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Lv X, Yao Q, Mao F, Liu M, Wang Y, Wang X, Gao Y, Wang Y, Liao S, Wang P, Huang S. Heat stress and sexual reproduction in maize: unveiling the most pivotal factors and the greatest opportunities. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:4219-4243. [PMID: 38183327 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
The escalation in the intensity, frequency, and duration of high-temperature (HT) stress is currently unparalleled, which aggravates the challenges for crop production. Yet, the stage-dependent responses of reproductive organs to HT stress at the morphological, physiological, and molecular levels remain inadequately explored in pivotal staple crops. This review synthesized current knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which HT stress induces abnormalities and aberrations in reproductive growth and development, as well as by which it alters the morphology and function of florets, flowering patterns, and the processes of pollination and fertilization in maize (Zea mays L.). We identified the stage-specific sensitivities to HT stress and accurately defined the sensitive period from a time scale of days to hours. The microspore tetrad phase of pollen development and anthesis (especially shortly after pollination) are most sensitive to HT stress, and even brief temperature spikes during these stages can lead to significant kernel loss. The impetuses behind the heat-induced impairments in seed set are closely related to carbon, reactive oxygen species, phytohormone signals, ion (e.g. Ca2+) homeostasis, plasma membrane structure and function, and others. Recent advances in understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying HT stress responses during maize sexual reproduction have been systematically summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanlong Lv
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Yao
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Fen Mao
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Mayang Liu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yudong Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingbo Gao
- Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- College of Agronomy, South China Agricultural University, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuhua Liao
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Pu Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shoubing Huang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Shrestha A, Limay-Rios V, Brettingham DJL, Raizada MN. Maize pollen carry bacteria that suppress a fungal pathogen that enters through the male gamete fertilization route. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1286199. [PMID: 38269134 PMCID: PMC10806238 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1286199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
In flowering plants, after being released from pollen grains, the male gametes use the style channel to migrate towards the ovary where they fertilize awaiting eggs. Environmental pathogens exploit the style passage, resulting in diseased progeny seed. The belief is that pollen also transmits pathogens into the style. By contrast, we hypothesized that pollen carries beneficial microbes that suppress environmental pathogens on the style passage. No prior studies have reported pollen-associated bacterial functions in any plant species. Here, bacteria were cultured from maize (corn) pollen encompassing wild ancestors and farmer-selected landraces from across the Americas, grown in a common field in Canada for one season. In total, 298 bacterial isolates were cultured, spanning 45 genera, 103 species, and 88 OTUs, dominated by Pantoea, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Erwinia, and Microbacterium. Full-length 16S DNA-based taxonomic profiling showed that 78% of bacterial taxa from the major wild ancestor of maize (Parviglumis teosinte) were present in at least one cultivated landrace. The species names of the bacterial isolates were used to search the pathogen literature systematically; this preliminary evidence predicted that the vast majority of the pollen-associated bacteria analyzed are not maize pathogens. The pollen-associated bacteria were tested in vitro against a style-invading Fusarium pathogen shown to cause Gibberella ear rot (GER): 14 isolates inhibited this pathogen. Genome mining showed that all the anti-Fusarium bacterial species encode phzF, associated with biosynthesis of the natural fungicide, phenazine. To mimic the male gamete migration route, three pollen-associated bacterial strains were sprayed onto styles (silks), followed by Fusarium inoculation; these bacteria reduced GER symptoms and mycotoxin accumulation in progeny seed. Confocal microscopy was used to search for direct evidence that pollen-associated bacteria can defend living silks against Fusarium graminearum (Fg); bacterial strain AS541 (Kluyvera intermedia), isolated from pollen of ancestral Parviglumis, was observed to colonize the susceptible style/silk entry points of Fg (silk epidermis, trichomes, wounds). Furthermore, on style/silk tissue, AS541 colonized/aggregated on Fg hyphae, and was associated with Fg hyphal breaks. These results suggest that pollen has the potential to carry bacteria that can defend the style/silk passage against an environmental pathogen - a novel observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuja Shrestha
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Victor Limay-Rios
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Ridgetown, ON, Canada
| | | | - Manish N. Raizada
