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Sadikiel Mmbando G, Ngongolo K. The recent genetic modification techniques for improve soil conservation, nutrient uptake and utilization. GM CROPS & FOOD 2024; 15:233-247. [PMID: 39008437 PMCID: PMC11253881 DOI: 10.1080/21645698.2024.2377408] [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: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Advances in genetic modification (GM) techniques have generated huge interest in improving nutrient utilization, maximizing nutrient uptake, and conserving soil in the pursuit of sustainable agriculture. Unfortunately, little is still known about the recent advancements in the application of GM tactics to enhance each of these areas. This review explores the latest GM strategies intended to support soil conservation, maximize nutrient uptake, and improve nutrient utilization in farming, highlighting the critical roles that soil health and nutrient management play in sustainable farming. GM strategies such as improving the efficiency of nutrient uptake through enhanced root systems and increased nutrient transport mechanisms are well discussed. This study suggests that addressing potential obstacles, such as ethical and regulatory concerns, is a necessity for long-term sustainability applications of GM technologies to raise agricultural yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon Sadikiel Mmbando
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Kelvin Ngongolo
- Department of Biology, College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Dodoma, Dodoma, United Republic of Tanzania
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2
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Klein SP, Kaeppler SM, Brown KM, Lynch JP. Integrating GWAS with a gene co-expression network better prioritizes candidate genes associated with root metaxylem phenes in maize. THE PLANT GENOME 2024:e20489. [PMID: 39034891 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Root metaxylems are phenotypically diverse structures whose function is particularly important under drought stress. Significant research has dissected the genetic machinery underlying metaxylem phenotypes in dicots, but that of monocots are relatively underexplored. In maize (Zea mays), a robust pipeline integrated a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of root metaxylem phenes under well-watered and water-stress conditions with a gene co-expression network to prioritize the strongest gene candidates. We identified 244 candidate genes by GWAS, of which 103 reside in gene co-expression modules most relevant to xylem development. Several candidate genes may be involved in biosynthetic processes related to the cell wall, hormone signaling, oxidative stress responses, and drought responses. Of those, six gene candidates were detected in multiple root metaxylem phenes in both well-watered and water-stress conditions. We posit that candidate genes that are more essential to network function based on gene co-expression (i.e., hubs or bottlenecks) should be prioritized and classify 33 essential genes for further investigation. Our study demonstrates a new strategy for identifying promising gene candidates and presents several gene candidates that may enhance our understanding of vascular development and responses to drought in cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie P Klein
- Interdepartmental Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Shawn M Kaeppler
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kathleen M Brown
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jonathan P Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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3
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Siddiqui MN, Jahiu M, Kamruzzaman M, Sanchez-Garcia M, Mason AS, Léon J, Ballvora A. Genetic control of root architectural traits under drought stress in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). THE PLANT GENOME 2024; 17:e20463. [PMID: 38764204 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Root architectural traits play pivotal roles in plant adaptation to drought stress, and hence they are considered promising targets in breeding programs. Here, we phenotyped eight root architecture traits in response to well-watered and drought stress conditions in 200 spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) inbred lines over two consecutive field seasons. Root architecture traits were less developed under drought in both seasons when compared with control treatments. Genetic variation in root architectural traits was dissected employing a genome-wide association study (GWAS) coupled with linkage disequilibrium mapping. GWAS uncovered a total of 186 significant single nucleotide polymorphism-trait associations for eight root traits under control, drought, and drought-related indices. Of these, a few loci for root traits were detected on chromosomes 3 and 5, which co-located with QTL identified in previous studies. Interestingly, 13 loci showed simultaneou associations with multiple root traits under drought and drought-related indices. These loci harbored candidate genes, which included a wide range of drought-responsive components such as transcription factors, binding proteins, protein kinases, nutrient and ion transporters, and stress signaling factors. For instance, two candidate genes, HORVU7Hr3G0713160 and HORVU6H r3G0626550, are orthologous to AtACX3 and AtVAMPs, which have reported functions in root length-mediated drought tolerance and as a key protein in abiotic stress tolerance, respectively. Interestingly, one of these loci underlying a high-confidence candidate gene NEW ENHANCER OF ROOT DWARFISM1 (NERD1) showed involvement with root development. An allelic variation of this locus in non-coding region was significantly associated with increased root length under drought. Collectively, these results offer promising multi-trait affecting loci and candidate genes underlying root phenotypic responses to drought stress, which may provide valuable resources for genetic improvement of drought tolerance in barley.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nurealam Siddiqui
- Plant Breeding Department, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Melisa Jahiu
- Plant Breeding Department, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mohammad Kamruzzaman
- Plant Breeding Department, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Miguel Sanchez-Garcia
- Department of Biodiversity and Crop Improvement Program, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat, Morocco
| | - Annaliese S Mason
- Plant Breeding Department, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jens Léon
- Plant Breeding Department, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Field Lab Campus Klein-Altendorf, University of Bonn, Rheinbach, Germany
| | - Agim Ballvora
- Plant Breeding Department, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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4
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Nguyen HA, Martre P, Collet C, Draye X, Salon C, Jeudy C, Rincent R, Muller B. Are high-throughput root phenotyping platforms suitable for informing root system architecture models with genotype-specific parameters? An evaluation based on the root model ArchiSimple and a small panel of wheat cultivars. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:2510-2526. [PMID: 38520390 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae009] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Given the difficulties in accessing plant roots in situ, high-throughput root phenotyping (HTRP) platforms under controlled conditions have been developed to meet the growing demand for characterizing root system architecture (RSA) for genetic analyses. However, a proper evaluation of their capacity to provide the same estimates for strictly identical root traits across platforms has never been achieved. In this study, we performed such an evaluation based on six major parameters of the RSA model ArchiSimple, using a diversity panel of 14 bread wheat cultivars in two HTRP platforms that had different growth media and non-destructive imaging systems together with a conventional set-up that had a solid growth medium and destructive sampling. Significant effects of the experimental set-up were found for all the parameters and no significant correlations across the diversity panel among the three set-ups could be detected. Differences in temperature, irradiance, and/or the medium in which the plants were growing might partly explain both the differences in the parameter values across the experiments as well as the genotype × set-up interactions. Furthermore, the values and the rankings across genotypes of only a subset of parameters were conserved between contrasting growth stages. As the parameters chosen for our analysis are root traits that have strong impacts on RSA and are close to parameters used in a majority of RSA models, our results highlight the need to carefully consider both developmental and environmental drivers in root phenomics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Anh Nguyen
- LEPSE, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre Martre
- LEPSE, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Clothilde Collet
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Xavier Draye
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Christophe Salon
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Christian Jeudy
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Renaud Rincent
- GDEC, Université Clermont-Auvergne, INRAE, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bertrand Muller
