András Gorzsás

Vibrational spectroscopic image analysis of biological material using multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares (MCR-ALS)

Raman and Fourier transform IR (FTIR) microspectroscopic images of biological material (tissue sections) contain detailed information about their chemical composition. The challenge lies in identifying changes in chemical composition, as well as locating and assigning these changes to different conditions (pathology, anatomy, environmental or genetic factors). Multivariate data analysis techniques are ideal for decrypting such information from the data. This protocol provides a user-friendly pipeline and graphical user interface (GUI) for data pre-processing and unmixing of pixel spectra into their contributing pure components by multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) analysis. The analysis considers the full spectral profile in order to identify the chemical compounds and to visualize their distribution across the sample to categorize chemically distinct areas. Results are rapidly achieved (usually <30–60 min per image), and they are easy to interpret and evaluate both in terms of chemistry and biology, making the method generally more powerful than principal component analysis (PCA) or heat maps of single-band intensities. In addition, chemical and biological evaluation of the results by means of reference matching and segmentation maps (based on k-means clustering) is possible.

Speciation in peroxovanadate systems

Detailed and thorough potentiometric and 51V-NMR spectroscopic investigations of H+–H2VO4−–H2O2–Ligand systems have been performed at 25 °C in 0.15 M Na(Cl) ionic medium. Extensive ranges of vanada ...

Non-Cell-Autonomous Postmortem Lignification of Tracheary Elements in Zinnia elegans

Here, we show that lignification occurs after programmed cell death in xylem tracheary elements (TEs) of Zinnia elegans xylogenic cell cultures. Living, parenchymatic xylem cells surrounding the TEs synthesize and transport lignin monomers and reactive oxygen species to the cell walls of the dead TEs, thereby contributing to TE lignification in a non-cell-autonomous manner. Postmortem lignification of xylem tracheary elements (TEs) has been debated for decades. Here, we provide evidence in Zinnia elegans TE cell cultures, using pharmacological inhibitors and in intact Z. elegans plants using Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, that TE lignification occurs postmortem (i.e., after TE programmed cell death). In situ RT-PCR verified expression of the lignin monomer biosynthetic cinnamoyl CoA reductase and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase in not only the lignifying TEs but also in the unlignified non-TE cells of Z. elegans TE cell cultures and in living, parenchymatic xylem cells that surround TEs in stems. These cells were also shown to have the capacity to synthesize and transport lignin monomers and reactive oxygen species to the cell walls of dead TEs. Differential gene expression analysis in Z. elegans TE cell cultures and concomitant functional analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in identification of several genes that were expressed in the non-TE cells and that affected lignin chemistry on the basis of pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. These data suggest that living, parenchymatic xylem cells contribute to TE lignification in a non-cell-autonomous manner, thus enabling the postmortem lignification of TEs.

Orthogonal Projections to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis Modeling on in Situ FT-IR Spectral Imaging of Liver Tissue for Identifying Sources of Variability.

In this study, the orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) method was used to assess the in situ chemical composition of two different cell types in mouse liver samples, hepatocytes and erythrocytes. High spatial resolution FT-IR microspectroscopy equipped with a focal plan array (FPA) detector is capable of simultaneously recording over 4000 spectra from 64 x 64 pixels with a maximum spatial resolution of about 5 microm x 5 microm, which allows for the differentiation of individual cells. The main benefit with OPLS-DA lies in the ability to separate predictive variation (between cell type) from variation that is uncorrelated to cell type in order to facilitate understanding of different sources of variation. OPLS-DA was able to differentiate between chemical properties and physical properties (e.g., edge effects). OPLS-DA model interpretation of the chemical features that separated the two cell types clearly highlighted proteins and lipids/bile acids. The modeled variation that was uncorrelated to cell type made up a larger portion of the total variation and displayed strong variability in the amide I region. This could be traced back to a gradient in the high intensity (high-density) areas vs the low intensity areas (close to empty areas) that as a result of normalization had an adverse effect on FT-IR spectral profiles. This highlights that OPLS-DA provides an effective solution to identify different sources of variability, both predictive and uncorrelated, and also facilitates understanding of any sampling, experimental, or preprocessing issues.

