Occurrence, Evolution and Specificities of Iron-Sulfur Proteins and Maturation Factors in Chloroplasts from Algae

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Study of NFU, ISCA and FOX proteins involved in FE.S cluster maturation in mitochondria from Arabidopsis thaliana

Chez les plantes, les protéines à centre fer-soufre (Fe-S) sont impliquées dans de nombreux processus cellulaires (e.g. photosynthèse, respiration). La maturation de ces protéines nécessite la synthèse de novo des centres Fe-S à l’aide de machineries d’assemblage spécifiques. Les plantes possèdent trois machineries d’assemblage nommées SUF, ISC et CIA, dédiées à la maturation des protéines plastidiales, mitochondriales et nucléaires ou cytosoliques, respectivement. Lors de la maturation des protéines mitochondriales, un centre [2Fe-2S] est initialement assemblé sur la protéine d’échafaudage ISU puis transféré vers les apoprotéines cibles à l’aide de chaperons et de diverses protéines de transfert. Si ces étapes semblent suffisantes pour la maturation de protéines incorporant des centres [2Fe-2S], un couplage réductif de deux centres [2Fe-2S] est nécessaire pour la maturation des protéines de type [4Fe-4S]. Cette conversion nécessite des protéines de transfert et un donneur d’électrons, potentiellement la même ferrédoxine que celle qui agit déjà lors des étapes précoces pour la réduction du soufre. En combinant des approches moléculaires, biochimiques et génétiques, l’implication des protéines de transfert NFU et ISCA et des ferrédoxines mitochondriales (mFDX) dans les étapes tardives de transfert et de conversion a été explorée au cours de cette thèse chez la plante modèle Arabidopsis thaliana. Des expériences de complémentation en levure ont démontré que les protéines NFU et ISCA de plantes peuvent assurer les mêmes fonctions que leurs orthologues respectifs, suggérant que ces étapes tardives ont été conservées. Cependant, contrairement à la levure, l’analyse de lignées n’exprimant pas les deux protéines NFU indiquent qu’elles sont essentielles pour le développement de l’embryon. Au niveau moléculaire, les analyses effectuées à l’aide d’approches in vivo et/ou in vitro ont permis d’identifier une interaction entre ISCA1a ou ISCA1b et ISCA2, NFU4 et NFU5 mais aucune interaction avec les deux mFDX dont le rôle dans les dernières étapes d’assemblage des centres Fe-S reste donc incertain. La formation d’holo-hétérocomplexes entre ISCA1 et ISCA2 a été confirmée par co-expression chez E. coli et purification des protéines recombinantes. Globalement, en associant la littérature à propos de la machinerie ISC et les résultats obtenus, le modèle qui ressort est que des hétérocomplexes ISCA1/2 agiraient immédiatement en amont des protéines NFU qui permettraient a minima la maturation des centres [4Fe-4S] de la lipoate synthase. Ce seul partenaire pourrait expliquer en grande partie la létalité d’un mutant nfu4 x nfu5 car l’activité de plusieurs protéines centrales pour le métabolisme mitochondrial dépend de l’acide lipoïqueIn plants, iron-sulfur (Fe-S) proteins are involved in crucial processes such as photosynthesis and respiration. The maturation of these proteins requires the de novo synthesis of their Fe-S clusters through dedicated assembly machineries. Plants have three Fe-S cluster assembly machineries, namely SUF, ISC and CIA, devoted to the maturation of plastidial, mitochondrial and nuclear or cytosolic proteins, respectively. During the mitochondrial Fe-S protein maturation, a [2Fe-2S] cluster is first assembled on the ISU scaffold protein then transferred to target proteins with the help of chaperones and various transfer proteins. If these steps are sufficient for the maturation of [2Fe-2S] proteins, a reductive coupling process of two [2Fe-2S] clusters is required for the maturation of [4Fe-4S] proteins. This conversion needs transfer proteins and an electrons donor, potentially the same ferredoxin which acts during the first step of the Fe-S cluster biogenesis for sulfur reduction. By combining molecular, biochemical and genetic approaches, the involvement of NFU and ISCA transfer protein and mitochondrial ferredoxin (mFDX) in the late transfer and conversion steps has been explored during this PhD project by using the Arabidopsis thaliana plant model. Yeast complementation experiments have demonstrated that plant NFU and ISCA proteins have functions similar to their respective orthologs, suggesting that these late steps are conserved. However, unlike yeast, the characterization of nfu mutant lines indicates that both proteins are essential for early embryonic development. At the molecular level, in vivo and in vitro approaches have shown an interaction between ISCA1a or ISCA1b and ISCA2, NFU4 and NFU5 but no interaction with the two mFDX whose participation in the late steps remains uncertain. The formation of ISCA1-ISCA2 holo-heterocomplexes has been confirmed by co-expression in E. coli and purification of recombinant proteins. Overall, the literature and results obtained here highlight a model where ISCA1/2 heterocomplexes would act immediately downstream of NFU proteins which would a minima allow [4Fe-4S] cluster maturation of the lipoate synthase. This sole partner could primarily explain the lethality of a nfu4 x nfu5 double mutant because the activity of several proteins central for the mitochondrial metabolism depends on lipoic aci

