Hsp90 canalizes developmental perturbation

GA-Mediated Disruption of RGA/BZR1 Complex Requires HSP90 to Promote Hypocotyl Elongation

Circuitries of signaling pathways integrate distinct hormonal and environmental signals, and influence development in plants. While a crosstalk between brassinosteroid (BR) and gibberellin (GA) signaling pathways has recently been established, little is known about other components engaged in the integration of the two pathways. Here, we provide supporting evidence for the role of HSP90 (HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90) in regulating the interplay of the GA and BR signaling pathways to control hypocotyl elongation of etiolated seedlings in Arabidopsis. Both pharmacological and genetic depletion of HSP90 alter the expression of GA biosynthesis and catabolism genes. Major components of the GA pathway, like RGA (REPRESSOR of ga1-3) and GAI (GA-INSENSITIVE) DELLA proteins, have been identified as physically interacting with HSP90. Interestingly, GA-promoted DELLA degradation depends on the ATPase activity of HSP90, and inhibition of HSP90 function stabilizes the DELLA/BZR1 (BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1) complex, modifying the expression of downstream transcriptional targets. Our results collectively reveal that HSP90, through physical interactions with DELLA proteins and BZR1, modulates DELLA abundance and regulates the expression of BZR1-dependent transcriptional targets to promote plant growth.

BRI1 and BAK1 Canonical Distribution in Plasma Membrane Is HSP90 Dependent

The activation of BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1) and its association with the BRI1 ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE1 (BAK1) are key steps for the initiation of the BR signaling cascade mediating hypocotyl elongation. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is crucial in the regulation of signaling processes and the activation of hormonal receptors. We report that HSP90 is required for the maintenance of the BRI1 receptor at the plasma membrane (PM) and its association with the BAK1 co-receptor during BL-ligand stimulation. HSP90 mediates BR perception and signal transduction through physical interactions with BRI1 and BAK1, while chaperone depletion resulted in lower levels of BRI1 and BAK1 receptors at the PM and affected the spatial partitioning and organization of BRI1/BAK1 heterocomplexes at the PM. The BRI1/BAK1 interaction relies on the HSP90-dependent activation of the kinase domain of BRI1 which leads to the confinement of the spatial dynamics of the membrane resident BRI1 and the attenuation of the downstream signaling. This is evident by the impaired activation and transcriptional activity of BRI1 EMS SUPPRESSOR 1 (BES1) upon HSP90 depletion. Our findings provide conclusive evidence that further expands the commitment of HSP90 in BR signaling through the HSP90-mediated activation of BRI1 in the control of the BR signaling cascade in plants.

HSP90 affects root growth in Arabidopsis by regulating the polar distribution of PIN1

Auxin homeostasis and signaling affect a broad range of developmental processes in plants. The interplay between HSP90 and auxin signaling is channeled through the chaperoning capacity of the HSP90 on the TIR1 auxin receptor. The sophisticated buffering capacity of the HSP90 system through the interaction with diverse signaling protein components drastically shapes genetic circuitries regulating various developmental aspects. However, the elegant networking capacity of HSP90 in the global regulation of auxin response and homeostasis has not been appreciated. Arabidopsis hsp90 mutants were screened for gravity response. Phenotypic analysis of root meristems and cotyledon veins was performed. PIN1 localization in hsp90 mutants was determined. Our results showed that HSP90 affected the asymmetrical distribution of PIN1 in plasma membranes and influenced its expression in prompt cell niches. Depletion of HSP90 distorted polar distribution of auxin, as the acropetal auxin transport was highly affected, leading to impaired root gravitropism and lateral root formation. The essential role of the HSP90 in auxin homeostasis was profoundly evident from early development, as HSP90 depletion affected embryo development and the pattern formation of veins in cotyledons. Our data suggest that the HSP90-mediated distribution of PIN1 modulates auxin distribution and thereby auxin signaling to properly promote plant development.

HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90 proteins and YODA regulate main body axis formation during early embryogenesis

The YODA (YDA) kinase pathway is intimately associated with the control of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) embryo development, but little is known regarding its regulators. Using genetic analysis, HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90 (HSP90) proteins emerge as potent regulators of YDA in the process of embryo development and patterning. This study is focused on the characterization and quantification of early embryonal traits of single and double hsp90 and yda mutants. HSP90s genetic interactions with YDA affected the downstream signaling pathway to control the development of both basal and apical cell lineage of embryo. Our results demonstrate that the spatiotemporal expression of WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX 8 (WOX8) and WOX2 is changed when function of HSP90s or YDA is impaired, suggesting their essential role in the cell fate determination and possible link to auxin signaling during early embryo development. Hence, HSP90s together with YDA signaling cascade affect transcriptional networks shaping the early embryo development.

Heat shock response enhanced by cell culture treatment in mouse embryonic stem cell-derived proliferating neural stem cells

Cells have a regulatory mechanism known as heat shock (HS) response, which induces the expression of HS genes and proteins in response to heat and other cellular stresses. Exposure to moderate HS results in beneficial effects, such as thermotolerance and promotes survival, whereas excessive HS causes cell death. The effect of HS on cells depends on both exogenous factors, including the temperature and duration of heat application, and endogenous factors, such as the degree of cell differentiation. Neural stem cells (NSCs) can self-renew and differentiate into neurons and glial cells, but the changes in the HS response of symmetrically proliferating NSCs in culture are unclear. We evaluated the HS response of homogeneous proliferating NSCs derived from mouse embryonic stem cells during the proliferative phase and its effect on survival and cell death in vitro. The number of adherent cells and the expression ratios of HS protein (Hsp)40 and Hsp70 genes after exposure to HS for 20 min at temperatures above 43°C significantly increased with the extension of the culture period before exposure to HS. In contrast, caspase activity was significantly decreased by extension of the culture period before exposure to HS and suppressed the decrease in cell viability. These results suggest that the culture period before HS remarkably affects the HS response, influencing the expression of HS genes and cell survival of proliferating NSCs in culture.

