Trends Plant Sci , IF:18.313 , 2022 Feb doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.01.008
Transcriptional regulatory network of plant cold-stress responses.
Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Electronic address: akido@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.; Gene Discovery Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan.; Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; Research Institute for Agricultural and Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan. Electronic address: akys@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
Recent studies have revealed the complex and flexible transcriptional regulatory network involved in cold-stress responses. Focusing on two major signaling pathways that respond to cold stress, we outline current knowledge of the transcriptional regulatory network and the post-translational regulation of transcription factors in the network. Cold-stress signaling pathways are closely associated with other signaling pathways such as those related to the circadian clock, and large amounts of data on their crosstalk and tradeoffs are available. However, it remains unknown how plants sense and transmit cold-stress signals to regulate gene expression. We discuss recent reports on cold-stress sensing and associated signaling pathways that regulate the network. We also emphasize future directions for developing abiotic stress-tolerant crop plants.
PMID: 35210165
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2022 Feb , V233 (3) : P1067-1073 doi: 10.1111/nph.17745
Redox-mediated structural and functional switching of C-repeat binding factors enhances plant cold tolerance.
Division of Applied Life Science (BK21+) and PMBBRC, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Korea.; Department of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea.
C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are key cold-responsive transcription factors that play pleiotropic roles in the cold acclimation, growth, and development of plants. Cold-sensitive cbf knockout mutants and cold-tolerant CBF overexpression lines exhibit abnormal phenotypes at warm temperatures, suggesting that CBF activity is precisely regulated, and a critical threshold level must be maintained for proper plant growth under normal conditions. Cold-inducible CBFs also exist in warm-climate plants but as inactive disulfide-bonded oligomers. However, upon translocation to the nucleus under a cold snap, the h2-isotype of cytosolic thioredoxin (Trx-h2), reduces the oxidized (inactive) CBF oligomers and the newly synthesized CBF monomers, thus producing reduced (active) CBF monomers. Thus, the redox-dependent structural switching and functional activation of CBFs protect plants under cold stress.
PMID: 34537981
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2022 Feb doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiac008
Brassinosteroid-regulated bHLH transcription factor CESTA induces the gibberellin 2-oxidase GA2ox7.
Biotechnology of Horticultural Crops, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.; Sainsbury Laboratory, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.; Institute of Plant Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant steroids that have growth-promoting capacities, which are partly enabled by an ability to induce biosynthesis of gibberellins (GAs), a second class of plant hormones. In addition, BRs can also activate GA catabolism; here we show that in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) the bHLH transcription factor CESTA (CES) and its homologues BRASSINOSTEROID ENHANCED EXPRESSION (BEE) 1 and 3 contribute to this activity. CES and the BEEs are BR-regulated at the transcriptional and posttranslational level and participate in different physiological processes, including vegetative and reproduction development, shade avoidance, and cold stress responses. We show that CES/BEEs can induce the expression of the class III GA 2-oxidase GA2ox7 and that this activity is increased by BRs. In BR signaling- and CES/BEE-deficient mutants, GA2ox7 expression decreased, yielding reduced levels of GA110, a product of GA2ox7 activity. In plants that over-express CES, GA2ox7 expression is hyper-responsive to BR, GA110 levels are elevated and amounts of bioactive GA are reduced. We provide evidence that CES directly binds to the GA2ox7 promoter and is activated by BRs, but can also act by BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1)-independent means. Based on these results, we propose a model for CES activity in GA catabolism where CES can be recruited for GA2ox7 induction not only by BR, but also by other factors.
PMID: 35148416
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2022 Feb , V188 (2) : P1312-1334 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiab532
F-box protein EBF1 and transcription factor ABI5-like regulate banana fruit chilling-induced ripening disorder.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.; College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Cold stress adversely affects plant production, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Banana (Musa acuminata) is sensitive to cold stress and suffers chilling injury (CI) when stored under 11 degrees C, causing abnormal fruit softening. However, the mechanism underlying the abnormal fruit softening due to CI remains obscure. This study uncovered the coordinated transcriptional mechanism of ethylene F-box (EBF1) protein and abscisic acid-insensitive 5 (ABI5)-like protein in regulating chilling-induced softening disorders of Fenjiao banana. Cold stress severely inhibited the transcript and protein levels of EBF1, ABI5-like, and fruit softening-related genes. The ABI5-like protein bound to the promoters of key starch and cell wall degradation-related genes such as beta-amylase 8 (BAM8), pectate lyase 8 (PL8), and beta-D-xylosidase23-like (XYL23-like) and activated their activities. EBF1 physically interacted with ABI5-like and enhanced the transcriptional activity of the key starch and cell wall degradation-related genes but did not ubiquitinate or degrade ABI5-like protein. This promoted fruit ripening and ameliorated fruit CI in a manner similar to the effect of exogenous abscisic acid treatment. The ectopic and transient overexpression of EBF1 and ABI5-like genes in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Fenjiao banana accelerated fruit ripening and softening by promoting ethylene production, starch and cell wall degradation, and decreasing fruit firmness. EBF1 interacted with EIL4 but did not ubiquitinate or degrade EIL4, which is inconsistent with the typical role of EBF1/2 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). These results collectively highlight that the interaction of EBF1 and ABI5-like controls starch and cell wall metabolism in banana, which is strongly inhibited by chilling stress, leading to fruit softening and ripening disorder.
PMID: 34791491
Food Chem , IF:7.514 , 2022 Feb , V369 : P130913 doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130913
High light intensity at End-Of-Production improves the nutritional value of basil but does not affect postharvest chilling tolerance.
Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 16 6700AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands.; Signify Research Laboratories, Eindhoven, the Netherlands.; Horticulture and Product Physiology Group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 16 6700AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands; Food & Biobased Research, P.O. Box 17 6700AA, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: ernst.woltering@wur.nl.
