6-phosphate (G6P)/phosphate translocator 1 (GPT1) to maintain NADPH homeostasis through increased activity of the peroxisomal oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP). The resulting maintenance of NADPH is essential for the modulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) accumulation, thereby relieving ABA-induced root growth inhibition. The subcellular dynamics of SnRK2s, mediated by N-glycosylation suggest that ABA responses transition from transcriptional regulation in the nucleus to metabolic processes in the peroxisomes, aiding plants in adapting to long-term environmental stress.

Turnip mosaic virus co-opts the vacuolar sorting receptor VSR4 to promote viral genome replication in plants by targeting viral replication vesicles to the endosome

Accumulated experimental evidence has shown that viruses recruit the host intracellular machinery to establish infection. It has recently been shown that the potyvirus Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) transits through the late endosome (LE) for viral genome replication, but it is still largely unknown how the viral replication vesicles labelled by the TuMV membrane protein 6K2 target LE. To further understand the underlying mechanism, we studied the involvement of the vacuolar sorting receptor (VSR) family proteins from Arabidopsis in this process. We now report the identification of VSR4 as a new host factor required for TuMV infection. VSR4 interacted specifically with TuMV 6K2 and was required for targeting of 6K2 to enlarged LE. Following overexpression of VSR4 or its recycling-defective mutant that accumulates in the early endosome (EE), 6K2 did not employ the conventional VSR-mediated EE to LE pathway, but targeted enlarged LE directly from cis-Golgi and viral replication was enhanced. In addition, VSR4 can be N-glycosylated and this is required for its stability and for monitoring 6K2 trafficking to enlarged LE. A non-glycosylated VSR4 mutant enhanced the dissociation of 6K2 from cis-Golgi, leading to the formation of punctate bodies that targeted enlarged LE and to more robust viral replication than with glycosylated VSR4. Finally, TuMV hijacks N-glycosylated VSR4 and protects VSR4 from degradation via the autophagy pathway to assist infection. Taken together, our results have identified a host factor VSR4 required for viral replication vesicles to target endosomes for optimal viral infection and shed new light on the role of N-glycosylation of a host factor in regulating viral infection.

A key feature of the replication of positive-strand RNA viruses is the rearrangement of the host endomembrane system to produce a membranous replication organelle. Recent reports suggest that the late endosome (LE) serves as a replication site for the potyvirus Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), but the mechanism(s) by which TuMV replication vesicles target LE are far from being fully elucidated. Identification of the host factors involved in this transport process could lead to new strategies to combat TuMV infection. In this report, we provide evidence that TuMV replication depends on functional vesicle transport from cis-Golgi to the enlarged LE pathway that is mediated by a specific VSR family member, VSR4, from Arabidopsis. Knock out of VSR4 impaired the targeting of TuMV replication vesicles to enlarged LE and suppressed viral infection, and this process depends on the specific interaction between VSR4 and the viral replication vesicle-forming protein 6K2. We also showed that N-glycosylation of VSR4 modulates the targeting of TuMV replication vesicles to enlarged LE and enhances viral infection, thus contributing to our understanding of how TuMV manipulates host factors in order to establish optimal infection. These results may have implications for the role of VSR in other positive-strand RNA viruses.

Comparative Label-Free Quantitative Proteomics Analysis Reveals the Essential Roles of N-Glycans in Salt Tolerance by Modulating Protein Abundance in Arabidopsis

Many pieces of evidence show that the adaptive response of plants to salt stress requires the maturation of N-glycan on associated proteins. However, it is still little known about the salt-responsive glycoproteins that function in this process. In the present study, we identified salt-responsive glycoproteins in wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis and two mutants defective in N-glycan maturation, mns1 mns2 and cgl1. A total of 97 proteins with abundance changes of >1.5- or <0.67-fold were identified against salt stress by label-free liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) quantitative analyses. A comparison of differentially abundant glycoproteins (DAGs) indicated the substrate preferences regulated by MNS1/MNS2 and CGL1. In addition, the DAGs in mns1 mns2 hardly form functional regulatory networks in STRING analysis. Comparably, the regulatory network in cgl1 was visible and shared overlapping with that in WT. Such difference may supply the evidence to partially explain the lower salt sensitivity of mutant cgl1 than mns1 mns2. We further confirmed that two N-glycosylation clients, peroxidases PRX32 and PRX34, were involved in the salt stress response since the double mutants showed enhanced salt sensitivity. Together, our study provided proteomic evidence that N-glycans are crucial for modulating stress-responsive protein levels, and several novel glycoproteins responsible for salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis were listed. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD006893.