HSP90 chaperones regulate stomatal differentiation under normal and heat stress conditions

Stomatal development is tightly connected with the overall plant growth, while changes in environmental conditions, like elevated temperature, affect negatively stomatal formation. Stomatal ontogenesis follows a well-defined series of cell developmental transitions in the cotyledon and leaf epidermis that finally lead to the production of mature stomata. YODA signaling cascade regulates stomatal development mainly through the phosphorylation and inactivation of SPEECHLESS (SPCH) transcription factor, while HSP90 chaperones have a central role in the regulation of YODA cascade. Here, we report that acute heat stress affects negatively stomatal differentiation, leads to high phosphorylation levels of MPK3 and MPK6, and alters the expression of SPCH and MUTE transcription factors. Genetic depletion of HSP90 leads to decreased stomatal differentiation rates. Thus, HSP90 chaperones safeguard the completion of distinct stomatal differentiation steps depending on these two transcription factors under normal and heat stress conditions.

Multifaceted roles of HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90 molecular chaperones in plant development

HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS 90 (HSP90s) are molecular chaperones that mediate correct folding and stability of many client proteins. These chaperones act as master molecular hubs involved in multiple aspects of cellular and developmental signalling in diverse organisms. Moreover, environmental and genetic perturbations affect both HSP90s and their clients, leading to alterations of molecular networks determining respectively plant phenotypes and genotypes and contributing to a broad phenotypic plasticity. Although HSP90 interaction networks affecting the genetic basis of phenotypic variation and diversity have been thoroughly studied in animals, such studies are just starting to emerge in plants. Here, we summarize current knowledge and discuss HSP90 network functions in plant development and cellular homeostasis.

YODA-HSP90 Module Regulates Phosphorylation-Dependent Inactivation of SPEECHLESS to Control Stomatal Development under Acute Heat Stress in Arabidopsis

Stomatal ontogenesis, patterning, and function are hallmarks of environmental plant adaptation, especially to conditions limiting plant growth, such as elevated temperatures and reduced water availability. The specification and distribution of a stomatal cell lineage and its terminal differentiation into guard cells require a master regulatory protein phosphorylation cascade involving the YODA mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase. YODA signaling results in the activation of MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASEs (MPK3 and MPK6), which regulate transcription factors, including SPEECHLESS (SPCH). Here, we report that acute heat stress affects the phosphorylation and deactivation of SPCH and modulates stomatal density. By using complementary molecular, genetic, biochemical, and cell biology approaches, we provide solid evidence that HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS 90 (HSP90s) play a crucial role in transducing heat-stress response through the YODA cascade. Genetic studies revealed that YODA and HSP90.1 are epistatic, and they likely function linearly in the same developmental pathway regulating stomata formation. HSP90s interact with YODA, affect its cellular polarization, and modulate the phosphorylation of downstream targets, such as MPK6 and SPCH, under both normal and heat-stress conditions. Thus, HSP90-mediated specification and differentiation of the stomatal cell lineage couples stomatal development to environmental cues, providing an adaptive heat stress response mechanism in plants.

Active BR signalling adjusts the subcellular localisation of BES1/HSP90 complex formation

Heat shock proteins 90 (HSP90) are essential and play critical roles in the adaptation of organisms to diverse stimuli. In plants, HSP90 are involved in auxin, jasmonate and brassinosteroid (BR) signalling pathways. The BR-promoted activation of the BES1 transcription factor regulates BR-responsive genes. Using genetic, physiological, fluorescence live cell imaging, molecular and biochemical approaches, such as phenotypic analysis, co-immunoprecipitation assay, yeast-two hybrid and Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), we studied complex formation between BES1 and HSP90 under control conditions and active BR signalling. Further, we determined the effect of the pharmacological inhibition of HSP90 ATPase activity on hypocotyl elongation of bes1-D mutant. We determined that HSP90 interact with BES1 in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm. During active BR signalling, nuclear complexes were absent while cytoplasmic HSP90/BES1 complexes were prominent. Our results showed that the hypocotyl length of bes1-D mutants was highly reduced when HSP90 was challenged by the geldanamycin (GDA) inhibitor of the ATPase activity of HSP90. Active BR signalling could not rescue the GDA effect on the hypocotyl elongation of bes1-D. Our results reveal that the constitutively active BES1 in the bes1-D mutant is hypersensitive to GDA. The interaction of HSP90 with BES1 argues that HSP90 facilitate the nuclear metastable conformation of BES1 to regulate BR-dependent gene expression, and our data show that HSP90 assist in the compartmentalised cycle of BES1 during active BR signalling.

