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Cai K, Zhu S, Jiang Z, Xu K, Sun X, Li X. Biological macromolecules mediated by environmental signals affect flowering regulation in plants: A comprehensive review. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 214:108931. [PMID: 39003975 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Flowering time is a crucial developmental stage in the life cycle of plants, as it determines the reproductive success and overall fitness of the organism. The precise regulation of flowering time is influenced by various internal and external factors, including genetic, environmental, and hormonal cues. This review provided a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms and regulatory pathways of biological macromolecules (e.g. proteins and phytohormone) and environmental factors (e.g. light and temperature) involved in the control of flowering time in plants. We discussed the key proteins and signaling pathways that govern the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive development, highlighting the intricate interplay between genetic networks, environmental cues, and phytohormone signaling. Additionally, we explored the impact of flowering time regulation on plant adaptation, crop productivity, and agricultural practices. Moreover, we summarized the similarities and differences of flowering mechanisms between annual and perennial plants. Understanding the mechanisms underlying flowering time control is not only essential for fundamental plant biology research but also holds great potential for crop improvement and sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kefan Cai
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Siting Zhu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zeyu Jiang
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kai Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xuepeng Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xiaolong Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, Zhejiang, China.
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Posey AE, Bremer A, Erkamp NA, Pant A, Knowles TPJ, Dai Y, Mittag T, Pappu RV. Biomolecular condensates are characterized by interphase electric potentials. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.02.601783. [PMID: 39005320 PMCID: PMC11245003 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.02.601783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates form via processes that combine phase separation and reversible associations of multivalent macromolecules. Condensates can be two- or multi-phase systems defined by coexisting dense and dilute phases. Here, we show that solution ions can partition asymmetrically across coexisting phases defined by condensates formed by intrinsically disordered proteins or homopolymeric RNA molecules. Our findings were enabled by direct measurements of the activities of cations and anions within coexisting phases of protein and RNA condensates. Asymmetries in ion partitioning between coexisting phases vary with protein sequence, condensate type, salt concentration, and ion type. The Donnan equilibrium set up by asymmetrical partitioning of solution ions generates interphase electric potentials known as Donnan and Nernst potentials. Our measurements show that the interphase potentials of condensates are of the same order of magnitude as membrane potentials of membrane-bound organelles. Interphase potentials quantify the degree to which microenvironments of coexisting phases are different from one another. Importantly, and based on condensate-specific interphase electric potentials, which are membrane-like potentials of membraneless bodies, we reason that condensates are mesoscale capacitors that store charge. Interphase potentials lead to electric double layers at condensate interfaces. This helps explain recent observations of condensate interfaces being electrochemically active.
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Mateo-Bonmatí E, Montez M, Maple R, Fiedler M, Fang X, Saalbach G, Passmore LA, Dean C. A CPF-like phosphatase module links transcription termination to chromatin silencing. Mol Cell 2024; 84:2272-2286.e7. [PMID: 38851185 PMCID: PMC7616277 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
The interconnections between co-transcriptional regulation, chromatin environment, and transcriptional output remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the mechanism underlying RNA 3' processing-mediated Polycomb silencing of Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). We show a requirement for ANTHESIS PROMOTING FACTOR 1 (APRF1), a homolog of yeast Swd2 and human WDR82, known to regulate RNA polymerase II (RNA Pol II) during transcription termination. APRF1 interacts with TYPE ONE SERINE/THREONINE PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 4 (TOPP4) (yeast Glc7/human PP1) and LUMINIDEPENDENS (LD), the latter showing structural features found in Ref2/PNUTS, all components of the yeast and human phosphatase module of the CPF 3' end-processing machinery. LD has been shown to co-associate in vivo with the histone H3 K4 demethylase FLOWERING LOCUS D (FLD). This work shows how the APRF1/LD-mediated polyadenylation/termination process influences subsequent rounds of transcription by changing the local chromatin environment at FLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Mateo-Bonmatí
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK; Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA)/CSIC, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid 28223, Spain.
| | - Miguel Montez
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Robert Maple
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Marc Fiedler
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Xiaofeng Fang
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Gerhard Saalbach
- Biological Chemistry, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | | | - Caroline Dean
- Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK; MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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4
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Yang X, Huang Y, Xia P. The property and function of proteins undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation in plants. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024. [PMID: 38808958 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
A wide variety of membrane-less organelles in cells play an essential role in regulating gene expression, RNA processing, plant growth and development, and helping organisms cope with changing external environments. In biology, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) usually refers to a reversible process in which one or more specific molecular components are spontaneously separated from the bulk environment, producing two distinct liquid phases: concentrated and dilute. LLPS may be a powerful cellular compartmentalisation mechanism whereby biocondensates formed via LLPS when biomolecules exceed critical or saturating concentrations in the environment where they are found will be generated. It has been widely used to explain the formation of membrane-less organelles in organisms. LLPS studies in the context of plant physiology are now widespread, but most of the research is still focused on non-plant systems; the study of phase separation in plants needs to be more thorough. Proteins and nucleic acids are the main components involved in LLPS. This review summarises the specific features and properties of biomolecules undergoing LLPS in plants. We describe in detail these biomolecules' structural characteristics, the mechanism of formation of condensates, and the functions of these condensates. Finally, We summarised the phase separation mechanisms in plant growth, development, and stress adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejiao Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Huang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pengguo Xia
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China
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Liu Y, Yang P. eIF4G as a switch for heat shock mRNA translation. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1633-1634. [PMID: 38701739 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The heat shock response is crucial for cell survival. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Desroches Altamirano et al.1 demonstrate that a temperature-induced conformational change in the translation initiation factor eIF4G is a key mechanism regulating translation during the heat shock response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Peiguo Yang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Li J, Song Y. Plant thermosensors. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 342:112025. [PMID: 38354752 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Plants dynamically regulate their genes expression and physiological outputs to adapt to changing temperatures. The underlying molecular mechanisms have been extensively studied in diverse plants and in multiple dimensions. However, the question of exactly how temperature is detected at molecular level to transform the physical information into recognizable intracellular signals remains continues to be one of the undetermined occurrences in plant science. Recent studies have provided the physical and biochemical mechanistic breakthrough of how temperature changes can influence molecular thermodynamically stability, thus changing molecular structures, activities, interaction and signaling transduction. In this review, we focus on the thermosensing mechanisms of recognized and potential plant thermosensors, to describe the multi-level thermal input system in plants. We also consider the attributes of a thermosensor on the basis of thermal-triggered changes in function, structure, and physical parameters. This study thus provides a reference for discovering more plant thermosensors and elucidating plant thermal adaptive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihong Li
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yuan Song
- Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China; Gansu Province Key Laboratory of Gene Editing for Breeding, Lanzhou, China.
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Li Q, Duncan S, Li Y, Huang S, Luo M. Decoding plant specialized metabolism: new mechanistic insights. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:535-545. [PMID: 38072690 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Secondary metabolite (SM) production provides biotic and abiotic stress resistance and enables plants to adapt to the environment. Biosynthesis of these metabolites involves a complex interplay between transcription factors (TFs) and regulatory elements, with emerging evidence suggesting an integral role for chromatin dynamics. Here we review key TFs and epigenetic regulators that govern SM biosynthesis in different contexts. We summarize relevant emerging technologies and results from the model species arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and outline aspects of regulation that may also function in food, feed, fiber, oil, or industrial crop plants. Finally, we highlight how effective translation of fundamental knowledge from model to non-model species can benefit understanding of SM production in a variety of ecological, agricultural, and pharmaceutical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Susan Duncan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Yuping Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Shuxian Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Ming Luo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany and Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China.
