Science , IF:47.728 , 2024 Mar , V383 (6689) : Peadj4591 doi: 10.1126/science.adj4591

Structure and function of the Arabidopsis ABC transporter ABCB19 in brassinosteroid export.

Ying, Wei and Wang, Yaowei and Wei, Hong and Luo, Yongming and Ma, Qian and Zhu, Heyuan and Janssens, Hilde and Vukasinovic, Nemanja and Kvasnica, Miroslav and Winne, Johan M and Gao, Yongxiang and Tan, Shutang and Friml, Jiri and Liu, Xin and Russinova, Eugenia and Sun, Linfeng

Department of Neurology of The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.; Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.; Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.; Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.; Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences and Palacky University, 77900 Olomouc, Czech Republic.; Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.

Brassinosteroids are steroidal phytohormones that regulate plant development and physiology, including adaptation to environmental stresses. Brassinosteroids are synthesized in the cell interior but bind receptors at the cell surface, necessitating a yet to be identified export mechanism. Here, we show that a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily, ABCB19, functions as a brassinosteroid exporter. We present its structure in both the substrate-unbound and the brassinosteroid-bound states. Bioactive brassinosteroids are potent activators of ABCB19 ATP hydrolysis activity, and transport assays showed that ABCB19 transports brassinosteroids. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ABCB19 and its close homolog, ABCB1, positively regulate brassinosteroid responses. Our results uncover an elusive export mechanism for bioactive brassinosteroids that is tightly coordinated with brassinosteroid signaling.

PMID: 38513023

Science , IF:47.728 , 2024 Mar , V383 (6687) : Peadk8838 doi: 10.1126/science.adk8838

Enhancing rice panicle branching and grain yield through tissue-specific brassinosteroid inhibition.

Zhang, Xiaoxing and Meng, Wenjing and Liu, Dapu and Pan, Dezhuo and Yang, Yanzhao and Chen, Zhuo and Ma, Xiaoding and Yin, Wenchao and Niu, Mei and Dong, Nana and Liu, Jihong and Shen, Weifeng and Liu, Yuqin and Lu, Zefu and Chu, Chengcai and Qian, Qian and Zhao, Mingfu and Tong, Hongning

State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.; Rice Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou 350018, China.; Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.

Crop yield potential is constrained by the inherent trade-offs among traits such as between grain size and number. Brassinosteroids (BRs) promote grain size, yet their role in regulating grain number is unclear. By deciphering the clustered-spikelet rice germplasm, we show that activation of the BR catabolic gene BRASSINOSTEROID-DEFICIENT DWARF3 (BRD3) markedly increases grain number. We establish a molecular pathway in which the BR signaling inhibitor GSK3/SHAGGY-LIKE KINASE2 phosphorylates and stabilizes OsMADS1 transcriptional factor, which targets TERMINAL FLOWER1-like gene RICE CENTRORADIALIS2. The tissue-specific activation of BRD3 in the secondary branch meristems enhances panicle branching, minimizing negative effects on grain size, and improves grain yield. Our study showcases the power of tissue-specific hormonal manipulation in dismantling the trade-offs among various traits and thus unleashing crop yield potential in rice.

PMID: 38452087

Nat Commun , IF:14.919 , 2024 Mar , V15 (1) : P2028 doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46289-6

Copine proteins are required for brassinosteroid signaling in maize and Arabidopsis.

Jing, Teng and Wu, Yuying and Yu, Yanwen and Li, Jiankun and Mu, Xiaohuan and Xu, Liping and Wang, Xi and Qi, Guang and Tang, Jihua and Wang, Daowen and Yang, Shuhua and Hua, Jian and Gou, Mingyue

State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Center for Crop Genome Engineering, College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.; The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.; Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.; State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Center for Crop Genome Engineering, College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. mingyuegou@henau.edu.cn.; The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. mingyuegou@henau.edu.cn.