Fructokinase is required for carbon partitioning to cellulose in aspen wood

Sucrose is the main transported form of carbon in several plant species, including Populus species. Sucrose metabolism in developing wood has therefore a central role in carbon partitioning to stem biomass. Half of the sucrose-derived carbon is in the form of fructose, but metabolism of fructose has received little attention as a factor in carbon partitioning to walls of wood cells. We show that RNAi-mediated reduction of FRK2 activity in developing wood of hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × tremuloides) led to the accumulation of soluble neutral sugars and a decrease in hexose phosphates and UDP-glucose, indicating that carbon flux to cell-wall polysaccharide precursors is decreased. Reduced FRK2 activity also led to thinner fiber cell walls with a reduction in the proportion of cellulose. No pleiotropic effects on stem height or diameter were observed. The results establish a central role for FRK2 activity in carbon flux to wood cellulose.

Constitutive expression of a fungal glucuronoyl esterase in Arabidopsis reveals altered cell wall composition and structure

A family 15 carbohydrate esterase (CE15) from the white-rot basidiomycete, Phanerochaete carnosa (PcGCE), was transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 and was expressed from the constitutive cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Like other CE15 enzymes, PcGCE hydrolyzed methyl-4-O-methyl-d-glucopyranuronate and could target ester linkages that contribute to lignin-carbohydrate complexes that form in plant cell walls. Three independently transformed Arabidopsis lines were evaluated in terms of nine morphometric parameters, total sugar and lignin composition, cell wall anatomy, enzymatic saccharification and xylan extractability. The transgenic lines consistently displayed a leaf-yellowing phenotype, as well as reduced glucose and xylose content by as much as 30% and 35%, respectively. Histological analysis revealed 50% reduction in cell wall thickness in the interfascicular fibres of transgenic plants, and FT-IR microspectroscopy of interfascicular fibre walls indicated reduction in lignin cross-linking in plants overexpressing PcGCE. Notably, these characteristics could be correlated with improved xylose recovery in transgenic plants, up to 15%. The current analysis represents the first example whereby a fungal glucuronoyl esterase is expressed in Arabidopsis and shows that the promotion of glucuronoyl esterase activity in plants can alter the extent of intermolecular cross-linking within plant cell walls.

Speciation in the aqueous H+/H2VO4–/H2O2/L-(+)-lactate system

A detailed study of the quaternary aqueous H+/H2VO4−/H2O2/L-(+)-lactate (Lac−) system has been performed at 25 °C in 0.150 M Na(Cl) medium, representing the ionic strength of human blood, using quantitative 51V NMR and potentiometric data (glass electrode). Data were evaluated with the computer program LAKE, which is able to treat combined EMF and NMR data. The pKa-value for lactic acid was determined as 3.653 ± 0.002. The error given is 3σ. In the ternary H+/H2VO4−/Lac− system, eight complexes were found in the pH region 1.1–10.9; only half of them are mononuclear. Owing to the fast reduction of vanadium(V) in acidic solutions and to the slow equilibria of the inorganic vanadates under certain conditions, the final model of this ternary system presented in the study is limited to pH > 3.1. Solutions, in which reduction occurred to any extent, were excluded from all calculations, hence the study is limited to vanadium(V). In the quaternary H+/H2VO4−/H2O2/Lac− system, seven complexes could be found in addition to all binary and ternary complexes over the pH region 2.1–10.0, only two of which were mononuclear. Equilibrium is fast, but significant decomposition of peroxide occurs in acidic solutions over very short time, limiting the final model to pH > 4. Chemical shifts, compositions and formation constants are given, and equilibrium conditions are illustrated in distribution diagrams as well as the fit of the model to the experimental data. Simple biological tests were carried out to check the resistance of different peroxovanadate complexes (including the ones with Lac−) against human catalase and the results are being presented here.

