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L A Kleczkowski

Publications and source records attributed to L A Kleczkowski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Implications of adenylate kinase-governed equilibrium of adenylates on contents of free magnesium in plant cells and compartments.

On the basis of the equilibrium of adenylate kinase (AK; EC 2.7.4.3), which interconverts MgATP and free AMP with MgADP and free ADP, an approach has been worked out to calculate concentrations of free magnesium (Mg(2+)), based on concentrations of total ATP, ADP and AMP in plant tissues and in individual subcellular compartments. Based on reported total adenylate contents, [Mg(2+)] in plant tissues and organelles varies significantly depending on light and dark regimes, plant age and developmental stage. In steady-state conditions, [Mg(2+)] in chloroplasts is similar in light and darkness (in the millimolar range), whereas in the cytosol it is very low in the light and increases to about 0.4 mM in darkness. During the dark-to-light transition (photosynthetic induction), the [Mg(2+)] in chloroplasts falls to low values (0.2 mM or less), corresponding to a delay in photosynthetic oxygen evolution. This delay is considered to result from lower activities of Mg-dependent enzymes in the Calvin cycle. In mitochondria, the changes in [Mg(2+)] are similar but smoother. On the other hand, when the transition from light to darkness is considered, an initial increase in [Mg(2+)] occurs in both chloroplasts and mitochondria, which may be of importance for the control of key regulatory enzymes (e.g. mitochondrial malic enzyme and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex) and for processes connected with light-enhanced dark respiration. A rationale is presented for a possible role of [MgATP]/[MgADP] ratio (rather than [ATP(total)]/[ADP(total)]) as an important component of metabolic cellular control. It is postulated that assays of total adenylates may provide an accurate measure of [Mg(2+)] in plant tissues/cells and subcellular compartments, given that the adenylates are equilibrated by AK.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed2001

Sucrose and light regulation of a cold-inducible UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene via a hexokinase-independent and abscisic acid-insensitive pathway in Arabidopsis.

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) is a key enzyme producing UDP-glucose, which is involved in an array of metabolic pathways concerned with, among other functions, the synthesis of sucrose and cellulose. An Arabidopsis thaliana UGPase-encoding gene, Ugp, was profoundly up-regulated by feeding sucrose to the excised leaves and by an exposure of plants to low temperature (5 degrees C). The UGPase activity and its protein content also increased under conditions of sucrose feeding and exposure to cold. The sucrose effect on Ugp was apparently specific and was mimicked by exposure of dark-adapted leaves to light. Drought and O2 deficiency had some down-regulating effects on expression of Ugp. The sugar-signalling pathway for Ugp regulation was independent of hexokinase, as was found by using transgenic plants with increased and decreased expression of the corresponding gene. Subjecting mutants deficient in abscisic acid (ABA) to cold stress conditions had no effect on Ugp expression profiles. Okadaic acid was a powerful inhibitor of Ugp expression, whereas it up-regulated the gene encoding sucrose synthase (Sus1), indicating distinct transduction pathways in transmitting the sugar signal for the two genes in A. thaliana. We suggest that Ugp gene expression is mediated via a hexokinase-independent and ABA-insensitive pathway that involves an okadaic acid-responsive protein phosphatase. The data point towards Ugp as a possible regulatory entity that is closely involved in the homoeostatic readjustment of plant responses to environmental signals.

Abscisic Acid↗
PubMed2001

Phosphate status affects the gene expression, protein content and enzymatic activity of UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in wild-type and pho mutants of Arabidopsis.

The effects of inorganic phosphate (Pi) deficiency on the expression of the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) gene (Ugp), involved in sucrose synthesis/metabolism, and on carbohydrate status were investigated in different tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. For leaves, a decrease in internal Pi status caused by growth of plants on a medium lacking Pi (-P conditions) led to an increase in the overall content of glucose and starch, but had little effect on sucrose content. The Pi deficiency also led to an increased carbohydrate content in stems/flowers, but not in roots. The expression of Ugp was upregulated in both leaves and roots, but not in stems/flowers. The effects of Pi status on Ugp expression were confirmed using leaves of both pho1-2 and pho2-1 mutants of Arabidopsis (Pi-deficient and Pi-accumulating, respectively) and by feeding the leaves with D-mannose, which acts as a sink for Pi. The Pi-status-dependent changes in Ugp expression followed the same patterns as those of ApS, a gene encoding the small subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, a key enzyme of starch synthesis. The changes in Ugp mRNA levels, depending on internal Pi status, were generally correlated with changes in UGPase protein content and enzymatic activity. This was demonstrated both for wild-type plants grown under Pi-deficiency and for Pi mutants. The data suggest that, under Pi-deficiency, UGPase represents a transcriptionally regulated step in sucrose synthesis/metabolism, involved in homeostatic mechanisms readjusting the nutritional status of a plant under Pi-stress conditions.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed2000

Is leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase an allosteric enzyme?

