Structural elements that modulate the substrate specificity of plant purple acid phosphatases: Avenues for improved phosphorus acquisition in crops

Phosphate acquisition by plants is an essential process that is directly implicated in the optimization of crop yields. Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes, which catalyze the hydrolysis of a wide range of phosphate esters and anhydrides. While some plant PAPs display a preference for ATP as the substrate, others are efficient in hydrolyzing phytate or 2-phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). PAP from red kidney bean (rkbPAP) is an efficient ATP- and ADPase, but has no activity towards phytate. Crystal structures of this enzyme in complex with ATP analogues (to 2.20 and 2.60 Å resolution, respectively) complement the recent structure of rkbPAP with a bound ADP analogue (ChemBioChem 20 (2019) 1536). Together these complexes provide the first structural insight of a PAP in complex with molecules that mimic biologically relevant substrates. Homology modeling was used to generate three-dimensional structures for the active sites of PAPs from tobacco (NtPAP) and thale cress (AtPAP26) that are efficient in hydrolyzing phytate and PEP as preferred substrates, respectively. The combining of crystallographic data, substrate docking simulations and a phylogenetic analysis of 49 plant PAP sequences (including the first PAP sequences reported from Eucalyptus) resulted in the identification of several active site residues that are important in defining the substrate specificities of plant PAPs; of particular relevance is the identification of a motif ("REKA") that is characteristic for plant PAPs that possess phytase activity. These results may inform bioengineering studies aimed at identifying and incorporating suitable plant PAP genes into crops to improve phosphorus acquisition and use efficiency. Organic phosphorus sources increasingly supplement or replace inorganic fertilizer, and efficient phosphorus use of crops will lower the environmental footprint of agriculture while enhancing food production.

Overexpression of OsMYB4P, an R2R3-type MYB transcriptional activator, increases phosphate acquisition in rice

R2R3 MYB transcription factors play regulatory roles in plant responses to various environmental stresses and nutrient deficiency. In this study, we isolated and designated OsMYB4P, an R2R3 MYB transcription factor, from rice (Oryza sativa L. 'Dongjin') under phosphate-deficient conditions. OsMYB4P was localized in the nucleus and acted as a transcriptional activator. Transcriptional levels of OsMYB4P in cell suspension, shoots, and roots of rice increased under phosphate-deficient conditions. Shoots and roots of OsMYB4P-overexpressing plants grew well in high- and phosphate-deficient conditions. In addition, root system architecture was altered considerably as a result of OsMYB4P overexpression. Under both phosphate-sufficient and -deficient conditions, more Pi accumulated in shoots and roots of OsMYB4P-overexpressing plants than in the wild type. Overexpression of OsMYB4P led to greater expression of Pi transporter-family proteins OsPT1, OsPT2, OsPT4, OsPT7, and OsPT8 in shoots, and to decreased or unchanged expression of these proteins in roots, with the exception of OsPT8. These results demonstrate that OsMYB4P may be associated with efficient utilization of Pi in rice through transcriptional activation of Pi homeostasis-related genes.

Improving phosphorus acquisition of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) by transgenic expression of plant-derived phytase and acid phosphatase genes

Phosphate is one of the least available macronutrients restricting crop production in many ecosystems. A phytase gene (MtPHY1) and a purple acid phosphatase gene (MtPAP1), both isolated from the model legume Medicago truncatula, were introduced into white clover (Trifolium repens L.) by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transgenes were driven by the constitutive CaMV35S promoter or the root-specific MtPT1 promoter. Transcripts were detected in roots of the transgenic plants. Phytase or acid phosphatase (APase) activities in root apoplasts of the transgenic plants were increased up to three-fold compared to the wild type control. After the plants were grown 80 days in sand pots supplied with organic phosphorus (Po) as the sole P source, dry weights of shoot tissues of the best performing transgenic plants almost doubled that of the control and were comparable to the counterparts supplied with inorganic phosphorus (Pi). Relative biomass production of the transgenics under Po treatment was over 90% and 80% of that from the Pi treatment when the plants were grown in hydroponics (40 days) and sand pots (80 days), respectively. In contrast, biomass of the wild type controls under Po treatment was only about 50% of the Pi treatment in either hydroponic cultures or sand pots. In addition, shoot P concentrations of the transgenic plants were significantly increased compared to the control. Transgenic plants accumulated much higher amounts of total P (up to 2.6-fold after 80 days of growth) than the control in Po supplied sand pots. The results showed that transgenic expression of MtPHY1 or MtPAP1 in white clover plants increased their abilities of utilizing organic phosphorus in response to P deficiency.