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Wang Y, Zhang H, Gu J, Chen C, Liu J, Zhang Z, Hua B, Miao M. The Sink-Source Relationship in Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) Is Modulated by DNA Methylation. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:103. [PMID: 38202411 PMCID: PMC10780960 DOI: 10.3390/plants13010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The optimization of the sink-source relationship is of great importance for crop yield regulation. Cucumber is a typical raffinose family oligosaccharide (RFO)-transporting crop. DNA methylation is a common epigenetic modification in plants, but its role in sink-source regulation has not been demonstrated in RFO-translocating species. Here, whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS-seq) was conducted to compare the nonfruiting-node leaves (NFNLs) and leaves of fruit setting (FNLs) at the 12th node by removing all female flowers in other nodes of the two treatments. We found considerable differentially methylated genes enriched in photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolic processes. Comparative transcriptome analysis between FNLs and NFNLs indicated that many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with differentially methylated regions were involved in auxin, ethylene and brassinolide metabolism; sucrose metabolism; and RFO synthesis pathways related to sink-source regulation. Moreover, DNA methylation levels of six sink-source-related genes in the pathways mentioned above decreased in leaves after 5-aza-dC-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC, a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor) treatment on FNLs, and stachyose synthase (CsSTS) gene expression, enzyme activity and stachyose content in RFO synthesis pathway were upregulated, thereby increasing fruit length and dry weight. Taken together, our findings proposed an up-to-date inference for the potential role of DNA methylation in the sink-source relationship, which will provide important references for further exploring the molecular mechanism of DNA methylation in improving the yield of RFO transport plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudan Wang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Y.W.); (J.G.); (C.C.); (J.L.); (Z.Z.); (B.H.)
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Jiangsu Yanjiang Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Nantong 226541, China;
| | - Jiawen Gu
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Y.W.); (J.G.); (C.C.); (J.L.); (Z.Z.); (B.H.)
| | - Chen Chen
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Y.W.); (J.G.); (C.C.); (J.L.); (Z.Z.); (B.H.)
| | - Jiexia Liu
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Y.W.); (J.G.); (C.C.); (J.L.); (Z.Z.); (B.H.)
| | - Zhiping Zhang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Y.W.); (J.G.); (C.C.); (J.L.); (Z.Z.); (B.H.)
| | - Bing Hua
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Y.W.); (J.G.); (C.C.); (J.L.); (Z.Z.); (B.H.)
| | - Minmin Miao
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (Y.W.); (J.G.); (C.C.); (J.L.); (Z.Z.); (B.H.)
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
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Ren Y, Liao S, Xu Y. An update on sugar allocation and accumulation in fruits. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:888-899. [PMID: 37224524 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Fruit sweetness is determined by the amount and composition of sugars in the edible flesh. The accumulation of sugar is a highly orchestrated process that requires coordination of numerous metabolic enzymes and sugar transporters. This coordination enables partitioning and long-distance translocation of photoassimilates from source tissues to sink organs. In fruit crops, sugars ultimately accumulate in the sink fruit. Whereas tremendous progress has been achieved in understanding the function of individual genes associated with sugar metabolism and sugar transport in non-fruit crops, there is less known about the sugar transporters and metabolic enzymes responsible for sugar accumulation in fruit crop species. This review identifies knowledge gaps and can serve as a foundation for future studies, with comprehensive updates focusing on (1) the physiological roles of the metabolic enzymes and sugar transporters responsible for sugar allocation and partitioning and that contribute to sugar accumulation in fruit crops; and (2) the molecular mechanisms underlying the transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of sugar transport and metabolism. We also provide insights into the challenges and future directions of studies on sugar transporters and metabolic enzymes and name several promising genes that should be targeted with gene editing in the pursuit of optimized sugar allocation and partitioning to enhance sugar accumulation in fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ren
- National Watermelon and Melon Improvement Center, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Improvement, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Shengjin Liao
- National Watermelon and Melon Improvement Center, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Improvement, Beijing 100097, China
| | - Yong Xu
- National Watermelon and Melon Improvement Center, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), Beijing Key Laboratory of Vegetable Germplasm Improvement, Beijing 100097, China
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Liu J, Lin Y, Chen J, Yan Q, Xue C, Wu R, Chen X, Yuan X. Genome-wide association studies provide genetic insights into natural variation of seed-size-related traits in mungbean. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:997988. [PMID: 36311130 PMCID: PMC9608654 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.997988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Although mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) is an important legume crop, its seed yield is relatively low. To address this issue, here 196 accessions with 3,607,508 SNP markers were used to identify quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs), QTN-by-environment interactions (QEIs), and their candidate genes for seed length (SL), seed width, and 100-seed weight (HSW) in two environments. As a result, 98 QTNs and 20 QEIs were identified using 3VmrMLM, while 95, >10,000, and 15 QTNs were identified using EMMAX, GEMMA, and CMLM, respectively. Among 809 genes around these QTNs, 12 were homologous to known seed-development genes in rice and Arabidopsis thaliana, in which 10, 2, 1, and 0 genes were found, respectively, by the above four methods to be associated with the three traits, such as VrEmp24/25 for SL and VrKIX8 for HSW. Eight of the 12 genes were significantly differentially expressed between two large-seed and two small-seed accessions, and VrKIX8, VrPAT14, VrEmp24/25, VrIAR1, VrBEE3, VrSUC4, and Vrflo2 were further verified by RT-qPCR. Among 65 genes around these QEIs, VrFATB, VrGSO1, VrLACS2, and VrPAT14 were homologous to known seed-development genes in A. thaliana, although new experiments are necessary to explore these novel GEI-trait associations. In addition, 54 genes were identified in comparative genomics analysis to be associated with seed development pathway, in which VrKIX8, VrABA2, VrABI5, VrSHB1, and VrIKU2 were also identified in genome-wide association studies. This result provided a reliable approach for identifying seed-size-related genes in mungbean and a solid foundation for further molecular biology research on seed-size-related genes.
