Nat Plants , IF:15.793 , 2022 Oct , V8 (10) : P1176-1190 doi: 10.1038/s41477-022-01254-3
Natural polymorphism of ZmICE1 contributes to amino acid metabolism that impacts cold tolerance in maize.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.; Fresh Corn Research Center of BTH, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China.; National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.; Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. yangshuhua@cau.edu.cn.
Cold stress negatively affects maize (Zea mays L.) growth, development and yield. Metabolic adjustments contribute to the adaptation of maize under cold stress. We show here that the transcription factor INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION 1 (ZmICE1) plays a prominent role in reprogramming amino acid metabolome and COLD-RESPONSIVE (COR) genes during cold stress in maize. Derivatives of amino acids glutamate/asparagine (Glu/Asn) induce a burst of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which suppress the cold-mediated induction of DEHYDRATION RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING PROTEIN 1 (ZmDREB1) genes and impair cold tolerance. ZmICE1 blocks this negative regulation of cold tolerance by directly repressing the expression of the key Glu/Asn biosynthesis genes, ASPARAGINE SYNTHETASEs. Moreover, ZmICE1 directly regulates the expression of DREB1s. Natural variation at the ZmICE1 promoter determines the binding affinity of the transcriptional activator ZmMYB39, a positive regulator of cold tolerance in maize, resulting in different degrees of ZmICE1 transcription and cold tolerance across inbred lines. This study thus unravels a mechanism of cold tolerance in maize and provides potential targets for engineering cold-tolerant varieties.
PMID: 36241735
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2022 Oct , V34 (11) : P4495-4515 doi: 10.1093/plcell/koac253
WRKY53 negatively regulates rice cold tolerance at the booting stage by fine-tuning anther gibberellin levels.
Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, China.; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration (Northeast Forestry University), Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040, China.; College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.; The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Cold tolerance at the booting (CTB) stage is a major factor limiting rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity and geographical distribution. A few cold-tolerance genes have been identified, but they either need to be overexpressed to result in CTB or cause yield penalties, limiting their utility for breeding. Here, we characterize the function of the cold-induced transcription factor WRKY53 in rice. The wrky53 mutant displays increased CTB, as determined by higher seed setting. Low temperature is associated with lower gibberellin (GA) contents in anthers in the wild type but not in the wrky53 mutant, which accumulates slightly more GA in its anthers. WRKY53 directly binds to the promoters of GA biosynthesis genes and transcriptionally represses them in anthers. In addition, we uncover a possible mechanism by which GA regulates male fertility: SLENDER RICE1 (SLR1) interacts with and sequesters two critical transcription factors for tapetum development, UNDEVELOPED TAPETUM1 (UDT1), and TAPETUM DEGENERATION RETARDATION (TDR), and GA alleviates the sequestration by SLR1, thus allowing UDT1 and TDR to activate transcription. Finally, knocking out WRKY53 in diverse varieties increases cold tolerance without a yield penalty, leading to a higher yield in rice subjected to cold stress. Together, these findings provide a target for improving CTB in rice.
PMID: 35972376
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A , IF:11.205 , 2022 Oct , V119 (41) : Pe2211744119 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2211744119
Stabilization of insect cell membranes and soluble enzymes by accumulated cryoprotectants during freezing stress.
Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, 37005 Czech Republic.; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, 37005 Czech Republic.
Most multicellular organisms are freeze sensitive, but the ability to survive freezing of the extracellular fluids evolved in several vertebrate ectotherms, some plants, and many insects. Here, we test the coupled hypotheses that are perpetuated in the literature: that irreversible denaturation of proteins and loss of biological membrane integrity are two ultimate molecular mechanisms of freezing injury in freeze-sensitive insects and that seasonally accumulated small cryoprotective molecules (CPs) stabilize proteins and membranes against injury in freeze-tolerant insects. Using the drosophilid fly, Chymomyza costata, we show that seven different soluble enzymes exhibit no or only partial loss of activity upon lethal freezing stress applied in vivo to whole freeze-sensitive larvae. In contrast, the enzymes lost activity when extracted and frozen in vitro in a diluted buffer solution. This loss of activity was fully prevented by adding low concentrations of a wide array of different compounds to the buffer, including C. costata native CPs, other metabolites, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and even the biologically inert artificial compounds HistoDenz and Ficoll. Next, we show that fat body plasma membranes lose integrity when frozen in vivo in freeze-sensitive but not in freeze-tolerant larvae. Freezing fat body cells in vitro, however, resulted in loss of membrane integrity in both freeze-sensitive and freeze-tolerant larvae. Different additives showed widely different capacities to protect membrane integrity when added to in vitro freezing media. A complete rescue of membrane integrity in freeze-tolerant larvae was observed with a mixture of proline, trehalose, and BSA.
PMID: 36191219
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2022 Oct doi: 10.1111/nph.18568
SEC1-C3H39 module fine-tunes cold tolerance by mediating its target mRNAs degradation in tomato.
Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China.; Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572025, P.R. China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plants Growth and Development, Agricultural Ministry of China, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China.
Plants adapt to cold stress at the physiological and biochemical levels, thus enabling them to maintain growth and development. However, the molecular mechanism of fine-tuning cold signals remains largely unknown. We addressed the function of SlSEC1-SlC3H39 module in cold tolerance by using SlSEC1 and SlC3H39 knockout and overexpression tomato lines. A tandem CCCH zinc-finger protein SlC3H39 negatively modulates cold tolerance in tomato. SlC3H39 binds to AU-rich elements in the 3'UTR to induce mRNAs degradation and regulates gene expression post-transcriptionally. We further validate that SlC3H39 participates in post-transcriptional regulation of a variety of cold-responsive genes. An O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase SlSEC1 physically interacts with SlC3H39 proteins and negatively regulates cold tolerance in tomato. Further study shows that SlSEC1 is essential for SlC3H39 protein stability and maintains SlC3H39 function in cold tolerance. Genetic analysis shows that SlC3H39 is epistatic to SlSEC1 in cold tolerance. The findings indicate that SlC3H39 negatively modulates plant cold tolerance through post-transcriptional regulation by binding to cold responding mRNAs 3'UTR and reducing those transcripts. SlSEC1 promotes the O-GlcNAclation status of SlC3H39 and maintains SlC3H39 function in cold tolerance. Taken together, we propose a SlSEC1-SlC3H39 module, which allows plants to balance defense responses and growth processes.
PMID: 36285381
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2022 Nov , V45 (11) : P3305-3321 doi: 10.1111/pce.14432
Comparative transcriptomics analysis reveals a calcineurin B-like gene to positively regulate constitutive and acclimated freezing tolerance in potato.
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Tuber and Root Crop, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Lingnan Guangdong Laboratory of Modern Agriculture/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, People's Republic of China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, MOE; Key Laboratory of Potato Biology and Biotechnology, MARA; College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Freezing stress is a major limiting factor in crop production. To increase frost-hardiness of crops via breeding, deciphering the genes conferring freezing-tolerance is vital. Potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum) are generally freezing-sensitive, but some potato wild species are freezing-tolerant, including Solanum commersonii, Solanum malmeanum and Solanum acaule. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms conferring the freezing-tolerance to the wild species remain to be deciphered. In this study, five representative genotypes of the above-mentioned species with distinct freezing-tolerance were investigated. Comparative transcriptomics analysis showed that SaCBL1-like (calcineurin B-like protein) was upregulated substantially in all of the freezing-tolerant genotypes. Transgenic overexpression and known-down lines of SaCBL1-like were examined. SaCBL1-like was shown to confer freezing-tolerance without significantly impacting main agricultural traits. A functional mechanism analysis showed that SaCBL1-like increases the expression of the C-repeat binding factor-regulon as well as causes a prolonged higher expression of CBF1 after exposure to cold conditions. Furthermore, SaCBL1-like was found to only interact with SaCIPK3-1 (CBL-interacting protein kinase) among all apparent cold-responsive SaCIPKs. Our study identifies SaCBL1-like to play a vital role in conferring freezing tolerance in potato, which may provide a basis for a targeted potato breeding for frost-hardiness.
PMID: 36041917
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2022 Oct doi: 10.1111/jipb.13379
CHH methylation of genes associated with fatty acid and JA biosynthesis contributes to cold tolerance in autotetraploids of Poncirus trifoliata.
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Citrus Biology, Guangxi Academy of Specialty Crops, Guilin, 541004, China.
Polyploids have elevated stress tolerance, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. In this study, we showed that naturally occurring tetraploid plants of trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.) exhibited enhanced cold tolerance relative to their diploid progenitors. Transcriptome analysis revealed that whole-genome duplication was associated with higher expression levels of a range of well-characterized cold stress-responsive genes. Global DNA methylation profiling demonstrated that the tetraploids underwent more extensive DNA demethylation in comparison with the diploids under cold stress. CHH methylation in the promoters was associated with up-regulation of related genes, whereas CG, CHG and CHH methylation in the 3'-regions was relevant to gene down-regulation. Of note, genes involved in unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) and JA biosynthesis in the tetraploids displayed different CHH methylation in the gene flanking regions and were prominently up-regulated, consistent with greater accumulation of UFAs and JA when exposed to the cold stress. Collectively, our findings explored the difference in cold stress response between diploids and tetraploids at both transcriptional and epigenetic levels, and gained new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying enhanced cold tolerance of the tetraploid. These results contribute to uncovering a novel regulatory role of DNA methylation in better cold tolerance of polyploids. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID: 36218272
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2022 Sep doi: 10.1111/jipb.13356
Brassinosteroid signaling positively regulates abscisic acid biosynthesis in response to chilling stress in tomato.
Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.; Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572025, China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plants Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Agricultural Ministry of China, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) and abscisic acid (ABA) are essential regulators of plant growth and stress tolerance. Although the antagonistic interaction of BRs and ABA is proposed to ensure the balance between growth and defense in model plants, the crosstalk between BRs and ABA in response to chilling in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), a warm-climate horticultural crop, is unclear. Here, we determined that overexpression of the BR biosynthesis gene DWARF (DWF) or the key BR signaling gene BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (BZR1) increases ABA levels in response to chilling stress via positively regulating the expression of the ABA biosynthesis gene 9-CIS-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE1 (NCED1). BR-induced chilling tolerance was mostly dependent on ABA biosynthesis. Chilling stress or high BR levels decreased the abundance of BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE2 (BIN2), a negative regulator of BR signaling. Moreover, we observed that chilling stress increases BR levels and results in the accumulation of BZR1. BIN2 negatively regulated both the accumulation of BZR1 protein and chilling tolerance by suppressing ABA biosynthesis. Our results demonstrate that BR signaling positively regulates chilling tolerance via ABA biosynthesis in tomato. The study has implications in production of warm-climate crops in horticulture. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID: 36053143
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2022 Sep doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac370
The SlMYB15 transcription factor targeted by sly-miR156e-3p positively regulates ABA-mediated cold tolerance in tomato.
Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China.; Henan International Joint Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Improvements, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Henan, Zhengzhou 45001, China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plants Growth and Development, Agricultural Ministry of China, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China.
Cold is a common abiotic environmental stress that seriously affects plant growth and development. MYB transcription factors are regulatory molecules that play important roles in various biological processes. We have previously demonstrated that SlMYB15 positively regulates cold tolerance in tomato. However, the underlying mechanism of SlMYB15-induced cold tolerance remains largely unexplored. Here, cold-induced SlMYB15 was found to be targeted by Solanum lycopersicum (sly)-miR156e-3p, which was decreased by cold stimulus in tomato. Tomato plants overexpressing sly-MIR156e-3p displayed significant enhancement in the susceptibility to cold stress, while silencing of sly-miR156e-3p by an artificial microRNA interference strategy caused tomato plants to be more tolerant to cold. Moreover, both overexpression of SlMYB15 and silencing of sly-miR156e-3p increased the accumulation of ABA, owing to that SlMYB15 can directly bind to the promoter regions of ABA biosynthesis and signalling genes, SlNCED1 and SlABF4, resulting in an enhanced cold tolerance. Further experiments showed that SlMYB15 and sly-miR156e-3p also coordinated the cold tolerance of tomato via reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling pathway, as reflected by the increased expression of SlRBOH1, enhanced H2O2 and O2*accumulation, amplified activity of antioxidant enzymes in SlMYB15-overexpressing and sly-miR156e-3p-silencing plants. Taken together, our results demonstrate that SlMYB15 targeted by sly-miR156e-3p confers higher survivability of cold stress of plants via ABA and ROS signals. This study will be valuable for breeding improved crop cultivars better equipped with cold resistance.
PMID: 36103722
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2022 Oct , V73 (18) : P6434-6448 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac274
The C2H2-type zinc finger protein PhZFP1 regulates cold stress tolerance by modulating galactinol synthesis in Petunia hybrida.
Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.; Key Laboratory of Huazhong Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.; National R&D Center for Citrus Preservation, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
The C2H2 zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) play essential roles in regulating cold stress responses. Similarly, raffinose accumulation contributes to freezing stress tolerance. However, the relationship between C2H2 functions and raffinose synthesis in cold tolerance remains uncertain. Here, we report the characterization of the cold-induced C2H2-type zinc finger protein PhZFP1 in Petunia hybrida. PhZFP1 was found to be predominantly localized in the nucleus. Overexpression of PhZFP1 conferred enhanced cold tolerance in transgenic petunia lines. In contrast, RNAi mediated suppression of PhZFP1 led to increased cold susceptibility. PhZFP1 regulated the expression of a range of abiotic stress responsive-genes including genes encoding proteins involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and raffinose metabolism. The accumulation of galactinol and raffinose, and the levels of PhGolS1-1 transcripts, were significantly increased in PhZFP1-overexpressing plants and decreased in PhZFP1-RNAi plants under cold stress. Moreover, the galactinol synthase (GolS)-encoding gene PhGolS1-1 was identified as a direct target of PhZFP1. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PhZFP1 functions in cold stress tolerance by modulation of galactinol synthesis via regulation of PhGolS1-1. This study also provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying C2H2 zinc finger protein-mediated cold stress tolerance, and has identified a candidate gene for improving cold stress tolerance.
PMID: 35726094
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2022 Oct , V112 (2) : P383-398 doi: 10.1111/tpj.15950
The OsWRKY63-OsWRKY76-OsDREB1B module regulates chilling tolerance in rice.
Jilin Province Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
Rice (Oryza sativa) is sensitive to low temperatures, which affects the yield and quality of rice. Therefore, uncovering the molecular mechanisms behind chilling tolerance is a critical task for improving cold tolerance in rice cultivars. Here, we report that OsWRKY63, a WRKY transcription factor with an unknown function, negatively regulates chilling tolerance in rice. OsWRKY63-overexpressing rice lines are more sensitive to cold stress. Conversely, OsWRKY63-knockout mutants generated using a CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing approach exhibited increased chilling tolerance. OsWRKY63 was expressed in all rice tissues, and OsWRKY63 expression was induced under cold stress, dehydration stress, high salinity stress, and ABA treatment. OsWRKY63 localized in the nucleus plays a role as a transcription repressor and downregulates many cold stress-related genes and reactive oxygen species scavenging-related genes. Molecular, biochemical, and genetic assays showed that OsWRKY76 is a direct target gene of OsWRKY63 and that its expression is suppressed by OsWRKY63. OsWRKY76-knockout lines had dramatically decreased cold tolerance, and the cold-induced expression of five OsDREB1 genes was repressed. OsWRKY76 interacted with OsbHLH148, transactivating the expression of OsDREB1B to enhance chilling tolerance in rice. Thus, our study suggests that OsWRKY63 negatively regulates chilling tolerance through the OsWRKY63-OsWRKY76-OsDREB1B transcriptional regulatory cascade in rice.
PMID: 35996876
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2022 Oct , V112 (1) : P235-248 doi: 10.1111/tpj.15944
Temperature modulation of CAMTA3 gene induction activity is mediated through the DNA binding domain.
MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.; MSU Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.; Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
The calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana play a major role in cold acclimation, contributing to the rapid induction of the C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR (CBF) genes and other genes that impart freezing tolerance in plants exposed to cold temperature (4 degrees C). The goal of this study was to better understand how the gene induction activity of CAMTA3 is modulated by temperature. Our results indicate that a severely truncated version of CAMTA3, CAMTA3(334) , which includes the N-terminal CG-1 DNA binding domain and a newly identified transcriptional activation domain (TAD), was able to rapidly induce the expression of CBF2 and two newly identified target genes, EXPANSIN-LIKE A1 (EXPL1) and NINE-CIS-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE 3 (NCED3), in response to cold temperature. Additionally, CAMTA3(334) was able to restore freezing tolerance when expressed in a camta23 double mutant. The ability of CAMTA3 and CAMTA3(334) to induce target genes at cold temperature did not involve increased levels of these proteins or increased binding of these proteins to target gene promoters in cold-treated plants. Rather, domain-swapping experiments indicated that the CAMTA3 CG-1 domain conferred temperature dependence to the ability of the CAMTA3 TAD to induce gene expression. The CG-1 domain also enabled the TAD to induce the expression of target genes at a moderate temperature (22 degrees C) in response to cycloheximide treatment, consistent with the TAD activity not being intrinsically temperature dependent. We propose a working model in which the temperature modulation of CAMTA3 gene induction activity occurs independently from the C-terminal calmodulin-binding domains that previously have been proposed to activate CAMTA3 transcriptional activity in response to cold temperature.
PMID: 35960653
Mol Ecol , IF:6.185 , 2022 Nov , V31 (21) : P5568-5580 doi: 10.1111/mec.16666
Polygenic adaptation contributes to the invasive success of the Colorado potato beetle.
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.; Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Institute of Plant and Environmental Protection, Beijing, China.; Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA.; Institute for Evolution & Biodiversity, University of Munster, Munster, Germany.; Laboratory of Biological Plant Protection and Biotechnology, Novosibirsk State Agrarian University, Novosibirsk, Russia.; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
How invasive species cope with novel selective pressures with limited genetic variation is a fundamental question in molecular ecology. Several mechanisms have been proposed, but they can lack generality. Here, we addressed an alternative solution, polygenic adaptation, wherein traits that arise from multiple combinations of loci may be less sensitive to loss of variation during invasion. We tested the polygenic signal of environmental adaptation of Colorado potato beetle (CPB) introduced in Eurasia. Population genomic analyses showed declining genetic diversity in the eastward expansion of Eurasian populations, and weak population genetic structure (except for the invasion fronts in Asia). Demographic history showed that all populations shared a strong bottleneck about 100 years ago when CPB was introduced to Europe. Genome scans revealed a suite of genes involved in activity regulation functions that are plausibly related to cold stress, including some well-founded functions (e.g., the activity of phosphodiesterase, the G-protein regulator) and discrete functions. Such polygenic architecture supports the hypothesis that polygenic adaptation and potentially genetic redundancy can fuel the adaptation of CPB despite strong genetic depletion, thus representing a promising general mechanism for resolving the genetic paradox of invasion. More broadly, most complex traits based on polygenes may be less sensitive to invasive bottlenecks, thus ensuring the evolutionary success of invasive species in novel environments.
PMID: 35984732
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (19) doi: 10.3390/ijms231911599
Genome-Wide Investigation and Expression Analysis of the Nitraria sibirica Pall. CIPK Gene Family.
Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education of China, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.; College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.; Experimental Center of Desert Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Dengkou, Bayannur 015200, China.
The calcineurin B-like-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) protein family plays a key role in the plant calcium ion-mediated signal transduction pathway, which regulates a plant's response to abiotic stress. Nitraria sibirica pall. (N. sibirica) is a halophyte with a strong tolerance for high salt environments, yet how it is able to deal with salt stress on a molecular level is still unknown. Due to their function as described in other plant species, CIPK genes are prime candidates for a role in salt stress signaling in N. sibirica. In this study, we identified and analyzed the phylogenetic makeup and gene expression of the N. sibirica CIPK gene family. A total of 14 CIPKs were identified from the N. sibirica genome and were clustered into seven groups based on their phylogeny. The promoters of NsCIPK genes contained multiple elements involved in hormonal and stress response. Synteny analysis identified a total of three pairs of synteny relationships between NsCIPK genes. Each gene showed its own specific expression pattern across different tissues, with the overall expression of CIPK6 being the lowest, and that of CIPK20 being the highest. Almost all CIPK genes tended to respond to salt, drought, and cold stress, but with different sensitivity levels. In this study, we have provided a general description of the NsCIPK gene family and its expression, which will be of great significance for further understanding of the NsCIPK gene family function.
PMID: 36232901
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (19) doi: 10.3390/ijms231911417
Cold-Induced Nuclear Import of CBF4 Regulates Freezing Tolerance.
Molecular Cell Biology, Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are crucial transcriptional activators in plant responses to low temperature. CBF4 differs in its slower, but more persistent regulation and its role in cold acclimation. Cold acclimation has accentuated relevance for tolerance to late spring frosts as they have become progressively more common, as a consequence of blurred seasonality in the context of global climate change. In the current study, we explore the functions of CBF4 from grapevine, VvCBF4. Overexpression of VvCBF4 fused to GFP in tobacco BY-2 cells confers cold tolerance. Furthermore, this protein shuttles from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in response to cold stress, associated with an accumulation of transcripts for other CBFs and the cold responsive gene, ERD10d. This response differs for chilling as compared to freezing and is regulated differently by upstream signalling involving oxidative burst, proteasome activity and jasmonate synthesis. The difference between chilling and freezing is also seen in the regulation of the CBF4 transcript in leaves from different grapevines differing in their cold tolerance. Therefore, we propose the quality of cold stress is transduced by different upstream signals regulating nuclear import and, thus, the transcriptional activation of grapevine CBF4.
PMID: 36232718
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (18) doi: 10.3390/ijms231810538
Overexpression of a Fragaria vesca MYB Transcription Factor Gene (FvMYB82) Increases Salt and Cold 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.; Institute of Rural Revitalization Science and Technology, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150028, China.
The MYB transcription factor (TF) family is one of the largest transcription families in plants, which is widely involved in the responses to different abiotic stresses, such as salt, cold, and drought. In the present study, a new MYB TF gene was cloned from Fragaria vesca (a diploid strawberry) and named FvMYB82. The open reading frame (ORF) of FvMYB82 was found to be 960 bp, encoding 319 amino acids. Sequence alignment results and predictions of the protein structure indicated that the FvMYB82 contained the conserved R2R3-MYB domain. Subcellular localization analysis showed that FvMYB82 was localized onto the nucleus. Furthermore, the qPCR showed that the expression level of FvMYB82 was higher in new leaves and roots than in mature leaves and stems. When dealing with different stresses, the expression level of FvMYB82 in F. vesca seedlings changed markedly, especially for salt and cold stress. When FvMYB82 was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, the tolerances to salt and cold stress of FvMYB82-OE A. thaliana were greatly improved. When dealt with salt and cold treatments, compared with wild-type and unloaded line (UL) A. thaliana, the transgenic lines had higher contents of proline and chlorophyll, as well as higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). However, the transgenic A. thaliana had lower level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolytic leakage (EL) than wild-type and UL A. thaliana under salt and cold stress. Meanwhile, FvMYB82 can also regulate the expression of downstream genes associated with salt stress (AtSnRK2.4, AtSnRK2.6, AtKUP6, and AtNCED3) and cold stress (AtCBF1, AtCBF2, AtCOR15a, and AtCOR78). Therefore, these results indicated that FvMYB82 probably plays an important role in the response to salt and cold stresses in A. thaliana by regulating downstream related genes.
PMID: 36142448
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (18) doi: 10.3390/ijms231810270
Identification of the WRKY Gene Family and Characterization of Stress-Responsive Genes in Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin.
National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
WRKY transcription factors present unusual research value because of their critical roles in plant physiological processes and stress responses. Taraxacum kok-saghyz Rodin (TKS) is a perennial herb of dandelion in the Asteraceae family. However, the research on TKS WRKY TFs is limited. In this study, 72 TKS WRKY TFs were identified and named. Further comparison of the core motifs and the structure of the WRKY motif was analyzed. These TFs were divided into three groups through phylogenetic analysis. Genes in the same group of TkWRKY usually exhibit a similar exon-intron structure and motif composition. In addition, virtually all the TKS WRKY genes contained several cis-elements related to stress response. Expression profiling of the TkWRKY genes was assessed using transcriptome data sets and Real-Time RT-PCR data in tissues during physiological development, under abiotic stress and hormonal treatments. For instance, the TkWRKY18, TkWRKY23, and TkWRKY38 genes were significantly upregulated during cold stress, whereas the TkWRKY21 gene was upregulated under heat-stress conditions. These results could provide a basis for further studies on the function of the TKS WRKY gene family and genetic amelioration of TKS germplasm.
PMID: 36142183
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (17) doi: 10.3390/ijms23179999
Genome-Wide Identification of Polyamine Oxidase (PAO) Family Genes: Roles of CaPAO2 and CaPAO4 in the Cold Tolerance of Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).
College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.; Institute for Processing and Storage of Agricultural Products, Chengdu Academy of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, Chengdu 611130, China.; Institute of Pomology and Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
Polyamine oxidases (PAOs), which are flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent enzymes, catalyze polyamine (PA) catabolism, producing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Several PAO family members have been identified in plants, but their expression in pepper plants remains unclear. Here, six PAO genes were identified in the 'Zunla-1' pepper genome (named CaPAO1-CaPAO6 according to their chromosomal positions). The PAO proteins were divided into four subfamilies according to phylogenetics: CaPAO1 belongs to subfamily I; CaPAO3 and CaPAO5 belong to subfamily III; and CaPAO2, CaPAO4, and CaPAO6 belong to subfamily IV (none belong to subfamily II). CaPAO2, CaPAO4, and CaPAO6 were ubiquitously and highly expressed in all tissues, CaPAO1 was mainly expressed in flowers, whereas CaPAO3 and CaPAO5 were expressed at very low levels in all tissues. RNA-seq analysis revealed that CaPAO2 and CaPAO4 were notably upregulated by cold stress. CaPAO2 and CaPAO4 were localized in the peroxisome, and spermine was the preferred substrate for PA catabolism. CaPAO2 and CaPAO4 overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly enhanced freezing-stress tolerance by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity and decreasing malondialdehyde, H2O2, and superoxide accumulation, accompanied by the upregulation of cold-responsive genes (AtCOR15A, AtRD29A, AtCOR47, and AtKIN1). Thus, we identified candidate PAO genes for breeding cold-stress-tolerant transgenic pepper cultivars.
PMID: 36077395
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (18) doi: 10.3390/ijms231810739
Transcriptome Analysis of the Responses of Rice Leaves to Chilling and Subsequent Recovery.
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Agroecological Processing and Safety Monitoring, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecology and Molecular Physiology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.; Crop Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Lesotho, Maseru 100, Lesotho.; Agricultural College, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
Improving chilling tolerance at the seedling stage in rice is essential for agricultural research. We combined a physiological analysis with transcriptomics in a variety Dular subjected to chilling followed by recovery at normal temperature to better understand the chilling tolerance mechanisms of rice. Chilling inhibited the synthesis of chlorophyll and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) and disrupted the ion balance of the plant, resulting in the impaired function of rice leaves. The recovery treatment can effectively reverse the chilling-related injury. Transcriptome results displayed that 21,970 genes were identified at three different temperatures, and 11,732 genes were differentially expressed. According to KEGG analysis, functional categories for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) mainly included ribosome (8.72%), photosynthesis-antenna proteins (7.38%), phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (11.41%), and linoleic acid metabolism (10.07%). The subcellular localization demonstrated that most proteins were located in the chloroplasts (29.30%), cytosol (10.19%), and nucleus (10.19%). We proposed that some genes involved in photosynthesis, ribosome, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and linoleic acid metabolism may play key roles in enhancing rice adaptation to chilling stress and their recovery capacity. These findings provide a foundation for future research into rice chilling tolerance mechanisms.
PMID: 36142652
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (17) doi: 10.3390/ijms231710049
Coronatine Enhances Chilling Tolerance of Tomato Plants by Inducing Chilling-Related Epigenetic Adaptations and Transcriptional Reprogramming.
Beijing Key Laboratory for Agricultural Application and New Technique, College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Low temperature is an important environmental factor limiting the widespread planting of tropical and subtropical crops. The application of plant regulator coronatine, which is an analog of Jasmonic acid (JA), is an effective approach to enhancing crop's resistance to chilling stress and other abiotic stresses. However, the function and mechanism of coronatine in promoting chilling resistance of tomato is unknown. In this study, coronatine treatment was demonstrated to significantly increase tomato chilling tolerance. Coronatine increases H3K4me3 modifications to make greater chromatin accessibility in multiple chilling-activated genes. Corresponding to that, the expression of CBFs, other chilling-responsive transcription factor (TF) genes, and JA-responsive genes is significantly induced by coronatine to trigger an extensive transcriptional reprogramming, thus resulting in a comprehensive chilling adaptation. These results indicate that coronatine enhances the chilling tolerance of tomato plants by inducing epigenetic adaptations and transcriptional reprogramming.
PMID: 36077443
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Sep , V23 (19) doi: 10.3390/ijms231911123
Later Growth Cessation and Increased Freezing Tolerance Potentially Result in Later Dormancy in Evergreen Iris Compared with Deciduous Iris.
Genomics and Genetic Engineering Laboratory of Ornamental Plants, Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; Department of Environmental Science and Landscape Architecture, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Chiba 271-0092, Japan.
Winter dormancy is a protective survival strategy for plants to resist harsh natural environments. In the context of global warming, the progression of dormancy has been significantly affected in perennials, which requires further research. Here, a systematic study was performed to compare the induction of dormancy in two closely related iris species with an ecodormancy-only process, the evergreen Iris japonica Thunb. and the deciduous Iris tectorum Maxim. under artificial conditions. Firstly, morphological and physiological observations were evaluated to ensure the developmental status of the two iris species. Furthermore, the expression patterns of the genes involved in key pathways related to plant winter dormancy were determined, and correlation analyses with dormancy marker genes were conducted. We found that deciduous iris entered dormancy earlier than evergreen iris under artificial dormancy induction conditions. Phytohormones and carbohydrates play roles in coordinating growth and stress responses during dormancy induction in both iris species. Moreover, dormancy-related MADS-box genes and SnRKs (Snf1-related protein kinase) might represent a bridge between carbohydrate and phytohormone interaction during iris dormancy. These findings provide a hypothetical model explaining the later dormancy in evergreen iris compared with deciduous iris under artificial dormancy induction conditions and reveal some candidate genes. The findings of this study could provide new insights into the research of dormancy in perennial plants with an ecodormancy-only process and contribute to effectively managing iris production, postharvest storage, and shipping.
PMID: 36232426
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1005811 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1005811
Cloning, characterization and functional analysis of NtMYB306a gene reveals its role in wax alkane biosynthesis of tobacco trichomes and stress tolerance.
Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.; Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Molecular Genetics Key Laboratory of China Tobacco, Guiyang, China.; Department of Microbiology, Baluchistan University of Information Technology and Managemnet Sciences, Quetta, Pakistan.; Plant Conservation Technology Center, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, China.
Trichomes are specialized hair-like organs found on epidermal cells of many terrestrial plants, which protect plant from excessive transpiration and numerous abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the genetic basis and underlying mechanisms are largely unknown in Nicotiana tabacum (common tobacco), an established model system for genetic engineering and plant breeding. In present study, we identified, cloned and characterized an unknown function transcription factor NtMYB306a from tobacco cultivar K326 trichomes. Results obtained from sequence phylogenetic tree analysis showed that NtMYB306a-encoded protein belonged to S1 subgroup of the plants' R2R3-MYB transcription factors (TFs). Observation of the green fluorescent signals from NtMYB306a-GFP fusion protein construct exhibited that NtMYB306a was localized in nucleus. In yeast transactivation assays, the transformed yeast containing pGBKT7-NtMYB306a construct was able to grow on SD/-Trp-Ade+X-alpha-gal selection media, signifying that NtMYB306a exhibits transcriptional activation activity. Results from qRT-PCR, in-situ hybridization and GUS staining of transgenic tobacco plants revealed that NtMYB306a is primarily expressed in tobacco trichomes, especially tall glandular trichomes (TGTs) and short glandular trichomes (SGTs). RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and qRT-PCR analysis of the NtMYB306a-overexpressing transgenic tobacco line revealed that NtMYB306a activated the expression of a set of key target genes which were associated with wax alkane biosynthesis. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) exhibited that the total alkane contents and the contents of n-C28, n-C29, n-C31, and ai-C31 alkanes in leaf exudates of NtMYB306a-OE lines (OE-3, OE-13, and OE-20) were significantly greater when compared to WT. Besides, the promoter region of NtMYB306a contained numerous stress-responsive cis-acting elements, and their differential expression towards salicylic acid and cold stress treatments reflected their roles in signal transduction and cold-stress tolerance. Together, these results suggest that NtMYB306a is necessarily a positive regulator of alkane metabolism in tobacco trichomes that does not affect the number and morphology of tobacco trichomes, and that it can be used as a candidate gene for improving stress resistance and the quality of tobacco.