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Maren N, Zhao F, Aryal R, Touchell D, Liu W, Ranney T, Ashrafi H. Reproductive developmental transcriptome analysis of Tripidium ravennae (Poaceae). BMC Genomics 2021; 22:483. [PMID: 34182921 PMCID: PMC8237498 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07641-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tripidium ravennae is a cold-hardy, diploid species in the sugarcane complex (Poaceae subtribe Saccharinae) with considerable potential as a genetic resource for developing improved bioenergy and ornamental grasses. An improved understanding of the genetic regulation of reproductive processes (e.g., floral induction, inflorescence development, and seed development) will enable future applications of precision breeding and gene editing of floral and seed development. In particular, the ability to silence reproductive processes would allow for developing seedless forms of valuable but potentially invasive plants. The objective of this research was to characterize the gene expression environment of reproductive development in T. ravennae. RESULTS During the early phases of inflorescence development, multiple key canonical floral integrators and pathways were identified. Annotations of type II subfamily of MADS-box transcription factors, in particular, were over-represented in the GO enrichment analyses and tests for differential expression (FDR p-value < 0.05). The differential expression of floral integrators observed in the early phases of inflorescence development diminished prior to inflorescence determinacy regulation. Differential expression analysis did not identify many unique genes at mid-inflorescence development stages, though typical biological processes involved in plant growth and development expressed abundantly. The increase in inflorescence determinacy regulatory elements and putative homeotic floral development unigenes at mid-inflorescence development coincided with the expression of multiple meiosis annotations and multicellular organism developmental processes. Analysis of seed development identified multiple unigenes involved in oxidative-reductive processes. CONCLUSION Reproduction in grasses is a dynamic system involving the sequential coordination of complex gene regulatory networks and developmental processes. This research identified differentially expressed transcripts associated with floral induction, inflorescence development, and seed development in T. ravennae. These results provide insights into the molecular regulation of reproductive development and provide a foundation for future investigations and analyses, including genome annotation, functional genomics characterization, gene family evolutionary studies, comparative genomics, and precision breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Maren
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7609, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7609, USA.
| | - Fangzhou Zhao
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7609, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7609, USA
- College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Rishi Aryal
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7609, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7609, USA
| | - Darren Touchell
- Mountain Crop Improvement Lab, Department of Horticultural Science, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, North Carolina State University, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC, 28759-3423, USA
| | - Wusheng Liu
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7609, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7609, USA
| | - Thomas Ranney
- Mountain Crop Improvement Lab, Department of Horticultural Science, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, North Carolina State University, 455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC, 28759-3423, USA
| | - Hamid Ashrafi
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7609, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7609, USA.
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Transcriptome analysis identified aberrant gene expression in pollen developmental pathways leading to CGMS in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218381. [PMID: 31233531 PMCID: PMC6590983 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Male sterility (induced or natural) is a potential tool for commercial hybrid seed production in different crops. Despite numerous endeavors to understand the physiological, hereditary, and molecular cascade of events governing CMS in cotton, the exact biological process controlling sterility and fertility reconstruction remains obscure. During current study, RNA-Seq using Ion Torrent S5 platform is carried out to identify 'molecular portraits' in floral buds among the Cytoplasmic Genic Male Sterility (CGMS) line, its near-isogenic maintainer, and restorer lines. A total of 300, 438 and 455 genes were differentially expressed in CGMS, Maintainer, and Restorer lines respectively. The functional analysis using AgriGo revealed suppression in the pathways involved in biogenesis and metabolism of secondary metabolites which play an important role in pollen and anther maturation. Enrichment analysis showed dearth related to pollen and anther's development in sterile line, including anomalous expression of genes and transcription factors that have a role in the development of the reproductive organ, abnormal cytoskeleton formation, defects in cell wall formation. The current study found aberrant expression of DYT1, AMS and cytochrome P450 genes involved in tapetum formation, pollen development, pollen exine and anther cuticle formation associated to male sterility as well as fertility restoration of CGMS. In the current study, more numbers of DEGs were found on Chromosome D05 and A05 as compared to other chromosomes. Expression pattern analysis of fourteen randomly selected genes using qRT-PCR showed high concurrence with gene expression profile of RNA-Seq analysis accompanied by a strong correlation of 0.82. The present study provides an important support for future studies in identifying interaction between cyto-nuclear molecular portraits, to accelerate functional genomics and molecular breeding related to cytoplasmic male sterility studies in cotton.
