DOCSLIB.ORG

PSNA Newsletter 2

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

PSNA NEWS Phytochemical Society of North America Sociedad Fitoquímica de América del Norte Société Phytochimique de L’Amerique du Nord Volume 43, Number 1 April 2003 PRESIDENT’S LETTER Invitation to Peoria In August, our Society will have its used models. Today many are no the project leader have a good track annual meeting in the city of Peoria, longer extensively used. Are there record? e) For young scientists, do Illinois. This year’s topic is the use of specific criteria one should consider they have the potential to carry out the model systems to study secondary me- when choosing a model system? Fea- proposed research? In reality, there is tabolism. As in recent years, the or- sibility, of course, is an important one. no single model system to use in the ganizers chose a hot and important This is the reason why Arabidopsis study of living organisms. A genetic topic for phytochemists. At the begin- was adopted as a model. In several approach using Arabidopsis might al- ning of any research project or career cases, choosing the model will de- low a breakthrough in one area, but a questions emerge about the appropri- pend on who is funding the research. biochemical approach using a lily ate model system to study a specific This is not a trivial issue. Today, it is might make a greater contribution in problem. In fact, we use several model harder than ever to fund and main- another. The goal is to bring a diver- plants for studies in biochemistry, mo- tain a productive research group. Of- sity of approaches into play to solve lecular and cell biology, including ten, granting agencies expect that the fundamental plant problems (see R. Arabidopsis thaliana, Nicotiana proposal reports research objectives Goldberg, Plant Cell, 8: 347, 1996). tabacum, Zea mays, Oryza sativa, and as preliminary results. Few panels are Plants share their metabolic pathways others. The genome of some of these disposed to fund novel ideas and high- with many organisms. This is true in plants has been sequenced and some risk projects. Thus, few researchers secondary metabolism even when the proteomes are on the way. Choosing are able to take this risk. I know sev- final product is different. Please come a model is not an easy task, particu- eral top scientists that are working on to Peoria and share the experience of larly in the case of secondary metabo- light projects just to obtain funding the model you are working on. lism. During the 1980s and 1990s, and, in parallel, they perform more several groups developed several exciting, risky research. As a current Victor Loyola-Vargas models. Catharanthus roseus, member of a grant panel, my major Centro de Investigación Lithospermum erythrorhizon, Coptis questions are: (a) Is there an impor- Cientifica de Yucatán japonica and several tropane alkaloid- tant question to answer? (b) Is there a Mérida, Yucatán, México producing plants, such as Datura, At- contribution to knowledge? (c) Is the [email protected] ropa, Duboisia were among the most project leader well trained? (d) Does √ Will It Play in Peoria? - 2003 Annual Meeting Preview IN THIS ISSUE √ Eric Conn - 50 Years of Plant Biochemistry √ Hail to the Chief - Meet Our New Prez! √ Annual Meeting Forms and Information √ What Phytochemists Do When They’re Really Bored EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2003 PSNA President Annual Meeting Victor Loyola-Vargas Centro de Investigación Cientifica de Yucatán Mérida, Yucatán, México Secondary 01-9-981-39-43 (phone) 01-9-981-39-00 (fax) Metabolism in [email protected] CONTENTS Model Systems President-Elect Daneel Ferreira NCNPR, School of Pharmacy 1 President’s Letter The University of Mississippi August 9 - 13, 2003 University, MS 38677, USA Invitation to Peoria 662-915-1572 (phone) Peoria, Illinois 662-915-7062 (fax) 3 Preview of the 2003 [email protected] Annual Meeting The Phytochemical Society of Past-President Secondary Metabolism North America (PSNA) is a Richard A. Dixon Sam Roberts Noble Foundation in Model Systems nonprofit scientific organization whose membership is open to 2510 Sam Noble Parkway anyone with an interest in phy- Ardmore, OK 73401, USA 5 Phytochemical 580-221-7301 (phone) tochemistry and the role of plant 580-221-7380 (fax) Pioneers substances in related fields. An- [email protected] Eric Conn nual membership dues are U.S. $40 for regular members and $20 Secretary and Newsletter Editor 12 Goodfellas for student members. Annual Peter J. Facchini meetings featuring symposium Dept. of Biological Sciences Meet Some Members of Your topics of current interest and con- University of Calgary Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada Executive Committee tributed papers by conference 403-220-7651 (phone) participants are held throughout 403-289-9311 (fax) 14 Annual Meeting Flyer the United