PMID: 36275561
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1019709 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1019709
An advanced systems biology framework of feature engineering for cold tolerance genes discovery from integrated omics and non-omics data in soybean.
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.; Department of Resource and Environment, Faculty of Science at Sriracha, Kasetsart University, Sriracha, Thailand.; Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Soybean is sensitive to low temperatures during the crop growing season. An urgent demand for breeding cold-tolerant cultivars to alleviate the production loss is apparent to cope with this scenario. Cold-tolerant trait is a complex and quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes, environmental factors, and their interaction. In this study, we proposed an advanced systems biology framework of feature engineering for the discovery of cold tolerance genes (CTgenes) from integrated omics and non-omics (OnO) data in soybean. An integrative pipeline was introduced for feature selection and feature extraction from different layers in the integrated OnO data using data ensemble methods and the non-parameter random forest prioritization to minimize uncertainties and false positives for accuracy improvement of results. In total, 44, 143, and 45 CTgenes were identified in short-, mid-, and long-term cold treatment, respectively, from the corresponding gene-pool. These CTgenes outperformed the remaining genes, the random genes, and the other candidate genes identified by other approaches in an independent RNA-seq database. Furthermore, we applied pathway enrichment and crosstalk network analyses to uncover relevant physiological pathways with the discovery of underlying cold tolerance in hormone- and defense-related modules. Our CTgenes were validated by using 55 SNP genotype data of 56 soybean samples in cold tolerance experiments. This suggests that the CTgenes identified from our proposed systematic framework can effectively distinguish cold-resistant and cold-sensitive lines. It is an important advancement in the soybean cold-stress response. The proposed pipelines provide an alternative solution to biomarker discovery, module discovery, and sample classification underlying a particular trait in plants in a robust and efficient way.
PMID: 36247545
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P952732 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.952732
Identification and analysis of proline-rich proteins and hybrid proline-rich proteins super family genes from Sorghum bicolor and their expression patterns to abiotic stress and zinc stimuli.
Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India.; Biochemistry Division, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.; Department of Biotechnology, Vignan's Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (Deemed to be University), Vadlamudi, India.; School of Biosciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India.; Department of Environmental Sciences, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, India.; Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India.; Consumer-driven Grain Quality and Nutrition Research Unit, International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, Philippines.
Systematic genome-wide analysis of Sorghum bicolor revealed the identification of a total of 48 homologous genes comprising 21 proline-rich proteins (PRPs) and 27 hybrid proline-rich proteins (HyPRPs). Comprehensive scrutiny of these gene homologs was conducted for gene structure, phylogenetic investigations, chromosome mapping, and subcellular localization of proteins. Promoter analysis uncovered the regions rich with phosphorous- (BIHD), ammonium-, sulfur-responsive (SURE), and iron starvation-responsive (IRO2) along with biotic, abiotic, and development-specific cis-elements. Further, PRPs exhibit more methylation and acetylation sites in comparison with HyPRPs. miRNAs have been predicted which might play a role in cleavage and translation inhibition. Several of the SbPRP genes were stimulated in a tissue-specific manner under drought, salt, heat, and cold stresses. Additionally, exposure of plants to abscisic acid (ABA) and zinc (Zn) also triggered PRP genes in a tissue-dependent way. Among them, SbPRP17 has been found upregulated markedly in all tissues irrespective of the stress imposed. The expressions of SbHyPRPs, especially SbHyPRP2, SbHyPRP6, and SbHyPRP17 were activated under all stresses in all three tissues. On the other hand, SbHyPRP8 (root only) and SbHyPRP12 (all three tissues) were highly responsive to cold stress and ABA while SbHyPRP26 was induced by drought and Zn in the stem. Taken together, this study indicates the critical roles that SbPRPs and SbHyPRPs play during diverse abiotic stress conditions and notably the plausible roles that these genes play upon exposure to zinc, the crucial micronutrient in plants.
PMID: 36226297
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P998911 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.998911
Genome-wide analysis of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases gene family in Forsythia suspensa: Expression profile and cold and drought stress responses.
School of Basic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.; Innovation Platform of Molecular Biology, College of Landscape and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.
Forsythia suspensa is a famous ornamental and medicinal plant in Oleaceae. CCD family is involved in the synthesis of pigments, volatiles, strigolactones, and abscisic acid (ABA) in plants. In this study, the CCD family in F. suspensa was analyzed at the genome level. A total of 16 members of the CCD family were identified, which included 11 members of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCD) subfamily and 5 members of the 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases (NCED) subfamily. The expression analysis of different tissues demonstrated that three FsCCD1 genes might be involved in the synthesis of pigments and volatiles in flowers and fruits. Three CCD4 genes were effectively expressed in flowers, while only FsCCD4-3 was effectively expressed in fruits. Comparison of CCD4 between Osmanthus fragrans and F. suspensa showed that the structure of FsCCD4-1 is was comparable that of OfCCD4-1 protein, indicating that the protein might be performing, especially in catalyzing the synthesis of beta-ionone. However, further comparison of the upstream promoter regions showed that the proteins have major differences in the composition of cis-elements, which might be responsible for differences in beta-ionone content. On the other hand, four NCED genes were significantly up-regulated under cold stress while two were up-regulated in drought stress. The data showed that these genes might be involved in the synthesis of ABA. Taken together, our data improves understanding of the CCD family and provides key candidate genes associated with cold and drought stresses in F. suspensa.
PMID: 36204048
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1006991 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1006991
Metabolic profiling and gene expression analyses provide insights into cold adaptation of an Antarctic moss Pohlia nutans.
Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China.; School of Advanced Manufacturing, Fuzhou University, Jinjiang, China.; National Glycoengineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and most windy continent on earth. The major terrestrial vegetation consists of cryptogams (mosses and lichens) and two vascular plant species. However, the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance and relevant regulatory networks were largely unknown in these Antarctic plants. Here, we investigated the global alterations in metabolites and regulatory pathways of an Antarctic moss (Pohlia nutans) under cold stress using an integrated multi-omics approach. We found that proline content and several antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly increased in P. nutans under cold stress, but the contents of chlorophyll and total flavonoids were markedly decreased. A total of 559 metabolites were detected using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS). We observed 39 and 71 differentially changed metabolites (DCMs) after 24 h and 60 h cold stress, indicating that several major pathways were differentially activated for producing fatty acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic acids. In addition, the quantitative transcriptome sequencing was conducted to uncover the global transcriptional profiles of P. nutans under cold stress. The representative differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and summarized to the function including Ca(2+) signaling, ABA signaling, jasmonate signaling, fatty acids biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and other biological processes. The integrated dataset analyses of metabolome and transcriptome revealed that jasmonate signaling, auxin signaling, very-long-chain fatty acids and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways might contribute to P. nutans acclimating to cold stress. Overall, these observations provide insight into Antarctic moss adaptations to polar habitats and the impact of global climate change on Antarctic plants.
PMID: 36176693
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P847166 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.847166
Tolerant mechanism of model legume plant Medicago truncatula to drought, salt, and cold stresses.
College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.; State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciencess, Beijing, China.; Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciencess, Changchun, China.; Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, China.; Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, South Korea.; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Legume plants produce one-third of the total yield of primary crops and are important food sources for both humans and animals worldwide. Frequent exposure to abiotic stresses, such as drought, salt, and cold, greatly limits the production of legume crops. Several morphological, physiological, and molecular studies have been conducted to characterize the response and adaptation mechanism to abiotic stresses. The tolerant mechanisms of the model legume plant Medicago truncatula to abiotic stresses have been extensively studied. Although many potential genes and integrated networks underlying the M. truncatula in responding to abiotic stresses have been identified and described, a comprehensive summary of the tolerant mechanism is lacking. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the adaptive mechanism by which M. truncatula responds to drought, salt, and cold stress. We also discuss future research that need to be explored to improve the abiotic tolerance of legume plants.
PMID: 36160994
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1012439 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1012439
WRKY41/WRKY46-miR396b-5p-TPR module mediates abscisic acid-induced cold tolerance of grafted cucumber seedlings.
College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Grafting is one of the key agronomic measures to enhance the tolerance to environmental stresses in horticultural plants, but the specific molecular regulation mechanism in this tolerance largely remains unclear. Here, we found that cucumber grafted onto figleaf gourd rootstock increased cold tolerance through abscisic acid (ABA) activating WRKY41/WRKY46-miR396b-5p-TPR (tetratricopeptide repeat-like superfamily protein) module. Cucumber seedlings grafted onto figleaf gourd increased cold tolerance and induced the expression of miR396b-5p. Furthermore, overexpression of cucumber miR396b-5p in Arabidopsis improved cold tolerance. 5' RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RLM-RACE) and transient transformation experiments demonstrated that TPR was the target gene of miR396b-5p, while TPR overexpression plants were hypersensitive to cold stress. The yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays showed that both WRKY41 and WRKY46 bound to MIR396b-5p promoter to induce its expression. Furthermore, cold stress enhanced the content of ABA in the roots and leaves of figleaf gourd grafted cucumber seedlings. Exogenous application of ABA induced the expression of WRKY41 and WRKY46, and cold tolerance of grafted cucumber seedlings. However, figleaf gourd rootstock-induced cold tolerance was compromised when plants were pretreated with ABA biosynthesis inhibitor. Thus, ABA mediated figleaf gourd grafting-induced cold tolerance of cucumber seedlings through activating the WRKY41/WRKY46-miR396b-5p-TPR module.
PMID: 36160963
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1004721 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1004721
Exogenous Ca(2+) priming can improve peanut photosynthetic carbon fixation and pod yield under early sowing scenarios in the field.
College of Land and Environment, National Engineering Research Center for Efficient Utilization of Soil and Fertilizer Resources, Northeast China Plant Nutrition and Fertilization Scientific Observation and Research Center for Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China.; Research Institute of Sorghum, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang, China.; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.; School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.; Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden.
Harnessing cold-resilient and calcium-enriched peanut production technology are crucial for high-yielding peanut cultivation in high-latitude areas. However, there is limited field data about how exogenous calcium (Ca(2+)) application would improve peanut growth resilience during exposure to chilling stress at early sowing (ES). To help address this problem, a two-year field study was conducted to assess the effects of exogenous foliar Ca(2+) application on photosynthetic carbon fixation and pod yield in peanuts under different sowing scenarios. We measured plant growth indexes, leaf photosynthetic gas exchange, photosystems activities, and yield in peanuts. It was indicated that ES chilling stress at the peanut seedling stage led to the reduction of Pn, gs, Tr, Ls, WUE, respectively, and the excessive accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates in leaves, which eventually induced a chilling-dependent feedback inhibition of photosynthesis due mainly to weaken growth/sink demand. While exogenous Ca(2+) foliar application improved the export of nonstructural carbohydrates, and photosynthetic capacity, meanwhile activated cyclic electron flow, thereby enhancing growth and biomass accumulation in peanut seedlings undergoing ES chilling stress. Furthermore, ES combined with exogenous Ca(2+) application can significantly enhance plant chilling resistance and peanut yield ultimately in the field. In summary, the above results demonstrated that exogenous foliar Ca(2+) application restored the ES-linked feedback inhibition of photosynthesis, enhancing the growth/sink demand and the yield of peanuts.
PMID: 36247552
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1000430 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1000430
Selenium enhances chilling stress tolerance in coffee species by modulating nutrient, carbohydrates, and amino acids content.
Department of Soil Science, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.; Department of Biology, Plant Physiology Sector, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil.; Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Hanford, Hanford, CA, United States.; Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
The effects of selenium (Se) on plant metabolism have been reported in several studies triggering plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, yet, the effects of Se on coffee plants under chilling stress are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of foliar Se application on coffee seedlings submitted to chilling stress and subsequent plant recovery. Two Coffea species, Coffea arabica cv. Arara, and Coffea canephora clone 31, were submitted to foliar application of sodium selenate solution (0.4 mg plant(-1)) or a control foliar solution, then on day 2 plants were submitted to low temperature (10 degrees C day/4 degrees C night) for 2 days. After that, the temperature was restored to optimal (25 degrees C day/20 degrees C night) for 2 days. Leaf samples were collected three times (before, during, and after the chilling stress) to perform analyses. After the chilling stress, visual leaf injury was observed in both species; however, the damage was twofold higher in C. canephora. The lower effect of cold on C. arabica was correlated to the increase in ascorbate peroxidase and higher content of starch, sucrose, and total soluble sugars compared with C. canephora, as well as a reduction in reducing sugars and proline content during the stress and rewarming. Se increased the nitrogen and sulfur content before stress but reduced their content during low temperature. The reduced content of nitrogen and sulfur during stress indicates that they were remobilized to stem and roots. Se supply reduced the damage in C. canephora leaves by 24% compared with the control. However, there was no evidence of the Se effects on antioxidant enzymatic pathways or ROS activity during stress as previously reported in the literature. Se increased the content of catalase during the rewarming. Se foliar supply also increased starch, amino acids, and proline, which may have reduced symptom expression in C. canephora in response to low temperature. In conclusion, Se foliar application can be used as a strategy to improve coffee tolerance under low-temperature changing nutrient remobilization, carbohydrate metabolism, and catalase activity in response to rewarming stress, but C. arabica and C. canephora respond differently to chilling stress and Se supply.
PMID: 36172560
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P991983 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.991983
Physiological genetic variation in tomato fruit chilling tolerance during postharvest storage.
Department of Postharvest Science, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel.; Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment, The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.; Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.
Storage at low temperatures is a common practice to prolong postharvest life of fruit and vegetables with a minimal negative impact on human/environmental health. Storage at low temperatures, however, can be restricted due to produce susceptibility to non-freezing chilling temperatures, when injuries such as physiological disorders and decays may result in unmarketable produce. We have investigated tomato fruit response to postharvest chilling stress in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population developed from a cross between a chilling-sensitive cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) breeding line and a chilling-tolerant inbred accession of the tomato wild species S. pimpinellifolium L. Screening of the fruit of 148 RILs under cold storage (1.5 degrees C) indicated presence of significant variations in chilling tolerance, manifested by varying degrees of fruit injury. Two extremely contrasting groups of RILs were identified, chilling-tolerant and chilling-sensitive RILs. The RILs in the two groups were further investigated under chilling stress conditions, and several physiological parameters, including weight loss, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Fv/Fm, and Performance Index (PI), were determined to be efficient markers for identifying response to chilling stress in postharvest fruit. The Fv/Fm values reflected the physiological damages endured by the fruit after cold storage, and PI was a sensitive marker for early changes in photosystem II function. These two parameters were early indicators of chilling response before occurrence of visible chilling injuries. Antioxidant activities and ascorbic acid content were significantly higher in the chilling-tolerant than the chilling-sensitive lines. Further, the expression of C-repeat/DREB binding factors (CBFs) genes swiftly changed within 1-hr of fruit exposure to the chilling temperature, and the SlCBF1 transcript level was generally higher in the chilling-tolerant than chilling-sensitive lines after 2-hr exposure to the low temperature. This research demonstrates the presence of potential genetic variation in fruit chilling tolerance in the tomato RIL population. Further investigation of the RIL population is underway to better understand the genetic, physiological, and biochemical mechanisms involved in postharvest fruit chilling tolerance in tomato.
PMID: 36160961
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1014295 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1014295
Proteome-wide identification of S-sulfenylated cysteines reveals metabolic response to freezing stress after cold acclimation in Brassica napus.
