Daniel D. Lefebvre

Mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana Capable of Germination under Saline Conditions

Three mutant strains of Arabidopsis thaliana var Columbia were selected for their ability to germinate in elevated concentrations of NaCl. They were not more tolerant than wild type at subsequent development stages. Wild-type strains could not germinate at concentrations > 125 mM NaCl. Two of mutant strains, RS17 and RS20, could withstand up to 225 mM, whereas RS19 was resistant to 175 mM. The RS mutants could also germinate under even lower osmotic potentials imposed by high concentrations of exogenous mannitol (550 mM), whereas the effects of elevated levels of KCl, K2SO4, and LiCl were similar among the mutants and wild type. Therefore, the mutants are primarily osmotolerant, but they also possess a degree of ionic tolerance for sodium. Sodium and potassium contents of seeds exposed to high salinities indicated that the NaCl-tolerant mutants absorbed more of these respective cations during imbibition. These higher internal concentrations of potassium and sodium could contribute to the osmotic adjustment of the germinating seeds to the low osmotic potential of the external medium. Genetic analysis of F1 and F2 progeny of outcrosses suggest that the salt-tolerant mutations are recessive and that they define three complementation groups.

Purification and Characterization of a Potato Tuber Acid Phosphatase Having Significant Phosphotyrosine Phosphatase Activity.

The major acid phosphatase (APase) from potato (Solanum tuberosom L. cv Chiefton) tubers has been purified 2289-fold to near homogeneity and a final O-phospho-L-tyrosine (P-Tyr) hydrolyzing specific activity of 1917 [mu]mol Pi produced min-1 mg-1 of protein. Nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the final preparation resolved a single protein-staining band that co-migrated with APase activity. Following sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, glycosylated polypeptides of 57 and 55 kD were observed. The two polypeptides are immunologically closely related, since both proteins cross-reacted on immunoblots probed with rabbit anti-(Brassica nigra APase) immunoglobulin G. Immunoblotting studies revealed that the 55-kD subunit did not arise via proteolytic cleavage of the 57-kD subunit after tissue extraction. The native molecular mass was approximately 100 kD, suggesting that the holoenzyme could exist as either a homodimer or a heterodimer. The enzyme displayed a pH optimum of 5.8, was activated 40% by 4 mM Mg2+, and was potently inhibited by molybdate, vanadate, and ZnCl2. The final preparation displayed the highest activity and specificity constant with P-Tyr, but also dephosphorylated other phosphomonoesters including p-nitrophenylphosphate, O-phospho-L-serine, phosphoenolpyruvate, PPi, and ATP. Antibodies to P-Tyr were used to demonstrate that several endogenous phosphotyrosylated tuber polypeptides could serve as in vitro substrates for the purified APase. Although the precise physiological significance of the potato APases substantial in vitro activity with P-Tyr remains obscure, the possibility that this APase may function to dephosphorylate certain protein-located P-Tyr residues in vivo is suggested.

Biotransformation of Hg(II) by cyanobacteria.

ABSTRACT The biotransformation of Hg(II) by cyanobacteria was investigated under aerobic and pH-controlled culture conditions. Mercury was supplied as HgCl2 in amounts emulating those found under heavily impacted environmental conditions where bioremediation would be appropriate. The analytical procedures used to measure mercury within the culture solution, including that in the cyanobacterial cells, used reduction under both acid and alkaline conditions in the presence of SnCl2. Acid reduction detected free Hg(II) ions and its complexes, whereas alkaline reduction revealed that meta-cinnabar (β-HgS) constituted the major biotransformed and cellularly associated mercury pool. This was true for all investigated species of cyanobacteria: Limnothrix planctonica (Lemm.), Synechococcus leopoldiensis (Racib.) Komarek, and Phormidium limnetica (Lemm.). From the outset of mercury exposure, there was rapid synthesis of β-HgS and Hg(0); however, the production rate for the latter decreased quickly. Inhibitory studies using dimethylfumarate and iodoacetamide to modify intra- and extracellular thiols, respectively, revealed that the former thiol pool was required for the conversion of Hg(II) into β-HgS. In addition, increasing the temperature enhanced the amount of β-HgS produced, with a concomitant decrease in Hg(0) volatilization. These findings suggest that in the environment, cyanobacteria at the air-water interface could act to convert substantial amounts of Hg(II) into β-HgS. Furthermore, the efficiency of conversion into β-HgS by cyanobacteria may lead to the development of applications in the bioremediation of mercury.

