Elucidating β-1,3-Glucanase and Peroxidase Physicochemical Properties of Wheat Cell Wall Defense Mechanism Against Diuraphis noxia Infestation

Summary

The present protocol describes procedures used to study and characterize cell wall-related enzymes, mainly β-1,3-glucanase and peroxidase, in wheat plants. Their activity levels increase during wheat-RWA interaction and are involved in the plant defense response through cell wall reinforcement, which deters aphid feeding.

Abstract

Wheat plants infested by Russian wheat aphids (RWA) induce a cascade of defense responses, including the hypersensitive responses (HR) and induction of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, such as β-1,3-glucanase and peroxidase (POD). This study aims to characterize the physicochemical properties of cell wall-associated POD and β-1,3-glucanase and determine their synergism on the cell wall modification during RWASA2-wheat interaction. The susceptible Tugela, moderately resistant Tugela-Dn1, and resistant Tugela-Dn5 cultivars were pregerminated and planted under greenhouse conditions, fertilized 14 days after planting, and irrigated every 3 days. The plants were infested with 20 parthenogenetic individuals of the same RWASA2 clone at the 3-leaf stage, and leaves were harvested at 1 to 14 days post-infestation. The Intercellular wash fluid (IWF) was extracted using vacuum filtration and stored at -20 °C. Leaf residues were crushed into powder and used for cell wall components. POD activity and characterization were determined using 5 mM guaiacol substrate and H₂O₂, monitoring change in absorbance at 470 nm. β-1,3-glucanase activity, pH, and temperature optimum conditions were demonstrated by measuring the total reducing sugars in the hydrolysate with DNS reagent using β-1,3-glucan and β-1,3-1,4-glucan substrates, measuring the absorbance at 540 nm, and using glucose standard curve. The pH optimum was determined between pH 4 to 9, temperature optimum between 25 and 50 °C, and thermal stability between 30 °C and 70 °C. β-1,3-glucanase substrate specificity was determined at 25 °C and 40 °C using curdlan and barley β-1,3-1,4-glucan substrates. Additionally, the β-1,3-glucanase mode of action was determined using laminaribiose to laminaripentaose. The oligosaccharide hydrolysis product patterns were qualitatively analyzed with thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and quantitatively analyzed with HPLC. The method presented in this study demonstrates a robust approach for infesting wheat with RWA, extracting peroxidase and β-1,3-glucanase from the cell wall region and their comprehensive biochemical characterization.

Introduction

Russian wheat aphids (RWA) infest wheat and barley, causing significant yield loss or grain quality reduction. Wheat responds to infestation by inducing several defense responses, including increasing the β-1,3-glucanase and peroxidase activity levels in the resistant cultivars, while susceptible cultivars reduce the activity of these enzymes at early infestation period^1,2,3,4. The key functions of β-1,3-glucanase and POD in the wheat plant included regulating callose accumulation in the resistant cultivar and reactive oxygen speci....

Protocol

The study was conducted with the approval and permission of the Environmental and Biosafety Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Free State (UFS-ESD2022/0131/22). The details of the reagents and the equipment here are listed in the Table of Materials.

1. Plant growth conditions

1. Germinate 250 seeds of each wheat cultivar, i.e., susceptible Tugela, moderately resistant Tugela-Dn1, and resistant Tugela-Dn5, in separate .......

Discussion

Wheat and barley are cereal crops frequently infested by aphid species, including Russian wheat aphids (Diuraphis noxia)^7,24. Resistant wheat plants induce the upregulation of POD and β-1,3-glucanase activities as defense responses throughout the infestation period to modify the cell wall by regulating callose and lignin accumulation^6,25,26,