- LEPSE, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Hostetler AN, Morais de Sousa Tinoco S, Sparks EE. Root responses to abiotic stress: a comparative look at root system architecture in maize and sorghum. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:553-562. [PMID: 37798135 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad390] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Under all environments, roots are important for plant anchorage and acquiring water and nutrients. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding how root architecture contributes to stress tolerance in a changing climate. Two closely related plant species, maize and sorghum, have distinct root system architectures and different levels of stress tolerance, making comparative analysis between these two species an ideal approach to resolve this knowledge gap. However, current research has focused on shared aspects of the root system that are advantageous under abiotic stress conditions rather than on differences. Here we summarize the current state of knowledge comparing the root system architecture relative to plant performance under water deficit, salt stress, and low phosphorus in maize and sorghum. Under water deficit, steeper root angles and deeper root systems are proposed to be advantageous for both species. In saline soils, a reduction in root length and root number has been described as advantageous, but this work is limited. Under low phosphorus, root systems that are shallow and wider are beneficial for topsoil foraging. Future work investigating the differences between these species will be critical for understanding the role of root system architecture in optimizing plant production for a changing global climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Hostetler
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711, USA
| | | | - Erin E Sparks
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19711, USA
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6
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Rahmati Ishka M, Julkowska M. Tapping into the plasticity of plant architecture for increased stress resilience. F1000Res 2023; 12:1257. [PMID: 38434638 PMCID: PMC10905174 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.140649.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant architecture develops post-embryonically and emerges from a dialogue between the developmental signals and environmental cues. Length and branching of the vegetative and reproductive tissues were the focus of improvement of plant performance from the early days of plant breeding. Current breeding priorities are changing, as we need to prioritize plant productivity under increasingly challenging environmental conditions. While it has been widely recognized that plant architecture changes in response to the environment, its contribution to plant productivity in the changing climate remains to be fully explored. This review will summarize prior discoveries of genetic control of plant architecture traits and their effect on plant performance under environmental stress. We review new tools in phenotyping that will guide future discoveries of genes contributing to plant architecture, its plasticity, and its contributions to stress resilience. Subsequently, we provide a perspective into how integrating the study of new species, modern phenotyping techniques, and modeling can lead to discovering new genetic targets underlying the plasticity of plant architecture and stress resilience. Altogether, this review provides a new perspective on the plasticity of plant architecture and how it can be harnessed for increased performance under environmental stress.
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Siddiqui N, Gabi MT, Kamruzzaman M, Ambaw AM, Teferi TJ, Dadshani S, Léon J, Ballvora A. Genetic dissection of root architectural plasticity and identification of candidate loci in response to drought stress in bread wheat. BMC Genom Data 2023; 24:38. [PMID: 37495985 PMCID: PMC10373353 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-023-01140-7] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The frequency of droughts has dramatically increased over the last 50 years, causing yield declines in cereals, including wheat. Crop varieties with efficient root systems show great potential for plant adaptation to drought stress, however; genetic control of root systems in wheat under field conditions is not yet well understood. RESULTS Natural variation in root architecture plasticity (phenotypic alteration due to changing environments) was dissected under field-based control (well-irrigated) and drought (rain-out shelter) conditions by a genome-wide association study using 200 diverse wheat cultivars. Our results revealed root architecture and plasticity traits were differentially responded to drought stress. A total of 25 marker-trait associations (MTAs) underlying natural variations in root architectural plasticity were identified in response to drought stress. They were abundantly distributed on chromosomes 1 A, 1B, 2 A, 2B, 3 A, 3B, 4B, 5 A, 5D, 7 A and 7B of the wheat genome. Gene ontology annotation showed that many candidate genes associated with plasticity were involved in water-transport and water channel activity, cellular response to water deprivation, scavenging reactive oxygen species, root growth and development and hormone-activated signaling pathway-transmembrane transport, indicating their response to drought stress. Further, in silico transcript abundance analysis demonstrated that root plasticity-associated candidate genes were highly expressed in roots across different root growth stages and under drought treatments. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that root phenotypic plasticity is highly quantitative, and the corresponding loci are associated with drought stress that may provide novel ways to enable root trait breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurealam Siddiqui
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, 1706, Bangladesh
| | - Melesech T Gabi
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Mohammad Kamruzzaman
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh
| | - Abebaw M Ambaw
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tesfaye J Teferi
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Said Dadshani
- INRES-Plant Nutrition, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jens Léon
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
- Field Lab Campus Klein-Altendorf, University of Bonn, Klein-Altendorf 2, 53359, Rheinbach, Germany
| | - Agim Ballvora
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
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Uddin MS, Akter F, Azam MG, Bagum SA, Hossain N, Billah M, Biswas PL, Hasibuzzaman ASM, Khaldun ABM, Alsuhaibani AM, Gaber A, Hossain A. Evaluation of Inbred Maize ( Zea mays L.) for Tolerance to Low Phosphorus at the Seedling Stage. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2520. [PMID: 37447080 DOI: 10.3390/plants12132520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
In underdeveloped nations where low-input agriculture is practiced, low phosphorus (LP) in the soil reduces the production of maize. In the present study, a total of 550 inbred maize lines were assessed for seedling traits under LP (2.5 × 10-6 mol L-1 of KH2PO4) and NP (2.5 × 10-4 mol L-1 of KH2PO4) hydroponic conditions. The purpose of this study was to quantify the amount of variation present in the measured traits, estimate the genetic involvement of these characteristics, examine the phenotypic correlation coefficients between traits, and to integrate this information to prepare a multi-trait selection index for LP tolerance in maize. A great deal of variability in the maize genotype panel was confirmed by descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Estimated broad-sense heritability (h2) ranged from 0.7 to 0.91, indicating intermediate to high heritability values for the measured traits. A substantial connection between MSL and other root traits suggested that the direct selection of MSL (maximum shoot length) could be beneficial for the enhancement of other traits. The principal component analysis (PCA) of the first two main component axes explained approximately 81.27% of the variation between lines for the eight maize seedling variables. TDM (total dry matter), SDW (shoot dry weight), RDW (root dry weight), SFW (shoot fresh weight), RFW (root fresh weight), MRL (maximum root length), and MSL measurements accounted for the majority of the first principal component (59.35%). The multi-trait indices were calculated based on PCA using all the measured traits, and 30 genotypes were selected. These selected lines might be considered as the potential source for the improvement of LP tolerance in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shalim Uddin
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GSCAAS), Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh
| | - Farzana Akter
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh
| | - Md Golam Azam
- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
| | - Shamim Ara Bagum
- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
| | - Neelima Hossain
- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
| | - Masum Billah
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Priya Lal Biswas
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GSCAAS), Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China
- Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
| | - Abu Sayeed Md Hasibuzzaman
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh
| | - Abul Bashar Mohammad Khaldun
- Planning and Evaluation Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Farmgate, Airport Road, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh
| | - Amnah Mohammed Alsuhaibani
- Department of Physical Sport Science, College of Education, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Gaber
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Akbar Hossain
- Division of Soil Science, Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh
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Li C, Guo J, Wang D, Chen X, Guan H, Li Y, Zhang D, Liu X, He G, Wang T, Li Y. Genomic insight into changes of root architecture under drought stress in maize. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:1860-1872. [PMID: 36785485 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14567] [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: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Drought stress is a central environmental factor that severely limits maize production worldwide. Root architecture plays an important role in drought tolerance and can be targeted in breeding programmes. Here, we conducted phenotyping of root architecture under different water treatments for 373 maize inbred lines, representative germplasm from both China and the United States in different breeding eras. We found that seminal root length in response to drought stress experienced convergent increase during breeding in both countries. Using a genome-wide association study, we identified a total of 221 associated loci underlying 13 root traits under well-watered and water-stressed conditions. These loci harboured many reported root- and abiotic stress-related genes. Furthermore, a total of 75 strong candidate genes were prioritised by integrating candidate genes associated with seminal root length and differentially expressed genes in seminal root. One of high-confidence candidate genes, ZmCIPK3 was functionally characterised and probably plays a role in enhancing drought tolerance through regulating seminal root growth. This study provides valuable information for genetic improvement of root architecture and drought tolerance in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Li
