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Zhan J, Li G, Ryu CH, Ma C, Zhang S, Lloyd A, Hunter BG, Larkins BA, Drews GN, Wang X, Yadegari R. Opaque-2 Regulates a Complex Gene Network Associated with Cell Differentiation and Storage Functions of Maize Endosperm. THE PLANT CELL 2018; 30:2425-2446. [PMID: 30262552 PMCID: PMC6241275 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.18.00392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Development of the cereal endosperm involves cell differentiation processes that enable nutrient uptake from the maternal plant, accumulation of storage products, and their utilization during germination. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms that link cell differentiation processes with those controlling storage product synthesis and deposition, including the activation of zein genes by the maize (Zea mays) bZIP transcription factor Opaque-2 (O2). Here, we mapped in vivo binding sites of O2 in B73 endosperm and compared the results with genes differentially expressed in B73 and B73o2 We identified 186 putative direct O2 targets and 1677 indirect targets, encoding a broad set of gene functionalities. Examination of the temporal expression patterns of O2 targets revealed at least two distinct modes of O2-mediated gene activation. Two O2-activated genes, bZIP17 and NAKED ENDOSPERM2 (NKD2), encode transcription factors, which can in turn coactivate other O2 network genes with O2. NKD2 (with its paralog NKD1) was previously shown to be involved in regulation of aleurone development. Collectively, our results provide insights into the complexity of the O2-regulated network and its role in regulation of endosperm cell differentiation and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Zhan
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Guosheng Li
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Choong-Hwan Ryu
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Chuang Ma
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Alan Lloyd
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
| | - Brenda G Hunter
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Brian A Larkins
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
| | - Gary N Drews
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
| | - Xiangfeng Wang
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
| | - Ramin Yadegari
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
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152
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Yang J, Fu M, Ji C, Huang Y, Wu Y. Maize Oxalyl-CoA Decarboxylase1 Degrades Oxalate and Affects the Seed Metabolome and Nutritional Quality. THE PLANT CELL 2018; 30:2447-2462. [PMID: 30201823 PMCID: PMC6241262 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.18.00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The organic acid oxalate occurs in microbes, animals, and plants; however, excessive oxalate accumulation in vivo is toxic to cell growth and decreases the nutritional quality of certain vegetables. However, the enzymes and functions required for oxalate degradation in plants remain largely unknown. Here, we report the cloning of a maize (Zea mays) opaque endosperm mutant that encodes oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase1 (EC4.1.1.8; OCD1). Ocd1 is generally expressed and is specifically induced by oxalate. The ocd1 mutant seeds contain a significantly higher level of oxalate than the wild type, indicating that the ocd1 mutants have a defect in oxalate catabolism. The maize classic mutant opaque7 (o7) was initially cloned for its high lysine trait, although the gene function was not understood until its homolog in Arabidopsis thaliana was found to encode an oxalyl-CoA synthetase (EC 6.2.1.8), which ligates oxalate and CoA to form oxalyl-CoA. Our enzymatic analysis showed that ZmOCD1 catalyzes oxalyl-CoA, the product of O7, into formyl-CoA and CO2 for degradation. Mutations in ocd1 caused dramatic alterations in the metabolome in the endosperm. Our findings demonstrate that ZmOCD1 acts downstream of O7 in oxalate degradation and affects endosperm development, the metabolome, and nutritional quality in maize seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Miaomiao Fu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chen Ji
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yongcai Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yongrui Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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153
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Robinson AJ, Tamiru M, Salby R, Bolitho C, Williams A, Huggard S, Fisch E, Unsworth K, Whelan J, Lewsey MG. AgriSeqDB: an online RNA-Seq database for functional studies of agriculturally relevant plant species. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:200. [PMID: 30231853 PMCID: PMC6146512 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1406-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genome-wide expression profile of genes in different tissues/cell types and developmental stages is a vital component of many functional genomic studies. Transcriptome data obtained by RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) is often deposited in public databases that are made available via data portals. Data visualization is one of the first steps in assessment and hypothesis generation. However, these databases do not typically include visualization tools and establishing one is not trivial for users who are not computational experts. This, as well as the various formats in which data is commonly deposited, makes the processes of data access, sharing and utility more difficult. Our goal was to provide a simple and user-friendly repository that meets these needs for data-sets from major agricultural crops. DESCRIPTION AgriSeqDB ( https://expression.latrobe.edu.au/agriseqdb ) is a database for viewing, analysing and interpreting developmental and tissue/cell-specific transcriptome data from several species, including major agricultural crops such as wheat, rice, maize, barley and tomato. The disparate manner in which public transcriptome data is often warehoused and the challenge of visualizing raw data are both major hurdles to data reuse. The popular eFP browser does an excellent job of presenting transcriptome data in an easily interpretable view, but previous implementation has been mostly on a case-by-case basis. Here we present an integrated visualisation database of transcriptome data-sets from six species that did not previously have public-facing visualisations. We combine the eFP browser, for gene-by-gene investigation, with the Degust browser, which enables visualisation of all transcripts across multiple samples. The two visualisation interfaces launch from the same point, enabling users to easily switch between analysis modes. The tools allow users, even those without bioinformatics expertise, to mine into data-sets and understand the behaviour of transcripts of interest across samples and time. We have also incorporated an additional graphic download option to simplify incorporation into presentations or publications. CONCLUSION Powered by eFP and Degust browsers, AgriSeqDB is a quick and easy-to-use platform for data analysis and visualization in five crops and Arabidopsis. Furthermore, it provides a tool that makes it easy for researchers to share their data-sets, promoting research collaborations and data-set reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Muluneh Tamiru
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rachel Salby
- Library, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Eva Fisch
- Library, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - James Whelan
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mathew G. Lewsey
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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154
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Zhang S, Zhan J, Yadegari R. Maize opaque mutants are no longer so opaque. PLANT REPRODUCTION 2018; 31:319-326. [PMID: 29978299 PMCID: PMC6105308 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-018-0344-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The endosperm of angiosperms is a zygotic seed organ that stores nutrient reserves to support embryogenesis and seed germination. Cereal endosperm is also a major source of human calories and an industrial feedstock. Maize opaque endosperm mutants commonly exhibit opaque, floury kernels, along with other abnormal seed and/or non-seed phenotypes. The opaque endosperm phenotype is sometimes accompanied by a soft kernel texture and increased nutritional quality, including a higher lysine content, which are valuable agronomic traits that have drawn attention of maize breeders. Recently, an increasing number of genes that underlie opaque mutants have been cloned, and their characterization has begun to shed light on the molecular basis of the opaque endosperm phenotype. These mutants are categorized by disruption of genes encoding zein or non-zein proteins localized to protein bodies, enzymes involved in endosperm metabolic processes, or transcriptional regulatory proteins associated with endosperm storage programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zhang
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Junpeng Zhan
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Ramin Yadegari
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
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155
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Xiu Y, Wu G, Tang W, Peng Z, Bu X, Chao L, Yin X, Xiong J, Zhang H, Zhao X, Ding J, Ma L, Wang H, van Staden J. Oil biosynthesis and transcriptome profiles in developing endosperm and oil characteristic analyses in Paeonia ostii var. lishizhenii. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 228:121-133. [PMID: 29902680 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Paeonia ostii var. lishizhenii, a well-known medicinal and horticultural plant, is indigenous to China. Recent studies have shown that its seed has a high oil content, and it was approved as a novel resource of edible oil with a high level of α-linolenic acid by the Chinese Government. This study measured the seed oil contents and fatty acid components of P. ostii var. lishizhenii and six other peonies, P. suffruticosa, P. ludlowii, P. decomposita, P. rockii, and P. lactiflora Pall. 'Heze' and 'Gansu'. The results show that P. ostii var. lishizhenii exhibits the average oil characteristics of tested peonies, with an oil content of 21.3%, α-linolenic acid 43.8%, and unsaturated fatty acids around 92.1%. Hygiene indicators for the seven peony seed oils met the Chinese national food standards. P. ostii var. lishizhenii seeds were used to analyze transcriptome gene regulation networks on endosperm development and oil biosynthesis. In total, 124,117 transcripts were obtained from six endosperm developing stages (S0-S5). The significant changes in differential expression genes (DEGs) clarify three peony endosperm developmental phases: the endosperm cell mitotic phase (S0-S1), the TAG biosynthesis phase (S1-S4), and the mature phase (S5). The DEGs in plant hormone signal transduction, DNA replication, cell division, differentiation, transcription factors, and seed dormancy pathways regulate the endosperm development process. Another 199 functional DEGs participate in glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, citrate cycle, FA biosynthesis, TAG assembly, and other pathways. A key transcription factor (WRI1) and some important target genes (ACCase, FATA, LPCAT, FADs, and DGAT etc.) were found in the comprehensive genetic networks of oil biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xiu
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Guodong Wu
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Wensi Tang
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | | | - Xiangpan Bu
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Longjun Chao
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Beijing Peonature Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing, 101301, China.
| | - Xue Yin
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Jiannan Xiong
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Haiwu Zhang
- Forestry Institute of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850000, China.
| | | | - Jing Ding
- Jiangsu Guosetianxiang Oil Peony Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd., Changzhou 213000, China.
| | - Lvyi Ma
- College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Huafang Wang
- College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Johannes van Staden
- Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3209, South Africa.
