Polyamines In Plants Research Articles

1. Quantitative analysis of plant polyamines including thermospermine during growth and salinity stress

1. Quantitative analysis of plant polyamines including thermospermine during growth and salinity stress

The role of polyamines during in vivo and in vitro development

Polyamines are ubiquitous polycationic compounds that mediate fundamental aspects of cell growth, differentiation, and cell death in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. In plants, polyamines are implicated in a variety of growth and developmental processes, in addition to abiotic and biotic stress responses. In the last decade, mutant studies conducted predominantly in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed an obligatory requirement for polyamines in zygotic and somatic embryogenesis. Moreover, our appreciation for the intricate spatial and temporal regulation of intracellular polyamine levels has advanced considerably. The exact molecular mechanism(s) through which polyamines exert their physiological response remains somewhat enigmatic and likely serves as a major area for future research efforts. In the following review, we discuss recent advances in the plant polyamine field, which range from metabolism and mutant characterization to molecular genetics and potential mode(s) of polyamine action during growth and development in vitro and in vivo. This review will also focus on the specific role of polyamines during embryogenesis and organogenesis.

In vitro and in vivo inhibition of plant polyamine oxidase activity by polyamine analogues

Polyamine oxidase from Avena sativa L. cv. Cristal seedlings was purified to homogeneity using a simple four-step purification protocol including an infiltration washing technique. The enzyme had a high affinity for spermidine and spermine ( K m ∼ 5.5 and 1.2 μM, respectively), and also oxidized norspermidine ( K m ∼ 64.0 μM). Natural and synthetic diamines, cyclohexylamine, the putrescine analogue 1-aminooxy-3-aminopropane, and several polyamine analogues had inhibitory effects on polyamine oxidase activity and none were substrates. No inhibitory effect was observed on spermidine oxidation when the reaction product 1,3-diaminopropane was added. By contrast, 1-aminooxy-3-aminopropane showed mixed inhibition kinetics and a K i value of 0.113 mM. In addition, in vitro enzymatic activity assays showed that the oligoamine [3,8,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48-deca-aza-( trans-25)-pentacontene], the tetramine 1,14-bis-[ethylamino]-5,10-diazatetradecane, and the pentamine 1,19-bis-[ethylamino]-5,10,15-triazanonadecane, displayed potent competitive inhibitory activities against polyamine oxidase with K i values of 5.8, 110.0 and 7.6 nM, respectively, where cyclohexylamine was a weak competitive inhibitor with a K i value of 0.5 mM. These analogues did not inhibit mycelial growth of the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) De Bary and the bacterium Pseudomonas viridiflava (Burkholder) Dowson in vitro. On the contrary, with concentrations similar to those used for polyamine analogues, guazatine (a well-known fungicide and at the same time, a polyamine oxidase inhibitor) inhibited (∼85%) S. sclerotiorum mycelial growth on Czapek-Dox medium. Finally, the analogue 1,19-bis-ethylamino-5,10,15-triazanonadecane inhibited polyamine oxidase activity observed in segments of maize leaves in vivo. The results obtained provide insights into research on the influence of polyamine oxidase activity on plant biotic and abiotic stresses.

Zmspds2 maize gene

During the last decade, growing evidence has arisen referring the importance of the proper regulation of plant polyamine metabolism in the response to stress conditions. Being the activation of signaling pathways, the stabilization of anionic molecules and prevention of their degradation, as well as the free radical scavenger properties of polyamines some possible mechanisms exerted by these amines. Accumulation of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) has been associated to plant tolerance to a wide array of environmental stresses. The synthesis of spermidine and spermine is mediated by aminopropyltransferases (spermidine and spermine synthases) which constitute a class of widely distributed enzymes that use decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine as an aminopropyl donor, and putrescine or spermidine as an amino acceptor. We recently reported the effect of salt stress on the expression of aminopropyltransferase genes in maize seedlings. Our data revealed a time and NaCl dependent regulation of the Zmspds2 and Zmspds1 genes, possibly mediated by abscisic acid, since these genes were regulated at the transcriptional level by this plant hormone. In this addendum, we show that the Zmspds2 gene initially classified as spermidine synthase might encode a spermine synthase based on an in silico analysis. This is discussed in terms of protein homologies and specific amino acid substitutions between aminopropyltransferase enzymes.