Copine proteins are highly conserved and ubiquitously found in eukaryotes, and their indispensable roles in different species were proposed. However, their exact function remains unclear. The phytohormone brassinosteroids (BRs) play vital roles in plant growth, development and environmental responses. A key event in effective BR signaling is the formation of functional BRI1-SERK receptor complex and subsequent transphosphorylation upon ligand binding. Here, we demonstrate that BONZAI (BON) proteins, which are plasma membrane-associated copine proteins, are critical components of BR signaling in both the monocot maize and the dicot Arabidopsis. Biochemical and molecular analyses reveal that BON proteins directly interact with SERK kinases, thereby ensuring effective BRI1-SERK interaction and transphosphorylation. This study advances the knowledge on BR signaling and provides an important target for optimizing valuable agronomic traits, it also opens a way to study steroid hormone signaling and copine proteins of eukaryotes in a broader perspective.

PMID: 38459051

Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2024 Mar doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae100

Methyltransferase TaSAMT1 mediates wheat freezing tolerance by integrating brassinosteroid and salicylic acid signaling.

Chu, Wei and Chang, Shumin and Lin, Jingchen and Zhang, Chenji and Li, Jinpeng and Liu, Xingbei and Liu, Zehui and Liu, Debiao and Yang, Qun and Zhao, Danyang and Liu, Xiaoyu and Guo, Weilong and Xin, Mingming and Yao, Yingyin and Peng, Huiru and Xie, Chaojie and Ni, Zhongfu and Sun, Qixin and Hu, Zhaorong

Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding/Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE)/Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.

Cold injury is a major environmental stress affecting the growth and yield of crops. Brassinosteroids (BRs) and salicylic acid (SA) play important roles in plant cold tolerance. However, whether or how BR signaling interacts with the SA signaling pathway in response to cold stress is still unknown. Here, we identified an SA methyltransferase, TaSAMT1, that converts SA to methyl SA (MeSA) and confers freezing tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum). TaSAMT1 overexpression greatly enhanced wheat freezing tolerance, with plants accumulating more MeSA and less SA, whereas Tasamt1 knockout lines were sensitive to freezing stress and accumulated less MeSA and more SA. Spraying plants with MeSA conferred freezing tolerance to Tasamt1 mutants, but SA did not. We revealed that BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (TaBZR1) directly binds to the TaSAMT1 promoter and induces its transcription. Moreover, TaBZR1 interacts with the histone acetyltransferase TaHAG1, which potentiates TaSAMT1 expression via increased histone acetylation and modulates the SA pathway during freezing stress. Additionally, overexpression of TaBZR1 or TaHAG1 altered TaSAMT1 expression and improved freezing tolerance. Our results demonstrate a key regulatory node that connects the BR and SA pathways in the plant cold stress response. The regulatory factors or genes identified could be effective targets for the genetic improvement of freezing tolerance in crops.

PMID: 38537937

Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2024 Mar doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae080

More Pi, anyone? Interplay between brassinosteroid signaling and the phosphate starvation response.

Howe, Vicky

Assistant Features Editor, The Plant Cell, American Society of Plant Biologists, USA.; Department of Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany.

PMID: 38478722

Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2024 Mar doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae049

Heat-induced SUMOylation differentially affects bacterial effectors in plant cells.

Li, Wenliang and Liu, Wen and Xu, Zewei and Zhu, Chengluo and Han, Danlu and Liao, Jianwei and Li, Kun and Tang, Xiaoyan and Xie, Qi and Yang, Chengwei and Lai, Jianbin

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.; Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Crop Design, Shenzhen 518107, China.; Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.

Bacterial pathogens deliver effectors into host cells to suppress immunity. How host cells target these effectors is critical in pathogen-host interactions. SUMOylation, an important type of posttranslational modification in eukaryotic cells, plays a critical role in immunity, but its effect on bacterial effectors remains unclear in plant cells. In this study, using bioinformatic and biochemical approaches, we found that at least 16 effectors from the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 are SUMOylated by the enzyme cascade from Arabidopsis thaliana. Mutation of SUMOylation sites on the effector HopB1 enhances its function in the induction of plant cell death via stability attenuation of a plant receptor kinase BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1)-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1. By contrast, SUMOylation is essential for the function of another effector, HopG1, in the inhibition of mitochondria activity and jasmonic acid signaling. SUMOylation of both HopB1 and HopG1 is increased by heat treatment, and this modification modulates the functions of these 2 effectors in different ways in the regulation of plant survival rates, gene expression, and bacterial infection under high temperatures. Therefore, the current work on the SUMOylation of effectors in plant cells improves our understanding of the function of dynamic protein modifications in plant-pathogen interactions in response to environmental conditions.