Barley leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a key enzyme of starch synthesis in the chloroplast stroma, was analysed, in both directions of the reaction, with respect to details of its regulation by 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA) and inorganic phosphate (Pi) which serve as activator and inhibitor, respectively. AGPase was found to catalyse a close-to-equilibrium reaction, with the K(eq) value of approximately 0.5, i.e. slightly favouring the pyrophosphorolytic direction. When the enzyme was analysed by substrate kinetics, PGA acted either as a linear (hyperbolic response) 'non-competitive' activator (forward reaction) or a linear near-'competitive' activator (reverse reaction). When the activation and inhibition patterns with PGA and Pi, respectively, were studied in detail by Dixon plots, the response curves to effectors also followed hyperbolic kinetics, with the experimentally determined K(a) and K(i) values on the order of micromolar. The results suggest that the regulation of AGPase proceeds via a non-cooperative mechanism, where neither of the effectors, when considered separately, induces any allosteric response. The evidence, discussed in terms of an overall kinetic mechanism/regulation of leaf AGPase, prompts caution in classifying the protein as an 'allosteric enzyme'.

Allosteric Regulation↗
PubMed1999

Sugar/osmoticum levels modulate differential abscisic acid-independent expression of two stress-responsive sucrose synthase genes in Arabidopsis.

Sucrose synthase (Sus) is a key enzyme of sucrose metabolism. Two Sus-encoding genes (Sus1 and Sus2) from Arabidopsis thaliana were found to be profoundly and differentially regulated in leaves exposed to environmental stresses (cold stress, drought or O(2) deficiency). Transcript levels of Sus1 increased on exposure to cold and drought, whereas Sus2 mRNA was induced specifically by O(2) deficiency. Both cold and drought exposures induced the accumulation of soluble sugars and caused a decrease in leaf osmotic potential, whereas O(2) deficiency was characterized by a nearly complete depletion in sugars. Feeding abscisic acid (ABA) to detached leaves or subjecting Arabidopsis ABA-deficient mutants to cold stress conditions had no effect on the expression profiles of Sus1 or Sus2, whereas feeding metabolizable sugars (sucrose or glucose) or non-metabolizable osmotica [poly(ethylene glycol), sorbitol or mannitol] mimicked the effects of osmotic stress on Sus1 expression in detached leaves. By using various sucrose/mannitol solutions, we demonstrated that Sus1 was up-regulated by a decrease in leaf osmotic potential rather than an increase in sucrose concentration itself. We suggest that Sus1 expression is regulated via an ABA-independent signal transduction pathway that is related to the perception of a decrease in leaf osmotic potential during stresses. In contrast, the expression of Sus2 was independent of sugar/osmoticum effects, suggesting the involvement of a signal transduction mechanism distinct from that regulating Sus1 expression. The differential stress-responsive regulation of Sus genes in leaves might represent part of a general cellular response to the allocation of carbohydrates during acclimation processes.

Abscisic Acid↗
PubMed1999

A phosphoglycerate to inorganic phosphate ratio is the major factor in controlling starch levels in chloroplasts via ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase regulation.

Purified barley leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, a key enzyme of the starch synthesis in the chloroplast stroma, was analysed with respect to its possible regulation by factors defining the metabolic/effector status of the chloroplast during light and dark conditions. The enzyme required 3-phosphoglyceric acid for the maximal activity and was inhibited by inorganic phosphate. The optimal pH for the enzyme was at circa 7.0, regardless of the presence or absence of 3-phosphoglyceric acid, whereas the maximal activation by 3-phosphoglyceric acid was observed at pH 8.5 and higher. Changes in the concentration of Mg2+ and dithiothreitol had little or no effect on the enzymatic activity of AGPase. It has been directly demonstrated for the first time that a 3-phosphoglyceric acid/inorganic phosphate ratio, a crucial regulatory parameter, could be directly related to a defined activation state of the enzyme, allowing the prediction of a relative AGPase activity under given conditions. The predicted changes in the enzyme activity were directly correlated with earlier reported responses of starch levels to the 3-phosphoglyceric acid/inorganic phosphate ratio in chloroplasts. Consequences of this for the starch biosynthesis are discussed.