Genetically Modified Heat Shock Protein90s and Polyamine Oxidases in Arabidopsis Reveal Their Interaction under Heat Stress Affecting Polyamine Acetylation, Oxidation and Homeostasis of Reactive Oxygen Species

One Sentence Summary

Heat shock proteins90 (HSP90s) induce acetylation of polyamines (PAs) and interact with polyamine oxidases (PAOs) affecting oxidation of PAs and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract

The chaperones, heat shock proteins (HSPs), stabilize proteins to minimize proteotoxic stress, especially during heat stress (HS) and polyamine (PA) oxidases (PAOs) participate in the modulation of the cellular homeostasis of PAs and reactive oxygen species (ROS). An interesting interaction of HSP90s and PAOs was revealed in Arabidopsis thaliana by using the pLFY:HSP90RNAi line against the four AtHSP90 genes encoding cytosolic proteins, the T-DNA Athsp90-1 and Athsp90-4 insertional mutants, the Atpao3 mutant and pharmacological inhibitors of HSP90s and PAOs. Silencing of all cytosolic HSP90 genes resulted in several-fold higher levels of soluble spermidine (S-Spd), acetylated Spd (N⁸-acetyl-Spd) and acetylated spermine (N¹-acetyl-Spm) in the transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. Heat shock induced increase of soluble-PAs (S-PAs) and soluble hydrolyzed-PAs (SH-PAs), especially of SH-Spm, and more importantly of acetylated Spd and Spm. The silencing of HSP90 genes or pharmacological inhibition of the HSP90 proteins by the specific inhibitor radicicol, under HS stimulatory conditions, resulted in a further increase of PA titers, N⁸-acetyl-Spd and N¹-acetyl-Spm, and also stimulated the expression of PAO genes. The increased PA titers and PAO enzymatic activity resulted in a profound increase of PAO-derived hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels, which was terminated by the addition of the PAO-specific inhibitor guazatine. Interestingly, the loss-of-function Atpao3 mutant exhibited increased mRNA levels of selected AtHSP90 genes. Taken together, the results herein reveal a novel function of HSP90 and suggest that HSP90s and PAOs cross-talk to orchestrate PA acetylation, oxidation, and PA/H₂O₂ homeostasis.

A role for epigenetic adaption in evolution

The outcome of epigenetic responses to stress depends strictly on genetic background, suggesting that altered phenotypes, when induced, are created by a combination of induced epigenetic factors and pre-existing allelic ones. When individuals with altered phenotypes are selected and subjected to successive breeding, alleles that potentiate epigenetic responses could accumulate in offspring populations. It is reasonable to suppose that many, if not all, of these allelic genes could also be involved in creating new phenotypes under nonstressful conditions. In this review, I discuss the possibility that the accumulation of such alleles in selected individuals with an epigenetic phenotype could give rise to individuals that exhibit the same phenotype even in the absence of stress.

Heat stress transcripts, differential expression, and profiling of heat stress tolerant gene TaHsp90 in Indian wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv C306

To generate a genetic resource of heat stress responsive genes/ESTs, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library was constructed in a heat and drought stress tolerant Indian bread wheat cultivar C306. Ninety three days old plants during grain filling stage were subjected to heat stress at an elevated temperature of 37°C and 42°C for different time intervals (30 min, 1h, 2h, 4h, and 6h). Two subtractive cDNA libraries were prepared with RNA isolated from leaf samples at 37°C and 42°C heat stress. The ESTs obtained were reconfirmed by reverse northern dot blot hybridization. A total of 175 contigs and 403 singlets were obtained from 1728 ESTs by gene ontology analysis. Differential expression under heat stress was validated for a few selected genes (10) by qRT-PCR. A transcript showing homology to Hsp90 was observed to be upregulated (7.6 fold) under heat stress in cv. C306. CDS of TaHsp90 (Accession no. MF383197) was isolated from cv. C306 and characterized. Heterologous expression of TaHsp90 was validated in E. coli BL21 and confirmed by protein gel blot and MALDI-TOF analysis. Computational based analysis was carried out to understand the molecular functioning of TaHsp90. The heat stress responsive SSH library developed led to identification of a number of heat responsive genes/ESTs, which can be utilized for unravelling the heat tolerance mechanism in wheat. Gene TaHsp90 isolated and characterized in the present study can be utilized for developing heat tolerant transgenic crops.

The developmental-genetics of canalization

Canalization, or robustness to genetic or environmental perturbations, is fundamental to complex organisms. While there is strong evidence for canalization as an evolved property that varies among genotypes, the developmental and genetic mechanisms that produce this phenomenon are very poorly understood. For evolutionary biology, understanding how canalization arises is important because, by modulating the phenotypic variation that arises in response to genetic differences, canalization is a determinant of evolvability. For genetics of disease in humans and for economically important traits in agriculture, this subject is important because canalization is a potentially significant cause of missing heritability that confounds genomic prediction of phenotypes. We review the major lines of thought on the developmental-genetic basis for canalization. These fall into two groups. One proposes specific evolved molecular mechanisms while the other deals with robustness or canalization as a more general feature of development. These explanations for canalization are not mutually exclusive and they overlap in several ways. General explanations for canalization are more likely to involve emergent features of development than specific molecular mechanisms. Disentangling these explanations is also complicated by differences in perspectives between genetics and developmental biology. Understanding canalization at a mechanistic level will require conceptual and methodological approaches that integrate quantitative genetics and developmental biology.

iTRAQ and virus-induced gene silencing revealed three proteins involved in cold response in bread wheat

