Differential Metabolic Regulation Governed by the Rice SUB1A Gene during Submergence Stress and Identification of Alanylglycine by 1H NMR Spectroscopy

Flooding-adaptive root and shoot traits in rice

Wetland plants, including rice (Oryza spp.), have developed multiple functional adaptive traits to survive soil flooding, partial submergence or even complete submergence. In waterlogged soils and under water, diffusion of O2 and CO2 is extremely slow with severe impacts on photosynthesis and respiration. As a response to shallow floods or rising floodwater, several rice varieties, including deepwater rice, elongate their stems to keep their leaves above the water surface so that photosynthesis can occur unhindered during partial submergence. In stark contrast, some other varieties hardly elongate even if they become completely submerged. Instead, their metabolism is reduced to an absolute minimum so that carbohydrates are conserved enabling fast regrowth once the floodwater recedes. This review focuses on the fascinating functional adaptive traits conferring tolerance to soil flooding, partial or complete submergence. We provide a general analysis of these traits focusing on molecular, anatomical and morphological, physiological and ecological levels. Some of these key traits have already been introgressed into modern high-yielding genotypes improving flood tolerance of several cultivars used by millions of farmers in Asia. However, with the ongoing changes in climate, we propose that even more emphasis should be placed on improving flood tolerance of rice by breeding for rice that can tolerate longer periods of complete submergence or stagnant flooding. Such tolerance could be achieved via additional tissues; i.e. aquatic adventitious roots relevant during partial submergence, and leaves with higher underwater photosynthesis caused by a longer gas film retention time.

A microscopic scenario on recovery mechanisms under waterlogging and submergence stress in rice

MAIN CONCLUSION

Adaptive traits in rice responding to flooding, a compound stress, are associated with morpho-anatomical and physiological changes which are regulated at the genetic level. Therefore, understanding submergence stress tolerance in rice will help development of adapted cultivars that can help mitigate agricultural losses. Rice is an important dietary component of daily human consumption and is cultivated as a staple crop worldwide. Flooding is a compound stress which imposes significant financial losses to farmers. Flood-affected rainfed rice ecosystems led to the development of various adaptive traits in different cultivars for their optimal growth and survival. Some cultivars can tolerate hypoxia by temporarily arresting elongation and conserving their energy sources, which they utilize to regrow after the stress conditions subside. However, few other cultivars rapidly elongate to escape hypoxia using carbohydrate resources. These contrasting characters are regulated at the genetic level through different quantitative trait loci that contain ERF transcription factors (TFs), Submergence and Snorkels. TFs can simultaneously activate the transcription of various genes involved in stress and development responses. These TFs are of prime importance because the introgressed and near-isogenic lines showed promising results with increased submergence tolerance without affecting yield or quality. However, the entire landscape of submergence tolerance is not entirely depicted, and further exploration in the field is necessary to understand the mechanism in rice completely. Therefore, this review will highlight the significant adaptive traits observed in flooded rice varieties and how they are regulated mechanistically.

Plant Life with and without Oxygen: A Metabolomics Approach

Oxygen deficiency is an environmental challenge which affects plant growth, the development and distribution in land and aquatic ecosystems, as well as crop yield losses worldwide. The capacity to exist in the conditions of deficiency or the complete lack of oxygen depends on a number of anatomic, developmental and molecular adaptations. The lack of molecular oxygen leads to an inhibition of aerobic respiration, which causes energy starvation and the acceleration of glycolysis passing into fermentations. We focus on systemic metabolic alterations revealed with the different approaches of metabolomics. Oxygen deprivation stimulates the accumulation of glucose, pyruvate and lactate, indicating the acceleration of the sugar metabolism, glycolysis and lactic fermentation, respectively. Among the Krebs-cycle metabolites, only the succinate level increases. Amino acids related to glycolysis, including the phosphoglycerate family (Ser and Gly), shikimate family (Phe, Tyr and Trp) and pyruvate family (Ala, Leu and Val), are greatly elevated. Members of the Asp family (Asn, Lys, Met, Thr and Ile), as well as the Glu family (Glu, Pro, Arg and GABA), accumulate as well. These metabolites are important members of the metabolic signature of oxygen deficiency in plants, linking glycolysis with an altered Krebs cycle and allowing alternative pathways of NAD(P)H reoxidation to avoid the excessive accumulation of toxic fermentation products (lactate, acetaldehyde, ethanol). Reoxygenation induces the downregulation of the levels of major anaerobically induced metabolites, including lactate, succinate and amino acids, especially members of the pyruvate family (Ala, Leu and Val), Tyr and Glu family (GABA and Glu) and Asp family (Asn, Met, Thr and Ile). The metabolic profiles during native and environmental hypoxia are rather similar, consisting in the accumulation of fermentation products, succinate, fumarate and amino acids, particularly Ala, Gly and GABA. The most intriguing fact is that metabolic alterations during oxidative stress are very much similar, with plant response to oxygen deprivation but not to reoxygenation.

Recent Molecular Aspects and Integrated Omics Strategies for Understanding the Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Rice

Rice is an important staple food crop for over half of the world's population. However, abiotic stresses seriously threaten rice yield improvement and sustainable production. Breeding and planting rice varieties with high environmental stress tolerance are the most cost-effective, safe, healthy, and environmentally friendly strategies. In-depth research on the molecular mechanism of rice plants in response to different stresses can provide an important theoretical basis for breeding rice varieties with higher stress resistance. This review presents the molecular mechanisms and the effects of various abiotic stresses on rice growth and development and explains the signal perception mode and transduction pathways. Meanwhile, the regulatory mechanisms of critical transcription factors in regulating gene expression and important downstream factors in coordinating stress tolerance are outlined. Finally, the utilization of omics approaches to retrieve hub genes and an outlook on future research are prospected, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms of multi-signaling network modules and sustainable rice production.

