Ascorbate Peroxidase Protein Research Articles

Genome-Wide Identification, Evolutionary Analysis, and Functional Studies of APX Genes in Melon (Cucuis melo L.).

The antioxidative enzyme ascorbate peroxidase (APX) exerts a critically important function through scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), alleviating oxidative damage in plants, and enhancing their tolerance to salinity. Here, we identified 28 CmAPX genes that display an uneven distribution pattern throughout the 12 chromosomes of the melon genome by carrying out a bioinformatics analysis. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the CmAPX gene family comprised seven different clades, with each clade of genes exhibiting comparable motifs and structures. We cloned 28 CmAPX genes to infer their encoded protein sequences; we then compared these sequences with proteins encoded by rice APX proteins (OsAPX2), Puccinellia tenuiflora APX proteins (PutAPX) and with pea APX proteins. We found that the CmAPX17, CmAPX24, and CmAPX27 genes in Clade I were closely related, and their structures were highly conserved. CmAPX27 (MELO3C020719.2.1) was found to promote resistance to 150 mM NaCl salt stress, according to quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR. Transcriptome data revealed that CmAPX27 was differentially expressed among tissues, and the observed differences in expression were significant. Virus-induced gene silencing of CmAPX27 significantly decreased salinity tolerance, and CmAPX27 exhibited differential expression in the leaf, stem, and root tissues of melon plants. This finding demonstrates that CmAPX27 exerts a key function in melon's tolerance to salt stress. Generally, CmAPX27 could be a target in molecular breeding efforts aimed at improving the salt tolerance of melon; further studies of CmAPX27 could unveil novel physiological mechanisms through which antioxidant enzymes mitigate the deleterious effects of ROS stress.

Comparative in silico analysis of ascorbate peroxidase protein sequences in different plant species

Comparative in silico analysis of ascorbate peroxidase protein sequences in different plant species

Genome-wide characterization of ascorbate peroxidase gene family in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) in response to multiple abiotic stresses.

Pepper is widely grown all over the world, so it faces many abiotic stresses, such as drought, high temperature, low temperature, salt damage, and so on. Stresses causing the accumulation of reactive oxidative species (ROS) in plants are removed by antioxidant defense systems, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is an important antioxidant enzyme. Therefore, the present study performed genome-wide identification of the APX gene family in pepper. We identified nine members of the APX gene family in the pepper genome according to the APX proteins' conserved domain in Arabidopsis thaliana. The physicochemical property analysis showed that CaAPX3 had the longest protein sequence and the largest molecular weight of all genes, while CaAPX9 had the shortest protein sequence and the smallest MW. The gene structure analysis showed that CaAPXs were composed of seven to 10 introns. The CaAPX genes were divided into four groups. The APX genes of groups I and IV were localized in the peroxisomes and chloroplasts, respectively; the group II genes were localized in the chloroplasts and mitochondria; and the group III genes were located in the cytoplasm and extracell. The conservative motif analysis showed that all APX genes in the pepper had motif 2, motif 3, and motif 5. The APX gene family members were distributed on five chromosomes (Chr. 2, 4, 6, 8, and 9). The cis-acting element analysis showed that most CaAPX genes contain a variety of cis-elements related to plant hormones and abiotic stress. RNA-seq expression analysis showed that the expression patterns of nine APXs were different in vegetative and reproductive organs at different growth and development stages. In addition, the qRT-PCR analysis of the CaAPX genes revealed significant differential expression in response to high temperature, low temperature, and salinity stresses in leaf tissue. In conclusion, our study identified the APX gene family members in the pepper and predicted the functions of this gene family, which would provide resources for further functional characterization of CaAPX genes.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX) Gene Family of Winter Rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) Under Abiotic Stress.

