The vacuolar sulfate transporter PsSULTR4 is a key determinant of seed yield and protein composition in pea.

Pea is a grain legume crop with a high potential to accelerate the food transition due to its high seed protein content and relatively well-balanced amino acid composition. The critical role of external sulfur (S) supply in determining seed yield and seed quality in pea makes it essential to understand the impact of whole plant S management on the trade-off between these two traits. Here, we investigated the physiological relevance of vacuolar sulfate remobilization by targeting PsSULTR4, the only pea sulfate transporter showing substantial similarity to the vacuolar sulfate exporter AtSULTR4;1. Five mutations in PsSULTR4 were identified by TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes), two of which, a loss of function (W78*) and a missense (E568K), significantly decreased seed yield under S deprivation. We demonstrate that PsSULTR4 triggers S distribution from source tissues, especially lower leaves, to reproductive organs to maintain seed yield under S deficiency. Under sufficient S supply, sultr4 seeds display lower levels of the S-rich storage protein PA1 at maturity. They also overaccumulate sulfate in the endosperm at the onset of seed filling. These findings uncover a role of PsSULTR4 in the remobilization of vacuolar sulfate during embryo development, allowing the efficient synthesis of S-rich proteins. Our study uncovers that PsSULTR4 functions (i) in source tissues to remobilize stored vacuolar sulfate for seed production under low S availability and (ii) in developing seeds well supplied with S to fine-tune sulfate remobilization from the endosperm as a critical control point for storage activities in the embryo.

Nα-acetyltransferase NAA50 mediates plant immunity independent of the Nα-acetyltransferase A complex.

In humans and plants, 40% of the proteome is cotranslationally acetylated at the N-terminus by a single Nα-acetyltransferase (Nat) termed NatA. The core NatA complex is comprised of the catalytic subunit Nα-acetyltransferase 10 (NAA10) and the ribosome-anchoring subunit NAA15. The regulatory subunit Huntingtin Yeast Partner K (HYPK) and the acetyltransferase NAA50 join this complex in humans. Even though both are conserved in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), only AtHYPK is known to interact with AtNatA. Here we uncover the AtNAA50 interactome and provide evidence for the association of AtNAA50 with NatA at ribosomes. In agreement with the latter, a split-luciferase approach demonstrated close proximity of AtNAA50 and AtNatA in planta. Despite their interaction, AtNatA/HYPK and AtNAA50 exerted different functions in vivo. Unlike NatA/HYPK, AtNAA50 did not modulate drought tolerance or promote protein stability. Instead, transcriptome and proteome analyses of a novel AtNAA50-depleted mutant (amiNAA50) implied that AtNAA50 negatively regulates plant immunity. Indeed, amiNAA50 plants exhibited enhanced resistance to oomycetes and bacterial pathogens. In contrast to what was observed in NatA-depleted mutants, this resistance was independent of an accumulation of salicylic acid prior to pathogen exposure. Our study dissects the in vivo function of the NatA interactors HYPK and NAA50 and uncovers NatA-independent roles for NAA50 in plants.

The plant TOR kinase tunes autophagy and meristem activity for nutrient stress-induced developmental plasticity.

Plants, unlike animals, respond to environmental challenges with comprehensive developmental transitions that allow them to cope with these stresses. Here we discovered that antagonistic activation of the Target of Rapamycin (TOR) kinase in Arabidopsis thaliana roots and shoots is essential for the nutrient deprivation-induced increase in the root-to-shoot ratio to improve foraging for mineral ions. We demonstrate that sulfate limitation-induced downregulation of TOR in shoots activates autophagy, resulting in enhanced carbon allocation to the root. The allocation of carbon to the roots is facilitated by the specific upregulation of the sucrose-transporter genes SWEET11/12 in shoots. SWEET11/12 activation is indispensable for enabling sucrose to act as a carbon source for growth and as a signal for tuning root apical meristem activity via glucose-TOR signaling. The sugar-stimulated TOR activity in the root suppresses autophagy and maintains root apical meristem activity to support root growth to enhance mining for new sulfate resources in the soil. We provide direct evidence that the organ-specific regulation of autophagy is essential for the increased root-to-shoot ratio in response to sulfur limitation. These findings uncover how sulfur limitation controls the central sensor kinase TOR to enable nutrient recycling for stress-induced morphological adaptation of the plant body.

