Science , IF:47.728 , 2023 May , V380 (6647) : P835-840 doi: 10.1126/science.adf2027
Shifting microbial communities can enhance tree tolerance to changing climates.
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Climate change is pushing species outside of their evolved tolerances. Plant populations must acclimate, adapt, or migrate to avoid extinction. However, because plants associate with diverse microbial communities that shape their phenotypes, shifts in microbial associations may provide an alternative source of climate tolerance. Here, we show that tree seedlings inoculated with microbial communities sourced from drier, warmer, or colder sites displayed higher survival when faced with drought, heat, or cold stress, respectively. Microbially mediated drought tolerance was associated with increased diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, whereas cold tolerance was associated with lower fungal richness, likely reflecting a reduced burden of nonadapted fungal taxa. Understanding microbially mediated climate tolerance may enhance our ability to predict and manage the adaptability of forest ecosystems to changing climates.
PMID: 37228219
Annu Rev Plant Biol , IF:26.379 , 2023 May , V74 : P341-366 doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-102820-102235
Temperature Sensing in Plants.
Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ), Groẞbeeren, Germany; email: kerbler@igzev.de, wigge@igzev.de.; Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Temperature is a key environmental cue that influences the distribution and behavior of plants globally. Understanding how plants sense temperature and integrate this information into their development is important to determine how plants adapt to climate change and to apply this knowledge to the breeding of climate-resilient crops. The mechanisms of temperature perception in eukaryotes are only just beginning to be understood, with multiple molecular phenomena with inherent temperature dependencies, such as RNA melting, phytochrome dark reversion, and protein phase change, being exploited by nature to create thermosensory signaling networks. Here, we review recent progress in understanding how temperature sensing in four major pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana occurs: vernalization, cold stress, thermomorphogenesis, and heat stress. We discuss outstanding questions in the field and the importance of these mechanisms in the context of breeding climate-resilient crops.
PMID: 36854477
Trends Plant Sci , IF:18.313 , 2023 Apr doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.03.001
The role of ethylene in plant temperature stress response.
National Center for Tea Plant Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China. Electronic address: huangjianyan@caas.cn.; Institute of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Zhejiang Province, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.; Plant Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.; National Center for Tea Plant Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology, Genetics and Breeding of Special Economic Animals and Plants, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China. Electronic address: wangxinchao@caas.cn.
Temperature influences the seasonal growth and geographical distribution of plants. Heat or cold stress occur when temperatures exceed or fall below the physiological optimum ranges, resulting in detrimental and irreversible damage to plant growth, development, and yield. Ethylene is a gaseous phytohormone with an important role in plant development and multiple stress responses. Recent studies have shown that, in many plant species, both heat and cold stress affect ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the role of ethylene in plant temperature stress responses and its crosstalk with other phytohormones. We also discuss potential strategies and knowledge gaps that need to be adopted and filled to develop temperature stress-tolerant crops by optimizing ethylene response.
PMID: 37055243
Sci Adv , IF:14.136 , 2023 May , V9 (19) : Peadg1012 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1012
Global crotonylatome and GWAS revealed a TaSRT1-TaPGK model regulating wheat cold tolerance through mediating pyruvate.
National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/CIMMYT-China Wheat and Maize Joint Research Center/Agronomy College, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Here, we reported the complete profiling of the crotonylation proteome in common wheat. Through a combination of crotonylation and multi-omics analysis, we identified a TaPGK associated with wheat cold stress. Then, we confirmed the positive role of TaPGK-modulating wheat cold tolerance. Meanwhile, we found that cold stress induced lysine crotonylation of TaPGK. Moreover, we screened a lysine decrotonylase TaSRT1 interacting with TaPGK and found that TaSRT1 negatively regulated wheat cold tolerance. We subsequently demonstrated TaSRT1 inhibiting the accumulation of TaPGK protein, and this inhibition was possibly resulted from decrotonylation of TaPGK by TaSRT1. Transcriptome sequencing indicated that overexpression of TaPGK activated glycolytic key genes and thereby increased pyruvate content. Moreover, we found that exogenous application of pyruvate sharply enhanced wheat cold tolerance. These findings suggest that the TaSRT1-TaPGK model regulating wheat cold tolerance is possibly through mediating pyruvate. This study provided two valuable cold tolerance genes and dissected diverse mechanism of glycolytic pathway involving in wheat cold stress.
PMID: 37163591
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A , IF:11.205 , 2023 Apr , V120 (16) : Pe2216183120 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2216183120
Clock-regulated coactivators selectively control gene expression in response to different temperature stress conditions in Arabidopsis.
Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.; School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8502, Japan.; College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai, Aichi 487-8501, Japan.; Laboratory of Basic Science on Healthy Longevity, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.; Gene Discovery Research Group, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0074, Japan.; Research Institute for Agricultural and Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan.
Plants respond to severe temperature changes by inducing the expression of numerous genes whose products enhance stress tolerance and responses. Dehydration-responsive element (DRE)-binding protein 1/C-repeat binding factor (DREB1/CBF) transcription factors act as master switches in cold-inducible gene expression. Since DREB1 genes are rapidly and strongly induced by cold stress, the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of DREB1 expression is vital for the recognition of the initial responses to cold stress in plants. A previous study indicated that the circadian clock-related MYB-like transcription factors REVEILLE4/LHY-CCA1-Like1 (RVE4/LCL1) and RVE8/LCL5 directly activate DREB1 expression under cold stress conditions. These RVEs function in the regulation of circadian clock-related gene expression under normal temperature conditions. They also activate the expression of HSF-independent heat-inducible genes under high-temperature conditions. Thus, there are thought to be specific regulatory mechanisms whereby the target genes of these transcription factors are switched when temperature changes are sensed. We revealed that NIGHT LIGHT-INDUCIBLE AND CLOCK-REGULATED (LNK) proteins act as coactivators of RVEs in cold and heat stress responses in addition to regulating circadian-regulated genes at normal temperatures. We found that among the four Arabidopsis LNKs, LNK1 and LNK2 function under normal and high-temperature conditions, and LNK3 and LNK4 function under cold conditions. Thus, these LNK proteins play important roles in inducing specific genes under different temperature conditions. Furthermore, LNK3 and LNK4 are specifically phosphorylated under cold conditions, suggesting that phosphorylation is involved in their activation.
PMID: 37036986
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2023 Jun , V238 (6) : P2440-2459 doi: 10.1111/nph.18882
The transcription factor MYB43 antagonizes with ICE1 to regulate freezing tolerance in Arabidopsis.
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China.; School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China.; School of Horticulture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China.
Previous discovering meticulously illustrates the post-translational modifications and protein stability regulation of ICE1 and their role in cold stress. However, the studies on the interaction of ICE1 with other transcription factors, and their function in modulation cold stress tolerance, as well as in the transition between cold stress and growth are largely insufficient. In this work, we found that maltose binding protein (MBP) 43 directly binds to the promoters of CBF genes to repress their expression, thereby negatively regulating freezing tolerance. Biochemical and genetic analyses showed that MYB43 interacts and antagonizes with ICE1 to regulate the expression of CBF genes and plant's freezing stress tolerance. PLEIOTROPIC REGULATORY LOCUS 1 (PRL1) accumulates under cold stress and promotes MYB43 protein degradation; however, when cold stress disappears, PRL1 restores normal protein levels, causing MYB43 protein to re-accumulate to normal levels. Furthermore, PRL1 positively regulates freezing tolerance by promoting degradation of MYB43 to attenuate its repression of CBF genes and antagonism with ICE1. Thus, our study reveals that MYB43 inhibits CBF genes expression under normal growth condition, while PRL1 promotes MYB43 protein degradation to attenuate its repression of CBF genes and antagonism with ICE1, and thereby to the precise modulation of plant cold stress responses.
PMID: 36922399
Plant Biotechnol J , IF:9.803 , 2023 May , V21 (5) : P1033-1043 doi: 10.1111/pbi.14016
A natural promoter variation of SlBBX31 confers enhanced cold tolerance during tomato domestication.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.; Sanya Institute of Henan University, Sanya, Hainan, China.; Yunnan Key Laboratory of Potato Biology, The AGISCAAS-YNNU Joint Academy of Potato Sciences, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China.; College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.; School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China.; Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.; Institute of Advanced Biotechnology and School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.; Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
Cold stress affects crop growth and productivity worldwide. Understanding the genetic basis of cold tolerance in germplasms is critical for crop improvement. Plants can coordinate environmental stimuli of light and temperature to regulate cold tolerance. However, it remains unknown which gene in germplasms could have such function. Here, we utilized genome-wide association study (GWAS) to investigate the cold tolerance of wild and cultivated tomato accessions and discovered that increased cold tolerance is accompanied with tomato domestication. We further identified a 27-bp InDel in the promoter of the CONSTANS-like transcription factor (TF) SlBBX31 is significantly linked with cold tolerance. Coincidentally, a key regulator of light signalling, SlHY5, can directly bind to the SlBBX31 promoter to activate SlBBX31 transcription while the 27-bp InDel can prevent S1HY5 from transactivating SlBBX31. Parallel to these findings, we observed that the loss of function of SlBBX31 results in impaired tomato cold tolerance. SlBBX31 can also modulate the cold-induced expression of several ERF TFs including CBF2 and DREBs. Therefore, our study has uncovered that SlBBX31 is possibly selected during tomato domestication for cold tolerance regulation, providing valuable insights for the development of hardy tomato varieties.
PMID: 36704926
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2023 May doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad285
Lysine malonylation of DgnsLIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN1 at the K81 site improves cold resistance in chrysanthemum.
Department of Ornamental Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, People's Republic of China.
Lysine malonylation (Kmal) is a recently discovered post-translational modification, and its role in the response to abiotic stress has not been reported in plants. In this study, we isolated a non-specific lipid transfer protein, DgnsLTP1, from chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflorum var. Jinba). Overexpression and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing of DgnsLTP1 demonstrated that the protein endows chrysanthemum with cold tolerance. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H), bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), luciferase complementation imaging (LCI) and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experimental results showed that DgnsLTP1 interacts with a plasma membrane intrinsic protein DgPIP (plasma membrane intrinsic protein). Overexpressing DgPIP boosted the expression of DgGPX (Glutathione peroxidase), increased the activity of GPX, and decreased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby enhancing the low-temperature stress tolerance of chrysanthemum, while the CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutant dgpip inhibited this process. Transgenic analyses in chrysanthemum showed that DgnsLTP1 improves the cold resistance of chrysanthemum in a DgPIP-dependent manner. Moreover, lysine malonylation of DgnsLTP1 at the K81 site prevented the degradation of DgPIP in Nicotiana benthamiana and chrysanthemum, further promoted DgGPX expression, enhanced GPX activity, and scavenged excess ROS produced by cold stress, thereby further enhancing the cold resistance of chrysanthemum.
PMID: 37202366
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2023 May , V192 (1) : P648-665 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad085
Tetratricopeptide repeat protein SlREC2 positively regulates cold tolerance in tomato.
College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.; College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.; College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China.; Henan International Joint Laboratory of Stress Resistance Regulation and Safe Production of Protected Vegetables, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471023, China.; National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Northern Horticultural Facilities Design & Application Technology (Liaoning), Shenyang 110866, China.; Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture, Ministry of Education, Shenyang 110866, China.
Cold stress is a key environmental constraint that dramatically affects the growth, productivity, and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum); however, the underlying molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance remain poorly understood. In this study, we identified REDUCED CHLOROPLAST COVERAGE 2 (SlREC2) encoding a tetratricopeptide repeat protein that positively regulates tomato cold tolerance. Disruption of SlREC2 largely reduced abscisic acid (ABA) levels, photoprotection, and the expression of C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR (CBF)-pathway genes in tomato plants under cold stress. ABA deficiency in the notabilis (not) mutant, which carries a mutation in 9-CIS-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE 1 (SlNCED1), strongly inhibited the cold tolerance of SlREC2-silenced plants and empty vector control plants and resulted in a similar phenotype. In addition, foliar application of ABA rescued the cold tolerance of SlREC2-silenced plants, which confirms that SlNCED1-mediated ABA accumulation is required for SlREC2-regulated cold tolerance. Strikingly, SlREC2 physically interacted with beta-RING CAROTENE HYDROXYLASE 1b (SlBCH1b), a key regulatory enzyme in the xanthophyll cycle. Disruption of SlBCH1b severely impaired photoprotection, ABA accumulation, and CBF-pathway gene expression in tomato plants under cold stress. Taken together, this study reveals that SlREC2 interacts with SlBCH1b to enhance cold tolerance in tomato via integration of SlNCED1-mediated ABA accumulation, photoprotection, and the CBF-pathway, thus providing further genetic knowledge for breeding cold-resistant tomato varieties.
PMID: 36760172
Food Chem , IF:7.514 , 2023 Sep , V419 : P136089 doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.136089
MaC2H2-like regulates chilling stress response of 'Fenjiao' banana by modulating flavonoid synthesis and fatty acid desaturation.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Food Processing Technology and Quality Control in Shandong Province, College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China. Electronic address: xiaoyang_zhu@scau.edu.cn.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510642, China. Electronic address: lxp88@scau.edu.cn.
Chilling injury (CI) is a major problem that affects fruit quality and ripening. Herein, chilling stress severely inhibited the expression of transcription factor MaC2H2-like. MaC2H2-like activates the expression of genes associated with flavonoid synthesis (MaC4H-like1, Ma4CL-like1, MaFLS, and MaFLS3) and fatty acid desaturation (MaFAD6-2 and MaFAD6-3), the leading indicators of chilling tolerance. MaC2H2-like interacts with MaEBF1 and boosts the transcriptional activity of MaFAD6-2, MaFAD6-3, Ma4CL-like1, and MaFLS. The overexpression of MaC2H2-like reduced fruit CI, induced the expression of these genes and increased the content of flavonoid and unsaturated fatty acid. Meanwhile, the silencing of MaC2H2-like increased fruit CI and downregulated the expression of those genes and reduced the content of flavonoid and unsaturated fatty acid. These results indicate that MaC2H2-like function as new player in modulating fruit CI by regulating flavonoid synthesis and fatty acid desaturation. MaC2H2-like could be a useful candidate gene for improving cold tolerance in 'Fenjiao' banana.
PMID: 37023674
Free Radic Biol Med , IF:7.376 , 2023 Apr , V199 : P2-16 doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.02.008
OsLPXC negatively regulates tolerance to cold stress via modulating oxidative stress, antioxidant defense and JA accumulation in rice.
International Genome Center, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.; International Genome Center, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China. Electronic address: jianchen@ujs.edu.cn.
Exposure of crops to low temperature (LT) during emerging and reproductive stages influences their growth and development. In this study, we have isolated a cold induced, nucleus-localized lipid A gene from rice named OsLPXC, which encodes a protein of 321 amino acids. Knockout of OsLPXC resulted in enhance sensitivity to LT stress in rice, with increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage, while expression and activities of antioxidant enzymes were significantly suppressed. The accumulation of chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate of knockout plants were also decreased compared with WT under LT stress. The functional analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), showed that numerous genes associated with antioxidant defense, photosynthesis, cold signaling were solely expressed and downregulated in oslpxc plants compared with WT under LT. The accumulation of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) in leave and several DEGs related to the jasmonate biosynthesis pathway were significantly downregulated in OsLPXC knockout plants, which showed differential levels of MeJA regulation in WT and knockout plants in response to cold stress. These results indicated that OsLPXC positively regulates cold tolerance in rice via stabilizing the expression and activities of ROS scavenging enzymes, photosynthetic apparatus, cold signaling genes, and jasmonate biosynthesis.
PMID: 36775108
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2023 May doi: 10.1111/pce.14611
lncRNA MtCIR2 positively regulates plant-freezing tolerance by modulating CBF/DREB1 gene clusters.
State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Emerging evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in regulation of plant response to environmental stress. CBF/DREB1s are highly conserved transcription factors that regulate response to cold stress in plants. However, very few lncRNAs were found to regulate expression of CBFs and cold tolerance in plant. Here, we identified a cold-responsive long intergenic noncoding RNA (MtCIR2) of CBF/DREB1 genes that were located in a major freezing tolerance QTL region of legume Medicago truncatula. We found that response of MtCIR2 transcription was more rapid than that of MtCBF/DREB1s during cold treatment. MtCIR2 positively regulated M. truncatula freezing tolerance, such that overexpression of MtCIR2 led to higher survival rate and lower cell membrane damage than wild-type plants, while mutation of MtCIR2 rendered the mutants more sensitive to cold stress. In addition, expression levels of MtCBF/DREB1s were up-regulated in the MtCIR2 overexpressing lines and down-regulated in the mutants. Among the MtCIR2-regulated genes, the strongest enriched genes were those involved in polysaccharide metabolic processes. In addition, we demonstrated that overexpression of MtCIR2 led to increases in contents of soluble sugars. These results highlight that MtCIR2 positively regulates tolerance to freezing by regulating MtCBF/DREB1s expression and glycometabolism in M. truncatula.
PMID: 37249093
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2023 May doi: 10.1111/pce.14608
A meta-analysis reveals differential sensitivity of cold stress responses in the maize leaf.
Laboratory for Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium.; Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt.
Maize (Zea mays), a cold-sensitive crop, requires cold tolerance for extending the length of the growing season in temperate climates. However, response curves to different cold temperatures and exposure durations are lacking. We used a meta-analysis approach using data from literature to investigate the effect of cold stress in the maize leaf. We constructed response curves to temperature and exposure durations for 18 key parameters related to leaf growth, photosynthesis, oxidative stress, antioxidants, and the phytohormone ABA. To determine their relevance for cold tolerance, we compared cold tolerant Flint and cold sensitive Dent lines. Treatment temperatures ranged from -20 degrees C to 20 degrees C for cold and from 12 degrees C to 30 degrees C for control and exposure duration from 3 min to 60 days. We found interacting effects of temperature and exposure durations on different response parameters. The strongest difference between Flint and Dent was observed for electrolyte leakage (EL). Our results show that the commonly used 4 degrees C for cold and 25 degrees C for control with medium cold exposure (1-7 days) induces a 50% decrease in shoot dry weight and leaf area and that EL is an easy and reliable indicator for cold tolerance studies.
