Biology subjects

Burton, R. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Burton, R. A..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Lysosomal calcium loading promotes arrhythmias by potentiating ryanodine receptor release

Spontaneous calcium release by ryanodine receptors (RyRs) due to intracellular calcium overload results in delayed afterdepolarisations, closely associated with life-threatening arrhythmias. In this regard, inhibiting lysosomal calcium release by two-pore channel 2 (TPC2) knockout has been shown to reduce the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias under {beta}-adrenergic stimulation. However, mechanistic investigations into the role of lysosomal function on RyR spontaneous release remain missing. We investigate the calcium handling mechanisms by which lysosome function modulates RyR spontaneous release, and determine how lysosomes are able to mediate arrhythmias by its influence on calcium loading. Mechanistic studies were conducted using a population of biophysically-detailed mouse ventricular models including for the first time modelling of lysosomal function, and calibrated by experimental calcium transients modulated by TPC2. We demonstrate that lysosomal calcium uptake and release can synergistically provide a buffering pathway of fast calcium transport, by which lysosomal calcium release primarily modulates sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium reuptake and RyR release. Enhancement of this lysosomal transport pathway promoted RyR spontaneous release by elevating the SR-junction calcium gradient. In contrast, blocking either lysosomal calcium uptake or release revealed an antiarrhythmic impact. Under conditions of calcium overload, our results indicate that these responses are strongly modulated by intercellular variability in L-type calcium current, RyR release, and SERCA reuptake. Altogether, our investigations identify that lysosomal calcium handling directly influences RyR spontaneous release by regulating the SR-junction calcium gradient, suggesting antiarrhythmic strategies and identifying key modulators of lysosomal proarrhythmic action. Statement of SignificanceDelayed afterdepolarisations arising from spontaneous RyR calcium release are an important risk factor for arrhythmogenesis. Inhibiting lysosomal calcium release by TPC2-KO reduces the propensity for ventricular arrhythmias. However, understanding downstream effects of lysosomal calcium release on spontaneous RyR release is lacking. Understanding lysosomes as arrhythmia sources requires alternative approaches to controlled laboratory techniques: these restrain variability experimentally and statistically. Our study presents two methodological novelties by focusing on calibration with experimental findings using a population of biophysically-detailed models and incorporating lysosomal mechanisms. Lysosomal calcium handling promotes RyR spontaneous release by elevating the SR-junction calcium gradient. Blocking lysosomal function uncovers an antiarrhythmic strategy. Lysosome-release proarrhythmic risk is determined by synergistic enhancements of lysosomal uptake with RyR release or L-type calcium current.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2020

The p-coumaroyl arabinoxylan transferase HvAT10 underlies natural variation in whole-grain cell wall phenolic acids in cultivated barley

Phenolic acids in cereal grains have important health-promoting properties and influence digestibility for industrial or agricultural uses. Here we identify alleles of a single BAHD p-coumaroyl arabinoxylan transferase gene, HvAT10, as responsible for the natural variation in cell wall-esterified p-coumaric and ferulic acid in whole grain of a collection of cultivated two-row spring barley genotypes. We show that HvAT10 is rendered non-functional by a premature stop codon mutation in approximately half of the genotypes in our mapping panel. The causal mutation is virtually absent in wild and landrace germplasm suggesting an important function for grain arabinoxylan p-coumaroylation pre-domestication that is dispensable in modern agriculture. Intriguingly, we detected detrimental impacts of the mutated locus on barley grain quality traits. We propose that HvAT10 could be a focus for future grain quality improvement or for manipulating phenolic acid content of wholegrain food products.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

GWAS reveals the genetic complexity of fructan accumulation patterns in barley grain

We profiled the grain oligosaccharide content of 154 two-row spring barley genotypes and quantified 27 compounds, mainly fructans, that exhibited differential abundance. Clustering revealed two major profile groups where the ‘high’ set contained greater amounts of sugar monomers, sucrose and overall fructans, but lower fructosylraffinose. GWAS identified a significant association for the variability of two fructan types; neoseries-DP7 and inulin-DP9 which showed increased strength when a compound-ratio GWAS was applied. Gene models within this region included five fructan biosynthesis genes, of which three (fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase, sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase, and sucrose:fructan 6-fructosyltransferase) have already been described. The remaining two, 6(G)-fructosyltransferase and vacuolar invertase1 have not previously been linked to fructan biosynthesis in barley and showed expression patterns distinct from those of the other three genes, including exclusive expression of 6(G)-fructosyltransferase in outer grain tissues at the storage phase. From exome capture data several SNPs related to inulin- and neoseries-type fructan variability were identified in fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase and 6(G)-fructosyltransferase genes Co-expression analyses uncovered potential regulators of fructan biosynthesis including transcription factors. Our results provide evidence for the distinct biosynthesis of neoseries-type fructans during barley grain maturation plus new gene candidates likely involved in the differential biosynthesis of the various fructan types.Highlight Grain fructan profiles in barley are more complex than previously expected and variations in a diversity panel relate to a genomic region where fructan biosynthesis genes cluster.Abbreviations1-FFTfructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase1-SSTsucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase6-SFTsucrose:fructan 6-fructosyltransferase6G-FFT6(G)-fructosyltransferaseDAPdays after pollinationDPdegree of polymerisationDMdry matterELSDevaporative light scattering detectionFDRfalse discovery rateFOSfructooligosaccharidesFPKMfragments per kilobase, per million mapped readsGWAgenome wide associationGWASgenome wide association studyHAIhours after imbibitionHPAEC–PADhigh pH anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detectionHPLChigh performance liquid chromatographyKPkestopentaoseKTkestotetraoseLCliquid chromatographyLDlinkage disequilibriumLODlogarithm of oddsMAFminimum allele frequencyMSmass spectrometryNGNeural GasNSneoseries-type fructanPprobability valuePEGpolyethylene glycolQTLquantitative trait lociRFOraffinose family oligosaccharidesRTretention timeSNPsingle nucleotide polymorphismsSPEsolid phase extractionTFAtrifluoroacetic acidTPMtranscripts per millionVI-1vacuolar invertase1View Full Text

