J Extracell Vesicles , IF:25.841 , 2023 Jan , V12 (1) : Pe12285 doi: 10.1002/jev2.12285
Bacterial outer membrane vesicles induce a transcriptional shift in arabidopsis towards immune system activation leading to suppression of pathogen growth in planta.
Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Institute, Rishon LeZion, Israel.; The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Gram-negative bacteria form spherical blebs on their cell periphery, which later dissociate from the bacterial cell wall to form extracellular vesicles. These nano scale structures, known as outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), have been shown to promote infection and disease and can induce typical immune outputs in both mammal and plant hosts. To better understand the broad transcriptional change plants undergo following exposure to OMVs, we treated Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) seedlings with OMVs purified from the Gram-negative plant pathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris and performed RNA-seq analysis on OMV- and mock-treated plants at 2, 6 and 24 h post challenge. The most pronounced transcriptional shift occurred at the first two time points tested, as reflected by the number of differentially expressed genes and the average fold change. OMVs induce a major transcriptional shift towards immune system activation, upregulating a multitude of immune-related pathways including a variety of immune receptors. Comparing the response of Arabidopsis to OMVs and to purified elicitors, revealed that OMVs induce a similar suite of genes and pathways as single elicitors, however, pathways activated by OMVs and not by other elicitors were detected. Pretreating Arabidopsis plants with OMVs and subsequently infecting with a bacterial pathogen led to a significant reduction in pathogen growth. Mutations in the plant elongation factor receptor (EFR), flagellin receptor (FLS2), or the brassinosteroid-insensitive 1-associated kinase (BAK1) co-receptor, did not significantly affect the immune priming effect of OMVs. All together these results show that OMVs induce a broad transcriptional shift in Arabidopsis leading to upregulation of multiple immune pathways, and that this transcriptional change may facilitate resistance to bacterial infection.
PMID: 36645092
Trends Plant Sci , IF:18.313 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.12.006
Mass spectrometric exploration of phytohormone profiles and signaling networks.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China. Electronic address: chenym@cau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, 450002, Zhengzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China.; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Phytohormones have crucial roles in plant growth, development, and acclimation to environmental stress; however, measuring phytohormone levels and unraveling their complex signaling networks and interactions remains challenging. Mass spectrometry (MS) has revolutionized the study of complex biological systems, enabling the comprehensive identification and quantification of phytohormones and their related targets. Here, we review recent advances in MS technologies and highlight studies that have used MS to discover and analyze phytohormone-mediated molecular events. In particular, we focus on the application of MS for profiling phytohormones, elucidating phosphorylation signaling, and mapping protein interactions in plants.
PMID: 36585336
Nat Plants , IF:15.793 , 2022 Dec , V8 (12) : P1440-1452 doi: 10.1038/s41477-022-01289-6
Brassinosteroid-induced gene repression requires specific and tight promoter binding of BIL1/BZR1 via DNA shape readout.
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.; Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.; Tsukuba Plant-Innovation Research Center (T-PIRC), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.; Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.; Global Zero Emission Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.; Gene Discovery Research Group, RIKEN CSRS, Wako, Saitama, Japan.; Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.; Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. amtanok@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.; Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. miyakawa.takuya.7j@kyoto-u.ac.jp.; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan. miyakawa.takuya.7j@kyoto-u.ac.jp.
BRZ-INSENSITIVE-LONG 1 (BIL1)/BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (BZR1) and its homologues are plant-specific transcription factors that convert the signalling of the phytohormones brassinosteroids (BRs) to transcriptional responses, thus controlling various physiological processes in plants. Although BIL1/BZR1 upregulates some BR-responsive genes and downregulates others, the molecular mechanism underlying the dual roles of BIL1/BZR1 is still poorly understood. Here we show that BR-responsive transcriptional repression by BIL1/BZR1 requires the tight binding of BIL1/BZR1 alone to the 10 bp elements of DNA fragments containing the known 6 bp core-binding motifs at the centre. Furthermore, biochemical and structural evidence demonstrates that the selectivity for two nucleobases flanking the core motifs is realized by the DNA shape readout of BIL1/BZR1 without direct recognition of the nucleobases. These results elucidate the molecular and structural basis of transcriptional repression by BIL1/BZR1 and contribute to further understanding of the dual roles of BIL1/BZR1 in BR-responsive gene regulation.
PMID: 36522451
EMBO J , IF:11.598 , 2022 Dec : Pe111883 doi: 10.15252/embj.2022111883
Brassinosteroid signals cooperate with katanin-mediated microtubule severing to control stamen filament elongation.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.; Houji Laboratory of Shanxi Province, Academy of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, China.; Institute of Feed Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Proper stamen filament elongation is essential for pollination and plant reproduction. Plant hormones are extensively involved in every stage of stamen development; however, the cellular mechanisms by which phytohormone signals couple with microtubule dynamics to control filament elongation remain unclear. Here, we screened a series of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants showing different microtubule defects and revealed that only those unable to sever microtubules, lue1 and ktn80.1234, displayed differential floral organ elongation with less elongated stamen filaments. Prompted by short stamen filaments and severe decrease in KTN1 and KTN80s expression in qui-2 lacking five BZR1-family transcription factors (BFTFs), we investigated the crosstalk between microtubule severing and brassinosteroid (BR) signaling. The BFTFs transcriptionally activate katanin-encoding genes, and the microtubule-severing frequency was severely reduced in qui-2. Taken together, our findings reveal how BRs can regulate cytoskeletal dynamics to coordinate the proper development of reproductive organs.
PMID: 36546550
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2023 Jan doi: 10.1093/plcell/koad013
Mapping the signaling network of BIN2 kinase using TurboID-mediated biotin labeling and phosphoproteomics.
Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.; Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.; Research Institute for Convergence of Basic Science, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, South Korea.; Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.; Departments of Genetics, Biology, and Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.; Department of Cell & Systems Biology/Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada.; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Elucidating enzyme-substrate relationships in posttranslational modification (PTM) networks is crucial for understanding signal transduction pathways but is technically difficult because enzyme-substrate interactions tend to be transient. Here we demonstrate that TurboID-based proximity labeling (TbPL) effectively and specifically captures the substrates of kinases and phosphatases. TbPL-mass spectrometry (TbPL-MS) identified over four hundred proximal proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE2 (BIN2), a member of the GLYCOGEN SYNTHASE KINASE 3 (GSK3) family that integrates signaling pathways controlling diverse developmental and acclimation processes. A large portion of the BIN2 proximal proteins showed BIN2-dependent phosphorylation in vivo or in vitro, suggesting that these are BIN2 substrates. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that the BIN2 proximal proteins include interactors of BIN2 substrates, revealing a high level of interactions among the BIN2 proximal proteins. Our proteomic analysis establishes the BIN2 signaling network and uncovers BIN2 functions in regulating key cellular processes such as transcription, RNA processing, translation initiation, vesicle trafficking, and cytoskeleton organization. We further discovered significant overlap between the GSK3 phosphorylome and the O-GlcNAcylome, suggesting an evolutionarily ancient relationship between GSK3 and the nutrient-sensing O-glycosylation pathway. Our work presents a powerful method for mapping PTM networks, a large dataset of GSK3 kinase substrates, and important insights into the signaling network that controls key cellular functions underlying plant growth and acclimation.
PMID: 36660928
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2023 Jan doi: 10.1093/plcell/koad007
Spatiotemporal formation of the large vacuole regulated by the BIN2-VLG module is required for female gametophyte development in Arabidopsis.
School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, The Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.; Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds/Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.; School of Agriculture and Biology, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering and Institute of Biodiversity Sciences, Institute of Plant Biology, Center for Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China.
In Arabidopsis thaliana, female gametophyte (FG) development is accompanied by the formation and expansion of the large vacuole in the FG; this is essential for FG expansion, nuclear polar localization, and cell fate determination. Arabidopsis VACUOLELESS GAMETOPHYTES (VLG) facilitates vesicular fusion to form large vacuole in the FG, but the regulation of VLG remains largely unknown. Here we found that gain-of-function mutation of BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE2 (BIN2) (bin2-1) increases VLG abundance to induce the vacuole formation at stage FG1, and leads to abortion of FG. Loss-of-function mutation of BIN2 and its homologs (bin2-3 bil1 bil2) reduced VLG abundance and mimicked vlg/VLG phenotypes. Knocking down VLG in bin2-1 decreased the ratio of aberrant vacuole formation at stage FG1, whereas FG1-specific overexpression of VLG mimicked the bin2-1 phenotype. VLG partially rescued the bin2-3 bil1 bil2 phenotype, demonstrating that VLG acts downstream of BIN2. Mutation of VLG residues that are phosphorylated by BIN2 altered VLG stability and a phosphorylation mimic of VLG causes similar defects as did bin2-1. Therefore, BIN2 may function by interacting with and phosphorylating VLG in the FG to enhance its stability and abundance, thus facilitating vacuole formation. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into how the BIN2-VLG module regulates the spatiotemporal formation of the large vacuole in FG development.
PMID: 36648110
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1093/plcell/koac364
An ERAD-related E2-E3 enzyme pair controls grain size and weight through the brassinosteroid signaling pathway in rice.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.; Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.; Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China.; College of Tropical Crops Hainan University, Hainan University, Haikou 570288, China.; The Innovative of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572025, China.
Grain size is an important agronomic trait, but our knowledge about grain size determination in crops is still limited. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) is a special ubiquitin proteasome system that is involved in degrading misfolded or incompletely folded proteins in the ER. Here, we report that SMALL GRAIN 3 (SMG3) and DECREASED GRAIN SIZE 1 (DGS1), an ERAD-related E2-E3 enzyme pair, regulate grain size and weight through the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway in rice (Oryza sativa). SMG3 encodes a homolog of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) UBIQUITIN CONJUGATING ENZYME 32 (UBC32), which is a conserved ERAD-associated E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme. SMG3 interacts with another grain size regulator, DGS1. Loss of function of SMG3 or DGS1 results in small grains, while overexpression of SMG3 or DGS1 leads to long grains. Further analyses showed that DGS1 is an active E3 ubiquitin ligase and co-locates with SMG3 in the ER. SMG3 and DGS1 are involved in BR signaling. DGS1 ubiquitinates the BR receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1) and affects its accumulation. Genetic analysis suggests that SMG3, DGS1 and BRI1 act together to regulate grain size and weight. In summary, our findings identify an ERAD-related E2-E3 pair that regulates grain size and weight, which gives insight into the function of ERAD in grain size control and BR signaling.
