VEIDase is a principal caspase-like activity involved in plant programmed cell death and essential for embryonic pattern formation

P V Bozhkov; L H Filonova; M F Suarez; A Helmersson; A P Smertenko; B Zhivotovsky; S von Arnold

doi:10.1038/sj.cdd.4401330

Back

VEIDase is a principal caspase-like activity involved in plant programmed cell death and essential for embryonic pattern formation

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

VEIDase is a principal caspase-like activity involved in plant programmed cell death and essential for embryonic pattern formation

P V Bozhkov, L H Filonova, M F Suarez, A Helmersson, A P Smertenko, B Zhivotovsky and S von Arnold

Cell death and differentiation, Vol.11(2), pp.175-182

02/2004

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.cdd.4401330

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/114747

PMID: 14576770

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.cdd.4401330View

Published (Version of record) Open

Abstract

Temperature

Picea - enzymology

Sodium Chloride - pharmacology

Picea - embryology

Seeds - enzymology

Caspase Inhibitors

Protease Inhibitors - pharmacology

Seeds - embryology

Caspases - metabolism

Body Patterning

Cell Extracts

Seeds - cytology

Zinc - pharmacology

Picea - cytology

Apoptosis

Hydrogen-Ion Concentration

Plant embryogenesis is intimately associated with programmed cell death. The mechanisms of initiation and control of programmed cell death during plant embryo development are not known. Proteolytic activity associated with caspase-like proteins is paramount for control of programmed cell death in animals and yeasts. Caspase family of proteases has unique strong preference for cleavage of the target proteins next to asparagine residue. In this work, we have used synthetic peptide substrates containing caspase recognition sites and corresponding specific inhibitors to analyse the role of caspase-like activity in the regulation of programmed cell death during plant embryogenesis. We demonstrate that VEIDase is a principal caspase-like activity implicated in plant embryogenesis. This activity increases at the early stages of embryo development that coincide with massive cell death during shape remodeling. The VEIDase activity exhibits high sensitivity to pH, ionic strength and Zn(2+) concentration. Altogether, biochemical assays show that VEIDase plant caspase-like activity resembles that of both mammalian caspase-6 and yeast metacaspase, YCA1. In vivo, VEIDase activity is localised specifically in the embryonic cells during both the commitment and in the beginning of the execution phase of programmed cell death. Inhibition of VEIDase prevents normal embryo development via blocking the embryo-suspensor differentiation. Our data indicate that the VEIDase activity is an integral part in the control of plant developmental cell death programme, and that this activity is essential for the embryo pattern formation.

Metrics

9 Record Views

Details

Title: VEIDase is a principal caspase-like activity involved in plant programmed cell death and essential for embryonic pattern formation
Creators: P V Bozhkov - 1Department of Plant Biology and Forest Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7080, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. Peter.Bozhkov@vbsg.slu.se
L H Filonova
M F Suarez
A Helmersson
A P Smertenko
B Zhivotovsky
S von Arnold
Publication Details: Cell death and differentiation, Vol.11(2), pp.175-182
Academic Unit: Biological Chemistry, Institute of
Publisher: England
Identifiers: 99900547438601842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article