Polyamines: essential factors for growth and survival

Polyamines are low molecular weight, aliphatic polycations found in the cells of all living organisms. Due to their positive charges, polyamines bind to macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins. They are involved in diverse processes, including regulation of gene expression, translation, cell proliferation, modulation of cell signalling, and membrane stabilization. They also modulate the activities of certain sets of ion channels. Because of these multifaceted functions, the homeostasis of polyamines is crucial and is ensured through regulation of biosynthesis, catabolism, and transport. Through isolation of the genes involved in plant polyamine biosynthesis and loss-of-function experiments on the corresponding genes, their essentiality for growth is reconfirmed. Polyamines are also involved in stress responses and diseases in plants, indicating their importance for plant survival. This review summarizes the recent advances in polyamine research in the field of plant science compared with the knowledge obtained in microorganisms and animal systems.

Involvement of Polyamine Oxidase in Wound Healing

Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is involved in plant defense responses that follow mechanical damage, such as those that occur during herbivore or insect attacks, as well as pathogen attack. H(2)O(2) accumulation is induced during wound healing processes as well as by treatment with the wound signal jasmonic acid. Plant polyamine oxidases (PAOs) are H(2)O(2) producing enzymes supposedly involved in cell wall differentiation processes and defense responses. Maize (Zea mays) PAO (ZmPAO) is a developmentally regulated flavoprotein abundant in primary and secondary cell walls of several tissues. In this study, we investigated the effect of wounding on ZmPAO gene expression in the outer tissues of the maize mesocotyl and provide evidence that ZmPAO enzyme activity, protein, and mRNA levels increased in response to wounding as well as jasmonic acid treatment. Histochemically detected ZmPAO activity especially intensified in the epidermis and in the wound periderm, suggesting a tissue-specific involvement of ZmPAO in wound healing. The role played by ZmPAO-derived H(2)O(2) production in peroxidase-mediated wall stiffening events was further investigated by exploiting the in vivo use of N-prenylagmatine (G3), a selective and powerful ZmPAO inhibitor, representing a reliable diagnostic tool in discriminating ZmPAO-mediated H(2)O(2) production from that generated by peroxidase, oxalate oxidase, or by NADPH oxidase activity. Here, we demonstrate that G3 inhibits wound-induced H(2)O(2) production and strongly reduces lignin and suberin polyphenolic domain deposition along the wound, while it is ineffective in inhibiting the deposition of suberin aliphatic domain. Moreover, ZmPAO ectopic expression in the cell wall of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants strongly enhanced lignosuberization along the wound periderm, providing evidence for a causal relationship between PAO and peroxidase-mediated events during wound healing.

Advances in polyamine research in 2007

Polyamines are small aliphatic amines found in all living organisms except some Archaea. In plants, putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are major components which are not only involved in fundamental cellular processes, for example cell proliferation, differentiation, and programmed cell death, but also in adaptive responses to environmental stress. In this article we review plant polyamine research focusing on recent studies.

Relationship between salt stress and levels of free and bound polyamines in sunflower plants

Changes in the content and form of polyamines (PAs) were investigated in shoots of salt-tolerant (Coban) and salt-sensitive (Sanbro) cultivars of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants grown for 15 or 25 days under salinity stress (50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl). The salt sensitivity of the sunflower plants was associated with the highest accumulation of total PAs in the shoot tissues of the salt-sensitive cultivar under saline conditions. The amounts of free and total spermine increased in shoot tissues of sunflower plants subjected to salt stress, while the levels of other PAs decreased or showed no significant changes. This suggests that spermine plays a potential role in overcoming the adverse effects of salinity stress. The tissue content of other compounds, such as proline, and ions (Na+, K+, Cl−, K+/Na+) also changed depending on salt concentration and cultivar.