Winter Brassica rapa (B. rapa) is an important oilseed crop in northern China, but the mechanism of its cold resistance remains unclear. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) plays important roles in the response of this plant to abiotic stress and in scavenging free radicals. In this study, the roles of APX proteins in the cold response and superoxide metabolism pathways in rapeseed species were investigated, and a comprehensive analysis of phylogeny, chromosome distribution, motif identification, sequence structure, gene duplication, and RNA-seq expression profiles in the APX gene family was conducted. Most BrAPX genes were specifically expressed under cold stress and behaved significantly differently in cold-tolerant and weakly cold-resistant varieties. Quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was also used to verify the differences in expression between these two varieties under cold, freezing, drought and heat stress. The expression of five BrAPX genes was significantly upregulated in growth cones at 3 h of cold stress, while their expression was significantly lower at 24 h than at 3 h. The expression of Bra015403 and Bra003918 was significantly higher in “Longyou-7” growth cones than in other treatments. Five BrAPXs (Bra035235, Bra003918, Bra033040, Bra017120, and Bra031934) were closely associated with abiotic stress responses in B. rapa. These candidate genes may play important roles in the response of B. rapa to low temperature stress and provide new information for the elucidation of the cold resistance mechanism in B. rapa.

In silico characterization and homology modeling of cytosolic APX gene predicts novel glycine residue modulating waterlogging stress response in pigeon pea.

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is a member of the family of heme-containing peroxidases having a similar structure with Cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP) that effectively scavenge cytosolic and chloroplastic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) under various stresses. In this study, computational characterization and homology analysis of APX protein from waterlogging tolerant (ICPL 84023) and sensitive (ICP 7035) pigeon pea genotypes were carried out resulting in 100% homology with Glycine max in case of former and 99% in later genotypes respectively with 97.39% alignment coverage among each other. The model structure was further refined by various tools like PROCHECK, ProSA, and Verify3D. The planned model of the APX enzyme was then tested to dock with H2O2along with molecular dynamics (MD) simulation analysis. The docked complex of ICPL 84023 showed the best G-score (23.39 kcal/mol) in comparison to ICP 7035 (16.74 kcal/mol) depicting the higher production of APX for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) production making this genotype more tolerant. The important binding residues in the ICPL 84023-H2O2complex (SER1, THR4, GLU23, and GLY13) have shown less fluctuation than the ICP 7035-H2O2 complex (SER1, THR4, and GLU23). Overall, our results showed that amino acid residue glycine in ICPL 84023 APX gene has a high binding affinity with H2O2 which could be a key factor associated with waterlogging stress tolerance in pigeon pea.

Enrichment of alliin in different in vitro grown tissues of Allium sativum through CdCl2 elicitation as revealed by high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)

Plant cell tissue and organ culture techniques provide an efficient way for the biosynthesis of high-value secondary metabolites in which elicitation has been recognized to be a potent approach in enriching the bioactive compounds. In this study, an effort was made to assess the influence of Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) on alliin yield of different in vitro grown tissues such as callus, somatic embryos, leaves and roots of Allium sativum. The tissues were cultured in MS amended with various levels of CdCl2 [control (0 mM), T1 (0.05 mM), T2 (0.1 mM), T3 (0.15 mM) and T4 (0.2 mM)] and the yield of alliin was quantified by using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Biochemical analyses revealed that sample tissues under increasing CdCl2 conditions accumulated higher levels of sugar, protein and proline with maximum content of sugar (19.61 mg g−1 FW), protein (6.01 mg g−1 FW) and proline (12.19 mg g−1 FW) in leaves at T3 after 4 days of elicitor treatment. Changes within the activities of varied antioxidant enzymes like catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) was assayed as the addition of CdCl2 in the medium causes stress. We noted that with an elevated level of CdCl2, antioxidant enzyme activity increased linearly with the highest activity observed in leaves at T4 of 6 days of elicitation (4.97 EU min−1 mg−1 protein CAT, 6.30 EU min−1 mg−1 protein SOD and 1.125 EU min−1 mg−1 protein APX). Increased activities of enzymes are involved in negating the cellular stress triggered due to the overproduction of ROS. The yield of alliin in response to varying levels of CdCl2 was estimated by using a simple, rapid, and sensitive HPTLC method. The best separation was achieved using butanol:propanol:acetic acid:water (3:1:1:1) as mobile phase. For analysis of alliin, the plates were scanned at 550 nm after spraying with ninhydrin and a good resolution was achieved with Rf value of 0.66. In our study, the alliin yield enhanced in all tested cultures with the elicitor level up to T3. In leaves, maximum accumulation of alliin (3.37 μg g−1 dry wt.) was noted on 0.15 mM (T3) CdCl2 added medium. Our data indicated the increase of alliin in CdCl2 added cultures, which suggests that the use of elicitors as a potential strategy for augmenting secondary metabolite synthesis.