Organelle Visualization With Multicolored Fluorescent Markers in Bamboo

Bamboo is an important model plant to study the molecular mechanisms of rapid shoot growth and flowering once in a lifetime. However, bamboo research about protein functional characterization is largely lagged behind, mainly due to the lack of gene transformation platforms. In this study, a protoplast transient gene expression system in moso bamboo has been first established. Using this reliable and efficient system, we have generated a set of multicolored fluorescent markers based on the targeting sequences from endogenous proteins, which have been validated by their comparative localization with Arabidopsis organelle markers, in a combination with pharmaceutical treatments. Moreover, we further demonstrated the power of this multicolor marker set for rapid, combinatorial analysis of the subcellular localization of uncharacterized proteins, which may play potential functions in moso bamboo flowering and fast growth of shoots. Finally, this protoplast transient gene expression system has been elucidated for functional analysis in protein-protein interaction by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and co-immunoprecipitation analysis. Taken together, in combination with the set of moso bamboo organelle markers, the protoplast transient gene expression system could be used for subcellular localization and functional study of unknown proteins in bamboo and will definitely promote rapid progress in diverse areas of research in bamboo plants.

Chitosan oligosaccharide induces resistance to Pst DC3000 in Arabidopsis via a non-canonical N-glycosylation regulation pattern

Roles of protein N-glycosylation in chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) induced resistance were investigated in the present study. Results demonstrated that N-glycosylation deficient Arabidopsis mutants (stt3a and ManI) were more susceptible against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) than wild type (WT) plants. Surprisingly, in stt3a and ManI, COS-induced resistance to Pst DC3000 was mostly intact, and the up-regulation effect on SA- and JA-mediated signalling pathways also similar like WT. Nucleotide sugars accumulation and N-glycosylation related genes expression were differently regulated after COS treatment. Global glycomics analysis quantified 157 N-glycan isomers, and 56.7, 50.3 and 47.1 % of them were significantly changed in COS, mock + Pst, and COS + Pst treated plants, respectively. Moreover, COS pretreatment could reverse the effect of Pst DC3000 on many N-glycans, suggesting that COS regulates protein N-glycosylation via a non-canonical pattern compared with plant defense, which may contribute to its obvious disease control effect when N-glycosylation impairment occurs.

Plant Cells under Attack: Unconventional Endomembrane Trafficking during Plant Defense

Since plants lack specialized immune cells, each cell has to defend itself independently against a plethora of different pathogens. Therefore, successful plant defense strongly relies on precise and efficient regulation of intracellular processes in every single cell. Smooth trafficking within the plant endomembrane is a prerequisite for a diverse set of immune responses. Pathogen recognition, signaling into the nucleus, cell wall enforcement, secretion of antimicrobial proteins and compounds, as well as generation of reactive oxygen species, all heavily depend on vesicle transport. In contrast, pathogens have developed a variety of different means to manipulate vesicle trafficking to prevent detection or to inhibit specific plant responses. Intriguingly, the plant endomembrane system exhibits remarkable plasticity upon pathogen attack. Unconventional trafficking pathways such as the formation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) bodies or fusion of the vacuole with the plasma membrane are initiated and enforced as the counteraction. Here, we review the recent findings on unconventional and defense-induced trafficking pathways as the plant´s measures in response to pathogen attack. In addition, we describe the endomembrane system manipulations by different pathogens, with a focus on tethering and fusion events during vesicle trafficking.

