Publikation
Prasad, A.; Breithaupt, C.; Nguyen, D.-A.; Lilie, H.; Ziegler, J.; Stubbs, M. T.; Mechanism of chorismate dehydratase MqnA, the first enzyme of the futalosine pathway, proceeds via substrate-assisted catalysis J. Biol. Chem. 298, 102601, (2022) DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102601
MqnA, the only chorismate dehydratase known so far, catalyzes the initial step in the biosynthesis of menaquinone via the futalosine pathway. Details of the MqnA reaction mechanism remain unclear. Here, we present crystal structures of Streptomyces coelicolor MqnA and its active site mutants in complex with chorismate and the product 3-enolpyruvyl-benzoate, produced during heterologous expression in Escherichia coli. Together with activity studies, our data are in line with dehydration proceeding via substrate assisted catalysis, with the enol pyruvyl group of chorismate acting as catalytic base. Surprisingly, structures of the mutant Asn17Asp with copurified ligand suggest that the enzyme converts to a hydrolase by serendipitous positioning of the carboxyl group. All complex structures presented here exhibit a closed Venus flytrap fold, with the enzyme exploiting the characteristic ligand binding properties of the fold for specific substrate binding and catalysis. The conformational rearrangements that facilitate complete burial of substrate/product, with accompanying topological changes to the enzyme surface, could foster substrate channeling within the biosynthetic pathway.
Publikation
Naumann, C.; Heisters, M.; Brandt, W.; Janitza, P.; Alfs, C.; Tang, N.; Toto Nienguesso, A.; Ziegler, J.; Imre, R.; Mechtler, K.; Dagdas, Y.; Hoehenwarter, W.; Sawers, G.; Quint, M.; Abel, S.; Bacterial-type ferroxidase tunes iron-dependent phosphate sensing during Arabidopsis root development Curr. Biol. 32, 2189-2205, (2022) DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.005
Access to inorganic phosphate (Pi), a principal intermediate of energy and nucleotide metabolism, profoundly affects cellular activities and plant performance. In most soils, antagonistic Pi-metal interactions restrict Pi bioavailability, which guides local root development to maximize Pi interception. Growing root tips scout the essential but immobile mineral nutrient; however, the mechanisms monitoring external Pi sta-tus are unknown. Here, we show that Arabidopsis LOW PHOSPHATE ROOT 1 (LPR1), one key determinant of Fe-dependent Pi sensing in root meristems, encodes a novel ferroxidase of high substrate specificity and affinity (apparent KM ∼2 μmM Fe2+). LPR1 typifies an ancient, Fe-oxidizing multicopper protein family that evolved early upon bacterial land colonization. The ancestor of streptophyte algae and embryophytes (land plants) acquired LPR1-type ferroxidase from soil bacteria via horizontal gene transfer, a hypothesis supported by phylogenomics, homology modeling, and biochemistry. Our molecular and kinetic data on LPR1 regulation indicate that Pi-dependent Fe substrate availability determines LPR1 activity and function. Guided by the metabolic lifestyle of extant sister bacterial genera, we propose that Arabidopsis LPR1 monitors subtle concentration differentials of external Fe availability as a Pi-dependent cue to adjust root meristem maintenance via Fe redox signaling and cell wall modification. We further hypothesize that the acquisition of bacterial LPR1-type ferroxidase by embryophyte progenitors facilitated the evolution of local Pi sensing and acquisition during plant terrestrialization.
