Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are a class of plant biostimulants used in the agricultural practice t... more Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are a class of plant biostimulants used in the agricultural practice to improve crop performance. In this study, we have assessed the capacity of a commercial PH derived from bovine collagen to mitigate drought, hypoxic, and Fe deficiency stress in Zea mays. As for the drought and hypoxic stresses, hydroponically grown plants treated with the PH exhibited an increased growth and absorption area of the roots compared with those treated with inorganic nitrogen. In the case of Fe deficiency, plants supplied with the PH mixed with FeCl3 showed a faster recovery from deficiency compared to plants supplied with FeCl3 alone or with FeEDTA, resulting in higher SPAD values, a greater concentration of Fe in the leaves and modulation in the expression of genes related to Fe. Moreover, through the analysis of circular dichroism spectra, we assessed that the PH interacts with Fe in a dose-dependent manner. Various hypothesis about the mechanisms of action of the collag...
Fruit set is the earliest phase of fruit growth and represents the onset of ovary growth after su... more Fruit set is the earliest phase of fruit growth and represents the onset of ovary growth after successful fertilization. In parthenocarpy, fruit formation is less affected by environmental factors because it occurs in the absence of pollination and fertilization, making parthenocarpy a highly desired agronomic trait. Elucidating the genetic program controlling parthenocarpy, and more generally fruit set, may have important implications in agriculture, considering the need for crops to be adaptable to climate changes. Several phytohormones play an important role in the transition from flower to fruit. Further complexity emerges from functional analysis of floral homeotic genes. Some homeotic MADS-box genes are implicated in fruit growth and development, displaying an expression pattern commonly observed for ovary growth repressors. Here, we provide an overview of recent discoveries on the molecular regulatory gene network underlying fruit set in tomato, the model organism for fleshy ...
Metallocarboxypeptidases are metal-dependent enzymes, whose biological activity is regulated by i... more Metallocarboxypeptidases are metal-dependent enzymes, whose biological activity is regulated by inhibitors directed on the metal-containing active site. Some metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitors are induced under stress conditions and have a role in defense against pests. This paper is aimed at investigating the response of the tomato metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor (TCMP)-1 to Cd and other abiotic stresses. To this aim, the tomato TCMP-1 was ectopically expressed in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana, and a yeast two-hybrid analysis was performed to identify interacting proteins. We demonstrate that TCMP-1 is responsive to Cd, NaCl, and abscisic acid (ABA) and interacts with the tomato heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant protein (HIPP)26. A. thaliana plants overexpressing TCMP-1 accumulate lower amount of Cd in shoots, display an increased expression of AtHIPP26 in comparison with wild-type plants, and are characterized by a modulation in the expression of antioxidant en...
Food fortification through the increase and/or modulation of bioactive compounds has become a maj... more Food fortification through the increase and/or modulation of bioactive compounds has become a major goal for preventing several diseases, including cancer. Here, strawberry lines of cv. Calypso transformed with a construct containing an anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) gene were produced to study the effects on anthocyanin biosynthesis, metabolism and transcriptome. Three strawberry ANS transgenic lines (ANS L5, ANS L15 and ANS L18) were analysed for phytochemical composition and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and their fruit extracts assessed for cytotoxic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma. ANS L18 fruits had the highest levels of total phenolics and flavonoids, while those of ANS L15 had the highest anthocyanin concentration; TAC positively correlated with total polyphenol content. Fruit transcriptome was also specifically affected in the polyphenol biosynthesis and in other related metabolic pathways. Fruit extracts of all lines exerted cytotoxic effects in a dose/time-dependent...
Protein hydrolysates are an emerging class of crop management products utilized for improving nut... more Protein hydrolysates are an emerging class of crop management products utilized for improving nutrient assimilation and mitigating crop stress. They generally consist of a mixture of peptides and free amino acids derived from the hydrolysis of plant or animal sources. The present work was aimed at studying the effects and the action mechanisms of a protein hydrolysate derived from animal residues on maize root growth and physiology in comparison with the effects induced by either free amino acids or inorganic N supply. The application of the protein hydrolysate caused a remarkable enhancement of root growth. In particular, in the protein hydrolysate-treated plants the length and surface area of lateral roots were about 7 and 1.5 times higher than in plants treated with inorganic N or free amino acids, respectively. The root growth promoting effect of the protein hydrolysate was associated with an increased root accumulation of K, Zn, Cu, and Mn when compared with inorganic N and ami...