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Guo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojing Chen
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Honghui Guan
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongxiang Li
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dengfeng Zhang
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xuyang Liu
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guanhua He
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Lab of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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He K, Zhao Z, Ren W, Chen Z, Chen L, Chen F, Mi G, Pan Q, Yuan L. Mining genes regulating root system architecture in maize based on data integration analysis. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2023; 136:127. [PMID: 37188973 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-023-04376-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE A new strategy that integrated multiple public data resources was established to construct root gene co-expression network and mine genes regulating root system architecture in maize. A root gene co-expression network, containing 13,874 genes, was constructed. A total of 53 root hub genes and 16 priority root candidate genes were identified. One priority root candidate was further functionally verified using overexpression transgenic maize lines. Root system architecture (RSA) is crucial for crops productivity and stress tolerance. In maize, few RSA genes are functionally cloned, and effective discovery of RSA genes remains a great of challenge. In this work, we established a strategy to mine maize RSA genes by integrating functionally characterized root genes, root transcriptome, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) of RSA traits based on public data resources. A total of 589 maize root genes were collected by searching well-characterized root genes in maize or homologous genes of other species. We performed WGCNA to construct a maize root gene co-expression network containing 13874 genes based on public available root transcriptome data, and further discovered the 53 hub genes related to root traits. In addition, by the prediction function of obtained root gene co-expression network, a total of 1082 new root candidate genes were explored. By further overlapping the obtained new root candidate gene with the root-related GWAS of RSA candidate genes, 16 priority root candidate genes were identified. Finally, a priority root candidate gene, Zm00001d023379 (encodes pyruvate kinase 2), was validated to modulate root open angle and shoot-borne roots number using its overexpression transgenic lines. Our results develop an integration analysis method for effectively exploring regulatory genes of RSA in maize and open a new avenue to mine the candidate genes underlying complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunhui He
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wei Ren
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhe Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Limei Chen
- Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fanjun Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Guohua Mi
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qingchun Pan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Lixing Yuan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
- Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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11
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Jin M, Liu H, Liu X, Guo T, Guo J, Yin Y, Ji Y, Li Z, Zhang J, Wang X, Qiao F, Xiao Y, Zan Y, Yan J. Complex genetic architecture underlying the plasticity of maize agronomic traits. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:100473. [PMID: 36642074 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a given genotype to produce multiple phenotypes in response to changing environmental conditions. Understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity and establishing a predictive model is highly relevant to future agriculture under a changing climate. Here we report findings on the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity for 23 complex traits using a diverse maize population planted at five sites with distinct environmental conditions. We found that latitude-related environmental factors were the main drivers of across-site variation in flowering time traits but not in plant architecture or yield traits. For the 23 traits, we detected 109 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), 29 for mean values, 66 for plasticity, and 14 for both parameters, and 80% of the QTLs interacted with latitude. The effects of several QTLs changed in magnitude or sign, driving variation in phenotypic plasticity. We experimentally validated one plastic gene, ZmTPS14.1, whose effect was likely mediated by the compensation effect of ZmSPL6 from a downstream pathway. By integrating genetic diversity, environmental variation, and their interaction into a joint model, we could provide site-specific predictions with increased accuracy by as much as 9.9%, 2.2%, and 2.6% for days to tassel, plant height, and ear weight, respectively. This study revealed a complex genetic architecture involving multiple alleles, pleiotropy, and genotype-by-environment interaction that underlies variation in the mean and plasticity of maize complex traits. It provides novel insights into the dynamic genetic architecture of agronomic traits in response to changing environments, paving a practical way toward precision agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minliang Jin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Haijun Liu
- Gregor Mendel Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna BioCenter, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Xiangguo Liu
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Tingting Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jia Guo
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Yuejia Yin
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
| | - Yan Ji
- Key Laboratory of Tobacco Improvement and Biotechnology, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Zhenxian Li
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Xishuangbanna Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Jinghong 666100, China
| | - Jinhong Zhang
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Xishuangbanna Prefecture of Yunnan Province, Jinghong 666100, China
| | - Xiaqing Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Feng Qiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yingjie Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yanjun Zan
- Umeå Plant Science Center, Department of Forestry Genetics and Plant Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90736 Umeå, Sweden; Key Laboratory of Tobacco Improvement and Biotechnology, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266000, China.
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan 430070, China.
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12
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Ren W, Zhao L, Liang J, Wang L, Chen L, Li P, Liu Z, Li X, Zhang Z, Li J, He K, Zhao Z, Ali F, Mi G, Yan J, Zhang F, Chen F, Yuan L, Pan Q. Genome-wide dissection of changes in maize root system architecture during modern breeding. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:1408-1422. [PMID: 36396706 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01274-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Appropriate root system architecture (RSA) can improve maize yields in densely planted fields, but little is known about its genetic basis in maize. Here we performed root phenotyping of 14,301 field-grown plants from an association mapping panel to study the genetic architecture of maize RSA. A genome-wide association study identified 81 high-confidence RSA-associated candidate genes and revealed that 28 (24.3%) of known root-related genes were selected during maize domestication and improvement. We found that modern maize breeding has selected for a steeply angled root system. Favourable alleles related to steep root system angle have continuously accumulated over the course of modern breeding, and our data pinpoint the root-related genes that have been selected in different breeding eras. We confirm that two auxin-related genes, ZmRSA3.1 and ZmRSA3.2, contribute to the regulation of root angle and depth in maize. Our genome-wide identification of RSA-associated genes provides new strategies and genetic resources for breeding maize suitable for high-density planting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ren
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Longfei Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaxing Liang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Cereal Crops Research Institute, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Limei Chen
- Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Pengcheng Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhigang Liu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojie Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihai Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jieping Li
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Kunhui He
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zheng Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Farhan Ali
- Cereal Crops Research Institute, Pirsabak, Nowshera, Pakistan
| | - Guohua Mi
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fusuo Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fanjun Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, China.
| | - Lixing Yuan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
| | - Qingchun Pan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions, Ministry of Education, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
- Sanya Institute of China Agricultural University, Sanya, China.
