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Cysteine protease mcII-Pa executes programmed cell death during plant embryogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Programmed cell death (PCD) is indispensable for eukaryotic development. In animals, PCD is executed by the caspase family of cysteine proteases. Plants do not have close homologues of caspases but possess a phylogenetically distant family of cysteine proteases named metacaspases. The cellular function of metacaspases in PCD is unknown. Here we show that during plant embryogenesis, metacaspase mcII-Pa translocates from the cytoplasm to nuclei in terminally differentiated cells that are destined for elimination, where it colocalizes with the nuclear pore complex and chromatin, causing nuclear envelope disassembly and DNA fragmentation. The cell-death function of mcII-Pa relies on its cysteine-dependent arginine-specific proteolytic activity. Accordingly, mutation of catalytic cysteine abrogates the proteolytic activity of mcII-Pa and blocks nuclear degradation. These results establish metacaspase as an executioner of PCD during embryo patterning and provide a functional link between PCD and embryogenesis in plants. Although mcII-Pa and metazoan caspases have different substrate specificity, they serve a common function during development, demonstrating the evolutionary parallelism of PCD pathways in plants and animals.

SUBMITTER: Bozhkov PV

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1242326 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Cysteine protease mcII-Pa executes programmed cell death during plant embryogenesis.

Bozhkov Peter V PV Suarez Maria F MF Filonova Lada H LH Daniel Geoffrey G Zamyatnin Andrey A AA Rodriguez-Nieto Salvador S Zhivotovsky Boris B Smertenko Andrei A

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20050923 40

Programmed cell death (PCD) is indispensable for eukaryotic development. In animals, PCD is executed by the caspase family of cysteine proteases. Plants do not have close homologues of caspases but possess a phylogenetically distant family of cysteine proteases named metacaspases. The cellular function of metacaspases in PCD is unknown. Here we show that during plant embryogenesis, metacaspase mcII-Pa translocates from the cytoplasm to nuclei in terminally differentiated cells that are destined ...[more]

PMID: 16183741

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Project description:BackgroundProgrammed cell death (PCD) is the regulated death of cells within an organism. The lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) produces perforations in its leaves through PCD. The leaves of the plant consist of a latticework of longitudinal and transverse veins enclosing areoles. PCD occurs in the cells at the center of these areoles and progresses outwards, stopping approximately five cells from the vasculature. The role of mitochondria during PCD has been recognized in animals; however, it has been less studied during PCD in plants.ResultsThe following paper elucidates the role of mitochondrial dynamics during developmentally regulated PCD in vivo in A. madagascariensis. A single areole within a window stage leaf (PCD is occurring) was divided into three areas based on the progression of PCD; cells that will not undergo PCD (NPCD), cells in early stages of PCD (EPCD), and cells in late stages of PCD (LPCD). Window stage leaves were stained with the mitochondrial dye MitoTracker Red CMXRos and examined. Mitochondrial dynamics were delineated into four categories (M1-M4) based on characteristics including distribution, motility, and membrane potential (??m). A TUNEL assay showed fragmented nDNA in a gradient over these mitochondrial stages. Chloroplasts and transvacuolar strands were also examined using live cell imaging. The possible importance of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) formation during PCD was indirectly examined via in vivo cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment. This treatment resulted in lace plant leaves with a significantly lower number of perforations compared to controls, and that displayed mitochondrial dynamics similar to that of non-PCD cells.ConclusionsResults depicted mitochondrial dynamics in vivo as PCD progresses within the lace plant, and highlight the correlation of this organelle with other organelles during developmental PCD. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of mitochondria and chloroplasts moving on transvacuolar strands to form a ring structure surrounding the nucleus during developmental PCD. Also, for the first time, we have shown the feasibility for the use of CsA in a whole plant system. Overall, our findings implicate the mitochondria as playing a critical and early role in developmentally regulated PCD in the lace plant.

