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K Palme

Publications and source records attributed to K Palme.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

The role of cysteine residues in structure and enzyme activity of a maize beta-glucosidase.

The maize Zm-p60.1 gene encodes a beta-glucosidase that can release active cytokinins from their storage forms, cytokinin-O-glucosides. Mature catalytically active Zm-p60.1 is a homodimer containing five cysteine residues per a subunit. Their role was studied by mutating them to alanine (A), serine (S), arginine (R) or aspartic acid (D) using site-directed mutagenesis, and subsequent heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. All substitutions of C205 and C211 resulted in decreased formation and/or stability of the homodimer, manifested as accumulation of high levels of monomer in the bacterial expression system. Examination of urea- and glutathione-induced dissociation patterns of the homodimer to the monomers, HPLC profiles of hydrolytic fragments of reduced and oxidized forms, and a homology-based three-dimensional structural model revealed that an intramolecular disulfide bridge formed between C205 and C211 within the subunits stabilized the quaternary structure of the enzyme. Mutating C52 to R produced a monomeric enzyme protein, too. No detectable effects on homodimer formation were apparent in C170 and C479 mutants. Given the Km values for C170A/S mutants were equal to that for the wild-type enzyme, C170 cannot participate in enzyme-substrate interactions. Possible indirect effects of C170A/S mutations on catalytic activity of the enzyme were inferred from slight decreases in the apparent catalytic activity, k'cat. C170 is located on a hydrophobic side of an alpha-helix packed against hydrophobic amino-acid residues of beta-strand 4, indicating participation of C170 in stabilization of a (beta/alpha)8 barrel structure in the enzyme. In C479A/D/R/S mutants, Km and k'cat were influenced more significantly suggesting a role for C479 in enzyme catalytic action.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Regulation of polar auxin transport by AtPIN1 in Arabidopsis vascular tissue.

Polar auxin transport controls multiple developmental processes in plants, including the formation of vascular tissue. Mutations affecting the PIN-FORMED (PIN1) gene diminish polar auxin transport in Arabidopsis thaliana inflorescence axes. The AtPIN1gene was found to encode a 67-kilodalton protein with similarity to bacterial and eukaryotic carrier proteins, and the AtPIN1 protein was detected at the basal end of auxin transport-competent cells in vascular tissue. AtPIN1 may act as a transmembrane component of the auxin efflux carrier.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

AtPIN2 defines a locus of Arabidopsis for root gravitropism control.

The molecular mechanisms underlying gravity perception and signal transduction which control asymmetric plant growth responses are as yet unknown, but are likely to depend on the directional flux of the plant hormone auxin. We have isolated an Arabidopsis mutant of the AtPIN2 gene using transposon mutagenesis. Roots of the Atpin2::En701 null-mutant were agravitropic and showed altered auxin sensitivity, a phenotype characteristic of the agravitropic wav6-52 mutant. The AtPIN2 gene was mapped to chromosome 5 (115.3 cM) corresponding to the WAV6 locus and subsequent genetic analysis indicated that wav6-52 and Atpin2::En701 were allelic. The AtPIN2 gene consists of nine exons defining an open reading frame of 1944 bp which encodes a 69 kDa protein with 10 putative transmembrane domains interrupted by a central hydrophilic loop. The topology of AtPIN2p was found to be similar to members of the major facilitator superfamily of transport proteins. We have shown that the AtPIN2 gene was expressed in root tips. The AtPIN2 protein was localized in membranes of root cortical and epidermal cells in the meristematic and elongation zones revealing a polar localization. These results suggest that AtPIN2 plays an important role in control of gravitropism regulating the redistribution of auxin from the stele towards the elongation zone of roots.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Knock-out mutants from an En-1 mutagenized Arabidopsis thaliana population generate phenylpropanoid biosynthesis phenotypes.

