The B-Box Domain Protein BBX21 Promotes Photomorphogenesis

B-box-containing (BBX) proteins play critical roles in a variety of cellular and developmental processes in plants. BBX21 (also known as SALT TOLERANCE HOMOLOG2), which contains two B-box domains in tandem at the N terminus, has been previously demonstrated as a key component involved in the COP1-HY5 signaling hub. However, the exact molecular and physiological roles of B-box domains in BBX21 are largely unclear. Here, we found that structurally disruption of the second B-box domain, but not the first one, in BBX21 completely abolishes its biological and physiological activity in conferring hyperphotomorphogenetic phenotype in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Intact B-box domains in BBX21 are not required for interaction with COP1 and its degradation by COP1 via the 26S proteasome system. However, disruption of the second B-box of BBX21 nearly impairs its ability for binding of T/G-box within the HY5 promoter both in vitro and in vivo, as well as controlling HY5 and HY5-regulated gene expression in Arabidopsis seedlings. Taken together, this study provides a mechanistic framework in which BBX21 directly binds to the T/G-box present in the HY5 promoter possibly through its second B-box domain, which in turn controls HY5 and HY5-regulated gene expression to promote photomorphogenesis.

The COP9 Signalosome regulates seed germination by facilitating protein degradation of RGL2 and ABI5

The control of seed germination and seed dormancy are critical for the successful propagation of plant species, and are important agricultural traits. Seed germination is tightly controlled by the balance of gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA), and is influenced by environmental factors. The COP9 Signalosome (CSN) is a conserved multi-subunit protein complex that is best known as a regulator of the Cullin-RING family of ubiquitin E3 ligases (CRLs). Multiple viable mutants of the CSN showed poor germination, except for csn5b-1. Detailed analyses showed that csn1-10 has a stronger seed dormancy, while csn5a-1 mutants exhibit retarded seed germination in addition to hyperdormancy. Both csn5a-1 and csn1-10 plants show defects in the timely removal of the germination inhibitors: RGL2, a repressor of GA signaling, and ABI5, an effector of ABA responses. We provide genetic evidence to demonstrate that the germination phenotype of csn1-10 is caused by over-accumulation of RGL2, a substrate of the SCF (CRL1) ubiquitin E3 ligase, while the csn5a-1 phenotype is caused by over-accumulation of RGL2 as well as ABI5. The genetic data are consistent with the hypothesis that CSN5A regulates ABI5 by a mechanism that may not involve CSN1. Transcriptome analyses suggest that CSN1 has a more prominent role than CSN5A during seed maturation, but CSN5A plays a more important role than CSN1 during seed germination, further supporting the functional distinction of these two CSN genes. Our study delineates the molecular targets of the CSN complex in seed germination, and reveals that CSN5 has additional functions in regulating ABI5, thus the ABA signaling pathway.

The control of seed germination and seed dormancy are critical for successful propagation of plant species, and manipulation of these processes is important for agriculture. The COP9 Signalosome (CSN) is a multi-subunit protein complex that regulates proteasome-mediated protein degradation in part as a regulator of SCF ubiquitin E3 ligases. The CSN is important for timely germination of seeds, but its molecular targets in this process is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that the CSN regulates protein stabilities of two different targets from two antagonistic hormonal pathways, RGL2 of the GA pathway and ABI5 of the ABA pathway. Our genetic and transcriptome analyses showed that, although csn1-10 and csn5a-1 exhibit similar defects in timely germination, the mechanisms of how the mutations affect seed germination differ. Since RGL2 is known to be targeted by SCF during germination, the defect in the timely degradation of RGL2 in csn1-10 and csn5a-1 is consistent with the role of CSN as a regulator of the SCF. In addition, we show that CSN5A, but not CSN1, has an additional function in regulating ABI5, a downstream inhibitor of germination.