The Evolutionarily Conserved Serine Residues in BRI1 LRR Motifs Are Critical for Protein Secretion

As a well-studied leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), BRI1 functions as a cell surface receptor for sensing the smallest ligand molecule identified thus far. The weak allele bri1-9 (S662F) harbors a mutation at the conserved serine (Ser*) residue among 25 LRRs, which leads to the protein retention in the ER. However, very little is known about the importance of these residues. Through site-directed mutagenesis and a phenotypic complementation test, we examined the effects of these conserved serine residues (S*-chain) on protein secretion and functions. The results showed that the replacements of these serine residues significantly changed the sub-localization of BRI1-GFPs to the ER and that rigid space constraints, as well as the requirement of successive inner polar contacts, affect these sites. In addition, the continuous presence of Ser* is mainly disrupted at the LRR-island domain interface, and the changes of these four nonserine residues to serine greatly decreased the protein ability to complement bri1-301 compact phenotype and the BR signaling activation. The sequence alignment revealed that other known LRR-RLK also harbors the S*-chain and the non-Ser* residues at the ligand-binding region along the S*-chain, which confirms the evolutionary significance of residues at these sites in plant LRR-RLKs.

A plant Bro1 domain protein BRAF regulates multivesicular body biogenesis and membrane protein homeostasis

Plant development, defense, and many physiological processes rely on the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) machinery to control the homeostasis of membrane proteins by selective vacuolar degradation. Although ESCRT core components are conserved among higher eukaryotes, the regulators that control the function of the ESCRT machinery remain elusive. We recently identified a plant-specific ESCRT component, FREE1, that is essential for multivesicular body/prevacuolar compartment (MVB/PVC) biogenesis and vacuolar sorting of membrane proteins. Here we identify a plant-specific Bro1-domain protein BRAF, which regulates FREE1 recruitment to the MVB/PVC membrane by competitively binding to the ESCRT-I component Vps23. Altogether, we have successfully identified a role for BRAF, whose function as a unique evolutionary ESCRT regulator in orchestrating intraluminal vesicle formation in MVB/PVCs and the sorting of membrane proteins for degradation in plants makes it an important regulatory mechanism underlying the ESCRT machinery in higher eukaryotes.

Function of N-glycosylation in plants

Protein N-glycosylation is one of the major post-translational modifications in eukaryotic cells. In lower unicellular eukaryotes, the known functions of N-glycans are predominantly in protein folding and quality control within the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In multicellular organisms, complex N-glycans are important for developmental programs and immune responses. However, little is known about the functions of complex N-glycans in plants. Formed in the Golgi apparatus, plant complex N-glycans have structures distinct from their animal counterparts due to a set of glycosyltransferases unique to plants. Severe basal underglycosylation in the ER lumen induces misfolding of newly synthesized proteins, which elicits the unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER protein quality control (ERQC) pathways. The former promotes higher capacity of proper protein folding and the latter degradation of misfolded proteins to clear the ER. Although our knowledge on plant complex N-glycan functions is limited, genetic studies revealed the importance of complex N-glycans in cellulose biosynthesis and growth under stress.

Plant Vacuoles

Plant vacuoles are multifunctional organelles. On the one hand, most vegetative tissues develop lytic vacuoles that have a role in degradation. On the other hand, seed cells have two types of storage vacuoles: protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) in endosperm and embryonic cells and metabolite storage vacuoles in seed coats. Vacuolar proteins and metabolites are synthesized on the endoplasmic reticulum and then transported to the vacuoles via Golgi-dependent and Golgi-independent pathways. Proprotein precursors delivered to the vacuoles are converted into their respective mature forms by vacuolar processing enzyme, which also regulates various kinds of programmed cell death in plants. We summarize two types of vacuolar membrane dynamics that occur during defense responses: vacuolar membrane collapse to attack viral pathogens and fusion of vacuolar and plasma membranes to attack bacterial pathogens. We also describe the chemical defense against herbivores brought about by the presence of PSVs in the idioblast myrosin cell.

Nanobody-triggered lockdown of VSRs reveals ligand reloading in the Golgi

Protein degradation in lytic compartments is crucial for eukaryotic cells. At the heart of this process, vacuolar sorting receptors (VSRs) bind soluble hydrolases in the secretory pathway and release them into the vacuolar route. Sorting efficiency is suggested to result from receptor recycling. However, how and to where plant VSRs recycle remains controversial. Here we present a nanobody-epitope interaction-based protein labeling and tracking approach to dissect their anterograde and retrograde transport routes in vivo. We simultaneously employ two different nanobody-epitope pairs: one for the location-specific post-translational fluorescence labeling of receptors and the other pair to trigger their compartment-specific lockdown via an endocytosed dual-epitope linker protein. We demonstrate VSR recycling from the TGN/EE, thereby identifying the cis-Golgi as the recycling target and show that recycled VSRs reload ligands. This is evidence that bidirectional VSR-mediated sorting of vacuolar proteins exists and occurs between the Golgi and the TGN/EE.