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Maple R, Zhu P, Hepworth J, Wang JW, Dean C. Flowering time: From physiology, through genetics to mechanism. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 195:190-212. [PMID: 38417841 PMCID: PMC11060688 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Plant species have evolved different requirements for environmental/endogenous cues to induce flowering. Originally, these varying requirements were thought to reflect the action of different molecular mechanisms. Thinking changed when genetic and molecular analysis in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that a network of environmental and endogenous signaling input pathways converge to regulate a common set of "floral pathway integrators." Variation in the predominance of the different input pathways within a network can generate the diversity of requirements observed in different species. Many genes identified by flowering time mutants were found to encode general developmental and gene regulators, with their targets having a specific flowering function. Studies of natural variation in flowering were more successful at identifying genes acting as nodes in the network central to adaptation and domestication. Attention has now turned to mechanistic dissection of flowering time gene function and how that has changed during adaptation. This will inform breeding strategies for climate-proof crops and help define which genes act as critical flowering nodes in many other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Maple
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Pan Zhu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Jo Hepworth
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Jia-Wei Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics (NKLPMG), CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CEMPS), Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (SIPPE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 200032, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Caroline Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
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Eljebbawi A, Hutin S, Zubieta C, Stahl Y. Environmental signals driving liquid-liquid phase separation - a molecular memory in plants? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1391043. [PMID: 38736449 PMCID: PMC11082374 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1391043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Eljebbawi
- Institute for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stephanie Hutin
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l’énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Institut National de Recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement, Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Chloe Zubieta
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire et Végétale, Université Grenoble Alpes, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Commissariat à l’énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Institut National de Recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement, Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire de Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Yvonne Stahl
- Institute for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Xu WB, Cao F, Liu P, Yan K, Guo QH. The multifaceted role of RNA-based regulation in plant stress memory. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1387575. [PMID: 38736453 PMCID: PMC11082352 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1387575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Plants have evolved interconnected regulatory pathways which enable them to respond and adapt to their environments. In plants, stress memory enhances stress tolerance through the molecular retention of prior stressful experiences, fostering rapid and robust responses to subsequent challenges. Mounting evidence suggests a close link between the formation of stress memories and effective future stress responses. However, the mechanism by which environmental stressors trigger stress memory formation is poorly understood. Here, we review the current state of knowledge regarding the RNA-based regulation on stress memory formation in plants and discuss research challenges and future directions. Specifically, we focus on the involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and alternative splicing (AS) in stress memory formation. miRNAs regulate target genes via post-transcriptional silencing, while siRNAs trigger stress memory formation through RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM). lncRNAs guide protein complexes for epigenetic regulation, and AS of pre-mRNAs is crucial to plant stress memory. Unraveling the mechanisms underpinning RNA-mediated stress memory formation not only advances our knowledge of plant biology but also aids in the development of improved stress tolerance in crops, enhancing crop performance and global food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Bo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, China
| | - Fan Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, China
| | - Qian-Huan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, China
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Ma X, Wang J, Su Z, Ma H. Developmentally dependent reprogramming of the Arabidopsis floral transcriptome under sufficient and limited water availability. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:273. [PMID: 38605371 PMCID: PMC11007919 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04916-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental stresses negatively impact reproductive development and yield. Drought stress, in particular, has been examined during Arabidopsis reproductive development at morphological and transcriptomic levels. However, drought-responsive transcriptomic changes at different points in reproductive development remain unclear. Additionally, an investigation of the entire transcriptome at various stages during flower development is of great interest. RESULTS Here, we treat Arabidopsis plants with well-watered and moderately and severely limiting water amounts when the first flowers reach maturity and generate RNA-seq datasets for early, middle, and late phases during flower development at 5, 6, and 7 days following treatment. Under different drought conditions, flowers in different developmental phases display differential sets of drought-responsive genes (DTGs), including those that are enriched in different GO functional categories, such as transcriptional regulation and response to stresses (early phase), lipid storage (middle phase), and pollen and seed development and metabolic processes (late phase). Some gene families have different members induced at different floral phases, suggesting that similar biochemical functions are carried out by distinct members. Developmentally-regulated genes (DVGs) with differential expression among the three floral phases belong to GO terms that are similar between water conditions, such as development and reproduction, metabolism and transport, and signaling and stress response. However, for different water conditions, such similar GO terms correspond to either distinct gene families or different members of a gene family, suggesting that drought affects the expression of distinct families or family members during reproductive development. A further comparison among transcriptomes of tissues collected on different days after treatment identifies differential gene expression, suggesting age-related genes (ARGs) might reflect the changes in the overall plant physiology in addition to drought response and development. CONCLUSION Together, our study provides new insights into global transcriptome reprogramming and candidate genes for drought response, flower development, aging and coordination among these complex biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Ma
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Zhao Su
- Laboratory of Plant Stress and Development, College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Hong Ma
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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Trofimov K, Gratz R, Ivanov R, Stahl Y, Bauer P, Brumbarova T. FER-like iron deficiency-induced transcription factor (FIT) accumulates in nuclear condensates. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202311048. [PMID: 38393070 PMCID: PMC10890924 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202311048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The functional importance of nuclear protein condensation remains often unclear. The bHLH FER-like iron deficiency-induced transcription factor (FIT) controls iron acquisition and growth in plants. Previously described C-terminal serine residues allow FIT to interact and form active transcription factor complexes with subgroup Ib bHLH factors such as bHLH039. FIT has lower nuclear mobility than mutant FITmSS271AA. Here, we show that FIT undergoes a light-inducible subnuclear partitioning into FIT nuclear bodies (NBs). Using quantitative and qualitative microscopy-based approaches, we characterized FIT NBs as condensates that were reversible and likely formed by liquid-liquid phase separation. FIT accumulated preferentially in NBs versus nucleoplasm when engaged in protein complexes with itself and with bHLH039. FITmSS271AA, instead, localized to NBs with different dynamics. FIT colocalized with splicing and light signaling NB markers. The NB-inducing light conditions were linked with active FIT and elevated FIT target gene expression in roots. FIT condensation may affect nuclear mobility and be relevant for integrating environmental and Fe nutrition signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenia Trofimov
- Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Regina Gratz
- Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rumen Ivanov
- Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yvonne Stahl
- Institute for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Petra Bauer
- Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tzvetina Brumbarova
- Institute of Botany, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Shi D, Huang H, Zhang Y, Qian Z, Du J, Huang L, Yan X, Lin S. The roles of non-coding RNAs in male reproductive development and abiotic stress responses during this unique process in flowering plants. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 341:111995. [PMID: 38266717 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.111995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Successful male reproductive development is the guarantee for sexual reproduction of flowering plants. Male reproductive development is a complicated and multi-stage process that integrates physiological processes and adaptation and tolerance to a myriad of environmental stresses. This well-coordinated process is governed by genetic and epigenetic machineries. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play pleiotropic roles in the plant growth and development. The identification, characterization and functional analysis of ncRNAs and their target genes have opened a new avenue for comprehensively revealing the regulatory network of male reproductive development and its response to environmental stresses in plants. This review briefly addresses the types, origin, biogenesis and mechanisms of ncRNAs in plants, highlights important updates on the roles of ncRNAs in regulating male reproductive development and emphasizes the contribution of ncRNAs, especially miRNAs and lncRNAs, in responses to abiotic stresses during this unique process in flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexi Shi
