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Ludwig M, Hartwell J, Raines CA, Simkin AJ. The Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle in C 4 and Crassulacean acid metabolism species. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 155:10-22. [PMID: 37544777 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle is the ancestral CO2 assimilation pathway and is found in all photosynthetic organisms. Biochemical extensions to the CBB cycle have evolved that allow the resulting pathways to act as CO2 concentrating mechanisms, either spatially in the case of C4 photosynthesis or temporally in the case of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). While the biochemical steps in the C4 and CAM pathways are known, questions remain on their integration and regulation with CBB cycle activity. The application of omic and transgenic technologies is providing a more complete understanding of the biochemistry of C4 and CAM species and will also provide insight into the CBB cycle in these plants. As the global population increases, new solutions are required to increase crop yields and meet demands for food and other bioproducts. Previous work in C3 species has shown that increasing carbon assimilation through genetic manipulation of the CBB cycle can increase biomass and yield. There may also be options to improve photosynthesis in species using C4 photosynthesis and CAM through manipulation of the CBB cycle in these plants. This is an underexplored strategy and requires more basic knowledge of CBB cycle operation in these species to enable approaches for increased productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Ludwig
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - James Hartwell
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | | | - Andrew J Simkin
- University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK; School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK
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2
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Han SY, Kim WY, Kim JS, Hwang I. Comparative transcriptomics reveals the role of altered energy metabolism in the establishment of single-cell C 4 photosynthesis in Bienertia sinuspersici. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1202521. [PMID: 37476170 PMCID: PMC10354284 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1202521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell C4 photosynthesis (SCC4) in terrestrial plants without Kranz anatomy involves three steps: initial CO2 fixation in the cytosol, CO2 release in mitochondria, and a second CO2 fixation in central chloroplasts. Here, we investigated how the large number of mechanisms underlying these processes, which occur in three different compartments, are orchestrated in a coordinated manner to establish the C4 pathway in Bienertia sinuspersici, a SCC4 plant. Leaves were subjected to transcriptome analysis at three different developmental stages. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that SCC4 cycle genes are coexpressed with genes regulating cyclic electron flow and amino/organic acid metabolism, two key processes required for the production of energy molecules in C3 plants. Comparative gene expression profiling of B. sinuspersici and three other species (Suaeda aralocaspica, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, and Arabidopsis thaliana) showed that the direction of metabolic flux was determined via an alteration in energy supply in peripheral chloroplasts and mitochondria via regulation of gene expression in the direction of the C4 cycle. Based on these results, we propose that the redox homeostasis of energy molecules via energy metabolism regulation is key to the establishment of the SCC4 pathway in B. sinuspersici.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Yun Han
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Woe-Yeon Kim
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21+) and Research Institute of Life Science, Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Sun Kim
- Genomic Division, Department of Agricultural Bio-Resources, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Inhwan Hwang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
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3
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Singh J, Garai S, Das S, Thakur JK, Tripathy BC. Role of C4 photosynthetic enzyme isoforms in C3 plants and their potential applications in improving agronomic traits in crops. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 154:233-258. [PMID: 36309625 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00978-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
As compared to C3, C4 plants have higher photosynthetic rates and better tolerance to high temperature and drought. These traits are highly beneficial in the current scenario of global warming. Interestingly, all the genes of the C4 photosynthetic pathway are present in C3 plants, although they are involved in diverse non-photosynthetic functions. Non-photosynthetic isoforms of carbonic anhydrase (CA), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), the decarboxylating enzymes NAD/NADP-malic enzyme (NAD/NADP-ME), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and finally pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) catalyze reactions that are essential for major plant metabolism pathways, such as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, maintenance of cellular pH, uptake of nutrients and their assimilation. Consistent with this view differential expression pattern of these non-photosynthetic C3 isoforms has been observed in different tissues across the plant developmental stages, such as germination, grain filling, and leaf senescence. Also abundance of these C3 isoforms is increased considerably in response to environmental fluctuations particularly during abiotic stress. Here we review the vital roles played by C3 isoforms of C4 enzymes and the probable mechanisms by which they help plants in acclimation to adverse growth conditions. Further, their potential applications to increase the agronomic trait value of C3 crops is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitender Singh
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Sampurna Garai
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Shubhashis Das
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Jitendra Kumar Thakur
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067, India.
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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4
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Cui X, Jun JH, Rao X, Bahr C, Chapman E, Temple S, Dixon RA. Leaf layer-based transcriptome profiling for discovery of epidermal-selective promoters in Medicago truncatula. PLANTA 2022; 256:31. [PMID: 35790623 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-03920-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptomics of manually dissected leaf layers from Medicago truncatula identifies genes with preferential expression in upper and/or lower epidermis. The promoters of these genes confer epidermal-specific expression of transgenes. Improving the quality and quantity of proanthocyanidins (PAs) in forage legumes has potential to improve the nitrogen nutrition of ruminant animals and protect them from the risk of pasture bloat, as well as parasites. However, ectopic constitutive accumulation of PAs in plants by genetic engineering can significantly inhibit growth. We selected the leaf epidermis as a candidate tissue for targeted engineering of PAs or other pathways. To identify gene promoters selectively expressed in epidermal tissues, we performed comparative transcriptomic analyses in the model legume Medicago truncatula, using five tissue samples representing upper epidermis, lower epidermis, whole leaf without upper epidermis, whole leaf without lower epidermis, and whole leaf. We identified 52 transcripts preferentially expressed in upper epidermis, most of which encode genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, and 53 transcripts from lower epidermis, with the most enriched category being anatomical structure formation. Promoters of the preferentially expressed genes were cloned from the M. truncatula genome and shown to direct tissue-selective promoter activities in transient assays. Expression of the PA pathway transcription factor TaMYB14 under control of several of the promoters in transgenic alfalfa resulted in only modest MYB14 transcript accumulation and low levels of PA production. Activity of a subset of promoters was confirmed by transcript analysis in field-grown alfalfa plants throughout the growing season, and revealed variable but consistent expression, which was generally highest 3-4 weeks after cutting. We conclude that, although the selected promoters show acceptable tissue-specificity, they may not drive high enough transcription factor expression to activate the PA pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Cui
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311428, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
| | - Ji Hyung Jun
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311428, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
- Children's Research Institute and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311428, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
- College of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Camille Bahr
- Forage Genetics International, N5292 Gills Coulee Rd S, West Salem, WI, 54669, USA
| | - Elisabeth Chapman
- Forage Genetics International, N5292 Gills Coulee Rd S, West Salem, WI, 54669, USA
| | - Stephen Temple
- Forage Genetics International, N5292 Gills Coulee Rd S, West Salem, WI, 54669, USA
| | - Richard A Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311428, Denton, TX, 76203, USA.
