A cytochrome P450 CYP71 enzyme expressed in Sorghum bicolor root hair cells participates in the biosynthesis of the benzoquinone allelochemical sorgoleone.

Sorgoleone, a major component of the hydrophobic root exudates of Sorghum spp., is probably responsible for many of the allelopathic properties attributed to members of this genus. Much of the biosynthetic pathway for this compound has been elucidated, with the exception of the enzyme responsible for the catalysis of the addition of two hydroxyl groups to the resorcinol ring. A library prepared from isolated Sorghum bicolor root hair cells was first mined for P450-like sequences, which were then analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to identify those preferentially expressed in root hairs. Full-length open reading frames for each candidate were generated, and then analyzed biochemically using both a yeast expression system and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated repression in transgenic S. bicolor was used to confirm the roles of these candidates in the biosynthesis of sorgoleone in planta. A P450 enzyme, designated CYP71AM1, was found to be capable of catalyzing the formation of dihydrosorgoleone using 5-pentadecatrienyl resorcinol-3-methyl ether as substrate, as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). RNAi-mediated repression of CYP71AM1 in S. bicolor resulted in decreased sorgoleone contents in multiple independent transformant events. Our results strongly suggest that CYP71AM1 participates in the biosynthetic pathway of the allelochemical sorgoleone.

Trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid activates the integrated stress response pathway in adipocytes.

Trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (t10c12 CLA) causes fat loss in mouse white adipose tissue (WAT) and adipocytes in culture. The early transcriptome changes in treated WAT and 3T3-L1 adipocytes were analyzed using high-density microarrays to better characterize the signaling pathways responding to t10c12 CLA. Gene expression responses between 4 and 24 h after treatment showed a common set of early gene expression changes indicative of an integrated stress response (ISR). The responses of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes treated with t10c12 CLA or adipocytes treated with the cis-9, trans-11 isomer of CLA did not show the ISR, indicating the effect is specific to adipocytes responding to t10c12 CLA. Western blot analysis found increased phosphorylation of eIF2 alpha and increased production of ATF4 confirming at least part of the response to t10c12 CLA is mediated through the ISR pathway. Immunofluorescence microscopy found that the cell type expressing ATF3, an indicator of the ISR, was early stage adipocytes containing oil droplets but lacking the abundant levels of fatty acid binding protein-4 (FABP4) (AP2) found in mature adipocytes. Our data suggests that the ISR precedes and is possibly the cause of the later induction of proinflammatory cytokines observed in t10c12 CLA treated adipocytes. The release of proinflammatory cytokines may explain how the ISR in early stage adipocytes causes lipid loss in mature adipocytes.

Trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid causes inflammation and delipidation of white adipose tissue in mice: a microarray and histological analysis.

A combined histological and microarray analysis of the white adipose tissue (WAT) of mice fed trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (t10c12 CLA) was performed to better define functional responses. Mice fed t10c12 CLA for 14 days lost 85% of WAT mass, 95% of adipocyte lipid droplet volume, and 15 or 47% of the number of adipocytes and total cells, respectively. Microarray profiling of replicated pools (n = 2 per day x diet) of control and treated mice (n = 140) at seven time points after 1-17 days of t10c12 CLA feeding found between 2,682 and 4,216 transcript levels changed by twofold or more. Transcript levels for genes involved in glucose and fatty acid import or biosynthesis were significantly reduced. Highly expressed transcripts for lipases were significantly reduced but still abundant. Increased levels of mRNAs for two key thermogenesis proteins, uncoupling protein 1 and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, may have increased energy expenditures. Significant reductions of mRNAs for major adipocyte regulatory factors, including peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-gamma, sterol regulatory binding protein 1, CAAT/enhancer binding protein-alpha, and lipin 1 were correlated with the reduced transcript levels for key metabolic pathways in the WAT. A prolific inflammation response was indicated by the 2- to 100-fold induction of many cytokine transcripts, including those for IL-6, IL-1beta, TNF ligands, and CXC family members, and an increased density of macrophages. The mRNA changes suggest that a combination of cell loss, increased energy expenditure, and residual transport of lipids out of the adipocytes may account for the cumulative mass loss observed.

Protein-protein interactions of tandem affinity purified protein kinases from rice.