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Huiting Huang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Yuting Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Zhihao Qian
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jiao Du
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Li Huang
- Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiufeng Yan
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
| | - Sue Lin
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
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14
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Gao Z, He Y. Molecular epigenetic understanding of winter memory in Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:1952-1961. [PMID: 37950890 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gao
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yuehui He
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Shandong 261325, China
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15
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Gao W, Ma R, Li X, Liu J, Jiang A, Tan P, Xiong G, Du C, Zhang J, Zhang X, Fang X, Yi Z, Zhang J. Construction of Genetic Map and QTL Mapping for Seed Size and Quality Traits in Soybean ( Glycine max L.). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2857. [PMID: 38474104 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Soybean (Glycine max L.) is the main source of vegetable protein and edible oil for humans, with an average content of about 40% crude protein and 20% crude fat. Soybean yield and quality traits are mostly quantitative traits controlled by multiple genes. The quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for yield and quality traits, as well as for the identification of mining-related candidate genes, is of great significance for the molecular breeding and understanding the genetic mechanism. In this study, 186 individual plants of the F2 generation derived from crosses between Changjiangchun 2 and Yushuxian 2 were selected as the mapping population to construct a molecular genetic linkage map. A genetic map containing 445 SSR markers with an average distance of 5.3 cM and a total length of 2375.6 cM was obtained. Based on constructed genetic map, 11 traits including hundred-seed weight (HSW), seed length (SL), seed width (SW), seed length-to-width ratio (SLW), oil content (OIL), protein content (PRO), oleic acid (OA), linoleic acid (LA), linolenic acid (LNA), palmitic acid (PA), stearic acid (SA) of yield and quality were detected by the multiple- d size traits and 113 QTLs related to quality were detected by the multiple QTL model (MQM) mapping method across generations F2, F2:3, F2:4, and F2:5. A total of 71 QTLs related to seed size traits and 113 QTLs related to quality traits were obtained in four generations. With those QTLs, 19 clusters for seed size traits and 20 QTL clusters for quality traits were summarized. Two promising clusters, one related to seed size traits and the other to quality traits, have been identified. The cluster associated with seed size traits spans from position 27876712 to 29009783 on Chromosome 16, while the cluster linked to quality traits spans from position 12575403 to 13875138 on Chromosome 6. Within these intervals, a reference genome of William82 was used for gene searching. A total of 36 candidate genes that may be involved in the regulation of soybean seed size and quality were screened by gene functional annotation and GO enrichment analysis. The results will lay the theoretical and technical foundation for molecularly assisted breeding in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiran Gao
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ronghan Ma
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xi Li
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Aohua Jiang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Pingting Tan
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Guoxi Xiong
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chengzhang Du
- Institute of Specialty Crop, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Jijun Zhang
- Institute of Specialty Crop, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Xiaochun Zhang
- Institute of Specialty Crop, Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Xiaomei Fang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zelin Yi
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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16
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Holehouse AS, Kragelund BB. The molecular basis for cellular function of intrinsically disordered protein regions. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:187-211. [PMID: 37957331 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00673-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered protein regions exist in a collection of dynamic interconverting conformations that lack a stable 3D structure. These regions are structurally heterogeneous, ubiquitous and found across all kingdoms of life. Despite the absence of a defined 3D structure, disordered regions are essential for cellular processes ranging from transcriptional control and cell signalling to subcellular organization. Through their conformational malleability and adaptability, disordered regions extend the repertoire of macromolecular interactions and are readily tunable by their structural and chemical context, making them ideal responders to regulatory cues. Recent work has led to major advances in understanding the link between protein sequence and conformational behaviour in disordered regions, yet the link between sequence and molecular function is less well defined. Here we consider the biochemical and biophysical foundations that underlie how and why disordered regions can engage in productive cellular functions, provide examples of emerging concepts and discuss how protein disorder contributes to intracellular information processing and regulation of cellular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Birthe B Kragelund
- REPIN, Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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17
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Shang B, Li C, Zhang X. How intrinsically disordered proteins order plant gene silencing. Trends Genet 2024; 40:260-275. [PMID: 38296708 PMCID: PMC10932933 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and proteins with intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) possess low sequence complexity of amino acids and display non-globular tertiary structures. They can act as scaffolds, form regulatory hubs, or trigger biomolecular condensation to control diverse aspects of biology. Emerging evidence has recently implicated critical roles of IDPs and IDR-contained proteins in nuclear transcription and cytoplasmic post-transcriptional processes, among other molecular functions. We here summarize the concepts and organizing principles of IDPs. We then illustrate recent progress in understanding the roles of key IDPs in machineries that regulate transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in plants, aiming at highlighting new modes of action of IDPs in controlling biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoshuan Shang
- National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization (Henan University), State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Changhao Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Xiuren Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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18
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Zhang SL, Wu Y, Zhang XH, Feng X, Wu HL, Zhou BJ, Zhang YQ, Cao M, Hou ZX. Characterization of the MIKC C-type MADS-box gene family in blueberry and its possible mechanism for regulating flowering in response to the chilling requirement. PLANTA 2024; 259:77. [PMID: 38421445 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION The expression peak of VcAP1.4, VcAP1.6, VcAP3.1, VcAP3.2, VcAG3, VcFLC2, and VcSVP9 coincided with the endo-dormancy release of flower buds. Additionally, GA4+7 not only increased the expression of these genes but also promoted flower bud endo-dormancy release. The MIKCC-type MADS-box gene family is involved in the regulation of flower development. A total of 109 members of the MIKCC-type MADS-box gene family were identified in blueberry. According to the phylogenetic tree, these 109 MIKCC-type MADS-box proteins were divided into 13 subfamilies, which were distributed across 40 Scaffolds. The results of the conserved motif analysis showed that among 20 motifs, motifs 1, 3, and 9 formed the MADS-box structural domain, while motifs 2, 4, and 6 formed the K-box structural domain. The presence of 66 pairs of fragment duplication events in blueberry suggested that gene duplication events contributed to gene expansion and functional differentiation. Additionally, the presence of cis-acting elements revealed that VcFLC2, VcAG3, and VcSVP9 might have significant roles in the endo-dormancy release of flower buds. Meanwhile, under chilling conditions, VcAP3.1 and VcAG7 might facilitate flower bud dormancy release. VcSEP11 might promote flowering following the release of endo-dormancy, while the elevated expression of VcAP1.7 (DAM) could impede the endo-dormancy release of flower buds. The effect of gibberellin (GA4+7) treatment on the expression pattern of MIKCC-type MADS-box genes revealed that VcAP1.4, VcAP1.6, VcAP3.1, VcAG3, and VcFLC2 might promote flower bud endo-dormancy release, while VcAP3.2, VcSEP11, and VcSVP9 might inhibit its endo-dormancy release. These results indicated that VcAP1.4, VcAP1.6, VcAP1.7 (DAM), VcAP3.1, VcAG3, VcAG7, VcFLC2, and VcSVP9 could be selected as key regulatory promoting genes for controlling the endo-dormancy of blueberry flower buds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sui-Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiao-Han Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Hui-Ling Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Bing-Jie Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Ya-Qian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Man Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zhi-Xia Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Blueberry Research & Development Center, Beijing, 100083, China.