States, Canada, and [email protected] Mexico. PSNA meetings provide participants with exposure to the Treasurer 15 Will it Play in Peoria? cutting-edge research of promi- Charles L. Cantrell Get to Know Our Host City nent international scientists, but Hauser Inc. are still small enough to offer in- 4161 Specialty Place Longmont, CO 80504 16 2003 Annual Meeting formality and intimacy that are 720-652-7009 (phone) Symposia Speakers conducive to the exchange of 303-772-8166 (fax) ideas. This newsletter is circu- [email protected] lated to members to keep them 18 Registration, Abstract informed of upcoming meetings Editor-in-Chief John T. Romeo and developments within the so- and Accommodation Department of Biology Forms ciety, and to provide a forum for University of South Florida the exchange of information and Tampa, FL 33620, USA ideas. If you would like addi- 813-974-3250 (phone) 21 Phytochemistry Word tional information about the 813-974-3263 (fax) [email protected] Find PSNA, or if you have material For Those Really Slow Days that you would like included in the newsletter, please contact the ADVISORY COUNCIL 22 New RAP Volume PSNA Secretary and Newsletter Editor. Annual dues and changes Peter Constabel (2003) of address should be sent to the Jonathon Poulton (2003) Margaret Essenberg (2004) 23 Book Order Form PSNA Treasurer. Also check the Felipe Vazquez-Flota (2004) PSNA website at www.psna- Vincenzo De Luca (2005) online.org for regular updates. Joe Chappell (2005) 24 Membership Form Johnathan Gershenzon (2005) PREVIEW OF THE 2003 ANNUAL MEETING Secondary metabolism in model systems The increasing pace of genomic data lated human diseases. In addition, the plex glucosinolates (Jim Tokuhisa; base development for numerous crop increasingly popular Art Neish Young Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical species has had an enormous impact Investigator Minisymposium will be Ecology) and phenyl-propanoids on the approaches presently being animated with 5 presentations on dif- (Clint Chapple) will be explored. proposed for doing research on the ferent aspects of phytochemistry and Since many of these pathways also cell biology, biochemistry, molecular plant-insect interactions. exist in the other model crops being biology and metabolic engineering of considered in this meeting, it will be natural product pathways. This is interesting to see how the Arabidopsis based on the realization that there is Arabidopsis thaliana model will continue to impact com- a uniform message being transmitted mercially important field crops like from extensive sequencing of Over the past ten years, genetic ap- corn, rice and soybean. genomes from many different species proaches in Arabidopsis have provided of plants. This involves the repeated insights into aspects of phenyl- identification of identical classes of propanoid and glucosinolate biosyn- Legumes genes that are responsible for the di- thesis that had eluded investigators verse secondary metabolism path- using conventional biochemical ap- Legumes are a rich source of protein, ways within different plant species. proaches. Further, the Arabidopsis carbohydrate, and fat together with vi- Since information of this genome was sequenced and research- tamins and minerals that have made type has begun to facilitate the rapid ers interested in phytochemistry began them ideal vegetable sources for hu- cloning and characterization of re- to realize that it contained a treasure man and animal nutrition. The rich lated pathways in many more species trove of genes involved in natural and varied secondary product chem- of plants, the pace of discovery of product biosynthesis. As genes in- istry of legumes like soybeans are also how plants have evolved to manufac- volved in exotic secondary metabo- extremely important since they may ture their amazing diversity of sec- lism pathways were being cloned in help prevent human diseases. In the ondary products should increase rap- medicinal plants like Catharanthus case of forage legumes the presence idly in the next few years. This trend roseus, Atropa belladonna, Papaver or absence of different secondary has certainly been apparent in the last somniferum and Taxus canadensis, metabolites appears to be required to few meetings held by the PSNA several homologues of mostly un- improve their forage quality. The where symposia on diverse themes known function were being discovered symposium being organized by Mark like Regulation of Phytochemicals by in the growing Arabidopsis database. Gijzen from the Agriculture Canada Molecular Techniques, Phytochemis- Recent attempts to functionally char- Research Station in London, Ontario try in the Genomics and acterize the biosynthetic roles of these will include presentations by Richard Postgenomics Eras and most recently
Recommended publications
  • Nucleotide Sequence and Homology with Agrobacterium Tumefaciens

