Overexpression of a cyanobacterial fructose-1,6-/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase in tobacco enhances photosynthesis and growth.

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing a cyanobacterial fructose-1,6/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase targeted to chloroplasts show enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and growth characteristics under atmospheric conditions (360 p.p.m. CO2). Compared with wild-type tobacco, final dry matter and photosynthetic CO2 fixation of the transgenic plants were 1.5-fold and 1.24-fold higher, respectively. Transgenic tobacco also showed a 1.2-fold increase in initial activity of ribulose 1,5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) compared with wild-type plants. Levels of intermediates in the Calvin cycle and the accumulation of carbohydrates were also higher than those in wild-type plants. This is the first report in which expression of a single plastid-targeted enzyme has been shown to improve carbon fixation and growth in transgenic plants.

[Identification system for Sildenafil in health foods].

A substantially available identification system for Sildenafil in health foods was established using 3 different analytical methods; i.e. TLC, preparative TLC/MS and HPLC/photo-diode array. Sildenafil in health foods was extracted with ethyl acetate under alkaline conditions as sample solutions for TLC and preparative TLC, and also extracted with 50% methanol and then diluted with solution of HPLC mobile phase for HPLC. The sample solution for TLC was applied to Silica gel 60 F254 plates with chloroform/methanol/28% ammonia (90:1:5, under layer) as mobile phase. Spots were located under UV radiation at 254 nm and 366 nm, and spraying dragendorff reagent. The conditions for preparative TLC were the same as these of TLC method, and samples abtained from preparative TLC were determined by MS with APCI interface, under both positive and negative modes. The HPLC analysis was carried out on a column of Cosmosil 5C18-AR (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microns) with 0.05 mol/l phosphate buffer pH 3.0/acetonitrile(73:27) as mobile phase and the eluate was monitored by a photo-diode array detector. The quantitative analysis was available, when the peak of this sample on HPLC was detected at 290 nm. When this system was applied to commercial health foods, Sildenafil was identified and their contents were 25 mg-45 mg/tablet or bottle. These contents nearly correspond to that in Viagra, 25 mg, 50 mg/tablet. Therefore, there is a fear of side effects for Sildenafil, when it is taken as health foods.

Molecular mechanisms of the resistance to hydrogen peroxide of enzymes involved in the calvin cycle from halotolerant Chlamydomonas sp. W80.

cDNA clones encoding NADP(+)-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (NADP(+)-GAPDH) and sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (SBPase) were isolated and characterized from halotolerant Chlamydomonas sp. W80 (C. W80) cells. The cDNA clone for NADP(+)-GAPDH encoded 369 amino acid residues, preceded by the chloroplast transit peptide (37 amino acid residues). The cDNA clone for SBPase encoded 351 amino acids with the chloroplast transit peptide. The activities of NADP(+)-GAPDH and SBPase from C. W80 cells were resistant to H(2)O(2) up to 1 mM, as distinct from spinach chloroplastic thiol-modulated enzymes. The illumination to the dark-adapted cells and dithiothreitol treatment to the crude homogenate had little effect on the activities of NADP(+)-GAPDH and SBPase in C. W80. Modeling of the tertiary structures of NADP(+)-GAPDH and SBPase suggests that resistance of the enzymes to H(2)O(2) in C. W80 is due to the different conformational structures in the vicinity of the Cys residues of the chloroplastic enzymes between higher plant and C. W80 cells.

NADPH-dependent glutathione peroxidase-like proteins (Gpx-1, Gpx-2) reduce unsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides in Synechocystis PCC 6803.

Here we isolated and characterized two genes (slr1171, slr1992) designated gpx-1 and gpx-2, respectively, encoding glutathione peroxidase (GPX)-like proteins (Gpx-1, Gpx-2) from Synechocystis PCC 6803. The deduced amino acid sequences for gpx-1 and gpx-2 showed high similarity to those of GPX-like proteins from higher plants and mammalian GPXs, respectively. Surprisingly, both recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli were able to utilize NADPH, but not reduced glutathione, as an electron donor and unsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides or alkyl hydroperoxides as an acceptor. It seems accurate to refer to Gpx-1 and Gpx-2 as NADPH-dependent GPX-like proteins that serve as a new defense system for the reduction of unsaturated fatty acid hydroperoxides.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of Synechococcus PCC 7942.

The NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) of Synechococcus PCC 7942 was crystallized in two different forms by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. Form I crystals were hexagonal, space group P6(5) or P6(1), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 91.1, c = 428.6 A, gamma = 120 degrees. Form II crystals were monoclinic, space group C2, with unit-cell parameters a = 152.3, b = 80.9, c = 213.6 A, beta = 103.1 degrees. Native data were collected from a frozen crystal of form I to a resolution of 2.8 A using synchrotron radiation at SPring-8, whereas form II crystals were easily damaged by radiation at room temperature and increased mosaicity in cryoprotectant solutions. A molecular-replacement solution of the form I crystal was obtained in space group P6(5) using the program AMoRe and the structure of the NAD-dependent GAPDH from Bacillus stearothermophilus.

Characterization of ascorbate peroxidases from unicellular red alga Galdieria partita.

Galdieria partita, a unicellular red alga isolated from acidic hot springs and tolerant to sulfur dioxide, has at least two ascorbate peroxidase (APX) isozymes. This was the first report to demonstrate that two isozymes of APX are found in algal cells. Two isozymes were separated from each other at the hydrophobic chromatography step of purification and named APX-A and APX-B after the elution order in the chromatography. APX-B accounted for 85% of the total activity. Both isozymes were purified. APXs from Galdieria were monomers whose molecular weights were about 28,000, similar to stromal APX of higher plants. APX-A cross-reacted with monoclonal antibody raised against APX of Euglena gracilis in immunoblotting, but APX-B did not, although the antibody can recognize all other APXs tested. The amino-terminal sequences of APX-A and -B from Galdieria had some homology with each other but little homology with those from other sources. Their Km values for ascorbate and hydrogen peroxide were comparable with those of APX from higher plants. Unlike the green algal enzymes, the donor specificities of Galdieria APXs were as high as those of plant chloroplastic APX. On the contrary, these APXs reduced tertiary-butyl hydroperoxide as an electron acceptor as APXs from Euglena and freshwater Chlamydomonas do. The inhibition of APX-A and -B by cyanide and azide, and characteristics of their light absorbance spectra indicated that they were heme peroxidases.

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies against ascorbate peroxidase isoenzymes: purification and epitope-mapping using immunoaffinity column chromatography.

We have developed three monoclonal antibodies against spinach chloroplastic (chl-mAb3 and chl-mAb6) and cytosolic (cyt-mAb1) ascorbate peroxidase (APX) isoenzymes to analyze the cross-reactivity and the structure of the epitopes for each monoclonal antibody. All three antibodies reacted specifically with their respective isoenzymes, but none cross-reacted with the others. Immunoreactive fragments in proteolytic recombinant APX isoenzymes were detected by means of the absorption on the corresponding immunoaffinity column. The cyt-mAb1 reacted with a peptide fragment containing the distal His region obtained by the lysyl endopeptidase digestion. The chl-mAb6 was capable of binding to the fragment, D-I-K-E-K-R, which is consistent with an inherent region of chloroplastic isoenzymes. No fragments reacting to the chl-mAb3 could be found in this study, suggesting that the chl-mAb3 recognizes a conformationally constituted epitope of the chloroplastic APX molecule, which may be destroyed by the enzymatic cleavage. We concluded that the peptides identified as epitopes are characteristic evidence of monoclonal antibodies.

Molecular characterization of tobacco mitochondrial L-galactono-gamma-lactone dehydrogenase and its expression in Escherichia coli.

A cDNA clone encoding L-galactono-gamma-lactone (GAL) dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.2.3) was isolated from tobacco leaves. The cDNA clone contained an open reading frame encoding the protein of 501 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 56,926 Da, preceded by a putative mitochondrial targeting signal consisting of 86 amino acid residues. In fact, GAL dehydrogenase was localized in the mitochondria of tobacco cells. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed 77 and 82% homology to cauliflower and sweet potato GAL dehydrogenases, respectively. Southern blot analysis showed that tobacco contains one copy of the gene for the enzyme. Northern blot analysis showed that GAL dehydrogenase mRNA (2.0 kb) is expressed in the leaves, stems, and roots in almost equal quantities. We introduced the cDNA clone encoding tobacco GAL dehydrogenase into a pET expression vector to overexpress this protein in Escherichia coli. The partially purified recombinant enzyme was used for comparative studies on the native enzymes from tobacco and other sources; its enzymatic properties were similar to those of other GAL dehydrogenases.