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156
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Liu M, Ma Z, Zheng T, Sun W, Zhang Y, Jin W, Zhan J, Cai Y, Tang Y, Wu Q, Tang Z, Bu T, Li C, Chen H. Insights into the correlation between Physiological changes in and seed development of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.). BMC Genomics 2018; 19:648. [PMID: 30170551 PMCID: PMC6119279 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5036-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) is a widely cultivated medicinal and edible crop with excellent economic and nutritional value. The development of tartary buckwheat seeds is a very complex process involving many expression-dependent physiological changes and regulation of a large number of genes and phytohormones. In recent years, the gene regulatory network governing the physiological changes occurring during seed development have received little attention. RESULTS Here, we characterized the seed development of tartary buckwheat using light and electron microscopy and measured phytohormone and nutrient accumulation by using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and by profiling the expression of key genes using RNA sequencing with the support of the tartary buckwheat genome. We first divided the development of tartary buckwheat seed into five stages that include complex changes in development, morphology, physiology and phytohormone levels. At the same time, the contents of phytohormones (gibberellin, indole-3-acetic acid, abscisic acid, and zeatin) and nutrients (rutin, starch, total proteins and soluble sugars) at five stages were determined, and their accumulation patterns in the development of tartary buckwheat seeds were analyzed. Second, gene expression patterns of tartary buckwheat samples were compared during three seed developmental stages (13, 19, and 25 days postanthesis, DPA), and 9 765 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. We analyzed the overlapping DEGs in different sample combinations and measured 665 DEGs in the three samples. Furthermore, expression patterns of DEGs related to phytohormones, flavonoids, starch, and storage proteins were analyzed. Third, we noted the correlation between the trait (physiological changes, nutrient changes) and metabolites during seed development, and discussed the key genes that might be involved in the synthesis and degradation of each of them. CONCLUSION We provided abundant genomic resources for tartary buckwheat and Polygonaceae communities and revealed novel molecular insights into the correlations between the physiological changes and seed development of tartary buckwheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moyang Liu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Zhaotang Ma
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Tianrun Zheng
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Wenjun Sun
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Weiqiong Jin
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Junyi Zhan
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Yuntao Cai
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Yujia Tang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Qi Wu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Zizhong Tang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Tongliang Bu
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Chenglei Li
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
| | - Hui Chen
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, China
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157
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Qu J, Xu S, Zhang Z, Chen G, Zhong Y, Liu L, Zhang R, Xue J, Guo D. Evolutionary, structural and expression analysis of core genes involved in starch synthesis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12736. [PMID: 30143668 PMCID: PMC6109180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30411-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Starch is the main storage carbohydrate in plants and an important natural resource for food, feed and industrial raw materials. However, the details regarding the pathway for starch biosynthesis and the diversity of biosynthetic enzymes involved in this process are poorly understood. This study uses a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of 74 sequenced plant genomes to revisit the evolutionary history of the genes encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), starch synthase (SS), starch branching enzyme (SBE) and starch de-branching enzyme (DBE). Additionally, the protein structures and expression patterns of these four core genes in starch biosynthesis were studied to determine their functional differences. The results showed that AGPase, SS, SBE and DBE have undergone complicated evolutionary processes in plants and that gene/genome duplications are responsible for the observed differences in isoform numbers. A structure analysis of these proteins suggested that the deletion/mutation of amino acids in some active sites resulted in not only structural variation but also sub-functionalization or neo-functionalization. Expression profiling indicated that AGPase-, SS-, SBE- and DBE-encoding genes exhibit spatio-temporally divergent expression patterns related to the composition of functional complexes in starch biosynthesis. This study provides a comprehensive atlas of the starch biosynthetic pathway, and these data should support future studies aimed at increasing understanding of starch biosynthesis and the functional evolutionary divergence of AGPase, SS, SBE, and DBE in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhou Qu
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shutu Xu
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhengquan Zhang
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Guangzhou Chen
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuyue Zhong
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Linsan Liu
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Renhe Zhang
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiquan Xue
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Dongwei Guo
- The key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Centre of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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158
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Hanifiah FHA, Abdullah SNA, Othman A, Shaharuddin NA, Saud HM, Hasnulhadi HAH, Munusamy U. GCTTCA as a novel motif for regulating mesocarp-specific expression of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) stearoyl-ACP desaturase gene. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2018; 37:1127-1143. [PMID: 29789886 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-018-2300-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
TAAAAT and a novel motif, GCTTCA found in the oil palm stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD1) promoter are involved in regulating mesocarp-specific expression. Two key fatty acid biosynthetic genes, stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD1), and acyl-carrier protein (ACP3) in Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) showed high level of expression during the period of oil synthesis in the mesocarp [12-19 weeks after anthesis (w.a.a.)] and kernel (12-15 w.a.a.). Both genes are expressed in spear leaves at much lower levels and the expression increased by 1.5-fold to 2.5-fold following treatments with ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA). Both SAD1 and ACP3 promoters contain phytohormone-responsive, light-responsive, abiotic factors/wounding-responsive, endosperm specificity and fruit maturation/ripening regulatory motifs. The activities of the full length and six 5' deletion fragments of the SAD1 promoter were analyzed in transiently transformed oil palm tissues by quantitative β-glucuronidase (GUS) fluorometric assay. The highest SAD1 promoter activity was observed in the mesocarp followed by kernel and the least in the leaves. GUS activity in the D3 deletion construct (- 486 to + 108) was the highest, while the D2 (- 535 to + 108) gave the lowest suggesting the presence of negative cis-acting regulatory element(s) in the deleted - 535 to - 486 (49 bp). It was found that the 49-bp region binds to the nuclear protein extract from mesocarp but not from leaves in electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Further fine-tuned analysis of this 49-bp region using truncated DNA led to the identification of GCTTCA as a novel motif in the SAD1 promoter. Interestingly, another known fruit ripening-related motif, LECPLEACS2 (TAAAAT) was found to be required for effective binding of the novel motif to the mesocarp nuclear protein extract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Hanan Abu Hanifiah
- Department of Agriculture Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Nor Akmar Abdullah
- Department of Agriculture Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Laboratory of Science and Technology, Institute of Plantation Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Ashida Othman
- Department of Agriculture Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Noor Azmi Shaharuddin
- Laboratory of Science and Technology, Institute of Plantation Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Halimi Mohd Saud
- Department of Agriculture Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hasnul Abdul Hakim Hasnulhadi
- Department of Agriculture Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Umaiyal Munusamy
- Laboratory of Science and Technology, Institute of Plantation Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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159
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Yang Z, Liu D, Ji H. Sucrose metabolism in developing oil-rich tubers of Cyperus esculentus: comparative transcriptome analysis. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:151. [PMID: 30041609 PMCID: PMC6056992 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1363-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cyperus esculentus is unique in that it can accumulate significant amounts of oil, starch and sugar as major storage reserves in tubers with high tuber yield and therefore considered as a novel model to study carbon allocation into different storage reserves in underground sink tissues such as tubers and roots. Sucrose (Suc) plays a central role in control of carbon flux toward biosynthesis of different storage reserves; however, it remains unclear for the molecular mechanism underlying Suc metabolism in underground oil-rich storage tissues. In the present study, a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of C. esculentus oil tuber compared to other plant oil- or carbohydrate-rich storage tissues was made for the expression patterns of genes related to the Suc metabolism. RESULTS The results revealed some species-specific features of gene transcripts in oil tuber of C. esculentus, indicating that: (i) the expressions of genes responsible for Suc metabolism are developmentally regulated and displayed a pattern dissimilar to other plant storage tissues; (ii) both of Suc breakdown and biosynthesis processes might be the major pathways associated with Suc metabolism; (iii) it was probably that Suc degradation could be primarily through the action of Suc synthase (SUS) other than invertase (INV) during tuber development. The orthologs of SUS1, SUS3 and SUS4 are the main SUS isoforms catalyzing Suc breakdown while the vacuolar INV (VIN) is the leading determinant controlling sugar composition; (iv) cytosolic hexose phosphorylation possibly relies more on fructose as substrate and uridine diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) plays an important role in this pathway; (v) it is Suc-phosphate synthase (SPS) B- and C-family members rather than SPS A that are the principal contributors to SPS enzymes and play crucial roles in Suc biosynthesis pathway. CONCLUSIONS We have successfully identified the Suc metabolic pathways in C. esculentus tubers, highlighting several conserved and distinct expressions that might contribute to sugar accumulation in this unique underground storage tissue. The specific and differential expression genes revealed in this study might indicate the special molecular mechanism and transcriptional regulation of Suc metabolism occurred in oil tubers of C. esculentus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenle Yang
- Key Lab of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093 China
| | - Dantong Liu
- Key Lab of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Hongying Ji
- Key Lab of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
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160
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Chen D, Fu LY, Hu D, Klukas C, Chen M, Kaufmann K. The HTPmod Shiny application enables modeling and visualization of large-scale biological data. Commun Biol 2018; 1:89. [PMID: 30271970 PMCID: PMC6123733 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0091-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The wave of high-throughput technologies in genomics and phenomics are enabling data to be generated on an unprecedented scale and at a reasonable cost. Exploring the large-scale data sets generated by these technologies to derive biological insights requires efficient bioinformatic tools. Here we introduce an interactive, open-source web application (HTPmod) for high-throughput biological data modeling and visualization. HTPmod is implemented with the Shiny framework by integrating the computational power and professional visualization of R and including various machine-learning approaches. We demonstrate that HTPmod can be used for modeling and visualizing large-scale, high-dimensional data sets (such as multiple omics data) under a broad context. By reinvestigating example data sets from recent studies, we find not only that HTPmod can reproduce results from the original studies in a straightforward fashion and within a reasonable time, but also that novel insights may be gained from fast reinvestigation of existing data by HTPmod. Dijun Chen et al. present HTPmod, a Shiny web application for modeling and visualization of large-scale genomic and phenomic datasets. The authors show that HTPmod can quickly reproduce analyses of high-throughput biological datasets and produce publication-quality figures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dijun Chen
- Department for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10115, Germany. .,Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, Gatersleben, 06466, Germany.
| | - Liang-Yu Fu
- Department for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10115, Germany
| | - Dahui Hu
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Christian Klukas
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Corrensstrasse 3, Gatersleben, 06466, Germany.,Digitalization in Research & Development (ROM), BASF SE, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, 67056, Germany
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Kerstin Kaufmann
- Department for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, 10115, Germany.
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161
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Huang J, Zheng J, Yuan H, McGinnis K. Distinct tissue-specific transcriptional regulation revealed by gene regulatory networks in maize. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:111. [PMID: 29879919 PMCID: PMC6040155 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1329-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcription factors (TFs) are proteins that can bind to DNA sequences and regulate gene expression. Many TFs are master regulators in cells that contribute to tissue-specific and cell-type-specific gene expression patterns in eukaryotes. Maize has been a model organism for over one hundred years, but little is known about its tissue-specific gene regulation through TFs. In this study, we used a network approach to elucidate gene regulatory networks (GRNs) in four tissues (leaf, root, SAM and seed) in maize. We utilized GENIE3, a machine-learning algorithm combined with large quantity of RNA-Seq expression data to construct four tissue-specific GRNs. Unlike some other techniques, this approach is not limited by high-quality Position Weighed Matrix (PWM), and can therefore predict GRNs for over 2000 TFs in maize. RESULTS Although many TFs were expressed across multiple tissues, a multi-tiered analysis predicted tissue-specific regulatory functions for many transcription factors. Some well-studied TFs emerged within the four tissue-specific GRNs, and the GRN predictions matched expectations based upon published results for many of these examples. Our GRNs were also validated by ChIP-Seq datasets (KN1, FEA4 and O2). Key TFs were identified for each tissue and matched expectations for key regulators in each tissue, including GO enrichment and identity with known regulatory factors for that tissue. We also found functional modules in each network by clustering analysis with the MCL algorithm. CONCLUSIONS By combining publicly available genome-wide expression data and network analysis, we can uncover GRNs at tissue-level resolution in maize. Since ChIP-Seq and PWMs are still limited in several model organisms, our study provides a uniform platform that can be adapted to any species with genome-wide expression data to construct GRNs. We also present a publicly available database, maize tissue-specific GRN (mGRN, https://www.bio.fsu.edu/mcginnislab/mgrn/ ), for easy querying. All source code and data are available at Github ( https://github.com/timedreamer/maize_tissue-specific_GRN ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Huang
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306, USA
| | - Juefei Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hui Yuan
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306, USA
| | - Karen McGinnis
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306, USA.