The submergence tolerance regulator SUB1A differentially coordinates molecular adaptation to submergence in mature and growing leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

A typical adaptive response to submergence regulated by SUB1A, the ethylene-responsive transcription factor gene, is the restricted elongation of the uppermost leaves. However, the molecular and physiological functions of SUB1A have been characterized using entire shoot tissues, most of which are mature leaves that do not elongate under submergence. We aimed to identify leaf-type-specific and overlapping adaptations coordinated in SUB1A-dependent and -independent manners. To this end, we compared the transcriptomic and hormonal responses to submergence between mature and growing leaves using rice genotypes with and without SUB1A. Monosaccharide, branched-chain amino acid, and nucleoside metabolism, associated with ATP synthesis, were commonly activated in both leaf types regardless of genotype. In both leaf types, pathways involved in carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolism were suppressed by SUB1A, with more severe restriction in growing leaves that have a greater energy demand if SUB1A is absent. In growing leaves, accumulation of and responsiveness to growth-regulating hormones were properly modulated by SUB1A, which correlated with restricted elongation. In mature leaves, submergence-induced auxin accumulation was suppressed by SUB1A. This study demonstrates that different sets of hormonal pathways, both of which are modulated by SUB1A, contribute to distinct adaptive responses to submergence in mature and growing rice leaves.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis reveals potential mechanisms for high tolerance to submergence in arbor willows

BACKGROUND

Submergence threatens plant growth and survival by decreasing or eliminating oxygen supply. Uncovering the complex regulatory network underlying the tolerance of Salix to submergence and identifying the key regulators are important for molecular-assisted breeding of Salix.

METHODS

In this study, we screened germplasm resources of arbor willows and discovered both submergence-tolerant and submergence-sensitive varieties. Then, by performing RNA-seq, we compared the differences between the transcriptomes of two varieties, i.e., the submergence-tolerant variety "Suliu 795" and the submergence-sensitive variety "Yanliu No. 1," and the different submergence treatment time points to identify the potential mechanisms of submergence in Salix and the unique approaches by which the variety "Suliu 795" possessed a higher tolerance compared to "Yanliu No. 1".

RESULTS

A total of 22,790 differentially expressed genes were identified from 25 comparisons. Using gene ontology annotation and pathway enrichment analysis, the expression pattern of transcriptional factors, important players in hormone signaling, carbohydrate metabolism, and the anaerobic respiration pathway were found to differ significantly between the two varieties. The principal component analysis and qRT-PCR results verified the reliability of the RNA sequencing data. The results of further analysis indicated that "Suliu 795" had higher submergence tolerant activity than "Yanliu No. 1" because of three characteristics: (1) high sensitivity to the probable low oxygen stress and initiation of appropriate responding mechanisms in advance; (2) maintenance of energy homeostasis to prevent energy depletion under hypoxic stress; and (3) keep "quiescence" through fine-tuning the equilibrium between phytohormones GA, SA and ethylene.

Finding a breather for Oryza sativa: Understanding hormone signalling pathways involved in rice plants to submergence stress

During the course of evolution, different ecotypes of rice (Oryza sativa L.) have evolved distinct strategies to cope with submergence stress. Such contrasting responses are mediated by plant hormones that are principle regulators of growth, development and responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. These hormones act cooperatively and show extensive crosstalk which is mediated by key regulatory genes that serve as nodes of molecular communication. The presence or absence of such genes leads to significant changes in hormone signalling pathways and hence, governs the type of response that the plant will exhibit. As flooding is one of the leading causes of crop loss across all the major rice-producing countries, it is crucial to deeply understand the molecular nexus governing the response to submergence to produce flood resilient varieties. This review focuses on the hormonal signalling pathways that mediate two contrasting responses of the rice plant to submergence stress namely, rapid internode elongation to escape flood waters and quiescence response that enables the plant to survive under complete submergence. The significance of several key genes such as Sub1A-1, SLR1, SD1 and SK1/SK2, in defining the ultimate response to submergence has also been discussed.

Omics for the Improvement of Abiotic, Biotic, and Agronomic Traits in Major Cereal Crops: Applications, Challenges, and Prospects

Omics technologies, namely genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics, are becoming an integral part of virtually every commercial cereal crop breeding program, as they provide substantial dividends per unit time in both pre-breeding and breeding phases. Continuous advances in omics assure time efficiency and cost benefits to improve cereal crops. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the established omics methods in five major cereals, namely rice, sorghum, maize, barley, and bread wheat. We cover the evolution of technologies in each omics section independently and concentrate on their use to improve economically important agronomic as well as biotic and abiotic stress-related traits. Advancements in the (1) identification, mapping, and sequencing of molecular/structural variants; (2) high-density transcriptomics data to study gene expression patterns; (3) global and targeted proteome profiling to study protein structure and interaction; (4) metabolomic profiling to quantify organ-level, small-density metabolites, and their composition; and (5) high-resolution, high-throughput, image-based phenomics approaches are surveyed in this review.

Overlapping and stress-specific transcriptomic and hormonal responses to flooding and drought in soybean

Flooding and drought are serious constraints that reduce crop productivity worldwide. Previous studies identified genes conferring tolerance to both water extremes in various plants. However, overlapping responses to flooding and drought at the genome-scale remain obscure. Here, we defined overlapping and stress-specific transcriptomic and hormonal responses to submergence, drought and recovery from these stresses in soybean (Glycine max). We performed comparative RNA-sequencing and hormone profiling, identifying genes, hormones and biological processes that are differentially regulated in an overlapping or stress-specific manner. Overlapping responses included positive regulation of trehalose and sucrose metabolism and negative regulation of cellulose, tubulin, photosystem II and I, and chlorophyll biosynthesis, facilitating the economization of energy reserves under both submergence and drought. Additional energy-consuming pathways were restricted in a stress-specific manner. Downregulation of distinct pathways for energy saving under each stress suggests energy-consuming processes that are relatively unnecessary for each stress adaptation are turned down. Our newly developed transcriptomic-response analysis revealed that abscisic acid and ethylene responses were activated in common under both stresses, whereas stimulated auxin response was submergence-specific. The energy-saving strategy is the key overlapping mechanism that underpins adaptation to both submergence and drought in soybean. Abscisic acid and ethylene are candidate hormones that coordinate transcriptomic energy-saving processes under both stresses. Auxin may be a signaling component that distinguishes submergence-specific regulation of the stress response.

