Overexpression of a protein disulfide isomerase-like protein from Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicum enhances mercury tolerance in transgenic rice

Transcriptomics and physiological analyses reveal that sulfur alleviates mercury toxicity in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most dangerous contaminants and has sparked global concern since it poses a health risk to humans when consumed through rice. Sulfur (S) is a crucial component for plant growth, and S may reduce Hg accumulation in rice grains. However, the detailed effects of S and the mechanisms underlying S-mediated responses in Hg-stressed rice plants remain unclear. Currently, to investigate the effects of S addition on rice growth, Hg accumulation, physiological indexes, and gene expression profiles, rice seedlings were hydroponically treated with Hg (20 µmol/L HgCl2) and Hg plus elemental sulfur (100 mg/L). S application significantly reduced Hg accumulation in Hg-stressed rice roots and alleviated the inhibitory effects of Hg on rice growth. S addition significantly reduced Hg-induced reactive oxygen species generation, membrane lipid peroxidation levels, and activities of antioxidant enzymes while increasing glutathione content in leaves. Transcriptomic analysis of roots identified 3,411, 2,730, and 581 differentially expressed genes in the control (CK) vs. Hg, CK vs. Hg + S, and Hg vs. Hg + S datasets, respectively. The pathway of S-mediated biological metabolism fell into six groups: biosynthesis and metabolism, expression regulation, transport, stimulus response, oxidation reduction, and cell wall biogenesis. The majority of biological process-related genes were upregulated under Hg stress compared with CK treatment, but downregulated in the Hg + S treatment. The results provide transcriptomic and physiological evidence that S may be critical for plant Hg stress resistance and will help to develop strategies for reduction or phytoremediation of Hg contamination.

Plant–herbivore interactions: Experimental demonstration of genetic variability in plant–plant signalling

Plant-herbivore interactions mediated by plant-plant signalling have been documented in different species but its within-species variability has hardly been quantified. Here, we tested if herbivore foraging activity on plants was influenced by a prior contact with a damaged plant and if the effect of such plant-plant signalling was variable across 113 natural genotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana. We filmed the activity of the generalist herbivore Cornu aspersum during 1 h on two plants differing only in a prior contact with a damaged plant or not. We recorded each snails' first choice, and measured its first duration on a plant, the proportion of time spent on both plants and leaf consumption. Overall, plant-plant signalling modified the foraging activity of herbivores in A. thaliana. On average, snails spent more time and consumed more of plants that experienced a prior contact with a damaged plant. However, the effects of plant-plant signalling on snail behaviour was variable: depending on genotype identity, plant-plant signalling made undamaged plants more repellant or attractive to snails. Genome-wide associations revealed that genes related to stress coping ability and jasmonate pathway were associated to this variation. Together, our findings highlight the adaptive significance of plant-plant signalling for plant-herbivore interactions.

QTL Mapping and a Transcriptome Integrative Analysis Uncover the Candidate Genes That Control the Cold Tolerance of Maize Introgression Lines at the Seedling Stage

Chilling injury owing to low temperatures severely affects the growth and development of maize (Zea mays.L) seedlings during the early and late spring seasons. The existing maize germplasm is deficient in the resources required to improve maize's ability to tolerate cold injury. Therefore, it is crucial to introduce and identify excellent gene/QTLs that confer cold tolerance to maize for sustainable crop production. Wild relatives of maize, such as Z. perennis and Tripsacum dactyloides, are strongly tolerant to cold and can be used to improve the cold tolerance of maize. In a previous study, a genetic bridge among maize that utilized Z. perennis and T. dactyloides was created and used to obtain a highly cold-tolerant maize introgression line (MIL)-IB030 by backcross breeding. In this study, two candidate genes that control relative electrical conductivity were located on MIL-IB030 by forward genetics combined with a weighted gene co-expression network analysis. The results of the phenotypic, genotypic, gene expression, and functional verification suggest that two candidate genes positively regulate cold tolerance in MIL-IB030 and could be used to improve the cold tolerance of cultivated maize. This study provides a workable route to introduce and mine excellent genes/QTLs to improve the cold tolerance of maize and also lays a theoretical and practical foundation to improve cultivated maize against low-temperature stress.

