Target genes and regulatory domains of the GAMYB transcriptional activator in cereal aleurone.

GAMYB is an MYB transcription factor which is expressed in cereal aleurone cells in response to gibberellin (GA). HvGAMYB binds to the TAACAAA box of a high-pl alpha-amylase gene promoter and transcriptionally activates its expression. In this study, we examined the role of HvGAMYB in activating expression of other GA-regulated genes encoding hydrolytic enzymes. In transient expression experiments, HvGAMYB transactivated expression of reporter genes fused to a low-pl alpha-amylase gene promoter, an EII (1-3, 1-4)-beta-glucanase gene promoter and a cathepsin B-like protease promoter. HvGAMYB DNA binding specificity was determined using a PCR-based random site selection using HvGAMYB fusion protein isolated from E. coli. The deduced consensus closely resembled gibberellin response elements in alpha-amylase promoters. Functional analysis of HvGAMYB by transient expression of C terminal HvGAMYB deletions in barley aleurone cells identified two transcriptional activation domains (TADs) which function in transcriptional regulation of both high- and low-pl alpha-amylase promoters. The same TADs were identified using a heterologous yeast expression system. Together, these results indicate that HvGAMYB has two TADs. These domains are C-terminal to its DNA-binding domain.

Cloning of a rice cDNA encoding a transcription factor homologous to barley GAMyb.

A cDNA clone, OsGAmyb, which encodes a homologue to the barley Myb-like transcription factor, HvGAMyb, was isolated from a rice endosperm cDNA library. The clone was used to show that expression of the OsGAmyb gene in aleurone cells was stimulated by gibberellic acid and the gene product was shown to transactivate an alpha-amylase gene promoter in transient expression analyses.

cGMP Is Required for Gibberellic Acid-Induced Gene Expression in Barley Aleurone.

The occurrence and roles of cGMP were investigated in aleurone layers and protoplasts isolated from barley (cv Himalaya) grain. Levels of cGMP in freshly isolated barley aleurone layers ranged from 0.065 to 0.08 pmol/g fresh weight of tissue, and cGMP levels increased transiently after incubation in gibberellic acid (GA). Abscisic acid (ABA) did not increase cGMP levels in aleurone layers. LY 83583 (LY), an inhibitor of guanylyl cyclase, prevented the GA-induced increase in cGMP and inhibited GA-induced [alpha]-amylase synthesis and secretion. The inhibitory effects of LY could be overcome by membrane-permeant analogs of cGMP. LY also prevented GA-induced accumulation of [alpha]-amylase and GAMYB mRNAs. cGMP alone was not sufficient to induce the accumulation of [alpha]-amylase or GAMYB mRNA. LY had a less dramatic effect on the accumulation of mRNAs encoding the ABA-responsive gene Rab21. We conclude that cGMP plays an important role in GA, but not ABA, signaling in the barley aleurone cell.

Gibberellin-regulated expression of a myb gene in barley aleurone cells: evidence for Myb transactivation of a high-pI alpha-amylase gene promoter.

Functional analysis of a barley high-pI alpha-amylase gene promoter has identified a gibberellin (GA) response complex in the region between -174 and -108. The sequence of the central element, TAACAAA, is very similar to the c-Myb and v-Myb consensus binding site. We investigated the possibility that a GA-regulated Myb transactivates alpha-amylase gene expression in barley aleurone cells. A cDNA clone, GAmyb, which encodes a novel Myb, was isolated from a barley aleurone cDNA library. RNA blot analysis revealed that GAmyb expression in isolated barley aleurone layers is up-regulated by GA. The kinetics of GAmyb expression indicates that it is an early event in GA-regulated gene expression and precedes alpha-amylase gene expression. Cycloheximide blocked alpha-amylase gene expression but failed to block GAmyb gene expression, indicating that protein synthesis is not required for GAmyb gene expression. Gel mobility shift experiments with recombinant GAMyb showed that GAMyb binds specifically to the TAACAAA box in vitro. We demonstrated in transient expression experiments that GAMyb activates transcription of a high-pI alpha-amylase promoter fused to a beta-glucuronidase reporter gene in the absence of GA. Our results indicate that the GAMyb is the sole GA-regulated transcription factor required for transcriptional activation of the high-pI alpha-amylase promoter. We therefore postulate that GAMyb is a part of the GA-response pathway leading to alpha-amylase gene expression in aleurone cells.

Gibberellin-responsive elements in the promoter of a barley high-pI alpha-amylase gene.

