Characterization of plant glutamine synthetase S-nitrosation.

The identification of S-nitrosated substrates and their target cysteine residues is a crucial step to understand the signaling functions of nitric oxide (NO) inside the cells. Here, we show that the key nitrogen metabolic enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS) is a S-nitrosation target in Medicago truncatula and characterize the molecular determinants and the effects of this NO-induced modification on different GS isoenzymes. We found that all the four M. truncatula GS isoforms are S-nitrosated, but despite the high percentage of amino acid identity between the four proteins, S-nitrosation only affects the activity of the plastid-located enzymes, leading to inactivation. A biotin-switch/mass spectrometry approach revealed that cytosolic and plastid-located GSs share an S-nitrosation site at a conserved cysteine residue, but the plastidic enzymes contain additional S-nitrosation sites at non-conserved cysteines, which are accountable for enzyme inactivation. By site-directed mutagenesis, we identified Cys369 as the regulatory S-nitrosation site relevant for the catalytic function of the plastid-located GS and an analysis of the structural environment of the SNO-targeted cysteines in cytosolic and plastid-located isoenzymes explains their differential regulation by S-nitrosation and elucidates the mechanistic by which S-nitrosation of Cys369 leads to enzyme inactivation. We also provide evidence that both the cytosolic and plastid-located GSs are endogenously S-nitrosated in leaves and root nodules of M. truncatula, supporting a physiological meaning for S-nitrosation. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the molecular details of the differential regulation of individual GS isoenzymes by NO-derived molecules and open new paths to explore the biological significance of the NO-mediated regulation of this essential metabolic enzyme.

Possible role of glutamine synthetase of the prokaryotic type (GSI-like) in nitrogen signaling in Medicago truncatula.

Genes containing domains related to glutamine synthetase of the prokaryotic type (GSI-like) are widespread in higher plants, but their function is currently unknown. To gain insights into the possible role of GSI-like proteins, we characterized the GSI-like gene family of Medicago truncatula and investigated the functionality of the encoded proteins. M. truncatula contains two-expressed GSI-like genes, MtGSIa and MtGSIb, encoding polypeptides of 454 and 453 amino acids, respectively. Heterologous complementation assays of a bacterial glnA mutant indicate that the proteins are not catalytically functional for glutamine synthesis. Gene expression was investigated by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis in different organs of the plant and under different nitrogen (N) regimes, revealing that both genes are preferentially expressed in roots and root nodules, and that their expression is influenced by the N-status of the plant. Analysis of transgenic plants expressing MtGSI-like-promoter-gusA fusion, indicate that the two genes are strongly expressed in the root pericycle, and interestingly, the expression is enhanced at the sites of nodule emergence being particularly strong in specific cells located in front of the protoxylem poles. Taken together, the results presented here support a role of GSI-like proteins in N sensing and/or signaling, probably operating at the interface between perception of the N-status and the developmental processes underlying both root nodule and lateral root formation. This study indicates that GSI-like genes may represent a novel class of molecular players of the N-mediated signaling events.

Glutamine synthetase in Medicago truncatula, unveiling new secrets of a very old enzyme.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the first step at which nitrogen is brought into cellular metabolism and is also involved in the reassimilation of ammonium released by a number of metabolic pathways. Due to its unique position in plant nitrogen metabolism, GS plays essential roles in all aspects of plant development, from germination to senescence, and is a key component of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and plant yield. Understanding the mechanisms regulating GS activity is therefore of utmost importance and a great effort has been dedicated to understand how GS is regulated in different plant species. The present review summarizes exciting recent developments concerning the structure and regulation of GS isoenzymes, using the model legume Medicago truncatula. These include the understanding of the structural determinants of both the cytosolic and plastid located isoenzymes, the existence of a seed-specific GS gene unique to M. truncatula and closely related species and the discovery that GS isoenzymes are regulated by nitric oxide at the post-translational level. The data is discussed and integrated with the potential roles of the distinct GS isoenzymes within the whole plant context.

The structures of cytosolic and plastid-located glutamine synthetases from Medicago truncatula reveal a common and dynamic architecture.