Transcriptomic and physio-biochemical features in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in response to mercury stress

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic and nonessential element for organisms, and its contamination in the environment is a global concern. Previous research has shown that Hg stress may cause severe damage to rice roots; however, the transcriptomic changes in roots and physio-biochemical responses in leaves to different levels of Hg stress are not fully understood. In the present study, rice seedlings were exposed to 20, 80, and 160 μM HgCl₂ for three days in hydroponic experiments. The results showed that the majority of Hg was accumulated in rice roots after Hg exposure, and the 80- and 160-μM Hg stresses significantly increased the root-to-shoot translocation factors relative to 20-μM Hg stress, resulting in elevated Hg concentrations in rice shoots. Only the 160-μM Hg stress significantly inhibited root growth compared with the control, while photosynthesis capacity in leaves was significantly reduced under Hg stress. RNA transcriptome sequencing analyses of the roots showed that common responsive differentially expressed genes were strongly associated with glutathione metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and secondary metabolite metabolism, which may play significant roles in Hg accumulation by rice plants. Nine crucial genes identified by protein-protein interaction network analysis may be used as candidate target genes for further investigation of the detoxification mechanism, encoding proteins involved in jasmonic acid synthesis, sugar metabolism, allene oxide synthase, glutathione peroxidase, dismutase, and catalase. Furthermore, physio-biochemical analyses of the leaves indicated that higher production of reactive oxygen species was induced by Hg stress, while glutathione and antioxidant enzymes may play crucial roles in Hg detoxification. Our findings provide transcriptomic and physio-biochemical features of rice roots and shoots, which advance our understanding of the responsive and detoxification mechanisms in rice under different levels of Hg stress.

Nanomaterials coupled with microRNAs for alleviating plant stress: a new opening towards sustainable agriculture

Plant growth and development is influenced by their continuous interaction with the environment. Their cellular machinery is geared to make rapid changes for adjusting the morphology and physiology to withstand the stressful changes in their surroundings. The present scenario of climate change has however intensified the occurrence and duration of stress and this is getting reflected in terms of yield loss. A number of breeding and molecular strategies are being adopted to enhance the performance of plants under abiotic stress conditions. In this context, the use of nanomaterials is gaining momentum. Nanotechnology is a versatile field and its application has been demonstrated in almost all the existing fields of science. In the agriculture sector, the use of nanoparticles is still limited, even though it has been found to increase germination and growth, enhance physiological and biochemical activities and impact gene expression. In this review, we have summarized the use and role of nanomaterial and small non-coding RNAs in crop improvement while highlighting the potential of nanomaterial assisted eco-friendly delivery of small non-coding RNAs as an innovative strategy for mitigating the effect of abiotic stress.

Exogenous Cysteine Improves Mercury Uptake and Tolerance in Arabidopsis by Regulating the Expression of Heavy Metal Chelators and Antioxidative Enzymes