PMID: 37170821
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2023 Apr , V46 (4) : P1402-1418 doi: 10.1111/pce.14513
bHLH57 confers chilling tolerance and grain yield improvement in rice.
Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Crop Sterile Germplasm Resource Innovation and Application, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.; Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.
Chilling stress has become a major limiting factor that reduces crop productivity worldwide. In this study, we identified a new gene bHLH57, whose product enhances chilling tolerance in rice at diverse developmental stages. bHLH57 was mainly expressed in leaves and anthers, and its protein was targeted to the nucleus. Overexpression of bHLH57 enhanced chilling tolerance by increasing trehalose synthesis, whereas its mutants by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis were more sensitive to chilling and had reduced trehalose. Meanwhile, bHLH57 may regulate ROS metabolism and CBFs/DREBs- dependent pathways in response to chilling stress. In addition, the overexpression of bHLH57 resulted in increased grain yield under normal and chilling conditions, however, the disruption of bHLH57 displayed decreased grain size and seed setting rate, thus reduced grain yield. Phylogenetic and nucleotide diversity analyses suggested that bHLH57 is relatively conserved in monocotyledons, and may be selected during indica populations adaptation. Taken together, we have identified a new bHLH regulator involved rice chilling tolerance and grain yield, and provide a potential target gene for improving chilling tolerance and grain yield of rice.
PMID: 36510797
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2023 May doi: 10.1111/jipb.13506
MaBEL1 regulates banana fruit ripening by activating the cell wall and starch degradation-related genes.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Postharvest Science of Fruits and Vegetables/Engineering Research Center for Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops in South China, Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.; Key Laboratory of Food Processing Technology and Quality Control in Shandong Province, College of Food Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, 271018, China.
Banana is a typical subtropical fruit, sensitive to chilling injuries and prone to softening disorder. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of the softening disorder caused by cold stress remain obscure. Herein, we found that BEL1-LIKE HOMEODOMAIN transcription factor 1 (MaBEL1) and its associated proteins regulate the fruit softening and ripening process. The transcript and protein levels of MaBEL1 were up-regulated with fruit ripening but severely repressed by the chilling stress. Moreover, the MaBEL1 protein interacted directly with the promoters of the cell wall and starch degradation-related genes, such as MaAMY3, MaXYL32, and MaEXP-A8. The transient overexpression of MaBEL1 alleviated fruit chilling injury and ripening disorder caused by cold stress and promoted fruit softening and ripening of 'Fenjiao' banana by inducing ethylene production and starch and cell wall degradation. The accelerated ripening was also validated by the ectopic overexpression in tomatoes. Conversely, MaBEL1-silencing aggravated the chilling injury and ripening disorder and repressed fruit softening and ripening by inhibiting ethylene production and starch and cell wall degradation. MaABI5-like and MaEBF1, the two positive regulators of the fruit softening process, interacted with MaBEL1 to enhance the promoter activity of the starch and cell wall degradation-related genes. Moreover, the F-box protein MaEBF1 does not modulate the degradation of MaBEL1, which regulates the transcription of MaABI5-like protein. Overall, we report a novel MaBEL1-MaEBF1-MaABI5-like complex system that mediates the fruit softening and ripening disorder in 'Fenjiao' bananas caused by cold stress. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID: 37177912
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2023 May , V74 (10) : P3142-3162 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad073
Nitrogen supply alleviates cold stress by increasing photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation in maize seedlings.
Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Beijing 100081, China.
Cold stress inhibits the early growth of maize, leading to reduced productivity. Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient that stimulates maize growth and productivity, but the relationship between N availability and cold tolerance is poorly characterized. Therefore, we studied the acclimation of maize under combined cold stress and N treatments. Exposure to cold stress caused a decline in growth and N assimilation, but increased abscisic acid (ABA) and carbohydrate accumulation. The application of different N concentrations from the priming stage to the recovery period resulted in the following observations: (i) high N supply alleviated cold stress-dependent growth inhibition, as shown by increased biomass, chlorophyll and Rubisco content and PSII efficiency; (ii) cold stress-induced ABA accumulation was repressed under high N, presumably due to enhanced stomatal conductance; (iii) the mitigating effects of high N on cold stress could be due to the increased activities of N assimilation enzymes and improved redox homeostasis. After cold stress, the ability of maize seedlings to recover increased under high N treatment, indicating the potential role of high N in the cold stress tolerance of maize seedlings.
PMID: 36847687
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2023 Apr , V74 (8) : P2680-2691 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad039
Cell wall fucosylation in Arabidopsis influences control of leaf water loss and alters stomatal development and mechanical properties.
Department of Biosciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham, UK.; Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, UK.; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
The Arabidopsis sensitive-to-freezing8 (sfr8) mutant exhibits reduced cell wall (CW) fucose levels and compromised freezing tolerance. To examine whether CW fucosylation also affects the response to desiccation, we tested the effect of leaf excision in sfr8 and the allelic mutant mur1-1. Leaf water loss was strikingly higher than in the wild type in these, but not other, fucosylation mutants. We hypothesized that reduced fucosylation in guard cell (GC) walls might limit stomatal closure through altering mechanical properties. Multifrequency atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements revealed a reduced elastic modulus (E'), representing reduced stiffness, in sfr8 GC walls. Interestingly, however, we discovered a compensatory mechanism whereby a concomitant reduction in the storage modulus (E'') maintained a wild-type viscoelastic time response (tau) in sfr8. Stomata in intact leaf discs of sfr8 responded normally to a closure stimulus, abscisic acid, suggesting that the time response may relate more to closure properties than stiffness does. sfr8 stomatal pore complexes were larger than those of the wild type, and GCs lacked a fully developed cuticular ledge, both potential contributors to the greater leaf water loss in sfr8. We present data that indicate that fucosylation-dependent dimerization of the CW pectic domain rhamnogalacturonan-II may be essential for normal cuticular ledge development and leaf water retention.
PMID: 36715637
Int J Biol Macromol , IF:6.953 , 2023 May , V238 : P124064 doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124064
Recent genome-wide replication promoted expansion and functional differentiation of the JAZs in soybeans.
The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metablism and Regulation, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.; Hybrid Rapeseed Research Center of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. Electronic address: chliwang262@163.com.; The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Plant Secondary Metablism and Regulation, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China. Electronic address: liangzs@ms.iswc.ac.cn.
Jasmonate Zim-domain (JAZ) protein is an inhibitor of the jasmonate (JA) signal transduction pathway, and plays an important role in regulating plant growth, development, and defense. However, there have been few studies on its function under environmental stress in soybeans. In this study, a total of 275 JAZs protein-coding genes were identified in 29 soybean genomes. SoyC13 contained the least JAZ family members (26 JAZs), which was twice as high as AtJAZs. The genes are mainly generated by recent genome-wide replication (WGD), which replicated during the Late Cenozoic Ice Age. In addition, transcriptome analysis showed that the differences in gene expression patterns in the roots, stems, and leaves of the 29 cultivars at the V1 stage were not significant, but there was a significant difference among the three seed development stages. Finally, qRT-PCR results showed that GmJAZs responded the most strongly to heat stress, followed by drought and cold stress. This is consistent with the reason for their expansion and promoter analysis results. Therefore, we explored the significant role of conserved, duplicated, and neofunctionalized JAZs in the evolution of soybeans, which will contribute to the functional characterization of GmJAZ and the improvement of crops.
PMID: 36933593
Int J Biol Macromol , IF:6.953 , 2023 Jun , V240 : P124479 doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124479
The alteration of proteins and metabolites in leaf apoplast and the related gene expression associated with the adaptation of Ammopiptanthus mongolicus to winter freezing stress.
Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.; Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: zhouyijun@muc.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Mass Spectrometry Imaging and Metabolomics, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Areas, Minzu University of China, National Ethnic Affairs Commission, Beijing 100081, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: gaofei@muc.edu.cn.
Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, an evergreen broad-leaved plant, can tolerate severe freezing stress (temperatures as low as -20 degrees C in winter). The apoplast is the space outside the plasma membrane that plays an important role in plant responses to environmental stress. Here, we investigated, using a multi-omics approach, the dynamic alterations in the levels of proteins and metabolites in the apoplast and related gene expression changes involved in the adaptation of A. mongolicus to winter freezing stress. Of the 962 proteins identified in the apoplast, the abundance of several PR proteins, including PR3 and PR5, increased significantly in winter, which may contribute to winter freezing-stress tolerance by functioning as antifreeze proteins. The increased abundance of the cell-wall polysaccharides and cell wall-modifying proteins, including PMEI, XTH32, and EXLA1, may enhance the mechanical properties of the cell wall in A. mongolicus. Accumulation of flavonoids and free amino acids in the apoplast may be beneficial for ROS scavenging and the maintenance of osmotic homeostasis. Integrated analyses revealed gene expression changes associated with alterations in the levels of apoplast proteins and metabolites. Our study improved the current understanding of the roles of apoplast proteins and metabolites in plant adaptation to winter freezing stress.
PMID: 37072058
Development , IF:6.868 , 2023 Apr , V150 (7) doi: 10.1242/dev.201476
MERISTEM-DEFECTIVE regulates the balance between stemness and differentiation in the root meristem through RNA splicing control.
Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.; College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.; Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
Plants respond to environmental stresses through controlled stem cell maintenance and meristem activity. One level of gene regulation is RNA alternative splicing. However, the mechanistic link between stress, meristem function and RNA splicing is poorly understood. The MERISTEM-DEFECTIVE (MDF) Arabidopsis gene encodes an SR-related family protein, required for meristem function and leaf vascularization, and is the likely orthologue of the human SART1 and yeast Snu66 splicing factors. MDF is required for the correct splicing and expression of key transcripts associated with root meristem function. We identified RSZ33 and ACC1, both known to regulate cell patterning, as splicing targets required for MDF function in the meristem. MDF expression is modulated by osmotic and cold stress, associated with differential splicing and specific isoform accumulation and shuttling between nucleus and cytosol, and acts in part via a splicing target SR34. We propose a model in which MDF controls splicing in the root meristem to promote stemness and to repress stress response, cell differentiation and cell death pathways.
PMID: 36971700
Cells , IF:6.6 , 2023 Apr , V12 (7) doi: 10.3390/cells12071096
Comprehensive Analysis of BrHMPs Reveals Potential Roles in Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Pollen-Stigma Interaction in Brassica rapa.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China.; College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an 271018, China.
Heavy metal-associated proteins (HMPs) participate in heavy metal detoxification. Although HMPs have been identified in several plants, no studies to date have identified the HMPs in Brassica rapa (B. rapa). Here, we identified 85 potential HMPs in B. rapa by bioinformatic methods. The promoters of the identified genes contain many elements associated with stress responses, including response to abscisic acid, low-temperature, and methyl jasmonate. The expression levels of BrHMP14, BrHMP16, BrHMP32, BrHMP41, and BrHMP42 were upregulated under Cu(2+), Cd(2+), Zn(2+), and Pb(2+) stresses. BrHMP06, BrHMP30, and BrHMP41 were also significantly upregulated after drought treatment. The transcripts of BrHMP06 and BrHMP11 increased mostly under cold stress. After applying salt stress, the expression of BrHMP02, BrHMP16, and BrHMP78 was induced. We observed increased BrHMP36 expression during the self-incompatibility (SI) response and decreased expression in the compatible pollination (CP) response during pollen-stigma interactions. These changes in expression suggest functions for these genes in HMPs include participating in heavy metal transport, detoxification, and response to abiotic stresses, with the potential for functions in sexual reproduction. We found potential co-functional partners of these key players by protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis and found that some of the predicted protein partners are known to be involved in corresponding stress responses. Finally, phosphorylation investigation revealed many phosphorylation sites in BrHMPs, suggesting post-translational modification may occur during the BrHMP-mediated stress response. This comprehensive analysis provides important clues for the study of the molecular mechanisms of BrHMP genes in B. rapa, especially for abiotic stress and pollen-stigma interactions.
PMID: 37048168
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2023 Apr , V114 (2) : P262-278 doi: 10.1111/tpj.16132
Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module mediates freezing tolerance in apple.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.; Ningxia Engineering and Technology Research Center of Grape and Wine, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, Ningxia, China.
Apple (Malus domestica) trees are vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Cold resistance in woody perennial plants can be improved through biotechnological approaches. However, genetic engineering requires a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the tree's response to cold. In this study, we demonstrated that the Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module is crucial for apple freezing tolerance. Mdm-miR160 plays a negative role in apple freezing tolerance, whereas MdARF17, one of the targets of Mdm-miR160, is a positive regulator of apple freezing tolerance. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that in apple, MdARF17 mediates the cold response by influencing the expression of cold-responsive genes. EMSA and ChIP-qPCR assays demonstrated that MdARF17 can bind to the promoter of MdWRKY33 and promotes its expression. Overexpression of MdWRKY33 enhanced the cold tolerance of the apple calli. In addition, we found that the Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module regulates cold tolerance in apple by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, as revealed by (i) increased H(2) O(2) levels and decreased peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities in Mdm-miR160e OE plants and MdARF17 RNAi plants and (ii) decreased H(2) O(2) levels and increased POD and CAT activities in MdmARF17 OE plants and MdWRKY33 OE calli. Taken together, our study uncovered the molecular roles of the Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module in freezing tolerance in apple, thus providing support for breeding of cold-tolerant apple cultivars.
PMID: 36738108
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 May , V24 (10) doi: 10.3390/ijms24108829
Genome-Wide Identification of the MAPK and MAPKK Gene Families in Response to Cold Stress in Prunus mume.
Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.; Center for Computational Biology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
Protein kinases of the MAPK cascade family (MAPKKK-MAPKK-MAPK) play an essential role in plant stress response and hormone signal transduction. However, their role in the cold hardiness of Prunus mume (Mei), a class of ornamental woody plant, remains unclear. In this study, we use bioinformatic approaches to assess and analyze two related protein kinase families, namely, MAP kinases (MPKs) and MAPK kinases (MKKs), in wild P. mume and its variety P. mume var. tortuosa. We identify 11 PmMPK and 7 PmMKK genes in the former species and 12 PmvMPK and 7 PmvMKK genes in the latter species, and we investigate whether and how these gene families contribute to cold stress responses. Members of the MPK and MKK gene families located on seven and four chromosomes of both species are free of tandem duplication. Four, three, and one segment duplication events are exhibited in PmMPK, PmvMPK, and PmMKK, respectively, suggesting that segment duplications play an essential role in the expansion and evolution of P. mume and its gene variety. Moreover, synteny analysis suggests that most MPK and MKK genes have similar origins and involved similar evolutionary processes in P. mume and its variety. A cis-acting regulatory element analysis shows that MPK and MKK genes may function in P. mume and its variety's development, modulating processes such as light response, anaerobic induction, and abscisic acid response as well as responses to a variety of stresses, such as low temperature and drought. Most PmMPKs and PmMKKs exhibited tissue-specifific expression patterns, as well as time-specific expression patterns that protect them through cold. In a low-temperature treatment experiment with the cold-tolerant cultivar P. mume 'Songchun' and the cold-sensitive cultivar 'Lve', we find that almost all PmMPK and PmMKK genes, especially PmMPK3/5/6/20 and PmMKK2/3/6, dramatically respond to cold stress as treatment duration increases. This study introduces the possibility that these family members contribute to P. mume's cold stress response. Further investigation is warranted to understand the mechanistic functions of MAPK and MAPKK proteins in P. mume development and response to cold stress.
PMID: 37240174
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 May , V24 (10) doi: 10.3390/ijms24108755
Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of OsSPXs Revealed Its Genetic Influence on Cold Tolerance of Dongxiang Wild Rice (DXWR).
Rice National Engineering Research Center (Nanchang), Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchang 330200, China.; Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
SPX-domain proteins (small proteins with only the SPX domain) have been proven to be involved in phosphate-related signal transduction and regulation pathways. Except for OsSPX1 research showing that it plays a role in the process of rice adaptation to cold stress, the potential functions of other SPX genes in cold stress are unknown. Therefore, in this study, we identified six OsSPXs from the whole genome of DXWR. The phylogeny of OsSPXs has a strong correlation with its motif. Transcriptome data analysis showed that OsSPXs were highly sensitive to cold stress, and real-time PCR verified that the levels of OsSPX1, OsSPX2, OsSPX4, and OsSPX6 in cold-tolerant materials (DXWR) during cold treatment were higher than that of cold-sensitive rice (GZX49). The promoter region of DXWR OsSPXs contains a large number of cis-acting elements related to abiotic stress tolerance and plant hormone response. At the same time, these genes have expression patterns that are highly similar to cold-tolerance genes. This study provides useful information about OsSPXs, which is helpful for the gene-function research of DXWR and genetic improvements during breeding.
PMID: 37240100
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 May , V24 (10) doi: 10.3390/ijms24108670
BcMYB111 Responds to BcCBF2 and Induces Flavonol Biosynthesis to Enhance Tolerance under Cold Stress in Non-Heading Chinese Cabbage.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (East China), Engineering Research Center of Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; Nanjing Suman Plasma Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd., Nanjing 211162, China.
