A Plant Vacuolar Protease, VPE, Mediates Virus-Induced Hypersensitive Cell Death

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 305; no. 5685; pp. 855 - 858
• Main Authors: Hatsugai, Noriyuki, Kuroyanagi, Miwa, Yamada, Kenji, Meshi, Tetsuo, Tsuda, Shinya, Kondo, Maki, Nishimura, Mikio, Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 06.08.2004; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Biological and medical sciences; Capsid Proteins - metabolism; Caspase 1 - metabolism; Cell death; Cellular biology; Climate; Cysteine Endopeptidases - genetics; Cysteine Endopeptidases - metabolism; DNA Fragmentation; DNA, Plant - metabolism; Endopeptidases - genetics; Endopeptidases - metabolism; Enzymes; Evidence; Flowers & plants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Silencing; Hypersensitivity; Intracellular Membranes - ultrastructure; Leaves; Lesions; Nicotiana; Nicotiana - cytology; Nicotiana - enzymology; Nicotiana - genetics; Nicotiana - virology; Pathogens; Pathology. Damages, economic importance; Physiological aspects; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Plant cells; Plant Diseases - virology; Plant Leaves - cytology; Plant Leaves - enzymology; Plant Leaves - virology; Plant physiology; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plant viruses and viroids; Plants; Protease Inhibitors - pharmacology; Proteases; Protoplasts; Protoplasts - ultrastructure; Temperature; Tobacco; Tobacco Mosaic Virus - physiology; Vacuoles; Vacuoles - enzymology; Vacuoles - ultrastructure; Virus Replication; Viruses; Plant pathogen; Enzyme; Cysteine endopeptidases; Hypersensitivity; Caspase; Stimulant plant; Tobamovirus; Nicotiana tabacum; Vacuole; Host virus relation; Virus; Peptidases; Enzymatic activity; Cell death; Tobacco mosaic virus; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Hydrolases; Spermatophyta; Solanaceae; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1099859

Programmed cell death (PCD) in animals depends on caspase protease activity. Plants also exhibit PCD, for example as a response to pathogens, although a plant caspase remains elusive. Here we show that vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) is a protease essential for a virus-induced hypersensitive response that involves PCD. VPE deficiency prevented virus-induced hypersensitive cell death in tobacco plants. VPE is structurally unrelated to caspases, although VPE has a caspase-1 activity. Thus, plants have evolved a regulated cellular suicide strategy that, unlike PCD of animals, is mediated by VPE and the cellular vacuole.