Light-Dependent Degradation of PIF3 by SCFEBF1/2 Promotes a Photomorphogenic Response in Arabidopsis

Plant seedlings emerging from darkness into the light environment undergo photomorphogenesis, which enables autotrophic growth with optimized morphology and physiology. During this transition, plants must rapidly remove photomorphogenic repressors accumulated in the dark. Among them is PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTOR 3 (PIF3), a key transcription factor promoting hypocotyl growth. Here we report that, in response to light activation of phytochrome photoreceptors, EIN3-BINDING F BOX PROTEINs (EBFs) 1 and 2 mediate PIF3 protein degradation in a manner dependent on light-induced phosphorylation of PIF3. Whereas PIF3 binds EBFs independent of light, the recruitment of PIF3-EBFs to the core SKP1-CUL1-F box protein (SCF) scaffold is facilitated by light signals or PIF3 phosphorylation. We also found that previously identified LIGHT-RESPONSE BRIC-A-BRACK/TRAMTRACK/BROAD (LRB) E3 ubiquitin ligases target phytochrome B (phyB) and PIF3 primarily under high-light conditions, whereas EBF1/2 vigorously target PIF3 degradation under wide ranges of light intensity without affecting the abundance of phyB. Both genetic and molecular data support that SCF^EBF1/2 function as photomorphogenic E3s during seedling development.

Genome-wide study of an elite rice pedigree reveals a complex history of genetic architecture for breeding improvement

Improving breeding has been widely utilized in crop breeding and contributed to yield and quality improvement, yet few researches have been done to analyze genetic architecture underlying breeding improvement comprehensively. Here, we collected genotype and phenotype data of 99 cultivars from the complete pedigree including Huanghuazhan, an elite, high-quality, conventional indica rice that has been grown over 4.5 million hectares in southern China and from which more than 20 excellent cultivars have been derived. We identified 1,313 selective sweeps (SSWs) revealing four stage-specific selection patterns corresponding to improvement preference during 65 years, and 1113 conserved Huanghuazhan traceable blocks (cHTBs) introduced from different donors and conserved in >3 breeding generations were the core genomic regions for superior performance of Huanghuazhan. Based on 151 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) identified for 13 improved traits in the pedigree, we reproduced their improvement process in silico, highlighting improving breeding works well for traits controlled by major/major + minor effect QTLs, but was inefficient for traits controlled by QTLs with complex interactions or explaining low levels of phenotypic variation. These results indicate long-term breeding improvement is efficient to construct superior genetic architecture for elite performance, yet molecular breeding with designed genotype of QTLs can facilitate complex traits improvement.

Simultaneous Identification of Multiple Causal Mutations in Rice

Next-generation sequencing technologies (NGST) are being used to discover causal mutations in ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized plant populations. However, the published protocols often deliver too many candidate sites and sometimes fail to find the mutant gene of interest. Accurate identification of the causal mutation from massive background polymorphisms and sequencing deficiencies remains challenging. Here we describe a NGST-based method, named SIMM, that can simultaneously identify the causal mutations in multiple independent mutants. Multiple rice mutants derived from the same parental line were back-crossed, and for each mutant, the derived F2 individuals of the recessive mutant phenotype were pooled and sequenced. The resulting sequences were aligned to the Nipponbare reference genome, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were subsequently compared among the mutants. Allele index (AI) and Euclidean distance (ED) were incorporated into the analysis to reduce noises caused by background polymorphisms and re-sequencing errors. Corrections of sequence bias against GC- and AT-rich sequences in the candidate region were conducted when necessary. Using this method, we successfully identified seven new mutant alleles from Huanghuazhan (HHZ), an elite indica rice cultivar in China. All mutant alleles were validated by phenotype association assay. A pipeline based on Perl scripts for SIMM is publicly available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/simm/.

Exploring the genetic characteristics of 93-11 and Nipponbare recombination inbred lines based on the GoldenGate SNP assay

Understanding genetic characteristics in rice populations will facilitate exploring evolutionary mechanisms and gene cloning. Numerous molecular markers have been utilized in linkage map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mappings. However, segregation-distorted markers were rarely considered, which prevented understanding genetic characteristics in many populations. In this study, we designed a 384-marker GoldenGate SNP array to genotype 283 recombination inbred lines (RILs) derived from 93-11 and Nipponbare Oryza sativa crosses. Using 294 markers that were highly polymorphic between parents, a linkage map with a total genetic distance of 1,583.2 cM was constructed, including 231 segregation-distorted markers. This linkage map was consistent with maps generated by other methods in previous studies. In total, 85 significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with phenotypic variation explained (PVE) values≥5% were identified. Among them, 34 QTLs were overlapped with reported genes/QTLs relevant to corresponding traits, and 17 QTLs were overlapped with reported sterility-related genes/QTLs. Our study provides evidence that segregation-distorted markers can be used in linkage map construction and QTL mapping. Moreover, genetic information resulting from this study will help us to understand recombination events and segregation distortion. Furthermore, this study will facilitate gene cloning and understanding mechanism of inter-subspecies hybrid sterility and correlations with important agronomic traits in rice.