The determination of food geographical origin has been an important subject of study over the pas... more The determination of food geographical origin has been an important subject of study over the past decade, with an increasing number of analytical techniques being developed to determine the provenance of agricultural products. Agricultural soils can differ for the composition and the relative quantities of mineral nutrients and trace elements whose bioavailability depends on soil properties. Therefore, the ionome of fruits, vegetables and derived products can reflect the mineral composition of the growth substrate. Multi-elemental analysis has been successfully applied to trace the provenance of wines from different countries or different wine-producing regions. However, winemaking process and environmental and cultural conditions may affect a geographical fingerprint. In this article, we discuss the possibility of applying ionomics in wines classification on a local scale and also by exploiting grape berry analyses. In this regard, we present the ionomic profile of grapevine berri...
A major application of RNA interference (RNAi) is envisaged for the production of virus-resistant... more A major application of RNA interference (RNAi) is envisaged for the production of virus-resistant transgenic plants. For fruit trees, this remains the most, if not the only, viable option for the control of plant viral disease outbreaks in cultivated orchards, due to the difficulties associated with the use of traditional and conventional disease-control measures. The use of RNAi might provide an additional benefit for woody crops if silenced rootstock can efficiently transmit the silencing signal to non-transformed scions, as has already been demonstrated in herbaceous plants. This would provide a great opportunity to produce non-transgenic fruit from transgenic rootstock. In this review, we scrutinise some of the concerns that might arise with the use of RNAi for engineering virus-resistant plants, and we speculate that this virus resistance has fewer biosafety concerns. This is mainly because RNAi-eliciting constructs only express small RNA molecules rather than proteins, and because this technology can be applied using plant rootstock that can confer virus resistance to the scion, leaving the scion untransformed. We discuss the main biosafety concerns related to the release of new types of virus-resistant plants and the risk assessment approaches in the application of existing regulatory systems (in particular, those of the European Union, the USA, and Canada) for the evaluation and approval of RNAi-mediated virus-resistant plants, either as transgenic varieties or as plant virus resistance induced by transgenic rootstock.
The cystine-knot miniproteins present in tomato fruit (TCMPs) have been shown to exert anti-angio... more The cystine-knot miniproteins present in tomato fruit (TCMPs) have been shown to exert anti-angiogenic effects by inhibiting endothelial cell migration and to display resistance to gastrointestinal proteolytic attack. To better define the pharmacological potential of TCMPs, their oral bioavailability and their resistance to industrial processing must be assessed. To explore the intestinal transport of TCMPs we used the differentiated Caco-2 cells model. After 24h incubation, 37.73±9.34% of TCMPs crossed the epithelium, without altering the integrity of the cell layer. To assess the effects of the industrial processing on the biochemical features and the biological activity of TCMPs, we developed a method for purifying the proteins from tomato paste. The tomato-paste purified TCMPs retained the resistance to gastrointestinal digestion and the inhibitory activity towards endothelial cell migration. Our previous and present results collectively demonstrate that TCMPs possess interesting features for drug development.
Sharka, caused by Plum Pox Virus (PPV), is by far the most important infectious disease of peach ... more Sharka, caused by Plum Pox Virus (PPV), is by far the most important infectious disease of peach [P. persica (L.) Batsch] and other Prunus species. The progressive spread of the virus in many important growing areas throughout Europe poses serious issues to the economic sustainability of stone fruit crops, peach in particular. The adoption of internationally agreed-upon rules for diagnostic tests, strain-specific monitoring schemes and spatial–temporal modeling of virus spread, are all essential for a more effective sharka containment. The EU regulations on nursery activity should be modified based on the zone delimitation of PPV presence, limiting open-field production of propagation materials only to virus-free areas. Increasing the efficiency of preventive measures should be augmented by the short-term development of resistant cultivars. Putative sources of resistance/tolerance have been recently identified in peach germplasm, although the majority of novel resistant sources to PPV-M have been found in almond. However, the complexity of introgression from related-species imposes the search for alternative strategies. The use of genetic engineering, particularly RNA interference (RNAi)-based approaches, appears as one of the most promising perspectives to introduce a durable resistance to PPV in peach germplasm, notwithstanding the well-known difficulties of in vitro plant regeneration in this species. In this regard, rootstock transformation to induce RNAi-mediated systemic resistance would avoid the transformation of numerous commercial cultivars, and may alleviate consumer resistance to the use of GM plants.