PMID: 38445983

Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Feb , V194 (3) : P1779-1793 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad638

Oomycete pathogen pectin acetylesterase targets host lipid transfer protein to reduce salicylic acid signaling.

Situ, Junjian and Song, Yu and Feng, Dinan and Wan, Lang and Li, Wen and Ning, Yue and Huang, Weixiong and Li, Minhui and Xi, Pinggen and Deng, Yizhen and Jiang, Zide and Kong, Guanghui

National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide/Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources/Integrative Microbiology Research Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.

During initial stages of microbial invasion, the extracellular space (apoplast) of plant cells is a vital battleground between plants and pathogens. The oomycete plant pathogens secrete an array of apoplastic carbohydrate active enzymes, which are central molecules for understanding the complex plant-oomycete interactions. Among them, pectin acetylesterase (PAE) plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of plant pathogens including bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes. Here, we demonstrated that Peronophythora litchii (syn. Phytophthora litchii) PlPAE5 suppresses litchi (Litchi chinensis) plant immunity by interacting with litchi lipid transfer protein 1 (LcLTP1). The LcLTP1-binding activity and virulence function of PlPAE5 depend on its PAE domain but not on its PAE activity. The high expression of LcLTP1 enhances plant resistance to oomycete and fungal pathogens, and this disease resistance depends on BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1-associated receptor kinase 1 (BAK1) and Suppressor of BIR1 (SOBIR1) in Nicotiana benthamiana. LcLTP1 activates the plant salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway, while PlPAE5 subverts the LcLTP1-mediated SA signaling pathway by destabilizing LcLTP1. Conclusively, this study reports a virulence mechanism of oomycete PAE suppressing plant LTP-mediated SA immune signaling and will be instrumental for boosting plant resistance breeding.

PMID: 38039157

Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Feb , V194 (3) : P1545-1562 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad635

Rice ILI atypical bHLH transcription factors antagonize OsbHLH157/OsbHLH158 during brassinosteroid signaling.

Liu, Mingqian and Lu, Mingmin and Zhao, Ziwei and Luo, Qin and Liu, Feng and Zhao, Jing and He, Yubing and Tian, Yanan and Zhan, Huadong

State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.; Institute of Crop Sciences (ICS), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China.; Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya), CAAS, Sanya 572024, China.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of steroid hormones that play crucial roles in plant growth and development. Atypical bHLH transcription factors that lack the basic region for DNA binding have been implicated in BR signaling. However, the underlying mechanisms of atypical bHLHs in regulation of rice (Oryza sativa) BR signaling are still largely unknown. Here, we describe a systematic characterization of INCREASED LEAF INCLINATION (ILI) subfamily atypical bHLH transcription factors in rice. A total of 8 members, ILI1 to ILI8, with substantial sequence similarity were retrieved. Knockout and overexpression analyses demonstrated that these ILIs play unequally redundant and indispensable roles in BR-mediated growth and development in rice, with a more prominent role for ILI4 and ILI5. The ili3/4/5/8 quadruple and ili1/3/4/7/8 quintuple mutants displayed tremendous BR-related defects with severe dwarfism, erect leaves, and sterility. Biochemical analysis showed that ILIs interact with OsbHLH157 and OsbHLH158, which are also atypical bHLHs and have no obvious transcriptional activity. Overexpression of OsbHLH157 and OsbHLH158 led to drastic BR-defective growth, whereas the osbhlh157 osbhlh158 double mutant developed a typical BR-enhanced phenotype, indicating that OsbHLH157 and OsbHLH158 play a major negative role in rice BR signaling. Further transcriptome analyses revealed opposite effects of ILIs and OsbHLH157/OsbHLH158 in regulation of downstream gene expression, supporting the antagonism of ILIs and OsbHLH157/OsbHLH158 in maintaining the balance of BR signaling. Our results provide insights into the mechanism of BR signaling and plant architecture formation in rice.

