Genome-wide and expression analysis of protein phosphatase 2C in rice and Arabidopsis

A Putative PP2C-Encoding Gene Negatively Regulates ABA Signaling in Populus euphratica

A PP2C homolog gene was cloned from the drought-treated cDNA library of Populus euphratica. Multiple sequence alignment analysis suggested that the gene is a potential ortholog of HAB1. The expression of this HAB1 ortholog (PeHAB1) was markedly induced by drought and moderately induced by ABA. To characterize its function in ABA signaling, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing this gene. Transgenic lines exhibited reduced responses to exogenous ABA and reduced tolerance to drought compared to wide-type lines. Yeast two-hybrid analyses indicated that PeHAB1 could interact with the ABA receptor PYL4 in an ABA-independent manner. Taken together; these results indicated that PeHAB1 is a new negative regulator of ABA responses in poplar.

Identification of four functionally important microRNA families with contrasting differential expression profiles between drought-tolerant and susceptible rice leaf at vegetative stage

Background

Developing drought-tolerant rice varieties with higher yield under water stressed conditions provides a viable solution to serious yield-reduction impact of drought. Understanding the molecular regulation of this polygenic trait is crucial for the eventual success of rice molecular breeding programmes. microRNAs have received tremendous attention recently due to its importance in negative regulation. In plants, apart from regulating developmental and physiological processes, microRNAs have also been associated with different biotic and abiotic stresses. Hence here we chose to analyze the differential expression profiles of microRNAs in three drought treated rice varieties: Vandana (drought-tolerant), Aday Sel (drought-tolerant) and IR64 (drought-susceptible) in greenhouse conditions via high-throughput sequencing.

Results

Twenty-six novel microRNA candidates involved in the regulation of diverse biological processes were identified based on the detection of miRNA*. Out of their 110 predicted targets, we confirmed 16 targets from 5 novel microRNA candidates. In the differential expression analysis, mature microRNA members from 49 families of known Oryza sativa microRNA were differentially expressed in leaf and stem respectively with over 28 families having at least a similar mature microRNA member commonly found to be differentially expressed between both tissues. Via the sequence profiling data of leaf samples, we identified osa-miR397a/b, osa-miR398b, osa-miR408-5p and osa-miR528-5p as being down-regulated in two drought-tolerant rice varieties and up-regulated in the drought-susceptible variety. These microRNAs are known to be involved in regulating starch metabolism, antioxidant defence, respiration and photosynthesis. A wide range of biological processes were found to be regulated by the target genes of all the identified differentially expressed microRNAs between both tissues, namely root development (5.3–5.7 %), cell transport (13.2–18.4 %), response to stress (10.5–11.3 %), lignin catabolic process (3.8–5.3 %), metabolic processes (32.1–39.5 %), oxidation-reduction process (9.4–13.2 %) and DNA replication (5.7–7.9 %). The predicted target genes of osa-miR166e-3p, osa-miR166h-5p*, osa-miR169r-3p* and osa-miR397a/b were found to be annotated to several of the aforementioned biological processes.

Conclusions

The experimental design of this study, which features rice varieties with different drought tolerance and tissue specificity (leaf and stem), has provided new microRNA profiling information. The potentially regulatory importance of the microRNA genes mentioned above and their target genes would require further functional analyses.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1851-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

"PP2C7s", Genes Most Highly Elaborated in Photosynthetic Organisms, Reveal the Bacterial Origin and Stepwise Evolution of PPM/PP2C Protein Phosphatases

Mg⁺²/Mn⁺²-dependent type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2Cs) are ubiquitous in eukaryotes, mediating diverse cellular signaling processes through metal ion catalyzed dephosphorylation of target proteins. We have identified a distinct PP2C sequence class (“PP2C7s”) which is nearly universally distributed in Eukaryotes, and therefore apparently ancient. PP2C7s are by far most prominent and diverse in plants and green algae. Combining phylogenetic analysis, subcellular localization predictions, and a distillation of publically available gene expression data, we have traced the evolutionary trajectory of this gene family in photosynthetic eukaryotes, demonstrating two major sequence assemblages featuring a succession of increasingly derived sub-clades. These display predominant expression moving from an ancestral pattern in photosynthetic tissues toward non-photosynthetic, specialized and reproductive structures. Gene co-expression network composition strongly suggests a shifting pattern of PP2C7 gene functions, including possible regulation of starch metabolism for one homologue set in Arabidopsis and rice. Distinct plant PP2C7 sub-clades demonstrate novel amino terminal protein sequences upon motif analysis, consistent with a shifting pattern of regulation of protein function. More broadly, neither the major events in PP2C sequence evolution, nor the origin of the diversity of metal binding characteristics currently observed in different PP2C lineages, are clearly understood. Identification of the PP2C7 sequence clade has allowed us to provide a better understanding of both of these issues. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence comparisons using Hidden Markov Models strongly suggest that PP2Cs originated in Bacteria (Group II PP2C sequences), entered Eukaryotes through the ancestral mitochondrial endosymbiosis, elaborated in Eukaryotes, then re-entered Bacteria through an inter-domain gene transfer, ultimately producing bacterial Group I PP2C sequences. A key evolutionary event, occurring first in ancient Eukaryotes, was the acquisition of a conserved aspartate in classic Motif 5. This has been inherited subsequently by PP2C7s, eukaryotic PP2Cs and bacterial Group I PP2Cs, where it is crucial to the formation of a third metal binding pocket, and catalysis.

Function of ABA in Stomatal Defense against Biotic and Drought Stresses

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates many key processes involved in plant development and adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses. Under stress conditions, plants synthesize ABA in various organs and initiate defense mechanisms, such as the regulation of stomatal aperture and expression of defense-related genes conferring resistance to environmental stresses. The regulation of stomatal opening and closure is important to pathogen defense and control of transpirational water loss. Recent studies using a combination of approaches, including genetics, physiology, and molecular biology, have contributed considerably to our understanding of ABA signal transduction. A number of proteins associated with ABA signaling and responses—especially ABA receptors—have been identified. ABA signal transduction initiates signal perception by ABA receptors and transfer via downstream proteins, including protein kinases and phosphatases. In the present review, we focus on the function of ABA in stomatal defense against biotic and abiotic stresses, through analysis of each ABA signal component and the relationships of these components in the complex network of interactions. In particular, two ABA signal pathway models in response to biotic and abiotic stress were proposed, from stress signaling to stomatal closure, involving the pyrabactin resistance (PYR)/PYR-like (PYL) or regulatory component of ABA receptor (RCAR) family proteins, 2C-type protein phosphatases, and SnRK2-type protein kinases.

Function of ABA in Stomatal Defense against Biotic and Drought Stresses

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates many key processes involved in plant development and adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses. Under stress conditions, plants synthesize ABA in various organs and initiate defense mechanisms, such as the regulation of stomatal aperture and expression of defense-related genes conferring resistance to environmental stresses. The regulation of stomatal opening and closure is important to pathogen defense and control of transpirational water loss. Recent studies using a combination of approaches, including genetics, physiology, and molecular biology, have contributed considerably to our understanding of ABA signal transduction. A number of proteins associated with ABA signaling and responses--especially ABA receptors--have been identified. ABA signal transduction initiates signal perception by ABA receptors and transfer via downstream proteins, including protein kinases and phosphatases. In the present review, we focus on the function of ABA in stomatal defense against biotic and abiotic stresses, through analysis of each ABA signal component and the relationships of these components in the complex network of interactions. In particular, two ABA signal pathway models in response to biotic and abiotic stress were proposed, from stress signaling to stomatal closure, involving the pyrabactin resistance (PYR)/PYR-like (PYL) or regulatory component of ABA receptor (RCAR) family proteins, 2C-type protein phosphatases, and SnRK2-type protein kinases.

