Violeta Londono Velez
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and
Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of
Science and Technology (KAUST)
Poster number
37
Research interests: Stress Granules, Stress granules composition, Ubiquitination System, Deubiquitination, Proteomics, Heat Stress, Protein-Protein Interaction
Abstract:
Functional characterization of the deubiquitinase OTU2 role in Arabidopsis thaliana stress granules biology.
V. LONDOÑO-VÉLEZ
, I. E. HERNÁNDEZ-SÁNCHEZ, M. CHODASIEWICZ
Plants, being stationary, face various environmental challenges, prompting the development of coping mechanisms. Stress granules (SG), formed through liquid-liquid phase separation, are one such strategy. These membrane-less organelles are highly dynamic and reversible. During stress, several cellular processes suffer a transient shutdown. Therefore, it is believed that SG temporarily sequesters some cellular components. Consequently, proper assembly and disassembly are crucial for cellular recovery post-stress. It has been reported that post-translational modifications including ubiquitination are involved in the regulation of mammalian SG dynamics (1). In planta, the deubiquitinase Ovarian Tumor 2 (OTU2) has been found as a component of heat-induced SGs (2). Confocal analysis in
N. benthamiana
leaves confirms the co-localization of OTU2 with the SG marker during heat stress and the dynamics of OTU2 resembled the behavior of SGs in stable lines. Additionally, other members from OTU family, OTU5a and OTU10 can form condensates under heat in COL-0 background. However, when analyzed, the overexpression of OTU2 does not alter the expression level of the other eleven OTU family members. While SG dynamics are well studied in non-plant models, they are poorly comprehended in plants. Insight into SG dynamics and their role in plant stress response is crucial for crop resilience.
1. Krause LJ, Herrera MG, Winklhofer K. The Role of Ubiquitin in Regulating Stress Granule Dynamics. Front Physiol. 2022;13.
2. Kosmacz M, Gorka M, Schmidt S, Luzarowski M, Moreno JC, Szlachetko J, et al. Protein and metabolite composition of Arabidopsis stress granules. New Phytol. 2019 May 1;222(3):1420–33.