A collection of 8,000 Arabidopsis thaliana plants carrying 48,000 insertions of the maize transposable element En-1 has been generated. This population was used for reverse genetic analyses to identify insertions in individual gene loci. By using a PCR-based screening protocol, insertions were found in 55 genes. En-1 showed no preference for transcribed or untranscribed regions nor for a particular orientation relative to the gene of interest. In several cases, En-1 was inserted within a few kilobases upstream or downstream of the gene. En-1 was mobilized from such positions into the respective gene to cause gene disruption. Knock-out alleles of genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis were generated. One mutant line contained an En-1 insertion in the flavonol synthase gene (FLS) and showed drastically reduced levels of kaempferol. Allelism tests with other lines containing En-1 insertions in the flavanone 3-hydroxylase gene (F3H) demonstrated that TRANSPARENT TESTA 6 (TT6) encodes flavanone 3-hydroxylase. The f3h and fls null mutants complete the set of A. thaliana lines defective in early steps of the flavonoid pathway. These experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the screening method and gene disruption strategy used for assigning functions to genes defined only by sequence.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1998

Single mutations strongly alter the K+-selective pore of the K(in) channel KAT1.

Voltage-dependent potassium uptake channels represent the major pathway for K+ accumulation underlying guard cell swelling and stomatal opening. The core structure of these Shaker-like channels is represented by six transmembrane domains and an amphiphilic pore-forming region between the fifth and sixth domain. To explore the effect of point mutations within the stretch of amino acids lining the K+ conducting pore of KAT1, an Arabidopsis thaliana guard cell K(in) channel, we selected residues deep inside and in the periphery of the pore. The mutations on positions 256 and 267 strongly altered the interaction of the permeation pathway with external Ca2+ ions. Point mutations on position 256 in KAT1 affected the affinity towards Ca2+, the voltage dependence as well as kinetics of the Ca2+ blocking reaction. Among these T256S showed a Ca2+ phenotype reminiscent of an inactivation-like process, a phenomenon unknown for K(in) channels so far. Mutating histidine 267 to alanine, a substitution strongly affecting C-type inactivation in Shaker, this apparent inactivation could be linked to a very slow calcium block. The mutation H267A did not affect gating but hastened the Ca2+ block/unblock kinetics and increased the Ca2+ affinity of KAT1. From the analysis of the presented data we conclude that even moderate point mutations in the pore of KAT1 seem to affect the pore geometry rather than channel gating.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Analysis of 1.9 Mb of contiguous sequence from chromosome 4 of Arabidopsis thaliana.

The plant Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) has become an important model species for the study of many aspects of plant biology. The relatively small size of the nuclear genome and the availability of extensive physical maps of the five chromosomes provide a feasible basis for initiating sequencing of the five chromosomes. The YAC (yeast artificial chromosome)-based physical map of chromosome 4 was used to construct a sequence-ready map of cosmid and BAC (bacterial artificial chromosome) clones covering a 1.9-megabase (Mb) contiguous region, and the sequence of this region is reported here. Analysis of the sequence revealed an average gene density of one gene every 4.8 kilobases (kb), and 54% of the predicted genes had significant similarity to known genes. Other interesting features were found, such as the sequence of a disease-resistance gene locus, the distribution of retroelements, the frequent occurrence of clustered gene families, and the sequence of several classes of genes not previously encountered in plants.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1998

A transcription activation system for regulated gene expression in transgenic plants.

A widely applicable promoter system is described that allows a gene of interest to be activated in specific plant tissues after a cross between defined transgenic lines. The promoter, pOp, consists of lac operators cloned upstream of a minimal promoter. No expression was detected from this promoter when placed upstream of a beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene in transgenic plants. Transcription from the promoter was activated by crossing reporter plants with activator lines that expressed a chimeric transcription factor, LhG4. This factor comprised transcription-activation domain-II from Gal4 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae fused to a mutant lac-repressor that binds its operator with increased affinity. When LhG4 was expressed from the CaMV 35S promoter, the spatial and quantitative expression characteristics of the 35S promoter were exhibited by the GUS reporter. The LhG4/pOp system may be used to study toxic or deleterious gene products, to coordinate the expression of multiple gene products, to restrict transgene phenotypes to the F1 generation, and to generate hybrid seed. The LhG4 system offers spatially regulated gene expression in the tissues of whole plants growing under normal conditions without the need for external intervention. It complements inducible expression systems that offer temporal control of gene expression in tissues that can be treated with inducing chemicals.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1997

Cloning and biochemical characterization of an anionic peroxidase from Zea mays.

