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Apiose is a unique branched-chain pentose found in plant glycosides and a key component of the cell wall-polysaccharide pectin and other specialized metabolites. More than 1,200 plant-specialized metabolites contain apiose residues, represented by apiin, a distinctive flavone glycoside found in celery and parsley in the family Apiaceae. The physiological functions of apiin remain obscure, partly due to our lack of knowledge on apiosyltransferase during apiin biosynthesis. Here, we identified celery UGT94AX1 (AgApiT) as a novel apiosyltransferase, responsible for catalyzing the last sugar-modification step in apiin biosynthesis. AgApiT showed strict substrate specificity for the sugar donor, UDP-apiose, and moderate specificity for acceptor substrates, thereby producing various apiose-containing flavone glycosides in celery. Homology modeling of AgApiT with UDP-apiose, followed by site-directed mutagenesis experiments, identified unique Ile139, Phe140, and Leu356 residues in AgApiT, which are seemingly crucial for the recognition of UDP-apiose in the sugar donor pocket. Sequence comparison and molecular phylogenetic analysis of celery glycosyltransferases paralogous to AgApiT suggested thatAgApiTis the sole apiosyltransferase-encoding gene in the celery genome. This is the first report on the identification of a plant apiosyltransferase gene that will enhance our understanding of the physio-ecological functions of apiose and apiose-containing compounds. more...

Key message Barley double mutants in two genes involved in starch granule morphology, HvFLO6 and HvISA1, had impaired starch accumulation and higher grain sugar levels than either single mutant. Abstract Starch is a biologically and commercially important glucose polymer synthesized by plants as semicrystalline starch granules (SGs). Because SG morphology affects starch properties, mutants with altered SG morphology may be useful in breeding crops with desirable starch properties, including potentially novel properties. In this study, we employed a simple screen for mutants with altered SG morphology in barley (Hordeum vulgare). We isolated mutants that formed compound SGs together with the normal simple SGs in the endosperm and found that they were allelic mutants of the starch biosynthesis genes ISOAMYLASE1 (HvISA1) and FLOURY ENDOSPERM 6 (HvFLO6), encoding starch debranching enzyme and CARBOHYDRATE-BINDING MODULE 48-containing protein, respectively. We generated the hvflo6 hvisa1 double mutant and showed that it had significantly reduced starch biosynthesis and developed shrunken grains. In contrast to starch, soluble α-glucan, phytoglycogen, and sugars accumulated to higher levels in the double mutant than in the single mutants. In addition, the double mutants showed defects in SG morphology in the endosperm and in the pollen. This novel genetic interaction suggests that hvflo6 acts as an enhancer of the sugary phenotype caused by hvisa1 mutation. more...

The accumulation of pith in a coconut husk processing facility leads to disposal problems, fire hazards, and contamination of groundwater. The leachate contains phenolic compounds that percolate through the soil and contaminate groundwater. Monolignols (guaiacyl (G), syringyl (S), and p-hydroxyphenyl (H)) in soil and groundwater pose a threat to the land and water resources. This study focuses on minimizing waste accumulation by treating the accumulated pith with sodium hydroxide to recover lignin and sugar. Pith, which has about with 24% cellulose and 49% lignin, was used as a substrate for recovery of Kraft lignin (KL) and sugar. The operating condition for the recovery of KL was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Maximum KL recovery (~ 86%) was achieved with optimal biomass loading of 65 mg/ml, NaOH concentration 5.12% w/w, residence time 31 min, and temperature 121 °C. A glucose yield of 95% was obtained after 48 h of saccharification. The removal of the aromatic layer increased the crystallinity index (CrI) after hydrolysis from 65 to 81.7%. The S/G ratio of 0.49 indicated that the lignin structure of pith is a matrix with many branches, thus making the lignin matrix strong and rigid. more...

Deletion of α-1,3/4-fucosidase activity in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in the accumulation of GN1-type free N-glycans with the Lewis a epitope (GN1-FNG). This suggests that the release of α-fucose residue(s) may trigger rapid degradation of the plant complex-type (PCT) GN1-FNG. The fact that PCT-GN1-FNG has rarely been detected to date is probably due to its easier degradation compared with PCT-GN2-FNG. more...

Rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I), one of the pectic components of the plant cell wall, is composed of a backbone of repeating disaccharide units of rhamnose and galacturonic acid, and side chains, such as galactans, arabinans, and arabinogalactans. The activity of RG-I galactosyltransferase, which transfers galactosyl residues to rhamnosyl residues in the RG-I backbone, has not been detected until now. Here, we detected galactosyltransferase activity in azuki bean epicotyls using fluorogenic RG-I oligosaccharide acceptors. This enzyme prefers oligosaccharides with a degree of polymerization more than 9. The enzyme activity was detected in the Golgi apparatus, which is the site of pectin synthesis. In vitro hyperactivation of this enzyme was also observed. Moreover, enzyme activity was increased up to 40-fold in the presence of cationic surfactants or polyelectrolytes. more...

