Autophagy is activated and involved in cell death with participation of cathepsins during stress-induced microspore embryogenesis in barley

Microspores are reprogrammed towards embryogenesis by stress. Many microspores die after this stress, limiting the efficiency of microspore embryogenesis. Autophagy is a degradation pathway that plays critical roles in stress response and cell death. In animals, cathepsins have an integral role in autophagy by degrading autophagic material; less is known in plants. Plant cathepsins are papain-like C1A cysteine proteases involved in many physiological processes, including programmed cell death. We have analysed the involvement of autophagy in cell death, in relation to cathepsin activation, during stress-induced microspore embryogenesis in Hordeum vulgare. After stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death increased and autophagy was activated, including HvATG5 and HvATG6 up-regulation and increase of ATG5, ATG8, and autophagosomes. Concomitantly, cathepsin L/F-, B-, and H-like activities were induced, cathepsin-like genes HvPap-1 and HvPap-6 were up-regulated, and HvPap-1, HvPap-6, and HvPap-19 proteins increased and localized in the cytoplasm, resembling autophagy structures. Inhibitors of autophagy and cysteine proteases reduced cell death and promoted embryogenesis. The findings reveal a role for autophagy in stress-induced cell death during microspore embryogenesis, and the participation of cathepsins. Similar patterns of activation, expression, and localization suggest a possible connection between cathepsins and autophagy. The results open up new possibilities to enhance microspore embryogenesis efficiency with autophagy and/or cysteine protease modulators.

First molecular detection and characterization of herpesvirus and poxvirus in a Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)

Background

Herpesvirus and poxvirus can infect a wide range of species: herpesvirus genetic material has been detected and amplified in five species of the superfamily Pinnipedia; poxvirus genetic material, in eight species of Pinnipedia. To date, however, genetic material of these viruses has not been detected in walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), another marine mammal of the Pinnipedia clade, even though anti-herpesvirus antibodies have been detected in these animals.

Case presentation

In February 2013, a 9-year-old healthy captive female Pacific walrus died unexpectedly at L’Oceanografic (Valencia, Spain). Herpesvirus was detected in pharyngeal tonsil tissue by PCR. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the virus belongs to the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. Poxvirus was also detected by PCR in skin, pre-scapular and tracheobronchial lymph nodes and tonsils. Gross lesions were not detected in any tissue, but histopathological analyses of pharyngeal tonsils and lymph nodes revealed remarkable lymphoid depletion and lymphocytolysis. Similar histopathological lesions have been previously described in bovine calves infected with an alphaherpesvirus, and in northern elephant seals infected with a gammaherpesvirus that is closely related to the herpesvirus found in this case. Intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies, consistent with poxviral infection, were also observed in the epithelium of the tonsilar mucosa.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first molecular identification of herpesvirus and poxvirus in a walrus. Neither virus was likely to have contributed directly to the death of our animal.

Conditional Depletion of the Chlamydomonas Chloroplast ClpP Protease Activates Nuclear Genes Involved in Autophagy and Plastid Protein Quality Control

Plastid protein homeostasis is critical during chloroplast biogenesis and responses to changes in environmental conditions. Proteases and molecular chaperones involved in plastid protein quality control are encoded by the nucleus except for the catalytic subunit of ClpP, an evolutionarily conserved serine protease. Unlike its Escherichia coli ortholog, this chloroplast protease is essential for cell viability. To study its function, we used a recently developed system of repressible chloroplast gene expression in the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Using this repressible system, we have shown that a selective gradual depletion of ClpP leads to alteration of chloroplast morphology, causes formation of vesicles, and induces extensive cytoplasmic vacuolization that is reminiscent of autophagy. Analysis of the transcriptome and proteome during ClpP depletion revealed a set of proteins that are more abundant at the protein level, but not at the RNA level. These proteins may comprise some of the ClpP substrates. Moreover, the specific increase in accumulation, both at the RNA and protein level, of small heat shock proteins, chaperones, proteases, and proteins involved in thylakoid maintenance upon perturbation of plastid protein homeostasis suggests the existence of a chloroplast-to-nucleus signaling pathway involved in organelle quality control. We suggest that this represents a chloroplast unfolded protein response that is conceptually similar to that observed in the endoplasmic reticulum and in mitochondria.

Evidence for a role of VIPP1 in the structural organization of the photosynthetic apparatus in Chlamydomonas

The vesicle-inducing protein in plastids (VIPP1) was suggested to play a role in thylakoid membrane formation via membrane vesicles. As this functional assignment is under debate, we investigated the function of VIPP1 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Using immunofluorescence, we localized VIPP1 to distinct spots within the chloroplast. In VIPP1-RNA interference/artificial microRNA cells, we consistently observed aberrant, prolamellar body-like structures at the origin of multiple thylakoid membrane layers, which appear to coincide with the immunofluorescent VIPP1 spots and suggest a defect in thylakoid membrane biogenesis. Accordingly, using quantitative shotgun proteomics, we found that unstressed vipp1 mutant cells accumulate 14 to 20% less photosystems, cytochrome b(6)f complex, and ATP synthase but 30% more light-harvesting complex II than control cells, while complex assembly, thylakoid membrane ultrastructure, and bulk lipid composition appeared unaltered. Photosystems in vipp1 mutants are sensitive to high light, which coincides with a lowered midpoint potential of the Q(A)/Q(A)(-) redox couple and increased thermosensitivity of photosystem II (PSII), suggesting structural defects in PSII. Moreover, swollen thylakoids, despite reduced membrane energization, in vipp1 mutants grown on ammonium suggest defects in the supermolecular organization of thylakoid membrane complexes. Overall, our data suggest a role of VIPP1 in the biogenesis/assembly of thylakoid membrane core complexes, most likely by supplying structural lipids.

