Copper-deficiency in Brassica napus induces copper remobilization, molybdenum accumulation and modification of the expression of chloroplastic proteins

PLoS One. 2014 Oct 15;9(10):e109889. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109889. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

During the last 40 years, crop breeding has strongly increased yields but has had adverse effects on the content of micronutrients, such as Fe, Mg, Zn and Cu, in edible products despite their sufficient supply in most soils. This suggests that micronutrient remobilization to edible tissues has been negatively selected. As a consequence, the aim of this work was to quantify the remobilization of Cu in leaves of Brassica napus L. during Cu deficiency and to identify the main metabolic processes that were affected so that improvements can be achieved in the future. While Cu deficiency reduced oilseed rape growth by less than 19% compared to control plants, Cu content in old leaves decreased by 61.4%, thus demonstrating a remobilization process between leaves. Cu deficiency also triggered an increase in Cu transporter expression in roots (COPT2) and leaves (HMA1), and more surprisingly, the induction of the MOT1 gene encoding a molybdenum transporter associated with a strong increase in molybdenum (Mo) uptake. Proteomic analysis of leaves revealed 33 proteins differentially regulated by Cu deficiency, among which more than half were located in chloroplasts. Eleven differentially expressed proteins are known to require Cu for their synthesis and/or activity. Enzymes that were located directly upstream or downstream of Cu-dependent enzymes were also differentially expressed. The overall results are then discussed in relation to remobilization of Cu, the interaction between Mo and Cu that occurs through the synthesis pathway of Mo cofactor, and finally their putative regulation within the Calvin cycle and the chloroplastic electron transport chain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenosine Triphosphatases / metabolism
  • Anion Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Brassica napus / metabolism*
  • Chloroplast Proteins / metabolism*
  • Chloroplasts / metabolism*
  • Copper / deficiency*
  • Copper / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Molybdenum / metabolism*
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Plant Roots / metabolism
  • Proteomics

Substances

  • Anion Transport Proteins
  • Chloroplast Proteins
  • Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Copper
  • Molybdenum
  • Adenosine Triphosphatases

Grants and funding

VB’s PhD grant was funded by the Regional Council of Basse-Normandie (http://www.region-basse-normandie.fr/) and Timac Agro International (http://www.timacagro.fr/). Regional Council of Basse-Normandie had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Timac Agro Internationnal had a role in study design and analysis.