UDP-apiose, a donor substrate of apiosyltransferases, is labile because of its intramolecular self-cyclization ability, resulting in the formation of apiofuranosyl-1,2-cyclic phosphate. Therefore, stabilization of UDP-apiose is indispensable for its availability and identifying and characterizing the apiosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of apiosylated sugar chains and glycosides. Here, we established a method for stabilizing UDP-apiose using bulky cations as counter ions. Bulky cations such as triethylamine effectively suppressed the degradation of UDP-apiose in solution. The half-life of UDP-apiose was increased to 48.1 ± 2.4 h at pH 6.0 and 25 °C using triethylamine as a counter cation. UDP-apiose coordinated with a counter cation enabled long-term storage under freezing conditions. UDP-apiose was utilized as a donor substrate for apigenin 7-O-β-D-glucoside apiosyltransferase to produce the apiosylated glycoside apiin. This apiosyltransferase assay will be useful for identifying genes encoding apiosyltransferases. more...

In a previous study, we molecular-characterized a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) α1, 3/4-fucosidase (α-Fuc'ase Sl-1) encoded in a tomato gene (Solyc03g006980), indicating that α-Fuc'ase Sl-1 is involved in the turnover of Lea epitope-containing N-glycans. In this study, we have characterized another tomato gene (Solyc11g069010) encoding α1, 3/4-fucosidase (α-Fuc'ase Sl-2), which is also active toward the complex type N-glycans containing Lea epitope(s). The baculovirus-insect cell expression system was used to express that α-Fuc'ase Sl-2 with anti-FLAG tag, and the expression product (rFuc'ase Sl-2), was found as a 65 kDa protein using SDS-PAGE and has an optimum pH of around 5.0. Similarly to rFuc'ase Sl-1, rFuc'ase Sl-2 hydrolyzed the non-reducing terminal α1, 3-fucose residue on LNFP III and α1, 4-fucose residues of Lea epitopes on plant complex type N-glycans, but not the core α1, 3-fucose residue on Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAc or Fucα1-3GlcNAc. However, we found that both α-Fuc'ases Sl-1 and Sl-2 were specifically active toward α1, 3-fucose residue on GlcNAcβ1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAc, indicating that the non-substituted β-GlcNAc linked to the proximal GlcNAc residue of the core tri-saccharide moiety of plant specific N-glycans must be a pre-requisite for α-Fuc'ase activity. A 3 D modelled structure of the catalytic sites of α-Fuc'ase Sl-2 suggested that Asp192 and Glu236 may be important for binding to the α1, 3/4 fucose residue. more...

Plant complex-type N -glycans are characterized by the presence of α1,3-linked fucose towards the proximal N -acetylglucosamine residue and β1,2-linked xylose towards the β-mannose residue. These glycans are ultimately degraded by the activity of several glycoside hydrolases. However, the degradation pathway of plant complex-type N -glycans has not been entirely elucidated because the gene encoding α1,3-fucosidase, a glycoside hydrolase acting on plant complex-type N -glycans, has not yet been identified, and its substrate specificity remains to be determined. In the present study, we found that AtFUC1 (an Arabidopsis GH29 α-fucosidase) is an α1,3-fucosidase acting on plant complex-type N -glycans. This fucosidase has been known to act on α1,4-fucoside linkage in the Lewis A epitope of plant complex-type N -glycans. We found that this glycoside hydrolase specifically acted on GlcNAcβ1–4(Fucα1–3)GlcNAc, a degradation product of plant complex-type N -glycans, by sequential actions of vacuolar α-mannosidase, β1,2-xylosidase, and endo-β-mannosidase. The AtFUC1-deficient mutant showed no distinct phenotypic plant growth features; however, it accumulated GlcNAcβ1–4(Fucα1–3)GlcNAc, a substrate of AtFUC1. These results showed that AtFUC1 is an α1,3-fucosidase acting on plant complex-type N -glycans and elucidated the degradation pathway of plant complex-type N -glycans. more...

The pectin in plant cell walls consists of three domains: homogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan (RG)-I, and RG-II. It is predicted that around 50 different glycosyltransferases are required for their biosynthesis. Among these, the activities of only a few glycosyltransferases have been detected because pectic oligosaccharides are not readily available for use as substrates. In this study, fluorogenic pyridylaminated RG-I-backbone oligosaccharides (PA-RGs) with 3–14 degrees of polymerization (DP) were prepared. Using these oligosaccharides, the activity of RG-I:rhamnosyltransferase (RRT), involved in the biosynthesis of the RG-I backbone diglycosyl repeating units (-4GalUAα1-2Rhaα1-), was detected from the microsomes of azuki bean epicotyls. RRT was found to prefer longer acceptor substrates, PA-RGs with a DP > 7, and it does not require any metal ions for its activity. RRT is located in the Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum. The activity of RRT coincided with epicotyl growth, suggesting that RG-I biosynthesis is involved in plant growth. more...