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Cellular debris, not mucilage polysaccharides, dominate extracts of Plantago ovata and Plantago lanceolata calli grown in vitro

Mucilage is a hydrophilic mixture of polysaccharides produced by seeds of many species, and used in research, industrial processes and as human health supplements. As such, demand often outweighs supply. In recent years, several researchers have reported that mucilage can be produced efficiently from in vitro-cultured calli as a direct plant-less alternative to seed mucilage; however, this mucilage has not been rigorously characterised. Here we replicate previously published culturing and extraction procedures and couple them with compositional analysis to determine whether the mucilage produced from Plantago ovata and P. lanceolata calli are similar to seed mucilage. Our monosaccharide profiling and microscopy show that, while calli derived from either seedling hypocotyls or roots yield more material than seeds using the same extraction techniques, the majority of extract mass is cellular debris. Debris polysaccharide composition was significantly different to seed mucilage from both species. Plant tissue culture as an alternative source of high yields of useful mucilage polysaccharides, at least by these and similar methods, is likely to not be possible.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Targeted mutation of barley (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan synthases reveals complex relationships between the storage and cell wall polysaccharide content

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L) grain is comparatively rich in (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-glucan, a source of fermentable dietary fibre that protects against various human health conditions. However, low grain (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-glucan content is preferred for brewing and distilling. We took a reverse genetics approach, using CRISPR/Cas9 to generate mutations in members of the Cellulose synthase-like (Csl) gene superfamily that encode known (HvCslF6 and HvCslH1) and putative (HvCslF3 and HvCslF9) (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-glucan synthases. Resultant mutations ranged from single amino acid (aa) substitutions to frameshift mutations causing premature stop codons, and led to specific differences in grain morphology, composition and (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-glucan content. (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-Glucan was absent in the grain of cslf6 knock-out lines whereas cslf9 knock-out lines had similar (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-glucan content to WT. However, cslf9 mutants showed changes in the abundance of other cell wall-related monosaccharides compared to WT. Thousand grain weight (TGW), grain length, width and surface area were altered in cslf6 knock-outs and to a lesser extent TGW in cslf9 knock-outs. cslf3 and cslh1 mutants had no effect on grain (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-glucan content. Our data indicate that multiple members of the CslF/H family fulfil important functions during grain development but, with the exception of HvCslF6, do not impact the abundance of (1,3;1,4)-{beta}-glucan in mature grain.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Functional cyclic AMP signalling is required for the actions of IP3 on the Ca2+ transient in cardiac atria and beating rate in sino-atrial node

Inositol trisphosphate (IP3) is a major Ca2+-mobilising second messenger and atrial IP3 receptor (IP3R) expression is greatly increased in atrial fibrillation (AF). Cardiac atrial and sino-atrial node (SAN) myocytes also express Ca2+-stimulated adenylyl cyclases (AC1 and AC8); however the pathways underlying atrial AC1 and AC8 activation are unknown. We investigated whether IP3 signalling in cardiac atria and SAN utilises ACs. Immunocytochemistry in isolated guinea pig atrial myocytes identified co-localisation of type 2 IP3Rs with AC8, while AC1 was located in close vicinity. UV photorelease of IP3 significantly enhanced Ca2+ transient amplitudes following stimulation of atrial myocytes (31 {+/-} 6 % increase 60 s post photorelease, n=16), an effect abolished by inhibitors of ACs (MDL-12,330) or PKA (H89). The maximum rate change observed in spontaneously-beating murine right atrial preparations exposed to phenylephrine (14.7 {+/-} 0.5 %, n=10) was significantly reduced by 2.5 mol/L 2-APB and abolished by a low dose of MDL-12,330. These observations are consistent with a functional interaction between IP3 and cAMP signalling involving Ca2+ stimulation of ACs in cardiac atria and the SAN. Structural evidence supports AC8 as the most likely effector. This signal transduction mechanism is important for future study in atrial physiology and pathophysiology, particularly AF.

physiology↗