By comparing the differentially accumulated proteins from the derivatives (UC 1110 × PI 610750) in the F₁₀ recombinant inbred line population which differed in cold-tolerance, altogether 223 proteins with significantly altered abundance were identified. The comparison of 10 cold-sensitive descendant lines with 10 cold-tolerant descendant lines identified 140 proteins that showed decreased protein abundance, such as the components of the photosynthesis apparatus and cell-wall metabolism. The identified proteins were classified into the following main groups: protein metabolism, stress/defense, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, sulfur metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, RNA metabolism, energy production, cell-wall metabolism, membrane and transportation, and signal transduction. Results of quantitative real-time PCR of 20 differentially accumulated proteins indicated that the transcriptional expression patterns of 10 genes were consistent with their protein expression models. Virus-induced gene silencing of Hsp90, BBI, and REP14 genes indicated that virus-silenced plants subjected to cold stress had more severe drooping and wilting, an increased rate of relative electrolyte leakage, and reduced relative water content compared to viral control plants. Furthermore, ultrastructural changes of virus-silenced plants were destroyed more severely than those of viral control plants. These results indicate that Hsp90, BBI, and REP14 potentially play vital roles in conferring cold tolerance in bread wheat.

Identification, transcriptional and functional analysis of heat-shock protein 90s in banana (Musa acuminata L.) highlight their novel role in melatonin-mediated plant response to Fusarium wilt

As one popular fresh fruit, banana (Musa acuminata) is cultivated in the world's subtropical and tropical areas. In recent years, pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) has been widely and rapidly spread to banana cultivated areas, causing substantial yield loss. However, the molecular mechanism of banana response to Foc remains unclear, and functional identification of disease-related genes is also very limited. In this study, nine 90 kDa heat-shock proteins (HSP90s) were genomewide identified. Moreover, the expression profile of them in different organs, developmental stages, and in response to abiotic and fungal pathogen Foc were systematically analyzed. Notably, we found that the transcripts of 9 MaHSP90s were commonly regulated by melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) and Foc infection. Further studies showed that exogenous application of melatonin improved banana resistance to Fusarium wilt, but the effect was lost when cotreated with HSP90 inhibitor (geldanamycin, GDA). Moreover, melatonin and GDA had opposite effect on auxin level in response to Foc4, while melatonin and GDA cotreated plants had no significant effect, suggesting the involvement of MaHSP90s in the cross talk of melatonin and auxin in response to fungal infection. Taken together, this study demonstrated that MaHSP90s are essential for melatonin-mediated plant response to Fusarium wilt, which extends our understanding the putative roles of MaHSP90s as well as melatonin in the biological control of banana Fusarium wilt.

Allyl-isothiocyanate treatment induces a complex transcriptional reprogramming including heat stress, oxidative stress and plant defence responses in Arabidopsis thaliana

Background

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are degradation products of the plant secondary metabolites glucosinolates (GSLs) and are known to affect human health as well as plant herbivores and pathogens. To investigate the processes engaged in plants upon exposure to isothiocyanate we performed a genome scale transcriptional profiling of Arabidopsis thaliana at different time points in response to an exogenous treatment with allyl-isothiocyanate.

Results

The treatment triggered a substantial response with the expression of 431 genes affected (P < 0.05 and log₂ ≥ 1 or ≤ -1) already after 30 min and that of 3915 genes affected after 9 h of exposure, most of the affected genes being upregulated. These are involved in a considerable number of different biological processes, some of which are described in detail: glucosinolate metabolism, sulphate uptake and assimilation, heat stress response, oxidative stress response, elicitor perception, plant defence and cell death mechanisms.

Conclusion

Exposure of Arabidopsis thaliana to vapours of allyl-isothiocyanate triggered a rapid and substantial transcriptional response affecting numerous biological processes. These include multiple stress stimuli such as heat stress response and oxidative stress response, cell death and sulphur secondary defence metabolism. Hence, effects of isothiocyanates on plants previously reported in the literature were found to be regulated at the gene expression level. This opens some avenues for further investigations to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of isothiocyanates on plants.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3039-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

HSP90 canonical content organizes a molecular scaffold mechanism to progress flowering

Highly interactive signaling processes constitute a set of parameters intertwining in a continuum mode to shape body formation and development. A sophisticated gene network is required to integrate environmental and endogenous cues in order to modulate flowering. However, the molecular mechanisms that coordinate the circuitries of flowering genes remain unclear. Here using complemented experimental approaches, we uncover the decisive and essential role of HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90 (HSP90) in restraining developmental noise to an acceptable limit. Localized depletion of HSP90 mRNAs in the shoot apex resulted in low penetrance of vegetative-to-reproductive phase transition and completely abolished flower formation. Extreme variation in expression of flowering genes was also observed in HSP90 mRNA-depleted transformed plants. Transient heat-shock treatments moderately increased HSP90 mRNA levels and rescued flower arrest. The offspring had a low, nevertheless noticeable failure to promote transition from vegetative into the reproductive phase and showed flower morphological heterogeneity. In floral tissues a moderate variation in HSP90 transcript levels and in the expression of flowering genes was detected. Key flowering proteins comprised clientele of the molecular chaperone demonstrating that the HSP90 is essential during vegetative-to-reproductive phase transition and flower development. Our results uncover that HSP90 consolidates a molecular scaffold able to arrange and organize flowering gene network and protein circuitry, and effectively counterbalance the extent to which developmental noise perturbs phenotypic traits.