Pectin is one of the three key cell wall polysaccharides in land plants and consists of three major structural domains: homogalacturonan, rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) and RG-II. Although the glycosyltransferase required for the synthesis of the homogalacturonan and RG-II backbone was identified a decade ago, those for the synthesis of the RG-I backbone, which consists of the repeating disaccharide unit [→2)-α-l-Rha-(1 → 4)-α-d-GalUA-(1→], have remained unknown. Here, we report the identification and characterization of Arabidopsis RG-I:rhamnosyltransferases (RRTs), which transfer the rhamnose residue from UDP-β-l-rhamnose to RG-I oligosaccharides. RRT1, which is one of the four Arabidopsis RRTs, is a single-spanning transmembrane protein, localized to the Golgi apparatus. RRT1 was highly expressed during formation of the seed coat mucilage, which is a specialized cell wall with abundant RG-I. Loss-of-function mutation in RRT1 caused a reduction in the level of RG-I in the seed coat mucilage. The RRTs belong to a novel glycosyltransferase family, now designated GT106. This is a large plant-specific family, and glycosyltransferases in this family seem to have plant-specific roles, such as biosynthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides. Pectin, the major gelling component of the plant cell wall, is rich in galacturonic acids that compose the backbones of pectic polysaccharides. Now, researchers have identified a new family of enzymes responsible for synthesizing the backbone of pectin, RG-I. more...

Herein, we describe a new semisynthetic strategy of a post-translationally modified protein in which the middle region is glycosylated. We designed a single-plasmid coding for a fusion polypeptide, which can provide both an N-terminal α-thioester and a C-terminal cysteine peptide of a target glycoprotein by using chemical-cleavage and activation methods. The use of these resultant peptide derivatives resulted in the successful synthesis of N-glycosylated-interleukin 13. more...

Plant complex-type

Pectin is a plant cell wall constituent that is mainly composed of polygalacturonic acid (PGA), a linear α1,4-d-galacturonic acid (GalUA) backbone. Polygalacturonase (PG) hydrolyzes the α1,4-linkages in PGA. Nearly all plant PGs identified thus far are secreted as soluble proteins. Here we describe the microsomal PG activity in pea (Pisum sativum) epicotyls and present biochemical evidence that it was localized to the Golgi apparatus, where pectins are biosynthesized. The microsomal PG was purified, and it was enzymatically characterized. The purified enzyme showed maximum activity towards pyridylaminated oligogalacturonic acids with six degrees of polymerization (PA-GalUA6), with a Km value of 11 μM for PA-GalUA6. The substrate preference of the enzyme was complementary to that of PGA synthase. The main PG activity in microsomes was detected in the Golgi fraction by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The activity of the microsomal PG was lower in rapidly growing epicotyls, in contrast to the high expression of PGA synthase. The role of this PG in the regulation of pectin biosynthesis or plant growth is discussed. more...

In this study, we identified a gene in tomato that encodes an acidic α-fucosidase (LOC101254568 or Solyc03g006980, α-Fuc'ase S1-1), which may be involved in the turnover of plant complex-type N-glycans. Recombinant α-Fuc'ase S1-1 (rFuc'ase S1-1) was expressed using a baculovirus-insect cell expression system. rFuc'ase Sl-1 is 55 kDa in size and has an optimum pH around 4.5. It substantially hydrolyzed the non-reducing terminal α1,3-fucose residue on LNFP III and α1,4-fucose residues of Lea epitopes on plant complex-type N-glycans, but not the α1,2-fucose residue on LNFP I or the α1,3-fucose residue on pyridylaminated Fucα1-3GlcNAc. Furthermore, we found that this tomato α-Fuc'ase S1-1 was inactive toward the core penta-oligosaccharide unit [Manβ1-4(Xylβ1-2)GlcNAcβ1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAc-PA] of plant complex-type N-glycans. Molecular 3D modelling of α-Fuc'ase Sl-1 and structure/sequence interpretation based on comparison with a homologous α-fucosidase from Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (Blon_2336) indicated that residues Asp193 and Glu237 might be important for substrate binding. more...