The role of ethylene in metabolic acclimations to low oxygen

Submerged plants ultimately suffer from shortage in cellular oxygen availability (hypoxia) as a result of impaired gas diffusion underwater. The gaseous plant hormone ethylene is rapidly entrapped in submerged plant tissues and is an established regulator of morphological and anatomical flood-adaptive responses. Multiple recent discoveries suggest that ethylene also plays a crucial role in hypoxia anticipation and metabolic acclimation during plant submergence. Ethylene was shown to accelerate and enhance the hypoxic response through enhanced stability of specific transcription factors (group VII ethylene response factors). Moreover, we suggest that ethylene could play an important role in the induction of autophagy and promote reactive oxygen species amelioration, thereby contributing to enhanced survival during flooding, hypoxia, and reoxygenation stress.

Tolerant mechanisms to O2 deficiency under submergence conditions in plants

Wetland plants can tolerate long-term strict hypoxia and anoxic conditions and the subsequent re-oxidative stress compared to terrestrial plants. During O2 deficiency, both wetland and terrestrial plants use NAD(P)+ and ATP that are produced during ethanol fermentation, sucrose degradation, and major amino acid metabolisms. The oxidation of NADH by non-phosphorylating pathways in the mitochondrial respiratory chain is common in both terrestrial and wetland plants. As the wetland plants enhance and combine these traits especially in their roots, they can survive under long-term hypoxic and anoxic stresses. Wetland plants show two contrasting strategies, low O2 escape and low O2 quiescence strategies (LOES and LOQS, respectively). Differences between two strategies are ascribed to the different signaling networks related to phytohormones. During O2 deficiency, LOES-type plants show several unique traits such as shoot elongation, aerenchyma formation and leaf acclimation, whereas the LOQS-type plants cease their growth and save carbohydrate reserves. Many wetland plants utilize NH4+ as the nitrogen (N) source without NH4+-dependent respiratory increase, leading to efficient respiratory O2 consumption in roots. In contrast, some wetland plants with high O2 supply system efficiently use NO3- from the soil where nitrification occurs. The differences in the N utilization strategies relate to the different systems of anaerobic ATP production, the NO2--driven ATP production and fermentation. The different N utilization strategies are functionally related to the hypoxia or anoxia tolerance in the wetland plants.

Systems Metabolic Alteration in a Semi-Dwarf Rice Mutant Induced by OsCYP96B4 Gene Mutation

Dwarfism and semi-dwarfism are among the most valuable agronomic traits in crop breeding, which were adopted by the “Green Revolution”. Previously, we reported a novel semi-dwarf rice mutant (oscyp96b4) derived from the insertion of a single copy of Dissociator (Ds) transposon into the gene OsCYP96B4. However, the systems metabolic effect of the mutation is not well understood, which is important for understanding the gene function and developing new semi-dwarf mutants. Here, the metabolic phenotypes in the semi-dwarf mutant (M) and ectopic expression (ECE) rice line were compared to the wild-type (WT) rice, by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Compared with WT, ECE of the OsCYP96B4 gene resulted in significant increase of γ-aminobutyrate (GABA), glutamine, and alanine, but significant decrease of glutamate, aromatic and branched-chain amino acids, and some other amino acids. The ECE caused significant increase of monosaccharides (glucose, fructose), but significant decrease of disaccharide (sucrose); induced significant changes of metabolites involved in choline metabolism (phosphocholine, ethanolamine) and nucleotide metabolism (adenosine, adenosine monophosphate, uridine). These metabolic profile alterations were accompanied with changes in the gene expression levels of some related enzymes, involved in GABA shunt, glutamate and glutamine metabolism, choline metabolism, sucrose metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, nucleotide metabolism, and shikimate-mediated secondary metabolism. The semi-dwarf mutant showed corresponding but less pronounced changes, especially in the gene expression levels. It indicates that OsCYP96B4 gene mutation in rice causes significant alteration in amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and shikimate-mediated secondary metabolism. The present study will provide essential information for the OsCYP96B4 gene function analysis and may serve as valuable reference data for the development of new semi-dwarf mutants.

Metabolite and Phytohormone Profiling Illustrates Metabolic Reprogramming as an Escape Strategy of Deepwater Rice during Partially Submerged Stress

Rice varieties that can survive under submergence conditions respond to flooding either by enhancing internode elongation or by quiescence of shoot elongation. Despite extensive efforts to identify key metabolites triggered by complete submergence of rice possessing SUBMERGENCE 1 (SUB1) locus, metabolic responses of internode elongation of deepwater rice governed by the SNORKEL 1 and 2 genes remain elusive. This study investigated specific metabolomic responses under partial submergence (PS) to deepwater- (C9285) and non-deepwater rice cultivars (Taichung 65 (T65)). In addition, we examined the response in a near-isogenic line (NIL-12) that has a C9285 genomic fragment on chromosome 12 introgressed into the genetic background of T65. Under short-term submergence (0-24 h), metabolite profiles of C9285, NIL-12, and T65 were compared to extract significantly changed metabolites in deepwater rice under PS conditions. Comprehensive metabolite and phytohormone profiling revealed increases in metabolite levels in the glycolysis pathway in NIL-12 plants. Under long-term submergence (0-288 h), we found decreased amino acid levels. These metabolomic changes were opposite when compared to those in flood-tolerant rice with SUB1 locus. Auxin conjugate levels related to stress response decreased in NIL-12 lines relative to T65. Our analysis helped clarify the complex metabolic reprogramming in deepwater rice as an escape strategy.