Arabidopsis atypical kinase ABC1K1 is involved in red light-mediated development

ABC1K1 functions as a novel negative regulator downstream of phyB and HY5 in red light-mediated Arabidopsis development. Light is a key environmental factor for plant morphogenesis. To understand the role of ACTIVITY OF BC1 COMPLEX KINASE (ABC1K) family members in light-mediated Arabidopsis development, we examined the phenotype of abc1k mutants under various light conditions. We show that abc1k1 mutants display significantly short hypocotyls specifically under continuous red light and this effect is more apparent under higher red light fluence rates. The expression of PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORs (PIFs), transcription factors in red light signaling, is repressed in abc1k1 mutants under continuous red light. The expression pattern of ABC1K1 is independent of light conditions. Furthermore, genetic analysis indicates that abc1k1 almost completely suppresses the long hypocotyl phenotype of phyB and hy5. However, the mutation of ABC1K3, one homolog of ABC1K1, reverses the inhibition of hypocotyl elongation in phyB and hy5 by abc1k1. Together, our research describes novel characteristics for ABC1K1 in seedling stage and defines it as a novel negative component in red light-mediated Arabidopsis development.

Natural variation of H3K27me3 modification in two Arabidopsis accessions and their hybrid

Histone modifications affect gene expression, but the mechanism and biological consequence of natural variation in histone modifications remain unclear. Here, we generated genome-wide integrated maps of H3K27me3 modification and transcriptome for Col, C24 and their F1 hybrid. A total of 1,828 genomic regions showing variation in H3K27me3 modification between Col and C24 were identified, most of which were associated with genic regions. Natural variation of H3K27me3 modification between parents could result in allelic bias of H3K27me3 in hybrids. Furthermore, we found that H3K27me3 variation between Col and C24 was negatively correlated with gene expression differences between two accessions, especially with those arising from the cis-effect. Importantly, mutation of CLF, an Arabidopsis methyltransferase for H3K27, altered gene expression patterns between the parents. Together, these data provide insights into natural variation of histone modifications and their association with gene expression differences between Arabidopsis ecotypes.

Salt Stress and Ethylene Antagonistically Regulate Nucleocytoplasmic Partitioning of COP1 to Control Seed Germination

Seed germination, a critical stage initiating the life cycle of a plant, is severely affected by salt stress. However, the underlying mechanism of salt inhibition of seed germination (SSG) is unclear. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENESIS1 (COP1) counteracts SSG Genetic assays provide evidence that SSG in loss of function of the COP1 mutant was stronger than this in the wild type. A GUS-COP1 fusion was constitutively localized to the nucleus in radicle cells. Salt treatment caused COP1 to be retained in the cytosol, but the addition of ethylene precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate had the reverse effect on the translocation of COP1 to the nucleus, revealing that ethylene and salt exert opposite regulatory effects on the localization of COP1 in germinating seeds. However, loss of function of the ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) mutant impaired the ethylene-mediated rescue of the salt restriction of COP1 to the nucleus. Further research showed that the interaction between COP1 and LONG HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5) had a role in SSG Correspondingly, SSG in loss of function of HY5 was suppressed. Biochemical detection showed that salt promoted the stabilization of HY5, whereas ethylene restricted its accumulation. Furthermore, salt treatment stimulated and ethylene suppressed transcription of ABA INSENSITIVE5 (ABI5), which was directly transcriptionally regulated by HY5. Together, our results reveal that salt stress and ethylene antagonistically regulate nucleocytoplasmic partitioning of COP1, thereby controlling Arabidopsis seed germination via the COP1-mediated down-regulation of HY5 and ABI5. These findings enhance our understanding of the stress response and have great potential for application in agricultural production.

The role of COP1 in repression of photoperiodic flowering

Plants use the circadian clock as a timekeeping mechanism to regulate photoperiodic flowering in response to the seasonal changes. CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1), initially identified as a central repressor of seedling photomorphogenesis, was recently shown to be involved in the regulation of light input to the circadian clock, modulating the circadian rhythm and flowering. COP1 encodes a RING-finger E3 ubiquitin ligase and works in concert with SUPPRESSOR of phyA-105 (SPA) proteins to repress photoperiodic flowering by regulating proteasome-mediated degradation of CONSTANS (CO), a central regulator of photoperiodic flowering. In addition, COP1 and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) indirectly modulate CO expression via the degradation of GIGANTEA (GI). Here, we summarize the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying COP1’s role in controlling of photoperiodic flowering.