MCU proteins dominate in vivo mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in Arabidopsis roots.

Ca2+ signaling is central to plant development and acclimation. While Ca2+-responsive proteins have been investigated intensely in plants, only a few Ca2+-permeable channels have been identified, and our understanding of how intracellular Ca2+ fluxes is facilitated remains limited. Arabidopsis thaliana homologs of the mammalian channel-forming mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) protein showed Ca2+ transport activity in vitro. Yet, the evolutionary complexity of MCU proteins, as well as reports about alternative systems and unperturbed mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake in knockout lines of MCU genes, leave critical questions about the in vivo functions of the MCU protein family in plants unanswered. Here, we demonstrate that MCU proteins mediate mitochondrial Ca2+ transport in planta and that this mechanism is the major route for fast Ca2+ uptake. Guided by the subcellular localization, expression, and conservation of MCU proteins, we generated an mcu triple knockout line. Using Ca2+ imaging in living root tips and the stimulation of Ca2+ transients of different amplitudes, we demonstrated that mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake became limiting in the triple mutant. The drastic cell physiological phenotype of impaired subcellular Ca2+ transport coincided with deregulated jasmonic acid-related signaling and thigmomorphogenesis. Our findings establish MCUs as a major mitochondrial Ca2+ entry route in planta and link mitochondrial Ca2+ transport with phytohormone signaling.

Nt-acetylation-independent turnover of SQUALENE EPOXIDASE 1 by Arabidopsis DOA10-like E3 ligases.

The acetylation-dependent (Ac/)N-degron pathway degrades proteins through recognition of their acetylated N-termini (Nt) by E3 ligases called Ac/N-recognins. To date, specific Ac/N-recognins have not been defined in plants. Here we used molecular, genetic, and multiomics approaches to characterize potential roles for Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) DEGRADATION OF ALPHA2 10 (DOA10)-like E3 ligases in the Nt-acetylation-(NTA)-dependent turnover of proteins at global- and protein-specific scales. Arabidopsis has two endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized DOA10-like proteins. AtDOA10A, but not the Brassicaceae-specific AtDOA10B, can compensate for loss of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) ScDOA10 function. Transcriptome and Nt-acetylome profiling of an Atdoa10a/b RNAi mutant revealed no obvious differences in the global NTA profile compared to wild type, suggesting that AtDOA10s do not regulate the bulk turnover of NTA substrates. Using protein steady-state and cycloheximide-chase degradation assays in yeast and Arabidopsis, we showed that turnover of ER-localized SQUALENE EPOXIDASE 1 (AtSQE1), a critical sterol biosynthesis enzyme, is mediated by AtDOA10s. Degradation of AtSQE1 in planta did not depend on NTA, but Nt-acetyltransferases indirectly impacted its turnover in yeast, indicating kingdom-specific differences in NTA and cellular proteostasis. Our work suggests that, in contrast to yeast and mammals, targeting of Nt-acetylated proteins is not a major function of DOA10-like E3 ligases in Arabidopsis and provides further insight into plant ERAD and the conservation of regulatory mechanisms controlling sterol biosynthesis in eukaryotes.

Navigating the Future of Organisational Health Services Research in Germany and beyond: a Position Paper. / Die Zukunft der organisationalen Versorgungsforschung in Deutschland und darüber hinaus ­ ein Positionspapier.

BACKGROUND: Recent analyses have shown that in health services research in Germany, healthcare organisations are often considered primarily as a study setting, without fully taking their complex organisational nature into account, neither theoretically nor methodologically. Therefore, an initiative was launched to analyse the state of Organisational Health Services Research (OHSR) in Germany and to develop a strategic framework and road map to guide future efforts in the field. This paper summarizes positions that have been jointly developed by consulting experts from the interdisciplinary and international scientific community. METHODS: In July 2023, a scoping workshop over the course of three days was held with 32 (inter)national experts from different research fields centred around OHSR topics using interactive workshop methods. Participants discussed their perspectives on OHSR, analysed current challenges in OHSR in Germany and developed key positions for the field's development. RESULTS: The seven agreed-upon key positions addressed conceptual and strategic aspects. There was consensus that the field required the development of a research agenda that can guide future efforts. On a conceptual level, the need to address challenges in terms of interdisciplinarity, terminology, organisation(s) as research subjects, international comparative research and utilisation of organisational theory was recognized. On a strategic level, requirements with regard to teaching, promotion of interdisciplinary and international collaboration, suitable funding opportunities and participatory research were identified. CONCLUSIONS: This position paper seeks to serve as a framework to support further development of OHSR in Germany and as a guide for researchers and funding organisations on how to move OHSR forward. Some of the challenges discussed for German OHSR are equally present in other countries. Thus, this position paper can be used to initiate fruitful discussions in other countries.