The first step of nitrogen assimilation in higher plants, the energy-driven incorporation of ammonia into glutamate, is catalyzed by glutamine synthetase. This central process yields the readily metabolizable glutamine, which in turn is at the basis of all subsequent biosynthesis of nitrogenous compounds. The essential role performed by glutamine synthetase makes it a prime target for herbicidal compounds, but also a suitable intervention point for the improvement of crop yields. Although the majority of crop plants are dicotyledonous, little is known about the structural organization of glutamine synthetase in these organisms and about the functional differences between the different isoforms. Here, the structural characterization of two glutamine synthetase isoforms from the model legume Medicago truncatula is reported: the crystallographic structure of cytoplasmic GSII-1a and an electron cryomicroscopy reconstruction of plastid-located GSII-2a. Together, these structural models unveil a decameric organization of dicotyledonous glutamine synthetase, with two pentameric rings weakly connected by inter-ring loops. Moreover, rearrangement of these dynamic loops changes the relative orientation of the rings, suggesting a zipper-like mechanism for their assembly into a decameric enzyme. Finally, the atomic structure of M. truncatula GSII-1a provides important insights into the structural determinants of herbicide resistance in this family of enzymes, opening new avenues for the development of herbicide-resistant plants.

Novel aspects of glutamine synthetase (GS) regulation revealed by a detailed expression analysis of the entire GS gene family of Medicago truncatula under different physiological conditions.

BACKGROUND: Glutamine Synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2) is a central enzyme in nitrogen metabolism, and a key component of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and plant yield and thus it is extremely important to understand how it is regulated in plants. Medicago truncatula provides an excellent model system to study GS, as it contain a very simple GS gene family comprising only four expressed genes, MtGS1a and MtGS1b encoding cytosolic polypeptides, and MtGS2a and MtGS2b encoding plastid-located enzymes. To identify new regulatory mechanisms controlling GS activity, we performed a detailed expression analysis of the entire GS gene family of M. truncatula in the major organs of the plant, over a time course of nodule or seed development and during a diurnal cycle. RESULTS: Individual GS transcripts were quantified by qRT-PCR, and GS polypeptides and holoenzymes were evaluated by western blot and in-gel activity under native electrophoresis. These studies revealed that all four GS genes are differentially regulated in each organ of the plant, in a developmental manner, and identified new regulatory controls, which appear to be specific to certain metabolic contexts. Studies of the protein profiles showed that the GS polypeptides assemble into organ-specific protein complexes and suffer organ-specific post-translational modifications under defined physiological conditions. Our studies also reveal that GS expression and activity are modulated during a diurnal cycle. The biochemical properties of the four isoenzymes were determined and are discussed in relation to their function in the plant. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides a comprehensive overview of GS expression and regulation in the model legume M. truncatula, contributing to a better understanding of the specific function of individual isoenzymes and to the identification of novel organ-specific post-translational mechanisms of GS regulation. We demonstrate that the GS proteins are modified and/or integrated into protein-complexes that assemble into a specific composition in particular organs of the plant. Taken together, the results presented here open new avenues to explore the regulatory mechanisms controlling GS activity in plants, a subject of major importance due to the crucial importance of the enzyme for plant growth and productivity.

Inhibition of glutamine synthetase by phosphinothricin leads to transcriptome reprograming in root nodules of Medicago truncatula.