The GATA transcription factors GLN3 and GAT1 link TOR to salt stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

One of the most recent functions assigned to the TOR signaling pathway in yeast is the coordination of the transcription of genes involved in nutrient utilization. Here we show that transcription of ENA1, a gene encoding a lithium and sodium ion transporter essential for salt tolerance in yeast, is controlled by the TOR signaling pathway. First, ENA1 expression is strongly induced under TOR-inactivating conditions. Second, the absence of the TOR-controlled GATA transcription factors GLN3 and GAT1 results in reduced basal and salt-induced expression of ENA1. Third, a gln3 gat1 mutant displays a pronounced sensitivity to high concentrations of lithium and sodium. Fourth, TOR1, similar to ENA1, is required for growth under saline stress conditions. In summary, our results suggest that TOR plays a role in the general response to saline stress by regulating the transcription of ENA1 via GLN3 and GAT1.

Characterization of two thioredoxins h with predominant localization in the nucleus of aleurone and scutellum cells of germinating wheat seeds

Two full-length cDNA clones, designated TrxhA and TrxhB, encoding different but very similar thioredoxin h polypeptides were isolated from wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring) aleurone cells. The deduced proteins show a high similarity to each other and to thioredoxin h from other sources, in particular from T. aestivum and T. durum. One of them, TRXhA, was expressed in E. coli as a His-tagged polypeptide and used to raise polyclonal antibodies by immunization of rabbits. These antibodies identified a single band (ca. 13.5 kDa) in western blot analysis of protein extracts from all wheat organs analyzed. TRXhA and TRXhB when expressed in E. coli as intact polypetides showed indistinguishable electrophoretic mobility, which corresponded to the 13.5 kDa polypeptide detected in wheat protein extracts. The amount of thioredoxin h transcripts increased in scutellum and aleurone cells during germination but GA3 did not exert any stimulatory effect on thioredoxin h expression. Although northern blot analysis detected a single band, competitive RT-PCR showed that this band is due to the accumulation of both TrxhA and TrxhB mRNAs. These results suggest that the single band detected in western blots is due to the presence of at least two thioredoxin h polypeptides. Immunolocalization experiments confirmed the high content of thioredoxins h in scutellum and aleurone cells, and showed a low content in the starchy endosperm of germinating grains. Interestingly, though these proteins are evenly distributed in the cytosol, the highest levels of thioredoxins h were detected in the nucleus, both in aleurone and scutellum cells.

Mutational analysis of Asp51 of Anabaena azollae glutamine synthetase. D51E mutation confers resistance to the active site inhibitors L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine and phosphinothricin

The role of Asp51 in the catalytic activity of glutamine synthetase from the cyanobacterium Anabaena azollae has been analyzed. Five mutant enzymes, D51S, D51A, D51E, D51N and D51R, were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis and characterized. Asp51 appears to participate in the binding of ammonium ion, as affinity for this substrate was affected in all cases, although it varied according to the charge and/or size of the amino-acid residue, decreasing in the order Glu > Asn > Ser > Ala. The replacement of Asp51 by Glu (D51E) conferred besides a high resistance to the herbicides L-methionine-DL-sulfoximine and phosphinothricin, as a result of a decreased phosphorylation ability.

Nitrogen control of the glnN gene that codes for GS type III, the only glutamine synthetase in the cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena sp. PCC 6903

Pseudanabaena sp. strain PCC 6903 is the first cyanobacteria lacking the typical prokaryotic glutamine synthetase type I encoded by the glnA gene. The glnN gene product, glutamine synthetase type III, is the only glutamine synthetase activity present in this cyanobacterium. Analysis of glnN expression clearly indicated a nitrogen-dependent regulation. Pseudanabaena glnN gene expression and GSIII activity were upregulated under nitrogen starvation or using nitrate as a nitrogen source, while low levels of transcript and activity were found in ammonium-containing medium. Primer extension analysis showed that the glnN gene promoter structure resembled that of the NtcA-related promoters. Mobility shift assays demonstrated that Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 NtcA protein, expressed and purified from Escherichia coli, bound to the promoter of the Pseudanabaena 6903 glnN gene. The NtcA control of the glnN gene in this cyanobacterium suggested that, in the absence of a glnA gene, NtcA took control of the only glutamine synthetase gene in a fashion similar to the way the glnA gene is governed in those cyanobacteria harbouring a glnA gene.