PMID: 36519262
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2023 Jan , V35 (1) : P340-342 doi: 10.1093/plcell/koac326
Crosstalk between ethylene, light, and brassinosteroid signaling in the control of apical hook formation.
Assistant Features Editor, The Plant Cell, American Society of Plant Biologists, USA.; Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
PMID: 36377974
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A , IF:11.205 , 2023 Jan , V120 (4) : Pe2217255120 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2217255120
SUMO/deSUMOylation of the BRI1 brassinosteroid receptor modulates plant growth responses to temperature.
Plant Science Research Laboratory, Unite Mixte de Recherche 5546 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Universite Toulouse 3, 31320 Auzeville Tolosane, France.; Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a class of steroid molecules perceived at the cell surface that act as plant hormones. The BR receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) offers a model to understand receptor-mediated signaling in plants and the role of post-translational modifications. Here we identify SUMOylation as a new modification targeting BRI1 to regulate its activity. BRI1 is SUMOylated in planta on two lysine residues, and the levels of BRI1 SUMO conjugates are controlled by the Desi3a SUMO protease. Loss of Desi3a leads to hypersensitivity to BRs, indicating that Desi3a acts as a negative regulator of BR signaling. Besides, we demonstrate that BRI1 is deSUMOylated at elevated temperature by Desi3a, leading to increased BRI1 interaction with the negative regulator of BR signaling BIK1 and to enhanced BRI1 endocytosis. Loss of Desi3a or BIK1 results in increased response to temperature elevation, indicating that BRI1 deSUMOylation acts as a safety mechanism necessary to keep temperature responses in check. Altogether, our work establishes BRI1 deSUMOylation as a molecular crosstalk mechanism between temperature and BR signaling, allowing plants to translate environmental inputs into growth response.
PMID: 36652487
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2023 Jan , V237 (2) : P497-514 doi: 10.1111/nph.18560
Molecular evidence for adaptive evolution of drought tolerance in wild cereals.
College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.; Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.; Central Laboratory, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, China.; Collaborative Innovation Centre for Grain Industry, College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, China.; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou, 311300, China.; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China.; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK.; Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, 34988384, Haifa, Israel.; Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7004, Australia.; School of Biological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia.; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.; School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.; Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
The considerable drought tolerance of wild cereal crop progenitors has diminished during domestication in the pursuit of higher productivity. Regaining this trait in cereal crops is essential for global food security but requires novel genetic insight. Here, we assessed the molecular evidence for natural variation of drought tolerance in wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum), wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides), and Brachypodium species collected from dry and moist habitats at Evolution Canyon, Israel (ECI). We report that prevailing moist vs dry conditions have differentially shaped the stomatal and photosynthetic traits of these wild cereals in their respective habitats. We present the genomic and transcriptomic evidence accounting for differences, including co-expression gene modules, correlated with physiological traits, and selective sweeps, driven by the xeric site conditions on the African Slope (AS) at ECI. Co-expression gene module 'circadian rhythm' was linked to significant drought-induced delay in flowering time in Brachypodium stacei genotypes. African Slope-specific differentially expressed genes are important in barley drought tolerance, verified by silencing Disease-Related Nonspecific Lipid Transfer 1 (DRN1), Nonphotochemical Quenching 4 (NPQ4), and Brassinosteroid-Responsive Ring-H1 (BRH1). Our results provide new genetic information for the breeding of resilient wheat and barley in a changing global climate with increasingly frequent drought events.
PMID: 36266957
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2023 Jan , V237 (2) : P684-697 doi: 10.1111/nph.18557
Engineered ATG8-binding motif-based selective autophagy to degrade proteins and organelles in planta.
College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.; Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.; WIMI Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Changzhou, 213000, China.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Function and Regulation in Agricultural Organisms, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Protein-targeting technologies represent essential approaches in biological research. Protein knockdown tools developed recently in mammalian cells by exploiting natural degradation mechanisms allow for precise determination of protein function and discovery of degrader-type drugs. However, no method to directly target endogenous proteins for degradation is currently available in plants. Here, we describe a novel method for targeted protein clearance by engineering an autophagy receptor with a binder to provide target specificity and an ATG8-binding motif (AIM) to link the targets to nascent autophagosomes, thus harnessing the autophagy machinery for degradation. We demonstrate its specificity and broad potentials by degrading various fluorescence-tagged proteins, including cytosolic mCherry, the nucleus-localized bZIP transcription factor TGA5, and the plasma membrane-anchored brassinosteroid receptor BRI1, as well as fluorescence-coated peroxisomes, using a tobacco-based transient expression system. Stable expression of AIM-based autophagy receptors in Arabidopsis further confirms the feasibility of this approach in selective autophagy of endogenous proteins. With its wide substrate scope and its specificity, our concept of engineered AIM-based selective autophagy could provide a convenient and robust research tool for manipulating endogenous proteins in plants and may open an avenue toward degradation of cytoplasmic components other than proteins in plant research.
PMID: 36263708
Plant Biotechnol J , IF:9.803 , 2023 Jan doi: 10.1111/pbi.14005
GhPRE1A promotes cotton fibre elongation by activating the DNA-binding bHLH factor GhPAS1.
Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 450000, Zhengzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 455000, Anyang, China.; College of Life Sciences and Agronomy, Zhoukou Normal University, 466000, Zhoukou, China.; Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 831100, Changji, China.
PMID: 36609789
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2023 Jan doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad005
BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 internalization can occur independent of ligand binding.
Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.; Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.; Structural Plant Biology Laboratory, Department of Botany and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.; College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710062, P.R. China.; Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tubingen, 72076 Tubingen, Germany.; Laboratoire Reproduction et Developpement des Plantes (RDP), Universite de Lyon, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), 69342 Lyon, France.
The brassinosteroid (BR) hormone and its plasma membrane receptor BR INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) is one of the best-studied receptor-ligand pairs for understanding the interplay between receptor endocytosis and signaling in plants. BR signaling is mainly determined by the plasma membrane pool of BRI1, whereas BRI1 endocytosis ensures signal attenuation. Since BRs are ubiquitously distributed in the plant, the tools available to study BRI1 function without interference from endogenous BRs are limited. Here, we designed a BR-binding-deficient Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutant based on protein sequence-structure analysis and homology modeling of members of BRI1 family. This tool allowed us to re-examine the BRI1 endocytosis and signal attenuation model. We showed that despite impaired phosphorylation and ubiquitination, BR-binding-deficient BRI1 internalizes similarly to the wild-type form. Our data indicate that BRI1 internalization relies on different endocytic machinery. In addition, the BR-binding-deficient mutant provides opportunities to study non-canonical ligand-independent BRI1 functions.
PMID: 36617237
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiac590
A brassinosteroid transcriptional regulatory network participates in regulating fiber elongation in cotton.
State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, Henan, China.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China.; Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, HenanChina.; Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, 415 Leon Johnson Hall, USA.; Western Agricultural Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changji, 831100, Xinjiang, China.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) participate in the regulation of plant growth and development through BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR1 (BES1)/BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (BZR1) family transcription factors. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fibers are highly elongated single cells, and BRs play a vital role in the regulation of fiber elongation. However, the mode of action on how BR is involved in the regulation of cotton fiber elongation remains unexplored. Here, we generated GhBES1.4 over expression lines and found that overexpression of GhBES1.4 promoted fiber elongation, whereas silencing of GhBES1.4 reduced fiber length. DNA affinity purification and sequencing (DAP-seq) identified 1531 target genes of GhBES1.4 (GBST), and 5 recognition motifs of GhBES1.4 were identified by enrichment analysis. Combined analysis of DAP-seq and RNA-seq data of GhBES1.4-OE/RNAi provided mechanistic insights into GhBES1.4-mediated regulation of cotton fiber development. Further, with the integrated approach of GWAS, RNA-seq, and DAP-seq, we identified seven genes related to fiber elongation that were directly regulated by GhBES1.4. Of them, we showed Cytochrome P450 84A1 (GhCYP84A1) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase 1 (GhHMG1) promote cotton fiber elongation. Overall, the present study established the role of GhBES1.4-mediated gene regulation and laid the foundation for further understanding the mechanism of BR participation in regulating fiber development.
PMID: 36542688
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiac568
Kinase regulators evolved into two families by gain and loss of ability to bind plant steroid receptors.
College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi Province, P.R. China.
All biological functions evolve by fixing beneficial mutations and removing deleterious ones. Therefore, continuously fixing and removing the same essential function to separately diverge monophyletic gene families sounds improbable. Yet, here we report that BKI1 (BRI1 KINASE INHIBITOR1)/MAKRs (MEMBRANE-ASSOCIATED KINASE REGULATORS) regulating a diverse function evolved into BKI1 and MAKR families from a common ancestor by respectively enhancing and losing ability to bind brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 (BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1). The BKI1 family includes BKI1, MAKR1/BKI1-like 1 (BKL1) and BKL2 while the MAKR family contains MAKR2-6. Seedless plants contain only BKL2. In seed plants, MAKR1/BKL1 and MAKR3, duplicates of BKL2, gained and lost the ability to bind BRI1, respectively. In angiosperms, BKL2 lost the ability to bind BRI1 to generate MAKR2 while BKI1 and MAKR6 were duplicates of MAKR1/BKL1 and MAKR3, respectively. In dicots, MAKR4 and MAKR5 were duplicates of MAKR3 and MAKR2, respectively. Importantly, BKI1 localized in the plasma membrane but BKL2 localized to the nuclei while MAKR1/BKL1 localized throughout the whole cell. Importantly, BKI1 strongly and MAKR1/BKL1 weakly inhibited plant growth but BKL2 and the MAKR family did not inhibit plant growth. Functional study of the chimeras of their N- and C-termini showed that only the BKI1 family was partially reconstructable, supporting stepwise evolution by a seesaw mechanism between their C- and N-termini to alternately gain an ability to bind and inhibit BRI1, respectively. Nevertheless, the C-terminal BRI1-interacting motif best defines the divergence of BKI1/MAKRs. Therefore, BKI1 and MAKR families evolved by gradually gaining and losing the same function, respectively, extremizing divergent evolution and adding insights into gene (BKI1/MAKR) duplication and divergence.
