title: Purification and identification of a nuclease activity in embryo axes from French bean.
abstract: Plant nucleases are involved in nucleic acid degradation associated to programmed cell death processes as well as in DNA restriction, repair and recombination processes. However, the knowledge about the function of plant nucleases is limited. A major nuclease activity was detected by in-gel assay with whole embryonic axes of common bean by using ssDNA or RNA as substrate, whereas this activity was minimal in cotyledons. The enzyme has been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from embryonic axes. The main biochemical properties of the purified enzyme indicate that it belongs to the S1/P1 family of nucleases. This was corroborated when this protein, after SDS-electrophoresis, was excised from the gel and further analysis by MALDI TOF/TOF allowed identification of the gene (PVN1) that codes this protein. The gene that codes the purified protein was identified. The expression of PVN1 gene was induced at the specific moment of radicle protrusion. The inclusion of inorganic phosphate to the imbibition media reduced the level of expression of this gene and the nuclease activity suggesting a relationship with the phosphorous status in French bean seedlings.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Grupo de Fisiología Molecular y Biotecnología de Plantas, Campus Rabanales, Edif. Severo Ochoa, 1ª Planta, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Grupo de Fisiología Molecular y Biotecnología de Plantas, Campus Rabanales, Edif. Severo Ochoa, 1ª Planta, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco Antonio
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Quiles
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Grupo de Fisiología Molecular y Biotecnología de Plantas, Campus Rabanales, Edif. Severo Ochoa, 1ª Planta, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cabello-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal, Grupo de Fisiología Molecular y Biotecnología de Plantas, Campus Rabanales, Edif. Severo Ochoa, 1ª Planta, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: bb2pimop@uco.es.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piedras
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D027805:Phaseolus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D036226:Seedlings / Q000378:metabolism*; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D010758:Phosphorus; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; D012260:Ribonucleases
keywords: Embryonic axes; Germination; Nucleases; Phaseolus vulgaris; Phosphorous