Purification, characterization, and subcellular localization of an acid phosphatase from black mustard cell-suspension cultures: Comparison with phosphoenolpyruvate phosphatase☆

An acid phosphatase from Brassica nigra (black mustard) leaf petiole cell-suspension cultures has been purified 1633-fold to a final specific activity of 1225 (mumols orthophosphate produced/min)/mg protein and near homogeneity. The native protein was a glycosylated monomer having a molecular mass of 60 kDa and a pI of 4.5. The enzyme displayed a broad pH optimum of about pH 5.6 and was heat stable. The final preparation hydrolyzed a wide variety of phosphate esters. The highest specificity constants were obtained with 3-phosphoglycerate, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, PPi, and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). The enzyme was activated 1.4-fold by 4 mM Mg2+ or Mn2+, but was strongly inhibited by Mo, Pi, F, and several phosphorylated compounds. Subcellular localization experiments revealed that this nonspecific acid phosphatase is probably a secreted enzyme, localized in the cell wall. By contrast, B. nigra PEP phosphatase appeared to be localized in the cell vacuole. Peptide mapping via CNBr fragmentation was employed to investigate the structural relatedness of the two phosphatases. Their respective CNBr cleavage patterns were dissimilar, suggesting that B. nigra acid and PEP phosphatases are distinct polypeptides. Putative metabolic functions of these two phosphatases are discussed in relation to the biochemical adaptations of B. nigra cell-suspension cultures to nutritional phosphate deprivation.

A phosphate-starvation inducible beta-glucosidase gene (psr3.2) isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana is a member of a distinct subfamily of the BGA family.

We have previously isolated a phosphate starvation-response (psr) cDNA clone, psr3.1, from Brassica nigra which encodes a β-glucosidase. Southern blots of Arabidopsis thaliana genomic DNA probed with the psr3.1 cDNA indicated that this gene exists as a single locus. A genomic library of A. thaliana was screened at high stringency to isolate the corresponding genomic clone. The resultant clone was coined psr3.2 because of its sequence divergence from isolated psr3.1 cDNA clones. Northern blotting with probes derived from the coding region of the genomic clone showed that this gene is expressed at high levels in Pi-starved roots and the enhancement occurred within two days of growth in medium lacking Pi. The expression of this gene is repressed by heat shock and anaerobic conditions, and it is not significantly induced by high salinity, or by nitrogen or sulfur deprivation. Sequence analysis of the genomic clone revealed the existence of 13 exons interrupted by 12 AT-rich introns and it possessed a high homology with the B. nigra psr3.1 as well as various other β-glucosidase genes from other species. Sequence similarity and divergence percentages between the deduced amino acid sequences of the psr3 clones and other β-glycosidases suggests that they should be included along with two other Brassicaceae genes in a distinct subfamily of the BGA glycosidase gene family. The presence of an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal at the carboxy terminus indicates the likely cellular location of PSR3.2. The possible metabolic and regulatory roles of this enzyme during the Pi-starvation response are discussed.

Mercury Analysis of Acid- and Alkaline-Reduced Biological Samples: Identification of meta-Cinnabar as the Major Biotransformed Compound in Algae

ABSTRACT The biotransformation of HgII in pH-controlled and aerated algal cultures was investigated. Previous researchers have observed losses in Hg detection in vitro with the addition of cysteine under acid reduction conditions in the presence of SnCl2. They proposed that this was the effect of Hg-thiol complexing. The present study found that cysteine-Hg, protein and nonprotein thiol chelates, and nucleoside chelates of Hg were all fully detectable under acid reduction conditions without previous digestion. Furthermore, organic (R-Hg) mercury compounds could not be detected under either the acid or alkaline reduction conditions, and only β-HgS was detected under alkaline and not under acid SnCl2 reduction conditions. The blue-green alga Limnothrix planctonica biotransformed the bulk of HgII applied as HgCl2 into a form with the analytical properties of β-HgS. Similar results were obtained for the eukaryotic alga Selenastrum minutum. No evidence for the synthesis of organomercurials such as CH3Hg+ was obtained from analysis of either airstream or biomass samples under the aerobic conditions of the study. An analytical procedure that involved both acid and alkaline reduction was developed. It provides the first selective method for the determination of β-HgS in biological samples. Under aerobic conditions, HgII is biotransformed mainly into β-HgS (meta-cinnabar), and this occurs in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic algae. This has important implications with respect to identification of mercury species and cycling in aquatic habitats.

