Identification of phenolic compounds in isolated vacuoles of the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus and their interaction with vacuolar class III peroxidase: an H₂O₂ affair?

last updated: 2014-05-20
TitleIdentification of phenolic compounds in isolated vacuoles of the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus and their interaction with vacuolar class III peroxidase: an H₂O₂ affair?
Publication TypePapers in Scientific Journals
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsFerreres F., Figueiredo R., Gil-Izquierdo A., Pereira D. M., Valentão P., Andrade P. B., and Sottomayor M.
Abstract

Class III peroxidases (Prxs) are plant enzymes capable of using H(2)O(2) to oxidize a range of plant secondary metabolites, notably phenolic compounds. These enzymes are localized in the cell wall or in the vacuole, which is a target for secondary metabolite accumulation, but very little is known about the function of vacuolar Prxs. Here, the physiological role of the main leaf vacuolar Prx of the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus, CrPrx1, was further investigated namely by studying its capacity to oxidize co-localized phenolic substrates at the expense of H(2)O(2). LC-PAD-MS analysis of the phenols from isolated leaf vacuoles detected the presence of three caffeoylquinic acids and four flavonoids in this organelle. These phenols or similar compounds were shown to be good CrPrx1 substrates, and the CrPrx1-mediated oxidation of 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid was shown to form a co-operative regenerating cycle with ascorbic acid. Interestingly, more than 90% of total leaf Prx activity was localized in the vacuoles, associated to discrete spots of the tonoplast. Prx activity inside the vacuoles was estimated to be 1809 nkat ml(-1), which, together with the determined concentrations for the putative vacuolar phenolic substrates, indicate a very high H(2)O(2) scavenging capacity, up to 9 mM s(-1). Accordingly, high light conditions, known to increase H(2)O(2) production, induced both phenols and Prx levels. Therefore, it is proposed that the vacuolar couple Prx/secondary metabolites represent an important sink/buffer of H(2)O(2) in green plant cells.

JournalJournal of Experimental Botany
Volume62
Pagination2841-2854
Date Published2011-05-14
KeywordsH2O2, H2O2 scavenging and homeostasis, vacuolar class III peroxidases, vacuolar phenolic compounds, vacuolar secondary metabolites vacuoles
RightsopenAccess
Peer reviewedyes
Statuspublished

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