Cysteine (Cys) is an essential amino acid component of the major heavy metal chelators, such as glutathione (GSH), metallothioneins (MTs), and phytochelatins (PCs), which are involved in the pathways of mercury (Hg) tolerance in plants. However, the mechanism through which Cys facilitates Hg tolerance in plants remains largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous Cys on Hg uptake in the seedlings, roots, and shoots of Arabidopsis throughout 6 and 36 h of Hg exposure and on the regulation of Hg detoxification by heavy metal chelators and antioxidative enzymes. The results showed that exogenous Cys significantly improved Hg tolerance during the germination and seedling growth stages in Arabidopsis. Exogenous Cys significantly promoted Hg uptake in Arabidopsis roots by upregulating the expression of the Cys transporter gene AtLHT1, resulting in increased Hg accumulation in the roots and seedlings. In Arabidopsis seedlings, exogenous Cys further increased the Hg-induced glutathione synthase (GS1 and GS2) transcript levels, and the Hg and Hg + Cys treatments greatly upregulated MT3 expression after 36 h exposure. In the roots, MT3 was also significantly upregulated by treatment of 36 h of Hg or Hg + Cys. Notably, in the shoots, MT2a expression was rapidly induced (10-fold) in Hg presence and further markedly increased (20-fold) by exogenous Cys. Moreover, in the seedlings, exogenous Cys upregulated the transcripts of all superoxide dismutase (CuSOD1, CuSOD2, MnSOD1, FeSOD1, FeSOD2, and FeSOD3) within 6 h and subsequently increased the Hg-induced GR1 and GR2 transcript levels at 36 h, all of which could eliminate the promotion of reactive oxygen species production and cell damage caused by Hg. Additionally, exogenous Cys upregulated all the antioxidative genes rapidly in the roots and subsequently increased the expression of CuSOD1, CuSOD2, and MnSOD1 in the shoots. These results indicate that exogenous Cys regulates the transcript levels of heavy metal chelators and antioxidative enzymes differently in a time- and organ-specific manner under Hg stress. Taken together, our study elucidates the positive functional roles of exogenous Cys in the Hg uptake and tolerance mechanisms of Arabidopsis.

Rice recruits Sphingomonas strain HJY-rfp via root exudate regulation to increase chlorpyrifos tolerance and boost residual catabolism

Inoculation with pollution-degrading endophytes boosts the catabolism of residual contaminants and promotes the pollution adaptation of host plants. We investigated the interaction pattern between Sphingomonas strain HJY-rfp, a chlorpyrifos-degrading endophytic bacterium, and rice (Oryza sativa) under pesticide stress using hydroponic cultivation. We observed a notable trend of endophytic root colonization in rice plants treated with 10 mg l-1 chlorpyrifos solution, and after 24 h the migration of HJY-rfp enhanced the chlorpyrifos degradation rate in leaves and stems by 53.36% and 40.81%, respectively. Critically, the rice root exudate profile (organic acids and amino acids) changed under chlorpyrifos stress, and variations in the contents of several components affected the chemotactic behaviour of HJY-rfp. HJY-rfp colonization dramatically activated defensive enzymes, which enabled efficient scavenging of reactive oxygen species, and led to 9.8%, 22.5%, and 41.9% increases in shoot length, fresh weight, and accumulation of total chlorophyll, respectively, in rice suffering from oxidative damage by chlorpyrifos. Endophytic colonization caused up-regulation of detoxification genes that have shown a significant positive correlation with chlorpyrifos degradation in vivo. Collectively, our results demonstrate that agrochemical stress causes plants to actively recruit specific symbiotic microbes to detoxify contaminants and survive better under pollution conditions.

Mercury-Induced Phytotoxicity and Responses in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Seedlings

Cotton is a potential and excellent candidate to balance both agricultural production and remediation of mercury-contained soil, as its main production fiber hardly involves into food chains. However, in cotton, there is known rarely about the tolerance and response to mercury (Hg) environments. In this study, the biochemical and physiological damages, in response to Hg concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50 and 100 µM), were investigated in upland cotton seedlings. The results on germination of cottonseeds indicated the germination rates were suppressed by high Hg levels, as the decrease of percentage was more than 10% at 1000 µM Hg. Shoots and roots' growth were significantly inhibited over 10 µM Hg. The inhibitor rates (IR) in fresh weight were close in values between shoots and roots, whereas those in dry weight the root growth were more obviously influenced by Hg. In comparison of organs, the growth inhibition ranked as root > leaf > stem. The declining of translocation factor (TF) opposed the Hg level as even low to 0.05 at 50 µM Hg. The assimilation in terms of photosynthesis, of cotton plants, was affected negatively by Hg, as evidenced from the performances on pigments (chlorophyll a and b) and gas exchange (Intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci), CO₂ assimilation rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (Gs)). Sick phenotypes on leaf surface included small white zone, shrinking and necrosis. Membrane lipid peroxidation and leakage were Hg dose-dependent as indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) content and relative conductivity (RC) values in leaves and roots. More than 10 µM Hg damaged antioxidant enzyme system in both leaves and roots (p < 0.05). Concludingly, 10 µM Hg post negative consequences to upland cotton plants in growth, physiology and biochemistry, whereas high phytotoxicity and damage appeared at more than 50 µM Hg concentration.

