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Rehman S, Bahadur S, Xia W. Unlocking nature's secrets: The pivotal role of WRKY transcription factors in plant flowering and fruit development. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 346:112150. [PMID: 38857658 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The WRKY transcription factor family is a key player in the regulatory mechanisms of flowering plants, significantly influencing both their biotic and abiotic response systems as well as being vital to numerous physiological and biological functions. Over the past two decades, the functionality of WRKY proteins has been the subject of extensive research in over 50 plant species, with a strong focus on their roles in responding to various stresses. Despite this extensive research, there remains a notable gap in comprehensive studies aimed at understanding how specific WRKY genes directly influence the timing of flowering and fruit development. This review offers an up-to-date look at WRKY family genes and provides insights into the key genes of WRKY to control flowering, enhance fruit ripening and secondary metabolism synthesis, and maintain fruit quality of various plants, including annuals, perennials, medicinal, and crop plants. The WRKY transcription factors serve as critical regulators within the transcriptional regulatory network, playing a crucial role in the precise enhancement of flowering processes. It is also involved in the up-regulation of fruit ripening was strongly demonstrated by combined transcriptomics and metabolomic investigation. Therefore, we speculated that the WRKY family is known to be a key regulator of flowering and fruiting in plants. This detailed insight will enable the identification of the series of molecular occurrences featuring WRKY proteins throughout the stages of flowering and fruiting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shazia Rehman
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institution, Hainan University, Sanya, China; College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Saraj Bahadur
- College of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China; College of Life and Health Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
| | - Wei Xia
- Sanya Nanfan Research Institution, Hainan University, Sanya, China; College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China.
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Zhao Z, Wang R, Su W, Sun T, Qi M, Zhang X, Wei F, Yu Z, Xiao F, Yan L, Yang C, Zhang J, Wang D. A comprehensive analysis of the WRKY family in soybean and functional analysis of GmWRKY164-GmGSL7c in resistance to soybean mosaic virus. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:620. [PMID: 38898399 PMCID: PMC11188170 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10523-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soybean mosaic disease caused by soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is one of the most devastating and widespread diseases in soybean producing areas worldwide. The WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are widely involved in plant development and stress responses. However, the roles of the GmWRKY TFs in resistance to SMV are largely unclear. RESULTS Here, 185 GmWRKYs were characterized in soybean (Glycine max), among which 60 GmWRKY genes were differentially expressed during SMV infection according to the transcriptome data. The transcriptome data and RT-qPCR results showed that the expression of GmWRKY164 decreased after imidazole treatment and had higher expression levels in the incompatible combination between soybean cultivar variety Jidou 7 and SMV strain N3. Remarkably, the silencing of GmWRKY164 reduced callose deposition and enhanced virus spread during SMV infection. In addition, the transcript levels of the GmGSL7c were dramatically lower upon the silencing of GmWRKY164. Furthermore, EMSA and ChIP-qPCR revealed that GmWRKY164 can directly bind to the promoter of GmGSL7c, which contains the W-box element. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that GmWRKY164 plays a positive role in resistance to SMV infection by regulating the expression of GmGSL7c, resulting in the deposition of callose and the inhibition of viral movement, which provides guidance for future studies in understanding virus-resistance mechanisms in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihua Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Rongna Wang
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Weihua Su
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Tianjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Mengnan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Xueyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Fengju Wei
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Zhouliang Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Fuming Xiao
- Handan Municipal Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hebei Province, Handan, 056001, China
| | - Long Yan
- Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China
| | - Chunyan Yang
- Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050031, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China.
| | - Dongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation/Hebei Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China.
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Yang L, Wang C, Lai X, Jin S, Wang X, Wen Z, Yang M, Fazal A, Ding Y, Li Z, Cai J, Lu G, Lin H, Han H, Yang Y, Qi J. In vivo transgenic studies confirm the critical acylation function of LeBAHD56 for shikonin in Lithospermum erythrorhizon. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2024; 43:160. [PMID: 38825616 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-024-03242-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE LeBAHD56 is preferentially expressed in tissues where shikonin and its derivatives are biosynthesized, and it confers shikonin acylation in vivo. Two WRKY transcriptional factors might regulate LeBAHD56's expression. Shikonin and its derivatives, found in the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, have extensive application in the field of medicine, cosmetics, and other industries. Prior research has demonstrated that LeBAHD1(LeSAT1) is responsible for the biochemical process of shikonin acylation both in vitro and in vivo. However, with the exception of its documented in vitro biochemical function, there is no in vivo genetic evidence supporting the acylation function of the highly homologous gene of LeSAT1, LeBAHD56(LeSAT2), apart from its reported role. Here, we validated the critical acylation function of LeBAHD56 for shikonin using overexpression (OE) and CRISPR/Cas9-based knockout (KO) strategies. The results showed that the OE lines had a significantly higher ratio of acetylshikonin, isobutyrylshikonin or isovalerylshikonin to shikonin than the control. In contrast, the KO lines had a significantly lower ratio of acetylshikonin, isobutyrylshikonin or isovalerylshikonin to shikonin than controls. As for its detailed expression patterns, we found that LeBAHD56 is preferentially expressed in roots and callus cells, which are the biosynthesis sites for shikonin and its derivatives. In addition, we anticipated that a wide range of putative transcription factors might control its transcription and verified the direct binding of two crucial WRKY members to the LeBAHD56 promoter's W-box. Our results not only confirmed the in vivo function of LeBAHD56 in shikonin acylation, but also shed light on its transcriptional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Changyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Xiaohui Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- School of Biology and Geography Science, Yili Normal University, Yining, 835000, China
| | - Suo Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Xuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Zhongling Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Minkai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Aliya Fazal
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Yuhang Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Zhongyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Jinfeng Cai
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Guihua Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Hongyan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Hongwei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China
| | - Yonghua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
| | - Jinliang Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Plant Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
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Dong X, Yu L, Zhang Q, Yang J, Gong Z, Niu X, Li H, Zhang X, Liu M, Jin C, Hu Y. Structural basis for the regulation of plant transcription factor WRKY33 by the VQ protein SIB1. Commun Biol 2024; 7:561. [PMID: 38734744 PMCID: PMC11088704 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06258-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The WRKY transcription factors play essential roles in a variety of plant signaling pathways associated with biotic and abiotic stress response. The transcriptional activity of many WRKY members are regulated by a class of intrinsically disordered VQ proteins. While it is known that VQ proteins interact with the WRKY DNA-binding domains (DBDs), also termed as the WRKY domains, structural information regarding VQ-WRKY interaction is lacking and the regulation mechanism remains unknown. Herein we report a solution NMR study of the interaction between Arabidopsis WRKY33 and its regulatory VQ protein partner SIB1. We uncover a SIB1 minimal sequence neccessary for forming a stable complex with WRKY33 DBD, which comprises not only the consensus "FxxhVQxhTG" VQ motif but also its preceding region. We demonstrate that the βN-strand and the extended βN-β1 loop of WRKY33 DBD form the SIB1 docking site, and build a structural model of the complex based on the NMR paramagnetic relaxation enhancement and mutagenesis data. Based on this model, we further identify a cluster of positively-charged residues in the N-terminal region of SIB1 to be essential for the formation of a SIB1-WRKY33-DNA ternary complex. These results provide a framework for the mechanism of SIB1-enhanced WRKY33 transcriptional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lulu Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ju Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zhou Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaogang Niu
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hongwei Li
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Maili Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Changwen Jin
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Yunfei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Zhu GQ, Qu L, Xue HW. Casein kinase 1 AELs promote senescence by enhancing ethylene biosynthesis through phosphorylating WRKY22 transcription factor. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024. [PMID: 38702992 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Leaf senescence is a complex process regulated by developmental and environmental factors, and plays a pivotal role in the development and life cycle of higher plants. Casein kinase 1 (CK1) is a highly conserved serine/threonine protein kinase in eukaryotes and functions in various cellular processes including cell proliferation, light signaling and hormone effects of plants. However, the biological function of CK1 in plant senescence remains unclear. Through systemic genetic and biochemical studies, we here characterized the function of Arabidopsis EL1-like (AEL), a CK1, in promoting leaf senescence by stimulating ethylene biosynthesis through phosphorylating transcription factor WRKY22. Seedlings lacking or overexpressing AELs presented delayed or accelerated leaf senescence, respectively. AELs interact with and phosphorylate WRKY22 at Thr57, Thr60 and Ser69 residues to enhance whose transactivation activity. Being consistent, increased or suppressed phosphorylation of WRKY22 resulted in the promoted or delayed leaf senescence. WRKY22 directly binds to promoter region and stimulates the transcription of 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase 7 gene to promote ethylene level and hence leaf senescence. Our studies demonstrated the crucial role of AEL-mediated phosphorylation in regulating ethylene biosynthesis and promoting leaf senescence by enhancing WRKY22 transactivation activity, which helps to elucidate the fine-controlled ethylene biosynthesis and regulatory network of leaf senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Qing Zhu
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Li Qu
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hong-Wei Xue
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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Sun Y, Tian Z, Zuo D, Wang Q, Song G. GhUBC10-2 mediates GhGSTU17 degradation to regulate salt tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:1606-1624. [PMID: 38282268 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBC) is a crucial component of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, which contributes to plant growth and development. While some UBCs have been identified as potential regulators of abiotic stress responses, the underlying mechanisms of this regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we report a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) UBC gene, GhUBC10-2, which negatively regulates the salt stress response. We found that the gain of function of GhUBC10-2 in both Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and cotton leads to reduced salinity tolerance. Additionally, GhUBC10-2 interacts with glutathione S-transferase (GST) U17 (GhGSTU17), forming a heterodimeric complex that promotes GhGSTU17 degradation. Intriguingly, GhUBC10-2 can be self-polyubiquitinated, suggesting that it possesses E3-independent activity. Our findings provide new insights into the PTM of plant GST-mediated salt response pathways. Furthermore, we found that the WRKY transcription factor GhWRKY13 binds to the GhUBC10-2 promoter and suppresses its expression under salt conditions. Collectively, our study unveils a regulatory module encompassing GhWRKY13-GhUBC10-2-GhGSTU17, which orchestrates the modulation of reactive oxygen species homeostasis to enhance salt tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaru Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Zailong Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Dongyun Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Qiaolian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
| | - Guoli Song
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, China
- National Nanfan Research Institute (Sanya), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, China
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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7
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Mahiwal S, Pahuja S, Pandey GK. Review: Structural-functional relationship of WRKY transcription factors: Unfolding the role of WRKY in plants. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128769. [PMID: 38096937 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
WRKY as the name suggests, are the transcription factors (TFs) that contain the signature WRKY domains, hence named after it. Since their discovery in 1994, they have been well studied in plants with exploration of approximately 74 WRKY genes in the model plant, Arabidopsis alone. However, the study of these transcription factors (TFs) is not just limited to model plant now. They have been studied widely in crop plants as well, because of their tremendous contribution in stress as well as in growth and development. Here, in this review, we describe the story of WRKY TFs from their identification to their origin, the binding mechanisms, structure and their contribution in regulating plant development and stress physiology. High throughput transcriptomics-based data also opened a doorway to understand the comprehensive and detailed functioning of WRKY TFs in plants. Indeed, the detailed functional role of each and every WRKY member in regulating the gene expression is required to pave the path to develop holistic understanding of their role in stress physiology and developmental processes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Mahiwal
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Sonam Pahuja
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Girdhar K Pandey
- Department of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021, India.
