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Cawood GL, Ton J. Decoding resilience: ecology, regulation, and evolution of biosynthetic gene clusters. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00241-3. [PMID: 39393973 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/13/2024]
Abstract
Secondary metabolism is crucial for plant survival and can generate chemistry with nutritional, therapeutic, and industrial value. Biosynthetic genes of selected secondary metabolites cluster within localised chromosomal regions. The arrangement of these biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) challenges the long-held model of random gene order in eukaryotes, raising questions about their regulation, ecological significance, and evolution. In this review, we address these questions by exploring the contribution of BGCs to ecologically relevant plant-biotic interactions, while also evaluating the molecular-(epi)genetic mechanisms controlling their coordinated stress- and tissue-specific expression. Based on evidence that BGCs have distinct chromatin signatures and are enriched with transposable elements (TEs), we integrate emerging hypotheses into an updated evolutionary model emphasising how stress-induced epigenetic processes have shaped BGC formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Lister Cawood
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
| | - Jurriaan Ton
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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2
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Zanetti ME, Blanco F, Ferrari M, Ariel F, Benoit M, Niebel A, Crespi M. Epigenetic control during root development and symbiosis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 196:697-710. [PMID: 38865442 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The roots of plants play multiple functions that are essential for growth and development, including anchoring to the soil as well as water and nutrient acquisition. These underground organs exhibit the plasticity to modify their root system architecture in response to environmental cues, allowing adaptation to change in water and nutrient availability. In addition, roots enter in mutualistic interactions with soil microorganisms, for example, the root nodule symbiosis (RNS) established between a limited group of plants and nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria and the arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis involving most land plants and fungi of the Glomeromycetes phylum. In the past 20 years, genetic approaches allowed the identification and functional characterization of genes required for the specific programs of root development, root nodule, and arbuscular mycorrhiza symbioses. These genetic studies provided evidence that the program of the RNS recruited components of the arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis and the root developmental programs. The execution of these programs is strongly influenced by epigenetic changes-DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications-that alter chromatin conformation modifying the expression of key genes. In this review, we summarize recent advances that highlight how DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications, as well as chromatin remodeling factors and long noncoding RNAs, shape the root system architecture and allow the successful establishment of both root nodule and arbuscular mycorrhiza symbioses. We anticipate that the analysis of dynamic epigenetic changes and chromatin 3D structure in specific single cells or tissue types of root organs will illuminate our understanding of how root developmental and symbiotic programs are orchestrated, opening exciting questions and new perspectives to modulate agronomical and ecological traits linked to nutrient acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Zanetti
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata and Centro Científico y Tecnológico-La Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - Flavio Blanco
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata and Centro Científico y Tecnológico-La Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - Milagros Ferrari
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata and Centro Científico y Tecnológico-La Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, La Plata 1900, Argentina
| | - Federico Ariel
- Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas CONICET, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - Matthias Benoit
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes (LIPME), INRAE, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CNRS, Castanet-Tolosan 31326, France
| | - Andreas Niebel
- Laboratoire des Interactions Plantes-Microorganismes (LIPME), INRAE, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, CNRS, Castanet-Tolosan 31326, France
| | - Martin Crespi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Gif sur Yvette 91190, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), Gif sur Yvette 91190, France
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3
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Ahmad Z, Shareen, Ganie IB, Firdaus F, Ramakrishnan M, Shahzad A, Ding Y. Enhancing Withanolide Production in the Withania Species: Advances in In Vitro Culture and Synthetic Biology Approaches. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2171. [PMID: 39124289 PMCID: PMC11313931 DOI: 10.3390/plants13152171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Withanolides are naturally occurring steroidal lactones found in certain species of the Withania genus, especially Withania somnifera (commonly known as Ashwagandha). These compounds have gained considerable attention due to their wide range of therapeutic properties and potential applications in modern medicine. To meet the rapidly growing demand for withanolides, innovative approaches such as in vitro culture techniques and synthetic biology offer promising solutions. In recent years, synthetic biology has enabled the production of engineered withanolides using heterologous systems, such as yeast and bacteria. Additionally, in vitro methods like cell suspension culture and hairy root culture have been employed to enhance withanolide production. Nevertheless, one of the primary obstacles to increasing the production of withanolides using these techniques has been the intricacy of the biosynthetic pathways for withanolides. The present article examines new developments in withanolide production through in vitro culture. A comprehensive summary of viable traditional methods for producing withanolide is also provided. The development of withanolide production in heterologous systems is examined and emphasized. The use of machine learning as a potent tool to model and improve the bioprocesses involved in the generation of withanolide is then discussed. In addition, the control and modification of the withanolide biosynthesis pathway by metabolic engineering mediated by CRISPR are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zishan Ahmad
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (Z.A.); (M.R.)
| | - Shareen
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China;
| | - Irfan Bashir Ganie
- Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India; (I.B.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Fatima Firdaus
- Chemistry Department, Lucknow University, Lucknow 226007, India;
| | - Muthusamy Ramakrishnan
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (Z.A.); (M.R.)
| | - Anwar Shahzad
- Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India; (I.B.G.); (A.S.)
| | - Yulong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (Z.A.); (M.R.)
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4
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Kerwin RE, Hart JE, Fiesel PD, Lou YR, Fan P, Jones AD, Last RL. Tomato root specialized metabolites evolved through gene duplication and regulatory divergence within a biosynthetic gene cluster. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn3991. [PMID: 38657073 PMCID: PMC11094762 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Tremendous plant metabolic diversity arises from phylogenetically restricted specialized metabolic pathways. Specialized metabolites are synthesized in dedicated cells or tissues, with pathway genes sometimes colocalizing in biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). However, the mechanisms by which spatial expression patterns arise and the role of BGCs in pathway evolution remain underappreciated. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms driving acylsugar evolution in the Solanaceae. Previously thought to be restricted to glandular trichomes, acylsugars were recently found in cultivated tomato roots. We demonstrated that acylsugars in cultivated tomato roots and trichomes have different sugar cores, identified root-enriched paralogs of trichome acylsugar pathway genes, and characterized a key paralog required for root acylsugar biosynthesis, SlASAT1-LIKE (SlASAT1-L), which is nested within a previously reported trichome acylsugar BGC. Last, we provided evidence that ASAT1-L arose through duplication of its paralog, ASAT1, and was trichome-expressed before acquiring root-specific expression in the Solanum genus. Our results illuminate the genomic context and molecular mechanisms underpinning metabolic diversity in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Kerwin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jaynee E. Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Paul D. Fiesel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Yann-Ru Lou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Pengxiang Fan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - A. Daniel Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Robert L. Last
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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5
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Qi YC, Bai H, Hu SL, Li SJ, Li QZ. Coregulatory effects of multiple histone modifications in key ferroptosis-related genes for lung adenocarcinoma. Epigenomics 2024; 16:609-633. [PMID: 38511238 PMCID: PMC11160448 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2023-0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: The present study was designed to investigate the coregulatory effects of multiple histone modifications (HMs) on gene expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Materials & methods: Ten histones for LUAD were analyzed using ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data. An innovative computational method is proposed to quantify the coregulatory effects of multiple HMs on gene expression to identify strong coregulatory genes and regions. This method was applied to explore the coregulatory mechanisms of key ferroptosis-related genes in LUAD. Results: Nine strong coregulatory regions were identified for six ferroptosis-related genes with diverse coregulatory patterns (CA9, PGD, CDKN2A, PML, OTUB1 and NFE2L2). Conclusion: This quantitative method could be used to identify important HM coregulatory genes and regions that may be epigenetic regulatory targets in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye-Chen Qi
- Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science & Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Hui Bai
- Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science & Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Si-Le Hu
- Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science & Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Shu-Juan Li
- Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science & Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
| | - Qian-Zhong Li
- Laboratory of Theoretical Biophysics, School of Physical Science & Technology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation & Breeding of Grassland Livestock, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010070, China
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6