The cytosolic Arabidopsis thaliana cysteine desulfurase ABA3 delivers sulfur to the sulfurtransferase STR18.

The biosynthesis of many sulfur-containing molecules depends on cysteine as a sulfur source. Both the cysteine desulfurase (CD) and rhodanese (Rhd) domain-containing protein families participate in the trafficking of sulfur for various metabolic pathways in bacteria and human, but their connection is not yet described in plants. The existence of natural chimeric proteins containing both CD and Rhd domains in specific bacterial genera, however, suggests a general interaction between these proteins. We report here the biochemical relationships between two cytosolic proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, a Rhd domain-containing protein, the sulfurtransferase 18 (STR18), and a CD isoform referred to as ABA3, and compare these biochemical features to those of a natural CD-Rhd fusion protein from the bacterium Pseudorhodoferax sp. We observed that the bacterial enzyme is bifunctional exhibiting both CD and STR activities using l-cysteine and thiosulfate as sulfur donors but preferentially using l-cysteine to catalyze transpersulfidation reactions. In vitro activity assays and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that STR18 stimulates the CD activity of ABA3 by reducing the intermediate persulfide on its catalytic cysteine, thereby accelerating the overall transfer reaction. We also show that both proteins interact in planta and form an efficient sulfur relay system, whereby STR18 catalyzes transpersulfidation reactions from ABA3 to the model acceptor protein roGFP2. In conclusion, the ABA3-STR18 couple likely represents an uncharacterized pathway of sulfur trafficking in the cytosol of plant cells, independent of ABA3 function in molybdenum cofactor maturation.

Mitochondrial alternative NADH dehydrogenases NDA1 and NDA2 promote survival of reoxygenation stress in Arabidopsis by safeguarding photosynthesis and limiting ROS generation.

Plant submergence stress is a growing problem for global agriculture. During desubmergence, rising O2 concentrations meet a highly reduced mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC) in the cells. This combination favors the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the mitochondria, which at excess can cause damage. The cellular mechanisms underpinning the management of reoxygenation stress are not fully understood. We investigated the role of alternative NADH dehydrogenases (NDs), as components of the alternative mETC in Arabidopsis, in anoxia-reoxygenation stress management. Simultaneous loss of the matrix-facing NDs, NDA1 and NDA2, decreased seedling survival after reoxygenation, while overexpression increased survival. The absence of NDAs led to reduced maximum potential quantum efficiency of photosystem II linking the alternative mETC to photosynthetic function in the chloroplast. NDA1 and NDA2 were induced upon reoxygenation, and transcriptional activation of NDA1 was controlled by the transcription factors ANAC016 and ANAC017 that bind to the mitochondrial dysfunction motif (MDM) in the NDA1 promoter. The absence of NDA1 and NDA2 did not alter recovery of cytosolic ATP levels and NADH : NAD+ ratio at reoxygenation. Rather, the absence of NDAs led to elevated ROS production, while their overexpression limited ROS. Our observations indicate that the control of ROS formation by the alternative mETC is important for photosynthetic recovery and for seedling survival of anoxia-reoxygenation stress.

Dynamic association of the plastid localized cysteine synthase complex is vital for efficient cysteine production, photosynthesis, and granal thylakoid formation in transgenic tobacco.

Cysteine biosynthesis is essential for translation and represents the entry point of reduced sulfur into plant metabolism. The two consecutively acting enzymes serine acetyltransferase (SAT) and O-acetylserine-thiol-lyase catalyse cysteine production and form the cysteine synthase complex, in which SAT is activated. Here we show that tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) expressing active SAT in plastids (referred to as PSA lines) shows substantial cysteine accumulation in plastids. Remarkably, enhanced cysteine production in plastids entirely abolished granal stack formation, impaired photosynthesis capacity, and decreased the number of chloroplasts in mesophyll cells of the PSA lines. A transgenic tobacco line expressing active SAT in the cytosol accumulated comparable amounts of thiols but displayed no phenotype. To dissect the consequences of cysteine synthase complex formation from enhanced SAT activity in tobacco plastids, we expressed an enzymatically inactive SAT that can still form the cysteine synthase complex in tobacco plastids (PSI lines). The PSI lines were indistinguishable from the PSA lines, although the PSI lines displayed no increase in plastid-localized SAT activity. Neither PSA lines nor PSI lines suffered from an oxidized redox environment in plastids that could have been causative for the disturbed photosynthesis. From these findings, we infer that the association of the plastid cysteine synthase complex itself triggers a signaling cascade controlling sulfur assimilation and photosynthetic capacity in leaves.