Adaptation of the metabolomics profile of rice after Pyricularia oryzae infection

Pyricularia oryzae (P. oryzae), one of the most devastating fungal pathogens, is the cause of blast disease in rice. Infection with a blast fungus induces biological responses in the host plant that lead to its survival through the termination or suppression of pathogen growth, and metabolite compounds play vital roles in plant interactions with a wide variety of other organisms. Numerous studies have indicated that rice has a multi-layered plant immune system that includes pre-developed (e.g., cell wall and phytoanticipins), constitutive and inducible (phytoalexins) defence barriers against stresses. Significant progress towards understanding the basis of the molecular mechanisms underlying the defence responses of rice to P. oryzae has been achieved. Nonetheless, even though the important metabolites in the responses of rice to pathogens have been identified, their exact mechanisms and their contributions to plant immunity against blast fungi have not been elucidated. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss recent advances towards the understanding of the integrated metabolite variations in rice after P. oryzae invasion.

Iron toxicity-induced physiological and metabolite profile variations among tolerant and sensitive rice varieties

Iron toxicity stress causes physiological and metabolic changes in rice and other plants. To date, there is little information about the metabolite profile of rice under Fe toxicity conditions. In fact, metabolite has a contribution to the physiological condition of plants. Plant metabolomics is a study of low-molecular weight metabolites in plants under certain conditions. The objective of the research was to investigate physiological and metabolic changes in rice under Fe toxicity stress. Two-week-old seedlings of four rice varieties with various Fe toxicity tolerance levels were stressed hydroponically with 400 ppm FeSO4.7H2O for 10 d. Numerous physiological characters were observed and untargeted metabolomic analysis was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). The results showed Fe toxicity induced physiological and metabolite variation in rice. By comparing the metabolites synthesized in Fe toxicity-stressed plants with control plants, it showed that elaidic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid could be as metabolite marker candidates for rice response to Fe toxicity stress. When plants exposed to Fe toxicity stress, elaidic acid increased, whereas linoleic- and linolenic acid decreased. The alteration of fatty acid composition in the root and shoot suggests the alteration of metabolites is one of the tolerance strategies of rice to Fe toxicity stress. This finding offers an insight about the tolerance strategies of rice under Fe toxicity stress related to the maintenance process of the cell membranes during this stress. The genes underlying biosynthesis of the fatty acid could be a target of future research on responsible genes for Fe toxicity tolerance in rice.

Submergence and Waterlogging Stress in Plants: A Review Highlighting Research Opportunities and Understudied Aspects

Soil flooding creates composite and complex stress in plants known as either submergence or waterlogging stress depending on the depth of the water table. In nature, these stresses are important factors dictating the species composition of the ecosystem. On agricultural land, they cause economic damage associated with long-term social consequences. The understanding of the plant molecular responses to these two stresses has benefited from research studying individual components of the stress, in particular low-oxygen stress. To a lesser extent, other associated stresses and plant responses have been incorporated into the molecular framework, such as ion and ROS signaling, pathogen susceptibility, and organ-specific expression and development. In this review, we aim to highlight known or suspected components of submergence/waterlogging stress that have not yet been thoroughly studied at the molecular level in this context, such as miRNA and retrotransposon expression, the influence of light/dark cycles, protein isoforms, root architecture, sugar sensing and signaling, post-stress molecular events, heavy-metal and salinity stress, and mRNA dynamics (splicing, sequestering, and ribosome loading). Finally, we explore biotechnological strategies that have applied this molecular knowledge to develop cultivars resistant to flooding or to offer alternative uses of flooding-prone soils, like bioethanol and biomass production.

Comparative metabolic profiling of Vitis amurensis and Vitis vinifera during cold acclimation

Vitis amurensis is a wild Vitis plant that can withstand extreme cold temperatures. However, the accumulation of metabolites during cold acclimation (CA) in V. amurensis remains largely unknown. In this study, plantlets of V. amurensis and V. vinifera cv. Muscat of Hamburg were treated at 4 °C for 24 and 72 h, and changes of metabolites in leaves were detected by gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Most of the identified metabolites, including carbohydrates, amino acids, and organic acids, accumulated in the two types of grape after CA. Galactinol, raffinose, fructose, mannose, glycine, and ascorbate were continuously induced by cold in V. amurensis, but not in Muscat of Hamburg. Twelve metabolites, including isoleucine, valine, proline, 2-oxoglutarate, and putrescine, increased in V. amurensis during CA. More galactinol, ascorbate, 2-oxoglutarate, and putrescine, accumulated in V. amurensis, but not in Muscat of Hamburg, during CA, which may be responsible for the excellent cold tolerance in V. amurensis. The expression levels of the genes encoding β-amylase (BAMY), galactinol synthase (GolS), and raffinose synthase (RafS) were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. The expression BAMY (VIT_02s0012 g00170) and RafS (VIT_05s0077 g00840) were primarily responsible for the accumulation of maltose and raffinose, respectively. The accumulation of galactinol was attributed to different members of GolS in the two grapes. In conclusion, these results show the inherent differences in metabolites between V. amurensis and V. vinifera under CA.

