The polyamines and their catabolic products are significant players in the turnover of nitrogenous molecules in plants.

Polyamines (PAs) are nitrogenous molecules which play a well-established role in most cellular processes during growth and development under physiological or biotic/abiotic stress conditions. The molecular mode(s) of PA action have only recently started to be unveiled, and comprehensive models for their molecular interactions have been proposed. Their multiple roles are exerted, at least partially, through signalling by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), which is generated by the oxidation/back-conversion of PAs by copper amine oxidases and PA oxidases. Accumulating evidence suggests that in plants the cellular titres of PAs are affected by other nitrogenous compounds. Here, we discuss the state of the art on the possible nitrogen flow in PAs, their interconnection with nitrogen metabolism, as well as the signalling roles of PA-derived H(2)O(2) during some developmental processes and stress responses.

Multiple origins of cultivated grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sativa) based on chloroplast DNA polymorphisms.

The domestication of the Eurasian grape (Vitis vinifera ssp. sativa) from its wild ancestor (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) has long been claimed to have occurred in Transcaucasia where its greatest genetic diversity is found and where very early archaeological evidence, including grape pips and artefacts of a 'wine culture', have been excavated. Whether from Transcaucasia or the nearby Taurus or Zagros Mountains, it is hypothesized that this wine culture spread southwards and eventually westwards around the Mediterranean basin, together with the transplantation of cultivated grape cuttings. However, the existence of morphological differentiation between cultivars from eastern and western ends of the modern distribution of the Eurasian grape suggests the existence of different genetic contribution from local sylvestris populations or multilocal selection and domestication of sylvestris genotypes. To tackle this issue, we analysed chlorotype variation and distribution in 1201 samples of sylvestris and sativa genotypes from the whole area of the species' distribution and studied their genetic relationships. The results suggest the existence of at least two important origins for the cultivated germplasm, one in the Near East and another in the western Mediterranean region, the latter of which gave rise to many of the current Western European cultivars. Indeed, over 70% of the Iberian Peninsula cultivars display chlorotypes that are only compatible with their having derived from western sylvestris populations.

Indications for post-translational regulation of Vitis vinifera L. arginine decarboxylase.

In order to study arginine decarboxylase regulation, we produced an antiserum against a hybrid of a 615 amino acid residue fragment of grapevine arginine decarboxylase cDNA with maltose-binding protein. The antiserum generated recognized mainly a protein band of ca. 80 kDa in extracts from grapevine tissues. Extracts from leaves and internodes in different developmental stages showed differences in the quantity of the 80 kDa band recognized by the antiserum. However, these differences did not correspond with changes in arginine decarboxylase specific activity. Furthermore, western blot analysis of extracts from cell cultures, where enzyme-specific activity was induced or repressed, did not reveal respective changes in the quantity of the 80 kDa protein band. Digestion of the hybrid by the specific protease factor Xa resulted in a polypeptide of 90 kDa instead of the expected two polypeptides of 43 and 66 kDa. Finally, western blot analysis of shoot extract incubated with factor Xa or the hybrid protein previously digested by factor Xa revealed that factor Xa-digested hybrid protein cleaved the 80 kDa band, resulting in two bands of ca. 38 and 40 kDa, whereas factor Xa alone did not affect it. These results suggest that arginine decarboxylase protein levels and/or activity is post-translationally regulated, as has been shown for other enzymes of polyamine biosynthesis.

Reduced activity of antioxidant machinery is correlated with suppression of totipotency in plant protoplasts.

We previously showed that during protoplast isolation, an oxidative burst occurred and the generation of active oxygen species was differentially mediated in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and grapevine (Vitis vinifera), accompanied by significant quantitative differences (A.K. Papadakis, K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis [1999] Plant Physiol 127: 197-205). We have now further tested if the expression of totipotency in protoplasts is related to the activity of cellular antioxidant machinery during protoplast culture. Totipotent (T) tobacco protoplasts had 2-fold lower contents of intracellular O2*- and H2O2 and 7-fold lower levels of O2*- and H2O2 in the culture medium, compared with non-totipotent (NT) tobacco protoplasts. Addition of alkaline dimethylsulfoxide, known to generate O2*-, resulted in isolation of tobacco protoplasts with reduced viability and cell division potential during subsequent culture. Active oxygen species levels decreased in tobacco and grapevine protoplasts during culturing, although higher contents of O2*- and H2O2 were still found in NT- compared with T-tobacco protoplasts, after 8 d in culture. In T-tobacco protoplasts, the reduced forms of ascorbate and glutathione predominated, whereas in NT-tobacco and grapevine protoplasts, the oxidized forms predominated. In addition, T-tobacco protoplasts exhibited severalfold lower lipid peroxidation than NT-tobacco and grapevine protoplasts. Furthermore, several antioxidant enzyme activities were increased in T-tobacco protoplasts. Superoxide dismutase activity increased in tobacco, but not in grapevine protoplasts during culturing due to the increased expression of cytoplasmic Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase. The increase was only sustained in T-tobacco protoplasts for d 8. Together, these results suggest that suppressed expression of totipotency in protoplasts is correlated with reduced activity of the cellular antioxidant machinery.