Identification and expression profiling analysis of ascorbate peroxidase gene family in Actinidia chinensis (Hongyang).

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is one of the important antioxidant enzymes in the active oxygen metabolism pathway of plants and animals, especially it is the key enzyme to clear H2O2 in chloroplast and the main enzyme of vitamin C metabolism. However, knowledge about APX gene family members and their evolutionary and functional characteristics in kiwifruit is limited. In this study, we identified 13 members of the APX gene family in the kiwifruit (cultivar: Hongyang) genome according the APX proteins conserved domain of Arabidopsis thaliana. Phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood split these 13 genes into four groups. The APX gene family members were distributed on nine chromosomes (Nos. 4, 5, 11, 13, 20, 21, 23, 25, 28). Most of the encoded hydrophilic and lipid-soluble enzymes were predicted to be located in the cytoplasm, nucleus and chloroplast. Among them, AcAPX4, AcAPX5, AcAPX8, AcAPX12 were transmembrane proteins, and AcAPX8 and AcAPX12 had the same transmembrane domain. The gene structure analysis showed that AcAPXs were composed of 4-22 introns, except that AcAPX10 was intron-free. Multiple expectation maximization for motif elicitation program (MEME) analyzed 13 APX protein sequences of Actinidia chinensis and identified 10 conserved motifs ranging in length from 15 to 50 amino acid residues. Additionally, the predicted secondary structures of the main motifs consisted of α-helix and random coils. The gene expression of fruits in different growth stages and bagging treatment were determined by qRT-PCR. The results showed that 8 AcAPXs had the highest expression levels during the color turning period and only the gene expression of AcAPX3 was consistent with the ascorbic acid content; five AcAPXs were consistent with the ascorbic acid content after bagging. Our data provided evolutionary and functional information of AcAPX gene family members and revealed the gene expression of different members in different growth stages and bagging treatments These results may be useful for future studies of the structures and functions of AcAPX family members.

YR36/WKS1-Mediated Phosphorylation of PsbO, an Extrinsic Member of Photosystem II, Inhibits Photosynthesis and Confers Stripe Rust Resistance in Wheat

Wheat stripe rust, due to infection by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a devastating disease that causes significant global grain yield losses. Yr36, which encodes Wheat Kinase START1 (WKS1), is an effective high-temperature adult-plant resistance gene and confers resistance to a broad spectrum of Pst races. We previously showed that WKS1 phosphorylates the thylakoid ascorbate peroxidase protein and reduces its ability to detoxify peroxides, which may contribute to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). WKS1-mediated Pst resistance is accompanied by leaf chlorosis in Pst-infected regions, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that WKS1 interacts with and phosphorylates PsbO, an extrinsic member of photosystem II (PSII), to reduce photosynthesis, regulate leaf chlorosis, and confer Pst resistance. A point mutation in PsbO-A1 or reduction in its transcript levels by RNA interference resulted in chlorosis and reduced Pst sporulation. Biochemical analyses revealed that WKS1 phosphorylates PsbO at two conserved amino acids involved in physical interactions with PSII and reduces the binding affinity of PsbO with PSII. Presumably, phosphorylated PsbO proteins dissociate from the PSII complex and then undergo rapid degradation by cysteine and aspartic proteases. Taken together, these results demonstrate that perturbations of wheat PsbO by point mutation or phosphorylation by WKS1 reduce the rate of photosynthesis and delay the growth of Pst pathogen before the induction of ROS.

Genome-Wide Analysis of ROS Antioxidant Genes in Resurrection Species Suggest an Involvement of Distinct ROS Detoxification Systems during Desiccation.