Oxidative stress and fluctuations of free and conjugated polyamines in the halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. under NaCl salinity

The accumulation of conjugated and free polyamines in plants is very important for their protection against oxidative stress induced by abiotic factors. In the present study, the species halophytic plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. was used as a model system in which the process of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism induction is linked with oxidative stress, especially under salinity conditions. A comparative analysis of the content of free polyamines, perchloric (PCA)-soluble and PCA-insoluble conjugated polyamines in mature leaves and roots was carried out with plants exposed to salinity. It was found that adult leaves and roots under normal conditions or salinity (400 mM NaCl) contained all types of free polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine, and cadaverine). In leaves only PCA-insoluble conjugates were found, which showed a tendency to grow with increased duration of salt action (1.5–48 h). In contrast to leaves, in roots all forms of polyamine conjugates (PCA-soluble and -insoluble) were detected. However, the formation of all conjugates, especially PCA-soluble forms in roots, was sharply inhibited by salt shock (400 mM NaCl, 1.5 h) or exogenous cadaverine (1 mM) treatment. PCA-soluble conjugates of cadaverine in roots were found only when the treatment was carried out in combination with aminoguanidine (1 mM), as a result of diamine oxidase inhibition and consequently a decreasing of H2O2 production in plant cells. The activation of diamine oxidase and guaiacol peroxidase by NaCl or exogenous cadaverine was observed in leaves and roots. Thus, the activation of oxidative degradation of polyamines combined with H2O2–peroxidase reaction in cells are involved in the regulation of free and conjugated polyamines titers under salinity.

Functional Classification of Amino Acid Decarboxylases from the Alanine Racemase Structural Family by Phylogenetic Studies

Arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) are involved in the biosynthesis of putrescine, which is the precursor of other polyamines in animals, plants, and bacteria. These pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent decarboxylases belong to the alanine racemase (AR) structural family together with diaminopimelate decarboxylase (DapDC), which catalyzes the final step of lysine biosynthesis in bacteria. We have constructed a multiple-sequence alignment of decarboxylases in the AR structural family and, based on the alignment, inferred phylogenetic trees. The phylogenetic tree consists of 3 distinct clades formed by ADC, DapDC, and ODC that diverged from an ancestral decarboxylase. The ancestral decarboxylase probably was able to recognize several substrates, and in archaea and bacteria, ODC may have retained the ability to bind other amino acids. Previously, a paralogue of ODC has been proposed to account for ADC activity detected in mammalian cells. According to our results, this appears unlikely, emphasizing the need for more caution in functional assignment made using sequence data and illustrating the continuing value of phylogenetic analysis in clarifying relationships and putative functions.

Barley polyamine oxidase isoforms 1 and 2, a peculiar case of gene duplication

Polyamine oxidases (PAOs, EC 1.5.3.11) are key enzymes responsible for the terminal catabolism of polyamines in plants, bacteria and protozoa. In barley, two PAO isoforms (HvPAO1 and HvPAO2) have been previously analyzed as regards their tissue expression and subcellular localization. Only the major isoform HvPAO2 has been biochemically characterized up to now. In order to study the ear-specific expression of the HvPAO1 isoform in detail, RT-PCR analysis was performed in barley on the whole ear and on various ear tissues. Moreover, HvPAO1promoter::GUS transient expression was examined in barley developing caryopses at 30-day postfertilization. Results from these analyses have demonstrated that the HvPAO1 gene is specifically expressed in all the ear organs analyzed (i.e. basal lemma, rachis, awn, embryo-deprived caryopsis, embryo and sterile spikelets), at variance with the HvPAO2 gene, which is expressed at high levels in sterile spikelets and at very low levels in embryos. We purified HvPAO1 from barley immature caryopses and characterized its catalytic properties. Furthermore, we carried out in vitro synthesis of HvPAO1 protein in a cell-free translation system. The HvPAO1 enzymes purified from immature caryopses and in vitro synthesized showed the same catalytic properties, in particular, an optimum at pH 7.0 for Spd and Spm oxidation and comparable Km values for both substrates, i.e. 0.89x10(-5) M and 0.5x10(-5) M for Spd and Spm, respectively. It has been found that HvPAO1 enzyme activity significantly differs in substrate specificity and pH optimum when compared with the major isoform HvPAO2. As a whole, these data strongly suggest that, in barley, the two PAO genes evolved separately, after a duplication event, to code for two distinct tissue-specific enzymes, and they are likely to play different physiological roles.

