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Anjanappa RB, Gruissem W. Current progress and challenges in crop genetic transformation. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 261:153411. [PMID: 33872932 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2021.153411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant transformation remains the most sought-after technology for functional genomics and crop genetic improvement, especially for introducing specific new traits and to modify or recombine already existing traits. Along with many other agricultural technologies, the global production of genetically engineered crops has steadily grown since they were first introduced 25 years ago. Since the first transfer of DNA into plant cells using Agrobacterium tumefaciens, different transformation methods have enabled rapid advances in molecular breeding approaches to bring crop varieties with novel traits to the market that would be difficult or not possible to achieve with conventional breeding methods. Today, transformation to produce genetically engineered crops is the fastest and most widely adopted technology in agriculture. The rapidly increasing number of sequenced plant genomes and information from functional genomics data to understand gene function, together with novel gene cloning and tissue culture methods, is further accelerating crop improvement and trait development. These advances are welcome and needed to make crops more resilient to climate change and to secure their yield for feeding the increasing human population. Despite the success, transformation remains a bottleneck because many plant species and crop genotypes are recalcitrant to established tissue culture and regeneration conditions, or they show poor transformability. Improvements are possible using morphogenetic transcriptional regulators, but their broader applicability remains to be tested. Advances in genome editing techniques and direct, non-tissue culture-based transformation methods offer alternative approaches to enhance varietal development in other recalcitrant crops. Here, we review recent developments in plant transformation and regeneration, and discuss opportunities for new breeding technologies in agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi B Anjanappa
- Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wilhelm Gruissem
- Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland; Advanced Plant Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Road, Taichung City 402, Taiwan.
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52
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Shahzad R, Jamil S, Ahmad S, Nisar A, Amina Z, Saleem S, Zaffar Iqbal M, Muhammad Atif R, Wang X. Harnessing the potential of plant transcription factors in developing climate resilient crops to improve global food security: Current and future perspectives. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 28:2323-2341. [PMID: 33911947 PMCID: PMC8071895 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Crop plants should be resilient to climatic factors in order to feed ever-increasing populations. Plants have developed stress-responsive mechanisms by changing their metabolic pathways and switching the stress-responsive genes. The discovery of plant transcriptional factors (TFs), as key regulators of different biotic and abiotic stresses, has opened up new horizons for plant scientists. TFs perceive the signal and switch certain stress-responsive genes on and off by binding to different cis-regulatory elements. More than 50 families of plant TFs have been reported in nature. Among them, DREB, bZIP, MYB, NAC, Zinc-finger, HSF, Dof, WRKY, and NF-Y are important with respect to biotic and abiotic stresses, but the potential of many TFs in the improvement of crops is untapped. In this review, we summarize the role of different stress-responsive TFs with respect to biotic and abiotic stresses. Further, challenges and future opportunities linked with TFs for developing climate-resilient crops are also elaborated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahil Shahzad
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shakra Jamil
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Amina Nisar
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Zarmaha Amina
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shazmina Saleem
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zaffar Iqbal
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Rana Muhammad Atif
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (CAS-AFS), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, University Road, 38040, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Xiukang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
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53
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Lee M, Dominguez-Ferreras A, Kaliyadasa E, Huang WJ, Antony E, Stevenson T, Lehmann S, Schäfer P, Knight MR, Ntoukakis V, Knight H. Mediator Subunits MED16, MED14, and MED2 Are Required for Activation of ABRE-Dependent Transcription in Arabidopsis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:649720. [PMID: 33777083 PMCID: PMC7991908 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.649720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The Mediator complex controls transcription of most eukaryotic genes with individual subunits required for the control of particular gene regulons in response to various perturbations. In this study, we reveal the roles of the plant Mediator subunits MED16, MED14, and MED2 in regulating transcription in response to the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and we determine which cis elements are under their control. Using synthetic promoter reporters we established an effective system for testing relationships between subunits and specific cis-acting motifs in protoplasts. Our results demonstrate that MED16, MED14, and MED2 are required for the full transcriptional activation by ABA of promoters containing both the ABRE (ABA-responsive element) and DRE (drought-responsive element). Using synthetic promoter motif concatamers, we showed that ABA-responsive activation of the ABRE but not the DRE motif was dependent on these three Mediator subunits. Furthermore, the three subunits were required for the control of water loss from leaves but played no role in ABA-dependent growth inhibition, highlighting specificity in their functions. Our results identify new roles for three Mediator subunits, provide a direct demonstration of their function and highlight that our experimental approach can be utilized to identify the function of subunits of plant transcriptional regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Lee