Gene expression throughout the reproductive process in rice (Oryza sativa) beginning with primordia development through pollination/fertilization to zygote formation was analyzed. We analyzed 25 stages/organs of rice reproductive development including early microsporogenesis stages with 57,381 probe sets, and identified around 26,000 expressed probe sets in each stage. Fine dissection of 25 reproductive stages/organs combined with detailed microarray profiling revealed dramatic, coordinated and finely tuned changes in gene expression. A decrease in expressed genes in the pollen maturation process was observed in a similar way with Arabidopsis and maize. An almost equal number of ab initio predicted genes and cloned genes which appeared or disappeared coordinated with developmental stage progression. A large number of organ-/stage-specific genes were identified; notably 2,593 probe sets for developing anther, including 932 probe sets corresponding to ab initio predicted genes. Analysis of cell cycle-related genes revealed that several cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), cyclins and components of SCF E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes were expressed specifically in reproductive organs. Cell wall biosynthesis or degradation protein genes and transcription factor genes expressed specifically in reproductive stages were also newly identified. Rice genes homologous to reproduction-related genes in other plants showed expression profiles both consistent and inconsistent with their predicted functions. The rice reproductive expression atlas is likely to be the most extensive and most comprehensive data set available, indispensable for unraveling functions of many specific genes in plant reproductive processes that have not yet been thoroughly analyzed. more...

Cellulose and pectin are major components of primary cell walls in plants, and it is believed that their mechanical properties are important for cell morphogenesis. It has been hypothesized that cortical microtubules guide the movement of cellulose microfibril synthase in a direction parallel with the microtubules, but the mechanism by which this alignment occurs remains unclear. We have previously identified cobtorin as an inhibitor that perturbs the parallel relationship between cortical microtubules and nascent cellulose microfibrils. In this study, we searched for the protein target of cobtorin, and we found that overexpression of pectin methylesterase and polygalacturonase suppressed the cobtorin-induced cell-swelling phenotype. Furthermore, treatment with polygalacturonase restored the deposition of cellulose microfibrils in the direction parallel with cortical microtubules, and cobtorin perturbed the distribution of methylated pectin. These results suggest that control over the properties of pectin is important for the deposition of cellulose microfibrils and/or the maintenance of their orientation parallel with the cortical microtubules. more...

Around 25% of proteins in living organisms are membrane proteins that perform many critical functions such as synthesis of biomolecules and signal transduction. Membrane proteins are extracted from the lipid bilayer and solubilized with a detergent for biochemical characterization; however, their solubilization is an empirical technique and sometimes insufficient quantities of proteins are solubilized in aqueous buffer to allow characterization. We found that addition of alkylamines and polyamines to solubilization buffer containing a detergent enhanced solubilization of membrane proteins from microsomes. The solubilization of polygalacturonic acid synthase localized at the plant Golgi membrane was enhanced by up to 9.9-fold upon addition of spermidine to the solubilization buffer. These additives also enhanced the solubilization of other plant membrane proteins localized in other organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane as well as that of an animal Golgi-localized membrane protein. Thus, addition of alkylamines and polyamines to solubilization buffer is a generally applicable method for effective solubilization of membrane proteins. The mechanism of the enhancement of solubilization is discussed. more...

After landing on the stigma, the pollen grain germinates and elongates a tube to deliver its generative nuclei to the egg cell of the ovule. The molecular mechanisms involved in the drastic morphological changes in the pollen grain during this fertilization process remain largely unknown. In this study, the expression of 732 randomly selected genes in petunia pollen and pollen tubes was analyzed by microarray and quantitative PCR analyses. We found no evidence for up-regulation of any of these genes in the pollen tube. Our findings provide support at the gene level for the longstanding hypothesis that pollen germination and tube growth are not dependent on new RNA synthesis and that the large number of RNAs required for germination and tube growth are stored in mature pollen grains. more...

The male gametophyte and tapetum play different roles during anther development although they are differentiated from the same cell lineage, the L2 layer. Until now, it has not been possible to delineate their transcriptomes due to technical difficulties in separating the two cell types. In the present study, we characterized the separated transcriptomes of the rice microspore/pollen and tapetum using laser microdissection (LM)-mediated microarray. Spatiotemporal expression patterns of 28,141 anther-expressed genes were classified into 20 clusters, which contained 3,468 (12.3%) anther-enriched genes. In some clusters, synchronous gene expression in the microspore and tapetum at the same developmental stage was observed as a novel characteristic of the anther transcriptome. Noteworthy expression patterns are discussed in connection with gene ontology (GO) categories and gene annotations, which are related to important biological events in anther development, such as pollen maturation, pollen germination, pollen tube elongation and pollen wall formation. more...

In this study we biochemically characterized stylar ribonucleases (RNases) of Japanese pear ( Pyrus pyrifolia ), which exhibits S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility. We separated the RNase fractions NS-1, NS-2, and NS-3 from stylar extracts of the cultivar Nijisseiki (S 2 S 4 ). The RNase in each fraction was purified to homogeneity through a series of chromatographic steps. Chemical analysis of the proteins revealed that the basic RNases in the NS-2 and NS-3 fractions were the S 4 - and S 2 -RNases, respectively. Five additional S-RNases were purified from other cultivars. An acidic RNase in the NS-1 fraction was also purified from other cultivars, and identified as a non-S-allele-associated RNase (non-S-RNase). The non-S-RNase is composed of 203 amino acids, is non-glycosylated and is a N-terminal-pyroglutamylated enzyme of the RNase T 2 family. The substrate specificities and optimum pH levels of the non-S-RNase and S-RNases were similar. Interestingly, the specific activity of the non-S-RNase was 7.5–221-fold higher than those of the S-RNases when tolura yeast RNA was used as the substrate. The specific activity of the S 2 -RNase was 8.8–28.6-fold lower than those of the other S-RNases. These differences in specific activities among the stylar RNases are discussed. more...