A novel plant protein-disulfide isomerase participates in resistance response against the TYLCV in tomato

Overexpression or silencing of the SlPDI could increase plants resistance or sensitivity to TYLCV through enhancing or reducing the plant's antioxidant capacity. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a plant virus that could infect a variety of crops, is particularly destructive to tomato growth. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is a member of the thioredoxin (Trx) superfamily, is capable of catalyzing the formation and heterogeneity of protein disulfide bonds and inhibiting the aggregation of misfolded proteins. Studies have shown that PDI plays important roles in plant response to abiotic stress, there is no research report on the function of PDI in response to biotic stress, especially TYLCV infection. Here, we identified a tomato PDI gene, SlPDI, was involved in regulating tomato plants resistance to TYLCV. Subcellular localization results showed that SlPDI was located at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and its location remained unchanged after infection with TYLCV virus. Overexpression or silencing of SlPDI could increase plants resistance or sensitivity to TYLCV. Transgenic plants that overexpressing SlPDI exhibit enhanced antioxidant activity evidenced by lower hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) level and higher activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) in comparison with WT plants, after infected by TYLCV. Moreover, the SlPDI-silencing plants showed opposite results. The promoter analyzes result showed that SlPDI was involved in response to salicylic acid (SA), and our experimental results also showed that the expression level of SlPDI was induced by SA. Taken together, our results indicated that SlPDI could regulate plant resistance to TYLCV through enhancing the protein folding function of ER and promoting the synthesis and conformation of antioxidant-related proteins.

Emerging Roles of microRNAs in Plant Heavy Metal Tolerance and Homeostasis

Heavy metal stress is a major growth- and yield-limiting factor for plants. Heavy metals include essential metals (copper, iron, zinc, and manganese) and non-essential metals (cadmium, mercury, aluminum, arsenic, and lead). Plants use complex mechanisms of gene regulation under heavy metal stress. MicroRNAs are 21-nucleotide non-coding small RNAs as important modulators of gene expression post-transcriptionally. Recently, high-throughput sequencing has led to the identification of an increasing number of heavy-metal-responsive microRNAs in plants. Metal-regulated microRNAs and their target genes are part of a complex regulatory network that controls various biological processes, including heavy metal uptake and transport, protein folding and assembly, metal chelation, scavenging of reactive oxygen species, hormone signaling, and microRNA biogenesis. In this review, we summarize the recent molecular studies that identify heavy-metal-regulated microRNAs and their roles in the regulation of target genes as part of the microRNA-associated regulatory network in response to heavy metal stress in plants.

MicroRNA268 Overexpression Affects Rice Seedling Growth under Cadmium Stress

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 21-24-nucleotide-long RNAs that function as ubiquitous post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in plants and animals. Increasing evidence points to the important role of miRNAs in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Cadmium (Cd) is a nonessential heavy metal highly toxic to plants. Although many genes encoding metal transporters have been characterized, the mechanisms for the regulation of the expression of the heavy-metal transporter genes are largely unknown. In this study, we found that the expression of miR268 in rice was significantly induced under Cd stress. By contrast, expression of natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 3 (NRAMP3), a target gene of miR268, was dramatically decreased by Cd treatment. Overexpression of miR268 inhibited rice seedling growth under Cd stress. The transgenic miR268-overexpressing plant leaves contained increased levels of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, and their seedlings accumulated increased levels of Cd when compared to those in wild-type plants. These results indicate that miR268 acts as a negative regulator of rice's tolerance to Cd stress. Thus, miRNA-guided regulation of gene expression plays an important role in plant responses to heavy-metal stress.

