Sci Adv , IF:14.136 , 2024 Aug , V10 (35) : Peado4788 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ado4788
An AP2/ERF transcription factor confers chilling tolerance in rice.
State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Resources, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.; State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430026, China.
Cold stress, a prominent adverse environmental factor, severely hinders rice growth and productivity. Unraveling the complex mechanisms governing chilling tolerance in rice is crucial for molecular breeding of cold-tolerant varieties. Here, we identify an APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factor, OsERF52, as a positive modulator in response to low temperatures. OsERF52 directly regulates the expression of C-Repeat Binding Factor (CBF) genes in rice. In addition, Osmotic Stress/ABA-Activated Protein Kinase 9-mediated phosphorylation of OsERF52 at S261 enhances its stability and interaction with Ideal Plant Architecture 1 and OsbHLH002/OsICE1. This collaborative activation leads to the expression of OsCBFs, thereby initiating the chilling response in rice. Notably, plants with base-edited OsERF52(S261D)-3HA exhibit enhanced chilling resistance without yield penalty. Our findings unveil the mechanism orchestrated by a regulatory framework involving a protein kinase and transcription factors from diverse families, offering potential genetic resources for developing chilling-tolerant rice varieties.
PMID: 39196924
Mol Plant , IF:13.164 , 2024 Sep , V17 (9) : P1423-1438 doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.07.015
Genetic variation in a heat shock transcription factor modulates cold tolerance in maize.
State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.; State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: shiyiting@cau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Plant Gene Research Center, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.; State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, National Maize Improvement Center, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: zbdong@cau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: yangshuhua@cau.edu.cn.
Understanding how maize (Zea mays) responds to cold stress is crucial for facilitating breeding programs of cold-tolerant varieties. Despite extensive utilization of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach for exploring favorable natural alleles associated with maize cold tolerance, few studies have successfully identified candidate genes that contribute to maize cold tolerance. In this study, we used a diverse panel of inbred maize lines collected from different germplasm sources to perform a GWAS on variations in the relative injured area of maize true leaves during cold stress-a trait very closely correlated with maize cold tolerance. We identified HSF21, which encodes a B-class heat shock transcription factor (HSF) that positively regulates cold tolerance at both the seedling and germination stages. Natural variations in the promoter of the cold-tolerant HSF21(Hap1) allele led to increased HSF21 expression under cold stress by inhibiting binding of the basic leucine zipper bZIP68 transcription factor, a negative regulator of cold tolerance. By integrating transcriptome deep sequencing, DNA affinity purification sequencing, and targeted lipidomic analysis, we revealed the function of HSF21 in regulating lipid metabolism homeostasis to modulate cold tolerance in maize. In addition, we found that HSF21 confers maize cold tolerance without incurring yield penalties. Collectively, this study establishes HSF21 as a key regulator that enhances cold tolerance in maize, providing valuable genetic resources for breeding of cold-tolerant maize varieties.
PMID: 39095994
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2024 Sep , V36 (9) : P3318-3319 doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae186
From the archives: Stress signaling-U-box proteins in the cold stress response, sensor activation in response to salt stress, and early work on salicylic acid signaling.
Assistant Features Editor, The Plant Cell, American Society of Plant Biologists.; School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
PMID: 38923945
Plant Cell , IF:11.277 , 2024 Sep , V36 (9) : P3467-3482 doi: 10.1093/plcell/koae160
Antisense transcription from stress-responsive transcription factors fine-tunes the cold response in Arabidopsis.
Umea Plant Science Centre, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umea 90187, Sweden.; National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.; Umea Plant Science Centre, Department of Plant Physiology, Umea University, Umea 90187, Sweden.
Transcription of antisense long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) occurs pervasively across eukaryotic genomes. Only a few antisense lncRNAs have been characterized and shown to control biological processes, albeit with idiosyncratic regulatory mechanisms. Thus, we largely lack knowledge about the general role of antisense transcription in eukaryotic organisms. Here, we characterized genes with antisense transcription initiating close to the poly(A) signal of genes (PAS genes) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We compared plant native elongation transcript sequencing (plaNET-seq) with RNA sequencing during short-term cold exposure and detected massive differences between the response in active transcription and steady-state levels of PAS gene-derived mRNAs. The cold-induced expression of transcription factors B-BOX DOMAIN PROTEIN28 (BBX28) and C2H2-TYPE ZINC FINGER FAMILY PROTEIN5 (ZAT5) was detected by plaNET-seq, while their steady-state level was only slightly altered due to high mRNA turnover. Knockdown of BBX28 and ZAT5 or of their respective antisense transcripts severely compromised plant freezing tolerance. Decreased antisense transcript expression levels resulted in a reduced cold response of BBX28 and ZAT5, revealing a positive regulatory role of both antisense transcripts. This study expands the known repertoire of noncoding transcripts. It highlights that native transcription approaches can complement steady-state RNA techniques to identify biologically relevant players in stress responses.
PMID: 38801743
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Sep doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae503
The nuclear exosome subunit HEN2 acts independently of the core exosome to assist transcription in Arabidopsis.
Umea Plant Science Centre, Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90187 Umea, Sweden.
Regulation of gene expression is at the frontier of plant responses to various external stimuli including stress. RNA polymerase-based transcription and post-transcriptional degradation of RNA play vital roles in this regulation. Here, we show that HUA ENHANCER 2 (HEN2), a co-factor of the nuclear exosome complex, influences RNAPII transcription elongation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) under cold conditions. Our results demonstrate that a hen2 mutant is cold sensitive and undergoes substantial transcriptional changes compared to wild type when exposed to cold conditions. We found an accumulation of 5' fragments from a subset of genes (including C-repeat binding factors 1-3 [CBF1-3]) that do not carry over to their 3' ends. In fact, hen2 mutants have lower levels of full-length mRNA for a subset of genes. This distinct 5'-end accumulation and 3'-end depletion was not observed in other NEXT complex members or core exosome mutants, highlighting HEN2's distinctive role. We further used RNAPII-associated nascent RNA to confirm the transcriptional phenotype is a result of lower active transcription specifically at the 3'-end of these genes in a hen2 mutant. Taken together, our data point to the unique role of HEN2 in maintaining RNAPII transcription dynamics especially highlighted under cold stress.
PMID: 39321187
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Sep doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae483
VvbHLH036, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor regulates the cold tolerance of grapevine.
CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture/Center of Economic botany, Core botanical gardens/Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.; Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia.; School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, Waite Research Precinct, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.; Beijing Key Laboratory of Grape Science and Enology, and CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100093, China.; Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Cold stress is an adverse environmental factor that limits the growth and productivity of horticulture crops such as grapes (Vitis vinifera). In this study, we identified a grapevine cold-induced basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor (VvbHLH036). Overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout (KO) of VvbHLH036 enhanced and decreased cold tolerance in grapevine roots, respectively. Transcriptome analysis of VvbHLH036-overexpressed roots identified threonine synthase (VvThrC1) as a potential downstream target of VvbHLH036. We confirmed that VvbHLH036 could bind the VvThrC1 promoter and activate its expression. Both the transcripts of VvThrC1 and the content of threonine were significantly induced in the leaves and roots of grapevine under cold treatment compared to controls. Conversely, these dynamics were significantly suppressed in the roots of CRISPR/Cas9-induced knockout of VvbHLH036. These observations support the regulation of threonine accumulation by VvbHLH036 through VvThrC1 during cold stress in grapevine. Furthermore, overexpression and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of VvThrC1 also confirmed its role in regulating threonine content and cold tolerance in transgenic roots at low temperature. Exogenous threonine treatment increased cold tolerance and reduced the accumulation of superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide in grapevine leaves. Together, these findings point to the pivotal role of VvbHLH036 and VvThrC1 in the cold stress response in grapes by regulating threonine biosynthesis.
PMID: 39259659
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Sep doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae477
Aquaporin CmPIP2; 3 links H2O2 signal and antioxidation to modulate trehalose-induced cold tolerance in melon seedlings.
College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China.; Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education of Ministry and Liaoning Province/National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Northern Horticultural Facilities Design & Application Technology, Shenyang 110866, China.
Cold stress severely restricts the growth and development of cold-sensitive crops. Trehalose (Tre), known as the 'sugar of life', plays key roles in regulating plant cold tolerance by triggering antioxidation. However, the relevant regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we confirmed that Tre triggers apoplastic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and thus plays key roles in improving the cold tolerance of melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino) seedlings. Moreover, Tre treatment can promote the transport of apoplastic H2O2 to the cytoplasm. This physiological process may depend on aquaporins. Further studies showed that a Tre-responsive plasma membrane intrinsic protein 2; 3 (CmPIP2; 3) had strong H2O2 transport function and that silencing CmPIP2; 3 significantly weakened apoplastic H2O2 transport and reduced the cold tolerance of melon seedlings. Yeast library and protein-DNA interaction technology were then used to screen two Tre-responsive transcription factors, abscisic acid responsive element (ABRE)-binding factor 2 (CmABF2) and abscisic acid responsive element (ABRE)-binding factor 3 (CmABF3), which can bind to the ABRE motif of the CmPIP2; 3 promoter and activate its expression. Silencing of CmABF2 and CmABF3 further dramatically increased the ratio of apoplastic H2O2/cytoplasm H2O2 and reduced the cold tolerance of melon seedlings. This study uncovered that Tre treatment induces CmABF2/3 to positively regulate CmPIP2; 3 expression. CmPIP2; 3 subsequently enhances the cold tolerance of melon seedlings by promoting the transport of apoplastic H2O2 into the cytoplasm for conducting redox signals and stimulating downstream antioxidation.
PMID: 39250755
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Sep , V196 (1) : P634-650 doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae327
Transcriptome and metabolome atlas reveals contributions of sphingosine and chlorogenic acid to cold tolerance in Citrus.
National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.; College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China.