Endo-beta-mannosidase, which hydrolyses the Manbeta1-4GlcNAc linkage of N-glycans in an endo-manner, was discovered in plants. During the course of the purification of the enzyme from lily flowers, we found a higher molecular mass form of the enzyme (designated as EBM II). EBM II was purified by column chromatography to homogeneity and its molecular composition revealed EBM II to be comprised of endo-beta-mannosidase and an associated protein. The cDNA of this associated protein encodes a protein with slight homology to the fucosidase domain of bifidus AfcA. EBM II has alpha1,2-L-fucosidase activity and acts on a fucosylated xyloglucan nonasaccharide. The amino acid sequence of this associated protein has no similarity to known plant alpha-L-fucosidases. These results show that EBM II is a novel alpha1,2-L-fucosidase and a protein complex containing endo-beta-mannosidase. more...

A unique O-glycan structure, Xylalpha1-3Xylalpha1-3Glcbeta1-O-Ser is found on the consensus sequence C-X-S-X-P-C (X denotes any amino acid) in epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains of plasma proteins such as clotting factor VII and IX. One of the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of this trisaccharide, UDP-d-xylose:beta-d-glucoside 1,3-d-xylosyltransferase has been identified in HepG2 cells (Omichi, K., Aoki, K., Minamida, S., and Hase, S. Eur. J. Biochem. 245, 143-146 [1997]). Here, we report that this enzyme activity can be detected in bovine liver and that the enzyme has been purified from the microsomal fraction. The enzyme was purified 6200-fold in terms of specific activity and ran as a single band on native-PAGE and isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis. The best acceptor substrate of those tested was the EGF-like domain of bovine factor IX carrying beta-glucoside at Ser53. The Km value for this substrate was 34 muM. Comparison of initial velocity with various acceptor substrates shows that this xylosyltransferase recognizes not only the glucose moiety to which xylose is transferred but also the tertiary structure of the EGF-like domain. With regard to the donor substrate, the enzyme does not recognize UDP-d-glucose but does recognize UDP-d-xylose. more...

UDP-galacturonic acid, the activated form of galacturonic acid (GalUA), is synthesized both de novo and by salvage pathways. The UDP-GalUA pyrophosphorylase gene involved in the salvage pathway has not been identified. Here we show that UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase from Pisum sativum with a broad specificity has UDP-GalUA pyrophosphorylase activity. The enzyme catalyzed the formation of UDP-GalUA and pyrophosphate from GalUA 1-phosphate and UTP with an equilibrium constant value of 0.24. The recombinant UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase had optimal pH of 6.0, and the apparent K(m) values for GalUA 1-phosphate, UTP, UDP-GalUA, and pyrophosphate were 2.27, 1.15, 0.70, and 1.26 mM, respectively. In the presence of inorganic pyrophosphatase, the recombinant enzyme produced UDP-GalUA in an 84% yield (based on the GalUA 1-phosphate substrate) on a preparative scale. Thus, this UDP-sugar pyrophosphorylase is useful for the highly efficient production of UDP-GalUA for studies on pectin biosynthesis. more...

N-配糖体のコア構造中のManβ1-4GlcNAc結合を加水分解するエンド-β-マンノシダーゼ(EC3.1.2.152) が高等植物より見いだされた。我々は、最近、エンド-β-マンノシダーゼの精製、遺伝子クローニングに成功した。エンド-β-マンノシダーゼのオーソログ遺伝子は植物種のみからしか見いだせず、この酵素は植物に特異的な機能をもっていると考えられる。このエンドグリコシダーゼの基質特異性は、(Man)nManα1-6Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAc (n=0～2)のManβ1-4GlcNAc結合を加水分解するというユニークなものである。これらの基質はManα1-3Manβ結合を優先的に加水分解するタチナタマメα-マンノシダーゼ様酵素がハイマンノース型糖鎖に作用することによって生じる。つまり、植物細胞内でエンド-β-マンノシダーゼとタチナタマメα-マンノシダーゼ様酵素が協同的に働いてハイマンノース型糖鎖をN,N'-ジアセチルキトビオースにまで加水分解していると考えられる。また、このエンド-β-マンノシダーゼはトランスグリコシレーション活性を持ち、化学合成時に立体制御が困難なβ-マンノシドを形成することができる。 more...