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Yu H, Li J, Chang X, Dong N, Chen B, Wang J, Zha L, Gui S. Genome-wide identification and expression profiling of the WRKY gene family reveals abiotic stress response mechanisms in Platycodon grandiflorus. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128617. [PMID: 38070802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The WRKY family of transcription factors (TFs) is an important gene family involved in abiotic stress responses. Although the roles of WRKY TFs in plant abiotic stress responses are well studied, little is known about the stress-induced changes in WRKY family in Platycodon grandiflorus. 42 PgWRKY genes in seven subgroups were identified in the P. grandiflorus genome. The content of eight platycodins in P. grandiflorus was investigated under cold, heat, and drought stresses. Platycodin D levels significantly increased under three abiotic stresses, while the content changes of other platycodins varied. Transcriptome analysis showed that different WRKY family members exhibited varied expression patterns under different abiotic stresses. PgWRKY20, PgWRKY26, and PgWRKY39 were identified as three key candidates for temperature and drought stress responses, and were cloned and analysed for sequence characteristics, gene structure, subcellular localisation, and expression patterns. The RT-qPCR results showed that PgWRKY26 expression significantly increased after heat stress for 48 h, cold stress for 6 h, and drought stress for 2 d (DS_2 d). The PgWRKY39 expression level significantly increased at DS_2 d. This study provides a theoretical basis for clarifying the molecular mechanism of the abiotic stress responses of the WRKY gene family in P. grandiflorus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanwen Yu
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Xiangwei Chang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Nan Dong
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Bowen Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Jutao Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Liangping Zha
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; Institute of Conservation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China.
| | - Shuangying Gui
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Application, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; MOE-Anhui Joint Collaborative Innovation Center for Quality Improvement of Anhui Genuine Chinese Medicinal Materials, Hefei, China.
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Zhang J, Zhao H, Chen L, Lin J, Wang Z, Pan J, Yang F, Ni X, Wang Y, Wang Y, Li R, Pi E, Wang S. Multifaceted roles of WRKY transcription factors in abiotic stress and flavonoid biosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1303667. [PMID: 38169626 PMCID: PMC10758500 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1303667] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Increasing biotic and abiotic stresses are seriously impeding the growth and yield of staple crops and threatening global food security. As one of the largest classes of regulators in vascular plants, WRKY transcription factors play critical roles governing flavonoid biosynthesis during stress responses. By binding major W-box cis-elements (TGACCA/T) in target promoters, WRKYs modulate diverse signaling pathways. In this review, we optimized existing WRKY phylogenetic trees by incorporating additional plant species with WRKY proteins implicated in stress tolerance and flavonoid regulation. Based on the improved frameworks and documented results, we aim to deduce unifying themes of distinct WRKY subfamilies governing specific stress responses and flavonoid metabolism. These analyses will generate experimentally testable hypotheses regarding the putative functions of uncharacterized WRKY homologs in tuning flavonoid accumulation to enhance stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Erxu Pi
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shang Wang
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
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10
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Wang S, Wang C, Lv F, Chu P, Jin H. Genome-wide identification of the OMT gene family in Cucumis melo L. and expression analysis under abiotic and biotic stress. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16483. [PMID: 38107581 PMCID: PMC10725674 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background O-methyltransferase (OMT)-mediated O-methylation is a frequent modification that occurs during natural product biosynthesis, and it increases the diversity and stability of secondary metabolites. However, detailed genome-wide identification and expression analyses of OMT gene family members have not been performed in melons. In this study, we aimed to perform the genome-wide identification of OMT gene family members in melon to identify and clarify their actions during stress. Methods Genome-wide identification of OMT gene family members was performed using data from the melon genome database. The Cucumis melo OMT genes (CmOMTs) were then compared with the genes from two representative monocotyledons and three representative dicotyledons. The basic information, cis-regulatory elements in the promoter, predicted 3-D-structures, and GO enrichment results of the 21 CmOMTs were analyzed. Results In our study, 21 CmOMTs (named CmOMT1-21) were obtained by analyzing the melon genome. These genes were located on six chromosomes and divided into three groups composed of nine, six, and six CmOMTs based on phylogenetic analysis. Gene structure and motif descriptions were similar within the same classes. Each CmOMT gene contains at least one cis-acting element associated with hormone transport regulation. Analysis of cis-acting elements illustrated the potential role of CmOMTs in developmental regulation and adaptations to various abiotic and biotic stresses. The RNA-seq and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results indicated that NaCl stress significantly induced CmOMT6/9/14/18 and chilling and high temperature and humidity (HTH) stresses significantly upregulated CmOMT14/18. Furthermore, the expression pattern of CmOMT18 may be associated with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis race 1.2 (FOM1.2) and powdery mildew resistance. Our study tentatively explored the biological functions of CmOMT genes in various stress regulation pathways and provided a conceptual basis for further detailed studies of the molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chuang Wang
- Liaocheng Vocational & Technical College, Liaocheng, China
| | - Futang Lv
- Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | | | - Han Jin
- Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
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11
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Wen C, Yuan Z, Zhang X, Chen H, Luo L, Li W, Li T, Ma N, Mao F, Lin D, Lin Z, Lin C, Xu T, Lü P, Lin J, Zhu F. Sea-ATI unravels novel vocabularies of plant active cistrome. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:11568-11583. [PMID: 37850650 PMCID: PMC10681729 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The cistrome consists of all cis-acting regulatory elements recognized by transcription factors (TFs). However, only a portion of the cistrome is active for TF binding in a specific tissue. Resolving the active cistrome in plants remains challenging. In this study, we report the assay sequential extraction assisted-active TF identification (sea-ATI), a low-input method that profiles the DNA sequences recognized by TFs in a target tissue. We applied sea-ATI to seven plant tissues to survey their active cistrome and generated 41 motif models, including 15 new models that represent previously unidentified cis-regulatory vocabularies. ATAC-seq and RNA-seq analyses confirmed the functionality of the cis-elements from the new models, in that they are actively bound in vivo, located near the transcription start site, and influence chromatin accessibility and transcription. Furthermore, comparing dimeric WRKY CREs between sea-ATI and DAP-seq libraries revealed that thermodynamics and genetic drifts cooperatively shaped their evolution. Notably, sea-ATI can identify not only positive but also negative regulatory cis-elements, thereby providing unique insights into the functional non-coding genome of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenjin Wen
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Zhen Yuan
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaotian Zhang
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Hao Chen
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Lin Luo
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Wanying Li
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Tian Li
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Nana Ma
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Fei Mao
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Dongmei Lin
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Zhanxi Lin
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Chentao Lin
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Tongda Xu
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Peitao Lü
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Juncheng Lin
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
| | - Fangjie Zhu
- College of Life Science, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center of JUNCAO, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, Fujian, China
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12
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Zhou Q, Guo Z, Zhou X, Zhou L, Wang D, Bo K, Zhu P. Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the WRKY Gene Family in Cucurbita maxima. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2030. [PMID: 38002973 PMCID: PMC10671635 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In higher plants, WRKY transcription factors are broadly involved in a variety of life activities and play an important role in both biotic and abiotic stress responses. However, little is known about the functions of WRKY genes in the popular species, such as Cucurbita maxima (pumpkin), which is planted worldwide. In the present study, 102 CmWRKY genes were identified in the C. maxima genome. Chromosome location, multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis, and synteny analysis of the CmWRKYs were performed. Notably, we found that silencing CmWRKY22 promoted cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) infection, whereas overexpression of CmWRKY22 inhibited the CMV infection. Subsequently, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) confirmed that CmWRKY22 was able to bind to the W-box at the promoter of CmPR1b, which is a responsive gene of the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway. In summary, this study has provided a foundation for the antiviral functions of WRKY transcription factors in C. maxima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zhou
- Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinhua 321000, China
| | - Ziqing Guo
- Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinhua 321000, China
| | - Xiaojun Zhou
- Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinhua 321000, China
| | - Lei Zhou
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Melons and Vegetables Germplasm Resource Innovation and Intelligent Technology, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Duanhua Wang
- Hunan Vegetable Research Institute, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Kailiang Bo
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Pu Zhu
- Jinhua Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinhua 321000, China
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13
