Abstract
Non-specific phospholipase C (NPC) is a novel class of phospholipase C found only in bacteria and higher plants. NPC hydrolyzes major phospholipid classes such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to produce diacylglycerol (DAG) and a corresponding phosphate-containing polar head group. Originally known as a toxin in certain bacteria to invade the host cell, this class of phospholipase has been well-investigated in bacteriology. Since the first discovery of eukaryotic NPC in Arabidopsis in 2005, this emerging class of phospholipase has received greater attention in plant biology in elucidating the biochemical characteristics and physiological function in the context of plant growth regulation and stress response. Particularly in the last few years, there has been significant progress made in understanding the fundamental character of 6 NPC isoforms in Arabidopsis, as well as novel function in other plant models. Now that research with plant NPC is entering into a new phase, this review aims to summarize recent progress in plant NPC along with some future perspectives.
Highlights
Phospholipase C (PLC) is a class of enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids to release diacylglycerol (DAG) and the corresponding polar head group
Phospholipase C is classified into two groups according to the substrate specificity: (1) phosphoinositide-specific PLC (PI-PLC) which hydrolyzes phosphoinositides (PIPs) and (2) non-specific PLC (NPC), called the phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC), which is only found in bacteria and plants and non- hydrolyzes major membrane phospholipid classes such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)
In Gram-positive bacteria, PC-PLC was identified as a potent toxin that is related to Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin
Summary
Phospholipase C (PLC) is a class of enzyme that hydrolyzes phospholipids to release diacylglycerol (DAG) and the corresponding polar head group. In Gram-positive bacteria, PC-PLC was identified as a potent toxin that is related to Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin. Toxic bacterial PC-PLCs have been extensively studied for their function as a pathogenicity factor that are responsible for host membrane hydrolysis. Some Gram-positive bacterial PC-PLC possesses functions other than toxicity. The first identification and characterization of NPC date back to 15 years ago in Arabidopsis thaliana (Nakamura et al 2005). Since this emerging family of phospholipase has received greater attention in general plant biology research (Nakamura 2014; Pokotylo et al 2013). This review aims to provide recent updates on the NPCs, serving as a supplement to the previously published thorough review articles (Nakamura 2014; Pokotylo et al 2013)
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