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Dinday S, Ghosh S. Recent advances in triterpenoid pathway elucidation and engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 68:108214. [PMID: 37478981 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Triterpenoids are among the most assorted class of specialized metabolites found in all the taxa of living organisms. Triterpenoids are the leading active ingredients sourced from plant species and are utilized in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The triterpenoid precursor 2,3-oxidosqualene, which is biosynthesized via the mevalonate (MVA) pathway is structurally diversified by the oxidosqualene cyclases (OSCs) and other scaffold-decorating enzymes such as cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s), UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) and acyltransferases (ATs). A majority of the bioactive triterpenoids are harvested from the native hosts using the traditional methods of extraction and occasionally semi-synthesized. These methods of supply are time-consuming and do not often align with sustainability goals. Recent advancements in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology have shown prospects for the green routes of triterpenoid pathway reconstruction in heterologous hosts such as Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Nicotiana benthamiana, which appear to be quite promising and might lead to the development of alternative source of triterpenoids. The present review describes the biotechnological strategies used to elucidate complex biosynthetic pathways and to understand their regulation and also discusses how the advances in triterpenoid pathway engineering might aid in the scale-up of triterpenoid production in engineered hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Dinday
- CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India; School of Agricultural Biotechnology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab, India
| | - Sumit Ghosh
- CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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7
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Marszalek-Zenczak M, Satyr A, Wojciechowski P, Zenczak M, Sobieszczanska P, Brzezinski K, Iefimenko T, Figlerowicz M, Zmienko A. Analysis of Arabidopsis non-reference accessions reveals high diversity of metabolic gene clusters and discovers new candidate cluster members. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1104303. [PMID: 36778696 PMCID: PMC9909608 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1104303] [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: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic gene clusters (MGCs) are groups of genes involved in a common biosynthetic pathway. They are frequently formed in dynamic chromosomal regions, which may lead to intraspecies variation and cause phenotypic diversity. We examined copy number variations (CNVs) in four Arabidopsis thaliana MGCs in over one thousand accessions with experimental and bioinformatic approaches. Tirucalladienol and marneral gene clusters showed little variation, and the latter was fixed in the population. Thalianol and especially arabidiol/baruol gene clusters displayed substantial diversity. The compact version of the thalianol gene cluster was predominant and more conserved than the noncontiguous version. In the arabidiol/baruol cluster, we found a large genomic insertion containing divergent duplicates of the CYP705A2 and BARS1 genes. The BARS1 paralog, which we named BARS2, encoded a novel oxidosqualene synthase. The expression of the entire arabidiol/baruol gene cluster was altered in the accessions with the duplication. Moreover, they presented different root growth dynamics and were associated with warmer climates compared to the reference-like accessions. In the entire genome, paired genes encoding terpene synthases and cytochrome P450 oxidases were more variable than their nonpaired counterparts. Our study highlights the role of dynamically evolving MGCs in plant adaptation and phenotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anastasiia Satyr
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Pawel Wojciechowski
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
- Institute of Computing Science, Faculty of Computing and Telecommunications, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland
| | - Michal Zenczak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | | | | | - Tetiana Iefimenko
- Department of Biology, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Marek Figlerowicz
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Zmienko
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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8
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Bryson AE, Lanier ER, Lau KH, Hamilton JP, Vaillancourt B, Mathieu D, Yocca AE, Miller GP, Edger PP, Buell CR, Hamberger B. Uncovering a miltiradiene biosynthetic gene cluster in the Lamiaceae reveals a dynamic evolutionary trajectory. Nat Commun 2023; 14:343. [PMID: 36670101 PMCID: PMC9860074 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35845-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The spatial organization of genes within plant genomes can drive evolution of specialized metabolic pathways. Terpenoids are important specialized metabolites in plants with diverse adaptive functions that enable environmental interactions. Here, we report the genome assemblies of Prunella vulgaris, Plectranthus barbatus, and Leonotis leonurus. We investigate the origin and subsequent evolution of a diterpenoid biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) together with other seven species within the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Based on core genes found in the BGCs of all species examined across the Lamiaceae, we predict a simplified version of this cluster evolved in an early Lamiaceae ancestor. The current composition of the extant BGCs highlights the dynamic nature of its evolution. We elucidate the terpene backbones generated by the Callicarpa americana BGC enzymes, including miltiradiene and the terpene (+)-kaurene, and show oxidization activities of BGC cytochrome P450s. Our work reveals the fluid nature of BGC assembly and the importance of genome structure in contributing to the origin of metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Bryson
- Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Emily R Lanier
- Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kin H Lau
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - John P Hamilton
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Brieanne Vaillancourt
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Davis Mathieu
- Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Alan E Yocca
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Garret P Miller
- Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Patrick P Edger
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - C Robin Buell
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Björn Hamberger
- Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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9
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Current status and future prospects in cannabinoid production through in vitro culture and synthetic biology. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 62:108074. [PMID: 36481387 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
For centuries, cannabis has been a rich source of fibrous, pharmaceutical, and recreational ingredients. Phytocannabinoids are the most important and well-known class of cannabis-derived secondary metabolites and display a broad range of health-promoting and psychoactive effects. The unique characteristics of phytocannabinoids (e.g., metabolite likeness, multi-target spectrum, and safety profile) have resulted in the development and approval of several cannabis-derived drugs. While most work has focused on the two main cannabinoids produced in the plant, over 150 unique cannabinoids have been identified. To meet the rapidly growing phytocannabinoid demand, particularly many of the minor cannabinoids found in low amounts in planta, biotechnology offers promising alternatives for biosynthesis through in vitro culture and heterologous systems. In recent years, the engineered production of phytocannabinoids has been obtained through synthetic biology both in vitro (cell suspension culture and hairy root culture) and heterologous systems. However, there are still several bottlenecks (e.g., the complexity of the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway and optimizing the bioprocess), hampering biosynthesis and scaling up the biotechnological process. The current study reviews recent advances related to in vitro culture-mediated cannabinoid production. Additionally, an integrated overview of promising conventional approaches to cannabinoid production is presented. Progress toward cannabinoid production in heterologous systems and possible avenues for avoiding autotoxicity are also reviewed and highlighted. Machine learning is then introduced as a powerful tool to model, and optimize bioprocesses related to cannabinoid production. Finally, regulation and manipulation of the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway using CRISPR- mediated metabolic engineering is discussed.
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10
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Zhan C, Lei L, Guo H, Zhou S, Xu C, Liu Z, Wu Z, Deng Y, Miao Y, Han Y, Zhang M, Li H, Huang S, Yang C, Zhang F, Li Y, Liu L, Liu X, Abbas HMK, Fernie AR, Yuan M, Luo J. Disease resistance conferred by components of essential chrysanthemum oil and the epigenetic regulation of OsTPS1. SCIENCE CHINA LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 66:1108-1118. [PMID: 36462108 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2241-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The sesquiterpene alpha-bisabolol is the predominant active ingredient in essential oils that are highly valued in the cosmetics industry due to its wound healing, anti-inflammatory, and skin-soothing properties. Alpha-bisabolol was thought to be restricted to Compositae plants. Here we reveal that alpha-bisabolol is also synthesized in rice, a non-Compositae plant, where it acts as a novel sesquiterpene phytoalexin. Overexpressing the gene responsible for the biosynthesis of alpha-bisabolol, OsTPS1, conferred bacterial blight resistance in rice. Phylogenomic analyses revealed that alpha-bisabolol-synthesizing enzymes in rice and Compositae evolved independently. Further experiments demonstrated that the natural variation in the disease resistance level was associated with differential transcription of OsTPS1 due to polymorphisms in its promoter. We demonstrated that OsTPS1 was regulated at the epigenetic level by JMJ705 through the methyl jasmonate pathway. These data reveal the cross-family accumulation and regulatory mechanisms of alpha-bisabolol production.
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11
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Conneely LJ, Berkowitz O, Lewsey MG. Emerging trends in genomic and epigenomic regulation of plant specialised metabolism. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2022; 203:113427. [PMID: 36087823 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113427] [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: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of specialised metabolism genes is multilayered and complex, influenced by an array of genomic, epigenetic and epigenomic mechanisms. Here, we review the most recent knowledge in this field, drawing from discoveries in several plant species. Our aim is to improve understanding of how plant genome structure and function influence specialised metabolism. We also highlight key areas for future exploration. Gene regulatory mechanisms influencing specialised metabolism include gene duplication and neo-functionalization, conservation of operon-like clusters of specialised metabolism genes, local chromatin modifications, and the organisation of higher order chromatin structures within the nucleus. Genomic and epigenomic research to-date in the discipline have focused on a relatively small number of plant species, primarily at whole organ or tissue level. This is largely due to the technical demands of the experimental methods needed. However, a high degree of cell-type specificity of function exists in specialised metabolism, driven by similarly specific gene regulation. In this review we focus on the genomic characteristics of genes that are found in different types of clusters within the genome. We propose that acquisition of cell-resolution epigenomic datasets in emerging models, such as the glandular trichomes of Cannabis sativa, will yield important advances. Data such as chromatin accessibility and histone modification profiles can pinpoint which regulatory sequences are active in individual cell types and at specific times in development. These could provide fundamental biological insight as well as novel targets for genetic engineering and crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee J Conneely
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Oliver Berkowitz
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia
| | - Mathew G Lewsey
- La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia; Australian Research Council Research Hub for Medicinal Agriculture, La Trobe University, AgriBio Building, Bundoora, VIC, 3086, Australia.