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Li M, Zhang X, Zhang T, Bai Y, Chen C, Guo D, Guo C, Shu Y. Genome-wide analysis of the WRKY genes and their important roles during cold stress in white clover. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15610. [PMID: 37456899 PMCID: PMC10348312 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background White clover (Trifolium repens L) is a high-quality forage grass with a high protein content, but it is vulnerable to cold stress, which can negatively affect its growth and development. WRKY transcription factor is a family of plant transcription factors found mainly in higher plants and plays an important role in plant growth, development, and stress response. Although WRKY transcription factors have been studied extensively in other plants, it has been less studied in white clover. Methods and Results In the present research, we have performed a genome-wide analysis of the WRKY gene family of white clover, in total, there were 145 members of WRKY transcription factors identified in white clover. The characterization of the TrWRKY genes was detailed, including conserved motif analysis, phylogenetic analysis, and gene duplication analysis, which have provided a better understanding of the structure and evolution of the TrWRKY genes in white clover. Meanwhile, the genetic regulation network (GRN) containing TrWRKY genes was reconstructed, and Gene Ontology (GO) annotation analysis of these function genes showed they contributed to regulation of transcription process, response to wounding, and phosphorylay signal transduction system, all of which were important processes in response to abiotic stress. To determine the TrWRKY genes function under cold stress, the RNA-seq dataset was analyzed; most of TrWRKY genes were highly upregulated in response to cold stress, particularly in the early stages of cold stress. These results were validated by qRT-PCR experiment, implying they are involved in various gene regulation pathways in response to cold stress. Conclusion The results of this study provide insights that will be useful for further functional analyses of TrWRKY genes in response to biotic or abiotic stresses in white clover. These findings are likely to be useful for further research on the functions of TrWRKY genes and their role in response to cold stress, which is important to understand the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance in white clover and improve its cold tolerance.
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14
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Han H, Wang C, Yang X, Wang L, Ye J, Xu F, Liao Y, Zhang W. Role of bZIP transcription factors in the regulation of plant secondary metabolism. PLANTA 2023; 258:13. [PMID: 37300575 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04174-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION This study provides an overview of the structure, classification, regulatory mechanisms, and biological functions of the basic (region) leucine zipper transcription factors and their molecular mechanisms in flavonoid, terpenoid, alkaloid, phenolic acid, and lignin biosynthesis. Basic (region) leucine zippers (bZIPs) are evolutionarily conserved transcription factors (TFs) in eukaryotic organisms. The bZIP TFs are widely distributed in plants and play important roles in plant growth and development, photomorphogenesis, signal transduction, resistance to pathogenic microbes, biotic and abiotic stress, and secondary metabolism. Moreover, the expression of bZIP TFs not only promotes or inhibits the accumulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants, but also affects the stress response of plants to the external adverse environment. This paper describes the structure, classification, biological function, and regulatory mechanisms of bZIP TFs. In addition, the molecular mechanism of bZIP TFs regulating the biosynthesis of flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and lignin are also elaborated. This review provides a summary for in-depth study of the molecular mechanism of bZIP TFs regulating the synthesis pathway of secondary metabolites and plant molecular breeding, which is of significance for the generation of beneficial secondary metabolites and the improvement of plant varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Han
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
| | - Caini Wang
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
| | - Xiaoyan Yang
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
| | - Lina Wang
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
| | - Jiabao Ye
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China.
| | - Feng Xu
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China.
| | - Yongling Liao
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434025, Hubei, China
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15
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Liu J, Li G, Wang R, Wang G, Wan Y. Genome-Wide Analysis of WRKY Transcription Factors Involved in Abiotic Stress and ABA Response in Caragana korshinskii. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119519. [PMID: 37298467 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The WRKY transcription factor family plays a vital role in plant development and environmental response. However, the information of WRKY genes at the genome-wide level is rarely reported in Caragana korshinskii. In this study, we identified and renamed 86 CkWRKY genes, which were further classified into three groups through phylogenetic analysis. Most of these WRKY genes were clustered and distributed on eight chromosomes. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that the conserved domain (WRKYGQK) of the CkWRKYs was basically consistent, but there were also six variation types (WRKYGKK, GRKYGQK, WRMYGQK, WRKYGHK, WKKYEEK and RRKYGQK) that appeared. The motif composition of the CkWRKYs was quite conservative in each group. In general, the number of WRKY genes gradually increased from lower to higher plant species in the evolutionary analysis of 28 species, with some exceptions. Transcriptomics data and RT-qPCR analysis showed that the CkWRKYs in different groups were involved in abiotic stresses and ABA response. Our results provided a basis for the functional characterization of the CkWRKYs involved in stress resistance in C. korshinskii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plants Adversity Adaptation and Genetic Improvement in Cold and Arid Regions of Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Guojing Li
- Key Laboratory of Plants Adversity Adaptation and Genetic Improvement in Cold and Arid Regions of Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Ruigang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plants Adversity Adaptation and Genetic Improvement in Cold and Arid Regions of Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Guangxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Plants Adversity Adaptation and Genetic Improvement in Cold and Arid Regions of Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Yongqing Wan
- Key Laboratory of Plants Adversity Adaptation and Genetic Improvement in Cold and Arid Regions of Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
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16
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Wang J, Lin Y, Yang J, Zhang Q, Liu M, Hu Y, Dong X. Solution structure of the DNA binding domain of Arabidopsis transcription factor WRKY11. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 653:133-139. [PMID: 36868077 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.02.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
The Arabidopsis WRKY11 (AtWRKY11) protein is an important transcription factor involved in plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Its DNA-binding domain specifically binds to gene promoter regions harboring the W-box consensus motif. Herein we report the high-resolution structure of the AtWRKY11 DNA-binding domain (DBD) determined by solution NMR spectroscopy. The results show that AtWRKY11-DBD adopts an all-β fold comprising five β-strands packed in an antiparallel topology, stabilized by a zinc-finger motif. Structural comparison reveals that the long β1-β2 loop shows the highest structural variation from other available WRKY domain structures. Moreover, this loop was further found to contribute to the binding between AtWRKY11-DBD and W-box DNA. Our current study provides atomic-level structural basis for further understanding the structure-function relationship of plant WRKY proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiannan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yaling Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ju Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Maili Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yunfei Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Xu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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17
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Yang YL, Cushman SA, Wang SC, Wang F, Li Q, Liu HL, Li Y. Genome-wide investigation of the WRKY transcription factor gene family in weeping forsythia: expression profile and cold and drought stress responses. Genetica 2023; 151:153-165. [PMID: 36853516 PMCID: PMC9973247 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-023-00184-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Weeping forsythia is a wide-spread shrub in China with important ornamental, medicinal and ecological values. It is widely distributed in China's warm temperate zone. In plants, WRKY transcription factors play important regulatory roles in seed germination, flower development, fruit ripening and coloring, and biotic and abiotic stress response. To date, WRKY transcription factors have not been systematically studied in weeping forsythia. In this study, we identified 79 WRKY genes in weeping forsythia and classified them according to their naming rules in Arabidopsis thaliana. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that, except for IIe subfamily, whose clustering was inconsistent with A. thaliana clustering, other subfamily clustering groups were consistent. Cis-element analysis showed that WRKY genes related to pathogen resistance in weeping forsythia might be related to methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid-mediated signaling pathways. Combining cis-element and expression pattern analyses of WRKY genes showed that more than half of WRKY genes were involved in light-dependent development and morphogenesis in different tissues. The gene expression results showed that 13 WRKY genes were involved in drought response, most of which might be related to the abscisic acid signaling pathway, and a few of which might be regulated by MYB transcription factors. The gene expression results under cold stress showed that 17 WRKY genes were involved in low temperature response, and 9 of them had low temperature responsiveness cis-elements. Our study of WRKY family in weeping forsythia provided useful resources for molecular breeding and important clues for their functional verification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Lin Yang
- Innovation Platform of Molecular Biology, College of Landscape and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Samuel A Cushman
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Shu-Chen Wang
- Innovation Platform of Molecular Biology, College of Landscape and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Innovation Platform of Molecular Biology, College of Landscape and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qian Li
- Innovation Platform of Molecular Biology, College of Landscape and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hong-Li Liu
- Innovation Platform of Molecular Biology, College of Landscape and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yong Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Huhehaote, China. .,State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.
