Project description:Plant vacuoles serve as the primary intracellular compartments for inorganic phosphate (Pi) storage. Passage of Pi across vacuolar membranes plays a critical role in buffering the cytoplasmic Pi level against fluctuations of external Pi and metabolic activities. Here we demonstrate that the SPX-MFS proteins, designated as Phosphate Transporter 5 family (PHT5), also named Vacuolar Phosphate Transporter (VPT), function as vacuolar Pi transporters. Based on 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis, Arabidopsis pht5;1 loss-of-function mutants accumulate less Pi and exhibit a lower vacuolar-to-cytoplasmic Pi ratio than controls. Conversely, overexpression of PHT5 leads to massive Pi sequestration into vacuoles and altered regulation of Pi starvation-responsive genes. Furthermore, we show that heterologous expression of OsSPX-MFS1, the rice PHT5 homolog, mediates Pi influx to yeast vacuoles. Our findings uncover a group of Pi transporters in vacuolar membranes that regulate the cytoplasmic Pi homeostasis required for the fitness of plant growth. 10-day seedlings grown on Pi-sufficient medium or followed by 1-day or 3-day Pi starvation, shoot RNA and root RNA were extracted separately
Project description:Plant vacuoles serve as the primary intracellular compartments for inorganic phosphate (Pi) storage. Passage of Pi across vacuolar membranes plays a critical role in buffering the cytoplasmic Pi level against fluctuations of external Pi and metabolic activities. Here we demonstrate that the SPX-MFS proteins, designated as Phosphate Transporter 5 family (PHT5), also named Vacuolar Phosphate Transporter (VPT), function as vacuolar Pi transporters. Based on 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis, Arabidopsis pht5;1 loss-of-function mutants accumulate less Pi and exhibit a lower vacuolar-to-cytoplasmic Pi ratio than controls. Conversely, overexpression of PHT5 leads to massive Pi sequestration into vacuoles and altered regulation of Pi starvation-responsive genes. Furthermore, we show that heterologous expression of OsSPX-MFS1, the rice PHT5 homolog, mediates Pi influx to yeast vacuoles. Our findings uncover a group of Pi transporters in vacuolar membranes that regulate the cytoplasmic Pi homeostasis required for the fitness of plant growth.
Project description:Prior to the release of their cargoes into the vacuolar lumen, sorting endosomes mature into multivesicular bodies (MVB) through the action of ENDOSOMAL COMPLEX REQUIRED FOR TRANSPORT (ESCRT) protein complexes. MVB-mediated sorting of high affinity phosphate transporters (PHT1) to the vacuole limits their plasma membrane levels under phosphate sufficient conditions, a process that allows plants to maintain phosphate homeostasis. We describe here AtALIX, a cytosolic protein that associates to MVB by interacting with ESCRT-III subunit SNF7 and enables PHT1;1 trafficking to the vacuole. Thus, we show that the partial loss of function mutant Atalix-1 displays reduced vacuolar degradation of PHT1;1. AtALIX versions containing the Atalix-1 mutation showed reduced interaction with SNF7, providing a simple molecular explanation for impaired cargo trafficking in Atalix-1 mutants. Indeed, Atalix-1 mutation also hampered vacuolar sorting of brassinosteroid receptor BRI1. In line with a presumed broad target spectrum, Atalix-1 mutation is pleiotropic, provoking reduced plant growth, late flowering and altered vacuole morphogenesis, whereas null mutants are lethal, indicating that AtALIX controls diverse processes in plants being essential for their life.
Project description:Plant vacuoles serve as the primary intracellular compartments for inorganic phosphate (Pi) storage. Passage of Pi across vacuolar membranes plays a critical role in buffering the cytoplasmic Pi level against fluctuations of external Pi and metabolic activities. To gain new insights into the proteins and processes vacuolar Pi level regulated by Vacuolar phosphate transporter1 (VPT1) in Arabidopsis, we carried out TMT labeling proteome and phosphoproteome profiling of Arabidopsis wild-type (WT) and vpt1 loss-of-function mutant plants. The vpt1 mutant had a reduced vacuolar Pi level, but an increased cytosol Pi level. The mutant was stunted as reflected in the reduction of the fresh weight compared with WT plants, and bolting earlier under normal growth conditions in soil. Over 5566 proteins and 7965 phosphopeptides were quantified. About 146 and 83 proteins were significantly changed at protein abundance or site-specific phosphorylation levels, but only 6 proteins were shared between them. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that Pi starvation signal in Arabidopsis vacuole is associated with photosynthesis, translation, RNA splicing, and defense response, consistent with similar studies in Arabidopsis. Except for PAP26, EIN2, and KIN10, which are reported to be associated with phosphate starvation signal, we also found many differential proteins involved in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, such as CARK1, SnRK1, and AREB3, were changed in response to vacuolar Pi starvation. Our study illuminates several new aspects of the phosphate starvation response and identifies important targets for further investigation and potential crop improvement.
Project description:Background: Over application of phosphate fertilizers in modern agriculture contaminates waterways and disrupts natural ecosystems. Nevertheless, this is a common practice among farmers, especially in developing countries as abundant fertilizers are believed to boost crop yields. The study of plant phosphate metabolism and its underlying genetic pathways is key to discovering methods of efficient fertilizer usage. The work presented here describes the first genome-wide resource on the molecular dynamics underpinning the response and recovery in roots and shoots of Arabidopsis thaliana to phosphate-starvation. Results: Genome-wide profiling revealed minimal overlap between root and shoot transcriptomes suggesting two independent phosphate-starvation regulons. Novel gene expression patterns were detected for over 1000 candidates and were classified as either initial, persistent, or latent responders. Comparative analysis to AtGenExpress identified novel cohorts of genes co-regulated across multiple stimuli. The hormone ABA displayed a dominant role in regulating many phosphate-responsive candidates. Analysis of co-regulation enabled the determination of primary versus redundant members of closely related gene families with respect to phosphate-starvation. Thus, among others, we show that PHO1 acts in shoot, whereas PHO1;H1 is likely the primary regulator in root. Conclusion: Our results uncover a much larger, staged responses to phosphate-starvation than previously described. To our knowledge, this work describes the highest resolution of genome-wide data on plant nutrient stress to date.
Project description:PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 1 binds two distinct regulatory motifs and links plant water content with phosphate homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana
Project description:Background: Over application of phosphate fertilizers in modern agriculture contaminates waterways and disrupts natural ecosystems. Nevertheless, this is a common practice among farmers, especially in developing countries as abundant fertilizers are believed to boost crop yields. The study of plant phosphate metabolism and its underlying genetic pathways is key to discovering methods of efficient fertilizer usage. The work presented here describes the first genome-wide resource on the molecular dynamics underpinning the response and recovery in roots and shoots of Arabidopsis thaliana to phosphate-starvation. Results: Genome-wide profiling revealed minimal overlap between root and shoot transcriptomes suggesting two independent phosphate-starvation regulons. Novel gene expression patterns were detected for over 1000 candidates and were classified as either initial, persistent, or latent responders. Comparative analysis to AtGenExpress identified novel cohorts of genes co-regulated across multiple stimuli. The hormone ABA displayed a dominant role in regulating many phosphate-responsive candidates. Analysis of co-regulation enabled the determination of primary versus redundant members of closely related gene families with respect to phosphate-starvation. Thus, among others, we show that PHO1 acts in shoot, whereas PHO1;H1 is likely the primary regulator in root. Conclusion: Our results uncover a much larger, staged responses to phosphate-starvation than previously described. To our knowledge, this work describes the highest resolution of genome-wide data on plant nutrient stress to date.