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12
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Zhan C, Shen S, Yang C, Liu Z, Fernie AR, Graham IA, Luo J. Plant metabolic gene clusters in the multi-omics era. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 27:981-1001. [PMID: 35365433 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Secondary metabolism in plants gives rise to a vast array of small-molecule natural products. The discovery of operon-like gene clusters in plants has provided a new perspective on the evolution of specialized metabolism and the opportunity to rapidly advance the metabolic engineering of natural product production. Here, we review historical aspects of the study of plant metabolic gene clusters as well as general strategies for identifying plant metabolic gene clusters in the multi-omics era. We also emphasize the exploration of their natural variation and evolution, as well as new strategies for the prospecting of plant metabolic gene clusters and a deeper understanding of how their structure influences their function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuansong Zhan
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China
| | - Shuangqian Shen
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Chenkun Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Zhenhua Liu
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut fur Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Am Muhlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
| | - Ian A Graham
- Center for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Jie Luo
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya 572025, China.
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13
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Singh KS, van der Hooft JJJ, van Wees SCM, Medema MH. Integrative omics approaches for biosynthetic pathway discovery in plants. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1876-1896. [PMID: 35997060 PMCID: PMC9491492 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00032f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2022With the emergence of large amounts of omics data, computational approaches for the identification of plant natural product biosynthetic pathways and their genetic regulation have become increasingly important. While genomes provide clues regarding functional associations between genes based on gene clustering, metabolome mining provides a foundational technology to chart natural product structural diversity in plants, and transcriptomics has been successfully used to identify new members of their biosynthetic pathways based on coexpression. Thus far, most approaches utilizing transcriptomics and metabolomics have been targeted towards specific pathways and use one type of omics data at a time. Recent technological advances now provide new opportunities for integration of multiple omics types and untargeted pathway discovery. Here, we review advances in plant biosynthetic pathway discovery using genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, as well as recent efforts towards omics integration. We highlight how transcriptomics and metabolomics provide complementary information to link genes to metabolites, by associating temporal and spatial gene expression levels with metabolite abundance levels across samples, and by matching mass-spectral features to enzyme families. Furthermore, we suggest that elucidation of gene regulatory networks using time-series data may prove useful for efforts to unwire the complexities of biosynthetic pathway components based on regulatory interactions and events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Saurabh Singh
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
| | - Justin J J van der Hooft
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
| | - Saskia C M van Wees
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
| | - Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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14
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Smit SJ, Lichman BR. Plant biosynthetic gene clusters in the context of metabolic evolution. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1465-1482. [PMID: 35441651 PMCID: PMC9298681 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00005a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2022Plants produce a wide range of structurally and biosynthetically diverse natural products to interact with their environment. These specialised metabolites typically evolve in limited taxonomic groups presumably in response to specific selective pressures. With the increasing availability of sequencing data, it has become apparent that in many cases the genes encoding biosynthetic enzymes for specialised metabolic pathways are not randomly distributed on the genome. Instead they are physically linked in structures such as arrays, pairs and clusters. The exact function of these clusters is debated. In this review we take a broad view of gene arrangement in plant specialised metabolism, examining types of structures and variation. We discuss the evolution of biosynthetic gene clusters in the wider context of metabolism, populations and epigenetics. Finally, we synthesise our observations to propose a new hypothesis for biosynthetic gene cluster formation in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Smit
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
| | - Benjamin R Lichman
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
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15
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Roulé T, Christ A, Hussain N, Huang Y, Hartmann C, Benhamed M, Gutierrez-Marcos J, Ariel F, Crespi M, Blein T. The lncRNA MARS modulates the epigenetic reprogramming of the marneral cluster in response to ABA. MOLECULAR PLANT 2022; 15:840-856. [PMID: 35150931 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Clustered organization of biosynthetic non-homologous genes is emerging as a characteristic feature of plant genomes. The co-regulation of clustered genes seems to largely depend on epigenetic reprogramming and three-dimensional chromatin conformation. In this study, we identified the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MARneral Silencing (MARS), localized inside the Arabidopsis marneral cluster, which controls the local epigenetic activation of its surrounding region in response to abscisic acid (ABA). MARS modulates the POLYCOMB REPRESSIVE COMPLEX 1 (PRC1) component LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN 1 (LHP1) binding throughout the cluster in a dose-dependent manner, determining H3K27me3 deposition and chromatin condensation. In response to ABA, MARS decoys LHP1 away from the cluster and promotes the formation of a chromatin loop bringing together the MARNERAL SYNTHASE 1 (MRN1) locus and a distal ABA-responsive enhancer. The enrichment of co-regulated lncRNAs in clustered metabolic genes in Arabidopsis suggests that the acquisition of novel non-coding transcriptional units may constitute an additional regulatory layer driving the evolution of biosynthetic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Roulé
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Université de Paris, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Aurelie Christ
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Université de Paris, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Nosheen Hussain
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Ying Huang
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Université de Paris, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Caroline Hartmann
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Université de Paris, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Moussa Benhamed
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Université de Paris, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Federico Ariel
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, CONICET, FBCB, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Colectora Ruta Nacional 168 km 0, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Martin Crespi
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Université de Paris, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Thomas Blein
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, INRAE, Université Evry, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Université de Paris, Institute of Plant Sciences Paris-Saclay (IPS2), 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
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16
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Zhou X, Liu Z. Unlocking plant metabolic diversity: A (pan)-genomic view. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100300. [PMID: 35529944 PMCID: PMC9073316 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Plants produce a remarkable diversity of structurally and functionally diverse natural chemicals that serve as adaptive compounds throughout their life cycles. However, unlocking this metabolic diversity is significantly impeded by the size, complexity, and abundant repetitive elements of typical plant genomes. As genome sequencing becomes routine, we anticipate that links between metabolic diversity and genetic variation will be strengthened. In addition, an ever-increasing number of plant genomes have revealed that biosynthetic gene clusters are not only a hallmark of microbes and fungi; gene clusters for various classes of compounds have also been found in plants, and many are associated with important agronomic traits. We present recent examples of plant metabolic diversification that have been discovered through the exploration and exploitation of various genomic and pan-genomic data. We also draw attention to the fundamental genomic and pan-genomic basis of plant chemodiversity and discuss challenges and future perspectives for investigating metabolic diversity in the coming pan-genomics era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhou
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhenhua Liu
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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17
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Vijayanathan M, Trejo-Arellano MG, Mozgová I. Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 in Eukaryotes-An Evolutionary Perspective. EPIGENOMES 2022; 6:3. [PMID: 35076495 PMCID: PMC8788455 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes6010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) represents a group of evolutionarily conserved multi-subunit complexes that repress gene transcription by introducing trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone 3 (H3K27me3). PRC2 activity is of key importance for cell identity specification and developmental phase transitions in animals and plants. The composition, biochemistry, and developmental function of PRC2 in animal and flowering plant model species are relatively well described. Recent evidence demonstrates the presence of PRC2 complexes in various eukaryotic supergroups, suggesting conservation of the complex and its function. Here, we provide an overview of the current understanding of PRC2-mediated repression in different representatives of eukaryotic supergroups with a focus on the green lineage. By comparison of PRC2 in different eukaryotes, we highlight the possible common and diverged features suggesting evolutionary implications and outline emerging questions and directions for future research of polycomb repression and its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallika Vijayanathan
- Biology Centre, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (M.G.T.-A.)
| | - María Guadalupe Trejo-Arellano
- Biology Centre, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (M.G.T.-A.)
| | - Iva Mozgová
- Biology Centre, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic; (M.V.); (M.G.T.-A.)
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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18
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Luo F, Yu Z, Zhou Q, Huang A. Multi-Omics-Based Discovery of Plant Signaling Molecules. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12010076. [PMID: 35050197 PMCID: PMC8777911 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12010076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants produce numerous structurally and functionally diverse signaling metabolites, yet only relatively small fractions of which have been discovered. Multi-omics has greatly expedited the discovery as evidenced by increasing recent works reporting new plant signaling molecules and relevant functions via integrated multi-omics techniques. The effective application of multi-omics tools is the key to uncovering unknown plant signaling molecules. This review covers the features of multi-omics in the context of plant signaling metabolite discovery, highlighting how multi-omics addresses relevant aspects of the challenges as follows: (a) unknown functions of known metabolites; (b) unknown metabolites with known functions; (c) unknown metabolites and unknown functions. Based on the problem-oriented overview of the theoretical and application aspects of multi-omics, current limitations and future development of multi-omics in discovering plant signaling metabolites are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Qian Zhou
- Correspondence: (Q.Z.); (A.H.); Tel.: +86-755-8801-8496 (Q.Z. & A.H.)
| | - Ancheng Huang
- Correspondence: (Q.Z.); (A.H.); Tel.: +86-755-8801-8496 (Q.Z. & A.H.)