Citrus is one of the most important fruit crop genera in the world, but many Citrus species are vulnerable to cold stress. Ichang papeda (Citrus ichangensis), a cold-hardy citrus species, holds great potential for identifying valuable metabolites that are critical for cold tolerance in Citrus. However, the metabolic changes and underlying mechanisms that regulate Ichang papeda cold tolerance remain largely unknown. In this study, we compared the metabolomes and transcriptomes of Ichang papeda and HB pummelo (Citrus grandis "Hirado Buntan", a cold-sensitive species) to explore the critical metabolites and genes responsible for cold tolerance. Metabolomic analyses led to the identification of common and genotype-specific metabolites, consistent with transcriptomic alterations. Compared to HB pummelo under cold stress, Ichang papeda accumulated more sugars, flavonoids, and unsaturated fatty acids, which are well-characterized metabolites involved in stress responses. Interestingly, sphingosine and chlorogenic acid substantially accumulated only in Ichang papeda. Knockdown of CiSPT (C. ichangensis serine palmitoyltransferase) and CiHCT2 (C. ichangensis hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase2), two genes involved in sphingosine and chlorogenic acid biosynthesis, dramatically decreased endogenous sphingosine and chlorogenic acid levels, respectively. This reduction in sphingosine and chlorogenic acid notably compromised the cold tolerance of Ichang papeda, whereas exogenous application of these metabolites increased plant cold tolerance. Taken together, our findings indicate that greater accumulation of a spectrum of metabolites, particularly sphingosine and chlorogenic acid, promotes cold tolerance in cold-tolerant citrus species. These findings broaden our understanding of plant metabolic alterations in response to cold stress and provide valuable targets that can be manipulated to improve Citrus cold tolerance.
PMID: 38875157
Plant Physiol , IF:8.34 , 2024 Sep doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae511
m5C and m6A modifications regulate the mobility of pumpkin CHOLINE KINASE 1 mRNA under chilling stress.
Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.; College of Life Science and Technology, Honghe University, Mengzi, Yunnan, 661100, China.; Institut de Biologie Moleculaire des Plantes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UPR 2357, Universite de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
Mobile mRNAs serve as crucial long-distance signaling molecules, responding to environmental stimuli in plants. Although many mobile transcripts have been identified, only a limited subset has been characterized as functional long-distance signals within specific plant species, raising an intriguing question about whether the prevalence of species specificity in mobile transcripts implies a divergence in the mechanisms governing mRNA mobility across distinct plant species. Our study delved into the notable case of CHOLINE KINASE 1 (CK1), an extensively studied instance of mobile mRNAs regulated by a tRNA-like sequence (TLS) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We established an association between mRNA mobility and length, independent of TLS numbers. Notably, neither the mobile mRNAs nor the mechanisms underpinning their mobility proved to be conserved across different plant species. The exclusive mobility of pumpkin CK1 mRNA under chilling stress was pivotal in enhancing the chilling tolerance of cucumber/pumpkin heterografts. Distinct from the TLS-mediated mobility of AtCK1 mRNA, the mobility of CmoCK1 mRNA is orchestrated by both m5C and m6A modifications, adding dimensions to our understanding of mRNA transport mechanisms.
PMID: 39325727
Sci Total Environ , IF:7.963 , 2024 Nov , V951 : P175554 doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175554
Adaptation of Rhizobium leguminosarum sv. trifolii strains to low temperature stress in both free-living stage and during symbiosis with clover.
Department of Industrial and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 19 Akademicka, 20-033 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: monika.janczarek@mail.umcs.pl.; Department of Industrial and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 19 Akademicka, 20-033 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: paulina.adamczyk@mail.umcs.pl.; Department of Industrial and Environmental Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 19 Akademicka, 20-033 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: anna.gromada@mail.umcs.pl.; Department of Natural Environment Biogeochemistry, Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 4 Doswiadczalna, 20-290 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: c.polakowski@ipan.lublin.pl.; Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 13 Akademicka Street, 20-950 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: karolina.wengerska@up.lublin.pl.; Department of Natural Environment Biogeochemistry, Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 4 Doswiadczalna, 20-290 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: a.bieganowski@ipan.lublin.pl.
Legume-rhizobial symbiosis plays an important role in agriculture and ecological restoration. This process occurs within special new structures, called nodules, formed mainly on legume roots. Soil bacteria, commonly known as rhizobia, fix atmospheric dinitrogen, converting it into a form that can be assimilated by plants. Various environmental factors, including a low temperature, have an impact on the symbiotic efficiency. Nevertheless, the effect of temperature on the phenotypic and symbiotic traits of rhizobia has not been determined in detail to date. Therefore, in this study, the influence of temperature on different cell surface and symbiotic properties of rhizobia was estimated. In total, 31 Rhizobium leguminosarum sv. trifolii strains isolated from root nodules of red clover plants growing in the subpolar and temperate climate regions, which essentially differ in year and day temperature profiles, were chosen for this analysis. Our results showed that temperature has a significant effect on several surface properties of rhizobial cells, such as hydrophobicity, aggregation, and motility. Low temperature also stimulated EPS synthesis and biofilm formation in R. leguminosarum sv. trifolii. This extracellular polysaccharide is known to play an important protective role against different environmental stresses. The strains produced large amounts of EPS under tested temperature conditions that facilitated adherence of rhizobial cells to different surfaces. The high adaptability of these strains to cold stress was also confirmed during symbiosis. Irrespective of their climatic origin, the strains proved to be highly effective in attachment to legume roots and were efficient microsymbionts of clover plants. However, some diversity in the response to low temperature stress was found among the strains. Among them, M16 and R137 proved to be highly competitive and efficient in nodule occupancy and biomass production; thus, they can be potential yield-enhancing inoculants of legumes.
PMID: 39151610
Sci Total Environ , IF:7.963 , 2024 Nov , V949 : P175184 doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175184
A novel strategy of artificially regulating plant rhizosphere microbial community to promote plant tolerance to cold stress.
College of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Straw Comprehensive Utilization and Black Soil Conservation, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China.; College of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Straw Comprehensive Utilization and Black Soil Conservation, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China. Electronic address: zjjx124@163.com.
Artificial regulation of plant rhizosphere microbial communities through the synthesis of microbial communities is one of the effective ways to improve plant stress resistance. However, the process of synthesizing stress resistant microbial communities with excellent performance is complex, time-consuming, and costly. To address this issue, we proposed a novel strategy for preparing functional microbial communities. We isolated a cultivable cold tolerant bacterial community (PRCBC) from the rhizosphere of peas, and studied its effectiveness in assisting rice to resist stress. The results indicate that PRCBC can not only improve the ability of rice to resist cold stress, but also promote the increase of rice yield after cold stress relieved. This is partly because PRCBC increases the nitrogen content in the rhizosphere soil, and promotes rice's absorption of nitrogen elements, thereby promoting rice growth and enhancing its ability to resist osmotic stress. More importantly, the application of PRCBC drives the succession of rice rhizosphere microbial communities, and promotes the succession of rice rhizosphere microbial communities towards stress resistance. Surprisingly, PRCBC drives the succession of rice rhizosphere microbial communities towards a composition similar to PRCBC. This provides a feasible novel method for artificially and directionally driving microbial succession. In summary, we not only proposed a novel and efficient strategy for preparing stress resistant microbial communities to promote plant stress resistance, but also unexpectedly discovered a possible directionally driving method for soil microbial community succession.
PMID: 39089386
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2024 Sep doi: 10.1111/pce.15125
Functional and Structural Analysis Reveals Distinct Biological Roles of Plant Synaptotagmins in Response to Environmental Stress.
Area de Mejora y Fisiologia de Plantas, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterranea "La Mayora", Universidad de Malaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain.; Departamento de Botanica y Fisiologia Vegetal, Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain.; Departamento de Cristalografia y Biologia Estructural, Instituto de Quimica Fisica Blas Cabrera, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IQF-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences; Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.; Area de Proteccion de Cultivos, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterranea "La Mayora", Universidad de Malaga-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Universidad de Malaga, Malaga, Spain.
Endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites (ER-PM CSs) are evolutionarily conserved membrane domains found in all eukaryotes, where the ER closely interfaces with the PM. This short distance is achieved in plants through the action of tether proteins such as synaptotagmins (SYTs). Arabidopsis comprises five SYT members (SYT1-SYT5), but whether they possess overlapping or distinct biological functions remains elusive. SYT1, the best-characterized member, plays an essential role in the resistance to abiotic stress. This study reveals that the functionally redundant SYT1 and SYT3 genes, but not SYT5, are involved in salt and cold stress resistance. We also show that, unlike SYT5, SYT1 and SYT3 are not required for Pseudomonas syringae resistance. Since SYT1 and SYT5 interact in vivo via their SMP domains, the distinct functions of these proteins cannot be caused by differences in their localization. Interestingly, structural phylogenetic analysis indicates that the SYT1 and SYT5 clades emerged early in the evolution of land plants. We also show that the SYT1 and SYT5 clades exhibit different structural features in their SMP and Ca(2+ )binding of their C2 domains, rationalizing their distinct biological roles.
PMID: 39253952
Plant Cell Environ , IF:7.228 , 2024 Sep doi: 10.1111/pce.15144
MYB Transcription Factor CDC5 Activates CBF3 Expression to Positively Regulates Freezing Tolerance via Cooperating With ICE1 and Histone Modification in Arabidopsis.
National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, China.
The freezing temperature greatly limits the growth, development and productivity of plants. The C-repeat/DRE binding factor (CBF) plays a major role in cold acclimation, enabling plants to increase their freezing tolerance. Notably, the INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) protein has garnered attention for its pivotal role in bolstering plants' resilience against freezing through transcriptional upregulation of DREB1A/CBF3. However, the research on the interaction between ICE1 and other transcription factors and its function in regulating cold stress tolerance is largely inadequate. In this study, we found that a R2R3 MYB transcription factor CDC5 interacts with ICE1 and regulates the expression of CBF3 by recruiting RNA polymerase II, overexpression of ICE1 can complements the freezing deficient phenotype of cdc5 mutant. CDC5 increases the expression of CBF3 in response to freezing. Furthermore, CDC5 influences the expression of CBF3 by altering the chromatin status through H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modifications. Our work identified a novel component that regulates CBF3 transcription in both ICE1-dependent and ICE1-independent manner, improving the understanding of the freezing signal transduction in plants.
PMID: 39248548
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Sep , V75 (18) : P5857-5879 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae263
Cold tolerance of woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is linked to Cold Box Factor 4 and the dehydrin Xero2.
Molecular Cell Biology, Joseph Kolreuter Institute for Plant Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Fritz-Haber-Weg 4, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.; Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Department of Safety and Quality of Fruit and Vegetables, Haid-und-Neu-Strasse 9, D-76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.; Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt.; Vegetable Crops Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.; Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), 9 Gamma-Street, Giza-12619, Egypt.; School of Biotechnology, Nile University, Juhayna Square, 26th of July Corridor, El Sheikh Zayed, Giza, Egypt.