The developmental genetics of biological robustness

BACKGROUND

Living organisms are continuously confronted with perturbations, such as environmental changes that include fluctuations in temperature and nutrient availability, or genetic changes such as mutations. While some developmental systems are affected by such challenges and display variation in phenotypic traits, others continue consistently to produce invariable phenotypes despite perturbation. This ability of a living system to maintain an invariable phenotype in the face of perturbations is termed developmental robustness. Biological robustness is a phenomenon observed across phyla, and studying its mechanisms is central to deciphering the genotype-phenotype relationship. Recent work in yeast, animals and plants has shown that robustness is genetically controlled and has started to reveal the underlying mechinisms behind it.

SCOPE AND CONCLUSIONS

Studying biological robustness involves focusing on an important property of developmental traits, which is the phenotypic distribution within a population. This is often neglected because the vast majority of developmental biology studies instead focus on population aggregates, such as trait averages. By drawing on findings in animals and yeast, this Viewpoint considers how studies on plant developmental robustness may benefit from strict definitions of what is the developmental system of choice and what is the relevant perturbation, and also from clear distinctions between gene effects on the trait mean and the trait variance. Recent advances in quantitative developmental biology and high-throughput phenotyping now allow the design of targeted genetic screens to identify genes that amplify or restrict developmental trait variance and to study how variation propagates across different phenotypic levels in biological systems. The molecular characterization of more quantitative trait loci affecting trait variance will provide further insights into the evolution of genes modulating developmental robustness. The study of robustness mechanisms in closely related species will address whether mechanisms of robustness are evolutionarily conserved.

TaRAR1 and TaSGT1 associate with TaHsp90 to function in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedling growth and stripe rust resistance

RAR1 and SGT1 are important co-chaperones of Hsp90. We previously showed that TaHsp90.1 is required for wheat seedling growth, and that TaHsp90.2 and TaHsp90.3 are essential for resistance (R) gene mediated resistance to stripe rust fungus. Here, we report the characterization of TaRAR1 and TaSGT1 genes in bread wheat. TaRAR1 and TaSGT1 each had three homoeologs, which were located on wheat groups 2 and 3 chromosomes, respectively. Strong inhibition of seedling growth was observed after silencing TaSGT1 but not TaRAR1. In contrast, decreasing the expression of TaRAR1 or TaSGT1 could all compromise R gene mediated resistance to stripe rust fungus infection. Protein-protein interactions were found among TaRAR1, TaSGT1 and TaHsp90. The N-terminus of TaHsp90, the CHORD-I and CHORD-II domains of TaRAR1 and the CS domain of TaSGT1 may be instrumental for the interactions among the three proteins. Based on this work and our previous study on TaHsp90, we speculate that the TaSGT1-TaHsp90.1 interaction is important for maintaining bread wheat seedling growth. The TaRAR1-TaSGT1-TaHsp90.2 and TaRAR1-TaSGT1-TaHsp90.3 interactions are involved in controlling the resistance to stripe rust disease. The new information obtained here should aid further functional investigations of TaRAR1-TaSGT1-TaHsp90 complexes in regulating bread wheat growth and disease resistance.

Genetic dissection of an alien chromosomal segment may enable the production of a rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotype showing shoot developmental instability

During the course of evolutionary history, organisms have acquired genes which cooperate harmoniously and subsequently express a stable pattern of development. In an earlier study we introduced a large chromosomal segment of chromosome 6 from a rice (Oryza sativa L.) ecotype, carrying the two flowering-time genes, which showed complex epistatic interactions in relation to environmental change, into a different ecotype by successive backcrossings. Four-near-isogenic lines (NILs) with respect to these two loci were obtained by subsequent hybridization with the recurrent parent. In the study reported here, these four NILs were the major plant material used to evaluate changes in days to leaf appearance (DLA) during shoot development using a quadratic-polynomial regression. The regressions were regarded as developmental norms because of the high values of R (2). Absolute Y-residuals (AYRs) (or size of deviation) of DLA from the norms were significantly affected by genotype. Dissections of the alien chromosomal segment resulted in one NIL that showed an increased level of AYR. Since this NIL also expressed a low survival rate in a stress environment, we suggest that the increased level of AYR during development might indicate an increased level of instability in shoot development.

Heat shock protein 90 in Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the first most common neurodegenerative disease. Despite a large amount of research, the pathogenetic mechanism of AD has not yet been clarified. The two hallmarks of the pathology of AD are the extracellular senile plaques (SPs) of aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide and the accumulation of the intracellular microtubule-associated protein tau into fibrillar aggregates. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) play a key role in preventing protein misfolding and aggregation, and Hsp90 can be viewed as a ubiquitous molecular chaperone potentially involved in AD pathogenesis. A role of Hsp90 regulates the activity of the transcription factor heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1), the master regulator of the heat shock response. In AD, Hsp90 inhibitors may redirect neuronal aggregate formation, and protect against protein toxicity by activation of HSF-1 and the subsequent induction of heat shock proteins, such as Hsp70. Therefore, we review here to further discuss the recent advances and challenges in targeting Hsp90 for AD therapy.