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
10 kDa Centrifuge concentrating membrane device	Sigma-Aldrich	R1NB84206	For research use only. Not for use in Diagnostic procedures. For concentration and purification of biological solutions.
2 g Laminaribiose	Megazyme (Wicklow, Ireland)	O-LAM2	High purity laminaribiose for use in research, biochemical enzyme assays and in vitro diagnostic analysis.
3 g Laminaritriose	Megazyme (Wicklow, Ireland)	O-LAM3	High purity laminaritriose for use in research, biochemical enzyme assays and in vitro diagnostic analysis.
3,5 Dinitro salicylic acid	Sigma-Aldrich	D0550	Used in colorimetric determination of reducing sugars
4 g Laminaritetraose	Megazyme (Wicklow, Ireland)	O-LAM4	High purity laminaritetraose for use in research, biochemical enzyme assays and in vitro diagnostic analysis.
5 g Laminaripentaose	Megazyme (Wicklow, Ireland)	O-LAM5	High purity laminaripentaose for use in research, biochemical enzyme assays and in vitro diagnostic analysis.
95% Absolute ethanol	Sigma-Aldrich	107017	Ethanol absolute for analysis
acetic acid	Sigma-Aldrich	B00063	Acetc acid glacial 100% for analysis (contains acetic acid)
Azo-CM-Cellulose	Megazyme (Wicklow, Ireland)	S-ACMC	The polysaccharide is dyed with Remazolbrilliant Blue R to an extent of approx. one dye molecule per 20 sugar residues.
Beta glucan (barley)	Megazyme (Wicklow, Ireland)	G6513	A powdered substrate, less soluble in water. Used in determining β-1,3-glucanase activity.
Bio-Rad Protein Assay Dye	Bio-Rad Laboratories, South africa	500-0006	Colorimetric assay dye, concentrate, for use with Bio-Rad Protein Assay Kits I and II
Bovine serum albumin (BSA)	Gibco Europe	810-1018	For Laboratory use only
Citrate acid	Sigma-Aldrich	C0759	For Life Science research only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
CM-curdlan	Megazyme (Wicklow, Ireland)	P-CMCUR	Powdered substrate for determining β-1,3-glucanase activity. Insoluble in water.
D-Glucose	Sigma-Aldrich	G8270	For Life Science research only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Guaiacol	Sigma-Aldrich	G5502	Oxidation indicator. Used for determining peroxidase activity.
Hydrogen peroxide	BDH Laboratory Supplies, England	10366	Powerful oxidising agent.
Mikskaar Professional Substarte	Mikskaar (Estonia)	NI	Peat moss-based seedling substrate.
Multifeed fertiliser (5.2.4 (43))	Multifeed Classic	B1908248	A water soluble fertiliser for young developing plants and seedlings with a high phosphorus (P) requirement to ensure optimum root development.
Naphthol	Merck, Germany	N2780	Undergoes hydrogenations in the presence of a catalyst.
Phenol	Sigma-Aldrich	33517	Light sensitive. For R&D use only. Not for drug, household, or other uses. SDS available
Potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate (Rochelle salt)	Sigma-Aldrich	S2377	used in the preparation of 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid solution used in the determination of the reducing sugar.
Silica plate (TLC Silica gel 60 F254)	Sigma-Aldrich	60778-25EA	Silica gel matrix, with fluorescent indicator 254 nm
Sodium hydroxide	Sigma-Aldrich	S8045	For R&D use only. Not for drug, household, or other uses.
Sodium metabisulfite	Sigma-Aldrich	31448	Added as an antioxidant during the preparation of 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid solutions.
Sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate	Sigma-Aldrich	S9390	Used as a buffer solution in biological research to keep the pH constant.
Sodium phosphate monobasic heptahydrate	Sigma-Aldrich	71500	An inorganic compound, which is soluble in water. Used as a reagent in the development of silicate-based grouts.
Statistical analysis software	TIBCO Statistica	version 13.1
Sulfuric acid	Merck, Darmstadt, Germany	30743	Sulfuric acid 95-97% for analysis of Hg, ACS reagent.
Tris-HCl	Sigma-Aldrich	10812846001	Buffering agent in incubation mixtures. It has also been used as a component of lysis and TE (Tris-EDTA) buffer. For life science research only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
UV–Visible Spectrophotometer	GENESYS 120
NI = not identified.