Domesticated strawberry is susceptible to sudden frost episodes, limiting the productivity of this cash crop in regions where they are grown during early spring. In contrast, the ancestral woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) has successfully colonized many habitats of the Northern Hemisphere. Thus, this species seems to harbour genetic factors promoting cold tolerance. Screening a germplasm established in the frame of the German Gene Bank for Crop Wild Relatives, we identified, among 70 wild accessions, a pair with contrasting cold tolerance. By following the physiological, biochemical, molecular, and metabolic responses of this contrasting pair, we identified the transcription factor Cold Box Factor 4 and the dehydrin Xero2 as molecular markers associated with superior tolerance to cold stress. Overexpression of green fluorescent protein fusions with Xero2 in tobacco BY-2 cells conferred cold tolerance to these recipient cells. A detailed analysis of the metabolome for the two contrasting genotypes allows the definition of metabolic signatures correlated with cold tolerance versus cold stress. This work provides a proof-of-concept for the value of crop wild relatives as genetic resources to identify genetic factors suitable to increase the stress resilience of crop plants.
PMID: 39023232
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Sep , V75 (18) : P5467-5470 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae336
Time-specific lipid and gene expression responses to chilling stress in panicoid grass.
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan.
This article comments on: Kenchanmane Raju SK, Zhang Y, Mahboub S, Ngu DW, Qiu Y, Harmon FG, Schnable JC, Roston RL. 2024. Rhythmic lipid and gene expression responses to chilling in panicoid grasses. Journal of Experimental Botany 75, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae247
PMID: 39329183
J Exp Bot , IF:6.992 , 2024 Sep , V75 (18) : P5790-5804 doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae247
Rhythmic lipid and gene expression responses to chilling in panicoid grasses.
Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.; Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.; Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.; Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA.; Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.; Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
Chilling stress threatens plant growth and development, particularly affecting membrane fluidity and cellular integrity. Understanding plant membrane responses to chilling stress is important for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance. Whereas core transcriptional responses to chilling stress and stress tolerance are conserved across species, the associated changes in membrane lipids appear to be less conserved, as which lipids are affected by chilling stress varies by species. Here, we investigated changes in gene expression and membrane lipids in response to chilling stress during one 24 h cycle in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet (Setaria italica), and chilling-sensitive sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and Urochloa (browntop signal grass, Urochloa fusca, lipids only), leveraging their evolutionary relatedness and differing levels of chilling stress tolerance. We show that most chilling-induced lipid changes are conserved across the three species, while we observed distinct, time-specific responses in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet, indicating the presence of a finely orchestrated adaptive mechanism. We detected rhythmicity in lipid responses to chilling stress in the three grasses, which were also present in Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting the conservation of rhythmic patterns across species and highlighting the importance of accounting for time of day. When integrating lipid datasets with gene expression profiles, we identified potential candidate genes that showed corresponding transcriptional changes in response to chilling stress, providing insights into the differences in regulatory mechanisms between chilling-sensitive sorghum and chilling-tolerant foxtail millet.
PMID: 38808657
Hortic Res , IF:6.793 , 2024 Sep , V11 (9) : Puhae181 doi: 10.1093/hr/uhae181
Haplotype-resolved genome and mapping of freezing tolerance in the wild potato Solanum commersonii.
National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Horticultural Crops, Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Potato Biology and Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.; College of Biology and Agricultural Resources, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, China.; College of Biological and Food Engineering, Hubei Minzu University, Enshi 445000, China.
Solanum commersonii (2n = 2x = 24, 1EBN, Endosperm Balance Number), native to the southern regions of Brazil, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, is the first wild potato germplasm collected by botanists and exhibits a remarkable array of traits related to disease resistance and stress tolerance. In this study, we present a high-quality haplotype-resolved genome of S. commersonii. The two identified haplotypes demonstrate chromosome sizes of 706.48 and 711.55 Mb, respectively, with corresponding chromosome anchoring rates of 94.2 and 96.9%. Additionally, the contig N50 lengths are documented at 50.87 and 45.16 Mb. The gene annotation outcomes indicate that the haplotypes encompasses a gene count of 39 799 and 40 078, respectively. The genome contiguity, completeness, and accuracy assessments collectively indicate that the current assembly has produced a high-quality genome of S. commersonii. Evolutionary analysis revealed significant positive selection acting on certain disease resistance genes, stress response genes, and environmentally adaptive genes during the evolutionary process of S. commersonii. These genes may be related to the formation of diverse and superior germplasm resources in the wild potato species S. commersonii. Furthermore, we utilized a hybrid population of S. commersonii and S. verrucosum to conduct the mapping of potato freezing tolerance genes. By combining BSA-seq analysis with traditional QTL mapping, we successfully mapped the potato freezing tolerance genes to a specific region on Chr07, spanning 1.25 Mb, with a phenotypic contribution rate of 18.81%. In short, current research provides a haplotype-resolved reference genome of the diploid wild potato species S. commersonii and establishes a foundation for further cloning and unraveling the mechanisms underlying cold tolerance in potatoes.
PMID: 39247882
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2024 Sep doi: 10.1111/tpj.17040
SlBTB19 interacts with SlWRKY2 to suppress cold tolerance in tomato via the CBF pathway.
Department of Horticulture, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.; Hainan Institute, Zhejiang University, Sanya, 572025, People's Republic of China.; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth and Development, Agricultural Ministry of China, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
Cold stress restricts the metabolic and physiological activities of plants, thereby affecting their growth and development. Although broad-complex, tramtrack, and bric-a-brac (BTB) proteins are essential for diverse biological processes and stress responses, the mechanisms underlying BTB-mediated cold responses remain not fully understood. Here, we characterize the function of the cold-induced SlBTB19 protein in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Overexpression of SlBTB19 resulted in increased plant sensitivity to cold stress, whereas SlBTB19 knockout mutants exhibited a cold-tolerance phenotype. Further analyses, including protein-protein interaction studies and cell-free degradation assays, revealed that SlBTB19 interacts with and destabilizes the transcription factor SlWRKY2. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to silence SlWRKY2 in both wild-type and slbtb19 mutants, we provided genetic evidence that SlWRKY2 acts downstream of SlBTB19 in regulating cold tolerance. Importantly, we demonstrated that SlWRKY2 positively regulates cold tolerance in a CRT/DRE binding factor (CBF)-dependent manner. Under cold stress, SlWRKY2 binds to the W-box in the CBF1 and CBF3 promoters, directly activating their expression. In summary, our findings identify a SlBTB19-SlWRKY2 module that negatively regulates the CBF-dependent cold tolerance pathway in tomato.
PMID: 39323012
Plant J , IF:6.417 , 2024 Sep , V119 (5) : P2385-2401 doi: 10.1111/tpj.16925
The transcription factor ERF110 promotes cold tolerance by directly regulating sugar and sterol biosynthesis in citrus.
National Key Laboratory for Germplasm Innovation & Utilization of Horticultural Crops, College of Horticulture and Forestry Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.; College of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, 341000, China.; College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, 430070, China.
ERFs (ethylene-responsive factors) are known to play a key role in orchestrating cold stress signal transduction. However, the regulatory mechanisms and target genes of most ERFs are far from being well deciphered. In this study, we identified a cold-induced ERF, designated as PtrERF110, from trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf., also known as Citrus trifoliata L.), an elite cold-hardy plant. PtrERF110 is a nuclear protein with transcriptional activation activity. Overexpression of PtrERF110 remarkably enhanced cold tolerance in lemon (Citrus limon) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), whereas VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing)-mediated knockdown of PtrERF110 drastically impaired the cold tolerance. RNA sequence analysis revealed that PtrERF110 overexpression resulted in global transcriptional reprogramming of a range of stress-responsive genes. Three of the genes, including PtrERD6L16 (early responsive dehydration 6-like transporters), PtrSPS4 (sucrose phosphate synthase 4), and PtrUGT80B1 (UDP-glucose: sterol glycosyltransferases 80B1), were confirmed as direct targets of PtrERF110. Consistently, PtrERF110-overexpressing plants exhibited higher levels of sugars and sterols compared to their wild type counterparts, whereas the VIGS plants had an opposite trend. Exogenous supply of sucrose restored the cold tolerance of PtrERF110-silencing plants. In addition, knockdown of PtrSPS4, PtrERD6L16, and PtrUGT80B1 substantially impaired the cold tolerance of P. trifoliata. Taken together, our findings indicate that PtrERF110 positively modulates cold tolerance by directly regulating sugar and sterol synthesis through transcriptionally activating PtrERD6L16, PtrSPS4, and PtrUGT80B1. The regulatory modules (ERF110-ERD6L16/SPS4/UGT80B1) unraveled in this study advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying sugar and sterol accumulation in plants subjected to cold stress.
PMID: 38985498
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Sep , V25 (18) doi: 10.3390/ijms251810093
Application of Exogenous Ascorbic Acid Enhances Cold Tolerance in Tomato Seedlings through Molecular and Physiological Responses.
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticultural Technology, Horticulture Research Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 201403, China.
Ascorbic acid (AsA), an essential non-enzymatic antioxidant in plants, regulates development growth and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, research on AsA's role in cold tolerance remains largely unknown. Here, our study uncovered the positive role of AsA in improving cold stress tolerance in tomato seedlings. Physiological analysis showed that AsA significantly enhanced the enzyme activity of the antioxidant defense system in tomato seedling leaves and increased the contents of proline, sugar, abscisic acid (ABA), and endogenous AsA. In addition, we found that AsA is able to protect the photosynthetic system of tomato seedlings, thereby relieving the declining rate of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. qRT-PCR analysis indicated that AsA significantly increased the expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes and involved in AsA synthesis, ABA biosynthesis/signal transduction, and low-temperature responses in tomato. In conclusion, the application of exogenous AsA enhances cold stress tolerance in tomato seedlings through various molecular and physiological responses. This provides a theoretical foundation for exploring the regulatory mechanisms underlying cold tolerance in tomato and offers practical guidance for enhancing cold tolerance in tomato cultivation.
PMID: 39337579
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Sep , V25 (18) doi: 10.3390/ijms25189843
McWRKY43 Confers Cold Stress Tolerance in Michelia crassipes via Regulation of Flavonoid Biosynthesis.
College of Landscape Architecture, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China.; Hunan Big Data Engineering Technology Research Center of Natural Protected Areas Landscape Resources, Changsha 410004, China.; Yuelushan Laboratory Carbon Sinks Forests Variety Innovation Center, Changsha 410004, China.