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19
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Chakraborty P. Gene cluster from plant to microbes: Their role in genome architecture, organism's development, specialized metabolism and drug discovery. Biochimie 2021; 193:1-15. [PMID: 34890733 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Plants and microbes fulfil our daily requirements through different high-value chemicals, e.g., nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and through varieties of fruits, crops, vegetables, and many more. Utmost care would therefore be taken for growth, development and sustainability of these important crops and medicinal plants and microbes. Homeobox genes and HOX clusters and their recently characterized expanded family members, including newly discovered homeobox, WOX gene from medicinal herb, Panax ginseng, significantly contributes in the growth and development of these organisms. On the other hand, secondary metabolites produced through secondary metabolism of plants and microbes are used as organisms defense as well as drugs/drug-like molecules for humans. Both the developmental HOX cluster and the biosynthetic gene-cluster (BGC) for secondary metabolites are organised in organisms genome. Genome mining and genomewide analysis of these clusters will definitely identify and characterize many more important molecules from unexplored plants and microbes and underexplored human microbiota and the evolution studies of these clusters will indicate their source of origin. Although genomics revolution now continues at a pace, till date only few hundred plant genome sequences are available. However, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology now in market and may be applied even for plants with recalcitrant genomes, eventually may discover genomic potential towards production of secondary metabolites of diverse plants and micro-organisms present in the environment and microbiota. Additionally, the development of tools for genome mining e.g., antiSMASH, plantiSMASH, and more and more computational approaches that predicts hundreds of secondary metabolite BGCs will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanta Chakraborty
- Kalpana Chawla Center for Space and Nanoscience, Kolkata, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (retd.), Kolkata, 700032, India.
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20
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Adaptive mechanisms of plant specialized metabolism connecting chemistry to function. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:1037-1045. [PMID: 34552220 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00822-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
As sessile organisms, plants evolved elaborate metabolic systems that produce a plethora of specialized metabolites as a means to survive challenging terrestrial environments. Decades of research have revealed the genetic and biochemical basis for a multitude of plant specialized metabolic pathways. Nevertheless, knowledge is still limited concerning the selective advantages provided by individual and collective specialized metabolites to the reproductive success of diverse host plants. Here we review the biological functions conferred by various classes of plant specialized metabolites in the context of the interaction of plants with their surrounding environment. To achieve optimal multifunctionality of diverse specialized metabolic processes, plants use various adaptive mechanisms at subcellular, cellular, tissue, organ and interspecies levels. Understanding these mechanisms and the evolutionary trajectories underlying their occurrence in nature will ultimately enable efficient bioengineering of desirable metabolic traits in chassis organisms.
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21
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Medema MH, de Rond T, Moore BS. Mining genomes to illuminate the specialized chemistry of life. Nat Rev Genet 2021; 22:553-571. [PMID: 34083778 PMCID: PMC8364890 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-021-00363-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
All organisms produce specialized organic molecules, ranging from small volatile chemicals to large gene-encoded peptides, that have evolved to provide them with diverse cellular and ecological functions. As natural products, they are broadly applied in medicine, agriculture and nutrition. The rapid accumulation of genomic information has revealed that the metabolic capacity of virtually all organisms is vastly underappreciated. Pioneered mainly in bacteria and fungi, genome mining technologies are accelerating metabolite discovery. Recent efforts are now being expanded to all life forms, including protists, plants and animals, and new integrative omics technologies are enabling the increasingly effective mining of this molecular diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tristan de Rond
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bradley S Moore
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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22
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Bharadwaj R, Kumar SR, Sharma A, Sathishkumar R. Plant Metabolic Gene Clusters: Evolution, Organization, and Their Applications in Synthetic Biology. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:697318. [PMID: 34490002 PMCID: PMC8418127 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.697318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plants are a remarkable source of high-value specialized metabolites having significant physiological and ecological functions. Genes responsible for synthesizing specialized metabolites are often clustered together for a coordinated expression, which is commonly observed in bacteria and filamentous fungi. Similar to prokaryotic gene clustering, plants do have gene clusters encoding enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites. More than 20 gene clusters involved in the biosynthesis of diverse metabolites have been identified across the plant kingdom. Recent studies demonstrate that gene clusters are evolved through gene duplications and neofunctionalization of primary metabolic pathway genes. Often, these clusters are tightly regulated at nucleosome level. The prevalence of gene clusters related to specialized metabolites offers an attractive possibility of an untapped source of highly useful biomolecules. Accordingly, the identification and functional characterization of novel biosynthetic pathways in plants need to be worked out. In this review, we summarize insights into the evolution of gene clusters and discuss the organization and importance of specific gene clusters in the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites. Regulatory mechanisms which operate in some of the important gene clusters have also been briefly described. Finally, we highlight the importance of gene clusters to develop future metabolic engineering or synthetic biology strategies for the heterologous production of novel metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revuru Bharadwaj
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Sarma R. Kumar
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
| | - Ashutosh Sharma
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Centre of Bioengineering, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Ramalingam Sathishkumar
- Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India
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23
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Polturak G, Osbourn A. The emerging role of biosynthetic gene clusters in plant defense and plant interactions. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009698. [PMID: 34214143 PMCID: PMC8253395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Guy Polturak
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Osbourn
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom
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24
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Samo N, Ebert A, Kopka J, Mozgová I. Plant chromatin, metabolism and development - an intricate crosstalk. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 61:102002. [PMID: 33497897 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Chromatin structure influences DNA accessibility and underlying gene expression. Disturbances of chromatin structure often result in pleiotropic developmental phenotypes. Interactions between chromatin modifications and development have been the main focus of epigenetic studies. Recent years brought major advance in uncovering and understanding connections between chromatin organisation in the nucleus and metabolic processes that take place in the cytoplasm or other cellular compartments. Products of primary metabolism and cell redox states influence chromatin-modifying complexes, and chromatin modifiers in turn affect expression of metabolic genes. Current evidence indicates that complex interaction loops between these biological system layers exist. Applying interdisciplinary and holistic approaches will decipher causality and molecular mechanisms of the dynamic crosstalk between chromatin structure, metabolism and plant growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naseem Samo
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alina Ebert
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Joachim Kopka
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Iva Mozgová
- Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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25
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Li Y, Leveau A, Zhao Q, Feng Q, Lu H, Miao J, Xue Z, Martin AC, Wegel E, Wang J, Orme A, Rey MD, Karafiátová M, Vrána J, Steuernagel B, Joynson R, Owen C, Reed J, Louveau T, Stephenson MJ, Zhang L, Huang X, Huang T, Fan D, Zhou C, Tian Q, Li W, Lu Y, Chen J, Zhao Y, Lu Y, Zhu C, Liu Z, Polturak G, Casson R, Hill L, Moore G, Melton R, Hall N, Wulff BBH, Doležel J, Langdon T, Han B, Osbourn A. Subtelomeric assembly of a multi-gene pathway for antimicrobial defense compounds in cereals. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2563. [PMID: 33963185 PMCID: PMC8105312 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22920-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-random gene organization in eukaryotes plays a significant role in genome evolution. Here, we investigate the origin of a biosynthetic gene cluster for production of defence compounds in oat-the avenacin cluster. We elucidate the structure and organisation of this 12-gene cluster, characterise the last two missing pathway steps, and reconstitute the entire pathway in tobacco by transient expression. We show that the cluster has formed de novo since the divergence of oats in a subtelomeric region of the genome that lacks homology with other grasses, and that gene order is approximately colinear with the biosynthetic pathway. We speculate that the positioning of the late pathway genes furthest away from the telomere may mitigate against a 'self-poisoning' scenario in which toxic intermediates accumulate as a result of telomeric gene deletions. Our investigations reveal a striking example of adaptive evolution underpinned by remarkable genome plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | | | - Qiang Zhao
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Qi Feng
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Hengyun Lu
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Jiashun Miao
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Zheyong Xue
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Eva Wegel
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Jing Wang
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | | | - Miroslava Karafiátová
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Vrána
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | | | - Ryan Joynson
- Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - James Reed
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | | | - Lei Zhang
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Xuehui Huang
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Huang
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Danling Fan
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Congcong Zhou
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Qilin Tian
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Yiqi Lu
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaying Chen
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Lu
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Chuanrang Zhu
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenhua Liu
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guy Polturak
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Lionel Hill
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Graham Moore
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Rachel Melton
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Neil Hall
- Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Jaroslav Doležel
- Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Tim Langdon
- Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3EE, UK
| | - Bin Han
- National Centre for Gene Research, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre of Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai, China.
| | - Anne Osbourn
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.