Chloroplasts↗
PubMed1999

Expression of barley ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase in Escherichia coli: processing and regulatory considerations.

Full length cDNAs for barley ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) coding for the large subunits of the endosperm and leaf homologues of the enzyme (AGPase-S1 and -S2, respectively) and for the small subunit protein from endosperm (AGPase-B1), have been expressed in Escherichia coli. The cDNAs for AGPase-S1 and -S2 required different induction conditions for their maximal expression and they encoded immunologically distinct proteins. The AGPase-S1 that was produced by E. coli had the same M(r) (58 kDa) as the corresponding protein in barley crude endosperm extracts, whereas the bacteria-produced AGPase-S2 (55 kDa) was larger than its counterpart from barley leaf preparations (53 kDa). An enzymatically active AGPase expressed in E. coli from a double construct containing cDNAs for AGPase-S1 and -B1 subunits was insensitive to the activation by 3-phosphoglycerate and to inhibition by inorganic phosphate, similarly to the enzyme in barley endosperm. Neither AGPase-S1 nor -B1 were active when expressed alone in the bacteria. The data are discussed with respect to possible mechanisms of intracellular targeting of immature AGPase-S proteins in barley tissues and regarding previous data on effector regulation of the barley enzyme.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Sugars and light/dark exposure trigger differential regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress).

Expression of four Arabidopsis (thale cress) genes corresponding to the small (ApS) and large subunits (ApL1, ApL2, ApL3) of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a key enzyme of starch biosynthesis, was found to be profoundly and differentially regulated by sugar and light/dark exposures. Transcript levels of both ApL2 and ApL3, and to a lesser extent ApS, increased severalfold upon feeding sucrose or glucose to the detached leaves in the dark, whereas the mRNA content for ApL1 decreased under the same conditions. Glucose was, in general, less effective than sucrose in inducing regulation of AGPase genes, possibly due to observed limitations in its uptake when compared with sucrose uptake by detached leaves. Osmotic agents [sorbitol, poly(ethylene glycol)] had no effect on ApS, ApL2 and ApL3 transcript level, but they did mimic the effect of sucrose on ApL1 gene, suggesting that the latter is regulated by osmotic pressure rather than any particular sugar. For all the genes the sugar effect was closely mimicked by an exposure of the dark-pre-adapted leaves to the light. Under both dark and light conditions, sucrose fed to the detached leaves was found to be rapidly metabolized to hexoses and, to some extent, starch. Starch production reflected most probably an increase in substrate availability for AGPase reaction rather than being due to changes in AGPase protein content, since both the sugar feeding and light exposure had little or no effect on the activity of AGPase or on the levels of its small and large subunit proteins in leaf extracts. The data suggest tight translational or post-translational control, but they may also reflect spatial control of AGPase gene expression within a leaf. The sugar/light-dependent regulation of AGPase gene expression may represent a part of a general cellular response to the availability/allocation of carbohydrates during photosynthesis.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1997

Molecular cloning and expression of the large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves.

A cDNA clone, blpl14, corresponding to the large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), has been isolated from a cDNA library prepared from leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). An open reading frame encodes a protein of 503 aa, with a calculated molecular weight of 54815. The derived aa sequence contains a putative transit peptide sequence, required for targeting to plastids, and has a highly conserved positioning of critical Lys residues that are believed to be involved in effector binding. The derived aa sequence shows 97% identity with the corresponding protein from wheat, but only 36% identity with AGPase from E. coli. The blpl14 gene is expressed predominantly in leaves and to a lesser degree in seed endosperm, but not roots, of barley.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Cloning and characterization of several cDNAs for UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from barley (Hordeum vulgare) tissues.

Eleven cDNA clones encoding UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) have been isolated from cDNA libraries prepared from seed embryo, seed endosperm and leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The sequences were identical, with the exception of positioning of the poly(A) tail; at least five clones with different polyadenylation sites were found. For a putative full-length cDNA [1775 nucleotides (nt) plus polyadenylation tail], isolated from an embryo cDNA library, an open reading frame of 1419 nt encodes a protein of 473 amino acids (aa) of 51.6 kDa. An alignment of the derived aa sequence with other UGPases has revealed high identity to UGPases from eukaryotic tissues, but not from bacteria. Within the aa sequence, no homology was found to a UDP-glucose-binding motif that has been postulated for a family of glucosyl transferases. The derived aa sequence of UGPase contains three putative N-glycosylation sites and has a highly conserved positioning of five Lys residues, previously shown to be critical for catalysis and substrate binding of potato tuber UGPase. A possible role for N-glycosylation in the intracellular targeting of UGPase is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

A single gene encodes two different transcripts for the ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase small subunit from barley (Hordeum vulgare).