Pedigree-based analysis of derivation of genome segments of an elite rice reveals key regions during its breeding

Analyses of genome variations with high-throughput assays have improved our understanding of genetic basis of crop domestication and identified the selected genome regions, but little is known about that of modern breeding, which has limited the usefulness of massive elite cultivars in further breeding. Here we deploy pedigree-based analysis of an elite rice, Huanghuazhan, to exploit key genome regions during its breeding. The cultivars in the pedigree were resequenced with 7.6× depth on average, and 2.1 million high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained. Tracing the derivation of genome blocks with pedigree and information on SNPs revealed the chromosomal recombination during breeding, which showed that 26.22% of Huanghuazhan genome are strictly conserved key regions. These major effect regions were further supported by a QTL mapping of 260 recombinant inbred lines derived from the cross of Huanghuazhan and a very dissimilar cultivar, Shuanggui 36, and by the genome profile of eight cultivars and 36 elite lines derived from Huanghuazhan. Hitting these regions with the cloned genes revealed they include numbers of key genes, which were then applied to demonstrate how Huanghuazhan were bred after 30 years of effort and to dissect the deficiency of artificial selection. We concluded the regions are helpful to the further breeding based on this pedigree and performing breeding by design. Our study provides genetic dissection of modern rice breeding and sheds new light on how to perform genomewide breeding by design.

ASG2 is a farnesylated DWD protein that acts as ABA negative regulator in Arabidopsis

The tagging-via-substrate approach designed for the capture of mammal prenylated proteins was adapted to Arabidopsis cell culture. In this way, proteins are in vivo tagged with an azide-modified farnesyl moiety and captured thanks to biotin alkyne Click-iT® chemistry with further streptavidin-affinity chromatography. Mass spectrometry analyses identified four small GTPases and ASG2 (ALTERED SEED GERMINATION 2), a protein previously associated to the seed germination gene network. ASG2 is a conserved protein in plants and displays a unique feature that associates WD40 domains and tetratricopeptide repeats. Additionally, we show that ASG2 has a C-terminal CaaX-box that is farnesylated in vitro. Protoplast transfections using CaaX prenyltransferase mutants show that farnesylation provokes ASG2 nucleus exclusion. Moreover, ASG2 interacts with DDB1 (DAMAGE DNA BINDING protein 1), and the subcellular localization of this complex depends on ASG2 farnesylation status. Finally, germination and root elongation experiments reveal that asg2 and the farnesyltransferase mutant era1 (ENHANCED RESPONSE TO ABSCISIC ACID (ABA) 1) behave in similar manners when exposed to ABA or salt stress. To our knowledge, ASG2 is the first farnesylated DWD (DDB1 binding WD40) protein related to ABA response in Arabidopsis that may be linked to era1 phenotypes.

Seedlings Transduce the Depth and Mechanical Pressure of Covering Soil Using COP1 and Ethylene to Regulate EBF1/EBF2 for Soil Emergence

The survival of seed plants in natural environments requires the successful emergence from the soil. In this process, the ethylene signaling pathway is utilized by plants to sense and respond to the mechanical resistance of the soil. Here, we report that constitutive photomorphogenesis 1 (COP1), a central repressor of light signaling, is a key component required for seedlings to sense the depth of soil overlay. Mutation in COP1 causes severe defects in penetrating soil, due to decreased level of EIN3, a master transcription factor in ethylene pathway that mediates seedling emergence. We show that COP1 directly targets the F box proteins EBF1 and EBF2 for ubiquitination and degradation, thus stabilizing EIN3. As seedlings grow toward the surface, the depth of soil overlay decreases, resulting in a gradual increase of light fluences. COP1 channels the light signals, while ethylene transduces the information on soil mechanical conditions, which cooperatively control EIN3 protein levels to promote seedling emergence from the soil. The COP1-EBF1/2-EIN3 module reveals a mechanism by which plants sense the depth to surface and uncovers a novel regulatory paradigm of an ubiquitin E3 ligase cascade.