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Tian X, Qin Y, Chen B, Liu C, Wang L, Li X, Dong X, Liu L, Chen S. Hetero-fertilization together with failed egg-sperm cell fusion supports single fertilization involved in in vivo haploid induction in maize. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:4689-4701. [PMID: 29757396 PMCID: PMC6137981 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In vivo doubled-haploid technology is widely applied in commercial maize breeding programs because of its time-saving and cost-reducing features. The production of maize haploids primarily depends on the use of Stock6-derived haploid inducer lines. Although the gene underlying haploid induction, MTL/ZmPLA1/NLD, was cloned recently, the mechanism of haploid induction is still unknown. Hetero-fertilization can occur via a single fertilization, which provides a means to investigate single-fertilization events by studying the hetero-fertilization phenomenon. In this study, we found that the hetero-fertilization rate increased significantly when female maize lines were first individually crossed with pollen from the inducer CAU5 in dual-pollination experiments 4 h before a second pollination with common lines. We also examined embryogenesis during haploid induction by confocal laser-scanning microscopy and observed single-fertilized ovules, indicating that single fertilization occurred during haploid induction. We therefore postulate that both single fertilization and chromosome elimination contribute to haploid induction in maize. We also propose a scheme for the formation of hetero-fertilized and haploid kernels. Our results provide an efficient approach to identify hetero-fertilized kernels for research on interactions between embryo and endosperm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Tian
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanxin Qin
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Baojian Chen
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Chenxu Liu
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Lele Wang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Xingli Li
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Dong
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Chongqing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, China
| | - Liwei Liu
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Shaojiang Chen
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Correspondence:
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Turc O, Tardieu F. Drought affects abortion of reproductive organs by exacerbating developmentally driven processes via expansive growth and hydraulics. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:3245-3254. [PMID: 29546424 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Abortion of reproductive organs is a major limiting factor of yield under water deficit, but is also a trait selected for by evolutionary processes. The youngest reproductive organs must be prone to abortion so older organs can finish their development in case of limited resources. Water deficit increases natural abortion via two developmentally driven processes, namely a signal from the first fertilized ovaries and a simultaneous arrest of the expansive growth of all ovaries at a precise stage. In maize (Zea mays) subjected to water deficits typically encountered in dryland agriculture, these developmental mechanisms account for 90% of drought-associated abortion and are irreversible 3 d after silk emergence. Consistently, transcripts and enzyme activities suggest that the molecular events associated with abortion affect expansive growth in silks whereas ovaries maintain a favourable carbon status. Abortion due to carbon starvation is only observed for severe drought scenarios occurring after silking. Both kinetic and genetic evidence indicates that vegetative and reproductive structures share a partly common hydraulic control of expansive growth. Hence, the control of expansive growth of reproductive structures probably has a prominent effect on abortion for mild water deficits occurring at flowering time, while carbon starvation dominates in severe post-flowering drought scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Turc
- LEPSE, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - François Tardieu
- LEPSE, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Oury V, Tardieu F, Turc O. Ovary Apical Abortion under Water Deficit Is Caused by Changes in Sequential Development of Ovaries and in Silk Growth Rate in Maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 171:986-96. [PMID: 26598464 PMCID: PMC4902573 DOI: 10.1104/pp.15.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Grain abortion allows the production of at least a few viable seeds under water deficit but causes major yield loss. It is maximum for water deficits occurring during flowering in maize (Zea mays). We have tested the hypothesis that abortion is linked to the differential development of ovary cohorts along the ear and to the timing of silk emergence. Ovary volume and silk growth were followed over 25 to 30 d under four levels of water deficit and in four hybrids in two experiments. A position-time model allowed characterizing the development of ovary cohorts and their silk emergence. Silk growth rate decreased in water deficit and stopped 2 to 3 d after first silk emergence, simultaneously for all ovary cohorts, versus 7 to 8 d in well-watered plants. Abortion rate in different treatments and positions on the ear was not associated with ovary growth rate. It was accounted for by the superposition of (1) the sequential emergence of silks originating from ovaries of different cohorts along the ear with (2) one event occurring on a single day, the simultaneous silk growth arrest. Abortion occurred in the youngest ovaries whose silks did not emerge 2 d before silk arrest. This mechanism accounted for more than 90% of drought-related abortion in our experiments. It resembles the control of abortion in a large range of species and inflorescence architectures. This finding has large consequences for breeding drought-tolerant maize and for modeling grain yields in water deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Oury
- INRA, UMR 759 Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Plantes sous Stress Environnementaux, F-34060 Montpellier, France
| | - François Tardieu
- INRA, UMR 759 Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Plantes sous Stress Environnementaux, F-34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Olivier Turc
- INRA, UMR 759 Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Plantes sous Stress Environnementaux, F-34060 Montpellier, France
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Marowa P, Ding A, Kong Y. Expansins: roles in plant growth and potential applications in crop improvement. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2016; 35:949-65. [PMID: 26888755 PMCID: PMC4833835 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-016-1948-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Results from various expansin related studies have demonstrated that expansins present an opportunity to improve various crops in many different aspects ranging from yield and fruit ripening to improved stress tolerance. The recent advances in expansin studies were reviewed. Besides producing the strength that is needed by the plants, cell walls define cell shape, cell size and cell function. Expansins are cell wall proteins which consist of four sub families; α-expansin, β-expansin, expansin-like A and expansin-like B. These proteins mediate cell wall loosening and they are present in all plants and in some microbial organisms and other organisms like snails. Decades after their initial discovery in cucumber, it is now clear that these small proteins have diverse biological roles in plants. Through their ability to enable the local sliding of wall polymers by reducing adhesion between adjacent wall polysaccharides and the part they play in cell wall remodeling after cytokinesis, it is now clear that expansins are required in almost all plant physiological development aspects from germination to fruiting. This is shown by the various reports from different studies using various molecular biology approaches such as gene achieve these many roles through their non-enzymatic wall loosening ability. This paper reviews and summarizes some of the reported functions of expansins and outlines the potential uses of expansins in crop improvement programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prince Marowa
- Key Laboratory for Tobacco Gene Resources, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, People's Republic of China
| | - Anming Ding
- Key Laboratory for Tobacco Gene Resources, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingzhen Kong
- Key Laboratory for Tobacco Gene Resources, Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, People's Republic of China.
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Yue X, Gao XQ, Zhang XS. Circadian rhythms synchronise intracellular calcium dynamics and ATP production for facilitating Arabidopsis pollen tube growth. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2015; 10:e1017699. [PMID: 26039479 PMCID: PMC4622975 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2015.1017699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Experimental evidences support that the circadian rhythm regulates the transcription levels of genes encoding the enzymes involved in plant metabolism. However, there is no paper to refer the correlation of the circadian rhythms and the metabolic processes for facilitating pollen tube growth. In this study, we found that many central components of the circadian clock were highly enriched and specifically present in the in vivo grown Arabidopsis pollen tubes. Our analysis also identified the significant differentially expressed genes encoding co-expressed enzymes in the consecutive steps of fatty acid β-oxidation II, pentose phosphate pathway (oxidative branch) and phosphatidic acid biosynthesis pathway in the in vivo grown Arabidopsis pollen tubes during pollination. Thus, it is implicated that the circadian rhythms of pollen tube may be adjusted and have a greater probability of the direct or indirect functional relationship with enhanced intracellular Ca(2+) dynamics and ATP production for facilitating pollen tube growth in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology; College of Life Sciences; Shandong Agricultural University; Tai’an, Shandong, China
