A G protein alpha null mutation confers prolificacy potential in maize

An emerging role of heterotrimeric G-proteins in nodulation and nitrogen sensing

MAIN CONCLUSION

A comprehensive understanding of nitrogen signaling cascades involving heterotrimeric G-proteins and their putative receptors can assist in the production of nitrogen-efficient plants. Plants are immobile in nature, so they must endure abiotic stresses including nutrient stress. Plant development and agricultural productivity are frequently constrained by the restricted availability of nitrogen in the soil. Non-legume plants acquire nitrogen from the soil through root membrane-bound transporters. In depleted soil nitrogen conditions, legumes are naturally conditioned to fix atmospheric nitrogen with the aid of nodulation elicited by nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Moreover, apart from the symbiotic nitrogen fixation process, nitrogen uptake from the soil can also be a significant secondary source to satisfy the nitrogen requirements of legumes. Heterotrimeric G-proteins function as molecular switches to help plant cells relay diverse stimuli emanating from external stress conditions. They are comprised of Gα, Gβ and Gγ subunits, which cooperate with several downstream effectors to regulate multiple plant signaling events. In the present review, we concentrate on signaling mechanisms that regulate plant nitrogen nutrition. Our review highlights the potential of heterotrimeric G-proteins, together with their putative receptors, to assist the legume root nodule symbiosis (RNS) cascade, particularly during calcium spiking and nodulation. Additionally, the functions of heterotrimeric G-proteins in nitrogen acquisition by plant roots as well as in improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) have also been discussed. Future research oriented towards heterotrimeric G-proteins through genome editing tools can be a game changer in the enhancement of the nitrogen fixation process. This will foster the precise manipulation and production of plants to ensure global food security in an era of climate change by enhancing crop productivity and minimizing reliance on external inputs.

Extra-large G proteins have extra-large effects on agronomic traits and stress tolerance in maize and rice

Heterotrimeric G proteins - comprising Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits - are ubiquitous elements in eukaryotic cell signaling. Plant genomes contain both canonical Gα subunit genes and a family of plant-specific extra-large G protein genes (XLGs) that encode proteins consisting of a domain with Gα-like features downstream of a long N-terminal domain. In this review we summarize phenotypes modulated by the canonical Gα and XLG proteins of arabidopsis and highlight recent studies in maize and rice that reveal dramatic phenotypic consequences of XLG clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) mutagenesis in these important crop species. XLGs have both redundant and specific roles in the control of agronomically relevant plant architecture and resistance to both abiotic and biotic stresses. We also point out areas of current controversy, suggest future research directions, and propose a revised, phylogenetically-based nomenclature for XLG protein genes.

The Genetic Structures and Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Ear Traits in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world's staple food crops. In order to feed the growing world population, improving maize yield is a top priority for breeding programs. Ear traits are important determinants of maize yield, and are mostly quantitatively inherited. To date, many studies relating to the genetic and molecular dissection of ear traits have been performed; therefore, we explored the genetic loci of the ear traits that were previously discovered in the genome-wide association study (GWAS) and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping studies, and refined 153 QTL and 85 quantitative trait nucleotide (QTN) clusters. Next, we shortlisted 19 common intervals (CIs) that can be detected simultaneously by both QTL mapping and GWAS, and 40 CIs that have pleiotropic effects on ear traits. Further, we predicted the best possible candidate genes from 71 QTL and 25 QTN clusters that could be valuable for maize yield improvement.

Research Advances in Heterotrimeric G-Protein α Subunits and Uncanonical G-Protein Coupled Receptors in Plants