PMID: 36494097
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1111/pce.14502
Red-light receptor phytochrome B inhibits BZR1-NAC028-CAD8B signaling to negatively regulate rice resistance to sheath blight.
Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China.; Laboratory of Rice Disease Research, Institution of Plant Protection, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang, China.; Rice Research Institute, College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China.; Department of Plant Protection, Rice Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.; Department of Biological Science, College of Life Science, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi, China.; Liaoning Province Shiyan High School, Shenyang, China.; College of Biology and Food Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Chongqing, China.
Phytochrome (Phy)-regulated light signalling plays important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, its function in rice defence against sheath blight disease (ShB) remains unclear. Here, we found that PhyB mutation or shade treatment promoted rice resistance to ShB, while resistance was reduced by PhyB overexpression. Further analysis showed that PhyB interacts with phytochrome-interacting factor-like 15 (PIL15), brassinazole resistant 1 (BZR1), and vascular plant one-zinc-finger 2 (VOZ2). Plants overexpressing PIL15 were more susceptible to ShB in contrast to bzr1-D-overexpressing plants compared with the wild-type, suggesting that PhyB may inhibit BZR1 to negatively regulate rice resistance to ShB. Although BZR1 is known to regulate brassinosteroid (BR) signalling, the observation that BR signalling negatively regulated resistance to ShB indicated an independent role for BZR1 in controlling rice resistance. It was also found that the BZR1 ligand NAC028 positively regulated resistance to ShB. RNA sequencing showed that cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase 8B (CAD8B), involved in lignin biosynthesis was upregulated in both bzr1-D- and NAC028-overexpressing plants compared with the wild-type. Yeast-one hybrid, ChIP, and transactivation assays demonstrated that BZR1 and NAC028 activate CAD8B directly. Taken together, the analyses demonstrated that PhyB-mediated light signalling inhibits the BZR1-NAC028-CAD8B pathway to regulate rice resistance to ShB.
PMID: 36457051
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2022 Dec , V45 (12) : P3551-3565 doi: 10.1111/pce.14441
HOP1 and HOP2 are involved in salt tolerance by facilitating the brassinosteroid-related nucleo-cytoplasmic partitioning of the HSP90-BIN2 complex.
College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
The co-chaperone heat shock protein (HSP)70-HSP90 organizing protein (HOP) is involved in plant thermotolerance. However, its function in plant salinity tolerance was not yet studied. We found that Arabidopsis HOP1 and HOP2 play critical roles in salt tolerance by affecting the nucleo-cytoplasmic partitioning of HSP90 and brassinosteroid-insensitive 2 (BIN2). A hop1/2 double mutant was hypersensitive to salt-stress. Interestingly, this sensitivity was remedied by exogenous brassinolide application, while the application of brassinazole impeded growth of both wild-type (WT) and hop1/2 plants under normal and salt stress conditions. This suggested that the insufficient brassinosteroid (BR) content was responsible for the salt-sensitivity of hop1/2. After WT was transferred to salt stress conditions, HOP1/2, BIN2 and HSP90 accumulated in the nucleus, brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1) was phosphorylated and accumulated in the cytoplasm, and BR content significantly increased. This initial response resulted in dephosphorylation of BZR1 and BR response. This dynamic regulation of BR content was impeded in salt-stressed hop1/2. Thus, we propose that HOP1 and HOP2 are involved in salt tolerance by affecting BR signalling.
PMID: 36123951
Microbiol Spectr , IF:7.171 , 2023 Jan : Pe0362122 doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03621-22
Duplicated Flagellins in Pseudomonas Divergently Contribute to Motility and Plant Immune Elicitation.
Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.; Department of Plant Pathology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Flagellins are the main constituents of the flagellar filaments that provide bacterial motility, chemotactic ability, and host immune elicitation ability. Although the functions of flagellins have been extensively studied in bacteria with a single flagellin-encoding gene, the function of multiple flagellin-encoding genes in a single bacterial species is largely unknown. Here, the model plant-growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas kilonensis F113 was used to decipher the divergent functions of duplicated flagellins. We demonstrate that the two flagellins (FliC-1 and FliC-2) in 12 Pseudomonas strains, including F113, are evolutionarily distinct. Only the fliC-1 gene but not the fliC-2 gene in strain F113 is responsible for flagellar biogenesis, motility, and plant immune elicitation. The transcriptional expression of fliC-2 was significantly lower than that of fliC-1 in medium and in planta, most likely due to variations in promoter activity. In silico prediction revealed that all fliC-2 genes in the 12 Pseudomonas strains have a poorly conserved promoter motif. Compared to the Flg22-2 epitope (relative to FliC-2), Flg22-1 (relative to FliC-1) induced stronger FLAGELLIN SENSING 2 (FLS2)-mediated microbe-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity and significantly inhibited plant root growth. A change in the 19th amino acid in Flg22-2 reduced its binding affinity to the FLS2/brassinosteroid insensitive 1-associated kinase 1 complex. Also, Flg22-2 epitopes in the other 11 Pseudomonas strains were presumed to have low binding affinity due to the same change in the 19th amino acid. These findings suggest that Pseudomonas has evolved duplicate flagellins, with only FliC-1 contributing to motility and plant immune elicitation. IMPORTANCE Flagellins have emerged as important microbial patterns. This work focuses on flagellin duplication in some plant-associated Pseudomonas. Our findings on the divergence of duplicated flagellins provide a conceptual framework for better understanding the functional determinant flagellin and its peptide in multiple-flagellin plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria.
PMID: 36629446
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2023 Jan doi: 10.1111/jipb.13458
A Nicotiana benthamiana receptor-like kinase regulates Phytophthora resistance by coupling with BAK1 to enhance elicitin-triggered immunity.
College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China.; College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.; Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China.; Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.
Cell-surface-localized leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) are crucial for plant immunity. Most LRR-RLKs that act as receptors directly recognize ligands via a large extracellular domain (ECD), whereas LRR-RLK that serve as regulators are relatively small and contain fewer LRRs. Here, we identified LRR-RLK regulators using high-throughput tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based gene silencing in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana. We used the cell-death phenotype caused by INF1, an oomycete elicitin that induces pattern-triggered immunity, as an indicator. By screening 33 small LRR-RLKs (
PMID: 36661038
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1111/jipb.13443
Brassinosteroid signaling regulates phosphate starvation-induced malate secretion in plants.
Microelement Research Center, College of Resources & Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.; Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Ministry of Agriculture, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Inorganic phosphate (Pi) is often limited in soils due to precipitation with iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al). To scavenge heterogeneously distributed phosphorus (P) resources, plants have evolved a local Pi signaling pathway that induces malate secretion to solubilize the occluded Fe-P or Al-P oxides. In this study, we show that Pi limitation impaired brassinosteroid signaling and downregulated BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (BZR1) expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Exogenous 2,4-epibrassinolide treatment or constitutive activation of BZR1 (in the bzr1-D mutant) significantly reduced primary root growth inhibition under Pi-starvation conditions by downregulating ALUMINUM-ACTIVATED MALATE TRANSPORTER 1 (ALMT1) expression and malate secretion. Furthermore, AtBZR1 competitively suppressed the activator effect of SENSITIVITY TO PROTON RHIZOTOXICITY 1 (STOP1) on ALMT1 expression and malate secretion in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves and Arabidopsis. The ratio of nuclear-localized STOP1 and BZR1 determined ALMT1 expression and malate secretion in Arabidopsis. In addition, BZR1-inhibited malate secretion is conserved in rice (Oryza sativa). Our findings provide insight into plant mechanisms for optimizing the secretion of malate, an important carbon resource, to adapt to Pi-deficiency stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID: 36579777
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1111/jipb.13442
Brassinosteroids fine-tune secondary and primary sulfur metabolism through BZR1-mediated transcriptional regulation.
Department of Horticulture, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality improvement, Ministry of Agriculture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.; School of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 221116, China.; Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, China.; College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
For adaptation to ever-changing environments, plants have evolved elaborate metabolic systems coupled to a regulatory network for optimal growth and defense. Regulation of plant secondary metabolic pathways such as glucosinolates (GSLs) by defense phytohormones in response to different stresses and nutrient deficiency has been intensively investigated, while how growth-promoting hormone balances plant secondary and primary metabolism has been largely unexplored. Here, we found that growth-promoting hormone brassinosteroid (BR) inhibits GSLs accumulation while enhancing biosynthesis of primary sulfur metabolites, including cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) both in Arabidopsis and Brassica crops, fine-tuning secondary and primary sulfur metabolism to promote plant growth. Furthermore, we demonstrate that of BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1), the central component of BR signaling, exerts distinct transcriptional inhibition regulation on indolic and aliphatic GSL via direct MYB51 dependent repression of indolic GSL biosynthesis, while exerting partial MYB29 dependent repression of aliphatic GSL biosynthesis. Additionally, BZR1 directly activates the transcription of APR1 and APR2 which encodes rate-limiting enzyme adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate reductases in the primary sulfur metabolic pathway. In summary, our findings indicate that BR inhibits the biosynthesis of GSLs to prioritize sulfur usage for primary metabolites under normal growth conditions. These findings expand our understanding of BR promoting plant growth from a metabolism perspective.
PMID: 36573424
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2023 Jan , V65 (1) : P64-81 doi: 10.1111/jipb.13397
CKL2 mediates the crosstalk between abscisic acid and brassinosteroid signaling to promote swift growth recovery after stress in Arabidopsis.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.; Key Laboratory of Plant Stress, Life Science College, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China.