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13
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Gleason SM, Barnard DM, Green TR, Mackay S, Wang DR, Ainsworth EA, Altenhofen J, Brodribb TJ, Cochard H, Comas LH, Cooper M, Creek D, DeJonge KC, Delzon S, Fritschi FB, Hammer G, Hunter C, Lombardozzi D, Messina CD, Ocheltree T, Stevens BM, Stewart JJ, Vadez V, Wenz J, Wright IJ, Yemoto K, Zhang H. Physiological trait networks enhance understanding of crop growth and water use in contrasting environments. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:2554-2572. [PMID: 35735161 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant function arises from a complex network of structural and physiological traits. Explicit representation of these traits, as well as their connections with other biophysical processes, is required to advance our understanding of plant-soil-climate interactions. We used the Terrestrial Regional Ecosystem Exchange Simulator (TREES) to evaluate physiological trait networks in maize. Net primary productivity (NPP) and grain yield were simulated across five contrasting climate scenarios. Simulations achieving high NPP and grain yield in high precipitation environments featured trait networks conferring high water use strategies: deep roots, high stomatal conductance at low water potential ("risky" stomatal regulation), high xylem hydraulic conductivity and high maximal leaf area index. In contrast, high NPP and grain yield was achieved in dry environments with low late-season precipitation via water conserving trait networks: deep roots, high embolism resistance and low stomatal conductance at low leaf water potential ("conservative" stomatal regulation). We suggest that our approach, which allows for the simultaneous evaluation of physiological traits, soil characteristics and their interactions (i.e., networks), has potential to improve our understanding of crop performance in different environments. In contrast, evaluating single traits in isolation of other coordinated traits does not appear to be an effective strategy for predicting plant performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean M Gleason
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Dave M Barnard
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Timothy R Green
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Scott Mackay
- Department of Geography & Department of Environment and Sustainability, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Diane R Wang
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Ainsworth
- United States Department of Agriculture, Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Jon Altenhofen
- Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Berthoud, Colorado, USA
| | - Timothy J Brodribb
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Tasmania Node, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Hervé Cochard
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Louise H Comas
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Mark Cooper
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Queensland Node, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Danielle Creek
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Kendall C DeJonge
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sylvain Delzon
- Université Bordeaux, INRAE, BIOGECO, Pessac, cedex, France
| | - Felix B Fritschi
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Graeme Hammer
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, The University of Queensland Node, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cameron Hunter
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Danica Lombardozzi
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Climate & Global Dynamics Lab, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Carlos D Messina
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Troy Ocheltree
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Bo Maxwell Stevens
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jared J Stewart
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Joshua Wenz
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Ian J Wright
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture, Western Sydney University Node, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kevin Yemoto
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Huihui Zhang
- United States Department of Agriculture, Water Management and Systems Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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14
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Yang Z, Xu J, Du L, Yin J, Wang Z, Yi F, Duan L, Li Z, Wang B, Shu K, Tan W. Design, Synthesis, and Action Mechanism of 1,3-Benzodioxole Derivatives as Potent Auxin Receptor Agonists and Root Growth Promoters. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:902902. [PMID: 35755644 PMCID: PMC9226723 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.902902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Deeper and longer roots allow crops to survive and flourish, but our understanding of the plant growth regulators promoting root system establishment is limited. Here, we report that, a novel auxin receptor agonist, named K-10, had a remarkable promotive effect on root growth in both Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa through the enhancement of root-related signaling responses. Using computer-aided drug discovery approaches, we developed potent lead compound by screening artificial chemicals on the basis of the auxin receptor TIR1 (Transport Inhibitor Response 1), and a series of N-(benzo[d] [1,3] dioxol-5-yl)-2-(one-benzylthio) acetamides, K-1 to K-22, were designed and synthesized. The results of bioassay showed that K-10 exhibited an excellent root growth-promoting activity far exceeding that of NAA (1-naphthylacetic acid). A further morphological investigation of the auxin related mutants (yucQ, tir1) revealed that K-10 had auxin-like physiological functions and was recognized by TIR1, and K-10 significantly enhanced auxin response reporter's (DR5:GUS) transcriptional activity. Consistently, transcriptome analysis showed that K-10 induced a common transcriptional response with auxin and down-regulated the expression of root growth-inhibiting genes. Further molecular docking analysis revealed that K-10 had a stronger binding ability with TIR1 than NAA. These results indicated that this class of derivatives could be a promising scaffold for the discovery and development of novel auxin receptor agonists, and the employment of K-10 may be effective for enhancing root growth and crop production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikun Yang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- College of Pharmaceutical Science & Green Pharmaceutical Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Del-ta Region, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiahui Xu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Lin Du
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaming Yin
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Yi
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Liusheng Duan
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaohu Li
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Baomin Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Shu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Weiming Tan
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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15
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Kořínková N, Fontana IM, Nguyen TD, Pouramini P, Bergougnoux V, Hensel G. Enhancing cereal productivity by genetic modification of root architecture. Biotechnol J 2022; 17:e2100505. [PMID: 35537849 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Food security is one of the main topics of today's agriculture, primarily due to increasingly challenging environmental conditions. As most of humankind has a daily intake of cereal grains, current breeding programs focus on these crop plants. Customised endonucleases have been included in the breeders' toolbox after successfully demonstrating their use. Due to technological restrictions, the main focus of the new technology was on above-ground plant organs. In contrast, the essential below ground components were given only limited attention. In the present review, the knowledge of the root system architecture in cereals and the role of phytohormones during their establishment is summarized, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are outlined. The review summarizes how the use of CRISPR-based genome editing methodology can improve the root system architecture to enhance crop production genetically. Finally, future research directions involving this knowledge and technical advances are suggested. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikola Kořínková
- Centre of Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ-78371.,Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ-78371
| | - Irene M Fontana
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Plant Reproductive Biology, D-06466 Seeland OT, Gatersleben
| | - Thu D Nguyen
- Centre of Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ-78371.,Faculty of Science, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ-78371
| | - Pouneh Pouramini
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Plant Reproductive Biology, D-06466 Seeland OT, Gatersleben
| | - Véronique Bergougnoux
- Centre of Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ-78371
| | - Goetz Hensel
- Centre of Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, CZ-78371.,Centre for Plant Genome Engineering, Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University, D-40225, Dusseldorf
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16
