Cytokinin N-glucosides: Occurrence, Metabolism and Biological Activities in Plants.

Cytokinins (CKs) are a class of phytohormones affecting many aspects of plant growth and development. In the complex process of CK homeostasis in plants, N-glucosylation represents one of the essential metabolic pathways. Its products, CK N7- and N9-glucosides, have been largely overlooked in the past as irreversible and inactive CK products lacking any relevant physiological impact. In this work, we report a widespread distribution of CK N-glucosides across the plant kingdom proceeding from evolutionary older to younger plants with different proportions between N7- and N9-glucosides in the total CK pool. We show dramatic changes in their profiles as well as in expression levels of the UGT76C1 and UGT76C2 genes during Arabidopsis ontogenesis. We also demonstrate specific physiological effects of CK N-glucosides in CK bioassays including their antisenescent activities, inhibitory effects on root development, and activation of the CK signaling pathway visualized by the CK-responsive YFP reporter line, TCSv2::3XVENUS. Last but not least, we present the considerable impact of CK N7- and N9-glucosides on the expression of CK-related genes in maize and their stimulatory effects on CK oxidase/dehydrogenase activity in oats. Our findings revise the apparent irreversibility and inactivity of CK N7- and N9-glucosides and indicate their involvement in CK evolution while suggesting their unique function(s) in plants.

Engineering the cytokinin-glucoside specificity of the maize ß-D-glucosidase Zm-p60.1 using site-directed random mutagenesis.

The maize ß-D-glucosidase Zm-p60.1 releases active cytokinins from their storage/transport forms, and its over-expression in tobacco disrupts zeatin metabolism. The role of the active-site microenvironment in fine-tuning Zm-p60.1 substrate specificity has been explored, particularly in the W373K mutant, using site-directed random mutagenesis to investigate the influence of amino acid changes around the 373 position. Two triple (P372T/W373K/M376L and P372S/W373K/M376L) and three double mutants (P372T/W373K, P372S/W373K and W373K/M376L) were prepared. Their catalytic parameters with two artificial substrates show tight interdependence between substrate catalysis and protein structure. P372T/W373K/M376L exhibited the most significant effect on natural substrate specificity: the ratio of hydrolysis of cis-zeatin-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside versus the trans-zeatin-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside shifted from 1.3 in wild-type to 9.4 in favor of the cis- isomer. The P372T and M376L mutations in P372T/W373K/M376L also significantly restored the hydrolytic velocity of the W373K mutant, up to 60% of wild-type velocity with cis-zeatin-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside. These findings reveal complex relationships among amino acid residues that modulate substrate specificity and show the utility of site-directed random mutagenesis for changing and/or fine-tuning enzymes. Preferential cleavage of specific isomer-conjugates and the capacity to manipulate such preferences will allow the development of powerful tools for detailed probing and fine-tuning of cytokinin metabolism in planta.

Focused directed evolution of ß-glucosidases: theoretical versus real effectiveness of a minimal working setup and simple robust screening.

Here we present an optimized procedure to generate amino acid variations at specific site(s) of proteins, followed by a simple one-step screen for mutants with the desired ß-glucosidase activity. The procedure was evaluated by introducing sequence variation into a codon specifying a non-functional variant of the catalytic nucleophile (E401) of the maize ß-glucosidase Zm-p60.1. Observed and theoretically expected frequencies of the four possible variants of the codon and the two possible phenotypes (functional and non-functional) were investigated. Deviations in codon and phenotype frequencies were expressed as a coefficient. This coefficient was then used to estimate the extent of oversampling, of the mutant library, which would be necessary to compensate for the underrepresentation of some sequences. This evaluation of the overall performance of the method allows experimentally derived parameters to be incorporated into mutant library design. This method combines the application of a well-defined distribution of variability with a reliable screening process. Thus, it facilitates the production of novel functional variants of ß-glucosidases for either fundamental studies or potential biotechnological applications.

The α-galactosidase type A gene aglA from Aspergillus niger encodes a fully functional α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase.

Two genes in the genome of Aspergillus niger, aglA and aglB, have been assigned to encode for α-d-galactosidases variant A and B. However, analyses of primary and 3D structures based on structural models of these two enzymes revealed significant differences in their active centers suggesting important differences in their specificity for the hydrolyzed carbohydrates. To test this unexpected finding, a large screening of libraries from 42 strains of filamentous fungi succeeded in identifying an enzyme from A. niger CCIM K2 that exhibited both α-galactosidase and α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase activities, with the latter activity predominating. The enzyme protein was sequenced, and its amino acid sequence could be unequivocally assigned to the enzyme encoded the aglA gene. Enzyme activity measurements and substrate docking clearly demonstrated the preference of the identified enzyme for α-N-acetyl-d-galactosaminide over α-d-galactoside. Thus, we provide evidence that the α-galactosidase type A gene aglA from A. niger in fact encodes a fully functional α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase using a retaining mechanism.

Functional analysis of the aglycone-binding site of the maize beta-glucosidase Zm-p60.1.

Beta-glucosidases such as Zm-p60.1 (Zea mays) and Bgl4:1 (Brassica napus) have implicated roles in regulating plant development by releasing biologically active cytokinins from O-glucosides. A key determinant of substrate specificity in Zm-p60.1 is the F193-F200-W373-F461 cluster. However, despite sharing the same substrates, amino acids in the active sites of Zm-p60.1 and Bgl4:1 differ dramatically. In members of the Brassicaceae we found a group of beta-glucosidases sharing both high similarity to Bgl4:1 and a consensus motif A-K-K-L corresponding to the F193-F200-W373-F461 cluster. To study the mechanism of substrate specificity further, we generated and analyzed four single (F193A, F200K, W373K and F461L) and one quadruple (F193A-F200K-W373K-F461L) mutants of Zm-p60.1. The F193A mutant showed a specific increase in affinity for a small polar aglycone, and a deep decrease in k(cat) compared with the wild-type. Formation of a cavity with decreased hydrophobicity, and significant consequent alterations in ratios of reactive and non-reactive complexes, revealed by computer modeling, may explain the observed changes in kinetic parameters of the F193 mutant. The large decrease in k(cat) for the W373K mutant was unexpected, but the findings are consistent with the F193-aglycone-W373 interaction playing a dual role in the enzyme's catalytic action; influencing both substrate specificity, and the catalytic rate by fixing the glucosidic bond in a favorable orientation for attack by the catalytic pair. Investigation of the combined effects of all of the mutations in the quadruple mutant of Zm-p60.1 was precluded by extensive alterations in its structure and almost complete abolition of its enzymatic activity.