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5
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Fan Y, Asao S, Furbank RT, von Caemmerer S, Day DA, Tcherkez G, Sage TL, Sage RF, Atkin OK. The crucial roles of mitochondria in supporting C 4 photosynthesis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:1083-1096. [PMID: 34669188 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis involves a series of biochemical and anatomical traits that significantly improve plant productivity under conditions that reduce the efficiency of C3 photosynthesis. We explore how evolution of the three classical biochemical types of C4 photosynthesis (NADP-ME, NAD-ME and PCK types) has affected the functions and properties of mitochondria. Mitochondria in C4 NAD-ME and PCK types play a direct role in decarboxylation of metabolites for C4 photosynthesis. Mitochondria in C4 PCK type also provide ATP for C4 metabolism, although this role for ATP provision is not seen in NAD-ME type. Such involvement has increased mitochondrial abundance/size and associated enzymatic capacity, led to changes in mitochondrial location and ultrastructure, and altered the role of mitochondria in cellular carbon metabolism in the NAD-ME and PCK types. By contrast, these changes in mitochondrial properties are absent in the C4 NADP-ME type and C3 leaves, where mitochondria play no direct role in photosynthesis. From an eco-physiological perspective, rates of leaf respiration in darkness vary considerably among C4 species but does not differ systematically among the three C4 types. This review outlines further mitochondrial research in key areas central to the engineering of the C4 pathway into C3 plants and to the understanding of variation in rates of C4 dark respiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhen Fan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Shinichi Asao
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Robert T Furbank
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - David A Day
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
| | - Guillaume Tcherkez
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, INRA and University of Angers, Beaucouzé, 49070, France
| | - Tammy L Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Owen K Atkin
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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6
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Calace P, Tonetti T, Margarit E, Figueroa CM, Lobertti C, Andreo CS, Gerrard Wheeler MC, Saigo M. The C4 cycle and beyond: diverse metabolic adaptations accompany dual-cell photosynthetic functions in Setaria. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:7876-7890. [PMID: 34402880 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is typically characterized by the spatial compartmentalization of the photosynthetic reactions into mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells. Initial carbon fixation within M cells gives rise to C4 acids, which are transported to the BS cells. There, C4 acids are decarboxylated so that the resulting CO2 is incorporated into the Calvin cycle. This work is focused on the study of Setaria viridis, a C4 model plant, closely related to several major feed and bioenergy grasses. First, we performed the heterologous expression and biochemical characterization of Setaria isoforms for chloroplastic NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and mitochondrial NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME). The kinetic parameters obtained agree with a major role for NADP-ME in the decarboxylation of the C4 acid malate in the chloroplasts of BS cells. In addition, mitochondria-located NAD-ME showed regulatory properties that could be important in the context of the operation of the C4 carbon shuttle. Secondly, we compared the proteomes of M and BS compartments and found 825 differentially accumulated proteins that could support different metabolic scenarios. Most interestingly, we found evidence of metabolic strategies to insulate the C4 core avoiding the leakage of intermediates by either up-regulation or down-regulation of chloroplastic, mitochondrial, and peroxisomal proteins. Overall, the results presented in this work provide novel data concerning the complexity of C4 metabolism, uncovering future lines of research that will undoubtedly contribute to the expansion of knowledge on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Calace
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Tomás Tonetti
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (IAL-CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Margarit
- Grupo de Calidad de Frutos Cítricos, Bayas y Mejoramiento Forestal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carlos M Figueroa
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (IAL-CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Carlos Lobertti
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Patogénesis Bacteriana, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carlos S Andreo
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariel C Gerrard Wheeler
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariana Saigo
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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7
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Washburn JD, Strable J, Dickinson P, Kothapalli SS, Brose JM, Covshoff S, Conant GC, Hibberd JM, Pires JC. Distinct C 4 sub-types and C 3 bundle sheath isolation in the Paniceae grasses. PLANT DIRECT 2021; 5:e373. [PMID: 34988355 PMCID: PMC8711749 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In C4 plants, the enzymatic machinery underpinning photosynthesis can vary, with, for example, three distinct C4 acid decarboxylases being used to release CO2 in the vicinity of RuBisCO. For decades, these decarboxylases have been used to classify C4 species into three biochemical sub-types. However, more recently, the notion that C4 species mix and match C4 acid decarboxylases has increased in popularity, and as a consequence, the validity of specific biochemical sub-types has been questioned. Using five species from the grass tribe Paniceae, we show that, although in some species transcripts and enzymes involved in multiple C4 acid decarboxylases accumulate, in others, transcript abundance and enzyme activity is almost entirely from one decarboxylase. In addition, the development of a bundle sheath isolation procedure for a close C3 species in the Paniceae enables the preliminary exploration of C4 sub-type evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Washburn
- Plant Genetics Research Unit, USDA‐ARSUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Josh Strable
- Department of Molecular and Structural BiochemistryNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | | | | | - Julia M. Brose
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Sarah Covshoff
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Gavin C. Conant
- Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics Research Center, Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
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8