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19
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Wang X, Miao H, Lv C, Wu G. Genome-wide association study identifies a novel BMI1A QTL allele that confers FLC expression diversity in Arabidopsis thaliana. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:837-849. [PMID: 36995968 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Identification and understanding of the genetic basis of natural variations in plants are essential for comprehending their phenotypic adaptation. Here, we report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) expression in 727 Arabidopsis accessions. We identified B LYMPHOMA MOLONEY MURINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS INSERTION REGION 1 HOMOLOG 1A (BMI1A) as a causal gene for one of the FLC expression quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Loss of function in BMI1A increases FLC expression and delays flowering time at 16 °C significantly compared with the wild type (Col-0). BMI1A activity is required for histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) accumulation at the FLC, MADS AFFECTING FLOWERING 4 (MAF4), and MAF5 loci at low ambient temperature. We further uncovered two BMI1A haplotypes associated with the natural variation in FLC expression and flowering time at 16 °C, and demonstrated that polymorphisms in the BMI1A promoter region are the main contributor. Different BMI1A haplotypes are strongly associated with geographical distribution, and the low ambient temperature-sensitive BMI1A variants are associated with a lower mean temperature of the driest quarter of their collection sites compared with the temperature-non-responsive variants, indicating that the natural variations in BMI1A have adaptive functions in FLC expression and flowering time regulation. Therefore, our results provide new insights into the natural variations in FLC expression and flowering time diversity in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Huaiqi Miao
- The State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Caijia Lv
- The State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Gang Wu
- The State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Quality and Safety Control for Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, Zhejiang, China
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20
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Hsiao AS. Protein Disorder in Plant Stress Adaptation: From Late Embryogenesis Abundant to Other Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1178. [PMID: 38256256 PMCID: PMC10816898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Global climate change has caused severe abiotic and biotic stresses, affecting plant growth and food security. The mechanical understanding of plant stress responses is critical for achieving sustainable agriculture. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a group of proteins without unique three-dimensional structures. The environmental sensitivity and structural flexibility of IDPs contribute to the growth and developmental plasticity for sessile plants to deal with environmental challenges. This article discusses the roles of various disordered proteins in plant stress tolerance and resistance, describes the current mechanistic insights into unstructured proteins such as the disorder-to-order transition for adopting secondary structures to interact with specific partners (i.e., cellular membranes, membrane proteins, metal ions, and DNA), and elucidates the roles of liquid-liquid phase separation driven by protein disorder in stress responses. By comparing IDP studies in animal systems, this article provides conceptual principles of plant protein disorder in stress adaptation, reveals the current research gaps, and advises on the future research direction. The highlighting of relevant unanswered questions in plant protein disorder research aims to encourage more studies on these emerging topics to understand the mechanisms of action behind their stress resistance phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Shan Hsiao
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
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21
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Liu Q, Liu W, Niu Y, Wang T, Dong J. Liquid-liquid phase separation in plants: Advances and perspectives from model species to crops. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 5:100663. [PMID: 37496271 PMCID: PMC10811348 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Membraneless biomolecular condensates play important roles in both normal biological activities and responses to environmental stimuli in living organisms. Liquid‒liquid phase separation (LLPS) is an organizational mechanism that has emerged in recent years to explain the formation of biomolecular condensates. In the past decade, advances in LLPS research have contributed to breakthroughs in disease fields. By contrast, although LLPS research in plants has progressed over the past 5 years, it has been concentrated on the model plant Arabidopsis, which has limited relevance to agricultural production. In this review, we provide an overview of recently reported advances in LLPS in plants, with a particular focus on photomorphogenesis, flowering, and abiotic and biotic stress responses. We propose that many potential LLPS proteins also exist in crops and may affect crop growth, development, and stress resistance. This possibility presents a great challenge as well as an opportunity for rigorous scientific research on the biological functions and applications of LLPS in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianwen Liu
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Wenxuan Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Yiding Niu
- Key Laboratory of Forage and Endemic Crop Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
| | - Tao Wang
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiangli Dong
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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22
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Zhang J, Shi J, Zeng K, Cai M, Lan X. Transcriptomic landscape of staminate catkins development during overwintering process in Betula platyphylla. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1249122. [PMID: 38259941 PMCID: PMC10801112 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1249122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Betula platyphylla, belonging to the cold-specialized lineage Betulaceae, exhibits a unique reproductive strategy where staminate catkins emerge in the first summer and undergo an overwintering process, culminating in flowering in the following year. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the male germline development of B. platyphylla in four distinct stages: microsporocytes in Oct. (S1), uninuclear microspores from Dec. (S2) to Mar. of the following year (S3), and bicellular microspores in Apr. (S4). We performed RNA sequencing on mature pollen and the four stages of staminate catkins. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we identified five highly correlated gene modules with distinct expression profiles. These modules exhibited strong correlations with sugar metabolism, cell cycle, flowering, and cell wall dynamics, highlighting their dynamic roles during male germline developmental stages. During the overwintering process, we observed that the expression of transcription factors such as BpDUO1 and BpAMS at the appropriate developmental stages, suggests their significant roles in male germline development. The expression patterns of BpFLC and BpFT suggest their potential involvement in temperature perception during male reproductive development. These findings offer valuable insights into the reproductive success of plants adapting to cold environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xingguo Lan
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
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23
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Eljebbawi A, Dolata A, Strotmann VI, Stahl Y. Unlocking nature's (sub)cellular symphony: Phase separation in plant meristems. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 76:102480. [PMID: 37862837 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Plant development is based on the balance of stem cell maintenance and differentiation in the shoot and root meristems. The necessary cell fate decisions are regulated by intricate networks of proteins and biomolecules within plant cells and require robust and dynamic compartmentalization strategies, including liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which allows the formation of membrane-less compartments. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the emerging field of LLPS in plant development, with a particular focus on the shoot and root meristems. LLPS regulates not only floral transition and flowering time while integrating environmental signals in the shoots but also influences auxin signalling and is putatively involved in maintaining the stem cell niche (SCN) in the roots. Therefore, LLPS has the potential to play a crucial role in the plasticity of plant development, necessitating further research for a comprehensive understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Eljebbawi
- Institute for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Anika Dolata
- Institute for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Vivien I Strotmann
- Institute for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Yvonne Stahl
- Institute for Developmental Genetics, Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany.
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24
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Moses D, Ginell GM, Holehouse AS, Sukenik S. Intrinsically disordered regions are poised to act as sensors of cellular chemistry. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:1019-1034. [PMID: 37657994 PMCID: PMC10840941 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins and protein regions (IDRs) are abundant in eukaryotic proteomes and play a wide variety of essential roles. Instead of folding into a stable structure, IDRs exist in an ensemble of interconverting conformations whose structure is biased by sequence-dependent interactions. The absence of a stable 3D structure, combined with high solvent accessibility, means that IDR conformational biases are inherently sensitive to changes in their environment. Here, we argue that IDRs are ideally poised to act as sensors and actuators of cellular physicochemistry. We review the physical principles that underlie IDR sensitivity, the molecular mechanisms that translate this sensitivity to function, and recent studies where environmental sensing by IDRs may play a key role in their downstream function.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moses
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Garrett M Ginell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Center for Biomolecular Condensates (CBC), Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Shahar Sukenik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, CA, USA; Quantitative Systems Biology Program, University of California, Merced, CA, USA.