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Song M, Zhang X, Yang J, Gao C, Wei Y, Chen S, Liesche J. Arabidopsis plants engineered for high root sugar secretion enhance the diversity of soil microorganisms. Biotechnol J 2022; 17:e2100638. [PMID: 35894173 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202100638] [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: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Plants secrete sugars from their roots into the soil, presumably to support beneficial plant-microbe interactions. Accordingly, manipulation of sugar secretion might be a viable strategy to enhance plant health and productivity. To evaluate the effect of increased root sugar secretion on plant performance and the soil microbiome, we overexpressed glucose and sucrose-specific membrane transporters in root epidermal cells of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. These plants showed strongly increased rates of sugar secretion in a hydroponic culture system. When grown on soil, the transporter-overexpressor plants displayed a higher photosynthesis rate, but reduced shoot growth compared to the wild-type control. Amplicon sequencing and qPCR analysis of rhizosphere soil samples indicated a limited effect on the total abundance of bacteria and fungi, but a strong effect on community structure in soil samples associated with the overexpressors. Notable changes included the increased abundance of bacteria belonging to the genus Rhodanobacter and the fungi belonging to the genus Cutaneotrichosporon, while Candida species abundance was reduced. The potential influences of the altered soil microbiome on plant health and productivity are discussed. The results indicate that the engineering of sugar secretion can be a viable pathway to enhancing the carbon sequestration rate and optimizing the soil microbiome. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Song
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Xingjian Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Jintao Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Chen Gao
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, 1871, Denmark
| | - Yahong Wei
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Shaolin Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Johannes Liesche
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,Biomass Energy Center for Arid and Semiarid Lands, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China.,State Key Laboratory of Stress Biology for Arid Areas, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, China
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Chardon F, De Marco F, Marmagne A, Le Hir R, Vilaine F, Bellini C, Dinant S. Natural variation in the long-distance transport of nutrients and photoassimilates in response to N availability. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 273:153707. [PMID: 35550522 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Phloem and xylem tissues are necessary for the allocation of nutrients and photoassimilates. However, how the long-distance transport of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) is coordinated with the central metabolism is largely unknown. To better understand how the genetic and environmental factors influence C and N transport, we analysed the metabolite profiles of phloem exudates and xylem saps of five Arabidopsis thaliana accessions grown in low or non-limiting N supply. We observed that xylem saps were composed of 46 or 56% carbohydrates, 27 or 45% amino acids, and 5 or 13% organic acids in low or non-limiting N supply, respectively. In contrast, phloem exudates were composed of 76 or 86% carbohydrates, 7 or 18% amino acids, and 5 or 6% organic acids. Variation in N supply impacted amino acid, organic acid and sugar contents. When comparing low N and non-limiting N, the most striking differences were variations of glutamine, aspartate, and succinate abundance in the xylem saps and citrate and fumarate abundance in phloem exudates. In addition, we observed a substantial variation of metabolite content between genotypes, particularly under high N. The content of several organic acids, such as malate, citrate, fumarate, and succinate was affected by the genotype alone or by the interaction between genotype and N supply. This study confirmed that the response of the transport of nutrients in the phloem and the xylem to N availability is associated with the regulation of the central metabolism and could be an adaptive trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Chardon
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Federica De Marco
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Anne Marmagne
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Rozenn Le Hir
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Françoise Vilaine
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Catherine Bellini
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France; Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC), Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sylvie Dinant
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB), 78000, Versailles, France.