Temperature-dependent metabolic adaptation of Triticum aestivum seedlings to anoxia

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is considered anoxia intolerant but it shows variance in anoxia responses between genotypes and environmental treatments. We firstly examined 4 day old seedlings of five wheat genotypes in response to anoxia at 15 °C and 28 °C by assessing growth rate, tissue damage and changes in metabolite abundances. Significant genotypic variations in anoxia tolerance were observed, especially at 28 °C. Wheat seedlings grown at 15 °C appeared to be more anoxia tolerant and showed less genotypic variation than those at 28 °C. To minimize seedling size variations and define the temperature effects, we grew two contrasting genotypes at 15 °C for 3.5 d and adapted to 4 different temperatures for 0.5 d before exposing them to anoxia at each adapted temperature. Genotypic variation in abundance of anoxia induced metabolites occurred at 24 °C and 28 °C but not at 15 °C and 20 °C. Tissue- and temperature-dependent metabolic adaptations to anoxia were revealed. In roots, the ability to maintain sugar/sugar-phosphate and TCA cycle metabolite levels and the accumulation of amino acids when temperature was below 24 °C correlated with anoxia tolerance. Temperatures between 20 °C–24 °C are critical for metabolic adaptation and suggest that further assessment of waterlogging/flooding tolerance of wheat seedlings should consider the temperature-dependence of tolerance in evaluations.

Rice SUB1A constrains remodelling of the transcriptome and metabolome during submergence to facilitate post-submergence recovery

The rice (Oryza sativa L.) ethylene-responsive transcription factor gene SUB1A-1 confers tolerance to prolonged, complete submergence by limiting underwater elongation growth. Upon desubmergence, SUB1A-1 genotypes rapidly recover photosynthetic function and recommence development towards flowering. The underpinnings of the transition from stress amelioration to the return to homeostasis are not well known. Here, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted to identify mechanisms by which SUB1A improves physiological function over the 24 hr following a sublethal submergence event. Evaluation of near-isogenic genotypes after submergence and over a day of reaeration demonstrated that SUB1A transiently constrains the remodelling of cellular activities associated with growth. SUB1A influenced the abundance of ca. 1,400 transcripts and had a continued impact on metabolite content, particularly free amino acids, glucose, and sucrose, throughout the recovery period. SUB1A promoted recovery of metabolic homeostasis but had limited influence on mRNAs associated with growth processes and photosynthesis. The involvement of low energy sensing during submergence and recovery was supported by dynamics in trehalose-6-phosphate and mRNAs encoding key enzymes and signalling proteins, which were modulated by SUB1A. This study provides new evidence of convergent signalling pathways critical to the rapidly reversible management of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in submergence resilient rice.

Environmental metabolomics with data science for investigating ecosystem homeostasis

A natural ecosystem can be viewed as the interconnections between complex metabolic reactions and environments. Humans, a part of these ecosystems, and their activities strongly affect the environments. To account for human effects within ecosystems, understanding what benefits humans receive by facilitating the maintenance of environmental homeostasis is important. This review describes recent applications of several NMR approaches to the evaluation of environmental homeostasis by metabolic profiling and data science. The basic NMR strategy used to evaluate homeostasis using big data collection is similar to that used in human health studies. Sophisticated metabolomic approaches (metabolic profiling) are widely reported in the literature. Further challenges include the analysis of complex macromolecular structures, and of the compositions and interactions of plant biomass, soil humic substances, and aqueous particulate organic matter. To support the study of these topics, we also discuss sample preparation techniques and solid-state NMR approaches. Because NMR approaches can produce a number of data with high reproducibility and inter-institution compatibility, further analysis of such data using machine learning approaches is often worthwhile. We also describe methods for data pretreatment in solid-state NMR and for environmental feature extraction from heterogeneously-measured spectroscopic data by machine learning approaches.

Metabolic regulatory oscillations in intertidal green seaweed Ulva lactuca against tidal cycles

The survival of wetland plant species largely relies on physiological adaptations essential for submergence and desiccation. Intertidal seaweeds, unlike terrestrial plants, have unique adaptations to submergence and can also sustain desiccation arising from tidal rhythms. This study determined the differential metabolic regulations in the inter-tidal seaweed species Ulva lactuca against the submergence and desiccation. During desiccation, the relative water content of the algal thalli declined with concomitant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation. Nevertheless, the trends reversed during recovery on re-submergence and attained homeostasis. Metabolite profiling of U. lactuca revealed desiccation induced balance in energy reserve utilization by adjusting carbohydrate metabolism and switch over to ammonia metabolism. Upon re-submergence, thalli showed an increase in fermentative metabolites, pyruvate-alanine conversion, and the GABA shunt. Prolonged submergence induced substrate level phosphorylation mediated sugar biosynthesis while continuing the alternative carbon flux through fermentative metabolism, an increase in osmoprotectants glycine and betaine, sulfur bearing compounds cysteine and hypotaurine, and phenolic compound coniferaldehyde. The determined metabolic regulations in U. lactuca for submergence tolerance provide insights into potential evolutionarily conserved protective mechanisms across the green lineage and also highlights the possible role of sulfur oxoforms as strong free radical scavengers.

Plant metabolism as studied by NMR spectroscopy

The study of plant metabolism impacts a broad range of domains such as plant cultural practices, plant breeding, human or animal nutrition, phytochemistry and green biotechnologies. Plant metabolites are extremely diverse in terms of structure or compound families as well as concentrations. This review attempts to illustrate how NMR spectroscopy, with its broad variety of experimental approaches, has contributed widely to the study of plant primary or specialized metabolism in very diverse ways. The review presents recent developments of one-dimensional and multi-dimensional NMR methods to study various aspects of plant metabolism. Through recent examples, it highlights how NMR has proved to be an invaluable tool for the global characterization of sample composition within metabolomic studies, and shows some examples of use for targeted phytochemistry, with a special focus on compound identification and quantitation. In such cases, NMR approaches are often used to provide snapshots of the plant sample composition. The review also covers dynamic aspects of metabolism, with a description of NMR techniques to measure metabolic fluxes - in most cases after stable isotope labelling. It is mainly intended for NMR specialists who would be interested to learn more about the potential of their favourite technique in plant sciences and about specific details of NMR approaches in this field. Therefore, as a practical guide, a paragraph on the specific precautions that should be taken for sample preparation is also included. In addition, since the quality of NMR metabolic studies is highly dependent on approaches to data processing and data sharing, a specific part is dedicated to these aspects. The review concludes with perspectives on the emerging methods that could change significantly the role of NMR in the field of plant metabolism by boosting its sensitivity. The review is illustrated throughout with examples of studies selected to represent diverse applications of liquid-state or HR-MAS NMR.

