Altered expression of cytosolic/nuclear HSC70-1 molecular chaperone affects development and abiotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Multi-locus genome-wide association studies reveal the dynamic genetic architecture of flowering time in chrysanthemum

KEY MESSAGE

The dynamic genetic architecture of flowering time in chrysanthemum was elucidated by GWAS. Thirty-six known genes and 14 candidate genes were identified around the stable QTNs and QEIs, among which ERF-1 was highlighted. Flowering time (FT) adaptation is one of the major breeding goals in chrysanthemum, a multipurpose ornamental plant. In order to reveal the dynamic genetic architecture of FT in chrysanthemum, phenotype investigation of ten FT-related traits was conducted on 169 entries in 2 environments. The broad-sense heritability of five non-conditional FT traits, i.e., budding (FBD), visible coloring (VC), early opening (EO), full-bloom (OF) and decay period (DP), ranged from 56.93 to 84.26%, which were higher than that of the five derived conditional FT traits (38.51-75.13%). The phenotypic variation coefficients of OF_EO and DP_OF were relatively large ranging from 30.59 to 36.17%. Based on 375,865 SNPs, the compressed variance component mixed linear model 3VmrMLM was applied for a multi-locus genome-wide association study (GWAS). As a result, 313 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were identified for the non-conditional FT traits in single-environment analysis, while 119 QTNs and 67 QTN-by-environment interactions (QEIs) were identified in multi-environment analysis. As for the conditional traits, 343 QTNs were detected in single-environment analysis, and 119 QTNs and 83 QEIs were identified in multi- environment analysis. Among the genes around stable QTNs and QEIs, 36 were orthologs of known FT genes in Arabidopsis and other plants; 14 candidates were mined by combining the transcriptomics data and functional annotation, including ERF-1, ACA10, and FOP1. Furthermore, the haplotype analysis of ERF-1 revealed six elite accessions with extreme FBD. Our findings contribute to the understanding of dynamic genetic architecture of FT and provide valuable resources for future chrysanthemum molecular breeding programs.

Noncell-autonomous HSC70.1 chaperone displays homeostatic feedback regulation by binding its own mRNA

The HSC70/HSP70 family of heat shock proteins are evolutionarily conserved chaperones involved in protein folding, protein transport, and RNA binding. Arabidopsis HSC70 chaperones are thought to act as housekeeping chaperones and as such are involved in many growth-related pathways. Whether Arabidopsis HSC70 binds RNA and whether this interaction is functional has remained an open question. We provide evidence that the HSC70.1 chaperone binds its own mRNA via its C-terminal short variable region (SVR) and inhibits its own translation. The SVR encoding mRNA region is necessary for HSC70.1 transcript mobility to distant tissues and that HSC70.1 transcript and not protein mobility is required to rescue root growth and flowering time of hsc70 mutants. We propose that this negative protein-transcript feedback loop may establish an on-demand chaperone pool that allows for a rapid response to stress. In summary, our data suggest that the Arabidopsis HSC70.1 chaperone can form a complex with its own transcript to regulate its translation and that both protein and transcript can act in a noncell-autonomous manner, potentially maintaining chaperone homeostasis between tissues.

Gain-of-function of the cytokinin response activator ARR1 increases heat shock tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

In addition to its well-established role in plant development, the hormone cytokinin regulates plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. It was previously shown that cytokinin signaling acts negatively upon drought and osmotic stress tolerance and that gain-of-function of the cytokinin response regulator ARR1 causes osmotic stress hypersensitivity. Here we show that increased ARR1 action increases tolerance to heat shock and that this is correlated with increased accumulation of the heat shock proteins Hsp17.6 and Hsp70. These results show that the heat shock tolerance of plants can be elevated by increasing the expression of a cytokinin response activator.

OsSGT1 promotes melatonin-ameliorated seed tolerance to chromium stress by affecting the OsABI5-OsAPX1 transcriptional module in rice

Chromium (Cr) pollution threatens plant development and growth. Application of melatonin (Mel) is emerging as an effective ally to resist stress, but how Mel ameliorates seed germination upon exposure to heavy metals is poorly understood. Here, we found (i) that seed priming with Mel considerably alleviated Cr stress during rice (Oryza sativa) seed germination and (ii) that germination performance was significantly improved in suppressor of the G2 allele of skp1 (OsSGT1) overexpression lines, while mutations of OsSGT1 and/or abscisic acid-insensitive 5 (OsABI5) noticeably abrogated such Mel-induced tolerance to Cr. Complementation assays suggested that the restored expression of OsSGT1 could not rescue the weak germination of sgt1-1abi5 under Cr stress, even upon Mel priming, but the expression of OsABI5 driven by the promoter of OsSGT1 significantly restored the Mel-ameliorated germination and the expression of ascorbate peroxidase 1 (OsAPX1) in sgt1-1abi5. Further analysis indicated that OsABI5 directly regulated the transcriptional expression of OsAPX1, whose encoding products promoted H₂ O₂ scavenging to maintain redox homeostasis, which is essential for germination. Collectively, this work demonstrates that OsSGT1 regulates OsABI5 to target OsAPX1, mediating the stimulatory effects of Mel on germination of Cr-stressed seeds, which provides a guide for the application of Mel in rice production.

Molecular Bases of Heat Stress Responses in Vegetable Crops With Focusing on Heat Shock Factors and Heat Shock Proteins

The effects of the climate change including an increase in the average global temperatures, and abnormal weather events such as frequent and severe heatwaves are emerging as a worldwide ecological concern due to their impacts on plant vegetation and crop productivity. In this review, the molecular processes of plants in response to heat stress-from the sensing of heat stress, the subsequent molecular cascades associated with the activation of heat shock factors and their primary targets (heat shock proteins), to the cellular responses-have been summarized with an emphasis on the classification and functions of heat shock proteins. Vegetables contain many essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibers that provide many critical health benefits to humans. The adverse effects of heat stress on vegetable growth can be alleviated by developing vegetable crops with enhanced thermotolerance with the aid of various genetic tools. To achieve this goal, a solid understanding of the molecular and/or cellular mechanisms underlying various responses of vegetables to high temperature is imperative. Therefore, efforts to identify heat stress-responsive genes including those that code for heat shock factors and heat shock proteins, their functional roles in vegetable crops, and also their application to developing vegetables tolerant to heat stress are discussed.