Arabidopsis COP1 SUPPRESSOR 2 Represses COP1 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Activity through Their Coiled-Coil Domains Association

CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase and mediates a variety of developmental processes in Arabidopsis by targeting a number of key regulators for ubiquitination and degradation. Here, we identify a novel COP1 interacting protein, COP1 SUPPRESSOR 2 (CSU2). Loss of function mutations in CSU2 suppress the constitutive photomorphogenic phenotype of cop1-6 in darkness. CSU2 directly interacts with COP1 via their coiled-coil domains and is recruited by COP1 into nuclear speckles in living plant cells. Furthermore, CSU2 inhibits COP1 E3 ubiquitin ligase activity in vitro, and represses COP1 mediated turnover of HY5 in cell-free extracts. We propose that in csu2 cop1-6 mutants, the lack of CSU2’s repression of COP1 allows the low level of COP1 to exhibit higher activity that is sufficient to prevent accumulation of HY5 in the dark, thus restoring the etiolated phenotype. In addition, CSU2 is required for primary root development under normal light growth condition.

CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) is a key regulator of light mediated developmental processes and it works as an E3 ubiquitin ligase controlling the abundance of multiple transcription factors. In the work presented here, we identified a novel repressor of COP1, the COP1 SUPPRESSOR 2 (CSU2), via a forward genetic screen. Mutations in CSU2 completely suppress cop1-6 constitutive photomorphogenic phenotype in darkness. CSU2 interacts and co-localizes with COP1 in nuclear speckles via the coiled-coil domain association. CSU2 negatively regulates COP1 E3 ubiquitin ligase activity, and repress COP1 mediated HY5 degradation in cell-free extracts.

HY5 regulates nitrite reductase 1 (NIR1) and ammonium transporter1;2 (AMT1;2) in Arabidopsis seedlings

HY5 (Long Hypocotyles 5) is a key transcription factor in Arabidopsis thaliana that has a pivotal role in seedling development. Soil nitrogen is an essential macronutrient, and its uptake, assimilation and metabolism are influenced by nutrient availability and by lights. To understand the role of HY5 in nitrogen assimilation pathways, we examined the phenotype as well as the expression of selected nitrogen assimilation-related genes in hy5 mutant grown under various nitrogen limiting and nitrogen sufficient conditions, or different light conditions. We report that HY5 positively regulates nitrite reductase gene NIR1 and negatively regulates the ammonium transporter gene AMT1;2 under all nitrogen and light conditions tested, while it affects several other genes in a nitrogen supply-dependent manner. HY5 is not required for light induction of NIR1, AMT1;2 and NIA genes, but it is necessary for high level expression of NIR1 and NIA under optimal nutrient and light conditions. In addition, nitrogen deficiency exacerbates the abnormal root system of hy5. Together, our results suggest that HY5 exhibits the growth-promoting activity only when sufficient nutrients, including lights, are provided, and that HY5 has a complex involvement in nitrogen acquisition and metabolism in Arabidopsis seedlings.

Salicylic acid biosynthesis is enhanced and contributes to increased biotrophic pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis hybrids

Heterosis, the phenotypic superiority of a hybrid over its parents, has been demonstrated for many traits in Arabidopsis thaliana, but its effect on defence remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that hybrids between some A. thaliana accessions show increased resistance to the biotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000. Comparisons of transcriptomes between these hybrids and their parents after inoculation reveal that several key salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis genes are significantly upregulated in hybrids. Moreover, SA levels are higher in hybrids than in either parent. Increased resistance to Pst DC3000 is significantly compromised in hybrids of pad4 mutants in which the SA biosynthesis pathway is blocked. Finally, increased histone H3 acetylation of key SA biosynthesis genes correlates with their upregulation in infected hybrids. Our data demonstrate that enhanced activation of SA biosynthesis in A. thaliana hybrids may contribute to their increased resistance to a biotrophic bacterial pathogen.

Salicylic acid biosynthesis is enhanced and contributes to increased biotrophic pathogen resistance in Arabidopsis hybrids

Heterosis, the phenotypic superiority of a hybrid over its parents, has been demonstrated for many traits in Arabidopsis thaliana, but its effect on defence remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that hybrids between some A. thaliana accessions show increased resistance to the biotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000. Comparisons of transcriptomes between these hybrids and their parents after inoculation reveal that several key salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis genes are significantly upregulated in hybrids. Moreover, SA levels are higher in hybrids than in either parent. Increased resistance to Pst DC3000 is significantly compromised in hybrids of pad4 mutants in which the SA biosynthesis pathway is blocked. Finally, increased histone H3 acetylation of key SA biosynthesis genes correlates with their upregulation in infected hybrids. Our data demonstrate that enhanced activation of SA biosynthesis in A. thaliana hybrids may contribute to their increased resistance to a biotrophic bacterial pathogen.