Flavonols have been shown to respond to a variety of abiotic stresses in plants, including cold stress. Higher total flavonoid content was found in non-heading Chinese cabbage (NHCC, Brassica campestris (syn. Brassica rapa) ssp. chinensis) after cold stress. A non-targeted metabolome analysis showed a significant increase in flavonol content, including that of quercetin and kaempferol. Here, we found that an R2R3-MYB transcription factor, BcMYB111, may play a role in this process. BcMYB111 was up-regulated in response to cold treatment, with an accompanying accumulation of flavonols. Then, it was found that BcMYB111 could regulate the synthesis of flavonols by directly binding to the promoters of BcF3H and BcFLS1. In the transgenic hairy roots of NHCC or stable transgenic Arabidopsis, overexpression of BcMYB111 increased flavonol synthesis and accumulation, while these were reduced in virus-induced gene silencing lines in NHCC. After cold stress, the higher proline content and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content showed that there was less damage in transgenic Arabidopsis than in the wild-type (WT). The BcMYB111 transgenic lines performed better in terms of antioxidant capacity because of their lower H(2)O(2) content and higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) enzyme activities. In addition, a key cold signaling gene, BcCBF2, could specifically bind to the DRE element and activate the expression of BcMYB111 in vitro and in vivo. The results suggested that BcMYB111 played a positive role in enhancing the flavonol synthesis and cold tolerance of NHCC. Taken together, these findings reveal that cold stress induces the accumulation of flavonols to increase tolerance via the pathway of BcCBF2-BcMYB111-BcF3H/BcFLS1 in NHCC.
PMID: 37240015
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 Apr , V24 (8) doi: 10.3390/ijms24087162
Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals a ceRNA Regulatory Network Associated with the Process of Periodic Albinism under Low Temperature in Baiye No. 1 (Camellia sinensis).
College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.; Guizhou Key Laboratory of Propagation and Cultivation on Medicinal Plants, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.; College of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, China.
The young shoots of the tea plant Baiye No. 1 display an albino phenotype in the early spring under low environmental temperatures, and the leaves re-green like those of common tea cultivars during the warm season. Periodic albinism is precisely regulated by a complex gene network that leads to metabolic differences and enhances the nutritional value of tea leaves. Here, we identified messenger RNAs (mRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) to construct competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks. We performed whole-transcriptome sequencing of 12 samples from four periods (Bud, leaves not expanded; Alb, albino leaves; Med, re-greening leaves; and Gre, green leaves) and identified a total of 6325 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), 667 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), 1702 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and 122 differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs). Furthermore, we constructed ceRNA networks on the basis of co-differential expression analyses which comprised 112, 35, 38, and 15 DEmRNAs, DEmiRNAs, DElncRNAs, and DEcircRNAs, respectively. Based on the regulatory networks, we identified important genes and their interactions with lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs during periodic albinism, including the ceRNA regulatory network centered on miR5021x, the GAMYB-miR159-lncRNA regulatory network, and the NAC035-miR319x-circRNA regulatory network. These regulatory networks might be involved in the response to cold stress, photosynthesis, chlorophyll synthesis, amino acid synthesis, and flavonoid accumulation. Our findings provide novel insights into ceRNA regulatory mechanisms involved in Baiye No. 1 during periodic albinism and will aid future studies of the molecular mechanisms underlying albinism mutants.
PMID: 37108322
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 Apr , V24 (8) doi: 10.3390/ijms24087102
Genome-Wide Identification, Evolution, and Expression Analyses of AP2/ERF Family Transcription Factors in Erianthus fulvus.
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.; Sugarcane Research Institute, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.; The Key Laboratory for Crop Production and Smart Agriculture of Yunnan Province, Kunming 650201, China.
The AP2/ERF transcription factor family is one of the most important gene families in plants and plays a vital role in plant abiotic stress responses. Although Erianthus fulvus is very important in the genetic improvement of sugarcane, there are few studies concerning AP2/ERF genes in E. fulvus. Here, we identified 145 AP2/ERF genes in the E. fulvus genome. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into five subfamilies. Evolutionary analysis showed that tandem and segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of the EfAP2/ERF family. Protein interaction analysis showed that twenty-eight EfAP2/ERF proteins and five other proteins had potential interaction relationships. Multiple cis-acting elements present in the EfAP2/ERF promoter were related to abiotic stress response, suggesting that EfAP2/ERF may contribute to adaptation to environmental changes. Transcriptomic and RT-qPCR analyses revealed that EfDREB10, EfDREB11, EfDREB39, EfDREB42, EfDREB44, EfERF43, and EfAP2-13 responded to cold stress, EfDREB5 and EfDREB42 responded to drought stress, and EfDREB5, EfDREB11, EfDREB39, EfERF43, and EfAP2-13 responded to ABA treatment. These results will be helpful for better understanding the molecular features and biological role of the E. fulvus AP2/ERF genes and lay a foundation for further research on the function of EfAP2/ERF genes and the regulatory mechanism of the abiotic stress response.
PMID: 37108264
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 Apr , V24 (8) doi: 10.3390/ijms24086934
Genome-Wide Identification and Chilling Stress Analysis of the NF-Y Gene Family in Melon.
College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
The nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor contains three subfamilies: NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC. The NF-Y family have been reported to be key regulators in plant growth and stress responses. However, little attention has been given to these genes in melon (Cucumis melo L.). In this study, twenty-five NF-Ys were identified in the melon genome, including six CmNF-YAs, eleven CmNF-YBs, and eight CmNF-YCs. Their basic information (gene location, protein characteristics, and subcellular localization), conserved domains and motifs, and phylogeny and gene structure were subsequently analyzed. Results showed highly conserved motifs exist in each subfamily, which are distinct between subfamilies. Most CmNF-Ys were expressed in five tissues and exhibited distinct expression patterns. However, CmNF-YA6, CmNF-YB1/B2/B3/B8, and CmNF-YC6 were not expressed and might be pseudogenes. Twelve CmNF-Ys were induced by cold stress, indicating the NF-Y family plays a key role in melon cold tolerance. Taken together, our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of CmNF-Y genes in the development and stress response of melon and provide genetic resources for solving the practical problems of melon production.
PMID: 37108097
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 Apr , V24 (7) doi: 10.3390/ijms24076727
OsLUX Confers Rice Cold Tolerance as a Positive Regulatory Factor.
College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China.; Jiaxing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiaxing 314016, China.; Taizhou Academy Agricultural of Sciences, Taizhou 317000, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
During the early seedling stage, rice (Oryza sativa L.) must overcome low-temperature stress. While a few cold-tolerance genes have been characterized, further excavation of cold-resistance genes is still needed. In this study, we identified a cold-induced transcription factor-LUX ARRHYTHMO (LUX)-in rice. OsLUX was found to be specifically expressed in leaf blades and upregulated by both cold stress and circadian rhythm. The full-length OsLUX showed autoactivation activity, and the OsLUX protein localized throughout the entire onion cell. Overexpressing OsLUX resulted in increased cold tolerance and reduced ion leakage under cold-stress conditions during the seedling stage. In contrast, the knockout of OsLUX decreased seedling cold tolerance and showed higher ion leakage compared to the wild type. Furthermore, overexpressing OsLUX upregulated the expression levels of oxidative stress-responsive genes, which improved reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability and enhanced tolerance to chilling stress. Promoter analysis showed that the OsLUX promoter contains two dehydration-responsive element binding (DREB) motifs at positions -510/-505 (GTCGGa) and -162/-170 (cCACCGccc), which indicated that OsDREB1s and OsDREB2s probably regulate OsLUX expression by binding to the motif to respond to cold stress. Thus, OsLUX may act as a downstream gene of the DREB pathway. These results demonstrate that OsLUX serves as a positive regulatory factor of cold stress and that overexpressing OsLUX could be used in rice breeding programs to enhance abiotic stress tolerance.
PMID: 37047700
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 Apr , V24 (7) doi: 10.3390/ijms24076603
Abiotic Stress in Crop Production.
Department of Molecular Biology and Radiobiology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic.
The vast majority of agricultural land undergoes abiotic stress that can significantly reduce agricultural yields. Understanding the mechanisms of plant defenses against stresses and putting this knowledge into practice is, therefore, an integral part of sustainable agriculture. In this review, we focus on current findings in plant resistance to four cardinal abiotic stressors-drought, heat, salinity, and low temperatures. Apart from the description of the newly discovered mechanisms of signaling and resistance to abiotic stress, this review also focuses on the importance of primary and secondary metabolites, including carbohydrates, amino acids, phenolics, and phytohormones. A meta-analysis of transcriptomic studies concerning the model plant Arabidopsis demonstrates the long-observed phenomenon that abiotic stressors induce different signals and effects at the level of gene expression, but genes whose regulation is similar under most stressors can still be traced. The analysis further reveals the transcriptional modulation of Golgi-targeted proteins in response to heat stress. Our analysis also highlights several genes that are similarly regulated under all stress conditions. These genes support the central role of phytohormones in the abiotic stress response, and the importance of some of these in plant resistance has not yet been studied. Finally, this review provides information about the response to abiotic stress in major European crop plants-wheat, sugar beet, maize, potatoes, barley, sunflowers, grapes, rapeseed, tomatoes, and apples.
PMID: 37047573
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2023 Apr , V24 (7) doi: 10.3390/ijms24076702
The Role and Mechanism of Hydrogen-Rich Water in the Cucumis sativus Response to Chilling Stress.
College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.; Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.
Cucumber is a warm climate vegetable that is sensitive to chilling reactions. Chilling can occur at any period of cucumber growth and development and seriously affects the yield and quality of cucumber. Hydrogen (H(2)) is a type of antioxidant that plays a critical role in plant development and the response to stress. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) is the main way to use exogenous hydrogen. This study explored the role and mechanism of HRW in the cucumber defense response to chilling stress. The research results showed that applying 50% saturated HRW to the roots of cucumber seedlings relieved the damage caused by chilling stress. The growth and development indicators, such as plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, dry weight, fresh weight, and root length, increased under the HRW treatment. Photosynthetic efficiency, chlorophyll content, and Fv/Fm also improved and reduced energy dissipation. In addition, after HRW treatment, the REC and MDA content were decreased, and membrane lipid damage was reduced. NBT and DAB staining results showed that the color was lighter, and the area was smaller under HRW treatment. Additionally, the contents of O(2)(-) and H(2)O(2) also decreased. Under chilling stress, the application of HRW increased the activity of the antioxidases SOD, CAT, POD, GR, and APX and improved the expression of the SOD, CAT, POD, GR, and APX antioxidase genes. The GSSG content was reduced, and the GSH content was increased. In addition, the ASA content also increased. Therefore, exogenous HRW is an effective measure for cucumber to respond to chilling stress.
PMID: 37047675
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1189662 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1189662
A genome-wide association study of freezing tolerance in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) germplasm of European origin.
Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), As, Norway.; Plant Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), Melle, Belgium.; INRAE P3F, Lusignan, France.; IBERS, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom.; Group of Fodder Plant Breeding, Agroscope, Zurich, Switzerland.; Molecular Plant Breeding, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Improvement of persistency is an important breeding goal in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). In areas with cold winters, lack of persistency is often due to poor winter survival, of which low freezing tolerance (FT) is an important component. We conducted a genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify loci associated with freezing tolerance in a collection of 393 red clover accessions, mostly of European origin, and performed analyses of linkage disequilibrium and inbreeding. Accessions were genotyped as pools of individuals using genotyping-by-sequencing (pool-GBS), generating both single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and haplotype allele frequency data at accession level. Linkage disequilibrium was determined as a squared partial correlation between the allele frequencies of pairs of SNPs and found to decay at extremely short distances (< 1 kb). The level of inbreeding, inferred from the diagonal elements of a genomic relationship matrix, varied considerably between different groups of accessions, with the strongest inbreeding found among ecotypes from Iberia and Great Britain, and the least found among landraces. Considerable variation in FT was found, with LT50-values (temperature at which 50% of the plants are killed) ranging from -6.0 degrees C to -11.5 degrees C. SNP and haplotype-based GWAS identified eight and six loci significantly associated with FT (of which only one was shared), explaining 30% and 26% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Ten of the loci were found within or at a short distance (<0.5 kb) from genes possibly involved in mechanisms affecting FT. These include a caffeoyl shikimate esterase, an inositol transporter, and other genes involved in signaling, transport, lignin synthesis and amino acid or carbohydrate metabolism. This study paves the way for a better understanding of the genetic control of FT and for the development of molecular tools for the improvement of this trait in red clover through genomics assisted breeding.
PMID: 37235014
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1140270 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1140270
Cold stress resilience of Iranian olive genetic resources: evidence from autochthonous genotypes diversity.
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), Tehran, Iran.; Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran.; Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Perugia, Italy.
Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most cultivated tree species in Iran. This plant is characterized by its tolerance to drought, salt, and heat stresses while being vulnerable to frost. During the last decade, periods of frost have occurred several times in Golestan Province, in the northeast of Iran, which caused severe damage to olive groves. This study aimed to evaluate and individuate autochthonous Iranian olive varieties with regard to frost tolerance and good agronomic performance. For this purpose, 218 frost-tolerant olive trees were selected from 150,000 adult olive trees (15-25 years old), following the last harsh autumn of 2016. The selected trees were reassessed at different intervals, i.e., 1, 4, and 7 months after the cold stress in field conditions. Using 19 morpho-agronomic traits, 45 individual trees with relatively stable frost-tolerance were reevaluated and selected for this research. Ten highly discriminating microsatellite markers were used for the genetic profiling of the 45 selected olive trees, and, ultimately, five genotypes with the highest tolerance among 45 selected ones were placed in a cold room at freezing temperatures for image analyses of cold damage. The results of morpho-agronomic analyses evidenced no bark splitting or symptoms of leaf drop in the 45 cold-tolerant olives (CTOs). The oil content of the cold-tolerant trees comprised almost 40% of the fruit dry weight, highlighting the potential of these varieties for oil production. Moreover, through molecular characterization, 36 unique molecular profiles were individuated among the 45 analyzed CTOs that were genetically more similar to the Mediterranean olive cultivars than the Iranian ones. The present study demonstrated the high potential of local olive varieties, which would be promising and more suitable than commercial olive varieties, with regard to the establishment of olive groves under cold climate conditions. This could be a valuable genetic resource for future breeding activities to face climate changes.
PMID: 37229112
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1155504 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1155504
Conserved hierarchical gene regulatory networks for drought and cold stress response in Myrica rubra.
State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Horticulture, Institute of Agro-product Safety and Nutrition, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.; State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Hangzhou, China.; Xianghu Lab., Hangzhou, China.; The Tree and Ornamental Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Stress response in plant is regulated by a large number of genes co-operating in diverse networks that serve multiple adaptive process. To understand how gene regulatory networks (GRNs) modulating abiotic stress responses, we compare the GRNs underlying drought and cold stresses using samples collected at 4 or 6 h intervals within 48 h in Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra). We detected 7,583 and 8,840 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under drought and cold stress respectively, which might be responsive to environmental stresses. Drought- and cold-responsive GRNs, which have been built according to the timing of transcription under both abiotic stresses, have a conserved trans-regulator and a common regulatory network. In both GRNs, basic helix-loop-helix family transcription factor (bHLH) serve as central nodes. MrbHLHp10 transcripts exhibited continuous increase in the two abiotic stresses and acts upstream regulator of ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE (APX) gene. To examine the potential biological functions of MrbHLH10, we generated a transgenic Arabidopsis plant that constitutively overexpresses the MrbHLH10 gene. Compared to wild-type (WT) plants, overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis plants maintained higher APX activity and biomass accumulation under drought and cold stress. Consistently, RNAi plants had elevated susceptibility to both stresses. Taken together, these results suggested that MrbHLH10 mitigates abiotic stresses through the modulation of ROS scavenging.
PMID: 37123838
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1149832 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1149832
Primary plant nutrients modulate the reactive oxygen species metabolism and mitigate the impact of cold stress in overseeded perennial ryegrass.
College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food Engineering, Yibin University, Yibin, Sichuan, China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.; Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.; College of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.; Chengdu Institute of Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.; Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.; School of Geography and Resources Science, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China.; College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Overseeded perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) turf on dormant bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Pers. L) in transitional climatic zones (TCZ) experience a severe reduction in its growth due to cold stress. Primary plant nutrients play an important role in the cold stress tolerance of plants. To better understand the cold stress tolerance of overseeded perennial ryegrass under TCZ, a three-factor and five-level central composite rotatable design (CCRD) with a regression model was used to study the interactive effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilization on lipid peroxidation, electrolyte leakage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and their detoxification by the photosynthetic pigments, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. The study demonstrated substantial effects of N, P, and K fertilization on ROS production and their detoxification through enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways in overseeded perennial ryegrass under cold stress. Our results demonstrated that the cold stress significantly enhanced malondialdehyde, electrolyte leakage, and hydrogen peroxide contents, while simultaneously decreasing ROS-scavenging enzymes, antioxidants, and photosynthetic pigments in overseeded perennial ryegrass. However, N, P, and K application mitigated cold stress-provoked adversities by enhancing soluble protein, superoxide dismutase, peroxide dismutase, catalase, and proline contents as compared to the control conditions. Moreover, N, P, and, K application enhanced chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids in overseeded perennial ryegrass under cold stress as compared to the control treatments. Collectively, this 2-years study indicated that N, P, and K fertilization mitigated cold stress by activating enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants defense systems, thereby concluding that efficient nutrient management is the key to enhanced cold stress tolerance of overseeded perennial ryegrass in a transitional climate. These findings revealed that turfgrass management will not only rely on breeding new varieties but also on the development of nutrient management strategies for coping cold stress.
PMID: 37063220
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1138048 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1138048
Omics-assisted characterization of two-component system genes from Gossypium Raimondii in response to salinity and molecular interaction with abscisic acid.
Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.; Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.; Department of Biology, Faculty of Applied Science, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.; Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences & Arts, King Abdulaziz University, Rabigh, Saudi Arabia.; Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.; Department of Biology, A1-Jumum University College, Umm A1-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
The two-component system (TCS) genes are involved in a wide range of physiological processes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In plants, the TCS elements help in a variety of functions, including cell proliferation, response to abiotic and biotic stresses, leaf senescence, nutritional signaling, and division of chloroplasts. Three different kinds of proteins make up the TCS system in plants. These are known as HKs (histidine kinases), HPs (histidine phosphotransfer), and RRs (response regulators). We investigated the genome of Gossypium raimondii and discovered a total of 59 GrTCS candidates, which include 23 members of the HK family, 8 members of the HP family, and 28 members of the RR family. RR candidates are further classified as type-A (6 members), type-B (11 members), type-C (2 members), and pseudo-RRs (9 members). The GrTCS genes were analyzed in comparison with the TCS components of other plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, Cicer arietinum, Sorghum bicolor, Glycine max, and Oryza sativa. This analysis revealed both conservation and changes in their structures. We identified 5 pairs of GrTCS syntenic homologs in the G. raimondii genome. All 59 TCS genes in G. raimondii are located on all thirteen chromosomes. The GrTCS promoter regions have several cis-regulatory elements, which function as switches and respond to a wide variety of abiotic stresses. RNA-seq and real-time qPCR analysis showed that the majority of GrTCS genes are differentially regulated in response to salt and cold stress. 3D structures of GrTCS proteins were predicted to reveal the specific function. GrTCSs were docked with abscisic acid to assess their binding interactions. This research establishes the groundwork for future functional studies of TCS elements in G. raimondii, which will further focus on stress resistance and overall development.
PMID: 37063177
Theor Appl Genet , IF:5.699 , 2023 May , V136 (6) : P135 doi: 10.1007/s00122-023-04388-w
qCTB7 positively regulates cold tolerance at booting stage in rice.
Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.; Institute of Crop Cultivation and Cultivation, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150086, China.; Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China. hualongneau@163.com.; Key Laboratory of Germplasm Enhancement, Physiology and Ecology of Food Crops in Cold Region, Ministry of Education, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China. dtzouneau@126.com.
LOC_Os07g07690 on qCTB7 is associated with cold tolerance at the booting stage in rice, and analysis of transgenic plants demonstrated that qCTB7 influenced cold tolerance by altering the morphology and cytoarchitecture of anthers and pollen. Cold tolerance at the booting stage (CTB) in rice can significantly affect yield in high-latitude regions. Although several CTB genes have been isolated, their ability to induce cold tolerance is insufficient to ensure adequate rice yields in cold regions at high latitudes. Here, we identified the PHD-finger domain-containing protein gene qCTB7 using QTL-seq and linkage analysis through systematic measurement of CTB differences and the spike fertility of the Longjing31 and Longdao3 cultivars, resulting in the derivation of 1570 F2 progeny under cold stress. We then characterized the function of qCTB7 in rice. It was found that overexpression of qCTB7 promoted CTB and the same yield as Longdao3 under normal growing conditions while the phenotype of qctb7 knockout showed anther and pollen failure under cold stress. When subjected to cold stress, the germination of qctb7 pollen on the stigma was reduced, resulting in lower spike fertility. These findings indicate that qCTB7 regulates the appearance, morphology, and cytoarchitecture of the anthers and pollen. Three SNPs in the promoter region and coding region of qCTB7 were identified as recognition signals for CTB in rice and could assist breeding efforts to improve cold tolerance for rice production in high latitudes.
PMID: 37222778
Theor Appl Genet , IF:5.699 , 2023 Apr , V136 (5) : P116 doi: 10.1007/s00122-023-04362-6
QTL-seq and transcriptomic integrative analyses reveal two positively regulated genes that control the low-temperature germination ability of MTP-maize introgression lines.
Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.; Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610041, China.; Crop Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chengdu, 610066, Sichuan, China.; Mianyang Teacher's College, Mianyang, 621000, Sichuan, China.; Sericultural Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China.; Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China. tangqilin71@163.com.
Two candidate genes (ZmbZIP113 and ZmTSAH1) controlling low-temperature germination ability were identified by QTL-seq and integrative transcriptomic analyses. The functional verification results showed that two candidate genes positively regulated the low-temperature germination ability of IB030. Low-temperature conditions cause slow maize (Zea mays L.) seed metabolism, resulting in slow seedling emergence and irregular seedling emergence, which can cause serious yield loss. Thus, improving a maize cultivar's low-temperature germination ability (LTGA) is vital for increasing yield production. Wild relatives of maize, such as Z. perennis and Tripsacum dactyloides, are strongly tolerant of cold stress and can thus be used to improve the LTGA of maize. In a previous study, the genetic bridge MTP was constructed (from maize, T. dactyloides, and Z. perennis) and used to obtain a highly LTGA maize introgression line (IB030) by backcross breeding. In this study, IB030 (Strong-LTGA) and Mo17 (Weak-LTGA) were selected as parents to construct an F(2) offspring. Additionally, two major QTLs (qCS1-1 and qCS10-1) were mapped. Then, RNA-seq was performed using seeds of IB030 and the recurrent parent B73 treated at 10 degrees C for 27 days and 25 degrees C for 7 days, respectively, and two candidate genes (ZmbZIP113 and ZmTSAH1) controlling LTGA were located using QTL-seq and integrative transcriptomic analyses. The functional verification results showed that the two candidate genes positively regulated LTGA of IB030. Notably, homologous cloning showed that the source of variation in both candidate genes was the stable inheritance of introgressed alleles from Z. perennis. This study was thus able to analyze the LTGA mechanism of IB030 and identify resistance genes for genetic improvement in maize, and it proved that using MTP genetic bridge confers desirable traits or phenotypes of Z. perennis and tripsacum essential to maize breeding systems.
PMID: 37093290
Front Microbiol , IF:5.64 , 2023 , V14 : P1139679 doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1139679
The transcription factor Ste12-like increases the mycelial abiotic stress tolerance and regulates the fruiting body development of Flammulina filiformis.
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.; Mycological Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
INTRODUCTION: Flammulina filiformis is one of the most commercially important edible fungi worldwide, with its nutritional value and medicinal properties. It becomes a good model species to study the tolerance of abiotic stress during mycelia growth in edible mushroom cultivation. Transcription factor Ste12 has been reported to be involved in the regulation of stress tolerance and sexual reproduction in fungi. METHODS: In this study, identification and phylogenetic analysis of ste12-like was performed by bioinformatics methods. Four ste12-like overexpression transformants of F. filiformis were constructed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Phylogenetic analysis showed that Ste12-like contained conserved amino acid sequences. All the overexpression transformants were more tolerant to salt stress, cold stress and oxidative stress than wild-type strains. In the fruiting experiment, the number of fruiting bodies of overexpression transformants increased compared with wild-type strains, but the growth rate of stipes slowed down. It suggested that gene ste12-like was involved in the regulation of abiotic stress tolerance and fruiting body development in F. filiformis.
PMID: 37213522
J Agric Food Chem , IF:5.279 , 2023 Apr doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08723
SlMAPK3 Positively Regulates the Ethylene Production of Postharvest Tomato Fruits and Is Involved in Ethylene-Mediated Cold Tolerance.
College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.; School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades and ethylene are crucial for plant growth, development, and stress responses, but their potential mechanisms in cold resistance remain unclear. We revealed that SlMAPK3 transcript levels were dramatically induced by cold treatment in an ethylene-dependent manner. Under cold stress, the proline content of SlMAPK3-overexpression fruit was 96.5 and 115.9% higher than that of wild-type fruit (WT), respectively, while the ion leakage was 37.3 and 32.5% lower than that of WT. RNA sequencing revealed that overexpression of SlMAPK3 caused upregulation of genes that are enriched in the ethylene-activated signaling pathway (GO:0009873), cold signaling pathway (GO:0009409), and heat signaling pathway (GO:0009408). RT-qPCR demonstrated that the expression levels of SlACS2, SlACS4, SlSAHH, SlCBF1, SlDREB, SlGolS1, and SlHSP17.7 in the OE.MAPK3 fruits were consistent with the RNA sequencing results. Meanwhile, the knockout of SlMAPK3 reduced the ethylene content, ACC content, and ACS activity. Moreover, the knockout of SlMAPK3 reduced the positive effect of ethylene in cold stress, while suppressing the expression of SlICE1 and SlCBF1. In conclusion, our study demonstrated a novel mechanism by which SlMAPK3 positively regulates the ethylene production of postharvest tomato fruits and is involved in ethylene-mediated cold tolerance.
PMID: 37023258
J Agric Food Chem , IF:5.279 , 2023 May , V71 (19) : P7348-7358 doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c00559
Integrated Physiological, Transcriptomic, and Metabolomic Analysis Reveals the Mechanism of Guvermectin Promoting Seed Germination in Direct-Seeded Rice under Chilling Stress.
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.
Rice direct seeding technology has been considered as a promising alternative to traditional transplanting because of its advantages in saving labor and water. However, the poor emergence and seedling growth caused by chill stress are the main bottlenecks in wide-scale adoption of direct-seeded rice in Heilongjiang Province, China. Here, we found that natural plant growth regulator guvermectin (GV) effectively improved rice seed germination and seedling growth under chilling stress. Results from 2 year field trials showed that seed-soaking with GV not only enhanced the emergence rate and seedling growth but also increased the panicle number per plant and grain number per panicle, resulting in 9.0 and 6.8% increase in the yield of direct-seeded rice, respectively. Integrative physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic assays revealed that GV promoted seed germination under chilling stress mainly by enhancing the activities of alpha-amylase and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase), increasing the contents of soluble sugar and soluble protein, improving the biosynthesis of glutathione and flavonoids, as well as activating gibberellin-responsive transcription factors and inhibiting the abscisic acid signaling pathway. These findings indicate that seed-soaking with GV has good potential to improve seedling establishment and yield of direct-seeded rice even under chilling stress.
PMID: 37129443
Metabolites , IF:4.932 , 2023 May , V13 (5) doi: 10.3390/metabo13050672
Changes in the Carbohydrate Profile in Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) Seedlings Induced by Cold Stress and Dehydration.
Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 1a, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
Plant species are sensitive to stresses, especially at the seedling stage, and they respond to these conditions by making metabolic changes to counteract the negative effects of this. The objectives of this study were to determine carbohydrate profile in particular organs (roots, hypocotyl, and cotyledons) of common buckwheat seedlings and to verify whether carbohydrate accumulation is similar or not in the organs in response to cold stress and dehydration. Roots, hypocotyl, and cotyledons of common buckwheat seedlings have various saccharide compositions. The highest concentrations of cyclitols, raffinose, and stachyose were found in the hypocotyl, indicating that they may be transported from cotyledons, although this needs further studies. Accumulation of raffinose and stachyose is a strong indicator of the response of all buckwheat organs to introduced cold stress. Besides, cold conditions reduced d-chiro-inositol content, but did not affect d-pinitol level. Enhanced accumulation of raffinose and stachyose were also a distinct response of all organs against dehydration at ambient temperature. The process causes also a large decrease in the content of d-pinitol in buckwheat hypocotyl, which may indicate its transformation to d-chiro-inositol whose content increased at that time. In general, the sucrose and its galactosides in hypocotyl tissues were subject to the highest changes to the applied cold and dehydration conditions compared to the cotyledons and roots. This may indicate tissue differences in the functioning of the protective system(s) against such threats.
PMID: 37233712
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2023 Jun , V331 : P111669 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111669
The BrAFP1 promoter drives gene-specific expression in leaves and stems of winter rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) under cold induction.
State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.; State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China. Electronic address: lzgworking@163.com.
BrAFP1(antifreeze protein in winter turnip rape) effectively limits recrystallization and growth of ice crystals. The BrAFP1 expression level determines whether the freezing-induced damage to winter turnip rape plants is avoided. This study analyzed the activity of the BrAFP1 promoters of several varieties at various cold tolerance levels. We cloned the BrAFP1 promoters from five winter rapeseed cultivars. The multiple sequence alignment revealed the presence of one inDel and eight single-nucleotide mutations (SNMs) in the promoters. One of these SNMs (base mutation from C to T) at the -836 site away from the transcription start site (TSS) enhanced the transcriptional activity of the promoter at low temperature. The promoter activity was specific in cotyledons and hypocotyls during the seedling stage and was referential in stems, leaves, and flowers but not the calyx. This consequently drove the downstream gene to be specifically expressed in leaves and stems, but not in roots at low temperature. The truncated fragment GUS staining assays revealed that the core region of the BrAFP1 promoter was included in the 98 bp fragment from the -933 to -836 site away from the TSS, which was necessary for transcriptional activity. The LTR element of the promoter significantly enhanced expression at low temperatures and suppressed expression at moderate temperatures. Moreover, the BrAFP1 5'-UTR intron bound the scarecrow-like transcription factor and enhanced expression at low temperature.
PMID: 36870371
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2023 Apr , V329 : P111621 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111621
JA-induced TaMPK6 enhanced the freeze tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana through regulation of ICE-CBF-COR module and antioxidant enzyme system.
College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, China.; Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China. Electronic address: wangyuying@ibcas.ac.cn.; College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, Heilongjiang, China. Electronic address: zhangda@neau.edu.cn.
Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) play important roles in the stress response of plants. However, the function of MPK proteins in freeze-resistance in wheat remains unclear. Dongnongdongmai No.1 (Dn1) is a winter wheat variety with a strong freezing resistance at extremely low temperature. In this study, we demonstrated that TaMPK6 is induced by JA signaling and is involved in the modulation of Dn1 freeze resistance. Overexpression of TaMPK6 in Arabidopsis increased the survival rate of plant at -10 ℃. The scavenging ability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of cold-responsive genes CBFs and CORs were significantly enhanced in TaMPK6-overexpressed Arabidopsis, suggesting a role of TaMPK6 in activating the ICE-CBF-COR module and antioxidant enzyme system to resist freezing stress. Furthermore, TaMPK6 is localized in the nucleus and TaMPK6 interacts with TaICE41, TaCBF14, and TaMYC2 proteins, the key components in JA signaling and the ICE-CBF-COR pathway. These results suggest that JA-induced TaMPK6 may regulate freezing-resistance in wheat by interacting with the TaICE41, TaCBF14, and TaMYC2 proteins, which in turn enhances the ICE-CBF-COR pathway. Our study revealed the molecular mechanism of TaMPK6 involvement in the cold resistance pathway in winter wheat under cold stress, which provides a basis for enriching the theory of wheat cold resistance.
PMID: 36736462
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2023 Apr , V329 : P111604 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111604
Overexpression of major latex protein 423 (NtMLP423) enhances the chilling stress tolerance in Nicotiana tabacum.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China; Linyi University, Linyi 276005, Shandong, PR China.; State Key Laboratories of Agrobiotechnology, Department of Pomology, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China.; Linyi University, Linyi 276005, Shandong, PR China. Electronic address: chengnn2002@163.com.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, PR China. Electronic address: yyhzhang@sdau.edu.cn.
Chilling stress impedes plant growth and hinders crop development and productivity. In this study, we identified the major latex protein (MLP) in tobacco (NtMLP423) and examined its roles in chilling resistance. NtMLP423 expression was considerably upregulated in response to chilling stress. NtMLP423 function was assessed and compared in plants with overexpression and antisense characteristics. Under chilling stress, plants with overexpression characteristics grew better than wild-type and antisense plants. NtMLP423 overexpression reduced membrane lipid damage, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation under chilling stress. Here, we screened for the first time the upstream transcription factor NtMYB108, which regulates NtMLP423 expression under chilling stress. The NtMYB108 transcription factor directly binds to the NtMLP423 promoter and improves NtMLP423 resistance to chilling stress. Subjecting NtMYB018 to virus-induced gene silencing reduced chilling stress tolerance. Overall, NtMLP423 overexpression enhances chilling stress tolerance, while its suppression has the opposite effect.
PMID: 36709884
Front Genet , IF:4.599 , 2023 , V14 : P1097381 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1097381
Analysis of basic pentacysteine6 transcription factor involved in abiotic stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana.
College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi City, Xinjiang, China.
Background: Abiotic stress is a significant environmental factor that limits plant growth. Plants have complex and diverse mechanisms for dealing with abiotic stress, and different response mechanisms are interconnected. Our research aims to find key transcription factors that can respond to multiple non -biological stress. Methods: We used gene expression profile data of Arabidopsis in response to abiotic stress, constructed a weighted gene co-expression network, to obtain key modules in the network. The functions and pathways involved in these modules were further explored by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Through the enrichment analysis of transcription factor, the transcription factor that plays an important regulatory role in the key module. Through gene difference expression analysis and building protein interaction networks, the important role of key transcription factors is verified. Result: In weighted gene co-expression network, identified three gene modules that are primarily associated with cold stress, heat stress, and salt stress. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the genes in these modules participate in biological processes such as protein binding, stress response, and others. Transcription factor enrichment analysis revealed that the transcription factor Basic Pentacysteine6 (BPC6) plays a crucial regulatory role in these three modules. The expression of the BPC6 gene is dramatically affected under a variety of abiotic stress treatments, according to an analysis of Arabidopsis gene expression data under abiotic stress treatments. Differential expression analysis showed that there were 57 differentially expressed genes in bpc4 bpc6 double mutant Arabidopsis relative to normal Arabidopsis samples, including 14 BPC6 target genes. Protein interaction network analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes had strong interactions with BPC6 target genes within the key modules. Conclusion: Our findings reveal that the BPC6 transcription factor plays a key regulatory function in Arabidopsis coping with a variety of abiotic stresses, which opens up new ideas and perspectives for us to understand the mechanism of plants coping with abiotic stresses.
PMID: 37139231
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2023 Apr , V42 (4) : P707-722 doi: 10.1007/s00299-023-02984-0
Comparative transcriptomics and co-expression networks reveal cultivar-specific molecular signatures associated with reproductive-stage cold stress in rice.
School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an, 223003, China.; Huaiyin Institute of Agricultural Science in Xuhuai Region of Jiangsu Province, Huai'an, 223001, China. bs_cheng1981@163.com.; Shanghai Bioelectronica Limited Liability Company, Shanghai, 200131, China.; School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an, 223003, China. hgzgl@sina.com.; State Key Laboratory of Soil and Agricultural Sustainable Development, Nanjing, 210008, China. hgzgl@sina.com.; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Attapulgite Clay Resource Utilization, Huai'an, 223003, China. hgzgl@sina.com.