Glutamine synthetase (GS) is a vital enzyme for the assimilation of ammonia into amino acids in higher plants. In legumes, GS plays a crucial role in the assimilation of the ammonium released by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules, constituting an important metabolic knob controlling the nitrogen (N) assimilatory pathways. To identify new regulators of nodule metabolism, we profiled the transcriptome of Medicago truncatula nodules impaired in N assimilation by specifically inhibiting GS activity using phosphinothricin (PPT). Global transcript expression of nodules collected before and after PPT addition (4, 8, and 24 h) was assessed using Affymetrix M. truncatula GeneChip arrays. Hundreds of genes were regulated at the three time points, illustrating the dramatic alterations in cell metabolism that are imposed on the nodules upon GS inhibition. The data indicate that GS inhibition triggers a fast plant defense response, induces premature nodule senescence, and promotes loss of root nodule identity. Consecutive metabolic changes were identified at the three time points analyzed. The results point to a fast repression of asparagine synthesis and of the glycolytic pathway and to the synthesis of glutamate via reactions alternative to the GS/GOGAT cycle. Several genes potentially involved in the molecular surveillance for internal organic N availability are identified and a number of transporters potentially important for nodule functioning are pinpointed. The data provided by this study contributes to the mapping of regulatory and metabolic networks involved in root nodule functioning and highlight candidate modulators for functional analysis.

Glutamine synthetase is a molecular target of nitric oxide in root nodules of Medicago truncatula and is regulated by tyrosine nitration.

Nitric oxide (NO) is emerging as an important regulatory player in the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis, but its biological role in nodule functioning is still far from being understood. To unravel the signal transduction cascade and ultimately NO function, it is necessary to identify its molecular targets. This study provides evidence that glutamine synthetase (GS), a key enzyme for root nodule metabolism, is a molecular target of NO in root nodules of Medicago truncatula, being regulated by tyrosine (Tyr) nitration in relation to active nitrogen fixation. In vitro studies, using purified recombinant enzymes produced in Escherichia coli, demonstrated that the M. truncatula nodule GS isoenzyme (MtGS1a) is subjected to NO-mediated inactivation through Tyr nitration and identified Tyr-167 as the regulatory nitration site crucial for enzyme inactivation. Using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, it is shown that GS is nitrated in planta and that its nitration status changes in relation to active nitrogen fixation. In ineffective nodules and in nodules fed with nitrate, two conditions in which nitrogen fixation is impaired and GS activity is reduced, a significant increase in nodule GS nitration levels was observed. Furthermore, treatment of root nodules with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside resulted in increased in vivo GS nitration accompanied by a reduction in GS activity. Our results support a role of NO in the regulation of nitrogen metabolism in root nodules and places GS as an important player in the process. We propose that the NO-mediated GS posttranslational inactivation is related to metabolite channeling to boost the nodule antioxidant defenses in response to NO.

Medicago truncatula contains a second gene encoding a plastid located glutamine synthetase exclusively expressed in developing seeds.

BACKGROUND: Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient that is both essential and rate limiting for plant growth and seed production. Glutamine synthetase (GS), occupies a central position in nitrogen assimilation and recycling, justifying the extensive number of studies that have been dedicated to this enzyme from several plant sources. All plants species studied to date have been reported as containing a single, nuclear gene encoding a plastid located GS isoenzyme per haploid genome. This study reports the existence of a second nuclear gene encoding a plastid located GS in Medicago truncatula. RESULTS: This study characterizes a new, second gene encoding a plastid located glutamine synthetase (GS2) in M. truncatula. The gene encodes a functional GS isoenzyme with unique kinetic properties, which is exclusively expressed in developing seeds. Based on molecular data and the assumption of a molecular clock, it is estimated that the gene arose from a duplication event that occurred about 10 My ago, after legume speciation and that duplicated sequences are also present in closely related species of the Vicioide subclade. Expression analysis by RT-PCR and western blot indicate that the gene is exclusively expressed in developing seeds and its expression is related to seed filling, suggesting a specific function of the enzyme associated to legume seed metabolism. Interestingly, the gene was found to be subjected to alternative splicing over the first intron, leading to the formation of two transcripts with similar open reading frames but varying 5' UTR lengths, due to retention of the first intron. To our knowledge, this is the first report of alternative splicing on a plant GS gene. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that Medicago truncatula contains an additional GS gene encoding a plastid located isoenzyme, which is functional and exclusively expressed during seed development. Legumes produce protein-rich seeds requiring high amounts of nitrogen, we postulate that this gene duplication represents a functional innovation of plastid located GS related to storage protein accumulation exclusive to legume seed metabolism.

GC-MS based metabolite profiling implies three interdependent ways of ammonium assimilation in Medicago truncatula root nodules.

