Analysis of Senescence Inducible Ribonuclease in Tomato: Gene Regulation and Function

Abstract

Natural leaf senescence has a negative influence on yield. Postharvest induced senescence contributes to the losses of quality in flowers, foliage, and vegetables. Strategies designed to control the senescence process in crop plants could therefore have great applied significance. Senescence is regulated by differential gene expression yet, functional characterization of the genes specifically induced and study of their expression control, is still in its infancy. Study of senescence-specific genes is required to allow identification of regulatory elements participating in senescence-induced expression and thus provide insights into the genetic regulation of senescence. A main feature of senescence is the hydrolysis of macromolecules by hydrolases of various types such as RNases and proteases. This study was aimed a analysis of senescence-inducible RNases in tomato with the following objectives: Isolation of senescence-inducible RNase cDNA clones; Expression analyses of RNase genes during senescence; Identification of sequences required for senescence-induced gene expression; Functional analyses of senescence-inducible RNases. We narrowed our aims somewhat to focus on the first three objectives because the budget we were awarded was reduced from that requested. We have expanded our research for identification senescence-related RNase/nuclease activities as we thought it will direct us to new RNase/nuclease genes. We have also carried out research in Arabidopsis and parsley, which enabled us to draw mire general conclusions. We completed the first and second objectives and have made considerable progress on the remaining two. We have defined growth conditions suitable for this research and defined the physiological and biochemical parameters characteristic to the advance of leaf senescence. In tomato and arabidopsis we have focused on natural leaf senescence. Parsley was used mainly for study of postharvest senescence in detached leaves. We have identified a 41-kD a tomato nuclease, LeNUCI, specifically induced during senescence which can degrade both RNA and DNA. This activity could be induced by ethylene in young leaves and was subjected to detailed analysis, which enabled its classification as Nuclease I enzyme. LeNUCI may be involved in nucleic acid metabolism during tomato leaf senescence. In parsley senescing leaves we identified 2 main senescence-related nuclease activities of 41 and 39-kDa. These activities were induced in both naturally or artificially senescing leaves, could degrade both DNA and RNA and were very similar in their characteristics to the LeNUCI. Two senescence-induced RNase cDNAs were cloned from tomato. One RNase cDNA was identical to the tomato LX RNase while the second corresponded to the LE RNase. Both were demonstrated before to be induced following phosphate starvation of tomato cell culture but nothing was known about their expression or function in plants. LX gene expression was much more senescence specific and ethylene could activate it in detached young leaves. LE gene expression, which could be transiently induced by wounding, appeared to be activated by abscisic acid. We suggest that the LX RNase has a role in RNA catabolism in the final stage of senescence, and LE may be a defense-related protein. Transgenic plants were generated for altering LX gene expression. No major visible alterations in the phenotype were observed so far. Detailed analysis of senescence in these plants is performed currently. The LX promoter was cloned and its analysis is performed currently for identification of senescence-specific regulatory elements. In Arabidopsis we have identified and characterized a senescence-associated nuclease 1 gene, BFN1, which is highly expressed during leaf and stem senescence. BFN1, is the first example of a senescence- associated gene encoding a nuclease I enzyme as well as the first nuclease I cloned and characterized from Arabidopsis. Our progress should provide excellent tools for the continued analysis of regulation and function of senescence-inducible ribonucleases and nucleases in plants. The cloned genes can be used in reverse genetic approaches, already initiated, which can yield a more direct evidence for the function of these enzymes. Another contribution of this research will be in respect to the molecular mechanism, which controls senescence. We had already initiated in this project and will continue to identify and characterize regulatory elements involved in senescence-specific expression of the genes isolated in this work.