Effect of Salt Stress on the Regulation of Maize (Zea mays L.) Genes Involved in Polyamine Biosynthesis

A cDNA for spermidine synthase (SPDS), which converts putrescine to the higher polyamine spermidine using decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine as a cofactor, was isolated from Zea mays leaves (Zmspds2A). Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed a high homology (81.9%) with Oryza sativa SPDS2. RT-PCR analyses showed that Zmspds2A was equally expressed in leaves, stem and roots. In contrast, transcripts of other genes related to polyamine biosynthesis (Zmodc, adc and samdc) showed tissue-specific regulation. The effect of salt stress on the expression of all these genes in maize leaves exposed to NaCl solutions of different concentrations was analysed. Our results showed that only Zmodc and Zmspds2A were up-regulated by salt stress; whereas the other two genes were barely affected by this treatment. In addition to Zmspds2A, a second transcript encoding a maize spermidine synthase (Zmspds2B) that also became up-regulated by salt stress, was identified. Comparison of partial cDNA sequences of transcripts Zmspds2A and Zmspds2B with the corresponding genomic DNA region revealed the existence of alternative splicing mechanism, opening a new aspect in plant polyamine biosynthesis modulation under abiotic stress.

Role of Polyamines in Apoptosis and Other Recent Advances in Plant Polyamines

Numerous citations in the literature indicate that polyamines are intensively studied in plants. Polyamines are implicated in many functions of the plant cell. Excellent recent reviews cover much of this original research. This article is focused primarily on literature that relates research on the role of polyamines in apoptosis and programmed cell death in both plants and animals. Apoptosis and programmed cell death are considerably better studied in animal systems, and this review demonstrates that the role of polyamines in these processes in plant systems are remarkably congruent with what is known in animal systems. In addition, key recent research reports are reviewed that describe the functional analysis of key polyamine biosynthesis genes in plants in relation to responses to environmental stress signals. Molecular analysis is providing strong evidence for the polyamine biosynthetic pathways to play major roles in ameliorating plant responses to abiotic stresses.

Cellular re-distribution of flavin-containing polyamine oxidase in differentiating root and mesocotyl of Zea mays L. seedlings

Plant polyamine oxidases (PAOs; EC 1.5.3.11) are hydrogen peroxide-producing enzymes supposedly involved in cell-wall differentiation processes and defence responses. Maize (Zea mays L.) PAO (MPAO) is a 53 kDa secretory glycoprotein, abundant in primary and secondary cell walls of several tissues. Using biochemical, histochemical, ultrastructural and immunocytochemical techniques, the distribution and sub-cellular compartmentalisation of MPAO in the primary root and mesocotyl of seedlings at different maturation stages or after growth under varying light conditions were analysed. In apical root tissues, MPAO immunoreactivity was mainly detected in the cytoplasmic compartment, while a lower immunoreactivity was observed in the cell walls. In the more mature, basal part of the root, intense immunogold labelling was found in the primary and secondary walls of protoxylem precursors and vessels, while endodermal cells and living metaxylem precursors were immunopositive both in their walls and in their thin cytoplasmic compartments. A re-distribution of MPAO protein from the cytoplasm toward the primary and secondary walls was also recognised when immunoreactivity of basal root tissues from 3-day-old seedlings was compared with that detected in 11-day-old tissues. Accordingly, biochemical analyses revealed MPAO entrapment in the extracellular matrix of mature tissues. In the mesocotyl, an enrichment of MPAO immunolabelling in the cell wall of protoxylem, metaxylem and epidermal tissues, as a function of light exposure, was observed. Taken together, these data support the hypothesised role of PAOs in cell-wall maturation. Moreover, the relevant intraprotoplasmic MPAO localisation observed mainly in differentiating root tissues suggests an additional role in intracellular production of hydrogen peroxide.

Ectopic expression of maize polyamine oxidase and pea copper amine oxidase in the cell wall of tobacco plants.