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Braun DM. Phloem Loading and Unloading of Sucrose: What a Long, Strange Trip from Source to Sink. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 73:553-584. [PMID: 35171647 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-070721-083240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Sucrose is transported from sources (mature leaves) to sinks (importing tissues such as roots, stems, fruits, and seeds) through the phloem tissues in veins. In many herbaceous crop species, sucrose must first be effluxed to the cell wall by a sugar transporter of the SWEET family prior to being taken up into phloem companion cells or sieve elements by a different sugar transporter, called SUT or SUC. The import of sucrose into these cells is termed apoplasmic phloem loading. In sinks, sucrose can similarly exit the phloem apoplasmically or, alternatively, symplasmically through plasmodesmata into connecting parenchyma storage cells. Recent advances describing the regulation and manipulation of sugar transporter expression and activities provide stimulating new insights into sucrose phloem loading in sources and unloading processes in sink tissues. Additionally, new breakthroughs have revealed distinct subpopulations of cells in leaves with different functions pertaining to phloem loading. These and other discoveries in sucrose transport are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Braun
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, Division of Biological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, and Missouri Maize Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA;
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The Role of Membrane Transporters in Plant Growth and Development, and Abiotic Stress Tolerance. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312792. [PMID: 34884597 PMCID: PMC8657488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The proteins of membrane transporters (MTs) are embedded within membrane-bounded organelles and are the prime targets for improvements in the efficiency of water and nutrient transportation. Their function is to maintain cellular homeostasis by controlling ionic movements across cellular channels from roots to upper plant parts, xylem loading and remobilization of sugar molecules from photosynthesis tissues in the leaf (source) to roots, stem and seeds (sink) via phloem loading. The plant's entire source-to-sink relationship is regulated by multiple transporting proteins in a highly sophisticated manner and driven based on different stages of plant growth and development (PG&D) and environmental changes. The MTs play a pivotal role in PG&D in terms of increased plant height, branches/tiller numbers, enhanced numbers, length and filled panicles per plant, seed yield and grain quality. Dynamic climatic changes disturbed ionic balance (salt, drought and heavy metals) and sugar supply (cold and heat stress) in plants. Due to poor selectivity, some of the MTs also uptake toxic elements in roots negatively impact PG&D and are later on also exported to upper parts where they deteriorate grain quality. As an adaptive strategy, in response to salt and heavy metals, plants activate plasma membranes and vacuolar membrane-localized MTs that export toxic elements into vacuole and also translocate in the root's tips and shoot. However, in case of drought, cold and heat stresses, MTs increased water and sugar supplies to all organs. In this review, we mainly review recent literature from Arabidopsis, halophytes and major field crops such as rice, wheat, maize and oilseed rape in order to argue the global role of MTs in PG&D, and abiotic stress tolerance. We also discussed gene expression level changes and genomic variations within a species as well as within a family in response to developmental and environmental cues.
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Dhungana SR, Braun DM. Sugar transporters in grasses: Function and modulation in source and storage tissues. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 266:153541. [PMID: 34634553 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2021.153541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Carbohydrate partitioning, the process of transporting carbohydrates from photosynthetic (source) tissues, such as leaves, to non-photosynthetic (sink) tissues, such as stems, roots, and reproductive structures, is vital not only for the growth and development of plants but also for withstanding biotic and abiotic stress. In many plants, sucrose is the primary form of carbohydrate loaded into the phloem for long-distance transport and unloaded into the sink tissues for utilization or storage. We highlight recent findings about 1) phloem loading in grasses, 2) the principal families of sugar transporters involved in sucrose transport, and 3) novel mechanisms by which the activities of sugar transporters are modulated. We discuss exciting discoveries from eudicot species that provide valuable insights regarding the regulation of these sugar transporters, which may be translatable to monocot species. As we better understand the intricate pathways that control the activities of various sugar transporters, we can utilize this knowledge for developing improved crop varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Singha R Dhungana
- Divisions of Biological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, and Missouri Maize Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA
| | - David M Braun
- Divisions of Biological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, and Missouri Maize Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA; Plant Science and Technology, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, and Missouri Maize Center, University of Missouri-Columbia, USA.
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Leaf Age-Dependent Photosystem II Photochemistry and Oxidative Stress Responses to Drought Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana Are Modulated by Flavonoid Accumulation. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26144157. [PMID: 34299433 PMCID: PMC8307756 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26144157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated flavonoid accumulation and lipid peroxidation in young leaves (YL) and mature leaves (ML) of Arabidopsis thaliana plants, whose watering stopped 24 h before sampling, characterized as onset of drought stress (OnDS), six days before sampling, characterized as mild drought stress (MiDS), and ten days before sampling, characterized as moderate drought stress (MoDS). The response to drought stress (DS) of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry, in both leaf types, was evaluated by estimating the allocation of absorbed light to photochemistry (ΦPSII), to heat dissipation by regulated non-photochemical energy loss (ΦNPQ) and to non-regulated energy dissipated in PSII (ΦNO). Young leaves were better protected at MoDS than ML leaves, by having higher concentration of flavonoids that promote acclimation of YL PSII photochemistry to MoDS, showing lower lipid peroxidation and excitation pressure (1 - qp). Young leaves at MoDS possessed lower 1 - qp values and lower excess excitation energy (EXC), not only compared to MoDS ML, but even to MiDS YL. They also possessed a higher capacity to maintain low ΦNO, suggesting a lower singlet oxygen (1O2) generation. Our results highlight that leaves of different developmental stage may display different responses to DS, due to differential accumulation of metabolites, and imply that PSII photochemistry in Arabidopsis thaliana may not show a dose dependent DS response.
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