WRKY transcription factor (TF) plays a crucial role in plant abiotic stress response, but it is rarely reported in Michelia crassipes. Our studies have found that the transcription factor McWRKY43, a member of the IIc subgroup, is strongly upregulated under cold stress. In this study, we cloned the full length of McWRKY43 to further investigate the function of McWRKY43 in resistance to cold stress and its possible regulatory pathways in M. crassipes. Under cold stress, the seed-germination rate of transgenic tobacco was significantly higher than that of the wild type, and the flavonoid content, antioxidant enzyme activities, and proline content of transgenic tobacco seedlings were significantly increased, which promoted the expression of flavonoid pathway structural genes. In addition, the transient transformation of McWRKY43 in the M. crassipes leaves also found the accumulation of flavonoid content and the transcription level of flavonoid structural genes, especially McLDOX, were significantly increased under cold stress. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay showed that McWRKY43 could bind to McLDOX promoter, and the transcription expression of McLDOX was promoted by McWRKY43 during cold stress treatment. Overall, our results indicated that McWRKY43 is involved in flavonoid biosynthetic pathway to regulate cold stress tolerance of M. crassipes, providing a basis for molecular mechanism of stress resistance in Michelia.
PMID: 39337331
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Sep , V25 (17) doi: 10.3390/ijms25179728
Identification and Characterization of Shaker Potassium Channel Gene Family and Response to Salt and Chilling Stress in Rice.
College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China.; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Genetic Improvement and Quality Control of Medicinal Plants, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China.; State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 311400, China.
Shaker potassium channel proteins are a class of voltage-gated ion channels responsible for K(+) uptake and translocation, playing a crucial role in plant growth and salt tolerance. In this study, bioinformatic analysis was performed to identify the members within the Shaker gene family. Moreover, the expression patterns of rice Shaker(OsShaker) K(+) channel genes were analyzed in different tissues and salt treatment by RT-qPCR. The results revealed that there were eight OsShaker K(+) channel genes distributed on chromosomes 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 in rice, and their promoters contained a variety of cis-regulatory elements, including hormone-responsive, light-responsive, and stress-responsive elements, etc. Most of the OsShaker K(+) channel genes were expressed in all tissues of rice, but at different levels in different tissues. In addition, the expression of OsShaker K(+) channel genes differed in the timing, organization and intensity of response to salt and chilling stress. In conclusion, our findings provide a reference for the understanding of OsShaker K(+) channel genes, as well as their potential functions in response to salt and chilling stress in rice.
PMID: 39273675
Int J Mol Sci , IF:5.923 , 2024 Sep , V25 (18) doi: 10.3390/ijms251810110
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Freezing Tolerance in Plants: Implications for Cryopreservation.
Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute in Radzikow, 05-870 Blonie, Poland.; Botanical Garden, Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin, Polish Academy of Science, Prawdziwka 2, 02-976 Warszawa, Poland.
Cryopreservation is a crucial technique for the long-term ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources, particularly in the context of global biodiversity decline. This process entails freezing biological material at ultra-low temperatures using liquid nitrogen, which effectively halts metabolic activities and preserves plant tissues over extended periods. Over the past seven decades, a plethora of techniques for cryopreserving plant materials have been developed. These include slow freezing, vitrification, encapsulation dehydration, encapsulation-vitrification, droplet vitrification, cryo-plates, and cryo-mesh techniques. A key challenge in the advancement of cryopreservation lies in our ability to understand the molecular processes underlying plant freezing tolerance. These mechanisms include cold acclimatization, the activation of cold-responsive genes through pathways such as the ICE-CBF-COR cascade, and the protective roles of transcription factors, non-coding RNAs, and epigenetic modifications. Furthermore, specialized proteins, such as antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, play crucial roles in protecting plant cells during freezing and thawing. Despite its potential, cryopreservation faces significant challenges, particularly in standardizing protocols for a wide range of plant species, especially those from tropical and subtropical regions. This review highlights the importance of ongoing research and the integration of omics technologies to improve cryopreservation techniques, ensuring their effectiveness across diverse plant species and contributing to global efforts regarding biodiversity conservation.
PMID: 39337593
Microb Biotechnol , IF:5.813 , 2024 Sep , V17 (9) : Pe70002 doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.70002
Thermophilic fungus uses anthraquinones to modulate ferrous excretion, sterol-mediated endocytosis, and iron storage in response to cold stress.
State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources & Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China.; Kunming Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Kunming University, Kunming, China.; State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.
To date, there are no real physiological mechanisms for iron excretion in eukaryote, and no physiological "actuator" that can control all the three fundamental biologic processes of absorption, storage, and excretion. Here, we observed that the accumulation of anthraquinones by Thermomyces dupontii under cold stress can achieve this process. Through mutation analysis, we found that mutant DeltaAn deficiency in anthraquinones accumulated ferrous and total free iron due to adopting a rare lifestyle with no endocytosis but accumulation of membrane-derived vesicles. Anthraquinone complement indicated that the vesicles in DeltaAn could coat the extrinsic anthraquinone-induced granules to prevent contact with the fungal interiors. Detailed chemical investigation on DeltaAn led to characterization of a rare oxygen-free ergosterene with unstable nature in air as the major membrane steroid in DeltaAn, suggesting hypoxia inner in DeltaAn cells, consistent with dramatically low oxygen-consuming rates in DeltaAn. A series of physiological and metabolic analyses indicated anthraquinones were involved in exporting ferrous and promoting formation of oxygen-containing metabolites, including ergosterols for endocytosis and iron chelators for iron storage. Moreover, we found that both the anticancer agent mitoxantrone with well-known-cardiotoxicity side effect and the major terpenoid-derived polycyclic aromatics from Danshen for treating cardiovascular disease showed potent ferrous transporting capabilities in human cancer cells. Our findings provide a novel insight into the underlying mechanisms of polycyclic aromatics in nature and pharmacology, and offer a new strategy for developing potential therapeutics and agents for membrane transport, iron homestasis, and anticold.
PMID: 39212141
Front Plant Sci , IF:5.753 , 2024 , V15 : P1413716 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1413716
Comparison of transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed cold-resistant metabolic pathways in cucumber roots under low-temperature stress in root zone.
Hetao College, Department of Agronomy, Bayannur, China.; Key Laboratory of Urban Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai, China.; Hetao Green Agricultural Product Safety Production and Warning Control Laboratory, Hetao College, Bayannur, China.; Urat Middle Banner Green Industry Development Center, Bayannur, China.; Department of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
INTRODUCTION: Low ground temperature is a major factor limiting overwintering in cucumber cultivation facilities in northern alpine regions. Lower temperatures in the root zone directly affect the physiological function of the root system, which in turn affects the normal physiological activity of plants. However, the importance of the ground temperature in facilities has not attracted sufficient attention. METHODS: Therefore, this study tested the cucumber variety Jinyou 35 under three root zone temperatures (room temperature, 20-22 degrees C; suboptimal temperature, 13- 15 degrees C; and low temperature, 8-10 degrees C) to investigated possible cold resistance mechanisms in the root of cucumber seedlings through hormone, metabolomics, and transcriptomics analyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results showed that cucumber roots were subjected to chilling stress at different temperatures. Hormone analysis indicated that auxin content was highest in the roots. Jasmonic acid and strigolactone participated in the low-temperature stress response. Auxin and jasmonate are key hormones that regulate the response of cucumber roots to low temperatures. Phenolic acid was the most abundant metabolite in cucumber roots under chilling stress. Additionally, triterpenes may play an important role in chilling resistance. Differentially expressed genes and metabolites were significantly enriched in benzoxazinoid biosynthesis in the room temperature vs. suboptimal temperature groups and the room temperature vs. low temperature groups. Most differentially expressed transcription factor genes in AP2/ERF were strongly induced in cucumber roots by both suboptimal and low-temperature stress conditions. These results provide guidance for the cultivation of cucumber in facilities.
PMID: 39315370
Microbiol Res , IF:5.415 , 2024 Sep , V289 : P127908 doi: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127908
The seed endophytic microbe Microbacterium testaceum M15 enhances the cold tolerance and growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.).
Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, TERRA - Teaching & Research Center, Plant Sciences, Gembloux 5030, Belgium; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.; Rice Research Institute, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling, Jilin 136100, China.; Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Sanya Institute, Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya 572000, China.; Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, TERRA - Teaching & Research Center, Plant Sciences, Gembloux 5030, Belgium.; Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: tianjian@caas.cn.
The potential of seed endophytic microbes to enhance plant growth and resilience is well recognized, yet their role in alleviating cold stress in rice remains underexplored due to the complexity of these microbial communities. In this study, we investigated the diversity of seed endophytic microbes in two rice varieties, the cold-sensitive CB9 and the cold-tolerant JG117. Our results revealed significant differences in the abundance of Microbacteriaceae, with JG117 exhibiting a higher abundance under both cold stress and room temperature conditions compared to CB9. Further analysis led to the identification of a specific cold-tolerant microbe, Microbacterium testaceum M15, in JG117 seeds. M15-inoculated CB9 plants showed enhanced growth and cold tolerance, with a germination rate increase from 40 % to 56.67 % at 14℃ and a survival rate under cold stress (4℃) doubling from 22.67 % to 66.67 %. Additionally, M15 significantly boosted chlorophyll content by over 30 %, increased total protein by 16.31 %, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by 37.76 %, and increased catalase activity by 26.15 %. Overall, our study highlights the potential of beneficial endophytic microbes like M. testaceum M15 in improving cold tolerance in rice, which could have implications for sustainable agricultural practices and increased crop productivity in cold-prone regions.
PMID: 39321593
Rice (N Y) , IF:4.783 , 2024 Sep , V17 (1) : P61 doi: 10.1186/s12284-024-00741-9
OsWRKY70 Plays Opposite Roles in Blast Resistance and Cold Stress Tolerance in Rice.
College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China.; Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China. zhanghaiwen@caas.cn.; College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China. xhxgq22@163.com.
The transcription factor WRKYs play pivotal roles in the adapting to adverse environments in plants. Prior research has demonstrated the involvement of OsWRKY70 in resistance against herbivores and its response to abiotic stress. Here, we reported the functional analysis of OsWRKY70 in immunity against fungal diseases and cold tolerance. The results revealed that OsWRKY70 was induced by various Magnaporthe oryzae strains. Knock out mutants of OsWRKY70, which were generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system, exhibited enhanced resistance to M. oryzae. This was consistent with fortifying the reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst after inoculation in the mutants, elevated transcript levels of defense-responsive genes (OsPR1b, OsPBZ1, OsPOX8.1 and OsPOX22.3) and the observation of the sluggish growth of invasive hyphae under fluorescence microscope. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validations demonstrated that differentially expressed genes were related to plant-pathogen interactions, hormone transduction and MAPK cascades. Notably, OsbHLH6, a key component of the JA signaling pathway, was down-regulated in the mutants compared to wild type plants. Further investigation confirmed that OsWRKY70 bound to the promoter of OsbHLH6 by semi-in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Additionally, the loss-function of OsWRKY70 impaired cold tolerance in rice. The enhanced susceptibility in the mutants characterized by excessive ROS production, elevated ion leakage rate and increased malondialdehyde content, as well as decreased activity of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) under low temperature stress was, which might be attributed to down-regulation of cold-responsive genes (OsLti6b and OsICE1). In conclusion, our findings indicate that OsWRKY70 negatively contributes to blast resistance but positively regulates cold tolerance in rice, providing a strategy for crop breeding with tolerance to stress.