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Bai Y, Fernández-Calvo P, Ritter A, Huang AC, Morales-Herrera S, Bicalho KU, Karady M, Pauwels L, Buyst D, Njo M, Ljung K, Martins JC, Vanneste S, Beeckman T, Osbourn A, Goossens A, Pollier J. Modulation of Arabidopsis root growth by specialized triterpenes. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:228-243. [PMID: 33616937 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17144] [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: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plant roots are specialized belowground organs that spatiotemporally shape their development in function of varying soil conditions. This root plasticity relies on intricate molecular networks driven by phytohormones, such as auxin and jasmonate (JA). Loss-of-function of the NOVEL INTERACTOR OF JAZ (NINJA), a core component of the JA signaling pathway, leads to enhanced triterpene biosynthesis, in particular of the thalianol gene cluster, in Arabidopsis thaliana roots. We have investigated the biological role of thalianol and its derivatives by focusing on Thalianol Synthase (THAS) and Thalianol Acyltransferase 2 (THAA2), two thalianol cluster genes that are upregulated in the roots of ninja mutant plants. THAS and THAA2 activity was investigated in yeast, and metabolite and phenotype profiling of thas and thaa2 loss-of-function plants was carried out. THAA2 was shown to be responsible for the acetylation of thalianol and its derivatives, both in yeast and in planta. In addition, THAS and THAA2 activity was shown to modulate root development. Our results indicate that the thalianol pathway is not only controlled by phytohormonal cues, but also may modulate phytohormonal action itself, thereby affecting root development and interaction with the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuechen Bai
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Patricia Fernández-Calvo
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Andrés Ritter
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Ancheng C Huang
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich,, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Stefania Morales-Herrera
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- VIB Center for Microbiology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Keylla U Bicalho
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, 14800-060, Brazil
| | - Michal Karady
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Science of Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, Olomouc, CZ-78371, Czech Republic
| | - Laurens Pauwels
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Dieter Buyst
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Maria Njo
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Karen Ljung
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| | - José C Martins
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Steffen Vanneste
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- Lab of Plant Growth Analysis, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon, 21985, Korea
| | - Tom Beeckman
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Anne Osbourn
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich,, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Alain Goossens
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
| | - Jacob Pollier
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, Ghent, 9052, Belgium
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27
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Di Stefano M, Nützmann HW, Marti-Renom M, Jost D. Polymer modelling unveils the roles of heterochromatin and nucleolar organizing regions in shaping 3D genome organization in Arabidopsis thaliana. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:1840-1858. [PMID: 33444439 PMCID: PMC7913674 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The 3D genome is characterized by a complex organization made of genomic and epigenomic layers with profound implications on gene regulation and cell function. However, the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms driving the crosstalk between nuclear architecture and (epi)genomic information is still lacking. The plant Arabidopsis thaliana is a powerful model organism to address these questions owing to its compact genome for which we have a rich collection of microscopy, chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and ChIP-seq experiments. Using polymer modelling, we investigate the roles of nucleolus formation and epigenomics-driven interactions in shaping the 3D genome of A. thaliana. By validation of several predictions with published data, we demonstrate that self-attracting nucleolar organizing regions and repulsive constitutive heterochromatin are major mechanisms to regulate the organization of chromosomes. Simulations also suggest that interphase chromosomes maintain a partial structural memory of the V-shapes, typical of (sub)metacentric chromosomes in anaphase. Additionally, self-attraction between facultative heterochromatin regions facilitates the formation of Polycomb bodies hosting H3K27me3-enriched gene-clusters. Since nucleolus and heterochromatin are highly-conserved in eukaryotic cells, our findings pave the way for a comprehensive characterization of the generic principles that are likely to shape and regulate the 3D genome in many species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Di Stefano
- CNAG-CRG, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Hans-Wilhelm Nützmann
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Marc A Marti-Renom
- CNAG-CRG, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- CRG, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Jost
- Université de Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, Lyon, France
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Dar MS, Dholakia BB, Kulkarni AP, Oak PS, Shanmugam D, Gupta VS, Giri AP. Influence of domestication on specialized metabolic pathways in fruit crops. PLANTA 2021; 253:61. [PMID: 33538903 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03554-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
During the process of plant domestication, the selection and traditional breeding for desired characters such as flavor, juiciness and nutritional value of fruits, probably have resulted in gain or loss of specialized metabolites contributing to these traits. Their appearance in fruits is likely due to the acquisition of novel and specialized metabolic pathways and their regulation, driven by systematic molecular evolutionary events facilitated by traditional breeding. Plants change their armory of specialized metabolism to adapt and survive in diverse ecosystems. This may occur through molecular evolutionary events, such as single nucleotide polymorphism, gene duplication and transposition, leading to convergent or divergent evolution of biosynthetic pathways producing such specialized metabolites. Breeding and selection for improved specific and desired traits (fruit size, color, taste, flavor, etc.) in fruit crops through conventional breeding approaches may further alter content and profile of specialized metabolites. Biosynthetic routes of these metabolites have been studied in various plants. Here, we explore the influence of plant domestication and breeding processes on the selection of biosynthetic pathways of favorable specialized metabolites in fruit crops. An orderly clustered arrangement of genes associated with their production is observed in many fruit crops. We further analyzed selection-based acquisition of specialized metabolic pathways comparing first the metabolic profiles and genes involved in their biosynthesis, followed by the genomic organization of such genes between wild and domesticated horticultural crops. Domestication of crop plants favored the acquisition and retention of metabolic pathways that enhanced the fruit value while eliminated those which produced toxic or unfavorable metabolites. Interestingly, unintentional reorganization of complex metabolic pathways by selection and traditional breeding processes has endowed us with flavorful, juicy and nutritionally rich fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Saleem Dar
- Plant Molecular Biology Unit, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, MS, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, 201002, India
| | - Bhushan B Dholakia
- Plant Molecular Biology Unit, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, MS, 411008, India.
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, MS, 411008, India.
| | - Abhijeet P Kulkarni
- Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, MS, 411007, India
| | - Pranjali S Oak
- Plant Molecular Biology Unit, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, MS, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, 201002, India
| | - Dhanasekaran Shanmugam
- Plant Molecular Biology Unit, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, MS, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, 201002, India
| | - Vidya S Gupta
- Plant Molecular Biology Unit, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, MS, 411008, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, 201002, India
| | - Ashok P Giri
- Plant Molecular Biology Unit, Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, MS, 411008, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, 201002, India.
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Bishop J, Swan H, Valente F, Nützmann HW. The Plant Nuclear Envelope and Its Role in Gene Transcription. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:674209. [PMID: 33995467 PMCID: PMC8119737 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.674209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomes are dynamic entities in the eukaryotic nucleus. During cell development and in response to biotic and abiotic change, individual sections as well as entire chromosomes re-organise and reposition within the nuclear space. A focal point for these processes is the nuclear envelope (NE) providing both barrier and anchor for chromosomal movement. In plants, positioning of chromosome regions and individual genes at the nuclear envelope has been shown to be associated with distinct transcriptional patterns. Here, we will review recent findings on the interplay between transcriptional activity and gene positioning at the nuclear periphery (NP). We will discuss potential mechanisms of transcriptional regulation at the nuclear envelope and outline future perspectives in this research area.
