Open Access
Cysteine proteases are activated in sensitive Amaranthus palmeri populations upon treatment with herbicides inhibiting amino acid biosynthesis
(Wiley, 2023) Barco Antoñanzas, María; Font Farre, María; Eceiza, Mikel Vicente; Gil Monreal, Miriam; Van der Hoorn, Reiner; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The herbicides glyphosate and pyrithiobac inhibit the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathway and acetolactate synthase (ALS) in the branched-chain amino acid biosynthetic pathway, respectively. Here we characterise the protease activity profiles of a sensitive (S), a glyphosate-resistant (GR) and a multiple-resistant (MR) population of Amaranthus palmeri in response to glyphosate and pyrithiobac. Amino acid accumulation and cysteine protease activities were induced with both herbicides in the S population and with pyrithiobac in the GR population, suggesting that the increase in cysteine proteases is responsible for the increased degradation of the available proteins and the observed increase in free amino acids. Herbicides did not induce any changes in the proteolytic activities in the populations with target-site resistance, indicating that this effect was only induced in sensitive plants.
Open Access
Increased glyphosate-induced gene expression in the shikimate pathway is abolished in the presence of aromatic amino acids and mimicked by shikimate
(Frontiers Media, 2020) Zulet González, Ainhoa; Barco Antoñanzas, María; Gil Monreal, Miriam; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The herbicide glyphosate inhibits the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the aromatic amino acid (AAA) biosynthetic pathway, also known as the shikimate pathway. Amaranthus palmeri is a fast-growing weed, and several populations have evolved resistance to glyphosate through increased EPSPS gene copy number. The main objective of this study was to elucidate the regulation of the shikimate pathway and determine whether the regulatory mechanisms of glyphosate-sensitive and glyphosate-resistant plants were different. Leaf disks of sensitive and resistant (due to EPSPS gene amplification) A. palmeri plants were incubated for 24 h with glyphosate, AAA, glyphosate + AAA, or several intermediates of the pathway: shikimate, quinate, chorismate and anthranilate. In the sensitive population, glyphosate induced shikimate accumulation and induced the gene expression of the shikimate pathway. While AAA alone did not elicit any change, AAA applied with glyphosate abolished the effects of the herbicide on gene expression. It was not possible to fully mimic the effect of glyphosate by incubation with any of the intermediates, but shikimate was the intermediate that induced the highest increase (three-fold) in the expression level of the genes of the shikimate pathway of the sensitive population. These results suggest that, in this population, the lack of end products (AAA) of the shikimate pathway and shikimate accumulation would be the signals inducing gene expression in the AAA pathway after glyphosate application. In general, the effects on gene expression detected after the application of the intermediates were more severe in the sensitive population than in the resistant population. These results suggest that when EPSPS is overexpressed, as in the resistant population, the regulatory mechanisms of the AAA pathway are disrupted or buffered. The mechanisms underlying this behavior remain to be elucidated.
Open Access
ERF-VII transcription factors induce ethanol fermentation in response to amino acid biosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides
(Oxford University Press, 2019) Gil Monreal, Miriam; Giuntoli, Beatrice; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Licausi, Francesco; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Herbicides inhibiting either aromatic or branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis trigger similar physiological responses in plants, despite their different mechanism of action. Both types of herbicides are known to activate ethanol fermentation by inducing the expression of fermentative genes; however, the mechanism of such transcriptional regulation has not been investigated so far. In plants exposed to low-oxygen conditions, ethanol fermentation is transcriptionally controlled by the ethylene response factors-VII (ERF-VIIs), whose stability is controlled in an oxygen-dependent manner by the Cys-Arg branch of the N-degron pathway. In this study, we investigated the role of ERF-VIIs in the regulation of the ethanol fermentation pathway in herbicide-treated Arabidopsis plants grown under aerobic conditions. Our results demonstrate that these transcriptional regulators are stabilized in response to herbicide treatment and are required for ethanol fermentation in these conditions. We also observed that mutants with reduced fermentative potential exhibit higher sensitivity to herbicide treatments, thus revealing the existence of a mechanism that mimics oxygen deprivation to activate metabolic pathways that enhance herbicide tolerance. We speculate that this signaling pathway may represent a potential target in agriculture to affect tolerance to herbicides that inhibit amino acid biosynthesis.
Open Access
Characterization of the Amaranthus palmeri physiological response to glyphosate in susceptible and resistant populations
(American Chemical Society, 2016) Fernández Escalada, Manuel; Gil Monreal, Miriam; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Ciencias del Medio Natural; Natura Ingurunearen Zientziak; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The herbicide glyphosate inhibits the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the aromatic amino acid (AAA) biosynthetic pathway. The physiologies of an Amaranthus palmeri population exhibiting resistance to glyphosate by EPSPS gene amplification (NC-R) and a susceptible population (NC-S) were compared. The EPSPS copy number of NC-R plants was 47.5-fold the copy number of NC-S plants. Although the amounts of EPSPS protein and activity were higher in NC-R plants than in NC-S plants, the AAA concentrations were similar. The increases in total free amino acid and in AAA contents induced by glyphosate were more evident in NC-S plants. In both populations, the EPSPS protein increased after glyphosate exposure, suggesting regulation of gene expression. EPSPS activity seems tightly controlled in vivo. Carbohydrate accumulation and a slight induction of ethanol fermentation were detected in both populations.