Eighty-eight rice (Oryza sativa) cDNAs encoding rice leaf expressed protein kinases (PKs) were fused to a Tandem Affinity Purification tag (TAP-tag) and expressed in transgenic rice plants. The TAP-tagged PKs and interacting proteins were purified from the T1 progeny of the transgenic rice plants and identified by tandem mass spectrometry. Forty-five TAP-tagged PKs were recovered in this study and thirteen of these were found to interact with other rice proteins with a high probability score. In vivo phosphorylated sites were found for three of the PKs. A comparison of the TAP-tagged data from a combined analysis of 129 TAP-tagged rice protein kinases with a concurrent screen using yeast two hybrid methods identified an evolutionarily new rice protein that interacts with the well conserved cell division cycle 2 (CDC2) protein complex.

A rice kinase-protein interaction map.

Plants uniquely contain large numbers of protein kinases, and for the vast majority of the 1,429 kinases predicted in the rice (Oryza sativa) genome, little is known of their functions. Genetic approaches often fail to produce observable phenotypes; thus, new strategies are needed to delineate kinase function. We previously developed a cost-effective high-throughput yeast two-hybrid system. Using this system, we have generated a protein interaction map of 116 representative rice kinases and 254 of their interacting proteins. Overall, the resulting interaction map supports a large number of known or predicted kinase-protein interactions from both plants and animals and reveals many new functional insights. Notably, we found a potential widespread role for E3 ubiquitin ligases in pathogen defense signaling mediated by receptor-like kinases, particularly by the kinases that may have evolved from recently expanded kinase subfamilies in rice. We anticipate that the data provided here will serve as a foundation for targeted functional studies in rice and other plants. The application of yeast two-hybrid and TAPtag analyses for large-scale plant protein interaction studies is also discussed.

Activation of the NaCl- and drought-induced RD29A and RD29B promoters by constitutively active Arabidopsis MAPKK or MAPK proteins.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases mediate cellular responses to a wide variety of stimuli. Activation of a MAP kinase (MAPK) occurs after phosphorylation by an upstream MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK). The Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes 10 MKKs, but few of these have been shown directly to activate any of the 20 Arabidopsis MAPKs (AtMPKs) and NaCl-, drought- or abscisic acid (ABA)-induced genes RD29A or RD29B. We have constructed the constitutively activated form for nine of the 10 AtMKK proteins, and tested their ability to activate the RD29A and RD29B promoters and also checked the ability of the nine activated AtMKK proteins to phosphorylate 11 of the AtMPK proteins in transient assays. The results show that three proteins, AtMKK1, AtMKK2 and AtMKK3, could activate the RD29A promoter, while these three and two additional AtMKK6/8 proteins could activate the RD29B promoter. Four other proteins, AtMKK7/AtMKK9 and AtMKK4/AtMKK5, can cause hypersensitive response (HR) in tobacco leaves using transient analysis. The activation of the RD29A promoter correlated with four uniquely activated AtMPK proteins. A novel method of activating AtMPK proteins by fusion to a cis-acting mutant of a human MAPK kinase MEK1 was used to confirm that specific members of the AtMPK gene family can activate the RD29A stress pathway.

Protein-protein interactions of tandem affinity purification-tagged protein kinases in rice.

Forty-one rice cDNAs encoding protein kinases were fused to the tandem affinity purification (TAP) tag and expressed in transgenic rice plants. The TAP-tagged kinases and interacting proteins were purified from the T1 progeny of the transgenic rice plants and identified by mass spectrometry. Ninety-five percent of the TAP-tagged kinases were recovered. Fifty-six percent of the TAP-tagged kinases were found to interact with other rice proteins. A number of these interactions were consistent with known protein complexes found in other species, validating the TAP-tag method in rice plants. Phosphorylation sites were identified on four of the kinases that interacted with either 14-3-3 proteins or cyclins.

Improved tandem affinity purification tag and methods for isolation of protein heterocomplexes from plants.

A synthetic gene encoding the tandem affinity purification (TAP) tag has been constructed, and the TAP tag assayed for its effects on expression levels and subcellular localization by fusion to green fluorescent protein (GFP) as well as for its effects on steroid-dependent translocation to the nucleus and transcription when fused to a hybrid glucocorticoid receptor. A nuclear localization signal (NLS) was detected in the calmodulin-binding protein (CBP) domain and removed by mutation to improve the usefulness of the TAP tag. Additionally, purification improvements were made, including inhibition of a co-purifying protease, and adding a protein cross-linking step to increase the recovery of interacting proteins. The improved synthetic TAP tag gene and methods were used to isolate proteins interacting with the hybrid glucocorticoid receptor and to identify them by mass spectrometry. The two proteins identified, HSP70 and HSP90, are known to interact with the glucocorticoid receptor in vivo in mammalian cells and in vitro in plants.