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Functions of Amino Acids in Plant Development and Adaptation

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2024) | Viewed by 6996

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Forlani

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Guest Editor

Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara via L. Borsari 25, I-44100 Ferrara, Italy
Interests: amino acids metabolism in plant and microorganisms; role of proline in the plant response to abiotic stress; herbicides targeting amino acid biosynthesis; post-translational regulatory mechanisms

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Amino acids are needed as building blocks for proteins, and the cell modulates the corresponding anabolic pathways according to the demand for protein synthesis. In plants, essentially the same biosynthetic routes exist as in bacteria, and for a long time it was assumed that similar regulatory mechanisms exist in both systems. However, increasing evidence has been shown in recent years supporting that amino acids in plants may play many other roles than those of protein constituents. Fluctuations of free amino acid levels contribute to osmotic adjustment and pH buffering, regulate growth, are responsible for nitrogen sensing and allow coordinating carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Selected aspects in amino acid metabolism are involved in the plant response to several biotic and abiotic stress conditions. At least in some instances, amino acid biosynthesis is regulated by, and influence in turn, the NAD(P)H/NAD(P)⁺ ratio, and allow the transfer of reducing equivalents among cell compartments. Moreover, some anabolic routes for amino acids have been identified as targets for plant growth regulators and herbicides, as well as tools to improve the nutritional value of food and feed. Consistently to this multifaceted picture, peculiar molecular switches regulating the highly interconnected pathways leading to amino acid biosynthesis and catabolism have been shown in plants, yet they are far from being fully characterized, especially at the post-translational level. A better comprehension of such regulatory mechanisms would help in understanding how plants regulate their growth to cope with environmental fluctuations, and open new perspectives for the solution of the problems raised by the ongoing climate change. This Special Issue of Plants will highlight some of such new roles for these old players.

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Forlani
Guest Editor

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Keywords

amino acids
abiotic stress
biotic stress
plant growth
adaptation to the environment
nitrogen metabolism
regulatory mechanisms

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 4011 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Straw Mulch Induced Indoleamines Alleviate Reproductive Depression in Cold Sensitive Hazelnut Cultivars

by Murali-Mohan Ayyanath, Mukund R. Shukla, Yasmine S. Hezema and Praveen K. Saxena

Plants 2023, 12(13), 2577; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132577 - 7 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 834

Abstract

Climate change is forcing physiological changes, especially in temperate trees, in which the reproduction phase has been affected harshly, eventually resulting in poor performance. Erratic fluctuations during the flowering periods, predominantly in cold-sensitive, yet industry-desired (sourced), hazelnut cultivars have been causing at least a 10-fold decline in the nut yield. Indoleamines have been noted to provide protection during such abiotic stress conditions. In this study, we investigated the potential involvement of the indoleamine pathway in countering reproductive depression in cold-sensitive hazelnuts by blanketing the ground with wheat straw mulch. The female flower ratio; titers of tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin; and indoleamine pathway gene regulation were the endpoints for assessing the effects of straw mulch. In the preceding year, we noted that the occurrence of phenological events through the modulation of indoleamines was necessitated via percolation of snowmelt into the rootzone. Otherwise, reproductive depression was noted, especially in harsh conditions, such as ‘no snow’ or when the rootzone was covered with a plastic sheet to disallow water percolation. When cold-sensitive hazelnut cultivars that were subjected to such deleterious treatments in the preceding years’ experiments were treated with straw mulch, the female flower ratio was unaffected and remained on par with that of the cold-hardy locally adapted cultivars. Tryptophan accumulation improved in the (cold-sensitive) sourced cultivars treated with straw mulch and was available as serotonin to counter the cold stress. Lower titers of melatonin explained the slight improvement in female ratio in the sourced cultivars blanketed with straw mulch. ASMT gene regulation via straw mulch treatment emphasized its role in abiotic stress mitigation. A negative trend was noted when improved flowering was compared to the decreased expression of the ASMT gene. Horticultural changes, such as mulch, should provide mitigating solutions to relieve reproductive depression in cold-sensitive hazelnuts, alongside implications in other horticultural crops. The indoleamine toolkit (cellular markers) developed in this study provides insights into the mechanisms of cold sensitivity (abiotic stress) and plausible solutions, such as exogenous application of indoleamines, to propagate climate resilient plant materials with an enhanced capacity to mitigate abiotic stress conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Amino Acids in Plant Development and Adaptation)

