Nat Biotechnol , IF:54.908 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1038/s41587-023-02065-3
Slow release of a synthetic auxin induces formation of adventitious roots in recalcitrant woody plants.
School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.; The Institute of Plant Sciences, The Volcani Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rishon LeZion, Israel.; The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.; Chair of Plant Systems Biology, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.; Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular and Sensory Science, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologySchool of Neurobiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.; School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.; The Institute of Plant Sciences, The Volcani Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Rishon LeZion, Israel. vhesadot@volcani.agri.gov.il.; School of Plant Sciences and Food Security, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. royweinstain@tauex.tau.ac.il.
Clonal propagation of plants by induction of adventitious roots (ARs) from stem cuttings is a requisite step in breeding programs. A major barrier exists for propagating valuable plants that naturally have low capacity to form ARs. Due to the central role of auxin in organogenesis, indole-3-butyric acid is often used as part of commercial rooting mixtures, yet many recalcitrant plants do not form ARs in response to this treatment. Here we describe the synthesis and screening of a focused library of synthetic auxin conjugates in Eucalyptus grandis cuttings and identify 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid-L-tryptophan-OMe as a competent enhancer of adventitious rooting in a number of recalcitrant woody plants, including apple and argan. Comprehensive metabolic and functional analyses reveal that this activity is engendered by prolonged auxin signaling due to initial fast uptake and slow release and clearance of the free auxin 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid. This work highlights the utility of a slow-release strategy for bioactive compounds for more effective plant growth regulation.
PMID: 38267759
Nat Biotechnol , IF:54.908 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1038/s41587-024-02132-3
A synthetic auxin for cloning mature trees.
Umea Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant Physiology, Umea University, Umea, Sweden. catherine.bellini@umu.se.; Universite Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), Versailles, France. catherine.bellini@umu.se.
PMID: 38267758
Cell , IF:41.582 , 2024 Jan , V187 (1) : P130-148.e17 doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.11.021
RAF-like protein kinases mediate a deeply conserved, rapid auxin response.
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, the Netherlands.; Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.; Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria.; Laboratory of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.; Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan.; Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Electronic address: dolf.weijers@wur.nl.
The plant-signaling molecule auxin triggers fast and slow cellular responses across land plants and algae. The nuclear auxin pathway mediates gene expression and controls growth and development in land plants, but this pathway is absent from algal sister groups. Several components of rapid responses have been identified in Arabidopsis, but it is unknown if these are part of a conserved mechanism. We recently identified a fast, proteome-wide phosphorylation response to auxin. Here, we show that this response occurs across 5 land plant and algal species and converges on a core group of shared targets. We found conserved rapid physiological responses to auxin in the same species and identified rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (RAF)-like protein kinases as central mediators of auxin-triggered phosphorylation across species. Genetic analysis connects this kinase to both auxin-triggered protein phosphorylation and rapid cellular response, thus identifying an ancient mechanism for fast auxin responses in the green lineage.
PMID: 38128538
Annu Rev Plant Biol , IF:26.379 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-070523-034109
Structure and Function of Auxin Transporters.
Plant Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany; email: ulrich.hammes@tum.de.; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; email: bpp@mbg.au.dk.
Auxins, a group of central hormones in plant growth and development, are transported by a diverse range of transporters with distinct biochemical and structural properties. This review summarizes the current knowledge on all known auxin transporters with respect to their biochemical and biophysical properties and the methods used to characterize them. In particular, we focus on the recent advances that were made concerning the PIN-FORMED family of auxin exporters. Insights derived from solving their structures have improved our understanding of the auxin export process, and we discuss the current state of the art on PIN-mediated auxin transport, including the use of biophysical methods to examine their properties. Understanding the mechanisms of auxin transport is crucial for understanding plant growth and development, as well as for the development of more effective strategies for crop production and plant biotechnology. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Plant Biology, Volume 75 is May 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
PMID: 38211951
Cell Res , IF:25.617 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1038/s41422-023-00921-0
The new horizon of plant auxin signaling via cell-surface co-receptors.
Department of Molecular Biology and Centre for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. sheen@molbio.mgh.harvard.edu.
PMID: 38182889
Nat Plants , IF:15.793 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1038/s41477-023-01615-6
D6PK plasma membrane polarity requires a repeated CXX(X)P motif and PDK1-dependent phosphorylation.
Plant Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China.; Proteomics and Bioanalytics, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.; Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry at Klinikum rechts der Isar, Center for Translational Cancer Research, Munich, Germany.; Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, Neuherberg, Germany.; Plant Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany. claus.schwechheimer@tum.de.
D6 PROTEIN KINASE (D6PK) is a polarly localized plasma-membrane-associated kinase from Arabidopsis thaliana that activates polarly distributed PIN-FORMED auxin transporters. D6PK moves rapidly to and from the plasma membrane, independent of its PIN-FORMED targets. The middle D6PK domain, an insertion between kinase subdomains VII and VIII, is required and sufficient for association and polarity of the D6PK plasma membrane. How D6PK polarity is established and maintained remains to be shown. Here we show that cysteines from repeated middle domain CXX(X)P motifs are S-acylated and required for D6PK membrane association. While D6PK S-acylation is not detectably regulated during intracellular transport, phosphorylation of adjacent serine residues, in part in dependence on the upstream 3-PHOSPHOINOSITIDE-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASE, promotes D6PK transport, controls D6PK residence time at the plasma membrane and prevents its lateral diffusion. We thus identify new mechanisms for the regulation of D6PK plasma membrane interaction and polarity.
PMID: 38278951
Nat Plants , IF:15.793 , 2024 Jan , V10 (1) : P53-65 doi: 10.1038/s41477-023-01568-w
A conserved graft formation process in Norway spruce and Arabidopsis identifies the PAT gene family as central regulators of wound healing.
Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.; College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.; Department of Organismal Biology, Physiological Botany, Evolutionary Biology Centre and Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.; Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.; Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium.; Skogforsk (The Forestry Research Institute of Sweden), Uppsala Science Park, Uppsala, Sweden.; Department of Plant Biology, Linnean Center for Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. charles.melnyk@slu.se.
The widespread use of plant grafting enables eudicots and gymnosperms to join with closely related species and grow as one. Gymnosperms have dominated forests for over 200 million years, and despite their economic and ecological relevance, we know little about how they graft. Here we developed a micrografting method in conifers using young tissues that allowed efficient grafting with closely related species and between distantly related genera. Conifer graft junctions rapidly connected vasculature and differentially expressed thousands of genes including auxin and cell-wall-related genes. By comparing these genes to those induced during Arabidopsis thaliana graft formation, we found a common activation of cambium, cell division, phloem and xylem-related genes. A gene regulatory network analysis in Norway spruce (Picea abies) predicted that PHYTOCHROME A SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION 1 (PAT1) acted as a core regulator of graft healing. This gene was strongly up-regulated during both spruce and Arabidopsis grafting, and Arabidopsis mutants lacking PAT genes failed to attach tissues or successfully graft. Complementing Arabidopsis PAT mutants with the spruce PAT1 homolog rescued tissue attachment and enhanced callus formation. Together, our data show an ability for young tissues to graft with distantly related species and identifies the PAT gene family as conserved regulators of graft healing and tissue regeneration.
PMID: 38168607
Mol Plant , IF:13.164 , 2024 Jan , V17 (1) : P178-198 doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.12.009
A new oxidative pathway of nitric oxide production from oximes in plants.
Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Department of Sciences, Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Avda. de Pamplona 123, 31192 Mutilva, Spain.; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics (INAMAT2), Department of Sciences, Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Campus de Arrosadia, 31006 Pamplona, Spain.; Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Sarriena s/n, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.; Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tubingen, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz, 72074 Tubingen, Germany.; Institute for Advanced Materials and Mathematics (INAMAT2), Department of Sciences, Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Campus de Arrosadia, 31006 Pamplona, Spain. Electronic address: merino@unavarra.es.; Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Department of Sciences, Public University of Navarre (UPNA), Avda. de Pamplona 123, 31192 Mutilva, Spain. Electronic address: jose.moran@unavarra.es.
Nitric oxide (NO) is an essential reactive oxygen species and a signal molecule in plants. Although several studies have proposed the occurrence of oxidative NO production, only reductive routes for NO production, such as the nitrate (NO-3) -upper-reductase pathway, have been evidenced to date in land plants. However, plants grown axenically with ammonium as the sole source of nitrogen exhibit contents of nitrite and NO(3)(-), evidencing the existence of a metabolic pathway for oxidative production of NO. We hypothesized that oximes, such as indole-3-acetaldoxime (IAOx), a precursor to indole-3-acetic acid, are intermediate oxidation products in NO synthesis. We detected the production of NO from IAOx and other oximes catalyzed by peroxidase (POD) enzyme using both 4-amino-5-methylamino-2',7'-difluorescein fluorescence and chemiluminescence. Flavins stimulated the reaction, while superoxide dismutase inhibited it. Interestingly, mouse NO synthase can also use IAOx to produce NO at a lower rate than POD. We provided a full mechanism for POD-dependent NO production from IAOx consistent with the experimental data and supported by density functional theory calculations. We showed that the addition of IAOx to extracts from Medicago truncatula increased the in vitro production of NO, while in vivo supplementation of IAOx and other oximes increased the number of lateral roots, as shown for NO donors, and a more than 10-fold increase in IAOx dehydratase expression. Furthermore, we found that in vivo supplementation of IAOx increased NO production in Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type plants, while prx33-34 mutant plants, defective in POD33-34, had reduced production. Our data show that the release of NO by IAOx, as well as its auxinic effect, explain the superroot phenotype. Collectively, our study reveals that plants produce NO utilizing diverse molecules such as oximes, POD, and flavins, which are widely distributed in the plant kingdom, thus introducing a long-awaited oxidative pathway to NO production in plants. This knowledge has essential implications for understanding signaling in biological systems.
PMID: 38102832
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae023
Ectopic assembly of an auxin efflux control machinery shifts developmental trajectories.
Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.; Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, 165 02 Prague, Czech Republic.
Polar auxin transport in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) root tip maintains high auxin levels around the stem cell niche that gradually decrease in dividing cells but increase again once they transition towards differentiation. Protophloem differentiates earlier than other proximal tissues and employs a unique auxin 'canalization' machinery that is thought to balance auxin efflux with retention. It consists of a proposed activator of PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers, the AGC kinase PROTEIN KINASE ASSOCIATED WITH BRX (PAX); its inhibitor, BREVIS RADIX (BRX); and PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL-4-PHOSPHATE-5-KINASE (PIP5 K) enzymes, which promote polar PAX and BRX localization. Because of dynamic PAX-BRX-PIP5 K interplay, the net cellular output of this machinery remains unclear. Here we deciphered the dosage-sensitive regulatory interactions between PAX, BRX and PIP5 K by their ectopic expression in developing xylem vessels. The data suggest that the dominant collective output of the PAX-BRX-PIP5 K module is a localized reduction in PIN abundance. This requires PAX-stimulated clathrin-mediated PIN endocytosis by site-specific phosphorylation, which distinguishes PAX from other AGC kinases. Ectopic assembly of the PAX-BRX-PIP5 K module is sufficient to cause cellular auxin retention and affects root growth vigor by accelerating the trajectory of xylem vessel development. Our data thus provide direct evidence that local manipulation of auxin efflux alters the timing of cellular differentiation in the root.
PMID: 38267818
Curr Biol , IF:10.834 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.010
Leaf dissection and margin serration are independently regulated by two regulators converging on the CUC2-auxin module in strawberry.
Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.; Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. Electronic address: zliu@umd.edu.
The remarkable diversity of leaf forms allows plants to adapt to their living environment. In general, leaf diversity is shaped by leaf complexity (compound or simple) and leaf margin pattern (entire, serrated, or lobed). Prior studies in multiple species have uncovered a conserved module of CUC2-auxin that regulates both leaf complexity and margin serration. How this module is regulated in different species to contribute to the species-specific leaf form is unclear. Furthermore, the mechanistic connection between leaf complexity and leaf serration regulation is not well studied. Strawberry has trifoliate compound leaves with serrations at the margin. In the wild strawberry Fragaria vesca, a mutant named salad was isolated that showed deeper leaf serrations but normal leaf complexity. SALAD encodes a single-Myb domain protein and is expressed at the leaf margin. Genetic analysis showed that cuc2a is epistatic to salad, indicating that SALAD normally limits leaf serration depth by repressing CUC2a expression. When both Arabidopsis homologs of SALAD were knocked out, deeper serrations were observed in Arabidopsis rosette leaves, supporting a conserved function of SALAD in leaf serration regulation. We incorporated the analysis of a third strawberry mutant simple leaf 1 (sl1) with reduced leaf complexity but normal leaf serration. We showed that SL1 and SALAD independently regulate CUC2a at different stages of leaf development to, respectively, regulate leaf complexity and leaf serration. Our results provide a clear and simple mechanism of how leaf complexity and leaf serration are coordinately as well as independently regulated to achieve diverse leaf forms.
PMID: 38272030
Curr Biol , IF:10.834 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.004
The mechanism underlying asymmetric bending of lateral petals in Delphinium (Ranunculaceae).
College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.; State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.; Institut de Systematique, Evolution, Biodiversite (ISYEB), Museum National d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Universite, EPHE, Universite des Antilles, Paris 75005, France.; Office National des Forets, 11 C rue Rene Char, Dijon 21000, France.; State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.; College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. Electronic address: ruizhang@nwafu.edu.cn.
During the process of flower opening, most petals move downward in the direction of the pedicel (i.e., epinastic movement). In most Delphinium flowers, however, their two lateral petals display a very peculiar movement, the mirrored helical rotation, which requires the twist of the petal stalk. However, in some lineages, their lateral petals also exhibit asymmetric bending that increases the degree of mirrored helical rotation, facilitating the formation of a 3D final shape. Notably, petal asymmetric bending is a novel trait that has not been noticed yet, so its morphological nature, developmental process, and molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, by using D. anthriscifolium as a model, we determined that petal asymmetric bending was caused by the localized expansion of cell width, accompanied by the specialized array of cell wall nano-structure, on the adaxial epidermis. Digital gene analyses, gene expression, and functional studies revealed that a class I homeodomain-leucine zipper family transcription factor gene, DeanLATE MERISTEM IDENTITY1 (DeanLMI1), contributes to petal asymmetric bending; knockdown of it led to the formation of explanate 2D petals. Specifically, DeanLMI1 promotes cell expansion in width and influences the arrangement of cell wall nano-structure on the localized adaxial epidermis. These results not only provide a comprehensive portrait of petal asymmetric bending for the first time but also shed some new insights into the mechanisms of flower opening and helical movement in plants.
PMID: 38272029
J Hazard Mater , IF:10.588 , 2024 Jan , V461 : P132541 doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132541
Genome-wide profiling of genetic variations reveals the molecular basis of aluminum stress adaptation in Tibetan wild barley.
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; College of Agronomy, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Viticulture & Small Fruit Research, Florida A&M University, FL 32317, USA.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: wufeibo@zju.edu.cn.
Aluminum (Al) toxicity in acidic soil is a major factor affecting crop productivity. The extensive genetic diversity found in Tibetan wild barley germplasms offers a valuable reservoir of alleles associated with aluminum tolerance. Here, resequencing of two Al-tolerant barley genotypes (Tibetan wild barley accession XZ16 and cultivated barley Dayton) identified a total of 19,826,182 and 16,287,277 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 1628,052 and 1386,973 insertions/deletions (InDels), 61,532 and 57,937 structural variations (SVs), 248,768 and 240,723 copy number variations (CNVs) in XZ16 and Dayton, respectively, and uncovered approximately 600 genes highly related to Al tolerance in barley. Comparative genomic analyses unveiled 71 key genes that contain unique genetic variants in XZ16 and are predominantly associated with organic acid exudation, Al sequestration, auxin response, and transcriptional regulation. Manipulation of these key genes at the genetic and transcriptional level is a promising strategy for developing optimal haplotype combinations and new barley cultivars with improved Al tolerance. This study represents the first comprehensive examination of genetic variation in Al-tolerant Tibetan wild barley through genome-wide profiling. The obtained results make the deep insight into the mechanisms underlying barley adaptation to Al toxicity, and identified the candidate genes useful for improvement of Al tolerance in barley.
PMID: 37716271
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2024 Feb , V241 (3) : P1177-1192 doi: 10.1111/nph.19391
Auxin homeostasis is maintained by sly-miR167-SlARF8A/B-SlGH3.4 feedback module in the development of locular and placental tissues of tomato fruits.
College of Horticulture, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.; College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.; Key Laboratory of Plant Hormones and Development Regulation of Chongqing, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 401331, China.
The locular gel, produced by the placenta, is important for fruit flavor and seed development in tomato. However, the mechanism underlying locule and placenta development is not fully understood yet. Here, we show that two SlARF transcription factors, SlARF8B and SlARF8A (SlARF8A/B), promote the development of locular and placenta tissues. The expression of both SlARF8A and SlARF8B is repressed by sly-microRNA167 (sly-miR167), allowing for the activation of auxin downstream genes. In slarf8a, slarf8b, and slarf8a/b mutants, the auxin (IAA) levels are decreased, whereas the levels of inactive IAA conjugates including IAA-Ala, IAA-Asp, and IAA-Glu are increased. We further find that SlARF8B directly inhibits the expression of SlGH3.4, an acyl acid amino synthetase that conjugates the amino acids to IAA. Disruption of such auxin balance by the increased expression of SlGH3.4 or SlGH3.2 results in defective locular and placental tissues. Taken together, our findings reveal an important regulatory module constituted by sly-miR167-SlARF8A/B-SlGH3.4 during the development of locular and placenta tissues of tomato fruits.
PMID: 37985404
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2024 Jan , V241 (2) : P592-606 doi: 10.1111/nph.19382
The IAA17.1/HSFA5a module enhances salt tolerance in Populus tomentosa by regulating flavonol biosynthesis and ROS levels in lateral roots.
Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.; Key Laboratory of Eco-environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.; Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU), Biotechnology Research Center, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, 443000, China.
Auxin signaling provides a promising approach to controlling root system architecture and improving stress tolerance in plants. However, how the auxin signaling is transducted in this process remains unclear. The Aux indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) repressor IAA17.1 is stabilized by salinity, and primarily expressed in the lateral root (LR) primordia and tips in poplar. Overexpression of the auxin-resistant form of IAA17.1 (IAA17.1m) led to growth inhibition of LRs, markedly reduced salt tolerance, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and decreased flavonol content. We further identified that IAA17.1 can interact with the heat shock protein HSFA5a, which was highly expressed in roots and induced by salt stress. Overexpression of HSFA5a significantly increased flavonol content, reduced ROS accumulation, enhanced LR growth and salt tolerance in transgenic poplar. Moreover, HSFA5a could rescue the defective phenotypes caused by IAA17.1m. Expression analysis showed that genes associated with flavonol biosynthesis were altered in IAA17.1m- and HAFA5a-overexpressing plants. Furthermore, we identified that HSFA5a directly activated the expression of key enzyme genes in the flavonol biosynthesis pathway, while IAA17.1 suppressed HSFA5a-mediated activation of these genes. Collectively, the IAA17.1/HSFA5a module regulates flavonol biosynthesis, controls ROS accumulation, thereby modulating the root system of poplar to adapt to salt stress.
PMID: 37974487
New Phytol , IF:10.151 , 2024 Feb , V241 (3) : P1161-1176 doi: 10.1111/nph.19398
Auxin response factors fine-tune lignin biosynthesis in response to mechanical bending in bamboo.
Basic Forestry and Proteomics Center (BFPC), College of Forestry, Haixia Institute for Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fujian, China.
Lignin contributes to plant mechanical properties during bending loads. Meanwhile, phytohormone auxin controls various plant biological processes. However, the mechanism of auxin's role in bending-induced lignin biosynthesis was unclear, especially in bamboo, celebrated for its excellent deformation stability. Here, we reported that auxin response factors (ARF) 3 and ARF6 from Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis (Carriere) J. Houz) directly regulate lignin biosynthesis pathway genes, and affect lignin biosynthesis in bamboo. Auxin and lignin exhibited asymmetric distribution patterns, and auxin promoted lignin biosynthesis in response to bending loads in bamboo. Employing transcriptomic and weighted gene co-expression network analysis approach, we discovered that expression patterns of ARF3 and ARF6 strongly correlated with lignin biosynthesis genes. ARF3 and ARF6 directly bind to the promoter regions of 4-coumarate: coenzyme A ligase (4CL3, 4CL7, and 4CL9) or caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT2) genes, pivotal to lignin biosynthesis, and activate their expressions. Notably, the efficacy of this binding hinges on auxin levels. Alternation of the expressions of ARF3 and ARF6 substantially altered lignin accumulation in transgenic bamboo. Collectively, our study shed light on bamboo lignification genetics. Auxin signaling could directly modulate lignin biosynthesis genes to impact plant lignin content.
PMID: 37964659
Plant Biotechnol J , IF:9.803 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1111/pbi.14276
A newly evolved rice-specific gene JAUP1 regulates jasmonate biosynthesis and signalling to promote root development and multi-stress tolerance.
Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.; Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; Department of Agricultural Chemistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; Genome and Systems Biology Degree Program, National Taiwan University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; Molecular and Biological Agricultural Sciences, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and National Chung Hsing University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.; International Bachelor Program of Agribusiness, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.; Department of Plant Pathology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
Root architecture and function are critical for plants to secure water and nutrient supply from the soil, but environmental stresses alter root development. The phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) regulates plant growth and responses to wounding and other stresses, but its role in root development for adaptation to environmental challenges had not been well investigated. We discovered a novel JA Upregulated Protein 1 gene (JAUP1) that has recently evolved in rice and is specific to modern rice accessions. JAUP1 regulates a self-perpetuating feed-forward loop to activate the expression of genes involved in JA biosynthesis and signalling that confers tolerance to abiotic stresses and regulates auxin-dependent root development. Ectopic expression of JAUP1 alleviates abscisic acid- and salt-mediated suppression of lateral root (LR) growth. JAUP1 is primarily expressed in the root cap and epidermal cells (EPCs) that protect the meristematic stem cells and emerging LRs. Wound-activated JA/JAUP1 signalling promotes crosstalk between the root cap of LR and parental root EPCs, as well as induces cell wall remodelling in EPCs overlaying the emerging LR, thereby facilitating LR emergence even under ABA-suppressive conditions. Elevated expression of JAUP1 in transgenic rice or natural rice accessions enhances abiotic stress tolerance and reduces grain yield loss under a limited water supply. We reveal a hitherto unappreciated role for wound-induced JA in LR development under abiotic stress and suggest that JAUP1 can be used in biotechnology and as a molecular marker for breeding rice adapted to extreme environmental challenges and for the conservation of water resources.
PMID: 38193234
Cell Rep , IF:9.423 , 2024 Jan , V43 (1) : P113617 doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113617
STOP1 attenuates the auxin response to maintain root stem cell niche identity.
The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.; College of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, Shandong, China.; The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China. Electronic address: dingzhaojun@sdu.edu.cn.
In plant roots, the identity of the stem cell niche (SCN) is maintained by an auxin gradient with its maximum in the quiescent center (QC). Optimal levels of auxin signaling are essential for root SCN identity, but the regulatory mechanisms that control this pathway in root are largely unknown. Here, we find that the zinc finger transcription factor sensitive to proton rhizotoxicity 1 (STOP1) regulates root SCN identity by negative feedback of auxin signaling in root tips. Mutation and overexpression of STOP1 both affect QC cell division and distal stem cell differentiation in the root. We find that auxin treatment stabilizes STOP1 via MPK3/6-dependent phosphorylation. Accumulating STOP1 can compete with AUX/IAAs to interact with, and enhance the repressive activity of, auxin-repressive response factor ARF2. Overall, we show that the MPK3/6-STOP1-ARF2 module prevents excessive auxin signaling in the presence of auxin to maintain root SCN identity.
PMID: 38150366
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae025
Transcription factor WRKY75 maintains auxin homeostasis to promote tomato defense against Pseudomonas syringae.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai' an, Shandong 271018, China.; School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, No.35, Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China.; Marine Agriculture Research Center, Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
The hemibiotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae infects a range of plant species and causes enormous economic losses. Auxin and WRKY transcription factors play crucial roles in plant responses to Pseudomonas syringae, but their functional relationship in plant immunity remains unclear. Here, we characterized tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) SlWRKY75, which promotes defenses against Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 by regulating plant auxin homeostasis. Overexpressing SlWRKY75 resulted in low free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels, leading to attenuated auxin signaling, decreased expansin transcript levels, upregulated expression of PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES (PRs) and NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENE 1 (NPR1), and enhanced tomato defenses against Pst DC3000. RNA interference-mediated repression of SlWRKY75 increased tomato susceptibility to Pst DC3000. Yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and luciferase activity assays suggested that SlWRKY75 directly activates the expression of GRETCHEN HAGEN 3.3 (SlGH3.3), which encodes an IAA-amido synthetase. SlGH3.3 enhanced tomato defense against Pst DC3000 by converting free IAA to the aspartic acid (Asp)-conjugated form IAA-Asp. In addition, SlWRKY75 interacted with a tomato valine-glutamine (VQ) motif-containing protein 16 (SlVQ16) in vivo and in vitro. SlVQ16 enhanced SlWRKY75-mediated transcriptional activation of SlGH3.3 and promoted tomato defense responses to Pst DC3000. Our findings illuminate a mechanism in which the SlVQ16-SlWRKY75 complex participates in tomato pathogen defense by positively regulating SlGH3.3-mediated auxin homeostasis.
PMID: 38245840
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae017
Transcription factor LBD16 targets cell wall modification/ion transport genes in peach lateral root formation.
College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, 271018, China.
LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN/ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2-LIKEs (LBDs/ASLs) are plant-specific transcription factors that function downstream of auxin-regulated lateral root (LR) formation. Our previous research found that PpLBD16 positively regulates peach (Prunus persica) LR formation. However, the downstream regulatory network and target genes of PpLBD16 are still largely unknown. Here, we constructed a PpLBD16 homologous overexpression line and a PpLBD16 silenced line. We found that overexpressing PpLBD16 promoted peach root initiation, while silencing PpLBD16 inhibited peach root formation. Through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of roots from PpLBD16 overexpression and silenced lines, we discovered that genes positively regulated by PpLBD16 were closely related to cell wall synthesis and degradation, ion/substance transport, and ion binding and homeostasis. To further detect the binding motifs and potential target genes of PpLBD16, we performed DNA-affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) analysis in vitro. PpLBD16 preferentially bound to CCNGAAANNNNGG (MEME-1), [C/T]TTCT[C/T][T/C] (MEME-2) and GCGGCGG (ABR1) motifs. By combined analysis of RNA-seq and DAP-seq data, we screened candidate target genes for PpLBD16. We demonstrated that PpLBD16 bound and activated the cell wall modification-related genes EXPANSIN-B2 (PpEXPB2) and SUBTILISIN-LIKE PROTEASE 1.7 (PpSBT1.7), the ion transport-related gene CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE-GATED ION CHANNEL 1 (PpCNGC1) and the polyphenol oxidase (PPO)-encoding gene PpPPO, thereby controlling peach root organogenesis and promoting LR formation. Moreover, our results displayed that PpLBD16 and its target genes are involved in peach LR primordia development. Overall, this work reveals the downstream regulatory network and target genes of PpLBD16, providing insights into the molecular network of LBD16-mediated LR development.
PMID: 38217865
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae013
Auxin receptor OsTIR1 mediates auxin signaling during seed filling in rice.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; College of Resource and Environment, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang. 233100, China.; Key Laboratory of Herbage & Endemic Crop Biology of Ministry of Education, Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Herbage & Endemic Crop Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010000, China.; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing 210095, China.
Cereal endosperm represents the most important source of the world's food. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms behind sugar import into rice (Oryza sativa) endosperm and their relationship with auxin signaling are poorly understood. Here, we report that auxin transport inhibitor response 1 (TIR1) plays an essential role in rice grain yield and quality via modulating sugar transport into endosperm. The fluctuations of OsTIR1 transcripts parallel to the early stage of grain expansion among those of five TIR1/AFB (AFB, auxin-signaling F-Box) auxin co-receptor proteins. OsTIR1 is abundantly expressed in ovular vascular trace, nucellar projection, nucellar epidermis, aleurone layer cells, and endosperm, providing a potential path for sugar into the endosperm. Compared to wild-type (WT) plants, starch accumulation is repressed by mutation of OsTIR1 and improved by overexpression of the gene, ultimately leading to reduced grain yield and quality in tir1 mutants but improvement in overexpression lines. Of rice AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) genes, only the OsARF25 transcript is repressed in tir1 mutants and enhanced by overexpression of OsTIR1; its highest transcript is recorded at 10 d after fertilization, consistent with OsTIR1 expression. Also, OsARF25 can bind the promoter of sugar transporter OsSWEET11 (SWEET11, sugars will eventually be exported transporter) in vivo and in vitro. arf25 and arf25/sweet11 mutants exhibit reduced starch content and seed size (relative to the WTs), similar to tir1 mutants. Our data reveal that OsTIR1 mediates sugars import into endosperm via the auxin signaling component OsARF25 interacting with sugar transporter OsSWEET11. The results of this study are of great significance to further clarify the regulatory mechanism of auxin signaling on grain development in rice.
PMID: 38214208
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad630
A charged existence: A century of transmembrane ion transport in plants.
Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, University of Glasgow, Bower Building, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
If the past century marked the birth of membrane transport as a focus for research in plants, the past 50 years has seen the field mature from arcane interest to a central pillar of plant physiology. Ion transport across plant membranes accounts for roughly 30% of the metabolic energy consumed by a plant cell, and it underpins virtually every aspect of plant biology, from mineral nutrition, cell expansion, and development to auxin polarity, fertilization, plant pathogen defense, and senescence. The means to quantify ion flux through individual transporters, even single channel proteins, became widely available as voltage clamp methods expanded from giant algal cells to the fungus Neurospora crassa in the 1970s and the cells of angiosperms in the 1980s. Here, I touch briefly on some key aspects of the development of modern electrophysiology with a focus on the guard cells of stomata, now without dispute the premier plant cell model for ion transport and its regulation. Guard cells have proven to be a crucible for many technical and conceptual developments that have since emerged into the mainstream of plant science. Their study continues to provide fundamental insights and carries much importance for the global challenges that face us today.
PMID: 38163639
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Jan , V194 (2) : P884-901 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad595
H2 supplied via ammonia borane stimulates lateral root branching via phytomelatonin signaling.
College of Life Sciences, Laboratory Center of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.; Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China.
A reliable and stable hydrogen gas (H2) supply will benefit agricultural laboratory and field trials. Here, we assessed ammonia borane (AB), an efficient hydrogen storage material used in the energy industry, and determined its effect on plant physiology and the corresponding mechanism. Through hydroponics and pot experiments, we discovered that AB increases tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) lateral root (LR) branching and this function depended on the increased endogenous H2 level caused by the sustainable H2 supply. In particular, AB might trigger LR primordia initiation. Transgenic tomato and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) expressing hydrogenase1 (CrHYD1) from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii not only accumulated higher endogenous H2 and phytomelatonin levels but also displayed pronounced LR branching. These endogenous H2 responses achieved by AB or genetic manipulation were sensitive to the pharmacological removal of phytomelatonin, indicating the downstream role of phytomelatonin in endogenous H2 control of LR formation. Consistently, extra H2 supply failed to influence the LR defective phenotypes in phytomelatonin synthetic mutants. Molecular evidence showed that the phytomelatonin-regulated auxin signaling network and cell-cycle regulation were associated with the AB/H2 control of LR branching. Also, AB and melatonin had little effect on LR branching in the presence of auxin synthetic inhibitors. Collectively, our integrated approaches show that supplying H2 via AB increases LR branching via phytomelatonin signaling. This finding might open the way for applying hydrogen storage materials to horticultural production.
PMID: 37944026
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Jan , V194 (2) : P867-883 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad592
Transcription factor CsMYB77 negatively regulates fruit ripening and fruit size in citrus.
National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China.; Fruit Tree Research Institute, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 401329, PR China.
MYB family transcription factors (TFs) play essential roles in various biological processes, yet their involvement in regulating fruit ripening and fruit size in citrus remains poorly understood. In this study, we have established that the R2R3-MYB TF, CsMYB77, exerts a negative regulatory influence on fruit ripening in both citrus and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), while also playing a role in modulating fruit size in citrus. The overexpression of CsMYB77 in tomato and Hongkong kumquat (Fortunella hindsii) led to notably delayed fruit ripening phenotypes. Moreover, the fruit size of Hongkong kumquat transgenic lines was largely reduced. Based on DNA affinity purification sequencing and verified interaction assays, SEVEN IN ABSENTIA OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA4 (SINAT4) and PIN-FORMED PROTEIN5 (PIN5) were identified as downstream target genes of CsMYB77. CsMYB77 inhibited the expression of SINAT4 to modulate abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, which delayed fruit ripening in transgenic tomato and Hongkong kumquat lines. The expression of PIN5 was activated by CsMYB77, which promoted free indole-3-acetic acid decline and modulated auxin signaling in the fruits of transgenic Hongkong kumquat lines. Taken together, our findings revealed a fruit development and ripening regulation module (MYB77-SINAT4/PIN5-ABA/auxin) in citrus, which enriches the understanding of the molecular regulatory network underlying fruit ripening and size.
PMID: 37935634
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Jan , V194 (2) : P819-831 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad548
Age-dependent analysis dissects the stepwise control of auxin-mediated lateral root development in rice.
Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.; Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.; School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.; International Center for Research and Education in Agriculture, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
As root elongation rates are different among each individual root, the distance from the root apices does not always reflect the age of root cells. Thus, methods for correcting variations in elongation rates are needed to accurately evaluate the root developmental process. Here, we show that modeling-based age-dependent analysis is effective for dissecting stepwise lateral root (LR) development in rice (Oryza sativa). First, we measured the increases in LR and LR primordium (LRP) numbers, diameters, and lengths in wild type and an auxin-signaling-defective mutant, which has a faster main (crown) root elongation rate caused by the mutation in the gene encoding AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID protein 13 (IAA13). The longitudinal patterns of these parameters were fitted by the appropriate models and the age-dependent patterns were identified using the root elongation rates. As a result, we found that LR and LRP numbers and lengths were reduced in iaa13. We also found that the duration of the increases in LR and LRP diameters were prolonged in iaa13. Subsequent age-dependent comparisons with gene expression patterns suggest that AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR11 (ARF11), the homolog of MONOPTEROS (MP)/ARF5 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), is involved in the initiation and growth of LR(P). Indeed, the arf11 mutant showed a reduction of LR and LRP numbers and lengths. Our results also suggest that PINOID-dependent rootward-to-shootward shift of auxin flux contributes to the increase in LR and LRP diameters. Together, we propose that modeling-based age-dependent analysis is useful for root developmental studies by enabling accurate evaluation of root traits' expression.
PMID: 37831077
Elife , IF:8.14 , 2024 Jan , V12 doi: 10.7554/eLife.91953
Auxin exposure disrupts feeding behavior and fatty acid metabolism in adult Drosophila.
Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States.; Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, United States.
The ease of genetic manipulation in Drosophila melanogaster using the Gal4/UAS system has been beneficial in addressing key biological questions. Current modifications of this methodology to temporally induce transgene expression require temperature changes or exposure to exogenous compounds, both of which have been shown to have detrimental effects on physiological processes. The recently described auxin-inducible gene expression system (AGES) utilizes the plant hormone auxin to induce transgene expression and is proposed to be the least toxic compound for genetic manipulation, with no obvious effects on Drosophila development and survival in one wild-type strain. Here, we show that auxin delays larval development in another widely used fly strain, and that short- and long-term auxin exposure in adult Drosophila induces observable changes in physiology and feeding behavior. We further reveal a dosage response to adult survival upon auxin exposure, and that the recommended auxin concentration for AGES alters feeding activity. Furthermore, auxin-fed male and female flies exhibit a significant decrease in triglyceride levels and display altered transcription of fatty acid metabolism genes. Although fatty acid metabolism is disrupted, auxin does not significantly impact adult female fecundity or progeny survival, suggesting AGES may be an ideal methodology for studying limited biological processes. These results emphasize that experiments using temporal binary systems must be carefully designed and controlled to avoid confounding effects and misinterpretation of results.
PMID: 38240746
Sci Total Environ , IF:7.963 , 2024 Feb , V910 : P168522 doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168522
Intergenerational consequences of an auxin-like herbicide on plant sensitivity to a graminicide mediated by a fungal endophyte.
Instituto de Investigacion Interdisciplinaria (I(3)), Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile; Centro de Ecologia Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile. Electronic address: aueno@agro.uba.ar.; IFEVA, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.; IFEVA, CONICET, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Centro de Ecologia Integrativa, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.
In agroecosystems, herbicides are the predominant anthropogenic selection pressure for agriculture weed species. While weeds are the primary target, herbicides can have adverse impacts on non-target plant beneficial microorganisms. We aimed to investigate the influence of a foliar endophytic fungus (Epichloe occultans) on the sensitivity of Lolium multiflorum to a graminicide herbicide (diclofop-methyl) during both plant ontogeny and progeny. Susceptible individuals to diclofop-methyl with and without endophyte were pre-exposed to the auxin 2,4-D herbicide. This herbicide is known to stimulate the metabolic detoxification mechanism (CYP-450) of diclofop-methyl. Regardless of the endophyte, 2,4-D pre-treatment increased mother plant survival to nearly 100 % under diclofop treatment but not in the progeny. Furthermore, maternal plant exposure to 2,4-D reduced endophyte transmission to the seeds and from seed-to-seedlings. Our findings suggest that, despite a reduction in diclofop-methyl sensitivity during the ontogeny of mother plants, 2,4-D-mediated induction of likely CYP-450 metabolism is not intergenerationally transmitted and shows detrimental effects on the symbiotic endophyte persistence.
PMID: 37956837
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2024 Feb , V47 (2) : P429-441 doi: 10.1111/pce.14758
Far-red light inhibits lateral bud growth mainly through enhancing apical dominance independently of strigolactone synthesis in tomato.
Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.; Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, People's Republic of China.; Agricultural Experiment Station, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
The ratio of red light to far-red light (R:FR) is perceived by light receptors and consequently regulates plant architecture. Regulation of shoot branching by R:FR ratio involves plant hormones. However, the roles of strigolactone (SL), the key shoot branching hormone and the interplay of different hormones in the light regulation of shoot branching in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) are elusive. Here, we found that defects in SL synthesis genes CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 7 (CCD7) and CCD8 in tomato resulted in more lateral bud growth but failed to reverse the FR inhibition of lateral bud growth, which was associated with increased auxin synthesis and decreased synthesis of cytokinin (CK) and brassinosteroid (BR). Treatment of auxin also inhibited shoot branching in ccd mutants. However, CK released the FR inhibition of lateral bud growth in ccd mutants, concomitant with the upregulation of BR synthesis genes. Furthermore, plants that overexpressed BR synthesis gene showed more lateral bud growth and the shoot branching was less sensitive to the low R:FR ratio. The results indicate that SL synthesis is dispensable for light regulation of shoot branching in tomato. Auxin mediates the response to R:FR ratio to regulate shoot branching by suppressing CK and BR synthesis.
PMID: 37916615
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2024 Feb , V47 (2) : P540-556 doi: 10.1111/pce.14746
Natural variation in a K(+) -preferring HKT transporter contributes to wheat shoot K(+) accumulation and salt tolerance.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas and College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Agri-Environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.; Yangling Seed Industry Innovation Center, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
Soil salinity can adversely affect crop growth and yield, and an improved understanding of the genetic factors that confer salt tolerance could inform breeding strategies to engineer salt-tolerant crops and improve productivity. Here, a group of K(+) -preferring HKT transporters, TaHKT8, TaHKT9 and TaHKT10, were identified and negatively regulate the wheat shoot K(+) accumulation and salt tolerance. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) and candidate gene association analysis further revealed that TaHKT9-B substantially underlies the natural variation of wheat shoot K(+) accumulation under saline soil conditions. Specifically, an auxin responsive element (ARE) within an 8-bp insertion in the promoter of TaHKT9-B is strongly associated with shoot K(+) content among wheat accessions. This ARE can be directly bound by TaARF4 for transcriptional activation of TaHKT9-B, which subsequently attenuates shoot K(+) accumulation and salt tolerance. Moreover, the tae-miR390/TaTAS3/TaARF4 pathway was identified to regulate the salt-induced root development and salt tolerance in wheat. Taken together, our study describes the genetic basis and accompanying mechanism driving phenotypic variation in wheat shoot K(+) accumulation and salt tolerance. The identified tae-miR390/TaTAS3/TaARF4/TaHKT9-B module is an important regulator in wheat subjected to salt stress, which provides the potentially important genetic resources for breeders to improve wheat salt tolerance.
PMID: 37876337
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2024 Jan , V47 (1) : P197-212 doi: 10.1111/pce.14727
Ultraviolet-A1 radiation induced a more favorable light-intercepting leaf-area display than blue light and promoted plant growth.
Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.; Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.; Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Viikki Plant Science Centre, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Plants adjust their morphology in response to light environment by sensing an array of light cues. Though the wavelengths of ultraviolet-A1 radiation (UV-A1, 350-400 nm) are close to blue light (B, 400-500 nm) and share same flavoprotein photoreceptors, it remains poorly understood how plant responses to UV-A1 radiation could differ from those to B. We initially grown tomato plants under monochromatic red light (R, 660 nm) as control, subsequently transferred them to four dichromatic light treatments containing ~20 micromol m(-2) s(-1) of UV-A1 radiation, peaking at 370 nm (UV-A(370) ) or 400 nm (V(400) ), or B (450 nm, at ~20 or 1.5 micromol m(-2) s(-1) ), with same total photon irradiance (~200 mumol m(-2) s(-1) ). We show that UV-A(370) radiation was the most effective in inducing light-intercepting leaf-area display formation, resulting in larger leaf area and more shoot biomass, while it triggered weaker and later transcriptome-wide responses than B. Mechanistically, UV-A(370) -promoted leaf-area display response was apparent in less than 12 h and appeared as very weakly related to transcriptome level regulation, which likely depended on the auxin transportation and cell wall acidification. This study revealed wavelength-specific responses within UV-A/blue region challenging usual assumptions that the role of UV-A1 radiation function similarly as blue light in mediating plant processes.
PMID: 37743709
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2024 Jan , V66 (1) : P86-102 doi: 10.1111/jipb.13591
Gibberellin promotes cambium reestablishment during secondary vascular tissue regeneration after girdling in an auxin-dependent manner in Populus.
State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Secondary vascular tissue (SVT) development and regeneration are regulated by phytohormones. In this study, we used an in vitro SVT regeneration system to demonstrate that gibberellin (GA) treatment significantly promotes auxin-induced cambium reestablishment. Altering GA content by overexpressing or knocking down ent-kaurene synthase (KS) affected secondary growth and SVT regeneration in poplar. The poplar DELLA gene GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (PtoGAI) is expressed in a specific pattern during secondary growth and cambium regeneration after girdling. Overexpression of PtoGAI disrupted poplar growth and inhibited cambium regeneration, and the inhibition of cambium regeneration could be partially restored by GA application. Further analysis of the PtaDR5:GUS transgenic plants, the localization of PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) and the expression of auxin-related genes found that an additional GA treatment could enhance the auxin response as well as the expression of PIN1, which mediates auxin transport during SVT regeneration. Taken together, these findings suggest that GA promotes cambium regeneration by stimulating auxin signal transduction.