Étude des protéines NFU, ISCA et FDX, impliquées dans la maturation des centres fer-soufre dans les mitochondries d’Arabidopsis thaliana

Texte intégral accessible uniquement aux membres de l'Université de LorraineIn plants, iron-sulfur (Fe-S) proteins are involved in crucial processes such as photosynthesis and respiration. The maturation of these proteins requires the de novo synthesis of their Fe-S clusters through dedicated assembly machineries. Plants have three Fe-S cluster assembly machineries, namely SUF, ISC and CIA, devoted to the maturation of plastidial, mitochondrial and nuclear or cytosolic proteins, respectively. During the mitochondrial Fe-S protein maturation, a [2Fe-2S] cluster is first assembled on the ISU scaffold protein then transferred to target proteins with the help of chaperones and various transfer proteins. If these steps are sufficient for the maturation of [2Fe-2S] proteins, a reductive coupling process of two [2Fe-2S] clusters is required for the maturation of [4Fe-4S] proteins. This conversion needs transfer proteins and an electrons donor, potentially the same ferredoxin which acts during the first step of the Fe-S cluster biogenesis for sulfur reduction. By combining molecular, biochemical and genetic approaches, the involvement of NFU and ISCA transfer protein and mitochondrial ferredoxin (mFDX) in the late transfer and conversion steps has been explored during this PhD project by using the Arabidopsis thaliana plant model. Yeast complementation experiments have demonstrated that plant NFU and ISCA proteins have functions similar to their respective orthologs, suggesting that these late steps are conserved. However, unlike yeast, the characterization of nfu mutant lines indicates that both proteins are essential for early embryonic development. At the molecular level, in vivo and in vitro approaches have shown an interaction between ISCA1a or ISCA1b and ISCA2, NFU4 and NFU5 but no interaction with the two mFDX whose participation in the late steps remains uncertain. The formation of ISCA1-ISCA2 holo-heterocomplexes has been confirmed by co-expression in E. coli and purification of recombinant proteins. Overall, the literature and results obtained here highlight a model where ISCA1/2 heterocomplexes would act immediately downstream of NFU proteins which would a minima allow [4Fe-4S] cluster maturation of the lipoate synthase. This sole partner could primarily explain the lethality of a nfu4 x nfu5 double mutant because the activity of several proteins central for the mitochondrial metabolism depends on lipoic acidChez les plantes, les protéines à centre fer-soufre (Fe-S) sont impliquées dans de nombreux processus cellulaires (e.g. photosynthèse, respiration). La maturation de ces protéines nécessite la synthèse de novo des centres Fe-S à l’aide de machineries d’assemblage spécifiques. Les plantes possèdent trois machineries d’assemblage nommées SUF, ISC et CIA, dédiées à la maturation des protéines plastidiales, mitochondriales et nucléaires ou cytosoliques, respectivement. Lors de la maturation des protéines mitochondriales, un centre [2Fe-2S] est initialement assemblé sur la protéine d’échafaudage ISU puis transféré vers les apoprotéines cibles à l’aide de chaperons et de diverses protéines de transfert. Si ces étapes semblent suffisantes pour la maturation de protéines incorporant des centres [2Fe-2S], un couplage réductif de deux centres [2Fe-2S] est nécessaire pour la maturation des protéines de type [4Fe-4S]. Cette conversion nécessite des protéines de transfert et un donneur d’électrons, potentiellement la même ferrédoxine que celle qui agit déjà lors des étapes précoces pour la réduction du soufre. En combinant des approches moléculaires, biochimiques et génétiques, l’implication des protéines de transfert NFU et ISCA et des ferrédoxines mitochondriales (mFDX) dans les étapes tardives de transfert et de conversion a été explorée au cours de cette thèse chez la plante modèle Arabidopsis thaliana. Des expériences de complémentation en levure ont démontré que les protéines NFU et ISCA de plantes peuvent assurer les mêmes fonctions que leurs orthologues respectifs, suggérant que ces étapes tardives ont été conservées. Cependant, contrairement à la levure, l’analyse de lignées n’exprimant pas les deux protéines NFU indiquent qu’elles sont essentielles pour le développement de l’embryon. Au niveau moléculaire, les analyses effectuées à l’aide d’approches in vivo et/ou in vitro ont permis d’identifier une interaction entre ISCA1a ou ISCA1b et ISCA2, NFU4 et NFU5 mais aucune interaction avec les deux mFDX dont le rôle dans les dernières étapes d’assemblage des centres Fe-S reste donc incertain. La formation d’holo-hétérocomplexes entre ISCA1 et ISCA2 a été confirmée par co-expression chez E. coli et purification des protéines recombinantes. Globalement, en associant la littérature à propos de la machinerie ISC et les résultats obtenus, le modèle qui ressort est que des hétérocomplexes ISCA1/2 agiraient immédiatement en amont des protéines NFU qui permettraient a minima la maturation des centres [4Fe-4S] de la lipoate synthase. Ce seul partenaire pourrait expliquer en grande partie la létalité d’un mutant nfu4 x nfu5 car l’activité de plusieurs protéines centrales pour le métabolisme mitochondrial dépend de l’acide lipoïqu