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162
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Zhao H, Zhang W, Chen L, Wang L, Marand AP, Wu Y, Jiang J. Proliferation of Regulatory DNA Elements Derived from Transposable Elements in the Maize Genome. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 176:2789-2803. [PMID: 29463772 PMCID: PMC5884613 DOI: 10.1104/pp.17.01467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Genomic regions free of nucleosomes, which are hypersensitive to DNase I digestion, are known as DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) and frequently contain cis-regulatory DNA elements. To investigate their prevalence and characteristics in maize (Zea mays), we developed high-resolution genome-wide DHS maps using a modified DNase-seq technique. Maize DHSs exhibit depletion of nucleosomes and low levels of DNA methylation and are enriched with conserved noncoding sequences (CNSs). We developed a protoplast-based transient transformation assay to assess the potential gene expression enhancer and/or promoter functions associated with DHSs, which showed that more than 80% of DHSs overlapping with CNSs showed an enhancer function. Strikingly, nearly 25% of maize DHSs were derived from transposable elements (TEs), including both class I and class II transposons. Interestingly, TE-derived DHSs (teDHSs) homologous to retrotransposons were enriched with sequences related to the intrinsic cis-regulatory elements within the long terminal repeats of retrotransposons. We demonstrate that more than 80% of teDHSs can drive transcription of a reporter gene in protoplast assays. These results reveal the widespread occurrence of TE-derived cis-regulatory sequences and suggest that teDHSs play a major role in transcriptional regulation in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hainan Zhao
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Lifen Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Alexandre P Marand
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Yufeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China
| | - Jiming Jiang
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
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163
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Tan J, Miao Z, Ren C, Yuan R, Tang Y, Zhang X, Han Z, Ma C. Evolution of intron-poor clades and expression patterns of the glycosyltransferase family 47. PLANTA 2018; 247:745-760. [PMID: 29196940 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-017-2821-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
A large-scale bioinformatics analysis revealed the origin and evolution of GT47 gene family, and identified two clades of intron-poor genes with putative functions in drought stress responses and seed development in maize. Glycosyltransferase family 47 (GT47) genes encode β-galactosyltransferases and β-glucuronyltransferases that synthesize pectin, xyloglucans and xylan, which are important components of the plant cell wall. In this study, we performed a systematic and large-scale bioinformatics analysis of GT47 gene family using 352 GT47 proteins from 15 species ranging from cyanobacteria to seed plants. The analysis results showed that GT47 family may originate in cyanobacteria and expand along the evolutionary trajectory to moss. Further analysis of 47 GT47 genes in maize revealed that they can divide into five clades with diverse exon-intron structures. Among these five clades, two were mainly composed with intron-poor genes, which may originate in the moss. Gene duplication analysis revealed that the expansion of GT47 gene family in maize was significantly driven from tandem duplication events and segmental duplication events. Significantly, almost all duplicated genes are intron-poor genes. Expression analysis indicated that several intron-poor GT47 genes may be involved in the drought stress response and seed development in maize. This work provides insight into the origin and evolutionary process, expansion mechanisms and expression patterns of GT47 genes, thus facilitating their functional investigations in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Center of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhenyan Miao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Center of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chengzhi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruxia Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yunjia Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
- Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaorong Zhang
- Center of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhaoxue Han
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Chuang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- Center of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Maize in Arid Area of Northwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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164
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Meng D, Zhao J, Zhao C, Luo H, Xie M, Liu R, Lai J, Zhang X, Jin W. Sequential gene activation and gene imprinting during early embryo development in maize. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 93:445-459. [PMID: 29172230 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Gene imprinting is a widely observed epigenetic phenomenon in maize endosperm; however, whether it also occurs in the maize embryo remains controversial. Here, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing on laser capture microdissected and manually dissected maize embryos from reciprocal crosses between inbred lines B73 and Mo17 at six time points (3-13 days after pollination, DAP) to analyze allelic gene expression patterns. Co-expression analysis revealed sequential gene activation during maize embryo development. Gene imprinting was observed in maize embryos, and a greater number of imprinted genes were identified at early embryo stages. Sixty-four strongly imprinted genes were identified (at the threshold of 9:1) on manually dissected embryos 5-13 DAP (more imprinted genes at 5 DAP). Forty-one strongly imprinted genes were identified from laser capture microdissected embryos at 3 and 5 DAP (more imprinted genes at 3 DAP). Furthermore, of the 56 genes that were completely imprinted (at the threshold of 99:1), 36 were not previously identified as imprinted genes in endosperm or embryos. In situ hybridization demonstrated that most of the imprinted genes were expressed abundantly in maize embryonic tissue. Our results shed lights on early maize embryo development and provide evidence to support that gene imprinting occurs in maize embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexuan Meng
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Ministry of Education (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianyu Zhao
- Department of Vegetable Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Cheng Zhao
- Shanghai Centre for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Haishan Luo
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Ministry of Education (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mujiao Xie
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Ministry of Education (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Renyi Liu
- Shanghai Centre for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Jinsheng Lai
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Ministry of Education (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiaolan Zhang
- Department of Vegetable Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Weiwei Jin
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Ministry of Education (MOE), China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
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165
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Li C, Huang Y, Huang R, Wu Y, Wang W. The genetic architecture of amylose biosynthesis in maize kernel. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2018; 16:688-695. [PMID: 28796926 PMCID: PMC5787843 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Starch is the most abundant storage carbohydrate in maize kernel. The content of amylose and amylopectin confers unique properties in food processing and industrial application. Thus, the resurgent interest has been switched to the study of individual amylose or amylopectin rather than total starch, whereas the enzymatic machinery for amylose synthesis remains elusive. We took advantage of the phenotype of amylose content and the genotype of 9,007,194 single nucleotide polymorphisms from 464 inbred maize lines. The genome-wide association study identified 27 associated loci involving 39 candidate genes that were linked to amylose content including transcription factors, glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, as well as hydrolases. Except the waxy gene that encodes the granule-bound starch synthase, the remaining candidate genes were located in the upstream pathway of amylose synthesis, while the downstream members were already known from prior studies. The linked candidate genes could be transferred to manipulate amylose content and thus add value to maize kernel in the breeding programme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changsheng Li
- College of Agriculture and BiologyShanghai Jiaotong UniversityShanghaiChina
- College of AgronomyShenyang Agriculture UniversityShenyangChina
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular GeneticsCAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant SciencesInstitute of Plant Physiology & EcologyShanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Yongcai Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular GeneticsCAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant SciencesInstitute of Plant Physiology & EcologyShanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- University of the Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ruidong Huang
- College of AgronomyShenyang Agriculture UniversityShenyangChina
| | - Yongrui Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular GeneticsCAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant SciencesInstitute of Plant Physiology & EcologyShanghai Institutes for Biological SciencesChinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Wenqin Wang
- College of Agriculture and BiologyShanghai Jiaotong UniversityShanghaiChina
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166
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Jia H, Sun W, Li M, Zhang Z. Integrated Analysis of Protein Abundance, Transcript Level, and Tissue Diversity To Reveal Developmental Regulation of Maize. J Proteome Res 2018; 17:822-833. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Jia
- National Key Laboratory of
Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Wei Sun
- National Key Laboratory of
Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Manfei Li
- National Key Laboratory of
Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Zuxin Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of
Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
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167
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Li X, Gu W, Sun S, Chen Z, Chen J, Song W, Zhao H, Lai J. Defective Kernel 39 encodes a PPR protein required for seed development in maize. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 60:45-64. [PMID: 28981206 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
RNA editing is a posttranscriptional process that is important in mitochondria and plastids of higher plants. All RNA editing-specific trans-factors reported so far belong to PLS-class of pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins. Here, we report the map-based cloning and molecular characterization of a defective kernel mutant dek39 in maize. Loss of Dek39 function leads to delayed embryogenesis and endosperm development, reduced kernel size, and seedling lethality. Dek39 encodes an E sub-class PPR protein that targets to both mitochondria and chloroplasts, and is involved in RNA editing in mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase3 (nad3) at nad3-247 and nad3-275. C-to-U editing of nad3-275 is not conserved and even lost in Arabidopsis, consistent with the idea that no close DEK39 homologs are present in Arabidopsis. However, the amino acids generated by editing nad3-247 and nad3-275 are highly conserved in many other plant species, and the reductions of editing at these two sites decrease the activity of mitochondria NADH dehydrogenase complex I, indicating that the alteration of amino acid sequence is necessary for Nad3 function. Our results indicate that Dek39 encodes an E sub-class PPR protein that is involved in RNA editing of multiple sites and is necessary for seed development of maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Wei Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Silong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zongliang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Weibin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Haiming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jinsheng Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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168
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Functions of maize genes encoding pyruvate phosphate dikinase in developing endosperm. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 115:E24-E33. [PMID: 29255019 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1715668115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize opaque2 (o2) mutations are beneficial for endosperm nutritional quality but cause negative pleiotropic effects for reasons that are not fully understood. Direct targets of the bZIP transcriptional regulator encoded by o2 include pdk1 and pdk2 that specify pyruvate phosphate dikinase (PPDK). This enzyme reversibly converts AMP, pyrophosphate, and phosphoenolpyruvate to ATP, orthophosphate, and pyruvate and provides diverse functions in plants. This study addressed PPDK function in maize starchy endosperm where it is highly abundant during grain fill. pdk1 and pdk2 were inactivated individually by transposon insertions, and both genes were simultaneously targeted by endosperm-specific RNAi. pdk2 accounts for the large majority of endosperm PPDK, whereas pdk1 specifies the abundant mesophyll form. The pdk1- mutation is seedling-lethal, indicating that C4 photosynthesis is essential in maize. RNAi expression in transgenic endosperm eliminated detectable PPDK protein and enzyme activity. Transgenic kernels weighed the same on average as nontransgenic siblings, with normal endosperm starch and total N contents, indicating that PPDK is not required for net storage compound synthesis. An opaque phenotype resulted from complete PPDK knockout, including loss of vitreous endosperm character similar to the phenotype conditioned by o2-. Concentrations of multiple glycolytic intermediates were elevated in transgenic endosperm, energy charge was altered, and starch granules were more numerous but smaller on average than normal. The data indicate that PPDK modulates endosperm metabolism, potentially through reversible adjustments to energy charge, and reveal that o2- mutations can affect the opaque phenotype through regulation of PPDK in addition to their previously demonstrated effects on storage protein gene expression.