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.; Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
Redox regulation plays a wide role in plant growth, development, and adaptation to stresses. Sulfenylation is one of the reversible oxidative post-transcriptional modifications. Here we performed an iodoTMT-based proteomic analysis to identify the redox sensitive proteins in vivo under freezing stress after cold acclimation in Brassica napus. Totally, we obtained 1,372 sulfenylated sites in 714 proteins. The overall sulfenylation level displayed an increased trend under freezing stress after cold acclimation. We identified 171 differentially sulfenylated proteins (DSPs) under freezing stress, which were predicted to be mainly localized in chloroplast and cytoplasm. The up-regulated DSPs were mainly enriched in photosynthesis and glycolytic processes and function of catalytic activity. Enzymes involved in various pathways such as glycolysis and Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle were generally sulfenylated and the metabolite levels in these pathways was significantly reduced under freezing stress after cold acclimation. Furthermore, enzyme activity assay confirmed that the activity of cytosolic pyruvate kinase and malate dehydrogenase 2 was significantly reduced under H2O2 treatment. Our study provides a landscape of redox sensitive proteins in B. napus in response to freezing stress after cold acclimation, which proposes a basis for understanding the redox regulation in plant metabolic response to freezing stress after cold acclimation.
PMID: 36275609
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P994679 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.994679
Genome-wide identification and adaptive evolution of CesA/Csl superfamily among species with different life forms in Orchidaceae.
Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, School of Future Technology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.; College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.; College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.; College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.; Key Laboratory of Orchid Conservation and Utilization of National Forestry and Grassland Administration at College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
Orchidaceae, with more than 25,000 species, is one of the largest flowering plant families that can successfully colonize wide ecological niches, such as land, trees, or rocks, and its members are divided into epiphytic, terrestrial, and saprophytic types according to their life forms. Cellulose synthase (CesA) and cellulose synthase-like (Csl) genes are key regulators in the synthesis of plant cell wall polysaccharides, which play an important role in the adaptation of orchids to resist abiotic stresses, such as drought and cold. In this study, nine whole-genome sequenced orchid species with three types of life forms were selected; the CesA/Csl gene family was identified; the evolutionary roles and expression patterns of CesA/Csl genes adapted to different life forms and abiotic stresses were investigated. The CesA/Csl genes of nine orchid species were divided into eight subfamilies: CesA and CslA/B/C/D/E/G/H, among which the CslD subfamily had the highest number of genes, followed by CesA, whereas CslB subfamily had the least number of genes. Expansion of the CesA/Csl gene family in orchids mainly occurred in the CslD and CslF subfamilies. Conserved domain analysis revealed that eight subfamilies were conserved with variations in orchids. In total, 17 pairs of CesA/Csl homologous genes underwent positive selection, of which 86%, 14%, and none belonged to the epiphytic, terrestrial, and saprophytic orchids, respectively. The inter-species collinearity analysis showed that the CslD genes expanded in epiphytic orchids. Compared with terrestrial and saprophytic orchids, epiphytic orchids experienced greater strength of positive selection, with expansion events mostly related to the CslD subfamily, which might have resulted in strong adaptability to stress in epiphytes. Experiments on stem expression changes under abiotic stress showed that the CslA might be a key subfamily in response to drought stress for orchids with different life forms, whereas the CslD might be a key subfamily in epiphytic and saprophytic orchids to adapt to freezing stress. This study provides the basic knowledge for the further systematic study of the adaptive evolution of the CesA/Csl superfamily in angiosperms with different life forms, and research on orchid-specific functional genes related to life-history trait evolution.
PMID: 36247544
Front Microbiol , IF:5.64 , 2022 , V13 : P915773 doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.915773
Comparative transcriptomic and lipidomic analyses indicate that cold stress enhanced the production of the long C18-C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids in Aurantiochytrium sp.
Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Bioengineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.; College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Biological Resources and Ecology Environment, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbial Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.; Shenzhen Institute of Modern Agricultural Equipment, Shenzhen, China.; State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Aurantiochytrium sp. belonging to Thraustochytrids are known for their capacity to produce long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). However, effects of cold stress accompanied with staged-temperature control on the fatty acid metabolism in Aurantiochytrium sp. were rarely studied. In this study, cold stress (15 degrees C, 5 degrees C) was applied for Aurantiochytrium sp., with the physiological responses (morphology, growth, fatty acid profiling) and gene expression related FA synthesis, lipid metabolism, and regulatory processes was observed. Results showed that there is a significant change for the lipid types under 5 degrees C (251 species) and 15 degrees C (97 species) treatment. The 5 degrees C treatment was benefit for the C18-C22 PUFAs with the yield of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increased to 1.25 times. After incubation at 15 degrees C, the accumulation of eicosadienoic acid (EA) (20:2) was increased to 2.00-fold. Based on transcriptomic and qPCR analysis, an increase in genes involved in fatty acid synthase (FAS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) pathways was observed under low-temperature treatment. With upregulation of 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthase (2.44-fold), ketoreductase (2.50-fold), and dTDP-glucose 4,6-Dehydratase (rfbB) (2.31-fold) involved in PKS pathway, the accumulation of DHA was enhanced under 5 degrees C. While, FAS and fatty elongase 3 (ELO) involved in the FAS pathway were upregulated (1.55-fold and 2.45-fold, respectively) to accumulate PUFAs at 15 degrees C. Additionally, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT), lysophospholipid acyltransferase (LPAT), phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP), phosphatidylserine synthase (PSS), and phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (PSD) involved in glycerophospholipid biosynthesis were upregulated at 5 degrees C increasing the accumulation of phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). However, glycolysis and the TCA cycle were inhibited under 5 degrees C. This study provides a contribution to the application of two-staged temperature control in the Aurantiochytrium sp. fermentation for producing cold stress-enhancing PUFAs, in order to better understand the function of the key genes for future genetic engineering.
PMID: 36204624
J Agric Food Chem , IF:5.279 , 2022 Oct doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c05470
Characterization of Cuticular Wax in Tea Plant and Its Modification in Response to Low Temperature.
State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Tea Biology and Tea Processing of Ministry of Agriculture, Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, West 130 Changjiang Road, Hefei 230036, Anhui, People's Republic of China.; Tianfang Tea Company Limited by Share, Tianfang Industrial Park, Chizhou 245100, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
Cuticular wax ubiquitously covers the outer layer of plants and protects them against various abiotic and biotic stresses. Nevertheless, the characteristics of cuticular wax and its role in cold resistance in tea plants remain unclear. In our study, cuticular wax from different tissues, cultivars, and leaves during different spatio-temporal growth stages were characterized and compared in tea plants. The composition, distribution pattern, and structural profile of cuticular wax showed considerable tissue specificity, particularly in petals and seeds. During the spatial development of tea leaves, total wax content increased from the first to fifth leaf in June, while a decreasing pattern was observed in September. Additionally, the total wax content and number of wax compounds were enhanced, and the wax composition significantly varied with leaf growth from June to September. Ten cultivars showed considerable differences in total wax content and composition, such as the predominance of saturated fatty acids and primary alcohols in SYH and HJY cultivars, respectively. Correlation analysis suggested that n-hexadecanoic acid is positively related to cold resistance in tea plants. Further transcriptome analysis from cold-sensitive AJBC, cold-tolerant CYQ, and EC 12 cultivars indicated that the inducible expression of wax-related genes was associated with the cold tolerance of different cultivars in response to cold stress. Our results revealed the characterization of cuticular wax in tea plants and provided new insights into its modification in cold tolerance.
PMID: 36268795
J Agric Food Chem , IF:5.279 , 2022 Sep , V70 (38) : P11880-11891 doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c01549
Heterologous Expression and Characterization of Tea (Camellia sinensis) Polyamine Oxidase Homologs and Their Involvement in Stresses.
College of Biological Science and Agriculture, Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities, Duyun 558000, China.; South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road 723, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China.
Polyamine oxidase (PAO) is a key enzyme maintaining polyamine homeostasis, which affects plant physiological activities. Until now, the gene members and function of PAOs in tea (Camellia sinenesis) have not been fully identified. Here, through the expression in Escherichia coli and Nicotiana benthamiana, we identified six genes annotated as CsPAO in tea genome and transcriptome and determined their enzyme reaction modes and gene expression profiles in tea cultivar 'Yinghong 9'. We found that CsPAO1,2,3 could catalyze spermine, thermospermine, and norspermidine, and CsPAO2,3 could catalyze spermidine in the back-conversion mode, which indicated that the precursor of gamma-aminobutyric acid might originate from the oxidation of putrescin but not spermidine. We further investigated the changes of CsPAO activity with temperature and pH and their stability. Kinetic parameters suggested that CsPAO2 was the major PAO modifying polyamine composition in tea, and it could be inactivated by beta-hydroxyethylhydrazine and aminoguanidine. Putrescine content and CsPAO2 expression were high in tea flowers. CsPAO2 responded to wound, drought, and salt stress; CsPAO1 might be the main member responding to cold stress; anoxia induced CsPAO3. We conclude that in terms of phylogenetic tree, enzyme characteristics, and expression profile, CsPAO2 might be the dominant CsPAO in the polyamine degradation pathway.
PMID: 36106904
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2022 Dec , V325 : P111481 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111481
StLTO1, a lumen thiol oxidoreductase in Solanum tuberosum L., enhances the cold resistance of potato plants.
College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China.; Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic.; College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China. Electronic address: xhyang@sdau.edu.cn.
Cold stress reduces plant photosynthesis and increases the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants, thereby dramatically affecting plant growth, crop productivity and quality. Here, we report that lumen thiol oxidoreductase 1 (StLTO1), a vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR)-like protein in the thylakoid membrane of Solanum tuberosum L., enhances the cold tolerance of potato plants. Under normal conditions, overexpression of StLTO1 in plants promoted plant growth. In addition, potato plants overexpressing StLTO1 displayed enhanced photosynthetic capacity and increased capacity for scavenging ROS compared to StLTO1 knockdown and wild-type potato plants under cold conditions. Overexpression of StLTO1 in potato plants also improved cold-regulated (COR) gene expression after cold stress. Our results suggest that StLTO1 acts as a positive regulator of cold resistance in potato plants.
PMID: 36181944
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2022 Dec , V325 : P111463 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111463
CsCBF5 depletion impairs cold tolerance in tea plants.
State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.; College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.; State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.; State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China. Electronic address: Liyeyun360@163.com.
CBFs play important roles in tea plant cold tolerance. In our study, 16 tea varieties were used to investigate the relationship between the expression level of CsCBFs and cold tolerance in field experiments. A strong and positive correlation was found between cold stress-regulated CsCBF1, CsCBF3 and CsCBF5 expression levels (R(2) > 0.8) in tea mesophyll cells and cold tolerance in 16 tea varieties. A previous study reported that CsCBF1 and CsCBF3 were important components associated with cold tolerance in tea plants; thus, the function of CsCBF5 in the CsCBF family was targeted. Our previous study reported that CsCBF5 was localized in the nucleus and exhibited transcriptional activity. In the current study, MDA content in leaves was significantly increased in CsCBF5-silenced leaves, which exhibited poor cold tolerance, compared with WT plants under cold stress. In contrast, increased germination rates and antioxidant enzyme activities under cold conditions compared with WT plants. Furthermore, CsCBF5 overexpression in Arabidopsis promoted the expression levels of the cold-regulated genes AtCOR15a, AtCOR78, AtERD4 and AtRD29B; however, the expression levels of downstream genes, including CsCOR47, CsCOR413, CsERD4 and CsRD29B, were significantly reduced in CsCBF5-silenced tea leaves. Taken together, our results indicated that CsCBF5 could function as a positive regulator in the cold stress response.
PMID: 36126878
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2022 Dec , V325 : P111450 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111450
vvi-miPEP172b and vvi-miPEP3635b increase cold tolerance of grapevine by regulating the corresponding MIRNA genes.
Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271000, China.; Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China; Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China.; Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.; Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. Electronic address: chaoma2015@sjtu.edu.cn.
As a kind of small molecular weight proteins, many peptides have been discovered, including peptides encoded by pri-miRNA (miPEPs). Similar as traditional phytohormone or signaling molecular, these peptides participate in numerous plant growth processes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulatory role in plant stress response. While the roles of miPEPs in response to abiotic stress has not been studied now. In this study, to explore whether miPEPs could contribute to low temperature (4 masculineC) tolerance of plants, the expression pattern of 23 different vvi-MIRs were analyzed by qRT-PCR in 'Thompson Seedless' (Vitis vinifera) plantlets under cold stress (4 masculineC) firstly, and vvi-MIR172b and vvi-MIR3635b which showed an elevated expression levels were selected to identify miPEPs. Through transient expression, one small open reading frame (sORF) in each of the two pri-miRNAs could increase the expression of corresponding vvi-MIR, and the amino acid sequences of sORFs were named vvi-miPEP172b and vvi-miPEP3635b, respectively. The synthetic vvi-miPEP172b and vvi-miPEP3635b were applied to the grape plantlets, and the tissue culture plantlets exhibited a higher cold tolerance compared with the control groups. These results revealed the effective roles of miPEPs in plant cold stress resistance for the first time, providing a theoretical basis for the future application of miPEPs to agricultural production.
PMID: 36075277
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2022 Oct , V323 : P111370 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111370
A novel long noncoding RNA CIL1 enhances cold stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.
Key Lab of Plant Biotechnology in University of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China.; Key Lab of Plant Biotechnology in University of Shandong Province, College of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China. Electronic address: liuxin6080@126.com.
With the intensification of global warming, extreme weather events have occurred more frequently, among which cold stress has become one of the major environmental factors that restrict global crop yield and production. Multiple long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been predicted or recognized in the plant response to cold stress, however, the molecular biological functions of most of these RNAs are still poorly understood. Here, we identified a novel lncRNA, COLD INDUCED lncRNA 1 (CIL1), as a positive regulator of the plant response to cold stress in Arabidopsis. CIL1 was significantly induced when the plant was exposed to cold stress. Moreover, knockdown mutants showed more sensitivity to cold stress than the wild type did, accompanied by an increased content of endogenous ROS (reactive oxygen species) and reduced osmoregulatory substances. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis indicated that 256 genes were downregulated and 34 genes were upregulated in cil1 mutants under cold stress, which were mainly involved in hormone signal transduction, ROS homeostasis and glucose metabolism. Our study implies that CIL1 has a positive effect on the plant response to cold stress by regulating the expression of multiple stress-related genes during the seedling stage.
PMID: 35788028
Front Genet , IF:4.599 , 2022 , V13 : P1009883 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1009883
Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of glutathione S-transferase gene family to reveal their role in cold stress response in cucumber.
Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, National and Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Northern Horticultural, Facilities Design and Application Technology (Liaoning), Shenyang, Liaoning, China.; College of Life Science, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
The plant glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are versatile proteins encoded by several genes and play vital roles in responding to various physiological processes. Members of plant GSTs have been identified in several species, but few studies on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) have been reported. In this study, we identified 46 GST genes, which were divided into 11 classes. Chromosomal location and genome mapping revealed that cucumber GSTs (CsGSTs) were unevenly distributed in seven chromosomes, and the syntenic regions differed in each chromosome. The conserved motifs and gene structure of CsGSTs were analyzed using MEME and GSDS 2.0 online tools, respectively. Transcriptome and RT-qPCR analysis revealed that most CsGST members responded to cold stress. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses for differentially expressed CsGSTs under cold stress revealed that these genes responded to cold stress probably through "glutathione metabolism." Finally, we screened seven candidates that may be involved in cold stress using Venn analysis, and their promoters were analyzed using PlantCARE and New PLACE tools to predict the factors regulating these genes. Antioxidant enzyme activities were increased under cold stress conditions, which conferred tolerance against cold stress. Our study illustrates the characteristics and functions of CsGST genes, especially in responding to cold stress in cucumber.
PMID: 36246659
Front Genet , IF:4.599 , 2022 , V13 : P932731 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.932731
Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the GRAS transcription in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.).