Genome-wide association analysis identifies loci governing mercury accumulation in maize

Owing to the rapid development of urbanisation and industrialisation, heavy metal pollution has become a widespread environmental problem. Maize planted on mercury (Hg)-polluted soil can absorb and accumulate Hg in its edible parts, posing a potential threat to human health. To understand the genetic mechanism of Hg accumulation in maize, we performed a genome-wide association study using a mixed linear model on an association population consisting of 230 maize inbred lines with abundant genetic variation. The order of relative Hg concentrations in different maize tissues was as follows: leaves > bracts > stems > axes > kernels. Combined two locations, a total of 37 significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with kernels, 12 with axes, 13 with stems, 27 with bracts and 23 with leaves were detected with p < 0.0001. Each significant SNP was calculated and the SNPs significant associated with kernels, axes, stems, bracts and leaves explained 6.96%–10.56%, 7.19%–15.87%, 7.11%–10.19%, 7.16%–8.71% and 6.91%–9.17% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. Among the significant SNPs, nine co-localised with previously detected quantitative trait loci. This study will aid in the selection of Hg-accumulation inbred lines that satisfy the needs for pollution-safe cultivars and maintaining maize production.

Hydrogen sulfide alleviates mercury toxicity by sequestering it in roots or regulating reactive oxygen species productions in rice seedlings

Soil mercury (Hg) contamination is a major factor that affects agricultural yield and food security. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) plays multifunctional roles in mediating a variety of responses to abiotic stresses. The effects of exogenous H₂S on rice (Oryza sativa var 'Nipponbare') growth and metabolism under mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) stress were investigated in this study. Either 100 or 200 μM sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, a donor of H₂S) pretreatment improved the transcription of bZIP60, a membrane-associated transcription factor, and then enhanced the expressions of non-protein thiols (NPT) and metallothioneins (OsMT-1) to sequester Hg in roots and thus inhibit Hg transport to shoots. Meanwhile, H₂S promoted seedlings growth significantly even in the presences of Hg and superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) or catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) inhibitors, diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC) or 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT). H₂S might act as an antioxidant to inhibit or scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) productions for maintaining the lower MDA and H₂O₂ levels, and thereby preventing oxidative damages. All these results indicated H₂S effectively alleviated Hg toxicity by sequestering it in roots or by regulating ROS in seedlings and then thus significantly promoted rice growth.

Comparative transcriptome profiling of chilling stress responsiveness in grafted watermelon seedlings

Rootstock grafting may improve the resistance of watermelon plants to low temperatures. However, information regarding the molecular responses of rootstock grafted plants to chilling stress is limited. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of chilling tolerance in grafted plants, the transcriptomic responses of grafted watermelon under chilling stress were analyzed using RNA-seq analysis. Sequencing data were used for digital gene expression (DGE) analysis to characterize the transcriptomic responses in grafted watermelon seedlings. A total of 702 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were found in rootstock grafted (RG) watermelon relative to self-grafted (SG) watermelon; among these genes, 522 genes were up-regulated and 180 were down-regulated. Additionally, 164 and 953 genes were found to specifically expressed in RG and SG seedlings under chilling stress, respectively. Functional annotations revealed that up-regulated DEGs are involved in protein processing, plant-pathogen interaction and the spliceosome, whereas down-regulated DEGs are associated with photosynthesis. Moreover, 13 DEGs were randomly selected for quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis. The expression profiles of these 13 DEGs were consistent with those detected by the DGE analysis, supporting the reliability of the DGE data. This work provides additional insight into the molecular basis of grafted watermelon responses to chilling stress.