Involvement of genes encoding ABI1 protein phosphatases in the response of Brassica napus L. to drought stress

In this report we characterized the Arabidopsis ABI1 gene orthologue and Brassica napus gene paralogues encoding protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C, group A), which is known to be a negative regulator of the ABA signaling pathway. Six homologous B. napus sequences were identified and characterized as putative PP2C group A members. To gain insight into the conservation of ABI1 function in Brassicaceae, and understand better its regulatory effects in the drought stress response, we generated transgenic B. napus plants overexpressing A. thaliana ABI1. Transgenic plants subjected to drought showed a decrease in relative water content, photosynthetic pigments content and expression level of RAB18- and RD19A-drought-responsive marker genes relative to WT plants. We present the characterization of the drought response of B. napus with the participation of ABI1-like paralogues. The expression pattern of two evolutionarily distant paralogues, BnaA01.ABI1.a and BnaC07.ABI1.b in B. napus and their promoter activity in A. thaliana showed differences in the induction of the paralogues under dehydration stress. Comparative sequence analysis of both BnaABI1 promoters showed variation in positions of cis-acting elements that are especially important for ABA- and stress-inducible expression. Together, these data reveal that subfunctionalization following gene duplication may be important in the maintenance and functional divergence of the BnaABI1 paralogues. Our results provide a framework for a better understanding of (1) the role of ABI1 as a hub protein regulator of the drought response, and (2) the differential involvement of the duplicated BnaABI1 genes in the response of B. napus to dehydration-related stresses.

Expression of a cyclophilin OsCyp2-P isolated from a salt-tolerant landrace of rice in tobacco alleviates stress via ion homeostasis and limiting ROS accumulation

Cyclophilins are a set of ubiquitous proteins present in all subcellular compartments, involved in a wide variety of cellular processes. Comparative bioinformatics analysis of the rice and Arabidopsis genomes led us to identify novel putative cyclophilin gene family members in both the genomes not reported previously. We grouped cyclophilin members with similar molecular weight and subtypes together in the phylogenetic tree which indicated their co-evolution in rice and Arabidopsis. We also characterized a rice cyclophilin gene, OsCyp2-P (Os02g0121300), isolated from a salinity-tolerant landrace, Pokkali. Publicly available massively parallel signature sequencing (MPSS) and microarray data, besides our quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) data suggest that transcript abundance of OsCyp2-P is regulated under different stress conditions in a developmental and organ specific manner. Ectopic expression of OsCyp2-P imparted multiple abiotic stress tolerance to transgenic tobacco plants as evidenced by higher root length, shoot length, chlorophyll content, and K(+)/Na(+) ratio under stress conditions. Transgenic plants also showed reduced lipid peroxidase content, electrolyte leakage, and superoxide content under stress conditions suggesting better ion homeostasis than WT plants. Localization studies confirmed that OsCyp2-P is localized in both cytosol and nucleus, indicating its possible interaction with several other proteins. The overall results suggest the explicit role of OsCyp2-P in bestowing multiple abiotic stress tolerance at the whole plant level. OsCyp2-P operates via reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging and ion homeostasis and thus is a promising candidate gene for enhancing multiple abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.

A comprehensive quantitative phosphoproteome analysis of rice in response to bacterial blight

BACKGROUND

Rice is a major crop worldwide. Bacterial blight (BB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) has become one of the most devastating diseases for rice. It has been clear that phosphorylation plays essential roles in plant disease resistance. However, the role of phosphorylation is poorly understood in rice-Xoo system. Here, we report the first study on large scale enrichment of phosphopeptides and identification of phosphosites in rice before and 24 h after Xoo infection.

RESULTS

We have successfully identified 2367 and 2223 phosphosites on 1334 and 1297 representative proteins in 0 h and 24 h after Xoo infection, respectively. A total of 762 differentially phosphorylated proteins, including transcription factors, kinases, epi-genetic controlling factors and many well-known disease resistant proteins, are identified after Xoo infection suggesting that they may be functionally relevant to Xoo resistance. In particular, we found that phosphorylation/dephosphorylation might be a key switch turning on/off many epi-genetic controlling factors, including HDT701, in response to Xoo infection, suggesting that phosphorylation switch overriding the epi-genetic regulation may be a very universal model in the plant disease resistance pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The phosphosites identified in this study would be a big complementation to our current knowledge in the phosphorylation status and sites of rice proteins. This research represents a substantial advance in understanding the rice phosphoproteome as well as the mechanism of rice bacterial blight resistance.

TaPP2C1, a Group F2 Protein Phosphatase 2C Gene, Confers Resistance to Salt Stress in Transgenic Tobacco

Group A protein phosphatases 2Cs (PP2Cs) are essential components of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling in Arabidopsis; however, the function of group F2 subfamily PP2Cs is currently less known. In this study, TaPP2C1 which belongs to group F2 was isolated and characterized from wheat. Expression of the TaPP2C1-GFP fusion protein suggested its ubiquitous localization within a cell. TaPP2C1 expression was downregulated by abscisic acid (ABA) and NaCl treatments, but upregulated by H2O2 treatment. Overexpression of TaPP2C1 in tobacco resulted in reduced ABA sensitivity and increased salt resistance of transgenic seedlings. Additionally, physiological analyses showed that improved resistance to salt stress conferred by TaPP2C1 is due to the reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, the improved antioxidant system, and the increased transcription of genes in the ABA-independent pathway. Finally, transgenic tobacco showed increased resistance to oxidative stress by maintaining a more effective antioxidant system. Taken together, these results demonstrated that TaPP2C1 negatively regulates ABA signaling, but positively regulates salt resistance. TaPP2C1 confers salt resistance through activating the antioxidant system and ABA-independent gene transcription process.

Genome wide identification of the immunophilin gene family in Leptosphaeria maculans: a causal agent of Blackleg disease in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus)

Abstract Phoma stem canker (blackleg) is a disease of world-wide importance on oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and can cause serious losses for crops globally. The disease is caused by dothideomycetous fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, which is highly virulent/aggressive. Cyclophilins (CYPs) and FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) are ubiquitous proteins belonging to the peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PPIase) family. They are collectively referred to as immunophilins (IMMs). In the present study, IMM genes, CYP and FKBP in haploid strain v23.1.3 of L. maculans genome, were identified and classified. Twelve CYPs and five FKBPs were determined in total. Domain architecture analysis revealed the presence of a conserved cyclophilin-like domain (CLD) in the case of CYPs and FKBP_C in the case of FKBPs. Interestingly, IMMs in L. maculans also subgrouped into single domain (SD) and multidomain (MD) proteins. They were primarily found to be localized in cytoplasm, nuclei, and mitochondria. Homologous and orthologous gene pairs were also determined by comparison with the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Remarkably, IMMs of L. maculans contain shorter introns in comparison to exons. Moreover, CYPs, in contrast with FKBPs, contain few exons. However, two CYPs were determined as being intronless. The expression profile of IMMs in both mycelium and infected primary leaves of B. napus demonstrated their potential role during infection. Secondary structure analysis revealed the presence of atypical eight β strands and two α helices fold architecture. Gene ontology analysis of IMMs predicted their significant role in protein folding and PPIase activity. Taken together, our findings for the first time present new prospects of this highly conserved gene family in phytopathogenic fungus.