In symbiotic interaction with legume plants, bacteria termed Rhizobia can fix massive amounts of atmospheric nitrogen which is primarily provided in the form of ammonium to the host plants. Therefore, legume root nodules that house the symbiotic bacteria are ideally suited to study the process of primary ammonium assimilation. Here, we present a GC-MS based metabolite profiling analysis of Medicago truncatula root nodules (induced by the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti) before and after inhibition of glutamine synthetase (GS) by the chemical herbicide phosphinotricine. The primary role of GS in ammonium assimilation was revealed by drastically reduced levels of glutamine in phosphinotricine treated root nodules. In comparison to previous results of increased asparagine synthetase transcript and protein abundances in GS inhibited nodules the metabolic data revealed that decreased amounts of aspartate might preclude taking advantage of this elevated enzymatic activity. A potential role of glutamate dehydrogenase in ammonium assimilation was metabolically indicated 24 and 48 h after GS inhibition. Therefore, nodule ammonium assimilation might in principle involve three interdependent metabolic pathways which are adjusted to control basic nitrogen metabolism.

Nodule-specific modulation of glutamine synthetase in transgenic Medicago truncatula leads to inverse alterations in asparagine synthetase expression.

Transgenic Medicago truncatula plants were produced harboring chimeric gene constructs of the glutamine synthetase (GS) cDNA clones (MtGS1a or MtGS1b) fused in sense or antisense orientation to the nodule-specific leghemoglobin promoter Mtlb1. A series of transgenic plants were obtained showing a 2- to 4-fold alteration in nodule GS activity when compared with control plants. Western and northern analyses revealed that the increased or decreased levels of GS activity correlate with the amount of cytosolic GS polypeptides and transcripts present in the nodule extracts. An analysis of the isoenzyme composition showed that the increased or decreased levels of GS activity were attributable to major changes in the homo-octameric isoenzyme GS1a. Nodules of plants transformed with antisense GS constructs showed an increase in the levels of both asparagine synthetase (AS) polypeptides and transcripts when compared with untransformed control plants, whereas the sense GS transformants showed decreased AS transcript levels but polypeptide levels similar to control plants. The polypeptide abundance of other nitrogen metabolic enzymes NADH-glutamic acid synthase and aspartic acid amino-transferase as well as those of major carbon metabolic enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, carbonic anhydrase, and sucrose synthase were not affected by the GS-gene manipulations. Increased levels of AS polypeptides and transcripts were also transiently observed in nodules by inhibiting GS activity with phosphinothricin. Taken together, the results presented here suggest that GS activity negatively regulates the level of AS in root nodules of M. truncatula. The potential role of AS in assimilating ammonium when GS becomes limiting is discussed.

Expression of the plastid-located glutamine synthetase of Medicago truncatula. Accumulation of the precursor in root nodules reveals an in vivo control at the level of protein import into plastids.

In this paper, we report the cloning and characterization of the plastid-located glutamine synthetase (GS) of Medicago truncatula Gaertn (MtGS2). A cDNA was isolated encoding a GS2 precursor polypeptide of 428 amino acids composing an N-terminal transit peptide of 49 amino acids. Expression analysis, by Westerns and by northern hybridization, revealed that MtGS2 is expressed in both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organs. Both transcripts and proteins of MtGS2 were detected in substantial amounts in root nodules, suggesting that the enzyme might be performing some important role in this organ. Surprisingly, about 40% of the plastid GS in nodules occurred in the non-processed precursor form (preGS2). This precursor was not detected in any other organ studied and moreover was not observed in non-fixing nodules. Cellular fractionation of nodule extracts revealed that preGS2 is associated with the plastids and that it is catalytically inactive. Immunogold electron microscopy revealed a frequent coincidence of GS with the plastid envelope. Taken together, these results suggest a nodule-specific accumulation of the GS2 precursor at the surface of the plastids in nitrogen-fixing nodules. These results may reflect a regulation of GS2 activity in relation to nitrogen fixation at the level of protein import into nodule plastids.