Plants must adapt to the constantly changing environment. Adverse environmental conditions trigger various defensive responses, including growth inhibition mediated by phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). When the stress recedes, plants must transit rapidly from stress defense to growth recovery, but the underlying mechanisms by which plants switch promptly and accurately between stress resistance and growth are poorly understood. Here, using quantitative phosphoproteomics strategy, we discovered that early ABA signaling activates upstream components of brassinosteroid (BR) signaling through CASEIN KINASE 1-LIKE PROTEIN 2 (CKL2). Further investigations showed that CKL2 interacts with and phosphorylates BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1), the main BR receptor, to maintain the basal activity of the upstream of BR pathway in plants exposed to continuous stress conditions. When stress recedes, the elevated phosphorylation of BRI1 by CKL2 contributes to the swift reactivation of BR signaling, which results in quick growth recovery. These results suggest that CKL2 plays a critical regulatory role in the rapid switch between growth and stress resistance. Our evidence expands the understanding of how plants modulate stress defense and growth by integrating ABA and BR signaling cascades.
PMID: 36282494
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2023 Jan , V65 (1) : P10-24 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.
PMID: 36053143
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2023 Jan , V74 (1) : P283-295 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac429
BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE1-1, a positive regulator of brassinosteroid signalling, modulates plant architecture and grain size in rice.
Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.; College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China.; Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Jiangsu Provincial Center of Plant Gene Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a crucial class of plant hormones that regulate plant growth and development, thus affecting many important agronomic traits in crops. However, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of the BR signalling pathway in rice. In this study, we provide multiple lines of evidence to indicate that BR-SIGNALING KINASE1-1 (OsBSK1-1) likely represents a missing component in the BR signalling pathway in rice. We showed that knockout mutants of OsBSK1-1 are less sensitive to BR and exhibit a pleiotropic phenotype, including lower plant height, less tiller number and shortened grain length, whereas transgenic plants overexpressing a gain-of-function dominant mutant form of OsBSK1-1 (OsBSK1-1A295V) are hypersensitive to BR, and exhibit some enhanced BR-responsive phenotypes. We found that OsBSK1-1 physically interacts with the BR receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (OsBRI1), and GLYCOGEN SYNTHASE KINASE2 (OsGSK2), a downstream component crucial for BR signalling. Moreover, we showed that OsBSK1-1 can be phosphorylated by OsBRI1 and can inhibit OsGSK2-mediated phosphorylation of BRASSINOSTEROID RESISTANT1 (OsBZR1). We further demonstrated that OsBSK1-1 genetically acts downstream of OsBRI1, but upstream of OsGSK2. Together, our results suggest that OsBSK1-1 may serve as a scaffold protein directly bridging OsBRI1 and OsGSK2 to positively regulate BR signalling, thus affecting plant architecture and grain size in rice.
PMID: 36346128
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2022 Dec doi: 10.1111/tpj.16058
Altered expression levels of long non-coding natural antisense transcripts overlapping the UGT73C6 gene affect rosette size in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Department of Molecular Signal Processing, Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Halle/Saale, D-06120, Germany.; Section Microbial Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale, D-06120, Germany.
Natural antisense long non-coding RNAs (lncNATs) are involved in the regulation of gene expression in plants, modulating different relevant developmental processes and responses to various stimuli. We have identified and characterized two lncNATs (NAT1(UGT73C6) and NAT2(UGT73C6) , collectively NATs(UGT73C6) ) from Arabidopsis thaliana that are transcribed from a gene fully overlapping UGT73C6, a member of the UGT73C subfamily of genes encoding UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Expression of both NATs(UGT73C6) is developmentally controlled and occurs independently of the transcription of UGT73C6 in cis. Downregulation of NATs(UGT73C6) levels through artificial microRNAs results in a reduction of the rosette area, while constitutive overexpression of NAT1(UGT73C6) or NAT2(UGT73C6) leads to the opposite phenotype, an increase in rosette size. This activity of NATs(UGT73C6) relies on its RNA sequence and, although modulation of UGT73C6 in cis cannot be excluded, the observed phenotypes are not a consequence of the regulation of UGT73C6 in trans. The NATs(UGT73C6) levels were shown to affect cell proliferation and thus individual leaf size. Consistent with this concept, our data suggest that the NATs(UGT73C6) influence the expression levels of key transcription factors involved in regulating leaf growth by modulating cell proliferation. These findings thus reveal an additional regulatory layer on the process of leaf growth. In this work, we characterized at the molecular level two long non-coding RNAs (NATs(UGT73C6) ) that are transcribed in the opposite direction to UGT73C6, a gene encoding a glucosyltransferase involved in brassinosteroid homeostasis in A. thaliana. Our results indicate that NATs(UGT73C6) expression influences leaf growth by acting in trans and by modulating the levels of transcription factors that are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation.
PMID: 36495314
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2023 Jan , V113 (1) : P92-105 doi: 10.1111/tpj.16036
CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing applied to MdPGT1 in apple results in reduced foliar phloridzin without impacting plant growth.
Research and Innovation Centre, Edmund Mach Foundation, Via Edmund Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy.; C3A Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, Via Edmund Mach 1, San Michele all'Adige, 38098, Italy.; The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, 120 Mt Albert Road, Auckland, 1025, New Zealand.; Research Group Plant Defense Physiology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoll-Strasse 8, Jena, 07745, Germany.; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences and Palacky University, Slechtitelu 19, Olomouc, CZ-783 71, Czech Republic.
Phloridzin is the most abundant polyphenolic compound in apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.), which results from the action of a key phloretin-specific UDP-2'-O-glucosyltransferase (MdPGT1). Here, we simultaneously assessed the effects of targeting MdPGT1 by conventional transgenesis and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated genome editing. To this end, we conducted transcriptomic and metabolic analyses of MdPGT1 RNA interference knockdown and genome-edited lines. Knockdown lines exhibited characteristic impairment of plant growth and leaf morphology, whereas genome-edited lines exhibited normal growth despite reduced foliar phloridzin. RNA-sequencing analysis identified a common core of regulated genes, involved in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathways. However, we identified genes and processes differentially modulated in stunted and genome-edited lines, including key transcription factors and genes involved in phytohormone signalling. Therefore, we conducted a phytohormone profiling to obtain insight into their role in the phenotypes observed. We found that salicylic and jasmonic acid were increased in dwarf lines, whereas auxin and ABA showed no correlation with the growth phenotype. Furthermore, bioactive brassinosteroids were commonly up-regulated, whereas gibberellin GA(4) was distinctively altered, showing a sharp decrease in RNA interference knockdown lines. Expression analysis by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction expression analysis further confirmed transcriptional regulation of key factors involved in brassinosteroid and gibberellin interaction. These findings suggest that a differential modulation of phytohormones may be involved in the contrasting effects on growth following phloridzin reduction. The present study also illustrates how CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing can be applied to dissect the contribution of genes involved in phloridzin biosynthesis in apple.
PMID: 36401738
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf , IF:6.291 , 2023 Jan , V251 : P114534 doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114534
Exogenous brassinosteroid alleviates calcium deficiency induced tip-burn by regulating calcium transport in Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis.
College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.; College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; State Key Laboratory of Arid-land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China. Electronic address: hull@gsau.edu.cn.; College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; State Key Laboratory of Arid-land Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China. Electronic address: yujihuagg@163.com.
Mini Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. Pekinensis) plays an important role in the supply of summer vegetables on the plateau in western China. In recent years, tip-burn has seriously affected the yield, quality and commodity value of mini Chinese cabbage. Calcium (Ca(2+)) deficiency is a key inducer of tip-burn. As a new type plant hormone, brassinolide (BR) is involved in regulating a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. To explore the alleviation role of BR in tip-burn caused by Ca(2+) deficiency, a hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the relationship between BR and Ca(2+) absorption and transport. The results showed that foliar spraying with 0.5 microM BR significantly reduced tip-burn incidence rate and disease index of mini Chinese cabbage caused by Ca(2+) deficiency. Moreover, the dynamic monitoring results of tip-burn incidence rate showed that the value reached the highest on the ninth day after treatment. BR promoted the Ca(2+) transport from roots to shoots and from outer leaves to inner leaves by increasing the activities of Ca(2+)-ATPase and H(+)-ATPase as well as the total ATP content, which provided power for Ca(2+) transport. In addition, exogenous BR upregulated the relative expression levels of BrACA4, BrACA11, BrECA1, BrECA3, BrECA4, BrCAX1, BrCAS and BrCRT2, whereas Ca(2+) deficiency induced down-regulation. In conclusion, exogenous BR can alleviate the Ca(2+)-deficiency induced tip-burn of mini Chinese cabbage by promoting the transport and distribution of Ca(2+).
PMID: 36646009
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf , IF:6.291 , 2022 Dec , V248 : P114298 doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.114298
Exogenous 24-epibrassinolide boosts plant growth under alkaline stress from physiological and transcriptomic perspectives: The case of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).
College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: maqian1994@nwafu.edu.cn.; College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: weg2990762254@163.com.; College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: 2018050099@nwafu.edu.cn.; College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: yuanyuhao@nwsuaf.edu.cn.; College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: xzlfengyu@nwafu.edu.cn.; College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: ljjzl2014@163.com.; Shaanxi Provincial Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Xi'an 710000, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: zhaolin_1204@163.com.; College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, PR China. Electronic address: fengbaili@nwafu.edu.cn.
