Unveiling interactions among mitochondria, caspase-like proteases, and the actin cytoskeleton during plant programmed cell death (PCD).

Aponogeton madagascariensis produces perforations over its leaf surface via programmed cell death (PCD). PCD begins between longitudinal and transverse veins at the center of spaces regarded as areoles, and continues outward, stopping several cells from these veins. The gradient of PCD that exists within a single areole of leaves in an early stage of development was used as a model to investigate cellular dynamics during PCD. Mitochondria have interactions with a family of proteases known as caspases, and the actin cytoskeleton during metazoan PCD; less is known regarding these interactions during plant PCD. This study employed the actin stain Alexa Fluor 488 phalloidin, the actin depolymerizer Latrunculin B (Lat B), a synthetic caspase peptide substrate and corresponding specific inhibitors, as well as the mitochondrial pore inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA) to analyze the role of these cellular constituents during PCD. Results depicted that YVADase (caspase-1) activity is higher during the very early stages of perforation formation, followed by the bundling and subsequent breakdown of actin. Actin depolymerization using Lat B caused no change in YVADase activity. In vivo inhibition of YVADase activity prevented PCD and actin breakdown, therefore substantiating actin as a likely substrate for caspase-like proteases (CLPs). The mitochondrial pore inhibitor CsA significantly decreased YVADase activity, and prevented both PCD and actin breakdown; therefore suggesting the mitochondria as a possible trigger for CLPs during PCD in the lace plant. To our knowledge, this is the first in vivo study using either caspase-1 inhibitor (Ac-YVAD-CMK) or CsA, following which the actin cytoskeleton was examined. Overall, our findings suggest the mitochondria as a possible upstream activator of YVADase activity and implicate these proteases as potential initiators of actin breakdown during perforation formation via PCD in the lace plant.

Programmed cell death in C. elegans, mammals and plants.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is the regulated removal of cells within an organism and plays a fundamental role in growth and development in nearly all eukaryotes. In animals, the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has aided in elucidating many of the pathways involved in the cell death process. Various analogous PCD processes can also be found within mammalian PCD systems, including vertebrate limb development. Plants and animals also appear to share hallmarks of PCD, both on the cellular and molecular level. Cellular events visualized during plant PCD resemble those seen in animals including: nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, cytoplasmic condensation, and plasma membrane shrinkage. Recently the molecular mechanisms involved in plant PCD have begun to be elucidated. Although few regulatory proteins have been identified as conserved across all eukaryotes, molecular features such as the participation of caspase-like proteases, Bcl-2-like family members and mitochondrial proteins appear to be conserved between plant and animal systems. Transgenic expression of mammalian and C. elegans pro- and anti-apoptotic genes in plants has been observed to dramatically influence the regulatory pathways of plant PCD. Although these genes often show little to no sequence similarity they can frequently act as functional substitutes for one another, thus suggesting that action may be more important than sequence resemblance. Here we present a summary of these findings, focusing on the similarities, between mammals, C. elegans, and plants. An emphasis will be placed on the mitochondria and its role in the cell death pathway within each organism. Through the comparison of these systems on both a cellular and molecular level we can begin to better understand PCD in plant systems, and perhaps shed light on the pathways, which are controlling the process. This manuscript adds to the field of PCD in plant systems by profiling apoptotic factors, to scale on a protein level, and also by filling in gaps detailing plant apoptotic factors not yet amalgamated within the literature.

The lace plant: a novel model system to study plant proteases during developmental programmed cell death in vivo.

Programmed cell death (PCD) plays a major role in plant development and defense throughout the plant kingdom. Within animal systems, it is well accepted that caspases play a major role in the PCD process, although no true caspases have yet to be identified in plants. Despite this, vast amounts of evidence suggest the existence of caspase-like proteases in plants. The lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) forms perforations in a predictable pattern between longitudinal and transverse veins over its entire leaf surface via PCD. Due to the thin nature of the leaf, allowing for long-term live cell imaging, a perfected method for sterile culture, as well as the feasibility of pharmacological experiments, the lace plant provides an excellent model to study developmental PCD. In this review, we report the suitability of the lace plant as a novel organism to study proteases in vivo during developmentally regulated cell death.

Do mitochondria play a role in remodelling lace plant leaves during programmed cell death?

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death (PCD) is the regulated death of cells within an organism. The lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) produces perforations in its leaves through PCD. The leaves of the plant consist of a latticework of longitudinal and transverse veins enclosing areoles. PCD occurs in the cells at the center of these areoles and progresses outwards, stopping approximately five cells from the vasculature. The role of mitochondria during PCD has been recognized in animals; however, it has been less studied during PCD in plants. RESULTS: The following paper elucidates the role of mitochondrial dynamics during developmentally regulated PCD in vivo in A. madagascariensis. A single areole within a window stage leaf (PCD is occurring) was divided into three areas based on the progression of PCD; cells that will not undergo PCD (NPCD), cells in early stages of PCD (EPCD), and cells in late stages of PCD (LPCD). Window stage leaves were stained with the mitochondrial dye MitoTracker Red CMXRos and examined. Mitochondrial dynamics were delineated into four categories (M1-M4) based on characteristics including distribution, motility, and membrane potential (ΔΨm). A TUNEL assay showed fragmented nDNA in a gradient over these mitochondrial stages. Chloroplasts and transvacuolar strands were also examined using live cell imaging. The possible importance of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) formation during PCD was indirectly examined via in vivo cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment. This treatment resulted in lace plant leaves with a significantly lower number of perforations compared to controls, and that displayed mitochondrial dynamics similar to that of non-PCD cells. CONCLUSIONS: Results depicted mitochondrial dynamics in vivo as PCD progresses within the lace plant, and highlight the correlation of this organelle with other organelles during developmental PCD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of mitochondria and chloroplasts moving on transvacuolar strands to form a ring structure surrounding the nucleus during developmental PCD. Also, for the first time, we have shown the feasibility for the use of CsA in a whole plant system. Overall, our findings implicate the mitochondria as playing a critical and early role in developmentally regulated PCD in the lace plant.

Environmentally induced programmed cell death in leaf protoplasts of Aponogeton madagascariensis.

Within plant systems, two main forms of programmed cell death (PCD) exist: developmentally regulated and environmentally induced. The lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) naturally undergoes developmentally regulated PCD to form perforations between longitudinal and transverse veins over its leaf surface. Developmental PCD in the lace plant has been well characterized; however, environmental PCD has never before been studied in this plant species. The results presented here portray heat shock (HS) treatment at 55 °C for 20 min as a promising inducer of environmental PCD within lace plant protoplasts originally isolated from non-PCD areas of the plant. HS treatment produces cells displaying many characteristics of developmental PCD, including blebbing of the plasma membrane, increased number of hydrolytic vesicles and transvacuolar strands, nuclear condensation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling positive nuclei, as well as increased Brownian motion within the vacuole. Results presented here for the first time provide evidence of chloroplasts in the vacuole of living protoplasts undergoing environmentally induced PCD. Findings suggest that the mitochondria play a critical role in the cell death process. Changes in mitochondrial dynamics were visualized in HS-treated cells, including loss of mitochondrial mobility, reduction in ΔΨ(m), as well as the proximal association with chloroplasts. The role of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) was examined by pre-treatment with the PTP agonist cyclosporine A. Overall, HS is depicted as a reliable method to induce PCD within lace plant protoplasts, and proves to be a reliable technique to enable comparisons between environmentally induced and developmentally regulated PCD within one species of plant.