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Chotewutmontri P, Barkan A. Ribosome profiling elucidates differential gene expression in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:59-72. [PMID: 34618144 PMCID: PMC8418429 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The efficiencies offered by C4 photosynthesis have motivated efforts to understand its biochemical, genetic, and developmental basis. Reactions underlying C4 traits in most C4 plants are partitioned between two cell types, bundle sheath (BS), and mesophyll (M) cells. RNA-seq has been used to catalog differential gene expression in BS and M cells in maize (Zea mays) and several other C4 species. However, the contribution of translational control to maintaining the distinct proteomes of BS and M cells has not been addressed. In this study, we used ribosome profiling and RNA-seq to describe translatomes, translational efficiencies, and microRNA abundance in BS- and M-enriched fractions of maize seedling leaves. A conservative interpretation of our data revealed 182 genes exhibiting cell type-dependent differences in translational efficiency, 31 of which encode proteins with core roles in C4 photosynthesis. Our results suggest that non-AUG start codons are used preferentially in upstream open reading frames of BS cells, revealed mRNA sequence motifs that correlate with cell type-dependent translation, and identified potential translational regulators that are differentially expressed. In addition, our data expand the set of genes known to be differentially expressed in BS and M cells, including genes encoding transcription factors and microRNAs. These data add to the resources for understanding the evolutionary and developmental basis of C4 photosynthesis and for its engineering into C3 crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakitchai Chotewutmontri
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA
- Author for communication:
| | - Alice Barkan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA
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9
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Furbank RT, Kelly S. Finding the C4 sweet spot: cellular compartmentation of carbohydrate metabolism in C4 photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:6018-6026. [PMID: 34142128 PMCID: PMC8411606 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The two-cell type C4 photosynthetic pathway requires both anatomical and biochemical specialization to achieve a functional CO2-concentrating mechanism. While a great deal of research has been done on Kranz anatomy and cell-specific expression and activity of enzymes in the C4 pathway, less attention has been paid to partitioning of carbohydrate synthesis between the cell types of C4 leaves. As early as the 1970s it became apparent that, in the small number of species examined at the time, sucrose was predominantly synthesized in the mesophyll cells and starch in the bundle sheath cells. Here we discuss how this partitioning is achieved in C4 plants and explore whether this is a consequence of C4 metabolism or indeed a requirement for its evolution and efficient operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Furbank
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
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10
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Furbank RT, Kelly S. Finding the C4 sweet spot: cellular compartmentation of carbohydrate metabolism in C4 photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021. [PMID: 34142128 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cz8w9gj3v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The two-cell type C4 photosynthetic pathway requires both anatomical and biochemical specialization to achieve a functional CO2-concentrating mechanism. While a great deal of research has been done on Kranz anatomy and cell-specific expression and activity of enzymes in the C4 pathway, less attention has been paid to partitioning of carbohydrate synthesis between the cell types of C4 leaves. As early as the 1970s it became apparent that, in the small number of species examined at the time, sucrose was predominantly synthesized in the mesophyll cells and starch in the bundle sheath cells. Here we discuss how this partitioning is achieved in C4 plants and explore whether this is a consequence of C4 metabolism or indeed a requirement for its evolution and efficient operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Furbank
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
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11
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Hua L, Stevenson SR, Reyna-Llorens I, Xiong H, Kopriva S, Hibberd JM. The bundle sheath of rice is conditioned to play an active role in water transport as well as sulfur assimilation and jasmonic acid synthesis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:268-286. [PMID: 33901336 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Leaves comprise multiple cell types but our knowledge of the patterns of gene expression that underpin their functional specialization is fragmentary. Our understanding and ability to undertake the rational redesign of these cells is therefore limited. We aimed to identify genes associated with the incompletely understood bundle sheath of C3 plants, which represents a key target associated with engineering traits such as C4 photosynthesis into Oryza sativa (rice). To better understand the veins, bundle sheath and mesophyll cells of rice, we used laser capture microdissection followed by deep sequencing. Gene expression of the mesophyll is conditioned to allow coenzyme metabolism and redox homeostasis, as well as photosynthesis. In contrast, the bundle sheath is specialized in water transport, sulphur assimilation and jasmonic acid biosynthesis. Despite the small chloroplast compartment of bundle sheath cells, substantial photosynthesis gene expression was detected. These patterns of gene expression were not associated with the presence or absence of specific transcription factors in each cell type, but were instead associated with gradients in expression across the leaf. Comparative analysis with C3 Arabidopsis identified a small gene set preferentially expressed in the bundle sheath cells of both species. This gene set included genes encoding transcription factors from 14 orthogroups and proteins allowing water transport, sulphate assimilation and jasmonic acid synthesis. The most parsimonious explanation for our findings is that bundle sheath cells from the last common ancestor of rice and Arabidopsis were specialized in this manner, and as the species diverged these patterns of gene expression have been maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Hua
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Sean R Stevenson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Ivan Reyna-Llorens
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Haiyan Xiong
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Stanislav Kopriva
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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12
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Kuhnert F, Schlüter U, Linka N, Eisenhut M. Transport Proteins Enabling Plant Photorespiratory Metabolism. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10050880. [PMID: 33925393 PMCID: PMC8146403 DOI: 10.3390/plants10050880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Photorespiration (PR) is a metabolic repair pathway that acts in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms to degrade a toxic product of oxygen fixation generated by the enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Within the metabolic pathway, energy is consumed and carbon dioxide released. Consequently, PR is seen as a wasteful process making it a promising target for engineering to enhance plant productivity. Transport and channel proteins connect the organelles accomplishing the PR pathway-chloroplast, peroxisome, and mitochondrion-and thus enable efficient flux of PR metabolites. Although the pathway and the enzymes catalyzing the biochemical reactions have been the focus of research for the last several decades, the knowledge about transport proteins involved in PR is still limited. This review presents a timely state of knowledge with regard to metabolite channeling in PR and the participating proteins. The significance of transporters for implementation of synthetic bypasses to PR is highlighted. As an excursion, the physiological contribution of transport proteins that are involved in C4 metabolism is discussed.