PMID: 38051026
J Integr Plant Biol , IF:7.061 , 2024 Jan , V66 (1) : P66-85 doi: 10.1111/jipb.13583
Post-transcriptional regulation of grain weight and shape by the RBP-A-J-K complex in rice.
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China.; MOE Key Laboratory of Crop Physiology, Ecology and Genetic Breeding College of Agronomy, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing, 100081, China.; College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China.
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are components of the post-transcriptional regulatory system, but their regulatory effects on complex traits remain unknown. Using an integrated strategy involving map-based cloning, functional characterizations, and transcriptomic and population genomic analyses, we revealed that RBP-K (LOC_Os08g23120), RBP-A (LOC_Os11g41890), and RBP-J (LOC_Os10g33230) encode proteins that form an RBP-A-J-K complex that negatively regulates rice yield-related traits. Examinations of the RBP-A-J-K complex indicated RBP-K functions as a relatively non-specific RBP chaperone that enables RBP-A and RBP-J to function normally. Additionally, RBP-J most likely affects GA pathways, resulting in considerable increases in grain and panicle lengths, but decreases in grain width and thickness. In contrast, RBP-A negatively regulates the expression of genes most likely involved in auxin-regulated pathways controlling cell wall elongation and carbohydrate transport, with substantial effects on the rice grain filling process as well as grain length and weight. Evolutionarily, RBP-K is relatively ancient and highly conserved, whereas RBP-J and RBP-A are more diverse. Thus, the RBP-A-J-K complex may represent a typical functional model for many RBPs and protein complexes that function at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in plants and animals for increased functional consistency, efficiency, and versatility, as well as increased evolutionary potential. Our results clearly demonstrate the importance of RBP-mediated post-transcriptional regulation for the diversity of complex traits. Furthermore, rice grain yield and quality may be enhanced by introducing various complete or partial loss-of-function mutations to specific RBP genes using clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 technology and by exploiting desirable natural tri-genic allelic combinations at the loci encoding the components of the RBP-A-J-K complex through marker-assisted selection.
PMID: 37970747
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae005
TARGET OF MONOPTEROS (TMO)：A key type of Transcription Factors Orchestrating Plant Development and Environmental Response.
Faculty of Life Science and Biotechnology of Central South University of Forestry and Technology; 410004, Changsha, Hunan, China.; Huitong National Field Station for Scientific Observation and Research of Chinese Fir Plantation Ecosystem in Hunan Province, 438107, Huaihua, Hunan, China.; National Engineering Laboratory of Applied Technology for Forestry and Ecology in Southern China, 410004, Changsha, Hunan, China.; Forestry Biotechnology Hunan Key Laboratories, Hunan, China.; Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 410004, Changsha, Hunan, China.; Yuelushan Laboratory Carbon Sinks Forests Variety Innovation Center, 410004, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Plants have an incredible ability to sustain root and vascular growth after initiation of the embryonic root and the specification of vascular tissue in early embryos. Microarray assays have revealed that a group of transcription factors (TARGET OF MONOPTEROS) are important for embryonic root initiation in Arabidopsis. Despite their discovery of auxin responsiveness early on, their function and mode of action remained unknown for many years. The advent of genome editing has accelerated the study of TMO transcription factors, revealing novel functions for biological processes such as vascular development, root system architecture, and response to environmental cues. This review covers recent achievements in understanding the developmental function and the genetic mode of action of TMO transcription factors in Arabidopsis and other plant species. We highlight the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of TMO transcription factors in relation to their function, mainly in Arabidopsis. Finally, we provide suggestions for further research and possible applications in plant genetic engineering.
PMID: 38195092
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (2) : P578-583 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad389
Uncovering root compaction response mechanisms: new insights and opportunities.
Plant and Crop Science, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, UK.
Compaction disrupts soil structure, reducing root growth, nutrient and water uptake, gas exchange, and microbial growth. Root growth inhibition by soil compaction was originally thought to reflect the impact of mechanical impedance and reduced water availability. However, using a novel gas diffusion-based mechanism employing the hormone ethylene, recent research has revealed that plant roots sense soil compaction. Non-compacted soil features highly interconnected pore spaces that facilitate diffusion of gases such as ethylene which are released by root tips. In contrast, soil compaction stress disrupts the pore network, causing ethylene to accumulate around root tips and trigger growth arrest. Genetically disrupting ethylene signalling causes roots to become much less sensitive to compaction stress. Such new understanding about the molecular sensing mechanism and emerging root anatomical traits provides novel opportunities to develop crops resistant to soil compaction by targeting key genes and their signalling pathways. This expert view discusses these recent advances and the molecular mechanisms associated with root-soil compaction responses.
PMID: 37950742
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (1) : P13-16 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad394
How do brassinosteroids fit in bud outgrowth models?
Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture Food & Wine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5064, Australia.; Australian Research Council Training Centre for Future Crops Development, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5064, Australia.; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
A network of plant hormonal signals coordinates plant branching. Brassinosteroids are important in this network, acting as repressors of the strigolactone pathway and TEOSINTE BRANCHED1 .
PMID: 37846132
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (1) : P241-257 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad402
Arabidopsis transcription factor TCP13 promotes shade avoidance syndrome-like responses by directly targeting a subset of shade-responsive gene promoters.
Department of Biological Science, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul 04310, Korea.; Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon 34141, Korea.; Department of Plant & Environmental New Resources, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Korea.; Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Sakura, Saitama 338-8570, Japan.
TCP13 belongs to a subgroup of TCP transcription factors implicated in the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS), but its exact role remains unclear. Here, we show that TCP13 promotes the SAS-like response by enhancing hypocotyl elongation and suppressing flavonoid biosynthesis as a part of the incoherent feed-forward loop in light signaling. Shade is known to promote the SAS by activating PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR (PIF)-auxin signaling in plants, but we found no evidence in a transcriptome analysis that TCP13 activates PIF-auxin signaling. Instead, TCP13 mimics shade by activating the expression of a subset of shade-inducible and cell elongation-promoting SAUR genes including SAUR19, by direct targeting of their promoters. We also found that TCP13 and PIF4, a molecular proxy for shade, repress the expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes by directly targeting both shared and distinct sets of biosynthetic gene promoters. Together, our results indicate that TCP13 promotes the SAS-like response by directly targeting a subset of shade-responsive genes without activating the PIF-auxin signaling pathway.
PMID: 37824096
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (1) : P219-240 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad391
Flavonols affect the interrelated glucosinolate and camalexin biosynthetic pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana.
National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.; Faculty of Biology, Genetics and Genomics of Plants, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.; Plant Sciences and Agrotechnology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu 180001, India.
Flavonols are structurally and functionally diverse biomolecules involved in plant biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, pollen development, and inhibition of auxin transport. However, their effects on global gene expression and signaling pathways are unclear. To explore the roles of flavonol metabolites in signaling, we performed comparative transcriptome and targeted metabolite profiling of seedlings from the flavonol-deficient Arabidopsis loss-of-function mutant flavonol synthase1 (fls1) with and without exogenous supplementation of flavonol derivatives (kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin). RNA-seq results indicated that flavonols modulate various biological and metabolic pathways, with significant alterations in camalexin and aliphatic glucosinolate synthesis. Flavonols negatively regulated camalexin biosynthesis but appeared to promote the accumulation of aliphatic glucosinolates via transcription factor-mediated up-regulation of biosynthesis genes. Interestingly, upstream amino acid biosynthesis genes involved in methionine and tryptophan synthesis were altered under flavonol deficiency and exogenous supplementation. Quercetin treatment significantly up-regulated aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis genes compared with kaempferol and rutin. In addition, expression and metabolite analysis of the transparent testa7 mutant, which lacks hydroxylated flavonol derivatives, clarified the role of quercetin in the glucosinolate biosynthesis pathway. This study elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which flavonols interfere with signaling pathways, their molecular targets, and the multiple biological activities of flavonols in plants.
PMID: 37813680
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (1) : P454-467 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad377
Plasmodiophora brassicae affects host gene expression by secreting the transcription factor-type effector PbZFE1.
Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramakiaza-Aoba, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8572, Japan.; Division of Plant Sciences, The Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, NARO (NIAS), 2-1-2 Kan-nondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan.; Department of Food and Life Sciences, Toyo University, 1-1-1 Izumino, Itakura-machi, Ora-gun, Gunma 374-0193, Japan.; Strategic Planning Headquarters, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), 3-1-1 Kan-nondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8517, Japan.
The protist pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae hijacks the metabolism and development of host cruciferous plants and induces clubroot formation, but little is known about its regulatory mechanisms. Previously, the Pnit2int2 sequence, a sequence around the second intron of the nitrilase gene (BrNIT2) involved in auxin biosynthesis in Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis, was identified as a specific promoter activated during clubroot formation. In this study, we hypothesized that analysis of the transcriptional regulation of Pnit2int2 could reveal how P. brassicae affects the host gene regulatory system during clubroot development. By yeast one-hybrid screening, the pathogen zinc finger protein PbZFE1 was identified to specifically bind to Pnit2int2. Specific binding of PbZFE1 to Pnit2int2 was also confirmed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The binding site of PbZFE1 is essential for promoter activity of Pnit2int2 in clubbed roots of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (Pnit2int2-2::GUS), indicating that PbZFE1 is secreted from P. brassicae and functions within plant cells. Ectopic expression of PbZEF1 in A. thaliana delayed growth and flowering time, suggesting that PbZFE1 has significant impacts on host development and metabolic systems. Thus, P. brassicae appears to secrete PbZFE1 into host cells as a transcription factor-type effector during pathogenesis.
PMID: 37738570
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (1) : P103-122 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad372
The maize transcription factor CCT regulates drought tolerance by interacting with Fra a 1, E3 ligase WIPF2, and auxin response factor Aux/IAA8.
Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, National Maize Improvement Center, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.; Agricultural College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China.; State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
Plants are commonly exposed to abiotic stressors, which can affect their growth, productivity, and quality. Previously, the maize transcription factor ZmCCT was shown to be involved in the photoperiod response, delayed flowering, and quantitative resistance to Gibberella stalk rot. In this study, we demonstrate that ZmCCT can regulate plant responses to drought. ZmCCT physically interacted with ZmFra a 1, ZmWIPF2, and ZmAux/IAA8, which localized to the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus, respectively, both in vitro and in vivo in a yeast two-hybrid screen in response to abiotic stress. Notably, ZmCCT recruits ZmWIPF2 to the nucleus, which has strong E3 self-ubiquitination activity dependent on its RING-H2 finger domain in vitro. When treated with higher indole-3-acetic acid/abscisic acid ratios, the height and root length of Y331-DeltaTE maize plants increased. Y331-DeltaTE plants exhibited increased responses to exogenously applied auxin or ABA compared to Y331 plants, indicating that ZmCCT may be a negative regulator of ABA signalling in maize. In vivo, ZmCCT promoted indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis in ZmCCT-overexpressing Arabidopsis. RNA-sequencing and DNA affinity purification-sequencing analyses showed that ZmCCT can regulate the expression of ZmRD17, ZmAFP3, ZmPP2C, and ZmARR16 under drought. Our findings provide a detailed overview of the molecular mechanism controlling ZmCCT functions and highlight that ZmCCT has multiple roles in promoting abiotic stress tolerance.
PMID: 37725963
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (1) : P438-453 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad366
IAR4 mutation enhances cadmium toxicity by disturbing auxin homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.; School of Molecular Science and ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
Cadmium (Cd) is highly toxic to plants, but the targets and modes of toxicity remain unclear. We isolated a Cd-hypersensitive mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, Cd-induced short root 2 (cdsr2), in the background of the phytochelatin synthase-defective mutant cad1-3. Both cdsr2 and cdsr2 cad1-3 displayed shorter roots and were more sensitive to Cd than their respective wild type. Using genomic resequencing and complementation, IAR4 was identified as the causal gene, which encodes a putative mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase E1alpha subunit. cdsr2 showed decreased pyruvate dehydrogenase activity and NADH content, but markedly increased concentrations of pyruvate and alanine in roots. Both Cd stress and IAR4 mutation decreased auxin level in the root tips, and the effect was additive. A higher growth temperature rescued the phenotypes in cdsr2. Exogenous alanine inhibited root growth and decreased auxin level in the wild type. Cadmium stress suppressed the expression of genes involved in auxin biosynthesis, hydrolysis of auxin-conjugates and auxin polar transport. Our results suggest that auxin homeostasis is a key target of Cd toxicity, which is aggravated by IAR4 mutation due to decreased pyruvate dehydrogenase activity. Decreased auxin level in cdsr2 is likely caused by increased auxin-alanine conjugation and decreased energy status in roots.
PMID: 37721748
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Jan , V75 (2) : P526-537 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad263
Signal communication during microbial modulation of root system architecture.
Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; College of Environment and Ecology, Jiangsu Open University, Nanjing 210017, China.; State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement and MOA Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilization in Lower-Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Every living organism on Earth depends on its interactions with other organisms. In the rhizosphere, plants and microorganisms constantly exchange signals and influence each other's behavior. Recent studies have shown that many beneficial rhizosphere microbes can produce specific signaling molecules that affect plant root architecture and therefore could have substantial effects on above-ground growth. This review examines these chemical signals and summarizes their mechanisms of action, with the aim of enhancing our understanding of plant-microbe interactions and providing references for the comprehensive development and utilization of these active components in agricultural production. In addition, we highlight future research directions and challenges, such as searching for microbial signals to induce primary root development.
PMID: 37419655
Int J Biol Macromol , IF:6.953 , 2023 Dec , V253 (Pt 4) : P126833 doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126833
Genome-wide survey, molecular evolution and expression analysis of Auxin Response Factor (ARF) gene family indicating their key role in seed number per pod in pigeonpea (C. cajan L. Millsp.).
ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India.; ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India. Electronic address: biochemsandhya@gmail.com.; ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India; ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208024, India.; Shoolini Univeristy of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Himachal Pradesh 173229, India.; ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi 110012, India. Electronic address: kish2012@gmail.com.
Auxin Response Factors (ARF) are a family of transcription factors that mediate auxin signalling and regulate multiple biological processes. Their crucial role in increasing plant biomass/yield influenced this study, where a systematic analysis of ARF gene family was carried out to identify the key proteins controlling embryo/seed developmental pathways in pigeonpea. A genome-wide scan revealed the presence of 12 ARF genes in pigeonpea, distributed across the chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 8 and 11. Domain analysis of ARF proteins showed the presence of B3 DNA binding, AUX response, and IAA domains. Majority of them are of nuclear origin, and do not exhibit the level of genomic expansion as observed in Glycine max (51 members). The duplication events seem to range from 31.6 to 42.3 million years ago (mya). Promoter analysis revealed the presence of multiple cis-acting elements related to stress responses, hormone signalling and other development processes. The expression atlas data highlighted the expression of CcARF8 in hypocotyl, bud and flower whereas, CcARF7 expression was significantly high in pod. The real-time expression of CcARF2, CcARF3 and CcARF18 was highest in genotypes with high seed number indicating their key role in regulating embryo development and determining seed set in pigeonpea.
PMID: 37709218
Int J Biol Macromol , IF:6.953 , 2023 Dec , V253 (Pt 3) : P126762 doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126762
CRISPR/Cas9 mutated p-coumaroyl shikimate 3'-hydroxylase 3 gene in Populus tomentosa reveals lignin functioning on supporting tree upright.
Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.; College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.; State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.; State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Department of Biochemistry and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, The Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726, USA.; College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China.; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China. Electronic address: qingyin.zeng@ibcas.ac.cn.; Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. Electronic address: wuaimin@scau.edu.cn.
The lignin plays one of the most important roles in plant secondary metabolism. However, it is still unclear how lignin can contribute to the impressive height of wood growth. In this study, C3'H, a rate-limiting enzyme of the lignin pathway, was used as the target gene. C3'H3 was knocked out by CRISPR/Cas9 in Populus tomentosa. Compared with wild-type popular trees, c3'h3 mutants exhibited dwarf phenotypes, collapsed xylem vessels, weakened phloem thickening, decreased hydraulic conductivity and photosynthetic efficiency, and reduced auxin content, except for reduced total lignin content and significantly increased H-subunit lignin. In the c3'h3 mutant, the flavonoid biosynthesis genes CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, ANR, and LAR were upregulated, and flavonoid metabolite accumulations were detected, indicating that decreasing the lignin biosynthesis pathway enhanced flavonoid metabolic flux. Furthermore, flavonoid metabolites, such as naringenin and hesperetin, were largely increased, while higher hesperetin content suppressed plant cell division. Thus, studying the c3'h3 mutant allows us to deduce that lignin deficiency suppresses tree growth and leads to the dwarf phenotype due to collapsed xylem and thickened phloem, limiting material exchanges and transport.
PMID: 37683750
Int J Biol Macromol , IF:6.953 , 2023 Dec , V253 (Pt 1) : P126717 doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126717
Exopolysaccharides from endophytic Glutamicibacter halophytocota KLBMP 5180 functions as bio-stimulants to improve tomato plants growth and salt stress tolerance.
The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plant of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, PR China.; Jiangsu Runzhong Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd, Xinyi 221424, Jiangsu, PR China.; Xuzhou Kuaibang Biotechnology Development Co., Ltd, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, PR China.; The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plant of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, PR China. Electronic address: lululiu@jsnu.edu.cn.; The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plant of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, Jiangsu, PR China. Electronic address: shengqin@jsnu.edu.cn.
Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) can promote plants growth and protect them against various abiotic stresses, but the role of actinobacteria-produced EPSs in plant growth promoting is still less known. Here, we aim to explore the effect of EPSs from an endophyte Glutamicibacter halophytocota KLBMP 5180 on tomato seeds germination and seedlings growth under salt stress. Our study revealed that 2.0 g/L EPSs resulted in increased seed germination rate by 23.5 % and 11.0 %, respectively, under 0 and 200 mM NaCl stress conditions. Further pot experiment demonstrated that EPSs significantly promoted seedlings growth under salt stress, with increased height, root length and fibrous roots number. Plant physiological traits revealed that EPSs increased chlorophyll content, enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes, soluble sugar, and K(+) concentration in seedlings; malondialdehyde and Na(+) contents were reduced. Additionally, auxin, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid were accumulated significantly in seedlings after EPSs treatment. Furthermore, we identified 1233 differentially expressed genes, and they were significantly enriched in phytohormone signal transmission, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and protein processing in endogenous reticulum pathways, etc. Our results suggest that KLBMP 5180-produced EPSs effectively ameliorated NaCl stress in tomato plants by triggering complex regulation mechanism, and showed application potentiality in agriculture.
PMID: 37673153
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2024 Jan , V117 (2) : P632-646 doi: 10.1111/tpj.16493
Root Walker: an automated pipeline for large scale quantification of early root growth responses at high spatial and temporal resolution.
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, California, 92037, USA.
Plants are sessile organisms that constantly adapt to their changing environment. The root is exposed to numerous environmental signals ranging from nutrients and water to microbial molecular patterns. These signals can trigger distinct responses including the rapid increase or decrease of root growth. Consequently, using root growth as a readout for signal perception can help decipher which external cues are perceived by roots, and how these signals are integrated. To date, studies measuring root growth responses using large numbers of roots have been limited by a lack of high-throughput image acquisition, poor scalability of analytical methods, or low spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we developed the Root Walker pipeline, which uses automated microscopes to acquire time-series images of many roots exposed to controlled treatments with high spatiotemporal resolution, in conjunction with fast and automated image analysis software. We demonstrate the power of Root Walker by quantifying root growth rate responses at different time and throughput scales upon treatment with natural auxin and two mitogen-associated protein kinase cascade inhibitors. We find a concentration-dependent root growth response to auxin and reveal the specificity of one MAPK inhibitor. We further demonstrate the ability of Root Walker to conduct genetic screens by performing a genome-wide association study on 260 accessions in under 2 weeks, revealing known and unknown root growth regulators. Root Walker promises to be a useful toolkit for the plant science community, allowing large-scale screening of root growth dynamics for a variety of purposes, including genetic screens for root sensing and root growth response mechanisms.
PMID: 37871136
Commun Biol , IF:6.268 , 2024 Jan , V7 (1) : P114 doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-05786-6
Reciprocal expression of MADS-box genes and DNA methylation reconfiguration initiate bisexual cones in spruce.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China. jinhua_ran@ibcas.ac.cn.; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China. jinhua_ran@ibcas.ac.cn.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. jinhua_ran@ibcas.ac.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China. xiaoq_wang@ibcas.ac.cn.; China National Botanical Garden, Beijing, 100093, China. xiaoq_wang@ibcas.ac.cn.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. xiaoq_wang@ibcas.ac.cn.
The naturally occurring bisexual cone of gymnosperms has long been considered a possible intermediate stage in the origin of flowers, but the mechanisms governing bisexual cone formation remain largely elusive. Here, we employed transcriptomic and DNA methylomic analyses, together with hormone measurement, to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying bisexual cone development in the conifer Picea crassifolia. Our study reveals a "bisexual" expression profile in bisexual cones, especially in expression patterns of B-class, C-class and LEAFY genes, supporting the out of male model. GGM7 could be essential for initiating bisexual cones. DNA methylation reconfiguration in bisexual cones affects the expression of key genes in cone development, including PcDAL12, PcDAL10, PcNEEDLY, and PcHDG5. Auxin likely plays an important role in the development of female structures of bisexual cones. This study unveils the potential mechanisms responsible for bisexual cone formation in conifers and may shed light on the evolution of bisexuality.