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Woods P, Lehner KR, Hein K, Mullen JL, McKay JK. Root Pulling Force Across Drought in Maize Reveals Genotype by Environment Interactions and Candidate Genes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:883209. [PMID: 35498695 PMCID: PMC9051544 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.883209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput, field-based characterization of root systems for hundreds of genotypes in thousands of plots is necessary for breeding and identifying loci underlying variation in root traits and their plasticity. We designed a large-scale sampling of root pulling force, the vertical force required to extract the root system from the soil, in a maize diversity panel under differing irrigation levels for two growing seasons. We then characterized the root system architecture of the extracted root crowns. We found consistent patterns of phenotypic plasticity for root pulling force for a subset of genotypes under differential irrigation, suggesting that root plasticity is predictable. Using genome-wide association analysis, we identified 54 SNPs as statistically significant for six independent root pulling force measurements across two irrigation levels and four developmental timepoints. For every significant GWAS SNP for any trait in any treatment and timepoint we conducted post hoc tests for genotype-by-environment interaction, using a mixed model ANOVA. We found that 8 of the 54 SNPs showed significant GxE. Candidate genes underlying variation in root pulling force included those involved in nutrient transport. Although they are often treated separately, variation in the ability of plant roots to sense and respond to variation in environmental resources including water and nutrients may be linked by the genes and pathways underlying this variation. While functional validation of the identified genes is needed, our results expand the current knowledge of root phenotypic plasticity at the whole plant and gene levels, and further elucidate the complex genetic architecture of maize root systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Woods
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Kevin R. Lehner
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Kirsten Hein
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Jack L. Mullen
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - John K. McKay
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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17
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Ndoye MS, Burridge J, Bhosale R, Grondin A, Laplaze L. Root traits for low input agroecosystems in Africa: Lessons from three case studies. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:637-649. [PMID: 35037274 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In many regions across Africa, agriculture is largely based on low-input and small-holder farming systems that use little inorganic fertilisers and have limited access to irrigation and mechanisation. Improving agricultural practices and developing new cultivars adapted to these environments, where production already suffers from climate change, is a major priority for food security. Here, we illustrate how breeding for specific root traits could improve crop resilience in Africa using three case studies covering very contrasting low-input agroecosystems. We first review how greater basal root whorl number and longer and denser root hairs increased P acquisition efficiency and yield in common bean in South East Africa. We then discuss how water-saving strategies, root hair density and deep root growth could be targeted to improve sorghum and pearl millet yield in West Africa. Finally, we evaluate how breeding for denser root systems in the topsoil and interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi could be mobilised to optimise water-saving alternate wetting and drying practices in West African rice agroecosystems. We conclude with a discussion on how to evaluate the utility of root traits and how to make root trait selection feasible for breeders so that improved varieties can be made available to farmers through participatory approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mame S Ndoye
- CERAAS, Thies Escale, Thies, Senegal
- LMI LAPSE, Centre de Recherche ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal
- UMR DIADE, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - James Burridge
- UMR DIADE, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Rahul Bhosale
- Future Food Beacon of Excellence and School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alexandre Grondin
- CERAAS, Thies Escale, Thies, Senegal
- LMI LAPSE, Centre de Recherche ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal
- UMR DIADE, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
| | - Laurent Laplaze
- LMI LAPSE, Centre de Recherche ISRA/IRD de Bel Air, Dakar, Senegal
- UMR DIADE, Université de Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, Montpellier, France
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18
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Schneider HM, Lor VSN, Hanlon MT, Perkins A, Kaeppler SM, Borkar AN, Bhosale R, Zhang X, Rodriguez J, Bucksch A, Bennett MJ, Brown KM, Lynch JP. Root angle in maize influences nitrogen capture and is regulated by calcineurin B-like protein (CBL)-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 15 (ZmCIPK15). PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:837-853. [PMID: 34169548 PMCID: PMC9544310 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Crops with reduced nutrient and water requirements are urgently needed in global agriculture. Root growth angle plays an important role in nutrient and water acquisition. A maize diversity panel of 481 genotypes was screened for variation in root angle employing a high-throughput field phenotyping platform. Genome-wide association mapping identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with root angle, including one located in the root expressed CBL-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 15 (ZmCIPK15) gene (LOC100285495). Reverse genetic studies validated the functional importance of ZmCIPK15, causing a approximately 10° change in root angle in specific nodal positions. A steeper root growth angle improved nitrogen capture in silico and in the field. OpenSimRoot simulations predicted at 40 days of growth that this change in angle would improve nitrogen uptake by 11% and plant biomass by 4% in low nitrogen conditions. In field studies under suboptimal N availability, the cipk15 mutant with steeper growth angles had 18% greater shoot biomass and 29% greater shoot nitrogen accumulation compared to the wild type after 70 days of growth. We propose that a steeper root growth angle modulated by ZmCIPK15 will facilitate efforts to develop new crop varieties with optimal root architecture for improved performance under edaphic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Schneider
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Vai Sa Nee Lor
- Department of AgronomyUniversity of WisconsinMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Meredith T. Hanlon
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Alden Perkins
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Aditi N. Borkar
- School of Veterinary Medicine and ScienceUniversity of NottinghamSutton BoningtonUK
| | - Rahul Bhosale
- Future Food Beacon of Excellence and School of BiosciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Xia Zhang
- Department of AgronomyUniversity of WisconsinMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Jonas Rodriguez
- Department of AgronomyUniversity of WisconsinMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Alexander Bucksch
- Department of Plant BiologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
- Institute of BioinformaticsUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Malcolm J. Bennett
- Future Food Beacon of Excellence and School of BiosciencesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Kathleen M. Brown
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Jonathan P. Lynch
- Department of Plant ScienceThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
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19
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Hazman MY, Kabil FF. Maize root responses to drought stress depend on root class and axial position. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2022; 135:105-120. [PMID: 34562205 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-021-01348-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study we tested the hypotheses that root classes would exhibit distinctive anatomical and architectural responses to drought stress, and that those responses would vary along the root axes. The root systems of four maize (Zea mays L.) sweet corn genotypes designated SC1, SC2, SC3 and SC4 were phenotyped under well-watered and drought treatments in greenhouse mesocosms, permitting increasing stratification of moisture availability as the drought progressed. Anatomical and architectural responses to drought were evaluated for each root class. Lignin distribution was assessed by image processing of UV-illuminated root cross-sections acquired by laser ablation tomography. The two cultivars with less biomass reduction under drought, SC3 and SC4, substantially enhanced lateral root development along the apical segments of axial roots when plants were grown with drought stress. These segments grew into the deeper part of the mesocosm where more moisture was available. Apical segments of the axial and large lateral roots from drought-stressed plants were thicker and had greater theoretical axial water conductance than basal segments, especially in SC3 and SC4. Basal segments of crown roots of SC3 and SC4 showed increased lignification of the stele under drought. Root anatomical and architectural responses to drought are complex and vary among cultivars and root classes, and along root axes. Drought-induced proliferation of lateral roots on apical segments of axial roots would be expected to enhance deep water acquisition, while lignification of axial roots could help preserve axial water transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Y Hazman
- Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Agricultural Research Centre, 9 Gamma St., Giza, 12619, Egypt.