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25
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Crabtree MD, Holland J, Pillai AS, Kompella PS, Babl L, Turner NN, Eaton JT, Hochberg GKA, Aarts DGAL, Redfield C, Baldwin AJ, Nott TJ. Ion binding with charge inversion combined with screening modulates DEAD box helicase phase transitions. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113375. [PMID: 37980572 PMCID: PMC10935546 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Membraneless organelles, or biomolecular condensates, enable cells to compartmentalize material and processes into unique biochemical environments. While specific, attractive molecular interactions are known to stabilize biomolecular condensates, repulsive interactions, and the balance between these opposing forces, are largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that repulsive and attractive electrostatic interactions regulate condensate stability, internal mobility, interfaces, and selective partitioning of molecules both in vitro and in cells. We find that signaling ions, such as calcium, alter repulsions between model Ddx3 and Ddx4 condensate proteins by directly binding to negatively charged amino acid sidechains and effectively inverting their charge, in a manner fundamentally dissimilar to electrostatic screening. Using a polymerization model combined with generalized stickers and spacers, we accurately quantify and predict condensate stability over a wide range of pH, salt concentrations, and amino acid sequences. Our model provides a general quantitative treatment for understanding how charge and ions reversibly control condensate stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Crabtree
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Jack Holland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Arvind S Pillai
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Purnima S Kompella
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Leon Babl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Noah N Turner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - James T Eaton
- Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK; Kavli Insititute of Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, Sherrington Rd, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Georg K A Hochberg
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35032 Marburg, Germany; Center for Synthetic Microbiology, Philipps University Marburg, Karl-von-Frisch-Straße 14, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Dirk G A L Aarts
- Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Christina Redfield
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Andrew J Baldwin
- Department of Chemistry, Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK; Kavli Insititute of Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, Sherrington Rd, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
| | - Timothy J Nott
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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26
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Larran AS, Pajoro A, Qüesta JI. Is winter coming? Impact of the changing climate on plant responses to cold temperature. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:3175-3193. [PMID: 37438895 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is causing alterations in annual temperature regimes worldwide. Important aspects of this include the reduction of winter chilling temperatures as well as the occurrence of unpredicted frosts, both significantly affecting plant growth and yields. Recent studies advanced the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying cold responses and tolerance in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, how these cold-responsive pathways will readjust to ongoing seasonal temperature variation caused by global warming remains an open question. In this review, we highlight the plant developmental programmes that depend on cold temperature. We focus on the molecular mechanisms that plants have evolved to adjust their development and stress responses upon exposure to cold. Covering both genetic and epigenetic aspects, we present the latest insights into how alternative splicing, noncoding RNAs and the formation of biomolecular condensates play key roles in the regulation of cold responses. We conclude by commenting on attractive targets to accelerate the breeding of increased cold tolerance, bringing up biotechnological tools that might assist in overcoming current limitations. Our aim is to guide the reflection on the current agricultural challenges imposed by a changing climate and to provide useful information for improving plant resilience to unpredictable cold regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Santiago Larran
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alice Pajoro
- National Research Council, Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Rome, Italy
| | - Julia I Qüesta
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
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27
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Zhu P, Schon M, Questa J, Nodine M, Dean C. Causal role of a promoter polymorphism in natural variation of the Arabidopsis floral repressor gene FLC. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4381-4391.e3. [PMID: 37729909 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Noncoding polymorphism frequently associates with phenotypic variation, but causation and mechanism are rarely established. Noncoding single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) characterize the major haplotypes of the Arabidopsis thaliana floral repressor gene FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). This noncoding polymorphism generates a range of FLC expression levels, determining the requirement for and the response to winter cold. The major adaptive determinant of these FLC haplotypes was shown to be the autumnal levels of FLC expression. Here, we investigate how noncoding SNPs influence FLC transcriptional output. We identify an upstream transcription start site (uTSS) cluster at FLC, whose usage is increased by an A variant at the promoter SNP-230. This variant is present in relatively few Arabidopsis accessions, with the majority containing G at this site. We demonstrate a causal role for the A variant at -230 in reduced FLC transcriptional output. The G variant upregulates FLC expression redundantly with the major transcriptional activator FRIGIDA (FRI). We demonstrate an additive interaction of SNP-230 with an intronic SNP+259, which also differentially influences uTSS usage. Combinatorial interactions between noncoding SNPs and transcriptional activators thus generate quantitative variation in FLC transcription that has facilitated the adaptation of Arabidopsis accessions to distinct climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Zhu
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Michael Schon
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, the Netherlands; Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Julia Questa
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Michael Nodine
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Wageningen University, Wageningen 6708 PB, the Netherlands; Gregor Mendel Institute, Vienna Biocenter, Vienna 1030, Austria
| | - Caroline Dean
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
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28
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Chorostecki U, Bologna NG, Ariel F. The plant noncoding transcriptome: a versatile environmental sensor. EMBO J 2023; 42:e114400. [PMID: 37735935 PMCID: PMC10577639 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023114400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant noncoding RNA transcripts have gained increasing attention in recent years due to growing evidence that they can regulate developmental plasticity. In this review article, we comprehensively analyze the relationship between noncoding RNA transcripts in plants and their response to environmental cues. We first provide an overview of the various noncoding transcript types, including long and small RNAs, and how the environment modulates their performance. We then highlight the importance of noncoding RNA secondary structure for their molecular and biological functions. Finally, we discuss recent studies that have unveiled the functional significance of specific long noncoding transcripts and their molecular partners within ribonucleoprotein complexes during development and in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Overall, this review sheds light on the fascinating and complex relationship between dynamic noncoding transcription and plant environmental responses, and highlights the need for further research to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms and exploit the potential of noncoding transcripts for crop resilience in the context of global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uciel Chorostecki
- Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversitat Internacional de CatalunyaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Nicolas G. Bologna
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG)CSIC‐IRTA‐UAB‐UBBarcelonaSpain
| | - Federico Ariel
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia del Litoral, CONICET, FBCBUniversidad Nacional del LitoralSanta FeArgentina
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29
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Wang Y, He S, Fang X. Emerging roles of phase separation in plant transcription and chromatin organization. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102387. [PMID: 37311366 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Transcription is a core step in gene expression. Regulation of transcription is achieved at the level of transcription machinery, local chromatin environment as well as higher-order chromatin organization. Our understanding of transcriptional regulation was advanced by recent introduction of transcription and chromatin-associated condensates, which typically arise via phase separation of proteins and nucleic acids. While studies from mammalian cells are unveiling the mechanisms of phase separation in transcription regulation, those in plants further broaden and deepen our understanding of this process. In this review, we discuss recent progress in plants how phase separation operates in RNA-mediated chromatin silencing, transcription activity, and chromatin compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhe Wang
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shengbo He
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Xiaofeng Fang
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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30
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Cao X, Du Q, Guo Y, Wang Y, Jiao Y. Condensation of STM is critical for shoot meristem maintenance and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:1445-1459. [PMID: 37674313 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The shoot meristem generates the entire shoot system and is precisely maintained throughout the life cycle under various environmental challenges. In this study, we identified a prion-like domain (PrD) in the key shoot meristem regulator SHOOT MERISTEMLESS (STM), which distinguishes STM from other related KNOX1 proteins. We demonstrated that PrD stimulates STM to form nuclear condensates, which are required for maintaining the shoot meristem. STM nuclear condensate formation is stabilized by selected PrD-containing STM-interacting BELL proteins in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, condensation of STM promotes its interaction with the Mediator complex subunit MED8 and thereby enhances its transcriptional activity. Thus, condensate formation emerges as a novel regulatory mechanism of shoot meristem functions. Furthermore, we found that the formation of STM condensates is enhanced upon salt stress, which allows enhanced salt tolerance and increased shoot branching. Our findings highlight that the transcription factor partitioning plays an important role in cell fate determination and might also act as a tunable environmental acclimation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuwei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qingwei Du
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Yahe Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ying Wang
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Yuling Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research (Beijing), Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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31