PMID: 38242964
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Jan , V25 (2) doi: 10.3390/ijms25021053
Deciphering the Molecular Mechanism of the Intermediate Secondary Growth and Internode Elongation of the Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.) by the Combined Analysis of the Transcriptome and Metabolome.
College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; College of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao 028000, China.; Agrarian and Technological Institute, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, 117198 Moscow, Russia.
The length of internodes plays a crucial role in determining the height of the castor plant (Ricinus communis L.). However, the specific mechanisms underlying internode elongation, particularly in the main stem of the castor plant, remain uncertain. To further investigate this, we conducted a study focusing on the internode tissue of the dwarf castor variety 071113, comparing it with the control high-stalk Zhuansihao. Our study included a cytological observation, physiological measurement, transcriptome sequencing, and metabolic determination. Our integrated findings reveal that the dwarf variety 071113 undergoes an earlier lignification development in the main stem and has a more active lignin synthesis pathway during internode intermediate development. In addition, the dwarf variety exhibited lower levels of the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which had an impact on the development process. Furthermore, we identified specific enzymes and regulators that were enriched in the pathways of the cell cycle, auxin signal transduction, and secondary cell wall synthesis. Using these findings, we developed a model that explained the intermediate secondary growth observed in castor internode elongation and enhanced our comprehension of the dwarfing mechanism of the 071113 variety. This research provides a theoretical groundwork for the future breeding of dwarf castor varieties.
PMID: 38256130
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Jan , V25 (2) doi: 10.3390/ijms25020893
Understanding AP2/ERF Transcription Factor Responses and Tolerance to Various Abiotic Stresses in Plants: A Comprehensive Review.
Jilin Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China.; Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Muehlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.; Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354 Freising, Germany.
Abiotic stress is an adverse environmental factor that severely affects plant growth and development, and plants have developed complex regulatory mechanisms to adapt to these unfavourable conditions through long-term evolution. In recent years, many transcription factor families of genes have been identified to regulate the ability of plants to respond to abiotic stresses. Among them, the AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor) family is a large class of plant-specific proteins that regulate plant response to abiotic stresses and can also play a role in regulating plant growth and development. This paper reviews the structural features and classification of AP2/ERF transcription factors that are involved in transcriptional regulation, reciprocal proteins, downstream genes, and hormone-dependent signalling and hormone-independent signalling pathways in response to abiotic stress. The AP2/ERF transcription factors can synergise with hormone signalling to form cross-regulatory networks in response to and tolerance of abiotic stresses. Many of the AP2/ERF transcription factors activate the expression of abiotic stress-responsive genes that are dependent or independent of abscisic acid and ethylene in response to abscisic acid and ethylene. In addition, the AP2/ERF transcription factors are involved in gibberellin, auxin, brassinosteroid, and cytokinin-mediated abiotic stress responses. The study of AP2/ERF transcription factors and interacting proteins, as well as the identification of their downstream target genes, can provide us with a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of plant action in response to abiotic stress, which can improve plants' ability to tolerate abiotic stress and provide a more theoretical basis for increasing plant yield under abiotic stress.
PMID: 38255967
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Jan , V25 (2) doi: 10.3390/ijms25020806
A Comprehensive Analysis of Auxin Response Factor Gene Family in Melastoma dodecandrum Genome.
Ornamental Plant Germplasm Resources Innovation & Engineering Application Research Center, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.; College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China.
Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) mediate auxin signaling and govern diverse biological processes. However, a comprehensive analysis of the ARF gene family and identification of their key regulatory functions have not been conducted in Melastoma dodecandrum, leading to a weak understanding of further use and development for this functional shrub. In this study, we successfully identified a total of 27 members of the ARF gene family in M. dodecandrum and classified them into Class I-III. Class II-III showed more significant gene duplication than Class I, especially for MedARF16s. According to the prediction of cis-regulatory elements, the AP2/ERF, BHLH, and bZIP transcription factor families may serve as regulatory factors controlling the transcriptional pre-initiation expression of MedARF. Analysis of miRNA editing sites reveals that miR160 may play a regulatory role in the post-transcriptional expression of MeARF. Expression profiles revealed that more than half of the MedARFs exhibited high expression levels in the stem compared to other organs. While there are some specific genes expressed only in flowers, it is noteworthy that MedARF16s, MedARF7A, and MedARF9B, which are highly expressed in stems, also demonstrate high expressions in other organs of M. dodecandrum. Further hormone treatment experiments revealed that these MedARFs were sensitive to auxin changes, with MedARF6C and MedARF7A showing significant and rapid changes in expression upon increasing exogenous auxin. In brief, our findings suggest a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development in M. dodecandrum by responding to changes in auxin. These results can provide a theoretical basis for future molecular breeding in Myrtaceae.
PMID: 38255880
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1273620 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1273620
Growth and transcriptional response of wheat and rice to the tertiary amine BMVE.
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, United States.; School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, United States.; Kamterter Products, LLC, Waverly, NE, United States.
INTRODUCTION: Seed vigor is largely a product of sound seed development, maturation processes, genetics, and storage conditions. It is a crucial factor impacting plant growth and crop yield and is negatively affected by unfavorable environmental conditions, which can include drought and heat as well as cold wet conditions. The latter leads to slow germination and increased seedling susceptibility to pathogens. Prior research has shown that a class of plant growth regulators called substituted tertiary amines (STAs) can enhance seed germination, seedling growth, and crop productivity. However, inconsistent benefits have limited STA adoption on a commercial scale. METHODS: We developed a novel seed treatment protocol to evaluate the efficacy of 2-(N-methyl benzyl aminoethyl)-3-methyl butanoate (BMVE), which has shown promise as a crop seed treatment in field trials. Transcriptomic analysis of rice seedlings 24 h after BMVE treatment was done to identify the molecular basis for the improved seedling growth. The impact of BMVE on seed development was also evaluated by spraying rice panicles shortly after flower fertilization and subsequently monitoring the impact on seed traits. RESULTS: BMVE treatment of seeds 24 h after imbibition consistently improved wheat and rice seedling shoot and root growth in lab conditions. Treated wheat seedlings grown to maturity in a greenhouse also resulted in higher biomass than controls, though only under drought conditions. Treated seedlings had increased levels of transcripts involved in reactive oxygen species scavenging and auxin and gibberellic acid signaling. Conversely, several genes associated with increased reactive oxygen species/ROS load, abiotic stress responses, and germination hindering processes were reduced. BMVE spray increased both fresh and mature seed weights relative to the control for plants exposed to 96 h of heat stress. BMVE treatment during seed development also benefited germination and seedling growth in the next generation, under both ambient and heat stress conditions. DISCUSSION: The optimized experimental conditions we developed provide convincing evidence that BMVE does indeed have efficacy in plant growth enhancement. The results advance our understanding of how STAs work at the molecular level and provide insights for their practical application to improve crop growth.
PMID: 38269141
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1337926 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1337926
Plant biostimulants as natural alternatives to synthetic auxins in strawberry production: physiological and metabolic insights.
Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.; Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy.; OloBion SL, Barcelona, Spain.; Atens - Agrotecnologias Naturales, La Riera de Gaia, Spain.; Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Texas A&M University, Uvalde, TX, United States.; Agri-tech and Food Innovation Department, Urban Food Solutions Division, Singapore Food Agency, Singapore, Singapore.
The demand for high-quality strawberries continues to grow, emphasizing the need for innovative agricultural practices to enhance both yield and fruit quality. In this context, the utilization of natural products, such as biostimulants, has emerged as a promising avenue for improving strawberry production while aligning with sustainable and eco-friendly agricultural approaches. This study explores the influence of a bacterial filtrate (BF), a vegetal-derived protein hydrolysate (PH), and a standard synthetic auxin (SA) on strawberry, investigating their effects on yield, fruit quality, mineral composition and metabolomics of leaves and fruits. Agronomic trial revealed that SA and BF significantly enhanced early fruit yield due to their positive influence on flowering and fruit set, while PH treatment favored a gradual and prolonged fruit set, associated with an increased shoot biomass and sustained production. Fruit quality analysis showed that PH-treated fruits exhibited an increase of firmness and soluble solids content, whereas SA-treated fruits displayed lower firmness and soluble solids content. The ionomic analysis of leaves and fruits indicated that all treatments provided sufficient nutrients, with heavy metals within regulatory limits. Metabolomics indicated that PH stimulated primary metabolites, while SA and BF directly affected flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis, and PH increased fruit quality through enhanced production of beneficial metabolites. This research offers valuable insights for optimizing strawberry production and fruit quality by harnessing the potential of natural biostimulants as viable alternative to synthetic compounds.
PMID: 38264017
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2023 , V14 : P1308713 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1308713
Conserved plant transcriptional responses to microgravity from two consecutive spaceflight experiments.
Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.; Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.
INTRODUCTION: Understanding how plants adapt to the space environment is essential, as plants will be a valuable component of long duration space missions. Several spaceflight experiments have focused on transcriptional profiling as a means of understanding plant adaptation to microgravity. However, there is limited overlap between results from different experiments. Differences in experimental conditions and hardware make it difficult to find a consistent response across experiments and to distinguish the primary effects of microgravity from other spaceflight effects. METHODS: Plant Signaling (PS) and Plant RNA Regulation (PRR) were two separate spaceflight experiments conducted on the International Space Station utilizing the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS). The EMCS provided a lighted environment for plant growth with centrifugal capabilities providing an onboard 1 g control. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: An RNA-Seq analysis of shoot samples from PS and PRR revealed a significant overlap of genes differentially expressed in microgravity between the two experiments. Relative to onboard 1 g controls, genes involved in transcriptional regulation, shoot development, and response to auxin and light were upregulated in microgravity in both experiments. Conversely, genes involved in defense response, abiotic stress, Ca(++) signaling, and cell wall modification were commonly downregulated in both datasets. The downregulation of stress responses in microgravity in these two experiments is interesting as these pathways have been previously observed as upregulated in spaceflight compared to ground controls. Similarly, we have observed many stress response genes to be upregulated in the 1 g onboard control compared to ground reference controls; however these genes were specifically downregulated in microgravity. In addition, we analyzed the sRNA landscape of the 1 g and microgravity (mu g) shoot samples from PRR. We identified three miRNAs (miR319c, miR398b, and miR8683) which were upregulated in microgravity, while several of their corresponding target genes were found to be downregulated in microgravity. Interestingly, the downregulated target genes are enriched in those encoding chloroplast-localized enzymes and proteins. These results uncover microgravity unique transcriptional changes and highlight the validity and importance of an onboard 1 g control.
PMID: 38259952
Mol Plant Pathol , IF:5.663 , 2024 Jan , V25 (1) : Pe13409 doi: 10.1111/mpp.13409
NIT24 and NIT29-mediated IAA synthesis of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola suppresses immunity and boosts growth in rice.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.; Shike Modern Agriculture Investment Co., Ltd, Heze, China.
Auxin plays a pivotal role in the co-evolution of plants and microorganisms. Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) stands as a significant factor that affects rice yield and quality. However, the current understanding of Xoc's capability for indole 3-acetic acid (IAA) synthesis and its mechanistic implications remains elusive. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genomic analysis of Xoc strain RS105, leading to the identification of two nitrilase enzyme family (NIT) genes, designated as AKO15524.1 and AKO15829.1, subsequently named NIT24 and NIT29, respectively. Our investigation unveiled that the deletion of NIT24 and NIT29 resulted in a notable reduction in IAA synthesis capacity within RS105, thereby impacting extracellular polysaccharide production. This deficiency was partially ameliorated through exogenous IAA supplementation. The study further substantiated that NIT24 and NIT29 have nitrilase activity and the ability to catalyse IAA production in vitro. The lesion length and bacterial population statistics experiments confirmed that NIT24 and NIT29 positively regulated the pathogenicity of RS105, suggesting that NIT24 and NIT29 may regulate Xoc invasion by affecting IAA synthesis. Furthermore, our analysis corroborated mutant strains, RS105_DeltaNIT24 and RS105_DeltaNIT29, which elicited the outbreak of reactive oxygen species, the deposition of callose and the upregulation of defence-related gene expression in rice. IAA exerted a significant dampening effect on the immune responses incited by these mutant strains in rice. In addition, the absence of NIT24 and NIT29 affected the growth-promoting effect of Xoc on rice. This implies that Xoc may promote rice growth by secreting IAA, thus providing a more suitable microenvironment for its own colonization. In summary, our study provides compelling evidence for the existence of a nitrilase-dependent IAA biosynthesis pathway in Xoc. IAA synthesis-related genes promote Xoc colonization by inhibiting rice immune defence response and affecting rice growth by increasing IAA content in Xoc.
PMID: 38069667
iScience , IF:5.458 , 2024 Jan , V27 (1) : P108762 doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108762
Genetic evidence for algal auxin production in Chlamydomonas and its role in algal-bacterial mutualism.
Departamento de Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular. Campus de Rabanales y Campus Internacional de Excelencia Agroalimentario (CeiA3), Edificio Severo Ochoa, Universidad de Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.; Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Research, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677-1848, USA.
Interactions between algae and bacteria are ubiquitous and play fundamental roles in nutrient cycling and biomass production. Recent studies have shown that the plant auxin indole acetic acid (IAA) can mediate chemical crosstalk between algae and bacteria, resembling its role in plant-bacterial associations. Here, we report a mechanism for algal extracellular IAA production from L-tryptophan mediated by the enzyme L-amino acid oxidase (LAO1) in the model Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. High levels of IAA inhibit algal cell multiplication and chlorophyll degradation, and these inhibitory effects can be relieved by the presence of the plant-growth-promoting bacterium (PGPB) Methylobacterium aquaticum, whose growth is mutualistically enhanced by the presence of the alga. These findings reveal a complex interplay of microbial auxin production and degradation by algal-bacterial consortia and draws attention to potential ecophysiological roles of terrestrial microalgae and PGPB in association with land plants.
PMID: 38269098
iScience , IF:5.458 , 2024 Jan , V27 (1) : P108664 doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108664
Overexpression and knockdown of cotton GhdadD gene reveals its drought and salt stress tolerance role.
National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya), Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Sanya 572025, China.; National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization/Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICR, CAAS), Anyang, Henan 455000, China.; State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.; School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
The 5'-deoxyadenosine deaminase (DADD), a member of the amidohydrolase family regulates biological purine metabolism. In this study, bioinformatic analysis, overexpression and knockdown of GhdadD gene were detected to identify its potential role in drought and salt stress tolerance. The results revealed that GhdadD was induced by ABA, Auxin, MBS and light responsive elements. In transgenic Arabidopsis, seed germination rate and root length were increased under drought or salt stress. GhdadD overexpressed seedlings resulted in higher plant height, less leaf damage and lower ion permeability. The expression of osmotic stress and ABA-responsive genes were up regulated. While in GhdadD-silenced cotton seedlings, CAT, SOD activity and soluble sugar content were reduced, MDA content was increased, and the stoma opening was depressed under drought or salt stress. Some osmics stress marker genes were also up regulated. These data indicating that GhdadD enhanced plant resistance to drought and salt stress through ABA pathways.
PMID: 38226165
Microbiol Res , IF:5.415 , 2024 Jan , V281 : P127602 doi: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127602
Bacterial indole-3-acetic acid: A key regulator for plant growth, plant-microbe interactions, and agricultural adaptive resilience.
Soil Science Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: hassanetesami@ut.ac.ir.; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a fundamental phytohormone categorized under auxins, not only influences plant growth and development but also plays a critical role in plant-microbe interactions. This study reviews the role of IAA in bacteria-plant communication, with a focus on its biosynthesis, regulation, and the subsequent effects on host plants. Bacteria synthesize IAA through multiple pathways, which include the indole-3-acetamide (IAM), indole-3-pyruvic acid (IPyA), and several other routes, whose full mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. The production of bacterial IAA affects root architecture, nutrient uptake, and resistance to various abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and heavy metal toxicity, enhancing plant resilience and thus offering promising routes to sustainable agriculture. Bacterial IAA synthesis is regulated through complex gene networks responsive to environmental cues, impacting plant hormonal balances and symbiotic relationships. Pathogenic bacteria have adapted mechanisms to manipulate the host's IAA dynamics, influencing disease outcomes. On the other hand, beneficial bacteria utilize IAA to promote plant growth and mitigate abiotic stresses, thereby enhancing nutrient use efficiency and reducing dependency on chemical fertilizers. Advancements in analytical methods, such as liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, have improved the quantification of bacterial IAA, enabling accurate measurement and analysis. Future research focusing on molecular interactions between IAA-producing bacteria and host plants could facilitate the development of biotechnological applications that integrate beneficial bacteria to improve crop performance, which is essential for addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensuring global food security. This integration of bacterial IAA producers into agricultural practice promises to revolutionize crop management strategies by enhancing growth, fostering resilience, and reducing environmental impact.
PMID: 38228017
Microbiol Res , IF:5.415 , 2024 Mar , V280 : P127566 doi: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127566
Phenotypic, genomic and in planta characterization of Bacillus sensu lato for their phosphorus biofertilization and plant growth promotion features in soybean.
Bioinsumos, Area de Recursos Naturales, Produccion y Ambiente, Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA Uruguay), Uruguay.; Unidad Mixta Pasteur+INIA, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Uruguay.; Bioinsumos, Area de Recursos Naturales, Produccion y Ambiente, Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA Uruguay), Uruguay; Area Mejoramiento Genetico y Biotecnologia Vegetal, Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA Uruguay), Uruguay.; Bioinsumos, Area de Recursos Naturales, Produccion y Ambiente, Instituto Nacional de Investigacion Agropecuaria (INIA Uruguay), Uruguay. Electronic address: eabreo@inia.org.uy.
Bacillus sensu lato were screened for their capacity to mineralize organic phosphorus (P) and promote plant growth, improving nitrogen (N) and P nutrition of soybean. Isolates were identified through Type Strain Genome Server (TYGS) and Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI). ILBB95, ILBB510 and ILBB592 were identified as Priestia megaterium, ILBB139 as Bacillus wiedmannii, ILBB44 as a member of a sister clade of B. pumilus, ILBB15 as Peribacillus butanolivorans and ILBB64 as Lysinibacillus sp. These strains were evaluated for their capacity to mineralize sodium phytate as organic P and solubilize inorganic P in liquid medium. These assays ranked ILBB15 and ILBB64 with the highest orthophosphate production from phytate. Rhizocompetence and plant growth promotion traits were evaluated in vitro and in silico. Finally, plant bioassays were conducted to assess the effect of the co-inoculation with rhizobial inoculants on nodulation, N and P nutrition. These bioassays showed that B. pumilus, ILBB44 and P. megaterium ILBB95 increased P-uptake in plants on the poor substrate of sand:vermiculite and also on a more fertile mix. Priestia megaterium ILBB592 increased nodulation and N content in plants on the sand:vermiculite:peat mixture. Peribacillus butanolivorans ILBB15 reduced plant growth and nutrition on both substrates. Genomes of ILBB95 and ILBB592 were characterized by genes related with plant growth and biofertilization, whereas ILBB15 was differentiated by genes related to bioremediation. Priestia megaterium ILBB592 is considered as nodule-enhancing rhizobacteria and together with ILBB95, can be envisaged as prospective PGPR with the capacity to exert positive effects on N and P nutrition of soybean plants.
PMID: 38100951
Plant Cell Physiol , IF:4.927 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcae003
Transcriptome analysis of rice root tips reveals auxin, gibberellin, and ethylene signalling underlying nutritropism.
Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.; Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.; Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.; Department of Genomics and Evolutionary Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
Nutritropism is a positive tropism towards nutrients in plant roots. An NH4+ gradient is a nutritropic stimulus in rice (Oryza sativa L.). When rice roots are exposed to an NH4+ gradient generated around nutrient sources, root tips bend towards and coil around the sources. The molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we analysed the transcriptomes of the inside and outside of bending root tips exhibiting nutritropism to reveal nutritropic signal transduction. Tissues facing the nutrient sources (inside) and away (outside) were separately collected by laser microdissection. Principal component analysis revealed distinct transcriptome patterns between the two tissues. Annotations of 153 differentially expressed genes implied that auxin, gibberellin, and ethylene signalling were activated differentially between the sides of the root tips under nutritropism. Exogenous application of transport and/or biosynthesis inhibitors of these phytohormones largely inhibited the nutritropism. Thus, signalling and de novo biosynthesis of the three phytohormones is necessary for nutritropism. Expression patterns of IAA genes implied that auxins accumulated more in the inside tissues, meaning that ammonium stimulus is transduced to auxin signalling in nutritropism as same as gravity stimulus in gravitropism. SAUR and expansin genes, which are known to control cell wall modification and to promote cell elongation in shoot gravitropism, were highly expressed in the inside tissues rather than the outside tissues, and our transcriptome data are unexplainable for differential elongation in root nutritropism.
PMID: 38226464
Plant Cell Physiol , IF:4.927 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcae002
Thermospermine is an evolutionarily ancestral phytohormone required for organ development and stress responses in Marchantia polymorpha.
Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.; Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan.
Thermospermine suppresses auxin-inducible xylem differentiation, whereas its structural isomer, spermine, is involved in stress responses in angiosperms. The thermospermine synthase, ACAULIS5 (ACL5), is conserved from algae to land plants, but its physiological functions remain elusive in non-vascular plants. Here, we focused on MpACL5, a gene in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, that rescued the dwarf phenotype of the acl5 mutant in Arabidopsis. In the Mpacl5 mutants generated by genome editing, severe growth retardation was observed in the vegetative organ, thallus, and the sexual reproductive organ, gametangiophore. The mutant gametangiophores exhibited remarkable morphological defects such as short stalks, fasciation, and indeterminate growth. Two gametangiophores fused together and new gametangiophores were often initiated from the old ones. Furthermore, Mpacl5 showed altered responses to heat and salt stresses. Given the absence of spermine in bryophytes, these results suggest that thermospermine has a dual primordial function in organ development and stress responses in M. polymorpha. The stress response function may have eventually been assigned to spermine during land plant evolution.
