Plant Physiol. (1998) 118: 1089-1099
Heterogeneity of Mitochondrial Protein Biogenesis during Primary
Leaf Development in Barley1
Peter Thompson,
Caroline G. Bowsher, and
Alyson K. Tobin*
Plant Science Laboratory, School of Environmental and Evolutionary
Biology, Sir Harold Mitchell Building, University of St. Andrews, St.
Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, Scotland (P.T., A.K.T.); and School of
Biological Sciences, Stopford 3.614, University of Manchester,
Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom (C.G.B.)
 |
ABSTRACT |
The natural developmental gradient of
light-grown primary leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare
L.) was used to analyze the biogenesis of mitochondrial proteins in
relation to the age and physiological changes within the leaf. The data
indicate that the protein composition of mitochondria changes markedly
during leaf development. Three distinct patterns of protein development
were noted: group A proteins, consisting of the E1
-subunit of the
pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, ORF156, ORF577, alternative oxidase,
RPS12, cytochrome oxidase subunits II and III, malic enzyme, and the
- and
-subunits of F1-ATPase; group B proteins,
consisting of the E1
-subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex,
isocitrate dehydrogenase, HSP70A, cpn60C, and cpn60B; and group C
proteins, consisting of the four subunits of the glycine decarboxylase
complex (P, H, T, and L proteins), fumarase, and formate dehydrogenase.
All of the proteins increased in concentration from the basal meristem to the end of the elongation zone (20.0 mm from the leaf base), whereupon group A proteins decreased, group B proteins increased to a
maximum at 50 mm from the leaf base, and group C proteins increased to
a maximum at the leaf tip. This study provides evidence of a marked
heterogeneity of mitochondrial protein composition, reflecting a
changing function as leaf cells develop photosynthetic and
photorespiratory capacity.
 |
INTRODUCTION |
In eukaryotic cells mitochondria function in the production of ATP
via oxidative phosphorylation, which is coupled to substrate oxidation
primarily through the TCA cycle. This function is likely to be
particularly important in plant cells with immature chloroplasts. In
photosynthetic cells there is an additional demand for the mitochondria
to oxidize Gly, which is generated as an intermediate of the
photorespiratory pathway (Keys et al., 1978
). The presence of
chloroplasts as a second site of ATP production via
photophosphorylation may lessen the demand for mitochondrial ATP
synthesis in photosynthetically mature cells.
To determine whether there are functional differences between
mitochondria from photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic cells, we used
the natural developmental gradient that exists within barley
(Hordeum vulgare L.) primary leaves. This and other species of Gramineae, such as wheat, have been used in a number of previous studies into the development of photosynthesis and photorespiration (Viro and Kloppstech, 1980
; Dean and Leech, 1982a
, 1982b
; Tobin et al.,
1985
, 1988
; Barkardottir et al., 1987
; Baumgartner et al., 1989
; Tobin
and Rogers, 1992
). The linear development of cells away from a basal
intercalary meristem produces a gradient of increasing cell age from
the leaf base to the tip. The basal leaf cells contain small, immature
chloroplasts and are nonphotosynthetic and heterotrophic, importing
carbon from more mature leaf tissue or from the seed (Dale, 1972
). With
increasing maturity, the mesophyll cells enlarge, the plastids increase
in size, protein content, and number, and there is coordinated
development of key photosynthetic and photorespiratory enzymes within
chloroplasts, peroxisomes, and mitochondria (Tobin and Rogers, 1992
).
There is some evidence that plant mitochondria differ in structure,
activity, and protein composition depending on the metabolic activity
and function of the cells in which they are localized (Rios et al.,
1991
; Colas des Francs-Small et al., 1992; Tobin and Rogers, 1992
).
Mitochondria from nonphotosynthetic or etiolated tissues, for example,
oxidize Gly at very low rates (Arron and Edwards, 1980
; Gardestrom et
al., 1980
) and have much lower amounts of GDC proteins than
mitochondria in photosynthetic cells (Walker and Oliver, 1986
; Tobin et
al., 1989
). In wheat primary leaves, we previously found a coordinated
increase in GDC subunits during leaf cell development, which results in
a greater than 3-fold increase in the concentration of GDC protein
within the mitochondria (Rogers et al., 1991
). This occurs after the
development of maximum activities of other mitochondrial enzymes such
as Cyt oxidase and glutamate dehydrogenase (Tobin et al., 1988
; Tobin
and Rogers, 1992
).