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Field S, Jang GJ, Dean C, Strader LC, Rhee SY. Plants use molecular mechanisms mediated by biomolecular condensates to integrate environmental cues with development. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:3173-3186. [PMID: 36879427 PMCID: PMC10473230 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This review highlights recent literature on biomolecular condensates in plant development and discusses challenges for fully dissecting their functional roles. Plant developmental biology has been inundated with descriptive examples of biomolecular condensate formation, but it is only recently that mechanistic understanding has been forthcoming. Here, we discuss recent examples of potential roles biomolecular condensates play at different stages of the plant life cycle. We group these examples based on putative molecular functions, including sequestering interacting components, enhancing dwell time, and interacting with cytoplasmic biophysical properties in response to environmental change. We explore how these mechanisms could modulate plant development in response to environmental inputs and discuss challenges and opportunities for further research into deciphering molecular mechanisms to better understand the diverse roles that biomolecular condensates exert on life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sterling Field
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Geng-Jen Jang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Caroline Dean
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Lucia C Strader
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Seung Y Rhee
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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32
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Dragwidge JM, Van Damme D. Protein phase separation in plant membrane biology: more than just a compartmentalization strategy. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:3162-3172. [PMID: 37352127 PMCID: PMC10473209 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
The formation of biomolecular condensates through phase separation is an important strategy to compartmentalize cellular functions. While it is now well established that condensates exist throughout eukaryotic cells, how condensates assemble and function on lipid membranes is only beginning to be understood. In this perspective, we highlight work from plant, animal, and yeast model systems showing that condensates assemble on many endomembrane surfaces to carry out diverse functions. In vesicle trafficking, condensation has reported roles in the formation of endocytic vesicles and autophagosomes and in the inactivation of secretory COPII vesicles. We briefly discuss how membranes and membrane lipids regulate the formation and function of membrane-associated condensates. This includes how membranes act as surfaces for condensate assembly, with lipids mediating the nucleation of condensates during endocytosis and other processes. Additionally, membrane-condensate interactions give rise to the biophysical property of "wetting", which has functional importance in shaping autophagosomal and vacuolar membranes. We also speculate on the existence of membrane-associated condensates during cell polarity in plants and discuss how condensation may help to establish functional plasma membrane domains. Lastly, we provide advice on relevant in vitro and in vivo approaches and techniques to study membrane-associated phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Michael Dragwidge
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Daniël Van Damme
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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33
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Wang W, Wang C, Wang Y, Ma J, Wang T, Tao Z, Liu P, Li S, Hu Y, Gu A, Wang H, Qiu C, Li P. The P-body component DECAPPING5 and the floral repressor SISTER OF FCA regulate FLOWERING LOCUS C transcription in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:3303-3324. [PMID: 37220754 PMCID: PMC10473201 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Flowering is the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth and is critical for plant adaptation and reproduction. FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) plays a central role in flowering time control, and dissecting its regulation mechanism provides essential information for crop improvement. Here, we report that DECAPPING5 (DCP5), a component of processing bodies (P-bodies), regulates FLC transcription and flowering time in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). DCP5 and its interacting partner SISTER OF FCA (SSF) undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) that is mediated by their prion-like domains (PrDs). Enhancing or attenuating the LLPS of both proteins using transgenic methods greatly affects their ability to regulate FLC and flowering time. DCP5 regulates FLC transcription by modulating RNA polymerase II enrichment at the FLC locus. DCP5 requires SSF for FLC regulation, and loss of SSF or its PrD disrupts DCP5 function. Our results reveal that DCP5 interacts with SSF, and the nuclear DCP5-SSF complex regulates FLC expression at the transcriptional level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyi Wang
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Chuanhong Wang
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Yunhe Wang
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Jing Ma
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Tengyue Wang
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Zhen Tao
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Peipei Liu
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shuai Li
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Yuanyuan Hu
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Aiju Gu
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Hui Wang
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Chunhong Qiu
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Peijin Li
- The National Engineering Lab of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
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34
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Zhang P, He R, Yang J, Cai J, Qu Z, Yang R, Gu J, Wang ZY, Adelson DL, Zhu Y, Cao X, Wang D. The long non-coding RNA DANA2 positively regulates drought tolerance by recruiting ERF84 to promote JMJ29-mediated histone demethylation. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:1339-1353. [PMID: 37553833 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Tens of thousands of long non-coding RNAs have been uncovered in plants, but few of them have been comprehensively studied for their biological function and molecular mechanism of their mode of action. Here, we show that the Arabidopsis long non-coding RNA DANA2 interacts with an AP2/ERF transcription factor ERF84 in the cell nucleus and then affects the transcription of JMJ29 that encodes a Jumonji C domain-containing histone H3K9 demethylase. Both RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and genetic analyses demonstrate that DANA2 positively regulates drought stress responses through JMJ29. JMJ29 positively regulates the expression of ERF15 and GOLS2 by modulation of H3K9me2 demethylation. Accordingly, mutation of JMJ29 causes decreased ERF15 and GOLS2 expression, resulting in impaired drought tolerance, in agreement with drought-sensitive phenotypes of dana2 and erf84 mutants. Taken together, these results demonstrate that DANA2 is a positive regulator of drought response and works jointly with the transcriptional activator ERF84 to modulate JMJ29 expression in plant response to drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Gene Engineering in Jiangxi Province, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031, China
| | - Reqing He
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Gene Engineering in Jiangxi Province, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Gene Engineering in Jiangxi Province, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031, China
| | - Jingjing Cai
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Gene Engineering in Jiangxi Province, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031, China
| | - Zhipeng Qu
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Rongxin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Gene Engineering in Jiangxi Province, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031, China
| | - Jinbao Gu
- Institute of Nanfan & Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong 510316, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Wang
- Institute of Nanfan & Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong 510316, China
| | - David L Adelson
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Youlin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Gene Engineering in Jiangxi Province, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China.
| | - Dong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Gene Engineering in Jiangxi Province, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Jiangxi 330031, China.
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35
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Jung JH, Seo PJ, Oh E, Kim J. Temperature perception by plants. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:924-940. [PMID: 37045740 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Plants constantly face fluctuating ambient temperatures and must adapt to survive under stressful conditions. Temperature affects many aspects of plant growth and development through a complex network of transcriptional responses. Although temperature sensing is a crucial primary step in initiating transcriptional responses via Ca2+ and/or reactive oxygen species signaling, an understanding of how plants perceive temperature has remained elusive. However, recent studies have yielded breakthroughs in our understanding of temperature sensors and thermosensation mechanisms. We review recent findings on potential temperature sensors and emerging thermosensation mechanisms, including biomolecular condensate formation through phase separation in plants. We also compare the temperature perception mechanisms of plants with those of other organisms to provide insights into understanding temperature sensing by plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Hoon Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Pil Joon Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Eunkyoo Oh
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jungmook Kim
- Department of Bioenergy Science and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea; Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience, and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
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36
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Shi H, Zhong S. Light and temperature perceptions go through a phase separation. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 74:102397. [PMID: 37295295 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Light and temperature are two distinct but closely linked environmental factors that profoundly affect plant growth and development. Biomolecular condensates are membraneless micron-scale compartments formed through liquid-liquid phase separation, which have been shown to be involved in a wide range of biological processes. In the last few years, biomolecular condensates are emerged to serve as phase separation-based sensors for plant sensing and/or responding to external environmental cues. This review summarizes the recently reported plant biomolecular condensates in sensing light and temperature signals. The current understanding of the biophysical properties and the action modes of phase separation-based environmental sensors are highlighted. Unresolved questions and possible challenges for future studies of phase-separation sensors are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shi
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Resources and Biotechnology for Carbon Reduction and Environmental Improvement, Beijing, 100048, China.
| | - Shangwei Zhong
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, 261325, China; State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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37
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Zhu P, Dean C. Reply to: Cold induction of nuclear FRIGIDA condensation in Arabidopsis. Nature 2023; 619:E33-E37. [PMID: 37438593 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06190-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pan Zhu
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Caroline Dean
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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38
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Zhang Z, Luo X, Yang Y, He Y. Cold induction of nuclear FRIGIDA condensation in Arabidopsis. Nature 2023; 619:E27-E32. [PMID: 37438599 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06189-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhicheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Luo
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, China
| | - Yupeng Yang
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuehui He
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Agricultural Sciences in Weifang, Weifang, China.
