GTP-binding proteins in plants.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Biomedical subjects
D Inzé
Publications and source records attributed to D Inzé.
A protein phosphatase 1 from Arabidopsis thaliana restores temperature sensitivity of a Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc25ts/wee1- double mutant.
There is increasing evidence that the mechanisms controlling the eukaryotic cell cycle are regulated by protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation cascades. The catalytic subunit of the protein phosphatase 1 is implicated genetically and biochemically in the complex network that regulates mitosis. To investigate further the cell division in plants, we have isolated and characterized two full-length cDNAs from Arabidopsis thaliana, PP1A-At1 and PP1A-At2, encoding polypeptides highly homologous to known protein phosphatase 1 (PP1). DNA gel blot analysis suggests that the protein phosphatases 1 might form a small gene family in Arabidopsis. Northern analysis shows that transcripts are present in all plant organs. In cell cultures, the PP1 mRNA levels are differentially affected by treatment with drugs that block cell division. The expression of PP1A-At1 in a Schizosaccharomyces pombe cdc25ts/wee1- double-mutant strain restores temperature sensitivity, showing that the Arabidopsis phosphatase gene is capable of interacting with genes that regulate the fission yeast mitotic apparatus. However, the dis2-11 S. pombe strain, which has a cold-sensitive allele of the phosphatase 1 gene, is not rescued by expression of the PP1A-At1 gene, suggesting that the plant cDNA is not a functional homolog of the fission yeast gene.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
A cDNA encoding S-adenosyl-L-methionine synthetase from poplar.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
DNA, Complementary↗
Superoxide dismutase enhances tolerance of freezing stress in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).
Activated oxygen or oxygen free radicals have been implicated in a number of physiological disorders in plants including freezing injury. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide into O2 and H2O2 and thereby reduces the titer of activated oxygen molecules in the cell. To further examine the relationship between oxidative and freezing stresses, the expression of SOD was modified in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The Mn-SOD cDNA from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was introduced into alfalfa using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Two plasmid vectors, pMitSOD and pChlSOD, contained a chimeric Mn-SOD construct with a transit peptide for targeting to the mitochondria or one for targeting to the chloroplast, respectively. The putatively transgenic plants were selected for resistance to kanamycin and screened for neomycin phosphotransferase activity and the presence of an additional Mn-SOD isozyme. Detailed analysis of a set of four selected transformants indicated that some had enhanced SOD activity, increased tolerance to the diphenyl ether herbicide, acifluorfen, and increased regrowth after freezing stress. The F1 progeny of one line, RA3-ChlSOD-30, were analyzed by SOD isozyme activity, by polymerase chain reaction for the Mn-SOD gene, and by polymerase chain reaction for the neo gene. RA3-ChlSOD-30 had three sites of insertion of pChlSOD, but only one gave a functional Mn-SOD isozyme; the other two were apparently partial insertions. The progeny with a functional Mn-SOD transgene had more rapid regrowth following freezing stress than those progeny lacking the functional Mn-SOD transgene, suggesting that Mn-SOD serves a protective role by minimizing oxygen free radical production after freezing stress.
Base Sequence↗
cdc2a expression in Arabidopsis is linked with competence for cell division.
A key regulator of the cell cycle is a highly conserved protein kinase whose catalytic subunit, p34(cdc2), is encoded by the cdc2 gene. We studied the control of the expression of the Arabidopsis cdc2a gene in cell suspensions and during plant development. In cell cultures, arrest of the cell cycle did not significantly affect cdc2a mRNA levels, but nutrient conditions were important for cdc2a expression. During plant development, the pattern of cdc2a expression was strongly correlated with the cell proliferation potential. The effects of external signals on cdc2a expression were analyzed. Wounding induced expression in leaves. Lack of light altered temporal regulation of cdc2a in the apical but not root meristem of seedlings. Differential cdc2a responses were obtained after different hormone treatments. Signals present only in intact plants were necessary to mediate these responses. Although other control levels have yet to be analyzed, these results suggest that the regulation of cdc2a expression may contribute greatly to spatial and temporal regulation of cell division in plants. Our results also show that cdc2a expression is not always coupled with cell proliferation but always precedes it. We propose that cdc2a expression may reflect a state of competence to divide, and that the release of other controls is necessary for cell division to occur.