Regulation of heat shock proteins 70 and their role in plant immunity

Heat shock proteins 70 (HSP70s) are steadily gaining more attention in the field of plant biotic interactions. Though their regulation and activity in plants are much less well characterized than are those of their counterparts in mammals, accumulating evidence indicates that the role of HSP70-mediated defense mechanisms in plant cells is indispensable. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of HSP70 post-translational control in plants. We comment on the phytohormonal regulation of HSP70 expression and protein abundance, and identify a prominent role for cytokinin in HSP70 control. We outline HSP70s' subcellular localizations, chaperone activity, and chaperone-mediated protein degradation. We focus on the role of HSP70s in plant pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity and effector-triggered immunity, and discuss the contribution of different HSP70 subfamilies to plant defense against pathogens.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) Gene Family in Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Rootstock under Drought Stress Suggested the Potential Role of these Chaperones in Stress Tolerance

Heat shock protein 70s (HSP70s) are highly conserved proteins that are involved in stress responses. These chaperones play pivotal roles in protein folding, removing the extra amounts of oxidized proteins, preventing protein denaturation, and improving the antioxidant system activities. This conserved family has been characterized in several crops under drought stress conditions. However, there is no study on HSP70s in pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata). Therefore, we performed a comprehensive analysis of this gene family, including phylogenetic relationship, motif and gene structure analysis, gene duplication, collinearity, and promoter analysis. In this research, we found 21 HSP70s that were classified into five groups (from A to E). These genes were mostly localized in the cytoplasm, chloroplast, mitochondria, nucleus, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We could observe more similarity in closely linked subfamilies in terms of motifs, the number of introns/exons, and the corresponding cellular compartments. According to the collinearity analysis, gene duplication had occurred as a result of purifying selection. The results showed that the occurrence of gene duplication for all nine gene pairs was due to segmental duplication (SD). Synteny analysis revealed a closer relationship between pumpkin and cucumber than pumpkin and Arabidopsis. Promoter analysis showed the presence of various cis-regulatory elements in the up-stream region of the HSP70 genes, such as hormones and stress-responsive elements, indicating a potential role of this gene family in stress tolerance. We furtherly performed the gene expression analysis of the HSP70s in pumpkin under progressive drought stress. Pumpkin is widely used as a rootstock to improve stress tolerance, as well as fruit quality of cucumber scion. Since stress-responsive mobile molecules translocate through vascular tissue from roots to the whole plant body, we used the xylem of grafted materials to study the expression patterns of the HSP70 (potentially mobile) gene family. The results indicated that all CmoHSP70s had very low expression levels at 4 days after stress (DAS). However, the genes showed different expression patterns by progressing he drought period. For example, the expression of CmoHSP70-4 (in subgroup E) and CmoHSP70-14 (in subgroup C) sharply increased at 6 and 11 DAS, respectively. However, the expression of all genes belonging to subgroup A did not change significantly in response to drought stress. These findings indicated the diverse roles of this gene family under drought stress and provided valuable information for further investigation on the function of this gene family, especially under stressful conditions.

Melatonin Promotes SGT1-Involved Signals to Ameliorate Drought Stress Adaption in Rice

Drought has become one of the environmental threats to agriculture and food security. Applications of melatonin (MT) serve as an effective way to alleviate drought stress, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we found that foliar spray of 100-µM MT greatly mitigated the severe drought stress-induced damages in rice seedlings, including improved survival rates, enhanced antioxidant system, and adjusted osmotic balance. However, mutation of the suppressor of the G2 allele of skp1 (OsSGT1) and ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 5 (OsABI5) abolished the effects of MT. Furthermore, the upregulated expression of OsABI5 was detected in wild type (WT) under drought stress, irrespective of MT treatment, whereas OsABI5 was significantly downregulated in sgt1 and sgt1abi5 mutants. In contrast, no change of the OsSGT1 expression level was detected in abi5. Moreover, mutation of OsSGT1 and OsABI5 significantly suppressed the expression of genes associated with the antioxidant system. These results suggested that the functions of OsSGT1 in the MT-mediated alleviation of drought stress were associated with the ABI5-mediated signals. Collectively, we demonstrated that OsSGT1 was involved in the drought response of rice and that melatonin promoted SGT1-involved signals to ameliorate drought stress adaption.

Targeting conserved co-opted host factors to block virus replication: Using allosteric inhibitors of the cytosolic Hsp70s to interfere with tomato bushy stunt virus replication

To further our understanding of the pro-viral roles of the host cytosolic heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) family, we chose the conserved Arabidopsis thaliana Hsp70-2 and the unique Erd2 (early response to dehydration 2), which contain Hsp70 domains. Based on in vitro studies with purified components, we show that AtHsp70-2 and AtErd2 perform pro-viral functions equivalent to that of the yeast Ssa1 Hsp70. These functions include activation of the tombusvirus RdRp, and stimulation of replicase assembly. Yeast-based complementation studies demonstrate that AtHsp70-2 or AtErd2 are present in the purified tombusvirus replicase. RNA silencing and over-expression studies in Nicotiana benthamiana suggest that both Hsp70-2 and Erd2 are co-opted by tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV). Moreover, we used allosteric inhibitors of Hsp70s to inhibit replication of TBSV and related plant viruses in plants. Altogether, interfering with the functions of the co-opted Hsp70s could be an effective antiviral approach against tombusviruses in plants.

Cytosolic HSC70s repress heat stress tolerance and enhance seed germination under salt stress conditions

Heat shock factor A1 (HsfA1) family proteins are the master regulators of the heat stress-responsive transcriptional cascade in Arabidopsis. Although 70 kDa heat shock proteins (HSP70s) are known to participate in repressing HsfA1 activity, the mechanisms by which they regulate HsfA1 activity have not been clarified. Here, we report the physiological functions of three cytosolic HSP70s, HSC70-1, HSC70-2 and HSC70-3, under normal and stress conditions. Expression of the HSC70 genes was observed in whole seedlings, and the HSC70 proteins were observed in the cytoplasm and nucleus under normal and stress conditions, as were the HsfA1s. hsc70-1/2 double and hsc70-1/2/3 triple mutants showed higher thermotolerance than the wild-type (WT) plants. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the upregulation of heat stress-responsive HsfA1-downstream genes in hsc70-1/2/3 mutants under normal growth conditions, demonstrating that these HSC70s redundantly function as repressors of HsfA1 activity. Furthermore, hsc70-1/2/3 plants showed a more severe growth delay during the germination stage than the WT plants under high-salt stress conditions, and many seed-specific cluster 2 genes that exhibited suppressed expression during germination were expressed in hsc70-1/2/3 plants, suggesting that these HSC70s also function in the developmental transition from seed to seedling under high-salt conditions by suppressing the expression of cluster 2 genes.

Central Metabolism in Mammals and Plants as a Hub for Controlling Cell Fate

Significance: The importance of oxidoreductases in energy metabolism together with the occurrence of enzymes of central metabolism in the nucleus gave rise to the active research field aiming to understand moonlighting enzymes that undergo post-translational modifications (PTMs) before carrying out new tasks. Recent Advances: Cytosolic enzymes were shown to induce gene transcription after PTM and concomitant translocation to the nucleus. Changed properties of the oxidized forms of cytosolic glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and also malate dehydrogenases and others, are the basis for a hypothesis suggesting moonlighting functions that directly link energy metabolism to adaptive responses required for maintenance of redox-homeostasis in all eukaryotes. Critical Issues: Small molecules, such as metabolic intermediates, coenzymes, or reduced glutathione, were shown to fine-tune the redox switches, interlinking redox state, metabolism, and induction of new functions via nuclear gene expression. The cytosol with its metabolic enzymes connecting energy fluxes between the various cell compartments can be seen as a hub for redox signaling, integrating the different signals for graded and directed responses in stressful situations. Future Directions: Enzymes of central metabolism were shown to interact with p53 or the assumed plant homologue suppressor of gamma response 1 (SOG1), an NAM, ATAF, and CUC transcription factor involved in the stress response upon ultraviolet exposure. Metabolic enzymes serve as sensors for imbalances, their inhibition leading to changed energy metabolism, and the adoption of transcriptional coactivator activities. Depending on the intensity of the impact, rerouting of energy metabolism, proliferation, DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, immune responses, or cell death will be induced. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 34, 1025-1047.