We have isolated, cloned and characterized a cDNA from Zea mays L., denoted ZmAP1, coding for an anionic peroxidase. The open reading frame of ZmAP1 starting 72 residues from the 5' end of the cDNA predicts a 37,778 dalton protein of 356 amino acid residues. The protein has high similarity to other peroxidases and contains two peroxidase motifs that carry two highly conserved histidines in the active center. We expressed recombinant ZmAP1 protein in E. coli as a fusion with maltose-binding protein. The fusion protein was biochemically active after addition of hemin to the apoprotein. The maize peroxidase ZmAP1 has a pH optimum at pH 4.0 and a Km of 0.2 mM for the substrate 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) at this pH. In maize seedlings the ZmAP1 gene is expressed predominantly in roots, the mesocotyl, the coleoptile and to a lower extent in the node, whereas no expression in the primary leaf was found. In situ hybridization shows that the expression of ZmAP1 in the young maize root is confined to the epidermis, hypodermis and the pericycle.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

At-GDI1 from Arabidopsis thaliana encodes a rab-specific GDP dissociation inhibitor that complements the sec19 mutation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Rab GTPases play a central role in the control of vesicular membrane traffic. These proteins cycle between cytosolic and membrane-bound compartments in a guanine nucleotide-dependent manner, a process that is regulated by several accessory proteins. Of particular interest are the Rab guanosine nucleotide diphosphate dissociation inhibitor proteins (Rab-GDI) which bind to prenylated Rab GTPases, slow the rate of GDP dissociation and escort GDP bound Rab proteins to their target membranes and retrieve them after completion of their catalytic cycle. We have cloned from Arabidopsis thaliana a cDNA coding for the Rab guanosine diphosphate dissociation inhibitor (AtGDI1) by functional complementation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae sec19-1 mutant. The Arabidopsis cDNA potentially encodes a 49850 Da protein which is homologous to yeast GDI (49%) and to other members of the Rab-GDI family (49-63%). Northern blot analysis indicates that the mRNA is expressed in all tissues examined. The existence of a plant homologue of the Rab-GDI family indicates that the basic vesicle traffic control machinery may be highly conserved in plants as it is in yeast and mammals.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

A homolog of the mammalian GTPase Rab2 is present in Arabidopsis and is expressed predominantly in pollen grains and seedlings.

Vesicle traffic between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus in mammals requires the small GTP-binding protein Rab2, but Saccharomyces cerevisiae appears not to have a Rab2 homolog. Here it is shown that the higher plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, contains a gene, At-RAB2, whose predicted product shares 79% identity with human Rab2 protein. Transgenic plants containing fusions between beta-glucuronidase and sequences upstream of At-RAB2 demonstrated histochemical staining predominantly in maturing pollen and rapidly growing organs of germinating seedlings. beta-glucuronidase activity in pollen is first detectable at microspore mitosis and increases thereafter. In this respect, the promoter of At-RAB2 behaves like those of class II pollen-specific genes, whose products are often required after germination for pollen tube growth. Seedling germination and pollen tube growth are notable for their unusually high rates of cell wall and membrane biosynthesis. These results are consistent with a role for At-RAB2 in secretory activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Plant K+ channel alpha-subunits assemble indiscriminately.

In plants a large diversity of inwardly rectifying K+ channels (K(in) channels) has been observed between tissues and species. However, only three different types of voltage-dependent plant K+ uptake channel subfamilies have been cloned so far; they relate either to KAT1, AKT1, or AtKC1. To explore the mechanisms underlying the channel diversity, we investigated the assembly of plant inwardly rectifying alpha-subunits. cRNA encoding five different K+ channel alpha-subunits of the three subfamilies (KAT1, KST1, AKT1, SKT1, and AtKC1) which were isolated from different tissues, species, and plant families (Arabidopsis thaliana and Solanum tuberosum) was reciprocally co-injected into Xenopus oocytes. We identified plant K+ channels as multimers. Moreover, using K+ channel mutants expressing different sensitivities to voltage, Cs+, Ca2+, and H+, we could prove heteromers on the basis of their altered voltage and modulator susceptibility. We discovered that, in contrast to animal K+ channel alpha-subunits, functional aggregates of plant K(in) channel alpha-subunits assembled indiscriminately. Interestingly, AKT-type channels from A. thaliana and S. tuberosum, which as homomers were electrically silent in oocytes after co-expression, mediated K+ currents. Our findings suggest that K+ channel diversity in plants results from nonselective heteromerization of different alpha-subunits, and thus depends on the spatial segregation of individual alpha-subunit pools and the degree of temporal overlap and kinetics of expression.