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30
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Aguilar M, Prieto P. Telomeres and Subtelomeres Dynamics in the Context of Early Chromosome Interactions During Meiosis and Their Implications in Plant Breeding. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:672489. [PMID: 34149773 PMCID: PMC8212018 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.672489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Genomic architecture facilitates chromosome recognition, pairing, and recombination. Telomeres and subtelomeres play an important role at the beginning of meiosis in specific chromosome recognition and pairing, which are critical processes that allow chromosome recombination between homologs (equivalent chromosomes in the same genome) in later stages. In plant polyploids, these terminal regions are even more important in terms of homologous chromosome recognition, due to the presence of homoeologs (equivalent chromosomes from related genomes). Although telomeres interaction seems to assist homologous pairing and consequently, the progression of meiosis, other chromosome regions, such as subtelomeres, need to be considered, because the DNA sequence of telomeres is not chromosome-specific. In addition, recombination operates at subtelomeres and, as it happens in rye and wheat, homologous recognition and pairing is more often correlated with recombining regions than with crossover-poor regions. In a plant breeding context, the knowledge of how homologous chromosomes initiate pairing at the beginning of meiosis can contribute to chromosome manipulation in hybrids or interspecific genetic crosses. Thus, recombination in interspecific chromosome associations could be promoted with the aim of transferring desirable agronomic traits from related genetic donor species into crops. In this review, we summarize the importance of telomeres and subtelomeres on chromatin dynamics during early meiosis stages and their implications in recombination in a plant breeding framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Aguilar
- Área de Fisiología Vegetal, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Pilar Prieto
- Plant Breeding Department, Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Córdoba, Spain
- *Correspondence: Pilar Prieto, ; orcid.org/0000-0002-8160-808X
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31
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Zhan C, Lei L, Liu Z, Zhou S, Yang C, Zhu X, Guo H, Zhang F, Peng M, Zhang M, Li Y, Yang Z, Sun Y, Shi Y, Li K, Liu L, Shen S, Wang X, Shao J, Jing X, Wang Z, Li Y, Czechowski T, Hasegawa M, Graham I, Tohge T, Qu L, Liu X, Fernie AR, Chen LL, Yuan M, Luo J. Selection of a subspecies-specific diterpene gene cluster implicated in rice disease resistance. NATURE PLANTS 2020; 6:1447-1454. [PMID: 33299150 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00816-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Diterpenoids are the major group of antimicrobial phytoalexins in rice1,2. Here, we report the discovery of a rice diterpenoid gene cluster on chromosome 7 (DGC7) encoding the entire biosynthetic pathway to 5,10-diketo-casbene, a member of the monocyclic casbene-derived diterpenoids. We revealed that DGC7 is regulated directly by JMJ705 through methyl jasmonate-mediated epigenetic control3. Functional characterization of pathway genes revealed OsCYP71Z21 to encode a casbene C10 oxidase, sought after for the biosynthesis of an array of medicinally important diterpenoids. We further show that DGC7 arose relatively recently in the Oryza genus, and that it was partly formed in Oryza rufipogon and positively selected for in japonica during domestication. Casbene-synthesizing enzymes that are functionally equivalent to OsTPS28 are present in several species of Euphorbiaceae but gene tree analysis shows that these and other casbene-modifying enzymes have evolved independently. As such, combining casbene-modifying enzymes from these different families of plants may prove effective in producing a diverse array of bioactive diterpenoid natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuansong Zhan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Long Lei
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Zixin Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shen Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chenkun Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xitong Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hao Guo
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Peng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yufei Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zixin Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yangyang Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuheng Shi
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Liu
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Shuangqian Shen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuyang Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiawen Shao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinyu Jing
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zixuan Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Li
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Tomasz Czechowski
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | | | - Ian Graham
- Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Takayuki Tohge
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Lianghuan Qu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xianqing Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Ling-Ling Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jie Luo
- College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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32
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Arya SS, Rookes JE, Cahill DM, Lenka SK. Next-generation metabolic engineering approaches towards development of plant cell suspension cultures as specialized metabolite producing biofactories. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 45:107635. [PMID: 32976930 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Plant cell suspension culture (PCSC) has emerged as a viable technology to produce plant specialized metabolites (PSM). While Taxol® and ginsenoside are two examples of successfully commercialized PCSC-derived PSM, widespread utilization of the PCSC platform has yet to be realized primarily due to a lack of understanding of the molecular genetics of PSM biosynthesis. Recent advances in computational, molecular and synthetic biology tools provide the opportunity to rapidly characterize and harness the specialized metabolic potential of plants. Here, we discuss the prospects of integrating computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and precision genome editing (CRISPR/Cas and its variants) toolboxes to discover the genetic regulators of PSM. We also explore how synthetic biology can be applied to develop metabolically optimized PSM-producing native and heterologous PCSC systems. Taken together, this review provides an interdisciplinary approach to realize and link the potential of next-generation computational and molecular tools to convert PCSC into commercially viable PSM-producing biofactories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagar S Arya
- TERI-Deakin Nano Biotechnology Centre, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gurugram, Haryana 122001, India; Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - James E Rookes
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - David M Cahill
- Deakin University, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Waurn Ponds Campus, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Sangram K Lenka
- TERI-Deakin Nano Biotechnology Centre, The Energy and Resources Institute, Gurugram, Haryana 122001, India.
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33
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Probst AV, Desvoyes B, Gutierrez C. Similar yet critically different: the distribution, dynamics and function of histone variants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:5191-5204. [PMID: 32392582 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Organization of the genetic information into chromatin plays an important role in the regulation of all DNA template-based reactions. The incorporation of different variant versions of the core histones H3, H2A, and H2B, or the linker histone H1 results in nucleosomes with unique properties. Histone variants can differ by only a few amino acids or larger protein domains and their incorporation may directly affect nucleosome stability and higher order chromatin organization or indirectly influence chromatin function through histone variant-specific binding partners. Histone variants employ dedicated histone deposition machinery for their timely and locus-specific incorporation into chromatin. Plants have evolved specific histone variants with unique expression patterns and features. In this review, we discuss our current knowledge on histone variants in Arabidopsis, their mode of deposition, variant-specific post-translational modifications, and genome-wide distribution, as well as their role in defining different chromatin states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline V Probst
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, Inserm, GReD, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bénédicte Desvoyes
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
| | - Crisanto Gutierrez
- Centro de Biologia Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain
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34
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Bagnaresi P, Cattivelli L. Ab initio GO-based mining for non-tandem-duplicated functional clusters in three model plant diploid genomes. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234782. [PMID: 32559249 PMCID: PMC7304597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A functional Non-Tandem Duplicated Cluster (FNTDC) is a group of non-tandem-duplicated genes that are located closer than expected by mere chance and have a role in the same biological function. The identification of secondary-compounds–related FNTDC has gained increased interest in recent years, but little ab-initio attempts aiming to the identification of FNTDCs covering all biological functions, including primary metabolism compounds, have been carried out. We report an extensive FNTDC dataset accompanied by a detailed assessment on parameters used for genome scanning and their impact on FNTDC detection. We propose 70% identity and 70% alignment coverage as intermediate settings to exclude tandem duplicated genes and a dynamic scanning window of 24 genes. These settings were applied to rice, arabidopsis and grapevine genomes to call for FNTDCs. Besides the best-known secondary metabolism clusters, we identified many FNTDCs associated to primary metabolism ranging from macromolecules synthesis/editing, TOR signalling, ubiquitination, proton and electron transfer complexes. Using the intermediate FNTDC setting parameters (at P-value 1e-6), 130, 70 and 140 candidate FNTDCs were called in rice, arabidopsis and grapevine, respectively, and 20 to 30% of GO tags associated to called FNTDC were common among the 3 genomes. The datasets developed along with this work provide a rich framework for pinpointing candidate FNTDCs reflecting all GO-BP tags covering both primary and secondary metabolism with large macromolecular complexes/metabolons as the most represented FNTDCs. Noteworthy, several FNTDCs are tagged with GOs referring to organelle-targeted multi-enzyme complex, a finding that suggest the migration of endosymbiont gene chunks towards nuclei could be at the basis of these class of candidate FNTDCs. Most FNTDC appear to have evolved prior of genome duplication events. More than one-third of genes interspersed/adjacent to called FNTDCs lacked any functional annotation; however, their co-localization may provide hints towards a candidate biological role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Bagnaresi
- CREA Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Luigi Cattivelli
- CREA Research Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Fiorenzuola d’Arda, Italy
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35
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Lacchini E, Goossens A. Combinatorial Control of Plant Specialized Metabolism: Mechanisms, Functions, and Consequences. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2020; 36:291-313. [PMID: 32559387 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-011620-031429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Plants constantly perceive internal and external cues, many of which they need to address to safeguard their proper development and survival. They respond to these cues by selective activation of specific metabolic pathways involving a plethora of molecular players that act and interact in complex networks. In this review, we illustrate and discuss the complexity in the combinatorial control of plant specialized metabolism. We hereby go beyond the intuitive concept of combinatorial control as exerted by modular-acting complexes of transcription factors that govern expression of specialized metabolism genes. To extend this discussion, we also consider all known hierarchical levels of regulation of plant specialized metabolism and their interfaces by referring to reported regulatory concepts from the plant field. Finally, we speculate on possible yet-to-be-discovered regulatory principles of plant specialized metabolism that are inspired by knowledge from other kingdoms of life and areas of biological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Lacchini
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; , .,Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alain Goossens
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; , .,Center for Plant Systems Biology, VIB, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
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36
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Banf M, Zhao K, Rhee SY. METACLUSTER-an R package for context-specific expression analysis of metabolic gene clusters. Bioinformatics 2020; 35:3178-3180. [PMID: 30657869 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARY Plants and microbes produce numerous compounds to cope with their environments but the biosynthetic pathways for most of these compounds have yet to be elucidated. Some biosynthetic pathways are encoded by enzymes collocated in the chromosome. To facilitate a more comprehensive condition and tissue-specific expression analysis of metabolic gene clusters, we developed METACLUSTER, a probabilistic framework for characterizing metabolic gene clusters using context-specific gene expression information. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION METACLUSTER is freely available at https://github.com/mbanf/METACLUSTER. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Banf
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA.,EducatedGuess.ai, Siegen, Germany
| | - Kangmei Zhao
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Seung Y Rhee
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
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37
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Active and repressed biosynthetic gene clusters have spatially distinct chromosome states. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13800-13809. [PMID: 32493747 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920474117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While colocalization within a bacterial operon enables coexpression of the constituent genes, the mechanistic logic of clustering of nonhomologous monocistronic genes in eukaryotes is not immediately obvious. Biosynthetic gene clusters that encode pathways for specialized metabolites are an exception to the classical eukaryote rule of random gene location and provide paradigmatic exemplars with which to understand eukaryotic cluster dynamics and regulation. Here, using 3C, Hi-C, and Capture Hi-C (CHi-C) organ-specific chromosome conformation capture techniques along with high-resolution microscopy, we investigate how chromosome topology relates to transcriptional activity of clustered biosynthetic pathway genes in Arabidopsis thaliana Our analyses reveal that biosynthetic gene clusters are embedded in local hot spots of 3D contacts that segregate cluster regions from the surrounding chromosome environment. The spatial conformation of these cluster-associated domains differs between transcriptionally active and silenced clusters. We further show that silenced clusters associate with heterochromatic chromosomal domains toward the periphery of the nucleus, while transcriptionally active clusters relocate away from the nuclear periphery. Examination of chromosome structure at unrelated clusters in maize, rice, and tomato indicates that integration of clustered pathway genes into distinct topological domains is a common feature in plant genomes. Our results shed light on the potential mechanisms that constrain coexpression within clusters of nonhomologous eukaryotic genes and suggest that gene clustering in the one-dimensional chromosome is accompanied by compartmentalization of the 3D chromosome.
