Plant vacuolar trafficking occurs through distinctly regulated pathways (original) (raw)

A membrane trafficking pathway regulated by the plant-specific RAB GTPase ARA6

Nature Cell Biology, 2011

Endosomal trafficking plays an integral role in various eukaryotic cell activities and serves as a basis for higher-order functions in multicellular organisms. An understanding of the importance of endosomal trafficking in plants is rapidly developing 1,2 , but its molecular mechanism is mostly unknown. Several key regulators of endosomal trafficking, including RAB5, which regulates diverse endocytic events in animal cells 3,4 , are highly conserved. However, the identification of lineage-specific regulators in eukaryotes indicates that endosomal trafficking is diversified according to distinct body plans and lifestyles. In addition to orthologues of metazoan RAB5, land plants possess a unique RAB5 molecule, which is one of the most prominent features of plant RAB GTPase organization 5,6. Plants have also evolved a unique repertoire of SNAREs, the most distinctive of which are diverse VAMP7-related longins, including plant-unique VAMP72 derivatives 7. Here, we demonstrate that a plant-unique RAB5 protein, ARA6, acts in an endosomal trafficking pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. ARA6 modulates the assembly of a distinct SNARE complex from conventional RAB5, and has a functional role in the salinity stress response. Our results indicate that plants possess a unique endosomal trafficking network and provide the first indication of a functional link between a specific RAB and a specific SNARE complex in plants. RABs and SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein receptors) are conserved regulatory molecules involved in membrane trafficking. In general, RAB promotes the tethering of transport vesicles/organelles to target

Distinct sets of tethering complexes, SNARE complexes, and Rab GTPases mediate membrane fusion at the vacuole in Arabidopsis

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2018

Membrane trafficking plays pivotal roles in various cellular activities and higher-order functions of eukaryotes and requires tethering factors to mediate contact between transport intermediates and target membranes. Two evolutionarily conserved tethering complexes, homotypic fusion and protein sorting (HOPS) and class C core vacuole/endosome tethering (CORVET), are known to act in endosomal/vacuolar transport in yeast and animals. Both complexes share a core subcomplex consisting of Vps11, Vps18, Vps16, and Vps33, and in addition to this core, HOPS contains Vps39 and Vps41, whereas CORVET contains Vps3 and Vps8. HOPS and CORVET subunits are also conserved in the model plant Arabidopsis. However, vacuolar trafficking in plants occurs through multiple unique transport pathways, and how these conserved tethering complexes mediate endosomal/vacuolar transport in plants has remained elusive. In this study, we investigated the functions of VPS18, VPS3, and VPS39, which are core complex, ...

Plant vacuole morphology and vacuolar trafficking

Frontiers in Plant Science, 2014

Plant vacuoles are essential organelles for plant growth and development, and have multiple functions. Vacuoles are highly dynamic and pleiomorphic, and their size varies depending on the cell type and growth conditions. Vacuoles compartmentalize different cellular components such as proteins, sugars, ions and other secondary metabolites and play critical roles in plants response to different biotic/abiotic signaling pathways. In this review, we will summarize the patterns of changes in vacuole morphology in certain cell types, our understanding of the mechanisms of plant vacuole biogenesis, and the role of SNAREs and Rab GTPases in vacuolar trafficking.

Trafficking routes to the plant vacuole: connecting alternative and classical pathways

Journal of experimental botany, 2017

Due to the numerous roles plant vacuoles play in cell homeostasis, detoxification, and protein storage, the trafficking pathways to this organelle have been extensively studied. Recent evidence, however, suggests that our vision of transport to the vacuole is not as simple as previously imagined. Alternative routes have been identified and are being characterized. Intricate interconnections between routes seem to occur in various cases, complicating the interpretation of data. In this review, we aim to summarize the published evidence and link the emerging data with previous findings. We discuss the current state of information on alternative and classical trafficking routes to the plant vacuole.

The N-myristoylated Rab-GTPase m-Rabmc is involved in post-Golgi trafficking events to the lytic vacuole in plant cells

Journal of Cell Science, 2004

We report on the sub-cellular localisation and function of m-Rabmc, a N-myristoylated plant-specific Rab-GTPase previously characterised at the molecular level and also by structural analysis in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum. By confocal laser scanning microscopy, we identified m-Rabmc predominantly on the prevacuolar compartment of the lytic vacuole but also on the Golgi apparatus in various plant cell types. Two complementary approaches were used immunocytochemistry and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP)/yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-fusion proteins. Co-localisation studies of m-Rabmc with a salinity stress modulated integral calcium-ATPase suggest involvement of m-Rabmc in a plant-specific transport pathway to the prevacuolar compartment of the lytic vacuole. This hypothesis was strengthened by the inhibition of the transport of aleurain fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), a marker of the lytic vacuole, in the presence of the dominant negative mutant m-Rabmc(N147I) in Arabid...

Involvement of autophagy in the direct ER to vacuole protein trafficking route in plants

Frontiers in Plant Science, 2014

Trafficking of proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the vacuole is a fundamental process in plants, being involved both in vacuole biogenesis as well as with plant growth and response to environmental stresses. Although the canonical transport of cellular components from the ER to the vacuole includes the Golgi apparatus as an intermediate compartment, there are multiple lines of evidence that support the existence of a direct ER-to-vacuole, Golgi-independent, trafficking route in plants that uses the autophagy machinery. Plant autophagy was initially described by electron microscopy, visualizing cellular structures that are morphologically reminiscent of autophagosomes. In some of these reports these structures were shown to transport vacuole residing proteins, particularly seed storage proteins, directly from the ER to the vacuole. More recently, following the discovery of the proteins of the core autophagy machinery, molecular tools were implemented in deciphering the involvement of autophagy in this special trafficking route. Here we review the relatively older and more recent scientific observations, supporting the involvement of autophagy in the special cellular trafficking pathways of plants.

The AP-3 adaptor complex is required for vacuolar function in Arabidopsis

Cell Research, 2011

Subcellular trafficking is required for a multitude of functions in eukaryotic cells. It involves regulation of cargo sorting, vesicle formation, trafficking and fusion processes at multiple levels. Adaptor protein (AP) complexes are key regulators of cargo sorting into vesicles in yeast and mammals but their existence and function in plants have not been demonstrated. Here we report the identification of the protein-affected trafficking 4 (pat4) mutant defective in the putative δ subunit of the AP-3 complex. pat4 and pat2, a mutant isolated from the same GFP imaging-based forward genetic screen that lacks a functional putative AP-3 β, as well as dominant negative AP-3 µ transgenic lines display undistinguishable phenotypes characterized by largely normal morphology and development, but strong intracellular accumulation of membrane proteins in aberrant vacuolar structures. All mutants are defective in morphology and function of lytic and protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) but show normal sorting of reserve proteins to PSVs. Immunoprecipitation experiments and genetic studies revealed tight functional and physical associations of putative AP-3 β and AP-3 δ subunits. Furthermore, both proteins are closely linked with putative AP-3 µ and σ subunits and several components of the clathrin and dynamin machineries. Taken together, these results demonstrate that AP complexes, similar to those in other eukaryotes, exist in plants, and that AP-3 plays a specific role in the regulation of biogenesis and function of vacuoles in plant cells.