Abiotic stress is one of the major threats to plant crop yield and productivity. When plants are exposed to stress, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases, which could lead to extensive cellular damage and hence crop loss. During evolution, plants have acquired antioxidant defense systems which can not only detoxify ROS but also adjust ROS levels required for proper cell signaling. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) are crucial enzymes involved in ROS detoxification. In this study, 40 putative APX, 28 GPX, 16 CAT, and 41 SOD genes were identified from genomes of the resurrection species Boea hygrometrica, Selaginella lepidophylla, Xerophyta viscosa, and Oropetium thomaeum, and the mesophile Selaginella moellendorffii. Phylogenetic analyses classified the APX, GPX, and SOD proteins into five clades each, and CAT proteins into three clades. Using co-expression network analysis, various regulatory modules were discovered, mainly involving glutathione, that likely work together to maintain ROS homeostasis upon desiccation stress in resurrection species. These regulatory modules also support the existence of species-specific ROS detoxification systems. The results suggest molecular pathways that regulate ROS in resurrection species and the role of APX, GPX, CAT and SOD genes in resurrection species during stress.

Ascorbate peroxidase overexpression protects Leishmania braziliensis against trivalent antimony effects.

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is a redox enzyme of the trypanothione pathway that converts hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into water molecules. In the present study, the APX gene was overexpressed in Leishmania braziliensis to investigate its contribution to the trivalent antimony (SbIII)-resistance phenotype. Western blot results demonstrated that APX-overexpressing parasites had higher APX protein levels in comparison with the wild-type line (LbWTS). APX-overexpressing clones showed an 8-fold increase in the antimony-resistance index over the parental line. In addition, our results indicated that these clones were approximately 1.8-fold more tolerant to H2O2 than the LbWTS line, suggesting that the APX enzyme plays an important role in the defence against oxidative stress. Susceptibility tests revealed that APX-overexpressing L. braziliensis lines were more resistant to isoniazid, an antibacterial agent that interacts with APX. Interestingly, this compound enhanced the anti-leishmanial SbIII effect, indicating that this combination represents a good strategy for leishmaniasis chemotherapy. Our data demonstrate that APX enzyme is involved in the development of L. braziliensis antimony-resistance phenotype and may be an attractive therapeutic target in the design of new strategies for leishmaniasis treatment.

Aluminum chloride elicitation (amendment) improves callus biomass growth and reserpine yield in Rauvolfia serpentina leaf callus

The biotechnological approach of exploiting cell culture elicitation (amendment) offers an attractive alternative strategy to overcome the limited availability of biologically active and medicinally important secondary metabolites. The present study investigated the influence of abiotic aluminum chloride (AlCl3) elicitation on alkaloid yield in Rauvolfia serpentina. This metallic ion was used to enhance the biosynthesis of reserpine in leaf-derived callus, cultured in 1.0 mg l−1 BAP + 0.5 mg l−1 IAA amended Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and this study revealed the increased yield of reserpine in cultivated tissues. This enhanced yield could help in minimizing the indiscriminate harvest of endangered flora for natural alkaloid extraction. The elicitor’s impact on callus biomass, alteration of biochemical attributes and reserpine yield at 0.05 mM (A1), 0.10 mM (A2), 0.15 mM (A3) and 0.20 mM (A4) was evaluated at periodic intervals. Maximum callus biomass was observed in 0.15 mM AlCl3 amended medium with a highest fresh weight of 1.24 g and dry weight of 0.14 g at day 6. To understand the role of AlCl3 in plant defense mechanism, various antioxidant enzymes i.e. superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities were assayed in in vitro cultivated calli with or without AlCl3 treatment. The above enzymes activities increased linearly with increasing AlCl3 level, i.e. 5.10 enzyme unit (EU) min−1 mg−1 protein SOD, 3.93 EU min−1 mg−1 protein CAT and 0.83 EU min−1 mg−1 protein APX, all being maximum at A4 treatment. The yield of reserpine was quantified in callus tissues by using HPTLC method, indicating that the reserpine synthesis was enhanced with increasing elicitor treatment up to A3 and maximum being at 0.15 mM AlCl3 amended medium (0.129 mg g−1 DW). Higher elicitation level (0.20 mM) had a very little influence on callus biomass and reserpine synthesis. Besides, the role of genes encoding pyroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS) and tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), which participate in reserpine biosynthetic pathway is also discussed.