The resistance of Huaidao5 results from the high constitutive expression of tolerance genes, while that of Huaidao9 is due to the cold-induced resistance in flag leaves and panicles. The regulation mechanism of rice seedlings' cold tolerance is relatively clear, and knowledge of its underlying mechanisms at the reproductive stage is limited. We performed differential expression and co-expression network analyses to transcriptomes from panicle and flag leaf tissues of a cold-tolerant cultivar (Huaidao5), and a sensitive cultivar (Huaidao9), under reproductive-stage cold stress. The results revealed that the expression levels of genes in stress-related pathways such as MAPK signaling pathway, diterpenoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, plant-pathogen interaction and plant hormone signal transduction were constitutively highly expressed in Huaidao5, especially in panicles. Moreover, the Hudaidao5's panicle sample-specific (under cold) module contained some genes related to rice yield, such as GW5L, GGC2, SG1 and CTPS1. However, the resistance of Huaidao9 was derived from the induced resistance to cold in flag leaves and panicles. In the flag leaves, the responses included a series of stress response and signal transduction, while in the panicles nitrogen metabolism was severely affected, especially 66 endosperm-specific genes. Through integrating differential expression with co-expression networks, we predicted 161 candidate genes (79 cold-responsive genes common to both cultivars and 82 cold-tolerance genes associated with differences in cold tolerance between cultivars) potentially affecting cold response/tolerance, among which 85 (52.80%) were known to be cold-related genes. Moreover, 52 (65.82%) cold-responsive genes (e.g., TIFY11C, LSK1 and LPA) could be confirmed by previous transcriptome studies and 72 (87.80%) cold-tolerance genes (e.g., APX5, OsFbox17 and OsSTA109) were located within QTLs associated with cold tolerance. This study provides an efficient strategy for further discovery of mechanisms of cold tolerance in rice.
PMID: 36723676
Sci Rep , IF:4.379 , 2023 Apr , V13 (1) : P6279 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33398-3
Genome-wide transcriptional profiling provides clues to molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance in chickpea.
Department of Plant Production and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.; Department of Plant Production and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran. ismaili.a@lu.ac.ir.; Genetic Research Department, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran.; Department of Systems Biology, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran. shobbar@abrii.ac.ir.
Chickpea is an important food legume cultivated in several countries. A sudden drop in autumn temperature, freezing winter temperature, and late spring cold events result in significant losses in chickpea production. The current study used RNA sequencing of two cold tolerant (Saral) and sensitive (ILC533) Kabuli chickpea genotypes to identify cold tolerance-associated genes/pathways. A total of 200.85 million raw reads were acquired from the leaf samples by Illumina sequencing, and around 86% of the clean reads (199 million) were mapped to the chickpea reference genome. The results indicated that 3710 (1980 up- and 1730 down-regulated) and 3473 (1972 up- and 1501 down-regulated) genes were expressed differentially under cold stress in the tolerant and sensitive genotypes, respectively. According to the GO enrichment analysis of uniquely down-regulated genes under cold stress in ILC533, photosynthetic membrane, photosystem II, chloroplast part, and photosystem processes were enriched, revealing that the photosynthesis is severely sensitive to cold stress in this sensitive genotype. Many remarkable transcription factors (CaDREB1E, CaMYB4, CaNAC47, CaTCP4, and CaWRKY33), signaling/regulatory genes (CaCDPK4, CaPP2C6, CaMKK2, and CaHSFA3), and protective genes (CaCOR47, CaLEA3, and CaGST) were identified among the cold-responsive genes of the tolerant genotype. These findings would help improve cold tolerance across chickpea genotypes by molecular breeding or genetic engineering.
PMID: 37072529
Sci Rep , IF:4.379 , 2023 Apr , V13 (1) : P6297 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33250-8
Genomic-regions associated with cold stress tolerance in Asia-adapted tropical maize germplasm.
Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India.; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru, Telangana, India. v.madhumalthayil@cgiar.org.; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), ICRISAT Campus, Patancheru, Telangana, India.; Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), Ludhiana, Punjab, India.; Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, India.
Maize is gaining impetus in non-traditional and non-conventional seasons such as off-season, primarily due to higher demand and economic returns. Maize varieties directed for growing in the winter season of South Asia must have cold resilience as an important trait due to the low prevailing temperatures and frequent cold snaps observed during this season in most parts of the lowland tropics of Asia. The current study involved screening of a panel of advanced tropically adapted maize lines to cold stress during vegetative and flowering stage under field conditions. A suite of significant genomic loci (28) associated with grain yield along and agronomic traits such as flowering (15) and plant height (6) under cold stress environments. The haplotype regression revealed 6 significant haplotype blocks for grain yield under cold stress across the test environments. Haplotype blocks particularly on chromosomes 5 (bin5.07), 6 (bin6.02), and 9 (9.03) co-located to regions/bins that have been identified to contain candidate genes involved in membrane transport system that would provide essential tolerance to the plant. The regions on chromosome 1 (bin1.04), 2 (bin 2.07), 3 (bin 3.05-3.06), 5 (bin5.03), 8 (bin8.05-8.06) also harboured significant SNPs for the other agronomic traits. In addition, the study also looked at the plausibility of identifying tropically adapted maize lines from the working germplasm with cold resilience across growth stages and identified four lines that could be used as breeding starts in the tropical maize breeding pipelines.
PMID: 37072497
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2023 May , V200 : P107768 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107768
The transcription factor VaNAC72-regulated expression of the VaCP17 gene from Chinese wild Vitis amurensis enhances cold tolerance in transgenic grape (V. vinifera).
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: qhx19971104@163.com.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: 2319909797@qq.com.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: 1272351337@qq.com.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: zhangjx666@126.com.
Papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCP) play diverse roles in plant biology. In our previous studies, a VaCP17 gene from the cold-tolerant Vitis amurensis accession 'Shuangyou' was isolated and its role in cold tolerance was preliminarily verified in Arabidopsis. Here, we confirmed the function of VaCP17 in cold tolerance by stably overexpressing VaCP17 in the cold-sensitive Vitis vinifera cultivar 'Thompson Seedless' and transiently silencing VaCP17 in 'Shuangyou' leaves. The results showed that overexpression of VaCP17 improved the cold tolerance in 'Thompson Seedless' as manifested by reduced electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde accumulation, chlorophyll homeostasis, increased antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase) activitiy, and rapid up-regulation of stress-related genes (VvKIN2, VvRD29B, and VvNCED1) compared with wild-type line. Conversely, RNA interfere-mediated knockdown of VaCP17 in 'Shuangyou' leaves resulted in opposite physiological and biochemical responses and exacerbated leaves wilting compared with control. Subsequently, by yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase assays, and transient overexpression of VaNAC72 in 'Shuangyou' leaves, a VaCP17-interacting protein VaNAC72 was confirmed to promote the expression of VaCP17 under cold stress, which depends on abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid signaling. By yeast two-hybrids, bimolecular fluorescence complementation and luciferase complementation assays, it was found that VaNAC72 could form homodimers or heterodimers with VaCBF2. Furthermore, co-expression analysis confirmed that VaNAC72 works synergistically with VaCBF2 or VaCP17 to up-regulate the expression of VaCP17. In conclusion, the study revealed that the VaNAC72-VaCP17 module positively regulated cold tolerance in grapevine, and this knowledge is useful for further revealing the cold-tolerance mechanism of V. amurensis and grape molecular breeding.
PMID: 37247556
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2023 Jun , V199 : P107737 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107737
Genome-wide analysis of fatty acid desaturase genes in chia (Salvia hispanica) reveals their crucial roles in cold response and seed oil formation.
Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Rapeseed, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Crop Quality Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture of Ministry of Education, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Rapeseed, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Crop Quality Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture of Ministry of Education, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculte des Sciences Agronomiques, Universite Pedagogique Nationale (UPN), Kinshasa, Congo.; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Rapeseed, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Crop Quality Improvement, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China; Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture of Ministry of Education, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China. Electronic address: chaiyourong2@163.com.
Chia (Salvia hispanica) is a functional food crop with high alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the omega-3 essential fatty acid, but its worldwide plantation is limited by cold-intolerance and strict short-photoperiod flowering feature. Fatty acid desaturases (FADs) are responsible for seed oil accumulation, and play important roles in cold stress tolerance of plants. To date, there is no report on systemically genome-wide analysis of FAD genes in chia (ShiFADs). In this study, 31 ShiFAD genes were identified, 3 of which contained 2 alternative splicing transcripts, and they were located in 6 chromosomes of chia. Phylogenetic analysis classified the ShiFAD proteins into 7 groups, with conserved gene structure and MEME motifs within each group. Tandem and segmental duplications coursed the expansion of ShiFAD genes. Numerous cis-regulatory elements, including hormone response elements, growth and development elements, biotic/abiotic stress response elements, and transcription factor binding sites, were predicted in ShiFAD promoters. 24 miRNAs targeting ShiFAD genes were identified at whole-genome level. In total, 15 SSR loci were predicted in ShiFAD genes/promoters. RNA-seq data showed that ShiFAD genes were expressed in various organs with different levels. qRT-PCR detection revealed the inducibility of ShiSAD2 and ShiSAD7 in response to cold stress, and validated the seed-specific expression of ShiSAD11a. Yeast expression of ShiSAD11a confirmed the catalytic activity of its encoded protein, and its heterologous expression in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly increased seed oleic acid content. This work lays a foundation for molecular dissection of chia high-ALA trait and functional study of ShiFAD genes in cold tolerance.
PMID: 37163804
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2023 Jun , V199 : P107708 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107708
Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of ICE genes reveal that Gossypium thurberi "GthICE2" is responsible for cold and drought stress tolerance.
Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University/Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang, China; School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China; School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226019, China.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China; National Nanfan Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Sanya, 572025, China.; Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University/Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang, China; School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China; National Nanfan Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Sanya, 572025, China. Electronic address: liufcri@163.com.; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China. Electronic address: zhonglizhou@163.com.; Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University/Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Anyang, China; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China; National Nanfan Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Sanya, 572025, China. Electronic address: cxycri@163.com.
Cold stress has been found to have a negative impact on cotton growth and annual production. To address this issue, the utilization of cold-tolerant gene resources from wild species of Gossypium is crucial for genetic improvements in cultivated cotton. ICE (inducer of CBF expression) are the key regulators of cold tolerance in plants, however, there is relatively little information on ICE genes in cotton. Herein, we performed comprehensive bioinformatics analyses of the ICE gene family in eight cotton species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 52 ICE genes were clustered into four subgroups. Cis-regulatory elements analysis suggests that the expression of ICE genes might be regulated by light, plant hormones, and various environment stresses. Higher expression of GthICE2 was observed in leaves as compared to roots and stems, in response to cold, drought, and exogenous hormone ABA. Furthermore, overexpression of GthICE2 in A. thaliana led to higher germination and survival rates, longer root length, lower ion leakage, and induction under cold and drought stress. Histochemical staining showed that oxidative damage in transgenic lines was much lower compared to wild-type plants. Lower MDA contents and higher SOD and POD activities were observed in overexpressed plants. Y1H and LUC assays revealed that GthICE2 might activate the expression of GthCBF4, a cold-responsive gene, by connecting with the MYC cis-element present in the promoter of GthCBF4. GthICE2 confers cold and drought stress tolerance in cotton. Our findings add significantly to the existing knowledge regarding cold stress tolerance and helps to elucidate cold response mechanisms in cotton.
PMID: 37116225
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2023 Apr , V197 : P107646 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107646
Sensing, signalling, and regulatory mechanism of cold-stress tolerance in plants.
Division of Biotechnology, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, 176061, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Ghaziabad, 201002, India.; Division of Biotechnology, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, 176061, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Ghaziabad, 201002, India. Electronic address: rohitjoshi@ihbt.res.in.
Cold stress is a crucial environmental factor influencing growth and distribution and possessing yield penalties. To survive in the cold, plants have evolved to use a range of molecular mechanisms. The major regulatory pathway under low-temperature stress involves the conversion of external stimulus into an internal signal that triggers a defence mechanism through a transcriptional cascade to counter stress. Cold-receptive mechanism and cell signalling involve cold-related signalling molecules, sensors, calcium signals, MAPK cascade, and ICE-COR-CBF pathway that modulate signal transduction in plants. Of these, the ICE-CBF-COR signalling is considered to be an important regulator for cold-stress acclimation. ICE stimulates acclimation to cold and plays a pivotal role in regulating CBF-mediated cold-tolerance mechanism. Thus, CBFs regulate COR gene expression by binding to its promoter. Similarly, the C-repeat binding factor-dependent signalling cascade also stimulates osmotic stress-regulatory gene expression. This review elucidates the regulatory mechanism underlying cold stress, i.e., signal molecules, cold receptors, signal-transduction pathways, metabolic regulation under cold stress, and crosstalk of regulatory pathways with other abiotic stresses in plants. The results may pave the way for crop improvement in low-temperature environments.
PMID: 36958153
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2023 Jun , V199 : P107747 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107747
Unraveling molecular mechanisms underlying low-temperature adaptation in Laguncularia racemosa.
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China.; State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.; State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China. Electronic address: yangych68@mail.sysu.edu.cn.; Mangrove institute, Lingnan Normal University, Zhanjiang, 524048, China. Electronic address: Zhangyingred@lingnan.edu.cn.; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China. Electronic address: hnsylq@163.com.
Laguncularia racemosa (L.) C.F. Gaertn is a controversial species in China, in terms of being a pioneer species for mangrove restoration and a putative invasive species occupying natural habitats. The tolerance to chilling stress allows L. racemosa to adapt to extreme climate change. However, little is known about the molecular-level chilling resistance mechanisms in L. racemosa, which restricts our understanding of its biological features and invasion potential. In this study, L. racemosa seedlings were treated with freezing temperature (0 degrees C) at four durations (0 h, 3 h, 12 h and 24 h of recovery after treatment), and both physiological and transcriptional regulations underlying chilling stress resistance were investigated. Chilling stress caused damage to the cell membrane system and reduced photosynthesis efficiency of L. racemosa seedlings. To combat the adverse impacts, plasma membrane biosynthesis and antioxidant processes were substantially enhanced. After 24 h of recovery, the seedlings nearly recovered to normal growth condition, except for the processes related to photosynthesis, indicating their vigorous adaptation to short-term chilling stress. Importantly, the individuals from higher latitude displayed better adaptation to chilling injury than those from lower latitude, highlighting the role of long-term heredity x environment interactions in promoting the chilling resistance capacity of L. racemosa. These features allow L. racemosa to survive in extremely cold weather, but may also increase its risk of invasion into intertidal ecosystems. Together, our findings present a comprehensive view of the chilling-adaptative mechanisms of L. racemosa, which provide clues for better evaluating the invasive potential of L. racemosa.
PMID: 37182276
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2023 Apr , V197 : P107658 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107658
Leaf-branch vulnerability segmentation occurs all year round for three temperate evergreen tree species.
Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: lizhimin_eco@163.com.; Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, China; Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China.; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
Vulnerability segmentation (VS) and Hydraulic segmentation (HS) hypotheses propose higher hydraulic resistance and vulnerability to embolism in leaves than in branches, respectively. The VS and HS are suggested as an acclimation strategy of trees to drought stress, but whether they occur during freezing stress has rarely been explored. We measured the leaf and branch hydraulic traits of three temperate evergreen tree species [Picea koraiensis (Korean spruce), Pinus koraiensis (Korean pine), and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica (Mongolian pine)] during four seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn) across the year. We assessed the applicability of VS and HS all year round, particularly in winter. The water potential at which leaf hydraulic conductance lost 50% (P(50L)), was more negative in winter than in summer, while higher leaf mass per area was obtained in winter. These results suggest that these species invest more carbon into leaf (including hydraulic systems) to acclimate to winter frost drought. Leaf and branch hydraulic conductance (K(mL) and K(mB)) were lower, and the percentage loss of branch hydraulic conductance (PLC(B)) was higher in spring than in autumn. These results were probably because of more freeze-thaw cycles in spring (69 cycles) than in autumn (37 cycles). The water potential at which branch hydraulic conductance lost 50%, P(50B), was more negative than P(50L) across the year. The values of VS (P(50L) minus P(50B)) were positive, i.e. leaf was more vulnerable than the branch in all species and across seasons, with higher values occurring in spring or autumn. However, K(mL) positively correlated with K(mB), suggesting hydraulic coordination between leaf and branch, but did not support HS. Our findings indicate that leaf-branch vulnerability segmentation can occur all year round, including freezing stress, to protect branches from hydraulic failure in temperate evergreen conifers.
PMID: 37001301
BMC Plant Biol , IF:4.215 , 2023 May , V23 (1) : P260 doi: 10.1186/s12870-023-04269-w
High-resolution Hi-C maps highlight multiscale chromatin architecture reorganization during cold stress in Brachypodium distachyon.
School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China.; School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China. kwang5@ntu.edu.cn.; School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, 226019, China. jinleihan@ntu.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: The adaptation of plants to cold stress involves changes in gene expression profiles that are associated with epigenetic regulation. Although the three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture is considered an important epigenetic regulator, the role of 3D genome organization in the cold stress response remains unclear. RESULTS: In this study, we developed high-resolution 3D genomic maps using control and cold-treated leaf tissue of the model plant Brachypodium distachyon using Hi-C to determine how cold stress affects the 3D genome architecture. We generated ~ 1.5 kb resolution chromatin interaction maps and showed that cold stress disrupts different levels of chromosome organization, including A/B compartment transition, a reduction in chromatin compartmentalization and the size of topologically associating domains (TADs), and loss of long-range chromatin loops. Integrating RNA-seq information, we identified cold-response genes and revealed that transcription was largely unaffected by the A/B compartment transition. The cold-response genes were predominantly localized in compartment A. In contrast, transcriptional changes are required for TAD reorganization. We demonstrated that dynamic TAD events were associated with H3K27me3 and H3K27ac state alterations. Moreover, a loss of chromatin looping, rather than a gain of looping, coincides with alterations in gene expression, indicating that chromatin loop disruption may play a more important role than loop formation in the cold-stress response. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the multiscale 3D genome reprogramming that occurs during cold stress and expands our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying transcriptional regulation in response to cold stress in plants.