Stress-mediated tuning of developmental robustness and plasticity in flies

Organisms have to be sufficiently robust to environmental and genetic perturbations, yet plastic enough to cope with stressful scenarios to which they are not fully adapted. How this apparent conflict between robustness and plasticity is resolved at the cellular and whole organism levels is not clear. Here we review and discuss evidence in flies suggesting that the environment can modulate the balance between robustness and plasticity. The outcomes of this modulation can vary from mild sensitizations that are hardly noticeable, to overt qualitative changes in phenotype. The effects could be at both the cellular and whole organism levels and can include cellular de-/trans-differentiation ('Cellular reprogramming') and gross disfigurements such as homeotic transformations ('Tissue/whole organism reprogramming'). When the stress is mild enough, plastic changes in some processes may prevent drastic changes in more robust traits such as cell identity and tissue integrity. However, when the stress is sufficiently severe, this buffering may no longer be able to prevent such overt changes, and the resulting phenotypic variability could be subjected to selection and might assist survival at the population level. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Stress as a fundamental theme in cell plasticity.

Brassinosteroid nuclear signaling recruits HSP90 activity

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) controls a number of developmental circuits, and serves a sophisticated and highly regulatory function in signaling pathways. Brassinosteroids (BRs) control many aspects of plant development. Genetic, physiological, cytological, gene expression, live cell imaging, and pharmacological approaches provide conclusive evidence for HSP90 involvement in Arabidopsis thalianaBR signaling. Nuclear-localized HSP90s translocate to cytoplasm when their activity is blocked by the HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GDA). GDA treatment promoted the export of BIN2, a regulator of BR signaling, from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, indicating that active HSP90 is required to sustain BIN2 in the nucleus. HSP90 nuclear localization was inhibited by brassinolide (BL). HSP90s interact with BIN2 in the nucleus of untreated cells and in the cytoplasm of BL-treated cells, showing that the site-specific action of HSP90 on BIN2 is controlled by BRs. GDA and BL treatments change the expression of a common set of previously identified BR-responsive genes. This highlights the effect of active HSP90s on the regulation of BR-responsive genes. Our observations reveal that HSP90s have a central role in sustaining BIN2 nuclear function. We propose that BR signaling is mediated by HSP90 activity and via trafficking of BIN2-HSP90 complexes into the cytoplasm.

Environmental disruption of host-microbe co-adaptation as a potential driving force in evolution

The microbiome is known to have a profound effect on the development, physiology and health of its host. Whether and how it also contributes to evolutionary diversification of the host is, however, unclear. Here we hypothesize that disruption of the microbiome by new stressful environments interferes with host-microbe co-adaptation, contributes to host destabilization, and can drive irreversible changes in the host prior to its genetic adaptation. This hypothesis is based on three presumptions: (1) the microbiome consists of heritable partners which contribute to the stability (canalization) of host development and physiology in frequently encountered environments, (2) upon encountering a stressful new environment, the microbiome adapts much faster than the host, and (3) this differential response disrupts cooperation, contributes to host destabilization and promotes reciprocal changes in the host and its microbiome. This dynamic imbalance relaxes as the host and its microbiome establish a new equilibrium state in which they are adapted to one another and to the altered environment. Over long time in this new environment, the changes in the microbiome contribute to the canalization of the altered state. This scenario supports stability of the adapted patterns, while promoting variability which may be beneficial in new stressful conditions, thus allowing the organism to balance stability and flexibility based on contextual demand. Additionally, interaction between heritable microbial and epigenetic/physiological changes can promote new outcomes which persist over a wide range of timescales. A sufficiently persistent stress can further induce irreversible changes in the microbiome which may permanently alter the organism prior to genetic changes in the host. Epigenetic and microbial changes therefore provide a potential infrastructure for causal links between immediate responses to new environments and longer-term establishment of evolutionary adaptations.

Arabidopsis HSP90 protein modulates RPP4-mediated temperature-dependent cell death and defense responses

Plant defense responses are regulated by temperature. In Arabidopsis, the chilling-sensitive mutant chs2-1 (rpp4-1d) contains a gain-of-function mutation in the TIR-NB-LRR (Toll and interleukin 1 receptor-nucleotide binding-leucine-rich repeat) gene, RPP4 (RECOGNITION OF PERONOSPORA PARASITICA 4), which leads to constitutive activation of the defense response at low temperatures. Here, we identified and characterized two suppressors of rpp4-1d from a genetic screen, hsp90.2 and hsp90.3, which carry point mutations in the cytosolic heat shock proteins HSP90.2 and HSP90.3, respectively. The hsp90 mutants suppressed the chilling sensitivity of rpp4-1d, including seedling lethality, activation of the defense responses and cell death under chilling stress. The hsp90 mutants exhibited compromised RPM1 (RESISTANCE TO PSEUDOMONAS MACULICOLA 1)-, RPS4 (RESISTANCE TO P. SYRINGAE 4)- and RPP4-mediated pathogen resistance. The wild-type RPP4 and the mutated form rpp4 could interact with HSP90 to form a protein complex. Furthermore, RPP4 and rpp4 proteins accumulated in the cytoplasm and nucleus at normal temperatures, whereas the nuclear accumulation of the mutated rpp4 was decreased at low temperatures. Genetic analysis of the intragenic suppressors of rpp4-1d revealed the important functions of the NB-ARC and LRR domains of RPP4 in temperature-dependent defense signaling. In addition, the rpp4-1d-induced chilling sensitivity was largely independent of the WRKY70 or MOS (modifier of snc1) genes. [Correction added after online publication 11 March 2013: the expansions of TIR-NB-LRR and RPS4 were amended] This study reveals that Arabidopsis HSP90 regulates RPP4-mediated temperature-dependent cell death and defense responses.