Deletion analysis has previously shown that the major gibberellic acid (GA)- and abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive elements in the promoter of a high-pI alpha-amylase gene of barley are located downstream of -174 (Jacobsen and Close, 1991). We have used transient expression assays in barley aleurone protoplasts to identify sequences between -174 and +53 that confer GA and ABA responsiveness on expression of a beta-glucuronidase reporter gene. Using alpha-amylase promoter fragments and synthetic oligonucleotides fused to minimal promoters, we have shown that the hormone-responsive region is located between -174 and -108. A single copy of this region fused to a minimal alpha-amylase promoter (-41) conferred both GA- and ABA-responsive expression on the reporter gene comparable to the positive control, Am(-174)IGN. Multiple copies of this region were able to activate even greater levels of expression. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to determine the functional importance of the conserved motifs (-169pyrimidine box, -143TAACAAA box, and -124TATCCAC box) and nonconserved intervening sequences within the region between -174 and -108. Our results showed that both the TAACAAA and TATCCAC boxes play an important role in GA-regulated expression. We propose that the TAACAAA box is a gibberellin response element, that the TATCCAC box acts cooperatively with the TAACAAA box to give a high level of GA-regulated expression, and that together these motifs form important components of a gibberellin response complex in high-pI alpha-amylase genes. The TAACAAA box also appears to be the site of action of ABA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Endosperm acidification and related metabolic changes in the developing barley grain.

The starchy endosperm (SE) of the developing grain (caryopsis) of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cv Himalaya, as well as that of other barley cultivars examined, acidifies during maturation. The major decrease in pH begins with the attainment of maximum grain dry weight, onset of dehydration, and completion of chlorophyll loss. Acidification is correlated with the accumulation of malate and lesser amounts of citrate and lactate, produced and probably secreted by the pericarp/testa/aleurone (PTA). It is accompanied by large concurrent rises in phosphoeno/pyruvate carboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity in the PTA. The activity of seven other enzymes of oxaloacetate and pyruvate metabolism was found to fall or rise only slightly during acidification. Sequential changes in relative amount of ADH isozymes were found in both PTA and SE. The PTA maintained a high respiration rate and adenylate energy charge (AEC) throughout acidification, whereas the SE showed a low respiration rate and rising AEC. The data are consistent with the occurrence of hypoxia in the SE. It is suggested that the above enzyme changes are required for the development of a malate/ethanol fermentation (i.e. a mixed metabolism) in the aleurone layer during maturation.

Control of transient expression of chimaeric genes by gibberellic acid and abscisic acid in protoplasts prepared from mature barley aleurone layers.

Gibberellic acid (GA3) and abscisic acid (ABA) control the transcription of alpha-amylase genes in barley aleurone cells. This control is likely to be exerted through cis-acting hormone-responsive elements in the promoter region of the gene. In order to further define these elements, we have developed procedures for obtaining transient expression of chimaeric genes in protoplasts prepared from mature barley aleurone layers. Constructs with heterologous constitutive promoters and with heterologous and homologous GA3- and ABA-regulated promoters were expressed specifically by these cells. This system would appear to offer great potential in gene regulation studies especially for hormonally regulated homologous genes. Functional analysis of a barley alpha-amylase gene has been performed using this system. A 2050 bp fragment from a high-pI alpha-amylase gene was fused to a reporter gene (GUS) and control of its expression was examined. Deletion analysis of this promoter fragment showed that major GA- and ABA-responsive elements occurred between 174 and 41 bp upstream from the transcription initiation site.

Primer extension studies on alpha-amylase mRNAs in barley aleurone. II. Hormonal regulation of expression.

Relative levels of different alpha-amylase mRNAs were assessed by primer extension experiments using RNA prepared from aleurone of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya). Three different aleurone systems were studied: protoplasts prepared from aleurone layers, isolated aleurone layers, and aleurone from germinated grain. Oligonucleotide primers specific for the low-pI and high-pI alpha-amylase groups allowed the levels of different alpha-amylase mRNAs to be assessed both within and between the two groups. In all aleurone systems the same set of alpha-amylase mRNAs was produced in response to either applied gibberellic acid (aleurone protoplasts, isolated aleurone layers) or, presumably, native gibberellin(s) (germinated grain). This result indicates that the same set of genes is being expressed in each case. Differences were observed between the different aleurone systems in regulation of levels of alpha-amylase mRNAs. In particular, the regulation of alpha-amylase mRNA levels in aleurone of germinated grain has unique features which are not adequately explained by the response of isolated aleurone layers to gibberellic acid.