PMID: 37193952
BMC Plant Biol , IF:4.215 , 2023 Apr , V23 (1) : P204 doi: 10.1186/s12870-023-04208-9
Genome-wide analysis of UDP-glycosyltransferases family and identification of UGT genes involved in abiotic stress and flavonol biosynthesis in Nicotiana tabacum.
Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.; Qujing Tobacco Company of Yunnan Province, Qujing, 655000, China.; Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China. yangaiguo@caas.cn.; China National Tobacco Corporation, Beijing, 100045, China. chenyong@tobacco.gov.cn.; Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China. chenshuai019@126.com.
BACKGROUND: Uridine disphosphate (UDP) glycosyltransferases (UGTs) act upon a huge variety of highly diverse and complex substrates, such as phytohormones and specialized metabolites, to regulate plant growth, development, disease resistance, and environmental interactions. However, a comprehensive investigation of UGT genes in tobacco has not been conducted. RESULTS: In this study, we carried out a genome-wide analysis of family-1 UDP glycosyltransferases in Nicotiana tabacum. We predicted 276 NtUGT genes, which were classified into 18 major phylogenetic subgroups. The NtUGT genes were invariably distributed among all the 24 chromosomes with structural diversity in exon/intron structure, conserved motifs, and cis-acting elements of promoters. Three groups of proteins which involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, plant growth and development, transportation and modification were identified that interact with NtUGT proteins using the PPI analysis. Expression analysis of NtUGT genes in cold stress, drought stress and different flower color using both online RNA-Seq data and the realtime PCR analysis, suggested the distinct role of NtUGT genes in resistance of cold, drought and in flavonoid biosynthesis. The enzymatic activities of seven NtUGT proteins that potentially involved in flavonoid glycosylation were analyzed, and found that all seven exhibited activity on myricetin; six (NtUGT108, NtUGT123, NtUGT141, NtUGT155, NtUGT179, and NtUGT195) showed activity on cyanidin; and three (NtUGT108, NtUGT195, and NtUGT217) were active on the flavonol aglycones kaempferol and quercetin, which catalyzing the substrates (myricetin, cyanidin or flavonol) to form new products. We further investigated the enzymatic products and enzymatic properties of NtUGT108, NtUGT195, and NtUGT217, suggested their diverse enzymatic activity toward flavonol, and NtUGT217 showed the highest catalyzed efficient toward quercetin. Overexpression of NtUGT217 significantly increase the content levels of the quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside in transgenic tobacco leaves. CONCLUSION: We identified 276 UGT genes in Nicotiana tabacum. Our study uncovered valuable information about the phylogenetic structure, distribution, genomic characters, expression patterns and enzymatic activity of NtUGT genes in tobacco. We further identified three NtUGT genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, and overexpressed NtUGT217 to validate its function in catalyze quercetin. The results provide key candidate NtUGT genes for future breeding of cold and drought resistance and for potential metabolic engineering of flavonoid compounds.
PMID: 37076827
Tree Physiol , IF:4.196 , 2023 May doi: 10.1093/treephys/tpad065
Cold temperature and aridity shape the evolution of drought tolerance traits in Tasmanian species of Eucalyptus.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Australia.
Perennial plant species from water-limiting environments (including climates of extreme drought, heat, and freezing temperatures) have evolved traits that allow them to tolerate these conditions. As such, traits that are associated with water stress may show evidence of adaptation to climate when compared among closely related species inhabiting contrasting climatic conditions. In this study, we tested whether key hydraulic traits linked to drought stress, including the vulnerability of leaves to embolism (P50 leaf) and the minimum diffusive conductance of shoots (gmin) were associated with climatic characteristics of fourteen Tasmanian eucalypt species from sites that vary in precipitation and temperature. Across species, greater cavitation resistance (more negative P50 leaf) was associated with increasing aridity and decreasing minimum temperature. In contrast, gmin showed strong associations with aridity only. Among these Tasmanian eucalypts, evidence suggests that trait variation is influenced by both cold and dry conditions, highlighting the need to consider both aspects when exploring adaptive trait-climate relationships.
PMID: 37208009
Genes (Basel) , IF:4.096 , 2023 Mar , V14 (4) doi: 10.3390/genes14040844
Comprehensive Transcriptome Analysis of Responses during Cold Stress in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.; National Engineering Research Centre for Wheat/Henan Technology Innovation Centre of Wheat, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
Wheat production is often impacted by pre-winter freezing damage and cold spells in later spring. To study the influences of cold stress on wheat seedlings, unstressed Jing 841 was sampled once at the seedling stage, followed by 4 degrees C stress treatment for 30 days and once every 10 days. A total of 12,926 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from the transcriptome. K-means cluster analysis found a group of genes related to the glutamate metabolism pathway, and many genes belonging to the bHLH, MYB, NAC, WRKY, and ERF transcription factor families were highly expressed. Starch and sucrose metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were found. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified several key genes involved in the development of seedlings under cold stress. The cluster tree diagram showed seven different modules marked with different colors. The blue module had the highest correlation coefficient for the samples treated with cold stress for 30 days, and most genes in this module were rich in glutathione metabolism (ko00480). A total of eight DEGs were validated using quantitative real-time PCR. Overall, this study provides new insights into the physiological metabolic pathways and gene changes in a cold stress transcriptome, and it has a potential significance for improving freezing tolerance in wheat.
PMID: 37107602
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2023 Apr , V24 (1) : P219 doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09319-z
Genome-wide identification and molecular characterization of CRK gene family in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under cold stress and sclerotium rolfsii infection.
MS Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, 761211, India.; College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China.; Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Narkatiaganj, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa Samastipur, Bihar, 848125, India.; College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China. hwu1128@163.com.
BACKGROUND: The plant cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) are a large family having multiple roles, including defense responses under both biotic and abiotic stress. However, the CRK family in cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) has been explored to a limited extent. In this study, a genome-wide characterization of the CRK family has been performed to investigate the structural and functional attributes of the cucumber CRKs under cold and fungal pathogen stress. RESULTS: A total of 15 C. sativus CRKs (CsCRKs) have been characterized in the cucumber genome. Chromosome mapping of the CsCRKs revealed that 15 genes are distributed in cucumber chromosomes. Additionally, the gene duplication analysis of the CsCRKs yielded information on their divergence and expansion in cucumbers. Phylogenetic analysis divided the CsCRKs into two clades along with other plant CRKs. Functional predictions of the CsCRKs suggested their role in signaling and defense response in cucumbers. The expression analysis of the CsCRKs by using transcriptome data and via qRT-PCR indicated their involvement in both biotic and abiotic stress responses. Under the cucumber neck rot pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii infection, multiple CsCRKs exhibited induced expressions at early, late, and both stages. Finally, the protein interaction network prediction results identified some key possible interacting partners of the CsCRKs in regulating cucumber physiological processes. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study identified and characterized the CRK gene family in cucumbers. Functional predictions and validation via expression analysis confirmed the involvement of the CsCRKs in cucumber defense response, especially against S. rolfsii. Moreover, current findings provide better insights into the cucumber CRKs and their involvement in defense responses.
PMID: 37101152
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2023 Apr , V24 (1) : P185 doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09262-z
Comparative transcriptomic analysis of germinating rice seedlings to individual and combined anaerobic and cold stress.
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.; Present address: Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.; Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center, Beaumont, TX, 77713, USA.; Genomics and Bioinformatics Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.; Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA. eseptiningsih@tamu.edu.
BACKGROUND: Rice is one of the most important cereals consumed worldwide. Two major abiotic factors affecting rice plants in different growth stages are flooding stress and cold stress. These abiotic stresses can take place independently or simultaneously and significantly affect rice plants during germination and seedling growth. Fortunately, a wide array of phenotypic responses conferring flooding stress and chilling stress tolerance exist within the rice germplasm, indicating the presence of different molecular mechanisms underlying tolerance to these stresses. Understanding these differences may assist in developing improved rice cultivars having higher tolerance to both stresses. In this study, we conducted a comparative global gene expression analysis of two rice genotypes with contrasting phenotypes under cold stress, anaerobic stress, and combined cold and anaerobic stress during germination. RESULTS: The differential gene expression analysis revealed that 5571 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 7206 DEGs, and 13279 DEGs were identified under anaerobic stress, cold stress, and combined stress, respectively. Genes involved in the carbohydrate metabolic process, glucosyltransferase activity, regulation of nitrogen compound metabolic process, protein metabolic process, lipid metabolic process, cellular nitrogen compound biosynthetic process, lipid biosynthetic process, and a microtubule-based process were enriched across all stresses. Notably, the common Gene Ontology (GO) analysis identified three hub genes, namely Os08g0176800 (similar to mRNA-associated protein mrnp 41), Os11g0454200 (dehydrin), and OS10g0505900 (expressed protein). CONCLUSION: A large number of differentially expressed genes were identified under anaerobic, cold conditions during germination and the combination of the two stress conditions in rice. These results will assist in the identification of promising candidate genes for possible manipulation toward rice crops that are more tolerant under flooding and cold during germination, both independently and concurrently.
PMID: 37024819
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2023 May , V24 (1) : P250 doi: 10.1186/s12864-023-09337-x
Effects of differentially expressed microRNAs induced by rootstocks and silicon on improving chilling tolerance of cucumber seedlings (Cucumis sativus L.).
College of Horticultural Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China.; Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Environment Controlled Agricultural Engineering in Huang-Huai-Hai Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Taian, 271018, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Taian, 271018, China.; Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production in Shandong, Taian, 271018, China.; College of Horticultural Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018, China. minwei@sdau.edu.cn.; Scientific Observing and Experimental Station of Environment Controlled Agricultural Engineering in Huang-Huai-Hai Region, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Taian, 271018, China. minwei@sdau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Taian, 271018, China. minwei@sdau.edu.cn.; Collaborative Innovation Center of Fruit & Vegetable Quality and Efficient Production in Shandong, Taian, 271018, China. minwei@sdau.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Rootstocks can improve the chilling tolerance of grafted cucumbers, but their effectiveness varies. Rootstocks with strong de-blooming capacity may result in lower chilling tolerance of grafted cucumbers compared to those with weak de-blooming capacity, while also reducing the silicon absorption. However, it remains unclear whether this reduction in chilling tolerance is due to differences in rootstock genotypes or the reduction in silicon absorption. RESULTS: The chilling tolerance of cucumber seedlings was improved by using rootstocks and silicon nutrition. Rootstocks had a more significant effect than silicon nutrition, and the weak de-blooming rootstock 'Yunnan figleaf gourd' was superior to the strong de-blooming rootstock 'Huangchenggen No. 2'. Compared to self-rooted cucumber, twelve miRNAs were regulated by two rootstocks, including seven identical miRNAs (novel-mir23, novel-mir26, novel-mir30, novel-mir37, novel-mir46, miR395a and miR398a-3p) and five different miRNAs (novel-mir32, novel-mir38, novel-mir65, novel-mir78 and miR397a). Notably, four of these miRNAs (novel-mir38, novel-mir65, novel-mir78 and miR397a) were only identified in 'Yunnan figleaf gourd'-grafted cucumbers. Furthermore, six miRNAs (miR168a-5p, miR390a-5p, novel-mir26, novel-mir55, novel-mir67 and novel-mir70) were found to be responsive to exogenous silicon. Target gene prediction for 20 miRNAs resulted in 520 genes. Functional analysis of these target genes showed that 'Yunnan figleaf gourd' improves the chilling tolerance of cucumber by regulating laccase synthesis and sulfate metabolism, while 'Huangchenggen No. 2' and exogenous silicon reduced chilling stress damage to cucumber by regulating ROS scavenging and protein protection, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among the identified miRNAs, novel-mir46 and miR398a-3p were found in cucumbers in response to chilling stress and two types of rootstocks. However, no identical miRNAs were identified in response to chilling stress and silicon. In addition, the differential expression of novel-mir38, novel-mir65, novel-mir78 and miR397a may be one of the important reasons for the differences in chilling tolerance of grafted cucumbers caused by two types of rootstocks.
PMID: 37165319
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2023 May , V12 (9) doi: 10.3390/plants12091876
Hydrotime Model Parameters Estimate Seed Vigor and Predict Seedling Emergence Performance of Astragalus sinicus under Various Environmental Conditions.
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Grassland Resources and Ecology in the Yellow River Delta, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Specialty Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization in Saline Soils of Coastal Beach, College of Grassland Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.; State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.; College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
Seed vigor is an important aspect of seed quality. High-vigor seeds show rapid and uniform germination and emerge well, especially under adverse environmental conditions. Here, we determined hydrotime model parameters by incubating seeds at different water potentials (0.0, -0.2, -0.4, -0.6, and -0.8 MPa) in the laboratory, for 12 seed lots of Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus) (CMV), a globally important legume used as forage, green manure, and a rotation crop. Pot experiments were conducted to investigate the seedling emergence performance of 12 CMV seed lots under control, water stress, salinity stress, deep sowing, and cold stress conditions. Meanwhile, the field emergence performance was evaluated on two sowing dates in June and October 2022. Correlation and regression analyses were implemented to explore the relationships between hydrotime model parameters and seedling emergence performance under various environmental conditions. The seed germination percentage did not differ significantly between seed lots when seeds were incubated at 0.0 MPa, whereas it did differ significantly between seed lots at water potentials of -0.2, -0.4, and -0.6 MPa. The emergence percentage, seedling dry weight, and simplified vigor index also differed significantly between the 12 seed lots under various environmental conditions. Psi(b(50)) showed a significant correlation with germination and emergence performance under various environmental conditions; however, little correlation was observed between theta(H) or sigma(phib) and germination and emergence. These results indicate that Psi(b(50)) can be used to estimate seed vigor and predict seedling emergence performance under diverse environmental conditions for CMV and similar forage legumes. This study will enable seed researchers, plant breeders, and government program directors to target higher seed vigor more effectively for forage legumes.
PMID: 37176935
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2023 Apr , V12 (9) doi: 10.3390/plants12091831
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Dof Transcription Factor in Annual Alfalfa Medicago polymorpha.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.; Institution of Grassland Science, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
The Dof transcription factor is a plant-specific transcription gene family that plays various biological functions in plant development and stress response. However, no relevant research has been conducted on Medicago polymorpha. Here, 36 MpDof genes were identified in the M. polymorpha genome and further divided into 10 groups based on the comparative phylogenetic analysis. The essential information of MpDof genes, such as chromosomal localization, gene structure, conserved motifs, and selective pressures were systematically analyzed. All 36 MpDof genes were predicted to contain more cis-acting elements related to hormone response. MpDof24 and MpDof25 were predicted to interact with MpDof11 and MpDof26 to involve in the photoperiod blooms process. The MpDof genes showed a diverse expression pattern in different tissues. Notably, MpDof29 and MpDof31 were specifically expressed in the large pod and root, respectively, suggesting their crucial role in the pod and root development. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that the expression levels of MpDof10, MpDof25, MpDof26, and MpDof29 were obviously up-regulated under drought, salt, and cold stress. Collectively, genome-wide identification, evolutionary, and expression analysis of the Dof transcription gene family in M. polymorpha will provide new information to further understand and utilize the function of these Dof genes in Medicago plants.
PMID: 37176890
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2023 Apr , V12 (8) doi: 10.3390/plants12081704
The Salt Tolerance-Related Protein (STRP) Is a Positive Regulator of the Response to Salt Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.; Ph.D. Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
Salt stress is a major abiotic stress limiting plant survival and crop productivity. Plant adaptation to salt stress involves complex responses, including changes in gene expression, regulation of hormone signaling, and production of stress-responsive proteins. The Salt Tolerance-Related Protein (STRP) has been recently characterized as a Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA)-like, intrinsically disordered protein involved in plant responses to cold stress. In addition, STRP has been proposed as a mediator of salt stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana, but its role has still to be fully clarified. Here, we investigated the role of STRP in salt stress responses in A. thaliana. The protein rapidly accumulates under salt stress due to a reduction of proteasome-mediated degradation. Physiological and biochemical responses of the strp mutant and STRP-overexpressing (STRP OE) plants demonstrate that salt stress impairs seed germination and seedling development more markedly in the strp mutant than in A. thaliana wild type (wt). At the same time, the inhibitory effect is significantly reduced in STRP OE plants. Moreover, the strp mutant has a lower ability to counteract oxidative stress, cannot accumulate the osmocompatible solute proline, and does not increase abscisic acid (ABA) levels in response to salinity stress. Accordingly, the opposite effect was observed in STRP OE plants. Overall, obtained results suggest that STRP performs its protective functions by reducing the oxidative burst induced by salt stress, and plays a role in the osmotic adjustment mechanisms required to preserve cellular homeostasis. These findings propose STRP as a critical component of the response mechanisms to saline stress in A. thaliana.
PMID: 37111928
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2023 Apr , V12 (8) doi: 10.3390/plants12081616
Genome-Wide Analysis and Abiotic Stress-Responsive Patterns of COBRA-like Gene Family in Liriodendron chinense.