Open Access
Unravelling the phytotoxic effects of glyphosate on sensitive and resistant Amaranthus Palmeri populations by GC-MS and LC-MS metabolic profiling
(MDPI, 2023) Zulet González, Ainhoa; Gorzolka, Karin; Döll, Stefanie; Gil Monreal, Miriam; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Glyphosate, the most successful herbicide in history, specifically inhibits the activity of the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS; EC 2.5.1.19), one of the key enzymes in the shikimate pathway. Amaranthus palmeri is a driver weed in agriculture today that has evolved glyphosate-resistance through increased EPSPS gene copy number and other mechanisms. Non-targeted GC–MS and LC–MS metabolomic profiling was conducted to examine the innate physiology and the glyphosate-induced perturbations in one sensitive and one resistant (by EPSPS amplification) population of A. palmeri. In the absence of glyphosate treatment, the metabolic profile of both populations was very similar. The comparison between the effects of sublethal and lethal doses on sensitive and resistant populations suggests that lethality of the herbicide is associated with an amino acid pool imbalance and accumulation of the metabolites of the shikimate pathway upstream from EPSPS. Ferulic acid and its derivatives were accumulated in treated plants of both populations, while quercetin and its derivative contents were only lower in the resistant plants treated with glyphosate.
Open Access
Nuevas tecnologías y materiales educativos digitales para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de Biología y Geología
(2017) Gil Monreal, Miriam; González García, Esther; Facultad de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales; Giza eta Gizarte Zientzien Fakultatea
Las nuevas tecnologías ofrecen muchas oportunidades en la educación, y conscientes de ello, los gobiernos y distintas entidades privadas han desarrollado iniciativas para fomentar el uso de las Nuevas Tecnologías en las aulas. En este trabajo fin de máster, se ha realizado un análisis de las diferentes iniciativas desarrolladas en Navarra desde distintas organizaciones, con el fin de impulsar las Nuevas Tecnologías en los centros educativos de esta comunidad. Por otro lado, para conocer la situación actual en las aulas en cuanto a dotación de recursos digitales y para conocer cómo se perciben las Nuevas Tecnologías en la comunidad educativa, se realizaron sendas encuestas a los diferentes miembros de la comunidad educativa, profesores, alumnos y familias. Los resultados mostraron que, aunque hay cierta digitalización en las aulas, la dotación tecnológica es bastante básica. Por otro lado, se comprobó que la comunidad educativa está a favor del uso de Nuevas Tecnologías en las aulas, ya que éstas tienen mucho que ofrecer en el proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje. Finalmente, en el último capítulo de este trabajo, se presentan tres formatos de material educativo ofrecidos por distintas editoriales para la asignatura de Biología y Geología de 3ºESO. Este análisis nos muestra que las editoriales han modificado su oferta de material didáctico, introduciendo actividades más innovadoras que incluyen un cambio de metodología y dando mayor presencia a las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación. En conclusión, las Nuevas Tecnologías van teniendo mayor protagonismo en la educación, pero su introducción en las aulas está siendo muy lenta.
Open Access
Quinate-enhanced glyphosate toxicity is related to the accumulation of quinate derivatives
(Elsevier, 2024) Zulet González, Ainhoa; Gil Monreal, Miriam; Gorzolka, Karin; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide and works by inhibiting the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) of the shikimate pathway, preventing the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis. When applied to plants, it provokes the accumulation of quinate, a metabolite synthesized through a side branch of the shikimate pathway. The joint application of glyphosate and quinate enhanced glyphosate efficacy on Amaranthus palmeri, requiring one-quarter of the recommended dose of glyphosate for complete control. Expression of the genes of the shikimate pathway and non-targeted GC-MS metabolic profiling were conducted to compare the physiological response after glyphosate, quinate or the combination of both. A perturbed gene expression of the shikimate pathway was detected after quinate applied alone, while no relevant changes in the metabolome were detected. The sub-lethal glyphosate treatment induced gene expression in the shikimate pathway, accumulation of the metabolites located upstream EPSPS and disturbances in the amino acid content. The exacerbation of the phytotoxicity in the lethal combined treatment was not related to any specific change in the expression level of the shikimate pathway. Metabolic profiling indicated that the accumulation of quinate and quinate derivatives detected after quinate applied alone was severely enhanced after the combined treatment of quinate and glyphosate.