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13
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Weissmann S, Huang P, Wiechert MA, Furuyama K, Brutnell TP, Taniguchi M, Schnable JC, Mockler TC. DCT4-A New Member of the Dicarboxylate Transporter Family in C4 Grasses. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6126432. [PMID: 33587128 PMCID: PMC7883667 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Malate transport shuttles atmospheric carbon into the Calvin–Benson cycle during NADP-ME C4 photosynthesis. Previous characterizations of several plant dicarboxylate transporters (DCT) showed that they efficiently exchange malate across membranes. Here, we identify and characterize a previously unknown member of the DCT family, DCT4, in Sorghum bicolor. We show that SbDCT4 exchanges malate across membranes and its expression pattern is consistent with a role in malate transport during C4 photosynthesis. SbDCT4 is not syntenic to the characterized photosynthetic gene ZmDCT2, and an ortholog is not detectable in the maize reference genome. We found that the expression patterns of DCT family genes in the leaves of Zea mays, and S. bicolor varied by cell type. Our results suggest that subfunctionalization, of members of the DCT family, for the transport of malate into the bundle sheath plastids, occurred during the process of independent recurrent evolution of C4 photosynthesis in grasses of the PACMAD clade. We also show that this subfunctionalization is lineage independent. Our results challenge the dogma that key C4 genes must be orthologues of one another among C4 species, and shed new light on the evolution of C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarit Weissmann
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Pu Huang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Koki Furuyama
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Thomas P Brutnell
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Mitsutaka Taniguchi
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
| | - James C Schnable
- Computational Sciences Initiative, Center for Plant Science Innovation, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Todd C Mockler
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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14
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Lyu MJA, Wang Y, Jiang J, Liu X, Chen G, Zhu XG. What Matters for C 4 Transporters: Evolutionary Changes of Phospho enolpyruvate Transporter for C 4 Photosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:935. [PMID: 32695130 PMCID: PMC7338763 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a complex trait that evolved from its ancestral C3 photosynthesis by recruiting pre-existing genes. These co-opted genes were changed in many aspects compared to their counterparts in C3 species. Most of the evolutionary changes of the C4 shuttle enzymes are well characterized, however, evolutionary changes for the recruited metabolite transporters are less studied. Here we analyzed the evolutionary changes of the shuttle enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) transporter (PPT) during its recruitment from C3 to C4 photosynthesis. Our analysis showed that among the two PPT paralogs PPT1 and PPT2, PPT1 was the copy recruited for C4 photosynthesis in multiple C4 lineages. During C4 evolution, PPT1 gained increased transcript abundance, shifted its expression from predominantly in root to in leaf and from bundle sheath cell to mesophyll cell, and gained more rapid and long-lasting responsiveness to light. Modifications occurred in both regulatory and coding regions in C4 PPT1 as compared to C3 PPT1, however, the PEP transporting function of PPT1 remained. We found that PPT1 of a Flaveria C4 species recruited a MEM1 B submodule in the promoter region, which might be related to the increased transcript abundance of PPT1 in C4 mesophyll cells. The case study of PPT further suggested that high transcript abundance in a proper location is of high priority for PPT to support C4 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ju Amy Lyu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaling Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Jiang
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery & Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Xinyu Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Genyun Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-Guang Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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15
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Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved multiple times independently from ancestral C3 photosynthesis in a broad range of flowering land plant families and in both monocots and dicots. The evolution of C4 photosynthesis entails the recruitment of enzyme activities that are not involved in photosynthetic carbon fixation in C3 plants to photosynthesis. This requires a different regulation of gene expression as well as a different regulation of enzyme activities in comparison to the C3 context. Further, C4 photosynthesis relies on a distinct leaf anatomy that differs from that of C3, requiring a differential regulation of leaf development in C4. We summarize recent progress in the understanding of C4-specific features in evolution and metabolic regulation in the context of C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urte Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
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16
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Afamefule C, Raines CA. Insights Into the Regulation of the Expression Pattern of Calvin-Benson-Bassham Cycle Enzymes in C 3 and C 4 Grasses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:570436. [PMID: 33178241 PMCID: PMC7595957 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.570436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is characterized by the compartmentalization of the processes of atmospheric uptake of CO2 and its conversion into carbohydrate between mesophyll and bundle-sheath cells. As a result, most of the enzymes participating in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle, including RubisCO, are highly expressed in bundle-sheath cells. There is evidence that changes in the regulatory sequences of RubisCO contribute to its bundle-sheath-specific expression, however, little is known about how the spatial-expression pattern of other CBB cycle enzymes is regulated. In this study, we use a computational approach to scan for transcription factor binding sites in the regulatory regions of the genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes, SBPase, FBPase, PRK, and GAPDH-B, of C3 and C4 grasses. We identified potential cis-regulatory elements present in each of the genes studied here, regardless of the photosynthetic path used by the plant. The trans-acting factors that bind these elements have been validated in A. thaliana and might regulate the expression of the genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes. In addition, we also found C4-specific transcription factor binding sites in the genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes that could potentially contribute to the pathway-specific regulation of gene expression. These results provide a foundation for the functional analysis of the differences in regulation of genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes between C3 and C4 grasses.
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17
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Man Ha C, Fine D, Bhatia A, Rao X, Martin MZ, Engle NL, Wherritt DJ, Tschaplinski TJ, Sumner LW, Dixon RA. Ectopic Defense Gene Expression Is Associated with Growth Defects in Medicago truncatula Lignin Pathway Mutants. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 181:63-84. [PMID: 31289215 PMCID: PMC6716239 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Lignin provides essential mechanical support for plant cell walls but decreases the digestibility of forage crops and increases the recalcitrance of biofuel crops. Attempts to modify lignin content and/or composition by genetic modification often result in negative growth effects. Although several studies have attempted to address the basis for such effects in individual transgenic lines, no common mechanism linking lignin modification with perturbations in plant growth and development has yet been identified. To address whether a common mechanism exists, we have analyzed transposon insertion mutants resulting in independent loss of function of five enzymes of the monolignol pathway, as well as one double mutant, in the model legume Medicago truncatula These plants exhibit growth phenotypes from essentially wild type to severely retarded. Extensive phenotypic, transcriptomic, and metabolomics analyses, including structural characterization of differentially expressed compounds, revealed diverse phenotypic consequences of lignin pathway perturbation that were perceived early in plant development but were not predicted by lignin content or composition alone. Notable phenotypes among the mutants with severe growth impairment were increased trichome numbers, accumulation of a variety of triterpene saponins, and extensive but differential ectopic expression of defense response genes. No currently proposed model explains the observed phenotypes across all lines. We propose that reallocation of resources into defense pathways is linked to the severity of the final growth phenotype in monolignol pathway mutants of M. truncatula, although it remains unclear whether this is a cause or an effect of the growth impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Man Ha
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76201
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
| | - Dennis Fine
- Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
| | - Anil Bhatia
- Department of Biochemistry and MU Metabolomics Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76201
- Bioenergy Sciences Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
| | - Madhavi Z Martin
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
- Bioenergy Sciences Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
- BioSciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
| | - Nancy L Engle
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
- Bioenergy Sciences Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
- BioSciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
| | - Daniel J Wherritt
- Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
- University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Timothy J Tschaplinski
- Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
- University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249
| | - Lloyd W Sumner
- Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73401
- Department of Biochemistry and MU Metabolomics Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65201
| | - Richard A Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76201
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
- Bioenergy Sciences Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
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18