Integrated analysis of rice transcriptomic and metabolomic responses to elevated night temperatures identifies sensitivity- and tolerance-related profiles

Transcript and metabolite profiling were performed on leaves from six rice cultivars under high night temperature (HNT) condition. Six genes were identified as central for HNT response encoding proteins involved in transcription regulation, signal transduction, protein-protein interactions, jasmonate response and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Sensitive cultivars showed specific changes in transcript abundance including abiotic stress responses, changes of cell wall-related genes, of ABA signaling and secondary metabolism. Additionally, metabolite profiles revealed a highly activated TCA cycle under HNT and concomitantly increased levels in pathways branching off that could be corroborated by enzyme activity measurements. Integrated data analysis using clustering based on one-dimensional self-organizing maps identified two profiles highly correlated with HNT sensitivity. The sensitivity profile included genes of the functional bins abiotic stress, hormone metabolism, cell wall, signaling, redox state, transcription factors, secondary metabolites and defence genes. In the tolerance profile, similar bins were affected with slight differences in hormone metabolism and transcription factor responses. Metabolites of the two profiles revealed involvement of GABA signaling, thus providing a link to the TCA cycle status in sensitive cultivars and of myo-inositol as precursor for inositol phosphates linking jasmonate signaling to the HNT response specifically in tolerant cultivars.

Mass spectrometry-based plant metabolomics: Metabolite responses to abiotic stress

Metabolomics is one omics approach that can be used to acquire comprehensive information on the composition of a metabolite pool to provide a functional screen of the cellular state. Studies of the plant metabolome include analysis of a wide range of chemical species with diverse physical properties, from ionic inorganic compounds to biochemically derived hydrophilic carbohydrates, organic and amino acids, and a range of hydrophobic lipid-related compounds. This complexitiy brings huge challenges to the analytical technologies employed in current plant metabolomics programs, and powerful analytical tools are required for the separation and characterization of this extremely high compound diversity present in biological sample matrices. The use of mass spectrometry (MS)-based analytical platforms to profile stress-responsive metabolites that allow some plants to adapt to adverse environmental conditions is fundamental in current plant biotechnology research programs for the understanding and development of stress-tolerant plants. In this review, we describe recent applications of metabolomics and emphasize its increasing application to study plant responses to environmental (stress-) factors, including drought, salt, low oxygen caused by waterlogging or flooding of the soil, temperature, light and oxidative stress (or a combination of them). Advances in understanding the global changes occurring in plant metabolism under specific abiotic stress conditions are fundamental to enhance plant fitness and increase stress tolerance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 35:620-649, 2016.

Transcriptomic analysis of submergence-tolerant and sensitive Brachypodium distachyon ecotypes reveals oxidative stress as a major tolerance factor

When excessive amounts of water accumulate around roots and aerial parts of plants, submergence stress occurs. To find the integrated mechanisms of tolerance, we used ecotypes of the monocot model plant Brachypodium distachyon to screen for genetic material with contrasting submergence tolerance. For this purpose, we used a set of previously studied drought sensitive/tolerant ecotypes and the knowledge that drought tolerance is positively associated with submergence stress. We decided to contrast aerial tissue transcriptomes of the ecotype Bd21 14-day-old plants as sensitive and ecotype Bd2-3 as tolerant after 2 days of stress under a long-day photoperiod. Gene ontology and the grouping of transcripts indicated that tolerant Bd2-3 differentially down-regulated NITRATE REDUCTASE and ALTERNATIVE OXIDASE under stress and constitutively up-regulated HAEMOGLOBIN, when compared with the sensitive ecotype, Bd21. These results suggested the removal of nitric oxide, a gaseous phytohormone and concomitant reactive oxygen species as a relevant tolerance determinant. Other mechanisms more active in tolerant Bd2-3 were the pathogen response, glyoxylate and tricarboxylic acid cycle integration, and acetate metabolism. This data set could be employed to design further studies on the basic science of plant tolerance to submergence stress and its biotechnological application in the development of submergence-tolerant crops.

Integrated metabolomics and phytochemical genomics approaches for studies on rice

Metabolomics is widely employed to monitor the cellular metabolic state and assess the quality of plant-derived foodstuffs because it can be used to manage datasets that include a wide range of metabolites in their analytical samples. In this review, we discuss metabolomics research on rice in order to elucidate the overall regulation of the metabolism as it is related to the growth and mechanisms of adaptation to genetic modifications and environmental stresses such as fungal infections, submergence, and oxidative stress. We also focus on phytochemical genomics studies based on a combination of metabolomics and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping techniques. In addition to starch, rice produces many metabolites that also serve as nutrients for human consumers. The outcomes of recent phytochemical genomics studies of diverse natural rice resources suggest there is potential for using further effective breeding strategies to improve the quality of ingredients in rice grains.