PMID: 39271542
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Sep , V349 : P112260 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112260
Lack of Arabidopsis chloroplastic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (G6PD1) affects lipid synthesis during cold stress response.
Università di Napoli ''Federico II'', Dipartimento di Biologia, Via Cinthia, Napoli I-80126, Italy.; Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, Napoli 80078, Italy.; Università di Napoli ''Federico II'', Dipartimento di Biologia, Via Cinthia, Napoli I-80126, Italy; Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), CNR, Via Campi Flegrei 34, Pozzuoli, Napoli 80078, Italy.; Università di Napoli ''Federico II'', Dipartimento di Biologia, Via Cinthia, Napoli I-80126, Italy. Electronic address: sergio.esposito@unina.it.
Cold stress represents one of the major constraints for agricultural systems and crops productivity, inducing a wide range of negative effects. Particularly, long-term cold stress affects lipid metabolism, modifying the lipids/proteins ratio, the levels of phospholipids and glycolipids, and increasing lipids' unsaturation in bio-membranes. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) reported prominent roles as NADPH suppliers in response to oxidative perturbations. Cytosolic G6PDH was suggested as the main isoform involved in cold stress response, while a down-regulation of the chloroplastic P1-G6PDH was observed. We thus investigated an Arabidopsis mutant defective for the P1-G6PDH (KO-P1) using integrated approaches to verify a possible role of this isoform in low temperature tolerance. KO-P1 genotype showed an improved tolerance to cold stress, highlighting a better photosynthetic efficiency, a reduction in stress markers content and a different regulation of genes involved in stress response. Intriguingly, the lack of P1-G6PDH induced modification in the levels of the main fatty acid and lipid species affecting the morphology of chloroplasts and mitochondria, which was restored under cold. Globally, these results indicate a priming effect induced by the absence of P1-G6PDH able to improve the tolerance to abiotic stress. Our results suggest novel and specific abilities of P1-G6PDH, highlighting its central role in different aspects of plant physiology and metabolism.
PMID: 39277046
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Nov , V348 : P112237 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112237
Characterization and fine mapping of cold-inducible parthenocarpy in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Campus, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: 2018204015@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Campus, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: liji1981@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Campus, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: 2019204025@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Campus, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: yuhui_wang@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Campus, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: chunyancheng@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Campus, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: qzzhao@njau.edu.cn.; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang Campus, Nanjing, 210095, China. Electronic address: jfchen@njau.edu.cn.
Cold stress detrimentally influences fruit development, leading to a substantial yield reduction in many fruit-bearing vegetables. Cucumber, a vegetable of subtropical origin, is especially sensitive to cold. Cold-inducible parthenocarpy (CIP) promises fruit yield under cold conditions. Previously, we identified a CIP line EC5 in cucumber, which showed strong parthenocarpy and sustained fruit growth under cold conditions (16 degrees C day/10 degrees C night). However, the candidate gene and genetic mechanism underlying CIP in cucumber remain unknown. In this study, both BSA-seq and conventional QTL mapping strategies were employed on F(2) populations to delve into the genetic control of CIP. A single QTL, CIP5.1, was consistently mapped across two winter seasons in 2021 and 2022. Fine mapping delimited the CIP locus into a 38.3 kb region on chromosome 5, harboring 8 candidate genes. Among these candidates, CsAGL11 (CsaV3_5G040370) was identified, exhibiting multiple deletions/insertions in the promoter and 5'UTR region. The CsAGL11 gene encodes a MADS-box transcription factor protein, which is homologous to the genes previously recognized as negative regulators in ovule and fruit development of Arabidopsis and tomato. Correspondingly, cold treatment resulted in decreased expression of CsAGL11 during the early developmental stage of the fruit in EC5. A promoter activity assay confirmed promoter polymorphisms leading to weak transcriptional activation of CsAGL11 under cold conditions. This study deepens our understanding of the genetic characteristics of CIP and elucidates the potential role of the CsAGL11 gene in developing cucumber cultivars with enhanced fruiting under cold conditions.
PMID: 39182620
Plant Sci , IF:4.729 , 2024 Sep , V346 : P112172 doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112172
Receptor-like kinase ERECTA negatively regulates anthocyanin accumulation in grape.
College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, No. 100, Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China.; Key Laboratory of Genetics and Fruit Development, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1st Weigang Rd., Nanjing 210095, China.; Faculty of Biological Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.; College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, No. 100, Daxue Road, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China. Electronic address: jiahaifeng@gxu.edu.cn.
Receptor-like kinase (ERECTA, ER) is essential for mediating growth, development, and stress response signaling pathway in plants. In this study, we investigated the effect of VvER on anthocyanin synthesis as a regulatory factor in transgenic grape callus in response to chilling stress. Results showed that overexpression of VvER reduced the expression of transcription factors VvMYBA1, VvMYB5b, VvMYC2, and VvWDR1, as well as the structural genes VvCHS, VvCHI, VvDFR, VvLDOX, and VvUFGT, and inhibited the anthocyanins synthesis of grape callus at 25℃. VvER reduced proline content and antioxidant enzymes activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), and inhibited the expression of anthocyanin synthesis genes to reduce the cold resistance of grape callus. In transgenic Arabidopsis, overexpression of VvER promoted the elongation of Arabidopsis rosettes and sprigs. Under strong light treatment, VvER inhibited the accumulation of anthocyanins in Arabidopsis; Transient expression in strawberry fruit showed that VvER inhibited the synthesis of anthocyanin in strawberry fruit by inhibiting the expression of FaCHI, FaCHS, FaDFR and FaUFGT under low temperature treatment at 10 degrees C, but not under the normal temperature of 25℃. Using Yeast two-hybrid, we found that VvER interacted with transcription factor proteins including VvMYBA1, VvMYB5b and VvWDR1. Furthermore, VvER led to the repression of VvUFGT promoter activity and decreased the anthocyanin biosynthesis genes expression by downregulation MBW complex activity. Totally, VvER could inhibit anthocyanin biosynthesis and involve in the grape plant susceptible to cold stress for grape cultivation in northern China.
PMID: 38942388
Physiol Plant , IF:4.5 , 2024 Sep-Oct , V176 (5) : Pe14501 doi: 10.1111/ppl.14501
Transcription factor DcbZIPs regulate secondary metabolism in Dendrobium catenatum during cold stress.
State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China.; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources Protection and Innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China.; Zhejiang Institute of Subtropical Crops, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wenzhou, China.; Pan'an Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Innovation and Development Institute, Zhejiang, PR China.; Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China.
Cold stress seriously affects plant development and secondary metabolism. The basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) is one of the largest transcription factor (TFs) family and widely involved in plant cold stress response. However, the function of bZIP in Dendrobium catenatum has not been well-documented. Cold inhibited the growth of D. catenatum and increased total polysaccharide and alkaloid contents in stems. Here, 62 DcbZIP genes were identified in D. catenatum, which were divided into 13 subfamilies. Among them, 58 DcbZIPs responded to cold stress, which were selected based on the transcriptome database produced from cold-treated D. catenatum seedlings. Specifically, the expression of DcbZIP3/6/28 was highly induced by cold treatment in leaves or stems. Gene sequence analysis indicated that DcbZIP3/6/28 contains the bZIP conserved domain and is localized to the cell nucleus. Co-expression networks showed that DcbZIP6 was significantly negatively correlated with PAL2 (palmitoyl-CoA), which is involved in flavonoid metabolism. Moreover, DcbZIP28 has significant negative correlations with various metabolism-related genes in the polysaccharide metabolic pathway, including PFKA1 (6-phosphofructokinase), ALDO2 (aldose-6-phosphate reductase) and SCRK5 (fructokinase). These results implied that DcbZIP6 or DcbZIP28 are mainly involved in flavonoid or polysaccharide metabolism. Overall, these findings provide new insights into the roles of the DcbZIP gene family in secondary metabolism in D. catenatum under cold stress.
PMID: 39256953
Physiol Plant , IF:4.5 , 2024 Sep-Oct , V176 (5) : Pe14526 doi: 10.1111/ppl.14526
Auxin as a downstream signal positively participates in melatonin-mediated chilling tolerance of cucumber.
Key laboratory of crop biology and genetic improvement of horticultural crops in Huanghuai region/College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Shandong, P.R. China.
Here, we elucidate the interaction between IAA and melatonin (MT) in response to chilling in cucumber. The results showed that chilling stress induced the increase of endogenous MT and IAA, and the application of MT promoted the synthesis of IAA, while IAA could not affect endogenous MT content under chilling stress. Moreover, MT and IAA application both remarkably increased the chilling tolerance of cucumber seedlings in terms of lower contents of MDA and ROS, higher mRNA abundance of cold response genes, net photosynthetic rate (P(n)), maximum regeneration rate of ribulose-1,5-diphosphate (J(max)), Rubisco maximum carboxylation efficiency (V(cmax)), the activities and gene expression of RCA and Rubisco, as well as the content of active P700 (I/I(0)) and photosynthetic electron transport, compared with the plants in H(2)O treatment. Further analysis revealed that the inhibition of IAA transportation significantly reduced the chilling tolerance induced by MT, whereas the inhibition of endogenous MT did not affect the chilling tolerance induced by IAA. Meanwhile, we found that overexpression of the MT biosynthesis gene CsASMT increased the chilling tolerance, which was blocked by inhibition of endogenous IAA, and the silence of IAA biosynthesis gene CsYUCCA10 decreased the chilling tolerance of cucumber, which could not be alleviated by MT. These data implied IAA acted as a downstream signal to participate in the MT-induced chilling tolerance of cucumber seedlings. The study has implications for the production of greenhouse cucumber in winter seasons.
PMID: 39318034
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2024 Sep , V216 : P109096 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.109096
Involvement of epigenetic factors in flavonoid accumulation during plant cold adaptation.
Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159 Stoletija Str., Vladivostok, 690022, Russia; Institute of Automation and Control Processes, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Radio Str., Vladivostok, 690041, Russia. Electronic address: bulgakov@biosoil.ru.; Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159 Stoletija Str., Vladivostok, 690022, Russia; Institute of Automation and Control Processes, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 5 Radio Str., Vladivostok, 690041, Russia.; Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 159 Stoletija Str., Vladivostok, 690022, Russia.