This study is an extension of our earlier investigations into
mitochondrial development, and identifies significant heterogeneity in
the biogenesis of major mitochondrial protein complexes. The physiological significance of this heterogeneity will be discussed with
particular reference to the changing metabolic function of mitochondria
during leaf cell development.
 |
MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Growth and Harvest of Plant Material
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Klaxon) seeds (Nickerson
Seeds, Lincoln, UK) were allowed to imbibe in aerated water for 16 h at room temperature, sown on the surface of compost (M2, Levington Horticulture Ltd., Ipswich, UK), and covered with a thin layer of fine
vermiculite (Dupre, Hertford, UK). The plants were grown in a 16-h/8-h
light/dark cycle (PPFD 400-700 nm; 225 µmol photons m
2 s
1, 20°C/10°C,
and 80% humidity). Primary leaves were sampled at 160 h after
imbibition at a mean length of 90 to 95 mm.
Determination of Cell Age
Leaf elongation rates, segmental elongation rates, and
VD, a measurement of the velocity (in
millimeters per hour) at which a point on the growing leaf is displaced
vertically, i.e. toward the leaf tip, were determined using a modified
method of Schnyder and Nelson (1988)
. The
VD values were then used to calculate cell age in the following way: By taking the first marked segment (2 mm from
the leaf base), we calculated the distance traveled every 0.25 h
until that segment had moved to halfway between its starting point and
that of the next marked segment. At this point the
VD for the next segment was used and the
progress every 0.25 h was again calculated. This sequence was
repeated until an entire progress curve had been generated for a
segment moving from the leaf base to the tip. The curve that was
generated then gave a direct relationship between the position of a
leaf segment and the time in hours taken for that segment to have moved
from the point 2.0 mm from the basal meristem. When the time taken for
imbibition (16 h) is taken into account, this provides a measurement of
leaf cell age.
Mitotic Index
Mitotic index was determined using a method modified from Ougham
et al. (1987)
.
Interstomatal Distance
Ten primary leaves were placed abaxial side down onto microscope
slides coated with clear nail polish. After the polish had dried the
leaves were gently pried away and the impression of the epidermis was
examined at ×40 magnification using a light microscope (Dialux, Leitz
Ltd., Milton Keynes, Bucks, UK). The distance between stomatal guard
cells (interstomatal distance) was recorded along three cell columns
per leaf in 1.0-mm sections, 9.0 to 24.0 mm from the leaf base.
Mesophyll Cell Number
Mesophyll cell number was determined using a method modified from
Dean and Leech (1982a)
for six independent samples from each leaf
section.
Measurement of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Leaf
Sections
For measurement of photosynthesis, transverse, 5.0-mm sections
were taken from between the base and tip of three primary leaves and
placed in 1 mL of 50 mM Hepes, 10 mM Mes, pH
6.5, 5 mM CaCl2, and 10 mM NaHCO3 in an
O2 electrode (Hansatech, Kings Lynn, UK) at
25°C. The sections were illuminated with white light (PPFD 400-700
nm; 2300 µmol photons m
2
s
1), and the linear rate of
O2 evolution was recorded for separate measurements from each region of the leaf.
The procedure for measurement of respiration was the same as for
photosynthesis except that NaHCO3 was omitted
from the medium and eight leaf sections were used. The linear rate of
O2 uptake was recorded in the dark for four
separate measurements from each region of the leaf.
Protein Extraction and Quantification
Ten primary leaf sections (5 mm transverse) were frozen in liquid
N2 and extracted according to the method of
Rogers et al. (1991)
. The extracts were diluted to a final
concentration of 160 µg protein mL
1 in
either wash buffer (25 mM Tris, 192 mM Gly, pH
8.3), if required for slot-blot analysis, or in loading buffer (62.5 mM Tris, pH 6.8, 10% [v/v] glycerol, 2% [w/v] SDS,
4% [v/v]
-mercaptoethanol) for SDS-PAGE.
Protein was determined using a microassay (Bio-Rad) with thyroglobulin
as the standard.