Evaluation of the defense system in chloroplasts to photooxidative stress caused by paraquat using transgenic tobacco plants expressing catalase from Escherichia coli.

We evaluated the defense system in chloroplasts to photooxidative stress imposed by paraquat treatment under illumination in transgenic tobacco plants with increased tolerance to drought stress at a high light intensity produced by catalase from Escherichia coli targeted to chloroplasts [Shikanai et al. (1998) FEBS Lett. 428: 47]. At 24 h after the paraquat application, Chl was destroyed in the wild-type plants, but not in transgenic plants. Photosynthetic activities monitored by CO2 fixation and Chl fluorescence were much less affected by the paraquat treatment in transgenic lines. The activities of chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) isoenzymes decreased in parallel with the depletion of ascorbate (AsA) in leaves in both lines. Paraquat treatment had no effect on the transcript level of chloroplastic APX isoenzymes, while it significantly lowered the level of their proteins. These data suggest that the depletion of AsA in chloroplasts under severe stress conditions inactivates and degrades chloroplastic APX isoenzymes.

Expression of spinach ascorbate peroxidase isoenzymes in response to oxidative stresses.

We studied the response of each ascorbate peroxidase (APX) isoenzyme in spinach leaves under stress conditions imposed by high light intensity, drought, salinity, and applications of methyl viologen and abscisic acid. The steady-state transcript level of cytosolic APX remarkably increased in response to high-light stress and methyl viologen treatment, but not in response to the other stress treatments. The transcript levels of the chloroplastic (stromal and thylakoid-bound) and microbody-bound APX isoenzymes were not changed in response to any of the stress treatments. To explore the responses of the APX isoenzymes to photooxidative stress, the levels of transcript and protein and activities of each isoenzyme were studied during high-light stress and following its recovery. The cytosolic APX activity increased in parallel with transcript abundance during high-light stress, while the protein level was not altered. The other isoenzymes showed no significant changes in transcript and protein levels and activities, except for the gradual decrease in chloroplastic isoenzyme activities.

Molecular characterization and physiological role of ascorbate peroxidase from halotolerant Chlamydomonas sp. W80 strain.

A cDNA clone encoding an ascorbate peroxidase was isolated from the cDNA library from halotolerant Chlamydomonas W80 by a simple screening method based on the bacterial expression system. The cDNA clone contained an open reading frame encoding a mature protein of 282 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 30,031 Da, preceded by the chloroplast transit peptide consisting of 37 amino acids. In fact, ascorbate peroxidase was localized in the chloroplasts of Chlamydomonas W80 cells; the activity was detected in the stromal fraction but not in the thylakoid membrane. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA showed 54 and 49% homology to chloroplastic and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase isoenzymes of spinach leaves, respectively. The enzyme from Chlamydomonas W80 cells was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The molecular properties of the purified enzyme were similar to those of the other algal ascorbate peroxidases rather than those of ascorbate peroxidases from higher plants. The enzyme was relatively stable in ascorbate-depleted medium compared with the chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase isoenzymes of higher plants. The presence of NaCl (3%) as well as of beta-d-thiogalactopyranoside was needed for the expression of Chlamydomonas W80 ascorbate peroxidase in Escherichia coli.

Alternatively spliced mRNA variants of chloroplast ascorbate peroxidase isoenzymes in spinach leaves.

