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The AtDi19 (drought-induced) gene family encodes seven hydrophilic proteins that contain two atypical Cys2/His2 (C2H2) zinc finger-like domains that are evolutionarily well-conserved within angiosperms suggesting a conserved and important function. Five of the seven Arabidopsis AtDi19-related:DsRed2 fusion proteins exhibited speckled patterns of localization within the nucleus as shown by transient expression analysis in Arabidopsis protoplasts. In contrast, AtDi19-2:DsRed2 was present in the nucleus and cytoplasm, whereas AtDi19-4:DsRed2 was localized to the nuclear periphery. mRNA expression studies showed that AtDi19 genes are ubiquitously expressed in Arabidopsis tissues, although some differences were observed. In seedlings, RT-PCR analyses showed that AtDi19-1 and AtDi19-3 steady-state transcript amounts were rapidly induced by dehydration, whereas transcript amounts for AtDi19-2 and AtDi19-4 increased in response to high-salt stress. In addition, the mRNA abundance of all the AtDi19-related gene family members was not regulated by ABA. These data, taken together, suggest that several AtDi19-related gene family members may function in ABA-independent, dehydration and salinity stress signaling pathways. However, they may also be regulated by other abiotic stimuli. AtDi19-7, for example, has been implicated in regulating light signaling and responses. Finally, we show that most AtDi19-related proteins are phosphorylated in vitro by calcium-dependent protein kinases suggesting that this post-translational modification may be important for regulating the function of this novel protein family.

The 5' flanking region of a salt-stress-inducible, CAM-specific phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene from the facultative halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, was fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene and introduced into Nicotiana tabacum SR1. The Ppc1 promoter displayed high levels of expression in transgenic tobacco quantitatively and qualitatively similar to a full-length 35S CaMV-GUS construct. Histochemical assays revealed that the full-length Ppc1-GUS fusions expressed GUS activity in all tissues except in root tips. While tobacco is capable of utilizing the Ppc1 cis-acting regulatory regions from M. crystallinum to yield high levels of constitutive expression, this glycophyte fails to direct a stress-inducible pattern of gene expression typical of this promoter in its native, facultative halophytic host.

Thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is an essential enzyme cofactor required for the viability of all organisms. Whether derived from exogenous sources or through de novo synthesis, thiamin must be pyrophosphorylated for cofactor activation. The enzyme thiamin pyrophosphokinase (TPK) catalyzes the conversion of free thiamin to TPP in plants and other eukaryotic organisms and is central to thiamin cofactor activation. While TPK activity has been observed in a number of plant species, the corresponding gene/protein has until now not been identified or characterized for its role in thiamin metabolism. Here we report the functional identification of two Arabidopsis TPK genes, AtTPK1 and AtTPK2 and the enzymatic characterization of the corresponding proteins. AtTPK1 and AtTPK2 are biochemically redundant cytosolic proteins that are similarly expressed throughout different plant tissues. The essential nature of TPKs in plant metabolism is reflected in the observation that while single gene knockouts of either AtTPK1 or AtTPK2 were viable, the double mutant possessed a seedling lethal phenotype. HPLC analysis revealed the double mutant is nearly devoid of TPP and instead accumulates the precursor of the TPK reaction, free thiamin. These results suggest that TPK activity provides the sole mechanism by which exogenous and de novo derived thiamin is converted to the enzyme cofactor TPP. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007.

In the facultative halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant), salinity stress triggers significant changes in gene expression, including increased expression of mRNAs encoding enzymes involved with osmotic adaptation to water stress and the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic pathway. To investigate adaptive stress responses in the ice plant at the molecular level, we generated a subtracted cDNA library from stressed plants and identified mRNAs that increase in expression upon salt stress. One full-length cDNA clone was found to encode cofactor-independent phosphoglyceromutase (PGM), an enzyme involved in glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. Pgm1 expression increased in leaves of plants exposed to either saline or drought conditions, whereas levels of the mRNA remained unchanged in roots of hydroponically grown plants. Pgm1 mRNA was also induced in response to treatment with either abscisic acid or cytokinin. Transcription run-on experiments confirmed that Pgm1 mRNA accumulation in leaves was due primarily to increased transcription rates. Immunoblot analysis indicated that Pgm1 mRNA accumulation was accompanied by a modest but reproductible increase in the level of PGM protein. The isolation of a salinity-induced gene encoding a basic enzyme of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis indicates that adaptation to salt stress in the ice plant involves adjustments in fundamental pathways of carbon metabolism and that these adjustments are controlled at the level of gene expression. We propose that the leaf-specific expression of Pgm1 contributes to the maintenance of efficient carbon flux through glycolysis/gluconeogenesis in conjunction with the stress-induced shift to CAM photosynthesis.

In response to salinity or drought stress, the facultative halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum will switch from C3 photosynthesis to Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). During this switch, the transcription rates of many genes encoding glycolytic, gluconeoagenic, and malate metabolism enzymes are increased. In particular, transcription of the Ppc1 and Gap1 genes encoding a CAM-specific isozyme of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and NAD-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, respectively, is increased by salinity stress. To investigate the molecular basis of salt-induced gene regulation, we examined the Ppc1 and Gap1 promoters for cis-elements and trans-acting factors that may participate in their expression. Ppc1 or Gap1 promoter-beta-glucuronidase chimeric gene constructs containing various deletions were introduced into intact, detached M. crystallinum leaves by microprojectile bombardmen. The Ppc1 5'-flanking region contains several salt-responsive enhancer regions and one silencer region reflecting the complex regulation patterns exhibited by this promoter in vivo. A region localized between nucleotides -977 and -487 relative to the transcriptional start site appears to regulate the magnitude of salt-inducibility. In contrast, the Gap1 promoter contains a single region from -735 to -549 that confers salt-responsive gene expression. Alignment of these 5'-flanking regions reveals several common sequence motifs that resemble consensus binding sites for the Myb class of transcription factors. Electrophoretic gel mobility shift assays indicate that both the -877 to -679 region of Ppc1 and the -735 to -549 region of Gap1 form a DNA-protein complex unique to nuclear extracts from salt-stressed plants. The appearance of this DNA-protein complex upon salt stress suggests that it may participate in salt-induced transcriptional activation of Ppc1 and Gap1.

The common ice plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, shifts from C3 to crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis in response to osmotic stress. The expression of a number of genes encoding enzymes involved in the CAM pathway increases as a result of increased transcription rates. To begin to investigate the mechanisms responsible for the transcriptional activation, we have characterized the 5′ control region of a specific isoform of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase gene (Ppc1) that plays a key role in CAM. We have determined the nucleotide sequence of the 5′ flanking region of this gene. Ppc1 contains a long 5′-leader sequence with the transcriptional start site located 332/333 nucleotides 5′ of the translational initiation codon. Multiple DNA interactions with nuclear factors are detectable within the 5′-flanking region of Ppc1. We have used copper orthophenanthroline footprinting to demonstrate that one particularly abundant factor (designated PCAT-1) binds the Ppc1 promoter at two distinct A/T-rich sites located −128 to −158 and −187 to −205 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site. These binding sites share a loose consensus motif having the sequence AARTAAC(T/A)A(G/T)TTTY. Gel retardation competition experiments with oligonucleotides containing these A/T-rich binding sites suggest that both sites bind the same factor, but with different affinities. Fractionation of crude nuclear extracts by heparin-agarose chromatography indicates that PCAT-1 is more prevalent in extracts prepared from salt-stressed leaf tissue. Additional binding activities that interact with the PCAT-1 binding sites have been detected that either increase or decrease in abundance or binding affinity in response to salt stress.