PMID: 38179828
Pest Manag Sci , IF:4.845 , 2024 Feb , V80 (2) : P637-647 doi: 10.1002/ps.7791
Prevalence, spatial structure and evolution of resistance to acetolactate-synthase (ALS) inhibitors and 2,4-D in the major weed Papaver rhoeas (L.) assessed using a massive, country-wide sampling.
Agroecologie, INRAE, Dijon, France.; Plateforme GeT-Biopuces, TBI, Universite de Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, INSA, Genotoul, Toulouse, France.
BACKGROUND: Corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) is the most damaging broadleaf weed in France. Massively parallel amplicon sequencing was used to investigate the prevalence, mode of evolution and spread of resistance-endowing ALS alleles in 422 populations randomly sampled throughout poppy's range in France. Bioassays were used to detect resistance to the synthetic auxin 2,4-D in 43 of these populations. RESULTS: A total of 21 100 plants were analysed and 24 mutant ALS alleles carrying an amino-acid substitution involved or potentially involved in resistance were identified. The vast majority (97.6%) of the substitutions occurred at codon Pro197, where all six possible single-nucleotide non-synonymous substitutions plus four double-nucleotide substitutions were identified. Changes observed in the enzymatic properties of the mutant ALS isoforms could not explain the differences in prevalence among the corresponding alleles. Sequence read analysis showed that mutant ALS alleles had multiple, independent evolutionary origins, and could have evolved several times independently within an area of a few kilometres. Finally, 2,4-D resistance was associated with mutant ALS alleles in individual plants in one third of the populations assayed. CONCLUSION: The intricate geographical mosaic of mutant ALS alleles observed is the likely result of the combination of huge population sizes, multiple independent mutation events and human-mediated spread of resistance. Our work highlights the ability of poppy populations and individual plants to accumulate different ALS alleles and as yet unknown mechanisms conferring resistance to synthetic auxins. This does not bode well for the continued use of chemical herbicides to control poppy. (c) 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
PMID: 37752099
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Jan : P111997 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.111997
Scaffold protein BTB/TAZ domain-containing genes (CmBTs) play a negative role in root development of chrysanthemum.
College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, Shandong 271018, China.; Beijing Key Laboratory of Development and Quality Control of Ornamental Crops, Department of Ornamental Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.; Beijing Key Laboratory of Development and Quality Control of Ornamental Crops, Department of Ornamental Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai-An, Shandong 271018, China. Electronic address: suncuihui@163.com.
Scaffold proteins, which are known as hubs controlling information flow in cells, can function in a diverse array of biological processes in plants. The BTB/TAZ domain-containing scaffold proteins are associated with multiple signaling pathways in plants. However, there have been few studies of the roles of BT scaffold proteins in chrysanthemum to date. In this study, four CmBT genes named as CmBT1, CmBT1-LIKE1 (CmBT1L1), CmBT1-LIKE2 (CmBT1L2), and CmBT5 were cloned based our previous RNA-seq database. The four CmBT genes showed distinctive expression patterns both in different tissues and in response to different stimuli, such as light, sugar, nitrate and auxin. Knockdown of the four CmBTs facilitated the development of adventitious roots and root hair in chrysanthemum. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed thousands of differentially expressed genes after knockdown of the four CmBT genes. Moreover, functional annotation suggested that CmBTs play a tethering role as scaffold proteins. Our findings reveal that CmBTs can negatively regulate root development of chrysanthemum by mediating nitrate assimilation, amino acid biosynthesis, and auxin and jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathways. This study provides new insights into the role of CmBTs in root development of chrysanthemum.
PMID: 38280641
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Feb , V339 : P111936 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111936
Differential influence of Bacillus subtilis strains on Arabidopsis root architecture through common and distinct plant hormonal pathways.
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark; Plant Health Innovation, Chr-Hansen A/S, Taastrup, Denmark.; Bacterial Interactions and Evolution Group, DTU Bioengineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.; Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.; Plant Health Innovation, Chr-Hansen A/S, Taastrup, Denmark.; Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark. Electronic address: als@plen.ku.dk.
Plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPM) can enhance crop yield and health, but knowledge of their mode-of-action is limited. We studied the influence of two Bacillus subtilis strains, the natural isolate ALC_02 and the domesticated 168 Go, on Arabidopsis and hypothesized that they modify the root architecture by modulating hormone transport or signaling. Both bacteria promoted increase of shoot and root surface area in vitro, but through different root anatomical traits. Mutant plants deficient in auxin transport or signaling responded less to the bacterial strains than the wild-type, and application of the auxin transport inhibitor NPA strongly reduced the influence of the strains. Both bacteria produced auxin and enhanced shoot auxin levels in DR5::GUS reporter plants. Accordingly, most of the beneficial effects of the strains were dependent on functional auxin transport and signaling, while only 168 Go depended on functional ethylene signaling. As expected, only ALC_02 stimulated plant growth in soil, unlike 168 Go that was previously reported to have reduced biofilms. Collectively, the results highlight that B. subtilis strains can have strikingly different plant growth-promoting properties, dependent on what experimental setup they are tested in, and the importance of choosing the right PGPM for a desired root phenotype.
PMID: 38042415
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Jan , V338 : P111915 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111915
FtsH proteases confer protection against salt and oxidative stress in Medicago sativa L.
Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China.; Institute of Animal Sciences, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, PR China.; Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, PR China. Electronic address: dragongodsgod@163.com.
Plant filamentation temperature-sensitive H (FtsH) proteins are ATP-dependent zinc proteases that play an important role in regulating abiotic stress adaptions. Here we explore their potential role in abiotic stress tolerance in alfalfa, an important legume crop. Genomic analysis revealed seventeen MsFtsH genes in five clusters, which generally featured conserved domains and gene structures. Furthermore, the expression of MsFtsHs was found to be tightly associated with abiotic stresses, including osmotic, salt and oxidative stress. In addition, numerous stress responsive cis-elements, including those related to ABA, auxin, and salicylic acid, were identified in their promoter regions. Moreover, MsFtsH8 overexpression was shown to confer tolerance to salt and oxidative stress which was associated with reduced levels of reactive oxygen species, and enhanced expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes. Our results highlight MsFtsHs as key factors in abiotic stress tolerance, and show their potential usefulness for breeding alfalfa and other crops with improved yield and stress tolerance.
PMID: 37944702
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Jan , V338 : P111902 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111902
Modulation in gene expression and enzyme activity suggested the roles of monodehydroascorbate reductase in development and stress response in bread wheat.
Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.; Department of Biotechnology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.; Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India. Electronic address: skupadhyay@pu.ac.in.
Monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) is a crucial enzymatic antioxidant of the ascorbate-glutathione pathway involved in reactive oxygen species scavenging. Herein, we identified 15 TaMDHAR genes in bread wheat. Phylogenetic analysis revealed their clustering into three groups, which are also related to the subcellular localization in the peroxisome matrix, peroxisome membrane, and chloroplast. Each TaMDHAR protein consisted of two conserved domains; Pyr_redox and Pyr_redox_2 of the pyridine nucleotide disulfide oxidoreductase family. The occurrence of diverse groups of cis-regulatory elements in the promoter region and their interaction with numerous transcription factors suggest assorted functions of TaMDHARs in growth and development and in light, phytohormones, and stress responses. Expression analysis in various tissues further revealed their importance in vegetative and reproductive development. In addition, the differential gene expression and enhanced enzyme activity during drought, heat, and salt treatments exposed their role in abiotic stress response. Interaction of MDHARs with various antioxidant enzymes and biochemicals related to the ascorbate-glutathione cycle exposed their synchronized functioning. Interaction with auxin indicated the probability of cross-talk between antioxidants and auxin signaling. The miR168a, miR169, miR172 and others interaction with various TaMDHARs further directed their association with developmental processes and stress responses. The current study provides extensive information about the importance of TaMDHARs, moreover, the precise role of each gene needs to be established in future studies.
PMID: 37879539
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Jan , V338 : P111869 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111869
The miR156-SPL4/SPL9 module regulates leaf and lateral branch development in Betula platyphylla.
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150036, China.; State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150036, China. Electronic address: lihuiyu2017@126.com.
The miR156 gene is known to play an important role in regulating growth and development in plants. This gene is involved in the transition from juvenile to adult stages, leaf morphology, and root development, among other processes. While the function of miR156 is similar in many plants, there are also differences in the function of this gene between herbaceous and native species. We obtained BpmiR156 overexpression transgenic lines in Betula platyphylla, and the transgenic lines exhibited traits such as delayed development, dwarfism, increased leaf epidermal hairs, larger leaf basal angle and altered stem curvature, which were highly consistent with the overexpression miR156 in Arabidopsis, rice and tomato. However, we also observed a lack of apical dominance, increased number of lateral branches and increased diameter of lateral branches in transgenic B. platyphylla, which is different from the effects reported in other plants. Transgenic plants showed changes in the distribution of IAA, GA3, and Zeatin in lateral branches and main stem, and the ratio of the content of the three hormones was significantly higher than in the non-transgenic plants served as control. Additionally, overexpression of BpmiR156 caused down-regulation of BpSPL4 and BpSPL9 expression, as well as differential expression of genes involved in auxin and cytokinin synthesis such as BpARR3, BpARR11 and BpmiR172.
PMID: 37827250
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Jan , V338 : P111892 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111892
Integrating the multiple functions of CHLH into chloroplast-derived signaling fundamental to plant development and adaptation as well as fruit ripening.
College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, 7 Beinong Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, China.; College of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agriculture, 7 Beinong Road, Changping District, Beijing 102206, China. Electronic address: sflmn@163.com.
Chlorophyll (Chl)-mediated oxygenic photosynthesis sustains life on Earth. Greening leaves play fundamental roles in plant growth and crop yield, correlating with the idea that more Chls lead to better adaptation. However, they face significant challenges from various unfavorable environments. Chl biosynthesis hinges on the first committed step, which involves inserting Mg(2+) into protoporphyrin. This step is facilitated by the H subunit of magnesium chelatase (CHLH) and features a conserved mechanism from cyanobacteria to plants. For better adaptation to fluctuating land environments, especially drought, CHLH evolves multiple biological functions, including Chl biosynthesis, retrograde signaling, and abscisic acid (ABA) responses. Additionally, it integrates into various chloroplast-derived signaling pathways, encompassing both retrograde signaling and hormonal signaling. The former comprises ROS (reactive oxygen species), heme, GUN (genomes uncoupled), MEcPP (methylerythritol cyclodiphosphate), beta-CC (beta-cyclocitral), and PAP (3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphate). The latter involves phytohormones like ABA, ethylene, auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, strigolactone, brassinolide, salicylic acid, and jasmonic acid. Together, these elements create a coordinated regulatory network tailored to plant development and adaptation. An intriguing example is how drought-mediated improvement of fruit quality provides insights into chloroplast-derived signaling, aiding the shift from vegetative to reproductive growth. In this context, we explore the integration of CHLH's multifaceted roles into chloroplast-derived signaling, which lays the foundation for plant development and adaptation, as well as fruit ripening and quality. In the future, manipulating chloroplast-derived signaling may offer a promising avenue to enhance crop yield and quality through the homeostasis, function, and regulation of Chls.
PMID: 37821024
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2024 Jan , V43 (2) : P44 doi: 10.1007/s00299-023-03112-8
The maize WRKY transcription factor ZmWRKY64 confers cadmium tolerance in Arabidopsis and maize (Zea mays L.).
School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China.; School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China. duxuye@gznu.edu.cn.
ZmWRKY64 positively regulates Arabidopsis and maize Cd stress through modulating Cd uptake, translocation, and ROS scavenging genes expression. Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal with severe impacts on crops growth and development. The WRKY transcription factor is a significant regulator influencing plant stress response. Nevertheless, the function of the WRKY protein in maize Cd stress response remains unclear. Here, we identified a maize WRKY gene, ZmWRKY64, the expression of which was enhanced in maize roots and leaves under Cd stress. ZmWRKY64 was localized in the nucleus and displayed transcriptional activity in yeast. Heterologous expression of ZmWRKY64 in Arabidopsis diminished Cd accumulation in plants by negatively regulating the expression of AtIRT1, AtZIP1, AtHMA2, AtNRAMP3, and AtNRAMP4, which are involved in Cd uptake and transport, resulting in Cd stress tolerance. Knockdown of ZmWRKY64 in maize led to excessive Cd accumulation in leaf cells and in the cytosol of the root cells, resulting in a Cd hypersensitive phenotype. Further analysis confirmed that ZmWRKY64 positively regulated ZmABCC4, ZmHMA3, ZmNRAMP5, ZmPIN2, ZmABCG51, ZmABCB13/32, and ZmABCB10, which may influence Cd translocation and auxin transport, thus mitigating Cd toxicity in maize. Moreover, ZmWRKY64 could directly enhance the transcription of ZmSRG7, a reported key gene regulating reactive oxygen species homeostasis under abiotic stress. Our results indicate that ZmWRKY64 is important in maize Cd stress response. This work provides new insights into the WRKY transcription factor regulatory mechanism under a Cd-polluted environment and may lead to the genetic improvement of Cd tolerance in maize.
PMID: 38246890
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2024 Jan , V43 (2) : P33 doi: 10.1007/s00299-023-03097-4
Endogenous melatonin involved in plant salt response by impacting auxin signaling.
Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China.; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.; Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China. qiuying@nefu.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China. aiqinaegean@nefu.edu.cn.
The study on melatonin biosynthesis mutant snat1snat2 revealed that endogenous melatonin plays an important role in salt responsiveness by mediating auxin signaling. Melatonin is a pleiotropic signaling molecule, which, besides being involved in multiple growth and developmental processes, also mediates environmental stress responses. However, whether and how endogenous melatonin is involved in salt response has not been determined. In this study, we elucidated the involvement of endogenous melatonin in salt response by investigatiing the impact of salt stress on a double mutant of Arabidopsis (snat1snat2) defective in melatonin biosynthesis genes SNAT1 and SNAT2. This mutant was found to exhibit salt sensitivity, manifested by unhealthy growth, ion imbalance and ROS accumulation under salt stress. Transcriptomic profiles of snat1snat2 revealed that the expression of a large number of salt-responsive genes was affected by SNAT defect, and these genes were closely related to the synthesis of auxin and several signaling pathways. In addition, the salt-sensitive growth phenotype of snat1snat2 was alleviated by the application of exogenous auxin. Our results show that endogenous melatonin may be essential for plant salt tolerance, a function that could be correlated with diverse activity in mediating auxin signaling.
PMID: 38200226
Plant Cell Rep , IF:4.57 , 2024 Jan , V43 (2) : P32 doi: 10.1007/s00299-023-03109-3
AsHSP26.2, a creeping bentgrass chloroplast small heat shock protein positively regulates plant development.
College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071001, People's Republic of China.; State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071001, People's Republic of China.; Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071001, People's Republic of China.; College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071000, China.; Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 110 Biosystems Research Complex, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA.; Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, 110 Biosystems Research Complex, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA. hluo@clemson.edu.; College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071001, People's Republic of China. nxsxb@hebau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071001, People's Republic of China. nxsxb@hebau.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, 071001, People's Republic of China. nxsxb@hebau.edu.cn.
The creeping bentgrass small heat shock protein AsHSP26.2 positively regulates plant growth and is a novel candidate for use in crop genetic engineering for enhanced biomass production and grain yield. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), a family of proteins with high level of diversity, significantly influence plant stress tolerance and plant development. We have cloned a creeping bentgrass chloroplast-localized sHSP gene, AsHSP26.2 responsive to IAA, GA and 6-BA stimulation. Transgenic creeping bentgrass overexpressing AsHSP26.2 exhibited significantly enhanced plant growth with increased stolon number and length as well as enlarged leaf blade width and leaf sheath diameters, but inhibited leaf trichomes initiation and development in the abaxial epidermis. These phenotypes are completely opposite to those displayed in the transgenic plants overexpressing AsHSP26.8, another chloroplast sHSP26 isoform that contains additional seven amino acids (AEGQGDG) between the consensus regions III and IV (Sun et al., Plant Cell Environ 44:1769-1787, 2021). Furthermore, AsHSP26.2 overexpression altered phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling transduction, resulting in elevated auxin and gibberellins (GA) accumulation. The results obtained provide novel insights implicating the sHSPs in plant growth and development regulation, and strongly suggest AsHSP26.2 to be a novel candidate for use in crop genetic engineering for enhanced plant biomass production and grain yield.
PMID: 38195772
Molecules , IF:4.411 , 2024 Jan , V29 (2) doi: 10.3390/molecules29020332
Study on Design, Synthesis and Herbicidal Activity of Novel 6-Indazolyl-2-picolinic Acids.
Innovation Center of Pesticide Research, Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Pest Chemical Control, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
Thirty-eight new 4-amino-3,5-dicholo-6-(1H-indazolyl)-2-picolinic acids and 4-amino-3,5-dicholo-6-(2H-indazolyl)-2-picolinic acids were designed by scaffold hopping and synthesized to discover potential herbicidal molecules. All the new compounds were tested to determine their inhibitory activities against Arabidopsis thaliana and the root growth of five weeds. In general, the synthesized compounds exhibited excellent inhibition properties and showed good inhibitory effects on weed root growth. In particular, compound 5a showed significantly greater root inhibitory activity than picloram in Brassica napus and Abutilon theophrasti Medicus at the concentration of 10 microM. The majority of compounds exhibited a 100% post-emergence herbicidal effect at 250 g/ha against Amaranthus retroflexus and Chenopodium album. We also found that 6-indazolyl-2-picolinic acids could induce the up-regulation of auxin genes ACS7 and NCED3, while auxin influx, efflux and auxin response factor were down-regulated, indicating that 6-indazolyl-2-picolinic acids promoted ethylene release and ABA production to cause plant death in a short period, which is different in mode from other picolinic acids.
PMID: 38257244
Sci Rep , IF:4.379 , 2024 Jan , V14 (1) : P2070 doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-52535-0
Variovorax sp. strain P1R9 applied individually or as part of bacterial consortia enhances wheat germination under salt stress conditions.
Laboratorio de Ecologia Microbiana Aplicada (EMALAB), Departamento de Ciencias Quimicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile.; Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile.; Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (MI-CGR), Valenzuela Puelma 10207, 7800003, La Reina, Chile.; College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.; Department of Applied Microbial Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrabetae 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.; Bioresources Unit, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.; Laboratorio de Ecologia Microbiana Aplicada (EMALAB), Departamento de Ciencias Quimicas y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile. milko.jorquera@ufrontera.cl.; Network for Extreme Environment Research (NEXER), Scientific and Technological Bioresource Nucleus (BIOREN), Universidad de La Frontera, Ave. Francisco Salazar 01145, Temuco, Chile. milko.jorquera@ufrontera.cl.
Endophytes isolated from extremophile plants are interesting microbes for improving the stress tolerance of agricultural plants. Here, we isolated and characterized endophytic bacteria showing plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits from plants in two extreme Chilean biomes (Atacama Desert and Chilean Patagonia). Forty-two isolates were characterized as both halotolerant auxin producers (2-51 mg L(-1)) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC)-degrading bacteria (15-28 micromol alphaKB mg protein(-1) h(-1)). The most efficient isolates were tested as single strains, in dual and triple consortia, or in combination with previously reported PGP rhizobacteria (Klebsiella sp. 27IJA and 8LJA) for their impact on the germination of salt-exposed (0.15 M and 0.25 M NaCl) wheat seeds. Interestingly, strain P1R9, identified as Variovorax sp., enhanced wheat germination under salt stress conditions when applied individually or as part of bacterial consortia. Under salt stress, plants inoculated with dual consortia containing the strain Variovorax sp. P1R9 showed higher biomass (41%) and reduced lipid peroxidation (33-56%) than uninoculated plants. Although the underlying mechanisms remain elusive, our data suggest that the application of Variovorax sp. P1R9, alone or as a member of PGP consortia, may improve the salt stress tolerance of wheat plants.
PMID: 38267517
Sci Rep , IF:4.379 , 2024 Jan , V14 (1) : P558 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-51075-3
Genome-wide in-silico analysis of ethylene biosynthesis gene family in Musa acuminata L. and their response under nutrient stress.
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.; Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan. shafiq.iags@pu.edu.pk.; School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.; Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan. saim1692@gmail.com.; Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab New Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
Ethylene is a gaseous phytohormone involved in plants' growth and developmental processes, including seed germination, root initiation, fruit ripening, flower and leaf senescence, abscission, and stress responses. Ethylene biosynthesis (EB) gene analysis in response to nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) stress has not yet been conducted in Musa acuminata (banana) roots. The genome mining of banana (Musa acuminata L.) revealed 14 putative 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS), 10 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO), and 3 Ethylene overproducer 1 (ETO1) genes. ACS, ACO, and ETO1 proteins possessed amino acid residues ranging from 422-684, 636-2670, and 893-969, respectively, with molecular weight (Mw) ranging from 4.93-7.55 kD, 10.1-8.3 kD and 10.1-10.78 kD. The number of introns present in ACS, ACO, and ETO1 gene sequences ranges from 0-14, 1-6, and 0-6, respectively. The cis-regulatory element analysis revealed the presence of light-responsive, abscisic acid, seed regulation, auxin-responsive, gibberellin element, endosperm-specific, anoxic inducibility, low-temperature responsiveness, salicylic acid responsiveness, meristem-specific and stress-responsive elements. Comprehensive phylogenetic analyses ACS, ACO, and ETO1 genes of Banana with Arabidopsis thaliana revealed several orthologs and paralogs assisting in understanding the putative functions of these genes. The expression profile of Musa acuminata genes in root under normal and low levels of nitrogen and potassium shows that MaACS14 and MaACO6 expressed highly at normal nitrogen supply. MaACS1 expression was significantly upregulated at low potassium levels, whereas, MaACO6 gene expression was significantly downregulated. The functional divergence and site-specific selective pressures on specific gene sequences of banana have been investigated. The bioinformatics-based genome-wide assessment of the family of banana attempted in the present study could be a significant step for deciphering novel ACS, ACO, and ETO1 genes based on genome-wide expression profiling.