As crucial signal transducers, G-proteins and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have attracted increasing attention in the field of signal transduction. Research on G-proteins and GPCRs has mainly focused on animals, while research on plants is relatively rare. The mode of action of G-proteins is quite different from that in animals. The G-protein α (Gα) subunit is the most essential member of the G-protein signal cycle in animals and plants. The G-protein is activated when Gα releases GDP and binds to GTP, and the relationships with the GPCR and the downstream signal are also achieved by Gα coupling. It is important to study the role of Gα in the signaling pathway to explore the regulatory mechanism of G-proteins. The existence of a self-activated Gα in plants makes it unnecessary for the canonical GPCR to activate the G-protein by exchanging GDP with GTP. However, putative GPCRs have been found and proven to play important roles in G-protein signal transduction. The unique mode of action of G-proteins and the function of putative GPCRs in plants suggest that the same definition used in animal research cannot be used to study uncanonical GPCRs in plants. This review focuses on the different functions of the Gα and the mode of action between plants and animals as well as the functions of the uncanonical GPCR. This review employs a new perspective to define uncanonical GPCRs in plants and emphasizes the role of uncanonical GPCRs and Gα subunits in plant stress resistance and agricultural production.

Characterization of ZmCOLD1, novel GPCR-Type G Protein genes involved in cold stress from Zea mays L. and the evolution analysis with those from other species

Maize is one of the most vital staple crops worldwide. G proteins modulate plentiful signaling pathways, and G protein-coupled receptor-type G proteins (GPCRs) are highly conserved membrane proteins in plants. However, researches on maize G proteins and GPCRs are scarce. In this study, we identified three novel GPCR-Type G Protein (GTG) genes from chromosome 10 (Chr 10) in maize, designated as ZmCOLD1-10A, ZmCOLD1-10B and ZmCOLD1-10C. Their amino acid sequences had high similarity to TaCOLD1 from wheat and OsCOLD1 from rice. They contained the basic characteristics of GTG/COLD1 proteins, including GPCR-like topology, the conserved hydrophilic loop (HL) domain, DUF3735 (domain of unknown function 3735) domain, GTPase-activating domain, and ATP/GTP-binding domain. Subcellular localization analyses of ZmCOLD1 proteins suggested that ZmCOLD1 proteins localized on plasma membrane (PM) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Furthermore, amino acid sequence alignment verified the conservation of the key 187th amino acid T in maize and other wild maize-relative species. Evolutionary relationship among plants GTG/COLD1 proteins family displayed strong group-specificity. Expression analysis indicated that ZmCOLD1-10A was cold-induced and inhibited by light. Together, these results suggested that ZmCOLD1 genes had potential value to improve cold tolerance and to contribute crops growth and molecular breeding.

Signal transduction by plant heterotrimeric G-protein

Heterotrimeric G-proteins are complexes that regulate important signalling pathways essential for growth and development in both plants and animals. Although plant cells are composed of the core components (Gα, Gβ and Gγ subunits) found in animal G-proteins, the complexities of the architecture, function and signalling mechanisms of those in animals are dissimilar to those identified in some plants. Current studies on plant G-proteins have improved knowledge of the essential physiological and agronomic properties, which when harnessed, could potentially impact global food security. Extensive studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying these properties in diverse plant species will be imperative in improving our current understanding of G-protein signalling pathways involved in plant growth and development. The advancement of G-protein signalling networks in distinct plant species could significantly aid in better crop development. This review summarizes current progress, novel discoveries and future prospects for this area in potential crop improvement.

Plant receptor-like kinase signaling through heterotrimeric G-proteins

Heterotrimeric G-proteins regulate multiple aspects of plant growth, development, and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. While the core components of heterotrimeric G-proteins and their basic biochemistry are similar in plants and metazoans, key differences exist in their regulatory mechanisms. In particular, the activation mechanisms of plant G-proteins appear diverse and may include both canonical and novel modes. Classical G-protein-coupled receptor-like proteins exist in plants and interact with Gα proteins, but their ability to activate Gα by facilitating GDP to GTP exchange has not been demonstrated. Conversely, there is genetic and functional evidence that plant G-proteins interact with the highly prevalent receptor-like kinases (RLKs) and are phosphorylated by them. This suggests the exciting scenario that in plants the G-proteins integrate RLK-dependent signal perception at the plasma membrane with downstream effectors. Because RLKs are active kinases, it is also likely that the activity of plant G-proteins is regulated via phosphorylation/dephosphorylation rather than GTP-GDP exchange as in metazoans. This review discusses our current knowledge of the possible RLK-dependent regulatory mechanisms of plant G-protein signaling in the context of several biological systems and outlines the diversity that might exist in such regulation.