Land alkalization is an abiotic stress that affects global sustainable agricultural development and the balance of natural ecosystems. In this study, two broomcorn millet cultivars, T289 (alkaline-tolerant) and S223 (alkaline-sensitive), were selected to investigate the response of broomcorn millet to alkaline stress and the role of brassinolide (BR) in alkaline tolerance. Phenotypes, physiologies, and transcriptomes of T289 and S223 plants under only alkaline stress (AS) and alkaline stress with BR (AB) were compared. The results showed that alkaline stress inhibited growth, promoted the accumulation of soluble sugars and malondialdehyde, enhanced electrolyte leakage, and destroyed the integrity of broomcorn millet stomata. In contrast, BR lessened the negative effects of alkaline stress on plants. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that relative to control groups (CK, nutrient solution), in AS groups, 21,113 and 12,151 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in S223 and T289, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) revealed various terms and pathways related to metabolism. Compared to S223, alkaline stress strongly activated the brassinosteroid biosynthesis pathway in T289. Conversely, ARF, TF, and TCH4, associated with cell growth and elongation, were inhibited by alkaline stress in S223. Moreover, alkaline stress induced the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, the abscisic acid signaling pathway that initiates stomatal closure, as well as the starch and sucrose metabolism. The EG and BGL genes, which are associated with cellulose degradation, were notably activated. BR enhanced alkaline tolerance, thereby alleviating the transcriptional responses of the two cultivars. Cultivar T289 is better in alkalized regions. Taken together, these results reveal how broomcorn millet responds to alkaline stress and BR mitigates alkaline stress, thus promoting agriculture in alkalized regions.
PMID: 36403299
Commun Biol , IF:6.268 , 2023 Jan , V6 (1) : P45 doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-04440-x
Shaping transcriptional responses to a phytohormone.
Communications Biology, . david.favero@us.nature.com.
The BIL1/BZR1 transcription factor is known to regulate transcriptional responses to the brassinosteroid class of phytohormones by directly recognizing short cis regulatory elements in promoters. A new study by Shohei Nosaki, Nobutaka Mitsuda, and colleagues published in Nature Plants indicates that binding of this transcription factor is additionally affected by nucleobases that influence DNA shape but are not directly contacted by BIL1/BZR1.
PMID: 36639703
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Dec , V24 (1) doi: 10.3390/ijms24010445
Brassinosteroid Promotes Grape Berry Quality-Focus on Physicochemical Qualities and Their Coordination with Enzymatic and Molecular Processes: A Review.
Department of Plant Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Brassinosteroid (BR) is an important endogenous phytohormone that plays a significant role in fruit quality regulation. The regulation of BR biosynthesis and its physiological effects have been well-studied in various fruits. External quality (fruit longitudinal and transverse diameters, firmness, single berry weight, color) and internal quality (sugars, aroma, anthocyanin, stress-related metabolites) are important parameters that are modified during grape berry development and ripening. Grapevines are grown all over the world as a cash crop and utilized for fresh consumption, wine manufacture, and raisin production. In this paper, the biosynthesis and signaling transduction of BR in grapevine were summarized, as well as the recent developments in understanding the role of BR in regulating the external quality (fruit longitudinal and transverse diameters, firmness, single berry weight, and color) and internal quality (sugars, organic acids, aroma substances, anthocyanins, antioxidants) of grapes. Additionally, current advancements in exogenous BR strategies for improving grape berries quality were examined from the perspectives of enzymatic activity and transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, the interaction between BR and other phytohormones regulating the grape berry quality was also discussed, aiming to provide a reliable reference for better understanding the potential value of BR in the grape/wine industry.
PMID: 36613887
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Dec , V24 (1) doi: 10.3390/ijms24010088
GA-Mediated Disruption of RGA/BZR1 Complex Requires HSP90 to Promote Hypocotyl Elongation.
Biotechnology Department, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece.; Laboratory of Virology, Scientific Directorate of Phytopathology, Benaki Phytopathological Institute, 14561 Athens, Greece.; Biology Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15701 Athens, Greece.
Circuitries of signaling pathways integrate distinct hormonal and environmental signals, and influence development in plants. While a crosstalk between brassinosteroid (BR) and gibberellin (GA) signaling pathways has recently been established, little is known about other components engaged in the integration of the two pathways. Here, we provide supporting evidence for the role of HSP90 (HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90) in regulating the interplay of the GA and BR signaling pathways to control hypocotyl elongation of etiolated seedlings in Arabidopsis. Both pharmacological and genetic depletion of HSP90 alter the expression of GA biosynthesis and catabolism genes. Major components of the GA pathway, like RGA (REPRESSOR of ga1-3) and GAI (GA-INSENSITIVE) DELLA proteins, have been identified as physically interacting with HSP90. Interestingly, GA-promoted DELLA degradation depends on the ATPase activity of HSP90, and inhibition of HSP90 function stabilizes the DELLA/BZR1 (BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1) complex, modifying the expression of downstream transcriptional targets. Our results collectively reveal that HSP90, through physical interactions with DELLA proteins and BZR1, modulates DELLA abundance and regulates the expression of BZR1-dependent transcriptional targets to promote plant growth.
PMID: 36613530
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Dec , V23 (24) doi: 10.3390/ijms232415889
EBF1 Negatively Regulates Brassinosteroid-Induced Apical Hook Development and Cell Elongation through Promoting BZR1 Degradation.
The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of plant steroid hormones that play important roles in a wide range of developmental and physiological processes in plants. Transcription factors BRASSINOZALE-RESISTANT1 (BZR1) and its homologs are key components of BR signaling and integrate a wide range of internal and environmental signals to coordinate plant growth and development. Although several E3 ligases have been reported to regulate the stability of BZR1, the molecular mechanism of BZR1 degradation remains unclear. Here, we reveal how a newly identified molecular mechanism underlying EBF1 directly regulates BZR1 protein stability via the 26S proteasome pathway, repressing BR function on regulating Arabidopsis apical hook development and hypocotyl elongation. BZR1 directly binds to the EBF1 gene promotor to reduce EBF1 expression. Furthermore, the genetic analysis shows that BZR1, EIN3 and PIF4 interdependently regulate plant apical hook development. Taken together, our data demonstrates that EBF1 is a negative regulator of the BR signaling pathway.
PMID: 36555537
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Dec , V23 (23) doi: 10.3390/ijms232315308
Enhancing the Expression of the OsF3H Gene in Oryza sativa Leads to the Regulation of Multiple Biosynthetic Pathways and Transcriptomic Changes That Influence Insect Resistance.
Department of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.; Coastal Agriculture Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.; Natural and Medical Science Research Center, University of Nizwa, Nizwa 611, Oman.; Department of Botany, Garden Campus, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.; Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju 54874, Republic of Korea.
The white-backed planthopper (WBPH) is a major pest of rice crops and causes severe loss of yield. We previously developed the WBPH-resistant rice cultivar "OxF3H" by overexpressing the OsF3H gene. Although there was a higher accumulation of the flavonoids kaempferol (Kr) and quercetin (Qu) as well as salicylic acid (SA) in OxF3H transgenic (OsF3H or Trans) plants compared to the wild type (WT), it is still unclear how OsF3H overexpression affects these WBPH resistant-related changes in gene expression in OxF3H plants. In this study, we analyze RNA-seq data from OxF3H and WT at several points (0 h, 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h) after WBPH infection to explain how overall changes in gene expression happen in these two cultivars. RT-qPCR further validated a number of the genes. Results revealed that the highest number of DEGs (4735) between the two genotypes was detected after 24 h of infection. Interestingly, it was found that several of the DEGs between the WT and OsF3H under control conditions were also differentially expressed in OsF3H in response to WBPH infestation. These results indicate that significant differences in gene expression between the "OxF3H" and "WT" exist as the infection time increases. Many of these DEGs were related to oxidoreductase activity, response to stress, salicylic acid biosynthesis, metabolic process, defense response to pathogen, cellular response to toxic substance, and regulation of hormone levels. Moreover, genes involved in salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene (Et) biosynthesis were upregulated in OxF3H plants, while jasmonic acid (JA), brassinosteroid (Br), and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways were found downregulated in OxF3H plants during WBPH infestation. Interestingly, many DEGs related to pathogenesis, such as OsPR1, OsPR1b, OsNPR1, OsNPR3, and OsNPR5, were found to be significantly upregulated in OxF3H plants. Additionally, genes related to the MAPKs pathway and about 30 WRKY genes involved in different pathways were upregulated in OxF3H plants after WBPH infestation. This suggests that overexpression of the OxF3H gene leads to multiple transcriptomic changes and impacts plant hormones and pathogenic-related and secondary-metabolites-related genes, enhancing the plant's resistance to WBPH infestation.
PMID: 36499636
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2022 Dec , V23 (23) doi: 10.3390/ijms232315082
Revisiting AGAMOUS-LIKE15, a Key Somatic Embryogenesis Regulator, Using Next Generation Sequencing Analysis in Arabidopsis.
Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center (KTRDC), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.; Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.; Biopathogenix, Nicholasville, KY 40356, USA.; Department of Plant and Soil Science, Institute for Genomics of Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
AGAMOUS-like 15 (AGL15) is a member of the MADS-domain transcription factor (TF) family. MADS proteins are named for a conserved domain that was originally from an acronym derived from genes expressed in a variety of eukaryotes (MCM1-AGAMOUS-DEFICIENS-SERUM RESPONSE FACTOR). In plants, this family has expanded greatly, with more than one-hundred members generally found in dicots, and the proteins encoded by these genes have often been associated with developmental identity. AGL15 transcript and protein accumulate primarily in embryos and has been found to promote an important process called plant regeneration via somatic embryogenesis (SE). To understand how this TF performs this function, we have previously used microarray technologies to assess direct and indirect responsive targets of this TF. We have now revisited this question using next generation sequencing (NGS) to both characterize in vivo binding sites for AGL15 as well as response to the accumulation of AGL15. We compared these data to the prior microarray results to evaluate the different platforms. The new NGS data brought to light an interaction with brassinosteroid (BR) hormone signaling that was "missed" in prior Gene Ontology analysis from the microarray studies.
PMID: 36499403
PLoS Genet , IF:5.917 , 2022 Dec , V18 (12) : Pe1010541 doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010541
A role for brassinosteroid signalling in decision-making processes in the Arabidopsis seedling.
Botany, School of Life Sciences, Technische Universitat Munchen, Freising, Germany.; Systematic Botany and Mycology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.; Mathematics and Computer Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Polen.; Plant Molecular Biology (Botany), Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Martinsried, Germany.
