A plant vacuolar protease, VPE, mediates virus-induced hypersensitive cell death.
Programmed cell death (PCD) in animals depends on caspase protease activity. Plants also exhibit PCD, for example as a response to pathogens, although a plant caspase remains elusive. Here we show that vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) is a protease essential for a virus-induced hypersensitive response that involves PCD. VPE deficiency prevented virus-induced hypersensitive cell death in tobacco plants. VPE is structurally unrelated to caspases, although VPE has a caspase-1 activity. Thus, plants have evolved a regulated cellular suicide strategy that, unlike PCD of animals, is mediated by VPE and the cellular vacuole.
Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
Noriyuki
N
Hatsugai
Miwa
M
Kuroyanagi
Kenji
K
Yamada
Tetsuo
T
Meshi
Shinya
S
Tsuda
Maki
M
Kondo
Mikio
M
Nishimura
Ikuko
I
Hara-Nishimura
D017209:Apoptosis; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020170:Caspase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000821:virology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011523:Protoplasts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013696:Temperature; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D014027:Tobacco Mosaic Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014779:Virus Replication
D036022:Capsid Proteins; D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; C053376:pathogenesis-related proteins, plant; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D020170:Caspase 1