ISOLATION OF CDNA CLONES OF GENES WITH ALTERED EXPRESSION LEVELS IN PHOSPHATE-STARVED BRASSICA NIGRA SUSPENSION CELLS

Differential gene expression at the transcriptional level was examined as an initial step in the investigation of the Pi starvation response of Brassica nigra suspension cells. Total RNA was extracted from 7-day old cells grown in media containing either no Pi, 1.25 mM or 10 mM Pi., In vitro translation was carried out using their respective poly(A)+ RNA isolates and the resultant polypeptides were separated on a high-resolution SDS-PAGE gel. Scanning densitometry identified four polypeptides (ca. 31.7, 32.3, 52.5 and 64.8 kDa) present only in the Pi-starved samples.Screening by differential hybridization was performed on a cDNA library constructed from mRNA isolated from Pi-starved cells. Probes prepared from mRNA from Pi-deficient and Pi-sufficient cells identified a number of clones representing mRNA species that were preferentially transcribed under Pi deficiency. These phosphate starvation-responsive (psr) clones were placed into eleven groups as determined by cross-hybridization. Northern blots showed that the corresponding genes are inducible in both mild and severe Pi starvation conditions. Preliminary sequencing identified one of the clones as being homologous to β-glucosidases from several plant species. The possible role of β-glucosidase during Pi starvation and the identities of the other psr genes are discussed.

High root biomass production in anchored Arabidopsis plants grown in axenic sucrose supplemented liquid culture

There are many benefits to growing Arabidopsis in solution-based media, especially when large amounts of root tissue are required for molecular and biochemical studies. Roots grown in soil are brittle and tend to break easily when removed from their substrate. We have developed an axenic liquid culture system that simplifies growing large amounts of roots from intact plants. This technique consists of germinating 15 seeds on 2.5 cm2 stainless steel screens placed on half-strength semisolid Murashige and Skoog medium containing 1% or 2% sucrose. The screens anchor and support the plantlets in an upright position while keeping the roots and shoots separate. The seedlings are transferred with forceps to 125-mL wide-mouth Erlenmeyer flasks containing 10 mL of half-strength Murashige and Skoog liquid medium and 1% sucrose. The flasks are placed onto a floor rotary shaker under fluorescent lights. After 3 days, the sucrose is increased to 3% and the volume to 15 mL for 7 days. During any further experimental manipulations, sucrose is not supplied. The media is changed every 3-4 days to replenish the nutrients. The presence of sucrose in the media dramatically increases the biomass, and large amounts of root tissue can easily be harvested.

Aerobic transformation of cadmium through metal sulfide biosynthesis in photosynthetic microorganisms

BackgroundCadmium is a non-essential metal that is toxic because of its interference with essential metals such as iron, calcium and zinc causing numerous detrimental metabolic and cellular effects. The amount of this metal in the environment has increased dramatically since the advent of the industrial age as a result of mining activities, the use of fertilizers and sewage sludge in farming, and discharges from manufacturing activities. The metal bioremediation utility of phototrophic microbes has been demonstrated through their ability to detoxify Hg(II) into HgS under aerobic conditions. Metal sulfides are generally very insoluble and therefore, biologically unavailable.ResultsWhen Cd(II) was exposed to cells it was bioconverted into CdS by the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, and the cyanobacterium, Synechoccocus leopoliensis. Supplementation of the two eukaryotic algae with extra sulfate, but not sulfite or cysteine, increased their cadmium tolerances as well as their abilities to produce CdS, indicating an involvement of sulfate assimilation in the detoxification process. However, the combined activities of extracted serine acetyl-transferase (SAT) and O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase (OASTL) used to monitor sulfate assimilation, was not significantly elevated during cell treatments that favored sulfide biosynthesis. It is possible that the prolonged incubation of the experiments occurring over two days could have compensated for the low rates of sulfate assimilation. This was also the case for S. leopoliensis where sulfite and cysteine as well as sulfate supplementation enhanced CdS synthesis. In general, conditions that increased cadmium sulfide production also resulted in elevated cysteine desulfhydrase activities, strongly suggesting that cysteine is the direct source of sulfur for CdS synthesis.ConclusionsCadmium(II) tolerance and CdS formation were significantly enhanced by sulfate supplementation, thus indicating that algae and cyanobacteria can produce CdS in a manner similar to that of HgS. Significant increases in sulfate assimilation as measured by SAT-OASTL activity were not detected. However, the enhanced activity of cysteine desulfhydrase indicates that it is instrumental in the provision of H2S for aerobic CdS biosynthesis.

Allozymic and morphometric variation inLemna minor (Lemnaceae)

Allozymic and morphometric variation was studied in 28 clones ofLemna minor. This variation was compared with the corresponding variation in four clones ofLemna gibba and four clones ofSpirodela polyrrhiza. A high level of allozymic variation was observed among the clones, despite having been grown under uniform laboratory conditions for several years and despite its quasi-exclusive clonal means of propagation. Based on degree of allozymic similarity,Spirodela polyrrhiza was distinguished from the twoLemna species but the latter species were genetically indistinguishable. Allozymic similarity among clones ofLemna minor was not related to morphometric similarity, nor was it related to the degree of geographic separation or climatic similarity of their sites of origin. The results suggest that allozymic variation among these clones ofLemna minor may be largely neutral and not a consequence of differential selection.