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Dunning LT, Moreno-Villena JJ, Lundgren MR, Dionora J, Salazar P, Adams C, Nyirenda F, Olofsson JK, Mapaura A, Grundy IM, Kayombo CJ, Dunning LA, Kentatchime F, Ariyarathne M, Yakandawala D, Besnard G, Quick WP, Bräutigam A, Osborne CP, Christin PA. Key changes in gene expression identified for different stages of C4 evolution in Alloteropsis semialata. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:3255-3268. [PMID: 30949663 PMCID: PMC6598098 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a complex trait that boosts productivity in tropical conditions. Compared with C3 species, the C4 state seems to require numerous novelties, but species comparisons can be confounded by long divergence times. Here, we exploit the photosynthetic diversity that exists within a single species, the grass Alloteropsis semialata, to detect changes in gene expression associated with different photosynthetic phenotypes. Phylogenetically informed comparative transcriptomics show that intermediates with a weak C4 cycle are separated from the C3 phenotype by increases in the expression of 58 genes (0.22% of genes expressed in the leaves), including those encoding just three core C4 enzymes: aspartate aminotransferase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. The subsequent transition to full C4 physiology was accompanied by increases in another 15 genes (0.06%), including only the core C4 enzyme pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase. These changes probably created a rudimentary C4 physiology, and isolated populations subsequently improved this emerging C4 physiology, resulting in a patchwork of expression for some C4 accessory genes. Our work shows how C4 assembly in A. semialata happened in incremental steps, each requiring few alterations over the previous step. These create short bridges across adaptive landscapes that probably facilitated the recurrent origins of C4 photosynthesis through a gradual process of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke T Dunning
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Marjorie R Lundgren
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Paolo Salazar
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | - Claire Adams
- Botany Department, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Florence Nyirenda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Jill K Olofsson
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Isla M Grundy
- Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Lucy A Dunning
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Menaka Ariyarathne
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeiya, Sri Lanka
| | - Deepthi Yakandawala
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeiya, Sri Lanka
| | - Guillaume Besnard
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR5174), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - W Paul Quick
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
- International Rice Research Institute, DAPO, Metro Manila, Philippines
| | | | - Colin P Osborne
- Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
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19
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Rao X, Chen X, Shen H, Ma Q, Li G, Tang Y, Pena M, York W, Frazier TP, Lenaghan S, Xiao X, Chen F, Dixon RA. Gene regulatory networks for lignin biosynthesis in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2019; 17:580-593. [PMID: 30133139 PMCID: PMC6381781 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Cell wall recalcitrance is the major challenge to improving saccharification efficiency in converting lignocellulose into biofuels. However, information regarding the transcriptional regulation of secondary cell wall biogenesis remains poor in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), which has been selected as a biofuel crop in the United States. In this study, we present a combination of computational and experimental approaches to develop gene regulatory networks for lignin formation in switchgrass. To screen transcription factors (TFs) involved in lignin biosynthesis, we developed a modified method to perform co-expression network analysis using 14 lignin biosynthesis genes as bait (target) genes. The switchgrass lignin co-expression network was further extended by adding 14 TFs identified in this study, and seven TFs identified in previous studies, as bait genes. Six TFs (PvMYB58/63, PvMYB42/85, PvMYB4, PvWRKY12, PvSND2 and PvSWN2) were targeted to generate overexpressing and/or down-regulated transgenic switchgrass lines. The alteration of lignin content, cell wall composition and/or plant growth in the transgenic plants supported the role of the TFs in controlling secondary wall formation. RNA-seq analysis of four of the transgenic switchgrass lines revealed downstream target genes of the secondary wall-related TFs and crosstalk with other biological pathways. In vitro transactivation assays further confirmed the regulation of specific lignin pathway genes by four of the TFs. Our meta-analysis provides a hierarchical network of TFs and their potential target genes for future manipulation of secondary cell wall formation for lignin modification in switchgrass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Rao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of North TexasDentonTXUSA
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
| | - Xin Chen
- Center for Applied MathematicsTianjin UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Hui Shen
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of North TexasDentonTXUSA
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
- Present address:
Marker‐assisted Breeding and TraitsChromatin IncLubbockTX79404USA
| | - Qin Ma
- Department of Agronomy, Horticulture, and Plant Science and Department of Mathematics and StatisticsSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookingsSDUSA
| | - Guifen Li
- Noble Research InstituteArdmoreOKUSA
| | - Yuhong Tang
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
- Noble Research InstituteArdmoreOKUSA
| | - Maria Pena
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | - William York
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
| | | | - Scott Lenaghan
- Department of Food ScienceUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Xirong Xiao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of North TexasDentonTXUSA
| | - Fang Chen
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of North TexasDentonTXUSA
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
| | - Richard A. Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of North TexasDentonTXUSA
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation (CBI)Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTNUSA
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20
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Schlüter U, Bräutigam A, Droz JM, Schwender J, Weber APM. The role of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in C 4 photosynthesis. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21 Suppl 1:64-76. [PMID: 30126035 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Alanine and aspartate are essential transfer metabolites for C4 species of the NAD-malic enzyme and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase subtype. To some degree both amino acids are also part of the metabolite shuttle in NADP-malic enzyme plants. In comparison with C3 species, the majority of C4 species are therefore characterised by enhanced expression and activity of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (AT) in the photosynthetically active tissue. Both enzymes exist in multiple copies and have been found in different subcellular compartments. We tested whether different C4 species show preferential recruitment of enzymes from specific lineages and subcellular compartments. Phylogenetic analysis of alanine and aspartate ATs from a variety of monocot and eudicot C4 species and their C3 relatives was combined with subcellular prediction tools and analysis of the subsequent transcript amounts in mature leaves. Recruitment of aspartate AT from a specific subcellular compartment was strongly connected to the biochemical subtype. Deviation from the main model was however observed in Gynandropsis gynandra. The configuration of alanine AT generally differed in monocot and eudicot species. C4 monocots recruited an alanine AT from a specific cytosolic branch, but eudicots use alanine AT copies from a mitochondrial branch. Generally, plants display high plasticity in the setup of the C4 pathway. Beside the common models for the different C4 subtypes, individual solutions were found for plant groups or lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A Bräutigam
- Computational Biology, Centre for Biotechnology, University Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - J Schwender
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, USA
| | - A P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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21
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Cui X, Cen H, Guan C, Tian D, Liu H, Zhang Y. Photosynthesis capacity diversified by leaf structural and physiological regulation between upland and lowland switchgrass in different growth stages. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2019; 47:38-49. [PMID: 31578165 DOI: 10.1071/fp19086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding and enhancing switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) photosynthesis will help to improve yield and quality for bio-industrial applications on cellulosic biofuel production. In the present study, leaf anatomical traits and physiological characteristics related to photosynthetic capacity of both lowland and upland switchgrass were recorded from four varieties across the vegetative, elongation and reproductive growth stages. Compared with the upland varieties, the lowland switchgrass showed 37-59, 22-64 and 27-73% higher performance on height, stem and leaf over all three growth stages. Leaf anatomical traits indicated that the leaves of lowland varieties provided more space for carbon assimilation and transportation caused by enhanced cell proliferation with more bundles sheath cells and larger contact areas between the bundle sheath and mesophyll cells (CAMB), which lead to the 32-72% higher photosynthetic capacity found in the lowland varieties during vegetative and elongation growth. However, photosynthetic capacity became 22-51% higher in the upland varieties during the reproductive stage, which is attributed to more photosynthetic pigment. In conclusion, lowland varieties gain a photosynthetic advantage with enhanced bundle sheath cell proliferation, while the upland varieties preserved more photosynthetic pigments. Our study provides new insights for improving the yield in crops by enhancing photosynthesis with anatomical and physiological strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Cui
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Huifang Cen
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Cong Guan
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Danyang Tian
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Huayue Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yunwei Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; and Corresponding author.