Populus GT43 family members group into distinct sets required for primary and secondary wall xylan biosynthesis and include useful promoters for wood modification.

The plant GT43 protein family includes xylosyltransferases that are known to be required for xylan backbone biosynthesis, but have incompletely understood specificities. RT-qPCR and histochemical (GUS) analyses of expression patterns of GT43 members in hybrid aspen, reported here, revealed that three clades of the family have markedly differing specificity towards secondary wall-forming cells (wood and extraxylary fibres). Intriguingly, GT43A and B genes (corresponding to the Arabidopsis IRX9 clade) showed higher specificity for secondary-walled cells than GT43C and D genes (IRX14 clade), although both IRX9 and IRX14 are required for xylosyltransferase activity. The remaining genes, GT43E, F and G (IRX9-L clade), showed broad expression patterns. Transient transactivation analyses of GT43A and B reporters demonstrated that they are activated by PtxtMYB021 and PNAC085 (master secondary wall switches), mediated in PtxtMYB021 activation by an AC element. The high observed secondary cell wall specificity of GT43B expression prompted tests of the efficiency of its promoter (pGT43B), relative to the CaMV 35S (35S) promoter, for overexpressing a xylan acetyl esterase (CE5) or downregulating REDUCED WALL ACETYLATION (RWA) family genes and thus engineering wood acetylation. CE5 expression was weaker when driven by pGT43B, but it reduced wood acetyl content substantially more efficiently than the 35S promoter. RNAi silencing of the RWA family, which was ineffective using 35S, was achieved when using GT43B promoter. These results show the utility of the GT43B promoter for genetically engineering properties of wood and fibres.

Deficient sucrose synthase activity in developing wood does not specifically affect cellulose biosynthesis, but causes an overall decrease in cell wall polymers

The biosynthesis of wood in aspen (Populus) depends on the metabolism of sucrose, which is the main transported form of carbon from source tissues. The largest fraction of the wood biomass is cellulose, which is synthesized from UDP-glucose. Sucrose synthase (SUS) has been proposed previously to interact directly with cellulose synthase complexes and specifically supply UDP-glucose for cellulose biosynthesis. To investigate the role of SUS in wood biosynthesis, we characterized transgenic lines of hybrid aspen with strongly reduced SUS activity in developing wood. No dramatic growth phenotypes in glasshouse-grown trees were observed, but chemical fingerprinting with pyrolysis-GC/MS, together with micromechanical analysis, showed notable changes in chemistry and ultrastructure of the wood in the transgenic lines. Wet chemical analysis showed that the dry weight percentage composition of wood polymers was not changed significantly. However, a decrease in wood density was observed and, consequently, the content of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose was decreased per wood volume. The decrease in density was explained by a looser structure of fibre cell walls as shown by increased wall shrinkage on drying. The results show that SUS is not essential for cellulose biosynthesis, but plays a role in defining the total carbon incorporation to wood cell walls.

Speciation in the aqueous H+/H2VO4−/H2O2/picolinate system relevant to diabetes research

A detailed study of the quaternary aqueous H+/H2VO4-/H2O2/picolinate (Pi-) system has been performed at 25 degrees C in 0.150 M Na(Cl) medium using quantitative 51 V NMR (500 MHz) and potentiometric data (glass electrode). In the ternary H+/H2VO4-/Pi- system, six complexes have been found in the pH region 1-10. In the quaternary H+/H2VO4-/H2O2/Pi- system, eight additional complexes have been found. Generally, equilibria are fast in both systems. The rate of peroxide decomposition depends on the species in solution. Chemical shifts, compositions and formation constants for the species are given. Equilibrium conditions and the fit of the model to the experimental data are illustrated in distribution diagrams. Possible formation of mixed ligand species with imidazole, lactic acid and citric acid have been investigated and ruled out under the same experimental conditions. Structural proposals are given, based on 1)C NMR data and available crystal structures.