Plant responses to cold stress include either induction of flavonoid biosynthesis as part of defense responses or initially elevated levels of these substances to mitigate sudden temperature fluctuations. The role of chromatin modifying factors and, in general, epigenetic variability in these processes is not entirely clear. In this work, we review the literature to establish the relationship between flavonoids, cold and chromatin modifications. We demonstrate the relationship between cold acclimation and flavonoid accumulation, and then describe the cold adaptation signaling pathways and their relationship with chromatin modifying factors. Particular attention was paid to the cold signaling module OST1-HOS1-ICE1 and the novel function of the E3 ubiquitin protein ligase HOS1 (a protein involved in chromatin modification during cold stress) in flavonoid regulation.
PMID: 39250844
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2024 Sep , V214 : P108954 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108954
Phytochrome interacting factor ZmPIF6 simultaneously enhances chilling tolerance and grain size in rice.
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.; Hezhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hezhou, 542813, China.; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China. Electronic address: guoml@yzu.edu.cn.; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China; Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China. Electronic address: gaoyong@yzu.edu.cn.
Chilling is a prevalent type of abiotic stress that adversely affects agricultural productivity worldwide. Phytochrome interacting factors (PIFs) are a group of transcription factor that are crucial for plant abiotic stress response. Our research reveals that the maize PIF family gene ZmPIF6 is responsive to chilling stress, which mitigates the negative impacts of chilling through reducing reactive oxygen species content and enhancing cell membrane stability at the physiological and biochemical levels. We also found that the ZmPIF6 overexpression lines showed a significant increase in grain size, encompassing both length and width, which mainly due to the increase in cell size. In addition, digital gene expression results suggested that ZmPIF6 regulates the expression of cold-related and grain size-related genes in rice. In light of these findings, ZmPIF6 has a hopeful prospect as a candidate gene of chilling tolerance and crop productivity in the transgenic breeding.
PMID: 39053314
Plant Physiol Biochem , IF:4.27 , 2024 Sep , V214 : P108878 doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108878
Glutathione is required for nitric oxide-induced chilling tolerance by synergistically regulating antioxidant system, polyamine synthesis, and mitochondrial function in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).
Department of Horticulture, Agricultural College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, China; Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization of Xinjiang Production and Construction Crops, Shihezi, Xinjiang,832003, China.; College of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, China.; Department of Horticulture, Agricultural College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, China; Key Laboratory of Special Fruits and Vegetables Cultivation Physiology and Germplasm Resources Utilization of Xinjiang Production and Construction Crops, Shihezi, Xinjiang,832003, China. Electronic address: jinxiacui77@163.com.
In this paper, we discussed the physiological mechanism of enhanced chilling tolerance with combined treatment of nitric oxide (NO) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in cucumber seedlings. With prolonged low temperature (10 degrees C/6 degrees C), oxidative stress improved, which was manifested as an increase the hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and malondialdehyde (MDA), causing cell membrane damage, particularly after 48 h of chilling stress. Exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor) enhanced the activity of nitric oxide synthase NOS-like, the contents of GSH and polyamines (PAs), and the cellular redox state, thus regulating the activities of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation components (CI, CII, CIV, CV). However, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, a GSH synthase inhibitor) treatment drastically reversed or attenuated the effects of NO. Importantly, the combination of SNP and GSH treatment had the best effect in alleviating chilling-induced oxidative stress by upregulating the activities of antioxidant enzyme, including superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and peroxidase (POD) and improved the PAs content, thereby increased activities of CI, CII, CIII, CIV, and CV. This potentially contributes to the maintenance of oxidative phosphorylation originating from mitochondria. In addition, the high activity of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) in the combined treatment of SNP and GSH possibly mediates the conversion of NO and GSH to S-nitrosoglutathione. Our study revealed that the combined treatment with NO and GSH to synergistically improve the cold tolerance of cucumber seedlings under prolonged low-temperature stress.
PMID: 38968841
Genes (Basel) , IF:4.096 , 2024 Sep , V15 (9) doi: 10.3390/genes15091228
Flavonoid Synthesis Pathway Response to Low-Temperature Stress in a Desert Medicinal Plant, Agriophyllum Squarrosum (Sandrice).
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.; Key Laboratory of Inland River Ecohydrology, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.; Gulang County Sand Prevention and Control Technology Promotion Center, Wuwei 733100, China.
Background/Objectives:Agriophyllum squarrosum (L.) Moq. (A. squarrosum), also known as sandrice, is an important medicinal plant widely distributed in dunes across all the deserts of China. Common garden trials have shown content variations in flavonoids among the ecotypes of sandrice, which correlated with temperature heterogeneity in situ. However, there have not been any environmental control experiments to further elucidate whether the accumulation of flavonoids was triggered by cold stress; Methods: This study conducted a four-day ambient 4 degrees C low-temperature treatment on three ecotypes along with an in situ annual mean temperature gradient (Dulan (DL), Aerxiang (AEX), and Dengkou (DK)); Results: Target metabolomics showed that 12 out of 14 flavonoids in sandrice were driven by cold stress. Among them, several flavonoids were significantly up-regulated, such as naringenin and naringenin chalcone in all three ecotypes; isorhamnetin, quercetin, dihydroquercetin, and kaempferol in DL and AEX; and astragalin in DK. They were accompanied by 19 structural genes of flavonoid synthesis and 33 transcription factors were markedly triggered by cold stress in sandrice. The upstream genes, AsqAEX006535-CHS, AsqAEX016074-C4H, and AsqAEX004011-4CL, were highly correlated with the enrichment of naringenin, which could be fine-tuned by AsqAEX015868-bHLH62, AsqAEX001711-MYB12, and AsqAEX002220-MYB1R1; Conclusions: This study sheds light on how desert plants like sandrice adapt to cold stress by relying on a unique flavonoid biosynthesis mechanism that regulating the accumulation of naringenin. It also supports the precise development of sandrice for the medicinal industry. Specifically, quercetin and isorhamnetin should be targeted for development in DL and AEX, while astragalin should be precisely developed in DK.
PMID: 39336819
Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg , IF:3.991 , 2024 Nov , V1865 (4) : P149490 doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2024.149490
Photo-oxidative damage of photosystem I by repetitive flashes and chilling stress in cucumber leaves.
Universite Paris-Saclay, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Graduate School for Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.; Universite Paris-Saclay, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.; Graduate School for Agricultural Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe 657-8501, Japan.; Universite Paris-Saclay, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France. Electronic address: anja.liszkay@i2bc.paris-saclay.fr.
Photosystem I (PSI) is an essential protein complex for oxygenic photosynthesis and is also known to be an important source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the light. When ROS are generated within PSI, the photosystem can be damaged. The so-called PSI photoinhibition is a lethal event for oxygenic phototrophs, and it is prevented by keeping the reaction center chlorophyll (P700) oxidized in excess light conditions. Whereas regulatory mechanisms for controlling P700 oxidation have been discovered already, the molecular mechanism of PSI photoinhibition is still unclear. Here, we characterized the damage mechanism of PSI photoinhibition by in vitro transient absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in isolated PSI from cucumber leaves that had been subjected to photoinhibition treatment. Photodamage to PSI was induced by two different light treatments: 1. continuous illumination with high light at low (chilling) temperature (C/LT) and 2. repetitive flashes at room temperature (F/RT). These samples were compared to samples that had been illuminated with high light at room temperature (C/RT). The [FeS] clusters F(X) and (F(A) F(B)) were destructed in C/LT but not in F/RT. Transient absorption spectroscopy indicated that half of the charge separation was impaired in F/RT, however, low-temperature EPR revealed the light-induced F(X) signal at a similar size as in the case of C/RT. This indicates that the two branches of electron transfer in PSI were affected differently. Electron transfer at the A-branch was inhibited in F/RT and also partially in C/LT, while the B-branch remained active.
PMID: 38960078
BMC Genomics , IF:3.969 , 2024 Sep , V25 (1) : P833 doi: 10.1186/s12864-024-10732-1
Transcriptome analysis and genome-wide identification of the dehydration-responsive element binding gene family in jackfruit under cold stress.
Guangxi Subtropical Crops Research Institute , Nanning, 530000, China.; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruits, Nanning, 530000, China.; Guangxi Subtropical Crops Research Institute , Nanning, 530000, China. zhupengjin04@163.com.; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruits, Nanning, 530000, China. zhupengjin04@163.com.
BACKGROUND: Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) is the world's largest and heaviest fruit and adapts to hot, humid tropical climates. Low-temperature injury in winter is a primary abiotic stress, which affects jackfruit growth and development. Therefore, breeding cold-resistant varieties and identifying the vital genes in the process of cold resistance are essential. The dehydration-responsive element binding (DREB) gene family is among the subfamily of the APETALA2/ethylene response factor transcription factor family and is significant in plant abiotic stress responses. METHODS: In this study, a comparative analysis of the cold resistance property of 'GuangXi' ('GX') and 'Thailand' ('THA') jackfruit strains with different cold resistance characteristics was performed through chlorophyll fluorescence and transcriptome sequencing. RESULTS: We found that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are significantly enriched in the metabolic processes. Here, 93 DREB genes were identified in the jackfruit genome, and phylogenetic analysis was used to classify them into seven groups. Gene structure, conserved motifs, chromosomal location, and homologous relationships were used to analyze the structural characteristics of the DREB family. Transcriptomics indicated that most of the AhDREB genes exhibited down-regulated expression in 'THA.' The DEGs AhDREB12, AhDREB21, AhDREB29, and AhDREB34 were selected for quantitative real-time PCR, and the results showed that these genes also had down-regulated expression in 'THA.' CONCLUSIONS: The above results suggest the significance of the DREB family in improving the cold resistance property of 'GX.'
PMID: 39232675
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Sep , V13 (18) doi: 10.3390/plants13182625
Brassica rapa BrICE1 and BrICE2 Positively Regulate the Cold Tolerance via CBF and ROS Pathways, Balancing Growth and Defense in Transgenic Arabidopsis.