Intentional and actional components of engaged participation in public health research studies: qualitative synthesis of a recruitment and retention process into the theory-informed INTACT-RS framework.

BACKGROUND: Ensuring motivated and successful study participation is a key challenge in the design and conduct of health research studies. Previously, recruitment barriers and facilitators have been identified mainly from experience, and rarely based on theoretical approaches. We developed a framework of intentional and actional components of engaged participation in public health research studies (INTACT-RS), informed by psychological behavioral models. We aimed a) to identify precise indicators for each framework component and b) to better understand which components and decision processes are essential for study participants. METHODS: Within a multicenter research network, we applied various approaches to recruit parents of newborns, pediatricians, and midwives. All recruitment processes were documented from the perspective of both participants and researchers. We used different qualitative and quantitative data material, which we applied in a multistage process according to the basic principles of qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: INTACT-RS encompasses pre-intentional, intentional and actional phases with a total of n = 15 components covering all aspects of an individual's involvement with a research study. During intention formation, an understanding of efforts and benefits, why participation is valuable beyond contributing to research, and how others perceive the study, were particularly important to (potential) participants. Subsequently (intentional phase), participants consider how and when participation is compatible with their own resources, ability and availability, and hence seek for close communication with, and flexibility and support from the research team. During and after (initial) participation (actional phase), participants' assessment of whether expectations and interests have been met impact crucial further steps, especially the willingness to continue and to recommend participation to others. A strong topic-wise and or supportive participation interest as well as active, continuous exchange with the researchers appeared to be central determinants of study completion and data validity. CONCLUSIONS: A theoretical framework is now available to plan and conduct recruitment of different target groups, which accounts for essential motivational and volitional decision-making processes. Based on empirically specified constructs, possible barriers can be addressed even before the initial recruitment process. Therefore, recommendations for scientific practice have been formulated.

The versatile interactome of chloroplast ribosomes revealed by affinity purification mass spectrometry.

In plant cells, chloroplast gene expression is predominantly controlled through post-transcriptional regulation. Such fine-tuning is vital for precisely orchestrating protein complex assembly as for the photosynthesis machinery and for quickly responding to environmental changes. While regulation of chloroplast protein synthesis is of central importance, little is known about the degree and nature of the regulatory network, mainly due to challenges associated with the specific isolation of transient ribosome interactors. Here, we established a ribosome affinity purification method, which enabled us to broadly uncover putative ribosome-associated proteins in chloroplasts. Endogenously tagging of a protein of the large or small subunit revealed not only interactors of the holo complex, but also preferential interactors of the two subunits. This includes known canonical regulatory proteins as well as several new proteins belonging to the categories of protein and RNA regulation, photosystem biogenesis, redox control and metabolism. The sensitivity of the here applied screen was validated for various transiently interacting proteins. We further provided evidence for the existence of a ribosome-associated Nα-acetyltransferase in chloroplasts and its ability to acetylate substrate proteins at their N-terminus. The broad set of ribosome interactors underscores the potential to regulate chloroplast gene expression on the level of protein synthesis.

Redox-mediated kick-start of mitochondrial energy metabolism drives resource-efficient seed germination.

