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Intercellular signalling is essential for multicellular organisms to coordinate growth and development, and is mediated by a huge variety of proteins. Some signalling pathways rely on the proteolytic cleavage of membrane proteins by a relatively newly discovered process of regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), the cleavage of proteins within a transmembrane domain. There are four classes of intramembrane cleaving proteases (ICliPs) – Rhomboids, Site-2-proteases, Signal peptide peptidases and γ-secretase. Of all the ICliPs studied to date, γ-secretase is unique, as it is comprised of a four-protein complex, and is only found in multicellular organisms. A vast amount of research is carried out on the γ-secretase complex, not just because of its role in developmentally important pathways, such as NOTCH signalling, but also due to its role in Alzheimer’s disease. The β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) is cleaved by γ-secretase, and defects in this process result in the release of abnormal peptides that form the senile plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Homologues of the four components of γ-secretase (PRESENILIN (PS), NICASTRIN (NCT), ANTERIOR PHARYNX DEFECTIVE-1 (APH-1) and PRESENILIN ENHANCER-2 (PEN-2)) are found in plants. The aim of this thesis was to characterise the potential γ-secretase components in Arabidopsis thaliana, to determine whether they form a complex, and to analyse what role, if any, they play in plant signalling. The members of the putative Arabidopsis γ-secretase complex (AtPS1 and 2, AtNCT, AtAPH1 and AtPEN2) were identified through BLAST searches, and found to be uniformly expressed. Analysis of T-DNA insertion mutants in each of these genes, and combinations there of, revealed no gross morphological differences to wild type under normal growth conditions and when subjected to a range of stresses. Protein fusions to GFP under the control of the 35S promoter were constructed and stably transformed into plants. AtPEN2:GFP is expressed throughout the plant, and accumulates in BFA sensitive Golgi bodies in roots. AtPS1:GFP, only accumulates strongly in developing seeds. Native blue PAGE was used to look for high molecular weight complexes (HMW) containing AtPEN2:GFP and AtPS1:GFP. Both fusion proteins were found in similar sized HMW complexes. A variety of methods were used to look for substrates of the iv putative γ-secretase complex in Arabidopsis, and although no specific substrates were identified, a potential role in seed development has been established.

Orientador: Michel Georges Albert Vincentz / Tese (outorado) - Universidade Estaulal de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T10:23:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tomaz_JuarezPires.pdf: 3125737 bytes, checksum: 8b543a90ff7edc4df818dc09a5ea0bc5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Na planta modelo eudicotiledónea A. thaliana quatro genes para fatores de transcrição do tipo bZIP que são homólogos a Opaco-2 (O2) do milho, uma monocotiledônea, foram identificados. O2 é um regulador chave do metabolismo coordenado de carbono e nitrogênio e da síntese de prolaminas de reserva durante o desenvolvimento da semente. Estes quatro genes, AtbZIP9, o par de parálogos AtbZIP10 e AtbZIP25, e AtbZIP63, o provável ortólogo de O2, formam o Grupo C de genes bZIP de Arabidopsis. Sabe-se que AtbZIP9 provavelmente desempenhe um papel no processo de desenvolvimento do floema, AtbZIP10 está associado com e resposta à estresses, além de, junto com AtbZIP25, participar na regulação de genes de proteínas de reserva na semente e que AtbZIP63 pode estar envolvido com o balanço energético da planta. Para acrescentar novas informações relevantes sobre a função dos bZIPs do Grupo C e, a longo prazo, entender como a função de O2 evoluiu em angiospermas, iniciou-se neste trabalho uma caracterização detalhada da regulação dos membros do Grupo C em resposta a diversos sinais hormônais e a açúcares. Mostramos que apenas as hexoses glicose e manose e o ácido abscísico (ABA) regulam de maneira transiente a expressão dos genes bZIP do Grupo C, sugerindo que eles representam intermediários mediando as respostas a estes sinais. A glicose reprime a expressão de AtbZIP9 e de AtbZIP63 e induz a expressão de AtbZIP25, ABA reprime a expressão de AtbZIP63 e manose reprime a expressão de AtbZIP25 e de AtbZIP63. Em Arabidopsis, a hexoquinase1 (HXK1) é um sensor