The molecular basis for heterosis, the phenomenon whereby hybrid plants show phenotypic superiority to their parents, remains poorly understood. Here, Yang et al. show that salicylic acid biosynthesis is enhanced in hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana and correlates with heterosis for pathogen defence.

CUL4 forms an E3 ligase with COP1 and SPA to promote light-induced degradation of PIF1

Plants undergo contrasting developmental programs in dark and light. Photomorphogenesis, a light-adapted programme is repressed in the dark by the synergistic actions of CUL4(COP1-SPA) E3 ubiquitin ligase and a subset of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors called phytochrome interacting factors (PIFs). To promote photomorphogenesis, light activates the phytochrome family of sensory photoreceptors, which inhibits these repressors by poorly understood mechanisms. Here, we show that the CUL4(COP1-SPA) E3 ubiquitin ligase is necessary for the light-induced degradation of PIF1 in Arabidopsis. The light-induced ubiquitylation and subsequent degradation of PIF1 is reduced in the cop1, spaQ and cul4 backgrounds. COP1, SPA1 and CUL4 preferentially form complexes with the phosphorylated forms of PIF1 in response to light. The cop1 and spaQ seeds display strong hyposensitive response to far-red light-mediated seed germination and light-regulated gene expression. These data show a mechanism by which an E3 ligase attenuates its activity by degrading its cofactor in response to light.

Arabidopsis DET1 represses photomorphogenesis in part by negatively regulating DELLA protein abundance in darkness

Arabidopsis De-etiolated 1 (DET1) is one of the key repressors that maintain the etiolated state of seedlings in darkness. The plant hormone gibberellic acid (GA) also participates in this process, and plants deficient in GA synthesis or signaling show a partially de-etiolated phenotype in darkness. However, how DET1 and the GA pathway work in concert in repressing photomorphogenesis remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that the abundance of DELLA proteins in det1-1 was increased in comparison with that in the wild-type plants. Mutation in DET1 changed the sensitivity of hypocotyl elongation of mutant seedlings to GA and paclobutrazol (PAC), an inhibitor of GA synthesis. However, we did not find obvious differences between det1-1 and wild-type plants with regard to the bioactive GA content or the GA signaling upstream of DELLAs. Genetic data showed that removal of several DELLA proteins suppressed the det1-1 mutant phenotype more obviously than GA treatment, indicating that DET1 can regulate DELLA proteins via some other mechanisms. In addition, a large-scale transcriptomic analysis revealed that DET1 and DELLAs play antagonistic roles in regulating expression of photosynthetic and cell elongation-related genes in etiolated seedlings. Taken together, our results show that DET1 represses photomorphogenesis in darkness in part by reducing the abundance of DELLA proteins.

Multiple photomorphogenic repressors work in concert to regulate Arabidopsis seedling development

Light is both a source of energy and a critically important environmental signal for plant development. Through decades of research, 2 groups of photomorphogenic repressors have been identified. The first group is CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC/DE-ETIOLATED/FUSCA (COP/DET/FUS), which were first identified by genetic screening and then by purification of protein complexes. Another group is the Phytochrome-Interacting Factors (PIFs), which were identified by yeast 2-hybrid screens using phyB as bait. How so many factors work together to repress photomorphogenesis has long been an interesting question. Previously, we demonstrated that CULLIN4 (CUL4) works as a core factor connecting the COP1-SPA complexes, the COP9 signalosome (CSN), and the COP10-DDB1-DET1 (CDD) complex. Recently, we showed that DET1 represses photomorphogenesis through positively regulating the abundance of PIF proteins in the dark. Dr. Huq and his colleagues reported that PIFs may enhance the function of COP1-SPA complexes to promote the degradation of HY5, and thus they synergistically repress photomorphogenesis in the dark. Though much work still needs to be done, these recent breakthroughs shed light on the regulatory relationships among these multiple photomorphogenic repressors.