PMID: 38039100

Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Feb , V194 (3) : P1467-1480 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad634

R-SNARE protein YKT61 mediates root apical meristem cell division via BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE1 recycling.

Ma, Ting and Tan, Jun-Ru and Zhang, Yan and Li, Sha

College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China.; Frontiers Science Center for Cell Responses, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.

Root growth is sustained by cell division and differentiation of the root apical meristem (RAM), in which brassinosteroid (BR) signaling mediated via the dynamic targeting of BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) plays complex roles. BRI1 is constitutively secreted to the plasma membrane (PM), internalized, and recycled or delivered into vacuoles, whose PM abundance is critical for BR signaling. Vesicle-target membrane fusion is regulated by heterotetrameric SNARE complexes. SNARE proteins have been implicated in BRI1 targeting, but how SNAREs affect RAM development is unclear. We report that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) YKT61, an atypical R-SNARE protein, is critical for BR-controlled RAM development through the dynamic targeting of BRI1. Functional loss of YKT61 is lethal for both male and female gametophytes. By using weak mutant alleles of YKT61, ykt61-partially complemented (ykt61-pc), we show that YKT61 knockdown results in a reduction of RAM length due to reduced cell division, similar to that in bri1-116. YKT61 physically interacts with BRI1 and is critical for the dynamic recycling of BRI1 to the PM. We further determine that YKT61 is critical for the dynamic biogenesis of vacuoles, for the maintenance of Golgi morphology, and for endocytosis, which may have a broad effect on development. Endomembrane compartments connected via vesicular machinery, such as SNAREs, influence nuclear-controlled cellular activities such as division and differentiation by affecting the dynamic targeting of membrane proteins, supporting a retro-signaling pathway from the endomembrane system to the nucleus.

PMID: 38036295

Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Feb , V194 (3) : P1794-1814 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiad633

Transcription factors BZR2/MYC2 modulate brassinosteroid and jasmonic acid crosstalk during pear dormancy.

Wang, Xuxu and Wei, Jia and Wu, Jiahao and Shi, Baojing and Wang, Peihui and Alabd, Ahmed and Wang, Duanni and Gao, Yuhao and Ni, Junbei and Bai, Songling and Teng, Yuanwen

Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, Hainan 572000, PR China.; College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, PR China.; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Integrative Biology of Horticultural Plants, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, PR China.; The Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, PR China.; Department of Pomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21545, Egypt.

Bud dormancy is an important physiological process during winter. Its release requires a certain period of chilling. In pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), the abscisic acid (ABA)-induced expression of DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-box (DAM) genes represses bud break, whereas exogenous gibberellin (GA) promotes dormancy release. However, with the exception of ABA and GA, the regulatory effects of phytohormones on dormancy remain largely uncharacterized. In this study, we confirmed brassinosteroids (BRs) and jasmonic acid (JA) contribute to pear bud dormancy release. If chilling accumulation is insufficient, both 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) and methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA) can promote pear bud break, implying that they positively regulate dormancy release. BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 2 (BZR2), which is a BR-responsive transcription factor, inhibited PpyDAM3 expression and accelerated pear bud break. The transient overexpression of PpyBZR2 increased endogenous GA, JA, and JA-Ile levels. In addition, the direct interaction between PpyBZR2 and MYELOCYTOMATOSIS 2 (PpyMYC2) enhanced the PpyMYC2-mediated activation of Gibberellin 20-oxidase genes PpyGA20OX1L1 and PpyGA20OX2L2 transcription, thereby increasing GA3 contents and accelerating pear bud dormancy release. Interestingly, treatment with 5 mum MeJA increased the bud break rate, while also enhancing PpyMYC2-activated PpyGA20OX expression and increasing GA3,4 contents. The 100 mum MeJA treatment decreased the PpyMYC2-mediated activation of the PpyGA20OX1L1 and PpyGA20OX2L2 promoters and suppressed the inhibitory effect of PpyBZR2 on PpyDAM3 transcription, ultimately inhibiting pear bud break. In summary, our data provide insights into the crosstalk between the BR and JA signaling pathways that regulate the BZR2/MYC2-mediated pathway in the pear dormancy release process.

