Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2021, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (6): 181-191.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2020-1131

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Advances in Plant Vacuolar Processing Enzymes

SU Yu(), LI Zong-yun(), HAN Yong-hua   

  1. School of Life Sciences,Jiangsu Normal University,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Phylogenomics & Comparative Genomics,Xuzhou 221116
  • Received:2020-09-06 Online:2021-06-26 Published:2021-07-08
  • Contact: LI Zong-yun E-mail:1586544642@qq.com;zongyunli@jsnu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Plant vacuolar processing enzyme(VPE)is an aspartic acid specific cysteine protease. VPE belongs to the peptidase C13 family and has substrate specificity for the carboxyl peptide chain of aspartic acid and asparagine residues. VPE is similar to caspase-1 protein from animal in both structure and function. VPE is a protease responsible for maturation and activation of vacuolar proteins in plants. It plays a multifunctional role in different plant organs and different stages of plant development and death,and mediates programmed cell death(PCD)by triggering vacuole rupture and initiating the proteolytic cascade. VPE also has peptide linking activity,which is responsible for the production of cyclic peptides in certain plants. There are four types of VPE in angiosperms during the evolution process:alpha-type VPE,beta-type VPE,gamma-type VPE,and delta-type VPE. This article summarizes the evolution,classification,maturation,activation processes and the functions of VPE in plant,as well as the latest progress and future research areas in this field,aiming to more comprehensively understand the role of VPE in plants.

Key words: vacuolar processing enzyme, programmed cell death, cysteine protease, growth and development