Comparative proteomic analysis of Prunella vulgaris L. spica ripening

Prunella vulgaris L., better known as 'self-heal', has been extensively used in the traditional system of medicines. To reveal the regulatory mechanism of its development, TMT-based quantitative proteome analysis was performed in the Prunella vulgaris L. spica before and during ripening (Group A and Group B, respectively). This analysis resulted in the identification of 7655 proteins, of which 1910 showed differential abundance between the two groups. Pronounced changes in the proteomic profile included the following: 1) Stress-responsive proteins involved in protecting cells and promoting fruit ripening and seed development were highly abundant during ripening. 2) The degradation of chlorophyll, inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis and increased abundance of transketolase occurred simultaneously in the spica of Prunella vulgaris L., resulting in the spica changing color from green to brownish red. 3) The abundance of protein species related to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis mainly increased during ripening, while flavonoid and terpenoid backbone biosynthesis mostly occurred before ripening. SIGNIFICANCE: This study establishes a link between protein profiles and mature phenotypes, which will help to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the maturation of Prunella vulgaris L. at the proteome level and reveal the scientific connotation for the best time to harvest Prunella vulgaris L. This work provides a scientific basis for the production of high-quality medicinal Prunella vulgaris L., as well as a typical demonstration of molecular research used for the harvest period of traditional Chinese medicine. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This work provided a comprehensive overview on the functional protein profile changes of Prunella vulgaris L. spica at different growing stages, as well as the scientific rationale of Prunella vulgaris L. harvested in summer after brownish red, thus laid an intriguing stepping stone for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of quality development.

The Proteomics of Resistance to Halo Blight in Common Bean

Halo blight disease of beans is caused by a gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola. The disease is prevalent in South America and Africa and causes crop loss for indigent people who rely on beans as a primary source of daily nutrition. In susceptible beans, P. syringae pv. phaseolicola causes water-soaking at the site of infection and produces phaseolotoxin, an inhibitor of bean arginine biosynthesis. In resistant beans, P. syringae pv. phaseolicola triggers a hypersensitive response that limits the spread of infection. Here, we used high-throughput mass spectrometry to interrogate the responses to two different P. syringae pv. phaseolicola isolates on a single line of common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris PI G19833, with a reference genome sequence. We obtained quantitative information for 4,135 bean proteins. A subset of 160 proteins with similar accumulation changes during both susceptible and resistant reactions included salicylic acid responders EDS1 and NDR1, ethylene and jasmonic acid biosynthesis enzymes, and proteins enabling vesicle secretion. These proteins revealed the activation of a basal defense involving hormonal responses and the mobilization of extracellular proteins. A subset of 29 proteins specific to hypersensitive immunity included SOBIR1, a G-type lectin receptor-like kinase, and enzymes needed for glucoside and phytoalexin production. Virus-induced gene silencing revealed that the G-type lectin receptor-like kinase suppresses bacterial infection. Together, the results define the proteomics of disease resistance to P. syringae pv. phaseolicola in beans and support a model whereby the induction of hypersensitive immunity reinstates defenses targeted by P. syringae pv. phaseolicola.

AtHsc70-1 negatively regulates the basal heat tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana through affecting the activity of HsfAs and Hsp101

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) chaperones are highly conserved and essential proteins with diverse cellular functions, including plant abiotic stress tolerance. Hsp70 proteins have been linked with basal heat tolerance in plants. Hsp101 likewise is an important chaperone protein that plays a critical role in heat tolerance in plants. We observed that Arabidopsis hsc70-1 mutant seedlings show elevated basal heat tolerance compared with wild-type. Over-expression of Hsc70-1 resulted in increased heat sensitivity. Hsp101 transcript and protein levels were increased during non-heat stress (HS) and post-HS conditions in hsc70-1 mutant seedlings. In contrast, Hsp101 was repressed in Hsc70-1 over-expressing plants after post-HS conditions. Hsc70-1 showed physical interaction with HsfA1d and HsfA1e protein in the cytosol under non-HS conditions. In transient reporter gene analysis, HsfA1d, HsfA1e and HsfA2 showed transcriptional response on the Hsp101 promoter. HsfA1d and HsfA2 transcripts were at higher levels in hsc70-1 mutant compared with wild-type. We provide genetic evidence that Hsc70-1 is a negative regulator affecting HsfA1d/A1e/A2 activators, which in turn regulate Hsp101 expression and basal thermotolerance.

Mechanism and Complex Roles of HSC70 in Viral Infections

Heat shock cognate 71-kDa protein (HSC70), a constitutively expressed molecular chaperon within the heat shock protein 70 family, plays crucial roles in maintaining cellular environmental homeostasis through implicating in a wide variety of physiological processes, such as ATP metabolism, protein folding and transporting, antigen processing and presentation, endocytosis, and autophagy. Notably, HSC70 also participates in multiple non-communicable diseases and some pathogen-caused infectious diseases. It is known that virus is an obligatory intracellular parasite and heavily relies on host machineries to self-replication. Undoubtedly, HSC70 is a striking target manipulated by virus to ensure the successful propagation. In this review, we summarize the recent advances of the regulatory mechanisms of HSC70 during viral infections, which will be conducive to further study viral pathogenesis.

Genetic toolkits of the red alga Pyropia tenera against the three most common diseases in Pyropia farms

Disease outbreaks devastate Pyropia aquaculture farms every year. The three most common and serious diseases are Olpidiopsis-blight and red-rot disease caused by oomycete pathogens and green-spot disease caused by the PyroV1 virus. We hypothesized that a basic genetic profile of molecular defenses will be revealed by comparing and analyzing the genetic response of Pyropia tenera against the above three pathogens. RNAs isolated from infected thalli were hybridized onto an oligochip containing 15,115 primers designed from P. tenera expressed sequence tags (EST)s. Microarray profiles of the three diseases were compared and interpreted together with histochemical observation. Massive amounts of reactive oxygen species accumulated in P. tenera cells exposed to oomycete pathogens. Heat shock genes and serine proteases were the most highly up-regulated genes in all infection experiments. Genes involved in RNA metabolism, ribosomal proteins and antioxidant metabolism were also highly up-regulated. Genetic profiles of P. tenera in response to pathogens were most similar between the two biotrophic pathogens, Olpidiopsis pyropiae and PyroV1 virus. A group of plant resistance genes were specifically regulated against each pathogen. Our results suggested that disease response in P. tenera consists of a general constitutive defense and a genetic toolkit against specific pathogens.