Plants often adapt to adverse conditions via differential growth, whereby limited resources are discriminately allocated to optimize the growth of one organ at the expense of another. Little is known about the decision-making processes that underly differential growth. In this study, we developed a screen to identify decision making mutants by deploying two tools that have been used in decision theory: a well-defined yet limited budget, as well as conflict-of-interest scenarios. A forward genetic screen that combined light and water withdrawal was carried out. This identified BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 2 (BIN2) alleles as decision mutants with "confused" phenotypes. An assessment of organ and cell length suggested that hypocotyl elongation occurred predominantly via cellular elongation. In contrast, root growth appeared to be regulated by a combination of cell division and cell elongation or exit from the meristem. Gain- or loss- of function bin2 mutants were most severely impaired in their ability to adjust cell geometry in the hypocotyl or cell elongation as a function of distance from the quiescent centre in the root tips. This study describes a novel paradigm for root growth under limiting conditions, which depends not only on hypocotyl-versus-root trade-offs in the allocation of limited resources, but also on an ability to deploy different strategies for root growth in response to multiple stress conditions.
PMID: 36508461
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2022 , V13 : P1077920 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1077920
Comprehensive transcriptome analysis reveals heat-responsive genes in flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis) using RNA sequencing.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, International Crop Research Center for Stress Resistance, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, UWA School of Agriculture & Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis Tsen et Lee, 2n=20, AA) is a vegetable species in southern parts of China that faces high temperatures in the summer and winter seasons. While heat stress adversely impacts plant productivity and survival, the underlying molecular and biochemical causes are poorly understood. This study investigated the gene expression profiles of heat-sensitive (HS) '3T-6' and heat-tolerant (HT) 'Youlu-501' varieties of flowering Chinese cabbage in response to heat stress using RNA sequencing. Among the 37,958 genes expressed in leaves, 20,680 were differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 1, 6, and 12 h, with 1,078 simultaneously expressed at all time points in both varieties. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified three clusters comprising 1,958, 556, and 591 down-regulated, up-regulated, and up- and/or down-regulated DEGs (3205 DEGs; 8.44%), which were significantly enriched in MAPK signaling, plant-pathogen interactions, plant hormone signal transduction, and brassinosteroid biosynthesis pathways and involved in stimulus, stress, growth, reproductive, and defense responses. Transcription factors, including MYB (12), NAC (13), WRKY (11), ERF (31), HSF (17), bHLH (16), and regulatory proteins such as PAL, CYP450, and photosystem II, played an essential role as effectors of homeostasis, kinases/phosphatases, and photosynthesis. Among 3205 DEGs, many previously reported genes underlying heat stress were also identified, e.g., BraWRKY25, BraHSP70, BraHSPB27, BraCYP71A23, BraPYL9, and BraA05g032350.3C. The genome-wide comparison of HS and HT provides a solid foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms of heat tolerance in flowering Chinese cabbage.
PMID: 36531374
J Agric Food Chem , IF:5.279 , 2022 Dec , V70 (51) : P16229-16240 doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07072
Novel Plant Growth Regulator Guvermectin from Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Boosts Biomass and Grain Yield in Rice.
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.; State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.; Key Laboratory of Vector Biology and Pathogen Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Life Science, Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, China.; Institute of Plant Protection, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China.
Food is a fundamental human right, and global food security is threatened by crop production. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) play an essential role in improving crop yield and quality, and this study reports on a novel PGR, termed guvermectin (GV), isolated from plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, which can promote root and coleoptile growth, tillering, and early maturing in rice. GV is a nucleoside analogue like cytokinin (CK), but it was found that GV significantly promoted root and hypocotyl growth, which is different from the function of CK in Arabidopsis. The Arabidopsis CK receptor triple mutant ahk2-2 ahk3-3 cre1-12 still showed a GV response. Moreover, GV led different growth-promoting traits from auxin, gibberellin (GA), and brassinosteroid (BR) in Arabidopsis and rice. The results from a four-year field trial involving 28 rice varieties showed that seed-soaking treatment with GV increased the yields by 6.2 to 19.6%, outperforming the 4.0 to 10.8% for CK, 1.6 to 16.9% for BR, and 2.2 to 7.1% for GA-auxin-BR mixture. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that GV induced different transcriptome patterns from CK, auxin, BR, and GA, and SAUR genes may regulate GV-mediated plant growth and development. This study suggests that GV represents a novel PGR with a unique signal perception and transduction pathway in plants.
PMID: 36515163
Plant Cell Physiol , IF:4.927 , 2023 Jan , V63 (12) : P1848-1856 doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcac149
Integration of Auxin, Brassinosteroid and Cytokinin in the Regulation of Rice Yield.
Department of Life Sciences, POSTECH Biotech Center, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Namgu, Pohang-si 37673, South Korea.; Department of Botany, Hindu Girls College, Maharshi Dayanand University, Sonipat 131001, India.; Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, 03 Quang Trung, Da Nang, TX 79409, Vietnam.; Department of Plant and Soil Science, Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA.
Crop varieties with a high yield are most desirable in the present context of the ever-growing human population. Mostly, the yield traits are governed by a complex of numerous molecular and genetic facets modulated by various quantitative trait loci (QTLs). With the identification and molecular characterizations of yield-associated QTLs over recent years, the central role of phytohormones in regulating plant yield is becoming more apparent. Most often, different groups of phytohormones work in close association to orchestrate yield attributes. Understanding this cross talk would thus provide new venues for phytohormone pyramiding by editing a single gene or QTL(s) for yield improvement. Here, we review a few important findings to integrate the knowledge on the roles of auxin, brassinosteroid and cytokinin and how a single gene or a QTL could govern cross talk among multiple phytohormones to determine the yield traits.
PMID: 36255097
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2022 Dec , V325 : P111482 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111482
OsCPD1 and OsCPD2 are functional brassinosteroid biosynthesis genes in rice.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China. Electronic address: hdzhan@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; College of Life Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC DWARF (CPD), member of the CYP90A family of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) monooxygenase, is an essential component of brassinosteroids (BRs) biosynthesis pathway. Compared with a single CPD/CYP90A1 in Arabidopsis thaliana, two highly homologous CPD genes, OsCPD1/CYP90A3 and OsCPD2/CYP90A4, are present in rice genome. There is still no genetic evidence so far about the requirement of OsCPD1 and OsCPD2 in rice BR biosynthesis. In this study, we reported the functional characterization of OsCPD genes using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. The overall growth and development of oscpd1 and oscpd2 single knock-out mutants was indistinguishable from the wild-type, whereas, the oscpd1 oscpd2 double mutant displayed multiple and obvious BR-related defects. Cytological analyses further indicated the defective cell elongation in oscpd1 oscpd2 double mutant. The oscpd double mutants had a lower endogenous BR level and could be restored by the application of the brassinolide (BL). Moreover, overexpression of OsCPD1 and OsCPD2 led to a typical BR enhanced phenotype, with enlarged leaf angle and increased grain size. Taken together, our results provide direct genetic evidence that OsCPD1 and OsCPD2 play essential and redundant roles in maintenance of plant architecture by modulating BR biosynthesis in rice.
PMID: 36191635
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2023 Jan doi: 10.1007/s00299-023-02981-3
Propiconazole-induced brassinosteroid deficiency reduces female fertility by inhibiting female gametophyte development in woodland strawberry.
Yokohama City University, Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Maioka 641-12, Totsuka, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0813, Japan.; Advanced Instrumental Analysis Center, Teikyo University, 1-1 Toyosatodai, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, 321-8505, Japan.; Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, 350 Mine, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, 321-8505, Japan.; Department of Biosciences, Teikyo University, 1-1 Toyosatodai, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, 320-8551, Japan.; Yokohama City University, Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Maioka 641-12, Totsuka, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0813, Japan. aynakamu@yokohama-cu.ac.jp.
In woodland strawberry, a brassinosteroid biosynthesis inhibitor propiconazole induced typical brassinosteroid-deficient phenotypes and decreased female fertility due to attenuated female gametophyte development. Brassinosteroids (BRs) play roles in various aspects of plant development. We investigated the physiological roles of BRs in the woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca. BR-level-dependent phenotypes were observed using a BR biosynthetic inhibitor, propiconazole (PCZ), and the most active natural BR, brassinolide (BL). Endogenous BL and castasterone, the active BRs, were below detectable levels in PCZ-treated woodland strawberry. The plants were typical BR-deficient phenotypes, and all phenotypes were restored by treatment with BL. These observations indicate that PCZ is an effective inhibitor of BR in woodland strawberry. Only one gene for each major step of BR biosynthesis in Arabidopsis is encoded in the woodland strawberry genome. BR biosynthetic genes are highly expressed during the early stage of fruit development. Emasculated flowers treated with BL failed to develop fruit, implying that BR is not involved in parthenocarpic fruit development. Similar to BR-deficient and BR-insensitive Arabidopsis mutants, female fertility was lower in PCZ-treated plants than in mock-treated plants due to failed attraction of the pollen tube to the ovule. In PCZ-treated plants, expression of FveMYB98, the homologous gene for Arabidopsis MYB98 (a marker for synergid cells), was downregulated. Ovules were smaller in PCZ-treated plants than in mock-treated plants, and histological analysis implied that the development of more than half of female gametophytes was arrested at the early stage in PCZ-treated plants. Our findings explain how BRs function during female gametophyte development in woodland strawberry.
PMID: 36629883
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2023 Feb , V195 : P163-169 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.01.007
Light induction of somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis is regulated by PHYTOCHROME E.
Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T2N2, Canada.; Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, R3T2N2, Canada. Electronic address: Claudio.stasolla@umanitoba.ca.
The requirement of light on somatic embryogenesis (SE) has been documented in many species; however, no mechanism of action has been elucidated. Using Arabidopsis SE as a model, the effect of red light (660 nm) during the induction phase corresponding to the formation of the embryogenic tissue was examined. Analyses of several phytochrome mutants revealed that red light signaling, conducive to SE, was mediated by PHYTOCHROME E (PHYE). Both phyE and darkness were sufficient to repress the formation of somatic embryos and reduced the expression of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHIC DWARF 3 (CPD3), a rate limiting step in brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis, as well as AGAMOUS LIKE 15 (AGL15), a key inducer of many SE genes. We further integrated BR signaling and nitric oxide (NO) with PHYE by demonstrating that applications of both compounds to phyE explants and WT explants cultured in the dark partially restored AGL15 expression. These results demonstrate that SE induction by red light operates via PHYE through BR signaling and NO required to induce AGL15.