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169
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Xing L, Zhu M, Zhang M, Li W, Jiang H, Zou J, Wang L, Xu M. High-Throughput Sequencing of Small RNA Transcriptomes in Maize Kernel Identifies miRNAs Involved in Embryo and Endosperm Development. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8120385. [PMID: 29240690 PMCID: PMC5748703 DOI: 10.3390/genes8120385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize kernel development is a complex biological process that involves the temporal and spatial expression of many genes and fine gene regulation at a transcriptional and post-transcriptional level, and microRNAs (miRNAs) play vital roles during this process. To gain insight into miRNA-mediated regulation of maize kernel development, a deep-sequencing technique was used to investigate the dynamic expression of miRNAs in the embryo and endosperm at three developmental stages in B73. By miRNA transcriptomic analysis, we characterized 132 known miRNAs and six novel miRNAs in developing maize kernel, among which, 15 and 14 miRNAs were commonly differentially expressed between the embryo and endosperm at 9 days after pollination (DAP), 15 DAP and 20 DAP respectively. Conserved miRNA families such as miR159, miR160, miR166, miR390, miR319, miR528 and miR529 were highly expressed in developing embryos; miR164, miR171, miR393 and miR2118 were highly expressed in developing endosperm. Genes targeted by those highly expressed miRNAs were found to be largely related to a regulation category, including the transcription, macromolecule biosynthetic and metabolic process in the embryo as well as the vitamin biosynthetic and metabolic process in the endosperm. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that these miRNAs displayed a negative correlation with the levels of their corresponding target genes. Importantly, our findings revealed that members of the miR169 family were highly and dynamically expressed in the developing kernel, which will help to exploit new players functioning in maize kernel development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Xing
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Ming Zhu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Min Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Wenzong Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Haiyang Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Junjie Zou
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Miaoyun Xu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
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170
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Xiong W, Wang C, Zhang X, Yang Q, Shao R, Lai J, Du C. Highly interwoven communities of a gene regulatory network unveil topologically important genes for maize seed development. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 92:1143-1156. [PMID: 29072883 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The complex interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes in a spatially and temporally specific manner are crucial to all cellular processes. Reconstruction of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from gene expression profiles can help to decipher TF-gene regulations in a variety of contexts; however, the inevitable prediction errors of GRNs hinder optimal data mining of RNA-Seq transcriptome profiles. Here we perform an integrative study of Zea mays (maize) seed development in order to identify key genes in a complex developmental process. First, we reverse engineered a GRN from 78 maize seed transcriptome profiles. Then, we studied collective gene interaction patterns and uncovered highly interwoven network communities as the building blocks of the GRN. One community, composed of mostly unknown genes interacting with opaque2, brittle endosperm1 and shrunken2, contributes to seed phenotypes. Another community, composed mostly of genes expressed in the basal endosperm transfer layer, is responsible for nutrient transport. We further integrated our inferred GRN with gene expression patterns in different seed compartments and at various developmental stages and pathways. The integration facilitated a biological interpretation of the GRN. Our yeast one-hybrid assays verified six out of eight TF-promoter bindings in the reconstructed GRN. This study identified topologically important genes in interwoven network communities that may be crucial to maize seed development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwei Xiong
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA
| | - Chunlei Wang
- National Maize Improvement Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiangbo Zhang
- National Maize Improvement Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Qinghua Yang
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Ruixin Shao
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
| | - Jinsheng Lai
- National Maize Improvement Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Chunguang Du
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China
- Department of Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, 07043, USA
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171
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Palovaara J, Saiga S, Wendrich JR, van 't Wout Hofland N, van Schayck JP, Hater F, Mutte S, Sjollema J, Boekschoten M, Hooiveld GJ, Weijers D. Transcriptome dynamics revealed by a gene expression atlas of the early Arabidopsis embryo. NATURE PLANTS 2017; 3:894-904. [PMID: 29116234 PMCID: PMC5687563 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-017-0035-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
During early plant embryogenesis, precursors for all major tissues and stem cells are formed. While several components of the regulatory framework are known, how cell fates are instructed by genome-wide transcriptional activity remains unanswered-in part because of difficulties in capturing transcriptome changes at cellular resolution. Here, we have adapted a two-component transgenic labelling system to purify cell-type-specific nuclear RNA and generate a transcriptome atlas of early Arabidopsis embryo development, with a focus on root stem cell niche formation. We validated the dataset through gene expression analysis, and show that gene activity shifts in a spatio-temporal manner, probably signifying transcriptional reprogramming, to induce developmental processes reflecting cell states and state transitions. This atlas provides the most comprehensive tissue- and cell-specific description of genome-wide gene activity in the early plant embryo, and serves as a valuable resource for understanding the genetic control of early plant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joakim Palovaara
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Shunsuke Saiga
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos R Wendrich
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics and VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - J Paul van Schayck
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Friederike Hater
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sumanth Mutte
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jouke Sjollema
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Boekschoten
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guido J Hooiveld
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dolf Weijers
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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172
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Palovaara J, Saiga S, Wendrich JR, van 't Wout Hofland N, van Schayck JP, Hater F, Mutte S, Sjollema J, Boekschoten M, Hooiveld GJ, Weijers D. Transcriptome dynamics revealed by a gene expression atlas of the early Arabidopsis embryo. NATURE PLANTS 2017; 3:894-904. [PMID: 29116234 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-017-0035-33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
During early plant embryogenesis, precursors for all major tissues and stem cells are formed. While several components of the regulatory framework are known, how cell fates are instructed by genome-wide transcriptional activity remains unanswered-in part because of difficulties in capturing transcriptome changes at cellular resolution. Here, we have adapted a two-component transgenic labelling system to purify cell-type-specific nuclear RNA and generate a transcriptome atlas of early Arabidopsis embryo development, with a focus on root stem cell niche formation. We validated the dataset through gene expression analysis, and show that gene activity shifts in a spatio-temporal manner, probably signifying transcriptional reprogramming, to induce developmental processes reflecting cell states and state transitions. This atlas provides the most comprehensive tissue- and cell-specific description of genome-wide gene activity in the early plant embryo, and serves as a valuable resource for understanding the genetic control of early plant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joakim Palovaara
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Shunsuke Saiga
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos R Wendrich
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics and VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - J Paul van Schayck
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Friederike Hater
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sumanth Mutte
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jouke Sjollema
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Boekschoten
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Guido J Hooiveld
- Nutrition, Metabolism and Genomics Group, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dolf Weijers
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Wageningen University, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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173
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Zhu M, Zhang M, Xing L, Li W, Jiang H, Wang L, Xu M. Transcriptomic Analysis of Long Non-Coding RNAs and Coding Genes Uncovers a Complex Regulatory Network That Is Involved in Maize Seed Development. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8100274. [PMID: 29039813 PMCID: PMC5664124 DOI: 10.3390/genes8100274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in the development of maize plant. However, few focused on seed development of maize. Here, we identified 753 lncRNA candidates in maize genome from six seed samples. Similar to the mRNAs, lncRNAs showed tissue developmental stage specific and differential expression, indicating their putative role in seed development. Increasing evidence shows that crosstalk among RNAs mediated by shared microRNAs (miRNAs) represents a novel layer of gene regulation, which plays important roles in plant development. Functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) in plants, particularly in maize seed development, are unclear. We combined analyses of consistently altered 17 lncRNAs, 840 mRNAs and known miRNA to genome-wide investigate potential lncRNA-mediated ceRNA based on “ceRNA hypothesis”. The results uncovered seven novel lncRNAs as potential functional ceRNAs. Functional analyses based on their competitive coding-gene partners by Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG biological pathway demonstrated that combined effects of multiple ceRNAs can have major impacts on general developmental and metabolic processes in maize seed. These findings provided a useful platform for uncovering novel mechanisms of maize seed development and may provide opportunities for the functional characterization of individual lncRNA in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230000, China.
- Biotechnology Research Institute/The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Min Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute/The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Lijuan Xing
- Biotechnology Research Institute/The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Wenzong Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute/The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Haiyang Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230000, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Biotechnology Research Institute/The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Miaoyun Xu
- Biotechnology Research Institute/The National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
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174
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Li Q, Wang J, Ye J, Zheng X, Xiang X, Li C, Fu M, Wang Q, Zhang Z, Wu Y. The Maize Imprinted Gene Floury3 Encodes a PLATZ Protein Required for tRNA and 5S rRNA Transcription through Interaction with RNA Polymerase III. THE PLANT CELL 2017; 29:2661-2675. [PMID: 28874509 PMCID: PMC5774582 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.17.00576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) floury3 (fl3) is a classic semidominant negative mutant that exhibits severe defects in the endosperm but fl3 plants otherwise appear normal. We cloned the fl3 gene and determined that it encodes a PLATZ (plant AT-rich sequence and zinc binding) protein. The mutation in fl3 resulted in an Asn-to-His replacement in the conserved PLATZ domain, creating a dominant allele. Fl3 is specifically expressed in starchy endosperm cells and regulated by genomic imprinting, which leads to the suppressed expression of fl3 when transmitted through the male, perhaps as a consequence the semidominant behavior. Yeast two-hybrid screening and bimolecular luciferase complementation experiments revealed that FL3 interacts with the RNA polymerase III subunit 53 (RPC53) and transcription factor class C 1 (TFC1), two critical factors of the RNA polymerase III (RNAPIII) transcription complex. In the fl3 endosperm, the levels of many tRNAs and 5S rRNA that are transcribed by RNAPIII are significantly reduced, suggesting that the incorrectly folded fl3 protein may impair the function of RNAPIII. The transcriptome is dramatically altered in fl3 mutants, in which the downregulated genes are primarily enriched in pathways related to translation, ribosome, misfolded protein responses, and nutrient reservoir activity. Collectively, these changes may lead to defects in endosperm development and storage reserve filling in fl3 seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Li
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jiechen Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jianwei Ye
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xixi Zheng
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoli Xiang
- Institute of Biotechnology and Nuclear Technology, Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Science, Chengdu 610061, China
| | - Changsheng Li
- College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang 110866, China
| | - Miaomiao Fu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yongrui Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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175
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Yamasaki Y, Gao F, Jordan MC, Ayele BT. Seed maturation associated transcriptional programs and regulatory networks underlying genotypic difference in seed dormancy and size/weight in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 17:154. [PMID: 28915785 PMCID: PMC5603048 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-017-1104-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maturation forms one of the critical seed developmental phases and it is characterized mainly by programmed cell death, dormancy and desiccation, however, the transcriptional programs and regulatory networks underlying acquisition of dormancy and deposition of storage reserves during the maturation phase of seed development are poorly understood in wheat. The present study performed comparative spatiotemporal transcriptomic analysis of seed maturation in two wheat genotypes with contrasting seed weight/size and dormancy phenotype. RESULTS The embryo and endosperm tissues of maturing seeds appeared to exhibit genotype-specific temporal shifts in gene expression profile that might contribute to the seed phenotypic variations. Functional annotations of gene clusters suggest that the two tissues exhibit distinct but genotypically overlapping molecular functions. Motif enrichment predicts genotypically distinct abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) regulated transcriptional networks contribute to the contrasting seed weight/size and dormancy phenotypes between the two genotypes. While other ABA responsive element (ABRE) motifs are enriched in both genotypes, the prevalence of G-box-like motif specifically in tissues of the dormant genotype suggests distinct ABA mediated transcriptional mechanisms control the establishment of dormancy during seed maturation. In agreement with this, the bZIP transcription factors that co-express with ABRE enriched embryonic genes differ with genotype. The enrichment of SITEIIATCYTC motif specifically in embryo clusters of maturing seeds irrespective of genotype predicts a tissue specific role for the respective TCP transcription factors with no or minimal contribution to the variations in seed dormancy. CONCLUSION The results of this study advance our understanding of the seed maturation associated molecular mechanisms underlying variation in dormancy and weight/size in wheat seeds, which is a critical step towards the designing of molecular strategies for enhancing seed yield and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuji Yamasaki
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, 222 Agriculture Building, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
| | - Feng Gao
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, 222 Agriculture Building, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
| | - Mark C. Jordan
- Morden Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Morden, MB R6M 1Y5 Canada
| | - Belay T. Ayele
- Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba, 222 Agriculture Building, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
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176
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Zhang L, Dong Y, Wang Q, Du C, Xiong W, Li X, Zhu S, Li Y. iTRAQ-Based Proteomics Analysis and Network Integration for Kernel Tissue Development in Maize. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E1840. [PMID: 28837076 PMCID: PMC5618489 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18091840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Grain weight is one of the most important yield components and a developmentally complex structure comprised of two major compartments (endosperm and pericarp) in maize (Zea mays L.), however, very little is known concerning the coordinated accumulation of the numerous proteins involved. Herein, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based comparative proteomic method to analyze the characteristics of dynamic proteomics for endosperm and pericarp during grain development. Totally, 9539 proteins were identified for both components at four development stages, among which 1401 proteins were non-redundant, 232 proteins were specific in pericarp and 153 proteins were specific in endosperm. A functional annotation of the identified proteins revealed the importance of metabolic and cellular processes, and binding and catalytic activities for the tissue development. Three and 76 proteins involved in 49 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were integrated for the specific endosperm and pericarp proteins, respectively, reflecting their complex metabolic interactions. In addition, four proteins with important functions and different expression levels were chosen for gene cloning and expression analysis. Different concordance between mRNA level and the protein abundance was observed across different proteins, stages, and tissues as in previous research. These results could provide useful message for understanding the developmental mechanisms in grain development in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, 63 Nongye Rd., Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Yongbin Dong
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, 63 Nongye Rd., Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Qilei Wang
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, 63 Nongye Rd., Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Chunguang Du
- Deptment of Biology and Molecular Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA.