Endo-beta-mannosidase is an endoglycosidase that hydrolyzes only the Man beta 1-4GlcNAc linkage of the core region of N-linked sugar chains. Recently, endo-beta-mannosidase was purified to homogeneity from Lilium longiflorum (Lily) flowers, its corresponding gene was cloned and important catalytic amino acid residues were identified [Ishimizu T., Sasaki A., Okutani S., Maeda M., Yamagishi M. & Hase S. (2004) J. Biol. Chem.279, 38555-38562]. In the presence of Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc-peptides as a donor substrate and p-nitrophenyl beta-N-acetylglucosaminide as an acceptor substrate, the enzyme transferred mannose to the acceptor substrate by a beta1-4-linkage regio-specifically and stereo-specifically to give Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-pNP as a transfer product. Further studies indicated that not only p-nitrophenyl beta-N-acetylglucosaminide but also p-nitrophenyl beta-glucoside and p-nitrophenyl beta-mannoside worked as acceptor substrates, however, p-nitrophenyl beta-N-acetylgalactosaminide did not work, indicating that the configuration of the hydroxyl group at the C4 position of an acceptor is important. Besides mannose, oligomannoses were also transferred. In the presence of (Man)(n)Man alpha 1-6Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc-peptides (n = 0-2) and pyridylamino GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc, the enzyme transferred (Man)(n)Man alpha 1-6Man en bloc to the acceptor substrate to produce pyridylamino (Man)(n)Man alpha 1-6Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc (n =0-2). Thus, the lily endo-beta-mannosidase is useful for the enzymatic preparation of oligosaccharides containing the mannosyl beta 1,4-structure, chemical preparations of which have been frequently reported to be difficult. more...

化学的に均一な糖鎖 (主に蛍光ラベルされた糖鎖) を用いたいくつかの糖鎖関連酵素の基質特異性解析は、酵素の生体内での基質を明らかにする。その解析により、酵素が加水分解部位あるいは糖転移部位のみならず、その部位からかなり離れた基質部分も認識する場合のあることが明らかになってきた。5糖、6糖、場合によっては10糖以上の単位で糖鎖を認識し、ある部分は厳密に、ある部分はあいまいに認識している。また基質特異性が相補的な酵素の組み合わせがあることも明らかになってきた。これらの一例を記述し、糖鎖関連酵素の厳密なそして寛容な広い領域の基質認識の生物学的意義について議論したい。 more...

Endo-β-mannosidase is a novel endoglycosidase that hydrolyzes the Manβ1-4GlcNAc linkage in the trimannosyl core structure of N-glycans. This enzyme was partially purified and characterized in a previous report (Sasaki, A., Yamagishi, M., Mega, T., Norioka, S., Natsuka, S., and Hase, S. (1999) J. Biochem. 125, 363–367). Here we report the purification and molecular cloning of endo-β-mannosidase. The enzyme purified from lily flowers gave a single band on native-PAGE and three bands on SDS-PAGE with molecular masses of 42, 31, and 28 kDa. Amino acid sequence information from these three polypeptides allowed the cloning of a homologous gene, AtEBM, from Arabidopsis thaliana. AtEBM was engineered for expression in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein comprised a single polypeptide chain with a molecular mass of 112 kDa corresponding to the sum of molecular masses of three polypeptides of the lily enzyme. The recombinant protein hydrolyzed pyridylamino derivatives (PA) of Manα1-6Manβ1-4Glc-NAcβ1-4GlcNAc into Manα1-6Man and GlcNAcβ1-4Glc-NAc-PA, showing that AtEBM is an endo-β-mannosidase. AtEBM hydrolyzed MannManα1-6Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAc-PA (n = 0–2) but not PA-sugar chains containing Manα1-3Manβ or Xyloseβ1-2Manβ as for the lily endo-β-mannosidase. AtEBM belonged to the clan GH-A of glycosyl hydrolases. Site-directed mutagenesis experiments revealed that two glutamic acid residues (Glu-464 and Glu-549) conserved in this clan were critical for enzyme activity. The amino acid sequence of AtEBM has distinct differences from those of the bacterial, fungal, and animal exo-type β-mannosidases. Indeed, AtEBM-like genes are only found in plants, indicating that endo-β-mannosidase is a plant-specific enzyme. The role of this enzyme in the processing and/or degradation of N-glycan will be discussed. more...

Solid-phase synthesis of glycopeptide generally requires the protection of both peptide side chains and hydroxyl groups of the carbohydrate portion. However, if the mild coupling conditions are used, the protection of the carbohydrate portion can be omitted. In this paper, we demonstrated it by the synthesis of Fmoc-serine carrying unmasked xylosyl glucose followed by the solid-phase synthesis of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain of factor IX (45-87) using the unit. The product was well characterized by enzymatic digestion, amino acid analysis and mass spectrometry. The secondary structure of the product as well as glucosylated and non-glycosylated EGF-like domain was characterized by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Published in 2003. more...