| | - Farida F Kabil
- Vegetable Crops Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Gamma St., Giza, 12613, Egypt
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20
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Contreras-Soto RI, Zacarias Rafael D, Domingos Moiana L, Maldonado C, Mora-Poblete F. Variation in Root-Related Traits Is Associated With Water Uptake in Lagenaria siceraria Genotypes Under Water-Deficit Conditions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:897256. [PMID: 35720562 PMCID: PMC9201500 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.897256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In many agricultural areas, crop production has decreased due to a lack of water availability, which is having a negative impact on sustainability and putting food security at risk. In plants, the plasticity of the root system architecture (RSA) is considered to be a key trait driving the modification of the growth and structure of roots in response to water deficits. The purpose of this study was to examine the plasticity of the RSA traits (mean root diameter, MRD; root volume, RV; root length, RL; and root surface area, SA) associated with drought tolerance in eight Lagenaria siceraria (Mol. Standl) genotypes, representing three different geographical origins: South Africa (BG-58, BG-78, and GC), Asia (Philippines and South Korea), and Chile (Illapel, Chepica, and Osorno). The RSA changes were evaluated at four substrate depths (from 0 to 40 cm). Bottle gourd genotypes were grown in 20 L capacity pots under two contrasting levels of irrigation (well-watered and water-deficit conditions). The results showed that the water productivity (WP) had a significant effect on plasticity values, with the Chilean accessions having the highest values. Furthermore, Illapel and Chepica genotypes presented the highest WP, MRD, and RV values under water-deficit conditions, in which MRD and RV were significant in the deeper layers (20-30 and 30-40 cm). Biplot analysis showed that the Illapel and Chepica genotypes presented a high WP, MRD, and RV, which confirmed that these may be promising drought-tolerant genotypes. Consequently, increased root diameter and volume in bottle gourd may constitute a response to a water deficit. The RSA traits studied here can be used as selection criteria in bottle gourd breeding programs under water-deficit conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Iván Contreras-Soto
- Instituto de Ciencias Agroalimentarias, Animales y Ambientales, Universidad de O' Higgins, San Fernando, Chile
| | | | | | - Carlos Maldonado
- Instituto de Ciencias Agroalimentarias, Animales y Ambientales, Universidad de O' Higgins, San Fernando, Chile
- *Correspondence: Carlos Maldonado
| | - Freddy Mora-Poblete
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Talca, Talca, Chile
- Freddy Mora-Poblete
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21
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Fonta JE, Vejchasarn P, Henry A, Lynch JP, Brown KM. Many paths to one goal: Identifying integrated rice root phenotypes for diverse drought environments. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:959629. [PMID: 36072326 PMCID: PMC9441928 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.959629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Drought is a major source of yield loss in the production of rice (Oryza sativa L.), and cultivars that maintain yield under drought across environments and drought stress scenarios are urgently needed. Root phenotypes directly affect water interception and uptake, so plants with root systems optimized for water uptake under drought would likely exhibit reduced yield loss. Deeper nodal roots that have a low metabolic cost per length (i.e., cheaper roots) via smaller root diameter and/or more aerenchyma and that transport water efficiently through smaller diameter metaxylem vessels may be beneficial during drought. Subsets of the Rice Diversity Panel 1 and Azucena × IR64 recombinant inbred lines were grown in two greenhouse and two rainout shelter experiments under drought stress to assess their shoot, root anatomical, and root architectural phenotypes. Root traits and root trait plasticity in response to drought varied with genotype and environment. The best-performing groups in the rainout shelter experiments had less plasticity of living tissue area in nodal roots than the worst performing groups. Root traits under drought were partitioned into similar groups or clusters via the partitioning-around-medoids algorithm, and this revealed two favorable integrated root phenotypes common within and across environments. One favorable integrated phenotype exhibited many, deep nodal roots with larger root cross-sectional area and more aerenchyma, while the other favorable phenotype exhibited many, deep nodal roots with small root cross-sectional area and small metaxylem vessels. Deeper roots with high theoretical axial hydraulic conductance combined with reduced root metabolic cost contributed to greater shoot biomass under drought. These results reflect how some root anatomical and architectural phenes work in concert as integrated phenotypes to influence the performance of plant under drought stress. Multiple integrated root phenotypes are therefore recommended to be selected in breeding programs for improving rice yield across diverse environments and drought scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna E. Fonta
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Phanchita Vejchasarn
- Rice Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Ubon Ratchathani Rice Research Center, Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand
| | - Amelia Henry
- Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Jonathan P. Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Kathleen M. Brown
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Kathleen M. Brown,
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22
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Burridge JD, Grondin A, Vadez V. Optimizing Crop Water Use for Drought and Climate Change Adaptation Requires a Multi-Scale Approach. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:824720. [PMID: 35574091 PMCID: PMC9100818 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.824720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Selection criteria that co-optimize water use efficiency and yield are needed to promote plant productivity in increasingly challenging and variable drought scenarios, particularly dryland cereals in the semi-arid tropics. Optimizing water use efficiency and yield fundamentally involves transpiration dynamics, where restriction of maximum transpiration rate helps to avoid early crop failure, while maximizing grain filling. Transpiration restriction can be regulated by multiple mechanisms and involves cross-organ coordination. This coordination involves complex feedbacks and feedforwards over time scales ranging from minutes to weeks, and from spatial scales ranging from cell membrane to crop canopy. Aquaporins have direct effect but various compensation and coordination pathways involve phenology, relative root and shoot growth, shoot architecture, root length distribution profile, as well as other architectural and anatomical aspects of plant form and function. We propose gravimetric phenotyping as an integrative, cross-scale solution to understand the dynamic, interwoven, and context-dependent coordination of transpiration regulation. The most fruitful breeding strategy is likely to be that which maintains focus on the phene of interest, namely, daily and season level transpiration dynamics. This direct selection approach is more precise than yield-based selection but sufficiently integrative to capture attenuating and complementary factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D. Burridge
- DIADE Group, Cereal Root Systems, Institute de Recherche pour le Développement/Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- *Correspondence: James D. Burridge,
| | - Alexandre Grondin
- DIADE Group, Cereal Root Systems, Institute de Recherche pour le Développement/Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Adaptation des Plantes et Microorganismes Associés aux Stress Environnementaux, Laboratoire Mixte International, Dakar, Senegal
- Centre d’Étude Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse, Thiès, Senegal
| | - Vincent Vadez
- DIADE Group, Cereal Root Systems, Institute de Recherche pour le Développement/Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Adaptation des Plantes et Microorganismes Associés aux Stress Environnementaux, Laboratoire Mixte International, Dakar, Senegal
- Centre d’Étude Régional pour l’Amélioration de l’Adaptation à la Sécheresse, Thiès, Senegal
- International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India
- Vincent Vadez,
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23