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39
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Chen X, MacGregor DR, Stefanato FL, Zhang N, Barros-Galvão T, Penfield S. A VEL3 histone deacetylase complex establishes a maternal epigenetic state controlling progeny seed dormancy. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2220. [PMID: 37072400 PMCID: PMC10113200 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37805-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Mother plants play an important role in the control of dormancy and dispersal characters of their progeny. In Arabidopsis seed dormancy is imposed by the embryo-surrounding tissues of the endosperm and seed coat. Here we show that VERNALIZATION5/VIN3-LIKE 3 (VEL3) maintains maternal control over progeny seed dormancy by establishing an epigenetic state in the central cell that primes the depth of primary seed dormancy later established during seed maturation. VEL3 colocalises with MSI1 in the nucleolus and associates with a histone deacetylase complex. Furthermore, VEL3 preferentially associates with pericentromeric chromatin and is required for deacetylation and H3K27me3 deposition established in the central cell. The epigenetic state established by maternal VEL3 is retained in mature seeds, and controls seed dormancy in part through repression of programmed cell death-associated gene ORE1. Our data demonstrates a mechanism by which maternal control of progeny seed physiology persists post-shedding, maintaining parental control of seed behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochao Chen
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Dana R MacGregor
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
- Protecting Crops and the Environment, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Francesca L Stefanato
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Naichao Zhang
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
- Henan University, Jinming Road, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Thiago Barros-Galvão
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Steven Penfield
- Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK.
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40
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Tehrani N, Mitra RM. Plant pathogens and symbionts target the plant nucleus. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 72:102284. [PMID: 36868049 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
In plant-microbe interactions, symbionts and pathogens live within plants and attempt to avoid triggering plant defense responses. In order to do so, these microbes have evolved multiple mechanisms that target components of the plant cell nucleus. Rhizobia-induced symbiotic signaling requires the function of specific legume nucleoporins within the nuclear pore complex. Symbiont and pathogen effectors harbor nuclear localization sequences that facilitate movement across nuclear pores, allowing these proteins to target transcription factors that function in defense. Oomycete pathogens introduce proteins that interact with plant pre-mRNA splicing components in order to alter host splicing of defense-related transcripts. Together, these functions indicate that the nucleus is an active site of symbiotic and pathogenic functioning in plant-microbe interactions.
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41
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Gao Z, Li Y, Ou Y, Yin M, Chen T, Zeng X, Li R, He Y. A pair of readers of bivalent chromatin mediate formation of Polycomb-based "memory of cold" in plants. Mol Cell 2023; 83:1109-1124.e4. [PMID: 36921607 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
The Polycomb-group chromatin modifiers play important roles to repress or switch off gene expression in plants and animals. How the active chromatin state is switched to a Polycomb-repressed state is unclear. In Arabidopsis, prolonged cold induces the switching of the highly active chromatin state at the potent floral repressor FLC to a Polycomb-repressed state, which is epigenetically maintained when temperature rises to confer "cold memory," enabling plants to flower in spring. We report that the cis-acting cold memory element (CME) region at FLC bears bivalent marks of active histone H3K4me3 and repressive H3K27me3 that are read and interpreted by an assembly of bivalent chromatin readers to drive cold-induced switching of the FLC chromatin state. In response to cold, the 47-bp CME and its associated bivalent chromatin feature drive the switching of active chromatin state at a recombinant gene to a Polycomb-repressed domain, conferring cold memory. We reveal a paradigm for environment-induced chromatin-state switching at bivalent loci in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201602, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaxiao Li
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Yang Ou
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mengnan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Xiaolin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Renjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yuehui He
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, Shandong 261325, China; Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 201602, China.
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42
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Chen Z, Duan H, Li X. In vivo single-molecule RNA structural profiling. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:211-212. [PMID: 36670017 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cellular RNAs exhibit substantial heterogeneity in structure and function. Recently, Yang et al. developed an in vivo single-molecule RNA structure profiling methodology and revealed that individual isoforms of noncoding transcripts adopt multiple diverse and functionally relevant structural conformations, which change in abundance and structure in response to temperature conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyin Chen
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, PR China
| | - Hongtao Duan
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China; School of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei 071000, China
| | - Xing Li
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100049, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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43
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Boeynaems S, Chong S, Gsponer J, Holt L, Milovanovic D, Mitrea DM, Mueller-Cajar O, Portz B, Reilly JF, Reinkemeier CD, Sabari BR, Sanulli S, Shorter J, Sontag E, Strader L, Stachowiak J, Weber SC, White M, Zhang H, Zweckstetter M, Elbaum-Garfinkle S, Kriwacki R. Phase Separation in Biology and Disease; Current Perspectives and Open Questions. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167971. [PMID: 36690068 PMCID: PMC9970028 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In the past almost 15 years, we witnessed the birth of a new scientific field focused on the existence, formation, biological functions, and disease associations of membraneless bodies in cells, now referred to as biomolecular condensates. Pioneering studies from several laboratories [reviewed in1-3] supported a model wherein biomolecular condensates associated with diverse biological processes form through the process of phase separation. These and other findings that followed have revolutionized our understanding of how biomolecules are organized in space and time within cells to perform myriad biological functions, including cell fate determination, signal transduction, endocytosis, regulation of gene expression and protein translation, and regulation of RNA metabolism. Further, condensates formed through aberrant phase transitions have been associated with numerous human diseases, prominently including neurodegeneration and cancer. While in some cases, rigorous evidence supports links between formation of biomolecular condensates through phase separation and biological functions, in many others such links are less robustly supported, which has led to rightful scrutiny of the generality of the roles of phase separation in biology and disease.4-7 During a week-long workshop in March 2022 at the Telluride Science Research Center (TSRC) in Telluride, Colorado, ∼25 scientists addressed key questions surrounding the biomolecular condensates field. Herein, we present insights gained through these discussions, addressing topics including, roles of condensates in diverse biological processes and systems, and normal and disease cell states, their applications to synthetic biology, and the potential for therapeutically targeting biomolecular condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Therapeutic Innovation Center (THINC), Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases (CAND), Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCCC), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA and Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shasha Chong
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Jörg Gsponer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Liam Holt
- New York University School of Medicine, Institute for Systems Genetics, New York, NY 10016
| | - Drago Milovanovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Oliver Mueller-Cajar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin R. Sabari
- Laboratory of Nuclear Organization, Cecil H. and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Biology Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Serena Sanulli
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Emily Sontag
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Lucia Strader
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Jeanne Stachowiak
- University of Texas at Austin, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Huaiying Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mellon College of Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Department of NMR-based Structural Biology, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Shana Elbaum-Garfinkle
- Department of Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY and Structural Biology Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center, City University of New York, New York, NY
| | - Richard Kriwacki
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee and Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, Tennessee
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Liu Y, Yang N, Yuan H, Chen P, Gu R, Zhang Y. BraVRG, a novel protein of Brassica rapa, is induced by vernalization and promotes flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 327:111544. [PMID: 36462681 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant flowering is an important economical characteristic for the transformation from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, especially for biennial crops. Additionally, bolting or flowering time is more important for vegetable plants due to their different harvest organs, such as flower for cauliflower and broccoli and leafy heads for cabbage and Chinese cabbage. The flowering time of Arabidopsis thaliana has six classical regulated pathways, and some key regulated genes are identified in Brassicaceae crops. However, the regulatory mechanism needs further exploration. Here, we reported an novel protein BraVRG (Vernalization Related Gene) of Chinese cabbage induced by vernalization. The expression of BraVRG increased rapidly at 14 day of vernalization in the semi-winter type of Brassica rapa and 21 days for the winter types. Meanwhile the modifications of H3K4me3 deposited on BraVRG increased but H3K27me3 decreased. Moreover, BraVRG promoted flowering in transgenic A. thaliana compared with the wild types accompanied the downregulated expression of FLC caused by the decrease of H3K4me3 enrichment and the increase of H3K27me3 on FLC with or without vernalization conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticulture Crops (Northeast Region) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China; College of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Na Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticulture Crops (Northeast Region) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China; College of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Hongkun Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticulture Crops (Northeast Region) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China; College of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Peng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticulture Crops (Northeast Region) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China; College of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Ran Gu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticulture Crops (Northeast Region) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China; College of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Yaowei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticulture Crops (Northeast Region) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China; College of Horticulture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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45
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Lin J, Li QQ. Coupling epigenetics and RNA polyadenylation: missing links. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 28:223-234. [PMID: 36175275 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Precise regulation of gene expression is crucial for plant survival. As a cotranscriptional regulatory mechanism, pre-mRNA polyadenylation is essential for fine-tuning gene expression. Polyadenylation can be alternatively projected at various sites of a transcript, which contributes to transcriptome diversity. Epigenetic modification is another mechanism of transcriptional control. Recent studies have uncovered crosstalk between cotranscriptional polyadenylation processes and both epigenomic and epitranscriptomic markers. Genetic analyses have demonstrated that DNA methylation, histone modifications, and epitranscriptomic modification are involved in regulating polyadenylation in plants. Here we summarize current understanding of the links between epigenetics and polyadenylation and their novel biological efficacy for plant development and environmental responses. Unresolved issues and future directions are discussed to shed light on the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juncheng Lin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; FAFU-UCR Joint Center, Horticulture Biology and Metabolomics Center, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Qingshun Quinn Li
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China; Biomedical Science Division, College of Dental Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA.
