Publikationen - Molekulare Signalverarbeitung

Pflanzen müssen gegen vielfältige biotische und abiotische Umwelteinflusse eine Abwehr aufbauen. Aber gleichzeitig müssen sie wachsen und sich vermehren. Jasmonate sind neben anderen Hormonen ein zentrales Signal bei der Etablierung von Abwehrmechanismen, aber auch Signal von Entwicklungsprozessen wie Blüten‐ und Trichombildung, sowie der Hemmung von Wachstum. Biosynthese und essentielle Komponenten der Signaltransduktion von JA und seinem biologisch aktiven Konjugat JA‐Ile sind gut untersucht. Der Rezeptor ist ein Proteinkomplex, der “JA‐Ile‐Wahrnehmung” mit proteasomalem Abbau von Repressorproteinen verbindet. Dadurch können positiv agierende Transkriptionsfaktoren wirksam werden und vielfältige Genexpressionsänderungen auslösen. Dies betrifft die Bildung von Abwehrproteinen, Enzymen der JA‐Biosynthese und Sekundärstoffbildung, und Proteinen von Signalketten und Entwicklungsprozessen. Die Kenntnisse zur JA‐Ile‐Wirkung werden in Landwirtschaft und Biotechnologie genutzt.

The allene oxide cyclase (AOC)‐catalyzed step in jasmonate (JA) biosynthesis is important in the wound response of tomato. As shown by treatments with systemin and its inactive analog, and by analysis of 35S::prosysteminsense and 35S::prosysteminantisense plants, the AOC seems to be activated by systemin (and JA) leading to elevated formation of JA. Data are presented on the local wound response following activation of AOC and generation of JA, both in vascular bundles. The tissue‐specific occurrence of AOC protein and generation of JA is kept upon wounding or other stresses, but is compromised in 35S::AOCsense plants, whereas 35S::AOCantisense plants exhibited residual AOC expression, a less than 10% rise in JA, and no detectable expression of wound response genes. The (i) activation of systemin‐dependent AOC and JA biosynthesis occurring only upon substrate generation, (ii) the tissue‐specific occurrence of AOC in vascular bundles, where the prosystemin gene is expressed, and (iii) the tissue‐specific generation of JA suggest an amplification in the wound response of tomato leaves allowing local and rapid defense responses.

Enzymatic and non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation has been implicated in programmed cell death, which is a major process of leaf senescence. To test this hypothesis we developed a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for a simultaneous analysis of the major hydro(pero)xy polyenoic fatty acids. Quantities of lipid peroxidation products in leaves of different stages of development including natural senescence indicated a strong increase in the level of oxygenated polyenoic fatty acids (PUFAs) during the late stages of leaf senescence. Comprehensive structural elucidation of the oxygenation products by means of HPLC, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance suggested a non-enzymatic origin. However, in some cases a small share of specifically oxidized PUFAs was identified suggesting involvement of lipid peroxidizing enzymes. To inspect the possible role of enzymatic lipid peroxidation in leaf senescence, we analyzed the abundance of lipoxygenases (LOXs) in rosette leaves of Arabidopsis. LOXs and their product (9Z,11E,13S,15Z)-13-hydroperoxy-9,11,15-octadecatrienoic acid were exclusively detected in young green leaves. In contrast, in senescing leaves the specific LOX products were overlaid by large amounts of stereo-random lipid peroxidation products originating from non-enzymatic oxidation. These data indicate a limited contribution of LOXs to total lipid peroxidation, and a dominant role of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation in late stages of leaf development.

A crucial step in the biosynthesis of jasmonic acid (JA) is the formation of its correct stereoisomeric precursor, cis (+)12‐oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA). This step is catalysed by allene oxide cyclase (AOC), which has been recently cloned from tomato . In stems, young leaves and young flowers, AOC mRNA accumulates to a low level , contrasting with a high accumulation in flower buds, flower stalks and roots. The high levels of AOC mRNA and AOC protein in distinct flower organs correlate with high AOC activity, and with elevated levels of JA, OPDA and JA isoleucine conjugate. These compounds accumulate in flowers to levels of about 20 nmol g−1 fresh weight, which is two orders of magnitude higher than in leaves. In pistils, the level of OPDA is much higher than that of JA, whereas in flower stalks, the level of JA exceeds that of OPDA. In other flower tissues, the ratios among JA, OPDA and JA isoleucine conjugate differ remarkably, suggesting a tissue‐specific oxylipin signature. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed the specific occurrence of the AOC protein in ovules, the transmission tissue of the style and in vascular bundles of receptacles, flower stalks, stems, petioles and roots. Based on the tissue‐specific AOC expression and formation of JA, OPDA and JA amino acid conjugates, a possible role for these compounds in flower development is discussed in terms of their effect on sink–source relationships and plant defence reactions. Furthermore, the AOC expression in vascular bundles might play a role in the systemin‐mediated wound response of tomato.