Slot-Blot Analysis of Mitochondrial Proteins
Sample Application
Leaf protein extracts (50 µL per well, each containing 8 µg of
protein) were loaded onto PVDF membranes (Amersham) that had been
prewashed in 100% methanol, rinsed in water, and equilibrated in wash
buffer (see above) in a 48-well slot-blot apparatus (HSL, Hoefer
Scientific Instruments, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, UK). Each well was then
washed three times under vacuum with 500 µL of wash buffer, and the
membrane was removed, air dried, and stored at 4°C before
immunodetection.
Immunodetection of Mitochondrial Proteins
After slot blotting, the PVDF membrane was treated according to
the ECL protocol of the manufacturer (Amersham). Incubations with both
the primary and secondary antibodies (either goat anti-rabbit or goat
anti-mouse horseradish peroxidase conjugate [Sigma] diluted 1:25,000
in TBS containing 0.06% [v/v] Tween and 1% [w/v] dried milk
powder) were for 1 h at room temperature.
The PVDF membrane was placed directly onto film (type RX, Fuji Photo
Film Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) that had been preflashed using a
"sensitized" preflash unit (Amersham). Test strips were exposed to
establish the optimum exposure time, and the film was developed using
an automatic x-ray film processor (model RGII, Fuji).
Image Analysis of Immunodetected Proteins
After ECL detection, the intensity of any bands on the developed
film was evaluated using an image analyzer (AnalySiS 2.1, Norfolk
Analytical Ltd., Hilgay, UK) connected to a CCD (charge-coupled device)
monochrome camera. The image analyzer was first calibrated to obtain
the number of pixels per millimeter, and the captured image was then
subjected to brightness and contrast correction. A series of profiles
was taken along the film negative, and the gray-scale values were
calculated (in pixels) for regions corresponding to sample wells. The
intensity of the background (in pixels) was subtracted for each
profile. For each analysis, 10 sample wells were used for each leaf
extract (8 µg of protein per well), and these images were added
together to give a single gray-scale value. From established
measurements of the total protein content of cells at each 5.0-mm
section along the leaf, the gray-scale values were converted to
relative values per cell. Finally, gray-scale values for each
individual leaf profile were expressed as a percentage of the most
intense band, which allowed comparisons to be made between different
experiments. The procedure was rigorously optimized to ensure that the
gray-scale value was always within a range that was proportional to the
amount of mitochondrial protein present on the PVDF membrane. The
following variables were optimized: primary and secondary antibody
dilution, protein concentration, period of incubation with ECL
reagents, and duration of the film and PVDF membrane exposures. In
addition, controls included co-extractions of immature and mature
leaf sections and mixing of two separate extracts on single wells of
the slot blot (see ``Results'').
Primary Antisera
The primary antisera and the dilution and type of antibody (rabbit
polyclonal unless stated otherwise) used in the slot-blot analyses
were:
-ATPaseA,
-ATPaseA,
-ATPaseC (mouse monoclonals, 1:10;
Luethy et al., 1993
); Cyt oxidase II and III (mouse monoclonals, 1:1000; Lightowlers et al., 1991
; Taanman and Capaldi, 1993
); alternative oxidase (mouse monoclonal, 1:200; Elthon et al., 1989
); malic enzyme (1:1000; Winning et al., 1994
); RPS12 (1:5000; Gualberto et al., 1988
); E1
-subunit of PDC (1:1000; Luethy et al., 1995b
); ORF156 (1:5000; Gualberto et al., 1991
); E1
-subunit of PDC (mouse monoclonal, 1:1000; Luethy et al., 1995a
); IDH (1:1000; McIntosh and
Oliver, 1992
); cpn60C and cpn60B (mouse monoclonal, 1:10; Lund and
Elthon, 1993
); HSP70A (mouse monoclonal, 1:10; Lund and Elthon, 1993
);
GDC P, H, T, and L proteins (1:1000; Morgan et al., 1993
); fumarase
(1:1000; Behal and Oliver, 1997
); FDH (1:1000; Colas des Francs-Small
et al., 1993); and ORF577 (previously termed ORF589 [Gonzalez et al.,
1993
]; 1:2000; Handa et al., 1996
).