Basil suffers from chilling injury (CI) when stored at temperatures below 10-12 degrees C which seems related to the imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants. We hypothesized that increased light intensity applied shortly before harvest (EOP, End-Of-Production) increases nutritional value i.e. carbohydrates and antioxidants and could improve the chilling tolerance. Two basil cultivars were grown in a vertical farming set-up at a light intensity of 150 micromol m(-2) s(-1). During the last 5 days of growth, EOP light treatments ranging from 50 to 600 micromol m(-2) s(-1) were applied. After harvest the leaves were stored at 4 or 12 degrees C in darkness. Higher EOP light intensity increased the antioxidant (total ascorbic acid, rosmarinic acid) and carbohydrate contents at harvest. During storage antioxidants decreased more rapidly at 4 than at 12 degrees C. However, increased EOP light intensity did not alleviate chilling symptoms suggesting a minor role of antioxidants studied against chilling stress.
PMID: 34481404
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2022 Feb , V45 (2) : P427-445 doi: 10.1111/pce.14241
Norway spruce deploys tissue-specific responses during acclimation to cold.
Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umea Plant Science Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umea, Sweden.; Department of Plant Physiology, Umea Plant Science Centre, Umea University, Umea, Sweden.
Climate change in the conifer-dominated boreal forest is expected to lead to warmer but more dynamic winter air temperatures, reducing the depth and duration of snow cover and lowering winter soil temperatures. To gain insight into the mechanisms that have enabled conifers to dominate extreme cold environments, we performed genome-wide RNA-Seq analysis from needles and roots of non-dormant two-year Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst), and contrasted these response to herbaceous model Arabidopsis We show that the main transcriptional response of Norway spruce needles exposed to cold was delayed relative to Arabidopsis, and this delay was associated with slower development of freezing tolerance. Despite this difference in timing, Norway spruce principally utilizes early response transcription factors (TFs) belonging to the same gene families as Arabidopsis, indicating broad evolutionary conservation of cold response networks. In keeping with their different metabolic and developmental states, needles and root of Norway spruce showed contrasting results. Regulatory network analysis identified both conserved TFs with known roles in cold acclimation (e.g. homologs of ICE1, AKS3, and of the NAC and AP2/ERF superfamilies), but also a root-specific bHLH101 homolog, providing functional insights into cold stress response strategies in Norway spruce.
PMID: 34873720
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2022 Feb , V45 (2) : P412-426 doi: 10.1111/pce.14236
Global identification of full-length cassava lncRNAs unveils the role of cold-responsive intergenic lncRNA 1 in cold stress response.
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China.; Haikou Experimental Station, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China.; College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China.; Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been considered to be important regulators of gene expression in a range of biological processes in plants. A large number of lncRNAs have been identified in plants. However, most of their biological functions still remain to be determined. Here, we identified a total of 3004 lncRNAs in cassava under normal or cold-treated conditions from Iso-seq data. We further characterized a cold-responsive intergenic lncRNA 1 (CRIR1) as a novel positive regulator of the plant response to cold stress. CRIR1 can be significantly induced by cold treatment. Ectopic expression of CRIR1 in cassava enhanced the cold tolerance of transgenic plants. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that CRIR1 regulated a range of cold stress-related genes in a CBF-independent pathway. We further found that CRIR1 RNA can interact with cassava cold shock protein 5 (MeCSP5), which acts as an RNA chaperone, indicating that CRIR1 may recruit MeCSP5 to improve the translation efficiency of messenger RNA. In summary, our study extends the repertoire of lncRNAs in plants as well as their role in cold stress responses. Moreover, it reveals a mechanism by which CRIR1 affected cold stress response by modulating the expression of stress-responsive genes and increasing their translational yield.
PMID: 34855989
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2022 Feb , V45 (2) : P392-411 doi: 10.1111/pce.14231
Genotype-dependent contribution of CBF transcription factors to long-term acclimation to high light and cool temperature.
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA.; Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA.
When grown under cool temperature, winter annuals upregulate photosynthetic capacity as well as freezing tolerance. Here, the role of three cold-induced C-repeat-binding factor (CBF1-3) transcription factors in photosynthetic upregulation and freezing tolerance was examined in two Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes originating from Italy (IT) or Sweden (SW), and their corresponding CBF1-3-deficient mutant lines it:cbf123 and sw:cbf123. Photosynthetic, morphological and freezing-tolerance phenotypes, as well as gene expression profiles, were characterized in plants grown from the seedling stage under different combinations of light level and temperature. Under high light and cool (HLC) growth temperature, a greater role of CBF1-3 in IT versus SW was evident from both phenotypic and transcriptomic data, especially with respect to photosynthetic upregulation and freezing tolerance of whole plants. Overall, features of SW were consistent with a different approach to HLC acclimation than seen in IT, and an ability of SW to reach the new homeostasis through the involvement of transcriptional controls other than CBF1-3. These results provide tools and direction for further mechanistic analysis of the transcriptional control of approaches to cold acclimation suitable for either persistence through brief cold spells or for maximisation of productivity in environments with continuous low temperatures.
PMID: 34799867
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2022 Feb , V64 (2) : P393-411 doi: 10.1111/jipb.13216
Integration of light and temperature signaling pathways in plants.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.; Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 18766, USA.
As two of the most important environmental factors, light and temperature regulate almost all aspects of plant growth and development. Under natural conditions, light is accompanied by warm temperatures and darkness by cooler temperatures, suggesting that light and temperature are tightly associated signals for plants. Indeed, accumulating evidence shows that plants have evolved a wide range of mechanisms to simultaneously perceive and respond to dynamic changes in light and temperature. Notably, the photoreceptor phytochrome B (phyB) was recently shown to function as a thermosensor, thus reinforcing the notion that light and temperature signaling pathways are tightly associated in plants. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms integrating light and temperature signaling pathways in plants, with the emphasis on recent progress in temperature sensing, light control of plant freezing tolerance, and thermomorphogenesis. We also discuss the questions that are crucial for a further understanding of the interactions between light and temperature signaling pathways in plants.
PMID: 34984823
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2022 Feb doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac045
Can we improve the chilling tolerance of maize photosynthesis through breeding?
Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Chilling tolerance is necessary for crops to thrive in temperate regions where cold snaps and lower baseline temperatures place limits on life processes; this is particularly true for crops of tropical origin such as maize. Photosynthesis is often adversely affected by chilling stress, yet the maintenance of photosynthesis is essential for healthy growth and development, and most crucially for yield. In this review we describe the physiological basis for enhancing chilling tolerance of photosynthesis in maize by examining nine key responses to chilling stress. We synthesise current knowledge of genetic variation for photosynthetic chilling tolerance in maize with respect to each of these traits and summarise the extent to which genetic mapping and candidate genes have been used to understand the genomic regions underpinning chilling tolerance. Finally, we provide perspectives on the future of breeding for photosynthetic chilling tolerance in maize. We advocate for holistic and high-throughput approaches to screen for chilling tolerance of photosynthesis in research and breeding programmes in order to develop resilient crops for the future.
PMID: 35143635
Hortic Res , IF:6.793 , 2022 Feb doi: 10.1093/hr/uhac002
Running title: ABA pathway meets CBF pathway at CmADC.
College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, Liaoning, PR China.; Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province.; National and Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Northern Horticultural, Facilities Design and Application Technology (Liaoning), Shenyang, 110866, Liaoning, PR China.
Low temperatures severely restrict melon-seedling growth. However, the mechanisms by which melon adapts to cold stress are poorly understood. Arginine decarboxylase (ADC), a key synthetase, catalyzes putrescine biosynthesis in plants. In this study, we found that CmADC functions as a positive regulator of melon-seedling cold tolerance. In addition, two transcription factors, abscisic acid-responsive element (ABRE)-binding factor 1 (CmABF1) and C-repeat binding factor 4 (CmCBF4), directly target CmADC to trigger its expression. Consistently, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of CmABF1 or CmCBF4 downregulated CmADC abundance, decreased putrescine accumulation and reduced cold tolerance. Furthermore, some other CBF and ABF members, at least in part, have functional redundancy and complementarity with CmABF1 and CmCBF4. Overall, our work reveals that the ABA, CBF and polyamine pathways may form a regulatory network to co-participate in plant cold stress.
PMID: 35147169
Hortic Res , IF:6.793 , 2022 Feb doi: 10.1093/hr/uhac031
Rootstock-scion exchanging mRNAs participate in the pathways of amino acids and fatty acid metabolism in cucumber under early chilling stress.
Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.; College of Life Science and Technology, HongHe University, Mengzi, Yunnan 661100, China.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) often experiences chilling stress that limits their growth and productivity. Grafting is widely used to improve abiotic stress resistance by alternating a vigorous root system, suggesting there exists systemic signals communication between distant organs. mRNAs are reported to be evolving in fortification strategies by long-distance signaling when plants suffering from chilling stress. However, the potential function of mobile mRNAs alleviating chilling stress in grafted cucumber is still unknown. Here, the physiological changes, mobile mRNAs profiling, transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in above- and underground tissues of all graft combinations of cucumber and pumpkin responding to chilling stress were established and analyzed comprehensively. The co-relationship between the cluster of chilling-induced pumpkin mobile mRNAs with Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) and Differentially Intensive Metabolites (DIMs) revealed that four key chilling-induced pumpkin mobile mRNAs were highly related to glycine, serine and threonine synthesis and fatty acid beta-oxidative degradation metabolism in cucumber tissues of heterografts. The verification of mobile mRNAs, potential transport of metabolites and exogenous application of key metabolites of glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway in cucumber seedlings confirmed that the role of mobile mRNAs in regulating chilling responses in grafted cucumber. Our results build a link between the long-distance mRNAs of chilling-tolerant pumpkin and the fatty acid beta-oxidative degradation metabolism of chilling-sensitive cucumber. It helps to uncover the mechanism of signaling interaction between scion and stock responding to chilling tolerant in grafted cucumber.
PMID: 35184197
Cells , IF:6.6 , 2022 Feb , V11 (3) doi: 10.3390/cells11030547
Cell Wall Properties Determine Genotype-Specific Response to Cold in Miscanthus x giganteus Plants.
Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, Radzikow, 05-870 Blonie, Poland.; National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, Radzikow, 05-870 Blonie, Poland.; Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.; Molecular Biology and Genetics Department, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Woycickiego 1/3, 01-938 Warsaw, Poland.; Genetically Modified Organisms Controlling Laboratory, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, Radzikow, 05-870 Blonie, Poland.; Botanical Garden, National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, Jezdziecka 5, 85-867 Bydgoszcz, Poland.; Department of Bioenergetics, Quality Analysis and Seed Science, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute, Radzikow, 05-870 Blonie, Poland.; Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszow, Aleja Rejtana 16c, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland.
The cell wall plays a crucial role in plant growth and development, including in response to environmental factors, mainly through significant biochemical and biomechanical plasticity. The involvement of the cell wall in C4 plants' response to cold is, however, still poorly understood. Miscanthus x giganteus, a perennial grass, is generally considered cold tolerant and, in contrast to other thermophilic species such as maize or sorgo, can maintain a relatively high level of photosynthesis efficiency at low ambient temperatures. This unusual response to chilling among C4 plants makes Miscanthus an interesting study object in cold acclimation mechanism research. Using the results obtained from employing a diverse range of techniques, including analysis of plasmodesmata ultrastructure by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and biomechanical tests coupled with photosynthetic parameters measurements, we present evidence for the implication of the cell wall in genotype-specific responses to cold in this species. The observed reduction in the assimilation rate and disturbance of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in the susceptible M3 genotype under cold conditions were associated with changes in the ultrastructure of the plasmodesmata, i.e., a constriction of the cytoplasmic sleeve in the central region of the microchannel at the mesophyll-bundle sheath interface. Moreover, this cold susceptible genotype was characterized by enhanced tensile stiffness, strength of leaf wall material, and a less altered biochemical profile of the cell wall, revealed by FTIR spectroscopy, compared to cold tolerant genotypes. These changes indicate that a decline in photosynthetic activity may result from a decrease in leaf CO2 conductance due to the formation of more compact and thicker cell walls and that an enhanced tolerance to cold requires biochemical wall remodelling. Thus, the well-established trade-off between photosynthetic capacity and leaf biomechanics found across multiple species in ecological research may also be a relevant factor in Miscanthus' tolerance to cold. In this paper, we demonstrate that M. giganteus genotypes showing a high degree of genetic similarity may respond differently to cold stress if exposed at earlier growing seasons to various temperature regimes, which has implications for the cell wall modifications patterns.