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Dominguez-Ferreras
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Ewon Kaliyadasa
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Wei-Jie Huang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Edna Antony
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Tracey Stevenson
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Silke Lehmann
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Schäfer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Institute of Molecular Botany, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Marc R. Knight
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
| | - Vardis Ntoukakis
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Heather Knight
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom
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Biosensors: A Sneak Peek into Plant Cell's Immunity. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11030209. [PMID: 33800034 PMCID: PMC7999283 DOI: 10.3390/life11030209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Biosensors are indispensable tools to understand a plant’s immunity as its spatiotemporal dimension is key in withstanding complex plant immune signaling. The diversity of genetically encoded biosensors in plants is expanding, covering new analytes with ever higher sensitivity and robustness, but their assortment is limited in some respects, such as their use in following biotic stress response, employing more than one biosensor in the same chassis, and their implementation into crops. In this review, we focused on the available biosensors that encompass these aspects. We show that in vivo imaging of calcium and reactive oxygen species is satisfactorily covered with the available genetically encoded biosensors, while on the other hand they are still underrepresented when it comes to imaging of the main three hormonal players in the immune response: salicylic acid, ethylene and jasmonic acid. Following more than one analyte in the same chassis, upon one or more conditions, has so far been possible by using the most advanced genetically encoded biosensors in plants which allow the monitoring of calcium and the two main hormonal pathways involved in plant development, auxin and cytokinin. These kinds of biosensor are also the most evolved in crops. In the last section, we examine the challenges in the use of biosensors and demonstrate some strategies to overcome them.
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Christie JM, Zurbriggen MD. Optogenetics in plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:3108-3115. [PMID: 33064858 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The last two decades have witnessed the emergence of optogenetics; a field that has given researchers the ability to use light to control biological processes at high spatiotemporal and quantitative resolutions, in a reversible manner with minimal side-effects. Optogenetics has revolutionized the neurosciences, increased our understanding of cellular signalling and metabolic networks and resulted in variety of applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. However, implementing optogenetics in plants has been less straightforward, given their dependency on light for their life cycle. Here, we highlight some of the widely used technologies in microorganisms and animal systems derived from plant photoreceptor proteins and discuss strategies recently implemented to overcome the challenges for using optogenetics in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M Christie
- Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Matias D Zurbriggen
- Institute of Synthetic Biology and CEPLAS, University of Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, 40225, Germany
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56
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Gupta D, Dey N, Leelavathi S, Ranjan R. Development of efficient synthetic promoters derived from pararetrovirus suitable for translational research. PLANTA 2021; 253:42. [PMID: 33475866 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-021-03565-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION In this study, useful hybrid promoters were developed for efficient ectopic gene expression in monocot and dicot plants, and they hold strong prominence in both transgenic research and biotech industries. This study deals with developing novel synthetic promoters derived from Rice Tungro Bacilliform Virus (RTBV) and Mirabilis Mosaic Virus (MMV). Despite numerous availability, there is a severe scarcity of promoters universally suitable for monocot and dicot plants. Here, eight chimeric promoter constructs were synthesized as gBlocks gene fragments through domain swapping and hybridization by incorporating important domains of previously characterized RTBV and MMV promoters. The developed promoter constructs were assessed for transient GUS expression in tobacco protoplast (Xanthi Brad) and agro-infiltrated tobacco, petunia, rice and pearl millet. Protoplast expression analysis showed that two promoter constructs, namely pUPMA-RP1-MP1GUS and pUPMA-RP4-MP1GUS exhibited 3.56 and 2.5 times higher activities than that of the CaMV35S promoter. We had observed the similar type of expression patterns of these promoters in agroinfiltration-based transient studies. RP1-MP1 and RP4-MP1 promoters exhibited 1.87- and 1.68-fold increase expression in transgenic tobacco plants; while, a 1.95-fold increase was found in RP1-MP1 transgenic rice plants when compared their activities with CaMV35S promoter. Furthermore, on evaluating these promoter constructs for their expression in the bacterial system, pUPMA-RP1-MP1GFP was found to have the highest GFP expression. Moreover, the promoter construct was also evaluated for its capacity to express the HMP3 gene. Biobeads of encapsulated bacterial cells expressing HMP3 gene under control of the pUPMA-RP4-MP1 promoter were found to reduce 72.9% copper and 29.2% zinc concentration from wastewater. Our results had demonstrated that the developed promoter constructs could be used for translational research in dicot, monocot plants and bacterial systems for efficient gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipinte Gupta
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India
| | - Nrisingha Dey
- Institute of Life Science, Nalco Square, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, 751023, India
| | - Sadhu Leelavathi
- Plant Biology: Plant Transformation Research Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Rajiv Ranjan
- Plant Biotechnology Lab, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra, 282005, India.