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.; National Germplasm Bank of Chinese Fir at Fujian Yangkou Forest Farm, Nanping 353211, China.; Jinling Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211169, China.; Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics and Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
The COBRA gene encodes a plant-specific glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein (GAP), which plays an important role in cell wall cellulose deposition. In this study, a total of 7 COBRA-like (COBL) genes were identified in the genome of the rare and endangered woody plant Liriodendron chinense (L. chinense). Phylogenetic analysis showed that these LcCOBL genes can be divided into two subfamilies, i.e., SF I and II. In the conserved motif analysis of two subfamilies, SF I contained 10 predicted motifs, while SF II contained 4-6 motifs. The tissue-specific expression patterns showed that LcCOBL5 was highly expressed in the phloem and xylem, indicating its potential role in cellulose biosynthesis. In addition, the cis-element analysis and abiotic stress transcriptomes showed that three LcCOBLs, LcCOBL3, LcCOBL4 and LcCOBL5, transcriptionally responded to abiotic stresses, including cold, drought and heat stress. In particular, the quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis further confirmed that the LcCOBL3 gene was significantly upregulated in response to cold stress and peaked at 24-48 h, hinting at its potential role in the mechanism of cold resistance in L. chinense. Moreover, GFP-fused LcCOBL2, LcCOBL4 and LcCOBL5 were found to be localized in the cytomembrane. In summary, we expect these results to be beneficial for research on both the functions of LcCOBL genes and resistance breeding in L. chinense.
PMID: 37111840
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2023 Apr , V12 (8) doi: 10.3390/plants12081641
Identification of Novel QTLs Associated with Frost Tolerance in Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey.; Department of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran.; Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, Necmettin Erbakan University, 42310 Konya, Turkey.; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Erzurum Technical University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey.; Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznan, Poland.; Department of Agronomy, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Dojazd 11, 60-632 Poznan, Poland.; Field and Horticultural Crops Research Department, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Sanandaj 6616936311, Iran.
Low temperature (cold) and freezing stress is a major problem during winter wheat growth. Low temperature tolerance (LT) is an important agronomic trait in winter wheat and determines the plants' ability to cope with below-freezing temperatures; thus, the development of cold-tolerant cultivars has become a major goal of breeding in various regions of the world. In this study, we sought to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) using molecular markers related to freezing tolerance in winter. Thirty-four polymorphic markers among 425 SSR markers were obtained for the population, including 180 inbred lines of F(12) generation wheat, derived from crosses (Norstar x Zagros) after testing with parents. LT(50) is used as an effective selection criterion for identifying frost-tolerance genotypes. The progeny of individual F(12) plants were used to evaluate LT50. Several QTLs related to wheat yield, including heading time period, 1000-seed weight, and number of surviving plants after overwintering, were identified. Single-marker analysis illustrated that four SSR markers with a total of 25% phenotypic variance determination were linked to LT50. Related QTLs were located on chromosomes 4A, 2B, and 3B. Common QTLs identified in two cropping seasons based on agronomical traits were two QTLs for heading time period, one QTL for 1000-seed weight, and six QTLs for number of surviving plants after overwintering. The four markers identified linked to LT(50) significantly affected both LT(50) and yield-related traits simultaneously. This is the first report to identify a major-effect QTL related to frost tolerance on chromosome 4A by the marker XGWM160. It is possible that some QTLs are closely related to pleiotropic effects that control two or more traits simultaneously, and this feature can be used as a factor to select frost-resistant lines in plant breeding programs.
PMID: 37111864
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2023 May , V12 (9) doi: 10.3390/plants12091893
Acquisition of Freezing Tolerance of Resurrection Species from Gesneriaceae, a Comparative Study.
Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.; Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Prishtina "Hasan Prishtina", Eqerem Cabej Str No 51, 10020 Prishtina, Kosovo.
Resurrection plants have the unique ability to restore normal physiological activity after desiccation to an air-dry state. In addition to their desiccation tolerance, some of them, such as Haberlea rhodopensis and Ramonda myconi, are also freezing-tolerant species, as they survive subzero temperatures during winter. Here, we compared the response of the photosynthetic apparatus of two other Gesneriaceae species, Ramonda serbica and Ramonda nathaliae, together with H. rhodopensis, to cold and freezing temperatures. The role of some protective proteins in freezing tolerance was also investigated. The water content of leaves was not affected during cold acclimation but exposure of plants to -10 degrees C induced dehydration of plants. Freezing stress strongly reduced the quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Y(II)) and stomatal conductance (g(s)) on the abaxial leaf side. In addition, the decreased ratio of F(v)/F(m) suggested photoinhibition or sustained quenching. Freezing-induced desiccation resulted in the inhibition of PSII activity, which was accompanied by increased thermal energy dissipation. In addition, an increase of dehydrins and ELIPs was detected, but the protein pattern differed between species. During recovery, the protein abundance decreased and plants completely recovered their photosynthetic activity. Thus, our results showed that R. serbica, R. nathaliae, and H. rhodopensis survive freezing stress due to some resurrection-linked traits and confirmed their freezing tolerance.
PMID: 37176950
J Plant Physiol , IF:3.549 , 2023 May , V286 : P154006 doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.154006
Overexpression of CdtCIPK21 from triploid bermudagrass reduces salt and drought tolerance but increases chilling tolerance in transgenic rice.
State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address: 20181002003@scau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address: huangshilian@gdaas.cn.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address: 20182002006@scau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address: 15989086243@126.com.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address: yrluo@scau.edu.cn.; College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: zfguo@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China. Electronic address: turflab@scau.edu.cn.
Calcineurin B-like-interacting protein kinase (CIPK) is a serine/threonine kinase, which transmits the Ca(2+) signal sensed by CBL proteins. A CdtCIPK21 showing highly identical to OsCIPK21 in rice was isolated from triploid bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon x Cynodon transvaalensis). CdtCIPK21 transcript could be detected in roots, rhizomes, stems, stolons, and leaves, with highest level in roots. It was induced by salinity, dehydration and chilling, but reduced by ABA treatment. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing CdtCIPK21 had decreased salt and drought tolerance as well as ABA sensitivity but increased chilling tolerance. Lower SOD and CAT activities was observed in transgenic lines under salinity and drought stress conditions, but higher levels under chilling stress. Similarly, lower levels of proline concentration and P5CS1 and P5CS2 transcripts were maintained in transgenic lines under salinity and drought stresses, and higher levels were maintained under chilling. In addition, transgenic lines had lower transcript levels of ABA-independent genes (OsDREB1A, OsDREB1B, and OsDREB2A) and ABA responsive genes (OsLEA3, OsLIP9, and OsRAB16A) under salinity and drought but higher levels under chilling compared with WT. The results suggest that CdtCIPK21 regulates salt and drought tolerance negatively and chilling tolerance positively, which are associated with the altered ABA sensitivity, antioxidants, proline accumulation and expression of ABA-dependent and ABA-independent stress responsive genes.
PMID: 37196413
Protoplasma , IF:3.356 , 2023 May , V260 (3) : P707-721 doi: 10.1007/s00709-022-01807-5
Transcriptome meta-analysis of abiotic stresses-responsive genes and identification of candidate transcription factors for broad stress tolerance in wheat.
Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Road Sidi Mansour 6 km, P.O. Box 1177, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia. saiidimn@gmail.com.; Biotechnology and Plant Improvement Laboratory, Centre of Biotechnology of Sfax, Road Sidi Mansour 6 km, P.O. Box 1177, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia.
Under field conditions, wheat is subjected to single or multiple stress conditions. The elucidation of the molecular mechanism of stress response is a key step to identify candidate genes for stress resistance in plants. In this study, RNA-seq data analysis identified 17.324, 10.562, 5.510, and 8.653 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under salt, drought, heat, and cold stress, respectively. Moreover, the comparison of DEGs from each stress revealed 2374 shared genes from which 40% showed highly conserved expression patterns. Moreover, co-expression network analysis and GO enrichment revealed co-expression modules enriched with genes involved in transcription regulation, protein kinase pathway, and genes responding to phytohormones or modulating hormone levels. The expression of 15 selected transcription factor encoding genes was analyzed under abiotic stresses and ABA treatment in durum wheat. The identified transcription factor genes are excellent candidates for genetic engineering of stress tolerance in wheat.
PMID: 36063229
J Appl Genet , IF:3.24 , 2023 May doi: 10.1007/s13353-023-00761-z
Comprehensive analyses of microtubule-associated protein MAP65 family genes in Cucurbitaceae and CsaMAP65s expression profiles in cucumber.
Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.; Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China. masi@cau.edu.cn.; Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China. tianyq1984@cau.edu.cn.
MAP65 is a microtubule-binding protein family in plants and plays crucial roles in regulating cell growth and development, intercellular communication, and plant responses to various environmental stresses. However, MAP65s in Cucurbitaceae are still less understood. In this study, a total of 40 MAP65s were identified from six Cucurbitaceae species (Cucumis sativus L., Citrullus lanatus, Cucumis melo L., Cucurbita moschata, Lagenaria siceraria, and Benincasa hispida) and classified into five groups by phylogenetic analysis according to gene structures and conserved domains. A conserved domain (MAP65_ASE1) was found in all MAP65 proteins. In cucumber, we isolated six CsaMAP65s with different expression patterns in tissues including root, stem, leaf, female flower, male flower, and fruit. Subcellular localizations of CsaMAP65s verified that all CsaMAP65s were localized in microtubule and microfilament. Analyses of the promoter regions of CsaMAP65s have screened different cis-acting regulatory elements involved in growth and development and responses to hormone and stresses. In addition, CsaMAP65-5 in leaves was significantly upregulated by salt stress, and this promotion effect was higher in cucumber cultivars with salt tolerant than that without salt tolerant. CsaMAP65-1 in leaves was significantly upregulated by cold stress, and this promotion was higher in cold-tolerant cultivar than intolerant cultivar. With the genome-wide characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Cucurbitaceae MAP65s, and the expression profile of CsaMAP65s in cucumber, this study laid a foundation for further study on MAP65 functions in developmental processes and responses to abiotic stress in Cucurbitaceae species.
PMID: 37219731
Funct Plant Biol , IF:3.101 , 2023 Apr doi: 10.1071/FP22310
Overexpression of ClRAP2.4 in Chrysanthemum enhances tolerance to cold stress.
The apetala/ethylene responsive factor (AP2/ERF) family is one of the largest plant-specific transcription factors and plays a vital role in plant development and response to stress. The apetala 2.4 (RAP2.4) gene is a member of the AP2/ERF family. In this study, ClRAP2.4 cDNA fragment with 768bp open reading frame was cloned and the resistance of ClRAP2.4 overexpression to low temperature was investigated to understand whether RAP2.4 is involved in low-temperature stress in chrysanthemum (Chrysamthemum lavandulifolium). Phylogenetic analysis showed that ClRAP2.4 belonged to the DREB subfamily and was most closely related to AT1G22190. ClRAP2.4 was localised in cell nucleus and promotes transcriptional activation in yeast. In addition, ClRAP2.4 was transformed by using the Agrobacterium-mediated leaf disc method, and four overexpression lines (OX-1, OX-2, OX-7, and OX-8) were obtained. The activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase, and proline content in leaves in the four overexpression line were higher than those in the wild type (WT), whereas the electrical conductivity and malondialdehyde content were decreased, indicating that the tolerance of plants with ClRAP2.4 overexpression to cold stress was increased. RNA-Seq showed 390 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the transgenic and WT plants(229 upregulated, 161 downregulated). The number of ABRE, LTR, and DRE cis-elements in the promoters of DEGs were 175, 106, and 46, respectively. The relative expression levels of ClCOR, ClFe/MnSOD, ClPOD, ClNCL, ClPLK, ClFAD, and ClPRP in the transgenic plants were higher than those in WT plants at low temperatures. These data suggest that ClRAP2.4 may increase chrysanthemum tolerance to cold stress.
PMID: 37072372
Funct Plant Biol , IF:3.101 , 2023 Apr , V50 (4) : P277-293 doi: 10.1071/FP22211
Ultrasonic treatment to enhance seed germination and vigour of wheat (Triticum durum) in association with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt pathway.
Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.; Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Science and Arts, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
Treatments of wheat (Triticum durum L.) seeds with sonication or hydropriming may enhance seed germination and vigour in association with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Therefore, the objective of this study is to examine the effect of sonication and hydropriming treatments on seed germination of wheat through the characterisation of seed germination performance, GABA shunt metabolite level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) mRNA transcription. Wheat seeds were exposed to three treatments for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20min: (1) sonication with water; (2) sonication without water; and (3) hydropriming without sonication. Treated seeds were evaluated for germination percentage, mean time to germinate, germination rate index in the warm germination test, and seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. GABA shunt metabolites level (GABA, glutamate, and alanine), and the level of GAD mRNA transcription were measured for the seeds after treatments and for seedlings during germination and cold tests. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments had a higher germination rate index (faster germination) in the standard germination test, and higher seedling emergence and shoot length in the cold test. Seeds treated with sonication or hydropriming treatments showed an enhancement in GABA shunt and their metabolites (alanine and glutamate), and GAD mRNA transcription level compared to untreated-control seeds. In conclusion, the sonication or hydropriming treatments significantly improved the germination performance of wheat and enhanced GABA metabolism to maintain the C:N metabolic balance, especially under cold stress.
PMID: 36634915
Plant Biol (Stuttg) , IF:3.081 , 2023 Apr doi: 10.1111/plb.13529
Low-order fine roots of Picea asperata have different physiological mechanisms in response to seasonal freeze and freeze-thaw of soil.
CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation, Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Seasonal soil freezing (F) and freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) are common natural phenomena in high latitude or altitude areas of the world, and seriously affect plant physiological processes. However, studies on the effect of soil F and FTCs on fine roots are less common, especially in subalpine coniferous forests of western Sichuan, China. We set up a controlled experiment in growth chambers to explore the effects of F and FTCs on low-order fine roots of Picea asperata and differential responses of first-order roots and the first three root orders (1st, 2nd and 3rd order roots combined as a unit). Soil F and FTCs resulted in serious damage to cell membranes and root vitality of low-order fine roots, accompanied by increased MDA content and O(2) .(-) production. FTCs had a stronger effect than F treatment. In turn, low-order fine roots are the unit that responds to cold stress. These roots had increased unsaturated fatty acid contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, osmolytes and plant hormones contents when acclimation to cold stress. The first-order roots were more sensitive to cold stress than the combined first three root orders for several processes (e.g. antioxidant enzymes, osmolytes and hormones) because of their specific structure and physiological activity. This study explains physiological differences in responses of fine roots of different root orders to seasonal soil freezing, which will improve the understanding of fine root heterogeneity and support agriculture and forest management.
PMID: 37070367
Plant Biol (Stuttg) , IF:3.081 , 2023 Jun , V25 (4) : P541-550 doi: 10.1111/plb.13520
High-throughput miRNA sequencing and identification of a novel ICE1-targeting miRNA in response to low temperature stress in Eucalyptus camaldulensis.
College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.; Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, China.; Guangzhou Huayin Medical Laboratory Center Limited, Guangzhou, China.; Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, Guangzhou, China.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in the growth, development, morphogenesis, signal transduction, and stress response in plants. The ICE (Inducer of CBF expression)-CBF (C-repeat binding factor)-COR (Cold-regulated gene) regulatory cascade is an important signalling pathway in plant response to low temperature stress, and it remains unknown whether this pathway is regulated by miRNAs. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was employed for predicting and identifying the miRNAs that were likely to target the ICE-CBF-COR pathway in Eucalyptus camaldulensis. A novel ICE1-targeting miRNA, eca-novel-miR-259-5p (nov-miR259), was further analysed. A total of 392 conserved miRNAs and 97 novel miRNAs were predicted, including 80 differentially expressed miRNAs. Of these, 30 miRNAs were predicted to be associated with the ICE-CBF-COR pathway. The full-length of mature nov-miR259 was 22 bp and its precursor gene was 60 bp in length, with a typical hairpin structure. The RNA ligase-mediated 5' amplification of cDNA ends (5'-RLM-RACE) and Agrobacterium-mediated tobacco transient expression assays demonstrated that nov-miR259 could cleave EcaICE1 in vivo. Moreover, qRT-PCR and Pearson's correlation analysis further revealed that the expression levels of nov-miR259 were almost significantly negatively correlated with those of its target gene, EcaICE1, and the other genes in the ICE-CBF-COR pathway. We first identified the nov-miR259 as a novel ICE1-targeting miRNA, and the nov-miR259-ICE1 module may be involved in regulating the cold stress response in E. camaldulensis.
PMID: 36971569
Plant Biol (Stuttg) , IF:3.081 , 2023 Apr , V25 (3) : P379-395 doi: 10.1111/plb.13510
Assessment of proline function in higher plants under extreme temperatures.
College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU), Fuzhou, China.; State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Hangzhou, China.; Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.; Research Center on Ecological Sciences, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China.; Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde, Turkey.; Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.; Department of Horticulture, School of Horticulture and Landscape, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.; Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi, India.; Group of Antioxidants, Free Radicals and Nitric Oxide in Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture, Department of Stress, Development and Signaling in Plants, Estacion Experimental del Zaidin, Spanish National Research Council, CSIC, Granada, Spain.; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Institute of Forestry and Pomology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China.; State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia.
Climate change and abiotic stress factors are key players in crop losses worldwide. Among which, extreme temperatures (heat and cold) disturb plant growth and development, reduce productivity and, in severe cases, lead to plant death. Plants have developed numerous strategies to mitigate the detrimental impact of temperature stress. Exposure to stress leads to the accumulation of various metabolites, e.g. sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids and amino acids. Plants accumulate the amino acid 'proline' in response to several abiotic stresses, including temperature stress. Proline abundance may result from de novo synthesis, hydrolysis of proteins, reduced utilization or degradation. Proline also leads to stress tolerance by maintaining the osmotic balance (still controversial), cell turgidity and indirectly modulating metabolism of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the crosstalk of proline with other osmoprotectants and signalling molecules, e.g. glycine betaine, abscisic acid, nitric oxide, hydrogen sulfide, soluble sugars, helps to strengthen protective mechanisms in stressful environments. Development of less temperature-responsive cultivars can be achieved by manipulating the biosynthesis of proline through genetic engineering. This review presents an overview of plant responses to extreme temperatures and an outline of proline metabolism under such temperatures. The exogenous application of proline as a protective molecule under extreme temperatures is also presented. Proline crosstalk and interaction with other molecules is also discussed. Finally, the potential of genetic engineering of proline-related genes is explained to develop 'temperature-smart' plants. In short, exogenous application of proline and genetic engineering of proline genes promise ways forward for developing 'temperature-smart' future crop plants.