Heat-stable proteins and abscisic Acid action in barley aleurone cells.

[(35)S]Methionine labeling experiments showed that abscisic acid (ABA) induced the synthesis of at least 25 polypeptides in mature barley (Hordeum vulgare) aleurone cells. The polypeptides were not secreted. Whereas most of the proteins extracted from aleurone cells were coagulated by heating to 100 degrees C for 10 minutes, most of the ABA-induced polypeptides remained in solution (heat-stable). ABA had little effect on the spectrum of polypeptides that were synthesized and secreted by aleurone cells, and most of these secreted polypeptides were also heatstable. Coomassie blue staining of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels indicated that ABA-induced polypeptides already occurred in high amounts in mature aleurone layers having accumulated during grain development. About 60% of the total protein extracted from mature aleurone was heat stable. Amino acid analyses of total preparations of heat-stable and heat-labile proteins showed that, compared to heat-labile proteins, heat-stable intracellular proteins were characterized by higher glutamic acid/glutamine (Glx) and glycine levels and lower levels of neutral amino acids. Secreted heat-stable proteins were rich in Glx and proline. The possibilities that the accumulation of the heat-stable polypeptides during grain development is controlled by ABA and that the function of these polypeptides is related to their abundance and extraordinary heat stability are considered.

Evidence for precursor forms of the low isoelectric point alpha-amylase isozymes secreted by barley aleurone cells.

Gibberellin-treated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) aleurone cell protoplasts have been shown previously to contain two alpha-amylase isozymes which are not secreted (JV Jacobsen, JA Zwar, PM Chandler 1985 Planta 13: 430-438). This report shows that these intracellular forms are immunochemically related to the low isoelectric point but not the high isoelectric point group of alpha-amylase isozymes and that they arise by new synthesis like the secreted forms. Pulse-chase studies show that the intracellular isozymes are precursors to the secreted isozymes. Conversion of the intra- to the extracellular forms involves decreases in isoelectric points with no change in size detectable by SDS-PAGE. The precursor isozymes were also detected in aleurone layer homogenates but they were unstable. They could be stabilized by various treatments including heating the homogenate to 70 degrees C for 10 minutes indicating that the instability was enzymically mediated. Using purified radioactive precursor isozymes, it was shown that instability did not involve inactivation but the conversion to secreted forms. The nature of the covalent modification associated with conversion was not determined but available data indicate that it does not involve glycosylation.

Amylase activity and growth in internodes of deepwater rice.

Isoelectrofocusing, product analysis, thermal denaturation studies and affinity chromatography on cycloheptaamylose-Sephadex were used to identify the amylolytic enzymes in internodes of deepwater rice (Oryza sativa L.). Amylolytic activity in internodes of deepwater rice consists of α-amylase (sometimes separated into two isoforms) and of ß-amylase. During submergence of whole plants, α-amylase activity increases in young, growing internodes, but ß-amylase activity declines. Although non-growing, mature internodes contain higher levels of ß-amylase than do the elongating younger internodes, the effect of submergence on amylase activities in both tissues follows the same trend. Submergence, gibberellic acid (GA3) and ethylene all promote α-amylase activity in growing and non-growing internodes of excised deepwater-rice stem sections. Inhibitor studies showed that submergence and ethylene promote α-amylase activity in the absence of endogenous gibberellin (GA), and GA3 enhances α-amylase activity when ethylene action is inhibited. Therefore, ethylene and GA appear to increase α-amylase activity independently of each other. Enhanced α-amylase activities are probably responsible for the mobilization of carbohydrates which are needed to support internode elongation during submergence of deepwater rice.

The release of α-amylase through gibberellin-treated barley aleurone cell walls : An immunocytochemical study with Lowicryl K4M.

Localisation of α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1.) in low-temperature-embedded isolated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) aleurone has been achieved using rhodamine-labelled secondary antibodies and the protein A-gold technique. Treatment with gibberellic acid (GA3) resulted in an increase of immunofluorescence in the cytoplasm of aleurone cells and also its appearance in specific regions of the cell walls. Cytoplasmic label was neither perinuclear nor associated specifically with aleurone grains as had been found in earlier work, but was present throughout the cytoplasm of all cells. A relatively high level of labelling occurred in hydrolysed wall regions. Label was also associated with plasmodesmata in both hydrolysed and unhydrolysed wall regions. The pattern of labelling indicates that α-amylase is released from aleurone via digested wall channels and that, except for the inner wall layer, unhydrolysed regions are impermeable to the enzyme. It is suggested that the resistant wall tubes around plasmodesmata may facilitate enzyme release by providing a pathway for transfer, especially of wall hydrolases, into the more impermeable parts of the wall.