PMID: 38036294

J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Mar doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae105

Genetic and epigenetic basis of phytohormones control of floral transition in plants.

Li, Xiaoxiao and Lin, Chuyu and Lan, Chenghao and Tao, Zeng

Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.

The timing of the developmental transition from the vegetative to the reproductive stages is critical for angiosperm and fine-tuned by the integration of endogenous factors and external environmental cues to ensure proper and successful reproduction. Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to response to diverse environmental or stress signals, which may be mediated by plant hormones which coordinate their flowering time. Endogenous and exogenous phytohormones such as gibberellin (GA), auxin, cytokinin (CK), jasmonate (JA), abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), brassinosteroids (BR) and the cross-talk among them are critical for the precise regulating of flowering time. Recent studies on the model flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that diverse transcription factors and epigenetic regulators play key roles in the phytohormones that regulate floral transition. This review aims to summarize current knowledge on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that underlying the phytohormone control of floral transition in Arabidopsis, offering insights into how these processes are regulated and their implications for plant biology.

PMID: 38457356

Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Mar , V25 (5) doi: 10.3390/ijms25053072

Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of the BES1 Family Genes under Abiotic Stresses in Phoebe bournei.

Li, Jingshu and Sun, Honggang and Wang, Yanhui and Fan, Dunjin and Zhu, Qin and Zhang, Jiangyonghao and Zhong, Kai and Yang, Hao and Chang, Weiyin and Cao, Shijiang

College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.; Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry of Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China.; College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.; Laboratory of Virtual Teaching and Research on Forest Therapy Specialty of Taiwan Strait, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.; College of JunCao Science and Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.

The BRI1 EMS suppressor 1(BES1) transcription factor is a crucial regulator in the signaling pathway of Brassinosteroid (BR) and plays an important role in plant growth and response to abiotic stress. Although the identification and functional validation of BES1 genes have been extensively explored in various plant species, the understanding of their role in woody plants-particularly the endangered species Phoebe bournei (Hemsl.) Yang-remains limited. In this study, we identified nine members of the BES1 gene family in the genome of P. bournei; these nine members were unevenly distributed across four chromosomes. In our further evolutionary analysis of PbBES1, we discovered that PbBES1 can be divided into three subfamilies (Class I, Class II, and Class IV) based on the evolutionary tree constructed with Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, and Solanum lycopersicum. Each subfamily contains 2-5 PbBES1 genes. There were nine pairs of homologous BES1 genes in the synteny analysis of PbBES1 and AtBES1. Three segmental replication events and one pair of tandem duplication events were present among the PbBES1 family members. Additionally, we conducted promoter cis-acting element analysis and discovered that PbBES1 contains binding sites for plant growth and development, cell cycle regulation, and response to abiotic stress. PbBES1.2 is highly expressed in root bark, stem bark, root xylem, and stem xylem. PbBES1.3 was expressed in five tissues. Moreover, we examined the expression profiles of five representative PbBES1 genes under heat and drought stress. These experiments preliminarily verified their responsiveness and functional roles in mediating responses to abiotic stress. This study provides important clues to elucidate the functional characteristics of the BES1 gene family, and at the same time provides new insights and valuable information for the regulation of resistance in P. bournei.

PMID: 38474317

Pest Manag Sci , IF:4.845 , 2024 Mar , V80 (3) : P1249-1257 doi: 10.1002/ps.7854

Protective mechanisms of neral as a plant-derived safener against fenoxaprop-p-ethyl injury in rice.

