Plant cysteine oxidases are dioxygenases that directly enable arginyl transferase-catalysed arginylation of N-end rule targets.
Crop yield loss due to flooding is a threat to food security. Submergence-induced hypoxia in plants results in stabilization of group VII ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTORs (ERF-VIIs), which aid survival under these adverse conditions. ERF-VII stability is controlled by the N-end rule pathway, which proposes that ERF-VII N-terminal cysteine oxidation in normoxia enables arginylation followed by proteasomal degradation. The PLANT CYSTEINE OXIDASEs (PCOs) have been identified as catalysts of this oxidation. ERF-VII stabilization in hypoxia presumably arises from reduced PCO activity. We directly demonstrate that PCO dioxygenase activity produces Cys-sulfinic acid at the N terminus of an ERF-VII peptide, which then undergoes efficient arginylation by an arginyl transferase (ATE1). This provides molecular evidence of N-terminal Cys-sulfinic acid formation and arginylation by N-end rule pathway components, and a substrate of ATE1 in plants. The PCOs and ATE1 may be viable intervention targets to stabilize N-end rule substrates, including ERF-VIIs, to enhance submergence tolerance in agriculture.
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Mark D
MD
White
Independent Junior Research Group on Protein Recognition and Degradation, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Weinberg 3, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.|ScienceCampus Halle Plant - based Bioeconomy, Betty-Heimann-Strasse 3, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
Maria
M
Klecker
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Richard J
RJ
Hopkinson
Institute of Biology I, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 1, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Daan A
DA
Weits
Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany.|VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Carolin
C
Mueller
Independent Junior Research Group on Protein Recognition and Degradation, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Weinberg 3, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.|ScienceCampus Halle Plant - based Bioeconomy, Betty-Heimann-Strasse 3, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
Christin
C
Naumann
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Rebecca
R
O'Neill
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
James
J
Wickens
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Jiayu
J
Yang
Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
Jonathan C
JC
Brooks-Bartlett
Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
Elspeth F
EF
Garman
Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 15, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany.|VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1083, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Tom N
TN
Grossmann
Independent Junior Research Group on Protein Recognition and Degradation, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB), Weinberg 3, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.|ScienceCampus Halle Plant - based Bioeconomy, Betty-Heimann-Strasse 3, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
Nico
0000-0002-4156-3761
N
Dissmeyer
Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK.
Emily
E
Flashman
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019881:Aminoacyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D055162:Biocatalysis; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D050558:Cysteine Dioxygenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049308:Dioxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D001120:Arginine; D049308:Dioxygenases; D050558:Cysteine Dioxygenase; D019881:Aminoacyltransferases; C019727:arginyltransferase; D003545:Cysteine; D010100:Oxygen