- College of Information Sciences and Engineering; Shandong Agricultural University; Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Xin-Qi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology; College of Life Sciences; Shandong Agricultural University; Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Xian Sheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology; College of Life Sciences; Shandong Agricultural University; Tai’an, Shandong, China
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Genome-wide identification and characterization of maize expansin genes expressed in endosperm. Mol Genet Genomics 2014; 289:1061-74. [PMID: 25213600 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-014-0867-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
By promoting cell wall loosening, expansins contribute to cell enlargement during various developmental processes. Nevertheless, the role of expansins in the expansion and development of endosperm--a major seed component whose cell size is significantly associated with grain yield--is poorly understood. To explore associated biological processes and the evolution of expansins in maize, we performed a systematic analysis of the expansin gene family encompassing gene structure, phylogeny, chromosomal location, gene duplication, and gene ontology. A total of 88 maize expansin genes (ZmEXPs) were identified and categorized into three subfamilies according to their phylogenetic relationships. Expression patterns of ZmEXPs were also investigated in nine different tissues by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The expression of eight ZmEXPs was detected in endosperm, with five showing endosperm-specific expression. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to analyze expression patterns of the eight ZmEXPs in endosperm (10 days after pollination) under abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) treatments. All eight ZmEXPs were found to be significantly regulated by ABA and GA3 in endosperm, suggesting important roles for these hormones in the regulation of ZmEXPs during endosperm development. Our results provide essential information for ZmEXPs cloning and functional exploration, which will assist research on expansin-related mechanisms and contribute to future enhancement of maize grain yield.
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Trad M, Ginies C, Gaaliche B, Renard CMGC, Mars M. Relationship between pollination and cell wall properties in common fig fruit. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2014; 98:78-84. [PMID: 24393459 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2013.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Revised: 12/08/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Most botanical types in fig Ficus carica require pollination to fulfil their development and ensure quality onset of the fruit. Cell wall behaviour and composition was followed in fig fruit in response to pollination during maturity. Figs, when ripe, soften drastically and lose of their firmness and cell wall cohesion. Pollination increased peel thickness, flesh thickness, fresh weight and dry matter content of the fruit. Alcohol insoluble solids (AIS), more concentrated in the flesh tissue, were not influenced by the lack of pollination. Concentrations in uronic acids were higher in the AIS of the peel than that of the flesh and differences were significant between pollinated and non-pollinated fruits. Pectin polymers in figs were high methylated (DM>50). The methylation degree (DM) increased more with pollination affecting textural properties of the fig receptacle. The major neutral sugars from the AIS were glucose (Glc) from cellulose followed by arabinose (Ara). No significant changes in neutral sugars content could be allocated to pollination. Pollination is essential in fruit enlargement and softening. Minor changes were determined in the cell wall composition of the fruit at maturity. Fertile seeds resulting from pollination may possibly take place in hormonal activity stimulating many related enzymes of the wall matrix depolymerisation in particular polygalacturonase (PG) and pectin methylesterase (PME).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Trad
- UR Agrobiodiversity, High Agronomic Institute, IRESA-University of Sousse, 4042 Chott-Mariem, Tunisia.
