Conserved alternative splicing of Arabidopsis transthyretin-like determines protein localization and S-allantoin synthesis in peroxisomes.
S-allantoin, a major ureide compound, is produced in plant peroxisomes from oxidized purines. Sequence evidence suggested that the Transthyretin-like (TTL) protein, which interacts with brassinosteroid receptors, may act as a bifunctional enzyme in the synthesis of S-allantoin. Here, we show that recombinant TTL from Arabidopsis thaliana catalyzes two enzymatic reactions leading to the stereoselective formation of S-allantoin, hydrolysis of hydroxyisourate through a C-terminal Urah domain, and decarboxylation of 2-oxo-4-hydroxy-4-carboxy-5-ureidoimidazoline through an N-terminal Urad domain. We found that two different mRNAs are produced from the TTL gene through alternative use of two splice acceptor sites. The corresponding proteins differ in the presence (TTL(1-)) and the absence (TTL(2-)) of a rare internal peroxisomal targeting signal (PTS2). The two proteins have similar catalytic activity in vitro but different in vivo localization: TTL(1-) localizes in peroxisomes, whereas TTL(2-) localizes in the cytosol. Similar splice variants are present in monocots and dicots. TTL originated in green algae through a Urad-Urah fusion, which entrapped an N-terminal PTS2 between the two domains. The presence of this gene in all Viridiplantae indicates that S-allantoin biosynthesis has general significance in plant nitrogen metabolism, while conservation of alternative splicing suggests that this mechanism has general implications in the regulation of the ureide pathway in flowering plants.
Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy.
Ilaria
I
Lamberto
Riccardo
R
Percudani
Rita
R
Gatti
Claudia
C
Folli
Stefania
S
Petrucco
D000481:Allantoin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017398:Alternative Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020675:Peroxisomes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D021381:Protein Transport; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; C493653:TTL protein, Arabidopsis; D000481:Allantoin; D006867:Hydrolases; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases