Poly(A)+ RNA isolated from flower buds of Cynara cardunculus has been used to prepare a cDNA library. Screening of the cDNA after expression of cloned DNA with antibodies raised against the large subunit of cyprosin 3 resulted in the isolation of six positive clones. One of these clones (cypro1s; a 1.7 kb Eco RI fragment) codes for cyprosin. The nucleotide sequence contain a 1419 bp open reading frame coding for 473 amino acids (aa) including a putative full-length mature protein (440 aa) and a partial prosequence (33 aa). Cypro1s contains a 162 bp 3' non-coding region followed by a poly(A) tail. The deduced amino acid sequence shows high homology to other plant aspartic proteinases. The homology to mammalian and microbial aspartic proteinases is somewhat lower. Plant aspartic proteinases contain an insert of around 100 aa. We are modelling where this plant-specific insert will appear in the structure of cyprosin. Using cypro1s as a probe in northern blot analysis, the expression of cyprosin in developing flowers and other tissues has been studied. The signal on the northern blot increased for RNA samples from early (flower buds 6 mm in length) to later stages of floral development (flower buds up to 40 mm in length). In late stages of floral development (open flowers 50 mm in length and styles from such flowers) no hybridization signal was visualized showing that the synthesis of mRNA encoding the cyprosin starts in early stages of floral development and switches off at maturation of the flower.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The cDNA encoding the precursor of an aspartic proteinase from the flowers of the cardoon, Cynara cardunculus, was expressed in Pichia pastoris, and the recombinant, mature cyprosin that accumulated in the culture medium was purified and characterized. The resultant mixture of microheterogeneous forms was shown to consist of glycosylated heavy chains (34 or 32 kDa) plus associated light chains with molecular weights in the region of 14,000 -18,000, resulting from excision of most, but not all, of the 104 residues contributed by the unique region known as the plant specific insert. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under non-reducing conditions indicated that disulfide bonding held the heavy and light chains together in the heterodimeric enzyme forms. In contrast, when a construct was expressed in which the nucleotides encoding the 104 residues of the plant specific insert were deleted, the inactive, unprocessed precursor form (procyprosin) accumulated, indicating that the plant-specific insert has a role in ensuring that the nascent polypeptide is folded properly and rendered capable of being activated to generate mature, active proteinase. Kinetic parameters were derived for the hydrolysis of a synthetic peptide substrate by wildtype, recombinant cyprosin at a variety of pH and temperature values and the subsite requirements of the enzyme were mapped using a systematic series of synthetic inhibitors. The significance is discussed of the susceptibility of cyprosin to inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus proteinase and particularly of renin, some of which were found to have subnanomolar potencies against the plant enzyme.

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Three heterodimeric aspartic proteinases (cyprosin 1, 2 and 3) with milk‐clotting activity have previously been purified from flowers of Cynara cardunculua and partly characterized (U. Heimgartner et al. 1990, Phytochemistry 29: 1405–1410). These proteinases have now been further studied. Isoelectric focusing has revealed a micro‐heterogeneity of the apparently pure cyprosins. Three isozymes with close isoelectric points around 4.0 have been found. Reversed‐phase high performance liquid chromatography of electrophoretically purified large subunits of cyprosin has also shown a microheterogeneity. Peptide mapping of cyprosins 2 and 3 by trypsin or BrCN cleavage indicate that they are derived from common procyprosin(s). Studies on the organspecific accumulation of the enzyme were carried out using flower buds and flowers at different stages of development and styles and corollas from open flowers, leaves and seeds. Immunostained western blots revealed the presence of cyprosin in very young flowers in low amounts. The amount of enzyme increased towards later stages of development and it was mostly present in the violet parts of styles and corollas. The enzyme could not be detected in leaves or seeds. Proteolytic and milk‐clotting activities correlate well with these findings. The enzyme was localized by immunolabelling in the epidermal cell layer of styles. Mature flowers collected at 8 different locations in Portugal showed some variation in proteolytic activity while the milk‐clotting activity was essentially the same for all extracts.

Endochitinases are widely distributed among higher plants, including a number of important crop species. They are generally considered to be involved in plant defence against potential pathogens. We have cloned a class IV chitinase gene (AtchitIV) from Arabidopsis thaliana. Southern blot analysis allowed the detection of two cross-hybridising genes in the A. thaliana genome. AtchitIV transcripts are detected in seedpods, but not in roots, inflorescence stems, leaves and flowers of healthy plants. The transcripts accumulated very rapidly in leaves after inoculation with Xanthomonas campestris. Maximum mRNA accumulation was reached one hour after infection and decreased to very low levels 72 hours after induction. This result suggests an involvement of AtchitIV in the initial events of the hypersensitive reaction. Nevertheless, A. thaliana plants transformed with the gus gene under the control of a class IV chitinase bean promoter, showed GUS activity in seed embryos. These data, together with the constitutive expression of the endogenous gene in the seedpods, points to additional physiological roles for this protein.

The early response to bacterial inoculation has been investigated and two Arabidopsis genes, ap3.3a and ap4.3a have been characterized. The AP3.3A protein showed high identity to centrin, a ubiquitous cytoskeletal protein first identified in unicellular green alga. Amino-acid sequence analyses of the AP4.3A protein indicates that the second gene characterized encodes an unusual protein with two putative kinase domains. Expression of ap3.3a and ap4.3a was rapidly induced after pathogen inoculation. A role of ap3.3a in plant defense could be postulated based on its preferential induction during the incompatible interactions analyzed. In contrast, activation of ap4.3a was not specific and could be related to a more general stress response.z 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

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