We have previously shown that stromal and thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidase (APX) isoenzymes of spinach chloroplasts arise from a common pre-mRNA by alternative splicing in the C-terminus of the isoenzymes [Ishikawa, Yoshimura, Tamoi, Takeda and Shigeoka (1997) Biochem. J. 328, 795-800]. To explore the production of mature, functional mRNA encoding chloroplast APX isoenzymes, reverse transcriptase-mediated PCR and S1 nuclease protection analysis were performed with poly(A)+ RNA or polysomal RNA from spinach leaves. As a result, four mRNA variants, one form of thylakoid-bound APX (tAPX-I) and three forms of stromal APX (sAPX-I, sAPX-II and sAPX-III), were identified. The sAPX-I and sAPX-III mRNA species were generated through the excision of intron 11; they encoded the previously identified sAPX protein. Interestingly, the sAPX-II mRNA was generated by the insertion of intron 11 between exons 11 and 12. The use of this insertional sequence was in frame with the coding sequence and would lead to the production of a novel isoenzyme containing a C-terminus in which a seven-residue sequence replaced the last residue of the previously identified sAPX. The recombinant novel enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli showed the same enzymic properties (except for molecular mass) as the recombinant sAPX from the previously identified sAPX-I mRNA, suggesting that the protein translated from the sAPX-II mRNA is functional as a soluble APX in vivo. The S1 nuclease protection analysis showed that the expression levels of mRNA variants for sAPX and tAPX isoenzymes are in nearly equal quantities throughout the spinach leaves grown under normal conditions. The present results demonstrate that the expression of chloroplast APX isoenzymes is regulated by a differential splicing efficiency that is dependent on the 3'-terminal processing of ApxII, the gene encoding the chloroplast APX isoenzymes.

Purification and characterization of ascorbate peroxidase in Chlorella vulgaris.

Chlorella vulgaris contained only one isoform of ascorbate peroxidase (AsAP) as the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-scavenging system except for catalase at a specific activity of 3.3 +/- 0.2 units/mg protein. The activity of glutathione peroxidase was not detected in the extracts from cells grown in the absence and presence of sodium selenite. We detected the activity of monodehydroascorbate reductase involved in the regeneration of ascorbate, but we failed to detect the dehydroascorbate reductase activity. AsAP has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from Chlorella cells. The enzyme was a monomer with a molecular mass of 32 kDa using gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme showed higher specificity with ascorbate than with pyrogallol. The K(m) values of the enzyme for ascorbate and H2O2 were 111 +/- 8.9 and 20 +/- 2.5 microM, respectively. When the enzyme was diluted with the ascorbate-deleted medium, the half inactivation time was approximately 15 min. The absorption spectra of the purified enzyme and the inhibition by cyanide and azide showed that it is a hemoprotein. The enzyme was markedly inhibited by 0.2 mM p-chloromercuribenzoate. The enzyme cross-reacted by immunoblotting with the monoclonal antibody raised against Euglena cytosolic AsAP. The amino acid sequences in the N-terminal region of Chlorella AsAP showed no significant similarity to any other AsAPs from higher plants and algae.

Comparative study on recombinant chloroplastic and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase isozymes of spinach.

The spinach stromal, thylakoid-bound, and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase isozymes (EC 1.11.1.11) were overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and their enzymatic properties were compared with the respective native isozymes. The purification of the recombinant stromal and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidases using the conventional column chromatography yielded 0.73 and 2.2 mg of protein/liter of bacteria culture with enzyme activities of 800 and 486 micromol min-1 mg protein-1, respectively. In every respect, the recombinant stromal, thylakoid-bound, and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase isozymes exhibited identical enzymatic properties with each native isozyme. Specifically, the recombinant stromal and thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidase isozymes showed high utilization of ascorbate as an electron donor and had a very short lifetime in ascorbate-depleted medium. Polyclonal antibodies raised against both purified recombinant stromal and cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase isozymes were prepared. Both antibodies showed a cross-reaction with the recombinant and native ascorbate peroxidase isozymes.

Inhibition of ascorbate peroxidase under oxidative stress in tobacco having bacterial catalase in chloroplasts.

To analyze the potential of the active oxygen-scavenging system of chloroplasts, we introduced Escherichia coli catalase into tobacco chloroplasts. Photosynthesis of transgenic plants was tolerant to high irradiance under drought conditions, while the wild plants suffered severe damage in photosynthesis under the same conditions. Irrespective of responses to the stress, ascorbate peroxidase was completely inactivated both in the transgenic and wild-type plants. These findings are contrary to the established idea that the ascorbate peroxidase-mediated antioxidative system protects chloroplasts from oxidative stress.