Water stress enhances expression of an alpha-amylase gene in barley leaves.

The amylases of the second leaves of barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Betzes) were resolved into eight isozymes by isoelectric focusing, seven of which were beta-amylase and the other, alpha-amylase. The alpha-amylase had the same isoelectric point as one of the gibberellin-induced alpha-amylase isozymes in the aleurone layer. This and other enzyme characteristics indicated that the leaf isozyme corresponded to the type A aleurone alpha-amylase (low pI group). Crossing experiments indicated that leaf and type A aleurone isozymes resulted from expression of the same genes.In unwatered seedlings, leaf alpha-amylase increased as leaf water potential decreased and ABA increased. Water stress had no effect on beta-amylase. alpha-Amylase occurred uniformly along the length of the leaf but beta-amylase was concentrated in the basal half of the leaf. Cell fractionation studies indicated that none of the leaf alpha-amylase occurred inside chloroplasts.Leaf radiolabeling experiments followed by extraction of alpha-amylase by affinity chromatography and immunoprecipitation showed that increase of alpha-amylase activity involved synthesis of the enzyme. However, water stress caused no major change in total protein synthesis. Hybridization of a radiolabeled alpha-amylase-related cDNA clone to size fractionated RNA showed that water-stressed leaves contained much more alpha-amylase mRNA than unstressed plants. The results of these and other studies indicate that regulation of gene expression may be a component in water-stress induced metabolic changes.

Involvement of the Golgi apparatus in the secretion of α-amylase from gibberellin-treated barley aleurone cells.

Localisation of α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) in barley aleurone cells treated with gibberellic acid has been achieved using protein A-gold-labelled polyclonal antibodies. Gold particles were located almost exclusively over the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and cisternae of the Golgi apparatus. The label was most concentrated over the Golgi apparatus. This indicates that the Golgi is involved in the secretion of α-amylase protein from aleurone cells.

Amylolytic activity in germinated Agrostemma githago L. seeds.

The perisperm of seeds of Agrostemma githago contains starch reserves which constitute 40% of the dry weight of the mature seed. These starch reserves were mostly broken down between 48 and 96 h after initiation of imbibition. (Germination occurred after 24 h.) The mode of starch degradation showed close parallels with the breakdown of the starchy endosperm in cereals. Thus, between 24 and 96 h the cotyledons secreted α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) whereas other degradative enzymes in the perisperm, ß-amylase (EC 3.2.1.2) and maltase (EC 3.2.1.20), appeared to originate in the perisperm itself. Cotyledons secreted similar levels of α-amylase in the presence and absence of exogenous starch, indicating that secretion is an internal developmental event of the embryo. By isoelectric focussing the secreted α-amylase was separated into two isoenzymes. In the cotyledons, several other starch-degrading isoenzymes were present but were not secreted.

Gibberellic-acid-responsive protoplasts from mature aleurone of Himalaya barley.

Gibberellic acid (GA3)-responsive protoplasts were prepared from mature aleurone layers of Himalaya barley. Protoplasts prepared in air (air-protoplasts) synthesized α-amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) in the presence of GA3 at a rate which was 4-5 times greater that in its absence. Protoplasts prepared in nitrogen (N2-protoplasts) took longer than air-protoplasts to respond to GA3 but α-amylase synthesis ultimately attained a rate which was similar to that for air-protoplasts and which was many times that occurring in the absence of the hormone. Many characteristics of the protoplast response were similar to those of intact aleurone layers. α-Amylase arose by new synthesis, its synthesis was inhibited by abscisic acid, it was isozymically similar to aleurone layer enzyme, most of it was secreted into the incubation medium and its synthesis was accompanied by accumulation of α-amylase mRNA. GA3-induced changes in protein synthesis and cell structure also resembled those of intact aleurone cells. We conclude that the response of the protoplasts to GA3 is normal and that they present a useful system for the study of GA3 action in barley aleurone.

Control of lactate dehydrogenase, lactate glycolysis, and alpha-amylase by o(2) deficit in barley aleurone layers.