Quantitative proteomics analysis reveals that S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) and nitric oxide signaling enhance poplar defense against chilling stress.

NO acts as the essential signal to enhance poplar tolerance to chilling stress via antioxidant enzyme activities and protein S -nitrosylation modification, NO signal is also strictly controlled by S -nitrosoglutathione reductase and nitrate reductase to avoid the over-accumulation of reactive nitrogen species. Poplar (Populus trichocarpa) are fast growing woody plants with both ecological and economic value; however, the mechanisms by which poplar adapts to environmental stress are poorly understood. In this study, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification proteomic approach to characterize the response of poplar exposed to cold stress. We identified 114 proteins that were differentially expressed in plants exposed to cold stress. In particular, some of the proteins are involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) metabolism. Further physiological analysis showed that nitric oxide (NO) signaling activated a series of downstream defense responses. We further demonstrated that NO activated antioxidant enzyme activities and S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) activities, which would reduce ROS and RNS toxicity and thereby enhance poplar tolerance to cold stress. Suppressing NO accumulation or GSNOR activity aggravated cold damage to poplar leaves. Moreover, our results showed that RNS can suppress the activities of GSNOR and NO nitrate reductase (NR) by S-nitrosylation to fine-tune the NO signal and modulate ROS levels by modulating the S-nitrosylation of ascorbate peroxidase protein. Hence, our data demonstrate that NO signaling activates multiple pathways that enhance poplar tolerances to cold stress, and that NO signaling is strictly controlled through protein post-translational modification by S-nitrosylation.

Activity levels and expression of antioxidant enzymes in the ascorbate–glutathione cycle in artificially aged rice seed

Reactive oxygen species are the main contributors to seed deterioration. In order to study scavenging systems for reactive oxygen species in aged seed, we performed analyses using western blotting, real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, high-performance liquid chromatography, and antioxidant enzyme activity analyses in artificially aged rice seeds (Oryza sativa L. cv. wanhua no.11). Aging seeds by storing them at 50 °C for 1, 9, or 17 months increased the superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide levels and reduced the germination percentage from 99% to 92%, 55%, and 2%, respectively. The activity levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) did not change in aged seeds. In contrast, the activity levels of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) were significantly decreased in aged seeds, as were the expression of catalase and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase protein. Transcript accumulation analysis showed that specific expression patterns were complex for each of the antioxidant enzyme types in the rice embryos. Overall, the expression of most genes was down-regulated, along with their protein expression. In addition, the reduction in the amount of ascorbate and glutathione was associated with the reduction in scavenging enzymes activity in aged rice embryos. Our data suggest that the depression of the antioxidant system, especially the reduction in the expression of CAT1, APX1 and MDHAR1, may be responsible for the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in artificially aged seed embryos, leading to a loss of seed vigor.

Cloning and analysis of the ascorbate peroxidase gene promoter from Brassica napus

Ascorbate peroxidase ( APX ) is known to catalyze the reduction of H 2O2 to water and enhance plants’ tolerance in stress environment. An ascorbate peroxidase protein (BnAPX) was previously isolated from Brassica napus in our laboratory and it was located in the chloroplast. In order to clarify the physiological function of BnAPX in plant response to photooxidative stress, 1562 bp upstream sequence of BnAPX was isolated by genomic walking and searched for cis-element by PROMOTER SCAN software and PLANTCARE website. Many light-responsive cis-elements were revealed in this prediction. Promoter activity analysis of this sequence was operated by transient expression in B. napus protoplasts. Results of promoter deletion analysis indicated that the core promoter element lied in 0.3 kb of BnAPX 5’-flanking region. Moreover, our data showed that promoter of BnAPX could be activated by light.

Overexpression of Arabidopsis dehydration- responsive element-binding protein 2C confers tolerance to oxidative stress.