| | - Wenwei Xiong
- Deptment of Biology and Molecular Biology, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA.
| | - Xinyu Li
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, 63 Nongye Rd., Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Sailan Zhu
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, 63 Nongye Rd., Zhengzhou 450002, China.
| | - Yuling Li
- College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, 63 Nongye Rd., Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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177
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Ma S, Ding Z, Li P. Maize network analysis revealed gene modules involved in development, nutrients utilization, metabolism, and stress response. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 17:131. [PMID: 28764653 PMCID: PMC5540570 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-017-1077-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The advent of big data in biology offers opportunities while poses challenges to derive biological insights. For maize, a large amount of publicly available transcriptome datasets have been generated but a comprehensive analysis is lacking. RESULTS We constructed a maize gene co-expression network based on the graphical Gaussian model, using massive RNA-seq data. The network, containing 20,269 genes, assembles into 964 gene modules that function in a variety of plant processes, such as cell organization, the development of inflorescences, ligules and kernels, the uptake and utilization of nutrients (e.g. nitrogen and phosphate), the metabolism of benzoxazionids, oxylipins, flavonoids, and wax, and the response to stresses. Among them, the inflorescences development module is enriched with domestication genes (like ra1, ba1, gt1, tb1, tga1) that control plant architecture and kernel structure, while multiple other modules relate to diverse agronomic traits. Contained within these modules are transcription factors acting as known or potential expression regulators for the genes within the same modules, suggesting them as candidate regulators for related biological processes. A comparison with an established Arabidopsis network revealed conserved gene association patterns for specific modules involved in cell organization, nutrients uptake & utilization, and metabolism. The analysis also identified significant divergences between the two species for modules that orchestrate developmental pathways. CONCLUSIONS This network sheds light on how gene modules are organized between different species in the context of evolutionary divergence and highlights modules whose structure and gene content can provide important resources for maize gene functional studies with application potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shisong Ma
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui China
| | - Zehong Ding
- The Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, Hainan China
| | - Pinghua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong China
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178
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Chen J, Li E, Zhang X, Dong X, Lei L, Song W, Zhao H, Lai J. Genome-wide Nucleosome Occupancy and Organization Modulates the Plasticity of Gene Transcriptional Status in Maize. MOLECULAR PLANT 2017; 10:962-974. [PMID: 28487258 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Nucleosomes are fundamental units of chromatin that play critical roles in gene regulation by modulating DNA accessibility. However, their roles in regulating tissue-specific gene transcription are poorly understood. Here, we present genome-wide nucleosome maps of maize shoot and endosperm generated by sequencing the micrococcal nuclease digested nucleosomal DNA. The changes of gene transcriptional status between shoot and endosperm were accompanied by preferential nucleosome loss from the promoters and shifts in the first nucleosome downstream of the transcriptional start sites (+1 nucleosome) and upstream of transcriptional termination sites (-1 nucleosome). Intrinsically DNA-encoded nucleosome organization was largely associated with the capacity of a gene to alter its transcriptional status among different tissues. Compared with tissue-specific genes, constitutively expressed genes showed more pronounced 5' and 3' nucleosome-depleted regions as well as further +1 nucleosome to transcriptional start sites and -1 nucleosome to transcriptional termination sites. Moreover, nucleosome organization was more highly correlated with the plasticity of gene transcriptional status than with its expression level when examined using in vivo and predicted nucleosome data. In addition, the translational efficiencies of tissue-specific genes appeared to be greater than those of constitutively expressed genes. Taken together, our results indicate that intrinsically DNA-encoded nucleosome organization is important, beyond its role in regulating gene expression levels, in determining the plasticity of gene transcriptional status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - En Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xiangbo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xiaomei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Lei Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Weibin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Haiming Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Jinsheng Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China.
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Abstract
The maize endosperm consists of three major compartmentalized cell types: the starchy endosperm (SE), the basal endosperm transfer cell layer (BETL), and the aleurone cell layer (AL). Differential genetic programs are activated in each cell type to construct functionally and structurally distinct cells. To compare gene expression patterns involved in maize endosperm cell differentiation, we isolated transcripts from cryo-dissected endosperm specimens enriched with BETL, AL, or SE at 8, 12, and 16 days after pollination (DAP). We performed transcriptome profiling of coding and long noncoding transcripts in the three cell types during differentiation and identified clusters of the transcripts exhibiting spatio-temporal specificities. Our analysis uncovered that the BETL at 12 DAP undergoes the most dynamic transcriptional regulation for both coding and long noncoding transcripts. In addition, our transcriptome analysis revealed spatio-temporal regulatory networks of transcription factors, imprinted genes, and loci marked with histone H3 trimethylated at lysine 27. Our study suggests that various regulatory mechanisms contribute to the genetic networks specific to the functions and structures of the cell types of the endosperm.
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180
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Sreenivasulu N. Systems biology of seeds: deciphering the molecular mechanisms of seed storage, dormancy and onset of germination. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2017; 36:633-635. [PMID: 28421280 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-017-2135-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Seeds are heterogeneous storage reserves with wide array of storage compounds that include various soluble carbohydrates, starch polymer, storage proteins and lipids. These stored reserves comprise 70% of the world's caloric intake in the form of food and animal feed produced through sustainable agriculture, which contributes to food and nutritional security. Seed systems biology remains an enigmatic subject in understanding seed storage processes, maturation and pre-germinative metabolism. The reviews and research articles covered in this special issue of Plant Cell Reports highlight recent advances made in the area of seed biology that cover various systems biology applications such as gene regulatory networks, metabolomics, epigenetics and the role of micro-RNA in seed development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nese Sreenivasulu
- Plant Breeding division, Grain Quality and Nutrition Center, International Rice Research Institute, DAPO Box 7777, 1301, Metro Manila, Philippines.
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181
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Chen X, Feng F, Qi W, Xu L, Yao D, Wang Q, Song R. Dek35 Encodes a PPR Protein that Affects cis-Splicing of Mitochondrial nad4 Intron 1 and Seed Development in Maize. MOLECULAR PLANT 2017; 10:427-441. [PMID: 27596292 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In higher plants, the splicing of organelle-encoded mRNA involves a complex collaboration with nuclear-encoded proteins. Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins have been implicated in these RNA-protein interactions. In this study, we performed the cloning and functional characterization of maize Defective kernel 35 (Dek35). The dek35-ref mutant is a lethal-seed mutant with developmental deficiency. Dek35 was cloned through Mutator tag isolation and further confirmed by four additional independent mutant alleles. Dek35 encodes an P-type PPR protein that targets the mitochondria. The dek35 mutation causes significant reduction in the accumulation of DEK35 proteins and reduced splicing efficiency of mitochondrial nad4 intron 1. Analysis of mitochondrial complex in dek35 immature seeds indicated severe deficiency in the complex I assembly and NADH dehydrogenase activity. Transcriptome analysis of dek35 endosperm revealed enhanced expression of genes involved in the alternative respiratory pathway and extensive differentially expressed genes related to mitochondrial function and activity. Collectively, these results indicate that Dek35 encodes an PPR protein that affects the cis-splicing of mitochondrial nad4 intron 1 and is required for mitochondrial function and seed development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinze Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Fan Feng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Weiwei Qi
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; Coordinated Crop Biology Research Center (CBRC), Beijing 100193, China
| | - Liming Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Dongsheng Yao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Rentao Song
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China; National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Coordinated Crop Biology Research Center (CBRC), Beijing 100193, China.
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182
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Liu H, Luo X, Niu L, Xiao Y, Chen L, Liu J, Wang X, Jin M, Li W, Zhang Q, Yan J. Distant eQTLs and Non-coding Sequences Play Critical Roles in Regulating Gene Expression and Quantitative Trait Variation in Maize. MOLECULAR PLANT 2017; 10:414-426. [PMID: 27381443 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2016.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A detailed understanding of genetic architecture of mRNA expression by millions of genetic variants is important for studying quantitative trait variation. In this study, we identified 1.25M SNPs with a minor allele frequency greater than 0.05 by combining reduced genome sequencing (GBS), high-density array technologies (600K), and previous deep RNA-sequencing data from 368 diverse inbred lines of maize. The balanced allelic frequencies and distributions in a relatively large and diverse natural panel helped to identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with more than 18 000 genes (63.4% of tested genes). We found that distant eQTLs were more frequent (∼75% of all eQTLs) across the whole genome. Thirteen novel associated loci affecting maize kernel oil concentration were identified using the new dataset, among which one intergenic locus affected the kernel oil variation by controlling expression of three other known oil-related genes. Altogether, this study provides resources for expanding our understanding of cellular regulatory mechanisms of transcriptome variation and the landscape of functional variants within the maize genome, thereby enhancing the understanding of quantitative variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xin Luo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Luyao Niu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yingjie Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lu Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jie Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiaqing Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Minliang Jin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Wenqiang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qinghua Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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183
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Aberrant splicing in maize rough endosperm3 reveals a conserved role for U12 splicing in eukaryotic multicellular development. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2195-E2204. [PMID: 28242684 PMCID: PMC5358371 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1616173114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA splicing of U12-type introns functions in human cell differentiation, but it is not known whether this class of introns has a similar role in plants. The maize ROUGH ENDOSPERM3 (RGH3) protein is orthologous to the human splicing factor, ZRSR2. ZRSR2 mutations are associated with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and cause U12 splicing defects. Maize rgh3 mutants have aberrant endosperm cell differentiation and proliferation. We found that most U12-type introns are retained or misspliced in rgh3 Genes affected in rgh3 and ZRSR2 mutants identify cell cycle and protein glycosylation as common pathways disrupted. Transcripts with retained U12-type introns can be found in polysomes, suggesting that splicing efficiency can alter protein isoforms. The rgh3 mutant protein disrupts colocalization with a known ZRSR2-interacting protein, U2AF2. These results indicate conserved function for RGH3/ZRSR2 in U12 splicing and a deeply conserved role for the minor spliceosome to promote cell differentiation from stem cells to terminal fates.