Sun, Lanlan and Ma, Ronghui and Xu, Hongle and Su, Wangcang and Xue, Fei and Wu, Renhai and Lu, Chuantao

Henan Key Laboratory of Crop Pest Control, Institute of Plant Protection, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: The use of herbicide safeners effectively minimises crop damage while maintaining the full efficacy of herbicides. The present study aimed to assess the potential protective effects of neral (NR) as a safener, in order to mitigate injury caused by fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (FE) on rice. RESULTS: The alleviating effect of NR was similar to that of the safener isoxadifen-ethyl (IE). The root elongation of rice was significantly promoted under the FE + NR and FE + IE treatments, as compared to the FE treatment. The transcriptome analysis further suggested that the effects of NR treatment on plant metabolic pathways differed from those of IE treatment. In total, 895 and 47 up-differentially expressed genes induced by NR (NR-inducible genes) and IE (IE-inducible genes) were identified. NR-inducible genes were mainly enriched in phytohormone synthesis and signalling response, including 'response to brassinosteroid', 'response to jasmonic acid', 'response to ethylene', 'brassinosteroid metabolic process', 'brassinosteroid biosynthesis' and 'plant hormone signal transduction'. In contrast, IE-inducible genes were predominantly enriched in glutathione metabolism. The activity of glutathione S-transferase was found to be increased after IE treatment, whereas no significant increase was observed following NR treatment. Moreover, several transcription factor genes, such as those encoding AP2/ERF-ERF and (basic helix-loop-helix) bHLH were found to be significantly induced by NR treatment. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of the utilisation of NR as an herbicide safener. The results of this study suggest the toxicity of FE to rice is mitigated by NR through a distinct mechanism compared to IE. (c) 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

PMID: 37940406

Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 May , V342 : P112033 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112033

BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE1 associates with and is required for cysteine protease RESPONSE TO DEHYDRATION 19-mediated disease resistance in Arabidopsis.

Li, Qiuyi and Shao, Jing and Luo, Mingyu and Chen, Desheng and Tang, Dingzhong and Shi, Hua

State Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.; State Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China. Electronic address: dztang@fafu.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Ecological Control of Fujian-Taiwan Crop Pests, Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Plant Immunity Center, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, Key Laboratory of Agro-Biodiversity and Pest Management of Education Ministry of China, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China. Electronic address: shihua_2004@163.com.

The receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase BRASSINOSTEROID-SIGNALING KINASE1 (BSK1) interacts with pattern recognition receptor (PRR) FLAGELLIN SENSING2 (FLS2) and positively regulates plant innate immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the molecular components involved in BSK1-mediated immune signaling remain largely unknown. To further explore the molecular mechanism underlying BSK1-mediated disease resistance, we screened two cysteine proteases, RESPONSE TO DEHYDRATION 19 (RD19) and RD19-LIKE 2 (RDL2), as BSK1-binding partners. Overexpression of RD19, but not RDL2, displayed an autoimmune phenotype, presenting programmed cell death and enhanced resistance to multiple pathogens. Interestingly, RD19-mediated immune activation depends on BSK1, as knockout of BSK1 in RD19-overexpressing plants rescued their autoimmunity and abolished the increased resistance. Furthermore, we found that BSK1 plays a positive role in maintaining RD19 protein abundance in Arabidopsis. Our results provide new insights into BSK1-mediated immune signaling and reveal a potential mechanism by which BSK1 stabilizes RD19 to promote effective immune output.

PMID: 38354753

Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Apr , V341 : P112014 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112014

Overexpression of a BR inactivating enzyme gene GhPAG1 impacts eggplant fruit development and anthocyanin accumulation mainly by altering hormone homeostasis.

