Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are cell-surface components of Gramnegative bacteria and are microbe-͞pathogen-associated molecular patterns in animal pathosystems. As for plants, the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in response to LPS are not known. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana reacts to LPS with a rapid burst of NO, a hallmark of innate immunity in animals. Fifteen LPS preparations (among them Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Erwinia carotovora) as well as lipoteichoic acid from Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus were found to trigger NO production in suspension-cultured Arabidopsis cells as well as in leaves. NO was detected by confocal laserscanning microscopy in conjunction with the fluorophore 4-amino-5-methylamino-2,7-difluorofluorescein diacetate, by electron paramagnetic resonance, and by a NO synthase (NOS) assay. The source of NO was addressed by using T-DNA insertion lines. Interestingly, LPS did not activate the pathogen-inducible varP NOS, but AtNOS1, a distinct NOS previously associated with hormonal signaling in plants. A prominent feature of LPS treatment was activation of defense genes, which proved to be mediated by NO. Northern analyses and transcription profiling by using DNA microarrays revealed induction of defense-associated genes both locally and systemically. Finally, AtNOS1 mutants showed dramatic susceptibility to the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. In sum, perception of LPS and induction of NOS contribute toward the activation of plant defense responses.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are cell surface components of Gram-negative bacteria and, as microbe-/pathogen-associated molecular patterns, have diverse roles in plant-microbe interactions, e.g. LPS are able to promote plant disease tolerance through activation of induced or acquired resistance. However, little is known about the mechanisms of signal perception and transduction in response to elicitation by these bio-active lipoglycans. The present study focused on the involvement of LPS isolated from the outer cell wall of the Gram-negative bacterium Burkholderia cepacia (strain ASP B 2D) in the molecular mechanisms and components involved in signal perception and transduction and defense-associated responses in suspension-cultured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) cells. The purified LPS(B.cep.) was found to trigger a rapid influx of Ca2+ into the cytoplasm of aequorin-transformed tobacco cells. An oxidative burst, concomitant with the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species was measured by chemiluminescence and fluorescence. These early perception responses were accompanied by K+/H+ exchange and alkalinization of the extracellular medium. Through the use of various inhibitors of the oxidative burst reaction, as well as scavengers of produced radicals, the biochemical basis of the cellular response to LPS(B.cep.) elicitation was dissected, elucidated and compared to that induced by a yeast elicitor. These results suggest that LPS(B.cep.) interacts with tobacco cells in a manner different from the response elicited by yeast elicitor.

Broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), such as CAP256-VRC26 are being developed for HIV prevention and treatment. These Abs carry a unique but crucial post-translational modification (PTM), namely O-sulfated tyrosine in the heavy chain complementarity determining region (CDR) H3 loop. Several studies have demonstrated that plants are suitable hosts for the generation of highly active anti-HIV-1 antibodies with the potential to engineer PTMs. Here we report the expression and characterisation of CAP256-VRC26 bNAbs with posttranslational modifications (PTM). Two variants, CAP256-VRC26 (08 and 09) were expressed in glycoengineered Nicotiana benthamiana plants. By in planta co-expression of tyrosyl protein sulfotransferase 1, we installed O-sulfated tyrosine in CDR H3 of both bNAbs. These exhibited similar structural folding to the mammalian cell produced bNAbs, but non-sulfated versions showed loss of neutralisation breadth and potency. In contrast, tyrosine sulfated versions displayed equivalent neutralising activity to mammalian produced antibodies retaining exceptional potency against some subtype C viruses. Together, the data demonstrate the enormous potential of plant-based systems for multiple posttranslational engineering and production of fully active bnAbs for application in passive immunisation or as an alternative for current HiV/AiDS antiretroviral therapy regimens.

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The technique of 2',7'-dihydrodichlorofluorescin diacetate (H2DCF-DA)-derived fluorescence was applied to measurements of the oxidative burst reaction in plant cell suspension cultures in an automatic fluorometric multiwell microplate assay. The developed procedure was found to be versatile and effective for the determination of the oxidative burst reaction in plant cell cultures. Using this assay, cumulative production of reactive oxygen intermediates may be monitored and recorded non-destructively on a real-time scale for a large number of samples at frequent and continual time intervals for time course experiments. Through the use of various inhibitors and inducers or elicitors of the oxidative burst in combination with H2DCF-DA, this assay aids in the dissection of the signal transduction pathways and the determination of the origins of the oxidative burst in plant cells.

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