PMID: 38177217
Ann Bot , IF:4.357 , 2024 Jan doi: 10.1093/aob/mcae004
PfPIN5 Promotes Style Elongation by Regulating Cell Length in Primula forbesii French.
State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources; Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation & Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture; College of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, P. R. China.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Style dimorphism is one of the polymorphic characteristics of flowers in heterostyly plants, which includes two flower types: Pin morph with long styles and shorter anthers, and Thrum morph with short styles and longer anthers. The formation of dimorphic styles has received attention in the plant world. Previous studies showed that CYP734A50 in Primula determined the style length and limited style elongation, and brassinosteroid metabolic pathway was involved in regulating the style length. However, it is unknown whether there are other factors affecting the style length of Primula. METHODS: The differentially expressed genes highly expressed in Pin morph styles were screened based on P. forbesii transcriptome data. The virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) was used to silence these genes, and the style length and style anatomical changes were observed after 20 days of injection. KEY RESULTS: PfPIN5 highly expressed in Pin morph styles. When PfPIN5 was silenced, the style length was shortened in Pin and long homostyle plants by shortening the length of style cells. Moreover, silencing CYP734A50 in Thrum morph increased the expression level of PfPIN5 significantly and the style length increased. The results indicated that PfPIN5 as an auxin efflux transporter gene contributed to regulate the style elongation of P. forbesii. CONCLUSIONS: The results implied that the auxin pathway may also be involved in the formation of styles of P. forbesii, which provided a new pathway for elucidating the molecular mechanism of styles elongation in P. forbesii.
PMID: 38190350
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2024 Jan , V207 : P108382 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108382
The amelioration of salt stress-induced damage in fenugreek through the application of cold plasma and melatonin.
Agronomy and Plant Breeding Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University of Technology, Semnan, Iran.; Agronomy and Plant Breeding Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University of Technology, Semnan, Iran. Electronic address: Aminebrahimi@shahroodut.ac.ir.; Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Semnan, Iran. Electronic address: e.ebrahimi@shahroodut.ac.ir.; Department of Horticulture Science and Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran.
Nowadays, it is increasingly crucial to combine innovative approaches with established methods to enhance plant tolerance and maximize the production of beneficial compounds. With this aim in view, a study was carried out to investigate how different melatonin concentrations (0, 30, and 60 ppm), cold plasma treatment (at 3000 and 4000 V), and varying exposure durations (0, 1, 2, and 4 min) affect the physiological and biochemical attributes of fenugreek plants, as well as the levels of diosgenin under salinity stress. This study revealed that the application of 3000 V cold plasma for 2 min with 60 ppm melatonin by establishing cellular redox homeostasis in salinity-treated fenugreek plants, effectively prevented the destruction of pigments and reduced the electrolyte leakage index of malondialdehyde content. The utilization of these two elicitors has the potential to trigger multiple pathways, including the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants biosynthesis, and abscisic acid-dependent pathways. This activation results in an enhanced production of abscisic acid, auxin, and endogenous melatonin, along with the regulation of signal transduction pathways. Surprisingly, applying these two treatments increased the expression of SQS, CAS, SSR, BGL, SEP, SMT, and diosgenin content by 13, 22.5, 21.6, 19, 15.4, 12, and 6 times respectively. The findings highlight the intricate interplay between these treatments and the positive impact of their combined application, opening up avenues for further research and practical applications in improving plant tolerance to environmental stresses.
PMID: 38271864
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2024 Jan , V207 : P108352 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108352
Exploring fine tuning between phytohormones and ROS signaling cascade in regulation of seed dormancy, germination and seedling development.
Department of Floriculture and Landscaping, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004, India. Electronic address: shalinijhanji@pau.edu.; Department of Botany, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141004, India.
In higher plants, seed is a propagule which ensures dissemination and survival of species. Developmental phases of a seed comprise embryogenesis, maturation and germination paving a way to its final fate i.e. seedling establishment. The final stage of seed maturation is marked by dehydration, acquisition of dessication tolerance and induction of dormancy. A precise Abscisic acid (ABA) to Gibberellins (GA) ratio, accumulation of miRNA 156, low level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enzyme inactivity govern seed dormancy. This also prevent pre harvest sprouting of the seeds. Overtime, stored seed mRNAs and proteins are degraded through oxidation of specific nucleotides in response to ROS accumulation. This degradation alleviates seed dormancy and transforms a dormant seed into a germinating seed. At this stage, ABA catabolism and degradation accompanied by GA synthesis contribute to low ABA to GA ratio. GA as well as ROS acts downstream, to mobilize reserve food materials, rupture testa, enhance imbibition and protrude radicle. All these events mark seed germination. Further, seedling is established under the governance of auxin and light. ABA and GA are master regulators while auxin, cytokinins, ethylene, jasmonic acid, brassinosteroids act through interdependent pathways to tightly regulate seed dormancy, germination and seedling establishment. In this review, the role of phytohormones and ROS in accordance with environmental factors in governing seed dormancy, promoting seed germination and thus, establishing a seedling is discussed in detail.
PMID: 38266558
BMC Plant Biol , IF:4.215 , 2024 Jan , V24 (1) : P1 doi: 10.1186/s12870-023-04695-w
Transcriptome analysis of axillary buds in low phosphorus stress and functional analysis of TaWRKY74s in wheat.
National Key Laboratory of Wheat Breeding, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China.; College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China.; College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510000, China.; National Key Laboratory of Wheat Breeding, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China. tangheng2018@sdau.edu.cn.; College of Agriculture, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China. tangheng2018@sdau.edu.cn.; National Key Laboratory of Wheat Breeding, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China. wangf@sdau.edu.cn.; College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018, China. wangf@sdau.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Wheat is one of the main grain crops in the world, and the tiller number is a key factor affecting the yield of wheat. Phosphorus is an essential element for tiller development in wheat. However, due to decreasing phosphorus content in soil, there has been increasing use of phosphorus fertilizer, while imposing risk of soil and water pollution. Hence, it is important to identify low phosphorus tolerance genes and utilize them for stress resistance breeding in wheat. RESULTS: We subjected the wheat variety Kenong 199 (KN199) to low phosphorus stress and observed a reduced tiller number. Using transcriptome analysis, we identified 1651 upregulated genes and 827 downregulated of genes after low phosphorus stress. The differentially expressed genes were found to be enriched in the enzyme activity regulation related to phosphorus, hormone signal transduction, and ion transmembrane transport. Furthermore, the transcription factor analysis revealed that TaWRKY74s were important for low phosphorus tolerance. TaWRKY74s have three alleles: TaWRKY74-A, TaWRKY74-B, and TaWRKY74-D, and they all belong to the WRKY family with conserved WRKYGQK motifs. These proteins were found to be located in the nucleus, and they were expressed in axillary meristem, shoot apical meristem(SAM), young leaves, leaf primordium, and spikelet primordium. The evolutionary tree showed that TaWRKY74s were closely related to OsWRKY74s in rice. Moreover, TaWRKY74s-RNAi transgenic plants displayed significantly fewer tillers compared to wild-type plants under normal conditions. Additionally, the tiller numebr of the RNAi transgenic plants was also significantly lower than that of the wild-type plants under low-phosphorus stress, and increased the decrease amplitude. This suggestd that TaWRKY74s are related to phosphorus response and can affect the tiller number of wheat. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research showed that TaWRKY74s were key genes in wheat response to low phosphorus stress, which might regulate wheat tiller number through abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin signal transduction pathways. This research lays the foundation for further investigating the mechanism of TaWRKY74s in the low phosphorus environments and is significant for wheat stress resistance breeding.
PMID: 38163871
Anal Bioanal Chem , IF:4.142 , 2024 Jan , V416 (1) : P125-139 doi: 10.1007/s00216-023-04996-x
In situ separation and visualization of isomeric auxin derivatives in Arabidopsis by ion mobility mass spectrometry imaging.
Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences & Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic. chao.zhang@upol.cz.; Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic.; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences & Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic.; Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic.; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences & Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic. karel.dolezal@upol.cz.; Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic. karel.dolezal@upol.cz.
In situ separation and visualization of synthetic and naturally occurring isomers from heterogeneous plant tissues, especially when they share similar molecular structures, are a challenging task. In this study, we combined the ion mobility separation with desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-IM-MSI) to achieve a direct separation and visualization of two synthetic auxin derivatives, auxinole and its structural isomer 4pTb-MeIAA, as well as endogenous auxins from Arabidopsis samples. Distinct distribution of these synthetic isomers and endogenous auxins in Arabidopsis primary roots and hypocotyls was achieved in the same imaging analysis from both individually treated and cotreated samples. We also observed putative metabolites of synthetic auxin derivatives, i.e. auxinole amino acid conjugates and hydrolysed 4pTb-MeIAA product - 4pTb-IAA, based on their unique drifting ion intensity patterns. Furthermore, DESI-IM-MSI-revealed abundance of endogenous auxins and synthetic isomers was validated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Our results demonstrate that DESI-IM-MSI could be used as a robust technique for detecting endogenous and exogenous isomers and provide a spatiotemporal evaluation of hormonomics profiles in plants.
PMID: 37872415
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2024 Jan , V25 (1) : P112 doi: 10.1186/s12864-024-09992-8
Identification of ARF genes in Cucurbita pepo L and analysis of expression patterns, and functional analysis of CpARF22 under drought, salt stress.
College of Plant Protection, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.; Biocontrol Engineering Laboratory of Crop Diseases and Pests of Gansu Province, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.; College of Plant Protection, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China. xueyy@gsau.edu.cn.; Biocontrol Engineering Laboratory of Crop Diseases and Pests of Gansu Province, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China. xueyy@gsau.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Auxin transcription factor (ARF) is an important transcription factor that transmits auxin signals and is involved in plant growth and development as well as stress response. However, genome-wide identification and responses to abiotic and pathogen stresses of the ARF gene family in Cucurbita pepo L, especially pathogen stresses, have not been reported. RESULTS: Finally, 33 ARF genes (CpARF01 to CpARF33) were identified in C.pepo from the Cucurbitaceae genome database using bioinformatics methods. The putative protein contains 438 to 1071 amino acids, the isoelectric point is 4.99 to 8.54, and the molecular weight is 47759.36 to 117813.27 Da, the instability index ranged from 40.74 to 68.94, and the liposoluble index ranged from 62.56 to 76.18. The 33 genes were mainly localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and distributed on 16 chromosomes unevenly. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 33 CpARF proteins were divided into 6 groups. According to the amino acid sequence of CpARF proteins, 10 motifs were identified, and 1,3,6,8,10 motifs were highly conserved in most of the CpARF proteins. At the same time, it was found that genes in the same subfamily have similar gene structures. Cis-elements and protein interaction networks predicted that CpARF may be involved in abiotic factors related to the stress response. QRT-PCR analysis showed that most of the CpARF genes were upregulated under NaCl, PEG, and pathogen treatment compared to the control. Subcellular localization showed that CpARF22 was localized in the nucleus. The transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines with the CpARF22 gene enhanced their tolerance to salt and drought stress. CONCLUSION: In this study, we systematically analyzed the CpARF gene family and its expression patterns under drought, salt, and pathogen stress, which improved our understanding of the ARF protein of zucchini, and laid a solid foundation for functional analysis of the CpARF gene.
PMID: 38273235
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2024 Jan , V25 (1) : P106 doi: 10.1186/s12864-024-09980-y
Transcriptome analysis reveals the potential mechanism of the response to scale insects in Camellia sasanqua Thunb.
School of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Sciences, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China.; Yunnan Biodiversity Research Institute, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China.; School of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Sciences, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China. wutianpotato@swfu.edu.cn.
BACKGROUND: Camellia sasanqua Thunb. is an essential woody ornamental plant. Our continuous observation found that scale insects often infest C. sasanqua all year round in Kunming, China, resulting in poor growth. Scientifically preventing and controlling the infestation of scale insects should be paid attention to, and the mechanism of scale insects influencing C. sasanqua should be used as the research basis. RESULTS: The scale insect was identified as Pseudaulacaspis sasakawai Takagi. We analyzed transcriptome sequencing data from leaves of C. sasanqua infested with scale insects. A total of 1320 genes were either up-regulated or down-regulated and differed significantly in response to scale insects. GO (Gene Ontology) annotation analysis showed that the pathway of catalytic activity, binding, membrane part, cell part, and cellular process were affected. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis showed that most DEGs (differentially expressed genes) involved in plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway, flavonoid biosynthesis, tropane, piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis. We also observed that the expression of galactose metabolism and carotenoid biosynthesis were significantly influenced. In addition, qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) validated the expression patterns of DEGs, which showed an excellent agreement with the transcriptome sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: Our transcriptomic analysis revealed that the C. sasanqua had an intricate resistance strategy to cope with scale insect attacks. After sensing the attack signal of scale insects, C. sasanqua activated the early signal MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) to activate further transcription factors and Auxin, ET, JA, ABA, and other plant hormone signaling pathways, ultimately leading to the accumulation of lignin, scopolin, flavonoids and other secondary metabolites, produces direct and indirect resistance to scale insects. Our results suggested that it provided some potential resources of defense genes that would benefit the following resistance breeding in C. sasanqua to scale insects.
PMID: 38267855
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Jan , V13 (2) doi: 10.3390/plants13020329
Characterization of Rhizosphere Microbial Diversity and Selection of Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria at the Flowering and Fruiting Stages of Rapeseed.
School of Biological Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Technology, Hanzhong 723000, China.; Collaborative Innovation Center for Comprehensive Development of Biological Resources in Qinling-Ba Mountains, Hanzhong 723000, China.; Shaanxi Key Laboratory Bioresources, Hanzhong 723000, China.; School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, USA.
Plant rhizosphere microorganisms play an important role in modulating plant growth and productivity. This study aimed to elucidate the diversity of rhizosphere microorganisms at the flowering and fruiting stages of rapeseed (Brassica napus). Microbial communities in rhizosphere soils were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA for bacteria and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA regions for fungi. A total of 401 species of bacteria and 49 species of fungi in the rhizosphere soil samples were found in three different samples. The composition and diversity of rhizosphere microbial communities were significantly different at different stages of rapeseed growth. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) have been widely applied to improve plant growth, health, and production. Thirty-four and thirty-one PGPR strains were isolated from the rhizosphere soil samples collected at the flowering and fruiting stages of rapeseed, respectively. Different inorganic phosphorus- and silicate-solubilizing and auxin-producing capabilities were found in different strains, in addition to different heavy-metal resistances. This study deepens the understanding of the microbial diversity in the rapeseed rhizosphere and provides a microbial perspective of sustainable rapeseed cultivation.
PMID: 38276786
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Jan , V13 (2) doi: 10.3390/plants13020327
Plant Growth Regulation in Cell and Tissue Culture In Vitro.
Instituto de Bioingenieria, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, 03202 Elche, Spain.; AlfaPalm Agrociencias, Marechal Candido Rondon 85960-148, Brazil.
Precise knowledge of all aspects controlling plant tissue culture and in vitro plant regeneration is crucial for plant biotechnologists and their correlated industry, as there is increasing demand for this scientific knowledge, resulting in more productive and resilient plants in the field. However, the development and application of cell and tissue culture techniques are usually based on empirical studies, although some data-driven models are available. Overall, the success of plant tissue culture is dependent on several factors such as available nutrients, endogenous auxin synthesis, organic compounds, and environment conditions. In this review, the most important aspects are described one by one, with some practical recommendations based on basic research in plant physiology and sharing our practical experience from over 20 years of research in this field. The main aim is to help new plant biotechnologists and increase the impact of the plant tissue culture industry worldwide.
PMID: 38276784
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Jan , V13 (2) doi: 10.3390/plants13020292
Salicylic and Jasmonic Acid Synergism during Black Knot Disease Progression in Plums.
Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Edmond C. Bovey Building, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.; Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 4890 Victoria Ave N, Vineland Station, ON L0R 2E0, Canada.; Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon.
Black knot (BK) is a deadly disease of European (Prunus domestica) and Japanese (Prunus salicina) plums caused by the hemibiotrophic fungus Apiosporina morbosa. Generally, phytopathogens hamper the balance of primary defense phytohormones, such as salicylic acid (SA)-jasmonic acid (JA) balance, for disease progression. Thus, we quantified the important phytohormone titers in tissues of susceptible and resistant genotypes belonging to European and Japanese plums at five different time points. Our previous results suggested that auxin-cytokinins interplay driven by A. morbosa appeared to be vital in disease progression by hampering the plant defense system. Here, we further show that such hampering of disease progression is likely mediated by perturbance in SA, JA, and, to some extent, gibberellic acid. The results further indicate that SA and JA in plant defense are not always necessarily antagonistic as most of the studies suggest but can be different, especially in woody perennials. Together, our results suggest that the changes in phytohormone levels, especially in terms of SA and JA content due to BK infection and progression in plums, could be used as phytohormonal markers in the identification of BK-resistant cultivars.
PMID: 38256845
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Jan , V13 (2) doi: 10.3390/plants13020151
Effect of Picloram and Desiccation on the Somatic Embryogenesis of Lycium barbarum L.
Agricultural Research Station, Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA 31030, USA.
An efficient and reproducible in vitro method for indirect somatic embryogenesis was optimized by culturing leaf and leaf with petiole explants of Lycium barbarum L. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with various concentrations of Picloram and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), individually and in combinations, were tested. Picloram (1.0 microM) showed a better response compared to 2,4-D and results indicate it to be a better auxin for induction of somatic embryos for Goji berry. It was seen that the leaf explants were more responsive in callus and somatic embryo induction than the leaf with petiole explant when incubated in the dark for 5 weeks. Embryogenic callus, after being transferred to MS medium containing Benzyl amino purine (BAP) in 1.0 microM, 5.0 microM and 10.0 microM, began to differentiate in light after one week. MS medium with 1.0 microM Picloram + 10 microM BAP resulted as the most favorable treatment for somatic embryogenesis in Lycium barbarum L. Removal of plant growth regulators from MS medium and culturing induced calluses under 16 h photoperiod resulted in globular, heart, torpedo, cotyledons, and further development into plantlets. Well-developed plants have been obtained and are capable of acclimatizing in ex vitro conditions. In addition, the effects of desiccation treatments (0, 1, 3, 6, 9 h, and 12 h) on embryogenic callus for somatic embryo induction were found to be directly proportional to the length of desiccation treatment at room temperature. After 9 h and 12 h of desiccation treatments, 60% and 90% of plated calluses resulted in somatic embryos, respectively. In a L. barbarum callus mass, Acetocarmine and Evans blue double staining differentiated between embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus. These findings will help Goji berry improvement by elite clone production, ex situ conservation projects, scaling up plant production, and agronomy for the commercial production of this superfruit in the future.
PMID: 38256705
Biochem Biophys Res Commun , IF:3.575 , 2024 Jan , V696 : P149507 doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149507
Arabidopsis plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase interacts with auxin to regulate Danger-Associated Peptide Pep1-induced root growth inhibition.
School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China.; School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China. Electronic address: yjsbxk2009@163.com.
Plant elicitor peptide 1 (Pep1) is one of plant-derived damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) involved in the regulation of multiple biological processes, including immune response and root growth. The exogenous application of Pep1 was shown to inhibit root growth by affecting the auxin content and extracellular pH level in the transition zone (TZ). However, the signaling relationship between extracellular pH and auxin in Pep1-regulated root growth inhibition has not been explored. Our study here suggested that both pH signaling and auxin signaling were responsible for Pep1-regulated root growth inhibition, and the Pep1-induced auxin accumulation in TZ depended on apoplastic acidification. To increase the apoplastic pH in TZ, we mutated the AHA2 and found that the mutants of aha2-4 and pin2aha2-4 both reduced Pep1-induced auxin content in TZ, thereby alleviating root growth inhibition. Thus, our results reveal a new auxin-pH signaling crosstalk mechanism in regulating root growth, and provide new insights into the function of Pep1 in regulating root growth in Arabidopsis.
PMID: 38237234
J Plant Physiol , IF:3.549 , 2024 Jan , V293 : P154168 doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.154168
Auxin resistant 1 gene (AUX1) mediates auxin effect on Arabidopsis thaliana callus growth by regulating its content and distribution pattern.
Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Department, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland; Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Wilenska 4, 87-100 Torun, Poland.; Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Department, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland.; Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Department, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Torun, Poland; Centre for Modern Interdisciplinary Technologies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Wilenska 4, 87-100 Torun, Poland. Electronic address: tybr@umk.pl.
Callus sustained growth relies heavily on auxin, which is supplied to the culture medium. Surprisingly, there is a noticeable absence of information regarding the involvement of carrier-mediated auxin polar transport gene in callus growth regulation. Here, we delve into the role of the AUXIN RESISTANT 1 (AUX1) influx transporter in the regulation of callus growth, comparing the effects under conditions of light versus darkness. It was observed that callus growth was significantly enhanced under light illumination. This growth-stimulatory effect was accompanied by a decrease in the levels of free auxin within the callus cells when compared to conditions of darkness. In the aux1-22 mutant callus, which lacks functional AUX1, there was a substantial reduction in IAA levels. Nonetheless, the mutant callus exhibited markedly higher growth rates compared to the wild type. This suggests that the reduction in exogenous auxin uptake through the AUX1-dependent pathway may prevent the overaccumulation of growth-restricting hormone concentrations. The growth-stimulatory effect of AUX1 deficiency was counteracted by nonspecific auxin influx transport inhibitors. This finding shows that other auxin influx carriers likely play a role in facilitating the diffusion of auxin from the culture medium to sustain high growth rates. AUX1 was primarily localized in the plasma membranes of the two outermost cell layers of the callus clump and the parenchyma cells adjacent to tracheary elements. Significantly, these locations coincided with the regions of maximal auxin concentration. Consequently, it can be inferred that AUX1 mediates the auxin distribution within the callus.
