A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters

Abstract Background Glucosinolates are an important class of secondary metabolites characteristic to the order Brassicales. They are known to play a major role in plant defense and from the human perspective, can be anticarcinogenic or antinutritive. GTRs are plasma-membrane localized high affinity...

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Main Authors: Deepti M. Nambiar, Juhi Kumari, Gulab C. Arya, Amarjeet K. Singh, Naveen C. Bisht
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2020-05-01
Series:Plant Methods
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13007-020-00618-0
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author Deepti M. Nambiar
Juhi Kumari
Gulab C. Arya
Amarjeet K. Singh
Naveen C. Bisht
author_facet Deepti M. Nambiar
Juhi Kumari
Gulab C. Arya
Amarjeet K. Singh
Naveen C. Bisht
author_sort Deepti M. Nambiar
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Glucosinolates are an important class of secondary metabolites characteristic to the order Brassicales. They are known to play a major role in plant defense and from the human perspective, can be anticarcinogenic or antinutritive. GTRs are plasma-membrane localized high affinity glucosinolate transporters, which are important components of the source (leaf) to sink (seed) translocation of intact glucosinolates in members of Brassicaceae family. GTRs are identified as major candidates for Brassica crop improvement, thus dictating a need for their functional characterization. However, currently there are limitations in availability of heterologous assay systems for functional characterization of plant secondary metabolite transporters. To date, the animal-based Xenopus oocyte system is the best established heterologous system for functional characterization of these transporters. Inherent biochemical and physiological attributes unique to the plant membranes necessitate the need for developing plant-based transporters assay systems as well. Methods In this study, Agrobacterium mediated transformation was used to develop GTR expressing cotton cell lines (CCL-1) for functional characterization of the Arabidopsis high affinity glucosinolate transporters, AtGTR1 and AtGTR2. Following sub-cellular localization of AtGTRs, we standardized the glucosinolate uptake assays using cell suspension cultures of AtGTR expressing CCL-1 its requirement of pH, salt, and time based glucosinolate uptake. Using the GTR expressing CCL-1, we subsequently performed kinetic analysis of AtGTR1 and AtGTR2 for different glucosinolate substrates, sinigrin, gluconapin and sinalbin. Results Several clones expressing each of AtGTR1 and AtGTR2 were obtained showing high level of GTR expression and were maintained through regular sub-culturing. Both AtGTR1 and AtGTR2 are predominantly plasma-localized proteins when overexpressed in CCL-1 cells. Uptake assays were standardized, suggesting that glucosinolate uptake of GTR expressing CCL-1 is robust within the physiological pH range 5–6, and at lower concentration of nitrate salts. GTR expressing CCL-1 cells show increasing glucosinolate accumulation in time course experiment. Kinetic studies over a wide glucosinolate concentrations (10–800 µM) revealed that our novel assay system displayed robust GTR-mediated uptake of different glucosinolates and unambiguously helps elucidate the saturable kinetics of GTRs. Our system confirms the high affinity of AtGTRs for both aliphatic and aromatic glucosinolates. Conclusion The transporter assay system described in this study holds potential for studying sub-functionalization amongst GTR homologs present across Brassicaceae family. The fast growing CCL-1 cells, confer the benefits of an in vitro system for quick assays and is plant based thus enabling optimal expression without sequence modifications. The efficient functioning of the GTR transporters in the heterologous CCL-1 opens the possibility of using this plant cell suspension system for functional characterization of other metabolite transporters.
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spelling doaj.art-cf7967ba45374814bd7fc29f4eb82e012022-12-21T18:11:33ZengBMCPlant Methods1746-48112020-05-0116111310.1186/s13007-020-00618-0A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transportersDeepti M. Nambiar0Juhi Kumari1Gulab C. Arya2Amarjeet K. Singh3Naveen C. Bisht4National Institute of Plant Genome ResearchNational Institute of Plant Genome ResearchNational Institute of Plant Genome ResearchDepartment of Genetics, CGMCP, University of Delhi South CampusNational Institute of Plant Genome ResearchAbstract Background Glucosinolates are an important class of secondary metabolites characteristic to the order Brassicales. They are known to play a major role in plant defense and from the human perspective, can be anticarcinogenic or antinutritive. GTRs are plasma-membrane localized high affinity glucosinolate transporters, which are important components of the source (leaf) to sink (seed) translocation of intact glucosinolates in members of Brassicaceae family. GTRs are identified as major candidates for Brassica crop improvement, thus dictating a need for their functional characterization. However, currently there are limitations in availability of heterologous assay systems for functional characterization of plant secondary metabolite transporters. To date, the animal-based Xenopus oocyte system is the best established heterologous system for functional characterization of these transporters. Inherent biochemical and physiological attributes unique to the plant membranes necessitate the need for developing plant-based transporters assay systems as well. Methods In this study, Agrobacterium mediated transformation was used to develop GTR expressing cotton cell lines (CCL-1) for functional characterization of the Arabidopsis high affinity glucosinolate transporters, AtGTR1 and AtGTR2. Following sub-cellular localization of AtGTRs, we standardized the glucosinolate uptake assays using cell suspension cultures of AtGTR expressing CCL-1 its requirement of pH, salt, and time based glucosinolate uptake. Using the GTR expressing CCL-1, we subsequently performed kinetic analysis of AtGTR1 and AtGTR2 for different glucosinolate substrates, sinigrin, gluconapin and sinalbin. Results Several clones expressing each of AtGTR1 and AtGTR2 were obtained showing high level of GTR expression and were maintained through regular sub-culturing. Both AtGTR1 and AtGTR2 are predominantly plasma-localized proteins when overexpressed in CCL-1 cells. Uptake assays were standardized, suggesting that glucosinolate uptake of GTR expressing CCL-1 is robust within the physiological pH range 5–6, and at lower concentration of nitrate salts. GTR expressing CCL-1 cells show increasing glucosinolate accumulation in time course experiment. Kinetic studies over a wide glucosinolate concentrations (10–800 µM) revealed that our novel assay system displayed robust GTR-mediated uptake of different glucosinolates and unambiguously helps elucidate the saturable kinetics of GTRs. Our system confirms the high affinity of AtGTRs for both aliphatic and aromatic glucosinolates. Conclusion The transporter assay system described in this study holds potential for studying sub-functionalization amongst GTR homologs present across Brassicaceae family. The fast growing CCL-1 cells, confer the benefits of an in vitro system for quick assays and is plant based thus enabling optimal expression without sequence modifications. The efficient functioning of the GTR transporters in the heterologous CCL-1 opens the possibility of using this plant cell suspension system for functional characterization of other metabolite transporters.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13007-020-00618-0Cotton cell suspensionsSecondary metabolite transportersGlucosinolatesGTR transportersKinetic analysis
spellingShingle Deepti M. Nambiar
Juhi Kumari
Gulab C. Arya
Amarjeet K. Singh
Naveen C. Bisht
A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters
Plant Methods
Cotton cell suspensions
Secondary metabolite transporters
Glucosinolates
GTR transporters
Kinetic analysis
title A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters
title_full A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters
title_fullStr A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters
title_full_unstemmed A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters
title_short A cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters
title_sort cell suspension based uptake method to study high affinity glucosinolate transporters
topic Cotton cell suspensions
Secondary metabolite transporters
Glucosinolates
GTR transporters
Kinetic analysis
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13007-020-00618-0
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