Fujian Key Laboratory of Crop Breeding By Design, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.; Institute of Statistics and Applications, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.; College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture & Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.; College of Computer and Information Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
GRAS proteins are plant-specific transcription factors and play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, a total of 48 GRAS genes in the eggplant (S. melongena) genome were identified. These genes were distributed on 11 chromosomes unevenly, with amino acid lengths ranging from 417 to 841 aa. A total of 48 GRAS proteins were divided into 13 subgroups based on the maximum likelihood (ML) model. The gene structure showed that 60.42% (29/48) of SmGRASs did not contain any introns. Nine pairs of SmGRAS appeared to have a collinear relationship, and all of them belonged to segmental duplication. Four types of cis-acting elements, namely, light response, growth and development, hormone response, and stress response, were identified by a cis-acting element predictive analysis. The expression pattern analysis based on the RNA-seq data of eggplant indicated that SmGRASs were expressed differently in various tissues and responded specifically to cold stress. In addition, five out of ten selected SmGRASs (SmGRAS2/28/32/41/44) were upregulated under cold stress. These results provided a theoretical basis for further functional study of GRAS genes in eggplant.
PMID: 36118872
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2022 Oct , V41 (10) : P1955-1973 doi: 10.1007/s00299-022-02894-7
Abscisic acid induces the expression of AsKIN during the recovery period of garlic cryopreservation.
College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China.; College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, China. zpzxyy@163.com.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China. zpzxyy@163.com.
KEY MESSAGE: Abscisic acid induced the expression of AsKIN during the recovery period of garlic cryopreservation. AsKIN was identified as a gene involved in cold and osmotic stress resistance. Cryopreservation has been proven to be effective in removing viruses from garlic. However, oxidative damage in cryopreservation has a significant impact on the survival after preservation. Abscisic acid (ABA) has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and promote the survival after cryopreservation. However, it is not clear which genes play important roles in this process. In this study, we added ABA to the dehydration step and analyzed the transcriptomic divergences between the ABA-treated group and the control group in three cryogenic steps (dehydration, unloading and recovery). By short time-series expression miner (STEM) analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), the recovery step was identified as the period of significant changes in gene expression levels in cryopreservation. The addition of ABA promoted the upregulated expression of microtubule-related genes in the recovery step. We further identified AsKIN as a hub gene in the recovery step and verified its function. The results showed that overexpression of AsKIN enhanced the tolerance of Arabidopsis to oxidative stress in cryopreservation, influenced the expression of genes in response to cold and osmotic stress and promoted plant growth after stress. The AsKIN gene is likely to be involved in the plant response to cold stress and osmotic stress. These results reveal the molecular mechanisms of ABA in cryopreservation and elucidate the potential biological functions of the kinesin-14 subfamily.
PMID: 36066602
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2022 Oct , V41 (10) : P2005-2022 doi: 10.1007/s00299-022-02905-7
Drought priming induces chilling tolerance and improves reproductive functioning in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).
Centre for Biosciences, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India.; Department of Botany, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India.; Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, 141004, India.; Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.; Centre for Biosciences, School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India. sanjeevpuchd@gmail.com.; Department of Botany, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India. sanjeevpuchd@gmail.com.
KEY MESSAGE: Priming alleviates membrane damage, chlorophyll degradation along with cryoprotectants accumulation during chilling stress that leads to improved reproductive functioning and increased seed yield. Chilling temperatures below 15 degrees C have severe implications on the reproductive growth and development of chickpea. The abnormal reproductive development and subsequent reproductive failure lead to substantial yield loss. We exposed five chickpea cultivars (PBG1, GPF2, PDG3, PDG4, and PBG5) to drought stress (Priming) during the vegetative stage and analyzed for chilling tolerance during the reproductive stage. These varieties were raised in the fields in two sets: one set of plants were subjected to drought stress at the vegetative stage for 30 days (priming) and the second set of plants were irrigated regularly (non-primed). The leaf samples were harvested at the flowering, podding, and seed filling stage and analyzed for membrane damage, water status, chlorophyll content, cellular respiration, and certain cryoprotective solutes. The reproductive development was analyzed by accessing pollen viability, in vivo and in vitro germination, pollen load, and in vivo pollen tube growth. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that priming improved membrane damage, chlorophyll b degradation, and accumulation of cryoprotectants in GPF2, PDG3, and PBG5 at the flowering stage (< 15 degrees C). Pearson's correlation analysis showed a negative correlation with the accumulation of proline and carbohydrates with flower, pod, and seed abortion. Only, PBG5 responded best to priming while PBG1 was worst. In PBG5, priming resulted in reduced membrane damage and lipid peroxidation, improved water content, reduced chlorophyll degradation, and enhanced cryoprotective solutes accumulation, which led to increased reproductive functioning and finally improved seed yield and harvest index. Lastly, the priming response is variable and cultivar-specific but overall improve plant tolerance.
PMID: 35916939
Sci Rep , IF:4.379 , 2022 Sep , V12 (1) : P16059 doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-19788-z
Knockdown of heat shock transcription factor 1 decreases temperature stress tolerance in Bemisia tabaci MED.
College of Horticulture and Plant Protection and Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.; Plant Protection and Quarantine Station of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, 21003, China.; College of Horticulture and Plant Protection and Institute of Applied Entomology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China. yzdu@yzu.edu.cn.; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China. yzdu@yzu.edu.cn.
The primary function of heat shock transcription factor (HSF) in the heat shock response is to activate the transcription of genes encoding heat shock proteins (HSPs). The phloem-feeding insect Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an important pest of cotton, vegetables and ornamentals that transmits several plant viruses and causes enormous agricultural losses. In this study, the gene encoding HSF (Bthsf1) was characterized in MED B. tabaci. The full-length cDNA encoded a protein of 652 amino acids with an isoelectric point of 5.55. The BtHSF1 deduced amino acid sequence showed strong similarity to HSF in other insects. Expression analyses using quantitative real-time PCR indicated that Bthsf1 was significantly up-regulated in B. tabaci adults and pupae during thermal stress. Although Bthsf1 was induced by both hot and cold stress, the amplitude of expression was greater in the former. Bthsf1 had distinct, significant differences in expression pattern during different duration of high but not low temperature stress. Oral ingestion of dsBthsf1 repressed the expression of Bthsf1 and four heat shock proteins (Bthsp90, Bthsp70-3, Bthsp20 and Bthsp19.5) in MED B. tabaci during hot and cold stress. In conclusion, our results show that Bthsf1 is differentially expressed during high and low temperature stress and regulates the transcription of multiple hsps in MED B. tabaci.
PMID: 36163391
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Oct , V192 : P285-297 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.10.017
Genome-wide identification of RsGRAS gene family reveals positive role of RsSHRc gene in chilling stress response in radish (Raphanus sativus L.).
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2018204025@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2018204026@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2021204028@stu.njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2020204030@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2020104073@stu.njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2016204023@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2019204029@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: nauxuliang@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: wangyanhs@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: yingli@njau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Biology and Genetic Improvement (East China) of MOAR, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China; College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, PR China. Electronic address: nauliulw@njau.edu.cn.
Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an important worldwide root vegetable crop. Little information of the GRAS gene family was available in radish. Herein, a total of 51 GRAS family members were firstly identified from radish genome, and unevenly located onto nine radish chromosomes. Expression analysis of RsGRAS genes in taproot displayed that RsSCL15a and RsSHRc were highly expressed in the radish cambium, and its expression level was increased with the taproot thickening. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression patterns of RsGRAS genes varied upon exposure to different abiotic stresses including heavy metals, salt and heat. The expression level of six RsGRAS genes including RsSHRc was increased under chilling stress in two radish genotypes with different cold tolerance. Further analysis indicated that RsGRAS genes could respond to cold stress rapidly and the expression of RsSHRc was up-regulated at different development stages (cortex splitting and thickening stages) under long-term cold treatment. Transient expression of RsSHRc gene in radish showed that RsSHRc possessed the reliable function of eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and promoting to accumulate proline under cold stress. Together, these findings provided insights into the function of RsGRAS genes in taproot development and chilling stress response in radish.
PMID: 36283201
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Oct , V192 : P218-229 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.10.011
The transcription factor VaMYC2 from Chinese wild Vitis amurensis enhances cold tolerance of grape (V. vinifera) by up-regulating VaCBF1 and VaP5CS.
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: 893771696@qq.com.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: 3260807764@qq.com.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: gubaoscience@163.com.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: zhangjx666@126.com.
Cultivated grapes, one of the most important fruit crops in the world, are sensitive to low temperature. Since Chinese wild grape Vitis amurensis is highly tolerant to cold, it is imperative to study and utilize its cold-tolerance genes for molecular breeding. Here, a VaMYC2 gene from V. amurensis was cloned, and its function was investigated by expressing VaMYC2 in the cold-sensitive V. vinifera cultivar 'Thompson Seedless'. The expression of VaMYC2 could be induced by cold stress, methyl jasmonate and ethylene treatment, but was inhibited by abscisic acid in leaves of V. amurensis. When transgenic grape lines expressing VaMYC2 were subjected to cold stress (-1 degrees C) for 41 h, the transgenic lines showed less freezing injury and lower electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content, but higher contents of soluble sugars, soluble proteins and proline, and antioxidant enzyme activities compared with wild-type. Moreover, the expression of some cold-tolerance related genes increased in transgenic lines. Besides, the interactions of VaMYC2 with VaJAZ1 and VaJAZ7B were confirmed by yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. Yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase assays showed that VaMYC2 can bind to the promoters of VaCBF1 and VaP5CS and activate their expressions. In conclusion, expression of VaMYC2 in V. vinifera enhances cold tolerance of transgenic grapes which is attributed to enhanced accumulation of osmotic regulatory substances, cell membrane stability, antioxidant enzyme activity, and expression of cold tolerance-related genes. Also, VaMYC2 interacts with VaJAZ1 and VaJAZ7, and activates the expression of VaCBF1 and VaP5CS to mediate cold tolerance in grapes.
PMID: 36272189
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Oct , V192 : P10-19 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.09.031
Cold stress-induced changes in metabolism of carbonyl compounds and membrane fatty acid composition in chickpea.
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, 31587-77871, Karaj, Iran.; Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, 31587-77871, Karaj, Iran. Electronic address: rmamiri@ut.ac.ir.; UWA School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
In this study, changes in membrane fatty acid (FA) composition and damage indices contents as well as the transcript patterns of carbonyl-detoxifying genes were evaluated in two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes, cold-tolerant Sel96th11439 and cold-sensitive ILC533 under cold stress (CS; 4 degrees C). During CS, H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents increased (by 47% and 57%, respectively) in the sensitive genotype, while these contents remained unchanged in the tolerant genotype. In tolerant plants, higher content of linoleic, linolenic, unsaturated FAs (UFAs), total FAs and double bond index (DBI) (by 23, 21, 19, 17 and 9%, respectively) was observed at 6 days after stress (DAS) compared to sensitive plants, which, along with alterations of the damage indices, indicate their enhanced tolerance to CS. Compared with the sensitive genotype, less lipoxygenase (LOX) activity (by 59%) in the tolerant genotype was accompanied by decreased MDA and increased levels of UFAs and DBI during CS, particularly at 6 DAS. Upregulation of aldehyde dehydrogenase and aldo-keto reductase genes (by 9- and 10-fold, respectively) at 1 DAS, along with the enhanced transcript levels of aldehyde reductase and 2-alkenal reductase (by 3- and 14.7-fold, respectively) at 6 DAS were accompanied by increased UFAs and reduced MDA contents in the tolerant genotype. Overall, the results suggest that cold tolerance in chickpea was partly associated with regulation of membrane FA compositions and the potential metabolic networks involved in synthesis and degradation of carbonyl compounds.
PMID: 36201983
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Nov , V190 : P262-276 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.09.011
Involvement of NO and Ca(2+) in the enhancement of cold tolerance induced by melatonin in winter turnip rape (Brassica rapa L.).
College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.; College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China. Electronic address: zhangtengguo@163.com.; College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China. Electronic address: zhengsheng@nwnu.edu.cn.
As a multifunctional phytohormone, melatonin (Mel) plays pivotal roles in plant responses to multiple stresses. However, its mechanism of action remains elusive. In the present study, we evaluated the role of NO and Ca(2+) signaling in Mel enhanced cold tolerance in winter turnip rape. The results showed that the NO content and concentration of intracellular free Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]cyt) increased by 35.42% and 30.87%, respectively, in the leaves of rape seedlings exposed to cold stress. Compared with those of the seedlings in cold stress alone, the NO content and concentration of [Ca(2+)]cyt in rape seedlings pretreated with Mel increased further. In addition, the Mel-mediated improvement of cold tolerance was inhibited by L-NAME (a NO synthase inhibitor), tungstate (a nitrate reductase inhibitor), LaCl3 (a Ca(2+) channel blocker), and EGTA (a Ca(2+) chelator), and this finding was mainly reflected in the increase in ROS content and the decrease in osmoregulatory capacity, photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant enzyme activities, and expression levels of antioxidant enzyme genes. These findings suggest that NO and Ca(2+) are necessary for Mel to improve cold tolerance and function synergistically downstream of Mel. Notably, the co-treatment of Mel with L-NAME, tungstate, LaCl3, or EGTA also inhibited the Mel-induced expression of MAPK3/6 under cold stress. In conclusion, NO and Ca(2+) are involved in the enhancement of cold tolerance induced by Mel through activating the MAPK cascades in rape seedlings, and a crosstalk may exist between NO and Ca(2+) signaling.
PMID: 36152511
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Nov , V190 : P47-61 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.08.024
CROP PRODUCTION UNDER COLD STRESS: An understanding of plant responses, acclimation processes, and management strategies.
Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.; Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China. Electronic address: zhouwenbin@caas.cn.
In the context of climate change, the magnitude and frequency of temperature extremes (low and high temperatures) are increasing worldwide. Changes to the lower extremes of temperature, known as cold stress (CS), are one of the recurrent stressors in many parts of the world, severely limiting agricultural production. A series of plant reactions to CS could be generalized into morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses based on commonalities among crop plants. However, the differing originality of crops revealed varying degrees of sensitivity to cold and, therefore, exhibited large differences in these responses among the crops. This review discusses the vegetative and reproductive growth effects of CS and highlights the species-specific aspect of each growth stage whereby the reproductive growth CS appears more detrimental in rice and wheat, with marginal yield losses. To mitigate CS negative effects, crop plants have evolved cold-acclimation mechanisms (with differing capability), characterized by specific protein accumulation, membrane modification, regulation of signaling pathways, osmotic regulation, and induction of endogenous hormones. In addition, we reviewed a comprehensive account of management strategies for regulating tolerance mechanisms of crop plants under CS.
PMID: 36099808
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Oct , V189 : P83-93 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.08.013
Exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid alleviates low-temperature damage by modulating the xanthophyll cycle and nutrient uptake in tomato seedlings.
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Engineering in Northwest, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Shaanxi Protected Agriculture Research Centre, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.; College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China. Electronic address: tianlaili@126.com.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Engineering in Northwest, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Shaanxi Protected Agriculture Research Centre, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: hxh1977@163.com.
5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), an antioxidant existing in plants, has been widely reported to participate in the process of coping with cold stress of plants. In this study, exogenous ALA promoted the growth of tomato plants and alleviated the appearance of purple tomato leaves under low-temperature stress. At the same time, exogenous ALA improved antioxidant enzyme activities, SlSOD gene expression, Fv/Fm, and proline contents and reduced H2O2 contents, SlRBOH gene expression, relative electrical conductivity, and malondialdehyde contents to alleviate the damage caused by low temperature to tomato seedlings. Compared with low-temperature stress, spraying exogenous ALA before low-temperature stress could restore the indicators of photochemical quenching, actual photochemical efficiency, electron transport rate, and nonphotochemical quenching to normal. Exogenous ALA could increase the total contents of the xanthophyll cycle pool, the positive de-epoxidation rate of the xanthophyll cycle and improved the expression levels of key genes in the xanthophyll cycle under low-temperature stress. In addition, we found that exogenous ALA significantly enhanced the absorption of mineral nutrients, promoted the transfer and distribution of mineral nutrients to the leaves, and improved the expression levels of mineral nutrient absorption-related genes, which were all conducive to the improved adaptation of tomato seedlings under low-temperature stress. In summary, the application of exogenous ALA can increase tomato seedlings' tolerance to low-temperature stress by improving the xanthophyll cycle and the ability of the absorption of mineral nutrients in tomato seedlings.