To test the feasibility of altering polyamine levels by influencing their catabolic pathway, we obtained transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants constitutively expressing either maize (Zea mays) polyamine oxidase (MPAO) or pea (Pisum sativum) copper amine oxidase (PCuAO), two extracellular and H(2)O(2)-producing enzymes. Despite the high expression levels of the transgenes in the extracellular space, the amount of free polyamines in the homozygous transgenic plants was similar to that in the wild-type ones, suggesting either a tight regulation of polyamine levels or a different compartmentalization of the two recombinant proteins and the bulk amount of endogenous polyamines. Furthermore, no change in lignification levels and plant morphology was observed in the transgenic plants compared to untransformed plants, while a small but significant change in reactive oxygen species-scavenging capacity was verified. Both the MPAO and the PCuAO tobacco transgenic plants produced high amounts of H(2)O(2) only in the presence of exogenously added enzyme substrates. These observations provided evidence for the limiting amount of freely available polyamines in the extracellular space in tobacco plants under physiological conditions, which was further confirmed for untransformed maize and pea plants. The amount of H(2)O(2) produced by exogenously added polyamines in cell suspensions from the MPAO transgenic plants was sufficient to induce programmed cell death, which was sensitive to catalase treatment and required gene expression and caspase-like activity. The MPAO and PCuAO transgenic plants represent excellent tools to study polyamine secretion and conjugation in the extracellular space, as well as to determine when and how polyamine catabolism actually intervenes both in cell wall development and in response to stress.

Characterization of arginine decarboxylase from Dianthus caryophyllus

Arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.9) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines in higher plants, whereas ornithine decarboxylase represents the sole pathway of polyamine biosynthesis in animals. Previously, we characterized a genomic clone from Dianthus caryophyllus, in which the deduced polypeptide of ADC was 725 amino acids with a molecular mass of 78 kDa. In the present study, the ADC gene was subcloned into the pGEX4T1 expression vector in combination with glutathione S-transferase (GST). The fusion protein GST–ADC was water-soluble and thus was purified by sequential GSTrap–arginine affinity chromatography. A thrombin-mediated on-column cleavage reaction was employed to release free ADC from GST. Hiload superdex gel filtration FPLC was then used to obtain a highly purified ADC. The identity of the ADC was confirmed by immunoblot analysis, and its specific activity with respect to 14C-arginine decarboxylation reaction was determined to be 0.9 CO 2 pkat mg –1 protein. K m and V max of the reaction between ADC and the substrate were 0.077 ± 0.001 mM and 6.0 ± 0.6 pkat mg –1 protein, respectively. ADC activity was reduced by 70% in the presence of 0.1 mM Cu 2+ or CO 2+, but was only marginally affected by Mg 2+, or Ca 2+ at the same concentration. Moreover, spermine at 1 mM significantly reduced its activity by 30%.

Polyamine homeostasis in transgenic plants overexpressing ornithine decarboxylase includes ornithine limitation.

It was reported recently that overexpression of human ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) cDNA in transgenic rice plants resulted in increased steady-state concentration of polyamines, i.e., enough biosynthetic control is invested at this step to enable adjustment of polyamine levels. To investigate critically whether constitutive overexpression of ODC is sufficient to control steady-state polyamine levels, we expressed an ODC cDNA from Datura stramonium in transgenic tobacco plants. Transgenic progeny of self-fertilised primary transformants exhibited increases in ODC activity of 25-fold in leaves and 5-fold in flower buds. However, the increase in putrescine levels was only 1.5- to 2.1-fold in leaves and 1.1- to 1.3-fold in flower buds. Emphatically, no changes to spermidine or spermine steady-state levels or to soluble or insoluble hydroxycinnamic acid-conjugated polyamines were observed. Ornithine feeding to cell suspension cultures derived from the transgenic plants indicated that putrescine accumulation was limited in part by ornithine availability. These results demonstrate that a large increase in the capacity of the tobacco plants to decarboxylate ornithine does not result in a comparable increase in the level of free or conjugated polyamines. Plant polyamine homeostatic mechanisms efficiently accommodate increased ODC activity, suggesting that polyamine biosynthetic control is invested at multiple interdependent steps.