Cystine-knot miniproteins are a class of 30-50 amino acid-long peptides widespread in eukaryotic ... more Cystine-knot miniproteins are a class of 30-50 amino acid-long peptides widespread in eukaryotic organisms. Due to their very peculiar three-dimensional structure, they exhibit high resistance to heat and peptidase attack. The cystine-knot peptides are well represented in several plant species including medicinal herbs and crops. The pharmacological interest for plant cystine-knot peptides derived from their broad biological activities, mainly cytotoxic, antimicrobial and peptidase inhibitory and on the possibility to engineer them to incorporate pharmacophoric information for oral delivery or disease biomonitoring. The mechanisms of action of plant cystine-knot peptides are still largely undiscovered, although the capacity to interfere with plasma membranes seems a feature common to several cystine-knot peptides. In some cases, such as potato PCI and tomato TCMPs, the cystine-knot peptides target human growth factor receptors either by acting as growth factor antagonist or by altering their signal transduction pathway. The possibility to identify specific molecular targets of plant cystine-knot peptides in human cells opens novel possibilities for the pharmacological use of these peptides besides their use as scaffold to develop stable disease molecular markers and therapeutic agents. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Man~ anese has a vital role in plants as an essential cofactor for 02_ evolution. Excess Mn2, how... more Man~ anese has a vital role in plants as an essential cofactor for 02_ evolution. Excess Mn2, however, can be toxic. Some of this toxicity may results from inhibition of Chi synthesis (CLAIRMONT et al., 1986). _ Tobacco in vitro culture (N. tabacum var. BEL W3) provides a ...
Cystine-knot miniproteins are bioactive molecules with a broad range of potential therapeutic app... more Cystine-knot miniproteins are bioactive molecules with a broad range of potential therapeutic applications. Recently, it was demonstrated that two tomato cystine-knot miniproteins (TCMPs) exhibit in vitro anti-angiogenic activity on human umbilical vein cells (HUVEC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a fruit-specific cystine-knot miniprotein of tomato on in vitro endothelial cell migration and in vivo angiogenesis using a zebrafish model. The cystine-knot protein purified from tomato fruits using gel filtration LC and RP- HPLC, inhibited cell migration when tested at 200 nM using the wound-healing assay, and reduced nitric oxide formation probed by 4-amino-5-methylamino-27-difluorofluoscescin diacetate. RT-PCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that vascular endothelium growth factor A (VEGFA)-dependent signaling was the target of TCMP bioactivity. Angiogenesis was inhibited in vivo in zebrafish embryos treated with 500 nM TCMP. Our results demonstrate that cystine-knot miniproteins present in tomato mature fruits are endowed with anti-angiogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. These molecules may confer beneficial effects to tomato dietary intake, along with lycopene and other antioxidants. Further investigation is warranted to explore the potential of these compounds as model scaffolds for the development of new drugs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
In eukaryotic cells, the non-proteinogenic amino acid ornithine is the precursor of arginine and ... more In eukaryotic cells, the non-proteinogenic amino acid ornithine is the precursor of arginine and polyamines (PAs). The final step of ornithine biosynthesis occurs in plants via a cyclic pathway catalyzed by N(2)-acetylornithine:N-acetylglutamate acetyltransferase (NAOGAcT). An alternative route for ornithine formation, the linear pathway, has been reported for enteric bacteria and a few other organisms; the acetyl group of N(2)-acetylornithine is released as acetate by N(2)-acetylornithine deacetylase (NAOD). NAOD activity has never been demonstrated in plants, although many putative NAOD-like genes have been identified. In this investigation, we examined the effect of down-regulation of the putative Arabidopsis thaliana NAOD gene by using AtNAOD-silenced (sil#17) and T-DNA insertional mutant (atnaod) plants. The ornithine content was consistently reduced in sil#17 and atnaod plants compared with wild-type plants, suggesting that in addition to NAOGAcT action, AtNAOD contributes to ...
Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are a class of plant biostimulants used in the agricultural practice t... more Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are a class of plant biostimulants used in the agricultural practice to improve crop performance. In this study, we have assessed the capacity of a commercial PH derived from bovine collagen to mitigate drought, hypoxic, and Fe deficiency stress in Zea mays. As for the drought and hypoxic stresses, hydroponically grown plants treated with the PH exhibited an increased growth and absorption area of the roots compared with those treated with inorganic nitrogen. In the case of Fe deficiency, plants supplied with the PH mixed with FeCl3 showed a faster recovery from deficiency compared to plants supplied with FeCl3 alone or with FeEDTA, resulting in higher SPAD values, a greater concentration of Fe in the leaves and modulation in the expression of genes related to Fe. Moreover, through the analysis of circular dichroism spectra, we assessed that the PH interacts with Fe in a dose-dependent manner. Various hypothesis about the mechanisms of action of the collag...
Fruit set is the earliest phase of fruit growth and represents the onset of ovary growth after su... more Fruit set is the earliest phase of fruit growth and represents the onset of ovary growth after successful fertilization. In parthenocarpy, fruit formation is less affected by environmental factors because it occurs in the absence of pollination and fertilization, making parthenocarpy a highly desired agronomic trait. Elucidating the genetic program controlling parthenocarpy, and more generally fruit set, may have important implications in agriculture, considering the need for crops to be adaptable to climate changes. Several phytohormones play an important role in the transition from flower to fruit. Further complexity emerges from functional analysis of floral homeotic genes. Some homeotic MADS-box genes are implicated in fruit growth and development, displaying an expression pattern commonly observed for ovary growth repressors. Here, we provide an overview of recent discoveries on the molecular regulatory gene network underlying fruit set in tomato, the model organism for fleshy ...
Metallocarboxypeptidases are metal-dependent enzymes, whose biological activity is regulated by i... more Metallocarboxypeptidases are metal-dependent enzymes, whose biological activity is regulated by inhibitors directed on the metal-containing active site. Some metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitors are induced under stress conditions and have a role in defense against pests. This paper is aimed at investigating the response of the tomato metallocarboxypeptidase inhibitor (TCMP)-1 to Cd and other abiotic stresses. To this aim, the tomato TCMP-1 was ectopically expressed in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana, and a yeast two-hybrid analysis was performed to identify interacting proteins. We demonstrate that TCMP-1 is responsive to Cd, NaCl, and abscisic acid (ABA) and interacts with the tomato heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant protein (HIPP)26. A. thaliana plants overexpressing TCMP-1 accumulate lower amount of Cd in shoots, display an increased expression of AtHIPP26 in comparison with wild-type plants, and are characterized by a modulation in the expression of antioxidant en...
Food fortification through the increase and/or modulation of bioactive compounds has become a maj... more Food fortification through the increase and/or modulation of bioactive compounds has become a major goal for preventing several diseases, including cancer. Here, strawberry lines of cv. Calypso transformed with a construct containing an anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) gene were produced to study the effects on anthocyanin biosynthesis, metabolism and transcriptome. Three strawberry ANS transgenic lines (ANS L5, ANS L15 and ANS L18) were analysed for phytochemical composition and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and their fruit extracts assessed for cytotoxic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma. ANS L18 fruits had the highest levels of total phenolics and flavonoids, while those of ANS L15 had the highest anthocyanin concentration; TAC positively correlated with total polyphenol content. Fruit transcriptome was also specifically affected in the polyphenol biosynthesis and in other related metabolic pathways. Fruit extracts of all lines exerted cytotoxic effects in a dose/time-dependent...
Protein hydrolysates are an emerging class of crop management products utilized for improving nut... more Protein hydrolysates are an emerging class of crop management products utilized for improving nutrient assimilation and mitigating crop stress. They generally consist of a mixture of peptides and free amino acids derived from the hydrolysis of plant or animal sources. The present work was aimed at studying the effects and the action mechanisms of a protein hydrolysate derived from animal residues on maize root growth and physiology in comparison with the effects induced by either free amino acids or inorganic N supply. The application of the protein hydrolysate caused a remarkable enhancement of root growth. In particular, in the protein hydrolysate-treated plants the length and surface area of lateral roots were about 7 and 1.5 times higher than in plants treated with inorganic N or free amino acids, respectively. The root growth promoting effect of the protein hydrolysate was associated with an increased root accumulation of K, Zn, Cu, and Mn when compared with inorganic N and ami...