Publikation
Ziegler, J.; Bochnia, M.; Zeyner, A.; Aminosäurennachweis in geringsten ProbenmengenBestimmung von Hypoglycin A Wiley Analytical Science (2021)
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Publikation
Kahsay, B. N.; Ziegler, J.; Imming, P.; Gebre-Mariam, T.; Neubert, R. H. H.; Moeller, L.; Free amino acid contents of selected Ethiopian plant and fungi species: a search for alternative natural free amino acid sources for cosmeceutical applications Amino Acids 53, 1105-1122, (2021) DOI: 10.1007/s00726-021-03008-5
Free amino acids (FAAs), the major constituents of the natural moisturizing factor (NMF), are very important for maintaining the moisture balance of human skin and their deficiency results in dry skin conditions. There is a great interest in the identification and use of nature-based sources of these molecules for such cosmeceutical applications. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the FAA contents of selected Ethiopian plant and fungi species; and select the best sources so as to use them for the stated purpose. About 59 different plant species and oyster mushroom were included in the study and the concentrations of 27 FAAs were analyzed. Each sample was collected, lyophilized, extracted using aqueous solvent, derivatized with Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride (Fmoc-Cl) prior to solid-phase extraction and quantified using Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometric (LC-ESI–MS/MS) system. All the 27 FAAs were detected in most of the samples. The dominant FAAs that are part of the NMF were found at sufficiently high concentration in the mushroom and some of the plants. This indicates that FAAs that could be included in the preparations for the management of dry skin condition can be obtained from a single natural resource and the use of these resources for the specified purpose have both economic and therapeutic advantage in addition to fulfilling customer needs.
Publikation
Hou, S.; Thiergart, T.; Vannier, N.; Mesny, F.; Ziegler, J.; Pickel, B.; Hacquard, S.; A microbiota–root–shoot circuit favours Arabidopsis growth over defence under suboptimal light Nat. Plants 7, 1078–1092, (2021) DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-00956-4
AbstractBidirectional root–shoot signalling is probably key in orchestrating stress responses and ensuring plant survival. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana responses to microbial root commensals and light are interconnected along a microbiota–root–shoot axis. Microbiota and light manipulation experiments in a gnotobiotic plant system reveal that low photosynthetically active radiation perceived by leaves induces long-distance modulation of root bacterial communities but not fungal or oomycete communities. Reciprocally, microbial commensals alleviate plant growth deficiency under low photosynthetically active radiation. This growth rescue was associated with reduced microbiota-induced aboveground defence responses and altered resistance to foliar pathogens compared with the control light condition. Inspection of a set of A. thaliana mutants reveals that this microbiota- and light-dependent growth–defence trade-off is directly explained by belowground bacterial community composition and requires the host transcriptional regulator MYC2. Our work indicates that aboveground stress responses in plants can be modulated by signals from microbial root commensals.
Publikation
Chutia, R.; Scharfenberg, S.; Neumann, S.; Abel, S.; Ziegler, J.; Modulation of phosphate deficiency-induced metabolic changes by iron availability in Arabidopsis thaliana Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22, 7609, (2021) DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147609
Concurrent suboptimal supply of several nutrients requires the coordination of nutrient-specific transcriptional, phenotypic, and metabolic changes in plants in order to optimize growth and development in most agricultural and natural ecosystems. Phosphate (Pi) and iron (Fe) deficiency induce overlapping but mostly opposing transcriptional and root growth responses in Arabidopsis thaliana. On the metabolite level, Pi deficiency negatively modulates Fe deficiency-induced coumarin accumulation, which is controlled by Fe as well as Pi deficiency response regulators. Here, we report the impact of Fe availability on seedling growth under Pi limiting conditions and on Pi deficiency-induced accumulation of amino acids and organic acids, which play important roles in Pi use efficiency. Fe deficiency in Pi replete conditions hardly changed growth and metabolite profiles in roots and shoots of Arabidopsis thaliana, but partially rescued growth under conditions of Pi starvation and severely modulated Pi deficiency-induced metabolic adjustments. Analysis of T-DNA insertion lines revealed the concerted coordination of metabolic profiles by regulators of Fe (FIT, bHLH104, BRUTUS, PYE) as well as of Pi (SPX1, PHR1, PHL1, bHLH32) starvation responses. The results show the interdependency of Pi and Fe availability and the interplay between Pi and Fe starvation signaling on the generation of plant metabolite profiles.