Quantitative morphological phenomics of rice G protein mutants portend autoimmunity

The heterotrimeric G protein complex, composed of Gα, Gβ, and Gγ subunits, plays some role in structural development in plants but this role could be indirect because loss-of-function mutations do not alter the body plan and post-embryonic organs differ only morphologically and not in their identity. This uncertainty has been compounded by the fact that loss of the Gβ subunit in cereals, but not Arabidopsis, is seedling lethal and that loss of maize Gα subunit confers prolificacy of a reproductive organ. In this study, we comprehensively profiled the root and shoot structural traits of rice Gα-null and viable Gβ-RNAi "knockdown" mutants, and found anomalous morphologies caused by Gβ-RNAi that are distinct from the Arabidopsis orthologue. The rice Gβ-RNAi mutant exhibited reduced radial growth of aerial parts as well as a more compact root architecture, among which smaller root mass seems mainly due to increased necrosis when grown on soil. In addition, three dimensional analyses of rice root system architecture revealed that the smaller root architecture of Gβ-RNAi plant is also due to both reduced root elongation and adventitious root formation. This contrasts to the Arabidopsis Gβ-null mutation that promotes cell proliferation. There is elevated cell senescence activity both visualized by Evans Blue staining and inferred from an expression analysis of cell-death marker genes. We propose that the morphological phenotypes of rice Gβ-RNAi plants are predominantly associated with the mediation of various stresses and cell senescence, consistent with an indirect role for Arabidopsis Gβ in development where the orthologous gene ablation mainly confers altered cell proliferation. We also elaborate our speculative working hypothesis that cell division is a type of stress and as such due to impairment in responding to stress in the G protein mutants, manifests as altered morphology and architecture but not an altered body plan or organ identities.

Heterotrimeric G-Protein Signaling in Plants: Conserved and Novel Mechanisms

Heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins are key regulators of a multitude of signaling pathways in all eukaryotes. Although the core G-protein components and their basic biochemistries are broadly conserved throughout evolution, the regulatory mechanisms of G proteins seem to have been rewired in plants to meet specific needs. These proteins are currently the focus of intense research in plants due to their involvement in many agronomically important traits, such as seed yield, organ size regulation, biotic and abiotic stress responses, symbiosis, and nitrogen use efficiency. The availability of massive sequence information from a variety of plant species, extensive biochemical data generated over decades, and impressive genetic resources for plant G proteins have made it possible to examine their role, unique properties, and novel regulation. This review focuses on some recent advances in our understanding of the mechanistic details of this critical signaling pathway to enable the precise manipulation and generation of plants to meet future needs.

Functions of CsGPA1 on the hypocotyl elongation and root growth of cucumbers

G proteins regulate shoot, root, and epidermis development, as well as biotic stress tolerance in plants; however, most studies have examined model plants and less attention has been paid to the function of G proteins in horticultural plants. Here, we identified a G protein, CsGPA1, from cucumber and studied its function in seedling development of cucumbers. CsGPA1 is a peptide of 392 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 44.6 kDa. Spatiotemporal expression analysis found that endogenous CsGPA1 was highly expressed in roots and young leaves. Immunohistochemical assay revealed that functional CsGPA1 was present in the plasma membranes of the epidermis and cortex, and in the cytosol of the endodermis, parenchyma, and vasculature of root meristematic cells. In comparison with wild-type seedlings, CsGPA1-overexpressing transgenic lines exhibited enhanced seed germination and earlier seedling development including hypocotyl elongation and root growth. In contrast, RNAi silencing of the CsGPA1 gene inhibited seedling growth and development. Further study showed that CsGPA1 controled hypocotyl elongation and root growth via promoting cell size and the meristem of hypocotyl and root tip cells of cucumber plants. Our study expands the roles of G proteins in plants and helps to elucidate the mechanism by which cucumber regulates early seedling development.