Yang, Qiu and Wang, Yong and Zhang, Guilan and Wang, Yunxing and Huang, Jingyong and Feng, Youwei and Li, Yan and Jiang, Jun and Zhang, Yanjie

School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Kexue Avenue 100, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China.; Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of New Germplasm Creation and Utilization for Solanaceous Vegetable Crops, Zhumadian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuqiang Road 51, Zhumadian 463000, China.; Henan Youmei Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd, Zhoukou 466100, China.; Henan Engineering Technology Research Center of New Germplasm Creation and Utilization for Solanaceous Vegetable Crops, Zhumadian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuqiang Road 51, Zhumadian 463000, China. Electronic address: jiangjun2251@163.com.; School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Kexue Avenue 100, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, China. Electronic address: zhangyanjie@zzu.edu.cn.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) function importantly in plant growth and development, but the roles in regulating fruit development and anthocyanin pigmentation remain unclear. Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important Solanaceae vegetable crop rich in anthocyanins. The fruit size and coloration are important agronomic traits for eggplant breeding. In this study, transgenic eggplant exhibiting endogenous BRs deficiency was created by overexpressing a heterologous BRs-inactivating enzyme gene GhPAG1 driven by CaMV 35 S promoter. 35 S::GhPAG1 eggplant exhibited severe dwarfism, reduced fruit size, and less anthocyanin accumulation. Microscopic observation showed that the cell size of 35 S::GhPAG1 eggplant was significantly reduced compared to WT. Furthermore, the levels of IAA, ME-IAA, and active JAs (JA, JA-ILE, and H2JA) all decreased in 35 S::GhPAG1 eggplant fruit. RNA-Seq analyses showed a decrease in the expression of genes involved in cell elongation, auxin signaling, and JA signaling. Besides, overexpression of GhPAG1 significantly downregulated anthocyanin biosynthetic genes and associated transcription regulators. Altogether, these results strongly suggest that endogenous brassinosteroid deficiency arising from GhPAG1 overexpression impacts eggplant fruit development and anthocyanin coloration mainly by altering hormone homeostasis.

PMID: 38309473

Sci Rep , IF:4.379 , 2024 Mar , V14 (1) : P5238 doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-55835-7

WGCNA analysis of the effect of exogenous BR on leaf angle of maize mutant lpa1.

Ji, Xiangzhuo and Gao, Qiaohong and Zhuang, Zelong and Chang, Fangguo and Peng, Yunling

State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.; College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.; Gansu Provincial Key Lab of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.; State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China. pengyl@gsau.edu.cn.; College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China. pengyl@gsau.edu.cn.; Gansu Provincial Key Lab of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China. pengyl@gsau.edu.cn.

Leaf angle, as one of the important agronomic traits of maize, can directly affect the planting density of maize, thereby affecting its yield. Here we used the ZmLPA1 gene mutant lpa1 to study maize leaf angle and found that the lpa1 leaf angle changed significantly under exogenous brassinosteroid (BR) treatment compared with WT (inbred line B73). Transcriptome sequencing of WT and lpa1 treated with different concentrations of exogenous BR showed that the differentially expressed genes were upregulated with auxin, cytokinin and brassinosteroid; Genes associated with abscisic acid are down-regulated. The differentially expressed genes in WT and lpa1 by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) yielded two gene modules associated with maize leaf angle change under exogenous BR treatment. The results provide a new theory for the regulation of maize leaf angle by lpa1 and exogenous BR.

PMID: 38433245

Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2024 Mar , V208 : P108472 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108472

Transcriptomic and functional analyzes reveal that the brassinosteroid insensitive 1 receptor (OsBRI1) regulates cold tolerance in rice.

Cheng, Yi-Shan and Sun, Ye-Dong and Xing, Jia-Ying and Zhan, Lu and Li, Xiu-Jie and Huang, Jing and Zhao, Ming-Hui and Guo, Zhi-Fu

Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology of Liaoning Province, College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110161, China.; Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States.; Rice Research Institute/Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetic Improvement and High Quality and Efficiency Production of Northeast Japonica Rice in China, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110161, China. Electronic address: mhzhao@syau.edu.cn.; Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology of Liaoning Province, College of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110161, China. Electronic address: zfguo@syau.edu.cn.