Cytosolic neutral alpha-mannosidase is a putative catabolic enzyme that produces cytosolic free oligomannosides. Activation of the enzyme by Co(II) treatment has been reported using pyridylamino derivatives of Man(5)GlcNAc and Man(5)GlcNAc2, and p-nitrophenyl alpha-mannoside as substrates, with the Co(II)-treated enzyme releasing four alpha-mannose residues from Man(9)GlcNAc to give Manalpha1-6(Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3)Manbeta1-4GlcNAc as an end product. When Man(9)GlcNAc, which is considered to be the actual substrate in the cytosol, was used as a substrate, we found that even before treatment with Co(II) the enzyme was able to cleave a single Manalpha1-2 residue from Man(9)GlcNAc to give Manalpha1-6(Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3)Manalpha1-6(Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-2Manalpha1-3)Manbeta1-4GlcNAc as the end product. The K(m) value of the Co(II)-treated enzyme for Man(9)GlcNAc was found to be 37 microM, which is one-twelfth that of the non-treated enzyme, while the values were V(max) values were almost the same, indicating that the affinity of the substrate is higher with Co(II). These results indicate that Co(II) regulates the substrate specificity of the enzyme. more...

A polymorphic protein well-correlated to the diploid S genotypes of the pollen parent was detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in Pyrus pyrifolia (Japanese pear). Its molecular weight was about 50 kDa, and it was expressed primarily in pollen. Partial amino acid sequences of the polymorphic protein from 'Nijisseiki' (S2S4), a cultivar of P. pyrifolia, were determined. Based on these sequences, two cDNA sequences associated with the S2 and S4 genotypes were identified by PCR-based methods. Both encode a protein of 458 amino acids whose sequence has high similarity to eukaryotic UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylases (UGPases) (EC 2.7.7.9), so they were named UGPases PA and PC. As there are only three amino acid substitutions between UGPases PA and PC, it is unlikely that they are pollen factors that recognize self and non-self S-RNases. Although this UGPase had more than 75% sequence identity to the known plant UGPases, its C-terminal sequences differed markedly. This unique C-terminal region of UGPases PA and PC may act in their subcellular localization in the pollen or interact with some other factor(s). more...

Many receptor-like kinases have been identified in plants and have been shown by genetic or transgenic knockouts to play diverse physiological roles; however, to date, the cytosolic interacting proteins of relatively few of these kinases have been identified. We have previously identified a predominantly pollen-expressed receptor-like kinase of petunia (Petunia inflata), named PRK1, and we have shown by the antisense RNA approach that it is required for microspores to progress from the unicellular to bicellular stage. To investigate the PRK1-mediated signal transduction pathway,PRK1-K cDNA, encoding most of the cytoplasmic domain of PRK1, was used as bait in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) two-hybrid screens of pollen/pollen tube cDNA libraries of petunia. A protein named kinase interacting protein 1 (KIP1) was found to interact very strongly with PRK1-K. This interaction was greatly reduced when lysine-462 of PRK1-K, believed to be essential for kinase activity, was replaced with arginine (the resulting protein is named PRK1-K462R). The amino acid sequence of KIP1 deduced from full-length cDNA contains an EF-hand Ca2+-binding motif and nine predicted coiled-coil regions. The yeast two-hybrid assay and affinity chromatography showed that KIP1 interacts with itself to form a dimer or higher multimer.KIP1 is present in a single copy in the genome, and is expressed predominantly in pollen with a similar temporal pattern toPRK1. In situ hybridization showed thatPRK1 and KIP1 transcripts were localized in the cytoplasm of pollen. PRK1-K phosphorylated KIP1-NT (amino acids 1–716), whereas PRK1-K462R only weakly phosphorylated KIP1-NT in vitro. more...

The glycosyltransferases involved in plant cell wall biosynthesis are generally too low in concentration to allow for their purification. Therefore, the development of a method for enhanced solubilization of membrane proteins is necessary. Here, we report ribonuclease treatment of cell homogenates of azuki bean epicotyls. Polygalacturonic acid synthase, localized at the plant Golgi membrane, was enriched 2.0-fold in specific activity after ribonuclease treatment. Total enzyme activity per unit weight was also improved 2.1-fold. These data indicate that ribonuclease works to remove ribosomes from the microsomal fraction and enhances the solubilization of polygalacturonic acid synthase. more...