Analysis of Copper-Binding Proteins in Rice Radicles Exposed to Excess Copper and Hydrogen Peroxide Stress

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient for plants, but excess Cu can inactivate and disturb the protein function due to unavoidable binding to proteins at the cellular level. As a redox-active metal, Cu toxicity is mediated by the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cu-binding structural motifs may alleviate Cu-induced damage by decreasing free Cu(2+) activity in cytoplasm or scavenging ROS. The identification of Cu-binding proteins involved in the response of plants to Cu or ROS toxicity may increase our understanding the mechanisms of metal toxicity and tolerance in plants. This study investigated change of Cu-binding proteins in radicles of germinating rice seeds under excess Cu and oxidative stress using immobilized Cu(2+) affinity chromatography, two-dimensional electrophoresis, and mass spectra analysis. Quantitative image analysis revealed that 26 protein spots showed more than a 1.5-fold difference in abundances under Cu or H2O2 treatment compared to the control. The identified Cu-binding proteins were involved in anti-oxidative defense, stress response and detoxification, protein synthesis, protein modification, and metabolism regulation. The present results revealed that 17 out of 24 identified Cu-binding proteins have a similar response to low concentration Cu (20 μM Cu) and H2O2 stress, and 5 out of 24 were increased under low and high concentration Cu (100 μM Cu) but unaffected under H2O2 stress, which hint Cu ions can regulate Cu-binding proteins accumulation by H2O2 or no H2O2 pathway to cope with excess Cu in cell. The change pattern of these Cu-binding proteins and their function analysis warrant to further study the roles of Cu ions in these Cu-binding proteins of plant cells.

Advances in Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation of graminaceous crops

Steady increase in global population poses several challenges to plant science research, including demand for increased crop productivity, grain yield, nutritional quality and improved tolerance to different environmental factors. Transgene-based approaches are promising to address these challenges by transferring potential candidate genes to host organisms through different strategies. Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer is one such strategy which is well known for enabling efficient gene transfer in both monocot and dicots. Due to its versatility, this technique underwent several advancements including development of improved in vitro plant regeneration system, co-cultivation and selection methods, and use of hyper-virulent strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens harbouring super-binary vectors. The efficiency of this method has also been enhanced by the use of acetosyringone to induce the activity of vir genes, silver nitrate to reduce the Agrobacterium-induced necrosis and cysteine to avoid callus browning during co-cultivation. In the last two decades, extensive efforts have been invested towards achieving efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in cereals. Though high-efficiency transformation systems have been developed for rice and maize, comparatively lesser progress has been reported in other graminaceous crops. In this context, the present review discusses the progress made in Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system in rice, maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, sugarcane, Brachypodium, millets, bioenergy and forage and turf grasses. In addition, it also provides an overview of the genes that have been recently transferred to these graminaceous crops using Agrobacterium, bottlenecks in this technique and future possibilities for crop improvement.

Heavy Metal Tolerance in Plants: Role of Transcriptomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Ionomics

Heavy metal contamination of soil and water causing toxicity/stress has become one important constraint to crop productivity and quality. This situation has further worsened by the increasing population growth and inherent food demand. It has been reported in several studies that counterbalancing toxicity due to heavy metal requires complex mechanisms at molecular, biochemical, physiological, cellular, tissue, and whole plant level, which might manifest in terms of improved crop productivity. Recent advances in various disciplines of biological sciences such as metabolomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc., have assisted in the characterization of metabolites, transcription factors, and stress-inducible proteins involved in heavy metal tolerance, which in turn can be utilized for generating heavy metal-tolerant crops. This review summarizes various tolerance strategies of plants under heavy metal toxicity covering the role of metabolites (metabolomics), trace elements (ionomics), transcription factors (transcriptomics), various stress-inducible proteins (proteomics) as well as the role of plant hormones. We also provide a glance of some strategies adopted by metal-accumulating plants, also known as "metallophytes."

