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A barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) LEA3 protein, HVA1, is abundant in protein storage vacuoles

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Abstract

The HVA1 protein belongs to the LEA3 group, which is expressed during the late stage of seed maturation. It is also induced by exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and a variety of environmental stresses in germinating barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). In the present work, the potential role of HVA1 was investigated by studying its tissue distribution and subcellular localization in mature and stressed seeds by immuno-microscopic methods. In the mature seed, HVA1 protein was detected in all tissues except the non-living starchy endosperm. During germination the amount of HVA1 protein decreased but did not totally disappear. Incubation with 100 μM ABA, cold treatment or drought stress dramatically increased HVA1 expression in the germinated seed. In this work, the distribution of a LEA3 group protein was studied in a cereal seed for the first time by immuno-electron microscopy. In the scutellum and aleurone layer, HVA1 was localized both in the cytoplasm and protein storage vacuoles (PSVs). HVA1 protein was found to be threefold more abundant in PSVs than in the cytoplasm of an unstressed seed tissue. The ratio increased with ABA or stress treatments to at least ninefold. The role of HVA1 in PSVs remains unclear: a previously suggested possibility is ion sequestration to prevent precipitation during stress. On the other hand, HVA1 protein could also be degraded in PSVs. HVA1 protein does not have the signal peptide typical of proteins which are glycosylated and targeted into the vacuole via the Golgi complex. Because HVA1 is not glycosylated, it may use an alternative, ER-independent vacuolar pathway, also found in yeast cells.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

abscisic acid

LEA:

late embryogenesis abundant

PSV:

protein storage vacuole

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FIN-40351, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Salla Marttila, Teija Tenhola & Anita Mikkonen

Authors
  1. Salla Marttila
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  2. Teija Tenhola
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  3. Anita Mikkonen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anita Mikkonen.

Additional information

We are grateful to Prof. David Ho (Washington Univ., St. Louis, Mo., USA) for the HVA1 antibody. In the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, the following persons are acknowledged: Dr Eeva-Liisa Punnonen for pA-gold conjugates, Mrs Raija Vassinen for technical assistance, Mr Paavo Niutanen for assistance in photography, Phil.lic. Jyrki Pusenius for help with statistical methods, and MSc. Ilkka Porali and MSc. Paula Sarkkinen for useful advice. Prof. David Ho, Dr. Qingxi Shen (Washington Univ., St. Louis) and Prof. Antero Salminen (Univ. Jyväskylä, Finland) are gratefully acknowledged for critical reading of the manuscript.

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Marttila, S., Tenhola, T. & Mikkonen, A. A barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) LEA3 protein, HVA1, is abundant in protein storage vacuoles. Planta 199, 602–611 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195193

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195193

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