    Nucleotide Sequence and Homology with Agrobacterium Tumefaciens

    Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 83, pp. 8263-8267, November 1986 Genetics Insertion sequence elements of Pseudomonas savastanoi: Nucleotide sequence and homology with Agrobacterium tumefaciens transfer DNA (plant tumorigenidty/transposition/tryptophan monooxygenase/indoleacetamide hydrolase) TETSUJI YAMADA*, PING-DU LEEt, AND TSUNE KOSUGE* *Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616; and tDepartment of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Communicated by P. K. Stumpf, July 1, 1986 ABSTRACT Two types oftransposable elements, ISSJ and We report here the characterization of two insertion IS52 (IS, insertion sequence), were found in Pseudomonas sequence (IS) elements, IS51 and IS52, found in avirulent syringae subsp. savastanoi (P. savastanot) that spontaneously mutants ofP. savastanoi deficient in IAA prod uction (9). The insert into and inactivate iaaM; the insertion results in the loss IS elements are ofinterest because they were iesponsible for of indoleacetic acid production and attenuation of virulence. loss of IAA production and virulence by being integrated into The nucleotide sequences of both IS elements have sizes and iaaM (3, 9). The nucleotide sequences of these IS elements structural features common to other prokaryotic IS elements; were determined. Strong homology was found between IS51 1S51 is 1311 base pairs (bp) long and has terminal inverted and a 528-base-pair (bp) region within the central region ofthe repeats of26 bp; IS52 is 1209 bp long and has terminal inverted T-DNA (Tj) of A. tumefaciens. The results suggest that the repeats of 10 bp with a 1 bp mismatch. In the insertion homologous border sequence may be a remnant of an earlier involving IS51, the trinucleotide sequence CAG is duplicated transpositional event by which the genes for IAA synthesis within iaaM sequences at the recombination junction; in those were transferred between the two species of tumorigenic involving IS52 the tetranucleotide sequences TTAG or CTAG bacteria.
  • The Effects of Expression of Procaryotic-Type Iaa Genes in Agrobacterium Tumefaciens on Plant Tumorigenicity*,**

    The Effects of Expression of Procaryotic-Type Iaa Genes in Agrobacterium Tumefaciens on Plant Tumorigenicity*,**

    日植 病 報 63: 377-380 (1997) 短 報 Ann. Phytopathol. Soc. Jpn. 63 : 377-380 (1997) Phytopathological Note The Effects of Expression of Procaryotic-type iaa Genes in Agrobacterium tumefaciens on Plant Tumorigenicity*,** Yasuhiro MURAKAMI***, Tomoki NISHINO•õ, Tsuguyoshi TAIRA•õ•õ, Ahmad YUNUS***, Yuki ICHINOSE***, Tomonori SHIRAISHI*** and Tetsuji YAMADA***,•õ•õ•õ Key words: Pseudomonas syringae pv. savastanoi, iaa operon, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, plant tumor igenicity. Pseudomonas syringae pv. savastanoi, a causal agent of plant symbiotic bacteria, including some Rhizobium and olive and oleander knot, produces the auxin indole-3 Bradyrhizobium species, which produce and release -acetic acid (IAA) from L-tryptophan via indole-3 IAA14,15). On the other hand, in Azospirillium species16) -acetamide (IAM) as an intermediate1-3). The so-called and Enterobacter cloacae17) isolated from the rhizosphere olive knot or tumor, is considered to be the result of of Gramineae species and cucumber, respectively, IAA abnormal cell multiplication at infection sites as a host is synthesized via indole-3-pyruvate (IPyA) as an inter response to the large amount of IAA produced by this mediate. At present, however, little is known about the pathogen. The genes involved in IAA biosynthesis in this function of iaaM and iaaH genes which encode the organism are iaaM that encodes tryptophan monoox enzymes synthesizing IAA via indoleacetamide in these ygenase and iaaH that encodes indole acetamide non-tumorigenic bacteria, although the production of hydrolase4). iaaM and iaaH form one transcriptional IAA in P. savastanoi and A. tumefaciens seems to be unit, tentatively named the iaa operon, having a typical essential for virulence, such as in formation of tumors in procaryotic-type gene structure5,6).
  • Nucleotide Sequences of the Pseudomonas Savastanoi