Natural ecotype of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh (Chernobyl-07) respond to cadmium stress more intensively than the sensitive ecotypes Oasis and Columbia

Large areas polluted with toxic heavy metals or radionuclides were formed as a side product of rapid industrial development of human society. Plants, due to their sessile nature, should adapt to these challenging genotoxic environmental conditions and develop resistance. Herein, we evaluated the response of three natural ecotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh (Oasis, Columbia-0, and Chernobyl-07) to cadmium, using discovery gel-based proteomics. These accessions are differing by level of tolerance to heavy metal probably achieved by various exposure to chronic ionizing radiation. Based on the pairwise comparison (control versus cadmium-treated) we recognized 5.8-13.4% of identified proteins as significantly altered at the presence of cadmium. Although the majority of photosynthesis-related proteins were found to be less abundant in all ecotypes it was noted that in contrast to the sensitive variants (Col and Oas), the tolerant Che accession may activate the mechanism preserving photosynthesis and energy production. Also, proteins modulating energy budget through alternative route and mediating higher resistance to heavy metals were upregulated in this ecotype. Although we suggest that regulation of enzymes acting in peptide and protein synthesis, protection of the plants against various abiotic stresses, or those neutralizing the effects of reactive oxygen species are rather associated with general response to cadmium, they were found to be altered more intensively in the Che accession. Thus, the identified affected proteins may represent good candidate molecules for molecular breeding to improve tolerance of crops to heavy metal stress.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of Hsp70 gene family in Nicotiana tabacum

Heat shock proteins 70 (Hsp70) constitute a highly conserved protein family of cellular chaperones widely distributed in plants, where they play a fundamental role in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Until now, genome-wide analyses of the Hsp70 gene family have been conducted for some species. However, reports about Hsp70 genes in Nicotiana tabacum are scarce. In this study, we systematically conducted genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the Hsp70 gene family in tobacco, including gene structure, classification, evolutionary relationships, promoters, and transcript levels in response to abiotic stress treatments. In all, 61 Hsp70 members were identified and classified into six groups that were mapped onto 18 chromosomes, where most were distributed on both ends of the chromosome. The conserved structures and motifs of NtHsp70 proteins in the same subfamily were highly consistent. At least 15 pairs of NtHsp70 genes underwent gene duplication by segment and tandem duplications. Most NtHsp70 proteins contained N-terminal hexokinase conserved motifs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that most species expanded according to their own species-specific approach during the evolution of Hsp70s. Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that all NtHsp70 genes were involved in at least one or more abiotic stress responses, highlighting the wide participation of NtHsp70 genes in environmental adaptation. This is the first genome-wide analysis of Hsp70 in N. tabacum. These results indicate that each NtHsp70 member fulfilled distinct functions in response to various abiotic stresses.

The repressor and co-activator HsfB1 regulates the major heat stress transcription factors in tomato

Plants code for a multitude of heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs). Three of them act as central regulators of heat stress (HS) response in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). HsfA1a regulates the initial response, and HsfA2 controls acquired thermotolerance. HsfB1 is a transcriptional repressor but can also act as co-activator of HsfA1a. Currently, the mode of action and the relevance of the dual function of HsfB1 remain elusive. We examined this in HsfB1 overexpression or suppression transgenic tomato lines. Proteome analysis revealed that HsfB1 overexpression stimulates the co-activator function of HsfB1 and consequently the accumulation of HS-related proteins under non-stress conditions. Plants with enhanced levels of HsfB1 show aberrant growth and development but enhanced thermotolerance. HsfB1 suppression has no significant effect prior to stress. Upon HS, HsfB1 suppression strongly enhances the induction of heat shock proteins due to the higher activity of other HS-induced Hsfs, resulting in increased thermotolerance compared with wild-type. Thereby, HsfB1 acts as co-activator of HsfA1a for several Hsps, but as a transcriptional repressor on other Hsfs, including HsfA1b and HsfA2. The dual function explains the activation of chaperones to enhance protection and regulate the balance between growth and stress response upon deviations from the homeostatic levels of HsfB1.

Affinity chromatography revealed 14-3-3 interactome of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) during blue light-induced de-etiolation

De-etiolation is the first developmental process under light control allowing the heterotrophic seedling to become autotrophic. The phytohormones cytokinins (CKs) largely contribute to this process. Reversible phosphorylation is a key event of cell signaling, allowing proteins to become active or generating a binding site for specific protein interaction. 14-3-3 proteins regulate a variety of plant responses. The expression, hormonal regulation, and proteomic network under the control of 14-3-3s were addressed in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) during blue light-induced photomorphogenesis. Two isoforms were specifically investigated due to their high expression during tomato de-etiolation. The multidisciplinary approach demonstrated that TFT9 expression, but not TFT6, was regulated by CKs and identified cis-regulating elements required for this response. Our study revealed >130 potential TFT6/9 interactors. Their functional annotation predicted that TFTs might regulate the activity of proteins involved notably in cell wall strengthening or primary metabolism. Several potential interactors were also predicted to be CK-responsive. For the first time, the 14-3-3 interactome linked to de-etiolation was investigated and evidenced that 14-3-3s might be involved in CK signaling pathway, cell expansion inhibition and steady-state growth rate establishment, and reprograming from heterotrophy to autotrophy. BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most important vegetables consumed all around the world and represents probably the most preferred garden crop. Regulation of hypocotyl growth by light plays an important role in the early development of a seedling, and consequently the homogeneity of the culture. The present study focuses on the importance of tomato 14-3-3/TFT proteins in this process. We provide here the first report of 14-3-3 interactome in the regulation of light-induced de-etiolation and subsequent photomorphogenesis. Our data provide new insights into light-induced de-etiolation and open new horizons for dissecting the post-transcriptional regulations.

Transcriptomic view of survival during early seedling growth of the extremophyte Haloxylon ammodendron

Seedling establishment in an extreme environment requires an integrated genomic and physiological response to survive multiple abiotic stresses. The extremophyte, Haloxylon ammodendron is a pioneer species capable of colonizing temperate desert sand dunes. We investigated the induced and basal transcriptomes in H. ammodendron under water-deficit stress during early seedling establishment. We find that not only drought-responsive genes, but multiple genes in pathways associated with salt, osmotic, cold, UV, and high-light stresses were induced, suggesting an altered regulatory stress response system. Additionally, H. ammodendron exhibited enhanced biotic stress tolerance by down-regulation of genes that were generally up-regulated during pathogen entry in susceptible plants. By comparing the H. ammodendron basal transcriptome to six closely related transcriptomes in Amaranthaceae, we detected enriched basal level transcripts in H. ammodendron that shows preadaptation to abiotic stress and pathogens. We found transcripts that were generally maintained at low levels and some induced only under abiotic stress in the stress-sensitive model, Arabidopsis thaliana to be highly expressed under basal conditions in the Amaranthaceae transcriptomes including H. ammodendron. H. ammodendron shows coordinated expression of genes that regulate stress tolerance and seedling development resource allocation to support survival against multiple stresses in a sand dune dominated temperate desert environment.

Alternative splicing in tomato pollen in response to heat stress

Alternative splicing (AS) is a key control mechanism influencing signal response cascades in different developmental stages and under stress conditions. In this study, we examined heat stress (HS)-induced AS in the heat sensitive pollen tissue of two tomato cultivars. To obtain the entire spectrum of HS-related AS, samples taken directly after HS and after recovery were combined and analysed by RNA-seq. For nearly 9,200 genes per cultivar, we observed at least one AS event under HS. In comparison to control, for one cultivar we observed 76% more genes with intron retention (IR) or exon skipping (ES) under HS. Furthermore, 2,343 genes had at least one transcript with IR or ES accumulated under HS in both cultivars. These genes are involved in biological processes like protein folding, gene expression and heat response. Transcriptome assembly of these genes revealed that most of the alternative spliced transcripts possess truncated coding sequences resulting in partial or total loss of functional domains. Moreover, 141 HS specific and 22 HS repressed transcripts were identified. Further on, we propose AS as layer of stress response regulating constitutively expressed genes under HS by isoform abundance.

