ABSTRACT
In legumes, perception of rhizobial lipochitooligosacharide-based molecules (Nod factors) and subsequent signal transduction triggers transcription of plant symbiosis-specific genes (early nodulins). We present genetic dissection of Nod factor-controlled processes in Pisum sativum using two early nodulin genes PsENOD12a and PsENOD5, that are differentially up-regulated during symbiosis. A novel set of non-nodulating pea mutants in fourteen loci was examined, among which seven loci are not described in Lotus japonicus and Medicago truncatula. Mutants defective in Pssym10, Pssym8, Pssym19, Pssym9 and Pssym7 exhibited no PsENOD12a and PsENOD5 activation in response to Nod factor-producing rhizobia. Thus, a conserved signalling module from the LysM receptor kinase encoded by Pssym10 down to the GRAS transcription factor encoded by Pssym7 is essential for Nod factor-induced gene expression. Of the two investigated genes, PsENOD5 was more strictly regulated; not only requiring the SYM10-SYM7 module, but also SYM35 (NIN transcription factor), SYM14, SYM16 and SYM34. Since Pssym35, Pssym14, Pssym34 and Pssym16 mutants show arrested infection and nodule formation at various stages, PsENOD5 expression seems to be essential for later symbiotic events, when rhizobia enter into plant tissues. Activation of PsENOD12a only requires components involved in early steps of signalling and can be considered as a marker of early symbiotic events preceding infection.
Subject(s)
Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Pisum sativum/genetics , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Plant Root Nodulation , Rhizobium/physiology , Amino Acid Sequence , Cloning, Molecular , DNA, Plant/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant , Lipopolysaccharides/metabolism , Membrane Proteins/genetics , Molecular Sequence Data , Mutation , Pisum sativum/metabolism , Pisum sativum/microbiology , Plant Proteins/genetics , Sequence Alignment , Signal Transduction , Symbiosis , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transformation, GeneticABSTRACT
A comparative study of substrate specificity of bovine duodenal proteinases--chymotrypsin-like duodenase (ChlD) and dual-specificity duodenase (dsD)--was carried out using oligopeptide substrates (human proinsulin, glucagon, melittin, angiotensinogen fragment 1-14). ChlD displayed mainly chymotrypsin-like properties towards these substrates, hydrolyzing peptide bonds carboxy-terminally to bulky aliphatic or aromatic residues. In melittin, ChlD additionally cleaved peptide bonds after Thr and Ser residues. Dual-specificity duodenase (dsD) significantly restricted its specificity to only trypsin-like or only chymotrypsin-like or displayed full activity, combining both specificities, depending on substrate. Both ChlD and dsD efficiently hydrolyzed a single peptide bond (Phe8--His9) in angiotensinogen fragment 1-14. The kinetic parameters of angiotensinogen fragment 1-14 cleavage by ChlD and dsD were determined (k(cat)/K(m) = 80,500 M(-1) x sec(-1) for ChlD and 103,000 M(-1) x sec(-1) for dsD).
