A maize spermine synthase 1 PEST sequence fused to the GUS reporter protein facilitates proteolytic degradation

•A maize spermine synthase 1 (ZmSPMS1) has a potential PEST sequence in the C-terminus.•The ZmSPMS1 PEST region fused to GUS facilitates the proteolytic degradation of the reporter protein in planta.•The PEST sequence of the ZmSPMS1 enzyme is a target for protein degradation by the 26S proteasome.•PEST regions are common in plant spermine synthases, mainly in monocot enzymes.

Polyamines are low molecular weight aliphatic compounds involved in various biochemical, cellular and physiological processes in all organisms. In plants, genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis and catabolism are regulated at transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational level. In this research, we focused on the characterization of a PEST sequence (rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) of the maize spermine synthase 1 (ZmSPMS1). To this aim, 123 bp encoding 40 amino acids of the C-terminal region of the ZmSPMS1 enzyme containing the PEST sequence were fused to the GUS reporter gene. This fusion was evaluated in Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic lines and onion monolayers transient expression system. The ZmSPMS1 PEST sequence leads to specific degradation of the GUS reporter protein. It is suggested that the 26S proteasome may be involved in GUS::PEST fusion degradation in both onion and Arabidopsis. The PEST sequences appear to be present in plant spermine synthases, mainly in monocots.