PMID: 36748909
Food Sci Nutr , IF:2.863 , 2023 Apr , V11 (4) : P1728-1735 doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3202
Preparation of oral nanoparticles of Perillae Fructus oil and prevention application of cold stress in mice.
College of Biological and Food Engineering Huaihua University Huaihua China.; Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province Huaihua China.; "Double First-Class" Applied Characteristic Discipline of Bioengineering in Hunan High Educational Institution Huaihua China.; School of Basic Medical Sciences Hunan University of Medicine Huaihua China.
Perillae Fructus oil has an important function in relieving cold stress. However, its application in this aspect has still been restricted because of instability and low bioavailability. In this study, Perillae Fructus oil was extracted through Soxhlet extraction, analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and nanopackaged into a yeast shell for the preparation of nanoparticles for oral administration. The characteristics of the nanoparticles were investigated using a Malvern zeta-size nanoinstrument, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Then, the roles of orally administered nanoparticles in relieving cold stress were evaluated by investigating blood physiological and biochemical indexes in mice. The results showed that the oil yield from Perillae Fructus and shell yield from yeast cells were ~48.37% and ~16.87%, respectively. Approximately 89.21% of the added oil was packaged into the yeast shell to form nanoparticles with an average diameter of 316.74 nm and a surface charge of +2.9 mV. The nanoparticles were stable in simulated gastric acid and could be effectively released in simulated intestinal fluid with an efficiency of ~91.34%. After oral administration of nanoparticles, the mouse blood indexes of white blood cells (WBCs), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malonaldehyde (MDA) content were recovered compared to those in model mice, with a more remarkable effect than oral administration of free Perillae Fructus oil. Overall, the stability and bioavailability were improved by packaging Perillae Fructus oil into a yeast shell. These nanoparticles are a new agent for the prevention of cold stress.
PMID: 37051352
J Insect Physiol , IF:2.354 , 2023 May , V147 : P104520 doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104520
The interspecific variations in molecular responses to various doses of heat and cold stress: The case of cereal aphids.
Universite de Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystemes, biodiversite, evolution)] - UMR 6553, 35000 Rennes, France; School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No 2, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.; School of Life Science, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No 2, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.; Climate Change Biology Research Group, State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No 2, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.; Universite de Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystemes, biodiversite, evolution)] - UMR 6553, 35000 Rennes, France.; Universite de Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO [(Ecosystemes, biodiversite, evolution)] - UMR 6553, 35000 Rennes, France. Electronic address: herve.colinet@univ-rennes1.fr.
Insects are currently subjected to unprecedented thermal stress due to recent increases in the frequency and amplitude of temperature extremes. Understanding molecular responses to thermal stress is critically important to appreciate how species react to thermal stress. Three co-occurring cosmopolitan species are found within the guild of cereal aphids: Sitobion avenae, Ropalosiphum padi and Metopolophium dirhodum. Earlier reports have shown that increasing frequency of temperature extremes causes a shift in dominant species within guilds of cereal aphids by differently altering the population's growth. We hypothesize that a differential molecular response to stress among species may partially explain these changes. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones well known to play an important role in protecting against the adverse effects of thermal stress. However, few studies on molecular chaperones have been conducted in cereal aphids. In this study, we compared the heat and cold tolerance between three aphid species by measuring the median lethal time (Lt(50)) and examined the expression profiles of seven hsp genes after exposures to comparable thermal injury levels and also after same exposure durations. Results showed that R. padi survived comparatively better at high temperatures than the two other species but was more cold-sensitive. Hsp genes were induced more strongly by heat than cold stress. Hsp70A was the most strongly up-regulated gene in response to both heat and cold stress. R. padi had more heat inducible genes and significantly higher mRNA levels of hsp70A, hsp10, hsp60 and hsp90 than the other two species. Hsps ceased to be expressed at 37 degrees C in M. dirhodum and S. avenae while expression was maintained in R. padi. In contrast, M. dirhodum was more cold tolerant and had more cold inducible genes than the others. These results confirm species-specific differences in molecular stress responses and suggest that differences in induced expression of hsps may be related to species' thermal tolerance, thus causing the changes in the relative abundance.
PMID: 37148996
J Insect Physiol , IF:2.354 , 2023 Apr , V147 : P104519 doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2023.104519
Acute cold stress and supercooling capacity of Mediterranean fruit fly populations across the Northern Hemisphere (Middle East and Europe).
Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.; Department of Entomology, Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel.; Department of Conservation Ecology & Entomology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.; Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece. Electronic address: nikopap@uth.gr.
The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), holds an impressive record of successful invasion events promoted by globalization in fruit trade and human mobility. In addition, C. capitata is gradually expanding its geographic distribution to cooler temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. Cold tolerance of C. capitata seems to be a crucial feature that promotes population establishment and hence invasion success. To elucidate the interplay between the invasion process in the northern hemisphere and cold tolerance of geographically isolated populations of C. capitata, we determined (a) the response to acute cold stress survival of adults, and (b) the supercooling capacity (SCP) of immature stages and adults. To assess the phenotypic plasticity in these populations, the effect of acclimation to low temperatures on acute cold stress survival in adults was also examined. The results revealed that survival after acute cold stress was positively related to low temperature acclimation, except for females originating from Thessaloniki (northern Greece). Adults from the warmer environment of South Arava (Israel) were less tolerant after acute cold stress compared with those from Heraklion (Crete, Greece) and Thessaloniki. Plastic responses to cold acclimation were population specific, with the South Arava population being more plastic compared to the two Greek populations. For SCP, the results revealed that there is little to no correlation between SCP and climate variables of the areas where C. capitata populations originated. SCP was much lower than the lowest temperature individuals are likely to experience in their respective habitats. These results set the stage for asking questions regarding the evolutionary adaptive processes that facilitate range expansions of C. capitata into cooler temperate areas of Europe.
PMID: 37121467
Mol Biol Rep , IF:2.316 , 2023 Apr , V50 (4) : P3607-3616 doi: 10.1007/s11033-022-08114-5
Integration of transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. in response to cold stress in the Changbai Mountains.
Faculty of Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Spectral Regions Science and Green Production, Jilin Normal University, Siping, 136000, China.; Faculty of Siping Central People's Hospital, Siping, 136000, China.; Faculty of Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Spectral Regions Science and Green Production, Jilin Normal University, Siping, 136000, China. xuhongwei@jlnu.edu.cn.; Faculty of Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Spectral Regions Science and Green Production, Jilin Normal University, Siping, 136000, China. zhouxiaofu@jlnu.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Cold stress is one of the abiotic stresses that affect plant growth and development, as well as life and geographical distribution important. For researching how plants react to low temperature stress, Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall. (R. chrysanthum) growing in Changbai Mountains of China is an essential study subject. METHODS AND RESULTS: R. chrysanthum was cold-treated at 4 degrees C for 12 h (cold-stress group-CS, and controls-CK), combined with transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and proteomics (iTRAQ) techniques, to investigate the response mechanisms of R. chrysanthum response to cold stress. Cold stress resulted in the discovery of 12,261 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 360 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Correlation of proteomic and transcriptome data, proteome regulation of distinct subcellular localization, and gene/protein functional groupings are all part of the investigation. CONCLUSIONS: The combined analysis showed that 6378 DEPs matched the corresponding DEGs when the control was compared with the cold-treated samples (CK vs CS). The analysis identified 54 DEGs-DEPs associated with cold stress. cold-tolerant DEGs-DEPs were enriched with hydrolase activity, acting on glycosyl bonds, carbon-oxygen lyase activity and ferric iron binding. Seven potential DEGs-DEPs with significant involvement in the cold stress response were identified by co-expression network analysis. These findings identify the synergistic effect of DEGs-DEPs as the key to improve the cold tolerance of R. chrysanthum and provide a theoretical basis for further studies on its cold resistance subsequently.
PMID: 36418773
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2213924 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2023.2213924
Genome-wide analysis of the CDPK gene family and their important roles response to cold stress in white clover.
Key Laboratory of Molecular Cytogenetics and Genetic Breeding of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.; International Agriculture Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.; Flower Research Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.; Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Cash Crops, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Baoshan, Yunnan, China.
Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are an important class of calcium-sensitive response proteins that play an important regulatory role in response to abiotic stresses. To date, little is known about the CDPK genes in white clover. White clover is a high-quality forage grass with high protein content, but it is susceptible to cold stress. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the CDPK gene family in white clover and identified 50 members of the CDPK genes. Phylogenetic analysis using CDPKs from the model plant Arabidopsis divided the TrCDPK genes into four groups based on their sequence similarities. Motif analysis showed that TrCDPKs within the same group had similar motif compositions. Gene duplication analysis revealed the evolution and expansion of TrCDPK genes in white clover. Meanwhile, a genetic regulatory network (GRN) containing TrCDPK genes was reconstructed, and gene ontology (GO) annotation analysis of these functional genes showed that they contribute to signal transduction, cellular response to stimuli, and biological regulation, all of which are important processes in response to abiotic stresses. To determine the function of TrCDPK genes, we analyzed the RNA-seq dataset and found that most TrCDPK genes were highly up-regulated under cold stress, particularly in the early stages of cold stress. These results were validated by qRT-PCR experiments, implying that TrCDPK genes are involved in various gene regulatory pathways in response to cold stress. Our study may help to further investigate the function of TrCDPK genes and their role in response to cold stress, which is important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in white clover and improving its cold tolerance.
PMID: 37202838
Curr Microbiol , IF:2.188 , 2023 May , V80 (7) : P224 doi: 10.1007/s00284-023-03335-8
Combined Effect of Trehalose and Serendipita indica Inoculation Might Participate in Solanum lycopersicum Induced Cold Tolerance.
Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.; Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran. m.ghabooli@malayeru.ac.ir.; Department of Landscape Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran.
The exploitation of symbiotic interactions between fungi and plants, coupled with the application of osmoprotectants such as trehalose (Tre), presents a promising strategy for mitigating environmental stress. To determine the mechanism of Serendipita indica and Tre-mediated cold stress tolerance, a comparative experiment was designed to study the impact of S. indica, Tre and their combination on tomato plants grown under cold stress. The results showed that cold stress significantly decreased biomass, relative water content, photosynthetic pigments and elements concomitantly with increasing antioxidant activities, malondialdehyde (MDA), electrolyte leakage, hydrogen peroxide and proline content. Meanwhile, S. indica and Tre treatments promoted biomass and enhanced carbohydrate, protein, proline, potassium, phosphorous, antioxidant enzymes and photosynthetic pigments content under cold stress. Furthermore, single or dual application of endophyte and Tre mitigated physiological disorders induced by cold stress and increased the integrity of cell membranes by decreasing hydrogen peroxide, MDA, and electrolyte leakage (EL). Our findings suggest that S. indica and Tre combination could significantly promote cold stress tolerance compared with single treatment. This study is novel in showing the cold adaptation of tomato plants by combination use of S. indica and Tre, which can be a promising strategy for improving cold tolerance. The underlying molecular mechanisms of sugar-fungus interaction must be further investigated.
PMID: 37222791
Fly (Austin) , IF:2.16 , 2023 Dec , V17 (1) : P2157161 doi: 10.1080/19336934.2022.2157161
Larval nutritional-stress and tolerance to extreme temperatures in the peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Diptera: Tephritidae).
Department of Entomology, Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon Letzion, Israel.; Laboratory of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology, Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece.
Within the factors affecting insect tolerance to extreme environmental conditions, insect nutrition, particularly of immature stages, has received insufficient attention. In the present study, we address this gap by investigating the effects of larval nutrition on heat and cold tolerance of adult Bactrocera zonata - an invasive, polyphagous fruit fly pest. We manipulated the nutritional content in the larval diet by varying the amount of added yeast (2-10% by weight), while maintaining a constant sucrose content. Adults derived from the different larval diets were tested for their tolerance to extreme heat and cold stress. Restricting the amount of yeast reduced the efficacy of the larval diet (i.e. number of pupae produced per g of diet) as well as pupal and adult fresh weight, both being significantly lower for yeast-poor diets. Additionally, yeast restriction during the larval stage (2% yeast diet) significantly reduced the amount of protein but not lipid reserves of newly emerged males and females. Adults maintained after emergence on granulated sugar and water for 10 days were significantly more tolerant to extreme heat (i.e. knock-down time at 42 (o)C) when reared as larvae on yeast-rich diets (8% and 10% yeast) compared to counterparts developing on a diet containing 2% yeast. Nevertheless, the composition of the larval diet did not significantly affect adult survival following acute cold stress (exposure to -3 degrees C for 2 hrs.). These results are corroborated by previous findings on Drosophilid flies. Possible mechanisms leading to nutrition-based heat-tolerance in flies are discussed.
PMID: 36576164
Genes Genomics , IF:1.839 , 2023 Apr , V45 (4) : P401-412 doi: 10.1007/s13258-022-01321-1
Transcriptomic profiling of the cold stress and recovery responsiveness of two contrasting Guizhou HE rice genotypes.
Guizhou Rice Research Institute, Guizhou Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, China.; College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.; Guizhou Rice Research Institute, Guizhou Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, China. 13984033281@139.com.
BACKGROUND: At the seed germination stage, rice is sensitive to cold stress, which adversely affects its growth and development. Guizhou HE rice comprises several different landraces, most of which are cold tolerant. OBJECTIVE: To identify differentially expressed genes and molecular mechanism underlying the cold tolerance of Guizhou HE. METHODS: Two Guizhou HE genotypes, AC44 (cold-sensitive) and AC96 (cold-tolerant), which exhibit opposite phenotypes in response to cold treatment at the seed germination stage were used. Comprehensive gene expressions of AC44 and AC96 under 4 degrees C cold treatment and subsequent recovery conditions were comparatively analyzed by RNA sequencing. RESULTS: Overall, 11,082 and 7749 differentially expressed genes were detected in AC44 and AC96, respectively. Comparative transcriptome analysis demonstrated that, compared with AC44, AC96 presented fewer upregulated and downregulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses demonstrated that AC96 presented more upregulated GO terms, especially terms associated with biological processes. However, AC44 presented more terms related to cellular components, mainly chloroplasts. Moreover, DEGs related to the auxin signaling pathway (including ARF and IAA family members) and transcription factors (including members of the F-box, bZIP, basic helix-loop-helix [bHLH], and MYB-like transcription factor families) were found to be expressed specifically in AC96; thus, these DEGs may be responsible for the cold tolerance of AC96. CONCLUSIONS: These findings present information about the cold tolerance mechanism of Guizhou HE rice at the germination stage, providing valuable resources and candidate genes for breeding cold-tolerant rice genotypes.
PMID: 36469228
Genetica , IF:1.082 , 2023 Apr , V151 (2) : P153-165 doi: 10.1007/s10709-023-00184-y
Genome-wide investigation of the WRKY transcription factor gene family in weeping forsythia: expression profile and cold and drought stress responses.
Innovation Platform of Molecular Biology, College of Landscape and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.; School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.; College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Huhehaote, China. liyongrui1@126.com.; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China. liyongrui1@126.com.
Weeping forsythia is a wide-spread shrub in China with important ornamental, medicinal and ecological values. It is widely distributed in China's warm temperate zone. In plants, WRKY transcription factors play important regulatory roles in seed germination, flower development, fruit ripening and coloring, and biotic and abiotic stress response. To date, WRKY transcription factors have not been systematically studied in weeping forsythia. In this study, we identified 79 WRKY genes in weeping forsythia and classified them according to their naming rules in Arabidopsis thaliana. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that, except for IIe subfamily, whose clustering was inconsistent with A. thaliana clustering, other subfamily clustering groups were consistent. Cis-element analysis showed that WRKY genes related to pathogen resistance in weeping forsythia might be related to methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid-mediated signaling pathways. Combining cis-element and expression pattern analyses of WRKY genes showed that more than half of WRKY genes were involved in light-dependent development and morphogenesis in different tissues. The gene expression results showed that 13 WRKY genes were involved in drought response, most of which might be related to the abscisic acid signaling pathway, and a few of which might be regulated by MYB transcription factors. The gene expression results under cold stress showed that 17 WRKY genes were involved in low temperature response, and 9 of them had low temperature responsiveness cis-elements. Our study of WRKY family in weeping forsythia provided useful resources for molecular breeding and important clues for their functional verification.
PMID: 36853516
Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf , 2023 May , V22 (3) : P1722-1762 doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.13128
Application of chitosan nanoparticles in quality and preservation of postharvest fruits and vegetables: A review.
School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, China.; Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China.
Chitosan is an interesting alternative material for packaging development due to its biodegradability. However, its poor mechanical properties and low permeability limit its actual applications. Chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) have emerged as a suitable solution to overcome these intrinsic limitations. In this review, all studies regarding the use of CHNPs to extend the shelf life and improve the quality of postharvest products are covered. The characteristics of CHNPs and their combinations with essential oils and metals, along with their effects on postharvest products, are compared and discussed throughout the manuscript. CHNPs enhanced postharvest antioxidant capacity, extended shelf life, increased nutritional quality, and promoted tolerance to chilling stress. Additionally, the CHNPs reduced the incidence of postharvest phytopathogens. In most instances, smaller CHNPs (<150 nm) conferred higher benefits than larger ones (>150 nm). This was likely a result of the greater plant tissue penetrability and surface area of the smaller CHNPs. The CHNPs were either applied after preparing an emulsion or incorporated into a film, with the latter often exhibiting greater antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. CHNPs were used to encapsulate essential oils, which could be released over time and may enhance the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the CHNPs. Even though most applications were performed after harvest, preharvest application had longer lasting effects.
PMID: 36856034