Before the antibodies were used in slot-blot assays their specificity
was tested by western-blot analysis of total protein extracts from
barley leaves and of isolated barley chloroplasts. In all cases the
antibodies were highly specific for polypeptides of the predicted
molecular mass, and there was no significant cross-reactivity with
chloroplast proteins (data not shown).
 |
RESULTS |
Growth and Development of the Barley Primary Leaf
The zone of cell elongation extended to a region approximately 20 mm distal to the base of the primary leaf of 160-h-old barley seedlings. This was apparent from two measurements: the number of
mesophyll cells in each 5.0-mm transverse leaf section, which declined
to reach a minimum at 20 mm from the leaf base, indicating that
mesophyll cell elongation was complete at this point; and the
interstomatal distance, which relates to the length of epidermal cells
and was maximal at 18 to 20 mm from the leaf base (Fig. 1a, inset), indicating that epidermal
cell elongation was also complete.

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| Figure 1.
a, Change in the number of mesophyll cells during
primary leaf development in barley. Transverse 5.0-mm sections were
taken at intervals along the length of 160-h-old primary leaves. Each
data point represents the mean ± SE of six
determinations of mesophyll cell number in sections from four
individual primary leaves. Inset, Change in the interstomatal distance
during primary leaf development in barley. Interstomatal distance was
measured at 1.0-mm intervals as shown and each data point represents
the mean ± SE of three measurements of 10 individual
primary leaves. b, Relationship between cell age and the position of a
cell within the barley primary leaf. Cell age was calculated from the
VD of cells within 160-h-old primary leaves,
as described in ``Materials and Methods''. c, Soluble protein content
in developing cells of barley primary leaves. Soluble protein was
extracted from serial transverse sections of 10 individual 160-h-old
primary leaves. Each data point represents the mean ± SE of three separate protein extractions. d, Change in
photosynthetic activity during primary leaf development in barley.
Photosynthetic activity (CO2-dependent O2
evolution) was measured in 5.0-mm sections of 160-h-old primary leaves.
Each data point represents the mean ± SE of four
independent measurements. e, Change in respiratory activity during
primary leaf development in barley. Respiration (dark O2
uptake) was measured in 5.0-mm sections of 160-h-old primary leaves.
Each data point represents the mean ± SE of five
independent measurements. Rates are expressed relative to the number of
mesophyll cells or to the amount of soluble protein within comparable
leaf sections (using data from a and c, respectively).
|
|
Cell division was confined to the basal 5 mm of the leaf, since no
mitotically active cells were detected beyond this region (data not
shown).
With the displacement of cells away from the basal meristematic region,
there was a gradient of increasing cell age toward the leaf tip (Fig.
1b). The final increase in age of cells between 80 and 90 mm was
attributable to the time between imbibition and emergence of the shoot
tissue from the seed (see ``Materials and Methods'').
The amount of soluble protein within transverse (5.0-mm) leaf sections
decreased from the leaf base to the end of the elongation zone (20 mm
from the leaf base) and then increased toward the leaf tip (Fig. 1c).
The soluble protein content per cell increased linearly from the leaf
base to the tip, where it was 4-fold more concentrated (Fig. 1c).
Photosynthetic activity, measured as
CO2-dependent O2 evolution,
increased along the length of the primary leaf (Fig. 1d). The
transition between net O2 uptake and net
O2 evolution occurred between 15.0 and 20.0 mm
from the basal meristem when cells were approximately 13 h old.
This coincided with the end of the zone of cell elongation (compare
Fig. 1a).
In contrast to photosynthesis, the rate of "dark" respiratory
O2 uptake per cell remained constant throughout
the length of the primary leaf. When expressed relative to the amount
of soluble leaf protein, respiration rates decreased to a minimum at
the leaf tip (Fig. 1e). Inhibitor-titration experiments indicated that
the rate of salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive O2
uptake in the presence of KCN remained a constant proportion of the
total rate of respiration, approximately 40% in all leaf sections
(data not shown).
Analysis of Mitochondrial Proteins in Barley Primary Leaves
The patterns of development of the 21 different mitochondrial
proteins and polypeptides analyzed in this study were one of three
distinct types, which we called groups A, B, and C (shown in Figs. 2,
3, and 4, respectively). Note that in each case the data shown in the
figures are the mean values of all of the individual proteins
considered to be members of that group. To enable comparison between
individual protein profiles and the group pattern, the mean values are
represented by a dashed line in each panel of the figures.