The generation of active oxygen species differs in tobacco and grapevine mesophyll protoplasts.

Our previous results have shown that oxidative stress may reduce the regeneration potential of protoplasts, but only protoplasts that are able to supply extracellularly H(2)O(2) can actually divide (C.I. Siminis, A.K. Kanellis, K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis [1993] Physiol Plant 87: 263-270; C.I. Siminis, A.K. Kanellis, K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis [1994] Plant Physiol 1105: 1375-1383; A. de Marco, K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis [1996a] Plant Physiol 110: 137-145; A. de Marco, K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis [1996b] J Plant Physiol 149: 109-114). In the present study we have attempted to break down the oxidative burst response into the individual active oxygen species (AOS) superoxide (O(2)(*-)) and H(2)O(2), and into individual AOS-generating systems during the isolation of regenerating tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and non-regenerating grape (Vitis vinifera L. ) mesophyll protoplasts. Wounding leaf tissue or applying purified cellulase did not elicit AOS production. However, the application of non-purified cellulase during maceration induced a burst of O(2)(*-) and H(2)O(2) accumulation in tobacco leaf, while in grape significantly lower levels of both AOS accumulated. AOS were also generated when protoplasts isolated with purified cellulase were treated with non-purified cellulase. The response was rapid: after 5 min, AOS began to accumulate in the culture medium, with significant quantitative differences between the two species. In tobacco protoplasts and plasma membrane vesicles, two different AOS synthase activities were revealed, one that showed specificity to NADPH and sensitivity to diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) and was responsible for O(2)(*-) production, and a second NAD(P)H activity that was sensitive to KCN and NaN(3), contributing to the production of both AOS. The first activity probably corresponds to a mammalian-like NADPH oxidase and the second to a NAD(P)H oxidase-peroxidase. In grape, only one AOS-generating activity was detected, which corresponded to a NAD(P)H oxidase-peroxidase responsible for the generation of both AOS.

Cloning and expression of an arginine decarboxylase cDNA from Vitis vinifera L. cell-suspension cultures.

Arginine decarboxylase (ADC; EC 4.1.1.19) is a key enzyme in one of the two pathways to putrescine. We present the first ADC cDNA from a woody perennial plant species, the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), which exhibits 70-80% homology with other dicot ADCs. The effects of ammonium, nitrate, and putrescine on ADC specific activity, soluble polyamine levels, ADC-mRNA, endogeneous arginine and ornithine, and arginase specific activity were investigated in suspension cultures of grapevine cells. The addition of NH4+ to cells cultured in NH4(+)-free medium, resulted in a 4-fold increase in ADC activity and concomitantly in a 4-fold increase in putrescine and a 3-fold decrease in arginine. During this period ornithine increased and arginase activity followed a reverse pattern of changes compared with ADC. In contrast, the addition of NO3- did not markedly affect ADC activity, putrescine, arginine and ornithine, but transiently increased arginase activity. The addition of putrescine caused a 4-fold decrease in ADC activity and increased arginine, ornithine and arginase activity. The changes in ADC specific activity were not accompanied by analogous changes in the ADC transcript levels. These results further support the view that ADC regulation is not exhibited, at least for the factors considered in this work, at the transcriptional level.

Laccase activity could contribute to cell-wall reconstitution in regenerating protoplasts.

Laccase (EC 1.10.3.1) activity was measured in regenerating and non-regenerating protoplasts isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum, L.) leaves. Laccase activity diminished soon after isolation: thereafter,it steadily increased in regenerating protoplasts during a 6-day culture period, whereas it was undetectable in non-regenerating protoplasts. A different pattern of isoforms was expressed in protoplasts by comparison with the donor tissue. Polyphenol oxidizing activity was detected also in the spent medium but it was not possible to definitely determine if it was due to laccase or to peroxidase (POX, EC 1.11.1.7) activity. New isoPOXs were quickly expressed soon after protoplast isolation as well, but POX activity remained negligible during the first day in culture. Leaf wounding induced an immediate stimulation of laccase activity whereas POX activity increased very slowly and peaked only after 4 days. Therefore, laccase could be the only effective polymerizing enzyme during the first day of protoplast culture and could contribute in the first steps of healing in wounded leaves, substituting for POX activity in cell wall reconstitution when hydrogen peroxide is not yet available.