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184
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López M, Gómez E, Faye C, Gerentes D, Paul W, Royo J, Hueros G, Muñiz LM. zmsbt1 and zmsbt2, two new subtilisin-like serine proteases genes expressed in early maize kernel development. PLANTA 2017; 245:409-424. [PMID: 27830397 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-016-2615-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Two subtilisin-like proteases show highly specific and complementary expression patterns in developing grains. These genes label the complete surface of the filial-maternal interface, suggesting a role in filial epithelial differentiation. The cereal endosperm is the most important source of nutrition and raw materials for mankind, as well as the storage compartment enabling initial growth of the germinating plantlets. The development of the different cell types in this tissue is regulated environmentally, genetically and epigenetically, resulting in the formation of top-bottom, adaxial-abaxial and surface-central axes. However, the mechanisms governing the interactions among the different inputs are mostly unknown. We have screened a kernel cDNA library for tissue-specific transcripts as initial step to identify genes relevant in cell differentiation. We report here on the isolation of two maize subtilisin-related genes that show grain-specific, surficial expression. zmsbt1 (Zea mays Subtilisin1) is expressed at the developing aleurone in a time-regulated manner, while zmsbt2 concentrates at the pedicel in front of the endosperm basal transfer layer. We have shown that their presence, early in the maize caryopsis development, is dependent on proper initial tissue determination, and have isolated their promoters to produce transgenic reporter lines that assist in the study of their regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maribel López
- Departamento Biomedicina and Biotecnología (Genética), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Elisa Gómez
- Departamento Biomedicina and Biotecnología (Genética), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Christian Faye
- GM Trait Discovery, Biogemma, Centre de Recherche de Chappes, Chappes, France
| | - Denise Gerentes
- GM Trait Discovery, Biogemma, Centre de Recherche de Chappes, Chappes, France
| | - Wyatt Paul
- GM Trait Discovery, Biogemma, Centre de Recherche de Chappes, Chappes, France
| | - Joaquín Royo
- Departamento Biomedicina and Biotecnología (Genética), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Gregorio Hueros
- Departamento Biomedicina and Biotecnología (Genética), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
| | - Luis M Muñiz
- Departamento Biomedicina and Biotecnología (Genética), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
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185
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Mei W, Liu S, Schnable JC, Yeh CT, Springer NM, Schnable PS, Barbazuk WB. A Comprehensive Analysis of Alternative Splicing in Paleopolyploid Maize. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:694. [PMID: 28539927 PMCID: PMC5423905 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Identifying and characterizing alternative splicing (AS) enables our understanding of the biological role of transcript isoform diversity. This study describes the use of publicly available RNA-Seq data to identify and characterize the global diversity of AS isoforms in maize using the inbred lines B73 and Mo17, and a related species, sorghum. Identification and characterization of AS within maize tissues revealed that genes expressed in seed exhibit the largest differential AS relative to other tissues examined. Additionally, differences in AS between the two genotypes B73 and Mo17 are greatest within genes expressed in seed. We demonstrate that changes in the level of alternatively spliced transcripts (intron retention and exon skipping) do not solely reflect differences in total transcript abundance, and we present evidence that intron retention may act to fine-tune gene expression across seed development stages. Furthermore, we have identified temperature sensitive AS in maize and demonstrate that drought-induced changes in AS involve distinct sets of genes in reproductive and vegetative tissues. Examining our identified AS isoforms within B73 × Mo17 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) identified splicing QTL (sQTL). The 43.3% of cis-sQTL regulated junctions are actually identified as alternatively spliced junctions in our analysis, while 10 Mb windows on each side of 48.2% of trans-sQTLs overlap with splicing related genes. Using sorghum as an out-group enabled direct examination of loss or conservation of AS between homeologous genes representing the two subgenomes of maize. We identify several instances where AS isoforms that are conserved between one maize homeolog and its sorghum ortholog are absent from the second maize homeolog, suggesting that these AS isoforms may have been lost after the maize whole genome duplication event. This comprehensive analysis provides new insights into the complexity of AS in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbin Mei
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, GainesvilleFL, USA
| | - Sanzhen Liu
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, AmesIA, USA
- Department of Plant Pathology, Kansas State University, ManhattanKS, USA
| | - James C. Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, LincolnNE, USA
| | - Cheng-Ting Yeh
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, AmesIA, USA
| | - Nathan M. Springer
- Department of Plant Biology, Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint PaulMN, USA
| | - Patrick S. Schnable
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, AmesIA, USA
- Center for Plant Genomics, Iowa State University, AmesIA, USA
| | - William B. Barbazuk
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, GainesvilleFL, USA
- Genetics Institute, University of Florida, GainesvilleFL, USA
- *Correspondence: William B. Barbazuk,
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186
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Han Y, Xu G, Du H, Hu J, Liu Z, Li H, Li J, Yang X. Natural variations in stearoyl-acp desaturase genes affect the conversion of stearic to oleic acid in maize kernel. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2017; 130:151-161. [PMID: 27717956 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-016-2800-2805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We identified 11 SAD genes, and mined their natural variations associated with the conservation of stearic to oleic acid, especially ZmSAD1 supported by both the QTL and an expression QTL. Maize oil is generally regarded as a healthy vegetable oil owing to its low abundance of saturated fatty acids. Stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD) is a key rate-limiting enzyme for the conservation of stearic (C18:0) to oleic (C18:1) acid. Here, 11 maize SAD genes were identified to have more divergent functions than Arabidopsis SAD genes. The genomic regional associations in a maize panel including 508 inbred lines identified 6 SAD genes significantly associated (P < 0.01) with the C18:0/C18:1 ratio or the level of C18:0 or C18:1, one gene of which co-localized with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) and 5 of which co-localized with an expression QTL. ZmSAD1, supported by both the QTL and an expression QTL, had the largest effect on C18:0/C18:1. One nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism in exon 3 and one 5-bp insertion/deletion in the 3' untranslated region were further shown to contribute to the natural variation in C18:0/C18:1 according to ZmSAD1-based association mapping. Finally, selection tests of ZmSAD1 in teosinte, regular maize, and high-oil maize indicated that ZmSAD1 was not a selection target during the process of maize domestication and high-oil maize development. These results will guide the manipulation of the ratio between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjia Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Gen Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hewei Du
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
| | - Jieyun Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhanji Liu
- Shandong Cotton Research Center, Shandong Academy of Agricutural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Hui Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, Shandong, China
| | - Jiansheng Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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187
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Han Y, Xu G, Du H, Hu J, Liu Z, Li H, Li J, Yang X. Natural variations in stearoyl-acp desaturase genes affect the conversion of stearic to oleic acid in maize kernel. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2017; 130:151-161. [PMID: 27717956 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-016-2800-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
We identified 11 SAD genes, and mined their natural variations associated with the conservation of stearic to oleic acid, especially ZmSAD1 supported by both the QTL and an expression QTL. Maize oil is generally regarded as a healthy vegetable oil owing to its low abundance of saturated fatty acids. Stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD) is a key rate-limiting enzyme for the conservation of stearic (C18:0) to oleic (C18:1) acid. Here, 11 maize SAD genes were identified to have more divergent functions than Arabidopsis SAD genes. The genomic regional associations in a maize panel including 508 inbred lines identified 6 SAD genes significantly associated (P < 0.01) with the C18:0/C18:1 ratio or the level of C18:0 or C18:1, one gene of which co-localized with a quantitative trait locus (QTL) and 5 of which co-localized with an expression QTL. ZmSAD1, supported by both the QTL and an expression QTL, had the largest effect on C18:0/C18:1. One nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism in exon 3 and one 5-bp insertion/deletion in the 3' untranslated region were further shown to contribute to the natural variation in C18:0/C18:1 according to ZmSAD1-based association mapping. Finally, selection tests of ZmSAD1 in teosinte, regular maize, and high-oil maize indicated that ZmSAD1 was not a selection target during the process of maize domestication and high-oil maize development. These results will guide the manipulation of the ratio between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjia Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Gen Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hewei Du
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
| | - Jieyun Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhanji Liu
- Shandong Cotton Research Center, Shandong Academy of Agricutural Sciences, Jinan, 250100, China
| | - Hui Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, Shandong, China
| | - Jiansheng Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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188
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Cui Z, Luo J, Qi C, Ruan Y, Li J, Zhang A, Yang X, He Y. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) reveals the genetic architecture of four husk traits in maize. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:946. [PMID: 27871222 PMCID: PMC5117540 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3229-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Maize (Zea mays) husk referring to the leafy outer enclosing the ear, plays an important role in grain production by directly contributing photosynthate and protecting ear from pathogen infection. Although the physiological functions related to husk have been extensively studied, little is known about its morphological variation and genetic basis in natural population. Results Here we utilized a maize association panel including 508 inbred lines with tropical, subtropical and temperate backgrounds to decipher the genetic architecture attributed to four husk traits, i.e. number of layers, length, width and thickness. Evaluating the phenotypic diversity at two different environments showed that four traits exhibit broadly natural variations and moderate levels of heritability with 0.64, 0.74, 0.49 and 0.75 for number, length, width and thickness, respectively. Diversity analysis indicated that different traits have dissimilar responses to subpopulation effects. A series of significantly positive or negative correlations between husk phenotypes and other agronomic traits were identified, indicating that husk growth is coordinated with other developmental processes. Combining husk traits with about half of a million of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) via genome-wide association study revealed a total of 9 variants significantly associated with traits at P < 1.04 × 10-5, which are implicated in multiple functional categories, such as cellular trafficking, transcriptional regulation and metabolism. Conclusions These results provide instrumental information for understanding the genetic basis of husk development, and further studies on identified candidate genes facilitate to illuminate molecular pathways regulating maize husk growth. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3229-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenhai Cui
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China.,College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Jinhong Luo
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Chuangye Qi
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Yanye Ruan
- College of Biological Science and Technology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Jing Li
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China
| | - Ao Zhang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China.,College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, 110866, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China.
| | - Yan He
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100094, China.