Phloem sap proteome studied by iTRAQ provides integrated insight into salinity response mechanisms in cucumber plants

Cucumber is an economically important crop as well as a model system for plant vascular biology. Salinity is one of the major environmental factors limiting plant growth. Here, we used an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics approach for comparative analysis of protein abundances in cucumber phloem sap in response to salt. A total of 745 distinct proteins were identified and 111 proteins were differentially expressed upon salinity in sensitive and tolerant cultivars, of which 69 and 65 proteins changed significantly in sensitive and tolerant cultivars, respectively. A bioinformatics analysis indicated that cucumber phloem employed a combination of induced metabolism, protein turnover, common stress response, energy and transport, signal transduction and regulation of transcription, and development proteins as protection mechanisms against salinity. The proteins that were mapped to the carbon fixation pathway decreased in abundance in sensitive cultivars and had no change in tolerant cultivars under salt stress, suggesting that this pathway may promote salt tolerance by stabilizing carbon fixation and maintaining the essential energy and carbohydrates in tolerant cultivars. This study leads to a better understanding of the salinity mechanism in cucumber phloem and provides a list of potential gene targets for the further engineering of salt tolerance in plants.

ABA inducible rice protein phosphatase 2C confers ABA insensitivity and abiotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis PP2C belonging to group A have been extensively worked out and known to negatively regulate ABA signaling. However, rice (Oryza sativa) orthologs of Arabidopsis group A PP2C are scarcely characterized functionally. We have identified a group A PP2C from rice (OsPP108), which is highly inducible under ABA, salt and drought stresses and localized predominantly in the nucleus. Genetic analysis revealed that Arabidopsis plants overexpressing OsPP108 are highly insensitive to ABA and tolerant to high salt and mannitol stresses during seed germination, root growth and overall seedling growth. At adult stage, OsPP108 overexpression leads to high tolerance to salt, mannitol and drought stresses with far better physiological parameters such as water loss, fresh weight, chlorophyll content and photosynthetic potential (Fv/Fm) in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Expression profile of various stress marker genes in OsPP108 overexpressing plants revealed interplay of ABA dependent and independent pathway for abiotic stress tolerance. Overall, this study has identified a potential rice group A PP2C, which regulates ABA signaling negatively and abiotic stress signaling positively. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing this gene might provide an answer to the problem of low crop yield and productivity during adverse environmental conditions.

A maize phytochrome-interacting factor 3 improves drought and salt stress tolerance in rice

Phytochrome-interacting factor 3 (PIF3) activates light-responsive transcriptional network genes in coordination with the circadian clock and plant hormones to modulate plant growth and development. However, little is known of the roles PIF3 plays in the responses to abiotic stresses. In this study, the cloning and functional characterization of the ZmPIF3 gene encoding a maize PIF3 protein is reported. Subcellular localization revealed the presence of ZmPIF3 in the cell nucleus. Expression patterns revealed that ZmPIF3 is expressed strongly in leaves. This expression responds to polyethylene glycol, NaCl stress, and abscisic acid application, but not to cold stress. ZmPIF3 under the control of the ubiquitin promoter was introduced into rice. No difference in growth and development between ZmPIF3 transgenic and wild-type plants was observed under normal growth conditions. However, ZmPIF3 transgenic plants were more tolerant to dehydration and salt stresses. ZmPIF3 transgenic plants had increased relative water content, chlorophyll content, and chlorophyll fluorescence, as well as significantly enhanced cell membrane stability under stress conditions. The over-expression of ZmPIF3 increased the expression of stress-responsive genes, such as Rab16D, DREB2A, OSE2, PP2C, Rab21, BZ8 and P5CS, as detected by real-time PCR analysis. Taken together, these results improve our understanding of the role ZmPIF3 plays in abiotic stresses signaling pathways; our findings also indicate that ZmPIF3 regulates the plant response to drought and salt stresses.

The IBO germination quantitative trait locus encodes a phosphatase 2C-related variant with a nonsynonymous amino acid change that interferes with abscisic acid signaling

Natural genetic variation is crucial for adaptability of plants to different environments. Seed dormancy prevents precocious germination in unsuitable conditions and is an adaptation to a major macro-environmental parameter, the seasonal variation in temperature and day length. Here we report the isolation of IBO, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) that governs c. 30% of germination rate variance in an Arabidopsis recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the parental accessions Eilenburg-0 (Eil-0) and Loch Ness-0 (Lc-0). IBO encodes an uncharacterized phosphatase 2C-related protein, but neither the Eil-0 nor the Lc-0 variant, which differ in a single amino acid, have any appreciable phosphatase activity in in vitro assays. However, we found that the amino acid change in the Lc-0 variant of the IBO protein confers reduced germination rate. Moreover, unlike the Eil-0 variant of the protein, the Lc-0 variant can interfere with the activity of the phosphatase 2C ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 1 in vitro. This suggests that the Lc-0 variant possibly interferes with abscisic acid signaling, a notion that is supported by physiological assays. Thus, we isolated an example of a QTL allele with a nonsynonymous amino acid change that might mediate local adaptation of seed germination timing.

Phosphatases in plants

Reversible protein phosphorylation is an essential posttranslational modification mechanism executed by opposing actions of protein phosphatases and protein kinases. About 1,000 predicted kinases in Arabidopsis thaliana kinome predominate the number of protein phosphatases, of which there are only ~150 members in Arabidopsis. Protein phosphatases were often referred to as "housekeeping" enzymes, which act to keep eukaryotic systems in balance by counteracting the activity of protein kinases. However, recent investigations reveal the crucial and specific regulatory functions of phosphatases in cell signaling. Phosphatases operate in a coordinated manner with the protein kinases, to execute their important function in determining the cellular response to a physiological stimulus. Closer examination has established high specificity of phosphatases in substrate recognition and important roles in plant signaling pathways, such as pathogen defense and stress regulation, light and hormonal signaling, cell cycle and differentiation, metabolism, and plant growth. In this minireview we provide a compact overview about Arabidopsis protein phosphatase families, as well as members of phosphoglucan and lipid phosphatases, and highlight the recent discoveries in phosphatase research.

Type 2C phosphatase 1 of Artemisia annua L. is a negative regulator of ABA signaling

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in plant development and environmental stress response. Additionally, ABA also regulates secondary metabolism such as artemisinin in the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. Although an earlier study showed that ABA receptor, AaPYL9, plays a positive role in ABA-induced artemisinin content improvement, many components in the ABA signaling pathway remain to be elucidated in Artemisia annua L. To get insight of the function of AaPYL9, we isolated and characterized an AaPYL9-interacting partner, AaPP2C1. The coding sequence of AaPP2C1 encodes a deduced protein of 464 amino acids, with all the features of plant type clade A PP2C. Transcriptional analysis showed that the expression level of AaPP2C1 is increased after ABA, salt, and drought treatments. Yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays (BiFC) showed that AaPYL9 interacted with AaPP2C1. The P89S, H116A substitution in AaPYL9 as well as G199D substitution or deletion of the third phosphorylation site-like motif in AaPP2C1 abolished this interaction. Furthermore, constitutive expression of AaPP2C1 conferred ABA insensitivity compared with the wild type. In summary, our data reveals that AaPP2C1 is an AaPYL9-interacting partner and involved in the negative modulation of the ABA signaling pathway in A. annua L.

