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Li X, Tang X, Wang M, Zhang X, Xu Y, Li Y, Li J, Qin Z. The Discovery of Highly Efficient and Promising ABA Receptor Antagonists for Agricultural Applications Based on APAn Modification. Molecules 2024; 29:3129. [PMID: 38999081 PMCID: PMC11243256 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29133129] [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: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Abscisic acid (ABA) is one of the many naturally occurring phytohormones widely found in plants. This study focused on refining APAn, a series of previously developed agonism/antagonism switching probes. Twelve novel APAn analogues were synthesized by introducing varied branched or oxygen-containing chains at the C-6' position, and these were screened. Through germination assays conducted on A. thaliana, colza, and rice seeds, as well as investigations into stomatal movement, several highly active ABA receptor antagonists were identified. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) assays, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation showed that they had stronger receptor affinity than ABA, while PP2C phosphatase assays indicated that the C-6'-tail chain extending from the 3' channel effectively prevented the ligand-receptor binary complex from binding to PP2C phosphatase, demonstrating strong antagonistic activity. These antagonists showed effective potential in promoting seed germination and stomatal opening of plants exposed to abiotic stress, particularly cold and salt stress, offering advantages for cultivating crops under adverse conditions. Moreover, their combined application with fluridone and gibberellic acid could provide more practical agricultural solutions, presenting new insights and tools for overcoming agricultural challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobin Li
- College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xianjun Tang
- College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Mian Wang
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China
| | - Xueqin Zhang
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanjun Xu
- College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yiyi Li
- College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiaqi Li
- College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhaohai Qin
- College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Nguyen CH, Yan D, Nambara E. Persistence of Abscisic Acid Analogs in Plants: Chemical Control of Plant Growth and Physiology. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14051078. [PMID: 37239437 DOI: 10.3390/genes14051078] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that regulates numerous plant processes, including plant growth, development, and stress physiology. ABA plays an important role in enhancing plant stress tolerance. This involves the ABA-mediated control of gene expression to increase antioxidant activities for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). ABA is a fragile molecule that is rapidly isomerized by ultraviolet (UV) light and catabolized in plants. This makes it challenging to apply as a plant growth substance. ABA analogs are synthetic derivatives of ABA that alter ABA's functions to modulate plant growth and stress physiology. Modifying functional group(s) in ABA analogs alters the potency, selectivity to receptors, and mode of action (i.e., either agonists or antagonists). Despite current advances in developing ABA analogs with high affinity to ABA receptors, it remains under investigation for its persistence in plants. The persistence of ABA analogs depends on their tolerance to catabolic and xenobiotic enzymes and light. Accumulated studies have demonstrated that the persistence of ABA analogs impacts the potency of its effect in plants. Thus, evaluating the persistence of these chemicals is a possible scheme for a better prediction of their functionality and potency in plants. Moreover, optimizing chemical administration protocols and biochemical characterization is also critical in validating the function of chemicals. Lastly, the development of chemical and genetic controls is required to acquire the stress tolerance of plants for multiple different uses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine H Nguyen
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Dawei Yan
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Eiji Nambara
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
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Vaidya AS, Park SY, Xing Z, Cutler SR. Synthesis and characterization of abscisic acid receptor modulators. Methods Enzymol 2022; 671:435-470. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.03.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Vaidya AS, Peterson FC, Eckhardt J, Xing Z, Park SY, Dejonghe W, Takeuchi J, Pri-Tal O, Faria J, Elzinga D, Volkman BF, Todoroki Y, Mosquna A, Okamoto M, Cutler SR. Click-to-lead design of a picomolar ABA receptor antagonist with potent activity in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2108281118. [PMID: 34531324 PMCID: PMC8463862 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108281118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Abscisic acid (ABA) is a key plant hormone that mediates both plant biotic and abiotic stress responses and many other developmental processes. ABA receptor antagonists are useful for dissecting and manipulating ABA's physiological roles in vivo. We set out to design antagonists that block receptor-PP2C interactions by modifying the agonist opabactin (OP), a synthetically accessible, high-affinity scaffold. Click chemistry was used to create an ∼4,000-member library of C4-diversified opabactin derivatives that were screened for receptor antagonism in vitro. This revealed a peptidotriazole motif shared among hits, which we optimized to yield antabactin (ANT), a pan-receptor antagonist. An X-ray crystal structure of an ANT-PYL10 complex (1.86 Å) reveals that ANT's peptidotriazole headgroup is positioned to sterically block receptor-PP2C interactions in the 4' tunnel and stabilizes a noncanonical closed-gate receptor conformer that partially opens to accommodate ANT binding. To facilitate binding-affinity studies using fluorescence polarization, we synthesized TAMRA-ANT. Equilibrium dissociation constants for TAMRA-ANT binding to Arabidopsis receptors range from ∼400 to 1,700 pM. ANT displays improved activity in vivo and disrupts ABA-mediated processes in multiple species. ANT is able to accelerate seed germination in Arabidopsis, tomato, and barley, suggesting that it could be useful as a germination stimulant in species where endogenous ABA signaling limits seed germination. Thus, click-based diversification of a synthetic agonist scaffold allowed us to rapidly develop a high-affinity probe of ABA-receptor function for dissecting and manipulating ABA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya S Vaidya
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Francis C Peterson
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226
| | - James Eckhardt
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Zenan Xing
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Sang-Youl Park
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Wim Dejonghe
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Jun Takeuchi
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Oded Pri-Tal
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Julianna Faria
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Dezi Elzinga
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
| | - Brian F Volkman
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226
| | - Yasushi Todoroki
- Faculty of Agriculture, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
- Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan
| | - Assaf Mosquna
- The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Masanori Okamoto
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya 321-8505, Japan
| | - Sean R Cutler
- Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521;
- Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521
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Diddi N, Lai L, Brookbank BP, Hussain S, Nambara E, Todd C, Nourimand M, Tar'an B, Song D, Holbrook L, Doshi K, Loewen MC, Luna EK, Shipp J, Leach JE, Robinson SJ, Abrams SR. 3'-(Phenyl alkynyl) analogs of abscisic acid: synthesis and biological activity of potent ABA antagonists. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 19:2978-2985. [PMID: 33729254 DOI: 10.1039/d1ob00166c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We report here the synthesis and biological testing of 3'-(phenyl alkynyl) abscisic ABA analogs, a new class of potent ABA antagonists. These ABA analogs incorporate a rigid framework of eight carbon atoms attached at the 3'-carbon atom of ABA that prevents folding of the ABA analog-bound receptor required for ABA signalling. The two-step synthesis is based upon the optimized conversion of natural (S)-ABA to 3'-iodo ABA which can be coupled to phenyl acetylenes using Sonogashira conditions, or to styryl compounds through Suzuki chemistry. The parent 3'-(phenyl alkynyl) ABA analog 7 was obtained in 29% yield, 74% yield based on recovered starting material. In a lentil seed germination assay, compound 7 was found to have more potent activity than other known 3'-substituted ABA antagonists to date. In a structure activity study parasubstituted phenyl alkynyl analogs had comparable activity to the analog 7 while the 3'-styryl ABA 18 was only slightly less active. Analog 7 overcame ABA inhibition of germination and seedling growth in a wide range of mono and dicot plant species, including canola, lentil, soybean, rice, wheat, barley, cannabis and canary seed. 3'-(Phenyl alkynyl) ABA analogs have numerous potential practical agricultural applications including promoting ripening of crops, dormancy breaking of seeds and woody perennials, as well as promoting seed germination, and growth under stress conditions as demonstrated in this report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Diddi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C9, Canada.
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