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Guo H, Ayalew H, Seethepalli A, Dhakal K, Griffiths M, Ma XF, York LM. Functional phenomics and genetics of the root economics space in winter wheat using high-throughput phenotyping of respiration and architecture. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021. [PMID: 33683730 DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.12.380238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The root economics space is a useful framework for plant ecology but is rarely considered for crop ecophysiology. In order to understand root trait integration in winter wheat, we combined functional phenomics with trait economic theory, utilizing genetic variation, high-throughput phenotyping, and multivariate analyses. We phenotyped a diversity panel of 276 genotypes for root respiration and architectural traits using a novel high-throughput method for CO2 flux and the open-source software RhizoVision Explorer to analyze scanned images. We uncovered substantial variation in specific root respiration (SRR) and specific root length (SRL), which were primary indicators of root metabolic and structural costs. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that lateral root tips had the greatest SRR, and the residuals from this model were used as a new trait. Specific root respiration was negatively correlated with plant mass. Network analysis, using a Gaussian graphical model, identified root weight, SRL, diameter, and SRR as hub traits. Univariate and multivariate genetic analyses identified genetic regions associated with SRR, SRL, and root branching frequency, and proposed gene candidates. Combining functional phenomics and root economics is a promising approach to improving our understanding of crop ecophysiology. We identified root traits and genomic regions that could be harnessed to breed more efficient crops for sustainable agroecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haichao Guo
- Noble Research Institute LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Habtamu Ayalew
- Noble Research Institute LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Anand Seethepalli
- Noble Research Institute LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Kundan Dhakal
- Noble Research Institute LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Marcus Griffiths
- Noble Research Institute LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Xue-Feng Ma
- Noble Research Institute LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Larry M York
- Noble Research Institute LLC, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
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24
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Ober ES, Alahmad S, Cockram J, Forestan C, Hickey LT, Kant J, Maccaferri M, Marr E, Milner M, Pinto F, Rambla C, Reynolds M, Salvi S, Sciara G, Snowdon RJ, Thomelin P, Tuberosa R, Uauy C, Voss-Fels KP, Wallington E, Watt M. Wheat root systems as a breeding target for climate resilience. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2021; 134:1645-1662. [PMID: 33900415 PMCID: PMC8206059 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-021-03819-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
In the coming decades, larger genetic gains in yield will be necessary to meet projected demand, and this must be achieved despite the destabilizing impacts of climate change on crop production. The root systems of crops capture the water and nutrients needed to support crop growth, and improved root systems tailored to the challenges of specific agricultural environments could improve climate resiliency. Each component of root initiation, growth and development is controlled genetically and responds to the environment, which translates to a complex quantitative system to navigate for the breeder, but also a world of opportunity given the right tools. In this review, we argue that it is important to know more about the 'hidden half' of crop plants and hypothesize that crop improvement could be further enhanced using approaches that directly target selection for root system architecture. To explore these issues, we focus predominantly on bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a staple crop that plays a major role in underpinning global food security. We review the tools available for root phenotyping under controlled and field conditions and the use of these platforms alongside modern genetics and genomics resources to dissect the genetic architecture controlling the wheat root system. To contextualize these advances for applied wheat breeding, we explore questions surrounding which root system architectures should be selected for, which agricultural environments and genetic trait configurations of breeding populations are these best suited to, and how might direct selection for these root ideotypes be implemented in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S Ober
- NIAB, 93 Lawrence Weaver Road, Cambridge, CB3 0LE, UK.
| | - Samir Alahmad
- Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - James Cockram
- NIAB, 93 Lawrence Weaver Road, Cambridge, CB3 0LE, UK
| | - Cristian Forestan
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale G Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lee T Hickey
- Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Josefine Kant
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, IBG-2, Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428, Jülich, Germany
| | - Marco Maccaferri
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale G Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Emily Marr
- NIAB, 93 Lawrence Weaver Road, Cambridge, CB3 0LE, UK
| | | | - Francisco Pinto
- Global Wheat Program, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), 56237, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Charlotte Rambla
- Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Matthew Reynolds
- Global Wheat Program, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), 56237, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
| | - Silvio Salvi
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale G Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sciara
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale G Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rod J Snowdon
- Department of Plant Breeding, IFZ Research Centre for Biosystems, Land Use and Nutrition, Justus Liebig University, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 26-32, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | | | - Roberto Tuberosa
- Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale G Fanin 44, 40127, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cristobal Uauy
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Kai P Voss-Fels
- Centre for Animal Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | | | - Michelle Watt
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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25
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Chen S, Li X, Yang C, Yan W, Liu C, Tang X, Gao C. Genome-wide Identification and Characterization of FCS-Like Zinc Finger (FLZ) Family Genes in Maize ( Zea mays) and Functional Analysis of ZmFLZ25 in Plant Abscisic Acid Response. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3529. [PMID: 33805388 PMCID: PMC8037668 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
FCS-like zinc finger family proteins (FLZs), a class of plant-specific scaffold of SnRK1 complex, are involved in the regulation of various aspects of plant growth and stress responses. Most information of FLZ family genes was obtained from the studies in Arabidopsis thaliana, whereas little is known about the potential functions of FLZs in crop plants. In this study, 37 maize FLZ (ZmFLZ) genes were identified to be asymmetrically distributed on 10 chromosomes and can be divided into three subfamilies. Protein interaction and subcellular localization assays demonstrated that eight typical ZmFLZs interacted and partially co-localized with ZmKIN10, the catalytic α-subunit of the SnRK1 complex in maize leaf mesophyll cells. Expression profile analysis revealed that several ZmFLZs were differentially expressed across various tissues and actively responded to diverse abiotic stresses. In addition, ectopic overexpression of ZmFLZ25 in Arabidopsis conferred hypersensitivity to exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and triggered higher expression of ABA-induced genes, pointing to the positive regulatory role of ZmFLZ25 in plant ABA signaling, a scenario further evidenced by the interactions between ZmFLZ25 and ABA receptors. In summary, these data provide the most comprehensive information on FLZ family genes in maize, and shed light on the biological function of ZmFLZ25 in plant ABA signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunquan Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.C.); (X.L.); (C.Y.); (W.Y.); (C.L.)
- Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Crop Design, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Xibao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.C.); (X.L.); (C.Y.); (W.Y.); (C.L.)
| | - Chao Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.C.); (X.L.); (C.Y.); (W.Y.); (C.L.)
| | - Wei Yan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.C.); (X.L.); (C.Y.); (W.Y.); (C.L.)
- Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Crop Design, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Chuanliang Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.C.); (X.L.); (C.Y.); (W.Y.); (C.L.)
| | - Xiaoyan Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.C.); (X.L.); (C.Y.); (W.Y.); (C.L.)
- Shenzhen Institute of Molecular Crop Design, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Caiji Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China; (S.C.); (X.L.); (C.Y.); (W.Y.); (C.L.)