After 4 days in an atmosphere of N(2), aleurone layers of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Himalaya) remained viable as judged by their ability to produce near normal amounts of alpha-amylases when incubated with gibberellic acid (GA(3)) in air. However, layers did not produce alpha-amylase when GA(3) was supplied under N(2), apparently because alpha-amylase mRNA failed to accumulate.When an 8-hour pulse of [U-(14)C]glucose was supplied under N(2) to freshly prepared aleurone layers, both [(14)C]lactate and [(14)C]ethanol accumulated; the [(14)C]lactate/[(14)C]ethanol ratio was about 0.3. Prior incubation of layers for 1 day under N(2) changed this ratio to about 0.8, indicating an increase in the relative importance of the lactate branch of glycolysis.l(+)Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was low in freshly prepared aleurone layers and increased 10-fold during 2 days under N(2), whereas alcohol dehydrogenase activity (ADH) was high initially and rose by 60%. The responses of LDH and ADH activities to O(2) tension were dissimilar; when layers were incubated in various O(2)/N(2) mixtures, LDH activity peaked at 2 to 5% O(2) whereas ADH activity was highest at 0% O(2). The LDH activity was resolved into several enzymically active bands by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.We conclude that barley aleurone layers are highly adapted to O(2) deficiency, that they possess an inducible LDH system as well as an ADH system, and we infer that the LDH and ADH systems are independently regulated.

Regulated expression of three alcohol dehydrogenase genes in barley aleurone layers.

Three genes specify alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1.; ADH) enzymes in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (Adh 1, Adh 2, and Adh 3). Their polypeptide products (ADH 1, ADH 2, ADH 3) dimerize to give a total of six ADH isozymes which can be resolved by native gel electrophoresis and stained for enzyme activity.Under fully aerobic conditions, aleurone layers of cv Himalaya had a high titer of a single isozyme, the homodimer containing ADH 1 monomers. This isozyme was accumulated by the aleurone tissue during the later part of seed development, and survived seed drying and rehydration. The five other possible ADH isozymes were induced by O(2) deficit. The staining of these five isozymes on electrophoretic gels increased progressively in intensity as O(2) levels were reduced below 5%, and were most intense at 0% O(2).In vivo(35)S labeling and specific immunoprecipitation of ADH peptides, followed by isoelectric focusing of the ADH peptides in the presence of 8 molar urea (urea-IEF) demonstrated the following. (a) Aleurone layers incubated in air synthesized ADH 1 and a trace of ADH 2; immature layers from developing seeds behaved similarly. (b) At 5% O(2), synthesis of ADH 2 increased and ADH 3 appeared. (c) At 2% and 0% O(2), the synthesis of all three ADH peptides increased markedly.Cell-free translation of RNA isolated from aleurone layers, followed by immunoprecipitation and urea-IEF of in vitro synthesized ADH peptides, showed that levels of mRNA for all three ADH peptides rose sharply during 1 day of O(2) deprivation. Northern hybridizations with a maize Adh 2 cDNA clone established that the clone hybridized with barley mRNA comparable in size to maize Adh 2 mRNA, and that the level of this barley mRNA increased 15- to 20-fold after 1 day at 5% or 2% O(2), and about 100-fold after 1 day at 0% O(2).We conclude that in aleurone layers, expression of the three barley Adh genes is maximal in the absence of O(2), that regulation of mRNA level is likely to be a major controlling factor, and that whereas the ADH system of barley has strong similarities to that of maize, it also has some distinctive features.

The effects of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid on α-amylase mRNA levels in barley aleurone layers studies using an α-amylase cDNA clone.

Two cDNA clones were characterized which correspond to different RNA species whose level is increased by gibberellic acid (GA3) in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) aleurone layers. On the criteria of amino terminal sequencing, amino acid composition and DNA sequencing it is likely that one of these clones (pHV19) corresponds to the mRNA for α-amylase (1,4-α-D-glucan glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1.), in particular for the B family of α-amylase isozymes (Jacobsen JV, Higgins TJV: Plant Physiol 70:1647-1653, 1982). Sequence analysis of PHV19 revealed a probable 23 amino acid signal peptide. Southern hybridization of this clone to barley DNA digested with restriction endonucleases indicated approximately eight gene-equivalents per haploid genome.The identity of the other clone (pHV14) is unknown, but from hybridization studies and sequence analysis it is apparently unrelated to the α-amylase clone.Both clones hybridize to RNAs that are similar in size (∼1500b), but which accumulate to different extents following GA3 treatment: α-amylase mRNA increases approximately 50-fold in abundance over control levels, whereas the RNA hybridizing to pHV14 increases approximately 10-fold. In the presence of abscisic acid (ABA) the response to GA3 is largely, but not entirely, abolished. These results suggest that GA3 and ABA regulate synthesis of α-amylase in barley aleurone layers primarily through the accumulation of α-amylase mRNA.