Open Access
Role of glutathione S-transferases in the mode of action of herbicides that inhibit amino acid synthesis in Amaranthus palmeri
(Elsevier, 2024) Eceiza, Mikel Vicente; Jiménez Martínez, Clara; Gil Monreal, Miriam; Barco Antoñanzas, María; Font Farre, María; Huybrechts, Michiel; Van der Hoorn, Reiner; Cuypers, Ann; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Acetolactate synthase inhibitors (ALS inhibitors) and glyphosate are two classes of herbicides that act by inhibiting an enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of branched-chain or aromatic amino acids, respectively. Besides amino acid synthesis inhibition, both herbicides trigger similar physiological effects in plants. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the role of glutathione metabolism, with special emphasis on glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), in the mode of action of glyphosate and ALS inhibitors in Amaranthus palmeri. For that purpose, plants belonging to a glyphosate-sensitive (GLS) and a glyphosate-resistant (GLR) population were treated with different doses of glyphosate, and plants belonging to an ALS-inhibitor sensitive (AIS) and an ALS-inhibitor resistant (AIR) population were treated with different doses of the ALS inhibitor nicosulfuron. Glutathione-related contents, GST activity, and related gene expressions (glutamate-cysteine ligase, glutathione reductase, Phi GST and Tau GST) were analysed in leaves. According to the results of the analytical determinations, there were virtually no basal differences between GLS and GLR plants or between AIS and AIR plants. Glutathione synthesis and turnover did not follow a clear pattern in response to herbicides, but GST activity and gene expression (especially Phi GSTs) increased with both herbicides in treated sensitive plants, possibly related to the rocketing H2O2 accumulation. As GSTs offered the clearest results, these were further investigated with a multiple resistant (MR) population, compressing target-site resistance to both glyphosate and the ALS inhibitor pyrithiobac. As in single-resistant plants, measured parameters in the MR population were unaffected by herbicides, meaning that the increase in GST activity and expression occurs due to herbicide interactions with the target enzymes.
Open Access
Physiological performance of glyphosate and imazamox mixtures on Amaranthus palmeri sensitive and resistant to glyphosate
(Nature Research, 2019) Fernández Escalada, Manuel; Zulet González, Ainhoa; Gil Monreal, Miriam; Royuela Hernando, Mercedes; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology - IMAB; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The herbicides glyphosate and imazamox inhibit the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic amino acids (AAA) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), respectively. Both herbicides share several physiological effects in the processes triggered in plants after herbicide application that kills the plant, and mixtures of both herbicides are being used. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological effects in the mixture of glyphosate and imazamox in glyphosate-sensitive (GS) and -resistant (GR) populations of the troublesome weed Amaranthus palmeri. The changes detected in the physiological parameters after herbicide mixtures application were similar and even less to the changes detected after individual treatments. This pattern was detected in shikimate, amino acid and carbohydrate content, and it was independent of the EPSPS copy number, as it was detected in both populations. In the case of the transcriptional pattern of the AAA pathway after glyphosate, interesting and contrary interactions with imazamox treatment were detected for both populations; enhancement of the effect in the GS population and alleviation in the GR population. At the transcriptional level, no cross regulation between AAA and BCAA inhibitors was confirmed. This study suggests that mixtures are equally or less toxic than herbicides alone, and would implicate careful considerations when applying the herbicide mixtures.
Open Access
Induction of the PDH bypass and upregulation of the ALDH7B4 in plants treated with herbicides inhibiting amino acid biosynthesis
(Elsevier, 2017) Gil Monreal, Miriam; Zabalza Aznárez, Ana; Missihoun, Tagnon D.; Dormann, Peter; Bartels, Dorothea; Ciencias del Medio Natural; Natura Ingurunearen Zientziak; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Imazamox and glyphosate represent two classes of herbicides that inhibit the activity of acetohydroxyacid synthase in the branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis pathway and the activity of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase in the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway, respectively. However, it is still unclear how imazamox and glyphosate lead to plant death. Both herbicides inhibit amino-acid biosynthesis and were found to induce ethanol fermentation in plants, but an Arabidopsis mutant deficient in alcohol dehydrogenase 1 was neither more susceptible nor more resistant than the wild-type to the herbicides. In this study, we investigated the effects of the amino acid biosynthesis inhibitors, imazamox and glyphosate, on the pyruvate dehydrogenase bypass reaction and fatty acid metabolism in A. thaliana. We found that the pyruvate dehydrogenase bypass was upregulated following the treatment by the two herbicides. Our results suggest that the Arabidopsis aldehyde dehydrogenase 7B4 gene might be participating in the pyruvate dehydrogenase bypass reaction. We evaluated the potential role of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 7B4 upon herbicide treatment in the plant defence mechanism. Plants that overexpressed the ALDH7B4 gene accumulated less soluble sugars, starch, and fatty acids and grew better than the wild-type after herbicide treatment. We discuss how the upregulation of the ALDH7B4 alleviates the effects of the herbicides, potentially through the detoxification of the metabolites produced in the pyruvate dehydrogenase bypass.