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57
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Cai YM, Kallam K, Tidd H, Gendarini G, Salzman A, Patron NJ. Rational design of minimal synthetic promoters for plants. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11845-11856. [PMID: 32856047 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.14.095406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Promoters serve a critical role in establishing baseline transcriptional capacity through the recruitment of proteins, including transcription factors. Previously, a paucity of data for cis-regulatory elements in plants meant that it was challenging to determine which sequence elements in plant promoter sequences contributed to transcriptional function. In this study, we have identified functional elements in the promoters of plant genes and plant pathogens that utilize plant transcriptional machinery for gene expression. We have established a quantitative experimental system to investigate transcriptional function, investigating how identity, density and position contribute to regulatory function. We then identified permissive architectures for minimal synthetic plant promoters enabling the computational design of a suite of synthetic promoters of different strengths. These have been used to regulate the relative expression of output genes in simple genetic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Min Cai
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Kalyani Kallam
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Henry Tidd
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Giovanni Gendarini
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Amanda Salzman
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Nicola J Patron
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
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58
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Cai YM, Kallam K, Tidd H, Gendarini G, Salzman A, Patron N. Rational design of minimal synthetic promoters for plants. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11845-11856. [PMID: 32856047 PMCID: PMC7708054 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Promoters serve a critical role in establishing baseline transcriptional capacity through the recruitment of proteins, including transcription factors. Previously, a paucity of data for cis-regulatory elements in plants meant that it was challenging to determine which sequence elements in plant promoter sequences contributed to transcriptional function. In this study, we have identified functional elements in the promoters of plant genes and plant pathogens that utilize plant transcriptional machinery for gene expression. We have established a quantitative experimental system to investigate transcriptional function, investigating how identity, density and position contribute to regulatory function. We then identified permissive architectures for minimal synthetic plant promoters enabling the computational design of a suite of synthetic promoters of different strengths. These have been used to regulate the relative expression of output genes in simple genetic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Min Cai
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Kalyani Kallam
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Henry Tidd
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Giovanni Gendarini
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Amanda Salzman
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Nicola J Patron
- Engineering Biology, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norfolk NR4 7UZ, UK
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59
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Efremova LN, Strelnikova SR, Gazizova GR, Minkina EA, Komakhin RA. A Synthetic Strong and Constitutive Promoter Derived from the Stellaria media pro-SmAMP1 and pro-SmAMP2 Promoters for Effective Transgene Expression in Plants. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E1407. [PMID: 33256091 PMCID: PMC7760760 DOI: 10.3390/genes11121407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic promoters are vital for genetic engineering-based strategies for crop improvement, but effective methodologies for their creation and systematic testing are lacking. We report here on the comparative analysis of the promoters pro-SmAMP1 and pro-SmAMP2 from Stellaria media ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDE1 (AMP1) and ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDE2 (AMP2). These promoters are more effective than the well-known Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter. Although these promoters share about 94% identity, the pro-SmAMP1 promoter demonstrated stronger transient expression of a reporter gene in Agrobacterium infiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, while the pro-SmAMP2 promoter was more effective for the selection of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells when driving a selectable marker. Using the cap analysis of gene expression method, we detected no differences in the structure of the transcription start sites for either promoter in transgenic plants. For both promoters, we used fine-scale deletion analysis to identify 160 bp-long sequences that retain the unique properties of each promoter. With the use of chimeric promoters and directed mutagenesis, we demonstrated that the superiority of the pro-SmAMP1 promoter for Agrobacterium-mediated infiltration is caused by the proline-inducible ACTCAT cis-element strictly positioned relative to the TATA box in the core promoter. Surprisingly, the ACTCAT cis-element not only activated but also suppressed the efficiency of the pro-SmAMP1 promoter under proline stress. The absence of the ACTCAT cis-element and CAANNNNATC motif (negative regulator) in the pro-SmAMP2 promoter provided a more constitutive gene expression profile and better selection of transgenic cells on selective medium. We created a new synthetic promoter that enjoys high effectiveness both in transient expression and in selection of transgenic cells. Intact promoters with differing properties and high degrees of sequence identity may thus be used as a basis for the creation of new synthetic promoters for precise and coordinated gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa N. Efremova
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Moscow 127550, Russia; (L.N.E.); (S.R.S.)