Characterization of Vitis vinifera L. glutamine synthetase and molecular cloning of cDNAs for the cytosolic enzyme.

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) glutamine synthetase (GS) was analysed into two distinct classes of isoforms; one of them was present in both leaf and root tissues while the other one showed leaf specificity. Western blot analysis revealed that grapevine GS consists of three types of polypeptides of distinct size and differential tissue specificity. Two structurally distinct cDNA clones, pGS1;1 and pGS1;2, encoding grapevine GS were isolated from a cell suspension library and characterized. Both clones contained open reading frames encoding for polypeptides of 356 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of about 39 kDa. Although the coding sequences of pGS1;1 and pGS1;2 were 84% similar, their 5'- and 3'-untranslated sequences showed only 40% similarity. The coding sequences of the two clones and the derived amino acid sequences showed higher homology to cytosolic than to chloroplastic GSs of other higher plants indicating that the cDNAs isolated encode for cytosolic isoforms of grapevine GS. Southern blot analysis suggested the existence of more than two GS genes in the grapevine genome. In northern blots both clones were hybridized to mRNAs of about 1.4 kb that are differentially expressed in the various tissues. Supply of nitrate or ammonium in the cell suspension culture medium, as a sole nitrogen source, resulted in differential response of the pGS1;1- and pGS1;2-related genes.

The amino-acid sequence similarity of plant glutamate dehydrogenase to the extremophilic archaeal enzyme conforms to its stress-related function.

A cDNA clone encoding grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv Sultanina) NAD(H)-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) was isolated from a cDNA expression library by immunoscreening with a polyclonal antibody raised against grapevine GDH. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a precursor protein of 411 amino acids (aa) with a calculated molecular mass of 44.517 kDa. The deduced aa sequence showed relatively higher homology to GDH from archaebacteria species, than to those from eukaryotes and eubacteria. This resemblance indicated a functional and/or evolutionary relationship in this class of enzymes which might be relevant to the stress-related function of plant GDH. We have shown that the bacterially produced plant GDH was thermostable.

The Complexity of Enzymic Control of Hydrogen Peroxide Concentration May Affect the Regeneration Potential of Plant Protoplasts.

Total peroxidase, NADH-peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities were measured in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves and in regenerating and nonregenerating protoplasts isolated from the same tissue and cultured for 2 weeks. The specific ranges of H2O2 concentration at which the enzymes scavenging the active forms of oxygen may efficiently operate and the activities of those enzymes were determined in an extract from tobacco leaves and in dividing and nondividing tobacco mesophyll protoplasts. The overall H2O2-scavenging enzyme activities were similar in both protoplast populations during the 2 to 3 d of culture. After 3 d, the regenerating protoplasts started to divide and both the antioxidant enzyme activities and the total peroxidase activity increased; in contrast, the viability and the H2O2-scavenging enzyme activities in nonregenerating protoplasts dramatically decreased. Surprisingly, the regenerative potentiality in dividing protoplasts was specifically correlated with a higher NADH-peroxidase activity, which resulted in a net H2O2 accumulation in the cells. Light, which causes the accumulation of active forms of oxygen in photosynthetic organelles, also stimulated catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities in dividing protoplasts. We suggest that the localization of H2O2 rather than its absolute concentration might be responsible for oxidative stress and that controlled amounts of H2O2 are necessary to allow proper cell-wall reconstitution and the consequent cell division.

Regulation of Glutamate Dehydrogenase and Glutamine Synthetase in Avocado Fruit during Development and Ripening.

The activity, protein, and isoenzymic profiles of glutamate de-hydrogenase (GDH) and glutamine synthetase (GS) were studied during development and ripening of avocado (Percea americana Mill. cv Hass) fruit. During fruit development, the activity and protein content of both GDH and GS remained relatively constant. In contrast, considerable changes in these enzymes were observed during ripening of avocado fruit. The specific activity of GDH increased about 4-fold, coincident with a similar increase in GDH protein content and mRNA levels. On the other hand, GS specific activity showed a decline at the end of the ripening process. On the isoenzymic profile of GDH, changes in the prevalence of the seven isoenzymes were found, with a predominance of the more cathodal isoenzymes in the unripe and of the most anodal isoenzymes in the ripe fruit. Two-dimensional electrophoresis revealed that avocado fruit GDH consists of two subunits whose association gives rise to seven isoenzymes. The results support the view that the predominance of the more anodal isoenzymes in the overripe fruit was due to the accumulation of the [alpha]-polypeptide.