Project description:PCD is a highly organised process that is involved in development and in an organisms response to biotic stresses (toxins and avirulent pathogens) and abiotic stresses (such as temperature, water availability, etc.). It is a genetically regulated form of cellular suicide, however in plants the underlying process is poorly understood. Although PCD may occur in response to different stimuli; we believe once it is triggered, one core mechanism is responsible for the cellular demise. It is our aim to identify the elements of this mechanism. We will do this by expanding on the work of a previous user of GARNet's GeneChip microarray facility, Dr. Jodi Swidzinski. She utilised an Arabidopsis cell suspension system; performing microarray analysis on both senescing, and heat shock induced PCD samples. This resulted in data showing that a large number of genes were upregulated (or downregulated) in response to both treatments. We are working under the premise that some of the genes that were similarly regulated under both treatments must be core PCD genes. However because of the large amount of data generated it is difficult to choose appropriate candidate genes (with any degree of confidence that they are core genes) for further study. We propose to use a third PCD-inducing treatment, involving a mycotoxin, to generate another population of microarray results. The mycotoxin we intend to use is Fumonisin B1 (FB1). This is an extremely potent compound that induces PCD by disrupting ceramide synthesis. We have found Arabidopsis protoplasts to be much more sensitive than cells to the toxin at low concentrations. Protoplasts are treated with 20mM FB1 and RNA is extracted at time points when 0%, 20% and 40% of protoplasts have died. This RNA is then pooled. RNA from methanol treated protoplasts is used as a control. We intend for these RNA samples to be subjected to GeneChip microarray analysis. This would identify genes differentially regulated due to FB1 treatment, which would be interesting in itself. However, by combining this data with that from previous work by Swidzinski (2002) we will be able to decrease the pool of possible core genes further, and increase the chances of selecting an appropriate candidate gene. This will both improve upon existing work and add value to an existing GARNet data set. Experimenter name = Mark Diamond Experimenter phone = 017162251 Experimenter fax = 017161153 Experimenter address = Botany Department Experimenter address = University College Dublin Experimenter address = Belfield Experimenter zip/postal_code = Dublin 4 Experimenter country = Ireland Keywords: compound_treatment_design

Project description:BACKGROUND: Developmentally regulated programmed cell death (PCD) is the controlled death of cells that occurs throughout the life cycle of both plants and animals. The lace plant (Aponogeton madagascariensis) forms perforations between longitudinal and transverse veins in spaces known as areoles, via developmental PCD; cell death begins in the center of these areoles and develops towards the margin, creating a gradient of PCD. This gradient was examined using both long- and short-term live cell imaging, in addition to histochemical staining, in order to establish the order of cellular events that occur during PCD. RESULTS: The first visible change observed was the reduction in anthocyanin pigmentation, followed by initial chloroplast changes and the bundling of actin microfilaments. At this stage, an increased number of transvacuolar strands (TVS) was evident. Perhaps concurrently with this, increased numbers of vesicles, small mitochondrial aggregates, and perinuclear accumulation of both chloroplasts and mitochondria were observed. The invagination of the tonoplast membrane and the presence of vesicles, both containing organelle materials, suggested evidence for both micro- and macro-autophagy, respectively. Mitochondrial aggregates, as well as individual chloroplasts were subsequently seen undergoing Brownian motion in the vacuole. Following these changes, fragmentation of nuclear DNA, breakdown of actin microfilaments and early cell wall changes were detected. The vacuole then swelled, causing nuclear displacement towards the plasma membrane (PM) and tonoplast rupture followed closely, indicating mega-autophagy. Subsequent to tonoplast rupture, cessation of Brownian motion occurred, as well as the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (??m), nuclear shrinkage and PM collapse. Timing from tonoplast rupture to PM collapse was approximately 20 minutes. The entire process from initial chlorophyll reduction to PM collapse took approximately 48 hours. Approximately six hours following PM collapse, cell wall disappearance began and was nearly complete within 24 hours. CONCLUSION: Results showed that a consistent sequence of events occurred during the remodelling of lace plant leaves, which provides an excellent system to study developmental PCD in vivo. These findings can be used to compare and contrast with other developmental PCD examples in plants.

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Cysteine protease mcII-Pa executes programmed cell death during plant embryogenesis.

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Cysteine protease mcII-Pa executes programmed cell death during plant embryogenesis.

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