Dehydration-responsive element-binding proteins (DREBs)regulate plant responses to environmental stresses. In the current study, transcription of DREB2C, a class 2 Arabidopsis DREB, was induced by a superoxide anion propagator, methyl viologen (MV). The oxidative stress tolerance of DREB2C-overexpressing transgenic plants was significantly greater than that of wild-type plants, as measured by ion leakage and chlorophyll fluorescence under light conditions. The transcriptional activity of several ascorbate peroxidase (APX) genes as well as APX protein activity was induced in DREB2C overexpressors. Additionally, the level of H2O2 in the overexpressors was lower than in wt plants under similar oxidative stress conditions. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay and transient activator reporter assay showed that APX2 expression was regulated by heat shock factor A3 (HsfA3) and that HsfA3 is regulated at the transcriptional level by DREB2C. These results suggest that DREB2C plays an important role in promoting oxidative stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Comparative Insilico Analysis of Ascorbate Peroxidase Protein Sequences from Different Plant Species

The existence of isoform diversity among antioxidant enzymes contributes to the spatial and temporal fine tuning of cellular responses. In plants heme binding ascorbate peroxidase (APX) (EC, 1.11.1.11) presents a crucial line of defense against reactive oxygen species. The present study aims to provide a comparative view of the functional attributes of major isoforms of APX in plants species. A total of 64 protein sequences of APX were subjected to homology search, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic tree construction, and motif analysis. The phylogenetic tree constructed revealed different clusters based on heme binding APX in respect of dicot and monocot plants such as different source of plant species represented by Oryza sativa, Arabidopsis thaliana, Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays, Ricinus communis, Populus trichocarpa, Vitis vinifera, and Selaginella moellendorffii. The multiple sequence alignment of these APX protein sequences from different plants showed conserved regions at different stretches with maximum homology in amino acid residues. The motif analysis revealed a conserved peroxidase domain uniformly observed in all APX irrespective of variable plant species suggesting its possible role in structural and enzymatic functions. The signature amino acids sequence of VFYQMGLSDKDIVALSGGHTLGRCH, NNGLHIAIRLCQPIKEQFPIITYADFYQLAGVVAVEVTGGPTIPMHPGRV and LFEDPSFRPYVEKYAKDQDAFFKDYAEAHMKLSELGF, related with the plant heme binding peroxidase as well as chloroplastic and cytosolic peroxidase signature was frequently observed and seemed to be related with the structure and enzymatic function in all APX protein sequences. The findings of the present study may be useful for designing degenerate primers or probes specific for APX and possibly presents the first line of defense amongst all the APX isoforms involved in the cellular antioxidant defense pathway, during exposure to abiotic stresses.

Investigating the Impact of Elevated Levels of Ozone on Tropical Wheat Using Integrated Phenotypical, Physiological, Biochemical, and Proteomics Approaches

Ozone (O3), a potent air pollutant and a significant greenhouse gas, has been recognized as a major component of global climate change. However, current increasing trends in its background level are projecting a more severe threat to natural and cultivated plants in the near future. The present study has been designed to evaluate the impact of elevated concentrations of O3 on phenotypical, physiological, and biochemical traits in two high-yielding cultivars of wheat, followed by analysis of the leaf proteome using one/two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (1-/2-DGE) coupled to immunoblotting and mass spectrometry analyses under near-natural conditions using open top chambers. Prominently, O3 exposure caused specific foliar injury in both the wheat cultivars. Results also showed that O3 stress significantly decreased photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics (Fv/Fm) in test cultivars. Biochemical evaluations further revealed a higher loss in photosynthetic pigments, whereas a significantly induced antioxidant system under elevated O3 concentrations pointed toward an ability of O3 to generate oxidative stress. 1-DGE analysis showed drastic reductions in the abundantly present ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) large and small subunits. Western blot analysis confirmed induced accumulation of antioxidative enzymes like superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase protein(s) and common defense/stress-related thaumatin-like protein(s). 2-DGE analysis revealed a total of 38 differentially expressed protein spots, common in both the wheat cultivars. Among those, some major leaf photosynthetic proteins (including RuBisCO and RuBisCO activase) and important energy metabolism proteins (including ATP synthase, aldolase, and phosphoglycerate kinase) were drastically reduced, whereas some stress/defense-related proteins (such as harpin-binding protein and germin-like protein) were induced. In all, the present study reveals an intimate molecular network provoked by O3 affecting photosynthesis and triggering antioxidative defense and stress-related proteins culminating in accelerated foliar injury in wheat plants.