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| Figure 2.
Mitochondrial proteins of group A, with maximum
intensity of signal occurring 20.0 mm from the basal meristem. The data
were calculated from the mean values of each of the mitochondrial
proteins categorized as group A. The group A mean is also represented
by a dashed line in each of the individual protein profiles. Note that
in the case of the and ATPase proteins, "A" and "C"
refer to different monoclonal antibodies that recognize different
epitopes of the same subunit type (Luethy et al., 1993 ).
|
|

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| Figure 3.
Mitochondrial proteins of group B, with maximum
intensity of signal occurring 50.0 mm from the basal meristem. The data
were calculated from the mean values of each of the mitochondrial
proteins categorized as group B. The group B mean is also represented
by a dashed line in each of the individual protein profiles.
|
|

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| Figure 4.
Mitochondrial proteins of group C, with maximum
intensity of signal occurring at the leaf tip. The data were calculated
from the mean values of each of the mitochondrial proteins categorized
as group C. The group C mean is also represented by a dashed line in
each of the individual protein profiles.
|
|
Eleven of the mitochondrial proteins/polypeptides fell into group A, in
which the intensity of the protein band increased to a maximum at 20 mm
from the basal meristem and then declined progressively toward the leaf
tip (Fig. 2). These proteins were: the E1
-subunit of PDC, ORF156, ORF577, alternative oxidase, RPS12, Cyt
oxidase subunits II and III, malic enzyme, and the
- and
-subunits of ATPase.
The proteins/polypeptides with a group B developmental profile were:
the E1
-subunit of PDC, IDH, HSP70A, cpn60C, and cpn60B (Fig.
3). These increased in labeling intensity
to a broad maximum between 50 and 60 mm from the leaf base, where cells
were between 35 and 45 h old.
The third category of proteins, group C, showed an initial increase in
labeling intensity to reach a "plateau" between 20 and 50 mm from
the leaf base, as was the case for proteins of group A. However, in
contrast to group A, there was a further increase in the region from 50 mm, where cells were 35 h old, up to the leaf tip (Fig.
4). Proteins in this group were the four subunits of GDC (P, H, T, and L proteins), fumarase, and FDH. This
pattern of development was also found when the four GDC subunits were
analyzed by western blots (data not shown).
 |
DISCUSSION |
Developmental Changes in Leaf Physiology
The barley primary leaves studied here were harvested at a time
when their growth rate was at a maximum, which ensured that the age
differential between leaf base and tip was also at a maximum. Estimates
of mitotic indices (data not shown) indicated that the basal
intercalary meristem is located between 0 and 5 mm above the point of
attachment of the primary leaf to the seed (i.e. the leaf base). The
zone of cell elongation extends to 20 mm from the leaf base, where the
number of mesophyll cells per leaf section becomes constant and the
interstomatal distance is at its maximum. The former is an indirect
estimate of the mesophyll cell length and the latter a direct
measurement of epidermal cell length.
The gradient of cell age closely resembled that previously reported for
barley primary leaves (Barkardottir et al., 1987
). The large increment
in cell age within the distal 5 mm of the leaf was attributable to the
time taken for this tissue to emerge from the seed after imbibition
(Barkardottir et al., 1987
).
The change in soluble protein content that we found resembled that
found in previous studies (Viro and Kloppstech, 1980
; Barkardottir et
al., 1987
). The initial decrease in protein content coincided with the
decrease in cell number per section as the cells were elongating. When
protein content was expressed on a per-cell basis, there was an almost
linear increase along the leaf. One reason for this is the increased
synthesis of Rubisco (Viro and Kloppstech, 1980
), with a 20-fold
increase in Rubisco protein content per mesophyll cell (Dean and Leech,
1982b
). Increases in other photosynthetic proteins, such as the
chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (CAB; Mayfield and Taylor, 1984
), chloroplast NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde
3-phosphate dehydrogenase (Sibley and Anderson, 1989
; Lernmark
and Gardestrom, 1994
), phosphoglycerate kinase (Shah and Bradbeer,
1991
), and Fru-1,6-bisphosphatase (Sibley and Anderson, 1989
), have
also been reported in developing barley leaves. This increase in
photosynthetic protein, together with increases in chloroplast size and
number (Baumgartner et al., 1989
) and chlorophyll content (Barkardottir et al., 1987
; Lernmark and Gardestrom, 1994
), contribute to an increase in photosynthetic capacity. We detected photosynthetic activity only in cells located beyond the elongation zone, 20 mm or more from the basal meristem, where the cells were greater than 13 h old. By the time these cells had reached the leaf tip (160 h), their photosynthetic activity had increased approximately 20-fold.