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15 pages, 2013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Levels of DAHP Synthase, the First Enzyme of the Shikimate Pathway, Are Related to Free Aromatic Amino Acids and Glutamine Content in Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Cell Cultures

by Giuseppe Forlani, Samuele Giberti and Enrico Doria

Plants 2023, 12(13), 2524; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132524 - 1 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1093

Abstract

Aromatic amino acid homeostasis was investigated in cell suspension cultures of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia and was related to the activity of the first enzyme in aromatic biosynthesis, 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase. An inverse relationship was found between the intracellular content of free phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan and enzyme specific activity levels, suggesting the occurrence of end-product control mechanisms. Two DAHP synthase isogenes are present in wild tobacco that showed a different expression pattern during the culture growth cycle. Intracellular levels of aromatic amino acids were increased or decreased by adding the culture medium with phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, or with sublethal doses of the shikimate pathway inhibitor glyphosate, respectively. As a consequence, enzyme levels varied in the opposite direction. The concomitant exogenous supply of glutamine further reduced enzyme activity in mid-log cells, suggesting induction by both aromatic amino acid depletion and nitrogen starvation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Amino Acids in Plant Development and Adaptation)

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15 pages, 3762 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Valine and Urea on Carbon and Nitrogen Accumulation and Lignin Content in Peach Trees

by Maoxiang Sun, Suhong Li, Haixiang Yu, Qingtao Gong, Binbin Zhang, Guangyuan Liu, Yuansong Xiao and Futian Peng

Plants 2023, 12(8), 1596; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12081596 - 10 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1577

Abstract

Nitrogen availability and uptake levels can affect nutrient accumulation in plants. In this study, the effects of valine and urea supplementation on the growth of new shoots, lignin content, and carbon and the nitrogen metabolism of ‘Ruiguang 39/peach’ were investigated. Relative to fertilization with urea, the application of valine inhibited shoot longitudinal growth, reduced the number of secondary shoots in autumn, and increased the degree of shoot lignification. The application of valine also increased the protein level of sucrose synthase (SS) and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) in plant leaves, phloem, and xylem, thereby increasing the soluble sugar and starch content. It also resulted in an increase in nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthase (GS), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) protein levels, with an increase in plant contents of ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and soluble proteins. Although urea application increased the protein level of carbon- and nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes, the increase in plant growth reduced the overall nutrient accumulation and lignin content per unit tree mass. In conclusion, the application of valine has a positive effect on increasing the accumulation of carbon and nitrogen nutrients in peach trees and increasing the lignin content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Amino Acids in Plant Development and Adaptation)

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Review

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15 pages, 1326 KiB

Open AccessReview

Proline, Cysteine and Branched-Chain Amino Acids in Abiotic Stress Response of Land Plants and Microalgae

by Rachele Ingrisano, Edoardo Tosato, Paolo Trost, Libero Gurrieri and Francesca Sparla

Plants 2023, 12(19), 3410; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193410 - 28 Sep 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2306

Abstract

Proteinogenic amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and plants synthesize all of them. In addition to their importance in plant growth and development, growing evidence underlines the central role played by amino acids and their derivatives in regulating several pathways involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses. In the present review, we illustrate (i) the role of amino acids as an energy source capable of replacing sugars as electron donors to the mitochondrial electron transport chain and (ii) the role of amino acids as precursors of osmolytes as well as (iii) precursors of secondary metabolites. Among the amino acids involved in drought stress response, proline and cysteine play a special role. Besides the large proline accumulation occurring in response to drought stress, proline can export reducing equivalents to sink tissues and organs, and the production of H₂S deriving from the metabolism of cysteine can mediate post-translational modifications that target protein cysteines themselves. Although our general understanding of microalgae stress physiology is still fragmentary, a general overview of how unicellular photosynthetic organisms deal with salt stress is also provided because of the growing interest in microalgae in applied sciences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functions of Amino Acids in Plant Development and Adaptation)

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