| | - Svetlana R. Strelnikova
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Moscow 127550, Russia; (L.N.E.); (S.R.S.)
| | - Guzel R. Gazizova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia; (G.R.G.); (E.A.M.)
| | - Elena A. Minkina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan 420008, Russia; (G.R.G.); (E.A.M.)
| | - Roman A. Komakhin
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Moscow 127550, Russia; (L.N.E.); (S.R.S.)
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60
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Miroshnichenko D, Firsov A, Timerbaev V, Kozlov O, Klementyeva A, Shaloiko L, Dolgov S. Evaluation of Plant-Derived Promoters for Constitutive and Tissue-Specific Gene Expression in Potato. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9111520. [PMID: 33182387 PMCID: PMC7696379 DOI: 10.3390/plants9111520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Various plant-derived promoters can be used to regulate ectopic gene expression in potato. In the present study, four promoters derived from the potato genome have been characterized by the expression of identical cassettes carrying the fusion with the reporter β-glucuronidase (gusA) gene. The strengths of StUbi, StGBSS, StPat, and StLhca3 promoters were compared with the conventional constitutive CaMV 35S promoter in various organs (leaves, stems, roots, and tubers) of greenhouse-grown plants. The final amount of gene product was determined at the post-transcriptional level using histochemical analysis, fluorometric measurements, and Western blot analysis. The promoter strength comparison demonstrated that the StUbi promoter generally provided a higher level of constitutive β-glucuronidase accumulation than the viral CaMV 35S promoter. Although the StLhca3 promoter was predominantly expressed in a green tissue-specific manner (leaves and stems) while StGBSS and StPat mainly provided tuber-specific activity, a “promoter leakage” was also found. However, the degree of unspecific activity depended on the particular transgenic line and tissue. According to fluorometric data, the functional activity of promoters in leaves could be arranged as follows: StLhca3 > StUbi > CaMV 35S > StPat > StGBSS (from highest to lowest). In tubers, the higher expression was detected in transgenic plants expressing StPat-gusA fusion construct, and the strength order was as follows: StPat > StGBSS > StUbi > CaMV 35S > StLhca3. The observed differences between expression patterns are discussed considering the benefits and limitations for the usage of each promoter to regulate the expression of genes in a particular potato tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Miroshnichenko
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.F.); (V.T.); (O.K.); (A.K.); (L.S.); (S.D.)
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya Street 42, 127550 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
| | - Aleksey Firsov
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.F.); (V.T.); (O.K.); (A.K.); (L.S.); (S.D.)
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya Street 42, 127550 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vadim Timerbaev
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.F.); (V.T.); (O.K.); (A.K.); (L.S.); (S.D.)
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya Street 42, 127550 Moscow, Russia
| | - Oleg Kozlov
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.F.); (V.T.); (O.K.); (A.K.); (L.S.); (S.D.)
| | - Anna Klementyeva
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.F.); (V.T.); (O.K.); (A.K.); (L.S.); (S.D.)
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya Street 42, 127550 Moscow, Russia
| | - Lyubov Shaloiko
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.F.); (V.T.); (O.K.); (A.K.); (L.S.); (S.D.)
| | - Sergey Dolgov
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (A.F.); (V.T.); (O.K.); (A.K.); (L.S.); (S.D.)
