Prohibitins, Stomatins, and Plant Disease Response Genes Compose a Protein Superfamily That Controls Cell Proliferation, Ion Channel Regulation, and Death

Abstract

Prohibitins, stomatins, and a group of plant defense response genes are demonstrated to belong to a novel protein superfamily. This superfamily is bound by similar primary and secondary predicted protein structures and hydropathy profiles. A PROSITE-formatted regular expression was generated that is highly predictive for identifying members of this superfamily using PHI-BLAST. The superfamily is named PID (proliferation, ion, and death) because prohibitins are involved in proliferation and cell cycle control, stomatins are involved in ion channel regulation, and the plant defenserelated genes are involved in cell death. The plant defense gene family is named HIR (hypersensitive induced reaction) because its members are associated with hypersensitive reactions involving cell death and pathogen resistance. For this study, eight novel maize genes were introduced: four closely related to prohibitins (Zmphb1, Zm-phb2, Zm-phb3, and Zm-phb4), one to stomatins (Zm-stm1), and three to a gene implicated in plant disease responses (Zm-hir1, Zm-hir2, and Zm-hir3). The maize Zm-hir3 gene transcript is up-regulated in a disease lesion mimic mutation (Les9), supporting a role in maize defense responses. Members of this gene superfamily are involved in diverse functions, but their structural similarity suggests a conserved molecular mechanism, which we postulate to be ion channel regulation.

Differential gene expression, induced by salicylic acid and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici infection, in tomato

“…It is a cDNA clone which showed highly signifi cant similarity to an Oryza sativa gene, encoding a protein from the hypersensitive induced reaction (HIR) family. Members of this family are related to hypersensitivity reaction, involving cell death and resistance to pathogens (Nadimpalli et al, 2000). This gene was also induced in tomato plants with constitutive expression of the resistance gene Pto (35S::Pto) (Xiao et al, 2001).…”

“…Mahalingam et al (2003) identifi ed differentially expressed genes in Arabidopsis using leaf tissue 24 hours after exposure to salicylic acid to build their SSH library. However, gene expression alterations, in response to soil pathogens, are usually studied in root tissues, after a pathogen germination and penetration period (Benhamou et al, 1990;Divon et al, 2005;Olivain et al, 2006). In order to capture a wide spectrum of differentially expressed genes, leaf and root tissues were collected after the treatment and pooled before RNA extraction.…”

Proteome Analysis. Novel Proteins Identified at the Peribacteroid Membrane from Lotus japonicus Root Nodules

“…Furthermore, a potential plant defense protein (HIR protein) was for the first time detected in the PBM preparations. The function of this protein is unknown, but it is thought to be involved in hypersensitive reactions leading to cell death and pathogen resistance (Nadimpalli et al, 2000). It seems to be abundant at the PBM and represents an interesting novel candidate for the investigation of the function of a pathogen-related protein at the PBM.…”

“…There is little information on the function of these proteins available, but it is thought that they are involved in the hypersensitive reactions leading to cell death and pathogen resistance (Nadimpalli et al, 2000). This is also concluded from their structural similarity to prohibitins and stomatins (Nadimpalli et al, 2000), both representing families of membrane proteins. HIR proteins have not been detected in nodules so far.…”

A DEAD Box RNA Helicase Is Critical for Pre-mRNA Splicing, Cold-Responsive Gene Regulation, and Cold Tolerance inArabidopsis

“…The functions of CCA1 and LHY in the regulation of CBF expression have been reported (Dong et al, 2011), but the function of CIR1 in cold stress response has not been determined. SPFH is one of the SPFH/PHB (stomatin-prohibtin-flotillin-HflC/K) domain-containing superfamily proteins, and members of the SPFH protein superfamily are generally associated with plasma or mitochondrial membranes and are involved in many cellular processes, including protein turnover or oligomerization, cell proliferation, and ion channel regulation (Tavernarakis et al, 1999;Nadimpalli et al, 2000;Rivera-Milla et al, 2006). According to our investigation of the loss-of-function and gain-of-function of the CIR1 and SPFH genes, CIR1 and SPFH positively regulate expression of cold-responsive genes, including CBFs, and are required for cold tolerance (Figures 5B to 5F).…”