S-RNases encoded by the S-locus of rosaceous and solanaceous plants discriminate between the S-alleles of pollen in gametophytic self-incompatibility reactions, but it is not clear how. We report the structures of N-glycans attached to each of the N-glycosylation sites of seven S-RNases in Pyrus pyrifolia of the Rosaceae. The structures were identified by chromatographic analysis of pyridylaminated sugar chains prepared from S4-RNase and by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric analysis of the protease digests of reduced and S-carboxymethylated S-RNases. S4-RNase carries various types of sugar chains, including plant-specific ones with beta1--2-linked xylose and alpha1--3-linked fucose residues. More than 70% of the total N-glycans of S4-RNase are, however, an N-acetylglucosamine or a chitobiose (GlcNAcbeta1--4GlcNAc), which has not been found naturally. The N-acetylglucosamine and chitobiose are mainly present at the N-glycosylation sites within the putative recognition sites of the S-RNase, suggesting that these sugar chains may interact with pollen S-product(s). more...

Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai), a member of the Rosaceae, shows gametophytic self-incompatibility that is controlled by the S-locus. The S-genotype of Japanese pear cultivars is an important factor for crossing and breeding. We report a rapid reliable method to identify these S-genotypes. It consists of PCR amplification of the S-RNase gene from genomic DNA and subsequent digestion of the PCR fragments with S-allele-specific restriction endonucleases. Using this method, we determined the unknown S-genotypes of nine Japanese pear cultivars and selected self-compatible varieties from the offspring of the self-compatible cultivar, ‘Osa-Nijisseiki’. more...

A stylar S-RNase is associated with gametophytic self-incompatibility in the Rosaceae, Solanaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. This S-RNase is responsible for S-allele-specific recognition in the self-incompatible reaction, but how it functions in specific discrimination is not clear. Window analysis of the numbers of synonymous (dS) and non-synonymous (dN) substitutions in rosaceous S-RNases detected four regions with an excess of dN over dS in which positive selection may operate (PS regions). The topology of the secondary structure of the S-RNases predicted by the PHD method is very similar to that of fungal RNase Rh whose tertiary structure is known. When the sequences of S-RNases are aligned with the sequence of RNase Rh based on the predicted secondary structures, the four PS regions correspond to two surface sites on the tertiary structure of RNase Rh. These findings suggest that in S-RNases the PS regions also form two sites and are candidates for the recognition sites for S-allele-specific discrimination. more...

We isolated cDNA clones encoding five S-RNases (S1-,S3- , S5-, S6-, S7-RNases) from pistils of Pyrus pyrifolia (Japanese pear), a member of the Rosaceae. Their amino acid sequences were aligned with those of other rosaceous S-RNases sequenced so far. A total of 76 conserved amino acid residues were stretched throughout the sequence, but were absent from the 51–66 region which was designated the hypervariable (HV) region. The phylogenetic tree of rosaceous S-RNases showed that S-RNase polymorphism predated the divergence of Pyrus and Malus. Pairwise comparison of these S-RNases detected two highly homologous pairs, P. pyrifolia S1- and S4-RNases (90.0%) and P. pyrifolia S3- and S5-RNases (95.5%). The positions of amino acid substitutions between S1- and S4-RNases were spread over the entire region, but in the pair of S3- and S5-RNases, amino acid substitutions were found in the 21–90 region including the HV region. The substitutions in this restricted region appear to be sufficient to discriminate between S3 and S5 pollen and to trigger the self-incompatible reaction. more...

Uridine 5′-diphospho-α- d -xylopyranose, which donates d -xylose during glycoconjugate biosynthesis, was chemically synthesized from α- d -xylose 1-phosphate and uridine 5′-monophosphoimidazolide.

S-Ribonucleases (S-RNases) that cosegregate with S-alleles in the styles of solanaceous and rosaceous plants are associated with gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI). The amino acid sequences of many S-RNases have been derived from cDNA sequences, but the state of half-cystines has not been clarified. We report the locations of the two free cysteine residues and four disulfide bridges of tobacco S6-RNase and of the four disulfide bridge of Japanese pear S4-RNase. The protein was first S-pyridylethylated at a low pH to selectively modify the free cysteines without thiol-disulfide exchange. The S-pyridylethylated protein (PE-protein) was digested with Achromobacter protease I (API) at pH 6.5 then analyzed by liquid chromatography/electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS). This analysis showed that tobacco S6-RNase has two free cysteine residues, Cys77 and Cys95, and four disulfide bonds at Cys16-Cys21, Cys45-Cys94, Cys153-Cys182 and Cys165-Cys176. Similarly, four disulfide bonds were identified for pear S4-RNase, which bears no free cysteine, at Cys15-Cys22, Cys48-Cys92, Cys156-Cys195 and Cys172-Cys183. The eight cysteines forming these four disulfide bonds are conserved in all the known S-RNases, indicative that these cross-links are important in stabilizing the tertiary structures of the self-incompatibility-associated glycoproteins in the solanaceous and rosaceous families. The LC/ ESI-MS analysis also provided some structural informations regarding sugar chains attached to the S-RNases. more...