Boron-deficiency-responsive microRNAs and their targets in Citrus sinensis leaves

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs play important roles in the adaptive responses of plants to nutrient deficiencies. Most research, however, has focused on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) deficiencies, limited data are available on the differential expression of miRNAs and their target genes in response to deficiencies of other nutrient elements. In this study, we identified the known and novel miRNAs as well as the boron (B)-deficiency-responsive miRNAs from citrus leaves in order to obtain the potential miRNAs related to the tolerance of citrus to B-deficiency.

METHODS

Seedlings of 'Xuegan' [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] were supplied every other day with B-deficient (0 μM H3BO3) or -sufficient (10 μM H3BO3) nutrient solution for 15 weeks. Thereafter, we sequenced two small RNA libraries from B-deficient and -sufficient (control) citrus leaves, respectively, using Illumina sequencing.

RESULTS

Ninety one (83 known and 8 novel) up- and 81 (75 known and 6 novel) down-regulated miRNAs were isolated from B-deficient leaves. The great alteration of miRNA expression might contribute to the tolerance of citrus to B-deficiency. The adaptive responses of miRNAs to B-deficiency might related to several aspects: (a) attenuation of plant growth and development by repressing auxin signaling due to decreased TIR1 level and ARF-mediated gene expression by altering the expression of miR393, miR160 and miR3946; (b) maintaining leaf phenotype and enhancing the stress tolerance by up-regulating NACs targeted by miR159, miR782, miR3946 and miR7539; (c) activation of the stress responses and antioxidant system through down-regulating the expression of miR164, miR6260, miR5929, miR6214, miR3946 and miR3446; (d) decreasing the expression of major facilitator superfamily protein genes targeted by miR5037, thus lowering B export from plants. Also, B-deficiency-induced down-regulation of miR408 might play a role in plant tolerance to B-deficiency by regulating Cu homeostasis and enhancing superoxide dismutase activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study reveals some novel responses of citrus to B-deficiency, which increase our understanding of the adaptive mechanisms of citrus to B-deficiency at the miRNA (post-transcriptional) level.

Proteomic Analysis of Copper-Binding Proteins in Excess Copper-Stressed Roots of Two Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Varieties with Different Cu Tolerances

To better understand the mechanisms involved in the heavy metal stress response and tolerance in plants, a proteomic approach was used to investigate the differences in Cu-binding protein expression in Cu-tolerant and Cu-sensitive rice varieties. Cu-binding proteins from Cu-treated rice roots were separated using a new IMAC method in which an IDA-sepharose column was applied prior to the Cu-IMAC column to remove metal ions from protein samples. More than 300 protein spots were reproducibly detected in the 2D gel. Thirty-five protein spots exhibited changes greater than 1.5-fold in intensity compared to the control. Twenty-four proteins contained one or more of nine putative metal-binding motifs reported by Smith et al., and 19 proteins (spots) contained one to three of the top six motifs reported by Kung et al. The intensities of seven protein spots were increased in the Cu-tolerant variety B1139 compared to the Cu-sensitive variety B1195 (p<0.05) and six protein spots were markedly up-regulated in B1139, but not detectable in B1195. Four protein spots were significantly up-regulated in B1139, but unchanged in B1195 under Cu stress. In contrast, two protein spots were significantly down-regulated in B1195, but unchanged in B1139. These Cu-responsive proteins included those involved in antioxidant defense and detoxification (spots 5, 16, 21, 22, 28, 29 and 33), pathogenesis (spots 5, 16, 21, 22, 28, 29 and 33), regulation of gene transcription (spots 8 and 34), amino acid synthesis (spots 8 and 34), protein synthesis, modification, transport and degradation (spots 1, 2, 4, 10, 15, 19, 30, 31, 32 and 35), cell wall synthesis (spot 14), molecular signaling (spot 3), and salt stress (spots 7, 9 and 27); together with other proteins, such as a putative glyoxylate induced protein, proteins containing dimeric alpha-beta barrel domains, and adenosine kinase-like proteins. Our results suggest that these proteins, together with related physiological processes, play an important role in the detoxification of excess Cu and in maintaining cellular homeostasis.

