NP24 induces apoptosis dependent on caspase-like activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Tomato NP24 is a homolog of osmotin, a PR-5 protein from tobacco that can initiate apoptosis in yeast via PHO36 in the plasma membrane. We cloned and sequenced NP24 from tomato cv. Momotaro. Based on phylogenetic analysis, NP24 from Momotaro belonged to the Solanaceae clade. The amino acid sequence was identical to that of cv. Ailsa Craig including signal peptide, but the residues predicted to interact with the adiponectin receptor, ADIPOR, were slightly different from osmotin. Recombinant NP24 (rNP24) was expressed in a reductase-deficient mutant of Escherichia coli as host cell, and purified from cell extract by affinity chromatography. Purified rNP24 significantly inhibited growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type spheroplasts. In contrast, growth of PHO36 deletion mutant (ΔIzh2) spheroplasts was not inhibited. Moreover, rNP24 induced significant activity of reactive oxygen species, caspase-like activity, and also nuclear fragmentation in wild-type spheroplast cells. These results demonstrated that rNP24 from Momotaro greatly influenced cell viability due to triggering apoptosis through PHO36. Notably, apoptosis induced by NP24 was caspase-like protease dependent.