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46
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Nishio H, Kudoh H. Distinct responses to autumn and spring temperatures by the key flowering-time regulator FLOWERING LOCUS C. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023; 78:102016. [PMID: 36549195 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.102016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Despite the similarity in temperature regimes between late autumn and early spring, plants exhibit distinct developmental responses that result in distinct morphologies, that is, overwintering and reproductive forms. In Arabidopsis, the control of autumn-spring distinction involves the transcriptional regulation of the floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). The memory of winter cold is registered as epigenetic silencing of FLC. Recent studies on A. thaliana FLC revealed detailed and additional mechanisms of silencing in response to autumn and winter cold. Studies on perennial Arabidopsis FLC revealed that its expression responds to spring warmth and is robustly upregulated, ignoring cold. These new studies provide mechanistic insights into the distinct regulation of FLC under autumn and spring temperature regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruki Nishio
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Shiga 520-2113, Japan; Data Science and AI Innovation Research Promotion Center, Shiga University, Shiga 522-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kudoh
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Shiga 520-2113, Japan.
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47
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Jeon M, Jeong G, Yang Y, Luo X, Jeong D, Kyung J, Hyun Y, He Y, Lee I. Vernalization-triggered expression of the antisense transcript COOLAIR is mediated by CBF genes. eLife 2023; 12:84594. [PMID: 36722843 PMCID: PMC10036118 DOI: 10.7554/elife.84594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To synchronize flowering time with spring, many plants undergo vernalization, a floral-promotion process triggered by exposure to long-term winter cold. In Arabidopsis thaliana, this is achieved through cold-mediated epigenetic silencing of the floral repressor, FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). COOLAIR, a cold-induced antisense RNA transcribed from the FLC locus, has been proposed to facilitate FLC silencing. Here, we show that C-repeat (CRT)/dehydration-responsive elements (DREs) at the 3'-end of FLC and CRT/DRE-binding factors (CBFs) are required for cold-mediated expression of COOLAIR. CBFs bind to CRT/DREs at the 3'-end of FLC, both in vitro and in vivo, and CBF levels increase gradually during vernalization. Cold-induced COOLAIR expression is severely impaired in cbfs mutants in which all CBF genes are knocked-out. Conversely, CBF-overexpressing plants show increased COOLAIR levels even at warm temperatures. We show that COOLAIR is induced by CBFs during early stages of vernalization but COOLAIR levels decrease in later phases as FLC chromatin transitions to an inactive state to which CBFs can no longer bind. We also demonstrate that cbfs and FLCΔCOOLAIR mutants exhibit a normal vernalization response despite their inability to activate COOLAIR expression during cold, revealing that COOLAIR is not required for the vernalization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myeongjune Jeon
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Goowon Jeong
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yupeng Yang
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology & National Key Laboratory for Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Luo
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, China
| | - Daesong Jeong
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinseul Kyung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Youbong Hyun
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuehui He
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology & National Key Laboratory for Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Weifang, China
| | - Ilha Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Plant Plasticity, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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48
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Phase separation of SGS3 drives siRNA body formation and promotes endogenous gene silencing. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111985. [PMID: 36640363 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The generation of small interfering RNA (siRNA) involves many RNA processing components, including SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SILENCING 3 (SGS3), RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 6 (RDR6), and DICER-LIKE proteins (DCLs). Nonetheless, how these components are coordinated to produce siRNAs is unclear. Here, we show that SGS3 forms condensates via phase separation in vivo and in vitro. SGS3 interacts with RDR6 and drives it to form siRNA bodies in cytoplasm, which is promoted by SGS3-targeted RNAs. Disrupting SGS3 phase separation abrogates siRNA body assembly and siRNA biogenesis, whereas coexpression of SGS3 and RDR6 induces siRNA body formation in tobacco and yeast cells. Dysfunction in translation and mRNA decay increases the number of siRNA bodies, whereas DCL2/4 mutations enhance their size. Purification of SGS3 condensates identifies numerous RNA-binding proteins and siRNA processing components. Together, our findings reveal that SGS3 phase separation-mediated formation of siRNA bodies is essential for siRNA production and gene silencing.
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49
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Napier JD, Heckman RW, Juenger TE. Gene-by-environment interactions in plants: Molecular mechanisms, environmental drivers, and adaptive plasticity. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:109-124. [PMID: 36342220 PMCID: PMC9806611 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Plants demonstrate a broad range of responses to environmental shifts. One of the most remarkable responses is plasticity, which is the ability of a single plant genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to environmental stimuli. As with all traits, the ability of plasticity to evolve depends on the presence of underlying genetic diversity within a population. A common approach for evaluating the role of genetic variation in driving differences in plasticity has been to study genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E). G × E occurs when genotypes produce different phenotypic trait values in response to different environments. In this review, we highlight progress and promising methods for identifying the key environmental and genetic drivers of G × E. Specifically, methodological advances in using algorithmic and multivariate approaches to understand key environmental drivers combined with new genomic innovations can greatly increase our understanding about molecular responses to environmental stimuli. These developing approaches can be applied to proliferating common garden networks that capture broad natural environmental gradients to unravel the underlying mechanisms of G × E. An increased understanding of G × E can be used to enhance the resilience and productivity of agronomic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Napier
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Robert W Heckman
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
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50
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Chen Z, Li Z. Adaptation and integration of environmental cues to internal flowering network in Arabidopsis thaliana. REPRODUCTION AND BREEDING 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.repbre.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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