The determination of food geographical origin has been an important subject of study over the pas... more The determination of food geographical origin has been an important subject of study over the past decade, with an increasing number of analytical techniques being developed to determine the provenance of agricultural products. Agricultural soils can differ for the composition and the relative quantities of mineral nutrients and trace elements whose bioavailability depends on soil properties. Therefore, the ionome of fruits, vegetables and derived products can reflect the mineral composition of the growth substrate. Multi-elemental analysis has been successfully applied to trace the provenance of wines from different countries or different wine-producing regions. However, winemaking process and environmental and cultural conditions may affect a geographical fingerprint. In this article, we discuss the possibility of applying ionomics in wines classification on a local scale and also by exploiting grape berry analyses. In this regard, we present the ionomic profile of grapevine berri...
A major application of RNA interference (RNAi) is envisaged for the production of virus-resistant... more A major application of RNA interference (RNAi) is envisaged for the production of virus-resistant transgenic plants. For fruit trees, this remains the most, if not the only, viable option for the control of plant viral disease outbreaks in cultivated orchards, due to the difficulties associated with the use of traditional and conventional disease-control measures. The use of RNAi might provide an additional benefit for woody crops if silenced rootstock can efficiently transmit the silencing signal to non-transformed scions, as has already been demonstrated in herbaceous plants. This would provide a great opportunity to produce non-transgenic fruit from transgenic rootstock. In this review, we scrutinise some of the concerns that might arise with the use of RNAi for engineering virus-resistant plants, and we speculate that this virus resistance has fewer biosafety concerns. This is mainly because RNAi-eliciting constructs only express small RNA molecules rather than proteins, and because this technology can be applied using plant rootstock that can confer virus resistance to the scion, leaving the scion untransformed. We discuss the main biosafety concerns related to the release of new types of virus-resistant plants and the risk assessment approaches in the application of existing regulatory systems (in particular, those of the European Union, the USA, and Canada) for the evaluation and approval of RNAi-mediated virus-resistant plants, either as transgenic varieties or as plant virus resistance induced by transgenic rootstock.
The cystine-knot miniproteins present in tomato fruit (TCMPs) have been shown to exert anti-angio... more The cystine-knot miniproteins present in tomato fruit (TCMPs) have been shown to exert anti-angiogenic effects by inhibiting endothelial cell migration and to display resistance to gastrointestinal proteolytic attack. To better define the pharmacological potential of TCMPs, their oral bioavailability and their resistance to industrial processing must be assessed. To explore the intestinal transport of TCMPs we used the differentiated Caco-2 cells model. After 24h incubation, 37.73±9.34% of TCMPs crossed the epithelium, without altering the integrity of the cell layer. To assess the effects of the industrial processing on the biochemical features and the biological activity of TCMPs, we developed a method for purifying the proteins from tomato paste. The tomato-paste purified TCMPs retained the resistance to gastrointestinal digestion and the inhibitory activity towards endothelial cell migration. Our previous and present results collectively demonstrate that TCMPs possess interesting features for drug development.
Sharka, caused by Plum Pox Virus (PPV), is by far the most important infectious disease of peach ... more Sharka, caused by Plum Pox Virus (PPV), is by far the most important infectious disease of peach [P. persica (L.) Batsch] and other Prunus species. The progressive spread of the virus in many important growing areas throughout Europe poses serious issues to the economic sustainability of stone fruit crops, peach in particular. The adoption of internationally agreed-upon rules for diagnostic tests, strain-specific monitoring schemes and spatial–temporal modeling of virus spread, are all essential for a more effective sharka containment. The EU regulations on nursery activity should be modified based on the zone delimitation of PPV presence, limiting open-field production of propagation materials only to virus-free areas. Increasing the efficiency of preventive measures should be augmented by the short-term development of resistant cultivars. Putative sources of resistance/tolerance have been recently identified in peach germplasm, although the majority of novel resistant sources to PPV-M have been found in almond. However, the complexity of introgression from related-species imposes the search for alternative strategies. The use of genetic engineering, particularly RNA interference (RNAi)-based approaches, appears as one of the most promising perspectives to introduce a durable resistance to PPV in peach germplasm, notwithstanding the well-known difficulties of in vitro plant regeneration in this species. In this regard, rootstock transformation to induce RNAi-mediated systemic resistance would avoid the transformation of numerous commercial cultivars, and may alleviate consumer resistance to the use of GM plants.