PMID: 36058015
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Nov , V191 : P10-19 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.09.015
Genome-wide identification of the CDPK gene family reveals the CDPK-RBOH pathway potential involved in improving chilling tolerance in peach fruit.
College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2020208012@stu.njau.edu.cn.; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2017208006@njau.edu.cn.; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2019208027@njau.edu.cn.; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: 2020108024@stu.njau.edu.cn.; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: zhengyh@njau.edu.cn.; College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China. Electronic address: pjin@njau.edu.cn.
Calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK), as an essential calcium receptor, plays a major role in the perception and decoding of intracellular calcium signaling in plant development and stress responses. Here, the CDPK gene family was analyzed at the genome-wide level in peach. This study identified 17 PpCDPK gene members from the peach genome, and systematically investigated phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, exon-intron structures, chromosome distribution, and cis-acting elements of each PpCDPK gene using bioinformatics. Furthermore, the expression levels of most PpCDPK genes were significantly changed under the CaCl2, EBR, GB, cold shock, hot water treatments, and various temperatures in the cold storage of peach fruits. RNA-seq data showed that PpCDPK2, PpCDPK7, PpCDPK10, and PpCDPK13 were related to postharvest chilling stress in peach. The interaction network of PpCDPK7 protein showed that the interaction between PpCDPK7 and PpRBOH may be the intersectional point of Ca(2+) and ROS signal transmission during cold storage of peach fruits. These systematic analyses are helpful to further characterize the regulation of PpCDPKs and CDPK-RBOH mediated signal cascades in postharvest chilling injury in peach fruit.
PMID: 36174282
BMC Plant Biol , IF:4.215 , 2022 Oct , V22 (1) : P500 doi: 10.1186/s12870-022-03873-6
Comparison of anther transcriptomes in response to cold stress at the reproductive stage between susceptible and resistant Japonica rice varieties.
Rice Research Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 154026, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China.; National Engineering Research Center of Plant Space Breeding, South China Agricultural University, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.; Jiamusi Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 154007, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China. cai_lijun@yeah.net.; Crops Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 510640, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.; Jiamusi Longjing Seed Industry Co., LTD, 154026, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China.; Qiqihar Branch of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 161006, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, China.; Rice Research Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 154026, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China. zixuanfeng2008@163.com.; Rice Research Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 154026, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China. liuchuanxue2007@163.com.; Rice Research Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 154026, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, China. panguojun777@163.com.
BACKGROUND: Rice is one of the most important cereal crops in the world but is susceptible to cold stress (CS). In this study, we carried out parallel transcriptomic analysis at the reproductive stage on the anthers of two Japonica rice varieties with contrasting CS resistance: cold susceptible Longjing11 (LJ11) and cold resistant Longjing25 (LJ25). RESULTS: According to the obtained results, a total of 16,762 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under CS, including 7,050 and 14,531 DEGs in LJ25 and LJ11, respectively. Examining gene ontology (GO) enrichment identified 35 up- and 39 down-regulated biological process BP GO terms were significantly enriched in the two varieties, with 'response to heat' and 'response to cold' being the most enriched. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis identified 33 significantly enriched pathways. Only the carbon metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis pathways with down-regulated DEGs were enriched considerably in LJ11, while the plant hormone signal transduction pathway (containing 153 DEGs) was dramatically improved. Eight kinds of plant hormones were detected in the pathway, while auxin, abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethylene (ETH) signaling pathways were found to be the top four pathways with the most DEGs. Furthermore, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis identified ten hub genes (co-expressed gene number >/= 30), including six ABA-related genes. Various DEGs (such as OsDREB1A, OsICE1, OsMYB2, OsABF1, OsbZIP23, OsCATC, and so on) revealed distinct expression patterns among rice types when the DEGs between LJ11 and LJ25 were compared, indicating that they are likely responsible for CS resistance of rice in cold region. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our findings provide comprehensive insights into complex molecular mechanisms of CS response and can aid in CS resistant molecular breeding of rice in cold regions.
PMID: 36284279
Tree Physiol , IF:4.196 , 2022 Sep , V42 (9) : P1858-1875 doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpac046
Transcriptome and metabolome changes in Chinese cedar during cold acclimation reveal the roles of flavonoids in needle discoloration and cold resistance.
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.
Cryptomeria fortunei growth and development are usually affected by low temperatures. Despite the evergreen nature of this species, most needles turn yellowish-brown in cold winters. The underlying discoloration mechanisms that cause this phenomenon in response to cold acclimation remain poorly understood. Here, we measured the pigment content and ultrastructure of normal wild-type (Wt) and evergreen mutant (GM) C. fortunei needles and performed integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to explore potential discoloration mechanisms. The results showed that the needle chlorophyll content of these two genotypes decreased in winter. Wt needles showed greater decrease in the chlorophyll content and local destruction of chloroplast ultrastructure and contained larger amounts of flavonoids than GM needles, as shown by metabolomics analysis. We subsequently identified key differentially expressed genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and observed significantly upregulated flavonol synthase expression in Wt needles compared with GM needles that significantly increased the anthoxanthin (flavones and flavonols) content, which is likely a key factor underlying the difference in needle color between these two genotypes. Therefore, flavonoid metabolism may play important roles in the cold resistance and needle discoloration of C. fortunei, and our results provide an excellent foundation for the molecular mechanism of C. fortunei in response to cold stress.
PMID: 35451493
Planta , IF:4.116 , 2022 Oct , V256 (5) : P92 doi: 10.1007/s00425-022-04007-w
Bolstered plant tolerance to low temperatures by overexpressing NAC transcription factors: identification of critical variables by meta-analysis.
Centro de Estudios Fotosinteticos y Bioquimicos (CEFOBI-UNR/CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquimicas y Farmaceuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), 2000, Rosario, Argentina. figueroa@cefobi-conicet.gov.ar.; Catedra de Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR), 2123, Zavalla, Santa Fe, Argentina.
MAIN CONCLUSION: The potential biotechnological application of NAC overexpression has been challenged by meta-analysis, establishing a correlation between the magnitudes of several physiological and biochemical parameters and the enhanced tolerance to cold. Overexpression of various NAC (NAM/ATAF/CUC) transcription factors in different plant systems was shown to confer enhanced tolerance to low temperatures by inducing both common and distinctive stress response pathways. However, lack of consensus on the type of parameters evaluated, their magnitudes, and direction of the responses complicates drawing general conclusions on the effects of NAC expression in plant physiology. We report herein a meta-analysis summarizing the most critical response variables used to study the effect of overexpressing NAC regulators on cold stress tolerance. We found that NAC overexpression affected all of the outcome parameters in stressed plants, and one response in control conditions. Transformed plants displayed an increase of at least 40% in positive responses, while negative outcomes were reduced by at least 30%. The most reported parameters included survival, electrolyte leakage, and malondialdehyde contents, whereas the most sensitive to the treatments were the Fv/Fm parameter, survival, and the activity of catalases. We also explored how different experimental arrangements affected the magnitudes of the responses. NAC-mediated improvements were best observed after severe stress episodes and during brief treatments (ranging from 5 to 24 h), especially in terms of antioxidant activities, accumulation of free proline, and parameters related to membrane integrity. Use of heterologous expression also favored several indicators of plant fitness. Our findings should help both basic and applied research on the influence of NAC expression on enhanced tolerance to cold.
PMID: 36181642
Planta , IF:4.116 , 2022 Sep , V256 (4) : P82 doi: 10.1007/s00425-022-03995-z
Global identification of quantitative trait loci and candidate genes for cold stress and chilling acclimation in rice through GWAS and RNA-seq.
College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China.; College of Life Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.; College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. lqwang@gxu.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China. lqwang@gxu.edu.cn.; College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China. xiegsh@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
MAIN CONCLUSION: Associated analysis of GWAS with RNA-seq had detected candidate genes responsible for cold stress and chilling acclimation in rice. Haplotypes of two candidate genes and geographic distribution were analyzed. To explore new candidate genes and genetic resources for cold tolerance improvement in rice, genome-wide association study (GWAS) mapping experiments with 351 rice core germplasms was performed for three traits (survival rate, shoot length and chlorophyll content) under three temperature conditions (normal temperature, cold stress and chilling acclimation), yielding a total of 134 QTLs, of which 54, 59 and 21 QTLs were responsible for normal temperature, cold stress and chilling acclimation conditions, respectively. Integrated analysis of significant SNPs in 134 QTLs further identified 116 QTLs for three temperature treatments, 53, 43 and 18 QTLs responsible for normal temperature, cold stress and chilling acclimation, respectively, and 2 QTLs were responsible for both cold stress and chilling acclimation. Matching differentially expressed genes from RNA-seq to 43 and 18 QTLs for cold stress and chilling acclimation, we identified 69 and 44 trait-associated candidate genes, respectively, to be classified into six and five groups, particularly involved in metabolisms, reactive oxygen species scavenging and hormone signaling. Interestingly, two candidate genes LOC_Os01g04814, encoding a vacuolar protein sorting-associating protein 4B, and LOC_Os01g48440, encoding glycosyltransferase family 43 protein, showed the highest expression levels under chilling acclimation. Haplotype analysis revealed that both genes had a distinctive differentiation with subpopulation. Haplotypes of both genes with more japonica accessions have higher latitude distribution and higher chilling tolerance than the chilling sensitive indica accessions. These findings reveal the new insight into the molecular mechanism and candidate genes for cold stress and chilling acclimation in rice.
PMID: 36103054
Genes (Basel) , IF:4.096 , 2022 Oct , V13 (10) doi: 10.3390/genes13101887
Reference Gene Selection for qPCR Analysis in Schima superba under Abiotic Stress.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou 510520, China.; College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is an indispensable technique for gene expression analysis in modern molecular biology. The selection and evaluation of suitable reference genes is a prerequisite for accurate gene expression analysis. Schimasuperba is a valuable tree species that is environmentally adaptable and highly fire-resistant. In this study, 12 candidate reference genes were selected to check their stability of gene expression in different tissues under abiotic stresses: cold stress, salt stress, and drought stress by DeltaCt, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. The results indicated that AP-2 was the most stably expressed overall and for the cold stress and drought stress. eIF-5alpha gene expression was the most stable under the salt stress treatment, while UBQ expression was the most stable across mature leaves, shoots, stems, and roots. In contrast, UBC20, GAPDH, and TUB were the least stably expressed genes tested. This study delivers valid reference genes in S. superba under the different experimental conditions, providing an important resource for the subsequent elucidation of the abiotic stress adaptation mechanisms and genes with biological importance.
PMID: 36292772
Genes (Basel) , IF:4.096 , 2022 Sep , V13 (10) doi: 10.3390/genes13101695
Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiles of the VOZ Gene Family in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa).
Xinyang Agricultural Experiment Station of Yancheng City, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Yancheng 224049, China.
Vascular plant one zinc-finger (VOZ) proteins are a plant-specific transcription factor family and play important roles in plant development and stress responses. However, little is known about the VOZ genes in quinoa. In the present study, a genome-wide investigation of the VOZ gene family in quinoa was performed, including gene structures, conserved motifs, phylogeny, and expression profiles. A total of four quinoa VOZ genes distributed on three chromosomes were identified. Based on phylogenetic analysis, CqVOZ1 and CqVOZ3 belong to subfamily II, and CqVOZ2 and CqVOZ4 belong to subfamily III. Furthermore, the VOZ transcription factors of quinoa and sugarbeet were more closely related than other species. Except for CqVOZ3, all the other three CqVOZs have four exons and four introns. Analysis of conserved motifs indicated that each CqVOZ member contained seven common motifs. Multiple sequence alignment showed that the CqVOZ genes were highly conserved with consensus sequences, which might be plausibly significant for the preservation of structural integrity of the family proteins. Tissue expression analysis revealed that four CqVOZ genes were highly expressed in inflorescence and relatively low in leaves and stems, suggesting that these genes had obvious tissue expression specificity. The expression profiles of the quinoa CqVOZs under various abiotic stresses demonstrated that these genes were differentially induced by cold stress, salt stress, and drought stress. The transcript level of CqVOZ1 and CqVOZ4 were down-regulated by salt stress and drought stress, while CqVOZ2 and CqVOZ3 were up-regulated by cold, salt, and drought stress, which could be used as abiotic stress resistance candidate genes. This study systematically identifies the CqVOZ genes at the genome-wide level, contributing to a better understanding of the quinoa VOZ transcription factor family and laying a foundation for further exploring the molecular mechanism of development and stress resistance of quinoa.
PMID: 36292580
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2022 Oct , V23 (1) : P708 doi: 10.1186/s12864-022-08902-0
Identification and characteristics of SnRK genes and cold stress-induced expression profiles in Liriodendron chinense.
College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.; Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan, Punjab, 25000, Pakistan.; College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. ali_movahedi@njfu.edu.cn.; College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. yangliming@njfu.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: The sucrose non-fermenting 1 (SNF1)-related protein kinases (SnRKs) play a vivid role in regulating plant metabolism and stress response, providing a pathway for regulation between metabolism and stress signals. Conducting identification and stress response studies on SnRKs in plants contributes to the development of strategies for tree species that are more tolerant to stress conditions. RESULTS: In the present study, a total of 30 LcSnRKs were identified in Liriodendron chinense (L. chinense) genome, which was distributed across 15 chromosomes and 4 scaffolds. It could be divided into three subfamilies: SnRK1, SnRK2, and SnRK3 based on phylogenetic analysis and domain types. The LcSnRK of the three subfamilies shared the same Ser/Thr kinase structure in gene structure and motif composition, while the functional domains, except for the kinase domain, showed significant differences. A total of 13 collinear gene pairs were detected in L. chinense and Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana), and 18 pairs were detected in L. chinense and rice, suggesting that the LcSnRK family genes may be evolutionarily more closely related to rice. Cis-regulation element analysis showed that LcSnRKs were LTR and TC-rich, which could respond to different environmental stresses. Furthermore, the expression patterns of LcSnRKs are different at different times under low-temperature stress. LcSnRK1s expression tended to be down-regulated under low-temperature stress. The expression of LcSnRK2s tended to be up-regulated under low-temperature stress. The expression trend of LcSnRK3s under low-temperature stress was mainly up-or down-regulated. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will provide valuable information for the functional identification of the LcSnRK gene in the future.
PMID: 36253733
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2022 Sep , V23 (1) : P670 doi: 10.1186/s12864-022-08889-8
The mechanism of abscisic acid regulation of wild Fragaria species in response to cold stress.
Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China.; College of Life Science and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.; Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1871, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China. lijmtzc@126.com.
BACKGROUND: Abiotic stresses have increasingly serious effects on the growth and yield of crops. Cold stress, in particular, is an increasing problem. In this study, Fragaria daltoniana and F. vesca were determined to be cold-resistant and cold-sensitive species, respectively. Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics methods were used to analyze the regulatory mechanism of abscisic acid (ABA) in F. daltoniana and F. vesca in their response to low temperature stress. RESULTS: F. daltoniana and F. vesca increased their ABA content under low temperature stress by upregulating the expression of the ABA biosynthetic pathway gene NCED and downregulating the expression of the ABA degradative gene CYP707A. Both types of regulation increased the accumulation of glucose and fructose, resulting in a reduction of damage under low temperature stress. Twelve transcription factors were found to be involved in the ABA regulatory pathway. The strong cold tolerance of F. daltoniana could be owing to its higher levels of ABA that accumulated compared with those in F. vesca under low temperature stress. In addition, the gene ABF2, which is related to the transduction of glucose signaling, was significantly upregulated in the leaves of F. daltoniana, while it was downregulated in the leaves of F. vesca under low temperature stress. This could contribute to the higher levels of glucose signal transduction in F. daltoniana. Thus, this could explain the higher peroxidase activity and lower damage to cell membranes in the leaves of F. daltoniana compared with F. vesca under low temperature stress, which endows the former with stronger cold tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: Under low temperature stress, the differences in the accumulation of ABA and the expression trends of ABF2 and ABF4 in different species of wild strawberries may be the primary reason for their differences in cold tolerance. Our results provide an important empirical reference and technical support for breeding resistant cultivated strawberry plants.