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18
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Goyal P, Devi R, Verma B, Hussain S, Arora P, Tabassum R, Gupta S. WRKY transcription factors: evolution, regulation, and functional diversity in plants. PROTOPLASMA 2023; 260:331-348. [PMID: 35829836 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-022-01794-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The recent advancements in sequencing technologies and informatic tools promoted a paradigm shift to decipher the hidden biological mysteries and transformed the biological issues into digital data to express both qualitative and quantitative forms. The transcriptomic approach, in particular, has added new dimensions to the versatile essence of plant genomics through the large and deep transcripts generated in the process. This has enabled the mining of super families from the sequenced plants, both model and non-model, understanding their ancestry, diversity, and evolution. The elucidation of the crystal structure of the WRKY proteins and recent advancement in computational prediction through homology modeling and molecular dynamic simulation has provided an insight into the DNA-protein complex formation, stability, and interaction, thereby giving a new dimension in understanding the WRKY regulation. The present review summarizes the functional aspects of the high volume of sequence data of WRKY transcription factors studied from different species, till date. The review focuses on the dynamics of structural classification and lineage in light of the recent information. Additionally, a comparative analysis approach was incorporated to understand the functions of the identified WRKY transcription factors subjected to abiotic (heat, cold, salinity, senescence, dark, wounding, UV, and carbon starvation) stresses as revealed through various sets of studies on different plant species. The review will be instrumental in understanding the events of evolution and the importance of WRKY TFs under the threat of climate change, considering the new scientific evidences to propose a fresh perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Goyal
- Plant Science & Agrotechnology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, 180001, India
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
- Registered from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India
| | - Ritu Devi
- Plant Science & Agrotechnology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, 180001, India
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Bhawana Verma
- Plant Science & Agrotechnology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, 180001, India
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Shahnawaz Hussain
- Plant Science & Agrotechnology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, 180001, India
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Palak Arora
- Plant Science & Agrotechnology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, 180001, India
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Rubeena Tabassum
- Plant Science & Agrotechnology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, 180001, India
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, 180001, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Suphla Gupta
- Plant Science & Agrotechnology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Canal Road, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, 180001, India.
- Faculty, Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Wen C, Zhang Z, Shi Q, Duan X, Du J, Wu C, Li X. Methyl Jasmonate- and Salicylic Acid-Induced Transcription Factor ZjWRKY18 Regulates Triterpenoid Accumulation and Salt Stress Tolerance in Jujube. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043899. [PMID: 36835319 PMCID: PMC9965381 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Triterpenoids are important, pharmacologically active substances in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), and play an important role in the plant's resistance to abiotic stress. However, regulation of their biosynthesis, and the underlying mechanism of their balance with stress resistance, remain poorly understood. In this study, we screened and functionally characterized the ZjWRKY18 transcription factor, which is associated with triterpenoid accumulation. The transcription factor is induced by methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid, and its activity was observed by gene overexpression and silencing experiments, combined with analyses of transcripts and metabolites. ZjWRKY18 gene silencing decreased the transcription of triterpenoid synthesis pathway genes and the corresponding triterpenoid content. Overexpression of the gene promoted the biosynthesis of jujube triterpenoids, as well as triterpenoids in tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana. In addition, ZjWRKY18 binds to W-box sequences to activate promoters of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, suggesting that ZjWRKY18 positively regulates the triterpenoid synthesis pathway. Overexpression of ZjWRKY18 also increased tolerance to salt stress in tobacco and Arabidopsis thaliana. These results highlight the potential use of ZjWRKY18 to improve triterpenoid biosynthesis and salt stress tolerance in plants, and provide a strong basis for metabolic engineering to improve the content of triterpenoids and breeding of jujube varieties that are resistant to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiping Wen
- College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Research Center for Jujube Engineering and Technology of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Zhong Zhang
- College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518116, China
| | - Qianqian Shi
- College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Research Center for Jujube Engineering and Technology of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Xiaoshan Duan
- College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Research Center for Jujube Engineering and Technology of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Jiangtao Du
- College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Cuiyun Wu
- College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China
| | - Xingang Li
- College of Forestry, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Research Center for Jujube Engineering and Technology of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
- College of Horticulture and Forestry, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China
- Correspondence:
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20
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Xi D, Yin T, Han P, Yang X, Zhang M, Du C, Zhang H, Liu X. Genome-Wide Identification of Sweet Orange WRKY Transcription Factors and Analysis of Their Expression in Response to Infection by Penicillium digitatum. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:1250-1271. [PMID: 36826027 PMCID: PMC9954951 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45020082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play a vital role in plant stress signal transduction and regulate the expression of various stress resistance genes. Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) accounts for a large proportion of the world's citrus industry, which has high economic value, while Penicillium digitatum is a prime pathogenic causing postharvest rot of oranges. There are few reports on how CsWRKY TFs play their regulatory roles after P. digitatum infects the fruit. In this study, we performed genome-wide identification, classification, phylogenetic and conserved domain analysis of CsWRKY TFs, visualized the structure and chromosomal localization of the encoded genes, explored the expression pattern of each CsWRKY gene under P. digitatum stress by transcriptome data, and made the functional prediction of the related genes. This study provided insight into the characteristics of 47 CsWRKY TFs, which were divided into three subfamilies and eight subgroups. TFs coding genes were unevenly distributed on nine chromosomes. The visualized results of the intron-exon structure and domain are closely related to phylogeny, and widely distributed cis-regulatory elements on each gene played a global regulatory role in gene expression. The expansion of the CSWRKY TFs family was probably facilitated by twenty-one pairs of duplicated genes, and the results of Ka/Ks calculations indicated that this gene family was primarily subjected to purifying selection during evolution. Our transcriptome data showed that 95.7% of WRKY genes were involved in the transcriptional regulation of sweet orange in response to P. digitatum infection. We obtained 15 differentially expressed genes and used the reported function of AtWRKY genes as references. They may be involved in defense against P. digitatum and other pathogens, closely related to the stress responses during plant growth and development. Two interesting genes, CsWRKY2 and CsWRKY14, were expressed more than 60 times and could be used as excellent candidate genes in sweet orange genetic improvement. This study offers a theoretical basis for the response of CSWRKY TFs to P. digitatum infection and provides a vital reference for molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengxian Xi
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Tuo Yin
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Peichen Han
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Xiuyao Yang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Mengjie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, National Forest and Grassland Administration, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Chaojin Du
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, National Forest and Grassland Administration, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
| | - Hanyao Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Correspondence: (H.Z.); (X.L.)
| | - Xiaozhen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, National Forest and Grassland Administration, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China
- Correspondence: (H.Z.); (X.L.)