Nanobody-triggered lockdown of VSRs reveals ligand reloading in the Golgi

Protein degradation in lytic compartments is crucial for eukaryotic cells. At the heart of this process, vacuolar sorting receptors (VSRs) bind soluble hydrolases in the secretory pathway and release them into the vacuolar route. Sorting efficiency is suggested to result from receptor recycling. However, how and to where plant VSRs recycle remains controversial. Here we present a nanobody-epitope interaction-based protein labeling and tracking approach to dissect their anterograde and retrograde transport routes in vivo. We simultaneously employ two different nanobody-epitope pairs: one for the location-specific post-translational fluorescence labeling of receptors and the other pair to trigger their compartment-specific lockdown via an endocytosed dual-epitope linker protein. We demonstrate VSR recycling from the TGN/EE, thereby identifying the cis-Golgi as the recycling target and show that recycled VSRs reload ligands. This is evidence that bidirectional VSR-mediated sorting of vacuolar proteins exists and occurs between the Golgi and the TGN/EE.

Signal motif-dependent ER export of the Qc-SNARE BET12 interacts with MEMB12 and affects PR1 trafficking in Arabidopsis

Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) are well-known for their role in controlling membrane fusion, the final, but crucial step, in vesicular transport in eukaryotes. SNARE proteins contribute to various biological processes including pathogen defense and channel activity regulation, as well as plant growth and development. Precise targeting of SNARE proteins to destined compartments is a prerequisite for their proper functioning. However, the underlying mechanism(s) for SNARE targeting in plants remains obscure. Here, we investigate the targeting mechanism of the Arabidopsis thaliana Qc-SNARE BET12, which is involved in protein trafficking in the early secretory pathway. Two distinct signal motifs that are required for efficient BET12 ER export were identified. Pulldown assays and in vivo imaging implicated that both the COPI and COPII pathways were required for BET12 targeting. Further studies using an ER-export-defective form of BET12 revealed that the Golgi-localized Qb-SNARE MEMB12, a negative regulator of pathogenesis-related protein 1 (PR1; At2g14610) secretion, was its interacting partner. Ectopic expression of BET12 caused no inhibition in the general ER-Golgi anterograde transport but caused intracellular accumulation of PR1, suggesting that BET12 has a regulatory role in PR1 trafficking in A. thaliana.

The Multivesicular Body and Autophagosome Pathways in Plants

In eukaryotic cells, the endomembrane system consists of multiple membrane-bound organelles, which play essential roles in the precise transportation of various cargo proteins. In plant cells, vacuoles are regarded as the terminus of catabolic pathways whereas the selection and transport of vacuolar cargoes are mainly mediated by two types of organelles, multivesicular bodies (MVBs) also termed prevacuolar compartments (PVCs) and autophagosomes. MVBs are single-membrane bound organelles with intraluminal vesicles and mediate the transport between the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and vacuoles, while autophagosomes are double-membrane bound organelles, which mediate cargo delivery to the vacuole for degradation and recycling during autophagy. Great progress has been achieved recently in identification and characterization of the conserved and plant-unique regulators involved in the MVB and autophagosome pathways. In this review, we present an update on the current knowledge of these key regulators and pay special attention to their conserved protein domains. In addition, we discuss the possible interplay between the MVB and autophagosome pathways in regulating vacuolar degradation in plants.