| | - Christian Ginies
- INRA, Université d'Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse, UMR408 SQPOV, F-84000 Avignon, France
| | - Badii Gaaliche
- UR Agrobiodiversity, High Agronomic Institute, IRESA-University of Sousse, 4042 Chott-Mariem, Tunisia
| | - Catherine M G C Renard
- INRA, Université d'Avignon et des Pays du Vaucluse, UMR408 SQPOV, F-84000 Avignon, France
| | - Messaoud Mars
- UR Agrobiodiversity, High Agronomic Institute, IRESA-University of Sousse, 4042 Chott-Mariem, Tunisia
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Honaas LA, Wafula EK, Yang Z, Der JP, Wickett NJ, Altman NS, Taylor CG, Yoder JI, Timko MP, Westwood JH, dePamphilis CW. Functional genomics of a generalist parasitic plant: laser microdissection of host-parasite interface reveals host-specific patterns of parasite gene expression. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2013; 13:9. [PMID: 23302495 PMCID: PMC3636017 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-13-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Orobanchaceae is the only plant family with members representing the full range of parasitic lifestyles plus a free-living lineage sister to all parasitic lineages, Lindenbergia. A generalist member of this family, and an important parasitic plant model, Triphysaria versicolor regularly feeds upon a wide range of host plants. Here, we compare de novo assembled transcriptomes generated from laser micro-dissected tissues at the host-parasite interface to uncover details of the largely uncharacterized interaction between parasitic plants and their hosts. RESULTS The interaction of Triphysaria with the distantly related hosts Zea mays and Medicago truncatula reveals dramatic host-specific gene expression patterns. Relative to above ground tissues, gene families are disproportionally represented at the interface including enrichment for transcription factors and genes of unknown function. Quantitative Real-Time PCR of a T. versicolor β-expansin shows strong differential (120x) upregulation in response to the monocot host Z. mays; a result that is concordant with our read count estimates. Pathogenesis-related proteins, other cell wall modifying enzymes, and orthologs of genes with unknown function (annotated as such in sequenced plant genomes) are among the parasite genes highly expressed by T. versicolor at the parasite-host interface. CONCLUSIONS Laser capture microdissection makes it possible to sample the small region of cells at the epicenter of parasite host interactions. The results of our analysis suggest that T. versicolor's generalist strategy involves a reliance on overlapping but distinct gene sets, depending upon the host plant it is parasitizing. The massive upregulation of a T. versicolor β-expansin is suggestive of a mechanism for parasite success on grass hosts. In this preliminary study of the interface transcriptomes, we have shown that T. versicolor, and the Orobanchaceae in general, provide excellent opportunities for the characterization of plant genes with unknown functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren A Honaas
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Eric K Wafula
- Department of Biology and Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Zhenzhen Yang
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Joshua P Der
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Biology and Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Norman J Wickett
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Biology and Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Present address: Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL, 60022, USA
| | - Naomi S Altman
- Department of Statistics and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Christopher G Taylor
- Department of Plant Pathology, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
| | - John I Yoder
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Michael P Timko
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - James H Westwood
- Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Claude W dePamphilis
- Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
- Department of Biology and Institute of Molecular Evolutionary Genetics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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13
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Xu XH, Chen H, Sang YL, Wang F, Ma JP, Gao XQ, Zhang XS. Identification of genes specifically or preferentially expressed in maize silk reveals similarity and diversity in transcript abundance of different dry stigmas. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:294. [PMID: 22748054 PMCID: PMC3416702 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In plants, pollination is a critical step in reproduction. During pollination, constant communication between male pollen and the female stigma is required for pollen adhesion, germination, and tube growth. The detailed mechanisms of stigma-mediated reproductive processes, however, remain largely unknown. Maize (Zea mays L.), one of the world's most important crops, has been extensively used as a model species to study molecular mechanisms of pollen and stigma interaction. A comprehensive analysis of maize silk transcriptome may provide valuable information for investigating stigma functionality. A comparative analysis of expression profiles between maize silk and dry stigmas of other species might reveal conserved and diverse mechanisms that underlie stigma-mediated reproductive processes in various plant species. RESULTS Transcript abundance profiles of mature silk, mature pollen, mature ovary, and seedling were investigated using RNA-seq. By comparing the transcriptomes of these tissues, we identified 1,427 genes specifically or preferentially expressed in maize silk. Bioinformatic analyses of these genes revealed many genes with known functions in plant reproduction as well as novel candidate genes that encode amino acid transporters, peptide and oligopeptide transporters, and cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases. In addition, comparison of gene sets specifically or preferentially expressed in stigmas of maize, rice (Oryza sativa L.), and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana [L.] Heynh.) identified a number of homologous genes involved either in pollen adhesion, hydration, and germination or in initial growth and penetration of pollen tubes into the stigma surface. The comparison also indicated that maize shares a more similar profile and larger number of conserved genes with rice than with Arabidopsis, and that amino acid and lipid transport-related genes are distinctively overrepresented in maize. CONCLUSIONS Many of the novel genes uncovered in this study are potentially involved in stigma-mediated reproductive processes, including genes encoding amino acid transporters, peptide and oligopeptide transporters, and cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases. The data also suggest that dry stigmas share similar mechanisms at early stages of pollen-stigma interaction. Compared with Arabidopsis, maize and rice appear to have more conserved functional mechanisms. Genes involved in amino acid and lipid transport may be responsible for mechanisms in the reproductive process that are unique to maize silk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Hui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Ya Lin Sang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