Endophytic Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp. Modulate Apple Shoot Growth, Cellular Redox Balance, and Protein Expression Under in Vitro Conditions

Interactions between host plants and endophytic microorganisms play an important role in plant responses to pathogens and environmental stresses and have potential applications for plant stress management under in vitro conditions. We assessed the effect of endophytic bacteria on the growth and proliferation of domestic apple cv. Gala shoots in vitro. Further, a model apple cell suspension system was used to examine molecular events and protein expression patterns at an early stage of plant-endophyte interaction. Among the seven strains used in the study, Bacillus spp. strains Da_1, Da_4, and Da_5 and the Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Ga_1 promoted shoot growth and auxiliary shoot proliferation. In contrast, Bacillus sp. strain Oa_4, P. fluorescens strain Ga_3 and P. orientalis strain G_12 inhibited shoot development. In the cell suspension, the effects of the association between endophytic bacteria and plant cells were specific to each strain. Modulation of the cellular redox balance was monitored in the apple cells using a 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H₂DCFDA) probe, and strain-specific effects were observed that correlated with the in vitro shoot development results. Proteomic analysis revealed differences in protein expressions in apple cells co-cultivated with different Bacillus spp. strains that had contrasting effects on cellular redox balance and shoot development. The Bacillus sp. strain Da_4, which enhanced shoot development and oxidation of H₂DCFDA, induced differential expression of proteins that are mainly involved in the defense response and regulation of oxidative stress. Meanwhile, treatment with Bacillus sp. strain Oa_4 led to strong upregulation of PLAT1, HSC70-1 and several other proteins involved in protein metabolism and cell development. Taken together, the results suggest that different cell signaling and response events at the early stage of the plant-endophyte interaction may be important for strain-dependent regulation of cellular redox balance and development of shoot phenotype.

Tylophorine Analogs Allosterically Regulates Heat Shock Cognate Protein 70 And Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus Replication

Tylophorine analogs have been shown to exhibit diverse activities against cancer, inflammation, arthritis, and lupus in vivo. In this study, we demonstrated that two tylophorine analogs, DCB-3503 and rac-cryptopleurine, exhibit potent inhibitory activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in genotype 1b Con 1 isolate. The inhibition of HCV replication is at least partially mediated through cellular heat shock cognate protein 70 (Hsc70). Hsc70 associates with the HCV replication complex by primarily binding to the poly U/UC motifs in HCV RNA. The interaction of DCB-3503 and rac-cryptopleurine with Hsc70 promotes the ATP hydrolysis activity of Hsc70 in the presence of the 3' poly U/UC motif of HCV RNA. Regulating the ATPase activity of Hsc70 may be one of the mechanisms by which tylophorine analogs inhibit HCV replication. This study demonstrates the novel anti-HCV activity of tylophorine analogs. Our results also highlight the importance of Hsc70 in HCV replication.

A furoviral replicase recruits host HSP70 to membranes for viral RNA replication

Many host factors have been identified to be involved in viral infection. However, although furoviruses cause important diseases of cereals worldwide, no host factors have yet been identified that interact with furoviral genes or participate in the viral infection cycle. In this study, both TaHSP70 and NbHSP70 were up-regulated in Chinese wheat mosaic furovirus (CWMV)-infected plants. Their overexpression and inhibition were correlated with the accumulation of viral genomic RNAs, suggesting that the HSP70 genes could be necessary for CWMV infection. The subcellular distributions of TaHSP70 and NbHSP70 were significantly affected by CWMV infection or by infiltration of RNA1 alone. Further assays showed that the viral replicase encoded by CWMV RNA1 interacts with both TaHSP70 and NbHSP70 in vivo and vitro and that its region aa167-333 was responsible for the interaction. Subcellular assays showed that the viral replicase could recruit both TaHSP70 and NbHSP70 from the cytoplasm or nucleus to the granular aggregations or inclusion-like structures on the intracellular membrane system, suggesting that both HSP70s may be recruited into the viral replication complex (VRC) to promote furoviral replication. This is the first host factor identified to be involved in furoviral infection, which extends the list and functional scope of HSP70 chaperones.

Root morphogenic pathways in Eucalyptus grandis are modified by the activity of protein arginine methyltransferases

BACKGROUND

Methylation of proteins at arginine residues, catalysed by members of the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family, is crucial for the regulation of gene transcription and for protein function in eukaryotic organisms. Inhibition of the activity of PRMTs in annual model plants has demonstrated wide-ranging involvement of PRMTs in key plant developmental processes, however, PRMTs have not been characterised or studied in long-lived tree species.

RESULTS

Taking advantage of the recently available genome for Eucalyptus grandis, we demonstrate that most of the major plant PRMTs are conserved in E. grandis as compared to annual plants and that they are expressed in all major plant tissues. Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis in roots suggest that the PRMTs of E. grandis control a number of regulatory proteins and genes related to signalling during cellular/root growth and morphogenesis. We demonstrate here, using chemical inhibition of methylation and transgenic approaches, that plant type I PRMTs are necessary for normal root growth and branching in E. grandis. We further show that EgPRMT1 has a key role in root hair initiation and elongation and is involved in the methylation of β-tubulin, a key protein in cytoskeleton formation.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our data demonstrate that PRMTs encoded by E. grandis methylate a number of key proteins and alter the transcription of a variety of genes involved in developmental processes. Appropriate levels of expression of type I PRMTs are necessary for the proper growth and development of E. grandis roots.

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of the drought tolerance gene MsHSP70 from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a ubiquitously expressed class of protective proteins that play a key role in plant response to stressful conditions. This study aimed to characterize and investigate the function of an HSP gene in alfalfa (Medicago sativa). MsHSP70, which contains a 2028-bp open reading frame, was identified through homology cloning. MsHSP70 shares high sequence identity (94.47%) with HSP70 from Medicago truncatula. Expression analysis of MsHSP70 in alfalfa organs revealed a relatively higher expression level in aerial organs such as flowers, stems and leaves than in roots. MsHSP70 was induced by heat shock, abscisic acid (ABA) and hydrogen peroxide. Transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing MsHSP70 were hyposensitive to polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ABA treatments, suggesting that exogenous expression of MsHSP70 enhanced Arabidopsis tolerance to these stresses. Examination of physiological indexes related to drought and ABA stress demonstrated that in comparison with non-transgenic plants, T3 transgenic Arabidopsis plants had an increased proline content, higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Furthermore, higher relative water content (RWC) was detected in transgenic plants compared with non-transgenic plants under drought stress. These findings clearly indicate that molecular manipulation of MsHSP70 in plants can have substantial effects on stress tolerance.

A subclass of HSP70s regulate development and abiotic stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana

Members of the HSP70 family function as molecular chaperones to maintain cellular homeostasis and help plants cope with environmental stimuli. However, due to functional redundancy and lack of effective chemical inhibitors, our knowledge of functions of individual HSP70s has remained limited. Here, we confirmed a subclass of HSP70s, including HSP70-1, -2, -3, -4, and -5, localized to the cytosol and nucleus in Arabidopsis thaliana. Histochemical analyses of promoter:GUS reporter lines showed that HSP70-1, -2, -3, and -4 genes were widely expressed, but HSP70-5 was not. In addition, individual HSP70 showed not only similar but also distinct transcriptions when treated by different abiotic stresses and phytohormones. No apparent phenotype was observed when individual HSP70 genes were overexpressed or knocked-out/down, but the double mutant hsp70-1 hsp70-4 and triple mutant hsp70-2 hsp70-4 hsp70-5 plants exhibited developmental phenotypes with shortened specific growth periods, curly and round leaves, twisted petioles, thin stems, and short siliques. Moreover, both mutants were hypersensitive to heat, cold, high glucose, salt and osmotic stress, but hyposensitive to abscisic acid. Genes related to flowering, and the cytokinin, brassinosteroid, and abscisic acid signaling pathways were differentially expressed in both mutants. Our studies suggest that, the individual HSP70 possibly performs both redundant and specific functions with the other members in the cytosolic/nuclear HSP70 subclass, and apart from enabling plants to cope with abiotic stresses, this subclass of cytosolic/nuclear HSP70 proteins also participates in diverse developmental processes and signaling pathways.