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22
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Jun JH, Xiao X, Rao X, Dixon RA. Proanthocyanidin subunit composition determined by functionally diverged dioxygenases. NATURE PLANTS 2018; 4:1034-1043. [PMID: 30478357 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-018-0292-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are primarily composed of the flavan-3-ol subunits (-)-epicatechin and/or (+)-catechin, but the basis for their different starter and extension unit compositions remains unclear. Genetic and biochemical analyses show that, in the model legume Medicago truncatula, two 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) and its homologue leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX), are involved in parallel pathways to generate, respectively, the (-)-epicatechin extension and starter units of PAs, with (+) catechin being an intermediate in the formation of the (-)-epicatechin starter unit. The presence/absence of the LDOX pathway accounts for natural differences in PA compositions across species, and engineering loss of function of ANS or LDOX provides a means to obtain PAs with different compositions and degrees of polymerization for use in food and feed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hyung Jun
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Xirong Xiao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Richard A Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA.
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23
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Zhang B, Liu J, Wang X, Wei Z. Full-length RNA sequencing reveals unique transcriptome composition in bermudagrass. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2018; 132:95-103. [PMID: 30176433 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2018.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is an important perennial warm-season turfgrass species with great economic value. However, the reference genome and transcriptome information are still deficient in bermudagrass, which severely impedes functional and molecular breeding studies. In this study, through analyzing a mixture sample of leaves, stolons, shoots, roots and flowers with single-molecule long-read sequencing technology from Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), we reported the first full-length transcriptome dataset of bermudagrass (C. dactylon cultivar Yangjiang) comprising 78,192 unigenes. Among the unigenes, 66,409 were functionally annotated, whereas 27,946 were found to have two or more isoforms. The annotated full-length unigenes provided many new insights into gene sequence characteristics and systematic phylogeny of bermudagrass. By comparison with transcriptome dataset in nine grass species, KEGG pathway analyses further revealed that C4 photosynthesis-related genes, notably the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate, phosphate dikinase genes, are specifically enriched in bermudagrass. These results not only explained the possible reason why bermudagrass flourishes in warm areas but also provided a solid basis for future studies in this important turfgrass species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
| | - Jianxiu Liu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Xiaoshan Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Zhenwu Wei
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
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24
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Watson-Lazowski A, Papanicolaou A, Sharwood R, Ghannoum O. Investigating the NAD-ME biochemical pathway within C 4 grasses using transcript and amino acid variation in C 4 photosynthetic genes. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2018; 138:233-248. [PMID: 30078073 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-018-0569-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Expanding knowledge of the C4 photosynthetic pathway can provide key information to aid biological improvements to crop photosynthesis and yield. While the C4 NADP-ME pathway is well characterised, there is increasing agricultural and bioengineering interest in the comparably understudied NAD-ME and PEPCK pathways. Within this study, a systematic identification of key differences across species has allowed us to investigate the evolution of C4-recruited genes in one C3 and eleven C4 grasses (Poaceae) spanning two independent origins of C4 photosynthesis. We present evidence for C4-specific paralogs of NAD-malic enzyme 2, MPC1 and MPC2 (mitochondrial pyruvate carriers) via increased transcript abundance and associated rates of evolution, implicating them as genes recruited to perform C4 photosynthesis within NAD-ME and PEPCK subtypes. We then investigate the localisation of AspAT across subtypes, using novel and published evidence to place AspAT3 in both the cytosol and peroxisome. Finally, these findings are integrated with transcript abundance of previously identified C4 genes to provide an updated model for C4 grass NAD-ME and PEPCK photosynthesis. This updated model allows us to develop on the current understanding of NAD-ME and PEPCK photosynthesis in grasses, bolstering our efforts to understand the evolutionary 'path to C4' and improve C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Watson-Lazowski
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Alexie Papanicolaou
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Robert Sharwood
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Oula Ghannoum
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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Sedelnikova OV, Hughes TE, Langdale JA. Understanding the Genetic Basis of C 4 Kranz Anatomy with a View to Engineering C 3 Crops. Annu Rev Genet 2018; 52:249-270. [PMID: 30208293 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120417-031217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
One of the most remarkable examples of convergent evolution is the transition from C3 to C4 photosynthesis, an event that occurred on over 60 independent occasions. The evolution of C4 is particularly noteworthy because of the complexity of the developmental and metabolic changes that took place. In most cases, compartmentalized metabolic reactions were facilitated by the development of a distinct leaf anatomy known as Kranz. C4 Kranz anatomy differs from ancestral C3 anatomy with respect to vein spacing patterns across the leaf, cell-type specification around veins, and cell-specific organelle function. Here we review our current understanding of how Kranz anatomy evolved and how it develops, with a focus on studies that are dissecting the underlying genetic mechanisms. This research field has gained prominence in recent years because understanding the genetic regulation of Kranz may enable the C3-to-C4 transition to be engineered, an endeavor that would significantly enhance crop productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Sedelnikova
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom; , ,
| | - Thomas E Hughes
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom; , ,
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom; , ,
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26
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Rao X, Shen H, Pattathil S, Hahn MG, Gelineo-Albersheim I, Mohnen D, Pu Y, Ragauskas AJ, Chen X, Chen F, Dixon RA. Dynamic changes in transcriptome and cell wall composition underlying brassinosteroid-mediated lignification of switchgrass suspension cells. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:266. [PMID: 29213317 PMCID: PMC5707915 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0954-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant cell walls contribute the majority of plant biomass that can be used to produce transportation fuels. However, the complexity and variability in composition and structure of cell walls, particularly the presence of lignin, negatively impacts their deconstruction for bioenergy. Metabolic and genetic changes associated with secondary wall development in the biofuel crop switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) have yet to be reported. RESULTS Our previous studies have established a cell suspension system for switchgrass, in which cell wall lignification can be induced by application of brassinolide (BL). We have now collected cell wall composition and microarray-based transcriptome profiles for BL-induced and non-induced suspension cultures to provide an overview of the dynamic changes in transcriptional reprogramming during BL-induced cell wall modification. From this analysis, we have identified changes in candidate genes involved in cell wall precursor synthesis, cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin formation and ester-linkage generation. We have also identified a large number of transcription factors with expression correlated with lignin biosynthesis genes, among which are candidates for control of syringyl (S) lignin accumulation. CONCLUSION Together, this work provides an overview of the dynamic compositional changes during brassinosteroid-induced cell wall remodeling, and identifies candidate genes for future plant genetic engineering to overcome cell wall recalcitrance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Rao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX USA
