Plant Physiol , IF:6.902 , 2019 Feb , V179 (2) : P671-685 doi: 10.1104/pp.18.01028
BZR1 Mediates Brassinosteroid-Induced Autophagy and Nitrogen Starvation in Tomato.
Department of Horticulture/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Integrative Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; Key Laboratory of Southern Vegetable Crop Genetic Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plants Growth, Development, and Quality Improvement, Agricultural Ministry of China, Hangzhou 310058, China.; Department of Horticulture/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Integrative Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China jie@zju.edu.cn.
Autophagy, an innate cellular destructive mechanism, plays crucial roles in plant development and responses to stress. Autophagy is known to be stimulated or suppressed by multiple molecular processes, but the role of phytohormone signaling in autophagy is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that the transcripts of autophagy-related genes (ATGs) and the formation of autophagosomes are triggered by enhanced levels of brassinosteroid (BR). Furthermore, the BR-activated transcription factor brassinazole-resistant1 (BZR1), a positive regulator of the BR signaling pathway, is involved in BR-induced autophagy. Treatment with BR enhanced the formation of autophagosomes and the transcripts of ATGs in BZR1-overexpressing plants, while the effects of BR were compromised in BZR1-silenced plants. Yeast one-hybrid analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that BZR1 bound to the promoters of ATG2 and ATG6 The BR-induced formation of autophagosomes decreased in ATG2- and ATG6-silenced plants. Moreover, exogenous application of BR enhanced chlorophyll content and autophagosome formation and decreased the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins under nitrogen starvation. Leaf chlorosis and chlorophyll degradation were exacerbated in BZR1-silenced plants and the BR biosynthetic mutant d(^im) but were alleviated in BZR1- and BZR1-1D-overexpressing plants under nitrogen starvation. Meanwhile, nitrogen starvation-induced expression of ATGs and autophagosome formation were compromised in both BZR1-silenced and d(^im) plants but were increased in BZR1- and BZR1-1D-overexpressing plants. Taken together, our results suggest that BZR1-dependent BR signaling up-regulates the expression of ATGs and autophagosome formation, which plays a critical role in the plant response to nitrogen starvation in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).
PMID: 30482787
Int J Mol Sci , IF:4.556 , 2019 Feb , V20 (5) doi: 10.3390/ijms20051012
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Transcriptional Alterations in Growth- and Development-Related Genes in Sweet Potato Plants Infected and Non-Infected by SPFMV, SPV2, and SPVG.
Institute of Crop Science, Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China. tomatoman@126.com.; Institute of Crop Science, Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China. 15925638398@163.com.; Jiande Seed Management Station, Hangzhou 311600, China. zjjdyby@126.com.; Linan District Forestry and Agriculture Bureau, Hangzhou 311300, China. 20050020@zafu.edu.cn.; Institute of Crop Science, Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China. hzhsma@163.com.; Institute of Crop Science, Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China. wenyuech@hotmail.com.; Institute of Crop Science, Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China. ruansl1@hotmail.com.; Laboratory of Plant Molecular Biology & Proteomics, Institute of Biotechnology, Hangzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China. ruansl1@hotmail.com.
Field co-infection of multiple viruses results in considerable losses in the yield and quality of storage roots in sweet potato. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying developmental disorders of sweet potato subjected to co-infection by multiple viruses. Here, a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed to reveal the transcriptional alterations in sweet potato plants infected (VCSP) and non-infected (VFSP) by Sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato virus Y (SPV2) and Sweet potato virus G (SPVG). A total of 1580 and 12,566 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in leaves and storage roots of VFSP and VCSP plants, respectively. In leaves, 707 upregulated and 773 downregulated genes were identified, whereas 5653 upregulated and 6913 downregulated genes were identified in storage roots. Gene Ontology (GO) classification and pathway enrichment analysis showed that the expression of genes involved in chloroplast and photosynthesis and brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis in leaves and the vitamin biosynthetic process in storage roots was inhibited by co-infection of three viruses: SPFMV, SPV2, and SPVG. This was likely closely related to better photosynthesis and higher contents of Vitamin C (Vc) in storage roots of VFSP than that of VCSP. While some genes involved in ribosome and secondary metabolite-related pathways in leaves and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism in storage roots displayed higher expression in VCSP than in VFSP. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression patterns of 26 DEGs, including 16 upregulated genes and 10 downregulated genes were consistent with the RNA-seq data from VFSP and VCSP. Taken together, this study integrates the results of morphology, physiology, and comparative transcriptome analyses in leaves and storage roots of VCSP and VFSP to reveal transcriptional alterations in growth- and development-related genes, providing new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying developmental disorders of sweet potato subjected to co-infection by multiple viruses.