PMID: 38176282
J Biotechnol , IF:3.307 , 2024 Jan , V381 : P27-35 doi: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2024.01.002
Comparison of plant biostimulating properties of Chlorella sorokiniana biomass produced in batch and semi-continuous systems supplemented with pig manure or acetate.
Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, P/Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa. Electronic address: stirk@ukzn.ac.za.; Department of Plant Sciences, Albert Kazmer Mosonmagyarovar Faculty, Szechenyi Istvan University, Var Square 2, Mosonmagyarovar H-9200, Hungary.; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science, Palacky University and Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, Slechtitelu 27, Olomouc 78371, Czech Republic.; Institute of Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Forestry, University of Sopron, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky str., Sopron 4H-9400, Hungary.; Institute of Agronomy, Kaposvar Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Guba Sandor Str. 40, Kaposvar H-7400, Hungary.; Department of Water and Environmental Sciences, Albert Kazmer Mosonmagyarovar Faculty, Szechenyi Istvan University, Var Square 2, Mosonmagyarovar H-9200, Hungary.; Institute of Plant Biology, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged 6726, Hungary; Faculty of Water Sciences, University of Public Service, Baja 6500, Hungary.; Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, P/Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa.; Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, P/Bag X01, Scottsville 3209, South Africa; Department of Plant Sciences, Albert Kazmer Mosonmagyarovar Faculty, Szechenyi Istvan University, Var Square 2, Mosonmagyarovar H-9200, Hungary.
Microalgae-derived biostimulants provide an eco-friendly biotechnology for improving crop productivity. The strategy of circular economy includes reducing biomass production costs of new and robust microalgae strains grown in nutrient-rich wastewater and mixotrophic culture where media is enriched with organic carbon. In this study, Chlorella sorokiniana was grown in 100 l bioreactors under sub-optimal conditions in a greenhouse. A combination of batch and semi-continuous cultivation was used to investigate the growth, plant hormone and biostimulating effect of biomass grown in diluted pig manure and in nutrient medium supplemented with Na-acetate. C. sorokiniana tolerated the low light (sum of PAR 0.99 +/- 0.18 mol/photons/(m(2)/day)) and temperature (3.7-23.7 degrees C) conditions to maintain a positive growth rate and daily biomass productivity (up to 149 mg/l/day and 69 mg/l/day dry matter production in pig manure and Na-acetate supplemented cultures respectively). The protein and lipid content was significantly higher in the biomass generated in batch culture and dilute pig manure (1.4x higher protein and 2x higher lipid) compared to the Na-acetate enriched culture. Auxins indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 2-oxindole-3-acetic acid (oxIAA) and salicylic acid (SA) were present in the biomass with significantly higher auxin content in the biomass generated using pig manure (> 350 pmol/g DW IAA and > 84 pmol/g DW oxIAA) compared to cultures enriched with Na-acetate and batch cultures (< 200 pmol/g DW IAA and < 27 pmol/g DW oxIAA). No abscisic acid and jasmonates were detected. All samples had plant biostimulating activity measured in the mungbean rooting bioassay with the Na-acetate supplemented biomass eliciting higher rooting activity (equivalent to 1-2 mg/l IBA) compared to the pig manure (equivalent to 0.5-1 mg/l IBA) and batch culture (equivalent to water control) generated biomass. Thus C. sorokiniana MACC-728 is a robust new strain for biotechnology, tolerating low light and temperature conditions. The strain can adapt to alternative nutrient (pig manure) and carbon (acetate) sources with the generated biomass having a high auxin concentration and plant biostimulating activity detected with the mungbean rooting bioassay.
PMID: 38190851
J Biotechnol , IF:3.307 , 2024 Jan , V379 : P87-97 doi: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2023.12.007
Adventitious root culture of Lessertia frutescens for the production of triterpenoid saponins and polysaccharides.
Agricultural College of Yanbian University, Park Road 977, Jilin, Yanji 133002, China.; Department of Horticultural Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.; Agricultural College of Yanbian University, Park Road 977, Jilin, Yanji 133002, China. Electronic address: nyypxc@ybu.edu.cn.; Agricultural College of Yanbian University, Park Road 977, Jilin, Yanji 133002, China. Electronic address: lianmeilan2001@163.com.
Lessertia frutescens is a perennial shrub of commercial importance in South Africa, but the scarcity of plant resources has limited current product production. In this study, to provide an alternative approach for obtaining L. frutescens material, adventitious roots (ARs) were induced from sterilized seedlings and cultured in a suspension culture system. During this process, selection tests were conducted to find a suitable auxin and its concentration for AR induction and a suitable basal medium for AR growth and metabolite accumulation; a kinetic study was then performed to constructure kinetic models. The results showed that compared to other auxins and concentrations, indole-3-butyric acid at 3 mg/L was suitable for increasing the number and length of ARs during AR induction. In AR suspension culture, Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) was better than other basal media, and the maximum AR fresh (86.9 g/L) or dry weight (5.5 g/L), total triterpenoid saponin (92.6 mg/g DW), and polysaccharide (114.7 mg/g DW) contents were determined in the 1.5xSH medium. In addition, AR biomass and metabolite contents reached the maximum on day 42. The kinetic models for AR growth and triterpenoid and polysaccharide production were constructed, providing the basis for further optimization of culture conditions and large-scale culture.
PMID: 38103580
Environ Technol , IF:3.247 , 2024 Jan : P1-10 doi: 10.1080/09593330.2023.2298663
Study on the auxin-like activity of organic compounds extracted from corn waste hydrochar prepared by hydrothermal carbonization.
Department of Chemistry, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.; Academic Unit of Serra Talhada, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada, Brazil.; Teacher Training Institute, Federal University of Cariri, Brejo Santo, Brazil.
This work studied the auxin-like activity of liquid and solid hydrochar from aboveground corn biomass prepared using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). Understanding the action of organic compounds in regulating plant metabolism is important to develop strategies to improve plant growth and production. Bioassays were performed by testing liquid hydrochar concentrations in the range of 0.0557-5570.0 mg carbon L(-1); and solid hydrochar (via extracted dissolved organic matter, DOM) in the range of 0.026-2600.0 mg carbon L(-1), using seeds of Lactuca sativa. SEM, ATR-FTIR, and Py-GC/MS were applied to assess the effect of HTC on hydrochar production/composition. Liquid hydrochar presented an intense bioactivity, completely inhibiting the germination of testing seeds at higher concentrations. Liquid hydrochar also was considerably more bioactive. Py-GC/MS allowed the identification of the molecules involved in IAA-like effects: carboxylic acids (linear and aromatic) and amino acids. The concentration of more bioactive molecules, rather than their simple presence in the hydrochar fraction, determined the bio-stimulating effect, besides an excellent linear regression between the auxin-like effect and the concentration of active molecules.
PMID: 38190259
J Appl Genet , IF:3.24 , 2024 Feb , V65 (1) : P13-30 doi: 10.1007/s13353-023-00800-9
The improvement of the in vitro plant regeneration in barley with the epigenetic modifier of histone acetylation, trichostatin A.
Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, 40-007, Katowice, Poland. katarzyna.nowak@us.edu.pl.; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, 40-007, Katowice, Poland.; Toxicology Research Group, Lukasiewicz Research Network, Institute of Industrial Organic Chemistry Branch Pszczyna, Doswiadczalna 27, 43-200, Pszczyna, Poland.; Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), INRAE, AgroParisTech, Universite Paris-Saclay, 78000, Versailles, France.
Genotype-limited plant regeneration is one of the main obstacles to the broader use of genetic transformation in barley breeding. Thus, developing new approaches that might improve responses of in vitro recalcitrant genotypes remains at the center of barley biotechnology. Here, we analyzed different barley genotypes, including "Golden Promise," a genotype commonly used in the genetic transformation, and four malting barley cultivars of poor regenerative potential. The expression of hormone-related transcription factor (TF) genes with documented roles in plant regeneration was analyzed in genotypes with various plant-regenerating capacities. The results indicated differential expression of auxin-related TF genes between the barley genotypes in both the explants and the derived cultures. In support of the role of auxin in barley regeneration, distinct differences in the accumulation of free and oxidized auxin were observed in explants and explant-derived callus cultures of barley genotypes. Following the assumption that modifying gene expression might improve plant regeneration in barley, we treated the barley explants with trichostatin A (TSA), which affects histone acetylation. The effects of TSA were genotype-dependent as TSA treatment improved plant regeneration in two barley cultivars. TSA-induced changes in plant regeneration were associated with the increased expression of auxin biosynthesis-involved TFs. The study demonstrated that explant treatment with chromatin modifiers such as TSA might provide a new and effective epigenetic approach to improving plant regeneration in recalcitrant barley genotypes.
PMID: 37962803
Int J Phytoremediation , IF:3.212 , 2024 Jan : P1-10 doi: 10.1080/15226514.2024.2304562
Changes in microRNAs expression of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) planted in a cadmium-contaminated soil following the inoculation with root symbiotic fungi.
Department of Soil Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.; Department of Plant Productions and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
Cadmium is one of the most harmful heavy metals that harm agricultural products. Evaluating microRNAs expression is a new and accurate method to study plant response in various environmental conditions. So this study aimed to evaluate the contribution of two symbiotic fungi in improving flax tolerance in a Cd-polluted soil using microRNAs and their target gene expression. A factorial pot experiment in a completely randomized design was conducted with different levels of Cd (0, 20, and 40 mg kg(-1)) on non-inoculated and inoculated flax with Claroideoglomus etunicatum and Serendipita indica. The results presented that increasing Cd levels caused a constant decline of alkaline phosphatase of soil (from 243 to 210 and 153 mug PNP g(-1) h(-1)), respectively, from control (Cd0) to 20 and 40 mg Cd kg(-1). However, the inoculation of flax with fungi significantly enhanced these properties. A negative correlation was observed between the expression level of microRNA 167 and microRNA 398 with their corresponding target genes, auxin response factor 8 and superoxide dismutase zinc/copper 1, respectively. The expression level of both microRNAs and their targets indicated that the inoculation with symbiont fungi could diminish Cd stress and enhance the growth of flax.
PMID: 38279665
Int J Phytoremediation , IF:3.212 , 2024 , V26 (1) : P27-44 doi: 10.1080/15226514.2023.2216311
2,4-D mediated moderation of aluminum tolerance in Salvinia molesta D. Mitch. with regards to bioexclusion and related physiological and metabolic changes.
Department of Botany, Plant Physiology, Biochemistry and Plant Molecular Biology Research Unit, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, India.; Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.; Laboratory of Plant Stress Responses, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Takamatsu, Japan.
We examined the efficacy of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D; 500 microM) in enhancing the potential of Salvinia species for tolerance to aluminum (Al) toxicity (240 and 480 microM, seven days). Salvinia showed better efficacy in removal of toxicity of Al by sorption mechanism with changes of bond energy shifting on cell wall residues and surface structure. Plants recorded tolerance to Al concentration (480 microM) when pretreated with 2,4-D through adjustment of relative water content, proline content, osmotic potential, and improved the pigment fluorescence for energy utilization under Al stress. Photosynthetic activities with regards to NADP-malic enzyme and malic dehydrogenase and sugar metabolism with wall and cytosolic invertase activities were strongly correlated with compatible solutes. A less membrane peroxidation and protein carbonylation had reduced ionic loss over the membrane that was studied with reduced electrolyte leakage with 2,4-D pretreated plants. Membrane stabilization was also recorded with higher ratio of K(+) to Na(+), thereby suggesting roles of 2,4-D in ionic balance. Better sustenance of enzymatic antioxidation with peroxidase and glutathione metabolism reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation and save the plant for oxidative damages. Moreover, gene polymorphism for antioxidant, induced by 2,4-D varied through Al concentrations would suggest an improved biomarker for tolerance. Collectively, analysis and discussion of plant's responses assumed that auxin herbicide could be a potential phytoprotectant for Salvinia as well as improving the stability to Al toxicity and its bioremediation efficacy.
PMID: 37259532
Plant Direct , IF:3.038 , 2024 Jan , V8 (1) : Pe560 doi: 10.1002/pld3.560
Enhanced metabolic detoxification is associated with fluroxypyr resistance in Bassia scoparia.
United States Department of Agriculture - Agriculture Research Service (USDA-ARS) Fort Collins Colorado USA.; Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USA.; Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences Michigan State University East Lansing Michigan USA.; Department of Plants, Soils & Climate Utah State University Logan Utah USA.
Auxin-mimic herbicides chemically mimic the phytohormone indole-3-acetic-acid (IAA). Within the auxin-mimic herbicide class, the herbicide fluroxypyr has been extensively used to control kochia (Bassia scoparia). A 2014 field survey for herbicide resistance in kochia populations across Colorado identified a putative fluroxypyr-resistant (Flur-R) population that was assessed for response to fluroxypyr and dicamba (auxin-mimics), atrazine (photosystem II inhibitor), glyphosate (EPSPS inhibitor), and chlorsulfuron (acetolactate synthase inhibitor). This population was resistant to fluroxypyr and chlorsulfuron but sensitive to glyphosate, atrazine, and dicamba. Subsequent dose-response studies determined that Flur-R was 40 times more resistant to fluroxypyr than a susceptible population (J01-S) collected from the same field survey (LD(50) 720 and 20 g ae ha(-1), respectively). Auxin-responsive gene expression increased following fluroxypyr treatment in Flur-R, J01-S, and in a dicamba-resistant, fluroxypyr-susceptible line 9,425 in an RNA-sequencing experiment. In Flur-R, several transcripts with molecular functions for conjugation and transport were constitutively higher expressed, such as glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), UDP-glucosyl transferase (GT), and ATP binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters). After analyzing metabolic profiles over time, both Flur-R and J01-S rapidly converted [(14)C]-fluroxypyr ester, the herbicide formulation applied to plants, to [(14)C]-fluroxypyr acid, the biologically active form of the herbicide, and three unknown metabolites. The formation and flux of these metabolites were faster in Flur-R than J01-S, reducing the concentration of phytotoxic fluroxypyr acid. One unique metabolite was present in Flur-R that was not present in the J01-S metabolic profile. Gene sequence variant analysis specifically for auxin receptor and signaling proteins revealed the absence of non-synonymous mutations affecting auxin signaling and binding in candidate auxin target site genes, further supporting our hypothesis that non-target site metabolic degradation is contributing to fluroxypyr resistance in Flur-R.
PMID: 38268857
Plant Direct , IF:3.038 , 2024 Jan , V8 (1) : Pe558 doi: 10.1002/pld3.558
Characteristics of turion development in two aquatic carnivorous plants: Hormonal profiles, gas exchange and mineral nutrient content.
Institute of Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Trebon Czech Republic.; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science Palacky University Olomouc CR Czech Republic.; Institute of Experimental Botany Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic.; Department of Chemical Biology, Faculty of Science Palacky University Olomouc Czech Republic.
Turions are vegetative, dormant, and storage overwintering organs formed in perennial aquatic plants in response to unfavorable ecological conditions and originate by extreme condensation of apical shoot segments. The contents of cytokinins, auxins, and abscisic acid were estimated in shoot apices of summer growing, rootless aquatic carnivorous plants, Aldrovanda vesiculosa and Utricularia australis, and in developing turions at three stages and full maturity to reveal hormonal patterns responsible for turion development. The hormones were analyzed in miniature turion samples using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Photosynthetic measurements in young leaves also confirmed relatively high photosynthetic rates at later turion stages. The content of active cytokinin forms was almost stable in A. vesiculosa during turion development but markedly decreased in U. australis. In both species, auxin content culminated in the middle of turion development and then decreased again. The content of abscisic acid as the main inhibitory hormone was very low in growing plants in both species but rose greatly at first developmental stages and stayed very high in mature turions. The hormonal data indicate a great strength of developing turions within sink-source relationships and confirm the central role of abscisic acid in regulating the turion development.
PMID: 38222932
Plant Direct , IF:3.038 , 2024 Jan , V8 (1) : Pe557 doi: 10.1002/pld3.557
STOP1-regulated SMALL AUXIN UP RNA55 (SAUR55) is involved in proton/malate co-secretion for Al tolerance in Arabidopsis.
Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences Gifu University Gifu Japan.; Mass Spectrometry and Microscopy Unit RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan.; Biological Resources and Post-harvest Division Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan.; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Tsukuba Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan.; Experimental Plant Division RIKEN BioResource Research Center Tsukuba Ibaraki Japan.
Proton (H(+)) release is linked to aluminum (Al)-enhanced organic acids (OAs) excretion from the roots under Al rhizotoxicity in plants. It is well-reported that the Al-enhanced organic acid excretion mechanism is regulated by SENSITIVE TO PROTON RHIZOTOXICITY1 (STOP1), a zinc-finger TF that regulates major Al tolerance genes. However, the mechanism of H(+) release linked to OAs excretion under Al stress has not been fully elucidated. Recent physiological and molecular-genetic studies have implicated the involvement of SMALL AUXIN UP RNAs (SAURs) in the activation of plasma membrane H(+)-ATPases for stress responses in plants. We hypothesized that STOP1 is involved in the regulation of Al-responsive SAURs, which may contribute to the co-secretion of protons and malate under Al stress conditions. In our transcriptome analysis of the roots of the stop1 (sensitive to proton rhizotoxicity1) mutant, we found that STOP1 regulates the transcription of one of the SAURs, namely SAUR55. Furthermore, we observed that the expression of SAUR55 was induced by Al and repressed in the STOP1 T-DNA insertion knockout (KO) mutant (STOP1-KO). Through in silico analysis, we identified a functional STOP1-binding site in the promoter of SAUR55. Subsequent in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that STOP1 directly binds to the promoter of SAUR55. This suggests that STOP1 directly regulates the expression of SAUR55 under Al stress. We next examined proton release in the rhizosphere and malate excretion in the T-DNA insertion KO mutant of SAUR55 (saur55), in conjunction with STOP1-KO. Both saur55 and STOP1-KO suppressed rhizosphere acidification and malate release under Al stress. Additionally, the root growth of saur55 was sensitive to Al-containing media. In contrast, the overexpressed line of SAUR55 enhanced rhizosphere acidification and malate release, leading to increased Al tolerance. These associations with Al tolerance were also observed in natural variations of Arabidopsis. These findings demonstrate that transcriptional regulation of SAUR55 by STOP1 positively regulates H(+) excretion via PM H(+)-ATPase 2 which enhances Al tolerance by malate secretion from the roots of Arabidopsis. The activation of PM H(+)-ATPase 2 by SAUR55 was suggested to be due to PP2C.D2/D5 inhibition by interaction on the plasma membrane with its phosphatase. Furthermore, RNAi-suppression of NtSTOP1 in tobacco shows suppression of rhizosphere acidification under Al stress, which was associated with the suppression of SAUR55 orthologs, which are inducible by Al in tobacco. It suggests that transcriptional regulation of Al-inducible SAURs by STOP1 plays a critical role in OAs excretion in several plant species as an Al tolerance mechanism.
PMID: 38161730
PeerJ , IF:2.984 , 2024 , V12 : Pe16729 doi: 10.7717/peerj.16729
Response of conventional sunflower cultivars to drift rates of synthetic auxin herbicides.
Department of Plant Protection, Bilecik Seyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkiye.; Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States of America.
The agrochemical industry has launched several new synthetic auxin herbicides in rice to combat increasing numbers of herbicide resistant weeds to other modes of action. Excessive or inappropriate use of these herbicides has resulted in unintended consequences near the sites of application, such as herbicide drift. This study was conducted to determine the impact of drift of quinclorac and florpyrauxifen-benzyl+penoxsulam (FBP) on the yield and yield components of two sunflower cultivars. In a growth chamber experiment, quinclorac and FBP were applied to 2-4 true leaf stages at rates ranging from 2.93 to 93.75 and from 0.51 to 16.25 g ai ha(-1), respectively. Nonlinear regression analyses indicated that the cultivar Bosfora was more sensitive to quinclorac and FBP than the cultivar Tunca. In field experiments, these sunflower cultivars were treated with drift rates of quinclorac (<375 g ai ha(-1)) and FBP (<65 g ai ha(-1)) when they were at the 8-10 true leaf stage. Quinclorac and FBP drift rates resulted in up to 52-61% and 85-100% injury and 82-88% and 100% yield loss, respectively. Crop injury and yield data clearly showed that cultivar Bosfora was more sensitive to FBP and quinclorac rates than cultivar Tunca, and both cultivars were more sensitive to FBP than quinclorac. In our work, we also found that plant height reduction caused by quinclorac at early growth stages may be a valuable indicator to evaluate crop injury and yield loss.
PMID: 38223756
Int J Genomics , IF:2.326 , 2024 , V2024 : P5681174 doi: 10.1155/2024/5681174
Physiological Characteristic Changes and Transcriptome Analysis of Maize (Zea mays L.) Roots under Drought Stress.
Maize Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, Guangxi, China.; Cash Crops Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, Guangxi, China.