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Hui Shen
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX USA
- Present Address: Marker-assisted Breeding and Traits, Chromatin Inc, Lubbock, TX 79404 USA
| | - Sivakumar Pattathil
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Present Address: Mascoma LLC (Lallemand Company), 67 Etna Road, Lebanon, NH 03766 USA
| | - Michael G. Hahn
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Ivana Gelineo-Albersheim
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Debra Mohnen
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Yunqiao Pu
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Arthur J. Ragauskas
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA
| | - Xin Chen
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Present Address: Center for Applied Mathematics, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072 China
| | - Fang Chen
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX USA
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Richard A. Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX USA
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN USA
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27
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Wang P, Karki S, Biswal AK, Lin HC, Dionora MJ, Rizal G, Yin X, Schuler ML, Hughes T, Fouracre JP, Jamous BA, Sedelnikova O, Lo SF, Bandyopadhyay A, Yu SM, Kelly S, Quick WP, Langdale JA. Candidate regulators of Early Leaf Development in Maize Perturb Hormone Signalling and Secondary Cell Wall Formation When Constitutively Expressed in Rice. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4535. [PMID: 28674432 PMCID: PMC5495811 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04361-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
All grass leaves are strap-shaped with a series of parallel veins running from base to tip, but the distance between each pair of veins, and the cell-types that develop between them, differs depending on whether the plant performs C3 or C4 photosynthesis. As part of a multinational effort to introduce C4 traits into rice to boost crop yield, candidate regulators of C4 leaf anatomy were previously identified through an analysis of maize leaf transcriptomes. Here we tested the potential of 60 of those candidate genes to alter leaf anatomy in rice. In each case, transgenic rice lines were generated in which the maize gene was constitutively expressed. Lines grouped into three phenotypic classes: (1) indistinguishable from wild-type; (2) aberrant shoot and/or root growth indicating possible perturbations to hormone homeostasis; and (3) altered secondary cell wall formation. One of the genes in class 3 defines a novel monocot-specific family. None of the genes were individually sufficient to induce C4-like vein patterning or cell-type differentiation in rice. A better understanding of gene function in C4 plants is now needed to inform more sophisticated engineering attempts to alter leaf anatomy in C3 plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Shanta Karki
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, 4030, Laguna, Philippines.,Ministry of Agricultural Development, Government of Nepal, Singhadurbar, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Akshaya K Biswal
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, 4030, Laguna, Philippines.,Department of Biology, University North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Hsiang-Chun Lin
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, 4030, Laguna, Philippines
| | | | - Govinda Rizal
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, 4030, Laguna, Philippines.,Baniyatar-220, Tokha-12, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Xiaojia Yin
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, 4030, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Mara L Schuler
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK.,Department of Biology, Heinrich Heine University, D-40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tom Hughes
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Jim P Fouracre
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Basel Abu Jamous
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Olga Sedelnikova
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Shuen-Fang Lo
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | | | - Su-May Yu
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - W Paul Quick
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, 4030, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK.
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28
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DiMario RJ, Clayton H, Mukherjee A, Ludwig M, Moroney JV. Plant Carbonic Anhydrases: Structures, Locations, Evolution, and Physiological Roles. MOLECULAR PLANT 2017; 10:30-46. [PMID: 27646307 PMCID: PMC5226100 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2016.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are zinc metalloenzymes that catalyze the interconversion of CO2 and HCO3- and are ubiquitous in nature. Higher plants contain three evolutionarily distinct CA families, αCAs, βCAs, and γCAs, where each family is represented by multiple isoforms in all species. Alternative splicing of CA transcripts appears common; consequently, the number of functional CA isoforms in a species may exceed the number of genes. CAs are expressed in numerous plant tissues and in different cellular locations. The most prevalent CAs are those in the chloroplast, cytosol, and mitochondria. This diversity in location is paralleled in the many physiological and biochemical roles that CAs play in plants. In this review, the number and types of CAs in C3, C4, and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants are considered, and the roles of the α and γCAs are briefly discussed. The remainder of the review focuses on plant βCAs and includes the identification of homologs between species using phylogenetic approaches, a consideration of the inter- and intracellular localization of the proteins, along with the evidence for alternative splice forms. Current understanding of βCA tissue-specific expression patterns and what controls them are reviewed, and the physiological roles for which βCAs have been implicated are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J DiMario
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Harmony Clayton
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - Ananya Mukherjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Martha Ludwig
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
| | - James V Moroney
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
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29
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Reeves G, Grangé-Guermente MJ, Hibberd JM. Regulatory gateways for cell-specific gene expression in C4 leaves with Kranz anatomy. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:107-116. [PMID: 27940469 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a carbon-concentrating mechanism that increases delivery of carbon dioxide to RuBisCO and as a consequence reduces photorespiration. The C4 pathway is therefore beneficial in environments that promote high photorespiration. This pathway has evolved many times, and involves restricting gene expression to either mesophyll or bundle sheath cells. Here we review the regulatory mechanisms that control cell-preferential expression of genes in the C4 cycle. From this analysis, it is clear that the C4 pathway has a complex regulatory framework, with control operating at epigenetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. Some genes of the C4 pathway are regulated at multiple levels, and we propose that this ensures robust expression in each cell type. Accumulating evidence suggests that multiple genes of the C4 pathway may share the same regulatory mechanism. The control systems for C4 photosynthesis gene expression appear to operate in C3 plants, and so it appears that pre-existing mechanisms form the basis of C4 photosynthesis gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Reeves
