Physical and thermodynamic characterization of the rice gibberellin receptor/gibberellin/DELLA protein complex

ABA-mediated regulation of rice grain quality and seed dormancy via the NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 Module

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in promoting plant stress resistance and seed dormancy. However, how ABA regulates rice quality remains unclear. This study identifies a key transcription factor SLR1-like2 (SLRL2), which mediates the ABA-regulated amylose content (AC) of rice. Mechanistically, SLRL2 interacts with NF-YB1 to co-regulate Wx, a determinant of AC and rice quality. In contrast to SLR1, SLRL2 is ABA inducible but insensitive to GA. In addition, SLRL2 exhibits DNA-binding activity and directly regulates the expression of Wx, bHLH144 and MFT2. SLRL2 competes with NF-YC12 for interaction with NF-YB1. NF-YB1 also directly represses SLRL2 transcription. Genetic validation supports that SLRL2 functions downstream of NF-YB1 and bHLH144 in regulating rice AC. Thus, an NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 regulatory module is successfully revealed. Furthermore, SLRL2 regulates rice dormancy by modulating the expression of MFT2. In conclusion, this study revealed an ABA-responsive regulatory cascade that functions in both rice quality and seed dormancy.

Resolving binding pathways and solvation thermodynamics of plant hormone receptors

Plant hormones are small molecules that regulate plant growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. They are specifically recognized by the binding site of their receptors. In this work, we resolved the binding pathways for eight classes of phytohormones (auxin, jasmonate, gibberellin, strigolactone, brassinosteroid, cytokinin, salicylic acid, and abscisic acid) to their canonical receptors using extensive molecular dynamics simulations. Furthermore, we investigated the role of water displacement and reorganization at the binding site of the plant receptors through inhomogeneous solvation theory. Our findings predict that displacement of water molecules by phytohormones contributes to free energy of binding via entropy gain and is associated with significant free energy barriers for most systems analyzed. Also, our results indicate that displacement of unfavorable water molecules in the binding site can be exploited in rational agrochemical design. Overall, this study uncovers the mechanism of ligand binding and the role of water molecules in plant hormone perception, which creates new avenues for agrochemical design to target plant growth and development.

Multi-omics revolution to promote plant breeding efficiency

Crop production is the primary goal of agricultural activities, which is always taken into consideration. However, global agricultural systems are coming under increasing pressure from the rising food demand of the rapidly growing world population and changing climate. To address these issues, improving high-yield and climate-resilient related-traits in crop breeding is an effective strategy. In recent years, advances in omics techniques, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, paved the way for accelerating plant/crop breeding to cope with the changing climate and enhance food production. Optimized omics and phenotypic plasticity platform integration, exploited by evolving machine learning algorithms will aid in the development of biological interpretations for complex crop traits. The precise and progressive assembly of desire alleles using precise genome editing approaches and enhanced breeding strategies would enable future crops to excel in combating the changing climates. Furthermore, plant breeding and genetic engineering ensures an exclusive approach to developing nutrient sufficient and climate-resilient crops, the productivity of which can sustainably and adequately meet the world's food, nutrition, and energy needs. This review provides an overview of how the integration of omics approaches could be exploited to select crop varieties with desired traits.

Unveiling sugarcane defense response to Mythimna separata herbivory by a combination of transcriptome and metabolic analyses

BACKGROUND

Sugarcane is the most important sugar crop in the world. Like other crops, sugarcane suffers from herbivorous insect attack. The oriental armyworm Mythimna separata is a devastating pest of various crops in northeast Asia and an outbreak of this pest can result in substantial yield loss for sugarcane. However, the plant defense response situation is widely acquisition in model crops, but there is little information about how sugarcane plants defend themselves against this herbivore at the molecular and biochemical levels.

RESULTS

We combined transcriptome and metabolomic analysis to investigate the changes in gene expression and metabolic processes that occurred in sugarcane plants after continuous feeding by M. separata larvae for 12 and 24 h. We identified 13 662 genes and 55 metabolites that were differentially regulated in sugarcane plants fed on by M. separata. The genes involved in phytohormones, transcription factors, and kinase-related were activated and metabolism compounds such as carbohydrate, amino acid, ferulic substances and glutathione were detected regulated in sugarcane defense response. Comparable analyses showed a close correspondence relationship among pathways of phenylalanine metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis in transcript and metabolite profiles. Furthermore, a bioassay experiment was conducted to test the influence of up-regulated metabolites on M. separata growth and found chlorogenic acid had a lethal effect.

CONCLUSION

The results of our study greatly enhanced the understanding of the sugarcane-induced defense response mechanism against herbivore infestation at the transcriptional and metabolic levels. Also make contributions to provide clues for development of green pest control method. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.