PMID: 35159356
Commun Biol , IF:6.268 , 2022 Feb , V5 (1) : P141 doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03092-7
Drone honey bees are disproportionately sensitive to abiotic stressors despite expressing high levels of stress response proteins.
Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. amcafee@ncsu.edu.; Department of Applied Ecology (current), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7617, USA. amcafee@ncsu.edu.; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada. amcafee@ncsu.edu.; Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA. bnmetz@ncsu.edu.; Department of Applied Ecology (current), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7617, USA. bnmetz@ncsu.edu.; Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada.; Department of Applied Ecology (current), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7617, USA.
Drone honey bees (Apis mellifera) are the obligate sexual partners of queens, and the availability of healthy, high-quality drones directly affects a queen's fertility and productivity. Yet, our understanding of how stressors affect adult drone fertility, survival, and physiology is presently limited. Here, we investigated sex biases in susceptibility to abiotic stressors (cold stress, topical imidacloprid exposure, and topical exposure to a realistic cocktail of pesticides). We found that drones (haploid males) were more sensitive to cold and imidacloprid exposure than workers (sterile, diploid females), but the cocktail was not toxic at the concentrations tested. We corroborated this lack of cocktail toxicity with in-hive exposures via pollen feeding. We then used quantitative proteomics to investigate protein expression profiles in the hemolymph of topically exposed workers and drones, and found that 34 proteins were differentially expressed in exposed drones relative to controls, but none were differentially expressed in exposed workers. Contrary to our hypothesis, we show that drones express surprisingly high baseline levels of putative stress response proteins relative to workers. This suggests that drones' stress tolerance systems are fundamentally rewired relative to workers, and susceptibility to stress depends on more than simply gene dose or allelic diversity.
PMID: 35177754
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Feb , V23 (5) doi: 10.3390/ijms23052537
CabHLH79 Acts Upstream of CaNAC035 to Regulate Cold Stress in Pepper.
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.; Shaanxi Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Yangling 712100, China.
Cold stress is one of the main restricting factors affecting plant growth and agricultural production. Complex cold signaling pathways induce the expression of hundreds of cold-sensitive genes. The NAC transcription factor CaNAC035 has previously been reported to significantly influence the response of pepper to cold stress. Here, using Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) library screened to search for other relevant molecular factors, we identified that CabHLH79 directly binds to the CaNAC035 promoter. Different basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) in plants significantly respond to multiple plant stresses, but the mechanism of bHLHs in the cold tolerance of pepper is still unclear. This study investigated the functional characterization of CabHLH79 in the regulation of cold resistance in pepper. Down-regulation of CabHLH79 in pepper by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) increased its sensitivity to low temperature, whereas overexpression of CabHLH79 in pepper or Arabidopsis enhanced cold resistance. Compared with control plants, VIGS mediated of CabHLH79 had lower enzyme activity and related gene expression levels, accompanied by higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, relative electrolyte leakage (REL), and malondialdehyde accumulation (MDA) contents. Transient overexpression of CabHLH79 pepper positively regulated cold stress response genes and ROS genes, which reduced REL and MDA contents. Similarly, ectopic expression of CabHLH79 in Arabidopsis showed less ROS accumulation, and higher enzymes activities and expression levels. These results indicated that CabHLH79 enhanced cold tolerance by enhancing the expression of ROS-related and other cold stress tolerance-related genes. Taken together, our results showed a multifaceted module of bHLH79-NAC035 in the cold stress of pepper.
PMID: 35269676
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Feb , V23 (4) doi: 10.3390/ijms23042319
Low Temperature Affects Fatty Acids Profiling and Key Synthesis Genes Expression Patterns in Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim.
College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China.; Research Centre for Engineering and Technology of Zanthoxylum, State Forestry Administration, Xianyang 712100, China.
Zanthoxylum bungeanum is one of the most important medicinal and edible homologous plants because of its potential health benefits and unique flavors. The chemical components in compositions and contents vary with plant genotype variations and various environmental stress conditions. Fatty acids participate in various important metabolic pathways in organisms to resist biotic and abiotic stresses. To determine the variations in metabolic profiling and genotypes, the fatty acid profiling and key differential genes under low temperature stress in two Z. bungeanum varieties, cold-tolerant (FG) and sensitive (FX), were investigated. Twelve main fatty acids were found in two Z. bungeanum varieties under cold stress. Results showed that the contents of total fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids in FG were higher than those in FX, which made FG more resistant to low temperature. Based on the result of orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, palmitic acid, isostearic acid, linolenic acid and eicosenoic acid were the important differential fatty acids in FG under cold stress, while isomyristic acid, palmitic acid, isostearic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linolenic acid and eicosenoic acid were the important differential fatty acids in FX. Furthermore, fatty acid synthesis pathway genes fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase A (FATA), Delta (8)-fatty-acid desaturase 2 (SLD2), protein ECERIFERUM 3 (CER3), fatty acid desaturase 3 (FAD3) and fatty acid desaturase 5 (FAD5) played key roles in FG, and SLD2, FAD5, 3-oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] synthase I (KAS I), fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase B (FATB) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) were the key genes responding to low temperature in FX. The variation and strategies of fatty acids in two varieties of Z. bungeanum were revealed at the metabolic and molecular level. This work provides a reference for the study of chemical components in plant stress resistance.
PMID: 35216434
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Feb , V23 (4) doi: 10.3390/ijms23042221
Global Identification and Characterization of C2 Domain-Containing Proteins Associated with Abiotic Stress Response in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Department of Plant Bioscience, College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea.; Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea.; Department of Life Science & Environmental Biochemistry, College of Natural Resources and Life Science, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Korea.