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a heterotetrameric enzyme composed of two small and two large subunits, catalyses the first committed step of starch synthesis in plant tissues. In an attempt to learn more about the organization and expression of the small-subunit gene of AGPase, we have studied the small-subunit transcripts as well as the structure of the gene encoding these transcripts in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Bomi). Two different transcripts (bepsF1 and blps14) were identified: bepF1 was abundantly expressed in the starchy endosperm but not in leaves, whereas blps14 was isolated from leaves but was also found to be present at a moderate level in the starchy endosperm. The sequences for the two transcripts are identical over approx. 90% of the length, with differences being confined solely to their 5' ends. In blps14, the unique 5' end is 259 nt long and encodes a putative plastid transit peptide sequence. For the 178-nt 5' end of bepsF1, on the other hand, no transit peptide sequence could be recognized. A lambda clone that hybridized to the AGPase transcripts was isolated from a barley genomic library and characterized. The restriction map has suggested a complex organization of the gene, with alternative exons encoding the different 5' ends of the two transcripts followed by nine exons coding for the common part of the transcripts. The sequence of a portion of the genomic clone, covering the alternative 5'-end exons as well as upstream regions, has verified that both transcripts are encoded by the gene. The results suggest that the small-subunit gene of barley AGPase transcribes two different mRNAs by a mechanism classified as alternative splicing.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1995

Cloning of two cDNAs encoding calnexin-like and calreticulin-like proteins from maize (Zea mays) leaves: identification of potential calcium-binding domains.

Two cDNAs encoding calnexin (Cln)-like and calreticulin (Crl)-like proteins have been isolated by immunoscreening of a maize leaf cDNA library. In the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences, several regions that are conserved for Cln and Crl proteins from all sources have been identified. These regions can be classified into two distinct motifs which are repeated four times each in Cln and three times each in Crl sequences. One of these motifs, containing a highly acidic 17-aa sequence, has high homology to a Ca(2+)-binding domain previously characterized in both Cln and Crl from mammalian tissues. Motifs for retention in endoplasmic reticulum (Crl) and for an integral membrane-spanning sequence (Cln) have also been identified.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Kinetic mechanism and regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare, cv. Bomi) leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) was purified to near-homogeneity, using ammonium sulfate fractionation and heat treatment as well as ion exchange, hydrophobic, and dye-ligand chromatography. The enzyme was found to be composed of two subunit types of 51 and 54 kDa, which were recognized by the respective rabbit antibodies against the small and/or large subunit of spinach leaf AGP. Substrate kinetics and product inhibition studies, carried out in the direction of ADP-glucose synthesis, suggested a sequential Iso Ordered Bi Bi kinetic mechanism for the enzyme. In addition, inhibition patterns with CrATP, a dead-end inhibitor of ATP-utilizing enzymes, were consistent with ATP (synthesis reaction) and ADP-glucose (pyrophosphorolysis reaction) binding first to different free forms of the enzyme. The AGP was potently activated by 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA) (K alpha of 5 microM) and inhibited by orthophosphate (P(i)), with the ratio of the two effectors playing a major role in modulating AGP activity. At low [PGA]/[P(i)] ratios, P(i) could reverse the activating effect of PGA. However, at the [PGA]/[Pi] ratios of 1.4, or higher, some activating effect of P(i) in the presence of PGA was observed. PGA decreased the Km values for all substrates of AGP (in both the synthesis and pyrophosphorolysis directions). Properties of the barley leaf AGP are compared to those of AGP from barley seed endosperm, which is insensitive to PGA/P(i) regulation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Molecular characterization of multiple cDNA clones for ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

PCR amplification of cDNA prepared from poly(A)+ RNA from aerial parts of Arabidopsis thaliana, using degenerate nucleotide primers based on conserved regions between the large and small subunits of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP), yielded four different cDNAs of ca. 550 nucleotides each. Based on derived amino acid sequences, the identities between the clones varied from 49 to 69%. Sequence comparison to previously published cDNAs for AGP from various species and tissues has revealed that three of the amplified cDNAs (ApL1, ApL2 and ApL3) correspond to the large subunit of AGP, and one cDNA (ApS) encodes the small subunit of AGP. Both ApL1 and ApS were subsequently found to be present in a cDNA library made from Arabidopsis leaves. All four PCR products are encoded by single genes, as found by genomic Southern analysis.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed1993

Insensitivity of barley endosperm ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase to 3-phosphoglycerate and orthophosphate regulation.