da glicose que ativa a síntese e sensibilidade ao ABA para inibir o desenvolvimento da plântula em resposta a glicose. Reportamos aqui que as repressões em curto prazo de AtbZIP9 e AtbZIP63 por glicose e de AtbZIP25 e AtbZIP63 por manose estão mediadas por vias de sinalização independentes de HXK1 e envolvem elementos relacionados a ABA. AtbZIP25 apresenta uma indução por glicose dependente de ABI5 e repressão por manose dependente de ABA2 e ABI4. A repressão de AtbZIP63 por glicose envolve uma via dependente de ABA2 e de ABI5 que é reprimida por ABI4. Já a repressão de AtbZIP63 por manose e de AtbZIP9 por glicose estão inseridas em vias independentes de ABA2, ABI4 e ABI5. A dependência diferencial de ABI5 e de ABI4 na regulação por glicose e manose de AtbZIP25 e de AtbZIP63, permite inferir que ambas hexoses atuam através de vias de transdução distintas e enfatiza a importância de manose como sinal metabólico de regulação. Observou-se ainda que ação conjunta de ABA e glicose apresenta um efeito sinérgico na repressão de AtbZIP63, provavelmente refletindo regulações pós-transcricionais da expressão deste gene. Os dados sugerem que AtbZIP63 representa um importante nó da comunicação entre a sinalização por ABA (estresse abiótico) e por glicose (nível energético) permitindo adequar eficientemente a resposta a estresse abiótico que seja compatível com o estado energético da organismo. / Abstract: In the model eudicot organism A. thaliana (Arabidopsis), four genes encoding bZIP transcription regulatory factors that are homologous to the maize Opaque-2 (O2) locus were identified. O2 is a key regulator of the carbon to nitrogen balance and of the prolamine type storage proteins synthesis during seed development. The Arabidopsis genes, AtbZIP9, the two paralogues AtbZIP10 and AtbZIP25 and AtbZIP63, the most probable O2-ortholgue, together form group C bZIP genes. AtbZIP9 is likely to be involved in phloem development while AtbZIP10 is related to stress responses but is also required for the regulation of seed storage protein genes very much like AtbZIP25. Finally, AtbZIP63 seems to be involved in the control of the energetic balance. In order to get new and relevant information about the role of the group C bZIP genes and consequently obtain new insight into the evolution of the O2-related functions in angiosperms, we initiated a detailed characterization of the regulation of group C members in response to hormonal signals and sugars. We show here that two hexoses, glucose and mannose as well as abscisic acid (ABA) are the only signals that transiently modulated the expression of group C bZIP genes, suggesting they are players in the response induced by these signals. While glucose is shown to repress the expression of AtbZIP9 and AtbZIP63 and to induce AtbZIP25 expression ABA is able to repress the expression of AtbZIP63 and mannose represses the expression of AtbZIP25 and AtbZIP63. In Arabidopsis, hexokinase1 (HXK1) is a glucose sensor that may trigger abscisic acid (ABA) synthesis and sensitivity to mediate glucose-induced inhibition of seedling development. We report that the short term regulation of the expression of AtbZIP9, AtbZIP63 by glucose and the repression of AtbZIP25 and AtbZIP63 by mannose are HXK1-independent and for AtbZIP25 and AtbZIP63, these regulations partly rely on ABA synthesis. It also shown that the activation of AtbZIP25 expression by glucose relies on ABI5 while its repression by mannose appears to be ABA2- and ABI4-dependent. Glucose repression of AtbZIP63 expression seems to involve an ABA2- and ABI5-dependent pathway which is repressed by ABI4. We also reveal that the regulations of AtbZIP63 by mannose and of AtbZIP9 by glucose do not require ABA, ABI4 or ABI5. The differential dependence of glucose and manose-induced regulation of AtbZIP63 and AtbZIP25 expression for ABI5 and ABI4 indicates that both hexoses act through distinct transduction pathways and highlights the importance of mannose as a regulatory metabolite. A synergetic repression of AtbZIP63 by ABA and glucose, which possibly reflects a post-transciptional regulatory scheme of AtbZIP63 expression, was uncovered. Together, the data suggests that AtbZIP63 is a key nod of the ABA (abiotic stress) and glucose (energetic balance) crosstalk network allowing to efficiently adjust the response to abiotic stresses according to the energetic status of the organism. / Tese (outorado) - Universidade / Genetica Vegetal e Melhoramento / Doutor em Genetica e Biologia Molecular