C2 domain-containing proteins (C2DPs) have been identified in different genomes that contain single or multiple C2 domains in their C- or N-terminal. It possesses higher functional activity in the transmembrane regions. The identification of C2 domains were reported in a previous study, such as multiple C2 domains and transmembrane-region proteins (MCTPs) and N-terminal-TM-C2 domain proteins (NTMC2s) of rice, Arabidopsis thaliana, and cotton, whereas the C2DP gene family in rice has not been comprehensively studied, and the role of the C2DP gene in rice in response to abiotic stress is not yet fully understood. In this study, we identified 82 C2DPs in the rice genome and divided them into seven groups through phylogenetic analysis. The synteny analysis revealed that duplication events were either exhibited within the genome of rice or between the genomes of rice and other species. Through the analysis of cis-acting elements in promoters, expression profiles, and qRT-PCR results, the functions of OsC2DPs were found to be widely distributed in diverse tissues and were extensively involved in phytohormones-related and abiotic stresses response in rice. The prediction of the microRNA (miRNA) targets of OsC2DPs revealed the possibility of regulation by consistent miRNAs. Notably, OsC2DP50/51/52 as a co-tandem duplication exhibited similar expression variations and involved the coincident miRNA-regulation pathway. Moreover, the results of the genotypic variation and haplotype analysis revealed that OsC2DP17, OsC2DP29, and OsC2DP49 were associated with cold stress responses. These findings provided comprehensive insights for characterizations of OsC2DPs in rice as well as for their roles for abiotic stress.
PMID: 35216337
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Feb , V23 (4) doi: 10.3390/ijms23042189
HuNAC20 and HuNAC25, Two Novel NAC Genes from Pitaya, Confer Cold Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
NAC transcription factors are one of the largest families of transcriptional regulators in plants, and members of the gene family play vital roles in regulating plant growth and development processes including biotic/abiotic stress responses. However, little information is available about the NAC family in pitaya. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide analysis and a total of 64 NACs (named HuNAC1-HuNAC64) were identified in pitaya (Hylocereus). These genes were grouped into fifteen subgroups with diversities in gene proportions, exon-intron structures, and conserved motifs. Genome mapping analysis revealed that HuNAC genes were unevenly scattered on all eleven chromosomes. Synteny analysis indicated that the segmental duplication events played key roles in the expansion of the pitaya NAC gene family. Expression levels of these HuNAC genes were analyzed under cold treatments using qRT-PCR. Four HuNAC genes, i.e., HuNAC7, HuNAC20, HuNAC25, and HuNAC30, were highly induced by cold stress. HuNAC7, HuNAC20, HuNAC25, and HuNAC30 were localized exclusively in the nucleus. HuNAC20, HuNAC25, and HuNAC30 were transcriptional activators while HuNAC7 was a transcriptional repressor. Overexpression of HuNAC20 and HuNAC25 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly enhanced tolerance to cold stress through decreasing ion leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA), and H2O2 and O2(-) accumulation, accompanied by upregulating the expression of cold-responsive genes (AtRD29A, AtCOR15A, AtCOR47, and AtKIN1). This study presents comprehensive information on the understanding of the NAC gene family and provides candidate genes to breed new pitaya cultivars with tolerance to cold conditions through genetic transformation.
PMID: 35216304
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Feb , V23 (3) doi: 10.3390/ijms23031794
Overexpression of a Malus baccata MYB Transcription Factor Gene MbMYB4 Increases Cold and Drought Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Development and Utilization of Small Fruits in Cold Regions, College of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.; Horticulture Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150040, China.
In the natural environment, plants often face unfavorable factors such as drought, cold, and freezing, which affect their growth and yield. The MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog) transcription factor family is widely involved in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, Malus baccata (L.) Borkh was used as the research material, and a gene MbMYB4 of the MYB family was cloned from it. The open reading frame (ORF) of MbMYB4 was found to be 762 bp, encoding 253 amino acids; sequence alignment results and predictions of the protein structure indicated that the MbMYB4 protein contained the conserved MYB domain. Subcellular localization showed that MbMYB4 was localized in the nucleus. In addition, the use of quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technology found that the expression of MbMYB4 was enriched in the young leaf and root, and it was highly affected by cold and drought treatments in M. baccata seedlings. When MbMYB4 was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, it greatly increased the cold and drought tolerance in the transgenic plant. Under cold and drought stresses, the proline and chlorophyll content, and peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities of transgenic A. thaliana increased significantly, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the relative conductivity decreased significantly, indicating that the plasma membrane damage of transgenic A. thaliana was lesser. Therefore, the overexpression of the MbMYB4 gene in A. thaliana can enhance the tolerance of transgenic plants to cold and drought stresses.
PMID: 35163716
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Feb , V23 (4) doi: 10.3390/ijms23042351
Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of bZIP Gene Family and Resistance of TaABI5 (TabZIP96) under Freezing Stress in Wheat (Triticum aestivum).
College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) regulates plant growth and responds to stress as a key transcription factor of the Abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway. In this study, TabZIP genes were identified in wheat and the gene structure, physicochemical properties, cis-acting elements, and gene collinearity were analyzed. RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analysis showed that ABA and abiotic stress induced most TabZIP genes expression. The ectopic expression of TaABI5 up-regulated the expression of several cold-responsive genes in Arabidopsis. Physiological indexes of seedlings of different lines under freezing stress showed that TaABI5 enhanced the freezing tolerance of plants. Subcellular localization showed that TaABI5 is localized in the nucleus. Furthermore, TaABI5 physically interacted with cold-resistant transcription factor TaICE1 in yeast two-hybrid system. In conclusion, this study identified and analyzed members of the TabZIP gene family in wheat. It proved for the first time that the gene TaABI5 affected the cold tolerance of transgenic plants and was convenient for us to understand the cold resistance molecular mechanism of TaABI5. These results will provide a new inspiration for further study on improving plant abiotic stress resistance.
PMID: 35216467
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2022 Feb doi: 10.1007/s00299-022-02839-0
Glycinebetaine mitigates tomato chilling stress by maintaining high-cyclic electron flow rate of photosystem I and stability of photosystem II.