The GroEL protein of Porphyromonas gingivalis accelerates tumor growth by enhancing endothelial progenitor cell function and neovascularization

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a bacterial species that causes destruction of periodontal tissues. Additionally, previous evidence indicates that GroEL from P. gingivalis may possess biological activities involved in systemic inflammation, especially inflammation involved in the progression of periodontal diseases. The literature has established a relationship between periodontal disease and cancer. However, it is unclear whether P. gingivalis GroEL enhances tumor growth. Here, we investigated the effects of P. gingivalis GroEL on neovasculogenesis in C26 carcinoma cell-carrying BALB/c mice and chick eggs in vivo as well as its effect on human endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) in vitro. We found that GroEL treatment accelerated tumor growth (tumor volume and weight) and increased the mortality rate in C26 cell-carrying BALB/c mice. GroEL promoted neovasculogenesis in chicken embryonic allantois and increased the circulating EPC level in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, GroEL effectively stimulated EPC migration and tube formation and increased E-selectin expression, which is mediated by eNOS production and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Additionally, GroEL may enhance resistance against paclitaxel-induced cell cytotoxicity and senescence in EPC. In conclusion, P. gingivalis GroEL may act as a potent virulence factor, contributing to the neovasculogenesis of tumor cells and resulting in accelerated tumor growth.

Overexpression of a novel Arabidopsis PP2C isoform, AtPP2CF1, enhances plant biomass production by increasing inflorescence stem growth

In contrast to mammals, higher plants have evolved to express diverse protein phosphatase 2Cs (PP2Cs). Of all Arabidopsis thaliana PP2Cs, members of PP2C subfamily A, including ABI1, have been shown to be key negative regulators of abscisic acid (ABA) signalling pathways, which regulate plant growth and development as well as tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. However, little is known about the enzymatic and signalling roles of other PP2C subfamilies. Here, we report a novel Arabidopsis subfamily E PP2C gene, At3g05640, designated AtPP2CF1. AtPP2CF1 was dramatically expressed in response to exogenous ABA and was expressed in vascular tissues and guard cells, similar to most subfamily A PP2C genes. In vitro enzymatic activity assays showed that AtPP2CF1 possessed functional PP2C activity. However, yeast two-hybrid analysis revealed that AtPP2CF1 did not interact with PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors or three SnRK2 kinases, which are ABI1-interacting proteins. This was supported by homology-based structural modelling demonstrating that the putative active- and substrate-binding site of AtPP2CF1 differed from that of ABI1. Furthermore, while overexpression of ABI1 in plants induced an ABA-insensitive phenotype, Arabidopsis plants overexpressing AtPP2CF1 (AtPP2CF1oe) were weakly hypersensitive to ABA during seed germination and drought stress. Unexpectedly, AtPP2CF1oe plants also exhibited increased biomass yield, mainly due to accelerated growth of inflorescence stems through the activation of cell proliferation and expansion. Our results provide new insights into the physiological significance of AtPP2CF1 as a candidate gene for plant growth production and for potential application in the sustainable supply of plant biomass.

Maize protein phosphatase gene family: identification and molecular characterization

BACKGROUND

Protein phosphatases (PPs) play critical roles in various cellular processes through the reversible protein phosphorylation that dictates many signal transduction pathways among organisms. Recently, PPs in Arabidopsis and rice have been identified, while the whole complement of PPs in maize is yet to be reported.

RESULTS

In this study, we have identified 159 PP-encoding genes in the maize genome. Phylogenetic analyses categorized the ZmPP gene family into 3 classes (PP2C, PTP, and PP2A) with considerable conservation among classes. Similar intron/exon structural patterns were observed in the same classes. Moreover, detailed gene structures and duplicative events were then researched. The expression profiles of ZmPPs under different developmental stages and abiotic stresses (including salt, drought, and cold) were analyzed using microarray and RNA-seq data. A total of 152 members were detected in 18 different tissues representing distinct stages of maize plant developments. Under salt stress, one gene was significantly up-expressed in seed root (SR) and one gene was down-expressed in primary root (PR) and crown root (CR), respectively. As for drought stress condition, 13 genes were found to be differentially expressed in leaf, out of which 10 were up-regulated and 3 exhibited down-regulation. Additionally, 13 up-regulated and 3 down-regulated genes were found in cold-tolerant line ETH-DH7. Furthermore, real-time PCR was used to confirm the expression patterns of ZmPPs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results provide new insights into the phylogenetic relationships and characteristic functions of maize PPs and will be useful in studies aimed at revealing the global regulatory network in maize abiotic stress responses, thereby contributing to the maize molecular breeding with enhanced quality traits.

'Movers and shakers' in the regulation of fruit ripening: a cross-dissection of climacteric versus non-climacteric fruit

Fruit ripening is a complex and highly coordinated developmental process involving the expression of many ripening-related genes under the control of a network of signalling pathways. The hormonal control of climacteric fruit ripening, especially ethylene perception and signalling transduction in tomato has been well characterized. Additionally, great strides have been made in understanding some of the major regulatory switches (transcription factors such as RIPENING-INHIBITOR and other transcriptional regulators such as COLOURLESS NON-RIPENING, TOMATO AGAMOUS-LIKE1 and ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTORs), that are involved in tomato fruit ripening. In contrast, the regulatory network related to non-climacteric fruit ripening remains poorly understood. However, some of the most recent breakthrough research data have provided several lines of evidences for abscisic acid- and sucrose-mediated ripening of strawberry, a non-climacteric fruit model. In this review, we discuss the most recent research findings concerning the hormonal regulation of fleshy fruit ripening and their cross-talk and the future challenges taking tomato as a climacteric fruit model and strawberry as a non-climacteric fruit model. We also highlight the possible contribution of epigenetic changes including the role of plant microRNAs, which is opening new avenues and great possibilities in the fields of fruit-ripening research and postharvest biology.

Interaction between abscisic acid receptor PYL3 and protein phosphatase type 2C in response to ABA signaling in maize

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a ubiquitous hormone that regulates plant growth, development and responses to environmental stresses. In recent researches, pyrabactin resistance 1-like protein (PYL) and protein phosphatase type 2C (PP2C) were identified as the direct receptor and the second component of ABA signaling pathway, respectively. However, a lot of PYL and PP2C members were found in Arabidopsis and several other plants. Some of them were found not to be involved in ABA signaling. Because of the complex diversity of the genome, few documents have been available on the molecular details of the ABA signal perception system in maize. In the present study, we conducted bioinformatics analysis to find out the candidates (ZmPYL3 and ZmPP2C16) of the PYL and PP2C members most probably involved in ABA signaling in maize, cloned their encoding genes (ZmPYL3 and ZmPP2C16), verified the interaction between these two proteins in response to exogenous ABA induction by yeast two-hybrid assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and investigated the expression patterns of these two genes under the induction of exogenous ABA by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The results indicated that the ZmPYL3 and ZmPP2C16 proteins interacted in vitro and in vivo in response to the induction of exogenous ABA. The downregulated expression of the ZmPYL3 gene and the upregulated expression of the ZmPP2C16 gene are responsive to the induction of exogenous ABA. The ZmPYL3 and ZmPP2C16 proteins are the most probable members of the receptors and the second components of ABA signaling pathway, respectively.

Meta-analysis of retrograde signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals a core module of genes embedded in complex cellular signaling networks

Plastid-to-nucleus signaling is essential for the coordination and adjustment of cellular metabolism in response to environmental and developmental cues of plant cells. A variety of operational retrograde signaling pathways have been described that are thought to be triggered by reactive oxygen species, photosynthesis redox imbalance, tetrapyrrole intermediates, and other metabolic traits. Here we report a meta-analysis based on transcriptome and protein interaction data. Comparing the output of these pathways reveals the commonalities and peculiarities stimulated by six different sources impinging on operational retrograde signaling. Our study provides novel insights into the interplay of these pathways, supporting the existence of an as-yet unknown core response module of genes being regulated under all conditions tested. Our analysis further highlights affiliated regulatory cis-elements and classifies abscisic acid and auxin-based signaling as secondary components involved in the response cascades following a plastidial signal. Our study provides a global analysis of structure and interfaces of different pathways involved in plastid-to-nucleus signaling and a new view on this complex cellular communication network.