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21
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Ehsan A, Naqvi RZ, Azhar M, Awan MJA, Amin I, Mansoor S, Asif M. Genome-Wide Analysis of WRKY Gene Family and Negative Regulation of GhWRKY25 and GhWRKY33 Reveal Their Role in Whitefly and Drought Stress Tolerance in Cotton. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:171. [PMID: 36672912 PMCID: PMC9859137 DOI: 10.3390/genes14010171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The WRKY transcription factor family is marked by its significant responsiveness to both biotic and abiotic plant stresses. In the present study, the WRKY family of Gossypium hirsutum has been identified and classified into three groups based on the number of conserved WRKY domains and the type of zinc finger motif. This classification is further validated by conserved domain and phylogenetic analysis. Two members of the WRKY family, WRKY25 and WRKY33, have been targeted through VIGS in G. hirsutum. VIGS-infiltrated plants were evaluated under drought stress and whitefly infestation. It was observed that GhWRKY33-downregulated plants showed a decrease in whitefly egg and nymph population, and GhWRKY33 was found to be a strong negative regulator of whitefly and drought stress, while GhWRKY25 was found to be a moderate negative regulator of whitefly and drought stress. As the targeted genes are transcription factors influencing the expression of other genes, the relative expression of other stress-responsive genes, namely MPK6, WRKY40, HSP, ERF1, and JAZ1, was also analyzed through qRT-PCR. It was found elevated in GhWRKY33-downregulated plants, while GhWRKY25-downregulated plants through VIGS showed the elevated expression of ERF1 and WRKY40, a slightly increased expression of HSP, and a lower expression level of MPK6. Overall, this study provides an important insight into the WRKY TF family and the role of two WRKY TFs in G. hirsutum under drought stress and whitefly infestation. The findings will help to develop crops resilient to drought and whitefly stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Muhammad Asif
- Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), College of Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Jhang Road, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
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Comprehensive Identification and Expression Profiling of the VQ Motif-Containing Gene Family in Brassica juncea. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121814. [PMID: 36552323 PMCID: PMC9776337 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Valine-glutamine (VQ) motif-containing proteins are a class of highly conserved transcriptional regulators in plants and play key roles in plant growth, development, and response to various stresses. However, the VQ family genes in mustard have not yet been comprehensively identified and analyzed. In this study, a total of 120 VQ family genes (BjuVQ1 to BjuVQ120), which were unevenly distributed on 18 chromosomes (AA_Chr01 to BB_Chr08), were characterized in mustard. A phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the BjuVQ proteins were clustered into nine distinct groups (groups I to IX), and members in the same group shared a highly conserved motif composition. A gene structure analysis suggested that most BjuVQ genes were intronless. A gene duplication analysis revealed that 254 pairs of BjuVQ genes were segmentally duplicated and one pair was tandemly duplicated. Expression profiles obtained from RNA-seq data demonstrated that most BjuVQ genes have different gene expression profiles in different organs, including leaf, stem, root, flower bud, pod, and seed. In addition, over half of the BjuVQ genes were differentially expressed at some time points under low temperature treatment. The qRT-PCR data revealed that BjuVQ23, BjuVQ55, BjuVQ57, BjuVQ67, BjuVQ100, and BjuVQ117 were upregulated in response to cold stress. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the roles of different BjuVQ genes in mustard and their possible roles in growth and development, as well as in response to cold stress.
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23
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Bo C, Cai R, Fang X, Wu H, Ma Z, Yuan H, Cheng B, Fan J, Ma Q. Transcription factor ZmWRKY20 interacts with ZmWRKY115 to repress expression of ZmbZIP111 for salt tolerance in maize. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:1660-1675. [PMID: 35861696 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays) is an important cereal crop worldwide. However, its yield and quality are adversely affected by salt stress resulting from soil hypersalinity. Exploring the regulatory mechanisms of stress responses is of vital importance to increase maize seed production. In the present study, we screened ethyl methanesulfonate-induced maize mutants and identified a salt-tolerant mutant. A single base was mutated in ZmWRKY20, leading to the formation of a truncated protein variant. A detailed phenotypic analysis revealed that this mutant had significantly higher resistance to wilting and lower reactive oxygen species levels than the inbred line B73. ZmWRKY20 showed transcriptional activity in yeast and specifically bound W-boxes according to the results of our yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift, and dual-luciferase assays. Overexpression of ZmWRKY20 decreased salt tolerance in maize. Transcriptome profiling revealed that ZmWRKY20 overexpression extensively reprogrammed genes involved in regulating defense and oxidation-reduction responses. The results substantiate that ZmWRKY20 is directly targeted to the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) motif in the transcription factor ZmbZIP111. It was also verified that ZmWRKY20 interacts with ZmWRKY115 and both proteins act jointly to enhance ZmbZIP111 repression. The results indicate that the ZmWRKY20 and ZmWRKY115 transcription factors interact in the nucleus, leading to repression of ZmbZIP111 expression by directly binding its promoter, and increase the sensitivity of maize seedlings to salt stress. The current study improves our understanding of the complicated responses of maize to salt stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Bo
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Ronghao Cai
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
- Engineering Research Center for Maize of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Xiu Fang
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Hao Wu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Zhongxian Ma
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Haotian Yuan
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Beijiu Cheng
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
- Engineering Research Center for Maize of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Jun Fan
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
- Engineering Research Center for Maize of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
| | - Qing Ma
- National Engineering Laboratory of Crop Stress Resistance Breeding, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
- Engineering Research Center for Maize of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, China
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Isolation and Comprehensive in Silico Characterisation of a New 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A Reductase 4 (HMGR4) Gene Promoter from Salvia miltiorrhiza: Comparative Analyses of Plant HMGR Promoters. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11141861. [PMID: 35890495 PMCID: PMC9318348 DOI: 10.3390/plants11141861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Salvia miltiorrhiza synthesises tanshinones with multidirectional therapeutic effects. These compounds have a complex biosynthetic pathway, whose first rate limiting enzyme is 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR). In the present study, a new 1646 bp fragment of the S. miltiorrhiza HMGR4 gene consisting of a promoter, 5′ untranslated region and part of a coding sequence was isolated and characterised in silico using bioinformatics tools. The results indicate the presence of a TATA box, tandem repeat and pyrimidine-rich sequence, and the absence of CpG islands. The sequence was rich in motifs recognised by specific transcription factors sensitive mainly to light, salicylic acid, bacterial infection and auxins; it also demonstrated many binding sites for microRNAs. Moreover, our results suggest that HMGR4 expression is possibly regulated during flowering, embryogenesis, organogenesis and the circadian rhythm. The obtained data were verified by comparison with microarray co-expression results obtained for Arabidopsis thaliana. Alignment of the isolated HMGR4 sequence with other plant HMGRs indicated the presence of many common binding sites for transcription factors, including conserved ones. Our findings provide valuable information for understanding the mechanisms that direct transcription of the S. miltiorrhiza HMGR4 gene.
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25
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Genome-Wide Analysis of Type-III Polyketide Synthases in Wheat and Possible Roles in Wheat Sheath-Blight Resistance. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137187. [PMID: 35806194 PMCID: PMC9266324 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The enzymes in the chalcone synthase family, also known as type-III polyketide synthases (PKSs), play important roles in the biosynthesis of various plant secondary metabolites and plant adaptation to environmental stresses. There have been few detailed reports regarding the gene and tissue expression profiles of the PKS (TaPKS) family members in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, 81 candidate TaPKS genes were identified in the wheat genome, which were designated as TaPKS1–81. Phylogenetic analysis divided the TaPKS genes into two groups. TaPKS gene family expansion mainly occurred via tandem duplication and fragment duplication. In addition, we analyzed the physical and chemical properties, gene structures, and cis-acting elements of TaPKS gene family members. RNA-seq analysis showed that the expression of TaPKS genes was tissue-specific, and their expression levels differed before and after infection with Rhizoctonia cerealis. The expression levels of four TaPKS genes were also analyzed via qRT-PCR after treatment with methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, abscisic acid, and ethylene. In the present study, we systematically identified and analyzed TaPKS gene family members in wheat, and our findings may facilitate the cloning of candidate genes associated with resistance to sheath blight in wheat.
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Garrido-Gala J, Higuera JJ, Rodríguez-Franco A, Muñoz-Blanco J, Amil-Ruiz F, Caballero JL. A Comprehensive Study of the WRKY Transcription Factor Family in Strawberry. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11121585. [PMID: 35736736 PMCID: PMC9229891 DOI: 10.3390/plants11121585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors play critical roles in plant growth and development or stress responses. Using up-to-date genomic data, a total of 64 and 257 WRKY genes have been identified in the diploid woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca, and the more complex allo-octoploid commercial strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa cv. Camarosa, respectively. The completeness of the new genomes and annotations has enabled us to perform a more detailed evolutionary and functional study of the strawberry WRKY family members, particularly in the case of the cultivated hybrid, in which homoeologous and paralogous FaWRKY genes have been characterized. Analysis of the available expression profiles has revealed that many strawberry WRKY genes show preferential or tissue-specific expression. Furthermore, significant differential expression of several FaWRKY genes has been clearly detected in fruit receptacles and achenes during the ripening process and pathogen challenged, supporting a precise functional role of these strawberry genes in such processes. Further, an extensive analysis of predicted development, stress and hormone-responsive cis-acting elements in the strawberry WRKY family is shown. Our results provide a deeper and more comprehensive knowledge of the WRKY gene family in strawberry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José-Javier Higuera
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus Universitario de Rabanales y Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, Edificio Severo Ochoa-C6, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; (J.-J.H.); (A.R.-F.); (J.M.-B.)