ALA6, a P4-type ATPase, Is Involved in Heat Stress Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana

Maintaining lipid membrane integrity is an essential aspect of plant tolerance to high temperature. P₄-type ATPases are responsible for flipping and stabilizing asymmetric phospholipids in membrane systems, though their functions in stress tolerance are not entirely clear. Aminophospholipid ATPase6 (ALA6) is a member of the P₄-type ATPase family, which has 12 members in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we show that a loss-of-function mutant of ALA6 (ala6) exhibits clear sensitivity to heat stress, including both basal and acquired thermotolerance treatments. Overexpression of ALA6 improves seedling resistance to heat stress, while mutated ALA6 transgenic plants, in which the conserved functional site of the ALA family has a point mutation, are still susceptible to heat stress like ala6 loss-of-function mutant. In addition, ala6 displays higher ion-leakage during heat treatment, suggesting that the lipid flippase activity of ALA6 plays a vital role in heat stress responses. Transcriptome analysis reveals differences in gene expression between ala6 and wild-type plants with or without heat stress. The differentially expressed genes are involved primarily in the physiological processes of stress response, cellular compartment maintenance, macromolecule stability and energy production. Our results suggest that ALA6 is crucial for the stability of membrane when plants suffer from high temperature stress.

Dual functions of the ZmCCT-associated quantitative trait locus in flowering and stress responses under long-day conditions

BACKGROUND

Photoperiodism refers to the ability of plants to measure day length to determine the season. This ability enables plants to coordinate internal biological activities with external changes to ensure normal growth. However, the influence of the photoperiod on maize flowering and stress responses under long-day (LD) conditions has not been analyzed by comparative transcriptome sequencing. The ZmCCT gene was previously identified as a homolog of the rice photoperiod response regulator Ghd7, and associated with the major quantitative trait locus (QTL) responsible for Gibberella stalk rot resistance in maize. However, its regulatory mechanism has not been characterized.

RESULTS

We mapped the ZmCCT-associated QTL (ZmCCT-AQ), which is approximately 130 kb long and regulates photoperiod responses and resistance to Gibberella stalk rot and drought in maize. To investigate the effects of ZmCCT-AQ under LD conditions, the transcriptomes of the photoperiod-insensitive inbred line Huangzao4 (HZ4) and its near-isogenic line (HZ4-NIL) containing ZmCCT-AQ were sequenced. A set of genes identified by RNA-seq exhibited higher basal expression levels in HZ4-NIL than in HZ4. These genes were associated with responses to circadian rhythm changes and biotic and abiotic stresses. The differentially expressed genes in the introgressed regions of HZ4-NIL conferred higher drought and heat tolerance, and stronger disease resistance relative to HZ4. Co-expression analysis and the diurnal expression rhythms of genes related to stress responses suggested that ZmCCT and one of the circadian clock core genes, ZmCCA1, are important nodes linking the photoperiod to stress tolerance responses under LD conditions.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed that the photoperiod influences flowering and stress responses under LD conditions. Additionally, ZmCCT and ZmCCA1 are important functional links between the circadian clock and stress tolerance. The establishment of this particular molecular link has uncovered a new relationship between plant photoperiodism and stress responses.

Genome-wide analysis of the Hsp70 family genes in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and functional identification of CaHsp70-2 involvement in heat stress

Hsp70s function as molecular chaperones and are encoded by a multi-gene family whose members play a crucial role in plant response to stress conditions, and in plant growth and development. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important vegetable crop whose genome has been sequenced. Nonetheless, no overall analysis of the Hsp70 gene family is reported in this crop plant to date. To assess the functionality of Capsicum annuum Hsp70 (CaHsp70) genes, pepper genome database was analyzed in this research. A total of 21 CaHsp70 genes were identified and their characteristics were also described. The promoter and transcript expression analysis revealed that CaHsp70s were involved in pepper growth and development, and heat stress response. Ectopic expression of a cytosolic gene, CaHsp70-2, regulated expression of stress-related genes and conferred increased thermotolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Taken together, our results provide the basis for further studied to dissect CaHsp70s' function in response to heat stress as well as other environmental stresses.

Tylophorine Analog DCB-3503 Inhibited Cyclin D1 Translation through Allosteric Regulation of Heat Shock Cognate Protein 70

Tylophorine analog DCB-3503 is a potential anticancer and immunosuppressive agent that suppresses the translation of cellular regulatory proteins, including cyclin D1, at the elongation step. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown. This study demonstrates that DCB-3503 preferentially binds to heat shock cognate protein 70 (HSC70), which is a determinant for cyclin D1 translation by binding to the 3′-untranslated region (3′ UTR) of its mRNA. DCB-3503 allosterically regulates the ATPase and chaperone activities of HSC70 by promoting ATP hydrolysis in the presence of specific RNA binding motifs (AUUUA) of cyclin D1 mRNA. The suppression of cyclin D1 translation by DCB-3503 is not solely caused by perturbation of the homeostasis of microRNAs, although the microRNA processing complex is dissociated with DCB-3503 treatment. This study highlights a novel regulatory mechanism of protein translation with AUUUA motifs in the 3′ UTR of mRNA by HSC70, and its activity can be allosterically modulated by DCB-3503. DCB-3503 may be used to treat malignancies, such as hepatocellular carcinoma or breast cancer with elevated expression of cyclin D1.

Characterization and abiotic stress-responsive expression analysis of SGT1 genes in Brassica oleracea

SGT1 genes are involved in enhancing plant responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Brassica oleracea is known to contain two types of SGT1 genes, namely suppressor of G2 allele of SKP1 and suppressor of GCR2. In this study, through systematic analysis, four putative SGT1 genes were identified and characterized in B. oleracea. In phylogenetic analysis, the genes clearly formed separate groups, namely BolSGT1a, BolSGT1b (both suppressor of G2 allele of SKP1 types), and BolSGT1 (suppressor of GCR2). Functional domain analysis and organ-specific expression patterns suggested possible roles for BolSGT1 genes during stress conditions. BolSGT1 genes showed significant changes in expression in response to heat, cold, drought, salt, or ABA treatment. Interaction network analysis supported the expression analysis, and showed that the BolSGT1a and BolSGT1b genes are strongly associated with co-regulators during stress conditions. However, the BolSGT1 gene did not show any strong association. Hence, BolSGT1 might be a stress resistance-related gene that functions without a co-regulator. Our results show that BolSGT1 genes are potential target genes to improve B. oleracea resistance to abiotic stresses such as heat, cold, and salt.