G proteins sculp root architecture in response to nitrogen in rice and Arabidopsis

Nitrogen is a key nutrient for plant growth and development. Plants regulate nitrogen availability and uptake efficiency through controlling root architecture. While the heterotrimeric G protein complex is an important element to regulate root morphology, it remains unknown whether the G protein regulates the root architecture in response to nitrogen supply. We used rice and Arabidopsis G protein mutants to study the root architecture in response to different nitrogen concentrations. We found that nitrogen inhibits root horizontal projection area (network area), root perimeter, total length, but not root diameter (average root width). Nitrogen influenced bushiness and root spatial distribution by inhibiting horizontal growth and promoting vertical expansion. The dynamic changes of the rice G protein mutant DK22 at different concentrations of nitrogen from day 7 to day 9 were different from the wild type with regard to bushiness and spatial distribution. The agb1-2 mutant in Arabidopsis lacked the inhibitory effect of nitrate on root growth. The heterotrimeric G protein complex regulates the inhibitory effect on root growth caused by high nitrogen supply and root spatial distribution in response to different nitrogen concentrations.

Role of heterotrimeric Gα proteins in maize development and enhancement of agronomic traits

Plant shoot systems derive from the shoot apical meristems (SAMs), pools of stems cells that are regulated by a feedback between the WUSCHEL (WUS) homeobox protein and CLAVATA (CLV) peptides and receptors. The maize heterotrimeric G protein α subunit COMPACT PLANT2 (CT2) functions with CLV receptors to regulate meristem development. In addition to the sole canonical Gα CT2, maize also contains three eXtra Large GTP-binding proteins (XLGs), which have a domain with homology to Gα as well as additional domains. By either forcing CT2 to be constitutively active, or by depleting XLGs using CRISPR-Cas9, here we show that both CT2 and XLGs play important roles in maize meristem regulation, and their manipulation improved agronomic traits. For example, we show that expression of a constitutively active CT2 resulted in higher spikelet density and kernel row number, larger ear inflorescence meristems (IMs) and more upright leaves, all beneficial traits selected during maize improvement. Our findings suggest that both the canonical Gα, CT2 and the non-canonical XLGs play important roles in maize meristem regulation and further demonstrate that weak alleles of plant stem cell regulatory genes have the capacity to improve agronomic traits.

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) reveals the genetic architecture of four husk traits in maize

Background

Maize (Zea mays) husk referring to the leafy outer enclosing the ear, plays an important role in grain production by directly contributing photosynthate and protecting ear from pathogen infection. Although the physiological functions related to husk have been extensively studied, little is known about its morphological variation and genetic basis in natural population.

Results

Here we utilized a maize association panel including 508 inbred lines with tropical, subtropical and temperate backgrounds to decipher the genetic architecture attributed to four husk traits, i.e. number of layers, length, width and thickness. Evaluating the phenotypic diversity at two different environments showed that four traits exhibit broadly natural variations and moderate levels of heritability with 0.64, 0.74, 0.49 and 0.75 for number, length, width and thickness, respectively. Diversity analysis indicated that different traits have dissimilar responses to subpopulation effects. A series of significantly positive or negative correlations between husk phenotypes and other agronomic traits were identified, indicating that husk growth is coordinated with other developmental processes. Combining husk traits with about half of a million of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) via genome-wide association study revealed a total of 9 variants significantly associated with traits at P < 1.04 × 10^-5, which are implicated in multiple functional categories, such as cellular trafficking, transcriptional regulation and metabolism.

Conclusions

These results provide instrumental information for understanding the genetic basis of husk development, and further studies on identified candidate genes facilitate to illuminate molecular pathways regulating maize husk growth.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-3229-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Plant Morphology of Heterotrimeric G Protein Mutants

The heterotrimeric G protein complex, comprising Gα, Gγ and Gγ subunits, is an evolutionarily conserved signaling molecular machine that transmits signals from transmembrane receptors to downstream target proteins. Plants conserved the core G protein elements, while developing their own regulatory systems differently from animals. Genetic evidence supports the conclusion that the heterotrimeric G proteins regulate shoot, root and epidermis development, as well as sugar sensing, hormone responsiveness and abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. This review is a compendium of the known morphological changes conferred by loss- and gain-of-function mutations of the G protein subunit genes across three higher land plant models, namely Arabidopsis, rice and maize.