Catalase Is Differentially Expressed in Dividing and Nondividing Protoplasts.

Based on our previous results that peroxidase is induced in dividing tobacco protoplasts but it is not expressed in the nondividing grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) protoplasts during culture (C.I. Siminis, A.K. Kanellis, K.A. Roubelakis-Angelakis [1993] Physiol Plant 87: 263-270), we further tested the hypothesis that oxidative stress may be implicated in the recalcitrance of plant protoplasts. The expression of catalase, a major defense enzyme against cell oxidation, was studied during isolation and culture of mesophyll protoplasts from the recalcitrant grapevine and regenerating tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Incubation of tobacco leaf strips with cell wall-degrading enzymes resulted in a burst of catalase activity and an increase in its immunoreactive protein; in contrast, no such increases were found in grapevine. The cathodic and anodic catalase isoforms consisted exclusively of subunits [alpha] and [beta], respectively, in tobacco, and of subunits [beta] and [alpha], respectively, in grapevine. The catalase specific activity increased only in grapevine protoplasts during culture. The ratio of the enzymatic activities to the catalase immunoreactive protein declined in dividing tobacco protoplasts and remained fairly constant in nondividing tobacco and grapevine protoplasts during culture. Also, in dividing tobacco protoplasts the de novo accumulation of the catalase [beta] subunit gave rise to the acidic isoenzymes, whereas in nondividing tobacco and grapevine protoplasts, after 8 d in culture, only the basic isoenzymes remained due to de novo accumulation of the [alpha] subunit. The pattern of catalase expression in proliferating tobacco leaf cells during callogenesis was similar to that in dividing protoplasts. The different responses of catalase expression in dividing and nondividing tobacco and grapevine mesophyll protoplasts may indicate a specificity of catalase related to induction of totipotency.

Oxidative stress in recalcitrant tissue cultures of grapevine.

Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and fluorescent compounds with spectral characteristics typical of products associated with oxidative stress in senescent and aging plant and animal cells, were detected in tissue cultures of the recalcitrant grapevine Vitis vinifera L. cultivar, Sultanina. These compounds increased during the early stages of dedifferentiation (callogenesis) of nodal stem explants. Catalase activity was not detected in the original explant, but was induced during callogenic dedifferentiation. Conversely, superoxide dismutase activity was detectable in the original explant, but diminished during the first week of callus induction. Transfer to callus induction medium promoted a large increase in the sulfhydryl content of nodal tissues. TBARS and fluorescent products accumulated in Sultanina callus during long-term culture (over 6 months). The possibility that oxidative stress may contribute to culture recalcitrance in this vine is discussed.

A narrow-bore HPLC method for the identification and quantitation of free, conjugated, and bound polyamines.

A modified sensitive high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) method, using a narrow-bore column (2.1 x 200 mm, C-18, 5-microns particle size) with a methanol:water gradient (55-84%, v/v), is described for direct analysis of benzoylated free (S), soluble-conjugated (SH), and insoluble-bound (PH) polyamines in plant tissues. Regression curves for each fraction of polyamines allow a precise quantitative determination of putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, spermine, and agmatine in all fractions (S, SH, PH) of a crude extract. A comparison of the results to the corresponding values for dansylated polyamines separated by thin-layer chromatography and quantitated by fluorometry is also presented. S, SH, and PH polyamines as benzoylated derivatives from leaves of Vitis vinifera L. cv Dogridge were characterized and quantitatively determined with this improved sensitive HPLC method.

Polyamines in the photosynthetic apparatus : Photosystem II highly resolved subcomplexes are enriched in spermine.

The three main polyamines putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) were characterized by HPLC in intact spinach leaf cells, intact chloroplasts, thylakoid membranes, Photosystem II membranes, the light-harvesting complex and the PS II complex. All contain the three polyamines in various ratios; the HPLC polyamine profiles of highly resolved PS II species (a Photosystem II core and the rection center) suggest an enrichment in the polyamine Spm.

Ammonium-induced increase in NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase activity is caused by de-novo synthesis of the α-subunit.