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Franco
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus Universitario de Rabanales y Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, Edificio Severo Ochoa-C6, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; (J.-J.H.); (A.R.-F.); (J.M.-B.)
| | - Juan Muñoz-Blanco
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus Universitario de Rabanales y Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, Edificio Severo Ochoa-C6, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; (J.-J.H.); (A.R.-F.); (J.M.-B.)
| | - Francisco Amil-Ruiz
- Unidad de Bioinformática, Servicio Central de Apoyo a la Investigación (SCAI), Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain;
| | - José L. Caballero
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus Universitario de Rabanales y Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3, Edificio Severo Ochoa-C6, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; (J.-J.H.); (A.R.-F.); (J.M.-B.)
- Correspondence:
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Grzechowiak M, Ruszkowska A, Sliwiak J, Urbanowicz A, Jaskolski M, Ruszkowski M. New aspects of DNA recognition by group II WRKY transcription factor revealed by structural and functional study of AtWRKY18 DNA binding domain. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 213:589-601. [PMID: 35660042 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.05.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors (TFs) constitute one of the largest families of plant TFs. Based on the organization of domains and motifs, WRKY TFs are divided into three Groups (I-III). The WRKY subgroup IIa includes three representatives in A. thaliana, AtWRKY18, AtWRKY40, and AtWRKY60, that participate in biotic and abiotic stress responses. Here we present crystal structures of the DNA binding domain (DBD) of AtWRKY18 alone and in the complex with a DNA duplex containing the WRKY-recognition sequence, W-box. Subgroup IIa WRKY TFs are known to form homo and heterodimers. Our data suggest that the dimerization interface of the full-length AtWRKY18 involves contacts between the DBD subunits. DNA binding experiments and structural analysis point out novel aspects of DNA recognition by WRKY TFs. In particular, AtWRKY18-DBD preferentially binds an overlapping tandem of W-boxes accompanied by a quasi-W-box motif. The binding of DNA deforms the B-type double helix, which suggests that the DNA fragment must be prone to form a specific structure. This can explain why despite the short W-box consensus, WRKY TFs can precisely control gene expression. Finally, this first experimental structure of a Group II WRKY TF allowed us to compare Group I-III representatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Grzechowiak
- Department of Structural Biology of Eukaryotes, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan 61-704, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Ruszkowska
- Department of Structural Chemistry and Biology of Nucleic Acids, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan 61-704, Poland
| | - Joanna Sliwiak
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan 61-704, Poland
| | - Anna Urbanowicz
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan 61-704, Poland
| | - Mariusz Jaskolski
- Department of Structural Biology of Eukaryotes, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan 61-704, Poland; Department of Crystallography, Faculty of Chemistry, A. Mickiewicz University, Poznan 61-614, Poland
| | - Milosz Ruszkowski
- Department of Structural Biology of Eukaryotes, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan 61-704, Poland.
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Fu Y, Li J, Wu H, Jiang S, Zhu Y, Liu C, Xu W, Li Q, Yang L. Analyses of Botrytis cinerea-responsive LrWRKY genes from Lilium regale reveal distinct roles of two LrWRKY transcription factors in mediating responses to B. cinerea. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:995-1012. [PMID: 35195770 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-022-02833-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea induced expression of 15 LrWRKY genes; overexpression of LrWRKY39 and LrWRKY41a increased resistance and susceptibility, respectively, to B. cinerea in a manner related to SA and JA signaling. WRKY transcription factors (TFs), a large family, play important roles in coping with biotic stresses. Lilium regale Wilson is a lily species with strong resistance to fungi and viruses; however, functional characterization of LrWRKY TFs remains very limited. Here, a total of 25 LrWRKY members were identified from the L. regale transcriptome, and 15 LrWRKY genes were significantly induced by Botrytis cinerea. Based on their structural features, B. cinerea-responsive LrWRKY genes could be classified into six subgroups (Groups I, IIa-d, and III), and sequence alignment showed that 12 LrWRKY proteins have a well-conserved WRKYGQK domain, while 3 LrWRKYs have a variant sequence (WRKYGKK or WRMYEQK). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed tissue-specific expression of B. cinerea-responsive LrWRKY genes and their expression profiles in response to defense-related hormones salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and hydrogen peroxide. LrWRKY39 and LrWRKY41a, which encode two LrWRKY TFs with different three-dimensional (3D) models of the WRKY domain, were cloned, and both proteins were targeted to the nucleus. Overexpression of LrWRKY39 and LrWRKY41a in Arabidopsis thaliana increased the resistance and susceptibility to B. cinerea, respectively, compared to the wild type. Similar results were also observed in tobacco and lily (L. longiflorum 'Snow Queen') by transient transformation analyses. Their distinct roles may be related to changes in the transcript levels of SA-/JA-responsive genes. Our results provide new insights into B. cinerea-responsive LrWRKY members and the biological functions of two different 3D models of LrWRKY TFs in defense responses to B. cinerea infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyao Fu
- School of Advanced Agriculture and Bioengineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, 408100, China
| | - Juan Li
- School of Advanced Agriculture and Bioengineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, 408100, China
| | - Han Wu
- School of Advanced Agriculture and Bioengineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, 408100, China
| | - Sijia Jiang
- Heilongjiang Forest Botanical Garden, Harbin, 150046, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Yiyong Zhu
- School of Advanced Agriculture and Bioengineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, 408100, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- School of Advanced Agriculture and Bioengineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, 408100, China
| | - WenJi Xu
- School of Advanced Agriculture and Bioengineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, 408100, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Citrus Research Institute, Southwest University/Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chongqing, 400712, China.
| | - Liping Yang
- School of Advanced Agriculture and Bioengineering, Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, 408100, China.
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Insight into the Phylogeny and Binding Ability of WRKY Transcription Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052895. [PMID: 35270037 PMCID: PMC8911475 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors (TFs), which make up one of the largest families of TFs in the plant kingdom, are key players in modulating gene expression relating to embryogenesis, senescence, pathogen resistance, and abiotic stress responses. However, the phylogeny and grouping of WRKY TFs and how their binding ability is affected by the flanking regions of W-box sequences remain unclear. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogeny of WRKY across the plant kingdom and characterized the DNA-binding profile of Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY (WRKY54) based on its W-box recognition sequence. We found that WRKY TFs could be separated into five clades, and that the functional zinc-finger motif at the C-terminal of WRKY appeared after several nucleotide substitutions had occurred at the 3′-end of the zinc-finger region in chlorophytes. In addition, we found that W-box flanking regions affect the binding ability of WRKY54 based on the results of a fluorescence-based electrophoretic mobility shift assay (fEMSA) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) analysis. The great abundance of WRKY TFs in plants implicates their involvement in diverse molecular regulatory networks, and the flanking regions of W-box sequences may contribute to their molecular recognition mechanism. This phylogeny and our findings on the molecular recognition mechanism of WRKY TFs should be helpful for further research in this area.
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Kashyap AS, Manzar N, Nebapure SM, Rajawat MVS, Deo MM, Singh JP, Kesharwani AK, Singh RP, Dubey SC, Singh D. Unraveling Microbial Volatile Elicitors Using a Transparent Methodology for Induction of Systemic Resistance and Regulation of Antioxidant Genes at Expression Levels in Chili against Bacterial Wilt Disease. Antioxidants (Basel) 2022; 11:antiox11020404. [PMID: 35204287 PMCID: PMC8869530 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11020404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial volatiles benefit the agricultural ecological system by promoting plant growth and systemic resistance against diseases without harming the environment. To explore the plant growth-promoting efficiency of VOCs produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens PDS1 and Bacillus subtilis KA9 in terms of chili plant growth and its biocontrol efficiency against Ralstonia solanacearum, experiments were conducted both in vitro and in vivo. A closure assembly was designed using a half-inverted plastic bottle to demonstrate plant–microbial interactions via volatile compounds. The most common volatile organic compounds were identified and reported; they promoted plant development and induced systemic resistance (ISR) against wilt pathogen R. solanacearum. The PDS1 and KA9 VOCs significantly increased defensive enzyme activity and overexpressed the antioxidant genes PAL, POD, SOD, WRKYa, PAL1, DEF-1, CAT-2, WRKY40, HSFC1, LOX2, and NPR1 related to plant defense. The overall gene expression was greater in root tissue as compared to leaf tissue in chili plant. Our findings shed light on the relationship among rhizobacteria, pathogen, and host plants, resulting in plant growth promotion, disease suppression, systemic resistance-inducing potential, and antioxidant response with related gene expression in the leaf and root tissue of chili.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhijeet Shankar Kashyap
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India; (A.K.K.); (R.P.S.)
- Plant Pathology Laboratory, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan 275103, India; (N.M.); (M.V.S.R.); (J.P.S.)
- Correspondence: (A.S.K.); (D.S.)
| | - Nazia Manzar
- Plant Pathology Laboratory, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan 275103, India; (N.M.); (M.V.S.R.); (J.P.S.)
| | | | - Mahendra Vikram Singh Rajawat
- Plant Pathology Laboratory, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan 275103, India; (N.M.); (M.V.S.R.); (J.P.S.)
| | - Man Mohan Deo
- Farm Machinery and Power, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur 208024, India;
| | - Jyoti Prakash Singh
- Plant Pathology Laboratory, ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Maunath Bhanjan 275103, India; (N.M.); (M.V.S.R.); (J.P.S.)
