Browsing by Author "Mur, Luis A.J."

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Current approaches to measure nitric oxide in plants
(Oxford University Press, 2019) Vishwakarma, Abhaypratap; Wany, Aakanksha; Pandey, Sonika; Bulle, Mallesham; Kumari, Aprajita; Kishorekumar, Reddy; Igamberdiev, Abir U.; Mur, Luis A.J.; Gupta, Kapuganti Jagadis
Nitric oxide (NO), is now established as an important signalling molecule in plants where they influence growth, development and responses to stress. Despite of extensive research, the most appropriate methods to measure and localise these signalling radicals are debated and still needs investigation. Many confounding factors such as presence of other reactive intermediates, scavenging enzymes and compartmentation, influence how accurately each can be measured. Further, these signalling radicals have short half-lives ranging from seconds to minutes based on the cellular redox condition. Hence, it is necessary to use the sensitive and specific methods in order to understand the contribution of each signalling molecule to various biological processes. In this review, we will provide current state knowledge on NO measurement in plant samples, via various methods. We will also discuss advantages, limitations and wider applications of each method.
A discrete role for alternative oxidase under hypoxia to increase nitric oxide and drive energy production
(Elsevier B.V., 2018) Vishwakarma, Abhaypratap; Kumari, Aprajita; Mur, Luis A.J.; Gupta, Kapuganti Jagadis
Alternative oxidase (AOX) is an integral part of the mitochondrial electron transport and can prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) production under non-stressed, normoxic conditions. Here we assessed the roles of AOX by imposing stress under normoxia in comparison to hypoxic conditions using AOX over expressing (AOX OE) and anti-sense (AOX AS) transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings and roots. Under normoxic conditions stress was induced with the defence elicitor flagellin (flg22). AOX OE reduced NO production whilst this was increased in AOX AS. Moreover AOX AS also exhibited an increase in superoxide and therefore peroxynitrite, tyrosine nitration suggesting that scavenging of NO by AOX can prevent toxic peroxynitrite formation under normoxia. In contrast, during hypoxia interestingly we found that AOX is a generator of NO. Thus, the NO produced during hypoxia, was enhanced in AOX OE and suppressed in AOX AS. Additionally, treatment of WT or AOX OE with the AOX inhibitor SHAM inhibited hypoxic NO production. The enhanced levels of NO correlated with expression of non-symbiotic haemoglobin, increased NR activity and ATP production. The ATP generation was suppressed in nia1,2 mutant and non symbiotic haemoglobin antisense line treated with SHAM. Taken together these results suggest that hypoxic NO generation mediated by AOX has a discrete role by feeding into the haemoglobin-NO cycle to drive energy efficiency under conditions of low oxygen tension.
Integrating classical and alternative respiratory pathway
(John Wiley & Sons, 2015) Gupta, Kapuganti Jagadis; Neelwarne, Bhagyalakshmi; Mur, Luis A.J.
Respiratory pathways are vital for plant carbon and energy metabolism, which is the main use of most assimilated carbohydrates. Most respiratory pathways are very well established, the prominent being glycolysis in cytosol and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which occurs in the matrix of mitochondria coupled with the electron transport chain (ETC) which functions along the inner mitochondrial membrane. This chapter integrates such alternative respiratory pathways with components of the classical oxidative-phosphorylative pathways. Mitochondrial electron transport generates ATP by using the reducing equivalents derived through the operation of the TCA-cycle. Currently most research on alternative electron transfer is focused on nonphosphorylating bypass mechanisms: a second oxidase – the alternative oxidase (AOX), an external NAD (P) H dehydrogenases in the first part of ETC, and also plant uncoupling mitochondrial proteins (PUCPs). Electron transfer flavoprotein (ETF) is an electron acceptor for at least nine mitochondrial matrix flavoprotein dehydrogenases.
Moving nitrogen to the centre of plant defence against pathogens
(Oxford University Press, 2017) Mur, Luis A.J.; Simpson, Catherine; Kumari, Aprajita; Gupta, Alok Kumar; Gupta, Kapuganti Jagadis
Background Plants require nitrogen (N) for growth, development and defence against abiotic and biotic stresses. The extensive use of artificial N fertilizers has played an important role in the Green Revolution. N assimilation can involve a reductase series (NO–3→ NO–2 → NH+4) followed by transamination to form amino acids. Given its widespread use, the agricultural impact of N nutrition on disease development has been extensively examined. Scope: When a pathogen first comes into contact with a host, it is usually nutrient starved such that rapid assimilation of host nutrients is essential for successful pathogenesis. Equally, the host may reallocate its nutrients to defence responses or away from the site of attempted infection. Exogenous application of N fertilizer can, therefore, shift the balance in favour of the host or pathogen. In line with this, increasing N has been reported either to increase or to decrease plant resistance to pathogens, which reflects differences in the infection strategies of discrete pathogens. Beyond considering only N content, the use of NO-3 or NH+4 fertilizers affects the outcome of plant–pathogen interactions. NO-3 feeding augments hypersensitive response- (HR) mediated resistance, while ammonium nutrition can compromise defence. Metabolically, NO–3 enhances production of polyamines such as spermine and spermidine, which are established defence signals, with NH+4 nutrition leading to increased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels which may be a nutrient source for the pathogen. Within the defensive N economy, the roles of nitric oxide must also be considered. This is mostly generated from NO–2 by nitrate reductase and is elicited by both pathogen-associated microbial patterns and gene-for-gene-mediated defences. Nitric oxide (NO) production and associated defences are therefore NO-3 dependent and are compromised by NH+4. Conclusion:This review demonstrates how N content and form plays an essential role in defensive primary and secondary metabolism and NO-mediated events.
The role of nitrite and nitric oxide under low oxygen conditions in plants
(Oxford University Press, 2020) Gupta, Kapuganti Jagadis; Mur, Luis A.J.; Wany, Aakanksha; Kumari, Aprajita; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Ratcliffe, R. George
Plant tissues, particularly roots, can be subjected to periods of hypoxia due to environmental circumstances. Plants have developed various adaptations in response to hypoxic stress and these have been extensively described. Less well-appreciated is the body of evidence demonstrating that scavenging of nitric oxide (NO) and the reduction of nitrate/nitrite regulate important mechanisms that contribute to tolerance to hypoxia. Whilst ethylene controls hyponasty and aerenchyma formation, NO production apparently regulates hypoxic ethylene biosynthesis. In the hypoxic mitochondrion, cytochrome c oxidase, which is a major source of NO, is also inhibited by NO, thereby reducing the respiratory rate and enhancing local oxygen concentrations. Nitrite can maintain ATP generation under hypoxia by coupling its reduction to the translocation of protons from the inner side of mitochondria and generating an electrochemical gradient. This reaction can be further coupled to a reaction whereby non-symbiotic haemoglobin oxidizes NO to nitrate. In addition to these functions, nitrite has been reported to influence mitochondrial structure and supercomplex formation, as well as playing a role in oxygen sensing via the N-end rule pathway. These studies establish that nitrite and NO perform multiple functions during plant hypoxia and suggest that further research into the underlying mechanisms is warranted.