College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, China.; Xinzhou Teachers University, Xinzhou, 034000, Shanxi, China.; Maize Research Institution, Shanxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, XinzhouShanxi, 034000, China.; Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, ALS 4017, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.; Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, A. Hlinku 2, Nitra, 94976, Slovak Republic.; College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, China. liuy@sdau.edu.cn.; College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, Shandong, China. xhyang@sdau.edu.cn.
KEY MESSAGE: Glycinebetaine alleviates chilling stress by protecting photosystems I and II in BADH-transgenic and GB-treated tomato plants, which can be an effective strategy for improving crop chilling tolerance. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most cultivated vegetables in the world, but is highly susceptible to chilling stress and does not naturally accumulate glycinebetaine (GB), one of the most effective stress protectants. The protective mechanisms of GB on photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) against chilling stress, however, remain poorly understood. Here, we address this problem through exogenous GB application and generation of transgenic tomatoes (Moneymaker) with a gene encoding betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH), which is the key enzyme in the synthesis of GB, from spinach. Our results demonstrated that GB can protect chloroplast ultramicrostructure, alleviate PSII photoinhibition and maintain PSII stability under chilling stress. More importantly, GB increased the electron transfer between QA and QB and the redox potential of QB and maintained a high rate of cyclic electron flow around PSI, contributing to reduced production of reactive oxygen species, thereby mitigating PSI photodamage under chilling stress. Our results highlight the novel roles of GB in enhancing chilling tolerance via the protection of PSI and PSII in BADH transgenic and GB-treated tomato plants under chilling stress. Thus, introducing GB-biosynthetic pathway into tomato and exogenous GB application are effective strategies for improving chilling tolerance.
PMID: 35150305
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2022 Feb , V41 (2) : P337-345 doi: 10.1007/s00299-021-02811-4
Potential roles for pattern molecule of PAMP-triggered immunity in improving crop cold tolerance.
Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China.; Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China. yangwn@mail.ccnu.edu.cn.
KEY MESSAGE: The application of flagellin 22 (flg22), the most widely studied PAMP, enhance crop cold tolerance. ICE1-CBF pathway and SA signaling is involved in the alleviation of cold injury by flg22 treatment. Pathogen infection cross-activates cold response and increase cold tolerance of host plants. However, it is not possible to use the infection to increase cold tolerance of field plants. Here flagellin 22 (flg22), the most widely studied PAMP (pathogen-associated molecular patterns), was used to mimic the pathogen infection to cross-activate cold response. Flg22 treatment alleviated the injury caused by freezing in Arabidopsis, oilseed and tobacco. In Arabidopsis, flg22 activated the expression of immunity and cold-related genes. Moreover, the flg22 induced alleviation of cold injury was lost in NahG transgenic line (SA-deficient), sid2-2 and npr1-1 mutant plants, and flg22-induced expression of cold tolerance-related genes, which indicating that salicylic acid signaling pathway is required for the alleviation of cold injury by flg22 treatment. In short flg22 application can be used to enhance cold tolerance in field via a salicylic acid-depended pathway.
PMID: 34817656
Sci Rep , IF:4.379 , 2022 Feb , V12 (1) : P3141 doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-07268-3
Jasmonate resistant 1 and ethylene responsive factor 11 are involved in chilling sensitivity in pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum L.).
Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.; Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju-gun, Jeollabuk-do, 55365, Republic of Korea.; Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea. ejinlee3@snu.ac.kr.; Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea. ejinlee3@snu.ac.kr.
Pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum L.) is sensitive to chilling stress with chilling injuries occurring below 7 degrees C; however, chilling injuries occur at different temperatures depending on the genotype. The present study aimed to identify the factors that affect chilling sensitivity in pepper fruits. A total of 112 F2 pepper fruits crossed between chilling-insensitive 'UZB-GJG-1999-51' and chilling-sensitive 'C00562' pepper were grouped according to the seed browning rate, which is a typical chilling symptom of pepper fruit under chilling conditions. Physiological traits, amino acids, fatty acids, as well as ethylene responsive factor (ERF) and jasmonate resistant 1 (JAR1) expression levels were analyzed, and their correlations with the seed browning rate were confirmed. The expression level of JAR1 showed a strong negative correlation with the seed browning rate (r = - 0.7996). The expression level of ERF11 and content of hydrogen peroxide showed strong positive correlation with the seed browning rate (r = 0.7622 and 0.6607, respectively). From these results, we inferred that JAR1 and ERF11 are important factors influencing the chilling sensitivity of pepper fruit.
PMID: 35210544
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Feb , V172 : P167-179 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.01.011
CfAPX, a cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase gene from Cryptomeria fortunei, confers tolerance to abiotic stress in transgenic Arabidopsis.
Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: ytzhang@njfu.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: yanglw@njfu.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: 17805151500@163.com.; Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: yangjj@njfu.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: cuijiebing@163.com.; Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: hhl1198264682@163.com.; Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: xjinhsh@njfu.edu.cn.
Plants subjected to biotic or abiotic stresses produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS). If ROS cannot be cleared in time, they cause a series of harmful reactions in plants. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is a key enzyme that removes ROS from plant cells and plays a vital role in plant stress resistance. However, to date, no studies on APX homologs in Cryptomeria fortunei have been reported. In this study, we isolated complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding APXfrom C. fortunei needles, which is referred to as CfAPX, by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length CfAPX sequence was 1226 bp in length and included a 750-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 249 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that APXs of different plant species have been highly evolutionarily conserved. CfAPX was shown to belong to the cytoplasmic subgroup and was more closely related to GbAPX of the gymnosperm Ginkgo biloba. CfAPX showed no transcriptional activity in yeast cells but was highly expressed in cones. To better handle abiotic stresses, compared with wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis thaliana, 35S::CfAPX transgenic Arabidopsis strongly expressed CfAPX, presented increased antioxidant enzyme activities, ascorbic acid (AsA) contents, chlorophyll levels and fluorescence parameter and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents. In addition, CfAPX expression in C. fortunei was mostly upregulated under stress. In summary, CfAPX confers abiotic stress responses to plants, which provides a scientific basis for subsequent breeding for increased stress resistance in C. fortunei.
