Open Access
Tryptophan levels as a marker of auxins and nitric oxide signaling
(MDPI, 2022) López Gómez, Pedro; Smith, Edward N.; Bota, Pedro; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Urra, Marina; Buezo Bravo, Javier; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Ciencias; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The aromatic amino acid tryptophan is the main precursor for indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which involves various parallel routes in plants, with indole-3-acetaldoxime (IAOx) being one of the most common intermediates. Auxin signaling is well known to interact with free radical nitric oxide (NO) to perform a more complex effect, including the regulation of root organogenesis and nitrogen nutrition. To fathom the link between IAA and NO, we use a metabolomic approach to analyze the contents of low-molecular-mass molecules in cultured cells of Arabidopsis thaliana after the application of S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), an NO donor or IAOx. We separated the crude extracts of the plant cells through ion-exchange columns, and subsequent fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), thus identifying 26 compounds. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on N-metabolism-related compounds, as classified by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The differences observed between controls and treatments are mainly explained by the differences in Trp contents, which are much higher in controls. Thus, the Trp is a shared response in both auxin- and NO-mediated signaling, evidencing some common signaling mechanism to both GSNO and IAOx. The differences in the low-molecularmass- identified compounds between GSNO- and IAOx-treated cells are mainly explained by their concentrations in benzenepropanoic acid, which is highly associated with IAA levels, and salicylic acid, which is related to glutathione. These results show that the contents in Trp can be a marker for the study of auxin and NO signaling.
Open Access
IAOx induces the SUR phenotype and differential signalling from IAA under different types of nitrogen nutrition in Medicago truncatula roots
(Elsevier, 2019) Buezo Bravo, Javier; Esteban Terradillos, Raquel; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; López Gómez, Pedro; Marino Bilbao, Daniel; Chamizo Ampudia, Alejandro; Gil Idoate, María José; Martínez Merino, Víctor; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Zientziak; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Ciencias; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Indole-3-acetaldoxime (IAOx) is a particularly relevant molecule as an intermediate in the pathway for tryptophan-dependent auxin biosynthesis. The role of IAOx in growth-signalling and root phenotype is poorly studied in cruciferous plants and mostly unknown in non-cruciferous plants. We synthesized IAOx and applied it to M. truncatula plants grown axenically with NO3-, NH4+ or urea as the sole nitrogen source. During 14 days of growth, we demonstrated that IAOx induced an increase in the number of lateral roots, especially under NH4+ nutrition, while elongation of the main root was inhibited. This phenotype is similar to the phenotype known as “superroot” previously described in SUR1- and SUR2-defective Arabidopsis mutants. The effect of IAOx, IAA or the combination of both on the root phenotype was different and dependent on the type of N-nutrition. Our results also showed the endogenous importance of IAOx in a legume plant in relation to IAA metabolism, and suggested IAOx long-distance transport depending on the nitrogen source provided. Finally, our results point out to CYP71A as the major responsible enzymes for IAA synthesis from IAOx.
Open Access
Oximes and nitric oxide signalling in Medicago truncatula root system architecture
(2020) Buezo Bravo, Javier; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Esteban Terradillos, Raquel; Ciencias; Zientziak; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
El óxido nítrico (NO) es una molécula señalizadora ampliamente conocida en el mundo vegetal, relacionada con cada etapa en el desarrollo de la planta. De entre todas sus funciones descritas, se sabe que actúa sinérgicamente con el ácido indol-3-acético (IAA), promoviendo el desarrollo de raíces secundarias. Hasta ahora tan solo se han confirmado algunas vías de síntesis del NO, todas ellas reductivas, mientras que aún no se ha revelado vía oxidativa alguna. Varios informes de nuestro grupo de investigación han medido síntesis de novo de NO3- y NO2- en Pisum sativum y M. truncatula crecidas con NH4+ como única fuente de nitrógeno (datos sin publicar). Este hecho sugiere la existencia de una vía oxidativa para el NH4+ en fabáceas. Se propone también que este mismo mecanismo puede ser parte de la señalización por toxicidad de NH4+ y de los procesos para su mitigación. Dada su configuración molecular, las oximas son buenos candidatos para ser precursores del NO, y, por tanto, el primer paso de esta vía de oxidación de nitrógeno. Entre todas las oximas, la Indol-3-acetaldoxima (IAOx) es especialmente relevante ya que se sitúa en la encrucijada entre el IAA y los indol