Evidence of an activity-enhancing conformational shift in Arabidopsis thaliana plant cysteine oxidase 4 induced by binding of substrate or substrate-mimics.

ABSTRACT: Plant cysteine oxidases (PCOs) are a family of O₂-dependent, thiol dioxygenase enzymes that help to coordinate plant responses to flooding by determining the stability of hypoxia-related transcription factors, group VII ethylene response factors (ERF-VIIs). Under normoxia, PCOs use O₂ to catalyze the oxidation of the Nt-Cys of ERF-VIIs. The resultant N-degron proceeds along the Cys/Arg N-degron pathway for degradation. Conversely, hypoxic conditions such as those experienced during flooding, decrease PCO activity, stabilizing ERF-VIIs which proceed to upregulate hypoxia responsive genes, enabling adaptations to submergence. PCOs are a target for improving plant flood tolerance. Inhibition of PCOs may prepare plants for submergence by promoting upregulation of hypoxia

SUBMITTER: Latter R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12630348 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature