Characterization of a novel flooding stress-responsive alcohol dehydrogenase expressed in soybean roots

Characterization of the Regulatory Network under Waterlogging Stress in Soybean Roots via Transcriptome Analysis

Flooding stress caused by climate change is a serious threat to crop productivity. To enhance our understanding of flooding stress in soybean, we analyzed the transcriptome of the roots of soybean plants after waterlogging treatment for 10 days at the V2 growth stage. Through RNA sequencing analysis, 870 upregulated and 1129 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and characterized using Gene Ontology (GO) and MapMan software (version 3.6.0RC1). In the functional classification analysis, "alcohol biosynthetic process" was the most significantly enriched GO term in downregulated DEGs, and phytohormone-related genes such as ABA, cytokinin, and gibberellin were upregulated. Among the transcription factors (TFs) in DEGs, AP2/ERFs were the most abundant. Furthermore, our DEGs encompassed eight soybean orthologs from Arabidopsis and rice, such as 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase. Along with a co-functional network consisting of the TF and orthologs, the expression changes of those genes were tested in a waterlogging-resistant cultivar, PI567343. These findings contribute to the identification of candidate genes for waterlogging tolerance in soybean, which can enhance our understanding of waterlogging tolerance.

Conversion of lipids into carbohydrates rescues energy insufficiency in rapeseed germination under waterlogging stress

Waterlogging stress, particularly during seed germination, significantly affects plant growth and development. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying waterlogging stress responses during rapeseed germination remain unclear. In this study, two rapeseed cultivars, Xiangzayou518 (waterlogging-sensitive) and Dadi199 (waterlogging-tolerant), were used to explore the physiological mechanisms underlying rapeseed response to waterlogging stress during germination. Our results showed that waterlogging significantly decreased the emergence percentage and seedling growth rate. During the radicle elongation period (from 48 to 96 h post-germination), the most sensitive period to waterlogging during germination, sugar content, and glycolysis efficiency were significantly decreased, but anaerobic fermentation was enhanced. In tolerant cultivars, when the energy supply was insufficient, the conversion efficiency of lipids into sugar increased, and the activities of isocitrate lyase, malate synthase, and fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase were enhanced by 11.63, 19.06, and 20.37%, respectively, at 72 h post-germination under waterlogging stress. Transcriptome data showed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in glucose and lipid metabolism pathways when comparing waterlogged stress and normal conditions. These results indicate that waterlogging affects seed germination in rapeseed by inhibiting carbohydrate metabolism, and the conversion capacity of lipids into sugar under waterlogging stress was stronger in tolerant cultivars than in sensitive cultivars, thus rescuing the insufficient energy supply in seed germination and seedling growth. This study reveals the physiological mechanism of rapeseed response to waterlogging stress during seed germination and provides a valuable reference for improving waterlogging tolerance.

The Changes of Amino-Acid Metabolism between Wheat and Rice during Early Growth under Flooding Stress

Floods induce hypoxic stress and reduce wheat growth. On the other hand, rice is a semi-aquatic plant and usually grows even when partially submerged. To clarify the dynamic differences in the cellular mechanism between rice and wheat under flooding stress, morphological and biochemical analyses were performed. Although the growth of wheat in the early stage was significantly suppressed due to flooding stress, rice was hardly affected. Amino-acid analysis revealed significant changes in amino acids involved in the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt and anaerobic/aerobic metabolism. Flood stress significantly increased the contents of GABA and glutamate in wheat compared with rice, though the abundances of glutamate decarboxylase and succinyl semialdehyde dehydrogenase did not change. The abundance of alcohol dehydrogenase and pyruvate carboxylase increased in wheat and rice, respectively. The contents of aspartic acid and pyruvic acid increased in rice root but remained unchanged in wheat; however, the abundance of aspartate aminotransferase increased in wheat root. These results suggest that flooding stress significantly inhibits wheat growth through upregulating amino-acid metabolism and increasing the alcohol-fermentation system compared to rice. When plant growth is inhibited by flooding stress and the aerobic-metabolic system is activated, GABA content increases.

Genomic insights into local adaptation and vulnerability of Quercus longinux to climate change

BACKGROUND

Climate change is expected to alter the factors that drive changes in adaptive variation. This is especially true for species with long life spans and limited dispersal capabilities. Rapid climate changes may disrupt the migration of beneficial genetic variations, making it challenging for them to keep up with changing environments. Understanding adaptive genetic variations in tree species is crucial for conservation and effective forest management. Our study used landscape genomic analyses and phenotypic traits from a thorough sampling across the entire range of Quercus longinux, an oak species native to Taiwan, to investigate the signals of adaptation within this species.

RESULTS

Using ecological data, phenotypic traits, and 1,933 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 205 individuals, we classified three genetic groups, which were also phenotypically and ecologically divergent. Thirty-five genes related to drought and freeze resistance displayed signatures of natural selection. The adaptive variation was driven by diverse environmental pressures such as low spring precipitation, low annual temperature, and soil grid sizes. Using linear-regression-based methods, we identified isolation by environment (IBE) as the optimal model for adaptive SNPs. Redundancy analysis (RDA) further revealed a substantial joint influence of demography, geology, and environments, suggesting a covariation between environmental gradients and colonization history. Lastly, we utilized adaptive signals to estimate the genetic offset for each individual under diverse climate change scenarios. The required genetic changes and migration distance are larger in severe climates. Our prediction also reveals potential threats to edge populations in northern and southeastern Taiwan due to escalating temperatures and precipitation reallocation.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate the intricate influence of ecological heterogeneity on genetic and phenotypic adaptation of an oak species. The adaptation is also driven by some rarely studied environmental factors, including wind speed and soil features. Furthermore, the genetic offset analysis predicted that the edge populations of Q. longinux in lower elevations might face higher risks of local extinctions under climate change.

Psammophytes Alyssum desertorum Stapf and Secale sylvestre Host Are Sensitive to Soil Flooding

While morphological and functional traits enable hydrophytes to survive under waterlogging and partial or complete submergence, the data on responses of psammophytes-sand plants-to flooding are very limited. We analyzed the effect of 5- and 10-day soil flooding on the photosynthetic apparatus and the synthesis of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), heat shock proteins 70 (HSP70), and ethylene in seedlings of psammophytes Alyssum desertorum and Secale sylvestre using electron microscopy, chlorophyll a fluorescence induction, and biochemical methods. It was found that seedlings growing under soil flooding differed from those growing in stationary conditions with such traits as chloroplast ultrastructure, pigment content, chlorophyll fluorescence induction, and the dynamics of ADH, HSP, and ethylene synthesis. Although flooding caused no apparent damage to the photosynthetic apparatus in all the variants, a significant decrease in total photosynthesis efficiency was observed in both studied plants, as indicated by decreased values of φR0 and PIABS,total. More noticeable upregulation of ADH in S. sylvestre, as well as increasing HSP70 level and more intensive ethylene emission in A. desertorum, indicate species-specific differences in these traits in response to short-term soil flooding. Meanwhile, the absence of systemic anaerobic metabolic adaptation to prolonged hypoxia causes plant death.

Plant Adaptation to Flooding Stress under Changing Climate Conditions: Ongoing Breakthroughs and Future Challenges

Climate-change-induced variations in temperature and rainfall patterns are a serious threat across the globe. Flooding is the foremost challenge to agricultural productivity, and it is believed to become more intense under a changing climate. Flooding is a serious form of stress that significantly reduces crop yields, and future climatic anomalies are predicted to make the problem even worse in many areas of the world. To cope with the prevailing flooding stress, plants have developed different morphological and anatomical adaptations in their roots, aerenchyma cells, and leaves. Therefore, researchers are paying more attention to identifying developed and adopted molecular-based plant mechanisms with the objective of obtaining flooding-resistant cultivars. In this review, we discuss the various physiological, anatomical, and morphological adaptations (aerenchyma cells, ROL barriers (redial O2 loss), and adventitious roots) and the phytohormonal regulation in plants under flooding stress. This review comprises ongoing innovations and strategies to mitigate flooding stress, and it also provides new insights into how this knowledge can be used to improve productivity in the scenario of a rapidly changing climate and increasing flood intensity.

Proteomic Analysis Reveals Salt-Tolerant Mechanism in Soybean Applied with Plant-Derived Smoke Solution

Salt stress of soybean is a serious problem because it reduces plant growth and seed yield. To investigate the salt-tolerant mechanism of soybean, a plant-derived smoke (PDS) solution was used. Three-day-old soybeans were subjected to PDS solution under 100 mM NaCl for 2 days, resulting in PDS solution improving soybean root growth, even under salt stress. Under the same condition, proteins were analyzed using the proteomic technique. Differential abundance proteins were associated with transport/formaldehyde catabolic process/sucrose metabolism/glutathione metabolism/cell wall organization in the biological process and membrane/Golgi in the cellular component with or without PDS solution under salt stress. Immuno-blot analysis confirmed that osmotin, alcohol dehydrogenase, and sucrose synthase increased with salt stress and decreased with additional PDS solution; however, H+ATPase showed opposite effects. Cellulose synthase and xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase increased with salt and decreased with additional PDS solution. Furthermore, glycoproteins decreased with salt stress and recovered with additional treatment. As mitochondrion-related events, the contents of ATP and gamma-aminobutyric acid increased with salt stress and recovered with additional treatment. These results suggest that PDS solution improves the soybean growth by alleviating salt stress. Additionally, the regulation of energy metabolism, protein glycosylation, and cell wall construction might be an important factor for the acquisition of salt tolerance in soybean.

Elucidating the molecular responses to waterlogging stress in onion (Allium cepa L.) leaf by comparative transcriptome profiling

Introduction

Waterlogging is a major stress that severely affects onion cultivation worldwide, and developing stress-tolerant varieties could be a valuable measure for overcoming its adverse effects. Gathering information regarding the molecular mechanisms and gene expression patterns of waterlogging-tolerant and sensitive genotypes is an effective method for improving stress tolerance in onions. To date, the waterlogging tolerance-governing molecular mechanism in onions is unknown.

Methods

This study identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) through transcriptome analysis in leaf tissue of two onion genotypes (Acc. 1666; tolerant and W-344; sensitive) presenting contrasting responses to waterlogging stress.

Results

Differential gene expression analysis revealed that in Acc. 1666, 1629 and 3271 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. In W-344, 2134 and 1909 genes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, under waterlogging stress. The proteins coded by these DEGs regulate several key biological processes to overcome waterlogging stress such as phytohormone production, antioxidant enzymes, programmed cell death, and energy production. The clusters of orthologous group pathway analysis revealed that DEGs contributed to the post-translational modification, energy production, and carbohydrate metabolism-related pathways under waterlogging stress. The enzyme assay demonstrated higher activity of antioxidant enzymes in Acc. 1666 than in W-344. The differential expression of waterlogging tolerance related genes, such as those related to antioxidant enzymes, phytohormone biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and transcriptional factors, suggested that significant fine reprogramming of gene expression occurs in response to waterlogging stress in onion. A few genes such as ADH, PDC, PEP carboxylase, WRKY22, and Respiratory burst oxidase D were exclusively upregulated in Acc. 1666.

Discussion

The molecular information about DEGs identified in the present study would be valuable for improving stress tolerance and for developing waterlogging tolerant onion varieties.

Symbiosis between Dendrobium catenatum protocorms and Serendipita indica involves the plant hypoxia response pathway

Mycorrhizae are ubiquitous symbioses established between fungi and plant roots. Orchids, in particular, require compatible mycorrhizal fungi for seed germination and protocorm development. Unlike arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which have wide host ranges, orchid mycorrhizal fungi are often highly specific to their host orchids. However, the molecular mechanism of orchid mycorrhizal symbiosis is largely unknown compared to that of arbuscular mycorrhizal and rhizobial symbiosis. Here, we report that an endophytic Sebacinales fungus, Serendipita indica, promotes seed germination and the development of protocorms into plantlets in several epiphytic Epidendroideae orchid species (6 species in 2 genera), including Dendrobium catenatum, a critically endangered orchid with high medicinal value. Although plant-pathogen interaction and high meristematic activity can induce the hypoxic response in plants, it has been unclear whether interactions with beneficial fungi, especially mycorrhizal ones, also involve the hypoxic response. By studying the symbiotic relationship between D. catenatum and S. indica, we determined that hypoxia-responsive genes, such as those encoding alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), are highly induced in symbiotic D. catenatum protocorms. In situ hybridization assay indicated that the ADH gene is predominantly expressed in the basal mycorrhizal region of symbiotic protocorms. Additionally, the ADH inhibitors puerarin and 4-methylpyrazole both decreased S. indica colonization in D. catenatum protocorms. Thus, our study reveals that S. indica is widely compatible with orchids and that ADH and its related hypoxia-responsive pathway are involved in establishing successful symbiotic relationships in germinating orchids.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Genes Associated with Flooding Tolerance in Mulberry Plants

Mulberry (Morus alba), a widely distributed economic plant, can withstand long-term flooding stress. However, the regulatory gene network underlying this tolerance is unknown. In the present study, mulberry plants were subjected to submergence stress. Subsequently, mulberry leaves were collected to perform quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and transcriptome analysis. Genes encoding ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase were significantly upregulated after submergence stress, indicating that they could protect the mulberry plant from flood damage by mediating ROS homeostasis. Genes that regulate starch and sucrose metabolism; genes encoding pyruvate kinase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and pyruvate decarboxylase (enzymes involved in glycolysis and ethanol fermentation); and genes encoding malate dehydrogenase and ATPase (enzymes involved in the TCA cycle) were also obviously upregulated. Hence, these genes likely played a key role in mitigating energy shortage during flooding stress. In addition, genes associated with ethylene, cytokinin, abscisic acid, and MAPK signaling; genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis; and transcription factor genes also showed upregulation under flooding stress in mulberry plants. These results provide further insights into the adaptation mechanisms and genetics of submergence tolerance in mulberry plants and could aid in the molecular breeding of these plants.

Identification of QTN-by-environment interactions and their candidate genes for soybean seed oil-related traits using 3VmrMLM

Introduction

Although seed oil content and its fatty acid compositions in soybean were affected by environment, QTN-by-environment (QEIs) and gene-by-environment interactions (GEIs) were rarely reported in genome-wide association studies.

Methods

The 3VmrMLM method was used to associate the trait phenotypes, measured in five to seven environments, of 286 soybean accessions with 106,013 SNPs for detecting QTNs and QEIs.

Results

Seven oil metabolism genes (GmSACPD-A, GmSACPD-B, GmbZIP123, GmSWEET39, GmFATB1A, GmDGAT2D, and GmDGAT1B) around 598 QTNs and one oil metabolism gene GmFATB2B around 54 QEIs were verified in previous studies; 76 candidate genes and 66 candidate GEIs were predicted to be associated with these traits, in which 5 genes around QEIs were verified in other species to participate in oil metabolism, and had differential expression across environments. These genes were found to be related to soybean seed oil content in haplotype analysis. In addition, most candidate GEIs were co-expressed with drought response genes in co-expression network, and three KEGG pathways which respond to drought were enriched under drought stress rather than control condition; six candidate genes were hub genes in the co-expression networks under drought stress.

Discussion

The above results indicated that GEIs, together with drought response genes in co-expression network, may respond to drought, and play important roles in regulating seed oil-related traits together with oil metabolism genes. These results provide important information for genetic basis, molecular mechanisms, and soybean breeding for seed oil-related traits.

Proteomic insight into soybean response to flooding stress reveals changes in energy metabolism and cell wall modifications

Soybean is a legume crop enriched with proteins and oil. It is frequently exposed to anthropogenic and natural flooding that limits its growth and yield. Current study applied gel-free proteomic techniques to unravel soybean response mechanism to flooding stress. Two-days-old soybeans were flooded for 4 days continuously and root samples were collected at days 2 to 6 for proteomic and enzymatic analyses. Age-matched untreated soybeans were collected as control. After protein extraction, purification and tryptic digestion, the peptides were analyzed on nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A total of 539 and 472 proteins with matched peptides 2 or more were identified in control and flooded seedlings, respectively. Among these 364 proteins were commonly identified in both control and flooded soybeans. Fourty-two protein's abundances were changed 4-fold after 2-days of flooding stress as compared to starting point. The cluster analysis showed that highly increased proteins included cupin family proteins, enolase, pectin methylesterase inhibitor, glyoxalase II, alcohol dehydrogenase and aldolase. The enzyme assay of enolase and pectin methylesterase inhibitor confirmed protein abundance changes. These findings suggest that soybean adopts the less energy consuming strategies and brings biochemical and structural changes in the cell wall to effectively respond to flooding stress and for the survival.

Proteomic, biochemical, and anatomical influences of nanographene oxide on soybean (Glycine max)

Nano-graphene oxide (NGO) is an engineered nanostructure that is used in various fields including biology, chemistry, medicine, and environmental protection. This kind of highly used nanomaterial (NM) is being released and accumulated gradually in nature and can have some adverse influences on living organisms including plants. Soybean as a cultivated plant with a high importance in food industry, but sensitive to stresses, was chosen in the present study to be examined in terms of proteomic, biochemical, and anatomical properties under the NGO stress. Accordingly, a 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) approach was adopted for proteomic analysis of the NGO treated soybean roots, where significant changes were observed in the abundance of 48 proteins. MALDI TOF/TOF analysis revealed the upregulation of the proteins involved in the redox regulation in plants. Furthermore, anatomical examination of soybean roots under light microscopy showed that the NGO could enter into the root epidermis through the apoplastic pathway and accumulated in some parts of the root. With increasing NGO concentration, the diameter of the vascular apertures increased and then decreased at higher concentrations. To evaluate the toxicity of NGO, some of the growth parameters including fresh and dry weight, and height of the shoots, as well as some stress-related biochemical properties such as H2O2 production, antioxidant enzymes activity, and phenolics and flavonoids contents were measured. The results indicated that NGO could cause an oxidative stress, which can be considered a toxic effect evoking antioxidative and detoxification mechanisms in soybean.

Proteomic and Biological Analyses Reveal the Effect on Growth under Flooding Stress of Chickpea Irradiated with Millimeter Waves

Chickpea cultivated on marginal lands in arid and semiarid tropics is one of the food legumes, and its growth is reduced by flooding stress. Millimeter-wave irradiation has influences on organisms, and it improves the growth of plants such as soybean. To reveal the dynamic effects of millimeter-wave irradiation on chickpea under flooding, gel- and label-free proteomic analysis was conducted. Millimeter-wave irradiation improved chickpea growth and its tolerance to flooding stress. According to functional categorization, oppositely changed proteins were correlated with photosynthesis, fermentation, and protein degradation. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that RuBisCO activase and large subunits decreased in leaves under flooding; however, they are recovered in irradiated chickpea even if it was in this condition. The activity and accumulation of alcohol dehydrogenase increased in roots under flooding; however, this followed the same pattern. Cell death was significantly increased and decreased by flooding on unirradiated and irradiated chickpeas, respectively. These findings suggest that irradiation with millimeter waves on chickpea seeds improves the recovery of plant growth through regulation of photosynthesis in leaves and fermentation in roots. Furthermore, millimeter-wave irradiation might promote chickpea tolerance under flooding via the regulation of cell death.

Proteomic and Biochemical Analyses of the Mechanism of Tolerance in Mutant Soybean Responding to Flooding Stress

To investigate the mechanism of flooding tolerance of soybean, flooding-tolerant mutants derived from gamma-ray irradiated soybean were crossed with parent cultivar Enrei for removal of other factors besides the genes related to flooding tolerance in primary generated mutant soybean. Although the growth of the wild type was significantly suppressed by flooding compared with the non-flooding condition, that of the mutant lines was better than that of the wild type even if it was treated with flooding. A two-day-old mutant line was subjected to flooding for 2 days and proteins were analyzed using a gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. Oppositely changed proteins in abundance between the wild type and mutant line under flooding stress were associated in endoplasmic reticulum according to gene-ontology categorization. Immunoblot analysis confirmed that calnexin accumulation increased in both the wild type and mutant line; however, calreticulin accumulated in only the mutant line under flooding stress. Furthermore, although glycoproteins in the wild type decreased by flooding compared with the non-flooding condition, those in the mutant line increased even if it was under flooding stress. Alcohol dehydrogenase accumulated in the wild type and mutant line; however, this enzyme activity significantly increased and mildly increased in the wild type and mutant line, respectively, under flooding stress compared with the non-flooding condition. Cell death increased and decreased in the wild type and mutant line, respectively, by flooding stress. These results suggest that the regulation of cell death through the fermentation system and glycoprotein folding might be an important factor for the acquisition of flooding tolerance in mutant soybean.

Genome-wide identification of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene family under waterlogging stress in wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Background

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) plays an important role in plant survival under anaerobic conditions. Although some research about ADH in many plants have been carried out, the bioinformatics analysis of the ADH gene family from Triticum aestivum and their response to abiotic stress is unclear.

Methods

A total of 22 ADH genes were identified from the wheat genome, and these genes could be divided into two subfamilies (subfamily I and subfamily II). All TaADH genes belonged to the Medium-chain ADH subfamily. Sequence alignment analysis showed that all TaADH proteins contained a conservative GroES-like domain and Zinc-binding domain. A total of 64 duplicated gene pairs were found, and the Ka/Ks value of these gene pairs was less than 1, which indicated that these genes were relatively conservative and did not change greatly in the process of duplication.

Results

The organizational analysis showed that nine TaADH genes were highly expressed in all organs, and the rest of TaADH genes had tissue specificity. Cis-acting element analysis showed that almost all of the TaADH genes contained an anaerobic response element. The expression levels of ADH gene in waterlogging tolerant and waterlogging sensitive wheat seeds were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). This showed that some key ADH genes were significantly responsive to waterlogging stress at the seed germination stage, and the response of waterlogging tolerant and waterlogging sensitive wheat seeds to waterlogging stress was regulated by different ADH genes. The results may be helpful to further study the function of TaADH genes and to determine the candidate gene for wheat stress resistance breeding.

Identification and Functional Analysis of ThADH1 and ThADH4 Genes Involved in Tolerance to Waterlogging Stress in Taxodium hybrid 'Zhongshanshan 406'

The Taxodium hybrid 'Zhongshanshan 406' (T. hybrid 'Zhongshanshan 406') [Taxodium mucronatum Tenore × Taxodium distichum (L.). Rich] has an outstanding advantage in flooding tolerance and thus has been widely used in wetland afforestation in China. Alcohol dehydrogenase genes (ADHs) played key roles in ethanol metabolism to maintain energy supply for plants in low-oxygen conditions. Two ADH genes were isolated and characterized-ThADH1 and ThADH4 (GenBank ID: AWL83216 and AWL83217-basing on the transcriptome data of T. hybrid 'Zhongshanshan 406' grown under waterlogging stress. Then the functions of these two genes were investigated through transient expression and overexpression. The results showed that the ThADH1 and ThADH4 proteins both fall under ADH III subfamily. ThADH1 was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus, whereas ThADH4 was only localized in the cytoplasm. The expression of the two genes was stimulated by waterlogging and the expression level in roots was significantly higher than those in stems and leaves. The respective overexpression of ThADH1 and ThADH4 in Populus caused the opposite phenotype, while waterlogging tolerance of the two transgenic Populus significantly improved. Collectively, these results indicated that genes ThADH1 and ThADH4 were involved in the tolerance and adaptation to anaerobic conditions in T. hybrid 'Zhongshanshan 406'.

Screening of Key Proteins Affecting Floral Initiation of Saffron Under Cold Stress Using iTRAQ-Based Proteomics

BACKGROUND

Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) is an expensive and valuable species that presents preventive and curative effects. This study aimed to screen the key proteins affecting the floral initiation of saffron under cold stress and thus increasing yield by regulating the temperature.

RESULTS

Protein expression profiles in flowering and non-flowering saffron buds were established using isobaric tags for relative or absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). A total of 5,624 proteins were identified, and 201 differentially abundant protein species (DAPs) were further obtained between the flowering and non-flowering groups. The most important functions of the upregulated DAPs were "sucrose metabolic process," "lipid transport," "glutathione metabolic process," and "gene silencing by RNA." Downregulated DAPs were significantly enriched in "starch biosynthetic process" and several oxidative stress response pathways. Three new flower-related proteins, CsFLK, CseIF4a, and CsHUA1, were identified in this study. The following eight key genes were validated by real-time qPCR in flowering and non-flowering top buds from five different growth phases: floral induction- and floral organ development-related genes CsFLK, CseIF4A, CsHUA1, and CsGSTU7; sucrose synthase activity-related genes CsSUS1 and CsSUS2; and starch synthase activity-related genes CsGBSS1 and CsPU1. These findings demonstrate the important roles played by sucrose/starch biosynthesis pathways in floral development at the mRNA level. During normal floral organ development, the sucrose contents in the top buds of saffron increased, and the starch contents decreased. In contrast, non-flowering buds showed significantly decreased sucrose contents under cold stress and no significant changes in starch contents compared with those in the dormancy stage.

CONCLUSION

In this report, the protein profiles of saffron under cold stress and a normal environment were revealed for the first time by iTRAQ. A possible "reactive oxygen species-antioxidant system-starch/sugar interconversion flowering pathway" was established to explain the phenomenon that saffron does not bloom due to low temperature treatment.

Review: Proteomic Techniques for the Development of Flood-Tolerant Soybean

Soybean, which is rich in protein and oil as well as phytochemicals, is cultivated in several climatic zones. However, its growth is markedly decreased by flooding stress, which is caused by climate change. Proteomic techniques were used for understanding the flood-response and -tolerant mechanisms in soybean. Subcellular proteomics has potential to elucidate localized cellular responses and investigate communications among subcellular components during plant growth and under stress stimuli. Furthermore, post-translational modifications play important roles in stress response and tolerance to flooding stress. Although many flood-response mechanisms have been reported, flood-tolerant mechanisms have not been fully clarified for soybean because of limitations in germplasm with flooding tolerance. This review provides an update on current biochemical and molecular networks involved in soybean tolerance against flooding stress, as well as recent developments in the area of functional genomics in terms of developing flood-tolerant soybeans. This work will expedite marker-assisted genetic enhancement studies in crops for developing high-yielding stress-tolerant lines or varieties under abiotic stress.

Transcriptomic and anatomic profiling reveal the germination process of different wheat varieties in response to waterlogging stress

BACKGROUND

Waterlogging is one of the most serious abiotic stresses affecting wheat-growing regions in China. Considerable differences in waterlogging tolerance have been found among different wheat varieties, and the mechanisms governing the waterlogging tolerance of wheat seeds during germination have not been elucidated.

RESULTS

The results showed no significant difference between the germination rate of 'Bainong 207' (BN207) (after 72 h of waterlogging treatment) and that of the control seeds. However, the degree of emulsification and the degradation rate of endosperm cells under waterlogging stress were higher than those obtained with the control treatment, and the number of amyloplasts in the endosperm was significantly reduced by waterlogging. Transcriptomic data were obtained from seed samples (a total of 18 samples) of three wheat varieties, 'Zhoumai 22' (ZM22), BN207 and 'Bainong 607' (BN607), subjected to the waterlogging and control treatments. A comprehensive analysis identified a total of 2775 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In addition, an analysis of the correlations among the expression difference levels of DEGs and the seed germination rates of the three wheat varieties under waterlogging stress revealed that the relative expression levels of 563 and 398 genes were positively and negatively correlated with the germination rate of the wheat seeds, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that the difference in the waterlogging tolerance among the three wheat varieties was related to the abundance of key genes involved in the glycolysis pathway, the starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, and the lactose metabolism pathway. The alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) gene in the endosperm of BN607 was induced immediately after short-term waterlogging, and the energy provided by the glycolysis pathway enabled the BN607 seeds to germinate as early as possible; in addition, the expression of the AP2/ERF transcription factor was upregulated to further enhance the waterlogging tolerance of this cultivar.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, the results of this study help elucidate the mechanisms through which different wheat varieties respond to waterlogging stress during germination.

Mechanisms of Waterlogging Tolerance in Plants: Research Progress and Prospects

Waterlogging is one of the main abiotic stresses suffered by plants. Inhibition of aerobic respiration during waterlogging limits energy metabolism and restricts growth and a wide range of developmental processes, from seed germination to vegetative growth and further reproductive growth. Plants respond to waterlogging stress by regulating their morphological structure, energy metabolism, endogenous hormone biosynthesis, and signaling processes. In this updated review, we systematically summarize the changes in morphological structure, photosynthesis, respiration, reactive oxygen species damage, plant hormone synthesis, and signaling cascades after plants were subjected to waterlogging stress. Finally, we propose future challenges and research directions in this field.

Analysis of miRNAs Targeted Storage Regulatory Genes during Soybean Seed Development Based on Transcriptome Sequencing

Soybeans are an important cash crop and are widely used as a source of vegetable protein and edible oil. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are endogenous small RNA that play an important regulatory role in the evolutionarily conserved system of gene expression. In this study, we selected four lines with extreme phenotypes, as well as high or low protein and oil content, from the chromosome segment substitution line (CSSL) constructed from suinong (SN14) and ZYD00006, and planted and sampled at three stages of grain development for small RNA sequencing and expression analysis. The sequencing results revealed the expression pattern of miRNA in the materials, and predicted miRNA-targeted regulatory genes, including 1967 pairs of corresponding relationships between known-miRNA and their target genes, as well as 597 pairs of corresponding relationships between novel-miRNA and their target genes. After screening and annotating genes that were targeted for regulation, five specific genes were identified to be differentially expressed during seed development and subsequently analyzed for their regulatory relationship with miRNAs. The expression pattern of the targeted gene was verified by Real-time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Our research provides more information about the miRNA regulatory network in soybeans and further identifies useful genes that regulate storage during soy grain development, providing a theoretical basis for the regulation of soybean quality traits.

CbADH1 improves plant cold tolerance

ADH1 (alcohol dehydrogenase 1) was involved in plant growth and development and responded to various stresses. We published a cold-induced alcohol dehydrogenase 1 gene from C. bungeana, CbADH1, which exists 43 unique amino acids. Here, we confirmed that overexpression of CbADH1 in Arabidopsis and tobacco significantly improved cold shock tolerance through electrolyte leakage, semi-lethal temperature, phenotypic and survival analysis. These results indicate that CbADH1 is the candidate gene to improve the ability of plant freezing resistance, and it has great application value.

Dehydration-induced proteomic landscape of mitochondria in chickpea reveals large-scale coordination of key biological processes

Mitochondria play crucial roles in regulating multiple biological processes particularly electron transfer and energy metabolism in eukaryotic cells. Exposure to water-deficit or dehydration may affect mitochondrial function, and dehydration response may dictate cell fate decisions. iTRAQ-based quantitative proteome of a winter legume, chickpea, demonstrated the central metabolic alterations in mitochondria, presumably involved in dehydration adaptation. Three-week-old chickpea seedlings were subjected to progressive dehydration and the magnitude of dehydration-induced compensatory physiological responses was monitored in terms of physicochemical characteristics and mitochondrial architecture. The proteomics analysis led to the identification of 40 dehydration-responsive proteins whose expressions were significantly modulated by dehydration. The differentially expressed proteins were implicated in different metabolic processes, with obvious functional tendencies toward purine-thiamine metabolic network, pathways of carbon fixation and oxidative phosphorylation. The linearity of dehydration-induced proteome alteration was examined with transcript abundance of randomly selected candidates under multivariate stress conditions. The differentially regulated proteins were validated through sequence analysis. An extensive sequence based localization prediction revealed >62.5% proteins to be mitochondrial resident by, at least, one prediction algorithm. The results altogether provide intriguing insights into the dehydration-responsive metabolic pathways and useful clues to identify crucial proteins linked to stress tolerance. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Investigation on plant mitochondrial proteome is of significance because it would allow a better understanding of mitochondrial function in plant adaptation to stress. Mitochondria are the unique organelles, which play a crucial role in energy metabolism and cellular homeostasis, particularly when exposed to stress conditions. Chickpea is one of the cultivated winter legumes, which enriches soil nitrogen and has very low water footprint and thus contributes to fortification of sustainable agriculture. We therefore examined the dehydration-responsive mitochondrial proteome landscape of chickpea and queried whether molecular interplay of mitochondrial proteins modulate dehydration tolerance. A total of 40 dehydration-induced mitochondrial proteins were identified, predicted to be involved in key metabolic processes. Our future efforts would focus on understanding both posttranslational modification and processing for comprehensive characterization of mitochondrial protein function. This approach will facilitate mining of more biomarkers linked to the tolerance trait and contribute to crop adaptation to climate change.

A dicistronic precursor encoding miR398 and the legume-specific miR2119 coregulates CSD1 and ADH1 mRNAs in response to water deficit

Plant microRNAs are commonly encoded in transcripts containing a single microRNA precursor. Processing by DICER-LIKE 1 and associated factors results in the production of a small RNA, followed by its incorporation into an AGO-containing protein complex to guide silencing of an mRNA possessing a complementary target sequence. Certain microRNA loci contain more than one precursor stem-loop structure, thus encoding more than one microRNA in the same transcript. Here, we describe a unique case where the evolutionary conserved miR398a is encoded in the same transcript as the legume-specific miR2119. The dicistronic arrangement found in common bean was also observed in other legumes. In Phaseolus vulgaris, mature miR398 and miR2119 are repressed in response to water deficit, and we demonstrate that both are functional as they target the mRNAs for CSD1 and ADH1, respectively. Our results indicate that the repression of miR398 and miR2119 leads to coordinated up-regulation of CSD1 and ADH1 mRNAs in response to water deficit in common bean and possibly in other legumes. Furthermore, we show that miRNA directed CSD1 and ADH1 mRNAs up-regulation also occurs when common bean plants are exposed to flooding, suggesting that plant redox status and fermentation metabolism must be closely coordinated under different adverse conditions.

Characterization of the XTH Gene Family: New Insight to the Roles in Soybean Flooding Tolerance

Xyloglucan endotransglycosylases/hydrolases (XTHs) are a class of enzymes involved in the construction and remodeling of cellulose/xyloglucan crosslinks and play an important role in regulating cell wall extensibility. However, little is known about this class of enzymes in soybean. Here, 61 soybean XTH genes (GmXTHs) were identified and classified into three subgroups through comparative phylogenetic analysis. Genome duplication greatly contributed to the expansion of GmXTH genes in soybean. A conserved amino acid motif responsible for the catalytic activity was identified in all GmXTHs. Further expression analysis revealed that most GmXTHs exhibited a distinct organ-specific expression pattern, and the expression level of many GmXTH genes was significantly associated with ethylene and flooding stress. To illustrate a possible role of XTH genes in regulating stress responses, the ArabidopsisAtXTH31 gene was overexpressed in soybean. The generated transgenic plants exhibited improved tolerance to flooding stress, with a higher germination rate and longer roots/hypocotyls during the seedling stage and vegetative growth stages. In summary, our combined bioinformatics and gene expression pattern analyses suggest that GmXTH genes play a role in regulating soybean stress responses. The enhanced soybean flooding tolerance resulting from the expression of an Arabidopsis XTH also supports the role of XTH genes in regulating plant flooding stress responses.

Proteomic approaches to uncover the flooding and drought stress response mechanisms in soybean

Soybean is the important crop with abundant protein, vegetable oil, and several phytochemicals. With such predominant values, soybean is cultivated with a long history. However, flooding and drought stresses exert deleterious effects on soybean growth. The present review summarizes the morphological changes and affected events in soybean exposed to such extreme-water conditions. Sensitive organ in stressed soybean at different-developmental stages is presented based on protein profiles. Protein quality control and calcium homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum are discussed in soybean under both stresses. In addition, the way of calcium homeostasis in mediating protein folding and energy metabolism is addressed. Finally, stress response to flooding and drought is systematically demonstrated. This review concludes the recent findings of plant response to flooding and drought stresses in soybean employed proteomic approaches.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Soybean is considered as traditional-health food because of nutritional elements and pharmacological values. Flooding and drought exert deleterious effects to soybean growth. Proteomic approaches have been employed to elucidate stress response in soybean exposed to flooding and drought stresses. In this review, stress response is presented on organ-specific manner in the early-stage plant and soybean seedling exposed to combined stresses. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is induced by both stresses; and stress-response in the ER is addressed in the root tip of early-stage soybean. Moreover, calcium-response processes in stressed plant are described in the ER and in the cytosol. Additionally, stress-dependent response was discussed in flooded and drought-stressed plant. This review depicts stress response in the sensitive organ of stressed soybean and forms the basis to develop molecular markers related to plant defense under flooding and drought stresses.

Proteomic Analysis of Calcium Effects on Soybean Root Tip under Flooding and Drought Stresses

Flooding and drought are disadvantageous environmental conditions that induce cytosolic calcium in soybean. To explore the effects of flooding- and drought-induced increases in calcium, a gel-free/label-free proteomic analysis was performed. Cytosolic calcium was decreased by blocking calcium channels in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and plasma membrane under both stresses. Calnexin, protein disulfide isomerase, heat shock proteins and thioredoxin were predominantly affected as the ER proteins in response to calcium, and ER-associated degradation-related proteins of HCP-like superfamily protein were up-regulated under stress exposure and then down-regulated. Glycolysis, fermentation, the tricarboxylic acid cycle and amino acid metabolism were mainly induced as the types of cellular metabolism in response to calcium under both stresses. Pyruvate decarboxylase was increased and decreased under flooding and drought, respectively, and was further decreased by the reduction of cytosolic calcium; however, it was recovered by exogenous calcium under both stresses. Furthermore, pyruvate decarboxylase activity was increased under flooding, but decreased under drought. These results suggest that calcium is involved in protein folding in the ER, and ER-associated degradation might alleviate ER stress during the early stage of both stresses. Furthermore, calcium appears to modify energy metabolism, and pyruvate decarboxylase may be a key enzyme in this process under flooding and drought.

Improvement of Soybean Products Through the Response Mechanism Analysis Using Proteomic Technique

Soybean is rich in protein/vegetable oil and contains several phytochemicals such as isoflavones and phenolic compounds. Because of the predominated nutritional values, soybean is considered as traditional health benefit food. Soybean is a widely cultivated crop; however, its growth and yield are markedly affected by adverse environmental conditions. Proteomic techniques make it feasible to map protein profiles both during soybean growth and under unfavorable conditions. The stress-responsive mechanisms during soybean growth have been uncovered with the help of proteomic studies. In this review, the history of soybean as food and the morphology/physiology of soybean are described. The utilization of proteomics during soybean germination and development is summarized. In addition, the stress-responsive mechanisms explored using proteomic techniques are reviewed in soybean.

Impact of Post-Translational Modifications of Crop Proteins under Abiotic Stress

The efficiency of stress-induced adaptive responses of plants depends on intricate coordination of multiple signal transduction pathways that act coordinately or, in some cases, antagonistically. Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) can regulate protein activity and localization as well as protein-protein interactions in numerous cellular processes, thus leading to elaborate regulation of plant responses to various external stimuli. Understanding responses of crop plants under field conditions is crucial to design novel stress-tolerant cultivars that maintain robust homeostasis even under extreme conditions. In this review, proteomic studies of PTMs in crops are summarized. Although the research on the roles of crop PTMs in regulating stress response mechanisms is still in its early stage, several novel insights have been retrieved so far. This review covers techniques for detection of PTMs in plants, representative PTMs in plants under abiotic stress, and how PTMs control functions of representative proteins. In addition, because PTMs under abiotic stresses are well described in soybeans under submergence, recent findings in PTMs of soybean proteins under flooding stress are introduced. This review provides information on advances in PTM study in relation to plant adaptations to abiotic stresses, underlining the importance of PTM study to ensure adequate agricultural production in the future.

Functionality of soybean CBF/DREB1 transcription factors

Soybean (Glycine max) is considered to be cold intolerant and is not able to significantly acclimate to cold/freezing stress. In most cold tolerant plants, the C-repeat/DRE Binding Factors (CBF/DREBs) are critical contributors to successful cold-responses; rapidly increasing following cold treatment and regulating the induction of many cold responsive genes. In soybean vegetative tissue, we found strong, transient accumulation of CBF transcripts in response to cold stress; however, the soybean transcripts of typical cold responsive genes (homologues to Arabidopsis genes such as dehydrins, ADH1, RAP2.1, and LEA14) were not significantly altered. Soybean CBFs were found to be functional, as when expressed constitutively in Arabidopsis they increased the levels of AtCOR47 and AtRD29a transcripts and increased freezing tolerance as measured by a decrease in leaf freezing damage and ion leakage. Furthermore the constitutive expression of GmDREB1A;2 and GmDREB1B;1 in Arabidopsis led to stronger up-regulation of downstream genes and more freezing tolerance than GmDREB1A;1, the gene whose transcript is the major contributor to total CBF/DREB1 transcripts in soybean. The inability for the soybean CBFs to significantly up regulate the soybean genes that contribute to cold tolerance is consistent with poor acclimation capability and the cold intolerance of soybean.