In contrast to the increase in photosynthetic activity, the rate of
dark respiratory O2 uptake per cell remained
constant along the leaf. Previous studies have reported a decline in
respiratory activity in relation to increasing photosynthetic
development (Kidd et al., 1921
; Azcon-Bieto et al., 1983
), and this was
also the case when our data were expressed relative to soluble protein content, with a 4-fold decrease in respiration rate between the leaf
base and tip. The large increase in photosynthetic protein masks any
underlying response of nonphotosynthetic proteins and we therefore
recommend the use of cell number as a constant parameter in
developmental studies.
Development of Mitochondrial Proteins and Polypeptides
A number of controls were used to minimize the possibility of
artifacts that might result from the analysis of slot blots. The amount
of protein loaded onto the wells was tested over a wide range to ensure
that the signal was proportional to the amount of protein present in
the sample. Other variables tested and standardized included the
concentration of primary and secondary antibodies, the period of
incubation with ECL reagents, and the duration of film and PVDF
membrane exposure. In addition, mixing experiments were carried out in
which mature leaf sections were co-extracted with immature sections.
Separate extracts were also mixed together before loading onto the
membrane. All of these controls verified that the signal detected on
the image analyzer was proportional to the amount of protein and that
there was nothing interfering with the detection of the signal. The
data shown here were accumulated from 10 individual scans of slot blots
of each of the individual proteins. Pixel values were summed to give
pooled data, so SE values are not applicable.
The most significant outcome of the present study was our observation
that the composition of mitochondrial proteins changes during leaf cell
development. All of the proteins that were analyzed increased in the
early stages of development to the end of the cell elongation zone (20 mm, 13 h). From this point on there appeared to be three distinct
patterns of development: group A proteins decreased and group B and C
proteins remained constant up to 50 mm (35 h) from the leaf base, where
group B proteins decreased and group C proteins increased up to the
leaf tip (160 h).
The initial increase in all mitochondrial proteins occurred within a
region of the leaf (0-20 mm) covered by the coleoptile, where the
number of mitochondria per mesophyll cell has been found to increase in
wheat primary leaves (Tobin and Rogers, 1992
). This suggests that there
is a general increase in the cellular concentration of mitochondrial
proteins throughout the elongation zone. Despite this, there was no
marked change in respiratory rate per cell (Fig. 1e), indicating that
other factors such as adenylate control or substrate availability exert
a stronger control over respiratory flux in vivo (Moore et al., 1992
).
The proteins and polypeptides of group A include a number that are
mitochondrially encoded in cereals, such as RPS12 (subunit 12 of the
small ribosomal subunit), Cyt oxidase subunits II and III, the
- and
-subunits of ATPase (Gualberto et al., 1988
; Schuster and Brennicke,
1994
), and polypeptides coded by orf156 (Gualberto et al.,
1991
) and orf577 (Gonzalez et al., 1993
; Handa et al.,
1996
). orf156 is part of the nad3-rps12
transcription unit of wheat mtDNA and encodes an 18-kD mitochondrial
membrane protein of unknown function (Gualberto et al., 1991
).
orf577 is homologous to the ccl1 gene of bacteria
and its gene product is thought to be involved in the assembly of
c-type Cyts (Gonzalez et al., 1993
; Handa et al., 1996
). The
relative decrease in content of these proteins in cells beyond the
elongation zone coincides with the onset of photosynthesis and exposure
to light as these cells emerge from beneath the coleoptile.