PMID: 30813603
Int J Mol Sci , IF:4.556 , 2019 Feb , V20 (4) doi: 10.3390/ijms20040814
New Insights on Arabidopsis thaliana Root Adaption to Ammonium Nutrition by the Use of a Quantitative Proteomic Approach.
Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Apdo. 644, E-48080 Bilbao, Spain. inmaculada.coleto@ehu.eus.; Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Apdo. 644, E-48080 Bilbao, Spain. izargiaida.vega@ehu.eus.; Neuchatel Platform of Analytical Chemistry, University of Neuchatel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, 2000 Neuchatel, Switzerland. gaetan.glauser@unine.ch.; Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Apdo. 644, E-48080 Bilbao, Spain. mariabegona.gonzalez@ehu.eus.; Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Apdo. 644, E-48080 Bilbao, Spain. daniel.marino@ehu.eus.; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, E-48011 Bilbao, Spain. daniel.marino@ehu.eus.; Departamento de Biologia Ambiental. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Navarra, C/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain. iariza@unav.es.
Nitrogen is an essential element for plant nutrition. Nitrate and ammonium are the two major inorganic nitrogen forms available for plant growth. Plant preference for one or the other form depends on the interplay between plant genetic background and environmental variables. Ammonium-based fertilization has been shown less environmentally harmful compared to nitrate fertilization, because of reducing, among others, nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions. However, ammonium nutrition may become a stressful situation for a wide range of plant species when the ion is present at high concentrations. Although studied for long time, there is still an important lack of knowledge to explain plant tolerance or sensitivity towards ammonium nutrition. In this context, we performed a comparative proteomic study in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown under exclusive ammonium or nitrate supply. We identified and quantified 68 proteins with differential abundance between both conditions. These proteins revealed new potential important players on root response to ammonium nutrition, such as H(+)-consuming metabolic pathways to regulate pH homeostasis and specific secondary metabolic pathways like brassinosteroid and glucosinolate biosynthetic pathways.
PMID: 30769801
Int J Mol Sci , IF:4.556 , 2019 Feb , V20 (3) doi: 10.3390/ijms20030792
Exogenous Application of Phytohormones Promotes Growth and Regulates Expression of Wood Formation-Related Genes in Populus simonii x P. nigra.
Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Postdoctoral Programme, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. yuanhm1979@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. yuanhm1979@163.com.; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China. yuanhm1979@163.com.; Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences Postdoctoral Programme, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. zhangliguohemp@163.com.; Crop Breeding Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China; zlj-110@163.com. zhangliguohemp@163.com.; Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences, 103 Haping Road, Harbin 150040, China. guowendong988@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. yuying_1981_0451@163.com.; College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China. taolei2003-01@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. zhangliguohemp@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. jjzwyjs@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. huangwengong1736@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. chenglili_i@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. ccyj15@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. guanfengzhiflax@163.com.; Industrial Crops Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 368 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150086, China. zlg2015@neau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China. huiyuli1978@163.com.
Although phytohormones are known to be important signal molecules involved in wood formation, their roles are still largely unclear. Here, Populus simonii x P. nigra seedlings were treated with different concentrations of exogenous phytohormones, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GA(3)), and brassinosteroid (BR), and the effects of phytohormones on growth were investigated. Next, 27 genes with known roles in wood formation were selected for qPCR analysis to determine tissue-specificity and timing of responses to phytohormone treatments. Compared to the control, most IAA, GA(3), and BR concentrations significantly increased seedling height. Meanwhile, IAA induced significant seedling stem diameter and cellulose content increases that peaked at 3 and 30 mg.L(-1), respectively. Significant increase in cellulose content was also observed in seedlings treated with 100 mg.L(-1) GA(3). Neither stem diameter nor cellulose content of seedlings were affected by BR treatment significantly, although slight effects were observed. Anatomical measurements demonstrated improved xylem, but not phloem, development in IAA- and BR-treated seedlings. Most gene expression patterns induced by IAA, GA(3), and BR differed among tissues. Many IAA response genes were also regulated by GA(3), while BR-induced transcription was weaker and slower in Populus than for IAA and GA(3). These results reveal the roles played by phytohormones in plant growth and lay the foundation for exploring molecular regulatory mechanisms of wood formation in Populus.