- College of Forestry, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Fang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Jun Ping Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Xin-Qi Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
| | - Xian Sheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, China
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14
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Williams JH. Pollen Tube Growth Rates and the Diversification of Flowering Plant Reproductive Cycles. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES 2012. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1086/665822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
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15
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Cao A, Reid LM, Butrón A, Malvar RA, Souto XC, Santiago R. Role of hydroxycinnamic acids in the infection of maize silks by Fusarium graminearum Schwabe. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2011; 24:1020-6. [PMID: 21635140 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-03-11-0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
In the current study, the hydroxycinnamic acids in silks of diverse maize inbred lines differing in Fusarium resistance were determined at several times after inoculation with Fusarium graminearum or sterile water as control. The main objective was to determine the possible relationship between the hydroxycinnamic acid changes in silks and ear rot resistance. Several changes in the cell-wall-bound hydroxycinnamic acid concentrations were observed after inoculation with F. graminearum, although these changes were not directly correlated with genotypic resistance to this fungus. Ester-bound ferulic acid decreased, probably due to degradation of hemicellulose by hydrolytic enzymes produced by Fusarium spp., while p-coumaric acid and diferulates showed slight increases that, in conjunction, did not result in delayed F. graminearum progression through the silks. It is important to note that the decrease of ferulic acid in the F. graminearum treatment was faster in susceptible than in resistant genotypes, suggesting a differential hemicellulose degradation in silk tissues. Therefore, the ability of the maize genotypes to slow down that process through hemicellulose structural features or xylanase inhibitors needs to be addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cao
- Spanish Council for Scientific Research, Pontevedra, Spain.
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16
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Tardieu F, Granier C, Muller B. Water deficit and growth. Co-ordinating processes without an orchestrator? CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2011; 14:283-9. [PMID: 21388861 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2011.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2010] [Revised: 02/11/2011] [Accepted: 02/14/2011] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Water deficit affects plant growth via reduced carbon accumulation, cell number and tissue expansion. We review the ways in which these processes are co-ordinated. Tissue expansion and its sensitivity to water deficit may be the most crucial process, involving tight co-ordination between the mechanisms which govern cell wall mechanical properties and plant hydraulics. The analyses of sensitivities, time constants and genetic correlations suggest that tissue expansion is loosely co-ordinated with cell division and carbon accumulation which may have limited direct effects on growth under water deficit. We therefore argue for essentially uncoupled mechanisms with feedbacks between them, rather than for a co-ordinated re-programming of all processes. Consequences on plant modelling and plant breeding in dry environment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Tardieu
- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique/LEPSE, 2 place Viala, Montpellier, France.
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17
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Pietruszka M. Solutions for a local equation of anisotropic plant cell growth: an analytical study of expansin activity. J R Soc Interface 2011; 8:975-87. [PMID: 21227964 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2010.0552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a generalization of the Lockhart equation for plant cell/organ expansion in the anisotropic case. The intent is to take into account the temporal and spatial variation in the cell wall mechanical properties by considering the wall 'extensibility' (Φ), a time- and space-dependent parameter. A dynamic linear differential equation of a second-order tensor is introduced by describing the anisotropic growth process with some key biochemical aspects included. The distortion and expansion of plant cell walls initiated by expansins, a class of proteins known to enhance cell wall 'extensibility', is also described. In this approach, expansin proteins are treated as active agents participating in isotropic/anisotropic growth. Two-parameter models and an equation for describing α- and β-expansin proteins are proposed by delineating the extension of isolated wall samples, allowing turgor-driven polymer creep, where expansins weaken the non-covalent binding between wall polysaccharides. We observe that the calculated halftime (t(1/2) = εΦ(0) log 2) of stress relaxation due to expansin action can be described in mechanical terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Pietruszka
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, Jagiellońska 28, 40032 Katowice, Poland.
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