SGT1 is required in PcINF1/SRC2-1 induced pepper defense response by interacting with SRC2-1

PcINF1 was previously found to induce pepper defense response by interacting with SRC2-1, but the underlying mechanism remains uninvestigated. Herein, we describe the involvement of SGT1 in the PcINF1/SRC2-1-induced immunity. SGT1 was observed to be up-regulated by Phytophthora capsici inoculation and synergistically transient overexpression of PcINF1/SRC2-1 in pepper plants. SGT1-silencing compromised HR cell death, blocked H₂O₂ accumulation, and downregulated HR-associated and hormones-dependent marker genes’ expression triggered by PcINF1/SRC2-1 co-overexpression. The interaction between SRC2-1 and SGT1 was found by the yeast two hybrid system and was further confirmed by bimolecular fluorescence complementation and co-immunoprecipitation analyses. The SGT1/SRC2-1 interaction was enhanced by transient overexpression of PcINF1 and Phytophthora capsici inoculation, and SGT1-silencing attenuated PcINF1/SRC2-1 interaction. Additionally, by modulating subcellular localizations of SRC2-1, SGT1, and the interacting complex of SGT1/SRC2-1, it was revealed that exclusive nuclear targeting of the SGT1/SRC2-1 complex blocks immunity triggered by formation of SGT1/SRC2-1, and a translocation of the SGT1/SRC2-1 complex from the plasma membrane and cytoplasm to the nuclei upon the inoculation of P. capsici. Our data demonstrate that the SGT1/SRC2-1 interaction, and its nucleocytoplasmic partitioning, is involved in pepper’s immunity against P. capsici, thus providing a molecular link between Ca²⁺ signaling associated SRC2-1 and SGT1-mediated defense signaling.

Prospects of engineering thermotolerance in crops through modulation of heat stress transcription factor and heat shock protein networks

Cell survival under high temperature conditions involves the activation of heat stress response (HSR), which in principle is highly conserved among different organisms, but shows remarkable complexity and unique features in plant systems. The transcriptional reprogramming at higher temperatures is controlled by the activity of the heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs). Hsfs allow the transcriptional activation of HSR genes, among which heat shock proteins (Hsps) are best characterized. Hsps belong to multigene families encoding for molecular chaperones involved in various processes including maintenance of protein homeostasis as a requisite for optimal development and survival under stress conditions. Hsfs form complex networks to activate downstream responses, but are concomitantly subjected to cell-type-dependent feedback regulation through factor-specific physical and functional interactions with chaperones belonging to Hsp90, Hsp70 and small Hsp families. There is increasing evidence that the originally assumed specialized function of Hsf/chaperone networks in the HSR turns out to be a complex central stress response system that is involved in the regulation of a broad variety of other stress responses and may also have substantial impact on various developmental processes. Understanding in detail the function of such regulatory networks is prerequisite for sustained improvement of thermotolerance in important agricultural crops.

Assessment of heat shock protein 70 induction by heat in alfalfa varieties and constitutive overexpression in transgenic plants

Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are molecular chaperones involved in many cellular functions. It has been shown that mammalian cytosolic HSP70 binds antigenic peptides mediating the activation of the immune system, and that it plays a determining role in tumour immunogenicity. This suggests that HSP70 may be used for the production of conjugated vaccines. Human and plant HSPs share high sequence similarity and some important biological functions in vitro. In addition, plant HSPs have no endotoxic side effects. Extraction of HSP70 from plants for use as vaccine adjuvant requires enhancing its concentration in plant tissues. In this work, we explored the possibility to produce HSP70 in both transgenic and non-transgenic plants, using alfalfa as a model species. First, a transcriptional analysis of a constitutive and an inducible HSP70 genes was conducted in Arabidopsis thaliana. Then the coding sequence of the inducible form was cloned and introduced into alfalfa by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and the accumulation of the protein in leaf tissue of transgenic plants was demonstrated. We also tested diverse alfalfa varieties for heat-inducible expression of endogenous HSP70, revealing variety-specific responses to heat shock.

Reactive oxygen species, abscisic acid and ethylene interact to regulate sunflower seed germination

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed dormancy is regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and can be alleviated by incubating dormant embryos in the presence of methylviologen (MV), a ROS-generating compound. Ethylene alleviates sunflower seed dormancy whereas abscisic acid (ABA) represses germination. The purposes of this study were to identify the molecular basis of ROS effect on seed germination and to investigate their possible relationship with hormone signalling pathways. Ethylene treatment provoked ROS generation in embryonic axis whereas ABA had no effect on their production. The beneficial effect of ethylene on germination was lowered in the presence of antioxidant compounds, and MV suppressed the inhibitory effect of ABA. MV treatment did not alter significantly ethylene nor ABA production during seed imbibition. Microarray analysis showed that MV treatment triggered differential expression of 120 probe sets (59 more abundant and 61 less abundant genes), and most of the identified transcripts were related to cell signalling components. Many transcripts less represented in MV-treated seeds were involved in ABA signalling, thus suggesting an interaction between ROS and ABA signalling pathways at the transcriptional level. Altogether, these results shed new light on the crosstalk between ROS and plant hormones in seed germination.

Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins involved in ethylene-induced chilling tolerance in harvested banana fruit

To better understand the mechanism involved in ethylene-induced chilling tolerance in harvested banana fruit, a gel-based proteomic study followed by MALDI-TOF-TOF MS was carried out. Banana fruit were treated with 500 ppm ethylene for 12 h and then stored at 6°C. During cold storage, the chilling tolerance was assessed and the proteins from the peel were extracted for proteomic analysis. It was observed that ethylene pretreatment significantly induced the chilling tolerance in harvested banana fruit, manifesting as increases in maximal chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and decreased electrolyte leakage. Sixty-four proteins spots with significant differences in abundance were identified, most of which were induced by ethylene pretreatment during cold storage. The up-regulated proteins induced by ethylene pretreatment were mainly related to energy metabolism, stress response and defense, methionine salvage cycle and protein metabolism. These proteins were involved in ATP synthesis, ROS scavenging, protective compounds synthesis, protein refolding and degradation, and polyamine biosynthesis. It is suggested that these up-regulated proteins might play a role in the ethylene-induced chilling tolerance in harvested banana fruit.

HEAT-INDUCED TAS1 TARGET1 Mediates Thermotolerance via HEAT STRESS TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A1a-Directed Pathways in Arabidopsis

Many heat stress transcription factors (Hsfs) and heat shock proteins (Hsps) have been identified to play important roles in the heat tolerance of plants. However, many of the key factors mediating the heat response pathways remain unknown. Here, we report that two genes, which are targets of TAS1 (trans-acting siRNA precursor 1)-derived small interfering RNAs that we named HEAT-INDUCED TAS1 TARGET1 (HTT1) and HTT2, are involved in thermotolerance. Microarray analysis revealed that the HTT1 and HTT2 genes were highly upregulated in Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings in response to heat shock. Overexpression of TAS1a, whose trans-acting small interfering RNAs target the HTT genes, elevated accumulation of TAS1-siRNAs and reduced expression levels of the HTT genes, causing weaker thermotolerance. By contrast, overexpression of HTT1 and HTT2 upregulated several Hsf genes, leading to stronger thermotolerance. In heat-tolerant plants overexpressing HsfA1a, the HTT genes were upregulated, especially at high temperatures. Meanwhile, HsfA1a directly activated HTT1 and HTT2 through binding to their promoters. HTT1 interacted with the heat shock proteins Hsp70-14 and Hsp40 and NUCLEAR FACTOR Y, SUBUNIT C2. Taken together, these results suggest that HTT1 mediates thermotolerance pathways because it is targeted by TAS1a, mainly activated by HsfA1a, and acts as cofactor of Hsp70-14 complexes.