Jasmonic acid induced protein response to biophoton emissions and flooding stress in soybean

Biophoton emissions were elevated by the exogenous plant hormone application such as jasmonic (JA) and salicylic acid (SA). To reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying flooding stress responses in soybean treated with JA and SA, biophoton emissions from plants were quantified in combination with proteomic analyses. Furthermore, treatment with exogenous JA inhibited lateral root growth and markedly reduced root weight. Out of 649 proteins identified in the JA- and JA/SA-treated plants, 44 were unique to JA-treated plants, 403 were unique to JA/SA-treated plants, and 202 were shared between the groups. These proteins were involved in stress, signaling, degradation, glycolysis, fermentation, and hormone metabolism. The abundances of glutathione-S-transferase, alanine aminotransferase, and malate dehydrogenase were decreased; however, the activities of these enzymes were increased. In contrast, the abundance and activity of monodehydroascorbate reductase increased in the roots of plants treated with JA and SA under flooding stress. This suggests that the quantity of lateral roots, total root mass, and free radicals generated during oxidation and reduction reactions and reactive oxygen species scavenging largely contribute to biophoton emission. Furthermore, monodehydroascorbate reductase, which is involved in detoxification and controlling hydrogen peroxide levels, may protect plant cells against oxidative damage during flooding.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

To understand the source of biophoton emission and molecular mechanism by the application of jasmonic and salicylic acid under flooding conditions in soybean plants, the label-free quantitative techniques were performed in roots. Root lengths and weights were significantly reduced by the effect of jasmonic and salicylic acid while it inhibited growth of the lateral roots in normal conditions using the jasmonic acid. Finally, identified proteins were functionally annotated by MAPMAN software application; that were assigned to different functional categories, such as stress, signaling, protein, glycolysis, metabolism, cell wall, and cell organization. Consequently, this study offers to learn the photon emission in plants and to know the molecular mechanism under flooding stress in soybean.

Proteins involved in biophoton emission and flooding-stress responses in soybean under light and dark conditions

To know the molecular systems basically flooding conditions in soybean, biophoton emission measurements and proteomic analyses were carried out for flooding-stressed roots under light and dark conditions. Photon emission was analyzed using a photon counter. Gel-free quantitative proteomics were performed to identify significant changes proteins using the nano LC-MS along with SIEVE software. Biophoton emissions were significantly increased in both light and dark conditions after flooding stress, but gradually decreased with continued flooding exposure compared to the control plants. Among the 120 significantly identified proteins in the roots of soybean plants, 73 and 19 proteins were decreased and increased in the light condition, respectively, and 4 and 24 proteins were increased and decreased, respectively, in the dark condition. The proteins were mainly functionally grouped into cell organization, protein degradation/synthesis, and glycolysis. The highly abundant lactate/malate dehydrogenase proteins were decreased in flooding-stressed roots exposed to light, whereas the lysine ketoglutarate reductase/saccharopine dehydrogenase bifunctional enzyme was increased in both light and dark conditions. Notably, however, specific enzyme assays revealed that the activities of these enzymes and biophoton emission were sharply increased after 3 days of flooding stress. This finding suggests that the source of biophoton emission in roots might involve the chemical excitation of electron or proton through enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation and reduction reactions. Moreover, the lysine ketoglutarate reductase/saccharopine dehydrogenase bifunctional enzyme may play important roles in responses in flooding stress of soybean under the light condition and as a contributing factor to biophoton emission.

Metabolite Profiling of adh1 Mutant Response to Cold Stress in Arabidopsis

As a result of global warming, vegetation suffers from repeated freeze-thaw cycles caused by more frequent short-term low temperatures induced by hail, snow, or night frost. Therefore, short-term freezing stress of plants should be investigated particularly in light of the current climatic conditions. Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) plays a central role in the metabolism of alcohols and aldehydes and it is a key enzyme in anaerobic fermentation. ADH1 responds to plant growth and environmental stress; however, the function of ADH1 in the response to short-term freezing stress remains unknown. Using real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR, the expression level of ADH1 was analyzed at low temperature (4°C). The lethal temperature was calculated based on the electrolyte leakage tests for both ADH1 deletion mutants (adh1) and wild type (WT) plants. To further investigate the relationship between ADH1 and cold tolerance in plants, low-Mr polar metabolite analyses of Arabidopsis adh1 and WT were performed at cold temperatures using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This investigation focused on freezing treatments (cold acclimation group: -6°C for 2 h with prior 4°C for 7 d, cold shock group: -6°C for 2 h without cold acclimation) and recovery (23°C for 24 h) with respect to seedling growth at optimum temperature. The experimental results revealed a significant increase in ADH1 expression during low temperature treatment (4°C) and at a higher lethal temperature in adh1 compared to that in the WT. Retention time indices and specific mass fragments were used to monitor 263 variables and annotate 78 identified metabolites. From these analyses, differences in the degree of metabolite accumulation between adh1 and WT were detected, including soluble sugars (e.g., sucrose) and amino acids (e.g., asparagine). In addition, the correlation-based network analysis highlighted some metabolites, e.g., melibiose, fumaric acid, succinic acid, glycolic acid, and xylose, which enhanced connectedness in adh1 network under cold chock. When considered collectively, the results showed that adh1 possessed a metabolic response to freezing stress and ADH1 played an important role in the cold stress response of a plant. These results expands our understanding of the short-term freeze response of ADH1 in plants.

The Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene Family in Melon (Cucumis melo L.): Bioinformatic Analysis and Expression Patterns

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH), encoded by multigene family in plants, play a critical role in plant growth, development, adaptation, fruit ripening and aroma production. Thirteen ADH genes were identified in melon genome, including 12 ADHs and one formaldehyde dehydrogenease (FDH), designated CmADH1-12 and CmFDH1, in which CmADH1 and CmADH2 have been isolated in Cantaloupe. ADH genes shared a lower identity with each other at the protein level and had different intron-exon structure at nucleotide level. No typical signal peptides were found in all CmADHs, and CmADH proteins might locate in the cytoplasm. The phylogenetic tree revealed that 13 ADH genes were divided into three groups respectively, namely long-, medium-, and short-chain ADH subfamily, and CmADH1,3-11, which belongs to the medium-chain ADH subfamily, fell into six medium-chain ADH subgroups. CmADH12 may belong to the long-chain ADH subfamily, while CmFDH1 may be a Class III ADH and serve as an ancestral ADH in melon. Expression profiling revealed that CmADH1, CmADH2, CmADH10 and CmFDH1 were moderately or strongly expressed in different vegetative tissues and fruit at medium and late developmental stages, while CmADH8 and CmADH12 were highly expressed in fruit after 20 days. CmADH3 showed preferential expression in young tissues. CmADH4 only had slight expression in root. Promoter analysis revealed several motifs of CmADH genes involved in the gene expression modulated by various hormones, and the response pattern of CmADH genes to ABA, IAA and ethylene were different. These CmADHs were divided into ethylene-sensitive and -insensitive groups, and the functions of CmADHs were discussed.

Gel-free/label-free proteomic analysis of root tip of soybean over time under flooding and drought stresses

Growth in the early stage of soybean is markedly inhibited under flooding and drought stresses. To explore the responsive mechanisms of soybean, temporal protein profiles of root tip under flooding and drought stresses were analyzed using gel-free/label-free proteomic technique. Root tip was analyzed because it was the most sensitive organ against flooding, and it was beneficial to root penetration under drought. UDP glucose: glycoprotein glucosyltransferase was decreased and increased in soybean root under flooding and drought, respectively. Temporal protein profiles indicated that fermentation and protein synthesis/degradation were essential in root tip under flooding and drought, respectively. In silico protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that the inductive and suppressive interactions between S-adenosylmethionine synthetase family protein and B-S glucosidase 44 under flooding and drought, respectively, which are related to carbohydrate metabolism. Furthermore, biotin/lipoyl attachment domain containing protein and Class II aminoacyl tRNA/biotin synthetases superfamily protein were repressed in the root tip during time-course stresses. These results suggest that biotin and biotinylation might be involved in energy management to cope with flooding and drought in early stage of soybean-root tip.

The sunflower transcription factor HaWRKY76 confers drought and flood tolerance to Arabidopsis thaliana plants without yield penalty

Arabidopsis transgenic plants expressing the sunflower transcription factor HaWRKY76 exhibit increased yield and tolerance to drought and flood stresses. The genetic construct containing HaWRKY76 is proposed as a potential biotechnological tool to improve crops. Water deficit and water excess are abiotic stress factors that seriously affect crops worldwide. To increase the tolerance to such stresses without causing yield penalty constitutes a major goal for biotechnologists. In this survey, we report that HaWRKY76, a divergent sunflower WRKY transcription factor, is able to confer both dehydration and submergence tolerance to Arabidopsis transgenic plants without yield penalty. The expression pattern of HaWRKY76 was analyzed in plants grown in standard conditions and under different watering regimes indicating a regulation by water availability. The corresponding cDNA was isolated and cloned under the control of a constitutive promoter and Arabidopsis plants were transformed with this construct. These transgenic plants presented higher biomass, seed production and sucrose content than controls in standard growth conditions. Moreover, they exhibited tolerance to mild drought or flood (complete submergence/waterlogging) stresses as well as the same or increased yield, depending on the stress severity and plant developmental stage, compared with controls. Drought tolerance occurred via an ABA-independent mechanism and induction of stomatal closure. Submergence tolerance can be explained by the carbohydrate (sucrose and starch) preservation achieved through the repression of fermentation pathways. Higher cell membrane stability and chlorenchyma maintenance could be the nexus between tolerance responses in front of both stresses. Altogether, the obtained results indicated that HaWRKY76 can be a potential biotechnological tool to improve crops yield as well as drought and flood tolerances.

