Endogenous NO Is Involved in Dissimilar Responses to Rehydration and Pb(NO3)2 in Ramalina farinacea Thalli and Its Isolated Phycobionts.

Lichens undergo desiccation/rehydration cycles and are permeable to heavy metals, which induce free radicals. Nitrogen monoxide (NO) regulates important cellular functions, but the research on lichen NO is still very scarce. In Ramalina farinacea thalli, NO seems to be involved in the peroxidative damage caused by air pollution, antioxidant defence and regulation of lipid peroxidation and photosynthesis. Our hypothesis is that NO also has a critical role during the rehydration and in the responses to lead of its isolated phycobionts (Trebouxia sp. TR9 and Trebouxia jamesii). Therefore, we studied the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid peroxidation and chlorophyll autofluorescence during rehydration of thalli and isolated microalgae in the presence of a NO scavenger and Pb(NO3)2. During rehydration, NO scavenging modulates free radical release and chlorophyll autofluorescence but not lipid peroxidation in both thalli and phycobionts. Pb(NO3)2 reduced free radical release (hormetic effect) both in the whole thallus and in microalgae. However, only in TR9, the ROS production, chlorophyll autofluorescence and lipid peroxidation were dependent on NO. In conclusion, Pb hormetic effect seems to depend on NO solely in TR9, while is doubtful for T. jamesii and the whole thalli.

Lichen rehydration in heavy metal-polluted environments: Pb modulates the oxidative response of both Ramalina farinacea thalli and its isolated microalgae.

Lichens are adapted to desiccation/rehydration and accumulate heavy metals, which induce ROS especially from the photobiont photosynthetic pigments. Although their mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance are still to be unravelled, they seem related to symbionts' reciprocal upregulation of antioxidant systems. With the aim to study the effect of Pb on oxidative status during rehydration, the kinetics of intracellular ROS, lipid peroxidation and chlorophyll autofluorescence of whole Ramalina farinacea thalli and its isolated microalgae (Trebouxia TR1 and T. TR9) was recorded. A genetic characterization of the microalgae present in the thalli used was also carried out in order to assess possible correlations among the relative abundance of each phycobiont, their individual physiological responses and that of the entire thallus. Unexpectedly, Pb decreased ROS and lipid peroxidation in thalli and its phycobionts, associated with a lower chlorophyll autofluorescence. Each phycobiont showed a particular pattern, but the oxidative response of the thallus paralleled the TR1's, agreeing with the genetic identification of this strain as the predominant phycobiont. We conclude that: (1) the lichen oxidative behaviour seems to be modulated by the predominant phycobiont and (2) Pb evokes in R. farinacea and its phycobionts strong mechanisms to neutralize its own oxidant effects along with those of rehydration.

A single primer pair gives a specific ortholog amplicon in a wide range of Cyanobacteria and plastid-bearing organisms: applicability in inventory of reference material from collections and phylogenetic analysis.

The scarcity of universally applied molecular markers for algae has resulted in the development of multiple, independent and not easily comparable systems. The goal of this work is to increase the number of available molecular markers and to generate easily comparable systems. Thereby, we have designed a primer pair capable of amplifying a broad range of organisms: Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyta, Chlorarachniophyta, Cryptophyta, Euglenida, Glaucophyta, Rhodophyta, Stramenopiles and Streptophyta including plants. This primer pair can amplify a portion of the 23S rRNA gene with sufficient variability to identify reference material form collections across a broad range of taxa and perform phylogenetic studies alongside other available markers.

Suitability of chloroplast LSU rDNA and its diverse group I introns for species recognition and phylogenetic analyses of lichen-forming Trebouxia algae.

To date, species identification of lichen photobionts has been performed principally on the basis of microscopic examinations and molecular data from nuclear-encoded genes. In plants, the chloroplast genome has been more readily exploited than the nuclear genome for systematic investigations. At the present time, very little information is available about the chloroplast genome of lichen-forming algae. For this reason, we have sequenced a portion of the gene encoding for the chloroplast large sub-unit rRNA (LSU rDNA) as a new molecular marker. Sequencing of the chloroplast LSU rDNAs revealed the existence of an unusual diversity of group I introns (a total of 31) within 15 analyzed Trebouxia species. The number, sequence and insertion site of these introns were very different among species, contributing to their recognition. A relatively large intron-free portion of the chloroplast LSU rDNA and part of the nuclear ribosomal cistron (18S-5.8S-26S) between the nuclear internal transcribed spacers (nrITS) were subjected to phylogenetic analyses. The obtained results indicate that data combination from both nuclear and chloroplast sequences can improve phylogenetic accuracy. Herein, we propose the suitability of both intronic and exonic sequences of the chloroplast LSU rDNA for species recognition, and an exonic sequence spanning from position 879 to 1837 in the Escherichia coli 23S rDNA for phylogenetic analyses of Trebouxia phycobionts.