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38
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Tiedge K, Muchlinski A, Zerbe P. Genomics-enabled analysis of specialized metabolism in bioenergy crops: current progress and challenges. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2020; 5:ysaa005. [PMID: 32995549 PMCID: PMC7445794 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysaa005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants produce a staggering diversity of specialized small molecule metabolites that play vital roles in mediating environmental interactions and stress adaptation. This chemical diversity derives from dynamic biosynthetic pathway networks that are often species-specific and operate under tight spatiotemporal and environmental control. A growing divide between demand and environmental challenges in food and bioenergy crop production has intensified research on these complex metabolite networks and their contribution to crop fitness. High-throughput omics technologies provide access to ever-increasing data resources for investigating plant metabolism. However, the efficiency of using such system-wide data to decode the gene and enzyme functions controlling specialized metabolism has remained limited; due largely to the recalcitrance of many plants to genetic approaches and the lack of 'user-friendly' biochemical tools for studying the diverse enzyme classes involved in specialized metabolism. With emphasis on terpenoid metabolism in the bioenergy crop switchgrass as an example, this review aims to illustrate current advances and challenges in the application of DNA synthesis and synthetic biology tools for accelerating the functional discovery of genes, enzymes and pathways in plant specialized metabolism. These technologies have accelerated knowledge development on the biosynthesis and physiological roles of diverse metabolite networks across many ecologically and economically important plant species and can provide resources for application to precision breeding and natural product metabolic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Tiedge
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Andrew Muchlinski
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Philipp Zerbe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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39
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Chromatin Analysis of Metabolic Gene Clusters in Plants. Methods Mol Biol 2020. [PMID: 32088894 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0179-2_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Plant metabolic gene clusters consist of neighboring genes that are involved in the biosynthesis of secondary or specialized metabolites. The genes within clusters are typically co-regulated, share a common set of chromatin marks, and code for the biosynthesis enzymes of a single metabolic pathway. Here, we describe three essential protocols for the basic analysis of metabolic gene clusters at transcription, histone modification, and metabolite level. The protocols are specified to clusters in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome and are transferable to other plant species.
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40
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Kautsar SA, Suarez Duran HG, Blin K, Osbourn A, Medema MH. plantiSMASH: automated identification, annotation and expression analysis of plant biosynthetic gene clusters. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 45:W55-W63. [PMID: 28453650 PMCID: PMC5570173 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant specialized metabolites are chemically highly diverse, play key roles in host-microbe interactions, have important nutritional value in crops and are frequently applied as medicines. It has recently become clear that plant biosynthetic pathway-encoding genes are sometimes densely clustered in specific genomic loci: biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Here, we introduce plantiSMASH, a versatile online analysis platform that automates the identification of candidate plant BGCs. Moreover, it allows integration of transcriptomic data to prioritize candidate BGCs based on the coexpression patterns of predicted biosynthetic enzyme-coding genes, and facilitates comparative genomic analysis to study the evolutionary conservation of each cluster. Applied on 48 high-quality plant genomes, plantiSMASH identifies a rich diversity of candidate plant BGCs. These results will guide further experimental exploration of the nature and dynamics of gene clustering in plant metabolism. Moreover, spurred by the continuing decrease in costs of plant genome sequencing, they will allow genome mining technologies to be applied to plant natural product discovery. The plantiSMASH web server, precalculated results and source code are freely available from http://plantismash.secondarymetabolites.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satria A Kautsar
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Teknik Informatika, Universitas Lampung, Jln. Sumantri Brojonegoro No. 01, Lampung 35141, Indonesia
| | | | - Kai Blin
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anne Osbourn
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Marnix H Medema
- Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
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41
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Smith SD, Angelovici R, Heyduk K, Maeda HA, Moghe GD, Pires JC, Widhalm JR, Wisecaver JH. The renaissance of comparative biochemistry. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2019; 106:3-13. [PMID: 30629738 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stacey D Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Ruthie Angelovici
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Karolina Heyduk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hiroshi A Maeda
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Gaurav D Moghe
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - J Chris Pires
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Joshua R Widhalm
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jennifer H Wisecaver
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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42
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Shang Y, Huang S. Multi-omics data-driven investigations of metabolic diversity of plant triterpenoids. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 97:101-111. [PMID: 30341835 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The vast majority of structurally diverse metabolites play essential roles in mediating the interactions between plant and environment, and constitute a valuable resource for industrial applications. Recent breakthroughs in sequencing technology have greatly accelerated metabolic studies of natural plant products, providing opportunities to investigate the molecular basis underlying the diversity of specialized plant metabolites through large-scale analysis. Here, we focus on the biosynthesis of plant triterpenoids, especially the three diversifying reactions (cyclization, oxidation and glycosylation) that largely contribute to the structural diversity of triterpenoids. Gene mining through large-scale omics data and functional characterization of metabolic genes including enzymes, transcription factors and transporters could provide important insights into the evolution of specialized plant metabolism and pave the way for the production of high-value metabolites or derivatives using synthetic biology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Shang
- The CAAS-YNNU-YINMORE Joint Academy of Potato Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Sanwen Huang
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518124, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China
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43
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Potter KC, Wang J, Schaller GE, Kieber JJ. Cytokinin modulates context-dependent chromatin accessibility through the type-B response regulators. NATURE PLANTS 2018; 4:1102-1111. [PMID: 30420712 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-018-0290-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The phytohormone cytokinin regulates diverse aspects of plant growth and development, probably through context-dependent transcriptional regulation that relies on a dynamic interplay between regulatory proteins and chromatin. We employed the assay for transposase accessible chromatin with sequencing to profile changes in the chromatin landscape of Arabidopsis roots and shoots in response to cytokinin. Our results reveal differentially accessible chromatin regions indicative of dynamic regulation in response to cytokinin. These changes in chromatin occur preferentially upstream of cytokinin-regulated genes. The changes also largely overlap with binding sites for the type-B ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATORS (ARRs), transcription factors that mediate the primary response to cytokinin. Furthermore, the type-B ARRs were found to be necessary for the changes in chromatin state in response to cytokinin. Last, we identified context-dependent responses by comparing root and shoot profiles. This study provides new insight into the dynamics between cytokinin and chromatin with regard to directing transcriptional programmes and how cytokinin mediates its pleiotropic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Potter
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Judy Wang
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - G Eric Schaller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Joseph J Kieber
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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44
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Guo L, Qiu J, Li LF, Lu B, Olsen K, Fan L. Genomic Clues for Crop-Weed Interactions and Evolution. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 23:1102-1115. [PMID: 30293809 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2018.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Agronomically critical weeds that have evolved alongside crop species are characterized by rapid adaptation and invasiveness, which can result in an enormous reduction in annual crop yield worldwide. We discuss here recent genome-based research studies on agricultural weeds and crop-weed interactions that reveal several major evolutionary innovations such as de-domestication, interactions mediated by allelochemical secondary metabolites, and parasitic genetic elements that play crucial roles in enhancing weed invasiveness in agricultural settings. We believe that these key studies will guide future research into the evolution of crop-weed interactions, and further the development of practical applications in agricultural weed control and crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longbiao Guo
- State Key Lab for Rice Biology, China National Rice Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310006, China; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Jie Qiu
- Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Lin-Feng Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Baorong Lu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Kenneth Olsen
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Longjiang Fan
- Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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45