College of Life Sciences, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China.; State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Winter rapeseed (Brassica rapa) has a good chilling and freezing tolerance. inducer of CBF expression 1 (ICE1) plays a crucial role in cold signaling in plants; however, its role in Brassica rapa remains unclear. In this study, we identified 41 ICE1 homologous genes from six widely cultivated Brassica species. These genes exhibited high conservation, with evolutionary complexity between diploid and allotetraploid species. Cold stress induced ICE1 homolog expression, with differences between strongly and weakly cold-tolerant varieties. Two novel ICE1 paralogs, BrICE1 and BrICE2, were cloned from Brassica rapa Longyou 6. Subcellular localization assays showed that they localized to the nucleus, and low temperature did not affect their nuclear localization. The overexpression of BrICE1 and BrICE2 increased cold tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis and enhanced reactive oxygen species' (ROS) scavenging ability. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that overexpression of BrICE1 and BrICE2 inhibited root growth in Arabidopsis, and low temperatures could induce the degradation of BrICE1 and BrICE2 via the 26S-proteasome pathway. In summary, ICE1 homologous genes exhibit complex evolutionary relationships in Brassica species and are involved in the C-repeat/DREB binding factor (CBF) pathway and ROS scavenging mechanism in response to cold stress; these regulating mechanisms might also be responsible for balancing the development and cold defense of Brassica rapa.
PMID: 39339599
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Sep , V13 (18) doi: 10.3390/plants13182603
Identification and Evaluation of Diploid and Tetraploid Passiflora edulis Sims.
Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.; Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China.
Passiflora edulis Sims (2n = 18) is a perennial plant with high utilization values, but its spontaneous polyploidy in nature has yet to be seen. Thus, this study aims to enhance our understanding of polyploidy P. edulis and provide rudimentary knowledge for breeding new cultivars. In this study, colchicine-induced tetraploid P. edulis (2n = 36) was used as experimental material (T1, T2, and T3) to explore the variances between it and its diploid counterpart in morphology, physiology, and biochemical characteristics, and a comparison of their performance under cold stress was conducted. We measured and collected data on phenotype parameters, chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence, photosynthesis, osmotic substances, and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that tetraploid P. edulis exhibited a shorter phenotype, more giant leaves, darker leaf color, and longer and fewer roots. Moreover, the physiological and biochemical analysis indicated that the tetraploid P. edulis had better photosynthesis systems and higher chlorophyll fluorescence parameters than the diploid P. edulis. Additionally, the tetraploid P. edulis had higher activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT) and lower MDA content to maintain better resistance in low temperatures. Overall, we conclude that there were apparent differences in the morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits of the tetraploid and diploid P. edulis. The tetraploid plants showed better photosynthesis systems, higher osmotic substance content, and antioxidant enzyme activity than the diploid, even under cold stress. Our results suggest that tetraploids with more abundant phenotype variation and better physiological and biochemical traits may be used as a new genetic germplasm resource for producing new P. edulis cultivars.
PMID: 39339578
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Sep , V13 (18) doi: 10.3390/plants13182568
Evolution and Functional Dynamics of TCP Transcription Factor Gene Family in Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis).
Henry Fok School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China.; State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.; State Key Loboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China.; College of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Sciences and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Passion fruit is a valued tropical fruit crop that faces environment-related growth strains. TCP genes are important for both growth modulation and stress prevention in plants. Herein, we systematically analyzed the TCP gene family in passion fruit, recognizing 30 members. Genes exhibiting closer phylogenetic relationships exhibited similar protein and gene structures. Gene members of the TCP family showed developmental-stage- or tissue-specific expression profiles during the passion fruit life cycle. Transcriptome data also demonstrated that many PeTCPs showed induced expression in response to hormonal treatments and cold, heat, and salt stress. Based on transcriptomics data, eight candidate genes were chosen for preferential gene expression confirmation under cold stress conditions. The qRT-PCR assays suggested PeTCP15/16/17/19/23 upregulation, while PeTCP1/11/25 downregulation after cold stress. Additionally, TCP19/20/29/30 exhibited in silico binding with cold-stress-related miRNA319s. GFP subcellular localization assays exhibited PeTCP19/1 were localized at the nucleus. This study will aid in the establishment of novel germplasm, as well as the further investigation of the roles of PeTCPs and their cold stress resistance characteristics.
PMID: 39339543
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Sep , V13 (18) doi: 10.3390/plants13182565
Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Alternative Oxidase (AOX) Genes in Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica): Insights into Their Abiotic Stress Response.
Houji Laboratory in Shanxi Province, College of Life Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan 030031, China.; Department of Basic Sciences, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China.; College of Agriculture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China.
Alternative oxidase (AOX) serves as a critical terminal oxidase within the plant respiratory pathway, playing a significant role in cellular responses to various stresses. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica), a crop extensively cultivated across Asia, is renowned for its remarkable tolerance to abiotic stresses and minimal requirement for fertilizer. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide identification of AOX genes in foxtail millet genome, discovering a total of five SiAOX genes. Phylogenetic analysis categorized these SiAOX members into two subgroups. Prediction of cis-elements within the promoter regions, coupled with co-expression network analysis, intimated that SiAOX proteins are likely involved in the plant's adaptive response to abiotic stresses. Employing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), we scrutinized the expression patterns of the SiAOX genes across a variety of tissues and under multiple abiotic stress conditions. Specifically, our analysis uncovered that SiAOX1, SiAOX2, SiAOX4, and SiAOX5 display distinct tissue-specific expression profiles. Furthermore, SiAOX2, SiAOX3, SiAOX4, and SiAOX5 exhibit responsive expression patterns under abiotic stress conditions, with significant differences in expression levels observed between the shoot and root tissues of foxtail millet seedlings. Haplotype analysis of SiAOX4 and SiAOX5 revealed that these genes are in linkage disequilibrium, with Hap_2 being the superior haplotype for both, potentially conferring enhanced cold stress tolerance in the cultivar group. These findings suggest that both SiAOX4 and SiAOX5 may be targeted for selection in future breeding programs aimed at improving foxtail millet's resilience to cold stress.
PMID: 39339540
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Sep , V13 (17) doi: 10.3390/plants13172532
Genome-Wide Characterization of IQD Family Proteins in Apple and Functional Analysis of the Microtubule-Regulating Abilities of MdIQD17 and MdIQD28 under Cold Stress.
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
Microtubules undergo dynamic remodeling in response to diverse abiotic stress in plants. The plant-specific IQ67 DOMAIN (IQD) family proteins serve as microtubule-associated proteins, playing multifaceted roles in plant development and response to abiotic stress. However, the biological function of IQD genes in apple remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the Malus domestica genome, identifying 42 IQD genes distributed across 17 chromosomes and categorized them into four subgroups. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of stress-responsive elements. Subsequent expression analysis highlighted the significant upregulation of MdIQD17 and MdIQD28 in response to cold treatments, prompting their selection for further functional investigation. Subcellular localization studies confirmed the association of MdIQD17 and MdIQD28 with microtubules. Crucially, confocal microscopy and quantification revealed diminished microtubule depolymerization in cells transiently overexpressing MdIQD17 and MdIQD28 compared to wild-type cells during cold conditions. In conclusion, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of IQD genes in apple, elucidating their molecular mechanism in response to cold stress.
PMID: 39274016
Plants (Basel) , IF:3.935 , 2024 Aug , V13 (17) doi: 10.3390/plants13172430
Physiological and Proteomic Analysis of Various Priming on Rice Seed under Chilling Stress.
Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rice Genetics and Breeding, Rice Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China.; Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Education Department of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.; College of Agronomy, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation using direct seeding is susceptible to chilling stress, particularly during seed germination and early seedling growth in the early season of a double cropping system. Alternatively, seed priming with various plant growth-promoting hormones is an effective technique to promote rapid and uniform emergence under chilling stress. Therefore, we evaluated the impact of gibberellin A3 (GA(3)) and brassinolide (BR) priming on rice seed emergence, examining their proteomic responses under low-temperature conditions. Results indicated that GA(3) and BR increased the seed germination rate by 22.67% and 7.33% at 72 h and 35% and 15% at 96 h compared to the control (CK), respectively. Furthermore, proteomic analysis identified 2551, 2614, and 2592 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in GA, BR, and CK, respectively. Among them, GA exhibited 84 upregulated and 260 downregulated DEPs, while BR showed 112 upregulated and 102 downregulated DEPs, and CK had 123 upregulated and 81 downregulated DEPs. Notably, under chilling stress, both GA(3) and BR are involved in peroxide metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and inositol phosphate metabolism, enhancing antioxidant capacity and providing energy substances for germination. In addition, GA(3) triggers the specific regulation of stress responsive protein activation, GTP activation, and ascorbic acid biosynthesis and promotes the stability and integrity of cell membranes, as well as the synthesis of cell walls, providing physical defense for seeds to resist low temperatures. At the same time, BR triggers specific involvement in ribosome synthesis and amino acid synthesis, promoting biosynthetic ability and metabolic regulation to maintain plant life activities under low-temperature stress. Furthermore, the various genes' expression (OsJ_16716, OsPAL1, RINO1) confirmed GA(3) and BR involved in peroxide metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and inositol phosphate metabolism, enhancing antioxidant capacity and providing energy substances for germination. This study provides valuable insights into how rice seed embryo responds to and tolerates chilling stress with GA(3) seed priming.
PMID: 39273913
J Plant Physiol , IF:3.549 , 2024 Sep , V303 : P154352 doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2024.154352
Sucrose synthase: An enzyme with multiple roles in plant physiology.
Department of Horticulture, College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.; Department of Horticulture, College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China. Electronic address: xhqi@yzu.edu.cn.
Sucrose synthase (SuS) is a key enzyme in the regulation of sucrose metabolism in plants and participates in the reversible reaction of sucrose conversion to uridine diphosphate-glucose and fructose. It plays an important role in promoting taproot development, starch synthesis, cellulose synthesis, improving plant nitrogen fixation capacity, sugar metabolism, and fruit and seed development. Recent studies have shown that SuS responds to abiotic stresses such as drought stress, cold stress and waterlogging stress, especially in waterlogging stress. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the basic properties, physiological functions, and signal transduction pathways of SuS, aiming to establish a theoretical foundation for its further research.
PMID: 39332324
PLoS One , IF:3.24 , 2024 , V19 (9) : Pe0304628 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304628
Foliar spraying exogenous ABA resists chilling stress on adzuki beans (Vigna angularis).
Suihua Branch, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Machinery Sciences, Suihua, China.; Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.; College of Agriculture, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, China.; Qiqihar Agricultural Technology Promotion Center, Qiqihar, China.
Adzuki bean, an important legume crop, exhibits poor tolerance to low temperatures. To investigate the effect of exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) on the physiological metabolism and yield resistance of adzuki bean under low-temperature stress, we conducted a potted experiment using Longxiaodou 4 (LXD 4) and Tianjinhong (TJH) as test materials and pre-sprayed with exogenous ABA at flowering stage continuously for 5 days with an average of 12 degrees C and an average of 15 degrees C, respectively. We found that, compared with spraying water, foliar spraying exogenous ABA increased the activities of antioxidants and the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants, effectively inhibited the increase of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, O2-. production rate. Exogenous ABA induced the activation of endogenous protective mechanisms by increasing antioxidant enzymes activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), as well as elevated levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants including ascorbic acid (ASA) and glutathione (GSH). Moreover, the yield loss of 5.81%-39.84% caused by chilling stress was alleviated by spraying ABA. In conclusion, foliar spraying exogenous ABA can reduce the negative effects of low-temperature stress on the yield of Adzuki beans, which is essential to ensure stable production of Adzuki beans under low-temperature conditions.