Arabidopsis↗
rha1, a gene encoding a small GTP binding protein from Arabidopsis, is expressed primarily in developing guard cells.
The rha1 gene from Arabidopsis encodes a small GTP binding protein belonging to the Ypt/Rab family. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants containing the promoter region of the rha1 gene fused to the beta-glucuronidase (gus) reporter gene revealed gus expression limited mainly to the guard cells of stomata, the stipules, and the root tip of young plants. In flowering plants, expression was found predominantly in the receptacle and in guard cells of the different flower organs. High GUS activity could also be seen in callus tissue and developing seeds. No detectable activity was present in other plant tissues; activity could not be induced by various treatments. GUS activity was visualized histochemically using both 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl beta-D-glucuronide and a newly developed GUS substrate: Sudan II-beta-glucuronide. The latter precipitates as red crystals at the site of GUS activity. Results obtained by the gus analysis were confirmed by whole-mount mRNA in situ hybridization. A hypothesis for the function of the Rha1 protein is discussed.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Genes regulating the plant cell cycle: isolation of a mitotic-like cyclin from Arabidopsis thaliana.
A key element of cell cycle control in eukaryotes is the M-phase kinase, composed of p34cdc2 and cyclin. To dissect the plant cell cycle, we have previously isolated a cdc2 gene homolog from Arabidopsis thaliana. We have now cloned an Arabidopsis cDNA corresponding to cyclins. This gene (cyc1At) encodes a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 48.4 kDa and a domain homologous to the cyclin box of mitotic cyclins. However, by sequence comparison the cyc1At gene could not be assigned to the A- or B-type group. The mRNA accumulates preferentially in actively dividing cells and when these cells are blocked during the cell cycle, the amount of transcripts decreases dramatically. cyc1At mRNA is found mainly in G2-phase nuclei, suggesting that its expression is periodic in the cell cycle. Microinjection of synthetic cyc1At mRNA induced meiotic maturation in Xenopus oocytes. Cyc1At is encoded by a single gene, but the amplification by the polymerase chain reaction of other fragments homologous to cyclins indicates the presence of a family of cyclins in Arabidopsis.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Analysis of a Nicotiana plumbaginifolia cDNA encoding a novel small GTP-binding protein.
Small GTP-binding proteins belonging to the Ras superfamily have been found in evolutionarily divergent organisms. Here, we report the isolation and analysis of a cDNA encoding a putative small GTP-binding protein, designated Rhn1, from the plant, Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. The 21.8-kDa protein has 60% amino acid similarity with the mammalian Rab5 proteins. The Rhn1 protein is encoded by a small multigene family. Northern analysis shows the highest steady-state mRNA levels to be in roots and flowers. Furthermore, the Rhn1 protein has 80% amino acid similarity with an Arabidopsis small GTP-binding protein, designated Rha1.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Suppression of beta-1,3-glucanase transgene expression in homozygous plants.
A chimeric construct containing the Nicotiana plumbaginifolia beta-1,3-glucanase gn1 gene was introduced into Nicotiana tabacum SR1 to produce high levels of the enzyme constitutively. We determined that the GN1 protein represents a basic beta-1,3-glucanase isoform which accumulates into the vacuoles of the transgenic plants. Analysis of the progeny of the transgenic plant with the highest levels of gn1 expression revealed an unexpected phenomenon of gene suppression. Plants hemizygous for the T-DNA locus contained high levels of gn1 mRNA and exhibited a 14-fold higher beta-1,3-glucanase activity than untransformed plants. However, the expression of gn1 was completely suppressed in the homozygous plants: no corresponding mRNA or protein could be detected. This suppression mechanism occurs at a post-transcriptional level and is under developmental control. In addition, by generating haploid plants we found that this silencing phenomenon is not dependent on allelic interaction between T-DNA copies present at the same locus of homologous chromosomes, but rather is correlated with the transgene dose in the plant genome. We postulate that high doses of GN1 protein relative to the level(s) of other still unknown plant products could trigger the cellular processes directed to suppress gn1 expression.