PMID: 30759868
Int J Mol Sci , IF:4.556 , 2019 Feb , V20 (3) doi: 10.3390/ijms20030671
Signaling Crosstalk between Salicylic Acid and Ethylene/Jasmonate in Plant Defense: Do We Understand What They Are Whispering?
State Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China. nli@csuft.edu.cn.; College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China. hanxiao@caas.cn.; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100081, China. hanxiao@caas.cn.; College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China. gygzgzyx@126.com.; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing 100081, China. gygzgzyx@126.com.; State Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China. yuan-deyi@163.com.; State Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China. nghua@126.com.
During their lifetime, plants encounter numerous biotic and abiotic stresses with diverse modes of attack. Phytohormones, including salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET), jasmonate (JA), abscisic acid (ABA), auxin (AUX), brassinosteroid (BR), gibberellic acid (GA), cytokinin (CK) and the recently identified strigolactones (SLs), orchestrate effective defense responses by activating defense gene expression. Genetic analysis of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana has advanced our understanding of the function of these hormones. The SA- and ET/JA-mediated signaling pathways were thought to be the backbone of plant immune responses against biotic invaders, whereas ABA, auxin, BR, GA, CK and SL were considered to be involved in the plant immune response through modulating the SA-ET/JA signaling pathways. In general, the SA-mediated defense response plays a central role in local and systemic-acquired resistance (SAR) against biotrophic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas syringae, which colonize between the host cells by producing nutrient-absorbing structures while keeping the host alive. The ET/JA-mediated response contributes to the defense against necrotrophic pathogens, such as Botrytis cinerea, which invade and kill hosts to extract their nutrients. Increasing evidence indicates that the SA- and ET/JA-mediated defense response pathways are mutually antagonistic.
PMID: 30720746
FEBS J , IF:4.392 , 2019 Feb , V286 (3) : P536-554 doi: 10.1111/febs.14735
Arabidopsis seryl-tRNA synthetase: the first crystal structure and novel protein interactor of plant aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase.
Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia.; Division of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia.; National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia.; Biotechnical faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.; Institut de biologie moleculaire des plantes, CNRS, Universite de Strasbourg, Strasbourg Cedex, France.
The rules of the genetic code are established by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) enzymes, which covalently link tRNA with the cognate amino acid. Many aaRSs are involved in diverse cellular processes beyond translation, acting alone, or in complex with other proteins. However, studies of aaRS noncanonical assembly and functions in plants are scarce, as are structural studies of plant aaRSs. Here, we have solved the crystal structure of Arabidopsis thaliana cytosolic seryl-tRNA synthetase (SerRS), which is the first crystallographic structure of a plant aaRS. Arabidopsis SerRS displays structural features typical of canonical SerRSs, except for a unique intrasubunit disulfide bridge. In a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified BEN1, a protein involved in the metabolism of plant brassinosteroid hormones, as a protein interactor of Arabidopsis SerRS. The SerRS:BEN1 complex is one of the first protein complexes of plant aaRSs discovered so far, and is a rare example of an aaRS interacting with an enzyme involved in primary or secondary metabolism. To pinpoint regions responsible for this interaction, we created truncated variants of SerRS and BEN1, and identified that the interaction interface involves the SerRS globular catalytic domain and the N-terminal extension of BEN1 protein. BEN1 does not have a strong impact on SerRS aminoacylation activity, indicating that the primary function of the complex is not the modification of SerRS canonical activity. Perhaps SerRS performs as yet unknown noncanonical functions mediated by BEN1. These findings indicate that - via SerRS and BEN1 - a link exists between the protein translation and steroid metabolic pathways of the plant cell. DATABASE: Structural data are available in the PDB under the accession number PDB ID 6GIR.