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189
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Yu T, Li G, Dong S, Liu P, Zhang J, Zhao B. Proteomic analysis of maize grain development using iTRAQ reveals temporal programs of diverse metabolic processes. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 16:241. [PMID: 27809771 PMCID: PMC5095984 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-016-0878-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Grain development in maize is an essential process in the plant's life cycle and is vital for use of the plant as a crop for animals and humans. However, little is known regarding the protein regulatory networks that control grain development. Here, isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) technology was used to analyze temporal changes in protein expression during maize grain development. RESULTS Maize grain proteins and changes in protein expression at eight developmental stages from 3 to 50 d after pollination (DAP) were performed using iTRAQ-based proteomics. Overall, 4751 proteins were identified; 2639 of these were quantified and 1235 showed at least 1.5-fold changes in expression levels at different developmental stages and were identified as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The DEPs were involved in different cellular and metabolic processes with a preferential distribution to protein synthesis/destination and metabolism categories. A K-means clustering analysis revealed coordinated protein expression associated with different functional categories/subcategories at different development stages. CONCLUSIONS Our results revealed developing maize grain display different proteomic characteristics at distinct stages, such as numerous DEPs for cell growth/division were highly expressed during early stages, whereas those for starch biosynthesis and defense/stress accumulated in middle and late stages, respectively. We also observed coordinated expression of multiple proteins of the antioxidant system, which are essential for the maintenance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis during grain development. Particularly, some DEPs, such as zinc metallothionein class II, pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) and 14-3-3 proteins, undergo major changes in expression at specific developmental stages, suggesting their roles in maize grain development. These results provide a valuable resource for analyzing protein function on a global scale and also provide new insights into the potential protein regulatory networks that control grain yield and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology and College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong People’s Republic of China
| | - Geng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology and College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuting Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology and College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong People’s Republic of China
| | - Peng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology and College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiwang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology and College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong People’s Republic of China
| | - Bin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology and College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, 271018 Shandong People’s Republic of China
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190
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Mitochondrial Function and Maize Kernel Development Requires Dek2, a Pentatricopeptide Repeat Protein Involved in nad1 mRNA Splicing. Genetics 2016; 205:239-249. [PMID: 27815362 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.196105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In flowering plants, many respiration-related proteins are encoded by the mitochondrial genome and the splicing of mitochondrion-encoded messenger RNA (mRNA) involves a complex collaboration with nuclear-encoded proteins. Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins have been implicated in these RNA-protein interactions. Maize defective kernel 2 (dek2) is a classic mutant with small kernels and delayed development. Through positional cloning and allelic confirmation, we found Dek2 encodes a novel P-type PPR protein that targets mitochondria. Mitochondrial transcript analysis indicated that dek2 mutation causes reduced splicing efficiency of mitochondrial nad1 intron 1. Mitochondrial complex analysis in dek2 immature kernels showed severe deficiency of complex I assembly. Dramatically up-regulated expression of alternative oxidases (AOXs), transcriptome data, and TEM analysis results revealed that proper splicing of nad1 is critical for mitochondrial functions and inner cristaes morphology. This study indicated that Dek2 is a new PPR protein that affects the splicing of mitochondrial nad1 intron 1 and is required for mitochondrial function and kernel development.
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191
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Pazhamala LT, Agarwal G, Bajaj P, Kumar V, Kulshreshtha A, Saxena RK, Varshney RK. Deciphering Transcriptional Programming during Pod and Seed Development Using RNA-Seq in Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164959. [PMID: 27760186 PMCID: PMC5070767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Seed development is an important event in plant life cycle that has interested humankind since ages, especially in crops of economic importance. Pigeonpea is an important grain legume of the semi-arid tropics, used mainly for its protein rich seeds. In order to understand the transcriptional programming during the pod and seed development, RNA-seq data was generated from embryo sac from the day of anthesis (0 DAA), seed and pod wall (5, 10, 20 and 30 DAA) of pigeonpea variety "Asha" (ICPL 87119) using Illumina HiSeq 2500. About 684 million sequencing reads have been generated from nine samples, which resulted in the identification of 27,441 expressed genes after sequence analysis. These genes have been studied for their differentially expression, co-expression, temporal and spatial gene expression. We have also used the RNA-seq data to identify important seed-specific transcription factors, biological processes and associated pathways during seed development process in pigeonpea. The comprehensive gene expression study from flowering to mature pod development in pigeonpea would be crucial in identifying candidate genes involved in seed traits directly or indirectly related to yield and quality. The dataset will serve as an important resource for gene discovery and deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying various seed related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lekha T. Pazhamala
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502 324, India
| | - Gaurav Agarwal
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502 324, India
| | - Prasad Bajaj
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502 324, India
| | - Vinay Kumar
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502 324, India
| | - Akanksha Kulshreshtha
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502 324, India
| | - Rachit K. Saxena
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502 324, India
| | - Rajeev K. Varshney
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, 502 324, India
- School of Plant Biology and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
- * E-mail:
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192
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Transcriptome Dynamics during Maize Endosperm Development. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163814. [PMID: 27695101 PMCID: PMC5047526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The endosperm is a major organ of the seed that plays vital roles in determining seed weight and quality. However, genome-wide transcriptome patterns throughout maize endosperm development have not been comprehensively investigated to date. Accordingly, we performed a high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the maize endosperm transcriptome at 5, 10, 15 and 20 days after pollination (DAP). We found that more than 11,000 protein-coding genes underwent alternative splicing (AS) events during the four developmental stages studied. These genes were mainly involved in intracellular protein transport, signal transmission, cellular carbohydrate metabolism, cellular lipid metabolism, lipid biosynthesis, protein modification, histone modification, cellular amino acid metabolism, and DNA repair. Additionally, 7,633 genes, including 473 transcription factors (TFs), were differentially expressed among the four developmental stages. The differentially expressed TFs were from 50 families, including the bZIP, WRKY, GeBP and ARF families. Further analysis of the stage-specific TFs showed that binding, nucleus and ligand-dependent nuclear receptor activities might be important at 5 DAP, that immune responses, signalling, binding and lumen development are involved at 10 DAP, that protein metabolic processes and the cytoplasm might be important at 15 DAP, and that the responses to various stimuli are different at 20 DAP compared with the other developmental stages. This RNA-seq analysis provides novel, comprehensive insights into the transcriptome dynamics during early endosperm development in maize.
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193
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Maize endosperm-specific transcription factors O2 and PBF network the regulation of protein and starch synthesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:10842-7. [PMID: 27621432 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613721113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The maize endosperm-specific transcription factors opaque2 (O2) and prolamine-box binding factor (PBF) regulate storage protein zein genes. We show that they also control starch synthesis. The starch content in the PbfRNAi and o2 mutants was reduced by ∼5% and 11%, respectively, compared with normal genotypes. In the double-mutant PbfRNAi;o2, starch was decreased by 25%. Transcriptome analysis reveals that >1,000 genes were affected in each of the two mutants and in the double mutant; these genes were mainly enriched in sugar and protein metabolism. Pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase 1 and 2 (PPDKs) and starch synthase III (SSIII) are critical components in the starch biosynthetic enzyme complex. The expression of PPDK1, PPDK2, and SSIII and their protein levels are further reduced in the double mutants as compared with the single mutants. When the promoters of these genes were analyzed, we found a prolamine box and an O2 box that can be additively transactivated by PBF and O2. Starch synthase IIa (SSIIa, encoding another starch synthase for amylopectin) and starch branching enzyme 1 (SBEI, encoding one of the two main starch branching enzymes) are not directly regulated by PBF and O2, but their protein levels are significantly decreased in the o2 mutant and are further decreased in the double mutant, indicating that o2 and PbfRNAi may affect the levels of some other transcription factor(s) or mRNA regulatory factor(s) that in turn would affect the transcript and protein levels of SSIIa and SBEI These findings show that three important traits-nutritional quality, calories, and yield-are linked through the same transcription factors.
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194
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Lane T, Best T, Zembower N, Davitt J, Henry N, Xu Y, Koch J, Liang H, McGraw J, Schuster S, Shim D, Coggeshall MV, Carlson JE, Staton ME. The green ash transcriptome and identification of genes responding to abiotic and biotic stresses. BMC Genomics 2016; 17:702. [PMID: 27589953 PMCID: PMC5009568 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3052-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To develop a set of transcriptome sequences to support research on environmental stress responses in green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), we undertook deep RNA sequencing of green ash tissues under various stress treatments. The treatments, including emerald ash borer (EAB) feeding, heat, drought, cold and ozone, were selected to mimic the increasing threats of climate change and invasive pests faced by green ash across its native habitat. Results We report the generation and assembly of RNA sequences from 55 green ash samples into 107,611 putative unique transcripts (PUTs). 52,899 open reading frames were identified. Functional annotation of the PUTs by comparison to the Uniprot protein database identified matches for 63 % of transcripts and for 98 % of transcripts with ORFs. Further functional annotation identified conserved protein domains and assigned gene ontology terms to the PUTs. Examination of transcript expression across different RNA libraries revealed that expression patterns clustered based on tissues regardless of stress treatment. The transcripts from stress treatments were further examined to identify differential expression. Tens to hundreds of differentially expressed PUTs were identified for each stress treatment. A set of 109 PUTs were found to be consistently up or down regulated across three or more different stress treatments, representing basal stress response candidate genes in green ash. In addition, 1956 simple sequence repeats were identified in the PUTs, of which we identified 465 high quality DNA markers and designed flanking PCR primers. Conclusions North American native ash trees have suffered extensive mortality due to EAB infestation, creating a need to breed or select for resistant green ash genotypes. Stress from climate change is an additional concern for longevity of native ash populations. The use of genomics could accelerate management efforts. The green ash transcriptome we have developed provides important sequence information, genetic markers and stress-response candidate genes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3052-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Lane
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37966, USA
| | - Teodora Best
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nicole Zembower
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jack Davitt
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37966, USA
| | - Nathan Henry
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37966, USA
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.,Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Jennifer Koch
- Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Delaware, OH, 43015, USA
| | - Haiying Liang
- Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - John McGraw
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Stephan Schuster
- Center for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Donghwan Shim
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Mark V Coggeshall
- Department of Forestry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - John E Carlson
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Margaret E Staton
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37966, USA.
