Protocol: A simple phenol-based method for 96-well extraction of high quality RNA from Arabidopsis

Background: Many experiments in modern plant molecular biology require the processing of large numbers of samples for a variety of applications from mutant screens to the analysis of natural variants. A severe bottleneck to many such analyses is the acquisition of good yields of high quality RNA suitable for use in sensitive downstream applications such as real time quantitative reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real time qRT-PCR). Although several commercial kits are available for high-throughput RNA extraction in 96-well format, only one non-kit method has been described in the literature using the commercial reagent TRIZOL.Results: We describe an unusual phenomenon when using TRIZOL reagent with young Arabidopsis seedlings. This prompted us to develop a high-throughput RNA extraction protocol (HTP96) adapted from a well established phenol:chloroform-LiCl method (P:C-L) that is cheap, reliable and requires no specialist equipment. With this protocol 192 high quality RNA samples can be prepared in 96-well format in three hours (less than 1 minute per sample) with less than 1% loss of samples. We demonstrate that the RNA derived from this protocol is of high quality and suitable for use in real time qRT-PCR assays.Conclusion: The development of the HTP96 protocol has vastly increased our sample throughput, allowing us to fully exploit the large sample capacity of modern real time qRT-PCR thermocyclers, now commonplace in many labs, and develop an effective high-throughput gene expression platform. We propose that the HTP96 protocol will significantly benefit any plant scientist with the task of obtaining hundreds of high quality RNA extractions

Identification of candidates for cyclotide biosynthesis and cyclisation by expressed sequence tag analysis of Oldenlandia affinis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cyclotides are a family of circular peptides that exhibit a range of biological activities, including anti-bacterial, cytotoxic, anti-HIV activities, and are proposed to function in plant defence. Their high stability has motivated their development as scaffolds for the stabilisation of peptide drugs. <it>Oldenlandia affinis</it> is a member of the Rubiaceae (coffee) family from which 18 cyclotides have been sequenced to date, but the details of their processing from precursor proteins have only begun to be elucidated. To increase the speed at which genes involved in cyclotide biosynthesis and processing are being discovered, an expressed sequence tag (EST) project was initiated to survey the transcript profile of <it>O. affinis</it> and to propose some future directions of research on in vivo protein cyclisation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using flow cytometry the holoploid genome size (1C-value) of <it>O. affinis </it>was estimated to be 4,210 - 4,284 Mbp, one of the largest genomes of the Rubiaceae family. High-quality ESTs were identified, 1,117 in total, from leaf cDNAs and assembled into 502 contigs, comprising 202 consensus sequences and 300 singletons. ESTs encoding the cyclotide precursors for kalata B1 (<it>Oak1</it>) and kalata B2 (<it>Oak4</it>) were among the 20 most abundant ESTs. In total, 31 ESTs encoded cyclotide precursors, representing a distinct commitment of 2.8% of the <it>O. affinis </it>transcriptome to cyclotide biosynthesis. The high expression levels of cyclotide precursor transcripts are consistent with the abundance of mature cyclic peptides in <it>O. affinis</it>. A new cyclotide precursor named <it>Oak5 </it>was isolated and represents the first cDNA for the bracelet class of cyclotides in <it>O. affinis</it>. Clones encoding enzymes potentially involved in processing cyclotides were also identified and include enzymes involved in oxidative folding and proteolytic processing.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The EST library generated in this study provides a valuable resource for the study of the cyclisation of plant peptides. Further analysis of the candidates for cyclotide processing discovered in this work will increase our understanding and aid in reconstructing cyclotide production using transgenic systems and will benefit their development in pharmaceutical applications and insect-resistant crop plants.</p

The Arabidopsis B3 domain protein VERNALIZATION1 is involved in processes essential for development with structural and mutational studies revealing its DNA binding surface