The Arabidopsis cytosolic proteome: the metabolic heart of the cell

The plant cytosol is the major intracellular fluid that acts as the medium for inter-organellar crosstalk and where a plethora of important biological reactions take place. These include its involvement in protein synthesis and degradation, stress response signaling, carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and accumulation of enzymes for defense and detoxification. This central role is highlighted by estimates indicating that the majority of eukaryotic proteins are cytosolic. Arabidopsis thaliana has been the subject of numerous proteomic studies on its different subcellular compartments. However, a detailed study of enriched cytosolic fractions from Arabidopsis cell culture has been performed only recently, with over 1,000 proteins reproducibly identified by mass spectrometry. The number of proteins allocated to the cytosol nearly doubles to 1,802 if a series of targeted proteomic characterizations of complexes is included. Despite this, few groups are currently applying advanced proteomic approaches to this important metabolic space. This review will highlight the current state of the Arabidopsis cytosolic proteome since its initial characterization a few years ago.

Isolation of the plant cytosolic fraction for proteomic analysis

The cytosol is the fluid portion of the cell that is not partitioned by membranes. It contains a highly diverse collection of substances and is central to many essential cellular processes ranging from signal transduction, metabolite production and transport, protein biosynthesis and degradation to stress response and defense. Despite its importance, only a few proteomic studies have been performed on the plant cytosol. This is largely due to difficulties in isolating relatively pure samples from plant material free of disrupted organelle material. In this chapter we outline methods for isolating the cytosolic fraction from Arabidopsis cell cultures and seedlings and provide guidance on assessing purity for analysis by mass spectrometry.

Viral and nonviral elements in potexvirus replication and movement and in antiviral responses

In Potato virus X, a member of the genus Potexvirus, special sequences and structures at the 5' and 3' ends of the nontranslated region function as cis-acting elements for viral replication. These elements greatly affect interactions between viral RNAs and those between viral RNAs and host factors. The potexvirus genome encodes five open-reading frames. Viral replicase, which is required for the synthesis of viral RNA, binds viral RNA elements and host factors to form a viral replication complex at the host cellular membrane. The coat protein (CP) and three viral movement proteins (TGB1, TGB2, and TGB3) have critical roles in mediating cell-to-cell viral movement through plasmodesmata by virion formation or by nonvirion ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex formation with viral movement proteins (TGBs). The RNP complex, like TGB1-CP-viral RNA, is associated with viral replicase and used for immediate reinitiation of viral replication in newly invaded cells. Higher plants have defense mechanisms against potexviruses such as Rx-mediated resistance and RNA silencing. The CP acts as an avirulence effector for plant defense mechanisms, while TGB1 functions as a viral suppressor of RNA silencing, which is the mechanism of innate immune resistance. Here, we describe recent findings concerning the involvement of viral and host factors in potexvirus replication and in antiviral responses to potexvirus infection.

Comparative analysis of barley leaf proteome as affected by drought stress

The adaptive response of Egyptian barley land races to drought stress was analyzed using difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE). Physiological measurements and proteome alterations of accession number 15141, drought tolerant, and accession number 15163, drought sensitive, were compared. Differentially expressed proteins were subjected to MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. Alterations in proteins related to the energy balance and chaperons were the most characteristic features to explain the differences between the drought-tolerant and the drought-sensitive accessions. Further alterations in the levels of proteins involved in metabolism, transcription and protein synthesis are also indicated.

HsfA1d, a protein identified via FOX hunting using Thellungiella salsuginea cDNAs improves heat tolerance by regulating heat-stress-responsive gene expression

Thellungiella salsuginea (formerly T. halophila), a species closely related to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), is tolerant not only to high salt levels, but also to chilling, freezing, and ozone. Here, we report that T. salsuginea also shows greater heat tolerance than Arabidopsis. We identified T. salsuginea HsfA1d (TsHsfA1d) as a gene that can confer marked heat tolerance on Arabidopsis. TsHsfA1d was identified via Full-length cDNA Over-eXpressing gene (FOX) hunting from among a collection of heat-stress-related T. salsuginea cDNAs. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing TsHsfA1d showed constitutive up-regulation of many genes in the Arabidopsis AtHsfA1 regulon under normal growth temperature. In Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts, TsHsfA1d was localized in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. TsHsfA1d also interacted with AtHSP90, which negatively regulates AtHsfA1s by forming HsfA1-HSP90 complexes in the cytoplasm. It is likely that the partial nuclear localization of TsHsfA1d induced the expression of the AtHsfA1d regulon in the transgenic plants at normal temperature. We also discovered that transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing AtHsfA1d were more heat-tolerant than wild-type plants and up-regulated the expression of the HsfA1d regulon, as was observed in TsHsfA1d-overexpressing plants. We propose that the products of both TsHsfA1d and AtHsfA1d function as positive regulators of Arabidopsis heat-stress response and would be useful for the improvement of heat-stress tolerance in other plants.

Heat shock protein gene family of the Porphyra seriata and enhancement of heat stress tolerance by PsHSP70 in Chlamydomonas

Heat shock proteins and molecular chaperones are key components contributing to survival in the abiotic stress response. Porphyra seriata grows on intertidal rocks exposed to dynamic environmental changes associated with the turning tides, including desiccation and heat stress. Analysis of the ESTs of P. seriata allows us to identify the nine HSP cDNAs, which are predicted to be PsHSP90, three PsHSP70, PsHSP40 and PsHSP20, and three 5'-truncated HSP cDNAs. RT-PCR results show that most of the PsHSP transcripts were detected under normal cell growth conditions as well as heat stress, with the exception of two cDNAs. In particular, PsHSP70b and PsHSP20 transcripts were upregulated by heat stress. When the putative mitochondrial PsHSP70b was introduced and overexpressed in Chlamydomonas, transformed Chlamydomonas evidenced higher rates of survival and growth than those of the wild type under heat stress conditions. Constitutive overexpression of the PsHSP70b gene increases the transcription of the HSF1 as well as the CrHSP20 and CrHSP70 gene. These results indicate that PsHSP70b is involved in tolerance to heat stress and the effects on transcription of the CrHSP20 and CrHSP70 genes.

Acclimation increases freezing stress response of Arabidopsis thaliana at proteome level

This study used 2DE to investigate how Arabidopsis thaliana modulates protein levels in response to freezing stress after sub-lethal exposure at -10°C, both in cold-acclimated and in non-acclimated plants. A map was implemented in which 62 spots, corresponding to 44 proteins, were identified. Twenty-two spots were modulated upon treatments, and the corresponding proteins proved to be related to photosynthesis, energy metabolism, and stress response. Proteins demonstrated differences between control and acclimation conditions. Most of the acclimation-responsive proteins were either not further modulated or they were down-modulated by freezing treatment, indicating that the levels reached during acclimation were sufficient to deal with freezing. Anabolic metabolism appeared to be down-regulated in favor of catabolic metabolism. Acclimated plants and plants submitted to freezing after acclimation showed greater reciprocal similarity in protein profiles than either showed when compared both to control plants and to plants frozen without acclimation. The response of non-acclimated plants was aimed at re-modulating photosynthetic apparatus activity, and at increasing the levels of proteins with antioxidant-, molecular chaperone-, or post-transcriptional regulative functions. These changes, even less effective than the acclimation strategy, might allow the injured plastids to minimize the production of non-useful metabolites and might counteract photosynthetic apparatus injuries.