Vascular gene expression: a hypothesis

Unraveling the Roles of Vascular Proteins Using Proteomics

Vascular bundles play important roles in transporting nutrients, growth signals, amino acids, and proteins between aerial and underground tissues. In order to understand these sophisticated processes, a comprehensive analysis of the roles of the components located in the vascular tissues is required. A great deal of data has been obtained from proteomic analyses of vascular tissues in plants, which mainly aim to identify the proteins moving through the vascular tissues. Here, different aspects of the phloem and xylem proteins are reviewed, including their collection methods, and their main biological roles in growth, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. The study of vascular proteomics shows great potential to contribute to our understanding of the biological mechanisms related to development and defense in plants.

Structure-Function Relationship of TCTP

The translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is a small, multifunctional protein found in most, if not all, eukaryotic lineages, involved in a myriad of key regulatory processes. Among these, the control of proliferation and inhibition of cell death, as well as differentiation, are the most important, and it is probable that other responses are derived from the ability of TCTP to influence them in both unicellular and multicellular organisms. In the latter, an additional function for TCTP stems from its capacity to be secreted via a nonclassical pathway and function in a non-cell autonomous (paracrine) manner, thus affecting the responses of neighboring or distant cells to developmental or environmental stimuli (as in the case of serum TCTP/histamine-releasing factor in mammals and phloem TCTP in Arabidopsis). The additional ability to traverse membranes without a requirement for transmembrane receptors adds to its functional flexibility. The long-distance transport of TCTP mRNA and protein in plants via the vascular system supports the notion that an important aspect of TCTP function is its ability to influence the response of neighboring and distant cells to endogenous and exogenous signals in a supracellular manner. The predicted tridimensional structure of TCTPs indicates a high degree of conservation, more than its amino acid sequence similarity could suggest. However, subtle differences in structure could lead to different activities, as evidenced by TCTPs secreted by Plasmodium spp. Similar structural variations in animal and plant TCTPs, likely the result of convergent evolution, could lead to deviations from the canonical function of this group of proteins, which could have an impact from a biomedical and agricultural perspectives.

Molecular control of cell specification and cell differentiation during procambial development

Land plants develop vascular tissues that enable the long-distance transport of water and nutrients in xylem and phloem, provide mechanical support for their vertical growth, and produce cells in radial growth. Vascular tissues are produced in many parts of the plant and during different developmental stages. Early vascular development is focused in procambial meristems, and in some species it continues during the secondary phase of plant development in cambial meristems. In this review, we highlight recent progress in understanding procambial development. This involves the analysis of stem cell-like properties of procambial tissues, specification of xylem and phloem, and differentiation of the conductive tissues. Several major plant hormones, small-RNA species, and transcriptional networks play a role in vascular development. We describe current approaches to integrating these networks as well as their potential role in explaining the diversity and evolution of plant vascular systems.

Overexpression of the pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) 16 kDa phloem protein CmPP16 increases tolerance to water deficit

The phloem plays an important role in the delivery of nutrients and signals between photosynthetic to heterotrophic tissues. Proteins and RNAs in the phloem translocation stream may have an important role in maintaining the integrity of the sieve tube system, as well as in long-distance signaling. CmPP16 is a pumpkin phloem protein, which has been shown to bind RNA in a non-sequence specific manner, and move it cell-to-cell and conceivably, long-distance. The protein and RNA are found in both companion cell (CC) and sieve elements (SE). However, a more precise function for this protein is not known. In this work we report the overexpression of CmPP16 fused to GFP via transformation of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima cv. Big Max) plants in the cotyledonary stage by direct inoculation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Plants overexpressing CmPP16 did not show an obvious phenotype. However, these plants displayed higher photosynthetic capacity during drought than wild-type (WT) pumpkin or transformed with another construct. These results suggest that CmPP16 may be involved in the response to stress through long-distance signaling.

Overexpression of the pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) 16 kDa phloem protein CmPP16 increases tolerance to water deficit

The phloem plays an important role in the delivery of nutrients and signals between photosynthetic to heterotrophic tissues. Proteins and RNAs in the phloem translocation stream may have an important role in maintaining the integrity of the sieve tube system, as well as in long-distance signaling. CmPP16 is a pumpkin phloem protein, which has been shown to bind RNA in a non-sequence specific manner, and move it cell-to-cell and conceivably, long-distance. The protein and RNA are found in both companion cell (CC) and sieve elements (SE). However, a more precise function for this protein is not known. In this work we report the overexpression of CmPP16 fused to GFP via transformation of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima cv. Big Max) plants in the cotyledonary stage by direct inoculation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Plants overexpressing CmPP16 did not show an obvious phenotype. However, these plants displayed higher photosynthetic capacity during drought than wild-type (WT) pumpkin or transformed with another construct. These results suggest that CmPP16 may be involved in the response to stress through long-distance signaling.