PMID: 30570212
Plant Cell Physiol , IF:4.062 , 2019 Feb , V60 (2) : P353-366 doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcy212
phyB Interacts with BES1 to Regulate Brassinosteroid Signaling in Arabidopsis.
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.; School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.; College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Light is an important environmental factor, which mainly inhibits hypocotyl elongation through various photoreceptors. In contrast, brassinosteroids (BRs) are major hypocotyl elongation-promoting hormones in plants, which could optimize photomorphogenesis concurrent with external light. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying the antagonism of light and BR signaling remain largely unknown. Here we show that the Arabidopsis red light receptor phyB is involved in inhibition of BR signaling via its direct interaction with the BR transcription factor BES1. In our study, the phyB mutant displays BR hypersensitivity, which is repressed in transgenic plants overexpressing phyB, suggesting that phyB negatively regulates the BR signaling pathway. In addition, protein interaction results show that phyB directly interacts with dephosphorylated BES1, the physiologically active form of BES1 induced by BR, in a red light-dependent manner. Genetic analyses suggest that phyB may act partially through BES1 to regulate BR signaling. Transcriptomic data and quantitative real-time PCR assay further show that phyB-mediated red light inhibits BR signaling by repressing expression of BES1 target genes, including the BR biosynthesis genes DWF4, the SAUR family and the PRE family genes required for promoting cell elongation. Finally, we found that red light treatment inhibits the DNA-binding activity of BES1 and photoactivated phyB represses the transcriptional activity of BES1 under red light. Taken together, we suggest that the interaction of phyB with dephosphorylated BES1 may allow plants to balance light and BR signaling by repressing transcriptional activity of BES1 to regulate expression of its target genes.
PMID: 30388258
Plant Cell Rep , IF:3.825 , 2019 Feb , V38 (2) : P173-182 doi: 10.1007/s00299-018-2359-5
The oomycete microbe-associated molecular pattern Pep-13 triggers SERK3/BAK1-independent plant immunity.
Key Laboratory of Potato Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.; Division of Plant Sciences, School of Life Science, University of Dundee (at James Hutton Institute), Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (HZAU), Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China.; Cell and Molecular Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK.; Key Laboratory of Potato Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China. tianzhd@mail.hzau.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (HZAU), Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, People's Republic of China. tianzhd@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
KEY MESSAGE: Oomycetes MAMP Pep-13 can trigger SERK3/BAK1-independent PTI. Silencing of SERK3/BAK1 in solanaceous plants resulted in reduced expression of brassinosteroid marker genes and enhanced PTI transcriptional responses to Pep-13 treatment. To prevent disease, pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are responsible for detecting microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) to switch on plant innate immunity. SOMATIC EMBROYOGENESIS KINASE 3 (SERK3)/BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-ASSOCIATED KINASE 1 (BAK1) is a well-characterized receptor-like kinase (RLK) that serves as a pivotal co-receptor with PRRs to activate immunity following recognition of MAMPs including flg22, EF-Tu, INF1 and XEG1. However, the requirement for SERK3/BAK1 in many pattern-triggered immune (PTI) signaling pathways is not yet known. Pep-13 is an oomycete MAMP that consists of a highly conserved motif (an oligopeptide of 13 amino acids) shared in Phytophthora transglutaminases. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis reveals that the transcripts of three PTI marker genes (WRKY7, WRKY8 and ACRE31) rapidly accumulate in response to three different MAMPs: flg22, chitin and Pep-13. Whereas silencing of SERK3/BAK1 in Nicotiana benthamiana or potato compromised transcript accumulation in response to flg22, it did not attenuate WRKY7, WRKY8 and ACRE31 up-regulation in response to chitin or Pep-13. This indicates that Pep-13 triggers immunity in a SERK3/BAK1-independent manner, similar to chitin. Surprisingly, silencing of SERK3/BAK1 led to significantly increased accumulation of PTI marker gene transcripts following Pep-13 or chitin treatment, compared to controls. This was accompanied by reduced expression of brassinosteroid (BR) marker genes StSTDH, StEXP8 and StCAB50 and StCHL1, which is a negative regulator of PTI, supporting previous reports that SERK3/BAK1-dependent BR signaling attenuates plant immunity. We provide Pep-13 as an alternative to chitin as a trigger of SERK3/BAK1-independent immunity.
