N-protein mobilisation associated with the leaf senescence process in oilseed rape is concomitant with the disappearance of trypsin inhibitor activity
Philippe Etienne A , Marie Desclos A , Lucie Le Gou A , Julie Gombert A , Josette Bonnefoy A , Karine Maurel A , Frédérik Le Dily A , Alain Ourry A and Jean-Christophe Avice A BA UMR INRA/UCBN 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie (EVA) & Nutrition NCS; ISBIO, Institut de Biologie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Université de CAEN Basse-Normandie, F-14032 Caen Cedex, France.
B Corresponding author. Email: jean-christophe.avice@unicaen.fr
Functional Plant Biology 34(10) 895-906 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP07088
Submitted: 13 April 2007 Accepted: 23 July 2007 Published: 13 September 2007
Abstract
Brassica napus L. (oilseed rape) is an important crop plant characterised by low nitrogen (N) use efficiency. This is mainly due to a weak N recycling from leaves that is related to incomplete protein degradation. Assuming that protease inhibitors are involved throughout protein mobilisation, the goal of this study was to determine their role in the control of N mobilisation associated with leaf senescence. Results showed that a 19-kDa polypeptide exhibiting trypsin inhibitor (TI) activity presented an increased gradient from the older to the younger leaves. According to the SAG12/Cab gene expression profile, which is an indicator of leaf senescence, mature leaves of nitrate-deprived plants presented an earlier initiation of senescence and a decrease in protein concentration when compared with nitrate-replete plants. This coincided with disappearance of both TI activity and a reduction in the transcript level of the BnD22 gene (encoding a protein sharing homology with Künitz protease inhibitor). In young leaves of N-deprived plants, initiation of senescence was delayed; soluble protein concentration was maintained while both TI activity and BnD22 transcripts were high. This indicates that in oilseed rape growing under nitrate deprivation, the more efficient N recycling from mature leaves contributes to the maintenance of growth in young leaves. The data suggest a significant role for protease inhibitors in the regulation of proteolytic processes associated with N mobilisation during leaf senescence.
Additional keywords: Brassica napus L., leaf senescence, N recycling, nitrate availability, protease inhibitor, protein mobilisation.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Ms Marie-Paule Henry for her valuable help in N analysis. The authors also wish to acknowledge Dr Olivier Sordet (Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, NIH/NCI, Bethesda, MD, USA) for kind revision of this manuscript. This work was supported by a PhD grant for Marie Desclos from INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France) and the Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie.
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