PMID: 36162976
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2022 Sep , V23 (1) : P652 doi: 10.1186/s12864-022-08863-4
Genome-wide characterization of the MBF1 gene family and its expression pattern in different tissues and stresses in Zanthoxylum armatum.
Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering of Sichuan Province, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. wkxi@sicau.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering of Sichuan Province, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.; Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering of Sichuan Province, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. wangjingyan@sicau.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering of Sichuan Province, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. gongwei@sicau.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Multiprotein bridging factor 1 (MBF1) is a crucial transcriptional coactivator in animals, plants, and some microorganisms, that plays a necessary role in growth development and stress tolerance. Zanthoxylum armatum is an important perennial plant for the condiments and pharmaceutical industries, whereas the potential information in the genes related to stress resistance remains poorly understood in Z. armatum. RESULTS: Herein, six representative species were selected for use in a genome-wide investigation of the MBF1 family, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Populus trichocarpa, Citrus sinensis, Ginkgo biloba, and Z. armatum. The results showed that the MBF1 genes could be divided into two groups: Group I contained the MBF1a and MBF1b subfamilies, and group II was independent of the MBF1c subfamily.. Most species have at least two different MBF1 genes, and MBF1c is usually an essential member. The three ZaMBF1 genes were respectively located on ZaChr26, ZaChr32, and ZaChr4 of Zanthoxylum chromosomes. The collinearity were occurred between three ZaMBF1 genes, and ZaMBF1c showed the collinearity between Z. armatum and both P. trichocarpa and C. sinensis. Moreover, many cis-elements associated with abiotic stress and phytohormone pathways were detected in the promoter regions of MBF1 of six representative species. The ERF binding sites were the most abundant targets in the sequences of the ZaMBF1 family, and some transcription factor sites related to floral differentiation were also identified in ZaMBF1c, such as MADS, LFY, Dof, and AP2. ZaMBF1a was observed to be very highly expressed in 25 different samples except in the seeds, and ZaMBF1c may be associated with the male and female floral initiation processes. In addition, expression in all the ZaMBF1 genes could be significantly induced by water-logging, cold stress, ethephon, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid treatments, especially in ZaMBF1c. CONCLUSION: The present study carried out a comprehensive bioinformatic investigation related to the MBF1 family in six representative species, and the responsiveness of ZaMBF1 genes to various abiotic stresses and phytohormone inductions was also revealed. This work not only lays a solid foundation to uncover the biological roles of the ZaMBF1 family in Z. armatum, but also provides some broad references for conducting the MBF1 research in other plants.
PMID: 36104767
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2022 Sep , V11 (18) doi: 10.3390/plants11182329
Combination of Genomics, Transcriptomics Identifies Candidate Loci Related to Cold Tolerance in Dongxiang Wild Rice.
Rice National Engineering Research Center (Nanchang), Rice Research Institute, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, China.
Rice, a cold-sensitive crop, is a staple food for more than 50% of the world's population. Low temperature severely compromises the growth of rice and challenges China's food safety. Dongxiang wild rice (DXWR) is the most northerly common wild rice in China and has strong cold tolerance, but the genetic basis of its cold tolerance is still unclear. Here, we report quantitative trait loci (QTLs) analysis for seedling cold tolerance (SCT) using a high-density single nucleotide polymorphism linkage map in the backcross recombinant inbred lines that were derived from a cross of DXWR, and an indica cultivar, GZX49. A total of 10 putative QTLs were identified for SCT under 4 degrees C cold treatment, each explaining 2.0-6.8% of the phenotypic variation in this population. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing of DXWR seedlings before and after cold treatment was performed, and 898 and 3413 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) relative to 0 h in cold-tolerant for 4 h and 12 h were identified, respectively. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed on these DEGs. Using transcriptome data and genetic linkage analysis, combined with qRT-PCR, sequence comparison, and bioinformatics, LOC_Os08g04840 was putatively identified as a candidate gene for the major effect locus qSCT8. These findings provided insights into the genetic basis of SCT for the improvement of cold stress potential in rice breeding programs.
PMID: 36145730
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2022 Sep , V11 (17) doi: 10.3390/plants11172324
Identification of QTL under Brassinosteroid-Combined Cold Treatment at Seedling Stage in Rice Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS).
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology of Liaoning Province, College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.; Rice Research Institute, College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.; Rice Research Institute, Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, China.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
Cold stress is a major threat to the sustainability of rice yield. Brassinosteroids (BR) application can enhance cold tolerance in rice. However, the regulatory mechanism related to cold tolerance and the BR signaling pathway in rice has not been clarified. In the current study, the seedling shoot length (SSL), seedling root length (SRL), seedling dry weight (SDW), and seedling wet weight (SWW) were used as the indices for identifying cold tolerance under cold stress and BR-combined cold treatment in a backcross recombinant inbred lines (BRIL) population. According to the phenotypic characterization for cold tolerance and a high-resolution SNP genetic map obtained from the GBS technique, a total of 114 QTLs were identified, of which 27 QTLs were detected under cold stress and 87 QTLs under BR-combined cold treatment. Among them, the intervals of many QTLs were coincident under different treatments, as well as different traits. A total of 13 candidate genes associated with cold tolerance or BR pathway, such as BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (OsBZR1), OsWRKY77, AP2 domain-containing protein, zinc finger proteins, basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein, and auxin-induced protein, were predicted. Among these, the expression levels of 10 candidate genes were identified under different treatments in the parents and representative BRIL individuals. These results were helpful in understanding the regulation relationship between cold tolerance and BR pathway in rice.
PMID: 36079705
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2022 Sep , V11 (17) doi: 10.3390/plants11172307
Physiological and Proteomic Responses of Cassava to Short-Term Extreme Cool and Hot Temperature.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.; Department Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Health Technology, Kalasin University, Kalasin 46230, Thailand.; Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.; Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand.
Temperature is one of the most critical factors affecting cassava metabolism and growth. This research was conducted to investigate the effects of short-term exposure to extreme cool (15 degrees C) and hot (45 degrees C) temperature on photosynthesis, biochemical and proteomics changes in potted plants of two cassava cultivars, namely Rayong 9 and Kasetsart 50. One-month-old plants were exposed to 15, 30, and 45 degrees C for 60 min in a temperature chamber under light intensity of 700 mumol m(-2) s(-1). Compared to the optimum temperature (30 degrees C), exposure to 15 degrees C resulted in 28% reduction in stomatal conductance (gs) and 62% reduction in net photosynthesis rate (Pn). In contrast, gs under 45 degrees C increased 2.61 folds, while Pn was reduced by 50%. The lower Pn but higher electron transport rate (ETR) of the cold-stressed plants indicated that a greater proportion of electrons was transported via alternative pathways to protect chloroplast from being damaged by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, a marker related to the amount of ROS, were significantly higher at low temperature. Proteomics analysis revealed some interesting differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) including annexin, a multi-functional protein functioning in early events of heat stress signaling. In response to low-temperature stress, AP2/ERF domain-containing protein (a cold-related transcription factor) and glutaredoxin domain-containing protein (a component of redox signaling network under cold stress) were detected. Taken together, both cultivars were more sensitive to low than high temperature. Moreover, Rayong 9 displayed higher Pn under both temperature stresses, and was more efficient in controlling ROS under cold stress than Kasetsart 50.
PMID: 36079689
Life (Basel) , IF:3.817 , 2022 Oct , V12 (10) doi: 10.3390/life12101633
PKS5 Confers Cold Tolerance by Controlling Stomatal Movement and Regulating Cold-Responsive Genes in Arabidopsis.
School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255049, China.
Cold stress limits plant growth and development; however, the precise mechanisms underpinning plant acclimation to cold stress remain largely unknown. In this study, the Ser/Thr protein kinase SOS2-LIKE PROTEIN KINASE5 (PKS5) was shown to play a positive role in plant responses to cold stress. A PKS5 loss-of-function mutant (pks5-1) exhibited elevated sensitivity to cold stress, as well as a lower survival rate and increased ion leakage. Conversely, PKS5 gain-of-function mutants (pks5-3, pks5-4) were more tolerant to cold stress and exhibited higher survival rates and decreased ion leakage. Stomatal aperture analysis revealed that stomatal closure was slower during the first 25 min after cold exposure in pks5-1 compared to wild-type, whereas pks5-3 and pks5-4 displayed accelerated stomatal closure over the same time period. Further stomatal aperture analysis under an abscisic acid (ABA) treatment showed slower closure in pks5-1 and more rapid closure in pks5-3 and pks5-4. Finally, expression levels of cold-responsive genes were regulated by PKS5 under cold stress conditions, while cold stress and ABA treatment can regulate PKS5 expression. Taken together, these results suggest that PKS5 plays a positive role in short-term plant acclimation to cold stress by regulating stomatal aperture, possibly via ABA pathways, and in long-term acclimation by regulating cold-responsive genes.
PMID: 36295068
Life (Basel) , IF:3.817 , 2022 Sep , V12 (9) doi: 10.3390/life12091432
Outcomes of Low-Temperature Stress on Biological Alterations within Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) Leaves.
Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.; College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a commonly used indoor ornamental foliage, particularly in the middle and lower regions of the Yangtze River in China. It typically grows in the tropical area, and it is yet unclear whether prolonged winter temperatures cause plant damage and impact its development. In this study, the E. aureum chilling injury response was explored by maintaining it at 1 degrees C. Based on the acquired results, low-temperature stress (LTS) induced wilting and yellowing of leaves and diminished chloroplast pigment concentrations, particularly the chlorophyll b content. LTS also induced overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within E. aureum and enhanced the relative electrical conductivity and superoxide dismutase activity. In addition, with prolonged LTS, the anatomical structure of E. aureum was severely damaged, resulting in a marked reduction in the photochemical activity of the photosystem reaction center and suppressed photosynthesis. Moreover, results of the transcriptomic analysis revealed that LTS induced the expression of genes involved in the alpha-linolenic acid metabolic pathway, plant hormone network, host plant-pathogen association, and MAPK axis, suggesting that LTS would activate its resistant response to cold stress. These results unraveled the physiological and transcriptomical response of E. aureum to chilling injury, which would lay a theoretical foundation for the cultivation of low-temperature-tolerant varieties of E. aureum.
PMID: 36143467
Int J Biometeorol , IF:3.787 , 2022 Oct , V66 (10) : P2047-2053 doi: 10.1007/s00484-022-02339-6
Expression profiling of HSP 70 and interleukins 2, 6 and 12 genes of Barki sheep during summer and winter seasons in two different locations.
Department of Animal and Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, 21545, Egypt.; Department of Livestock Research, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City for Scientific Research and Technology Applications, New Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, 21934, Egypt.; Faculty of Desert and Environmental Agriculture, Matrouh University, Matrouh, Egypt.; Plant Protection and Biomolecular Diagnosis Department, City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, 21934, Egypt.; Department of Animal and Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, 21545, Egypt. mmisalem@gmail.com.
The objectives of this research were to contrast the expression values of heat shock protein (HSP70) and interleukins 2, 6 and 12 (IL 2, IL 6 and IL 12) genes in summer and winter in two different locations in Egypt (Alexandria zone and Matrouh zone) to deduce changes in thermo-physiological traits and biochemical blood metabolites of Barki sheep. A total of 50 ewes (20 in Alexandria and 30 in Matrouh) were individually blood sampled to determine plasma total protein (TP), Albumin, Globulin and Glucose constituents and T3, T4 and cortisol hormones. The thermo-physiological parameters of rectal temperature (RT, degrees C), skin temperature (ST, degrees C), Wool temperature (WT, degrees C), respiration rate (RR, breaths/min) and pulse rate (PR, beats/min) were measured for each ewe. Expressions of IL 2, IL 6, IL 12 and HSP 70 in summer and winter were analyzed along with thermo-physiological parameters and blood biochemical metabolites. In both locations, THI had significant effects on ST, WT, PR and RR, but not significant on RT. However, it had no significant effects on blood plasma metabolites and hormonal concentrations in the two locations in summer and winter. In Alexandria location, THI had negative significant effect on the expressions of IL-2 and IL-6 but positively affected on HSP70 genes in winter, while the expression of IL-12 gene was not affected by seasons, whereas in Matrouh zone, the effects of THI on the expressions of all tolerance genes were not significant. The results of the current study suggest that IL-2, IL-6 and HSP70 genes could be used as molecular markers for heat/cold stress.
PMID: 35882644
J Plant Physiol , IF:3.549 , 2022 Oct , V279 : P153834 doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153834
A calcium-dependent protein kinase gene SpCPK33 from Solanum pennellii associated with increased cold tolerance in tomato.
College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China; Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science (Key Laboratory of Horticulture Crop Genomics Research and Genetic Improvement in Xinjiang), Urumqi, China.; Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science (Key Laboratory of Horticulture Crop Genomics Research and Genetic Improvement in Xinjiang), Urumqi, China.; College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China; Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science (Key Laboratory of Horticulture Crop Genomics Research and Genetic Improvement in Xinjiang), Urumqi, China. Electronic address: yuqinghui@xaas.ac.cn.; Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science (Key Laboratory of Horticulture Crop Genomics Research and Genetic Improvement in Xinjiang), Urumqi, China. Electronic address: wangjuan@xaas.ac.cn.
Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs, CPKs) represent a vital class of calcium sensors, which play a crucial role in plant growth, development and adaption to complex environmental stresses. Wild species tend to exhibit greater tolerance than cultivated species under environmental stress. Here, we isolated a calcium-dependent protein kinase gene SpCPK33 located primarily on the plasma membrane of abiotic-resistant species (Solanum pennellii LA0716). It was highly expressed in stems and leaves and was also induced by cold stress. Compared with WT plants, the overexpression of SpCPK33 in cultivated tomato (cv M82) enhanced its tolerance to cold stress. Transgenic lines demonstrated strong vitality under low temperature treatment. Moreover, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were decreased in SpCPK33-overexpressing plants. The activities of antioxidant enzymes and the levels of osmotic regulatory substances were higher. The transcript levels of cold stress-related genes were up-regulated. In summary, the results indicate that SpCPK33-overexpressing transgenic plants experience less severe chilling injury under cold stress, and improved tomato cold tolerance by scavenging ROS accumulation and modulating the expression of stress-related genes.
PMID: 36272175
J Plant Physiol , IF:3.549 , 2022 Nov , V278 : P153806 doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153806
ScCBF1 plays a stronger role in cold, salt and drought tolerance than StCBF1 in potato (Solanum tuberosum).
College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China.; Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, A. Hlinku 2, Nitra, 94976, Slovak Republic.; Department of Horticulture, ALS 4017, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.; College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China. Electronic address: xhyang@sdau.edu.cn.
Solanum tuberosum (St) and Solanum commersonii (Sc) are two potato varieties with different freezing tolerance. Among them, St is a freezing-sensitive variety and. Sc is a cold-resistant wild potato. CBF/DREB family members mainly function in response to freezing stress. In order to explore the different roles of St C-Repeat Binding Factor1 (StCBF1) and Sc C-Repeat Binding Factor1 (ScCBF1) in potato plants (Solanum tuberosum) under stress conditions, two kinds of potato lines were obtained with ScCBF1 and StCBF1 overexpressing respectively. Phenotypes analysis showed that both overexpressing ScCBF1 and StCBF1 caused smaller leaves, and reduced tuber yield. While the limited phenotypes of StCBF1 lines were more severe than that of ScCBF lines. After freezing treatment, StCBF1 over expression plants grown better than WT plants and worse than ScCBF1 over expression plants. Specifically, compared with wild-type lines, overexpressing ScCBF1 could up-regulate fatty acid desaturase genes, key enzyme of Calvin cycle genes, and antioxidant enzyme genes. Both ScCBF1 and StCBF1 lines showed higher PSII activity, thus maintaining a higher photosynthetic rate under cold stress. In addition, we also found that overexpression ScCBF1 and StCBF1 could also enhance the drought and salt tolerance in potato. In summary, ScCBF1 plays a stronger role in cold, salt, and drought tolerance than StCBF1 in potato (Solanum tuberosum).