Publikation
Bochnia, M.; Ziegler, J.; Glatter, M.; Zeyner, A.; Hypoglycin A in cow’s milk—A pilot study Toxins 13, 381, (2021) DOI: 10.3390/toxins13060381
Hypoglycin A (HGA) originating from soapberry fruits (litchi, and ackee) seeds or seedlings from the sycamore maple (SM) tree (related to
Sapindaceae) may cause Jamaican vomiting sickness in humans and atypical myopathy in horses and ruminants. A possible transfer into dairy cow’s milk cannot be ruled out since the literature has revealed HGA in the milk of mares and in the offal of captured deer following HGA intoxication. From a study, carried out for another purpose, bulk raw milk samples from four randomly selected dairy farms were available. The cows were pastured in the daytime. A sycamore maple tree was found on the pasture of farm No. 1 only. Bulk milk from the individual tank or milk filling station was sampled in parallels and analyzed for HGA by LC-ESI-MS/MS. Measurable concentrations of HGA occurred only in milk from farm No. 1 and amounted to 120 and 489 nmol/L. Despite low and very variable HGA concentrations, the results indicate that the ingested toxin, once eaten, is transferred into the milk. However, it is unknown how much HGA the individual cow ingested during grazing and what amount was transferred into the bulk milk samples. As a prerequisite for a possible future safety assessment, carry-over studies are needed. Furthermore, the toxins’ stability during milk processing should also be investigated as well.
Preprints
Bassal, M.; Majovsky, P.; Thieme, D.; Herr, T.; Abukhalaf, M.; Ayash, M.; Al Shweiki, M. R.; Proksch, C.; Hmedat, A.; Ziegler, J.; Neumann, S.; Hoehenwarter, W.; Reshaping of the Arabidopsis thaliana proteome landscape and co-regulation of proteins in development and immunity bioRxiv (2020) DOI: 10.1101/2020.03.09.978627
Proteome remodeling is a fundamental adaptive response and proteins in complex and functionally related proteins are often co-expressed. Using a deep sampling strategy we define Arabidopsis thaliana tissue core proteomes at around 10,000 proteins per tissue and absolutely quantify (copy numbers per cell) nearly 16,000 proteins throughout the plant lifecycle. A proteome wide survey of global post translational modification revealed amino acid exchanges pointing to potential conservation of translational infidelity in eukaryotes. Correlation analysis of protein abundance uncovered potentially new tissue and age specific roles of entire signaling modules regulating transcription in photosynthesis, seed development and senescence and abscission. Among others, the data suggest a potential function of RD26 and other NAC transcription factors in seed development related to desiccation tolerance as well as a possible function of Cysteine-rich Receptor-like Kinases (CRKs) as ROS sensors in senescence. All of the components of ribosome biogenesis factor (RBF) complexes were co-expressed tissue and age specifically indicating functional promiscuity in the assembly of these little described protein complexes in Arabidopsis. Treatment of seedlings with flg22 for 16 hours allowed us to characterize proteome architecture in basal immunity in detail. The results were complemented with parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) targeted proteomics, phytohormone, amino acid and transcript measurements. We obtained strong evidence of suppression of jasmonate (JA) and JA-Ile levels by deconjugation and hydroxylation via IAA-ALA RESISTANT3 (IAR3) and JASMONATE-INDUCED OXYGENASE 2 (JOX2) under the control of JASMONATE INSENSITIVE 1 (MYC2). This previously unknown regulatory switch is another part of the puzzle of the as yet understudied role of JA in pattern triggered immunity. The extensive coverage of the Arabidopsis proteome in various biological scenarios presents a rich resource to plant biologists that we make available to the community.
Publikation
Bassal, M.; Abukhalaf, M.; Majovsky, P.; Thieme, D.; Herr, T.; Ayash, M.; Tabassum, N.; Al Shweiki, M. R.; Proksch, C.; Hmedat, A.; Ziegler, J.; Lee, J.; Neumann, S.; Hoehenwarter, W.; Reshaping of the Arabidopsis thaliana Proteome Landscape and Co-regulation of Proteins in Development and Immunity Mol. Plant 13, 1709-1732, (2020) DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2020.09.024
Proteome remodeling is a fundamental adaptive response, and proteins in
complexes and functionally related proteins are often co-expressed.