Processing of the Terminal Alpha-1,2-Linked Mannose Residues From Oligomannosidic N-Glycans Is Critical for Proper Root Growth

N-glycosylation is an essential protein modification that plays roles in many diverse biological processes including protein folding, quality control and protein interactions. Despite recent advances in characterization of the N-glycosylation and N-glycan processing machinery our understanding of N-glycosylation related processes in plant development is limited. In Arabidopsis thaliana, failure of mannose trimming from oligomannosidic N-glycans in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and cis/medial-Golgi leads to a defect in root development in the mns123 triple mutant. Here, we show that the severe root phenotype of mns123 is restored in asparagine-linked glycosylation (ALG)-deficient plants with distinct defects in the biosynthesis of the lipid-linked oligosaccharide precursor. The root growth of these ALG-deficient plants is not affected by the α-mannosidase inhibitor kifunensine. Genetic evidence shows that the defect is uncoupled from the glycan-dependent ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway that removes misfolded glycoproteins with oligomannosidic N-glycans from the ER. Restoration of mannose trimming using a trans-Golgi targeted α-mannosidase suppresses the defect of mns123 roots. These data suggest that processing of terminal mannose residues from oligomannosidic N-glycans is important for an unknown late-Golgi or post-Golgi process that is implicated in proper root formation.

Trafficking routes to the plant vacuole: connecting alternative and classical pathways

Due to the numerous roles plant vacuoles play in cell homeostasis, detoxification, and protein storage, the trafficking pathways to this organelle have been extensively studied. Recent evidence, however, suggests that our vision of transport to the vacuole is not as simple as previously imagined. Alternative routes have been identified and are being characterized. Intricate interconnections between routes seem to occur in various cases, complicating the interpretation of data. In this review, we aim to summarize the published evidence and link the emerging data with previous findings. We discuss the current state of information on alternative and classical trafficking routes to the plant vacuole.

Dynamic N-glycoproteome analysis of maize seedling leaves during de-etiolation using Concanavalin A lectin affinity chromatography and a nano-LC-MS/MS-based iTRAQ approach

The identification of N -glycosylated proteins with information about changes in the level of N -glycosylation during de-etiolation provides a database that will aid further research on plant N -glycosylation and de-etiolation. N-glycosylation is one of the most prominent and abundant protein post-translational modifications in all eukaryotes and in plants it plays important roles in development, stress tolerance and immune responses. Because light-induced de-etiolation is one of the most dramatic developmental processes known in plants, seedlings undergoing de-etiolation are an excellent model for investigating dynamic proteomic profiles. Here, we present a comprehensive, quantitative N-glycoproteomic profile of maize seedlings undergoing 12 h of de-etiolation obtained using Concanavalin A (Con A) lectin affinity chromatography enrichment coupled with a nano-LC-MS/MS-based iTRAQ approach. In total, 1084 unique N-glycopeptides carrying 909 N-glycosylation sites and corresponding to 609 proteins were identified and quantified, including 186 N-glycosylation sites from 162 proteins that were significantly regulated over the course of the 12 h de-etiolation period. Based on hierarchical clustering analysis, the significantly regulated N-glycopeptides were divided into seven clusters that showed different N-glycosylation patterns during de-etiolation. We found no obvious difference in the enriched MapMan bincode categories for each cluster, and these clustered significantly regulated N-glycoproteins (SRNPs) are enriched in miscellaneous, protein, cell wall and signaling, indicating that although the N-glycosylation regulation patterns of these SRNPs might differ, they are involved in similar biological processes. Overall, this study represents the first large-scale quantitative N-glycoproteome of the model C4 plant, maize, which is one of the most important cereal and biofuel crops. Our results greatly expand the maize N-glycoproteomic database and also shed light on the potential roles of N-glycosylation modification during the greening of maize leaves.

Identification of methylated GnTI-dependent N-glycans in Botryococcus brauni

In contrast to mammals and vascular plants, microalgae show a high diversity in the N-glycan structures of complex N-glycoproteins. Although homologues for β1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnTI), a key enzyme in the formation of complex N-glycans, have been identified in several algal species, GnTI-dependent N-glycans have not been detected so far. We have performed an N-glycoproteomic analysis of the hydrocarbon oils accumulating green microalgae Botryococcus braunii. Thereby, the analysis of intact N-glycopeptides allowed the determination of N-glycan compositions. Furthermore, insights into the role of N-glycosylation in B. braunii were gained from functional annotation of the identified N-glycoproteins. In total, 517 unique N-glycosylated peptides have been identified, including intact N-glycopeptides that harbored N-acetylhexosamine (HexNAc) at the nonreducing end. Surprisingly, these GnTI-dependent N-glycans were also found to be modified with (di)methylated hexose. The identification of GnTI-dependent N-glycans in combination with N-glycan methylation in B. braunii revealed an uncommon type of N-glycan processing in this microalgae.

N-Linked Glycosylation of the p24 Family Protein p24δ5 Modulates Retrograde Golgi-to-ER Transport of K/HDEL Ligands in Arabidopsis

The K/HDEL receptor ERD2 mediates the transport of soluble endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident proteins containing a C-terminal K/HDEL signal from the Golgi apparatus back to the ER via COPI (COat Protein I)-coated vesicles. Sorting of ERD2 within COPI vesicles is facilitated by p24 proteins. In Arabidopsis, p24δ5 has been shown to interact directly with ERD2 via its luminal GOLD (GOLgi Dynamics) domain and with COPI proteins via its cytoplasmic C-terminal tail at the acidic pH of the Golgi apparatus. Several members of the p24 family in mammals and yeast have been shown to be glycosylated, but whether Arabidopsis p24 proteins are glycosylated and the role of the sugar moiety in p24 function remain unclear. Here, we show that Arabidopsis p24δ5 protein is N-glycosylated in its GOLD domain. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this post-translational modification is important for its coupled transport with p24β2 at the ER-Golgi interface, for its interaction with the K/HDEL receptor ERD2, and for retrograde transport of ERD2 and K/HDEL ligands from the Golgi apparatus back to the ER.

N-glycan maturation mutants in Lotus japonicus for basic and applied glycoprotein research

Studies of protein N-glycosylation are important for answering fundamental questions on the diverse functions of glycoproteins in plant growth and development. Here we generated and characterised a comprehensive collection of Lotus japonicusLORE1 insertion mutants, each lacking the activity of one of the 12 enzymes required for normal N-glycan maturation in the glycosylation machinery. The inactivation of the individual genes resulted in altered N-glycan patterns as documented using mass spectrometry and glycan-recognising antibodies, indicating successful identification of null mutations in the target glyco-genes. For example, both mass spectrometry and immunoblotting experiments suggest that proteins derived from the α1,3-fucosyltransferase (Lj3fuct) mutant completely lacked α1,3-core fucosylation. Mass spectrometry also suggested that the Lotus japonicus convicilin 2 was one of the main glycoproteins undergoing differential expression/N-glycosylation in the mutants. Demonstrating the functional importance of glycosylation, reduced growth and seed production phenotypes were observed for the mutant plants lacking functional mannosidase I, N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I, and α1,3-fucosyltransferase, even though the relative protein composition and abundance appeared unaffected. The strength of our N-glycosylation mutant platform is the broad spectrum of resulting glycoprotein profiles and altered physiological phenotypes that can be produced from single, double, triple and quadruple mutants. This platform will serve as a valuable tool for elucidating the functional role of protein N-glycosylation in plants. Furthermore, this technology can be used to generate stable plant mutant lines for biopharmaceutical production of glycoproteins displaying relative homogeneous and mammalian-like N-glycosylation features.

Once for All: A Novel Robust System for Co-expression of Multiple Chimeric Fluorescent Fusion Proteins in Plants

Chimeric fluorescent fusion proteins have been employed as a powerful tool to reveal the subcellular localizations and dynamics of proteins in living cells. Co-expression of a fluorescent fusion protein with well-known organelle markers in the same cell is especially useful in revealing its spatial and temporal functions of the protein in question. However, the conventional methods for co-expressing multiple fluorescent tagged proteins in plants have the drawbacks of low expression efficiency, variations in the expression level and time-consuming genetic crossing. Here, we have developed a novel robust system that allows for high-efficient co-expression of multiple chimeric fluorescent fusion proteins in plants in a time-saving fashion. This system takes advantage of employing a single expression vector which consists of multiple semi-independent expressing cassettes for the protein co-expression thereby overcoming the limitations of using multiple independent expressing plasmids. In addition, it is a highly manipulable DNA assembly system, in which modification and recombination of DNA molecules are easily achieved through an optimized one-step assembly reaction. By employing this effective system, we demonstrated that co-expression of two chimeric fluorescent fusion reporter proteins of vacuolar sorting receptor and secretory carrier membrane protein gave rise to their perspective subcellular localizations in plants via both transient expression and stable transformation. Thus, we believed that this technical advance represents a promising approach for multi-color-protein co-expression in plant cells.