Euglena gracilisascorbate peroxidase forms an intramolecular dimeric structure: its unique molecular characterization

Euglena gracilis lacks a catalase and contains a single APX (ascorbate peroxidase) and enzymes related to the redox cycle of ascorbate in the cytosol. In the present study, a full-length cDNA clone encoding the Euglena APX was isolated and found to contain an open reading frame encoding a protein of 649 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 70.5 kDa. Interestingly, the enzyme consisted of two entirely homologous catalytic domains, designated APX-N and APX-C, and an 102 amino acid extension in the N-terminal region, which had a typical class II signal proposed for plastid targeting in Euglena. A computer-assisted analysis indicated a novel protein structure with an intramolecular dimeric structure. The analysis of cell fractionation showed that the APX protein is distributed in the cytosol, but not the plastids, suggesting that Euglena APX becomes mature in the cytosol after processing of the precursor. The kinetics of the recombinant mature FL (full-length)-APX and the APX-N and APX-C domains with ascorbate and H2O2 were almost the same as that of the native enzyme. However, the substrate specificity of the mature FL-APX and the native enzyme was different from that of APX-N and APX-C. The mature FL-APX, but not the truncated forms, could reduce alkyl hydroperoxides, suggesting that the dimeric structure is correlated with substrate recognition. In Euglena cells transfected with double-stranded RNA, the silencing of APX expression resulted in a significant increase in the cellular level of H2O2, indicating the physiological importance of APX to the metabolism of H2O2.

Recent Advances in Ascorbate Biosynthesis and the Physiological Significance of Ascorbate Peroxidase in Photosynthesizing Organisms

Ascorbate (AsA), the most abundant water-soluble redox compound in plants and eukaryotic algae, has multiple functions. There is compelling genetic evidence that the biosynthesis of AsA proceeds via a D-mannose/L-galactose pathway and is the most significant source of AsA in plants. AsA plays important roles in antioxidative defense, particularly via the AsA/glutathione cycle. AsA peroxidase (APX) plays a central role in the cycle and is emerging as a key enzyme in cellular H(2)O(2) metabolism. Plants possess diverse APX isoenzymes in cellular compartments, including the chloroplast, cytosol, and microbody. In algae, however, the number and distribution of APX proteins are quite limited. Recent progress in molecular biological analysis of APX isoenzymes has revealed elaborate mechanisms for the tissue-dependent regulation of two chloroplastic APX isoenzymes by alternative splicing, and for redox regulation of cytosolic APX gene expression in response to light stress. Furthermore, transgenic plants overexpressing a chloroplastic APX isoenzyme enable us to evaluate the behavior of the enzyme under conditions of photo-oxidative stress. Molecular physiological analysis has revealed that cytosolic APX is part of the system modulating the cellular H(2)O(2) level in redox signaling.

Proteomics Approach for Investigating the Disease Resistance Using Cucumber as Model Plant

The profile of proteins induced in cucumber leaves pretreated with Acibenzolar-S-Methyl (ASM) and challenge inoculated with Colletotrichum orbiculare are presented. ASM was applied to the first leaf and the third leaf collected at different time intervals of 0-48 h and the total protein extracted using trichloroacetic acid acetone was analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Increased expressions of pyridoxine biosynthesis protein, carbonic anhydrase, proteasome subunit (beta type 1), phosphomannomutase and ascorbate peroxidase proteins were noticed in cucumber plants systemically induced resistance by ASM. All the above proteins are well known to play a major role in scavenging of active oxygen species and preventing the cell from oxidative damage. Our results suggest that production and scavenging of ROS are one of the major events that occur during ASM induced systemic resistance in cucumber.