Expression of the ribosome-inactivating protein JIP60 from barley in transgenic tobacco leads to an abnormal phenotype and alterations on the level of translation

• Published in: Planta Vol. 202; no. 4; pp. 470 - 478
• Main Authors: Goerschen, E, Dunaeva, M, Hause, B, Reeh, I, Wasternack, C, Parthier, B. (Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle/Saale (Germany))
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer-Verlag 1997; Springer
• Subjects: ACTIVIDAD ENZIMATICA; ACTIVITE ENZYMATIQUE; ADN; AGING; ARN; Barley; Biological and medical sciences; BIOSINTESIS; BIOSYNTHESE; BIOSYNTHESIS; Chemical agents; Complementary DNA; CRECIMIENTO; CROISSANCE; DNA; ENVEJECIMIENTO; ENZYMIC ACTIVITY; EXPRESION GENICA; EXPRESSION DES GENES; FENOTIPOS; FEUILLE; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE EXPRESSION; GROWTH; HOJAS; HORDEUM VULGARE; jasmonatinduziertes Protein; LEAVES; Messenger RNA; MICROSCOPIA; MICROSCOPIE; MICROSCOPY; NICOTIANA TABACUM; PEPTIDE; PEPTIDES; PEPTIDOS; PHENOTYPE; PHENOTYPES; Plant physiology and development; PLANTAS TRANSGENICAS; PLANTE TRANSGENIQUE; Plants; Polypeptid; Protein synthesis; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; PROTEINS; RACINE; RAICES; RIBOSOMAS; RIBOSOME; RIBOSOMES; RNA; ROOTS; Seneszenz; TRANSGENIC PLANTS; Translation; Vegetative apparatus, growth and morphogenesis. Senescence; VIEILLISSEMENT; Terpenoid; Genetic transformation; Growth; Induction; Cell nucleus; Gene expression; Nicotiana tabacum; Proteins; Phenotype; Complementary DNA; Protein synthesis; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Development; Translating; Plant growth substance; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; Localization
• ISSN: 0032-0935; 1432-2048
• DOI: 10.1007/s004250050151

In this paper we report the in-planta activity of the ribosome-inactivating protein JIP60, a 60-kDa jasmonate-induced protein from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) plants. All plants expressing the complete JIP60 cDNA under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter exhibited conspicuous and similar phenotypic alterations, such as slower growth, shorter internodes, lanceolate leaves, reduced root development, and premature senescence of leaves. Microscopic inspection of developing leaves showed a loss of residual meristems and higher degree of vacuolation of mesophyll cells as compared to the wild type. When probed with an antiserum which was immunoreactive against both the N- and the C-terminal half of JIP60, a polypeptide with a molecular mass of about 30 kDa, most probably a processed JIP60 product, could be detected. Phenotypic alterations could be correlated with the differences in the detectable amount of the JIP60 mRNA and processed JIP60 protein. The protein biosynthesis of the transformants was characterized by an increased polysome/monosome ratio but a decreased in-vivo translation activity. These findings suggest that JIP60 perturbs the translation machinery in planta. An immunohistological analysis using the JIP60 antiserum indicated that the immunoreactive polypeptide(s) are located mainly in the nucleus of transgenic tobacco leaf cells and to a minor extent in the cytoplasm.