Identification and characterization of ABA receptors in Oryza sativa

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an essential phytohormone that regulates plant stress responses. ABA receptors in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtPYLs) have been extensively investigated by structural, biochemical, and in vivo studies. In contrast, relatively little is known about the ABA signal transduction cascade in rice. Besides, the diversities of AtPYLs manifest that the information accumulated in Arabidopsis cannot be simply adapted to rice. Thus, studies on rice ABA receptors are compulsory. By taking a bioinformatic approach, we identified twelve ABA receptor orthologs in Oryza sativa (japonica cultivar-group) (OsPYLs), named OsPYL1–12. We have successfully expressed and purified OsPYL1–3, 6 and 10–12 to homogeneity, tested the inhibitory effects on PP2C in Oryza sativa (OsPP2C), and measured their oligomerization states. OsPYL1–3 mainly exhibit as dimers and require ABA to inhibit PP2C’s activity. On the contrary, OsPYL6 retains in the monomer-dimer equilibrium state and OsPYL10–11 largely exist as monomers, and they all display an ABA-independent phosphatase inhibition manner. Interestingly, although OsPYL12 seems to be a dimer, it abrogates the phosphatase activity of PP2Cs in the absence of ABA. Toward a further understanding of OsPYLs on the ABA binding and PP2C inhibition, we determined the crystal structure of ABA-OsPYL2-OsPP2C06 complex. The bioinformatic, biochemical and structural analysis of ABA receptors in rice provide important foundations for designing rational ABA-analogues and breeding the stress-resistant rice for commercial agriculture.

Soybean (Glycine max) expansin gene superfamily origins: segmental and tandem duplication events followed by divergent selection among subfamilies

BACKGROUND

Expansins are plant cell wall loosening proteins that are involved in cell enlargement and a variety of other developmental processes. The expansin superfamily contains four subfamilies; namely, α-expansin (EXPA), β-expansin (EXPB), expansin-like A (EXLA), and expansin-like B (EXLB). Although the genome sequencing of soybeans is complete, our knowledge about the pattern of expansion and evolutionary history of soybean expansin genes remains limited.

RESULTS

A total of 75 expansin genes were identified in the soybean genome, and grouped into four subfamilies based on their phylogenetic relationships. Structural analysis revealed that the expansin genes are conserved in each subfamily, but are divergent among subfamilies. Furthermore, in soybean and Arabidopsis, the expansin gene family has been mainly expanded through tandem and segmental duplications; however, in rice, segmental duplication appears to be the dominant process that generates this superfamily. The transcriptome atlas revealed notable differential expression in either transcript abundance or expression patterns under normal growth conditions. This finding was consistent with the differential distribution of the cis-elements in the promoter region, and indicated wide functional divergence in this superfamily. Moreover, some critical amino acids that contribute to functional divergence and positive selection were detected. Finally, site model and branch-site model analysis of positive selection indicated that the soybean expansin gene superfamily is under strong positive selection, and that divergent selection constraints might have influenced the evolution of the four subfamilies.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the soybean expansin gene superfamily has expanded through tandem and segmental duplication. Differential expression indicated wide functional divergence in this superfamily. Furthermore, positive selection analysis revealed that divergent selection constraints might have influenced the evolution of the four subfamilies. In conclusion, the results of this study contribute novel detailed information about the molecular evolution of the expansin gene superfamily in soybean.

Overexpression of OsMYB48-1, a novel MYB-related transcription factor, enhances drought and salinity tolerance in rice

MYB-type transcription factors (TFs) play essential roles in plant growth, development and respond to environmental stresses. Role of MYB-related TFs of rice in drought stress tolerance is not well documented. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a novel MYB-related TF, OsMYB48-1, of rice. Expression of OsMYB48-1 was strongly induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG), abscisic acid (ABA), H₂O₂, and dehydration, while being slightly induced by high salinity and cold treatment. The OsMYB48-1 protein was localized in the nucleus with transactivation activity at the C terminus. Overexpression of OsMYB48-1 in rice significantly improved tolerance to simulated drought and salinity stresses caused by mannitol, PEG, and NaCl, respectively, and drought stress was caused by drying the soil. In contrast to wild type plants, the overexpression lines exhibited reduced rate of water loss, lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content and higher proline content under stress conditions. Moreover, overexpression plants were hypersensitive to ABA at both germination and post-germination stages and accumulated more endogenous ABA under drought stress conditions. Further studies demonstrated that overexpression of OsMYB48-1 could regulate the expression of some ABA biosynthesis genes (OsNCED4, OsNCED5), early signaling genes (OsPP2C68, OSRK1) and late responsive genes (RAB21, OsLEA3, RAB16C and RAB16D) under drought stress conditions. Collectively, these results suggested that OsMYB48-1 functions as a novel MYB-related TF which plays a positive role in drought and salinity tolerance by regulating stress-induced ABA synthesis.

The NAC family transcription factor OsNAP confers abiotic stress response through the ABA pathway

Plants respond to environmental stresses by altering gene expression, and several genes have been found to mediate stress-induced expression, but many additional factors are yet to be identified. OsNAP is a member of the NAC transcription factor family; it is localized in the nucleus, and shows transcriptional activator activity in yeast. Analysis of the OsNAP transcript levels in rice showed that this gene was significantly induced by ABA and abiotic stresses, including high salinity, drought and low temperature. Rice plants overexpressing OsNAP did not show growth retardation, but showed a significantly reduced rate of water loss, enhanced tolerance to high salinity, drought and low temperature at the vegetative stage, and improved yield under drought stress at the flowering stage. Microarray analysis of transgenic plants overexpressing OsNAP revealed that many stress-related genes were up-regulated, including OsPP2C06/OsABI2, OsPP2C09, OsPP2C68 and OsSalT, and some genes coding for stress-related transcription factors (OsDREB1A, OsMYB2, OsAP37 and OsAP59). Our data suggest that OsNAP functions as a transcriptional activator that plays a role in mediating abiotic stress responses in rice.

Chromium stress response effect on signal transduction and expression of signaling genes in rice

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a non-essential metal for normal plants and is toxic to plants at high concentrations. However, signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms of its action on cell function and gene expression remain elusive. In this study, we found that Cr(VI) induced endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and Ca(2+) accumulation and activated NADPH oxidase and calcium-dependent protein kinase. We investigated global transcriptional changes in rice roots by microarray analysis. Gene expression profiling indicated activation of abscisic acid-, ethylene- and jasmonic acid-mediated signaling and inactivation of gibberellic acid-related pathways in Cr(VI) stress-treated rice roots. Genes encoding signaling components such as the protein kinases domain of unknown function 26, receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase, LRK10-like kinase type 2 and protein phosphatase 2C, as well as transcription factors WRKY and apetala2/ethylene response factor were predominant during Cr(VI) stress. Genes involved in vesicle trafficking were subjected to functional characterization. Pretreating rice roots with a vesicle trafficking inhibitor, brefeldin A, effectively reduced Cr(VI)-induced ROS production. Suppression of the vesicle trafficking gene, Exo70, by virus-induced gene silencing strategies revealed that vesicle trafficking is required for mediation of Cr(VI)-induced ROS production. Taken together, these findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms in signaling pathways and transcriptional regulation in response to Cr stress in plants.