Hsp90 regulates nongenetic variation in response to environmental stress

Nongenetic cell-to-cell variability often plays an important role for the survival of a clonal population in the face of fluctuating environments. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating such nongenetic heterogeneity remain elusive in most organisms. We report here that a clonal yeast population exhibits morphological heterogeneity when the level of Hsp90, a molecular chaperone, is reduced. The morphological heterogeneity is driven by the dosage of Cdc28 and Cla4, a key regulator of septin formation. Low Hsp90 levels reduce Cla4 protein stability and cause a subpopulation of cells to switch to a filamentous form that has been previously suggested to be beneficial under certain hostile environments. Moreover, Hsp90-dependent morphological heterogeneity can be induced by environmental stress and is conserved across diverse yeast species. Our results suggest that Hsp90 provides an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that links environmental stress to the induction of morphological diversity.

Heat shock protein 90 in plants: molecular mechanisms and roles in stress responses

The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) family mediates stress signal transduction, and plays important roles in the control of normal growth of human cells and in promoting development of tumor cells. Hsp90s have become a currently important subject in cellular immunity, signal transduction, and anti-cancer research. Studies on the physiological functions of Hsp90s began much later in plants than in animals and fungi. Significant progress has been made in understanding complex mechanisms of HSP90s in plants, including ATPase-coupled conformational changes and interactions with cochaperone proteins. A wide range of signaling proteins interact with HSP90s. Recent studies revealed that plant Hsp90s are important in plant development, environmental stress response, and disease and pest resistance. In this study, the plant HSP90 family was classified into three clusters on the basis of phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, and biological functions. We discuss the molecular functions of Hsp90s, and systematically review recent progress of Hsp90 research in plants.

Molecular analysis of common wheat genes encoding three types of cytosolic heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90): functional involvement of cytosolic Hsp90s in the control of wheat seedling growth and disease resistance

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) molecular chaperones play important roles in plant growth and responses to environmental stimuli. However, little is known about the genes encoding Hsp90s in common wheat. Here, we report genetic and functional analysis of the genes specifying cytosolic Hsp90s in this species. Three groups of homoeologous genes (TaHsp90.1, TaHsp90.2 and TaHsp90.3), encoding three types of cytosolic Hsp90, were isolated. The loci containing TaHsp90.1, TaHsp90.2 and TaHsp90.3 genes were assigned to groups 2, 7 and 5 chromosomes, respectively. TaHsp90.1 genes exhibited higher transcript levels in the stamen than in the leaf, root and culm. TaHsp90.2 and TaHsp90.3 genes were more ubiquitously transcribed in the vegetative and reproductive organs examined. Decreasing the expression of TaHsp90.1 genes through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) caused pronounced inhibition of wheat seedling growth, whereas the suppression of TaHsp90.2 or TaHsp90.3 genes via VIGS compromised the hypersensitive resistance response of the wheat variety Suwon 11 to stripe rust fungus. Our work represents the first systematic determination of wheat genes encoding cytosolic Hsp90s, and provides useful evidence for the functional involvement of cytosolic Hsp90s in the control of seedling growth and disease resistance in common wheat.

Environmental stress-dependent effects of deletions encompassing Hsp70Ba on canalization and quantitative trait asymmetry in Drosophila melanogaster

Hsp70 genes may influence the expression of wing abnormalities in Drosophila melanogaster but their effects on variability in quantitative characters and developmental instability are unclear. In this study, we focused on one of the six Hsp70 genes, Hsp70Ba, and investigated its effects on within- and among-individual variability in orbital bristle number, sternopleural bristle number, wing size and wing shape under different environmental conditions. To do this, we studied a newly constructed deletion, Df(3R)ED5579, which encompasses Hsp70Ba and nine non-Hsp genes, in the heterozygous condition and another, Hsp70Ba(304), which deletes only Hsp70Ba, in the homozygous condition. We found no significant effect of both deletions on within-individual variation quantified by fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of morphological traits. On the other hand, the Hsp70Ba(304)/Hsp70Ba(304) genotype significantly increased among-individual variation quantified by coefficient of variation (CV) of bristle number and wing size in female, while the Df(3R)ED5579 heterozygote showed no significant effect. The expression level of Hsp70Ba in the deletion heterozygote was 6 to 20 times higher than in control homozygotes, suggesting that the overexpression of Hsp70Ba did not influence developmental stability or canalization significantly. These findings suggest that the absence of expression of Hsp70Ba increases CV of some morphological traits and that HSP70Ba may buffer against environmental perturbations on some quantitative traits.

Expression of five AtHsp90 genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals functional differences of AtHsp90s under abiotic stresses

The genome of Arabidopsis thaliana contains seven Hsp90 family genes. Three organellar and two cytosolic AtHsp90 isoforms were characterized by functionally expressing them in a temperature-sensitive Hsp90 mutant and a conditional Hsp90-null mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The cytosolic AtHsp90-1 and AtHsp90-2 showed function similar to that of yeast in chaperoning roles; they could support the growth of yeast mutants at both permissive and non-permissive temperature. Neither the full-length nor mature forms of chloroplast-located AtHsp90-5, mitochondria-located AtHsp90-6 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-located AtHsp90-7 could complement the yeast Hsp90 proteins. The cytosolic AtHsp90s could stabilize the biomembrane of the temperature-sensitive Hsp90 mutant strains under stress conditions, while the organellar AtHsp90s could not protect the biomembrane of the temperature-sensitive Hsp90 mutant strains. Yeast two-hybrid results showed that either pre-protein or mature forms of organellar AtHsp90s could interact with cofactors cpHsp70, Hsp70, Hsp70t-2, Cyp40, p23 and a substrate protein of NOS, while cytosolic AtHsp90s could not interact with them. These results suggest that organellar and cytosolic AtHsp90s possibly work through different molecular mechanisms in forming chaperone complexes and performing their functional roles.