The key regulator of submergence tolerance, SUB1A, promotes photosynthetic and metabolic recovery from submergence damage in rice leaves

The submergence-tolerance regulator, SUBMERGENCE1A (SUB1A), of rice (Oryza sativa L.) modulates gene regulation, metabolism and elongation growth during submergence. Its benefits continue during desubmergence through protection from reactive oxygen species and dehydration, but there is limited understanding of SUB1A's role in physiological recovery from the stress. Here, we investigated the contribution of SUB1A to desubmergence recovery using the two near-isogenic lines, submergence-sensitive M202 and tolerant M202(Sub1). No visible damage was detected in the two genotypes after 3 d of submergence, but the sublethal stress differentially altered photosynthetic parameters and accumulation of energy reserves. Submergence inhibited photosystem II photochemistry and stimulated breakdown of protein and accumulation of several amino acids in both genotypes at similar levels. Upon desubmergence, however, more rapid return to homeostasis of these factors was observed in M202(Sub1). Submergence considerably restrained non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in M202, whereas the value was unaltered in M202(Sub1) during the stress. Upon reaeration, submerged plants encounter sudden exposure to higher light. A greater capability for NPQ-mediated photoprotection can benefit the rapid recovery of photosynthetic performance and energy reserve metabolism in M202(Sub1). Our findings illuminate the significant role of SUB1A in active physiological recovery upon desubmergence, a component of enhanced tolerance to submergence.

High night temperature strongly impacts TCA cycle, amino acid and polyamine biosynthetic pathways in rice in a sensitivity-dependent manner

Global climate change combined with asymmetric warming can have detrimental effects on the yield of crop plants such as rice (Oryza sativa L.). Little is known about metabolic responses of rice to high night temperature (HNT) conditions. Twelve cultivars with different HNT sensitivity were used to investigate metabolic changes in the vegetative stage under HNT compared to control conditions. Central metabolism, especially TCA cycle and amino acid biosynthesis, were strongly affected particularly in sensitive cultivars. Levels of several metabolites were correlated with HNT sensitivity. Furthermore, pool sizes of some metabolites negatively correlated with HNT sensitivity under control conditions, indicating metabolic pre-adaptation in tolerant cultivars. The polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine showed increased abundance in sensitive cultivars under HNT conditions. Correlations between the content of polyamines and 75 other metabolites indicated metabolic shifts from correlations with sugar-phosphates and 1-kestose under control to correlations with sugars and amino and organic acids under HNT conditions. Increased expression levels of ADC2 and ODC1, genes encoding enzymes catalysing the first committed steps of putrescine biosynthesis, were restricted to sensitive cultivars under HNT. Additionally, transcript levels of eight polyamine biosynthesis genes were correlated with HNT sensitivity. Responses to HNT in the vegetative stage result in distinct differences between differently responding cultivars with a dysregulation of central metabolism and an increase of polyamine biosynthesis restricted to sensitive cultivars under HNT conditions and a pre-adaptation of tolerant cultivars already under control conditions with higher levels of potentially protective compatible solutes.

Flood adaptive traits and processes: an overview

Unanticipated flooding challenges plant growth and fitness in natural and agricultural ecosystems. Here we describe mechanisms of developmental plasticity and metabolic modulation that underpin adaptive traits and acclimation responses to waterlogging of root systems and submergence of aerial tissues. This includes insights into processes that enhance ventilation of submerged organs. At the intersection between metabolism and growth, submergence survival strategies have evolved involving an ethylene-driven and gibberellin-enhanced module that regulates growth of submerged organs. Opposing regulation of this pathway is facilitated by a subgroup of ethylene-response transcription factors (ERFs), which include members that require low O₂ or low nitric oxide (NO) conditions for their stabilization. These transcription factors control genes encoding enzymes required for anaerobic metabolism as well as proteins that fine-tune their function in transcription and turnover. Other mechanisms that control metabolism and growth at seed, seedling and mature stages under flooding conditions are reviewed, as well as findings demonstrating that true endurance of submergence includes an ability to restore growth following the deluge. Finally, we highlight molecular insights obtained from natural variation of domesticated and wild species that occupy different hydrological niches, emphasizing the value of understanding natural flooding survival strategies in efforts to stabilize crop yields in flood-prone environments.

Characterization of distinct root and shoot responses to low-oxygen stress in Arabidopsis with a focus on primary C- and N-metabolism

Oxygen deficiency, caused by flooding of all or a portion of a plant, leads to significant gene regulatory and metabolic responses associated with survival. When oxygen-deprived in light, aerial organs and root systems respond in distinct manners because of their respective autotrophy and heterotrophy, as well as intrinsic differences in cell biology and organ function. To better understand organ-specific responses to oxygen deficiency, we monitored changes in the metabolome of roots and shoots of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and (1) H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Only roots accumulated high amounts of γ-aminobutyrate (GABA) and lactate, whereas both organs accumulated alanine (Ala) upon hypoxia. Meta-analysis of gene regulation data revealed higher induction of mRNAs coding for fermentative enzymes in roots as compared with shoots. However, the elevation in GABA level was not correlated with changes in transcript abundance, supporting the proposal that post-translational mechanisms are important in metabolic acclimation to hypoxia. The biosynthesis, degradation and function of GABA and Ala during oxygen deprivation and re-aeration is discussed. Finally, a systematic survey of low-oxygen mediated regulation of genes associated with primary metabolism across organs and cell types reveals exciting new avenues for future studies.

Behavior of the edible seaweed Sargassum fusiforme to copper pollution: short-term acclimation and long-term adaptation

Aquatic agriculture in heavy-metal-polluted coastal areas faces major problems due to heavy metal transfer into aquatic organisms, leading to various unexpected changes in nutrition and primary and/or secondary metabolism. In the present study, the dual role of heavy metal copper (Cu) played in the metabolism of photosynthetic organism, the edible seaweed Sargassum fusiforme, was evaluated by characterization of biochemical and metabolic responses using both 1H NMR and GC-MS techniques under acute (47 µM, 1 day) and chronic stress (8 µM, 7 days). Consequently, photosynthesis may be seriously inhibited by acute Cu exposure, resulting in decreasing levels of carbohydrates, e.g., mannitol, the main products of photosynthesis. Ascorbate may play important roles in the antioxidant system, whose content was much more seriously decreased under acute than that under chronic Cu stress. Overall, these results showed differential toxicological responses on metabolite profiles of S. fusiforme subjected to acute and chronic Cu exposures that allowed assessment of impact of Cu on marine organisms.