glucosinolatos. El papel del IAOx en el desarrollo y señalización está muy poco estudiado en crucíferas, y es prácticamente desconocido en otras familias. En esta tesis doctoral intentamos demostrar que el IAOx está presente en M. truncatula y que posee, además, importantes funciones de señalización durante el desarrollo radicular. Por último, hipotetizamos que la señalización de IAOx está mediada por NO. Para esta labor, hemos sintetizado IAOx y una colección de otras oximas indólicas y no indólicas puras y hemos utilizado un enfoque farmacológico utilizando la planta leguminosa modelo M. truncatula. Hemos medido el fenotipo radicular, cuantificado los compuestos indólicos en tejido (parte aérea y raíz) y medido la expresión de los genes de Indol-3-acetaldehido oxidasa e IAOx deshidratasa. Nuestros datos muestran que todas las oximas promueven el fenotipo ‘superoot’, concordando con nuestra hipótesis de que el IAOx produce su efecto a través de la liberación de NO. Este nuevo conocimiento es un gran paso hacia el descubrimiento de la vía oxidativa de síntesis de NO en plantas y arroja luz a la interacción entre IAOx, IAA y la nutrición nitrogenada, que será imprescindible para futuras investigaciones en campos de cultivo
Open Access
The importance of the urea cycle and its relationships to polyamine metabolism during ammonium stress in Medicago truncatula
(Oxford University Press, 2022) Urra, Marina; Buezo Bravo, Javier; Royo Castillejo, Beatriz; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; López Gómez, Pedro; Cerdán Ruiz, Daniel; Esteban Terradillos, Raquel; Martínez Merino, Víctor; Gogorcena, Yolanda; Tavladoraki, Paraskevi; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernuaren
The ornithine–urea cycle (urea cycle) makes a signifcant contribution to the metabolic responses of lower photosynthetic eukaryotes to episodes of high nitrogen availability. In this study, we compared the role of the plant urea cycle and its relationships to polyamine metabolism in ammonium-fed and nitrate-fed Medicago truncatula plants. High ammonium resulted in the accumulation of ammonium and pathway intermediates, particularly glutamine, arginine, ornithine, and putrescine. Arginine decarboxylase activity was decreased in roots, suggesting that the ornithine decarboxylase-dependent production of putrescine was important in situations of ammonium stress. The activity of copper amine oxidase, which releases ammonium from putrescine, was signifcantly decreased in both shoots and roots. In addition, physiological concentrations of ammonium inhibited copper amine oxidase activity in in vitro assays, supporting the conclusion that high ammonium accumulation favors putrescine synthesis. Moreover, early supplementation of plants with putrescine avoided ammonium toxicity. The levels of transcripts encoding urea-cyclerelated proteins were increased and transcripts involved in polyamine catabolism were decreased under high ammonium concentrations. We conclude that the urea cycle and associated polyamine metabolism function as important protective mechanisms limiting ammonium toxicity in M. truncatula. These fndings demonstrate the relevance of the urea cycle to polyamine metabolism in higher plants.
Open Access
The Urea cycle in connection to polyamine metabolism in higher plants: new perspectives on a central pathway
(Wiley, 2025-01-13) Buezo Bravo, Javier; Urra, Marina; González García, Esther; Alcázar, Rubén; Marino Bilbao, Daniel; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Ciencias; Zientziak; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
The ornithine-urea cycle is a biochemical pathway primarily found in animals, where it plays a crucial role in the re-assimilation of ammonium and the removal of excess nitrogen in the form of urea. In lower photosynthetic eukaryotes, it contributes to metabolic responses during episodes of high nitrogen availability. In higher plants, although historically overlooked, compelling evidence indicates the pivotal role of the urea cycle in different aspects of plant physiology and metabolism. In particular, it is associated with the metabolism of polyamines during stress. Unlike in animals and lower photosynthetic eukaryotes, in higher plants, the urea cycle is not complete due to the lack of the carbamoyl phosphate synthase-I enzyme that incorporates ammonium into the cycle. Higher plants only possess a type-II carbamoyl phosphate synthase-II that introduces glutamine into the cycle, which is also metabolically linked to arginine and polyamine metabolism. Putrescine accumulation is a metabolic hallmark of different types of abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, ammonium stress, iron and phosphorus deficiency, and low temperatures. Notably, the exogenous application of polyamines, such as putrescine or spermine, enhances tolerance to abiotic stress, a process in which the free radical nitric oxide appears to play a role. Overall, this review article attempts to bring together the current knowledge on the functionality of the constituent enzymes and metabolites of the urea cycle and discuss the importance of this pathway in relation to the metabolism of polyamine in higher plants.