Crude extracts of starchy endosperm from barley (Hordeum vulgare cv Bomi) contained high pyrophosphorolytic activity (up to 0.5 mumol of glucose-1-P formed min-1 mg-1 of protein) of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) when assayed in the absence of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA). This high activity was observed regardless of whether AGP had been extracted in the presence or absence of various protease inhibitors or other protectants. Western blot analysis using antibodies specific for either the small or large subunit of the enzyme demonstrated that the large, 60-kD subunit was prone to proteolysis in crude extracts, with a half-time of degradation at 4 degrees C (from 60 to 53 to 51 kD) on the order of minutes. The presence of high concentrations of protease inhibitors decreased, but did not prevent this proteolysis. The small, 51-kD subunit of barley endosperm AGP was relatively resistant to proteolysis, both in the presence or absence of protease inhibitors. For the crude, nonproteolyzed enzyme, 3-PGA acted as a weak activator of the ADP-glucose synthetic reaction (about 25% activation), whereas in the reverse reaction (pyrophosphorolysis) it served as an inhibitor rather than an activator. For both the synthetic and pyrophosphorolytic reactions, inorganic phosphate (Pi) acted as a weak competitive or mixed inhibitor of AGP. The relative insensitivity to 3-PGA/Pi regulation has been observed with both the nonproteolyzed crude enzyme and partially purified (over 60-fold) AGP, the latter characterized by two bands for the large subunit (molecular masses of 53 and 51 kD) and one band for the small subunit (51 kD). Addition of 3-PGA to assays of the partially purified, proteolyzed enzyme had little or no effect on the Km values of all substrates of AGP, but it reduced the Hill coefficient for ATP (from 2.1 to 1.0). These findings are discussed with respect to previous reports on the structure and regulation of higher plant AGP.

Adenosine Diphosphate Glucose↗
PubMed1992

PCR amplification and sequences of cDNA clones for the small and large subunits of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from barley tissues.

Several cDNAs encoding the small and large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGP) were isolated from total RNA of the starchy endosperm, roots and leaves of barley by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sets of degenerate oligonucleotide primers, based on previously published conserved amino acid sequences of plant AGP, were used for synthesis and amplification of the cDNAs. For either the endosperm, roots and leaves, the restriction analysis of PCR products (ca. 550 nucleotides each) has revealed heterogeneity, suggesting presence of three transcripts for AGP in the endosperm and roots, and up to two AGP transcripts in the leaf tissue. Based on the derived amino acid sequences, two clones from the endosperm, beps and bepl, were identified as coding for the small and large subunit of AGP, respectively, while a leaf transcript (blpl) encoded the putative large subunit of AGP. There was about 50% identity between the endosperm clones, and both of them were about 60% identical to the leaf cDNA. Northern blot analysis has indicated that beps and bepl are expressed in both the endosperm and roots, while blpl is detectable only in leaves. Application of the PCR technique in studies on gene structure and gene expression of plant AGP is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

The enzymic reduction of glyoxylate and hydroxypyruvate in leaves of higher plants.

Glyoxylate and hydroxypyruvate are metabolites involved in the pathway of carbon in photorespiration. The chief glyoxylate-reducing enzyme in leaves is now known to be a cytosolic glyoxylate reductase that uses NADPH as the preferred cofactor but can also use NADH. Glyoxylate reductase has been isolated from spinach leaves, purified to homogeneity, and characterized kinetically and structurally. Chloroplasts contain lower levels of glyoxylate reductase activity supported by both NADPH and NADH, but it is not yet known whether a single chloroplastic enzyme catalyzes glyoxylate reduction with both cofactors. The major hydroxypyruvate reductase activity of leaves has long been known to be a highly active enzyme located in peroxisomes; it uses NADH as the preferred cofactor. To a lesser extent, NADPH can also be used by the peroxisomal enzyme. A second hydroxypyruvate reductase enzyme is located in the cytosol; it preferentially uses NADPH but can also use NADH as cofactor. In a barley mutant deficient in peroxisomal hydroxypyruvate reductase, the NADPH-preferring cytosolic form of the enzyme permits sufficient rates of hydroxypyruvate reduction to support continued substrate flow through the terminal stages of the photosynthetic carbon oxidation (glycolate/glycerate) pathway. The properties and metabolic significance of the cytosolic and organelle-localized glyoxylate and hydroxypyruvate reductase enzymes are discussed.

Journal Article↗