The remaining three proteins of group A were nuclear encoded:
alternative oxidase, malic enzyme, and the E1
-subunit of PDC. All
of these proteins are highly regulated. The alternative oxidase can
exist in either a reduced or an oxidized form, with activity associated
only with the former (Umbach and Siedow, 1997
). A single cross-reacting
band at 35 kD, corresponding to the reduced form of the alternative
oxidase (Umbach and Siedow, 1993
), was detected on western blots of
crude leaf extracts from barley; however, we could not detect the 67-kD
oxidized homodimer even in the presence of up to 40 mM
diamide, a strong oxidizing agent (data not shown). This suggests that
either there was no homodimeric form of the alternative oxidase in
barley, or that the monoclonal antibody failed to cross-react with this
form. The intensity of the 35-kD band increased in the presence of 10%
(v/v) mercaptoethanol (data not shown), indicating that a significant
proportion of the alternative oxidase was in the oxidized, homodimeric
form before mercaptoethanol addition. We conclude from this that the
monoclonal antibody does not recognize the oxidized form of alternative
oxidase in barley.
Our preliminary analyses of western blots of crude extracts from
serial, transverse leaf sections indicated that the 35-kD (reduced)
form of alternative oxidase increased to a maximum at the leaf tip
(data not shown). Our failure to detect a 67-kD form permits only the
tentative conclusion that there is an increase in alternative oxidase
protein during barley leaf development. The discrepancy between
western-blot and slot-blot analysis may be attributable to the
difference in conditions of the two assays. We cannot exclude the
possibility that the slot-blot assay, which was carried out in the
absence of mercaptoethanol, underestimated the level of alternative
oxidase protein. Further work is needed to clarify this point.
Lennon et al. (1995)
reported an increase in the reduced form of
alternative oxidase protein during leaf development in pea, which
coincided with the onset of alternative oxidase activity and with an
increase in Gly oxidation capacity of the mitochondria. Although we
found that the rate of salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive respiration in
the presence of KCN remained constant per cell at all stages of leaf
development (data not shown), this is not a good indication of
alternative pathway activity because electrons may be diverted from the
Cyt pathway under these conditions (Day et al., 1996
). Further
analysis, ideally on purified mitochondrial preparations, is required
to clearly elucidate the pattern of alternative oxidase development in
barley.
The antiserum raised against NAD-dependent malic enzyme from potato
recognizes both the 59- and 62-kD subunits (data not shown) and,
although these have been found to be coordinately expressed in vivo
(Bourguignon and Leaver, 1994
), we have yet to determine if this is
also the case in barley. The activity of the enzyme is regulated
allosterically by a number of metabolites (Grissom et al., 1983
; Day et
al., 1984
), and is modified by changes in the oligomeric state (Grover
and Wedding, 1984
). Further analysis is required, therefore, to
determine if the increase in total malic enzyme protein is caused by
the presence of both subunits and whether this relates directly to the
activity of the enzyme.
The E1
-subunit of mammalian PDC binds to the E1
-subunit to form
a heterotetramer (
2
2) E1 subunit, or pyruvate dehydrogenase (Koike and Koike, 1976
). It is not clear why the development of the E1
-subunit in barley leaves differs from that of the E1
-subunit,
although the stoichiometry of PDC has yet to be determined in plants.
Furthermore, the E1
-subunit is regulated by phosphorylation (Camp
and Randall, 1985
), so its activity cannot be directly related to the
amount of protein. It will be necessary to analyze the development of
the whole complex, including both the E2 and E3 proteins, to fully
understand the control of PDC synthesis. A previous study of barley
(Lernmark and Gardestrom, 1994
) found that mitochondrial PDC activity
remains constant during leaf development, although the degree of in
vivo phosphorylation has yet to be established.
The group B proteins, which begin to decline from 50 mm onward, are two
components of the TCA cycle, the E1
-subunit of PDC and
NAD-dependent IDH, and proteins involved in the transport of
polypeptides into the mitochondrial matrix, mtHSP70 (Lund and Elthon,
1993
; Moore et al., 1993
), and cpn60 (Tsugeki et al., 1992
). These data
indicate that there is differential development not only of the PDC but
also of mitochondrial dehydrogenases, with malic enzyme protein content
declining before that of NAD-IDH. The later development of fumarase
protein provides further evidence of a change in the relative content
of TCA cycle proteins. In all cases, these profiles have yet to be
compared with measurements of enzyme activity. However, it is
interesting to note that the TCA cycle proteins involved in the
decarboxylative portion of the cycle, malic enzyme, PDC, and IDH, reach
a peak before that of the nondecarboxylative portion, which is
represented by fumarase. This change in composition of TCA cycle
proteins in barley leaves may mark a transition in the role of the
mitochondria from bioenergetic to biosynthetic (Tobin and Rogers,
1992
).