Hydrogen peroxide mediates the induction of chloroplastic Ndh complex under photooxidative stress in barley.

Chloroplast-encoded NDH polypeptides (components of the plastid Ndh complex) and the NADH dehydrogenase activity of the Ndh complex (NADH-DH) increased under photooxidative stress. The possible involvement of H2O2-mediated signaling in the photooxidative induction of chloroplastic ndh genes was thoroughly studied. We have analyzed the changes in the NADH-DH and steady-state levels of NDH-F polypeptide and ndhB and ndhF transcripts in barley (Hordeum vulgare cv Hassan) leaves. Subapical leaf segments were incubated in growing light (GL), photooxidative light (PhL), GL and H2O2 (GL + H2O2), or PhL and 50 nM paraquat in the incubation medium. Treatments with H2O2 under GL mimicked the photooxidative stimulus, causing a dose-dependent increase of NADH-DH and NDH-F polypeptide. The kinetic of Ndh complex induction was further studied in leaves pre-incubated with or without the H2O2-scavenger dimethyltiourea. NADH-DH and NDH-F polypeptide rapidly increased up to 16 h in PhL, GL+ H2O2, and, at higher rate, in PhL and paraquat. The observed increases of NADH-DH and NDH-F after 4 h in PhL and GL + H2O2 were not accompanied by significant changes in ndhB and ndhF transcripts. However, at 16-h incubations NADH-DH and NDH-F changes closely correlated with higher ndhB and ndhF transcript levels. All these effects were prevented by dimethylthiourea. It is proposed that the induction of chloroplastic ndh genes under photooxidative stress is mediated by H2O2 through mechanisms that involve a rapid translation of pre-existing transcripts and the increase of the ndh transcript levels.

Chlororespiration and poising of cyclic electron transport. Plastoquinone as electron transporter between thylakoid NADH dehydrogenase and peroxidase.

Polypeptides encoded by plastid ndh genes form a complex (Ndh) which could reduce plastoquinone with NADH. Through a terminal oxidase, reduced plastoquinone would be oxidized in chlororespiration. However, isolated Ndh complex has low activity with plastoquinone and no terminal oxidase has been found in chloroplasts, thus the function of Ndh complex is unknown. Alternatively, thylakoid hydroquinone peroxidase could oxidize reduced plastoquinone with H(2)O(2). By immunoaffinity chromatography, we have purified the plastid Ndh complex of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) to investigate the electron donor and acceptor specificity. A detergent-containing system was reconstructed with thylakoid Ndh complex and peroxidase which oxidized NADH with H(2)O(2) in a plastoquinone-dependent process. This system and the increases of thylakoid Ndh complex and peroxidase activities under photooxidative stress suggest that the chlororespiratory process consists of the sequence of reactions catalyzed by Ndh complex, peroxidase (acting on reduced plastoquinone), superoxide dismutase, and the non-enzymic one-electron transfer from reduced iron-sulfur protein (FeSP) to O(2). When FeSP is a component of cytochrome b(6).f complex or of the same Ndh complex, O(2) may be reduced with NADH, without requirement of light. Chlororespiration consumes reactive species of oxygen and, eventually, may decrease their production by lowering O(2) concentration in chloroplasts. The common plastoquinone pool with photosynthetic electron transport suggests that chlororespiratory reactions may poise reduced and oxidized forms of the intermediates of cyclic electron transport under highly fluctuating light intensities.

Inactivation and degradation of CuZn-SOD by active oxygen species in wheat chloroplasts exposed to photooxidative stress.

Changes in CuZn-SOD activity and content in isolated wheat chloroplasts under the light, and the involvement of protease(s) and/or active oxygen species in this process were studied. Both SOD activity and content decayed with exposure time to photooxidative stress. Ascorbate, a H2O2 scavenger, prevented photooxidation-associated inactivation of SOD, while benzoate, a .OH scavenger, prevented SOD degradation. Wheat chloroplasts incubated in the dark did not hydrolyze exogenous or endogenous SOD, either H2O2-pretreated or not. Protease inhibitors did not prevent SOD degradation under photooxidative treatment, suggesting that plastid protease(s) did not participate in this process. Purified chloroplast CuZn-SOD was exposed to H2O2 and O2- or .OH-generating systems. O2- had no effect on either SOD activity or stability (estimated by native PAGE). H2O2 up to 700 microM inhibited SOD in a dose-dependent manner and induced charge/mass changes as seen by native PAGE. .OH also reduced SOD activity by inducing its fragmentation. High levels of active oxygen, as can be generated under strong stress conditions, could directly inactivate and degrade chloroplastic SOD.