Proteomic analysis of flooded soybean root exposed to aluminum oxide nanoparticles

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanoparticles are used in agricultural products and cause various adverse growth effects on different plant species. To study the effects of Al2O3 nanoparticles on soybean under flooding stress, a gel-free proteomic technique was used. Morphological analysis revealed that treatment with 50 ppm Al2O3 nanoparticles under flooding stress enhanced soybean growth compared to ZnO and Ag nanoparticles. A total of 172 common proteins that significantly changed in abundance among control, flooding-stressed, and flooding-stressed soybean treated with Al2O3 nanoparticles were mainly related to energy metabolism. Under Al2O3 nanoparticles the energy metabolism was decreased compared to flooding stress. Hierarchical clustering divided identified proteins into four clusters, with proteins related to glycolysis exhibiting the greatest changes in abundance. Al2O3 nanoparticle-responsive proteins were predominantly related to protein synthesis/degradation, glycolysis, and lipid metabolism. mRNA expression analysis of Al2O3 nanoparticle-responsive proteins that displayed a 5-fold change in abundance revealed that NmrA-like negative transcriptional regulator was up-regulated, and flavodoxin-like quinone reductase was down-regulated. Moreover, cell death in root including hypocotyl was less evident in flooding-stressed with Al2O3 nanoparticles compared to flooding-treated soybean. These results suggest that Al2O3 nanoparticles might promote the growth of soybean under flooding stress by regulating energy metabolism and cell death.

Proteomic Techniques and Management of Flooding Tolerance in Soybean

Climate change is considered a major threat to world agriculture and food security. To improve the agricultural productivity and sustainability, the development of high-yielding stress-tolerant, and climate-resilient crops is essential. Of the abiotic stresses, flooding stress is a very serious hazard because it markedly reduces plant growth and grain yield. Proteomic analyses indicate that the effects of flooding stress are not limited to oxygen deprivation but include many other factors. Although many flooding response mechanisms have been reported, flooding tolerance mechanisms have not been fully clarified for soybean. There were limitations in soybean materials, such as mutants and varieties, while they were abundant in rice and Arabidopsis. In this review, plant proteomic technologies are introduced and flooding tolerance mechanisms of soybeans are summarized to assist in the improvement of flooding tolerance in soybeans. This work will expedite transgenic or marker-assisted genetic enhancement studies in crops for developing high-yielding stress-tolerant lines or varieties under abiotic stress.

Quantitative proteomics of nuclear phosphoproteins in the root tip of soybean during the initial stages of flooding stress

Soybean is sensitive to flooding stress, which has affected many proteins in roots. To identify the upstream events controlling the regulation of flooding-responsive proteins, nuclear phosphoproteomics of soybean-root tip was performed. Nuclei were isolated from the root tip of 2-day-old soybeans treated with flooding for 3h. The purity of nuclear fractions was confirmed by Western blotting and enzyme-activity assays for subcellular-specific enzymes. Phosphopeptides in the fractions were enriched and analyzed using gel-free proteomic technique. Fourteen phosphoproteins significantly changed in root tip in response to flooding stress. Of these phosphoproteins, 10 proteins including 5 protein synthesis-related proteins were predicted to be localized in the nucleus. In particular, zinc finger/BTB domain-containing protein 47, glycine-rich protein, and rRNA processing protein Rrp5, which are related to abscisic acid (ABA) response, were clearly phosphorylated in response to flooding stress. The mRNA expression levels of these nuclear phosphoproteins were down-regulated in root tip exposed to flooding stress with ABA. In addition, the fresh weight of soybean decreased under flooding stress with ABA, although the fresh weight of plant increased during the initial stage of flooding stress. These results suggest that ABA may affect the flooding response of early-stage soybean through the regulation of nuclear-localized phosphoproteins.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study reported nuclear phosphoprotein analysis of root tip under initial flooding stress using gel-free quantitative proteomics. The main findings of this study are as follows: (i) Fourteen nuclear phosphoproteins in soybean root tip cells were significantly changed in the initial stages of flooding stress; (ii) Zinc finger protein, glycine-rich protein, and Rrp5 were phosphorylated in the nuclei of root tip in response to flooding; and (iii) The mRNA expression levels of these genes were down-regulated by ABA under flooding conditions. These results suggest that ABA may be involved in the initial responses of early-stage soybean to flooding stress by altering the phosphorylation of nuclear-localized phosphoproteins. This study provides not only the nuclear phosphoproteomic analysis but also the molecular mechanism underlying the initial flooding responsive nuclear phosphoproteins functions in the root tip of soybean.

Characterization of proteins in soybean roots under flooding and drought stresses

Flooding and drought affect soybean growth because soybean is a stress-sensitive crop. In 2-day-old plants exposed to 2-day flooding or drought, the fresh weight of roots was markedly suppressed, although the root morphology clearly differed between two conditions. To understand the response mechanisms of soybean to flooding and drought stresses, a gel-free proteomic technique was used. A total of 97 and 48 proteins were significantly changed in response to flooding and drought stresses, respectively. Proteins involved in protein synthesis were decreased by flooding stress and increased by drought. Glycolysis-related proteins were increased in roots by both flooding and drought stresses. Fermentation, stress, and cell wall-related proteins were increased in response to flooding stress, whereas cell organization and redox-related proteins were increased under drought stress. Among the identified proteins, three S-adenosylmethionine synthetases were commonly decreased and increased in response to flooding and drought stresses, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase genes displayed a similar tendency to the changes in protein abundance. These results suggest that S-adenosylmethionine synthetase is involved in the regulation of stress response because it was changed in response to flooding and drought stresses.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study reported on the response mechanisms of soybean to flooding and drought stresses using the gel-free proteomic technique. Proteins involved in protein synthesis were decreased by flooding stress and increased by drought. Glycolysis-related proteins were increased in roots by both flooding and drought stresses. Fermentation, stress, and cell wall-related proteins were increased in response to flooding stress, whereas cell organization and redox-related proteins were increased under drought stress. Among the identified proteins, three S-adenosylmethionine synthetases were commonly decreased and increased in response to flooding and drought stresses, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase genes displayed a similar tendency to the changes in protein abundance. These results suggest that S-adenosylmethionine synthetase is involved in the regulation of stress response because it was changed in response to flooding and drought stresses.

Gel-free quantitative proteomic approach to identify cotyledon proteins in soybean under flooding stress

Flooding stress causes growth inhibition and ultimately death in most crop species by limiting of energy production. To better understand plant responses to flooding stress, here, flooding-responsive proteins in the cotyledons of soybean were identified using a gel-free quantitative proteomic approach. One hundred forty six proteins were commonly observed in both control and flooding-stressed plants, and 19 were identified under only flooding stress conditions. The main functional categories were protein and development-related proteins. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that zincin-like metalloprotease and cupin family proteins were found to highly interact with other proteins under flooding stress. Plant stearoyl acyl-carrier protein, ascorbate peroxidase 1, and secretion-associated RAS superfamily 2 were down-regulated, whereas ferretin 1 was up-regulated at the transcription level. Notably, the levels of all corresponding proteins were decreased, indicating that mRNA translation to proteins is impaired under flooding conditions. Decreased levels of ferritin may lead to a strong deregulation of the expression of several metal transporter genes and over-accumulation of iron, which led to increased levels of reactive oxygen species, resulting to detoxification of these reactive species. Taken together, these results suggest that ferritin might have an essential role in protecting plant cells against oxidative damage under flooding conditions.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This study reported the comparative proteomic analysis of cotyledon of soybean plants between non-flooding and flooding conditions using the gel-free quantitative techniques. Mass spectrometry analysis of the proteins from cotyledon resulted in the identification of a total of 165 proteins under flooding stress. These proteins were assigned to different functional categories, such as protein, development, stress, redox, and glycolysis. Therefore, this study provides not only the comparative proteomic analysis but also the molecular mechanism underlying the flooding responsive protein functions in the cotyledon.

