Polybasic regions and a palmitoylation site mediate NGR1 membrane localization.
A) Scheme of mutagenesis. K114E&R115E (-PBR1), K187E&K188E (-PBR2), and C206A (-PALM) were introduced to disrupt NGR1 polybasic regions and palmitoylation site. Different combinations of mutations were tested.
B) Main root angle restoration upon reorientation in the vertical scanner setup of the ngr1/2/3 triple mutant complemented with NGR1p::NGR1-PALM&PBR2-GFP and NGR1p::NGR1-PALM&PBR1&2-GFP in comparison to NGR1p::NGR1WT-GFP, Col-0 and ngr1/2/3 triple mutant.
C) Representative confocal microscopy images of the root columella cells.
D) PM/cytoplasm signal ratio for NGR1p::NGR1-GFP, NGR1p::NGR1-PALM&PBR2-GFP, and NGR1p::NGR1-PALM&PBR1&2-GFP variants. Mutation in the polybasic region and palmitoylation site leads to the dissociation of NGR1 protein from the PM. For statistical analysis one-way ANOVA test was used, ‘a’ is significantly different from ‘b’ with a p-value<0.0001. The difference between the PM/Cytoplasm signal ratio of NGR1p::NGR1-PALM&PBR2-GFP and NGR1p::NGR1-PALM&PBR1&2-GFP is not statistically significant.
E) Representative pictures of the root columella cells of NGR1Nmyr -PALM&PBR1&2-GFP and NGR1-PALM&PBR1&2 ROP-CT-GFP. Membrane localization of NGR1-PALM&PBR1&2-GFP is restored upon the addition of LZY1 N-terminal myristoylation site (left) or C-terminal region of ROP2 bearing polybasic region and geranyl-geranylation site (right).
F) PM/cytoplasm ratio quantified for the versions with another acylation site. Different letters designate the statistically significant difference with p<0.0001 in a one-way ANOVA test.
G) Rescued main root angle restoration upon reorientation in the vertical scanner setup of the NGR1p::NGR1Nmyr -PALM&PBR1&2-GFP in ngr1/2/3 line, after the addition of LZY1 N-myristoylation site to the NGR1 version with mutated polybasic regions and palmitoylation site.
H) Rescued gravitropic response of the NGR1p::NGR1-PALM&PBR1&2 ROP-CT-GFP in ngr1/2/3, with the addition of the C-terminus of the ROP2 after the GFP tag.
For all the mutant variants more than 5 separate transgenic lines were observed with similar results. 8-15 roots were quantified for each gravitropic bending experiment. Shaded regions depict SD.