Open Access
Indole-3-acetaldoxime delays root iron-deficiency responses and modify auxin homeostasis in medicago truncatula
(Elsevier, 2023) Roman, Angela; Montenegro, Joaquín; Fraile, Laura; Urra, Marina; Buezo Bravo, Javier; Cornejo Ibergallartu, Alfonso; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Gogorcena, Yolanda; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics - INAMAT2; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Iron (Fe) is an essential plant micronutrient, being a major limiting growth factor in calcareous soils. To increase Fe uptake, plants induce lateral roots growth, the expression of a Fe(III)-chelate reductase (FCR), a Fe(II)-transporter and a H+-ATPase and the secretion of flavins. Furthermore, auxin hormone family is involved in the Fe-deficiency responses but the action mechanism remains elusive. In this work, we evaluated the effect of the auxin-precursor indole-3-acetaldoxime (IAOx) on hydroponically grown Medicago truncatula plants under different Fe conditions. Upon 4-days of Fe starvation, the pH of the nutrient solution decreased, while both the FCR activity and the presence of flavins increased. Exogenous IAOx increased lateral roots growth contributing to superroot phenotype, decreased chlorosis, and delayed up to 3-days the pH-decrease, the FCR-activity increase, and the presence of flavins, compared to Fe-deficient plants. Gene expression levels were in concordance with the physiological responses. Results: showed that IAOx was immediately transformed to IAN in roots and shoots to maintain auxin homeostasis. IAOx plays an active role in iron homeostasis delaying symptoms and responses in Fe-deficient plants. We may speculate that IAOx or its derivatives remobilize Fe from root cells to alleviate Fe-deficiency. Overall, these results point out that the IAOx-derived phenotype may have advantages to overcome nutritional stresses.
Embargo
Downed woody debris carbon emissions in a European temperate virgin forest as driven by species, decay classes, diameter and microclimate
(Elsevier, 2024-02-20) Buezo Bravo, Javier; Medina, Nagore G.; Hereş, Ana-Maria; Petritan, Ion C.; Cornelissen, Johannes H.C.; Petritan, Any Mary; Esteban Terradillos, Raquel; Ilinca, Elisabeth; Stoian, R.; Curiel Yuste, Jorge; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB
Downed woody debris (DWD) plays an important role as regulator of nutrient and carbon (C) cycling in forests, accounting for up to the 20 % of the total C stocks in primary forests. DWD persistence is highly influenced by microbial decomposition, which is determined by various environmental factors, including fluctuations in temperature and moisture, as well as in intrinsic DWD properties determined by species, diameter, or decay classes (DCs). The relative importance of these different drivers, as well as their interactions, remains largely unknown. Moreover, the importance of DWD for C cycling in virgin forests remains poorly understood, due to their scarcity and poor accessibility. To address this research gap, we conducted a study on DWD respiration (RDWD), in a temperate virgin forest dominated by European beech and silver fir. Our investigation analysed the correlation between RDWD of these two dominant tree species and the seasonal changes in climate (temperature and moisture), considering other intrinsic DWD traits such as DCs (1, 2 and 4) and diameters (1, 10 and 25 cm). As anticipated, RDWD (normalized per gram of dry DWD) increased with air temperature. Surprisingly, DWD diameter also had a strong positive correlation with R DWD. Nonetheless, the sensitivity to both variables and other intrinsic traits (DC and density) was greatly modulated by the species. On the contrary, water content, which exhibited a considerable spatial variation, had an overall negative effect on R DWD. Virgin forests are generally seen as ineffective C sinks due to their lack of net productivity and high respiration and nutrient turnover. However, the rates of R DWD in this virgin forest were significantly lower than those previously estimated for managed forests. This suggests that DWD in virgin forests may be bufferingforest CO2 emissions to the atmosphere more than previously thought.