Environmental influences on epigenetic profiles

Studies of environmental challenges, such as hazardous air pollutants, nonmutagenic toxins, diet choice, and maternal behavioral patterns, reveal changes in gene expression patterns, DNA methylation, and histone modifications that are in causal association with exogenous exposures. In this article we summarize some of the recent advances in the field of environmental epigenetics and highlight seminal studies that implicate in utero exposures as causative agents in altering not only the epigenome of the exposed gestation, but that of subsequent generations. Current studies of the effects of maternal behavior, exposure to environmental toxins, and exposure to maternal diet and an altered gestational milieu are summarized.

Network hubs buffer environmental variation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Regulatory and developmental systems produce phenotypes that are robust to environmental and genetic variation. A gene product that normally contributes to this robustness is termed a phenotypic capacitor. When a phenotypic capacitor fails, for example when challenged by a harsh environment or mutation, the system becomes less robust and thus produces greater phenotypic variation. A functional phenotypic capacitor provides a mechanism by which hidden polymorphism can accumulate, whereas its failure provides a mechanism by which evolutionary change might be promoted. The primary example to date of a phenotypic capacitor is Hsp90, a molecular chaperone that targets a large set of signal transduction proteins. In both Drosophila and Arabidopsis, compromised Hsp90 function results in pleiotropic phenotypic effects dependent on the underlying genotype. For some traits, Hsp90 also appears to buffer stochastic variation, yet the relationship between environmental and genetic buffering remains an important unresolved question. We previously used simulations of knockout mutations in transcriptional networks to predict that many gene products would act as phenotypic capacitors. To test this prediction, we use high-throughput morphological phenotyping of individual yeast cells from single-gene deletion strains to identify gene products that buffer environmental variation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find more than 300 gene products that, when absent, increase morphological variation. Overrepresented among these capacitors are gene products that control chromosome organization and DNA integrity, RNA elongation, protein modification, cell cycle, and response to stimuli such as stress. Capacitors have a high number of synthetic-lethal interactions but knockouts of these genes do not tend to cause severe decreases in growth rate. Each capacitor can be classified based on whether or not it is encoded by a gene with a paralog in the genome. Capacitors with a duplicate are highly connected in the protein–protein interaction network and show considerable divergence in expression from their paralogs. In contrast, capacitors encoded by singleton genes are part of highly interconnected protein clusters whose other members also tend to affect phenotypic variability or fitness. These results suggest that buffering and release of variation is a widespread phenomenon that is caused by incomplete functional redundancy at multiple levels in the genetic architecture.

Most species maintain abundant genetic variation and experience a wide range of environmental conditions, yet phenotypic differences between individuals are usually small. This phenomenon, known as phenotypic robustness, presents an apparent contradiction: if biological systems are so resistant to variation, how do they diverge and adapt through evolutionary time? Here, we address this question by investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie phenotypic robustness and how these mechanisms can be broken to produce phenotypic heterogeneity. We identify genes that contribute to phenotypic robustness in yeast by analyzing the variance of morphological phenotypes in a comprehensive collection of single-gene knockout strains. We find that ∼5% of yeast genes break phenotypic robustness when knocked out. The products of these genes tend to be involved in critical cellular processes, including maintaining DNA stability, processing RNA, modifying proteins, and responding to stressful environments. These genes tend to interact genetically with a large number of other genes, and their products tend to interact physically with a large number of other gene products. Our results suggest that loss of phenotypic robustness might be a common phenomenon during evolution that occurs when cellular networks are disrupted.

A genome-wide screen inSaccharomyces cerevisiae identifies over 300 gene products that buffer environmental variation--dubbed phenotypic capacitors--and function as hubs in protein-protein and synthetic-lethal interaction networks.

Complexity of Hsp90 in organelle targeting

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an abundant and highly conserved molecular chaperone. In Arabidopsis, the Hsp90 gene family consists of seven members. Here, we report that the AtHsp90-6 gene gives rise to two mRNA populations, termed AtHsp90-6L and AtHsp90-6S due to alternative initiation of transcription. The AtHsp90-6L and AtHsp90-6S transcription start sites are located 228 nucleotides upstream and 124 nucleotides downstream of the annotated translation start site, respectively. Both transcripts are detected under normal or heat-shock conditions. The inducibility of AtHsp90-6 mRNAs by heat shock implies a potential role of both isoforms in stress management. Stable transformation experiments with fusion constructs between the N-terminal part of each AtHsp90-6 isoform and green fluorescent protein indicated import of both fusion proteins into mitochondria. In planta investigation confirmed that fusion of the AtHsp90-5 N-terminus to green fluorescent protein (GFP) did result in specific chloroplastic localization. The mechanisms of regulation for mitochondria- and plastid-localized chaperone-encoding genes are not well understood. Future work is needed to address the possible roles of harsh environmental conditions and developmental processes on fine-tuning and compartmentalization of the AtHsp90-6L, AtHsp90-6S, and AtHsp90-5 proteins in Arabidopsis.