    Nucleotide Sequences of the Pseudomonas Savastanoi

    Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 82, pp. 6522-6526, October 1985 Biochemistry Nucleotide sequences of the Pseudomonas savastanoi indoleacetic acid genes show homology with Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA (plant tumorigenicity/oleander knot/tryptophan monooxygenase/indoleacetamide hydrolase) TETSUJI YAMADA, CURTIS J. PALM, BOB BROOKS, AND TSUNE KOSUGE Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 Communicated by Luis Sequeira, June 17, 1985 ABSTRACT We report the nucleotide sequences of iaaM To determine whether there is a common basis for bacteria- and iaaH, the genetic determinants for, respectively, induced tumor formation in plants, we compared IAA syn- tryptophan 2-monooxygenase and indoleacetamide hydrolase, thesis in P. savastanoi with that in other systems associated the enzymes that catalyze the conversion of L-tryptophan to with neoplastic growth in plants. Evidence from previous indoleacetic acid in the tumor-forming bacterium Pseudomonas investigations on crown gall tumor tissue suggested that syringae pv. savastanoi. The sequence analysis indicates that T-DNA, which carries genetic determinants encoding the iaaM locus contains an open reading frame encoding 557 phytohormone synthesis, confers a tumorigenic state when amino acids that would comprise a protein with a molecular integrated into host tissue (13). Subsequently, Schroeder et weight of 61,783; the iaaH locus contains an open reading al. (14) and Thomashow et al. (15) demonstrated that the frame of 455 amino acids that would comprise a protein with tms-2 locus of crown gall T-DNA encodes an enzyme a molecular weight of 48,515. Significant amino acid sequence possessing indoleacetamide hydrolase activity and further homology was found between the predicted sequence of the proposed that the tms-i locus encodes an enzyme catalyzing tryptophan monooxygenase of P.
  • Tsune Kosuge, 1925-1988

    Tsune Kosuge, 1925-1988

    Tsune Kosuge, 1925-1988 D. G. Gilchrist and R. K. Webster Tsune Kosuge, professor of Plant Pathology at the University of in 1962 laid the foundation for a series of pioneering studies on the California, Davis, died of cancer on 13 March 1988. Born 28 role of IAA as a virulence factor for this pathogen. His laboratory November 1925 in Merino, Colorado, Professor Kosuge served for demonstrated a unique pathway for IAA production by the two years in the U.S. Army with the 442nd Infantry Regiment in bacterium involving the conversion of tryptophan to IAA via Italy during World War II. He farmed for one year following the indoleacetamide and later showed that the IAA genes were war before entering Colorado State University in 1948. He encoded on a plasmid in oleander strains but are chromosomal in subsequently earned a B.S. degree from the University of Colorado olive strains. When the sequence of the genes involved in IAA in horticulture, an M.S. from Washington State University in plant production by P. s. savastanoi revealed significant homology to pathology, and was awarded the Ph.D. in comparative analogous genes in the T-DNA of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, the biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1959. attention of numerous laboratories was focused on Dr. Kosuge's During his Ph.D. thesis research on coumarin metabolism in two decades of work in this area. His current research was focused Melilotus alba with Professor Eric Conn, he obtained the first on the mechanisms regulating IAA production by the bacterium, experimental evidence for the existence of phenylalanine ammonia the evolutionary origin, and ecological significance of the IAA lyase-the key regulatory enzyme controlling the flow of carbon genes.
  • L-Lysine Synthetase Is Encoded Solely by Open Reading Frame-2

    L-Lysine Synthetase Is Encoded Solely by Open Reading Frame-2

    Proc. Nati. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 87, pp. 5797-5801, August 1990 Biochemistry Expression and fine structure of the gene encoding NE-(indole-3-acety1)-L-Iysine synthetase from Pseudomonas savastanoi (plant hyperplasia/amino acid conjugate) FRANCISCO F. ROBERTO*t, HARRY KLEE*, FRANK WHITE§, RUSSELL NORDEEN*¶, AND TSUNE KOSUGE*II tMonsanto, Chesterfield, MO 63198; §Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506; and *Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 Communicated by Eric E. Conn, May 18, 1990 (receivedfor review March 12, 1990) ABSTRACT The gene encoding NI-(indole-3-acetyl)-L-Iy- MATERIALS AND METHODS sine synthetase, iaaL, from Pseudomonas savastanoi was local- ized within a 4.25-kilobase EcoRI fragment derived from Bacterial Strains, Media, and Plasmids. E. coli HB101 pIAAl of oleander strain EW 2009. Two open reading frames (pLG87) (11), HB101 (pLG87X), E. coli K38 (pMON686), of 606 and 1188 nucleotides were identified upon sequencing, K38 (pMON686ARV), K38 (pMON676), and pLG/SK were which directed the in vitro synthesis ofMr 21,000 andMr 44,000 used for plasmid DNA isolations, DNA sequencing, and proteins. Expression of an open reading frame-2 subclone, enzyme assays. Restriction enzyme sites for these plasmids pMON686, in Escherichia cofi indicates that (indole-3-acetyl)- derived from P. savastanoi pIAA1 and their orientation L-lysine synthetase is encoded solely by open reading frame-2. relative to one another are shown in Fig. 1. Bacteria were Hydrophobicity plots of the deduced open reading frame-1 maintained on LB agar plates incubated at 370C, and cells protein suggest that it may be a membrane-bound protein, used for plasmid isolations were grown in LB liquid medium whereas the predicted iaaL gene product possesses considerable (broth).