Comprehensive signal assignment of 13C-labeled lignocellulose using multidimensional solution NMR and 13C chemical shift comparison with solid-state NMR

A multidimensional solution NMR method has been developed using various pulse programs including HCCH-COSY and (13)C-HSQC-NOESY for the structural characterization of commercially available (13)C labeled lignocellulose from potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), chicory (Cichorium intybus), and corn (Zea mays). This new method allowed for 119 of the signals in the (13)C-HSQC spectrum of lignocelluloses to be assigned and was successfully used to characterize the structures of lignocellulose samples from three plants in terms of their xylan and xyloglucan structures, which are the major hemicelluloses in angiosperm. Furthermore, this new method provided greater insight into fine structures of lignin by providing a high resolution to the aromatic signals of the β-aryl ether and resinol moieties, as well as the diastereomeric signals of the β-aryl ether. Finally, the (13)C chemical shifts assigned in this study were compared with those from solid-state NMR and indicated the presence of heterogeneous dynamics in the polysaccharides where rigid cellulose and mobile hemicelluloses moieties existed together.

Genetic mechanisms conferring adaptation to submergence and drought in rice: simple or complex?

Both high and low extremes in precipitation increasingly impact agricultural productivity and sustainability as a consequence of global climate change. Elucidation of the genetic basis underlying stress tolerance facilitates development of new rice varieties with enhanced tolerance. Submergence tolerance is conferred by a single master regulator that orchestrates various acclimation responses, whereas drought tolerance is regulated by a number of small-effect loci that are largely influenced by genetic background and environment. Detailed molecular studies have uncovered the functional importance of genes and signaling components which coordinate various morphological and physiological responses to submergence and drought, providing new insight into understanding the complex regulatory mechanisms of stress tolerance in rice.

Comparison of GC-MS and NMR for metabolite profiling of rice subjected to submergence stress

Natural disasters such as drought, extreme temperatures, and flooding can severely impact crop production. Understanding the metabolic response of crops threatened with these disasters provides insights into biological response mechanisms that can influence survival. In this study, a comparative analysis of GC-MS and (1)H NMR results was conducted for wild-type and tolerant rice varieties stressed by up to 3 days of submergence and allowed 1 day of postsubmergence recovery. Most metabolomics studies are conducted using a single analytical platform. Each platform, however, has inherent advantages and disadvantages that can influence the analytical coverage of the metabolome. In this work, a more thorough analysis of the plant stress response was possible through the use of both (1)H NMR and GC-MS. Several metabolites, such as S-methyl methionine and the dipeptide alanylglycine, were only detected and quantified by (1)H NMR. The high dynamic range of NMR, as compared with that of the GC-TOF-MS used in this study, provided broad coverage of the metabolome in a single experiment. The sensitivity of GC-MS facilitated the quantitation of sugars, organic acids, and amino acids, some of which were not detected by NMR, and provided additional insights into the regulation of the TCA cycle. The combined metabolic information provided by (1)H NMR and GC-MS was essential for understanding the complex biochemical and molecular response of rice plants to submergence.

The submergence tolerance gene SUB1A delays leaf senescence under prolonged darkness through hormonal regulation in rice

Leaf senescence is a natural age-dependent process that is induced prematurely by various environmental stresses. Typical alterations during leaf senescence include breakdown of chlorophyll, a shift to catabolism of energy reserves, and induction of senescence-associated genes, all of which can occur during submergence, drought, and constant darkness. Here, we evaluated the influence of the submergence tolerance regulator, SUBMERGENCE1A (SUB1A), in the acclimation responses during leaf senescence caused by prolonged darkness in rice (Oryza sativa). SUB1A messenger RNA was highly induced by prolonged darkness in a near-isogenic line containing SUB1A. Genotypes with conditional and ectopic overexpression of SUB1A significantly delayed loss of leaf color and enhanced recovery from dark stress. Physiological analysis revealed that SUB1A postpones dark-induced senescence through the maintenance of chlorophyll and carbohydrate reserves in photosynthetic tissue. This delay allowed leaves of SUB1A genotypes to recover photosynthetic activity more quickly upon reexposure to light. SUB1A also restricted the transcript accumulation of representative senescence-associated genes. Jasmonate and salicylic acid are positive regulators of leaf senescence, but ectopic overexpression of SUB1A dampened responsiveness to both hormones in the context of senescence. We found that ethylene accelerated senescence stimulated by darkness and jasmonate, although SUB1A significantly restrained dark-induced ethylene accumulation. Overall, SUB1A genotypes displayed altered responses to prolonged darkness by limiting ethylene production and responsiveness to jasmonate and salicylic acid, thereby dampening the breakdown of chlorophyll, carbohydrates, and the accumulation of senescence-associated messenger RNAs. A delay of leaf senescence conferred by SUB1A can contribute to the enhancement of tolerance to submergence, drought, and oxidative stress.

Quantitative NMR for bioanalysis and metabolomics

Over the last several decades, significant technical and experimental advances have made quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) a valuable analytical tool for quantitative measurements on a wide variety of samples. In particular, qNMR has emerged as an important method for metabolomics studies where it is used for interrogation of large sets of biological samples and the resulting spectra are treated with multivariate statistical analysis methods. In this review, recent developments in instrumentation and pulse sequences will be discussed as well as the practical considerations necessary for acquisition of quantitative NMR experiments with an emphasis on their use for bioanalysis. Recent examples of the application of qNMR for metabolomics/metabonomics studies, the characterization of biologicals such as heparin, antibodies, and vaccines, and the analysis of botanical natural products will be presented and the future directions of qNMR discussed.