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Published on: September 27, 2016
Plant cell division is specifically affected by nitrotyrosine
Aleksandra M Jovanović1, Steffen Durst, Peter Nick
1Institute of Botany 1 and Center for Functional Nanostructures, University of Karlsruhe, Kaiserstrasse 2, D-76128 Karlsruhe, Germany. jovanovic@kit.edu
Nitration of alpha-tubulin by 3-nitro-L-tyrosine (NO(2)Tyr) irreversibly inhibits cell division in plants. This modification disrupts microtubule functions essential for cell division and cell wall formation.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Plant Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Eukaryotic alpha-tubulins possess a C-terminal tyrosine modification.
- This reversible post-translational modification is catalyzed by tubulin-tyrosine carboxypeptidase (TTC) and tubulin-tyrosine ligase (TTL).
- The biological significance of alpha-tubulin detyrosination remains largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional role of alpha-tubulin detyrosination.
- To explore the effects of incorporating 3-nitro-L-tyrosine (NO(2)Tyr) into alpha-tubulin.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of plant model organisms (rice and tobacco) with NO(2)Tyr.
- Assessment of cell division, cell length, and cross-wall orientation.
- Analysis of tyrosinated and detyrosinated alpha-tubulin levels.
Main Results:
- NO(2)Tyr specifically and dose-dependently inhibits cell division in plants.
- Cell division inhibition is accompanied by increased cell length and misoriented cross walls in tobacco BY-2 cells.
- NO(2)Tyr treatment reduces detyrosinated alpha-tubulin and does not affect tyrosinated alpha-tubulin.
Conclusions:
- NO(2)Tyr is incorporated by TTL, subsequently inhibiting TTC activity.
- Irreversibly nitrotyrosinated alpha-tubulin impairs microtubule functions critical for cell division and cell wall deposition.
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