Analysis of Golgi-Mediated Protein Traffic in Plant Cells

In plant secretory pathways, the Golgi apparatus serves as the major sorting hub to receive de novo synthesized protein from the endoplasmic reticulum for further sorting to post-Golgi compartments or for residence in the cisternae of Golgi stacks. Meanwhile, Golgi functions as a pivotal biochemical factory to make modifications of N-glycans and to produce mature glycoproteins. Fluorescent tag-based confocal microscopy in combination with the brefeldin A drug or the genetic tools to disturb Golgi function have been shown as powerful approaches to analyze Golgi-mediated protein traffic in transiently expressed plant protoplasts or in stably expressed transgenic plants. Various endoglycosidases like Endo H and PNGase F have been widely used to monitor Golgi-mediated glycosylation of secretory proteins. Here, using fluorescently tagged Golgi-resident proteins and known glycosylated proteins as examples, we describe detailed protocols to analyze Golgi-mediated protein traffic and glycosylation in transiently expressed protoplasts derived from Arabidopsis suspension culture cells and in stably expressed transgenic plants.

Receptor-mediated sorting of soluble vacuolar proteins: myths, facts, and a new model

To prevent their being released to the cell exterior, acid hydrolases are recognized by receptors at some point in the secretory pathway and diverted towards the lytic compartment of the cell (lysosome or vacuole). In animal cells, the receptor is called the mannosyl 6-phosphate receptor (MPR) and it binds hydrolase ligands in the trans-Golgi network (TGN). These ligands are then sequestered into clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) because of motifs in the cytosolic tail of the MPR which interact first with monomeric adaptors (Golgi-localized, Gamma-ear-containing, ARF-binding proteins, GGAs) and then with tetrameric (adaptin) adaptor complexes. The CCVs then fuse with an early endosome, whose more acidic lumen causes the ligands to dissociate. The MPRs are then recycled back to the TGN via retromer-coated carriers. Plants have vacuolar sorting receptors (VSRs) which were originally identified in CCVs isolated from pea (Pisum sativum L.) cotyledons. It was therefore assumed that VSRs would have an analogous function in plants to MPRs in animals. Although this dogma has enjoyed wide support over the last 20 years there are many inconsistencies. Recently, results have been published which are quite contrary to it. It now emerges that VSRs and their ligands can interact very early in the secretory pathway, and dissociate in the TGN, which, in contrast to its mammalian counterpart, has a pH of 5.5. Multivesicular endosomes in plants lack proton pump complexes and consequently have an almost neutral internal pH, which discounts them as organelles of pH-dependent receptor-ligand dissociation. These data force a critical re-evaluation of the role of CCVs at the TGN, especially considering that vacuolar cargo ligands have never been identified in them. We propose that one population of TGN-derived CCVs participate in retrograde transport of VSRs from the TGN. We also present a new model to explain how secretory and vacuolar cargo proteins are effectively separated after entering the late Golgi/TGN compartments.

Review/N-glycans: The making of a varied toolbox

Asparagine (N)-linked protein glycosylation is one of the most crucial, prevalent, and complex co- and post-translational protein modifications. It plays a pivotal role in protein folding, quality control, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) as well as in protein sorting, protein function, and in signal transduction. Furthermore, glycosylation modulates many important biological processes including growth, development, morphogenesis, and stress signaling processes. As a consequence, aberrant or altered N-glycosylation is often associated with reduced fitness, diseases, and disorders. The initial steps of N-glycan synthesis at the cytosolic side of the ER membrane and in the lumen of the ER are highly conserved. In contrast, the final N-glycan processing in the Golgi apparatus is organism-specific giving rise to a wide variety of carbohydrate structures. Despite our vast knowledge on N-glycans in yeast and mammals, the modus operandi of N-glycan signaling in plants is still largely unknown. This review will elaborate on the N-glycosylation biosynthesis pathway in plants but will also critically assess how N-glycans are involved in different signaling cascades, either active during normal development or upon abiotic and biotic stresses.