A functional genomic analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana PP2C clade D

In the reference dicot plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the PP2C family of P-protein phosphatases includes the products of 80 genes that have been separated into ten multi-protein clades plus six singletons. Clade D includes the products of nine genes distributed among three chromosomes (APD1, At3g12620; APD2, At3g17090; APD3, At3g51370; APD4, At3g55050; APD5, At4g33920; APD6, At4g38520; APD7, At5g02760; APD8, At5g06750; and APD9, At5g66080). As part of a functional genomics analysis of protein phosphorylation, we retrieved expression data from public databases and determined the subcellular protein localization of the members of clade D. While the nine proteins have been grouped together based upon primary sequence alignments, we observed no obvious common patterns in expression or localization. We found chimera with the GFP associated with the nucleus, plasma membrane, the endomembrane system, and mitochondria in transgenic plants.

A genome-wide analysis of the expansin genes in Malus × Domestica

Expansins were first identified as cell wall-loosening proteins; they are involved in regulating cell expansion, fruits softening and many other physiological processes. However, our knowledge about the expansin family members and their evolutionary relationships in fruit trees, such as apple, is limited. In this study, we identified 41 members of the expansin gene family in the genome of apple (Malus × Domestica L. Borkh). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that expansin genes in apple could be divided into four subfamilies according to their gene structures and protein motifs. By phylogenetic analysis of the expansins in five plants (Arabidopsis, rice, poplar, grape and apple), the expansins were divided into 17 subgroups. Our gene duplication analysis revealed that whole-genome and chromosomal-segment duplications contributed to the expansion of Mdexpansins. The microarray and expressed sequence tag (EST) data showed that 34 Mdexpansin genes could be divided into five groups by the EST analysis; they may also play different roles during fruit development. An expression model for MdEXPA16 and MdEXPA20 showed their potential role in developing fruit. Overall, our study provides useful data and novel insights into the functions and regulatory mechanisms of the expansin genes in apple, as well as their evolution and divergence. As the first step towards genome-wide analysis of the expansin genes in apple, our results have established a solid foundation for future studies on the function of the expansin genes in fruit development.

Transcriptome sequencing and microarray design for functional genomics in the extremophile Arabidopsis relative Thellungiella salsuginea (Eutrema salsugineum)

Background

Most molecular studies of plant stress tolerance have been performed with Arabidopsis thaliana, although it is not particularly stress tolerant and may lack protective mechanisms required to survive extreme environmental conditions. Thellungiella salsuginea has attracted interest as an alternative plant model species with high tolerance of various abiotic stresses. While the T. salsuginea genome has recently been sequenced, its annotation is still incomplete and transcriptomic information is scarce. In addition, functional genomics investigations in this species are severely hampered by a lack of affordable tools for genome-wide gene expression studies.

Results

Here, we report the results of Thellungiella de novo transcriptome assembly and annotation based on 454 pyrosequencing and development and validation of a T. salsuginea microarray. ESTs were generated from a non-normalized and a normalized library synthesized from RNA pooled from samples covering different tissues and abiotic stress conditions. Both libraries yielded partially unique sequences, indicating their necessity to obtain comprehensive transcriptome coverage. More than 1 million sequence reads were assembled into 42,810 unigenes, approximately 50% of which could be functionally annotated. These unigenes were compared to all available Thellungiella genome sequence information. In addition, the groups of Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins, Mitogen Activated Protein (MAP) kinases and protein phosphatases were annotated in detail. We also predicted the target genes for 384 putative miRNAs. From the sequence information, we constructed a 44 k Agilent oligonucleotide microarray. Comparison of same-species and cross-species hybridization results showed superior performance of the newly designed array for T. salsuginea samples. The developed microarrays were used to investigate transcriptional responses of T. salsuginea and Arabidopsis during cold acclimation using the MapMan software.

Conclusions

This study provides the first comprehensive transcriptome information for the extremophile Arabidopsis relative T. salsuginea. The data constitute a more than three-fold increase in the number of publicly available unigene sequences and will greatly facilitate genome annotation. In addition, we have designed and validated the first genome-wide microarray for T. salsuginea, which will be commercially available. Together with the publicly available MapMan software this will become an important tool for functional genomics of plant stress tolerance.

Flower development under drought stress: morphological and transcriptomic analyses reveal acute responses and long-term acclimation in Arabidopsis

Drought dramatically affects plant growth and crop yield, but previous studies primarily examined responses to drought during vegetative development. Here, to study responses to drought during reproductive development, we grew Arabidopsis thaliana plants with limited water, under conditions that allowed the plants to initiate and complete reproduction. Drought treatment from just after the onset of flowering to seed maturation caused an early arrest of floral development and sterility. After acclimation, plants showed reduced fertility that persisted throughout reproductive development. Floral defects included abnormal anther development, lower pollen viability, reduced filament elongation, ovule abortion, and failure of flowers to open. Drought also caused differential expression of 4153 genes, including flowering time genes flowering locus t, suppressor of overexpression of CO1, and leafy, genes regulating anther and pistil development, and stress-related transcription factors. Mutant phenotypes of hypersensitivity to drought and fewer differentially expressed genes suggest that dehydration response element B1A may have an important function in drought response in flowers. A more severe filament elongation defect under drought in myb21 plants demonstrated that appropriate stamen development requires MYB domain protein 21 under drought conditions. Our study reveals a regulatory cascade in reproductive responses and acclimation under drought.

ABA signaling in stress-response and seed development

KEY MESSAGE : We review the recent progress on ABA signaling, especially ABA signaling for ABA-dependent gene expression, including the AREB/ABF regulon, SnRK2 protein kinase, 2C-type protein phosphatases and ABA receptors. Drought negatively impacts plant growth and the productivity of crops. Drought causes osmotic stress to organisms, and the osmotic stress causes dehydration in plant cells. Abscisic acid (ABA) is produced under osmotic stress conditions, and it plays an important role in the stress response and tolerance of plants. ABA regulates many genes under osmotic stress conditions. It also regulates gene expression during seed development and germination. The ABA-responsive element (ABRE) is the major cis-element for ABA-responsive gene expression. ABRE-binding protein (AREB)/ABRE-binding factor (ABF) transcription factors (TFs) regulate ABRE-dependent gene expression. Other TFs are also involved in ABA-responsive gene expression. SNF1-related protein kinases 2 are the key regulators of ABA signaling including the AREB/ABF regulon. Recently, ABA receptors and group A 2C-type protein phosphatases were shown to govern the ABA signaling pathway. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that there are interactions between the major ABA signaling pathway and other signaling factors in stress-response and seed development. The control of the expression of ABA signaling factors may improve tolerance to environmental stresses.

Identification of Arabidopsis VTC3 as a putative and unique dual function protein kinase::protein phosphatase involved in the regulation of the ascorbic acid pool in plants

Ascorbic acid (AsA) is present at high levels in plants and is a potent antioxidant and cellular reductant. The major plant AsA biosynthetic pathway is through the intermediates D-mannose and L-galactose. Although there is ample evidence that plants respond to fluctuating environmental conditions with changes in the pool size of AsA, it is unclear how this regulation occurs. The AsA-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana mutants vtc3-1 and vtc3-2 define a locus that has been identified by positional cloning as At2g40860. Confirmation of this identification was through the study of AsA-deficient At2g40860 insertion mutants and by transgenic complementation of the AsA deficiency in vtc3-1 and vtc3-2 with wild-type At2g40860 cDNA. The very unusual VTC3 gene is predicted to encode a novel polypeptide with an N-terminal protein kinase domain tethered covalently to a C-terminal protein phosphatase type 2C domain. Homologues of this gene exist only within the Viridiplantae/Chloroplastida and the gene may therefore have arisen along with the D-mannose/L-galactose AsA biosynthetic pathway. The vtc3 mutant plants are defective in the ability to elevate the AsA pool in response to light and heat, suggestive of an important role for VTC3 in the regulation of the AsA pool size.