PMID: 36640683
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2022 Dec , V193 : P78-89 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.10.029
Transcriptome analysis reveals genes potentially related to maize resistance to Rhizoctonia solani.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai an, 271018, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai an, 271018, China. Electronic address: nli@sdau.edu.cn.
Banded leaf and sheath blight (BLSB) is a devasting disease caused by the necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani that affects maize (Zea mays L.) fields worldwide, especially in China and Southeast Asia. Understanding how maize plants respond to R. solani infection is a key step towards controlling the spread of this fungal pathogen. In this study, we determined the transcriptome of maize plants infected by a low-virulence strain (LVS) and a high-virulence strain (HVS) of R. solani for 3 and 5 days by transcriptome deep-sequencing (RNA-seq). We identified 3,015 (for LVS infection) and 1,628 (for HVS infection) differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We confirmed the expression profiles of 10 randomly selected DEGs by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. We also performed a Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis to establish which biological processes are associated with these DEGs, which revealed the enrichment of defense-related GO terms in LVS- and HVS-regulated genes. We selected 388 DEGs upregulated upon fungal infection as possible candidate genes. Among them, the overexpression of ZmNAC41 (encoding NAC transcription factor 41) or ZmBAK1 (encoding BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1) in rice enhanced resistance to R. solani. In addition, overexpressing ZmBAK1 in rice also increased plant height, plant weight, thousand-grain weight, and grain length. The identification of 388 potential key maize genes related to resistance to R. solani provides significant insights into improving BLSB resistance.
PMID: 36343463
BMC Plant Biol , IF:4.215 , 2022 Dec , V22 (1) : P565 doi: 10.1186/s12870-022-03905-1
Identification, evolution, and expression analysis of OsBSK gene family in Oryza sativa Japonica.
College of Agriculture, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163319, Heilongjiang, China.; Engineering Research Center of Crop Straw Utilization, Heilongjiang Province, Daqing, 163319, Heilongjiang, China.; College of Agriculture, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, 163319, Heilongjiang, China. zhaocj15@byau.edu.cn.; Engineering Research Center of Crop Straw Utilization, Heilongjiang Province, Daqing, 163319, Heilongjiang, China. zhaocj15@byau.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Low-carbon Green Agriculture in Northeastern China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Daqing, 163319, Heilongjiang, China. zhaocj15@byau.edu.cn.; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Cultivation and Crop Germplasm Improvement, Daqing, 163319, Heilongjiang, China. zhaocj15@byau.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: As an essential component of the BR (brassinosteroid) signaling pathway, BSK (BR-signalling kinases) plays a vital role in plant growth, development, and stress regulation. There have been sporadic reports on the functions of members of this family in monocotyledonous model plant rice, but few reports have been reported on the phylogenetic analysis and gene expression profiling of the family genes. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 6 OsBSK members were identified at the genomic level by bioinformatics methods, distributed on four rice chromosomes. Through the evolution analysis of 74 BSK proteins from 22 species, it was found that BSKs originated from higher plants, were highly conserved, and could be divided into six subgroups. Among them, OsBSKs belonged to four subgroups or two significant groups. OsBSK family gene promoters contained a large number of light, abscisic acid (ABA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) response-related elements. At the same time, the qRT-PCR test also showed that the genes of this family were involved in response to a variety of hormones, biotic and abiotic stress treatments, and expression patterns of the family gene can be roughly divided into two categories, which were similar to the tissue expression patterns of genes in different growth stages. OsBSK1-1, OsBSK1-2, and OsBSK3 were mostly up-regulated. OsBSK2, OsBSK4, and OsBSK5 were mostly down-regulated or had little change in expression. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the origin and evolution of the BSK family and the farm-out of BSKs in rice growth, development, and stress response. It provides the theoretical reference for in-depth analysis of BR hormone, signal transduction, and molecular breeding design for resistance.
PMID: 36464674
Plant Mol Biol , IF:4.076 , 2023 Jan , V111 (1-2) : P89-106 doi: 10.1007/s11103-022-01313-5
GhBES1 mediates brassinosteroid regulation of leaf size by activating expression of GhEXO2 in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).
Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, Henan, China.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology (Hebei Base), Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, Hebei, China.; College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China.; Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China. liuzhaocaas@163.com.; Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China. yangzuoren@caas.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, Henan, China. yangzuoren@caas.cn.
We proposed a working model of BR to promote leaf size through cell expansion. In the BR signaling pathway, GhBES1 affects cotton leaf size by binding to and activating the expression of the E-box element in the GhEXO2 promoter region. Brassinosteroid (BR) is an essential phytohormone that controls plant growth. However, the mechanisms of BR regulation of leaf size remain to be determined. Here, we found that the BR deficient cotton mutant pagoda1 (pag1) had a smaller leaf size than wild-type CRI24. The expression of EXORDIUM (GhEXO2) gene, was significantly downregulated in pag1. Silencing of BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR 1 (GhBES1), inhibited leaf cell expansion and reduced leaf size. Overexpression of GhBES1.4 promoted leaf cell expansion and enlarged leaf size. Expression analysis showed GhEXO2 expression positively correlated with GhBES1 expression. In plants, altered expression of GhEXO2 promoted leaf cell expansion affecting leaf size. Furthermore, GhBES1.4 specifically binds to the E-box elements in the GhEXO2 promoter, inducing its expression. RNA-seq data revealed many down-regulated genes related to cell expansion in GhEXO2 silenced plants. In summary, we discovered a novel mechanism of BR regulation of leaf size through GhBES1 directly activating the expression of GhEXO2.
PMID: 36271986
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2023 Jan , V12 (2) doi: 10.3390/plants12020409
Auxin Transporter OsPIN1b, a Novel Regulator of Leaf Inclination in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Key Laboratory of Herbage & Endemic Crop Biology of Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Herbage & Endemic Crop Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010030, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310006, China.; College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot 010022, China.
Leaf inclination is one of the most important components of the ideal architecture, which effects yield gain. Leaf inclination was shown that is mainly regulated by brassinosteroid (BR) and auxin signaling. Here, we reveal a novel regulator of leaf inclination, auxin transporter OsPIN1b. Two CRISPR-Cas9 homozygous mutants, ospin1b-1 and ospin1b-2, with smaller leaf inclination compared to the wild-type, Nipponbare (WT/NIP), while overexpression lines, OE-OsPIN1b-1 and OE-OsPIN1b-2 have opposite phenotype. Further cell biological observation showed that in the adaxial region, OE-OsPIN1b-1 has significant bulge compared to WT/NIP and ospin1b-1, indicating that the increase in the adaxial cell division results in the enlarging of the leaf inclination in OE-OsPIN1b-1. The OsPIN1b was localized on the plasma membrane, and the free IAA contents in the lamina joint of ospin1b mutants were significantly increased while they were decreased in OE-OsPIN1b lines, suggesting that OsPIN1b might action an auxin transporter such as AtPIN1 to alter IAA content and leaf inclination. Furthermore, the OsPIN1b expression was induced by exogenous epibrassinolide (24-eBL) and IAA, and ospin1b mutants are insensitive to BR or IAA treatment, indicating that the effecting leaf inclination is regulated by OsPIN1b. This study contributes a new gene resource for molecular design breeding of rice architecture.
PMID: 36679122
Gene , IF:3.688 , 2023 Feb , V854 : P147059 doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.147059
Grape BES1 transcription factor gene VvBES1-3 confers salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.
College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.; College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China. Electronic address: bhch@gsau.edu.cn.
BRI1-EMS-Suppressor 1 (BES1) regulates plant growth, development, and stress resistance, and plays a pivotal role in the brassinosteroid (BR) signal transduction pathway. In this study, a total of 12 BES1 genes were identified in the grape (Vitis vinifera) genome. Phylogenetic, structure, and motif sequence analyses of these genes provided insights into their evolutionary characteristics. Hormone-, stress-, and light-responsive and organ-specific cis-acting elements were identified in VvBES1 gene promoters. Microarray data analysis showed that VvBES1 family members exhibit diverse expression patterns in different organs. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that the expression levels of VvBES1 genes differed in response to BR, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), cold (4 degrees C), NaCl, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatments. The expression of VvBES1-3 was 29-fold higher under salt stress than control at 12 h. Moreover, VvBES1-3-overexpessing Arabidopsis thaliana plants showed lower malondialdehyde content, higher proline content, enhanced antioxidant enzyme (catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase) activities, and higher salt-responsive gene expression levels than wild-type plants under salt stress, indicating that VvBES1-3 overexpression enhances salt stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results will contribute to further understanding the functions of BES1 transcription factors in the abiotic stress response.
PMID: 36535462
J Plant Physiol , IF:3.549 , 2023 Jan , V280 : P153905 doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153905
Rice miR168a-5p regulates seed length, nitrogen allocation and salt tolerance by targeting OsOFP3, OsNPF2.4 and OsAGO1a, respectively.
Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China.; Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.; Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China. Electronic address: zhangmy@scbg.ac.cn.
Rice microRNA168a (osa-miR168a) plays important roles in mediating flowering time, grain yield and vigor, seeding growth, and immunity by targeting the RNA-induced silencing complex component Argonaute 1 (AGO1). However, the functions of miR168a exerted by targeting other genes require further clarification before it could be used in rice molecular breeding. In this study, we identified a new target gene of osa-miR168a-5p (miR168a-5p) in rice called OsOFP3 (ovate family protein 3) and investigated the roles of miR168a-5p in response to brassinosteroids (BRs), salt stress, and nitrogen allocation. Up- and downregulated miR168a-5p expression respectively decreased and increased the expression of the BR-negative regulator OsOPF3. The results of RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5'RLM-RACE) revealed cleavage sites in OsOPF3 and OsNPF2.4 mRNAs. The phenotype of miR168a-5p transgenic rice was BR-associated and included the lamina bending response to BR, short seeds, and low 1000-grain weight. MicroRNA 168a-5p also regulated the expression of the nitrate transporter, OsNPF2.4, which affected nitrogen allocation, and regulated OsAGO1a expression in response to salt stress. Taken together, rice miR168a-5p regulates BR-associated pathways, nitrogen transport, and stress by targeting OsOFP3, OsNPF2.4, and OsAGO1a, respectively, resulting in a series of important agronomic traits for rice breeding.