Seeds preserve a far developed plant embryo in a quiescent state. Seed metabolism relies on stored resources and is reactivated to drive germination when the external conditions are favorable. Since the switchover from quiescence to reactivation provides a remarkable case of a cell physiological transition we investigated the earliest events in energy and redox metabolism of Arabidopsis seeds at imbibition. By developing fluorescent protein biosensing in intact seeds, we observed ATP accumulation and oxygen uptake within minutes, indicating rapid activation of mitochondrial respiration, which coincided with a sharp transition from an oxidizing to a more reducing thiol redox environment in the mitochondrial matrix. To identify individual operational protein thiol switches, we captured the fast release of metabolic quiescence in organello and devised quantitative iodoacetyl tandem mass tag (iodoTMT)-based thiol redox proteomics. The redox state across all Cys peptides was shifted toward reduction from 27.1% down to 13.0% oxidized thiol. A large number of Cys peptides (412) were redox switched, representing central pathways of mitochondrial energy metabolism, including the respiratory chain and each enzymatic step of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Active site Cys peptides of glutathione reductase 2, NADPH-thioredoxin reductase a/b, and thioredoxin-o1 showed the strongest responses. Germination of seeds lacking those redox proteins was associated with markedly enhanced respiration and deregulated TCA cycle dynamics suggesting decreased resource efficiency of energy metabolism. Germination in aged seeds was strongly impaired. We identify a global operation of thiol redox switches that is required for optimal usage of energy stores by the mitochondria to drive efficient germination.

The function of glutaredoxin GRXS15 is required for lipoyl-dependent dehydrogenases in mitochondria.

Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are ubiquitous cofactors in all life and are used in a wide array of diverse biological processes, including electron transfer chains and several metabolic pathways. Biosynthesis machineries for Fe-S clusters exist in plastids, the cytosol, and mitochondria. A single monothiol glutaredoxin (GRX) is involved in Fe-S cluster assembly in mitochondria of yeast and mammals. In plants, the role of the mitochondrial homolog GRXS15 has only partially been characterized. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) grxs15 null mutants are not viable, but mutants complemented with the variant GRXS15 K83A develop with a dwarf phenotype similar to the knockdown line GRXS15amiR. In an in-depth metabolic analysis of the variant and knockdown GRXS15 lines, we show that most Fe-S cluster-dependent processes are not affected, including biotin biosynthesis, molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis, the electron transport chain, and aconitase in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. Instead, we observed an increase in most TCA cycle intermediates and amino acids, especially pyruvate, glycine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Additionally, we found an accumulation of branched-chain α-keto acids (BCKAs), the first degradation products resulting from transamination of BCAAs. In wild-type plants, pyruvate, glycine, and BCKAs are all metabolized through decarboxylation by mitochondrial lipoyl cofactor (LC)-dependent dehydrogenase complexes. These enzyme complexes are very abundant, comprising a major sink for LC. Because biosynthesis of LC depends on continuous Fe-S cluster supply to lipoyl synthase, this could explain why LC-dependent processes are most sensitive to restricted Fe-S supply in grxs15 mutants.

Differential sensitivity of metabolic pathways in sugar beet roots to combined salt, heat, and light stress.

Plants in nature commonly encounter combined stress scenarios. The response to combined stressors is often unpredictable from the response to single stresses. To address stress interference in roots, we applied salinity, heat, and high light to hydroponically grown sugar beet. Two main patterns of metabolomic acclimation were apparent. High salt of 300 mM NaCl considerably lowered metabolite amounts, for example, those of most amino acids, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), and glucose. Very few metabolites revealed the opposite trend with increased contents at high salts, mostly organic acids such as citric acid and isocitric acid, but also tryptophan, tyrosine, and the compatible solute proline. High temperature (31°C vs. 21°C) also frequently lowered root metabolite pools. The individual effects of salinity and heat were superimposed under combined stress. Under high light and high salt conditions, there was a significant decline in root chloride, mannitol, ribulose 5-P, cysteine, and l-aspartate contents. The results reveal the complex interaction pattern of environmental parameters and urge researchers to elaborate in much more detail and width on combinatorial stress effects to bridge work under controlled growth conditions to growth in nature, and also to better understand acclimation to the consequences of climate change.

Midwives' empathy and shared decision making from women's perspective - sensitivity of an assessment to compare quality of care in prenatal and obstetric care.