Involvement of two type 2C protein phosphatases BcPtc1 and BcPtc3 in the regulation of multiple stress tolerance and virulence of Botrytis cinerea

Type 2C Ser/Thr phosphatases (PP2Cs) are involved in various cellular processes in many eukaryotes, but little has been known about their functions in filamentous fungi. Botrytis cinerea contains four putative PP2C genes, named BcPTC1, -3, -5, and -6. Biological functions of these genes were analysed by gene deletion and complementation. While no phenotypes aberrant from the wild type were observed with mutants of BcPTC5 and BcPTC6, mutants of BcPTC1 and BcPTC3 had reduced hyphal growth, increased conidiation, and impaired sclerotium development. Additionally, BcPTC1 and BcPTC3 mutants exhibited increased sensitivity to osmotic and oxidative stresses, and to cell wall degrading enzymes. Both mutants exhibited dramatically decreased virulence on host plant tissues. All of the defects were restored by genetic complementation of the mutants with wild-type BcPTC1 and BcPTC3 respectively. Different from what is known in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, BcPtc3, but not BcPtc1, negatively regulates phosphorylation of BcSak1 (the homologue of S. cerevisiae Hog1) in B. cinerea, although both BcPTC1 and BcPTC3 were able to rescue the growth defects of a yeast PTC1 deletion mutant under various stress conditions. These results demonstrated that BcPtc1 and BcPtc3 play important roles in the regulation of multiple stress tolerance and virulence of B. cinerea.

Type 2C protein phosphatase ABI1 is a negative regulator of strawberry fruit ripening

Although a great deal of progress has been made toward understanding the role of abscisic acid (ABA) in fruit ripening, many components in the ABA signalling pathway remain to be elucidated. Here, a strawberry gene homologous to the Arabidopsis gene ABI1, named FaABI1, was isolated and characterized. The 1641bp cDNA includes an intact open reading frame that encodes a deduced protein of 546 amino acids, in which putative conserved domains were determined by homology analysis. Transcriptional analysis showed that the levels of FaABI1 mRNA expression declined rapidly during strawberry fruit development as evidenced by real-time PCR, semi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, and northern blotting analyses, suggesting that the Ser/Thr protein phosphatase PP2C1 encoded by FaABI1 may be involved in fruit ripening as a negative regulator. The results of Tobacco rattle virus-induced gene silencing and PBI121 vector-mediated overexpression suggested that the down- and up-regulation of FaABI1 mRNA expression levels in degreening strawberry fruit could promote and inhibit ripening, respectively. Furthermore, alteration of FaABI1 expression could differentially regulate the transcripts of a set of both ABA-responsive and ripening-related genes, including ABI3, ABI4, ABI5, SnRK2, ABRE1, CHS, PG1, PL, CHI, F3H, DFR, ANS, and UFGT. Taken together, the data provide new evidence for an important role for ABA in regulating strawberry fruit ripening in the processes of which the type 2C protein phosphatase ABI1 serves as a negative regulator. Finally, a possible core mechanism underlying ABA perception and signalling transduction in strawberry fruit ripening is discussed.

Arabidopsis heterotrimeric G protein β subunit interacts with a plasma membrane 2C-type protein phosphatase, PP2C52

Heterotrimeric G proteins (Gα, Gβ, Gγ) play important roles in signal transduction among various eukaryotic species. G proteins transmit signals by regulating the activities of effector proteins, but only a few Gβ-interacting effectors have been identified in plants. Here we show by a yeast two-hybrid screen that a putative myristoylated 2C-type protein phosphatase, PP2C52, is an Arabidopsis Gβ (AGB1)-interacting partner. The interaction between AGB1 and PP2C52 was confirmed by an in vitro pull-down assay and a bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. PP2C52 transcripts were detected in many tissues. PP2C52 was localized to the plasma membrane and a mutation in the putative myristoylation site of PP2C52 disrupted its plasma membrane localization. Our results suggest that PP2C52 interacts with AGB1 on the plasma membrane and transmits signals via dephosphorylation of other proteins.

Unique drought resistance functions of the highly ABA-induced clade A protein phosphatase 2Cs

Six Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) clade A protein phosphatase 2Cs (PP2Cs) have established abscisic acid (ABA) signaling roles; however, phenotypic roles of the remaining three "HAI" PP2Cs, Highly ABA-Induced1 (HAI1), AKT1-Interacting PP2C1/HAI2, and HAI3, have remained unclear. HAI PP2C mutants had enhanced proline and osmoregulatory solute accumulation at low water potential, while mutants of other clade A PP2Cs had no or lesser effect on these drought resistance traits. hai1-2 also had increased expression of abiotic stress-associated genes, including dehydrins and late embryogenesis abundant proteins, but decreased expression of several defense-related genes. Conversely, the HAI PP2Cs had relatively less impact on several ABA sensitivity phenotypes. HAI PP2C single mutants were unaffected in ABA sensitivity, while double and triple mutants were moderately hypersensitive in postgermination ABA response but ABA insensitive in germination. The HAI PP2Cs interacted most strongly with PYL5 and PYL7 to -10 of the PYL/RCAR ABA receptor family, with PYL7 to -10 interactions being relatively little affected by ABA in yeast two-hybrid assays. HAI1 had especially limited PYL interaction. Reduced expression of the main HAI1-interacting PYLs at low water potential when HAI1 expression was strongly induced also suggests limited PYL regulation and a role of HAI1 activity in negatively regulating specific drought resistance phenotypes. Overall, the HAI PP2Cs had greatest effect on ABA-independent low water potential phenotypes and lesser effect on classical ABA sensitivity phenotypes. Both this and their distinct PYL interaction demonstrate a new level of functional differentiation among the clade A PP2Cs and a point of cross talk between ABA-dependent and ABA-independent drought-associated signaling.

PAPP2C interacts with the atypical disease resistance protein RPW8.2 and negatively regulates salicylic acid-dependent defense responses in Arabidopsis

Many fungal and oomycete pathogens differentiate a feeding structure named the haustorium to extract nutrition from the plant epidermal cell. The atypical resistance (R) protein RPW8.2 activates salicylic acid (SA)-dependent, haustorium-targeted defenses against Golovinomyces spp., the causal agents of powdery mildew diseases on multiple plant species. How RPW8.2 activates defense remains uncharacterized. Here, we report that RPW8.2 interacts with the phytochrome-associated protein phosphatase type 2C (PAPP2C) in yeast and in planta as evidenced by co-immunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. Down-regulation of PAPP2C by RNA interference (RNAi) in Col-0 plants lacking RPW8.2 leads to leaf spontaneous cell death and enhanced disease resistance to powdery mildew via the SA-dependent signaling pathway. Moreover, down-regulation of PAPP2C by RNAi in the RPW8.2 background results in strong HR-like cell death, which correlates with elevated RPW8.2 expression. We further demonstrate that hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged PAPP2C prepared from tobacco leaf cells transiently transformed with HA-PAPP2C possesses phosphatase activity. In addition, silencing a rice gene (Os04g0452000) homologous to PAPP2C also results in spontaneous cell death in rice. Combined, our results suggest that RPW8.2 is functionally connected with PAPP2C and that PAPP2C negatively regulates SA-dependent basal defense against powdery mildew in Arabidopsis.