PMID: 36115270
Protoplasma , IF:3.356 , 2022 Sep doi: 10.1007/s00709-022-01807-5
Transcriptome meta-analysis of abiotic stresses-responsive genes and identification of candidate transcription factors for broad stress tolerance in wheat.
Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Road Sidi Mansour 6 km, P.O. Box 1177, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia. saiidimn@gmail.com.; Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Road Sidi Mansour 6 km, P.O. Box 1177, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia.
Under field conditions, wheat is subjected to single or multiple stress conditions. The elucidation of the molecular mechanism of stress response is a key step to identify candidate genes for stress resistance in plants. In this study, RNA-seq data analysis identified 17.324, 10.562, 5.510, and 8.653 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under salt, drought, heat, and cold stress, respectively. Moreover, the comparison of DEGs from each stress revealed 2374 shared genes from which 40% showed highly conserved expression patterns. Moreover, co-expression network analysis and GO enrichment revealed co-expression modules enriched with genes involved in transcription regulation, protein kinase pathway, and genes responding to phytohormones or modulating hormone levels. The expression of 15 selected transcription factor encoding genes was analyzed under abiotic stresses and ABA treatment in durum wheat. The identified transcription factor genes are excellent candidates for genetic engineering of stress tolerance in wheat.
PMID: 36063229
PLoS One , IF:3.24 , 2022 , V17 (10) : Pe0274945 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274945
Freezing stress affects the efficacy of clodinafop-propargyl and 2,4-D plus MCPA on wild oat (Avena ludoviciana Durieu) and turnipweed [Rapistrum rugosum (L.) All.] in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.; Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and School of Agriculture and Food Sciences (SAFS), The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia.
The occurrence of freezing stress around herbicides application is one of the most important factors influencing their performance. This experiment was performed to evaluate the efficacy of clodinafop-propargyl and 2,4-D plus MCPA (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid plus 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid), the most important herbicides used in wheat fields in Iran, under the influence of a freezing treatment (-4 degrees C). Wheat and its two common weeds, winter wild oat (Avena ludoviciana Durieu) and turnipweed [Rapistrum rugosum (L.) All.], were exposed to the freezing treatment for three nights from 7:00 P.M. to 5:00 A.M. before and after herbicide application, and their response was compared with plants that did not grow under freezing stress. Under no freezing (NF) and freezing after spray (FAS) conditions, winter wild oat was completely controlled with the recommended dose of clodinafop-propargyl (64 g ai ha-1; hereafter g ha-1). However, the survival percentage of winter wild oat in the freezing before spray (FBS) of clodinafop-propargyl 64 g ha-1 was 7%, and it was completely controlled with twice the recommended dose (128 g ha-1). Under NF conditions and FAS treatment, turnipweed was completely controlled with twice the recommended dose of 2,4-D plus MCPA (2025 g ae ha-1; hereafter g ha-1), while there was no complete control under recommended rate. However, in the FBS treatment, the survival of turnipweed was 7% under double dose. The LD50 (dose required to control 50% of individuals in the population) and GR50 (dose causing 50% growth reduction of plants) rankings were NF PMID: 36201477
Funct Plant Biol , IF:3.101 , 2022 Oct , V49 (11) : P946-957 doi: 10.1071/FP22043
Parental drought priming enhances tolerance to low temperature in wheat (Triticum aestivum) offspring.
Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.; Laboratory of Plant Epigenetics and Evolution, School of Life Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China.; Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.; Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Jilin Academy of Agriculture Sciences/State Engineering Laboratory of Maize, Changchun 130033, China.; University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Science, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Hojbakkegard Alle 13, Tastrup DK-2630, Denmark.; Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China; and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; and CAS Engineering Laboratory for Eco-agriculture in Water Source of Liaoheyuan, Chinese Academy of Science, Changchun 130102, China.
Low temperature is one of the major environmental stresses that limit crop growth and grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Drought priming at the vegetative stage could enhance wheat tolerance to later cold stress; however, the transgenerational effects of drought priming on wheat offspring's cold stress tolerance remains unclear. Here, the low temperature responses of offspring were tested after the parental drought priming treatment at grain filling stage. The offspring plants from parental drought priming treatment had a higher abscisic acid (ABA) level and lower osmotic potential (Psio) than the control plants under cold conditions. Moreover, parental drought priming increased the antioxidant enzyme activities and decreased hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) accumulation in offspring. In comparison to control plants, parental drought priming plants had a higher ATP concentration and higher activities of ATPase and the enzymes involved in sucrose biosynthesis and starch metabolism. The results indicated that parental drought priming induced low temperature tolerance in offspring by regulating endogenous ABA levels and maintaining the redox homeostasis and the balance of carbohydrate metabolism, which provided a potential approach for cold resistant cultivation in wheat.
PMID: 35871526
Plant Biol (Stuttg) , IF:3.081 , 2022 Oct , V24 (6) : P1066-1075 doi: 10.1111/plb.13452
Comparative analysis of R2R3-MYB transcription factors in the flower of Iris laevigata identifies a novel gene regulating tobacco cold tolerance.
College of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.; Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.; Department of Biology, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, USA.
Breeding for flower cold resistance is a priority for flower breeding research in northern China. The identification of cold resistance genes will not only provide genetic resources for cold resistance breeding, but also form a basis for the study of plant cold resistance mechanisms. Based on the flower transcriptome of Iris laevigata, 20 R2R3-MYBs were identified and comprehensive analysis, including conservative domain, phylogenetic analyses and functional distribution, were performed for R2R3-MYBs. Expression patterns of the abiotic stress genes under cold stress were detected, the upregulated gene was genetically transformed into tobacco, and the related physiological indicators of the transgenic tobacco were measured. A novel cold resistance gene, IlMYB306, was obtained. qRT-PCR indicated that IlMYB306 was dramatically induced by cold stress and was significantly upregulated in roots. The free proline content, MDA, SOD and POD activity of the transgenic tobacco improved after cold stress, and the chlorophyll content decreased slowly. In addition, overexpression of IlMYB306 improved cold resistance of the seeds. SEM results showed leaves of transgenic tobacco had obvious folds, more grooves and bulges on the lower leaf surface. Overall, we report a novel cold resistance R2R3-MYB gene, IlMYB306, in the flower of I. laevigata, which could improve tobacco cold stress tolerance by thickening the waxy layer, increasing antioxidant activity and the content of proline.
PMID: 35779251
Plant Direct , IF:3.038 , 2022 Sep , V6 (9) : Pe449 doi: 10.1002/pld3.449
Cold-inducible promoter-driven knockdown of Brachypodium antifreeze proteins confers freezing and phytopathogen susceptibility.
Department of Biology Queen's University Kingston Ontario Canada.; Present address: Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA.; School of Environmental Studies Queen's University Kingston Ontario Canada.
The model forage crop, Brachypodium distachyon, has a cluster of ice recrystallization inhibition (BdIRI) genes, which encode antifreeze proteins that function by adsorbing to ice crystals and inhibiting their growth. The genes were targeted for knockdown using a cold-induced promoter from rice (prOsMYB1R35) to drive miRNA. The transgenic lines showed no apparent pleiotropic developmental defects but had reduced antifreeze activity as assessed by assays for ice-recrystallization inhibition, thermal hysteresis, electrolyte leakage, and leaf infrared thermography. Strikingly, the number of cold-acclimated transgenic plants that survived freezing at -8 degrees C was reduced by half or killed entirely, depending on the line, compared with cold-acclimated wild type plants. In addition, more leaf damage was apparent at subzero temperatures in knockdowns after infection with an ice nucleating pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae. Although antifreeze proteins have been studied for almost 60 years, this is the first unequivocal demonstration of their function by knockdown in any organism, and their dual contribution to freeze protection as well as pathogen susceptibility, independent of obvious developmental defects. These proteins are thus of potential interest in a wide range of biotechnological applications from cryopreservation, to frozen product additives, to the engineering of transgenic crops with enhanced pathogen and freezing tolerance.
PMID: 36172079
J Phys Chem B , IF:2.991 , 2022 Oct , V126 (39) : P7638-7650 doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01359
Homeoviscous Adaptation of the Lipid Membrane of a Soil Bacterium Surviving under Diurnal Temperature Variation: A Molecular Simulation Perspective.
Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, Bihar 801106, India.
A recent experiment has reported the lipidome remodeling of a soil-based plant-associated bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens due to diurnal temperature variations. The key adaptation strategy is the headgroup-specific remodeling of the acyl chain. To understand the idiosyncratic adaptation at the molecular level, we simulate the model membrane of the same bacterium using the reported lipidome compositions at four different experimental temperatures. We investigate the temperature-dependent packing density and fluidity of the membrane, the constancy of which is key to the homeoviscous adaptation. The results show that complex lipidome remodeling approximately preserves membrane properties under heat and cold stress. The headgroup-specific remodeling of the acyl chain serves to fine-tune the packing density and fluidity of the membrane at different temperatures. While lipids with strongly interacting headgroups are more abundant at higher temperatures, the lipidome is more dominated by lipids with weaker interacting headgroups at lower temperatures. This adaptation alleviates lipid membrane disruption caused by heat and cold stress. This study provides a molecular picture of the homeoviscous adaptation of the realistic lipid membrane of a soil-based bacterium.
PMID: 36166758
PeerJ , IF:2.984 , 2022 , V10 : Pe14021 doi: 10.7717/peerj.14021
The cold-stress responsive gene DREB1A involved in low-temperature tolerance in Xinjiang wild walnut.
College of Horticulture, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China.; Institute of Horticultural Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences/Key Laboratory of Genome Research and Genetic Improvement of Xinjiang Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables/Xinjiang Fruit Science Experiment Station, Ministry of Agriculture, Urumqi, China.; College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, China.
Background: Low-temperatures have the potential to be a serious problem for plants and can negatively affect the normal growth and development of walnuts. DREB1/CBF (Dehydration Responsive Element Binding Protein 1/C-repeat Binding Factor), one of the most direct transcription factors in response to low-temperature stress, may improve the resistance of plants to low-temperatures by regulating their functional genes. However, few studies have been conducted in walnut. The Xinjiang wild walnut is a rare wild plant found in China, with a large number of excellent trait genes, and is hardier than cultivated walnuts in Xinjiang. Methods: In this work, we identified all of the DREB1 members from the walnut genome and analyzed their expression levels in different tissues and during low-temperature stress on the Xinjiang wild walnut. The JfDREB1A gene of the Xinjiang wild walnut was cloned and transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana for functional verification. Results: There were five DREB1 transcription factors in the walnut genome. Among them, the relative expression level of the DREB1A gene was significantly higher than other members in the different tissues (root, stem, leaf) and was immediately un-regulated under low-temperature stress. The overexpression of the JfDREB1A gene increased the survival rates of transgenic Arabidopsis lines, mainly through maintaining the stability of cell membrane, decreasing the electrical conductivity and increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT). Additionally, the expression levels of cold-inducible genes like AtKIN1, AtERD10, AtRD29A, AtCOR15A and AtCOR47, were significantly increased. These results showed that the JfDREB1A gene may play an important role in the response to cold stress of the Xinjiang wild walnut. This study contributes to our understanding of the molecular mechanism of the Xinjiang wild walnut's response to low-temperature stress and will be beneficial for developing walnut cultivars with improved cold resistance.
PMID: 36101878
Cryobiology , IF:2.487 , 2022 Sep doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2022.08.004
Pre-stress salicylic-acid treatment as an intervention strategy for freeze-protection in spinach: Foliar versus sub-irrigation application and duration of efficacy.
Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.; Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. Electronic address: rarora@iastate.edu.
Exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) to plant tissues has been shown to confer tolerance against various abiotic stresses. Recently, SA application through sub-irrigation was shown to improve plant freezing tolerance (FT). For SA treatment to be employable as an effective intervention strategy for frost protection under field conditions, it is important to study its effect on FT when applied as a foliar spray to whole plants. It is also important to determine for how long the FT-improvement by SA lasts. Present study was conducted to compare SA-induced FT of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. 'Reflect') seedlings following SA-application by foliar spray vs. sub-irrigation. Durability of FT-promotive effect of SA was evaluated using three freeze-tests over a 4-d period, i.e., at 10-d, 12-d, and 14-d after the SA application. Freezing stress was applied using a temperature-controlled freeze-thaw protocol, and FT was assessed by visual observations (leaf flaccidness vs. turgidity) as well as ion-leakage assay. Data indicated that both foliar spray and sub-irrigation methods improved FT of the seedlings against a relatively moderate (-5.5 degrees C) as well as severe stress (-6.5 degrees C). Moreover, improved FT against moderate stress was sustained over a 4-d period, whereas such benefit waned somewhat against the severe stress. SA-treated leaves' growth performance was similar to the non-treated control based on dry weight, fresh weight, leaf area, and dry weight/leaf area parameters. Our results suggest that SA application as a foliar spray can potentially be used to protect field-grown transplants against episodic frosts.
PMID: 36122766
3 Biotech , IF:2.406 , 2022 Oct , V12 (10) : P274 doi: 10.1007/s13205-022-03328-7
Insights to the superoxide dismutase genes and its roles in Hevea brasiliensis under abiotic stress.
Yunnan Institute of Tropical Crops, Xishuangbanna, 666100 China.grid.495573.90000 0004 1766 3791
The superoxide dismutase (SOD) protein significantly influences the development and growth of plants and their reaction to abiotic stresses. However, little is known about the characteristics of rubber tree SOD genes and their expression changes under abiotic stresses. The present study recognized 11 SOD genes in the rubber tree genome, including 7 Cu/ZnSODs, 2 MnSODs, and 2 FeSODs. Except for HbFSD1, SODs were scattered on five chromosomes. The phylogenetic analysis of SOD proteins in rubber trees and a few other plants demonstrated that the SOD proteins contained three major subgroups. Moreover, the genes belonging to the same clade contained similar gene structures, which confirmed their classification further. The extension of the SOD gene family in the rubber tree was mainly induced by the segmental duplication events. The cis-acting components analysis showed that HbSODs were utilized in many biological procedures. The transcriptomics data indicated that the phosphorylation of the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II might control the cold response genes through the CBF pathway and activate the SOD system to respond to cold stress. The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of HbCSD1 was significantly downregulated under drought and salt stresses, which might dominate the adaption capability to different stresses. Additionally, salt promoted the expression levels of HbMSD1 and HbMSD2, exhibiting their indispensable role in the salinity reaction. The study results will provide a theoretical basis for deep research on HbSODs in rubber trees. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-022-03328-7.
PMID: 36110566
Anim Biotechnol , IF:2.282 , 2022 Oct , V33 (5) : P842-850 doi: 10.1080/10495398.2020.1841651
Oral administration of potato peel extract affects serum blood metabolites, liver function and ameliorating oxidative stress induced in rabbits exposed to cold stress.
Department of Animal and Fish Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Saba-Basha, Alexandria University, Bolkley- Alexandria, Egypt.; Department of Livestock Research, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, Alexandria, Egypt.; Department of Animal Production and Health, Federal University of Technology Akure, Akure, Nigeria.; Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, Toluca, Mexico.
This study investigated the effect of potato peel extract (PPE), orally administrated to rabbits, on serum blood metabolites and ameliorating oxidative stress induced by cold stress under Egyptian winter conditions. Twenty-four bucks grouped into three treatments (8 animals per group) were used for the experiment. The animals received 1.5 ml of water orally, containing 0 (PPE0), 25 (PPE25) or 50 (PPE50) mg PPE/kg live weight. Bucks were randomly assigned into three homogenous equal groups according to the level of PPE. Treatments were applied to each animal every two days over a period of three months including one month as an adaptation period. At the 8th week of the experiment, blood samples were collected from each buck and at the end of the experiment, bucks were slaughtered, and some organs were collected and weighed. The PPE improved (p < 0.05) blood total protein, albumin, globulin and glucose. The blood concentration of total lipid, cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein (were increased (p < 0.02) in PPE rabbits. Furthermore, PPE extract doses decreased (p < 0.001) oxidant thiobarbituric reactive substance (TBARS) in both blood and liver. Other liver and blood antioxidant system enzymes such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase were improved (p < 0.005) by PPE supplementation. Overall, oral administration of PPE up to 50 mg/kg live weight can have positive effects on rabbit health under cold stress.
PMID: 33164663