- Division of Biochemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India
| | - Amit Kumar Kesharwani
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India; (A.K.K.); (R.P.S.)
| | - Ravinder Pal Singh
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India; (A.K.K.); (R.P.S.)
| | - S. C. Dubey
- Division of Plant Quarantine, ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi 110012, India;
- Krishi Bhawan, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi 110001, India
| | - Dinesh Singh
- Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, India; (A.K.K.); (R.P.S.)
- Correspondence: (A.S.K.); (D.S.)
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Wang B, Li L, Peng D, Liu M, Wei A, Li X. TaFDL2-1A interacts with TabZIP8-7A protein to cope with drought stress via the abscisic acid signaling pathway. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 311:111022. [PMID: 34482905 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2021.111022] [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: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Drought has negative effects on cereal production. Studies have shown that many basic leucine zipper transcription factors (bZIP TFs) help to cope with drought stress. In this study, bZIP TF wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) FD-Like2 (TaFDL2) was isolated and functionally analyzed. Three homologs of TaFDL2 were identified and their expression was induced by drought and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. TaFDL2-1A has transactivation activity and two activation domains, and the domain D region has different effects on the transcriptional activity of the two domains. Analysis of TaFDL2-1A overexpression plants indicated their enhanced drought tolerance and greater sensitivity to ABA. TabZIP8-7A was identified as a protein that interacts with TaFDL2-1A in the nucleus, and the overexpression of TabZIP8-7A conferred greater drought resistance and ABA sensitivity in Arabidopsis. Surprisingly, TaFDL2-1A × TabZIP8-7A double overexpression lines exhibited the highest drought resistance. Genetic and transcriptional regulation analyses demonstrated that stress-response gene transcription was initiated by TaFDL2-1A or TabZIP8-7A via the ABA signaling pathway. Importantly, TaFDL2-1A and TabZIP8-7A synergistically promoted ABA-inducible gene expression in a more efficient manner to form the transcriptional activation complex. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms that allow bZIP TFs to regulate ABA signaling in response to drought stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Liqun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - De Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Mingliu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Aosong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Xuejun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
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Ji R, Fu J, Shi Y, Li J, Jing M, Wang L, Yang S, Tian T, Wang L, Ju J, Guo H, Liu B, Dou D, Hoffmann AA, Zhu-Salzman K, Fang J. Vitellogenin from planthopper oral secretion acts as a novel effector to impair plant defenses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:802-817. [PMID: 34260062 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Vitellogenin (Vg) is a well-known nutritious protein involved in reproduction in nearly all oviparous animals, including insects. Recently, Vg has been detected in saliva proteomes of several piercing-sucking herbivorous arthropods, including the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus, SBPH). Its function, however, remains unexplored. We investigated the molecular mechanism underlying SBPH orally secreted Vg-mediated manipulation of plant-insect interaction by RNA interference, phytohormone and H2 O2 profiling, protein-protein interaction studies and herbivore bioassays. A C-terminal polypeptide of Vg (VgC) in SBPH, when secreted into rice plants, acted as a novel effector to attenuate host rice defenses, which in turn improved insect feeding performance. Silencing Vg reduced insect feeding and survival on rice. Vg-silenced SBPH nymphs consistently elicited higher H2 O2 production, a well-established defense mechanism in rice, whereas expression of VgC in planta significantly hindered hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) accumulation and promoted insect performance. VgC interacted directly with the rice transcription factor OsWRKY71, a protein which is involved in induction of H2 O2 accumulation and plant resistance to SBPH. These findings indicate a novel effector function of Vg: when secreted into host rice plants, this protein effectively weakened H2 O2 -mediated plant defense through its association with a plant immunity regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Ji
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Jianmei Fu
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Yu Shi
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Jing Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Maofeng Jing
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Shiying Yang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Lihua Wang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Jiafei Ju
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Huifang Guo
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of New Technology in Rice Breeding, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Daolong Dou
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Ary A Hoffmann
- School of BioSciences, Bio21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Keyan Zhu-Salzman
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jichao Fang
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210014, China
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Sun Y, Liu C, Liu Z, Zhao T, Jiang J, Li J, Xu X, Yang H. Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization and Expression Analysis of the JAZ Gene Family in Resistance to Gray Leaf Spots in Tomato. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189974. [PMID: 34576142 PMCID: PMC8469637 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant disease resistance system involves a very complex regulatory network in which jasmonates play a key role in response to external biotic or abiotic stresses. As inhibitors of the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway, JASMONATE ZIM domain (JAZ) proteins have been identified in many plant species, and their functions are gradually being clarified. In this study, 26 JAZ genes were identified in tomato. The physical and chemical properties, predicted subcellular localization, gene structure, cis-acting elements, and interspecies collinearity of 26 SlJAZ genes were subsequently analyzed. RNA-seq data combined with qRT-PCR analysis data showed that the expression of most SlJAZ genes were induced in response to Stemphylium lycopersici, methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA). Tobacco rattle virus RNA2-based VIGS vector (TRV2)-SlJAZ25 plants were more resistant to tomato gray leaf spots than TRV2-00 plants. Therefore, we speculated that SlJAZ25 played a negative regulatory role in tomato resistance to gray leaf spots. Based on combining the results of previous studies and those of our experiments, we speculated that SlJAZ25 might be closely related to JA and SA hormone regulation. SlJAZ25 interacted with SlJAR1, SlCOI1, SlMYC2, and other resistance-related genes to form a regulatory network, and these genes played an important role in the regulation of tomato gray leaf spots. The subcellular localization results showed that the SlJAZ25 gene was located in the nucleus. Overall, this study is the first to identify and analyze JAZ family genes in tomato via bioinformatics approaches, clarifying the regulatory role of SlJAZ25 genes in tomato resistance to gray leaf spots and providing new ideas for improving plant disease resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xiangyang Xu
- Correspondence: (X.X.); (H.Y.); Tel.: +86-0451-55190748 (H.Y.)
| | - Huanhuan Yang
- Correspondence: (X.X.); (H.Y.); Tel.: +86-0451-55190748 (H.Y.)
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Wani SH, Anand S, Singh B, Bohra A, Joshi R. WRKY transcription factors and plant defense responses: latest discoveries and future prospects. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2021; 40:1071-1085. [PMID: 33860345 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02691-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
WRKY transcription factors are among the largest families of transcriptional regulators. In this review, their pivotal role in modulating various signal transduction pathways during biotic and abiotic stresses is discussed. Transcription factors (TFs) are important constituents of plant signaling pathways that define plant responses against biotic and abiotic stimuli besides playing a role in response to internal signals which coordinate different interacting partners during developmental processes. WRKY TFs, deriving their nomenclature from their signature DNA-binding sequence, represent one of the largest families of transcriptional regulators found exclusively in plants. By modulating different signal transduction pathways, these TFs contribute to various plant processes including nutrient deprivation, embryogenesis, seed and trichome development, senescence as well as other developmental and hormone-regulated processes. A growing body of research suggests transcriptional regulation of WRKY TFs in adapting plant to a variety of stressed environments. WRKY TFs can regulate diverse biological functions from receptors for pathogen triggered immunity, modulator of chromatin for specific interaction and signal transfer through a complicated network of genes. Latest discoveries illustrate the interaction of WRKY proteins with other TFs to form an integral part of signaling webs that regulate several seemingly disparate processes and defense-related genes, thus establishing their significant contributions to plant immune response. The present review starts with a brief description on the structural characteristics of WRKY TFs followed by the sections that present recent evidence on their roles in diverse biological processes in plants. We provide a comprehensive overview on regulatory crosstalks involving WRKY TFs during multiple stress responses in plants and future prospects of WRKY TFs as promising molecular diagnostics for enhancing crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabir H Wani
- Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Sher‑e‑Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K 192101, India
| | - Shruti Anand
- Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops, Sher‑e‑Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K 192101, India
| | - Balwant Singh
- National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Abhishek Bohra
- Crop Improvement Division, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208024, India
| | - Rohit Joshi
- Division of Biotechnology, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176061, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-HRDC Campus, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India.