The Citrus ABA signalosome: identification and transcriptional regulation during sweet orange fruit ripening and leaf dehydration

The abscisic acid (ABA) signalling core in plants include the cytosolic ABA receptors (PYR/PYL/RCARs), the clade-A type 2C protein phosphatases (PP2CAs), and the subclass III SNF1-related protein kinases 2 (SnRK2s). The aim of this work was to identify these ABA perception system components in sweet orange and to determine the influence of endogenous ABA on their transcriptional regulation during fruit development and ripening, taking advantage of the comparative analysis between a wild-type and a fruit-specific ABA-deficient mutant. Transcriptional changes in the ABA signalosome during leaf dehydration were also studied. Six PYR/PYL/RCAR, five PP2CA, and two subclass III SnRK2 genes, homologous to those of Arabidopsis, were identified in the Citrus genome. The high degree of homology and conserved motifs for protein folding and for functional activity suggested that these Citrus proteins are bona fide core elements of ABA perception in orange. Opposite expression patterns of CsPYL4 and CsPYL5 and ABA accumulation were found during ripening, although there were few differences between varieties. In contrast, changes in expression of CsPP2CA genes during ripening paralleled those of ABA content and agreeed with the relevant differences between wild-type and mutant fruit transcript accumulation. CsSnRK2 gene expression continuously decreased with ripening and no remarkable differences were found between cultivars. Overall, dehydration had a minor effect on CsPYR/PYL/RCAR and CsSnRK2 expression in vegetative tissue, whereas CsABI1, CsAHG1, and CsAHG3 were highly induced by water stress. The global results suggest that responsiveness to ABA changes during citrus fruit ripening, and leaf dehydration was higher in the CsPP2CA gene negative regulators than in the other ABA signalosome components.

The ABA signal transduction mechanism in commercial crops: learning from Arabidopsis

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) affects a wide range of stages of plant development as well as the plant's response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Manipulation of ABA signaling in commercial crops holds promising potential for improving crop yields. Several decades of research have been invested in attempts to identify the first components of the ABA signaling cascade. It was only in 2009, that two independent groups identified the PYR/PYL/RCAR protein family as the plant ABA receptor. This finding was followed by a surge of studies on ABA signal transduction, many of them using Arabidopsis as their model. The ABA signaling cascade was found to consist of a double-negative regulatory mechanism assembled from three protein families. These include the ABA receptors, the PP2C family of inhibitors, and the kinase family, SnRK2. It was found that ABA-bound PYR/RCARs inhibit PP2C activity, and that PP2Cs inactivate SnRK2s. Researchers today are examining how the elucidation of the ABA signaling cascade in Arabidopsis can be applied to improvements in commercial agriculture. In this article, we have attempted to review recent studies which address this issue. In it, we discuss various approaches useful in identifying the genetic and protein components involved. Finally, we suggest possible commercial applications of genetic manipulation of ABA signaling to improve crop yields.

Identification of a photosystem II phosphatase involved in light acclimation in Arabidopsis

Reversible protein phosphorylation plays a major role in the acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus to changes in light. Two paralogous kinases phosphorylate subsets of thylakoid membrane proteins. STATE TRANSITION7 (STN7) phosphorylates LHCII, the light-harvesting antenna of photosystem II (PSII), to balance the activity of the two photosystems through state transitions. STN8, which is mainly involved in phosphorylation of PSII core subunits, influences folding of the thylakoid membranes and repair of PSII after photodamage. The rapid reversibility of these acclimatory responses requires the action of protein phosphatases. In a reverse genetic screen, we identified the chloroplast PP2C phosphatase, PHOTOSYSTEM II CORE PHOSPHATASE (PBCP), which is required for efficient dephosphorylation of PSII proteins. Its targets, identified by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry, largely coincide with those of the kinase STN8. The recombinant phosphatase is active in vitro on a synthetic substrate or on isolated thylakoids. Thylakoid folding is affected in the absence of PBCP, while its overexpression alters the kinetics of state transitions. PBCP and STN8 form an antagonistic kinase and phosphatase pair whose substrate specificity and physiological functions are distinct from those of STN7 and the counteracting phosphatase PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE1/THYLAKOID-ASSOCIATED PHOSPHATASE38, but their activities may overlap to some degree.

cDNA-AFLP analysis of salt-inducible genes expression in Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium under salt treatment

Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium (Fisch. ex Trautv.) Makino is a halophyte species that belongs to the Asteraceae family, and the genus Chrysanthemum. It is one of the ancestors of C.×morifolium Ramatella. Understanding the tolerance mechanism associated with salt stress in C. lavandulifolium could provide important information for explaining the salt tolerance of higher plants and could also help enhancing breeding programs of cultivated Chrysanthemum. In this study, cDNA amplified fragment length polymorphism (cDNA-AFLP) was used to detect differential gene expression in leaves of C. lavandulifolium in response to NaCl treatment. The determination of membrane permeablility, peroxidase activity (POD), malon-dialdehyde (MDA), as well as proline and leaf chlorophyll contents under different NaCl concentrations showed that a 200 mM NaCl treatment was an optimal condition for the cDNA-AFLP experiment. Using this concentration during different times (0, 3 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h), we obtained 1930 cDNA fragments using 64 primers. After sequencing 234 randomly chosen cDNA clones and BLASTx analyzing, we got 129 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) which had no significant homology with other sequences, 85 ESTs were homologous to genes with known functions, whereas the rest of ESTs showed homology to unclassified or putative proteins. 25 ESTs that were similar to known functional genes involved in several abiotic and biotic stresses were confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and qRT-PCR. The expression patterns of these salt-responsive genes not only responded to salt stress but also to plant hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA), and to other abiotic stresses such as drought and cold. These results indicate an extensive cross-talk among several stresses. Our results provide interesting information for further understanding the molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance in C. lavandulifolium.

A putative myristoylated 2C-type protein phosphatase, PP2C74, interacts with SnRK1 in Arabidopsis

N-myristoylation is a lipid modification of many signaling proteins in which myristate is added to an N-terminal glycine residue. Here we show that PP2C74, a putative myristoylated 2C-type protein phosphatase (PP2C) in Arabidopsis, is transcribed in various tissues and has protein phosphatase activity. GFP-fused PP2C74 localized to the plasma membrane, but not when a glycine residue at position 2, which is the putative myristoylation site, was substituted with an alanine residue. Yeast two-hybrid analysis and GST pull-down analysis showed that PP2C74 interacts with AKIN10, the catalytic α subunit of the SnRK1 protein kinase complex, the β subunits of which are known targets of myristoylation.

A rice orthologue of the ABA receptor, OsPYL/RCAR5, is a positive regulator of the ABA signal transduction pathway in seed germination and early seedling growth

Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone that positively regulates seed dormancy and stress tolerance. PYL/RCARs were identified an intracellular ABA receptors regulating ABA-dependent gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, their function in monocot species has not been characterized yet. Herein, it is demonstrated that PYL/RCAR orthologues in Oryza sativa function as a positive regulator of the ABA signal transduction pathway. Transgenic rice plants expressing OsPYL/RCAR5, a PYL/RCAR orthologue of rice, were found to be hypersensitive to ABA during seed germination and early seedling growth. A rice ABA signalling unit composed of OsPYL/RCAR5, OsPP2C30, SAPK2, and OREB1 for ABA-dependent gene regulation was further identified, via interaction assays and a transient gene expression assay. Thus, a core signalling unit for ABA-responsive gene expression modulating seed germination and early seedling growth in rice has been unravelled. This study provides substantial contributions toward understanding the ABA signal transduction pathway in rice.