Using a deep sampling strategy we define core proteomes of Arabidopsis thaliana
tissues with around 10 000 proteins per tissue, and absolutely quantify
(copy numbers per cell) nearly 16 000 proteins throughout the plant
lifecycle. A proteome-wide survey of global post-translational
modification revealed amino acid exchanges pointing to potential
conservation of translational infidelity in eukaryotes. Correlation
analysis of protein abundance uncovered potentially new tissue- and
age-specific roles of entire signaling modules regulating transcription
in photosynthesis, seed development, and senescence and abscission.
Among others, the data suggest a potential function of RD26 and other
NAC transcription factors in seed development related to desiccation
tolerance as well as a possible function of cysteine-rich receptor-like
kinases (CRKs) as ROS sensors in senescence. All of the components of
ribosome biogenesis factor (RBF) complexes were found to be co-expressed
in a tissue- and age-specific manner, indicating functional promiscuity
in the assembly of these less-studied protein complexes in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, we characterized detailed proteome remodeling in basal immunity by treating Arabidopsis
seeldings with flg22. Through simultaneously monitoring
phytohormone and transcript changes upon flg22 treatment, we obtained
strong evidence of suppression of jasmonate (JA) and JA-isoleucine
(JA-Ile) levels by deconjugation and hydroxylation by IAA-ALA RESISTANT3
(IAR3) and JASMONATE-INDUCED OXYGENASE 2 (JOX2), respectively, under
the control of JASMONATE INSENSITIVE 1 (MYC2), suggesting an
unrecognized role of a new JA regulatory switch in pattern-triggered
immunity. Taken together, the datasets generated in this study present
extensive coverage of the Arabidopsis proteome in various biological scenarios, providing a rich resource available to the whole plant science community.
Publikation
Ronzan, M.; Piacentini, D.; Fattorini, L.; Federica, D. R.; Caboni, E.; Eiche, E.; Ziegler, J.; Hause, B.; Riemann, M.; Betti, C.; Altamura, M. M.; Falasca, G.; Auxin-jasmonate crosstalk in Oryza sativa L. root system formation after cadmium and/or arsenic exposure Environ. Exp. Bot. 165, 59-69, (2019) DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.05.013
Soil pollutants may affect root growth through interactions among phytohormones like auxin and jasmonates. Rice is frequently grown in paddy fields contaminated by cadmium and arsenic, but the effects of these pollutants on jasmonates/auxin crosstalk during adventitious and lateral roots formation are widely unknown. Therefore, seedlings of Oryza sativa cv. Nihonmasari and of the jasmonate-biosynthetic mutant coleoptile photomorphogenesis2 were exposed to cadmium and/or arsenic, and/or jasmonic acid methyl ester, and then analysed through morphological, histochemical, biochemical and molecular approaches.In both genotypes, arsenic and cadmium accumulated in roots more than shoots. In the roots, arsenic levels were more than twice higher than cadmium levels, either when arsenic was applied alone, or combined with cadmium. Pollutants reduced lateral root density in the wild -type in every treatment condition, but jasmonic acid methyl ester increased it when combined with each pollutant. Interestingly, exposure to cadmium and/or arsenic did not change lateral root density in the mutant. The transcript levels of OsASA2 and OsYUCCA2, auxin biosynthetic genes, increased in the wild-type and mutant roots when pollutants and jasmonic acid methyl ester were applied alone. Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) levels transiently increased in the roots with cadmium and/or arsenic in the wild-type more than in the mutant. Arsenic and cadmium, when applied alone, induced fluctuations in bioactive jasmonate contents in wild-type roots, but not in the mutant. Auxin distribution was evaluated in roots of OsDR5::GUS seedlings exposed or not to jasmonic acid methyl ester added or not with cadmium and/or arsenic. The DR5::GUS signal in lateral roots was reduced by arsenic, cadmium, and jasmonic acid methyl ester. Lipid peroxidation, evaluated as malondialdehyde levels, was higher in the mutant than in the wild-type, and increased particularly in As presence, in both genotypes.Altogether, the results show that an auxin/jasmonate interaction affects rice root system development in the presence of cadmium and/or arsenic, even if exogenous jasmonic acid methyl ester only slightly mitigates pollutants toxicity.