When callus derived from shoot segments of Vitis vinifera L. was transferred to ammonium-containing medium the aminating activity of NAD(H)-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH, EC 1.4.1.2) increased significantly. This increase in enzyme activity closely paralleled an increase in the protein of the GDH α-subunit (43.0 kDa), as detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis and Western-blotting. A similar correlation was observed between the deaminating activity and the ß-subunit (42.5 kDa) which both decreased during this treatment. Using [(35)S]methionine and immunochemical detection it was shown that the rate of synthesis of the α-subunit increased considerably in the ammonium-containing medium while there was no detectable synthesis of the ß-subunit. At the isoenzyme level, ammonium caused an increase in the de-novo synthesis and hence the activity staining of the more anodic isoenzymes, which are hexameric and consist mainly of α-subunits. The results indicate that the increase in NADH-GDH specific activity was due to de-novo synthesis of the α-subunit of GDH and the assembly of only the more anodic isoenzymes.

Plant NAD(H)-Glutamate Dehydrogenase Consists of Two Subunit Polypeptides and Their Participation in the Seven Isoenzymes Occurs in an Ordered Ratio.

The structure and function of NAD(H)-glutamate dehydrogenase in plants was studied by using grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. cv Sultanina) callus grown under different nitrogen sources. The enzyme consists of two subunit-polypeptides, alpha and beta, with similar antigenic properties but with different molecular mass and charge. The two polypeptides have molecular masses of 43.0 and 42.5 kilodaltons, respectively. The holoenzyme is hexameric and is resolved into seven isoenzymes by native gel electrophoresis. Two-dimensional native/SDS-PAGE revealed that the 1 and 7 isoenzymes are homohexamers and the isoenzymes 2 through 6 are hybrids of the two polypeptides following an ordered ratio. The total quantity of alpha- and beta-polypeptides and the isoenzymic pattern was altered by the exogenous nitrogen source. The sample derived from callus grown on nitrate or glutamic acid contained a slightly greater amount of beta-polypeptide and of the more cathodal isoenzymes, whereas alpha-polypeptide and the more anodal isoenzymes predominated in callus grown in the presence of either ammonium or glutamine. The anabolic reaction was correlated with the alpha- and the catabolic reaction with the beta-polypeptide; this could suggest that each isoenzyme exhibits anabolic and catabolic function of different magnitude. The isoenzymic patterns did not obey the expected binomial distribution proportions.

Suppression of cellulase and polygalacturonase and induction of alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzymes in avocado fruit mesocarp subjected to low oxygen stress.

Expression of polygalacturonase and cellulase, two hydrolytic enzymes of avocado (Persea americana, cv Hass) fruit which are synthesized de novo during ripening, and alcohol dehydrogenase, a known anaerobic protein, were studied under different O(2) regimes. Low O(2) concentrations (2.5-5.5%) diminished the accumulation of polygalacturonase and cellulase proteins and the expression of their isoenzymes. This pattern of change in cellulase protein was also reflected in the steady-state amount of its mRNA. In contrast, 7.5 and 10% O(2) did not alter the changes observed in fruits ripened in air. On the other hand, alcohol dehydrogenase was induced in 2.5, 3.5, and 5.5% O(2) but not in 7.5 or 10% O(2). The recovery from the hypoxic stress upon returning the fruits back to air for 24 hours, was also a function of O(2) tensions under which the fruits were kept. Thus, the synthesis of polygalacturonase and cellulase was directly related to O(2) levels, while the activity of the isoenzymes of alcohol dehydrogenase was inversely related to O(2) levels. The results indicate that hypoxia exerts both negative and positive effects on the expression of certain genes and that these effects are initiated at the same levels of O(2).

Immunocharacterization of NADH-Glutamate Dehydrogenase from Vitis vinifera L.

Rabbit antiserum was raised against NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) isoenzyme 1, purified from leaves of Vitis vinifera L. cv Soultanina and its specificity was tested. This antiserum was used for immunocharacterization of the GDH from leaf, shoot, and root tissues. The antiserum recognized the seven isoenzymes of NADH-GDH and precipitated all the enzyme activity from the three tissues tested. Western blot following SDS-PAGE revealed the same protein band for the three tissues, with a molecular mass of 42.5 kilodaltons corresponding to NADH-GDH subunit. Results, based on the immunological studies, revealed that NADH-GDH from leaf, shoot, and root tissues are closely related proteins. Furthermore, addition of ammonium ions to the culture medium of in vitro grown explants resulted in a significant increase in NADH-GDH activity in root, shoot, and leaf tissues.