Cystine-knot miniproteins are a class of 30-50 amino acid-long peptides widespread in eukaryotic ... more Cystine-knot miniproteins are a class of 30-50 amino acid-long peptides widespread in eukaryotic organisms. Due to their very peculiar three-dimensional structure, they exhibit high resistance to heat and peptidase attack. The cystine-knot peptides are well represented in several plant species including medicinal herbs and crops. The pharmacological interest for plant cystine-knot peptides derived from their broad biological activities, mainly cytotoxic, antimicrobial and peptidase inhibitory and on the possibility to engineer them to incorporate pharmacophoric information for oral delivery or disease biomonitoring. The mechanisms of action of plant cystine-knot peptides are still largely undiscovered, although the capacity to interfere with plasma membranes seems a feature common to several cystine-knot peptides. In some cases, such as potato PCI and tomato TCMPs, the cystine-knot peptides target human growth factor receptors either by acting as growth factor antagonist or by altering their signal transduction pathway. The possibility to identify specific molecular targets of plant cystine-knot peptides in human cells opens novel possibilities for the pharmacological use of these peptides besides their use as scaffold to develop stable disease molecular markers and therapeutic agents. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Man~ anese has a vital role in plants as an essential cofactor for 02_ evolution. Excess Mn2, how... more Man~ anese has a vital role in plants as an essential cofactor for 02_ evolution. Excess Mn2, however, can be toxic. Some of this toxicity may results from inhibition of Chi synthesis (CLAIRMONT et al., 1986). _ Tobacco in vitro culture (N. tabacum var. BEL W3) provides a ...
Cystine-knot miniproteins are bioactive molecules with a broad range of potential therapeutic app... more Cystine-knot miniproteins are bioactive molecules with a broad range of potential therapeutic applications. Recently, it was demonstrated that two tomato cystine-knot miniproteins (TCMPs) exhibit in vitro anti-angiogenic activity on human umbilical vein cells (HUVEC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a fruit-specific cystine-knot miniprotein of tomato on in vitro endothelial cell migration and in vivo angiogenesis using a zebrafish model. The cystine-knot protein purified from tomato fruits using gel filtration LC and RP- HPLC, inhibited cell migration when tested at 200 nM using the wound-healing assay, and reduced nitric oxide formation probed by 4-amino-5-methylamino-27-difluorofluoscescin diacetate. RT-PCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that vascular endothelium growth factor A (VEGFA)-dependent signaling was the target of TCMP bioactivity. Angiogenesis was inhibited in vivo in zebrafish embryos treated with 500 nM TCMP. Our results demonstrate that cystine-knot miniproteins present in tomato mature fruits are endowed with anti-angiogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. These molecules may confer beneficial effects to tomato dietary intake, along with lycopene and other antioxidants. Further investigation is warranted to explore the potential of these compounds as model scaffolds for the development of new drugs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
In eukaryotic cells, the non-proteinogenic amino acid ornithine is the precursor of arginine and ... more In eukaryotic cells, the non-proteinogenic amino acid ornithine is the precursor of arginine and polyamines (PAs). The final step of ornithine biosynthesis occurs in plants via a cyclic pathway catalyzed by N(2)-acetylornithine:N-acetylglutamate acetyltransferase (NAOGAcT). An alternative route for ornithine formation, the linear pathway, has been reported for enteric bacteria and a few other organisms; the acetyl group of N(2)-acetylornithine is released as acetate by N(2)-acetylornithine deacetylase (NAOD). NAOD activity has never been demonstrated in plants, although many putative NAOD-like genes have been identified. In this investigation, we examined the effect of down-regulation of the putative Arabidopsis thaliana NAOD gene by using AtNAOD-silenced (sil#17) and T-DNA insertional mutant (atnaod) plants. The ornithine content was consistently reduced in sil#17 and atnaod plants compared with wild-type plants, suggesting that in addition to NAOGAcT action, AtNAOD contributes to ...
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