PMID: 30488097
Genes (Basel) , IF:3.759 , 2019 Feb , V10 (2) doi: 10.3390/genes10020174
Identification of Potential Genes Responsible for Thermotolerance in Wheat under High Temperature Stress.
The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. ppsu886@163.com.; Wuhan Igenomics Biotech Inc., Wuhan Oversea Scholar Business Park, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, 73 Guangguchuangye Street, Wuhan 430075, China. jchnsdu@hotmail.com.; Wuhan Igenomics Biotech Inc., Wuhan Oversea Scholar Business Park, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, 73 Guangguchuangye Street, Wuhan 430075, China. qhao669@163.com.; The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. chloe@hust.edu.cn.; The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. fengjialu523@163.com.; The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. cjl@hust.edu.cn.; The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. ygx@hust.edu.cn.; The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430074, China. hegy@hust.edu.cn.
Wheat, a major worldwide staple food crop, is relatively sensitive to a changing environment, including high temperature. The comprehensive mechanism of heat stress response at the molecular level and exploitation of candidate tolerant genes are far from enough. Using transcriptome data, we analyzed the gene expression profiles of wheat under heat stress. A total of 1705 and 17 commonly differential expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in wheat grain and flag leaf, respectively, through transcriptome analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment were also applied to illustrate the functions and metabolic pathways of DEGs involved in thermotolerance of wheat grain and flag leaf. Furthermore, our data suggest that there may be a more complex molecular mechanism or tighter regulatory network in flag leaf than in grain under heat stress over time, as less commonly DEGs, more discrete expression profiles of genes (principle component analysis) and less similar pathway response were observed in flag leaf. In addition, we found that transcriptional regulation of zeatin, brassinosteroid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways may play an important role in wheat's heat tolerance. The expression changes of some genes were validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and three potential genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis process were identified.
PMID: 30823586
BMC Plant Biol , IF:3.497 , 2019 Feb , V19 (1) : P86 doi: 10.1186/s12870-019-1677-2
GmBZL3 acts as a major BR signaling regulator through crosstalk with multiple pathways in Glycine max.
Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.; Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.; School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.; Department of Computer Science, Informatics Institute, and Christopher S. Bond Life, Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.; Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.; Present address: Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.; Present address: Agronomy College of Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.; Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA. nguyenhenry@missouri.edu.
BACKGROUND: Brassinosteroids (BRs) play a crucial role in plant vegetative growth and reproductive development. The transcription factors BZR1 and BES1/BZR2 are well characterized as downstream regulators of the BR signaling pathway in Arabidopsis and rice. Soybean contains four BZR1-like proteins (GmBZLs), and it was reported that GmBZL2 plays a conserved role in BR signaling regulation. However, the roles of other GmBZLs have not been thoroughly studied, and the targets of GmBZLs in soybean remain unclear. RESULTS: In this study, we first characterized GmBZL3 in soybean from gene expression patterns, conserved domains in coding sequences, and genomic replication times of four GmBZL orthologous. The results indicated that GmBZL3 might play conserved roles during soybean development. The overexpression of GmBZL3(P219L) in the Arabidopsis BR-insensitive mutant bri1-5 partially rescued the phenotypic defects including BR-insensitivity, which provides further evidence that GmBZL3 functions are conserved between soybean and the homologous Arabidopsis genes. In addition, the identification of the GmBZL3 target genes through ChIP-seq technology revealed that BR has broad roles in soybean and regulates multiple pathways, including other hormone signaling, disease-related, and immunity response pathways. Moreover, the BR-regulated GmBZL3 target genes were further identified, and the results demonstrate that GmBZL3 is a major transcription factor responsible for BR-regulated gene expression and soybean growth. A comparison of GmBZL3 and AtBZR1/BES1 targets demonstrated that GmBZL3 might play conserved as well as specific roles in the soybean BR signaling network. Finally, the identification of two natural soybean varieties of the GmBZL3 mutantion by SNP analysis could facilitate the understanding of gene function during soybean development in the future. CONCLUSIONS: We illustrate here that GmBZL3 orchestrates a genome-wide transcriptional response that underlies BR-mediated soybean early vegetative growth, and our results support that BRs play crucial regulatory roles in soybean morphology and gene expression levels.
PMID: 30795735