title: Stress Induction of Mitochondrial Formate Dehydrogenase in Potato Leaves
abstract: In higher plants formate dehydrogenase (FDH, EC 1.2.1.2.) is a mitochondrial, NAD-dependent enzyme. We previously reported that in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) FDH expression is high in tubers but low in green leaves. Here we show that in isolated tuber mitochondria FDH is involved in formate-dependent O2 uptake coupled to ATP synthesis. The effects of various environmental and chemical factors on FDH expression in leaves were tested using the mitochondrial serine hydroxymethyltransferase as a control. The abundance of FDH transcripts is strongly increased under various stresses, whereas serine hydroxymethyltransferase transcripts decline. The application of formate to leaves strongly enhances FDH expression, suggesting that it might be the signal for FDH induction. Our experiments using glycolytic products suggest that glycolysis may play an important role in formate synthesis in leaves in the dark and during hypoxia, and in tubers. Of particular interest is the dramatic accumulation of FDH transcripts after spraying methanol on leaves, as this compound is known to increase the yields of C3 plants. In addition, although the steady-state levels of FDH transcript increase very quickly in response to stress, protein accumulation is much slower, but can eventually reach the same levels in leaves as in tubers.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Biotechnologie des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-Equipe en Restructuration 569 Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 630, F-91405 Orsay cedex, France (C.H.-C., F.A.-B., R.R., C.C.d.F.-S.)
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hourton-Cabassa
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ambard-Bretteville
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.lastname: Davy de Virville J
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rémy
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Francs-Small