PMID: 39250484
Cryobiology , IF:2.487 , 2024 Sep , V117 : P104954 doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2024.104954
Exploring freeze-injury mechanism through ion-specific analysis of leachate from reversibly versus irreversibly injured spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves.
Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. Electronic address: rarora@iastate.edu.
The present study analyzed four cations (K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Fe(2+)) in leachate from freeze-injured spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. 'Reflect') leaves exposed for four freezing-durations (FDs) (0.5, 3.0, 5.5, 10.5 h) at -4.8 degrees C. Comparison of electrolyte leakage from right-after-thaw with that after 6-d recovery revealed that injury at 0.5 or 3 h FDs was recoverable but irreversible at 5.5 or 10.5 h FDs. Data suggests leakage of K(+), the most abundant cation in leachate, can serve as a proxy for total electrolyte-leakage in determining plant freezing-tolerance and an ionic marker discerning moderate vs. severe injury. Quantitative correspondence between Ca(2+)- and K(+)-leakage supports earlier proposition that leaked K(+) induces loss of membrane-Ca(2+), which, in turn, promotes further K(+)-leakage due to weakened membrane. Reduced/undetectable Fe(2+) in leachate at longer FDs suggests activation of Fenton reaction converting soluble Fe(2+) into insoluble Fe(3+). Enhanced Mg(2+)-leakage at greater freeze-injury suggests structural/functional impairment of chlorophyll/chloroplast complex.
PMID: 39151874
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2024 Dec , V19 (1) : P2389496 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2389496
Requirement of two simultaneous environmental signals for activation of Arabidopsis ELIP2 promoter in response to high light, cold, and UV-B stresses.
The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.; Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.; Experimental Plant Division, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.; RIKEN CSRS, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Japan.
Arabidopsis EARLY LIGH-INDUCIBLE PROTEIN 2 (ELIP2) is a chlorophyll- and carotenoid-binding protein and is involved in photoprotection under stress conditions. Because its expression is induced through high light, cold, or UV-B stressors, its mechanism of induction has been studied. It is known that a functional unit found in the promoter, which is composed of Element B and Element A, is required and sufficient for full activation by these stressors. In this study, the role of each element in the unit was analyzed by introducing weak mutations in each element as synthetic promoters in addition to intensive repeat constructs of each single element. The results suggest that a stressor like cold stress generates two parallel signals in plant cells, and they merge at the promoter region for the activation of ELIP2 expression, which constitutes an "AND" gate and has a potential to realize strong response with high specificity by an environmental trigger.
PMID: 39132719
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2024 Dec , V19 (1) : P2362518 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2362518
Exploring cotton SFR2's conundrum in response to cold stress.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.; United States Department of Agriculture, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Cotton is an important agricultural crop to many regions across the globe but is sensitive to low-temperature exposure. The activity of the enzyme SENSITIVE TO FREEZING 2 (SFR2) improves cold tolerance of plants and produces trigalactosylsyldiacylglycerol (TGDG), but its role in cold sensitive plants, such as cotton remains unknown. Recently, it was reported that cotton SFR2 produced very little TGDG under normal and cold conditions. Here, we investigate cotton SFR2 activation and TGDG production. Using multiple approaches in the native system and transformation into Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as heterologous yeast expression, we provide evidence that cotton SFR2 activates differently than previously found among other plant species. We conclude with the hypothesis that SFR2 in cotton is not activated in a similar manner regarding acidification or freezing like Arabidopsis and that other regions of SFR2 protein are critical for activation of the enzyme than previously reported.
PMID: 38836385
Plant Signal Behav , IF:2.247 , 2024 Dec , V19 (1) : P2318514 doi: 10.1080/15592324.2024.2318514
Insights on the enhancement of chilling tolerance in Rice through over-expression and knock-out studies of OsRBCS3.
Rice Research Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiamusi, China.; Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China.
Chilling stress is an important environmental factor that affects rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and yield, and the booting stage is the most sensitive stage of rice to chilling stress. In this study, we focused on OsRBCS3, a rice gene related to chilling tolerance at the booting stage, which encodes the key enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) small subunit in photosynthesis. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role and mechanism of OsRBCS3 in rice chilling tolerance at the booting stage. The expression levels of OsRBCS3 under chilling stress were compared in two japonica rice cultivars with different chilling tolerances: Kongyu131 (KY131) and Longjing11 (LJ11). A positive correlation was found between OsRBCS3 expression and chilling tolerance. Over-expression (OE) and knock-out (KO) lines of OsRBCS3 were constructed using over-expression and CRISPR/Cas9 technology, respectively, and their chilling tolerance was evaluated at the seedling and booting stages. The results showed that OE lines exhibited higher chilling tolerance than wild-type (WT) lines at both seedling and booting stages, while KO lines showed lower chilling tolerance than WT lines. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzyme activities, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and Rubisco activity of four rice lines under chilling stress were measured, and it was found that OE lines had stronger antioxidant and photosynthetic capacities, while KO lines had the opposite effects. This study validated that OsRBCS3 plays an important role in rice chilling tolerance at the booting stage, providing new molecular tools and a theoretical basis for rice chilling tolerance breeding.
PMID: 38375792
Vet Med Sci , IF:1.95 , 2024 Sep , V10 (5) : Pe1542 doi: 10.1002/vms3.1542
Diets containing phytobiotics, l-arginine, vitamin E and captopril modulate ascites syndrome-related genes expression in broiler chickens exposed to low ambient temperature.
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran.; Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Laboratory Science, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.; Department of Ostrich, Special Domestic Animals Institute, Research Institute of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.; Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
BACKGROUND: Our hypothesis centred on the potential to mitigate ascites outbreaks in birds exposed to cold stress by inhibiting pulmonary artery contraction through dietary intervention. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of natural and synthetic medications on growth performance, ascites-related parameters and the expression of ascites-related genes in the lung tissue of broiler chickens under low ambient temperature. METHODS: We randomly assigned 450 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks to six dietary treatments across five replicate pens, each containing 15 chicks. The treatments included a basal diet (control), and the basal diet was supplemented with hydroalcoholic extracts of sumac (HES, 200 mg/kg), Syrian mesquite (HEM, 200 mg/kg), l-arginine (40% above requirement), captopril (15 mg/kg) and vitamin E (100 mg/kg). RESULTS: Diets containing HEM, l-arginine and vitamin E resulted in increased average daily gain on days 8-14 and 0-28, whereas HES showed a similar effect only during days 8-14 compared to the control diet (p < 0.05). Additionally, feed additives decreased packed cell volume, left and right ventricle volumes and systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05). Moreover, chickens fed the control and l-arginine diets exhibited higher levels of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) mRNA in lung tissue compared to those fed HES, HEM and captopril (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, supplementation with HEM and l-arginine increased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA in lung tissue compared to other treatments (p < 0.05). Regarding Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) expression, feed additives increased mRNA level in lung tissue, except for captopril (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the plant extracts may reduce the incidence of ascites syndrome not only through their antioxidant properties but also by modulating the expression of ACE, iNOS and Cu/Zn-SOD genes.
PMID: 39049705
Trop Anim Health Prod , IF:1.559 , 2024 Sep , V56 (8) : P287 doi: 10.1007/s11250-024-04137-1
Performance and health status in preweaning semi-indoor holstein calves wearing calf jackets during winter months.
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. mustafa.cam@selcuk.edu.tr.; Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey.; Konya Eregli Kemal Akman Vocational School, Department of Plant and Animal Production, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Turkey.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether jacket wearing by semi-indoor Holstein calves affected performance, body measurements and health status in the preweaning period throughout the winter months. A total of one hundred calves were allocated into two treatment groups (control and jacket) in terms of their weights and sex. The calves throughout the study period were raised at individual calf hutches in a semi-open barn. All calves and the consumed concentrate intakes were weighed every 28 days to determine body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), total and daily feed consumption (TFC, DFC). Incidence rate (IR) ratios were calculated from the records of daily health assessments. Calves in treatment group were jacketed from first to 45 days of age. The weaning process started gradually at 56 days of age and the calves were weaned on day 63. No significant effects of wearing jackets in terms of body measurements and performance. The respiratory diseases IR was 1.15 times higher in calves without jackets, which means that calf health was positively affected by wearing jackets. The improved health status of the treatment group showed that wearing jackets may protect calves from adverse effects of cold stress. There is a need for more comprehensive studies about the effect of calf jackets in early periods of preweaning, especially in calves in outdoor hutches.
PMID: 39325080
Mol Hortic , 2024 Sep , V4 (1) : P31 doi: 10.1186/s43897-024-00108-0
Molecular and biochemical components associated with chilling tolerance in tomato: comparison of different developmental stages.
Department of Postharvest Science, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel. camallec@post.bgu.ac.il.; Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment, The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. camallec@post.bgu.ac.il.; Department of Postharvest Science, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel.; Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture Food and Environment, The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.; Institute of Plant Sciences, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel.; Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. mrf5@psu.edu.; Department of Postharvest Science, Volcani Institute, Agricultural Research Organization, Rishon LeZion, Israel. alers@volcani.agri.gov.il.
The cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, is highly sensitive to cold stress (CS), resulting in significant losses during cultivation and postharvest fruit storage. Previously, we demonstrated the presence of substantial genetic variation in fruit chilling tolerance in a tomato recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between a chilling-sensitive tomato line and a chilling-tolerant accession of the wild species S. pimpinellifolium. Here, we investigated molecular and biochemical components associated with chilling tolerance in fruit and leaves, using contrasting groups of "chilling tolerant" and "chilling sensitive" RI lines. Transcriptomic analyses were conducted on fruit exposed to CS, and gene expressions and biochemical components were measured in fruit and leaves. The analyses revealed core responding genes specific to either the cold-tolerant or cold-sensitive RI lines, which were differentially regulated in similar fashion in both leaves and fruit within each group. These genes may be used as markers to determine tomato germplasm cold tolerance or sensitivity. This study demonstrated that tomato response to CS in different developmental stages, including seedling and postharvest fruit, might be mediated by common biological/genetic factors. Therefore, genetic selection for cold tolerance during early stages of plant development may lead to lines with greater postharvest fruit chilling tolerance.
PMID: 39232835