Acquisition of a new type of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase with resistance to hydrogen peroxide in cyanobacteria: molecular characterization of the enzyme from Synechocystis PCC 6803.

We have previously described that Synechococcus PCC 7942 cells contain two fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase isozymes, designated F-I and F-II the former belongs to a new type of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, while the latter is a typical enzyme similar to the cytosolic and chloroplastic forms from eukaryotic cells [Tamoi et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 334, 1996, 27-36]. The genes of F-I and F-II were found in three species of cyanobacteria, Synechocystis PCC 6803, Anabaena 7120, and Plectonema boryanum according to the results of Southern hybridization with a probe from the S. 7942 F-I and F-II genes. In Western blotting, antibody raised against the S. 7942 F-I cross-reacted with a protein band corresponding to the F-I in each crude extract from cyanobacterial cells, whereas the antibody against F-II failed to cross-react with any protein band corresponding to the F-II. In cyanobacterial cells, only one form of F-I has been resolved by ion-exchange chromatography at same concentration of NaCl as shown in the F-I of S. 7942. The F-I from Synechocystis 6803 has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. The enzyme hydrolyzed both fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and sedoheptulose 1,7-bisphosphate. The apparent K(m) values of the enzyme for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and sedoheptulose 1,7-bisphosphate were 57 +/- 2.4 and 180 +/- 6.3 microM, respectively. The enzyme activity was inhibited by AMP with a Ki value of 0.57 +/- 0.03 mM for fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and 0.35 +/- 0.02 mM for sedoheptulose 1,7-bisphosphate. The enzyme showed a molecular mass of 168 kDa which was composed of four identical subunits. The activities of FBPase and SBPase from the F-I were resistant to hydrogen peroxide up to 1 mM. The nucleotide sequence of the S. 6803 F-I gene showed an open reading frame of 1164 bp that encoded a protein of 388 amino acid residues (approx. molecular mass of 41.6 kDa). The deduced amino acid sequences had homologous sequences with the S. 7942 F-I.

Increased cellular resistance to oxidative stress by expression of cyanobacterium catalase-peroxidase in animal cells.

To exploit prokaryotic antioxidant enzymes for protection of animal cells from oxidative damage, we expressed catalase-peroxidase of cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7942 in 104C1 cells. The gene for this enzyme was inserted into the mammalian expression vector pRc/CMV. The stable transfectants obtained had higher specific activities of catalase and as a result became more resistant to H2O2 or paraquat than the parental cells. Subcellular fractionation and immunoblot analysis revealed that the expressed catalase-peroxidase was confined to the cytosol; this localization may be the basis for the effective protection of the transfectants from the oxidative cell damage.

Molecular characterization and physiological role of a glyoxysome-bound ascorbate peroxidase from spinach.

cDNAs encoding two cytosolic and two chloroplastic ascorbate peroxidase (AsAP) isozymes from spinach have been cloned recently [Ishikawa et al. (1995) FEBS Lett. 367: 28, (1996) FEBS Lett. 384: 289]. We herein report the cloning of the fifth cDNA of an AsAP isozyme which localizes in spinach glyoxysomes (gAsAP). The open reading frame of the 858-base pair cDNA encoded 286 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 31,507 Da. By determination of the latency of AsAP activity in intact glyoxysomes, the enzyme, as well as monodehydroascorbate (MDAsA) reductase, was found to be located on the external side of the organelles. The cDNA was overexpressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli). The enzymatic properties of the partially purified recombinant gAsAP were consistent with those of the native enzyme from intact glyoxysomes. The recombinant enzyme utilized ascorbate (AsA) as its most effective natural electron donor; glutathione (GSH) and NAD(P)H could not substitute for AsA. The substrate-velocity curves with the recombinant enzyme showed Michaelis-Menten type kinetics with AsA and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); the apparent Km values for AsA and H2O2 were 1.89 +/- 0.05 mM and 74 +/- 4.0 microM, respectively. When the recombinant enzyme was diluted with AsA-depleted medium, the activity was stable over 180 min. We discuss the H2O2-scavenging system maintained by AsAP and the regeneration system of AsA in spinach glyoxysome.