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Fatihi A, Boulard C, Bouyer D, Baud S, Dubreucq B, Lepiniec L. Deciphering and modifying LAFL transcriptional regulatory network in seed for improving yield and quality of storage compounds. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 250:198-204. [PMID: 27457996 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Increasing yield and quality of seed storage compounds in a sustainable way is a key challenge for our societies. Genome-wide analyses conducted in both monocot and dicot angiosperms emphasized drastic transcriptional switches that occur during seed development. In Arabidopsis thaliana, a reference species, genetic and molecular analyses have demonstrated the key role of LAFL (LEC1, ABI3, FUS3, and LEC2) transcription factors (TFs), in controlling gene expression programs essential to accomplish seed maturation and the accumulation of storage compounds. Here, we summarize recent progress obtained in the characterization of these LAFL proteins, their regulation, partners and target genes. Moreover, we illustrate how these evolutionary conserved TFs can be used to engineer new crops with altered seed compositions and point out the current limitations. Last, we discuss about the interest of investigating further the environmental and epigenetic regulation of this network for the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelhak Fatihi
- IJPB, INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France.
| | - Céline Boulard
- IJPB, INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France
| | - Daniel Bouyer
- Institut de Biologie de l'ENS, CNRS UMR8197, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75230, Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Sébastien Baud
- IJPB, INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France
| | - Bertrand Dubreucq
- IJPB, INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France
| | - Loïc Lepiniec
- IJPB, INRA, AgroParisTech, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, RD10, 78026, Versailles Cedex, France.
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196
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Comas J, Benfeitas R, Vilaprinyo E, Sorribas A, Solsona F, Farré G, Berman J, Zorrilla U, Capell T, Sandmann G, Zhu C, Christou P, Alves R. Identification of line-specific strategies for improving carotenoid production in synthetic maize through data-driven mathematical modeling. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 87:455-471. [PMID: 27155093 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2015] [Revised: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Plant synthetic biology is still in its infancy. However, synthetic biology approaches have been used to manipulate and improve the nutritional and health value of staple food crops such as rice, potato and maize. With current technologies, production yields of the synthetic nutrients are a result of trial and error, and systematic rational strategies to optimize those yields are still lacking. Here, we present a workflow that combines gene expression and quantitative metabolomics with mathematical modeling to identify strategies for increasing production yields of nutritionally important carotenoids in the seed endosperm synthesized through alternative biosynthetic pathways in synthetic lines of white maize, which is normally devoid of carotenoids. Quantitative metabolomics and gene expression data are used to create and fit parameters of mathematical models that are specific to four independent maize lines. Sensitivity analysis and simulation of each model is used to predict which gene activities should be further engineered in order to increase production yields for carotenoid accumulation in each line. Some of these predictions (e.g. increasing Zmlycb/Gllycb will increase accumulated β-carotenes) are valid across the four maize lines and consistent with experimental observations in other systems. Other predictions are line specific. The workflow is adaptable to any other biological system for which appropriate quantitative information is available. Furthermore, we validate some of the predictions using experimental data from additional synthetic maize lines for which no models were developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Comas
- Departament de Ciencies Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida IRBLLeida, Edifici de Recerca Biomédica I, Av Rovira Roure 80, Lleida, Catalunya, 25198, Spain
- Computer Science Department and INSPIRES, University of Lleida, Jaume II 69, Lleida, Catalunya, 25001, Spain
| | - Rui Benfeitas
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3004-517, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, 3030-789, Portugal
| | - Ester Vilaprinyo
- Departament de Ciencies Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida IRBLLeida, Edifici de Recerca Biomédica I, Av Rovira Roure 80, Lleida, Catalunya, 25198, Spain
| | - Albert Sorribas
- Departament de Ciencies Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida IRBLLeida, Edifici de Recerca Biomédica I, Av Rovira Roure 80, Lleida, Catalunya, 25198, Spain
| | - Francesc Solsona
- Computer Science Department and INSPIRES, University of Lleida, Jaume II 69, Lleida, Catalunya, 25001, Spain
| | - Gemma Farré
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida Agrotecnio Center, Avenida Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Judit Berman
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida Agrotecnio Center, Avenida Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Uxue Zorrilla
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida Agrotecnio Center, Avenida Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida Agrotecnio Center, Avenida Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Gerhard Sandmann
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience, J. W. Goethe University, Max von Laue Strasse 9, Frankfurt am Main, D-60438, Germany
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida Agrotecnio Center, Avenida Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Plant Production and Forestry Science, School of Agrifood and Forestry Science and Engineering (ETSEA), University of Lleida Agrotecnio Center, Avenida Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, Lleida, 25198, Spain
- ICREA, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats, Passeig Lluís Companys, 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rui Alves
- Departament de Ciencies Mèdiques Bàsiques, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
- Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida IRBLLeida, Edifici de Recerca Biomédica I, Av Rovira Roure 80, Lleida, Catalunya, 25198, Spain.
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Xu J, Li Z, Yang H, Yang X, Chen C, Li H. Genetic Diversity and Molecular Evolution of a Violaxanthin De-epoxidase Gene in Maize. Front Genet 2016; 7:131. [PMID: 27507987 PMCID: PMC4960258 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2016.00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) has a critical role in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, which is involved in protecting the photosynthesis apparatus from damage caused by excessive light. Here, a VDE gene in maize, ZmVDE1, was cloned and shown to have functional domains in common with the gramineous VDE protein. Candidate gene association analysis indicated that no polymorphic sites in ZmVDE1 were significant association with any of the examined carotenoid-related traits at P = 0.05 in an association panel containing 155 maize inbred lines. Nucleotide diversity analysis of VDE1 in maize and teosinte indicated that its exon had less genetic variation, consistent with the conserved function of VDE1 in plants. In addition, dramatically reduced nucleotide diversity, fewer haplotypes and a significantly negative parameter deviation for Tajima’s D test of ZmVDE1 in maize and teosinte suggested that a potential selective force had acted across the ZmVDE1 locus. We further identified a 4.2 Mb selective sweep with low recombination surrounding the ZmVDE1 locus that resulted in severely reduced nucleotide diversity on chromosome 2. Collectively, natural selection and the conserved domains of ZmVDE1 might show an important role in the xanthophyll cycle of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural UniversityTai'an, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural UniversityBeijing, China
| | - Zhigang Li
- Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University Beijing, China
| | - Haorui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Genetic Improvement, National Maize Improvement Center of China, China Agricultural University Beijing, China
| | - Cuixia Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University Tai'an, China
| | - Hui Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan Jinan, China
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198
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Liu H, Wang F, Xiao Y, Tian Z, Wen W, Zhang X, Chen X, Liu N, Li W, Liu L, Liu J, Yan J, Liu J. MODEM: multi-omics data envelopment and mining in maize. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2016; 2016:baw117. [PMID: 27504011 PMCID: PMC4976297 DOI: 10.1093/database/baw117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
MODEM is a comprehensive database of maize multidimensional omics data, including genomic, transcriptomic, metabolic and phenotypic information from the cellular to individual plant level. This initial release contains approximately 1.06 M high quality SNPs for 508 diverse inbred lines obtained by combining variations from RNA sequencing on whole kernels (15 days after pollination) of 368 lines and a 50 K array for all 508 individuals. As all of these data were derived from the same diverse panel of lines, the database also allows various types of genetic mapping (including characterization of phenotypic QTLs, pQTLs; expression QTLs, eQTLs and metabolic QTLs, mQTLs). MODEM is thus designed to promote a better understanding of maize genetic architecture and deep functional annotation of the complex maize genome (and potentially those of other crop plants) and to explore the genotype-phenotype relationships and regulation of maize kernel development at multiple scales, which is also comprehensive for developing novel methods. MODEM is additionally designed to link with other databases to make full use of current resources, and it provides visualization tools for easy browsing. All of the original data and the related mapping results are freely available for easy query and download. This platform also provides helpful tools for general analyses and will be continually updated with additional materials, features and public data related to maize genetics or regulation as they become available.Database URL: (http://modem.hzau.edu.cn).
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Fan Wang
- College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yingjie Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zonglin Tian
- College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Weiwei Wen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xuehai Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
| | - Nannan Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Wenqiang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lei Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jie Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jianxiao Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China School of Computer & software, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210000, China
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199
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Xiao Y, Thatcher S, Wang M, Wang T, Beatty M, Zastrow-Hayes G, Li L, Li J, Li B, Yang X. Transcriptome analysis of near-isogenic lines provides molecular insights into starch biosynthesis in maize kernel. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 58:713-23. [PMID: 26676690 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Starch is the major component in maize kernels, providing a stable carbohydrate source for humans and livestock as well as raw material for the biofuel industry. Increasing maize kernel starch content will help meet industry demands and has the potential to increase overall yields. We developed a pair of maize near-isogenic lines (NILs) with different alleles for a starch quantitative trait locus on chromosome 3 (qHS3), resulting in different kernel starch content. To investigate the candidate genes for qHS3 and elucidate their effects on starch metabolism, RNA-Seq was performed for the developing kernels of the NILs at 14 and 21 d after pollination (DAP). Analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data identified 76 genes with nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms and 384 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the introgressed fragment, including a hexokinase gene, ZmHXK3a, which catalyzes the conversion of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate and may play a key role in starch metabolism. The expression pattern of all DEGs in starch metabolism shows that altered expression of the candidate genes for qHS3 promoted starch synthesis, with positive consequences for kernel starch content. These results expand the current understanding of starch biosynthesis and accumulation in maize kernels and provide potential candidate genes to increase starch content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingni Xiao
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Shawn Thatcher
- DuPont Pioneer, 200 Powder Mill Road, Wilmington, DE 19880, USA
| | - Min Wang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
- College of Agronomy, Northwest Agricultural and Forest University, Yang Ling 712100, China
| | - Tingting Wang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | | | | | - Lin Li
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Jiansheng Li
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Bailin Li
- DuPont Pioneer, 200 Powder Mill Road, Wilmington, DE 19880, USA
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Divergent Transactivation of Maize Storage Protein Zein Genes by the Transcription Factors Opaque2 and OHPs. Genetics 2016; 204:581-591. [PMID: 27474726 PMCID: PMC5068848 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.192385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize transcription factors (TFs) opaque2 (O2) and the O2 heterodimerizing proteins (OHP1 and OHP2) originated from an ancient segmental duplication. The 22-kDa (z1C) and 19-kDa (z1A, z1B, and z1D) α-zeins are the most abundant storage proteins in maize endosperm. O2 is known to regulate α-zein gene expression, but its target motifs in the 19-kDa α-zein gene promoters have not been identified. The mechanisms underlying the regulation of α-zein genes by these TFs are also not well understood. In this study, we found that the O2 binding motifs in the α-zein gene promoters are quite flexible, with ACGT being present in the z1C and z1A promoters and a variant, ACAT, being present in the z1B and z1D promoters. OHPs recognized and transactivated all of the α-zein promoters, although to much lower levels than did O2. In the presence of O2, the suppression of OHPs did not cause a significant reduction in the transcription of α-zein genes, but in the absence of O2, OHPs were critical for the expression of residual levels of α-zeins. These findings demonstrated that O2 is the primary TF and that OHPs function as minor TFs in this process. This relationship is the converse of that involved in 27-kDa γ-zein gene regulation, indicating that the specificities of O2 and the OHPs for regulating zein genes diverged after gene duplication. The prolamine-box binding factor by itself has limited transactivation activity, but it promotes the binding of O2 to O2 motifs, resulting in the synergistic transactivation of α-zein genes.
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