Blotting, Northern↗
Control of cell division in plants.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Nucleotide sequence of a complementary DNA encoding o-methyltransferase from poplar.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Journal Article↗
A new bioassay for auxins and cytokinins.
The authors have developed a sensitive bioassay that can be used to detect auxins as well as cytokinins. The bioassay is based on the expression in transformed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) mesophyll protoplasts of a chimeric gene, consisting of the upstream sequences of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens gene 5, coupled to the coding sequence of the beta-glucuronidase. The expression of this gene is induced by the presence of both auxin and cytokinin in the culture medium. Using this assay, indole-3-acetic acid was detected at 5 x 10(-8) molar, whereas trans-zeatin could be detected at 5 x 10(-11) molar. The assay can be performed in microtiter plates, allowing numerous samples to be analyzed simultaneously. Only 2.5 x 10(5) protoplasts are required for one individual assay in 250 microliters of culture medium and for qualitative results, the reaction is readily visualized by ultraviolet light.
Journal Article↗
Cis-analysis of a seed protein gene promoter: the conservative RY repeat CATGCATG within the legumin box is essential for tissue-specific expression of a legumin gene.
A 2.4 kb fragment containing the 5'-flanking region and the 5'-noncoding sequence of the Vicia faba legumin gene LeB4 mediates high level seed-specific expression in transgenic tobacco plants. Deleted derivatives of this legumin upstream sequence were fused to the npt-II reporter gene to determine the tissue-specific activity of the chimeric constructs in stably transformed tobacco plants. The results indicate the presence of positive regulatory, enhancer-like cis elements within 566 bp of the upstream sequence. Most importantly, however, these elements are only fully functional in conjunction with the core motif CATGCATG of the legumin box around position -95, since destruction of the motif by a 6 bp deletion in an otherwise intact 2.4 kb upstream sequence drastically reduces expression in seeds. At the same time, low level expression in leaves is observed. The occurrence of similar CATGCATG consensus cis elements with alternating purine and pyrimidine base pairs in front of several other plant genes suggests a functional role of the motif in a wider range of plant promoters.
Base Sequence↗
Pterocarpan phytoalexin biosynthesis in elicitor-challenged chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cell cultures. Purification, characterization and cDNA cloning of NADPH:isoflavone oxidoreductase.
NADPH:isoflavone oxidoreductase (IFR) is the first soluble enzyme of the pterocarpan-specific part of phytoalexin biosynthesis in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The enzyme was purified to apparent homogeneity by a five-step procedure from chickpea cell cultures treated with yeast extract as elicitor. Analysis by gel filtration and SDS/PAGE showed that the enzyme consists of a single polypeptide with a molecular mass of 36 kDa. Km values for the substrates 2'-hydroxyformononetin, 2'-hydroxypseudobaptigenin and NADPH were 6, 6 and 20 microM, respectively. The IFR showed pronounced specificity for the substitution pattern of isoflavones. We found a 2'-hydroxy group and a 4',5'-methylenedioxy or 4'-methoxy function to be essential for acceptance as substrate. The isoelectric point of the protein was determined as 6.3 by IEF and there is no evidence for the existence of isoenzymes. Partial amino acid sequences of IFR were determined from internal peptides obtained by tryptic digestion of the protein and corresponding oligonucleotides were synthesized. A lambda gt10 cDNA library was constructed using poly(A)-rich RNA isolated from chickpea cell cultures treated with Ascochyta rabiei elicitor. 150 positive clones were obtained by screening 2 x 10(5) clones with an IFR-specific oligonucleotide. The identity of sequenced clones was confirmed by comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with the internal peptide sequences of purified IFR. The sequence of a 1183-bp clone contained a continuous open reading frame of 954 bases encoding a polypeptide of 318 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 35.4 kDa, indicating that a full-length cDNA coding for IFR was isolated.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Transient occurrence of extrachromosomal DNA of an Arabidopsis thaliana transposon-like element, Tat1.