Chemische Signale wurden bereits im 19.Jahrhundert als Regulatoren von Wachstum und Entwicklung der Pflanzen postuliert.In den letzten 70 Jahren wurde die Wirkungsweise der klassischen Pflanzenhormone wie der Auxine, Gibberelline, Cytokinine, Ethylen und Abscisinsäure aufgeklärt. Doch erst im letzten Jahrzehnt entdeckte man die Bedeutung der Brassinosteroide, der Peptidhormone und der Jasmonate.

Allene oxide synthase (AOS) is the first enzyme in the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway which leads to formation of jasmonic acid (JA). Two full‐length cDNAs of AOS designated as AOS1 and AOS2, respectively, were isolated from barley (H. vulgare cv. Salome) leaves, which represent the first AOS clones from a monocotyledonous species. For AOS1, the open reading frame encompasses 1461 bp encoding a polypeptide of 487 amino acids with calculated molecular mass of 53.4 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.3, whereas the corresponding data of AOS2 are 1443 bp, 480 amino acids, 52.7 kDa and 7.9. Southern blot analysis revealed at least two genes. Despite the lack of a putative chloroplast signal peptide in both sequences, the protein co‐purified with chloroplasts and was localized within chloroplasts by immunocytochemical analysis. The barley AOSs, expressed in bacteria as active enzymes, catalyze the dehydration of LOX‐derived 9‐ as well as 13‐hydroperoxides of polyenoic fatty acids to the unstable allene oxides. In leaves, AOS mRNA accumulated upon treatment with jasmonates, octadecanoids and metabolizable carbohydrates, but not upon floating on abscisic acid, NaCl, Na‐salicylate or infection with powdery mildew. In developing seedlings, AOS mRNA strongly accumulated in the scutellar nodule, but less in the leaf base. Both tissues exhibited elevated JA levels. In situ hybridizations revealed the preferential occurrence of AOS mRNA in parenchymatic cells surrounding the vascular bundles of the scutellar nodule and in the young convoluted leaves as well as within the first internode. The properties of both barley AOSs, their up‐regulation of their mRNAs and their tissue specific expression suggest a role during seedling development and jasmonate biosynthesis.

The Arabidopsis Thi2.1 thionin gene was cloned and sequenced. The promoter was fused to the uidA gene and stably transformed into Arabidopsis to study its regulation. GUS expression levels correlated with the steady‐state levels of Thi2.1 mRNA, thus demonstrating that the promoter is sufficient for the regulation of the Thi2.1 gene. The sensitivity of the Thi2.1 gene to methyl jasmonate was found to be developmentally determined. Systemic and local expression could be induced by wounding and inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f sp. matthiolae . A deletion analysis of the promoter identified a fragment of 325 bp upstream of the start codon, which appears to contain all the elements necessary for the regulation of the Thi2.1 gene. These results support the view that thionins are defence proteins, and indicate the possibility that resistance of Arabidopsis plants to necrotrophic fungal pathogens is mediated through the octadecanoid pathway.

Barley leaves respond to application of (−)‐jasmonic acid (JA), or its methylester (JM) with the synthesis of abundant proteins, so‐called jasmonate induced proteins (JIPs). Here Western blot analysis is used to show a remarkable increase upon JM treatment of a 100 kDa lipoxygenase (LOX), and the appearance of two new LOX forms of 98 and 92 kDa. The temporal increase of LOX‐100 protein upon JM treatment was clearly distinguishable from the additionally detectable LOX forms. JM‐induced LOX forms in barley leaves were compared with those of Arabidopsis and soybean leaves. Both dicot species showed a similar increase of one LOX upon JM induction, whereas, leaves from soybean responded with additional synthesis of a newly formed LOX of 94 kDa.Using immunofluorescence analysis and isolation of intact chloroplasts, it is demonstrated that JM‐induced LOX forms of barley leaves are exclusively located in the chloroplasts of all chloroplast‐containing cells. Analogous experiments carried out with Arabidopsis and soybean revealed a similar plastidic location of JM‐induced LOX forms in Arabidopsis but a different situation for soybean. In untreated soybean leaves the LOX protein was mainly restricted to vacuoles of paraveinal mesophyll cells. Additionally, LOX forms could be detected in cytoplasm and nuclei of bundle sheath cells. Upon JM treatment cytosolic LOX was detectable in spongy mesophyll cells, too. The intracellular location of JM‐induced LOX is discussed in terms of stress‐related phenomena mediated by JM.