Facts or fiction ? Nucleolar sequestration of proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana under heat stress
Résumé
The nucleolus is the most prominent nuclear body found in eukaryotes, whose main
function is the synthesis of ribosomes. However, a new nucleolar function was
characterized in human cells. Upon abiotic stresses, i.e., acidosis or heat stress, certain
proteins move from their usual subcellular localization to be retained in the nucleolus. This
sequestration leads to the rearrangement of the nucleolar architecture, forming the detention
center. Further analysis revealed a peptide sequence responsible of this translocation: the
nucleolar detention signal (NoDS). Moreover, an association of the NoDS with lncRNAs
transcribed from rDNA intergenic spacer (IGS) was observed. This novel nucleolar
retention function is considered as a new post-translational mechanism happening under
adverse cellular conditions (Audas et al., 2012). Our main goal is to determine whether this
nucleolar protein sequestration mechanism is conserved in plants, specifically in
Arabidopsis thaliana, under heat stress.
An initial bioinformatic analysis using a human NoDS aimed to find NoDS-containing
proteins in the proteome of Arabidopsis. Among 123 candidates, the selected protein was
Las1-like family protein (AtLAS1), based on its function and the sequence of its potential
NoDS. More precisely, AtLAS1 participates in the processing of the ITS2 in the 45S rRNA.
To test whether the potential NoDS from AtLAS1 was functional in Arabidopsis, it was
fused to the green fluorescent protein (GFP) to create AtNoDS-GFP and GFP-AtNoDS.
The subcellular localization was analyzed in transformed Arabidopsis plants exposed at
22ºC and 37ºC. Whereas fluorescence from AtNoDS-GFP and GFP-AtNoDS was
distributed in the cytoplasm and nucleus at 22ºC, the fluorescence concentrated in the
“nucleolar space” at 37ºC, also being present as cytosolic aggregates. This change in
distribution is transient, since it is no longer observed after 4 hours at 37ºC. On top of that,
cytoplasmic and nuclear fluorescence is restored once plants are no longer exposed to the
stressor.
On the other hand, the accumulation of IGS transcripts was characterized at 22ºC and 37ºC
by RT-PCR and RT-qPCR. IGS transcripts were not detected at 22°C. In contrast, they
strongly accumulated under heat stress. Additionally, RNA FISH experiments showed the
formation of IGS transcripts foci in nucleus of Arabidopsis seedlings at 37ºC, more
precisely in the “nucleolar space”.
Taken altogether these results into account, it is suggested that the nucleolar sequestration
of proteins may be conserved in Arabidopsis, since both NoDS fusion proteins and IGS
transcripts are located in the “nucleolar space” upon heat stress. However, the presence of
the detention center is not observed, as Arabidopsis nucleoli become morphologically and
functionally disrupted at 37ºC (Darriere et al., 2022).
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