Identification of the product of ndhA gene as a thylakoid protein synthesized in response to photooxidative treatment.

A 76 amino acid sequence of NDH-A (the protein encoded by plastid ndhA gene) from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) was expressed as a fusion protein with beta-galactosidase in E. coli. The corresponding antibody generated in rabbits was used to investigate localization, expression and synthesis in vitro of NDH-A. NDH-A was identified as a 35 kDa polypeptide localized in thylakoid membrane. Western blots shows a large increase in NDH-A levels when barley leaves were incubated under photooxidative conditions, which was more pronounced in mature-senescent leaves than in young leaves. Immunoprecipitation of the [35S]methionine labelled proteins, synthesized in vitro by isolated chloroplasts, demonstrated the synthesis in chloroplasts of the NDH-A 35 kDa polypeptide when barley leaves had been incubated under photooxidative conditions. The results indicate that ndh genes may be involved in the protection of chloroplasts against photooxidative stress, particularly in mature-senescent leaves.

Sensitivity of Superoxide Dismutase Transcript Levels and Activities to Oxidative Stress Is Lower in Mature-Senescent Than in Young Barley Leaves.

Antioxidant enzyme activities are inducible by oxidative stress and decrease during senescence. To determine if the age-dependent decrease of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities is due to decreased sensitivity to oxidative stress, we have investigated the changes in steady-state levels of transcripts and activities of mitochondrial Mn-SOD (SOD1), chloroplastic Fe-SOD (SOD2), and cytoplasmic Cu-Zn-SOD (SOD3) in young and mature-senescent detached barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves in response to incubation in darkness, growth light (20 W m-2), and photooxidative stress conditions (100 W m-2 with 21 or 100% O2). For a comparison, changes in the mRNA for ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase were also measured. After leaf detachment, the abundance of all three SOD mRNAs increased, then decreased and eventually stabilized after 6 h of incubation. After 20 h of incubation under darkness SOD transcripts decreased in both young and mature-senescent leaves. While under strong photooxidative stress the levels of the three SOD transcripts significantly increased in young leaves; in mature-senescent leaves SOD2 and, to lesser extent, SOD1 and SOD3 transcripts decreased. Generally, SOD activity changes were similar to those of mRNAs. It is proposed that oxidative damage during senescence could be favored by the inability of senescing leaves to modulate the steady-state level of SOD mRNA, and probably those of other antioxidant enzymes, concomitant with the rate of oxyradical formation.

Proteolytic Activity at Alkaline pH in Oat Leaves, Isolation of an Aminopeptidase.

Proteolytic activity in oat leaf extracts was measured with both azocasein and ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) as substrates over a wide range of pH (3.0-9.2). With either azocasein or Rubisco activity peaks appeared at pH 4.8, 6.6, and 8.4. An aminopeptidase (AP) which hydrolyzes leucine-nitroanilide was partially purified. Purification consisted of a series of six steps which included ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration, and two ionic exchange chromatographies. The enzyme was purified more than 100-fold. The apparent K(m) for leucine-nitroanilide is 0.08 millimolar at its pH optimum of 8.4. AP may be a cystein protease since it is inhibited by heavy metals and activated by 2-mercaptoethanol. Isolated chloroplasts were also able to hydrolyze leucine-nitroanilide at a pH optimum of 8.4, indicating that AP could be localized inside the photosynthetic organelles.

Evidence of the activity of tyrosine kinase(s) and of the presence of phosphotyrosine proteins in pea plantlets.

Homogenate fractions from etiolated pea plantlets showed tyrosine kinase activity when incubated with [32P]ATP and substrates like polyamino acid polymer (Glu-Ala-Tyr)n or [Val5]angiotensin II. When these tyrosine kinase substrates were recovered by high voltage electrophoresis, and analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography after alkaline hydrolysis, yielded radioactive phosphotyrosine. The same product was obtained after acid hydrolysis of either endogenous or exogenous substrates. Phosphorylated polypeptides were extracted after sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of a pellet fraction incubated with [32P]ATP. After acid hydrolysis and high voltage electrophoresis, [32P]phosphotyrosine was found in gel bands with polypeptides of about 92 and 57 kDa. These results suggest that tyrosine kinase(s) and phosphotyrosine proteins are also present in higher plants.