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Timiryazevskaya Street 42, 127550 Moscow, Russia
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Baruah I, Baldodiya GM, Sahu J, Baruah G. Dissecting the Role of Promoters of Pathogen-sensitive Genes in Plant Defense. Curr Genomics 2020; 21:491-503. [PMID: 33214765 PMCID: PMC7604749 DOI: 10.2174/1389202921999200727213500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants inherently show resistance to pathogen attack but are susceptible to multiple bacteria, viruses, fungi, and phytoplasmas. Diseases as a result of such infection leads to the deterioration of crop yield. Several pathogen-sensitive gene activities, promoters of such genes, associated transcription factors, and promoter elements responsible for crosstalk between the defense signaling pathways are involved in plant resistance towards a pathogen. Still, only a handful of genes and their promoters related to plant resistance have been identified to date. Such pathogen-sensitive promoters are accountable for elevating the transcriptional activity of certain genes in response to infection. Also, a suitable promoter is a key to devising successful crop improvement strategies as it ensures the optimum expression of the required transgene. The study of the promoters also helps in mining more details about the transcription factors controlling their activities and helps to unveil the involvement of new genes in the pathogen response. Therefore, the only way out to formulate new solutions is by analyzing the molecular aspects of these promoters in detail. In this review, we provided an overview of the promoter motifs and cis-regulatory elements having specific roles in pathogen attack response. To elaborate on the importance and get a vivid picture of the pathogen-sensitive promoter sequences, the key motifs and promoter elements were analyzed with the help of PlantCare and interpreted with available literature. This review intends to provide useful information for reconstructing the gene networks underlying the resistance of plants against pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jagajjit Sahu
- Address correspondence to these authors at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India;, E-mail: ; Environment Division, Assam Science Technology & Environment Council, Bigyan Bhawan, Guwahati-781005, Assam, India; E-mail:
| | - Geetanjali Baruah
- Address correspondence to these authors at the Department of Mycology & Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi-221005, Uttar Pradesh, India;, E-mail: ; Environment Division, Assam Science Technology & Environment Council, Bigyan Bhawan, Guwahati-781005, Assam, India; E-mail:
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62
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Dasgupta K, Hotton S, Belknap W, Syed Y, Dardick C, Thilmony R, Thomson JG. Isolation of novel citrus and plum fruit promoters and their functional characterization for fruit biotechnology. BMC Biotechnol 2020; 20:43. [PMID: 32819338 PMCID: PMC7439555 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-020-00635-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Promoters that confer expression in fruit tissues are important tools for genetic engineering of fruit quality traits, yet few fruit-specific promoters have been identified, particularly for citrus fruit development. Results In this study, we report five citrus fruit-specific/preferential promoters for genetic engineering. Additionally, we have characterized a novel fruit-preferential promoter from plum. Genes specifically expressed in fruit tissues were selected and their isolated promoter regions were fused with the GUSPlus reporter gene for evaluation in transgenic plants. Stable transformation in Micro-Tom tomato demonstrated that the candidate promoter regions exhibit differing levels of expression and with varying degrees of fruit specificity. Conclusions Among the five candidate citrus promoters characterized in this study, the CitSEP promoter showed a fruit-specific expression pattern, while the CitWAX and CitJuSac promoters exhibited high fruit-preferential expression with strong activity in the fruit, weak activity in floral tissues and low or undetectable activity in other tissues. The CitVO1, CitUNK and PamMybA promoters, while exhibiting strong fruit-preferential expression, also showed consistent weak but detectable activity in leaves and other vegetative tissues. Use of these fruit specific/preferential promoters for genetic engineering can help with precise expression of beneficial genes and help with accurate prediction of the activity of new genes in host fruit plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasturi Dasgupta
- Citrus Research Board, Visalia, CA, USA.,Crop Improvement and Genetics, Western Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA.,Present address: Impossible Foods, Redwood City, CA, 94063, USA
| | - Sara Hotton
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, Western Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA
| | - William Belknap
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, Western Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA
| | - Yasra Syed
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, Western Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA
| | - Christopher Dardick
- Genetic Improvement of Fruit Crops using advanced Genomics and Breeding Technologies, Kearneysville, WV, USA
| | - Roger Thilmony
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, Western Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA.
| | - James G Thomson
- Crop Improvement and Genetics, Western Regional Research Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA.
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Ram C, Annamalai M, Koramutla MK, Kansal R, Arora A, Jain PK, Bhattacharya R. Characterization of STP4 promoter in Indian mustard Brassica juncea for use as an aphid responsive promoter. Biotechnol Lett 2020; 42:2013-2033. [PMID: 32676799 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-020-02961-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Brassica juncea, a major oilseed crop, suffers substantial yield losses due to infestation by mustard aphids (Lipaphis erysimi). Unavailability of resistance genes within the accessible gene pool underpins significance of the transgenic strategy in developing aphid resistance. In this study, we aimed for the identification of an aphid-responsive promoter from B. juncea, based on the available genomic resources. RESULTS A monosaccharide transporter gene, STP4 in B. juncea was activated by aphids and sustained increased expression as the aphids colonized the plants. We cloned the upstream intergenic region of STP4 and validated its stand-alone aphid-responsive promoter activity. Further, deletion analysis identified the putative cis-elements important for the aphid responsive promoter activity. CONCLUSION The identified STP4 promoter can potentially be used for driving high level aphid-inducible expression of transgenes in plants. Use of aphid-responsive promoter instead of constitutive promoters can potentially reduce the metabolic burden of transgene-expression on the host plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chet Ram
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Muthuganeshan Annamalai
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Murali Krishna Koramutla
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Rekha Kansal
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Ajay Arora
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Pradeep K Jain
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Ramcharan Bhattacharya
- ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Campus, New Delhi, 110012, India.