Gel-free proteomic analysis of soybean root proteins affected by calcium under flooding stress

Soybean is sensitive to flooding stress and exhibits reduced growth under flooding conditions. To better understand the flooding-responsive mechanisms of soybean, the effect of exogenous calcium on flooding-stressed soybeans was analyzed using proteomic technique. An increase in exogenous calcium levels enhanced soybean root elongation and suppressed the cell death of root tip under flooding stress. Proteins were extracted from the roots of 4-day-old soybean seedlings exposed to flooding stress without or with calcium for 2 days and analyzed using gel-free proteomic technique. Proteins involved in protein degradation/synthesis/posttranslational modification, hormone/cell wall metabolisms, and DNA synthesis were decreased by flooding stress; however, their reductions were recovered by calcium treatment. Development, lipid metabolism, and signaling-related proteins were increased in soybean roots when calcium was supplied under flooding stress. Fermentation and glycolysis-related proteins were increased in response to flooding; however, these proteins were not affected by calcium supplementation. Furthermore, urease and copper chaperone proteins exhibited similar profiles in 4-day-old untreated soybeans and 4-day-old soybeans exposed to flooding for 2 days in the presence of calcium. These results suggest that calcium might affect the cell wall/hormone metabolisms, protein degradation/synthesis, and DNA synthesis in soybean roots under flooding stress.

Physiological and transcriptomic characterization of submergence and reoxygenation responses in soybean seedlings

Complete inundation at the early seedling stage is a common environmental constraint for soybean production throughout the world. As floodwaters subside, submerged seedlings are subsequently exposed to reoxygenation stress in the natural progression of a flood event. Here, we characterized the fundamental acclimation responses to submergence and reoxygenation in soybean at the seedling establishment stage. Approximately 90% of seedlings succumbed during 3 d of inundation under constant darkness, whereas 10 d of submergence were lethal to over 90% of seedlings under 12 h light/12 h dark cycles, indicating the significance of underwater photosynthesis in seedling survival. Submergence rapidly decreased the abundance of carbohydrate reserves and ATP in aerial tissue of seedlings although chlorophyll breakdown was not observed. The carbohydrate and ATP contents were recovered upon de-submergence, but sudden exposure to oxygen also induced lipid peroxidation, confirming that reoxygenation induced oxidative stress. Whole transcriptome analysis recognized genome-scale reconfiguration of gene expression that regulates various signalling and metabolic pathways under submergence and reoxygenation. Comparative analysis of differentially regulated genes in shoots and roots of soybean and other plants defines conserved, organ-specific and species-specific adjustments which enhance adaptability to submergence and reoxygenation through different metabolic pathways.

Ectopic expression of CaRLK1 enhances hypoxia tolerance with increasing alanine production in Nicotiana spp

In a previous report, the pepper receptor-like kinase 1 (CaRLK1) gene was shown to be responsible for negatively regulating plant cell death caused by pathogens via accumulation of superoxide anions. Here, we examined whether this gene also plays a role in regulating cell death under abiotic stress. The total concentrations of free amino acids in CaRLK1-overexpressed cells (RLKox) increased by twofold compared with those of the wild-type Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 cells. Additionally, alanine and pyruvate concentrations increased by approximately threefold. These accumulations were associated with both the expression levels of the isocitrate lyase (ICL) and malate synthase genes and their specific activities, which were preferentially up-regulated in the RLKox cells. The expression levels of ethylene biosynthetic genes (ACC synthase and ACC oxidase) were suppressed, but those of both the metallothionein and lesion simulating disease 1 genes increased in the RLKox cells during submergence-induced hypoxia. The specific activity of catalase, which is involved in protecting ICL from reactive oxygen species, was also induced threefold in the RLKox cells. The primary roots of the transgenic plants that were exposed to hypoxic conditions grew at similar rates to those in normal conditions. We propose that CaRLK1 maintains a persistent hypoxia-resistant phenotype.

Analysis of initial changes in the proteins of soybean root tip under flooding stress using gel-free and gel-based proteomic techniques

Flooding has a severe negative effect on soybean cultivation in the early stages of growth. To obtain a better understanding of the response mechanisms of soybean to flooding stress, initial changes in root tip proteins under flooding were analyzed using two proteomic techniques. Two-day-old soybeans were treated with flooding for 3, 6, 12, and 24h. The weight of soybeans increased during the first 3h of flooding, but root elongation was not observed. Using gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques, 115 proteins were identified in root tips, of which 9 proteins were commonly detected by both methods. The 71 proteins identified by the gel-free proteomics were analyzed by a hierarchical clustering method based on induction levels during the flooding, and the proteins were divided into 5 clusters. Additional interaction analysis of the proteins revealed that ten proteins belonging to cluster I formed the center of a protein interaction network. mRNA expression analysis of these ten proteins showed that citrate lyase and heat shock protein 70 were down-regulated, whereas calreticulin was up-regulated in initial phase of flooding. These results suggest that flooding stress to soybean induces calcium-related signal transduction, which might play important roles in the early responses to flooding.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Flooding has a severe negative effect on soybean cultivation, particularly in the early stages of growth. To better understand the response mechanisms of soybean to the early stages of flooding stress, two proteomic techniques were used. Two-day-old soybeans were treated without or with flooding for 3, 6, 12, and 24h. The fresh weight of soybeans increased during the first 3h of flooding stress, but the growth then slowed and no root elongation was observed. Using gel-based and gel-free proteomic techniques, 115 proteins were identified in root tips, of which 9 proteins were commonly detected by both methods. The 71 proteins identified by the gel-free proteomics were analyzed by a hierarchical clustering method based on induction levels during the flooding stress, and 5 protein clusters were recognized. Protein interaction analysis revealed that ten proteins belonging to cluster I formed the center of a protein interaction network. mRNA expression analysis of these ten proteins showed that citrate lyase and heat shock protein 70 were down-regulated in response to flooding stress, whereas calreticulin was up-regulated. These results suggest that flooding stress to soybean induces calcium-related signal transduction, which might play important roles in the early responses to flooding.

Characterization of a wheat pathogenesis-related protein, TaBWPR-1.2, in seminal roots in response to waterlogging stress

We examined the role of pathogenesis-related protein TaBWPR-1.2 in the context of molecular and physiological responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum) seminal roots under waterlogging stress. Two cDNAs corresponding to the TaBWPR-1.2 gene, TaBWPR-1.2#2 and TaBWPR-1.2#13 were cloned from seminal roots. These cDNAs were predicted to encode proteins of 173 and 172 amino acids, respectively. In a time-course experiment, TaBWPR-1.2 gene expression was highest in whole seminal roots after 1 day of waterlogging treatment and higher than the control for at least 10 days; significantly increased protein abundance was observed after 7 days of waterlogging. Drought, another abiotic stress, did not influence TaBWPR-1.2 gene expression in wheat seminal roots at 5-d-old seedlings. Tissue-specific studies revealed that the highest TaBWPR-1.2 gene expression and protein levels were in the aerenchymatous root zone. TaBWPR-1.2 expression in seminal roots was also increased by the signalling molecules 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC; an ethylene precursor), H2O2, jasmonic acid (JA), and nitric oxide (NO); however, treatment with abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and ethanol did not alter its expression. Interestingly, aerenchyma formation in the seminal root cortex was induced only by ACC and H2O2. Taken together, these results indicate that TaBWPR-1.2 is a waterlogging-responsive gene that might be associated with root cortex tissue alteration in wheat plants through ACC and/or H2O2 regulatory mechanisms.

Potentiality of Soybean Proteomics in Untying the Mechanism of Flood and Drought Stress Tolerance

Dissecting molecular pathways at protein level is essential for comprehensive understanding of plant stress response mechanism. Like other legume crops, soybean, the world's most widely grown seed legume and an inexpensive source of protein and vegetable oil, is also extremely sensitive to abiotic stressors including flood and drought. Irrespective of the kind and severity of the water stress, soybean exhibits a tight control over the carbon metabolism to meet the cells required energy demand for alleviating stress effects. The present review summarizes the major proteomic findings related to changes in soybean proteomes in response to flood and drought stresses to get a clear insight into the complex mechanisms of stress tolerance. Furthermore, advantages and disadvantages of different protein extraction protocols and challenges and future prospects of soybean proteome study are discussed in detail to comprehend the underlying mechanism of water stress acclimation.