Brassinosteroids (BR) play crucial roles in plant development and abiotic stresses in plants. Exogenous application of BR can significantly enhance cold tolerance in rice. However, the regulatory relationship between cold tolerance and the BR signaling pathway in rice remains largely unknown. Here, we characterized functions of the BR receptor OsBRI1 in response to cold tolerance in rice using its loss-of-function mutant (d61-1). Our results showed that mutant d61-1 was less tolerant to cold stress than wild-type (WT). Besides, d61-1 had lower levels than WT for some physiological parameters, including catalase activity (CAT), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), peroxidase activity (POD), peroxidase activity (PRO), soluble protein, and soluble sugar content, while malondialdehyde content (MDA) and relative electrical conductivity (REC) levels in d61-1 were higher than those in WT plants. These results indicated that the loss of OsBRI1 function resulted in decreased cold tolerance in rice. In addition, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of WT and d61-1 mutant under cold stress. Numerous common and unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with up- and down-regulation were observed in WT and d61-1 mutant. Some DEGs were expressed to various degrees, even opposite, between CK1 vs. T1 (WT) and CK2 vs. T2 (d61-1). Among these specific DEGs, some typical genes are involved in plant tolerance to cold stress. Through weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), 50 hub genes were screened in the turquoise and blue module. Many genes were involved in cold stress and plant hormone, such as Os01g0279800 (BRI1-associated receptor kinase 1 precursor), Os10g0513200 (Dwarf and tiller-enhancing 1, DTE1), Os02g0706400 (MYB-related transcription factor, OsRL3), etc. Differential expression levels of some genes were verified in WT and d61-1 under cold stress using qRT-PCR. These valuable findings and gene resources will be critical for understanding the regulatory relationships between cold stress tolerance and the BR signaling pathways in rice.

PMID: 38442627

Gene , IF:3.688 , 2024 Jun , V910 : P148336 doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148336

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the Dof gene family reveals their involvement in hormone response and abiotic stresses in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

Song, Huifang and Ji, Xuchao and Wang, Mingyang and Li, Juan and Wang, Xi and Meng, Liying and Wei, Peipei and Xu, Haiyan and Niu, Tianzeng and Liu, Ake

Department of Life Sciences, Changzhi University, Changzhi 046011, China.; School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China.; Department of Life Sciences, Changzhi University, Changzhi 046011, China. Electronic address: tznius@126.com.; Department of Life Sciences, Changzhi University, Changzhi 046011, China. Electronic address: akeliu@126.com.

DNA binding with one finger (Dof), plant-specific zinc finger transcription factors, can participate in various physiological and biochemical processes during the life of plants. As one of the most important oil crops in the world, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has significant economic and ornamental value. However, a systematic analysis of H. annuus Dof (HaDof) members and their functions has not been extensively conducted. In this study, we identified 50 HaDof genes that are unevenly distributed on 17 chromosomes of sunflower. We present a comprehensive overview of the HaDof genes, including their chromosome locations, phylogenetic analysis, and expression profile characterization. Phylogenetic analysis classified the 366 Dof members identified from 11 species into four groups (further subdivided into nine subfamilies). Segmental duplications are predominantly contributed to the expansion of sunflower Dof genes, and all segmental duplicate gene pairs are under purifying selection due to strong evolutionary constraints. Furthermore, we observed differential expression patterns for HaDof genes in normal tissues as well as under hormone treatment or abiotic stress conditions by analyzing RNA-seq data from previous studies and RT-qPCR data in our current study. The expression of HaDof04 and HaDof43 were not detected in any samples, which implied that they may be gradually undergoing pseudogenization process. Some HaDof genes, such as HaDof25 and HaDof30, showed responsiveness to exogenous plant hormones, such as kinetin, brassinosteroid, auxin or strigolactone, while others like HaDof15 and HaDof35 may participate in abiotic stress resistance of sunflower seedling. Our study represents the initial step towards understanding the phylogeny and expression characterization of sunflower Dof family genes, which may provide valuable reference information for functional studies on hormone response, abiotic stress resistance, and molecular breeding in sunflower and other species.

PMID: 38447680