Arabidopsis Proteins↗
PubMed1996

Signal sequence trap to clone cDNAs encoding secreted or membrane-associated plant proteins.

A method was developed for rapid cloning of plant cDNAs encoding proteins with membrane-spanning domains. A novel expression vector was constructed for expression of plant cDNA libraries in COS cells. Fusion proteins were expressed containing at their N-terminus an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) signal peptide. After entry into the ER these proteins could traffic via the default pathway to the plasma membrane. Trapping at the cell surface occurred when the protein contained one or more membrane-spanning domains. A simple color-based immunoscreening procedure allowed the isolation of cDNAs after only two rounds of COS cell transfection and screening. Several cDNA clones encoding proteins with putative membrane-spanning domains were isolated. Among them were cytochrome b5 and full-length cDNA clones encoding putative secretory proteins targeted to the ER membrane by their N-terminal signal peptide.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Changes in voltage activation, Cs+ sensitivity, and ion permeability in H5 mutants of the plant K+ channel KAT1.

KAT1 is a voltage-dependent inward rectifying K+ channel cloned from the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana [Anderson, J. A., Huprikar, S. S., Kochian, L. V., Lucas, W. J. & Gaber, R. F. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 3736-3740]. It is related to the Shaker superfamily of K+ channels characterized by six transmembrane spanning domains (S1-S6) and a putative pore-forming region between S5 and S6 (H5). The 115 region between Pro-247 and Pro-271 in KAT1 contains 14 additional amino acids when compared with Shaker [Aldrich, R. W. (1993) Nature (London) 362, 107-108]. We studied various point mutations introduced into H5 to determine whether voltage-dependent plant and animal K+ channels share similar pore structures. Through heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes and voltage-clamp analysis combined with phenotypic analysis involving a potassium transport-defective Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, we investigated the selectivity filter of the mutants and their susceptibility toward inhibition by cesium and calcium ions. With respect to electrophysiological properties, KAT1 mutants segregated into three groups: (i) wild-type-like channels, (ii) channels modified in selectivity and Cs+ or Ca2+ sensitivity, and (iii) a group that was additionally affected in its voltage dependence. Despite the additional 14 amino acids in H5, this motif in KAT1 is also involved in the formation of the ion-conducting pore because amino acid substitutions at Leu-251, Thr-256, Thr-259, and Thr-260 resulted in functional channels with modified ionic selectivity and inhibition. Creation of Ca2+ sensitivity and an increased susceptibility to Cs+ block through mutations within the narrow pore might indicate that both blockers move deeply into the channel. Furthermore, mutations close to the rim of the pore affecting the half-activation potential (U1/2) indicate that amino acids within the pore either interact with the voltage sensor or ion permeation feeds back on gating.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Three-dimensional structure of glutathione S-transferase from Arabidopsis thaliana at 2.2 A resolution: structural characterization of herbicide-conjugating plant glutathione S-transferases and a novel active site architecture.

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are a family of multifunctional enzymes involved in the metabolization of a broad variety of xenobiotics and reactive endogenous compounds. The interest in plant glutathione S-transferases may be attributed to their agronomic value, since it has been demonstrated that glutathione conjugation for a variety of herbicides is the major resistance and selectivity factor in plants. The three-dimensional structure of glutathione S-transferase from the plant Arabidopsis thaliana has been solved by multiple isomorphous replacement and multiwavelength anomalous dispersion techniques at 3 A resolution and refined to a final crystallographic R-factor of 17.5% using data from 8 to 2.2 A resolution. The enzyme forms a dimer of two identical subunits each consisting of 211 residues. Each subunit is characterized by the GST-typical modular structure with two spatially distinct domains. Domain I consists of a central four-stranded beta-sheet flanked on one side by two alpha-helices and on the other side by an irregular segment containing three short 3(10)-helices, while domain II is entirely helical. The dimeric molecule is globular with a prominent large cavity formed between the two subunits. The active site is located in a cleft situated between domains I and II and each subunit binds two molecules of a competitive inhibitor S-hexylglutathione. Both hexyl moieties are oriented parallel and fill the H-subsite of the enzyme's active site. The glutathione peptide of one inhibitor, termed productive binding, occupies the G-subsite with multiple interactions similar to those observed for other glutathione S-transferases, while the glutathione backbone of the second inhibitor, termed unproductive binding, exhibits only weak interactions mediated by two polar contacts. A most striking difference from the mammalian glutathione S-transferases, which share a conserved catalytic tyrosine residue, is the lack of this tyrosine in the active site of the plant glutathione S-transferase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

An upstream U-snRNA gene-like promoter is required for transcription of the Arabidopsis thaliana 7SL RNA gene.