Quantitative trait loci for mercury accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.) identified using a RIL population

To investigate the genetic mechanism of mercury accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.), a population of 194 recombinant inbred lines derived from an elite hybrid Yuyu 22, was used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for mercury accumulation at two locations. The results showed that the average Hg concentration in the different tissues of maize followed the order: leaves > bracts > stems > axis > kernels. Twenty-three QTLs for mercury accumulation in five tissues were detected on chromosomes 1, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10, which explained 6.44% to 26.60% of the phenotype variance. The QTLs included five QTLs for Hg concentration in kernels, three QTLs for Hg concentration in the axis, six QTLs for Hg concentration in stems, four QTLs for Hg concentration in bracts and five QTLs for Hg concentration in leaves. Interestingly, three QTLs, qKHC9a, qKHC9b, and qBHC9 were in linkage with two QTLs for drought tolerance. In addition, qLHC1 was in linkage with two QTLs for arsenic accumulation. The study demonstrated the concentration of Hg in Hg-contaminated paddy soil could be reduced, and maize production maintained simultaneously by selecting and breeding maize Hg pollution-safe cultivars (PSCs).

Identification of boron-deficiency-responsive microRNAs in Citrus sinensis roots by Illumina sequencing

BACKGROUND

Boron (B)-deficiency is a widespread problem in many crops, including Citrus. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in nutrient deficiencies. However, little is known on B-deficiency-responsive miRNAs in plants. In this study, we first identified miRNAs and their expression pattern in B-deficient Citrus sinensis roots by Illumina sequencing in order to identify miRNAs that might be involved in the tolerance of plants to B-deficiency.

RESULTS

We isolated 52 (40 known and 12 novel) up-regulated and 82 (72 known and 10 novel) down-regulated miRNAs from B-deficient roots, demonstrating remarkable metabolic flexibility of roots, which might contribute to the tolerance of plants to B-deficiency. A model for the possible roles of miRNAs in the tolerance of roots to B-deficiency was proposed. miRNAs might regulate the adaptations of roots to B-deficiency through following several aspects: (a) inactivating reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling and scavenging through up-regulating miR474 and down-regulating miR782 and miR843; (b) increasing lateral root number by lowering miR5023 expression and maintaining a certain phenotype favorable for B-deficiency-tolerance by increasing miR394 expression; (c) enhancing cell transport by decreasing the transcripts of miR830, miR5266 and miR3465; (d) improving osmoprotection (miR474) and regulating other metabolic reactions (miR5023 and miR821). Other miRNAs such as miR472 and miR2118 in roots increased in response to B-deficiency, thus decreasing the expression of their target genes, which are involved in disease resistance, and hence, the disease resistance of roots.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work demonstrates the possible roles of miRNAs and related mechanisms in the response of plant roots to B-deficiency.

Formins: emerging players in the dynamic plant cell cortex

Formins (FH2 proteins) are an evolutionarily conserved family of eukaryotic proteins, sharing the common FH2 domain. While they have been, until recently, understood mainly as actin nucleators, formins are also engaged in various additional aspects of cytoskeletal organization and signaling, including, but not limited to, the crosstalk between the actin and microtubule networks. A surprising diversity of domain organizations has been discovered among the FH2 proteins, and specific domain setups have been found in plants. Seed plants have two clades of formins, one of them (Class I) containing mostly transmembrane proteins, while members of the other one (Class II) may be anchored to membranes via a putative membrane-binding domain related to the PTEN antioncogene. Thus, plant formins present good candidates for possible mediators of coordination of the cortical actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, as well as their attachment to the plasma membrane, that is, aspects of cell cortex organization likely to be important for cell and tissue morphogenesis. Although experimental studies of plant formin function are hampered by the large number of formin genes and their functional redundancy, recent experimental work has already resulted in some remarkable insights into the function of FH2 proteins in plants.