The diverse bacterial origins of the Arabidopsis polyamine biosynthetic pathway

We functionally identified the last remaining step in the plant polyamine biosynthetic pathway by expressing an Arabidopsis thaliana agmatine iminohydrolase cDNA in yeast. Inspection of the whole pathway suggests that the arginine decarboxylase, agmatine iminohydrolase, N-carbamoylputrescine amidohydrolase route to putrescine in plants was inherited from the cyanobacterial ancestor of the chloroplast. However, the rest of the pathway including ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine synthase was probably inherited from bacterial genes present in the original host cell, common ancestor of plants and animals, that acquired the cyanobacterial endosymbiont. An exception is S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, which may represent a eukaryote-specific enzyme form.

Cloning, Sequencing, and Heterologous Expression of the Murine Peroxisomal Flavoprotein, N1-Acetylated Polyamine Oxidase

The aminoacyl sequences of three regions of pure bovine N1-acetylated polyamine oxidase (PAO) were obtained and used to search GenBankTM. This led to the cloning and sequencing of a complete coding cDNA for murine PAO (mPAO) and the 5'-truncated coding region of the bovine pao (bpao) gene. A search of GenBankTM indicated that mpao maps to murine chromosome 7 as seven exons. The translated amino acid sequences of mpao and bpao have a -Pro-Arg-Leu peroxisomal targeting signal at the extreme C termini. A beta-alpha-beta FAD-binding motif is present in the N-terminal portion of mPAO. This and several other regions of mPAO and bPAO are highly similar to corresponding sections of other flavoprotein amine oxidases, although the overall identity of aligned sequences indicates that PAO represents a new subfamily of flavoproteins. A fragment of mpao was used as a probe to establish the relative transcription levels of this gene in various mature murine tissues and murine embryonic and breast tissues at different developmental stages. An Escherichia coli expression system has been developed for manufacturing mPAO at a reasonable level. The mPAO so produced was purified to homogeneity and characterized. It was demonstrated definitively that PAO oxidizes N1-acetylspermine to spermidine and 3-acetamidopropanal and that it also oxidizes N1-acetylspermidine to putrescine and 3-acetamidopropanal. Thus, this is the classical polyamine oxidase (EC 1.5.3.11) that is defined as the enzyme that oxidizes these N1-acetylated polyamines on the exo-side of their N4-amino groups. This enzyme is distinguishable from the plant polyamine oxidase that oxidizes spermine on the endo-side of the N4-nitrogen. It differs also from mammalian spermine oxidase that oxidizes spermine (but not N1-acetylspermine or N1-acetylspermidine) at the exo-carbon of its N4-amino group. This report provides details of the biochemical, spectral, oxidation-reduction, and steady-state kinetic properties of pure mPAO.

Plant C-N Hydrolases and the Identification of a Plant N-Carbamoylputrescine Amidohydrolase Involved in Polyamine Biosynthesis

A nitrilase-like protein from Arabidopsis thaliana (NLP1) was expressed in Escherichia coli as a His(6)-tagged protein and purified to apparent homogeneity by Ni(2+)-chelate affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme showed N-carbamoylputrescine amidohydrolase activity, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of polyamines in plants and bacteria. N-carbamoylputrescine amidohydrolase activity was confirmed by identification of two of the three occurring products, namely putrescine and ammonia. In contrast, no enzymatic activity could be detected when applying various compounds including nitriles, amines, and amides as well as other N-carbamoyl compounds, indicating the specificity of the enzyme for N-carbamoylputrescine. Like the homologous beta-alanine synthases, NLP1 showed positive cooperativity toward its substrate. The native enzyme had a molecular mass of 279 kDa as shown by blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating a complex of eight monomers. Expression of the NLP1 gene was found in all organs investigated, but it was not induced upon osmotic stress, which is known to induce biosynthesis of putrescine. This is the first report of cloning and expression of a plant N-carbamoylputrescine amidohydrolase and the first time that N-carbamoylputrescine amidohydrolase activity of a recombinant protein could be shown in vitro. NLP1 is one of the two missing links in the arginine decarboxylase pathway of putrescine biosynthesis in higher plants.