The genes transcribed by RNA polymerase (pol) III can be placed into four distinct groups based on the nature and position of their promoter elements. In the higher eukaryotes equivalent genes usually belong to the same sub-type of pol III promoters and there are few examples of genes which have changed promoter type during evolution. In this work we demonstrate that the promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana 7SL RNA gene is located upstream of the coding region and is identical to the promoters of pol III-specific plant U-small nuclear RNA (U-snRNA) genes. Sequence analysis of two different 7SL genes from A. thaliana revealed that both genes contain two sequence elements in their 5' flanking regions identical in sequence and position to the highly conserved USE and TATA elements of the pol III-transcribed plant U-snRNA genes. Mutational analysis of these elements in the At7SL-2 gene indicates that the USE and TATA elements are both necessary and account for > or = 90% of the transcriptional activity of this gene in transfected plant protoplasts. Within the coding region of both genes there is a sequence element which is a 10/11 nt match to the consensus B-box element of tRNA genes, however, this element is not important for gene activity. These findings distinguish the plant genes from the human 7SL gene, which has both internal and upstream promoter elements and its upstream elements are different from those found in the human U-snRNA genes.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1995

Purification and characterization of a cAMP-binding protein of Volvox carteri f. nagariensis Iyengar.

Two cAMP-binding proteins, cbp1 and cbp2, were purified from the cytoplasm of the green alga Volvox carteri. Both proteins have a native molecular mass of 90 kDa as determined by gel filtration. cbp2 was purified to apparent electrophoretic homogeneity, having a subunit molecular mass of 42 kDa as determined by SDS/PAGE. The cbp1 preparation contains a 42-kDa and a 44-kDa band. The cAMP-binding activity is not associated with protein kinase activity. Tryptic peptides of cbp2 were sequenced by automated Edman degradation. Two pairs of peptides differ in one amino acid only, thus pointing to the presence of isoforms of cbp2. Both binding proteins differed from the cAMP-specific phosphodiesterases of V. carteri with respect to charge, molecular mass and binding affinity to N6-cAMP-agarose. Reverse-phase chromatography of the bound ligand revealed that the two binding proteins hydrolyse cAMP to 5' AMP. The binding specificity of purified cbp1 and cbp2 was probed by a set of modified cAMP derivatives. Both proteins bind cAMP strictly specifically in the anti conformation; position 1 and 6 of the adenine moiety and at least one of the exocyclic O atoms of the ribose cyclic phosphate moiety are essential. 3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine is an effective inhibitor of binding but the natural methylxyanthines are not. At present it is not clear whether cbp1 and cbp2 are individual proteins or isoforms of one another.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Identification of a 23 kDa protein from maize photoaffinity-labelled with 5-azido-[7-3H]indol-3-ylacetic acid.

A 23 kDa protein (p23) was identified in microsomal extracts from maize coleoptiles by photoaffinity labelling with 5-azido-[7-3H]indol-3-ylacetic acid ([3H]N3IAA). Labelling of p23 was blocked by unlabelled IAA, N3IAA, indol-3-ylbutyric acid and indol-3-yl-lactate. In addition, labelling was efficiently decreased by tryptophan, as well as by the scavenger p-aminobenzoic acid. Labelling was, however, not affected by synthetic auxins such as 1-naphthylacetic acid or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Competition data suggest that the label was probably bound via the indole ring, and hence labelling was not specific for auxins. The 23 kDa protein was solubilized from crude microsomes by extraction with Triton X-100 and purified to homogeneity by ion-exchange, size-exclusion and reversed-phase chromatography. After electroblotting, the amino acid sequences of the p23 N-terminus as well as the several tryptic peptides were obtained. Database comparisons revealed sequence identity with a maize manganese superoxide dismutase. We conclude that photoaffinity labelling of p23 was pseudo-affinity, and therefore the binding site for IAA is not specific.

4-Aminobenzoic Acid↗