The peak in cellular content of the mitochondrial HSP70 (Lund and
Elthon, 1993
) and cpn60 proteins coincides with the stage of leaf
development at which there is a major increase in the amount of GDC
protein (Figs. 3 and 4). The antibodies used to detect these proteins
were specific for mitochondrial HSP70 and cpn60 and did not cross-react
with barley chloroplast proteins (see ``Materials and Methods''). The
synthesis of GDC would be expected to impose significant demands on the
protein import machinery given the major accumulation of this protein
in the matrix of leaf mitochondria (Oliver, 1994
).
The pattern of development of group C proteins closely resembles the
development of photosynthesis, with a rapid increase occurring from 50 mm onward. This coincides with the point at which a number of
photosynthetic and photorespiratory proteins also increase, and at
which chloroplast division is reaching completion (Tobin et al., 1988
).
The proteins within this group include all four subunits of GDC, the P,
H, T, and L proteins. These increase in parallel throughout the
development of the barley primary leaf. This is in contrast to the
findings of a previous study from our group, in which the L protein was
present in high concentrations in basal cells of wheat primary leaves,
whereas the remaining GDC proteins developed only after emergence of
the leaf cells from beneath the coleoptile (Rogers et al., 1991
). It is
well established that the synthesis of the GDC proteins is light
regulated (Oliver, 1994
). One reason for this difference between
species, therefore, might be a difference in the amount of light
penetration into the immature cells beneath the coleoptile, because, in
contrast to wheat, barley coleoptiles lack chlorophyll (data not
shown).
The developmental pattern of GDC proteins is consistent with the
function of this complex in oxidizing Gly generated during photorespiration. The reason for the parallel development of FDH is
intriguing. FDH has been detected only in small amounts in leaf tissue
(Oliver, 1981
) and is particularly abundant in mitochondria from potato
tubers (Colas des Francs-Small et al., 1993). FDH was once considered
to be involved in the oxidation of formate generated by the
nonenzymatic oxidation of glyoxylate by
H2O2 to yield formate and
CO2 during photorespiration (Grodzinski and Butt, 1976
; Zelitch, 1992
). The presence of high concentrations of
catalase in leaf peroxisomes indicates that
H2O2 is unlikely to
accumulate in sufficient quantity for glyoxylate decarboxylation to
occur (Walton, 1982
), and there is no evidence of increased rates of
CO2 production in catalase-deficient mutants of
barley (Kendall et al., 1983
). Furthermore, Colas des Francs-Small et al. (1993) found FDH to decrease during greening of etiolated leaves.
Nevertheless, recent evidence from transgenic tobacco with altered
catalase activity, in which CO2 compensation
points were inversely related to catalase content, once again raises the possibility that glycolate peroxidation and formate metabolism may
take part in photorespiratory carbon cycling (Brisson et al., 1998
).
The outcome of the present study is evidence of mitochondrial
heterogeneity, with marked changes in protein composition at different
stages of leaf development. Without measurements of enzyme activity or
analysis of isolated mitochondria, it is not possible to conclude
whether these changes affect mitochondrial activity. It is also
necessary to consider the spatial heterogeneity of the leaf, for which
there is already evidence of differential expression of
mitochondrial proteins such as GDC (Tobin et al., 1989
) between
different cell types. Further analysis is required to determine the
full extent of the spatial and temporal control of mitochondrial form
and function in higher plants.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
1
This work was funded by The Royal Society
(University Research Fellowship to A.K.T.; Pickering Research
Fellowship to C.G.B.) and by a Biological and Biotechnological Sciences
Research Council, Biochemistry of Metabolic Regulation in Plants
studentship (to P.T.).
*
Corresponding author; e-mail at6{at}st-andrews.ac.uk; fax
44-1-334-463366.
Received April 9, 1998;
accepted July 21, 1998.
 |
ABBREVIATIONS |
Abbreviations:
ECL, enhanced chemiluminescence.
FDH, formate
dehydrogenase.
GDC, Gly decarboxylase complex.
IDH, isocitrate
dehydrogenase.
PDC, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.
VD, displacement velocity.
 |
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