The B3 DNA-binding domain is a plant-specific domain found throughout the plant kingdom from the alga Chlamydomonas to grasses and flowering plants. Over 100 B3 domain-containing proteins are found in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, and one of these is critical for accelerating flowering in response to prolonged cold treatment, an epigenetic process called vernalization. Despite the specific phenotype of genetic vrn1 mutants, the VERNALIZATION1 (VRN1) protein localizes throughout the nucleus and shows sequence-nonspecific binding in vitro. In this work, we used a dominant repressor tag that overcomes genetic redundancy to show that VRN1 is involved in processes beyond vernalization that are essential for Arabidopsis development. To understand its sequence-nonspecific binding, we crystallized VRN1(208-341) and solved its crystal structure to 1.6 angstrom resolution using selenium/single-wavelength anomalous diffraction methods. The crystallized construct comprises the second VRN1 B3 domain and a preceding region conserved among VRN1 orthologs but absent in other B3 domains. We established the DNA-binding face using NMR and then mutated positively charged residues on this surface with a series of 16 Ala and Glu substitutions, ensuring that the protein fold was not disturbed using heteronuclear single quantum correlation NMR spectra. The triple mutant R249E/R289E/R296E was almost completely incapable of DNA binding in vitro. Thus, we have revealed that although VRN1 is sequence-nonspecific in DNA binding, it has a defined DNA-binding surface

Two proteins for the price of one: structural studies of the dual-destiny protein preproalbumin with sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1

Seed storage proteins are both an important source of nutrition for humans and essential for seedling establishment. Interestingly, unusual napin-type 2S seed storage albumin precursors in sunflowers contain a sequence that is released as a macrocyclic peptide during post-translational processing. The mechanism by which such peptides emerge from linear precursor proteins has received increased attention; however, the structural characterization of intact precursor proteins has been limited. Here, we report the 3D NMR structure of the Helianthus annuus PawS1 (preproalbumin with sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1) and provide new insights into the processing of this remarkable dual-destiny protein. In seeds, PawS1 is matured by asparaginyl endopeptidases (AEPs) into the cyclic peptide SFTI-1 (sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1) and a heterodimeric 2S albumin. The structure of PawS1 revealed that SFTI-1 and the albumin are independently folded into well-defined domains separated by a flexible linker. PawS1 was cleaved in vitro with recombinant sunflower HaAEP1 and in situ using a sunflower seed extract in a way that resembled the expected in vivo cleavages. Recombinant HaAEP1 cleaved PawS1 at multiple positions, and in situ, its flexible linker was removed, yielding fully mature heterodimeric albumin. Liberation and cyclization of SFTI-1, however, was inefficient, suggesting that specific seed conditions or components may be required for in vivo biosynthesis of SFTI-1. In summary, this study has revealed the 3D structure of a macrocyclic precursor protein and provided important mechanistic insights into the maturation of sunflower proalbumins into an albumin and a macrocyclic peptide

Rapid isolation of high-quality RNA from symbiotic dinoflagellates

This report details a reliable and efficient RNA extraction protocol for the symbiotic dinoflagellate Symbiodinium microadriaticum Freudenthal (Gymnodiniales, Dinophyceae). The method typically gives yields of 500 mu g total RNA from 0.4 g wet weight of algae, and, in comparison to current protocols, it is technically simple and less time consuming. This method isolates high-quality, intact RNA from in vine cultured as well as host-isolated cells, as demonstrated by spectrophotometry, gel electrophoresis, and northern analysis. The total RNA obtained was suitable for reverse transcription and PCR amplification of Symbiodinium cDNAs. We have successfully applied our method to isolate total RNA from a different dinoflagellate, Amphidinium carterae Hulburt (Gymnodiniales, Dinophyceae), found in symbiotic association with marine invertebrates

A tripartite approach identifies the major sunflower seed albumins

Key message: We have used a combination of genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches to identify the napin-type albumin genes in sunflower and define their contributions to the seed albumin pool. Abstract: Seed protein content is determined by the expression of what are typically large gene families. A major class of seed storage proteins is the napin-type, water soluble albumins. In this work we provide a comprehensive analysis of the napin-type albumin content of the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) by analyzing a draft genome, a transcriptome and performing a proteomic analysis of the seed albumin fraction. We show that although sunflower contains at least 26 genes for napin-type albumins, only 15 of these are present at the mRNA level. We found protein evidence for 11 of these but the albumin content of mature seeds is dominated by the encoded products of just three genes. So despite high genetic redundancy for albumins, only a small sub-set of this gene family contributes to total seed albumin content. The three genes identified as producing the majority of sunflower seed albumin are potential future candidates for manipulation through genetics and breeding

Seed storage albumins: Biosynthesis, trafficking and structures

Seed storage albumins are water-soluble and highly abundant proteins that are broken-down during seed germination to provide nitrogen and sulfur for the developing seedling. During seed maturation these proteins are subject to post-translational modifications and trafficking before they are deposited in great quantity and with great stability in dedicated vacuoles. This review will cover the subcellular movement, biochemical processing and mature structures of seed storage napins