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Chavali AK, Rhee SY. Bioinformatics tools for the identification of gene clusters that biosynthesize specialized metabolites. Brief Bioinform 2018; 19:1022-1034. [PMID: 28398567 PMCID: PMC6171489 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbx020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Specialized metabolites (also called natural products or secondary metabolites) derived from bacteria, fungi, marine organisms and plants constitute an important source of antibiotics, anti-cancer agents, insecticides, immunosuppressants and herbicides. Many specialized metabolites in bacteria and fungi are biosynthesized via metabolic pathways whose enzymes are encoded by clustered genes on a chromosome. Metabolic gene clusters comprise a group of physically co-localized genes that together encode enzymes for the biosynthesis of a specific metabolite. Although metabolic gene clusters are generally not known to occur outside of microbes, several plant metabolic gene clusters have been discovered in recent years. The discovery of novel metabolic pathways is being enabled by the increasing availability of high-quality genome sequencing coupled with the development of powerful computational toolkits to identify metabolic gene clusters. To provide a comprehensive overview of various bioinformatics methods for detecting gene clusters, we compare and contrast key aspects of algorithmic logic behind several computational tools, including 'NP.searcher', 'ClustScan', 'CLUSEAN', 'antiSMASH', 'SMURF', 'MIDDAS-M', 'ClusterFinder', 'CASSIS/SMIPS' and 'C-Hunter' among others. We also review additional tools such as 'NRPSpredictor' and 'SBSPKS' that can infer substrate specificity for previously identified gene clusters. The continual development of bioinformatics methods to predict gene clusters will help shed light on how organisms assemble multi-step metabolic pathways for adaptation to various ecological niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind K Chavali
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Seung Y Rhee
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA
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46
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Fukudome A, Koiwa H. Cytokinin-overinduced transcription factors and thalianol cluster genes in CARBOXYL-TERMINAL DOMAIN PHOSPHATASE-LIKE 4-silenced Arabidopsis roots during de novo shoot organogenesis. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2018; 13:e1513299. [PMID: 30188775 PMCID: PMC6204838 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1513299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cytokinin (CK) is one of key phytohormones for de-differentiation and de novo organogenesis in plants. During the CK-mediated organogenesis not only genes in CK homeostasis, perception and signal transduction, but also factors regulating basic transcription, splicing and chromatin remodeling contribute to coordinate a sequence of events leading to formation of new organs. We have found that silencing of RNA polymerase II CTD-phosohatase-like 4 (CPL4RNAi) in Arabidopsis induces CK-oversensitive de novo shoot organogenesis (DNSO) from roots, partly by early activation of transcription factors such as WUSCHEL and SHOOT MERISTEMLESS during pre-incubation on callus induction media. Here we show that a cluster of thalianol-biogenesis genes is highly expressed in the CPL4RNAi during DNSO, implying involvement of CPL4 in transcriptional regulation of the thalianol pathway in DNSO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihito Fukudome
- Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences, Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Hisashi Koiwa
- Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences, Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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47
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Abstract
In bacteria, more than half of the genes in the genome are organized in operons. In contrast, in eukaryotes, functionally related genes are usually dispersed across the genome. There are, however, numerous examples of functional clusters of nonhomologous genes for metabolic pathways in fungi and plants. Despite superficial similarities with operons (physical clustering, coordinate regulation), these clusters have not usually originated by horizontal gene transfer from bacteria, and (unlike operons) the genes are typically transcribed separately rather than as a single polycistronic message. This clustering phenomenon raises intriguing questions about the origins of clustered metabolic pathways in eukaryotes and the significance of clustering for pathway function. Here we review metabolic gene clusters from fungi and plants, highlight commonalities and differences, and consider how these clusters form and are regulated. We also identify opportunities for future research in the areas of large-scale genomics, synthetic biology, and experimental evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Wilhelm Nützmann
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom; .,Current affiliation: Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom;
| | - Claudio Scazzocchio
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom; .,Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anne Osbourn
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich NR4 7UH, United Kingdom;
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48
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Olsen KM, Small LL. Micro- and macroevolutionary adaptation through repeated loss of a complete metabolic pathway. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 219:757-766. [PMID: 29708583 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence for the convergent evolution of physically linked gene clusters encoding chemical defense pathways. Metabolic clusters are proposed to evolve because they ensure co-inheritance of all required genes where the defense is favored, and prevent inheritance of toxic partial pathways where it is not. This hypothesis rests on the assumption that clusters evolve in species where selection favors intraspecific polymorphism for the defense; however, they have not been examined in polymorphic species. We examined metabolic cluster evolution in relation to an adaptive polymorphism for cyanogenic glucoside (CNglc) production in clover. Using 163 accessions, we performed CNglc assays, BAC sequencing, Southern hybridizations and molecular evolutionary analyses. We find that the CNglc pathway forms a 138-kb cluster in white clover, and that the adaptive polymorphism occurs through presence/absence of the complete cluster. Component genes are orthologous to those in the distantly related legume Lotus japonicus. These findings provide empirical support for the co-inheritance hypothesis, and they indicate that adaptive CNglc variation in white clover evolves through recurrent deletions of the entire pathway. They further indicate that the shared ancestor of many important legume crops was likely cyanogenic and that this defense was lost repeatedly over the last 50 Myr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth M Olsen
- Biology Department, Washington University, Campus Box 1137, St Louis, MO, 63130-4899, USA
| | - Linda L Small
- Biology Department, Washington University, Campus Box 1137, St Louis, MO, 63130-4899, USA
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49
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Wang X, Chen Q, Wu Y, Lemmon ZH, Xu G, Huang C, Liang Y, Xu D, Li D, Doebley JF, Tian F. Genome-wide Analysis of Transcriptional Variability in a Large Maize-Teosinte Population. MOLECULAR PLANT 2018; 11:443-459. [PMID: 29275164 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2017.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression regulation plays an important role in controlling plant phenotypes and adaptation. Here, we report a comprehensive assessment of gene expression variation through the transcriptome analyses of a large maize-teosinte experimental population. Genome-wide mapping identified 25 660 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) for 17 311 genes, capturing an unprecedented range of expression variation. We found that local eQTL were more frequently mapped to adjacent genes, displaying a mode of expression piggybacking, which consequently created co-regulated gene clusters. Genes within the co-regulated gene clusters tend to have relevant functions and shared chromatin modifications. Distant eQTL formed 125 significant distant eQTL hotspots with their targets significantly enriched in specific functional categories. By integrating different sources of information, we identified putative trans- regulators for a variety of metabolic pathways. We demonstrated that the bHLH transcription factor R1 and hexokinase HEX9 might act as crucial regulators for flavonoid biosynthesis and glycolysis, respectively. Moreover, we showed that domestication or improvement has significantly affected global gene expression, with many genes targeted by selection. Of particular interest, the Bx genes for benzoxazinoid biosynthesis may have undergone coordinated cis-regulatory divergence between maize and teosinte, and a transposon insertion that inactivates Bx12 was under strong selection as maize spread into temperate environments with a distinct herbivore community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Wang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Qiuyue Chen
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yaoyao Wu
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zachary H Lemmon
- Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Guanghui Xu
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yameng Liang
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Dingyi Xu
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Dan Li
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - John F Doebley
- Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Feng Tian
- National Maize Improvement Center of China, Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization, Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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Owen C, Patron N, Huang A, Osbourn A. Harnessing plant metabolic diversity. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 40:24-30. [PMID: 28527344 PMCID: PMC5693780 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Advances in DNA sequencing and synthesis technologies in the twenty-first century are now making it possible to build large-scale pipelines for engineering plant natural product pathways into heterologous production species using synthetic biology approaches. The ability to decode the chemical potential of plants by sequencing their transcriptomes and/or genomes and to then use this information as an instruction manual to make drugs and other high-value chemicals is opening up new routes to harness the vast chemical diversity of the Plant Kingdom. Here we describe recent progress in methods for pathway discovery, DNA synthesis and assembly, and expression of engineered pathways in heterologous hosts. We also highlight the importance of standardization and the challenges associated with dataset integration in the drive to build a systematic framework for effective harnessing of plant metabolic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie Owen
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Nicola Patron
- Engineering Biology, the Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UZ, UK
| | - Ancheng Huang
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Anne Osbourn
- Department of Metabolic Biology, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
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