PMID: 35091196
BMC Plant Biol , IF:4.215 , 2022 Feb , V22 (1) : P59 doi: 10.1186/s12870-022-03445-8
SPL9 mediates freezing tolerance by directly regulating the expression of CBF2 in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Laboratory of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, 311300, China.; Laboratory of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, 311300, China. yujing2009@zafu.edu.cn.; Laboratory of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, 311300, China. guock@zafu.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Freezing stress inhibits plant development and causes significant damage to plants. Plants therefore have evolved a large amount of sophisticated mechanisms to counteract freezing stress by adjusting their growth and development correspondingly. Plant ontogenetic defense against drought, high salt, and heat stresses, has been extensively studied. However, whether the freezing tolerance is associated with ontogenetic development and how the freezing signals are delivered remain unclear. RESULTS: In this study, we found that the freezing tolerance was increased with plant age at the vegetative stage. The expressions of microRNA156 (miR156) and SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 9 (SPL9), playing roles in regulation of ontogenetic development, were induced by cold stress. Overexpression of SPL9 (rSPL9) promoted the expression of C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR 2 (CBF2) and hereafter enhanced the freezing tolerance. Genetic analysis indicated that the effect of rSPL9 on freezing tolerance is partially restored by cbf2 mutant. Further analysis confirmed that SPL9 directly binds to the promoter of CBF2 to activate the expression of CBF2, and thereafter increased the freezing tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, our study uncovers a new role of SPL9 in fine-tuning CBF2 expression and thus mediating freezing tolerance in plants, and implies a role of miR156-SPL pathway in balancing the vegetative development and freezing response in Arabidopsis.
PMID: 35109794
Genes (Basel) , IF:4.096 , 2022 Feb , V13 (2) doi: 10.3390/genes13020329
The Caucasian Clover Gene TaMYC2 Responds to Abiotic Stress and Improves Tolerance by Increasing the Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
Abiotic stress affects metabolic processes in plants and restricts plant growth and development. In this experiment, Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) was used as a material, and the CDS of TaMYC2, which is involved in regulating the response to abiotic stress, was cloned. The CDS of TaMYC2 was 726 bp in length and encoded 241 amino acids. The protein encoded by TaMYC2 was determined to be unstable, be highly hydrophilic, and contain 23 phosphorylation sites. Subcellular localization results showed that TaMYC2 was localized in the nucleus. TaMYC2 responded to salt, alkali, cold, and drought stress and could be induced by IAA, GA3, and MeJA. By analyzing the gene expression and antioxidant enzyme activity in plants before and after stress, we found that drought and cold stress could induce the expression of TaMYC2 and increase the antioxidant enzyme activity. TaMYC2 could also induce the expression of ROS scavenging-related and stress-responsive genes and increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes, thus improving the ability of plants to resist stress. The results of this experiment provide references for subsequent in-depth exploration of both the function of TaMYC2 in and the molecular mechanism underlying the resistance of Caucasian clover.
PMID: 35205373
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2022 Feb , V23 (1) : P137 doi: 10.1186/s12864-022-08311-3
Transcriptome analysis and differential gene expression profiling of wucai (Brassica campestris L.) in response to cold stress.
College of Horticulture, Vegetable Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 West Changjiang Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China.; Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Breeding of Anhui, 130 West of Changjiang Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China.; Wanjiang Vegetable Industrial Technology Institute, Maanshan, 238200, Anhui, China.; Department of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210095, China.; College of Horticulture, Vegetable Genetics and Breeding Laboratory, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 West Changjiang Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China. houjinfeng@ahau.edu.cn.; Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Breeding of Anhui, 130 West of Changjiang Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China. houjinfeng@ahau.edu.cn.; Wanjiang Vegetable Industrial Technology Institute, Maanshan, 238200, Anhui, China. houjinfeng@ahau.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Wucai suffers from low temperature during the growth period, resulting in a decline in yield and poor quality. But the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in wucai are still unclear. RESULTS: According to the phenotypes and physiological indexes, we screened out the cold-tolerant genotype "W18" (named CT) and cold-sensitive genotype "Sw-1" (named CS) in six wucai genotypes. We performed transcriptomic analysis using seedling leaves after 24 h of cold treatment. A total of 3536 and 3887 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the low temperature (LT) and control (NT) comparative transcriptome in CT and CS, respectively, with 1690 DEGs specific to CT. The gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the response to cadmium ion (GO:0,046,686), response to jasmonic acid (GO:0,009,753), and response to wounding (GO:0,009,611) were enriched in CT (LT vs NT). The DEGs were enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism and glutathione metabolism in both groups, and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism was enriched only in CT (LT vs NT). DEGs in these processes, including glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), 13S lipoxygenase (LOX), and jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ), as well as transcription factors (TFs), such as the ethylene-responsive transcription factor 53 (ERF53), basic helix-loop-helix 92 (bHLH92), WRKY53, and WRKY54.We hypothesize that these genes play important roles in the response to cold stress in this species. CONCLUSIONS: Our data for wucai is consistent with previous studies that suggest starch and sucrose metabolism increased the content of osmotic substances, and the glutathione metabolism pathway enhance the active oxygen scavenging. These two pathways may participated in response to cold stress. In addition, the activation of alpha-linolenic acid metabolism may promote the synthesis of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), which might also play a role in the cold tolerance of wucai.
PMID: 35168556
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2022 Feb , V11 (3) doi: 10.3390/plants11030442
Transcriptome Analysis Revealed a Positive Role of Ethephon on Chlorophyll Metabolism of Zoysia japonica under Cold Stress.
College of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.; CCTEG Ecological Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100013, China.; Animal Science College, Tibet Agriculture & Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China.
