Partial purification and characterization of ribonucleases from roots, stem and leaves of cowpea

Cowpea ribonuclease: properties and effect of NaCl-salinity on its activation during seed germination and seedling establishment

Pitiúba cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] seeds were germinated in distilled water (control treatment) or in 100 mM NaCl solution (salt treatment), and RNase was purified from different parts of the seedlings. Seedling growth was reduced by the NaCl treatment. RNase activity was low in cotyledons of quiescent seeds, but the enzyme was activated during germination and seedling establishment. Salinity reduced cotyledon RNase activity, and this effect appeared to be due to a delay in its activation. The RNases from roots, stems, and leaves were immunologically identical to that found in cotyledons. Partially purified RNase fractions from the different parts of the seedling showed some activity with DNA as substrate. However, this DNA hydrolyzing activity was much lower than that of RNA hydrolyzing activity. The DNA hydrolyzing activity was strongly inhibited by Cu(2+), Hg(2+), and Zn(2+) ions, stimulated by MgCl(2), and slowly inhibited by EDTA. This activity from the most purified fraction was inhibited by increasing concentrations of RNA in the reaction medium. It is suggested that the major biological role of this cotyledon RNase would be to hydrolyze seed storage RNA during germination and seedling establishment, and it was discussed that it might have a protective role against abiotic stress during later part of seedling establishment.

Inhibition of ribonuclease and protease activities in arsenic exposed rice seedlings: role of proline as enzyme protectant

When seedlings of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) cvs. Malviya-36 and Pant-12 were raised under 25 and 50 microM As2O3 in the medium an increase in the level of RNA, proteins and proline accompanied with a decline in the level of free amino acid pool was observed under arsenic supplementation compared to controls. In situ As3+ treatment caused a marked inhibition in activities of ribonuclease (RNase, EC 3.1.27.1), protease and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP, EC 3.4.11.1) whereas the activity level of carboxypeptidase (EC 3.4.16.5) was enhanced. In vitro supply of As2O3 in the enzyme assay medium beyond 400 microM resulted in gradual inhibition of RNase and beyond 5 microM inhibition of LAP activities. Addition of 1M proline in the assay medium significantly restored the loss in RNase activity due to in vitro arsenic treatment or due to osmotic stress created by incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Isoform pattern of RNase extracted from As3+ -exposed seedlings showed a significant alteration compared to its pattern in unexposed seedlings. Results suggest that arsenic exposure impairs hydrolysis of RNA and proteins in rice seedlings due to inhibition of RNase and proteases activities and that proline accumulating under As3+ toxicity appears to serve as enzyme protectant.