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Jameel A, Noman M, Liu W, Ahmad N, Wang F, Li X, Li H. Tinkering Cis Motifs Jigsaw Puzzle Led to Root-Specific Drought-Inducible Novel Synthetic Promoters. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1357. [PMID: 32085397 PMCID: PMC7072871 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Following an in-depth transcriptomics-based approach, we first screened out and analyzed (in silico) cis motifs in a group of 63 drought-inducible genes (in soybean). Six novel synthetic promoters (SynP14-SynP19) were designed by concatenating 11 cis motifs, ABF, ABRE, ABRE-Like, CBF, E2F-VARIANT, G-box, GCC-Box, MYB1, MYB4, RAV1-A, and RAV1-B (in multiple copies and various combination) with a minimal 35s core promoter and a 222 bp synthetic intron sequence. In order to validate their drought-inducibility and root-specificity, the designed synthetic assemblies were transformed in soybean hairy roots to drive GUS gene using pCAMBIA3301. Through GUS histochemical assay (after a 72 h 6% PEG6000 treatment), we noticed higher glucuronidase activity in transgenic hairy roots harboring SynP15, SynP16, and SynP18. Further screening through GUS fluorometric assay flaunted SynP16 as the most appropriate combination of efficient drought-responsive cis motifs. Afterwards, we stably transformed SynP15, SynP16, and SynP18 in Arabidopsis and carried out GUS staining as well as fluorometric assays of the transgenic plants treated with simulated drought stress. Consistently, SynP16 retained higher transcriptional activity in Arabidopsis roots in response to drought. Thus the root-specific drought-inducible synthetic promoters designed using stimulus-specific cis motifs in a definite fashion could be exploited in developing drought tolerance in soybean and other crops as well. Moreover, the rationale of design extends our knowledge of trial-and-error based cis engineering to construct synthetic promoters for transcriptional upgradation against other stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Xiaowei Li
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China; (A.J.); (M.N.); (W.L.); (N.A.)
| | - Haiyan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Engineering Research Center of the Chinese Ministry of Education for Bioreactor and Pharmaceutical Development, Jilin Agricultural University, 2888 Xincheng Street, Changchun 130118, China; (A.J.); (M.N.); (W.L.); (N.A.)
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Moisseyev G, Park K, Cui A, Freitas D, Rajagopal D, Konda AR, Martin-Olenski M, Mcham M, Liu K, Du Q, Schnable JC, Moriyama EN, Cahoon EB, Zhang C. RGPDB: database of root-associated genes and promoters in maize, soybean, and sorghum. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2020; 2020:5851117. [PMID: 32500918 PMCID: PMC7273057 DOI: 10.1093/database/baaa038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Root-associated genes play an important role in plants. Despite the fact that there have been studies on root biology, information on genes that are specifically expressed or upregulated in roots is poorly collected. There exist very few databases dedicated to genes and promoters associated with root biology, preventing effective root-related studies. Therefore, we analyzed multiple types of omics data to identify root-associated genes in maize, soybean, and sorghum and constructed a comprehensive online database of these genes and their promoter sequences. This database creates a pivotal platform capable of stimulating and facilitating further studies on manipulating root growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gleb Moisseyev
- Young Nebraska Scientists Program, University of Nebraska (EPSCoR), Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Kiyoul Park
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Alix Cui
- Young Nebraska Scientists Program, University of Nebraska (EPSCoR), Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Daniel Freitas
- Young Nebraska Scientists Program, University of Nebraska (EPSCoR), Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Divith Rajagopal
- Young Nebraska Scientists Program, University of Nebraska (EPSCoR), Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Anji Reddy Konda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | | | - Mackenzie Mcham
- Young Nebraska Scientists Program, University of Nebraska (EPSCoR), Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Kan Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Qian Du
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - James C Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Etsuko N Moriyama
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Edgar B Cahoon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588 USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
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