Zoysia japonica is a warm-season turfgrass with a good tolerance and minimal maintenance requirements. However, its use in Northern China is limited due to massive chlorophyll loss in early fall, which is the main factor affecting its distribution and utilization. Although ethephon treatment at specific concentrations has reportedly improved stress tolerance and extended the green period in turfgrass, the potential mechanisms underlying this effect are not clear. In this study, we evaluated and analyzed chlorophyll changes in the physiology and transcriptome of Z. japonica plants in response to cold stress (4 degrees C) with and without ethephon pretreatment. Based on the transcriptome and chlorophyll content analysis, ethephon pretreatment increased the leaf chlorophyll content under cold stress by affecting two processes: the stimulation of chlorophyll synthesis by upregulating ZjMgCH2 and ZjMgCH3 expression; and the suppression of chlorophyll degradation by downregulating ZjPAO, ZjRCCR, and ZjSGR expression. Furthermore, ethephon pretreatment increased the ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b in the leaves under cold stress, most likely by suppressing the conversion of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b due to decreased chlorophyll b synthesis via downregulation of ZjCAO. Additionally, the inhibition of chlorophyll b synthesis may result in energy redistribution between photosystem II and photosystem I.
PMID: 35161421
J Plant Physiol , IF:3.549 , 2022 Feb , V269 : P153602 doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2021.153602
Cold responses in rice: From physiology to molecular biology.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China. Electronic address: yangshuhua@cau.edu.cn.
As rice originated in tropical or subtropical areas, it is generally sensitive to cold stress. Understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying rice responses to cold stress can provide new power for engineering cold-tolerant and high-yielding rice varieties.
PMID: 34954427
Funct Integr Genomics , IF:3.41 , 2022 Feb , V22 (1) : P113-130 doi: 10.1007/s10142-021-00808-6
Proteomic analysis of a plastid gene encoding RPS4 mutant in Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. pekinensis).
Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110866, China.; Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Breeding College of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Shushan District, Hefei, China.; Biotechnology Research Institute, Xiqing District, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinjing Road 17 km, Tianjin, 300384, China.; Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, 120 Dongling Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110866, China. fenghuiaaa@syau.edu.cn.
Plastids are important plant cell organelles containing a genome and bacterial-type 70S ribosomes-primarily composed of plastid ribosomal proteins and ribosomal RNAs. In this study, a chlorophyll-deficient mutant (cdm) obtained from double-haploid Chinese cabbage 'FT' was identified as a plastome mutant with an A-to-C base substitution in the plastid gene encoding the ribosomal protein RPS4. To further elucidate the function and regulatory mechanisms of RPS4, a comparative proteomic analysis was conducted between cdm and its wild-type 'FT' plants by isobaric tags and a relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based strategy. A total of 6,245 proteins were identified, 540 of which were differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in the leaves of cdm as compared to those of 'FT'-including 233 upregulated and 307 downregulated proteins. Upregulated DAPs were mainly involved in translation, organonitrogen compound biosynthetic process, ribosomes, and spliceosomes. Meanwhile, downregulated DAPs were mainly involved in photosynthesis, photosynthetic reaction centres, photosynthetic light harvesting, carbon fixation, and chlorophyll binding. These results indicated an important role of RPS4 in the regulation of growth and development of Chinese cabbage, possibly by regulating plastid translation activity by affecting the expression of specific photosynthesis- and cold stress-related proteins. Moreover, a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) test and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis confirmed our iTRAQ results. Quantitative proteomic analysis allowed us to confirm diverse changes in the metabolic pathways between cdm and 'FT' plants. This work provides new insights into the regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis in Chinese cabbage.
PMID: 34881421
J Appl Genet , IF:3.24 , 2022 Feb , V63 (1) : P15-33 doi: 10.1007/s13353-021-00660-1
Quantitative trait loci and candidate genes associated with freezing tolerance of winter triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack).
Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podchorazych 2, 30-084, Krakow, Poland.; Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Cracow, Podchorazych 2, 30-084, Krakow, Poland. gabriela.golebiowska@up.krakow.pl.; Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Powstancow Warszawy 6, 35-959, Rzeszow, Poland.; Department of Plant Breeding, Physiology and Seed Science, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Podluzna 3, 30-239, Krakow, Poland.; Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, National Research Institute, 05-870, Radzikow, Blonie, Poland.; The Franciszek Gorski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
Freezing tolerance of triticale is a major trait contributing to its winter hardiness. The identification of genomic regions - quantitative trait loci (QTL) and molecular markers associated with freezing tolerance in winter hexaploid triticale - was the aim of this study. For that purpose, a new genetic linkage map was developed for the population of 92 doubled haploid lines derived from 'Hewo' x 'Magnat' F1 hybrid. Those lines, together with parents were subjected to freezing tolerance test three times during two winter seasons. Plants were grown and cold-hardened under natural fall/winter conditions and then subjected to freezing in controlled conditions. Freezing tolerance was assessed as the plants recovery (REC), the electrolyte leakage (EL) from leaves and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (JIP) after freezing. Three consistent QTL for several fluorescence parameters, electrolyte leakage, and the percentage of the survived plants were identified with composite interval mapping (CIM) and single marker analysis (SMA). The first locus Qfr.hm-7A.1 explained 9% of variation of both electrolyte leakage and plants recovery after freezing. Two QTL explaining up to 12% of variation in plants recovery and shared by selected chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were found on 4R and 5R chromosomes. Finally, main locus Qchl.hm-5A.1 was detected for chlorophyll fluorescence parameters that explained up to 19.6% of phenotypic variation. The co-located QTL on chromosomes 7A.1, 4R and 5R, clearly indicated physiological and genetic relationship of the plant survival after freezing with the ability to maintain optimal photochemical activity of the photosystem II and preservation of the cell membranes integrity. The genes located in silico within the identified QTL include those encoding BTR1-like protein, transmembrane helix proteins like potassium channel, and phosphoric ester hydrolase involved in response to osmotic stress as well as proteins involved in the regulation of the gene expression, chloroplast RNA processing, and pyrimidine salvage pathway. Additionally, our results confirm that the JIP test is a valuable tool to evaluate freezing tolerance of triticale under unstable winter environments.
PMID: 34491554