BACKGROUND: For quality-oriented evaluation of prenatal and obstetric care, it is important to systematically consider the perspective of the women receiving care in order to comprehensively assess and optimize quality in a woman-centered manner. Empathy and Shared Decision Making (SDM) are essential components of woman-centered midwifery care. The aim of the study was to analyze measurement invariance of the items of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) and Shared Decision Making-Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) scales depending on the prenatal versus obstetric care setting. METHODS: One hundred fifty women retrospectively assessed aspects of woman-centered midwifery care in both prenatal and obstetric care setting. The birth of the child was a maximum of 12 months ago. A structural equation modelling approach was adopted to separate true effects from response shift (RS) effects depending on care setting. The latter were analyzed in terms of recalibration (changing women's internal measurement standards), Reprioritization (changing associations of items and construct) as well as Reconceptualization (redefining the target construct). RESULTS: A response shift model was identified for both assessments (pregnancy/birth: CFI = .96/.96; SRMR = .046/.051). At birth, both scales indicated lower quality of care compared with prenatal care (SDM-Q-9-M/CARE-8-M:|d| = 0.190/0.392). Although no reconceptualization is required for the items of both scales, RS effects are evident for individual items. Due to recalibration and reprioritization effects, the true differences in the items are partly underestimated (SDM-Q-9-M/CARE-8-M: 3/2 items) or overestimated (4/2 items). CONCLUSION: The structure of the constructs SDM and Empathy, indicating woman-centered midwifery care, are moderated by the care settings. To validly assess midwives' empathy and shared decision making from women's perspective, setting-dependent response shift effects have to be considered. The proven item-specific response effects contribute to a better understanding of construct characteristics in woman-centered care by midwives during pregnancy and childbirth.

Analyzing the effects of barriers to and facilitators of medication adherence among patients with cardiometabolic diseases: a structural equation modeling approach.

BACKGROUND: Based on the theoretical model of medication adherence (WHO, 2003), the aims of the study were (1) to develop and test a theory-based multidimensional model for the predictive power of barriers to and facilitators of medication adherence and (2) to identify the mediating effects of barriers to medication adherence on drug-related patient outcomes (barrier "MedAd- ": forget; facilitator "MedAd + ": regular intake). METHODS: Within a cross-sectional study entitled "Increasing medication adherence to improve patient safety in cardiological rehabilitation (PaSiMed)", the model was evaluated in structural analytical terms based on data collected online of N = 225 patients with cardiometabolic diseases. The revised "Freiburg questionnaire on medication adherence (FF-MedAd-R)" was used to measure the latent constructs (e.g., facilitator: communication; barrier: reservations)." RESULTS: The structural equation model proved to exhibit an appropriate data fit (RMSEA: .05; CFI: .92). For all first-order facilitators of medication adherence, a high proportion of variance (62-94%) could be explained by the second-order factor "Physician-patient relationship (PPR)". All paths from "PPR" to the constructs depicting barriers to medication adherence showed significant negative effects. Facilitators ("MedAd + ") and barriers ("MedAd-") accounted for 20% and 12% of the variance, respectively, in global items of medication adherence. Whereas "Carelessness" showed a full mediation for "MedAd-", ''Reservations'' showed a partial mediation for "MedAd + ". CONCLUSIONS: "PPR" is an important predictor of patient medication adherence. The results underline the importance of a trustful physician-patient relationship in reducing barriers and enhancing medication adherence.

Burden of informal caregivers of people without natural speech: a mixed-methods intervention study.

BACKGROUND: People with disabilities and without natural speech often rely on care provided by informal caregivers. The caregiving situation of these informal caregivers has been poorly researched. The objectives of the study are 1) to identify stressors, resources, and coping strategies among informal caregivers of people without natural speech and 2) to examine whether a complex intervention in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) that is not primarily tailored to the needs of informal caregivers can reduce care-related burden. METHODS: The main components of the AAC intervention were (1) initial counselling session, (2) 4 AAC training sessions, (3) 20 AAC therapy sessions and (4) accompanying case management. The control group received only the initial counselling session. Within a quasi-experimental intervention study, survey data on self-perceived burden (Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, BSFC-s) from n = 154 informal caregivers of people without natural speech were collected at three time points between June 2018 and April 2021 from a postal survey. Qualitative interviews with n = 16 informal caregivers were conducted. RESULTS: Caregivers reported various stressors such as limited communication with the cared-for person and concerns about the living situation in adulthood. Diverse resources and effective coping strategies, which the caregivers refer to when dealing with stressors, could also be identified. Burden was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to the control group. According to the results of the qualitative study, AAC use led to better communication skills and a reduction in behavioural problems and thus a decreased burden. CONCLUSIONS: The AAC intervention seems to have a positive impact on self-perceived burden. Linkages between intervention components and burden reduction as well as stressors and coping strategies could be identified and provide an evidence-based foundation for developing future holistic interventions for families with individuals without natural speech. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS); ID: DRKS00013628 (registered on 05/02/2018).