Analysis of 11 genomic clones containing the S-adenosylmethionine synthetase 1 gene (sam1) of Arabidopsis thaliana revealed the presence of a 431-base-pair (bp) insertion in the 3' end of sam1 in one of these clones. The inserted sequence, called Tat1, shows structural features of a transposon. It is flanked by a 5-bp duplication of the target site DNA and has 13-bp inverted repeats at its termini. Two highly homologous elements situated in a different genomic context were isolated from a genomic library. Genomic Southern analysis indicates that there are at least four copies of Tat1 present in the A. thaliana ecotype Columbia genome. Different hybridization patterns are observed with DNAs derived from different ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana, indicating that the element has moved since the divergence of these ecotypes. In two populations of A. thaliana, linear extrachromosomal Tat1-homologous DNA has been observed. The presented data are consistent with the hypothesis that Tat1 is an active transposable element.
Base Sequence↗
The extensin signal peptide allows secretion of a heterologous protein from protoplasts.
Extensins are hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins which are amongst the most abundant proteins present in the cell wall of higher plants. Here, we describe the structural analysis of an extensin-encoding gene from Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. The encoded protein (46 kDa) has a highly repetitive structure and contains 37% proline, 18.1% tyrosine, 13.4% lysine, 8.1% serine and 7.1% histidine. The extensin-encoding sequence contains a typical signal peptide for translocation of the protein to the endoplasmic reticulum. By using chimeric genes consisting of different 5' parts of the extensin-encoding gene and the neomycin phosphotransferase II-encoding gene (nptII) as reporter gene, we show that the N-terminal part of extensin can mediate the secretion of NPTII from electroporated N. tabacum protoplasts.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
Manganese superoxide dismutase can reduce cellular damage mediated by oxygen radicals in transgenic plants.
In plants, environmental adversity often leads to the formation of highly reactive oxygen radicals. Since resistance to such conditions may be correlated with the activity of enzymes involved in oxygen detoxification, we have generated transgenic tobacco plants which express elevated levels of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) within their chloroplasts or mitochondria. Leaf discs of these plants have been analyzed in conditions in which oxidative stress was generated preferentially within one or the other organelle. It was found that high level overproduction of MnSOD in the corresponding subcellular location could significantly reduce the amount of cellular damage which would normally occur. In contrast, small increases in MnSOD activity were deleterious under some conditions. A generally applicable model correlating the consequences of SOD with the magnitude of its expression is presented.
Amino Acid Sequence↗
A novel seed protein gene from Vicia faba is developmentally regulated in transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis plants.
We have isolated a novel gene, denoted USP, from Vicia faba var. minor, which corresponds to the most abundant mRNA present in cotyledons during early seed development; however, the corresponding protein does not accumulate in cotyledons. The characterized USP gene with its two introns is 1 of about 15 members of a gene family. A fragment comprising 637 bp of 5' flanking sequence and the total 5' untranslated region was shown to be sufficient to drive the mainly seed-specific expression of two reporter genes, coding for neomycin phosphotransferase II and beta-glucuronidase, in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum plants. We showed that the USP promoter becomes active in transgenic tobacco seeds in both the embryo and the endosperm, whereas its activity in Arabidopsis is detectable only in the embryo. Moreover, we demonstrated a transient activity pattern of the USP promoter in root tips of both transgenic host species.
Amino Acid Sequence↗