MicroRNA408 is critical for the HY5-SPL7 gene network that mediates the coordinated response to light and copper

Light and copper are important environmental determinants of plant growth and development. Despite the wealth of knowledge on both light and copper signaling, the molecular mechanisms that integrate the two pathways remain poorly understood. Here, we use Arabidopsis thaliana to demonstrate an interaction between SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE7 (SPL7) and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5), which mediate copper and light signaling, respectively. Through whole-genome chromatin immunoprecipitation and RNA sequencing analyses, we elucidated the SPL7 regulon and compared it with that of HY5. We found that the two transcription factors coregulate many genes, including those involved in anthocyanin accumulation and photosynthesis. Moreover, SPL7 and HY5 act coordinately to transcriptionally regulate MIR408, which results in differential expression of microRNA408 (miR408) and its target genes in response to changing light and copper conditions. We demonstrate that this regulation is tied to copper allocation to the chloroplast and plastocyanin levels. Finally, we found that constitutively activated miR408 rescues the distinct developmental defects of the hy5, spl7, and hy5 spl7 mutants. These findings revealed the existence of crosstalk between light and copper, mediated by a HY5-SPL7 network. Furthermore, integration of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation is critical for governing proper metabolism and development in response to combined copper and light signaling.

DWD HYPERSENSITIVE TO UV-B 1 is negatively involved in UV-B mediated cellular responses in Arabidopsis

Among T-DNA insertion mutants of various cullin4-RING ubiquitin E3 ligase (CRL4) substrate receptors, one mutant that exhibits enhanced sensitivity in response to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) illumination has been isolated and its corresponding gene has been named DWD HYPERSENSITIVE TO UV-B 1 (DHU1) in Arabidopsis. dhu1 lines showed much shorter hypocotyls than those in wild type under low doses of UV-B. Other light did not alter hypocotyl growth patterns in dhu1, indicating the hypersensitivity of dhu1 is restricted to UV-B. DHU1 was upregulated by more than two times in response to UV-B application of 1.5 μmol m(-2) s(-1), implying its possible involvement in UV-B signaling. DHU1 is able to bind to DDB1, an adaptor of CRL4; accordingly, DHU1 is thought to act as a substrate receptor of CRL4. Microarray data generated from wild-type and dhu1 under low doses of UV-B revealed that 209 or 124 genes were upregulated or downregulated by more than two times in dhu1 relative to wild type, respectively. About 23.4 % of the total upregulated genes in dhu1 were upregulated by more than five times in response to UV-B based on the AtGenExpress Visualization Tool data, while only about 1.4 % were downregulated to the same degree by UV-B, indicating that loss of DHU1 led to the overall enhancement of the upregulation of UV-B inducible genes. dhu1 also showed altered responsiveness under high doses of UV-B. Taken together, these findings indicate that DHU1 is a potent CRL4 substrate receptor that may function as a negative regulator of UV-B response in Arabidopsis.

Characterization of a Novel DWD protein that participates in heat stress response in Arabidopsis

Cullin4-RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) is a family of multi-subunit E3 ligases. To investigate the possible involvement of CRL4 in heat stress response, we screened T-DNA insertion mutants of putative CRL4 substrate receptors that exhibited altered patterns in response to heat stress. One of the mutants exhibited heat stress tolerance and was named heat stress tolerant DWD1 (htd1). Introduction of HTD1 gene into htd1-1 led to recovery of heat sensitivity to the wild type level, confirming that the decrease of HTD1 transcripts resulted in heat tolerance. Therefore, HTD1 plays a negative role in thermotolerance in Arabidopsis. Additionally, HTD1 directly interacted with DDB1a in yeast two-hybrid assays and associated with DDB1b in vivo, supporting that it could be a part of a CRL4 complex. Various heat-inducible genes such as HSP14.7, HSP21, At2g03020 and WRKY28 were hyper-induced in htd1-1, indicating that HTD1 could function as a negative regulator for the expression of such genes and that these genes might contribute to thermotolerance of htd1-1, at least in part. HTD1 was associated with HSP90-1, a crucial regulator of thermotolerance, in vivo, even though the decrease of HTD1 did not affect the accumulation pattern of HSP90-1 in Arabidopsis. These findings indicate that a negative role of HTD1 in thermotolerance might be achieved through its association with HSP90-1, possibly by disturbing the action of HSP90-1, not by the degradation of HSP90-1. This study will serve as an important step toward understanding of the functional connection between CRL4-mediated processes and plant heat stress signaling.