Water deficit is a key limiting factor for limiting yield in maize (Zea mays L.). It is crucial to elucidate the molecular regulatory networks of stress tolerance for genetic enhancement of drought tolerance. The mechanism of drought tolerance of maize was explored by comparing physiological and transcriptomic data under normal conditions and drought treatment at polyethylene glycol- (PEG-) induced drought stress (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) in the root during the seedling stage. The content of saccharide, SOD, CAT, and MDA showed an upward trend, proteins showed a downward trend, and the levels of POD first showed an upward trend and then decreased. Compared with the control group, a total of 597, 2748, 6588, and 5410 differentially expressed genes were found at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% PEG, respectively, and 354 common DEGs were identified in these comparisons. Some differentially expressed genes were remarkably enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway and plant hormone signal transduction. The 50 transcription factors (TFs) divided into 15 categories were screened from the 354 common DEGs during drought stress. Auxin response factor 10 (ARF10), auxin-responsive protein IAA9 (IAA9), auxin response factor 14 (ARF14), auxin-responsive protein IAA1 (IAA1), auxin-responsive protein IAA27 (IAA27), and 1 ethylene response sensor 2 (ERS2) were upregulated. The two TFs, including bHLH 35 and bHLH 96, involved in the MAPK signal pathway and plant hormones pathway, are significantly upregulated in 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% PEG stress groups. The present study provides greater insight into the fundamental transcriptome reprogramming of grain crops under drought.
PMID: 38269194
Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek , IF:2.271 , 2024 Jan , V117 (1) : P19 doi: 10.1007/s10482-023-01902-4
Jatrophihabitans cynanchi sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil of Cynanchum wilfordii.
Korean Collection for Type Cultures, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 181 Ipsin-gil, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do, 56212, South Korea.; Department of Lifestyle Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, 79 Gobong-ro, Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do, 54596, Republic of Korea.; Department of Oriental Medicine Resources, Jeonbuk National University, 79 Gobong-ro, Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do, 54596, Republic of Korea.; Semyung University, 65 Semyung-ro, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, 27136, Republic of Korea.; Korean Collection for Type Cultures, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, 181 Ipsin-gil, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do, 56212, South Korea. jslee@kribb.re.kr.; University of Science and Technology (UST), 217 Gajeong-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34113, Republic of Korea. jslee@kribb.re.kr.
A novel actinobacterial strain, SB3-54(T) was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Cynanchum wilfodill, Jaecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea. Cells of strain SB3-54(T) were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, and flagellated which formed pale yellow colonies on Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar. Growth occurred at 15-30 degrees C (optimum 25 degrees C), pH 5-8 (optimum pH 7), and 0-2.5% NaCl (optimum 0%). Phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses showed that strain SB3-54(T) formed a separate lineage in the genus Jatrophihabitans with Jatrophihabitans telluris N237(T). Strain SB3-54(T) was positive for catalase activity. Genomic analysis showed that SB3-54(T) has plant-beneficial function contributing (referred to as PBFC) genes such as root colonization and plant protection from oxidative stress. Furthermore, genome of SB3-54(T) contained gene clusters related to cytokinin biosynthesis, auxin response, tryptophan biosynthesis, siderophore biosynthesis and bacterial toxin-antitoxin systems. Strain SB3-54(T) contained iso-C(16:0) as the major fatty acid and MK-9(H(4)) and MK-9(H(6)) as the predominant quinones. The organism had meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid in the peptidoglycan. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol polymannosides, two unidentified aminoglycophospholipids and three unidentified phospholipids. Based on phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain SB3-54(T) represents a novel species of the genus Jatrophihabitans. The type strain is SB3-54(T) (= KCTC 49134(T) = NBRC 114108(T)).
PMID: 38189847
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2024 Dec , V19 (1) : P2305030 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2305030
Cytokinin signaling is involved in root hair elongation in response to phosphate starvation.
School of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.; Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Takayama, Ikoma, Nara, Japan.
Root hair, single-celled tubular structures originating from the epidermis, plays a vital role in the uptake of nutrients from the soil by increasing the root surface area. Therefore, optimizing root hair growth is crucial for plants to survive in fluctuating environments. Root hair length is determined by the action of various plant hormones, among which the roles of auxin and ethylene have been extensively studied. However, evidence for the involvement of cytokinins has remained elusive. We recently reported that the cytokinin-activated B-type response regulators, ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR 1 (ARR1) and ARR12 directly upregulate the expression of ROOT HAIR DEFECTIVE 6-LIKE 4 (RSL4), which encodes a key transcription factor that controls root hair elongation. However, depending on the nutrient availability, it is unknown whether the ARR1/12-RSL4 pathway controls root hair elongation. This study shows that phosphate deficiency induced the expression of RSL4 and increased the root hair length through ARR1/12, though the transcript and protein levels of ARR1/12 did not change. These results indicate that cytokinins, together with other hormones, regulate root hair growth under phosphate starvation conditions.
PMID: 38267225
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2270835 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2023.2270835
Quercetin induces pathogen resistance through the increase of salicylic acid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.
Division of Applied Life Science (BK21 Four Program), Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Research Center, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea.
Quercetin is a flavonol belonging to the flavonoid group of polyphenols. Quercetin is reported to have a variety of biological functions, including antioxidant, pigment, auxin transport inhibitor and root nodulation factor. Additionally, quercetin is known to be involved in bacterial pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis through the transcriptional increase of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying how quercetin promotes pathogen resistance remain elusive. In this study, we showed that the transcriptional increases of PR genes were achieved by the monomerization and nuclear translocation of nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related proteins 1 (NPR1). Interestingly, salicylic acid (SA) was approximately 2-fold accumulated by the treatment with quercetin. Furthermore, we showed that the increase of SA biosynthesis by quercetin was induced by the transcriptional increases of typical SA biosynthesis-related genes. In conclusion, this study strongly suggests that quercetin induces bacterial pathogen resistance through the increase of SA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis.
PMID: 37902267
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2261744 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2023.2261744
The HOS1-PIF4/5 module controls callus formation in Arabidopsis leaf explants.
Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.; Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.; Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
A two-step plant regeneration has been widely exploited to genetic manipulation and genome engineering in plants. Despite technical importance, understanding of molecular mechanism underlying in vitro plant regeneration remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we found that the HIGH EXPRESSION OF OSMOTICALLY RESPONSIVE GENES 1 (HOS1)-PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4/5 (PIF4/5) module participates in callus formation. Consistent with the repressive role of HOS1 in PIF transcriptional activation activity, hos1-3 mutant leaf explants exhibited enhanced callus formation, whereas pif4-101 pif5-3 mutant leaf explants showed reduced callus size. The HOS1-PIF4/5 function would be largely dependent on auxin biosynthesis and signaling, which are essential for callus initiation and proliferation. Our findings suggest that the HOS1-PIF4/5 module plays a pivotal role in auxin-dependent callus formation in Arabidopsis.
PMID: 37747842
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2218670 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2023.2218670
ChIFNalpha regulates adventitious root development in Lotus japonicus via an auxin-mediated pathway.
Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences/Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China.; Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
Adventitious roots (ARs), developing from non-root tissue, play an important role in some plants. Here, the molecular mechanism of AR differentiation in Lotus japonicus L. (L. japonicus) with the transformed chicken interferon alpha gene (ChIFNalpha) encoding cytokine was studied. ChIFNalpha transgenic plants (TP) were identified by GUS staining, PCR, RT-PCR, and ELISA. Up to 0.175 mug/kg rChIFNalpha was detected in TP2 lines. Expressing rChIFNalpha promotes AR development by producing longer roots than controls. We found that the effect was enhanced with the auxin precursor IBA treatment in TP. IAA contents, POD, and PPO activities associated with auxin regulation were higher than wild type (WT) in TP and exogenous ChIFNalpha treatment plants. Transcriptome analysis revealed 48 auxin-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (FDR < 0.05), which expression levels were verified by RT-qPCR analysis. GO enrichment analysis of DEGs also highlighted the auxin pathway. Further analysis found that ChIFNalpha significantly enhanced auxin synthesis and signaling mainly with up-regulated genes of ALDH, and GH3. Our study reveals that ChIFNalpha can promote plant AR development by mediating auxin regulation. The findings help explore the role of ChIFNalpha cytokines and expand animal gene sources for the molecular breeding of growth regulation of forage plants.
PMID: 37288791
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2207845 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2023.2207845
Mendel-200: Pea as a model system to analyze hormone-mediated stem elongation.
I- Cultiver, Inc, Manteca, CA 95336 & Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA.
In a recent Review Article on Gregor Mendel's (1822-1884) work with pea (Pisum sativum)-plants, it was proposed that this crop species should be re-vitalized as a model organism for the study of cell- and organ growth. Here, we describe the effect of exogenous gibberellic acid (GA(3)) on the growth of the second internode in 4-day-old light-grown pea seedlings (Pisum sativum, large var. "Senator"). lnjection of glucose into the internode caused a growth-promoting effect similar to that of the hormone GA(3). Imbibition of dry pea seeds in GA(3), or water as control, resulted in a drastic enhancement in organ development in this tall variety. Similar results were reported for dwarf peas. These "classical" experimental protocols are suitable to study the elusive effect of gibberellins (which act in coordination with auxin) on the regulation of plant development at the biochemical and molecular levels.
PMID: 37166004
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2163342 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2163342
Cloning and expression study of a high-affinity nitrate transporter gene from Zea mays L.
Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.; Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.; Aulin College, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.
A nitrate transporter gene, named B46NRT2.1, from salt-tolerant Zea mays L. B46 has been cloned. B46NRT2.1 contained the same domain belonging to the major facilitator superfamily (PLN00028). The results of the phylogenetic tree indicated that B46NRT2.1 exhibits sequence similarity and the closest relationship with those known nitrate transporters of the NRT2 family. Through RT-qPCR, we found that the expression of B46NRT2.1 mainly happens in the root and leaf. Moreover, the treatment with NaCl, Na(2)CO(3), and NaHCO(3) could significantly increase the expression of B46NRT2.1. B46NRT2.1 was located in the plasma membrane. Through the study of yeast and plant salt response brought by B46NRT2.1 overexpression, we have preliminary knowledge that the expression of B46NRT2.1 makes yeast and plants respond to salt shock. There are 10 different kinds of cis-acting regulatory elements (CRES) in the promotor sequences of B46NRT2.1 gene using the PlantCARE web server to analyze. It mainly includes hormone response, abscisic acid, salicylic acid, gibberellin, methyl jasmonate, and auxin. The B46NRT2.1 gene's co-expression network showed that it was co-expressed with a number of other genes in several biological pathways, including regulation of NO(3) long-distance transit, modulation of nitrate sensing and metabolism, nitrate assimilation, and transduction of Jasmonic acid-independent wound signal. The results of this work should serve as a good scientific foundation for further research on the functions of the NRT2 gene family in plants (inbred line B46), and this research adds to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms under salt tolerance.
PMID: 36645908
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2023 Dec , V18 (1) : P2081397 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2081397
Genetic regulation of lateral root development.
State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, Key Laboratory of Hebei Province for Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, China.; Pear Engineering and Technology Research Center of Hebei, College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, China.; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Collaboration Innovation Center for Cell Signaling, Hebei Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.; College of Life Sciences, Hengshui University, Hengshui, Hebei, China.; College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, China.; College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, China.
Lateral roots (LRs) are an important part of plant root systems. In dicots, for example, after plants adapted from aquatic to terrestrial environments, filamentous pseudorhizae evolved to allow nutrient absorption. A typical plant root system comprises a primary root, LRs, root hairs, and a root cap. Classical plant roots exhibit geotropism (the tendency to grow downward into the ground) and can synthesize plant hormones and other essential substances. Root vascular bundles and complex spatial structures enable plants to absorb water and nutrients to meet their nutrient quotas and grow. The primary root carries out most functions during early growth stages but is later overtaken by LRs, underscoring the importance of LR development water and mineral uptake and the soil fixation capacity of the root. LR development is modulated by endogenous plant hormones and external environmental factors, and its underlying mechanisms have been dissected in great detail in Arabidopsis, thanks to its simple root anatomy and the ease of obtaining mutants. This review comprehensively and systematically summarizes past research (largely in Arabidopsis) on LR basic structure, development stages, and molecular mechanisms regulated by different factors, as well as future prospects in LR research, to provide broad background knowledge for root researchers.
PMID: 35642513
Sheng Wu Gong Cheng Xue Bao , 2024 Jan , V40 (1) : P81-93 doi: 10.13345/j.cjb.230122
[The regulatory role of the RUS family in plant growth and development].
Chongqing Key Laboratory of Olericulture, College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.; Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 401329, China.
The chloroplast genome encodes many key proteins involved in photosynthesis and other metabolic processes, and metabolites synthesized in chloroplasts are essential for normal plant growth and development. Root-UVB (ultraviolet radiation B)-sensitive (RUS) family proteins composed of highly conserved DUF647 domain belong to chloroplast proteins. They play an important role in the regulation of various life activities such as plant morphogenesis, material transport and energy metabolism. This article summarizes the recent advances of the RUS family proteins in the growth and development of plants such as embryonic development, photomorphological construction, VB6 homeostasis, auxin transport and anther development, with the aim to facilitate further study of its molecular regulation mechanism in plant growth and development.
PMID: 38258633
Adv Biol (Weinh) , 2024 Jan : Pe2300593 doi: 10.1002/adbi.202300593
1-Naphthaleneacetic Acid Improved the In Vitro Cell Culturing by Inhibiting Apoptosis.
School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.; Tianjin University and Health-Biotech United Group Joint Laboratory of Innovative Drug Development and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.; Health-Biotech Group Stem Cell Research Institute, Tianjin, 301799, China.; Jinnan Hospital, Tianjin University, (Tianjin Jinnan Hospital), Tianjin, 300350, China.; Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
In vitro cell culturing witnessed its applications in scientific research and industrial activities. Attempts to shorten the doubling time of cultured cells have never ceased. In plants, auxin is applied to promote plant growth, the synthetic derivative 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) is a good example. Despite the auxin's naturally occurring receptors are not present in mammalian cells, studies suggested they may affect cell culturing. Yet the effects and mechanisms are still unclear. Here, an up to 2-fold increase in the yield of in vitro cultured human cells is observed. Different types of human cell lines and primary cells are tested and found that NAA is effective in all the cells tested. The PI staining followed by FACS suggested that NAA do not affect the cell cycling. Apoptosis-specific dye staining analysis implicated that NAA rescued cell death. Further bulk RNA sequencing is done and it is identified that the lipid metabolism-engaging and anti-apoptosis gene, ANGPTL4, is enhanced in expression upon NAA treatment. Studies on ANGPTL4 knockout cells indicated that ANGPTL4 is required for NAA-mediated response. Thus, the data identified a beneficial role of NAA in human cell culturing and highlighted its potency in in vitro cell culturing.
PMID: 38221687
Huan Jing Ke Xue , 2024 Jan , V45 (1) : P480-488 doi: 10.13227/j.hjkx.202301158
[Transcriptome Analysis of Plant Growth-promoting Bacteria Alleviating Microplastic and Heavy Metal Combined Pollution Stress in Sorghum].
International Joint Laboratory of Watershed Ecological Security, Collaborative Innovation Center of Water Security for Water Source Region of Middle Route Project of South-North Water Diversion in Henan Province, College of Water Resource and Environment Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China.; School of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China.
Microplastics can become potential transport carriers of other environmental pollutants (such as heavy metals), so the combined pollution of microplastics and heavy metals has attracted increasing attention from researchers. To explore the mechanism of plant growth-promoting bacteria VY-1 alleviating the combined pollution stress of heavy metals and microplastics in sorghum, the effects of inoculation on biomass and accumulation of heavy metals in sorghum were analyzed using a hydroponics experiment, and the effects of inoculation on gene expression in sorghum were analyzed via transcriptomics. The results showed that the combined pollution of polyethylene (PE) and cadmium (Cd) decreased the dry weight of above-ground and underground parts by 17.04% and 10.36%, respectively, compared with that under the single Cd pollution, which showed that the combined toxicity effect of the combined pollution on plant growth was enhanced. The inoculation of plant growth-promoting bacteria VY-1 could alleviate the toxicity of Cd-PE combined pollution and increase the length of aboveground and underground parts by 33.83% and 73.21% and the dry weight by 56.64% and 33.44%, respectively. Transcriptome sequencing showed that 904 genes were up-regulated after inoculation with VY-1. Inoculation with growth-promoting bacteria VY-1 could up-regulate the expression of several genes in the auxin, abscisic acid, flavonoid synthesis, and lignin biosynthesis pathways, which promoted the response ability of sorghum under Cd-PE combined pollution stress and improved its resistance. The above results indicated that plant growth-promoting bacteria could alleviate the stress of heavy metal and microplastic combined pollution by regulating plant gene expression, which provided a reference for plant-microbial joint remediation of heavy metal and microplastic combined pollution.
PMID: 38216497
Plant Commun , 2024 Jan : P100791 doi: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100791
Graph-based Pan-genome of Brassica oleracea Provides New Insights into Its Domestication and Morphotype Diversification.
State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasms Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing 100097, China.; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, Vegetable Research Institute, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.; Smartgenomics Technology Institute, Tianjin 301700, China.; Smartgenomics Technology Institute, Tianjin 301700, China. Electronic address: liufan@nercv.org.; Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA. Electronic address: liufan@nercv.org.; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Horticultural Crop Genetic Improvement, Vegetable Research Institute, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Science, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: liufan@nercv.org.; State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasms Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing 100097, China. Electronic address: liufan@nercv.org.
The domestication of Brassica oleracea has resulted in diverse morphological types with distinct patterns of organ development. Here we report a graph-based pan-genome of B. oleracea constructed with high-quality genome assemblies of different morphotypes. The pan-genome harbors over 200 structural variant (SV) hotspot regions enriched with auxin and flowering-related genes. Population genomic analyses reveal that early domestication of B. oleracea focused on leaf or stem development. Gene flows resulting from agricultural practices and variety improvement are detected among different morphotypes. Selective sweep and pan-genome analyses identify an auxin-responsive SAUR gene and a CLE family gene as crucial players in the leaf-stem differentiation during the early stage of B. oleracea domestication, and the BoKAN1 gene as instrumental in shaping the leafy heads of cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Our pan-genome and functional analyses further discover that variations in the BoFLC2 gene play key roles in the divergence of vernalization and flowering characteristics among different morphotypes, and variations in the first intron of BoFLC3 are involved in fine-tuning the flowering process in cauliflower. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the pan-genome of B. oleracea and sheds light on the domestication and differential organ development of this globally important crop species.
PMID: 38168637
Adv Biol (Weinh) , 2024 Jan , V8 (1) : Pe2300410 doi: 10.1002/adbi.202300410
A Single-Nucleus Resolution Atlas of Transcriptome and Chromatin Accessibility for Peanut (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Leaves.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, South China Peanut Sub-Center of National Center of Oilseed Crops Improvement, Crops Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510640, China.; Rice Research Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Heilongjiang Province, Jiamusi, 154026, China.; USDA-ARS, Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA.; State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University (MU), Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.; College of Agriculture, South China Agriculture University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, 510642, China.
The peanut is an important worldwide cash-crop for edible oil and protein. However, the kinetic mechanisms that determine gene expression and chromatin accessibility during leaf development in peanut represented allotetraploid leguminous crops are poorly understood at single-cell resolution. Here, a single-nucleus atlas of peanut leaves is developed by simultaneously profiling the transcriptome and chromatin accessibility in the same individual-cell using fluorescence-activated sorted single-nuclei. In total, 5930 cells with 50 890 expressed genes are classified into 18 cell-clusters, and 5315 chromatin fragments are enriched with 26 083 target genes in the chromatin accessible landscape. The developmental trajectory analysis reveals the involvement of the ethylene-AP2 module in leaf cell differentiation, and cell-cycle analysis demonstrated that genome replication featured in distinct cell-types with circadian rhythms transcription factors (TFs). Furthermore, dual-omics illustrates that the fatty acid pathway modulates epidermal-guard cells differentiation and providescritical TFs interaction networks for understanding mesophyll development, and the cytokinin module (LHY/LOG) that regulates vascular growth. Additionally, an AT-hook protein AhAHL11 is identified that promotes leaf area expansion by modulating the auxin content increase. In summary, the simultaneous profiling of transcription and chromatin accessibility landscapes using snRNA/ATAC-seq provides novel biological insights into the dynamic processes of peanut leaf cell development at the cellular level.
PMID: 37828417
Plant Commun , 2024 Jan , V5 (1) : P100669 doi: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100669
Divergence of trafficking and polarization mechanisms for PIN auxin transporters during land plant evolution.
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.; Graduate Institute of Biotechnology, National Chung Hsing University, No. 145, Xingda Rd., South Dist., Taichung 40227, Taiwan, R.O.C.; College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi, Yangling, China.; Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, 128 Sec. 2, Academia Rd, Nankang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan, R.O.C.; Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria. Electronic address: jiri.friml@ist.ac.at.
The phytohormone auxin, and its directional transport through tissues, plays a fundamental role in the development of higher plants. This polar auxin transport predominantly relies on PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin exporters. Hence, PIN polarization is crucial for development, but its evolution during the rise of morphological complexity in land plants remains unclear. Here, we performed a cross-species investigation by observing the trafficking and localization of endogenous and exogenous PINs in two bryophytes, Physcomitrium patens and Marchantia polymorpha, and in the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We confirmed that the GFP fusion did not compromise the auxin export function of all examined PINs by using a radioactive auxin export assay and by observing the phenotypic changes in transgenic bryophytes. Endogenous PINs polarize to filamentous apices, while exogenous Arabidopsis PINs distribute symmetrically on the membrane in both bryophytes. In the Arabidopsis root epidermis, bryophytic PINs have no defined polarity. Pharmacological interference revealed a strong cytoskeletal dependence of bryophytic but not Arabidopsis PIN polarization. The divergence of PIN polarization and trafficking is also observed within the bryophyte clade and between tissues of individual species. These results collectively reveal the divergence of PIN trafficking and polarity mechanisms throughout land plant evolution and the co-evolution of PIN sequence-based and cell-based polarity mechanisms.
PMID: 37528584