The Arabidopsis N-Acetylornithine Deacetylase Controls Ornithine Biosynthesis via a Linear Pathway with Downstream Effects on Polyamine Levels

Arabidopsis thaliana At4g17830 codes for a protein showing sequence similarity with the Escherichia coli N-acetylornithine deacetylase (EcArgE), an enzyme implicated in the linear ornithine (Orn) biosynthetic pathway. In plants, N-acetylornithine deacetylase (NAOD) activity has yet to be demonstrated; however, At4g17830-silenced and mutant (atnaod) plants display an impaired reproductive phenotype and altered foliar levels of Orn and polyamines (PAs). Here, we showed the direct connection between At4g17830 function and Orn biosynthesis, demonstrating biochemically that At4g17830 codes for a NAOD. These results are the first experimental proof that Orn can be produced in Arabidopsis via a linear pathway. In this study, to identify the role of AtNAOD in reproductive organs, we carried out a transcriptomic analysis on atnaod mutant and wild-type flowers. In the atnaod mutant, the most relevant effects were the reduced expression of cysteine-rich peptide-coding genes, known to regulate male-female cross-talk during reproduction, and variation in the expression of genes involved in nitrogen:carbon (N:C) status. The atnaod mutant also exhibited increased levels of sucrose and altered sensitivity to glucose. We hypothesize that AtNAOD participates in Orn and PA homeostasis, contributing to maintain an optimal N:C balance during reproductive development.