From Nucleus to Membrane: A Subcellular Map of the N-Acetylation Machinery in Plants.

N-terminal acetylation (NTA) is an ancient protein modification conserved throughout all domains of life. N-terminally acetylated proteins are present in the cytosol, the nucleus, the plastids, mitochondria and the plasma membrane of plants. The frequency of NTA differs greatly between these subcellular compartments. While up to 80% of cytosolic and 20-30% of plastidic proteins are subject to NTA, NTA of mitochondrial proteins is rare. NTA alters key characteristics of proteins such as their three-dimensional structure, binding properties and lifetime. Since the majority of proteins is acetylated by five ribosome-bound N-terminal acetyltransferases (Nats) in yeast and humans, NTA was long perceived as an exclusively co-translational process in eukaryotes. The recent characterization of post-translationally acting plant Nats, which localize to the plasma membrane and the plastids, has challenged this view. Moreover, findings in humans, yeast, green algae and higher plants uncover differences in the cytosolic Nat machinery of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic eukaryotes. These distinctive features of the plant Nat machinery might constitute adaptations to the sessile lifestyle of plants. This review sheds light on the unique role of plant N-acetyltransferases in development and stress responses as well as their evolution-driven adaptation to function in different cellular compartments.

Dual lysine and N-terminal acetyltransferases reveal the complexity underpinning protein acetylation.

Protein acetylation is a highly frequent protein modification. However, comparatively little is known about its enzymatic machinery. N-α-acetylation (NTA) and ε-lysine acetylation (KA) are known to be catalyzed by distinct families of enzymes (NATs and KATs, respectively), although the possibility that the same GCN5-related N-acetyltransferase (GNAT) can perform both functions has been debated. Here, we discovered a new family of plastid-localized GNATs, which possess a dual specificity. All characterized GNAT family members display a number of unique features. Quantitative mass spectrometry analyses revealed that these enzymes exhibit both distinct KA and relaxed NTA specificities. Furthermore, inactivation of GNAT2 leads to significant NTA or KA decreases of several plastid proteins, while proteins of other compartments were unaffected. The data indicate that these enzymes have specific protein targets and likely display partly redundant selectivity, increasing the robustness of the acetylation process in vivo. In summary, this study revealed a new layer of complexity in the machinery controlling this prevalent modification and suggests that other eukaryotic GNATs may also possess these previously underappreciated broader enzymatic activities.

NAA50 Is an Enzymatically Active N α-Acetyltransferase That Is Crucial for Development and Regulation of Stress Responses.

Nα-terminal acetylation (NTA) is a prevalent protein modification in eukaryotes. In plants, the biological function of NTA remains enigmatic. The dominant N-acetyltransferase (Nat) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is NatA, which cotranslationally catalyzes acetylation of ∼40% of the proteome. The core NatA complex consists of the catalytic subunit NAA10 and the ribosome-anchoring subunit NAA15. In human (Homo sapiens), fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), this core NatA complex interacts with NAA50 to form the NatE complex. While in metazoa, NAA50 has N-acetyltransferase activity, yeast NAA50 is catalytically inactive and positions NatA at the ribosome tunnel exit. Here, we report the identification and characterization of Arabidopsis NAA50 (AT5G11340). Consistent with its putative function as a cotranslationally acting Nat, AtNAA50-EYFP localized to the cytosol and the endoplasmic reticulum but also to the nuclei. We demonstrate that purified AtNAA50 displays Nα-terminal acetyltransferase and lysine-ε-autoacetyltransferase activity in vitro. Global N-acetylome profiling of Escherichia coli cells expressing AtNAA50 revealed conservation of NatE substrate specificity between plants and humans. Unlike the embryo-lethal phenotype caused by the absence of AtNAA10 and AtNAA15, loss of NAA50 expression resulted in severe growth retardation and infertility in two Arabidopsis transfer DNA insertion lines (naa50-1 and naa50-2). The phenotype of naa50-2 was rescued by the expression of HsNAA50 or AtNAA50. In contrast, the inactive ScNAA50 failed to complement naa50-2 Remarkably, loss of NAA50 expression did not affect NTA of known NatA substrates and caused the accumulation of proteins involved in stress responses. Overall, our results emphasize a relevant role of AtNAA50 in plant defense and development, which is independent of the essential NatA activity.