Open Access
The proteome of Medicago truncatula in response to ammonium and urea nutrition reveals the role of membrane proteins and enzymes of root lignification
(Elsevier, 2019) Royo Castillejo, Beatriz; Esteban Terradillos, Raquel; Buezo Bravo, Javier; Santamaría Martínez, Enrique; Fernández Irigoyen, Joaquín; Becker, Dirk; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Zientziak; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Ciencias; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Plants differ widely in their growth and tolerance responses to ammonium and urea nutrition, while derived phenotypes seem markedly different from plants grown under nitrate supply. Plant responses to N sources are complex, and the traits involved remain unknown. This work reports a comprehensive and quantitative root proteomic study on the NH4+-tolerant legume Medicago truncatula grown under axenic conditions with either nitrate, NH4+ or urea supply as sole N source by using the iTRAQ method. Sixty-one different proteins among the three N sources were identified. Interestingly, among the proteomic responses, urea nutrition displayed greater similarity to nitrate than to ammonium nutrition. We found remarkable differences in membrane proteins that play roles in sensing the N form, and regulate the intracellular pH and the uptake of N. Also, several groups of proteins were differentially expressed in the C metabolism pathway involved in reorganizing N assimilation. In addition, enzymes related to phenylpropanoid metabolism, including the peroxidases POD2, POD6, POD7 and POD11, which were up-regulated under ammonium nutrition, contributed to the reinforcement of cell walls, as confirmed by specific staining of lignin. Thus, we identified cell wall lignification as an important tolerance mechanism of root cells associated with the stunted phenotype typical of plants grown under ammonium nutrition.
Open Access
Drought tolerance response of high-yielding soybean varieties to mild drought: physiological and photochemical adjustments
(Wiley, 2019) Buezo Bravo, Javier; Sanz Sáez, Álvaro; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Soba Hidalgo, David; Aranjuelo Michelena, Iker; Esteban Terradillos, Raquel; Ciencias; Zientziak; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Soybean is a crop of agronomic importance that requires adequate watering during its growth to achieve high production. In this study, we determined physiological, photochemical and metabolic differences in five soybean varieties selected from the parental lines of a nested association mapping population during mild drought. These varieties have been described as high yielding (NE3001, HY1; LD01-5907, HY2) or drought tolerant (PI518751; HYD1; PI398881, HYD2). Nevertheless, there has been little research on the physiological traits that sustain their high productivity under water-limited conditions. The results indicate that high-yielding varieties under drought cope with the shortage of water by enhancing their photoprotective defences and invest in growth and productivity, linked to a higher intrinsic water use efficiency. This is the case of the variety N-3001 (HY1), with a tolerance strategy involving a faster transition into the reproductive stage to avoid the drought period. The present study highlights the role of the physiological and biochemical adjustments of various soybean varieties to cope with water-limited conditions. Moreover, the obtained results underscore the fact that the high phenotypic plasticity among soybean phenotypes should be exploited to compensate for the low genetic variability of this species when selecting plant productivity in constrained environments.
Open Access
A study of the interface of gold nanoparticles conjugated to cowpea fe-superoxide dismutase
(MDPI, 2022) Tellechea Malda, Edurne; Asensio, Aarón C.; Ciáurriz Gortari, Paula; Buezo Bravo, Javier; López Gómez, Pedro; Urra, Marina; Morán Juez, José Fernando; Ciencias; Zientziak; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa (Res 309/2022)
The iron superoxide dismutase (FeSOD) is a first barrier to defend photosynthetic organisms from superoxide radicals. Although it is broadly present in plants and bacteria, FeSODs are absent in animals. They belong to the same phylogenic family as Mn-containing SODs, which are also highly efficient at detoxifying superoxide radicals. In addition, SODs can react with peroxynitrite, and FeSOD enzyme has already been used to evaluate the anti-nitrative capacity of plant antioxidants. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been shown to significantly improve the functionality and the efficiency of ligands, providing they are properly assembled. In this work, the characteristics of the recombinant cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) FeSOD (rVuFeSOD) immobilized onto AuNPs were investigated as a function of (1) NP surface chemistry and (2) biofunctionalization methods, either physical adsorption or covalent bonding. The NP surface chemistry was studied by varying the concentration of the ligand molecule 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) on the NP surface. The coverage and activity of the protein on AuNPs was determined and correlated to the surface chemistry and the two biofunctionalization methods. rVuFeSOD–AuNPs conjugate stability was monitored through absorption measurements, agarose gel electrophoresis and DLS, enzymatic activity by a colorimetric assay and by in-gel activity assay, and coverage was measured by colorimetric assay. When using physical adsorption, the NP is the most perturbing agent for the activity of the enzyme. In contrast, only the NP coverage was affected by MUA ligand concentration. However, during covalent attachment, both the NP and the concentration of MUA on the surface influenced the enzyme activity, while the coverage of the NP remained constant. The results evidence the importance of the biomolecule and AuNP interaction for the functionality of the hybrid. These strategies can be used to develop electrochemical biosensors for O2•− and for peroxynitrite in biomedical applications.