Adaptation of the membrane- and cell wall-associated proteome of Arabidopsis thaliana roots in response to uranium stress

International audienceUranium (U) is a non-essential and toxic metal for plants, which have the ability to take up uranyl ions from the soil and preferentially accumulate them in the roots. We showed that the bulk of the radionuclide accumulates in the root insoluble proteome of Arabidopsis plants challenged with U. Therefore, to elucidate new molecular mechanisms related to U stress response and tolerance, we used label-free quantitative proteomics to analyze the dynamics of the root membrane- and cell wall-enriched proteome under U stress. Of the 2,802 proteins identified, 458 showed differential accumulation in response to U. Biological processes affected by U include response to stress, amino acid metabolism, and previously unexplored functions associated with membranes and the cell wall. Indeed, our analysis supports a dynamic and complex reorganization of the cell wall in response to U stress, including lignin and suberin synthesis, pectin modifications, polysaccharide hydrolysis, and Casparian strips formation. Water flux through aquaporins and vesicular trafficking were also significantly perturbed by U stress. Finally, the abundance of metal transporters and iron, calcium, and other metal-binding proteins was affected by U. These proteins may play a role in controlling the fate and toxicity of U in plants

Tissue-specific isolation of Arabidopsis/plant mitochondria - IMTACT (isolation of mitochondria tagged in specific cell types)

Plant cells contain numerous subcompartments with clearly delineated metabolic functions. Mitochondria represent a very small fraction of the total cell volume and yet are the site of respiration and thus crucial for cells throughout all developmental stages of a plant's life. As such, their isolation from the rest of the cellular components is a basic requirement for numerous biochemical and physiological experiments. Although procedures exist to isolate plant mitochondria from different organs (i.e. leaves, roots, tubers, etc.), they are often tedious and do not provide resolution at the tissue level (i.e. phloem, mesophyll or pollen). Here, we present a novel method called IMTACT (isolation of mitochondria tagged in specific cell types), developed inArabidopsis thaliana(Arabidopsis) that involves biotinylation of mitochondria in a tissue-specific manner using transgenic lines expressing a synthetic version of theOM64(Outer Membrane 64) gene combined withBLRPand theBirAbiotin ligase gene. Tissue specificity is achieved with cell-specific promoters (e.g.CAB3andSUC2). Labeled mitochondria from crude extracts are retained by magnetic beads, allowing the simple and rapid isolation of highly pure and intact organelles from organs or specific tissues. For example, we could show that the mitochondrial population from mesophyll cells was significantly larger in size than the mitochondrial population isolated from leaf companion cells. To facilitate the applicability of this method in both wild-type and mutant Arabidopsis plants we generated a set of OM64-BLRP one-shot constructs with different selection markers and tissue-specific promoters

Identification of mitochondrial ferredoxin partners from Arabidospis thaliana leaves

International audienc

The cellular maturation of iron-sulfur proteins in plants

International audienc

Roles and maturation of iron–sulfur proteins in plastids

One reason why iron is an essential element for most organisms is its presence in prosthetic groups such as hemes or iron–sulfur (Fe–S) clusters, which are notably required for electron transfer reactions. As an organelle with an intense metabolism in plants, chloroplast relies on many Fe–S proteins. This includes those present in the electron transfer chain which will be, in fact, essential for most other metabolic processes occurring in chloroplasts, e.g., carbon fixation, nitrogen and sulfur assimilation, pigment, amino acid, and vitamin biosynthetic pathways to cite only a few examples. The maturation of these Fe–S proteins requires a complex and specific machinery named SUF (sulfur mobilisation). The assembly process can be split in two major steps, (1) the de novo assembly on scaffold proteins which requires ATP, iron and sulfur atoms, electrons, and thus the concerted action of several proteins forming early acting assembly complexes, and (2) the transfer of the preformed Fe–S cluster to client proteins using a set of late-acting maturation factors. Similar machineries, having in common these basic principles, are present in the cytosol and in mitochondria. This review focuses on the currently known molecular details concerning the assembly and roles of Fe–S proteins in plastids