PMID: 36580705
Funct Integr Genomics , IF:3.41 , 2022 Dec , V23 (1) : P11 doi: 10.1007/s10142-022-00944-7
Comparative analysis of the potential physiological and molecular mechanisms involved in the response to root zone hypoxia in two rootstock seedlings of the Chinese bayberry via transcriptomic analysis.
Institute of Forestry, Ningbo Academy of Agricultural Science, Ningbo, 315040, China. jydyx@163.com.; Haishu District Agricultural Technology Management Service Station, Ningbo, 315100, China.; Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing, China.; Institute of Forestry, Ningbo Academy of Agricultural Science, Ningbo, 315040, China.
The negative effects of waterlogging can be effectively improved through the use of waterlogging-resistant rootstocks. However, the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms of Chinese bayberry (Morella rubra) rootstock tolerance to waterlogging have not yet been investigated. This study aims to unravel the molecular regulation mechanisms underlying waterlogging-tolerant rootstocks. Two rootstocks, Morella cerifera (tolerant) and Morella rubra (sensitive), were selected for root zone hypoxia treatments, assessments of hormone levels and antioxidant enzyme activity, and transcriptomic analysis. While the contents of abscisic acid (ABA) and brassinosteroid (BR) in the roots of M. rubra decreased significantly after root zone hypoxia treatment, there were no significant changes in M. cerifera. Both the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased in M. cerifera but were decreased in M. rubra. Transcriptome sequencing identified 1,925 (928 up- and 997 downregulated) and 733 (278 up- and 455 downregulated) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two rootstocks. The gene set enrichment analysis showed that 84 gene sets were enriched after root zone hypoxia treatment, including 57 (35 up- and 22 downregulated) and 14 (five up- and nine downregulated) gene sets derived from M. cerifera and M. rubra, respectively, while the remaining 13 gene sets were shared. KEGG pathway analysis showed specific enrichment in six pathways in M. cerifera, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), tyrosine metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, ribosome, cyanoamino acid metabolism, and plant-pathogen interaction pathways. Overall, these results provide preliminary insights into the molecular mechanisms of Chinese bayberry tolerance to waterlogging.
PMID: 36542181
Mol Biotechnol , IF:2.695 , 2023 Jan , V65 (1) : P52-60 doi: 10.1007/s12033-022-00525-w
Target Metabolome and Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Molecular Mechanism Associated with Changes of Tea Quality at Different Development Stages.
Resources & Environment College, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, 860000, China.; School of Biological and Food Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, 241000, China. guoqiang2008@163.com.; School of Biological and Food Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, 241000, China.
This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential quality of tea made from leaves at different development stages. Fresh Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze "Sichuan Colonial" leaves of various development stages, from buds to old leaves, were subjected to transcriptome sequencing and metabolome analysis, and the DESeq package was used for differential expression analysis, followed by functional enrichment analyses and protein interaction analysis. Target metabolome analysis indicated that the contents of most compounds, including theobromine and epicatechin gallate, were lowest in old leaves, and transcriptome analysis revealed that DEGs were significantly involved in extracellular regions and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis-related pathways, and the oleuropein steroid biosynthesis pathway. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified LOC114256852 as a hub gene. Caffeine, theobromine, L-theanine, and catechins were the main metabolites of the tea leaves, and the contents of all four main metabolites were the lowest in old leaves. Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and brassinosteroid biosynthesis may be important targets for breeding efforts to improve tea quality.
PMID: 35780278
Steroids , IF:2.668 , 2023 Feb , V190 : P109153 doi: 10.1016/j.steroids.2022.109153
Cancer and brassinosteroids: Mechanisms of action, SAR and future perspectives.
Instituto de Quimica y Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Valparaiso 2360102, Chile. Electronic address: marcos.lorcac@alumnos.uv.cl.; Instituto de Quimica y Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Valparaiso 2360102, Chile. Electronic address: david.cabezas@postgrado.uv.cl.; Instituto de Quimica y Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Valparaiso 2360102, Chile. Electronic address: ileana.araque@postgrado.uv.cl.; Instituto de Quimica y Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Valparaiso 2360102, Chile. Electronic address: andres.teran@postgrado.uv.cl.; Instituto de Quimica y Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Valparaiso 2360102, Chile. Electronic address: santiago.hernandez@postgrado.uv.cl.; Instituto de Investigacion y Postgrado, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Central de Chile, Santiago 8330507, Chile. Electronic address: marco.mellado@ucentral.cl.; Departamento de Quimica, Universidad Tecnica Federico Santa Maria, Av. Espana No. 1680, Valparaiso 2340000, Chile. Electronic address: luis.espinozac@usm.cl.; Instituto de Quimica y Bioquimica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Valparaiso 2360102, Chile; Centro de Investigacion Farmacopea Chilena (CIFAR), Universidad de Valparaiso, Av. Gran Bretana 1111, Valparaiso 2360102, Chile. Electronic address: jaime.mella@uv.cl.
Brassinosteroids are plant hormones whose main function is to stimulate plant growth. However, they have been studied for their biological applications in humans. Brassinosteroid compounds have displayed an important role in the study of cancer pathology and show potential for developing novel anticancer drugs. In this review we describe the relationship of brassinosteroids with cancer with focus on the last decade, the mechanisms of cytotoxic activity described to date, and a structure-activity relationship based on the available information.
PMID: 36481216
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2163337 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2163337
Arabidopsis clathrin adaptor EPSIN1 but not MODIFIED TRANSPORT TO THE VACOULE1 contributes to effective plant immunity against pathogenic Pseudomonas bacteria.
University of Missouri-Columbia, Division of Biochemistry, Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG), Columbia, MO, USA.; Department of Plant Physiology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
In eukaryotes, EPSINs are Epsin N-terminal Homology (ENTH) domain-containing proteins that serve as monomeric clathrin adaptors at the plasma membrane (PM) or the trans-Golgi Network (TGN)/early endosomes (EE). The model plant Arabidopsis thaliana encodes for seven ENTH proteins, of which so far, only AtEPSIN1 (AtEPS1) and MODIFIED TRANSPORT TO THE VACUOLE1 (AtMTV1) localize to the TGN/EE and contribute to cargo trafficking to both the cell surface and the vacuole. However, relatively little is known about role(s) of any plant EPSIN in governing physiological responses. We have recently shown that AtEPS1 is a positive modulator of plant immune signaling and pattern-triggered immunity against flagellated Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pto) DC3000 bacteria. In eps1 mutants, impaired immune responses correlate with reduced accumulation of the receptor FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (AtFLS2) and the convergent immune co-receptor BRASSINOSTEROID INSENTIVE1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE1 (AtBAK1) in the PM. Here, we report that in contrast to AtEPS1, the TGN/EE-localized AtMTV1 did not contribute significantly to immunity against pathogenic Pto DC3000 bacteria. We also compared the amino acid sequences, peptide motif structures and in silico tertiary structures of the ENTH domains of AtEPS1 and AtMTV1 in more detail. We conclude that despite sharing the classical tertiary alpha helical ENTH-domain structure and clathrin-binding motifs, the overall low amino acid identity and differences in peptide motifs may explain their role(s) in trafficking of some of the same as well as distinct cargo components to their site of function, with the latter potentially contributing to differences in physiological responses.
PMID: 36603596
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2022 Dec : P1-5 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2153209
MYB3R-SCL28-SMR module with a role in cell size control negatively regulates G2 progression in Arabidopsis.
School of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.; RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan.; Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, 860-8555, Japan.; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.; Gene Discovery Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Tsukuba, Japan.; Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.; School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Cell size control is one of the prerequisites for plant growth and development. Recently, a GRAS family transcription factor, SCARECROW-LIKE28 (SCL28), was identified as a critical regulator for both mitotic and postmitotic cell-size control. Here, we show that SCL28 is specifically expressed in proliferating cells and exerts its function to delay G2 progression during mitotic cell cycle in Arabidopsis thaliana. Overexpression of SCL28 provokes a significant enlargement of cells in various organs and tissues, such as leaves, flowers and seeds, to different extents depending on the type of cells. The increased cell size is most likely due to a delayed G2 progression and accelerated onset of endoreplication, an atypical cell cycle repeating DNA replication without cytokinesis or mitosis. Unlike DWARF AND LOW-TILLERING, a rice ortholog of SCL28, SCL28 may not have a role in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling because sensitivity against brassinazole, a BR biosynthesis inhibitor, was not dramatically altered in scl28 mutant and SCL28-overexpressing plants. Collectively, our findings strengthen a recently proposed model of cell size control by SCL28 and suggest the presence of diversified evolutionary mechanisms for the regulation and action of SCL28.
PMID: 36576149
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2022 Dec , V17 (1) : P2084277 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2084277
Behavior and possible function of Arabidopsis BES1/BZR1 homolog 2 in brassinosteroid signaling.
The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan.; Department of Japanese Food Culture, Faculty of Letters, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan.
Two key transcription factors (TFs) in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR 1 (BES1) and BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1), belong to a small family with four BES1/BZR1 homologs (BEH1-4). To date, in contrast to the wealth of knowledge regarding BES1 and BZR1, little is known about BEH1-4. Here, we show that BEH2 was expressed preferentially in the roots and leaf margins including serrations, which was quite different from another member BEH4, and that BRs downregulated BEH2 through a module containing GSK3-like kinases and BES1/BZR1 TFs, among which BES1, rather than BZR1, contributed to this process. In addition, BEH2 consistently existed in the nucleus, suggesting that its subcellular localization is not under BR-dependent nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling control. Furthermore, gene ontology analysis on RNA-seq data indicated that BEH2 may be implicated in stress response and photosynthesis. These findings might assist in the future elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying BR signaling.
PMID: 35695417