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | | | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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30
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Denton AK, Maß J, Külahoglu C, Lercher MJ, Bräutigam A, Weber APM. Freeze-quenched maize mesophyll and bundle sheath separation uncovers bias in previous tissue-specific RNA-Seq data. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:147-160. [PMID: 28043950 PMCID: PMC5853576 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The high efficiency of C4 photosynthesis relies on spatial division of labor, classically with initial carbon fixation in the mesophyll and carbon reduction in the bundle sheath. By employing grinding and serial filtration over liquid nitrogen, we enriched C4 tissues along a developing leaf gradient. This method treats both C4 tissues in an integrity-preserving and consistent manner, while allowing complementary measurements of metabolite abundance and enzyme activity, thus providing a comprehensive data set. Meta-analysis of this and the previous studies highlights the strengths and weaknesses of different C4 tissue separation techniques. While the method reported here achieves the least enrichment, it is the only one that shows neither strong 3' (degradation) bias, nor different severity of 3' bias between samples. The meta-analysis highlighted previously unappreciated observations, such as an accumulation of evidence that aspartate aminotransferase is more mesophyll specific than expected from the current NADP-ME C4 cycle model, and a shift in enrichment of protein synthesis genes from bundle sheath to mesophyll during development. The full comparative dataset is available for download, and a web visualization tool (available at http://www.plant-biochemistry.hhu.de/resources.html) facilitates comparison of the the Z. mays bundle sheath and mesophyll studies, their consistencies and their conflicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisandra K Denton
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), iGRAD-Plant Program, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Janina Maß
- Institute of Informatics, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), iGRAD-Plant Program, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Canan Külahoglu
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), iGRAD-Plant Program, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin J Lercher
- Institute of Informatics, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), iGRAD-Plant Program, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andrea Bräutigam
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), iGRAD-Plant Program, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Network Analysis and Modeling Group, IPK Gatersleben, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466 Stadt Seeland, Germany
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), iGRAD-Plant Program, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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31
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Ayyappan V, Saha MC, Thimmapuram J, Sripathi VR, Bhide KP, Fiedler E, Hayford RK, Kalavacharla VK. Comparative transcriptome profiling of upland (VS16) and lowland (AP13) ecotypes of switchgrass. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2017; 36:129-150. [PMID: 27812750 PMCID: PMC5206262 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-016-2065-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Transcriptomes of two switchgrass genotypes representing the upland and lowland ecotypes will be key tools in switchgrass genome annotation and biotic and abiotic stress functional genomics. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is an important bioenergy feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production. We report genome-wide transcriptome profiling of two contrasting tetraploid switchgrass genotypes, VS16 and AP13, representing the upland and lowland ecotypes, respectively. A total of 268 million Illumina short reads (50 nt) were generated, of which, 133 million were obtained in AP13 and the rest 135 million in VS16. More than 90% of these reads were mapped to the switchgrass reference genome (V1.1). We identified 6619 and 5369 differentially expressed genes in VS16 and AP13, respectively. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis identified key genes that regulate important pathways including C4 photosynthesis, photorespiration and phenylpropanoid metabolism. A series of genes (33) involved in photosynthetic pathway were up-regulated in AP13 but only two genes showed higher expression in VS16. We identified three dicarboxylate transporter homologs that were highly expressed in AP13. Additionally, genes that mediate drought, heat, and salinity tolerance were also identified. Vesicular transport proteins, syntaxin and signal recognition particles were seen to be up-regulated in VS16. Analyses of selected genes involved in biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, plant-pathogen interaction, membrane transporters, heat, drought and salinity stress responses confirmed significant variation in the relative expression reflected in RNA-Seq data between VS16 and AP13 genotypes. The phenylpropanoid pathway genes identified here are potential targets for biofuel conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudevan Ayyappan
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, College of Agriculture and Related Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA
| | - Malay C Saha
- Forage Improvement Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK, USA
| | | | - Venkateswara R Sripathi
- Plant Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, College of Agricultural, Life and Natural Sciences, Alabama A&M University, Normal, AL, USA
| | - Ketaki P Bhide
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Elizabeth Fiedler
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, College of Agriculture and Related Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA
| | - Rita K Hayford
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, College of Agriculture and Related Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA
| | - Venu Kal Kalavacharla
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, College of Agriculture and Related Sciences, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA.
- Center for Integrated Biological and Environmental Research, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, USA.
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32
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Rao X, Dixon RA. The Differences between NAD-ME and NADP-ME Subtypes of C 4 Photosynthesis: More than Decarboxylating Enzymes. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1525. [PMID: 27790235 PMCID: PMC5061750 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
As an adaptation to changing climatic conditions that caused high rates of photorespiration, C4 plants have evolved to display higher photosynthetic efficiency than C3 plants under elevated temperature, high light intensities, and drought. The C4 plants independently evolved more than 60 times in 19 families of angiosperms to establish similar but not uniform C4 mechanisms to concentrate CO2 around the carboxylating enzyme Rubisco (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase). C4 photosynthesis is divided into at least two basic biochemical subtypes based on the primary decarboxylating enzymes, NAD-dependent malic enzyme (NAD-ME) and NADP-dependent malic enzyme (NADP-ME). The multiple polygenetic origins of these subtypes raise questions about the association of C4 variation between biochemical subtypes and diverse lineages. This review addresses the differences in evolutionary scenario, leaf anatomy, and especially C4 metabolic flow, C4 transporters, and cell-specific function deduced from recently reported cell-specific transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolic analyses of NAD-ME and NADP-ME subtypes. Current omic analysis has revealed the extent to which component abundances differ between the two biochemical subtypes, leading to a better understanding of C4 photosynthetic mechanisms in NAD-ME and NADP-ME subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolan Rao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North TexasDenton, TX, USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, US Department of EnergyOak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Richard A. Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North TexasDenton, TX, USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, US Department of EnergyOak Ridge, TN, USA
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