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26
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Siddiqui MN, Léon J, Naz AA, Ballvora A. Genetics and genomics of root system variation in adaptation to drought stress in cereal crops. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:1007-1019. [PMID: 33096558 PMCID: PMC7904151 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Cereals are important crops worldwide that help meet food demands and nutritional needs. In recent years, cereal production has been challenged globally by frequent droughts and hot spells. A plant's root is the most relevant organ for the plant adaptation to stress conditions, playing pivotal roles in anchorage and the acquisition of soil-based resources. Thus, dissecting root system variations and trait selection for enhancing yield and sustainability under drought stress conditions should aid in future global food security. This review highlights the variations in root system attributes and their interplay with shoot architecture features to face water scarcity and maintain thus yield of major cereal crops. Further, we compile the root-related drought responsive quantitative trait loci/genes in cereal crops including their interspecies relationships using microsynteny to facilitate comparative genomic analyses. We then discuss the potential of an integrated strategy combining genomics and phenomics at genetic and epigenetic levels to explore natural genetic diversity as a basis for knowledge-based genome editing. Finally, we present an outline to establish innovative breeding leads for the rapid and optimized selection of root traits necessary to develop resilient crop varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nurealam Siddiqui
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) – Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Jens Léon
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) – Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ali A Naz
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) – Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Agim Ballvora
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) – Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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27
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Schneider HM, Strock CF, Hanlon MT, Vanhees DJ, Perkins AC, Ajmera IB, Sidhu JS, Mooney SJ, Brown KM, Lynch JP. Multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma enhance root penetration in compacted soils. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2012087118. [PMID: 33536333 PMCID: PMC8017984 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012087118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical impedance limits soil exploration and resource capture by plant roots. We examine the role of root anatomy in regulating plant adaptation to mechanical impedance and identify a root anatomical phene in maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) associated with penetration of hard soil: Multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma (MCS). We characterize this trait and evaluate the utility of MCS for root penetration in compacted soils. Roots with MCS had a greater cell wall-to-lumen ratio and a distinct UV emission spectrum in outer cortical cells. Genome-wide association mapping revealed that MCS is heritable and genetically controlled. We identified a candidate gene associated with MCS. Across all root classes and nodal positions, maize genotypes with MCS had 13% greater root lignin concentration compared to genotypes without MCS. Genotypes without MCS formed MCS upon exogenous ethylene exposure. Genotypes with MCS had greater lignin concentration and bending strength at the root tip. In controlled environments, MCS in maize and wheat was associated improved root tensile strength and increased penetration ability in compacted soils. Maize genotypes with MCS had root systems with 22% greater depth and 49% greater shoot biomass in compacted soils in the field compared to lines without MCS. Of the lines we assessed, MCS was present in 30 to 50% of modern maize, wheat, and barley cultivars but was absent in teosinte and wild and landrace accessions of wheat and barley. MCS merits investigation as a trait for improving plant performance in maize, wheat, and other grasses under edaphic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Schneider
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Christopher F Strock
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Meredith T Hanlon
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Dorien J Vanhees
- Division of Agricultural and Environment Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie DD2 5DA, United Kingdom
| | - Alden C Perkins
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Ishan B Ajmera
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Jagdeep Singh Sidhu
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Sacha J Mooney
- Division of Agricultural and Environment Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
- Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen M Brown
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Jonathan P Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802;
- Division of Agricultural and Environment Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
- Centre for Plant Integrative Biology, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire LE12 5RD, United Kingdom
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28
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Lucob-Agustin N, Kawai T, Kano-Nakata M, Suralta RR, Niones JM, Hasegawa T, Inari-Ikeda M, Yamauchi A, Inukai Y. Morpho-physiological and molecular mechanisms of phenotypic root plasticity for rice adaptation to water stress conditions. BREEDING SCIENCE 2021; 71:20-29. [PMID: 33762873 PMCID: PMC7973496 DOI: 10.1270/jsbbs.20106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Different types of water stress severely affect crop production, and the plant root system plays a critical role in stress avoidance. In the case of rice, a cereal crop cultivated under the widest range of soil hydrologic conditions, from irrigated anaerobic conditions to rainfed conditions, phenotypic root plasticity is of particular relevance. Recently, important plastic root traits under different water stress conditions, and their physiological and molecular mechanisms have been gradually understood. In this review, we summarize these plastic root traits and their contributions to dry matter production through enhancement of water uptake under different water stress conditions. We also discuss the physiological and molecular mechanisms regulating the phenotypic plasticity of root systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nonawin Lucob-Agustin
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
- Philippine Rice Research Institute, Central Experiment Station, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, 3119, Philippines
| | - Tsubasa Kawai
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Mana Kano-Nakata
- International Center for Research and Education in Agriculture, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Roel R. Suralta
- Philippine Rice Research Institute, Central Experiment Station, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, 3119, Philippines
| | - Jonathan M. Niones
- Philippine Rice Research Institute, Central Experiment Station, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, 3119, Philippines
| | - Tomomi Hasegawa
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Mayuko Inari-Ikeda
- International Center for Research and Education in Agriculture, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Akira Yamauchi
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Inukai
- International Center for Research and Education in Agriculture, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
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Natural Variation and Domestication Selection of ZmCKX5 with Root Morphological Traits at the Seedling Stage in Maize. PLANTS 2020; 10:plants10010001. [PMID: 33375032 PMCID: PMC7830956 DOI: 10.3390/plants10010001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Root system architecture plays a crucial role in water and nutrient acquisition in maize. Cytokinins, which can be irreversibly degraded by the cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX), are important hormones that regulate root development in plants. In this study, ZmCKX5 was resequenced in 285 inbred lines, 68 landraces, and 32 teosintes to identify the significant variants associated with root traits in maize. Sequence polymorphisms and nucleotide diversity revealed that ZmCKX5 might be selected during domestication and improvement processes. Marker–trait association analysis in inbred lines identified 12 variants of ZmCKX5 that were significantly associated with six root traits, including seed root number (SRN), lateral root length (LRL), total root area (RA), root length in 0 to 0.5 mm diameter class (RL005), total root volume (RV), and total root length (TRL). SNP-1195 explained the most (6.01%) phenotypic variation of SRN, and the frequency of this allele G increased from 6.25% and 1.47% in teosintes and landraces, respectively, to 17.39% in inbred lines. Another significant variant, SNP-1406, with a pleiotropic effect, is strongly associated with five root traits, with the frequency of T allele increased from 25.00% and 23.73% in teosintes and landraces, respectively, to 35.00% in inbred lines. These results indicate that ZmCKX5 may be involved in the development of the maize root system and that the significant variants can be used to develop functional markers to accelerate the improvement in the maize root system.
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Schneider HM, Lynch JP. Should Root Plasticity Be a Crop Breeding Target? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:546. [PMID: 32499798 PMCID: PMC7243933 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Root phenotypic plasticity has been proposed as a target for the development of more productive crops in variable environments. However, the plasticity of root anatomical and architectural responses to environmental cues is highly complex, and the consequences of these responses for plant fitness are poorly understood. We propose that root phenotypic plasticity may be beneficial in natural or low-input systems in which the availability of soil resources is spatiotemporally dynamic. Crop ancestors and landraces were selected with multiple stresses, competition, significant root loss and heterogenous resource distribution which favored plasticity in response to resource availability. However, in high-input agroecosystems, the value of phenotypic plasticity is unclear, since human management has removed many of these constraints to root function. Further research is needed to understand the fitness landscape of plastic responses including understanding the value of plasticity in different environments, environmental signals that induce plastic responses, and the genetic architecture of plasticity before it is widely adopted in breeding programs. Phenotypic plasticity has many potential ecological, and physiological benefits, but its costs and adaptive value in high-input agricultural systems is poorly understood and merits further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan P. Lynch
- Department of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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