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Wu TY, Goh H, Azodi CB, Krishnamoorthi S, Liu MJ, Urano D. Evolutionarily conserved hierarchical gene regulatory networks for plant salt stress response. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:787-799. [PMID: 34045707 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-00929-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant cells constantly alter their gene expression profiles to respond to environmental fluctuations. These continuous adjustments are regulated by multi-hierarchical networks of transcription factors. To understand how such gene regulatory networks (GRNs) have stabilized evolutionarily while allowing for species-specific responses, we compare the GRNs underlying salt response in the early-diverging and late-diverging plants Marchantia polymorpha and Arabidopsis thaliana. Salt-responsive GRNs, constructed on the basis of the temporal transcriptional patterns in the two species, share common trans-regulators but exhibit an evolutionary divergence in cis-regulatory sequences and in the overall network sizes. In both species, WRKY-family transcription factors and their feedback loops serve as central nodes in salt-responsive GRNs. The divergent cis-regulatory sequences of WRKY-target genes are probably associated with the expansion in network size, linking salt stress to tissue-specific developmental and physiological responses. The WRKY modules and highly linked WRKY feedback loops have been preserved widely in other plants, including rice, while keeping their binding-motif sequences mutable. Together, the conserved trans-regulators and the quickly evolving cis-regulatory sequences allow salt-responsive GRNs to adapt over a long evolutionary timescale while maintaining some consistent regulatory structure. This strategy may benefit plants as they adapt to changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ying Wu
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - HonZhen Goh
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christina B Azodi
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Shalini Krishnamoorthi
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ming-Jung Liu
- Biotechnology Center in Southern Taiwan, Academia Sinica, Tainan, Taiwan
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Daisuke Urano
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore.
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Liu H, Liu B, Lou S, Bi H, Tang H, Tong S, Song Y, Chen N, Zhang H, Jiang Y, Liu J. CHYR1 ubiquitinates the phosphorylated WRKY70 for degradation to balance immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1095-1109. [PMID: 33492673 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
It is critically important for plants to control the trade-off between normal growth and pathogen immunity. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. Here we report such a mechanism controlled by WRKY70 and its partner CHYR1 in Arabidopsis. We found that both levels of the WRKY70 target gene SARD1 and the phosphorylated forms of WRKY70 were increased in WRKY70OE plants upon Pst DC3000 infection. Mechanistically, phosphorylation of WRKY70 at Thr22 and Ser34 occurs, which then activates SARD1 expression through binding to a WT box. Phosphorylated WRKY70 is degraded by 26S proteasome via CHYR1 when resuming normal growth after infection. In addition, nonphosphorylated WRKY70 represses SARD1 expression by binding to both W (inhibitory activity site) and WT (active activity site) boxes. The binding of WRKY70 to alternative cis-elements of SARD1 through a phosphorylation-mediated switch controlled by CHYR1 contributes to modulating the balance between immunity and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Shangling Lou
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Hao Bi
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Hu Tang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Shaofei Tong
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Yan Song
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Ningning Chen
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Yuanzhong Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science & State Key, Laboratory of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystem, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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Li Y, Liao S, Mei P, Pan Y, Zhang Y, Zheng X, Xie Y, Miao Y. OsWRKY93 Dually Functions Between Leaf Senescence and in Response to Biotic Stress in Rice. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:643011. [PMID: 33828575 PMCID: PMC8019945 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.643011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Cross talking between natural senescence and cell death in response to pathogen attack is an interesting topic; however, its action mechanism is kept open. In this study, 33 OsWRKY genes were obtained by screening with leaf aging procedure through RNA-seq dataset, and 11 of them were confirmed a significant altered expression level in the flag leaves during aging by using the reverse transcript quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Among them, the OsWRKY2, OsWRKY14, OsWRKY26, OsWRKY69, and OsWRKY93 members exhibited short-term alteration in transcriptional levels in response to Magnaporthe grisea infection. The CRISPR/Cas9-edited mutants of five genes were developed and confirmed, and a significant sensitivity to M. oryzae infection was observed in CRISPR OsWRKY93-edited lines; on the other hand, a significant resistance to M. oryzae infection was shown in the enhanced expression OsWRKY93 plants compared to mock plants; however, enhanced expression of other four genes have no significant affection. Interestingly, ROS accumulation was also increased in OsWRKY93 enhanced plants after flg22 treatment, compared with the controls, suggesting that OsWRKY93 is involved in PAMP-triggered immune response in rice. It indicated that OsWRKY93 was involved in both flag leaf senescence and in response to fungi attack.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyun Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shuting Liao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Pengying Mei
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yueyun Pan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiangzi Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yakun Xie
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ying Miao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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Dehydration-Induced WRKY Transcriptional Factor MfWRKY70 of Myrothamnus flabellifolia Enhanced Drought and Salinity Tolerance in Arabidopsis. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020327. [PMID: 33671480 PMCID: PMC7926768 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The resurrection plants Myrothamnus flabellifolia can survive long term severe drought and desiccation conditions and soon recover after rewatering. However, few genes related to such excellent drought tolerance and underlying molecular mechanism have been excavated. WRKY transcription factors play critical roles in biotic and abiotic stress signaling, in which WRKY70 functions as a positive regulator in biotic stress response but a negative regulator in abiotic stress signaling in Arabidopsis and some other plant species. In the present study, the functions of a dehydration-induced MfWRKY70 of M. flabellifolia participating was investigated in the model plant Arabidopsis. Our results indicated that MfWRKY70 was localized in the nucleus and could significantly increase tolerance to drought, osmotic, and salinity stresses by promoting root growth and water retention, as well as enhancing the antioxidant enzyme system and maintaining reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and membrane-lipid stability under stressful conditions. Moreover, the expression of stress-associated genes (P5CS, NCED3 and RD29A) was positively regulated in the overexpression of MfWRKY70 Arabidopsis. We proposed that MfWRKY70 may function as a positive regulator for abiotic stress responses and can be considered as a potential gene for improvement of drought and salinity tolerance in plants.
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Zhang R, Chen Z, Zhang L, Yao W, Xu Z, Liao B, Mi Y, Gao H, Jiang C, Duan L, Ji A. Genomic Characterization of WRKY Transcription Factors Related to Andrographolide Biosynthesis in Andrographis paniculata. Front Genet 2021; 11:601689. [PMID: 33537059 PMCID: PMC7848199 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.601689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Andrographolide, which is enriched in the leaves of Andrographis paniculata, has been known as “natural antibiotic” due to its pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. Several key enzymes in andrographolide biosynthetic pathway have been studied since the genome sequences were released, but its regulatory mechanism remains unknown. WRKY transcription factors proteins have been reported to regulate plant secondary metabolism, development as well as biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, WRKY transcription factors related to andrographolide biosynthesis were systematically identified, including sequences alignment, phylogenetic analysis, chromosomal distribution, gene structure, conserved motifs, synteny, alternative splicing event and Gene ontology (GO) annotation. A total of 58 WRKYs were identified in Chuanxinlian genome and phylogenetically classified into three groups. Moreover, nine WRKY genes underwent alternative splicing events. Furthermore, the combination of binding site prediction, gene-specific expression patterns, and phylogenetic analysis suggested that 7 WRKYs (ApWRKY01, ApWRKY08, ApWRKY12, ApWRKY14, ApWRKY19, ApWRKY20, and ApWRKY50) might regulate andrographolide biosynthesis. This study laid a foundation for understanding the regulatory mechanism of andrographolide biosynthesis and the improvement and breeding of Andrographis paniculata varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongrong Zhang
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenzhen Chen
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Libing Zhang
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Yao
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhichao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources, Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Baosheng Liao
- Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources, Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yaolei Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Innovative Natural Medicine and TCM Injections, Jiangxi Qingfeng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Ganzhou, China
| | - Han Gao
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunhong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Innovative Natural Medicine and TCM Injections, Jiangxi Qingfeng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Ganzhou, China
| | - Lixin Duan
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aijia Ji
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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Tang H, Bi H, Liu B, Lou S, Song Y, Tong S, Chen N, Jiang Y, Liu J, Liu H. WRKY33 interacts with WRKY12 protein to up-regulate RAP2.2 during submergence induced hypoxia response in Arabidopsis thaliana. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:106-125. [PMID: 33098101 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Tolerance of hypoxia is essential for most plants, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here we show that adaptation to submergence induced hypoxia in Arabidopsis involves up-regulation of RAP2.2 through interactive action of WRKY33 and WRKY12. WRKY33- or WRKY12-overexpressing plants showed enhanced resistance to hypoxia. Y2H, BiFC, Co-IP and pull-down experiments confirmed the interaction of WRKY33 with WRKY12. Genetic experiments showed that RAP2.2 acts downstream of WRKY33/WRKY12. WRKY33 and WRKY12 can bind to and activate RAP2.2 individually. Genetic and molecular experiments demonstrate that the two WRKYs can synergistically enhance activation towards RAP2.2 to increase hypoxia tolerance. WRKY33 expression is increased in RAP2.2-overexpressing plants, indicating a feedback regulation by RAP2.2 during submergence process, which was corroborated by EMSA, ChIP, dual-LUC and genetic experiments. Our results show that a regulatory cascade module involving WRKY33, WRKY12 and RAP2.2 plays a key role in submergence induced hypoxia response of Arabidopsis and illuminate functions of WRKYs in hypoxia tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Tang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Hao Bi
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Bao Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Shangling Lou
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Yan Song
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Shaofei Tong
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Ningning Chen
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Yuanzhong Jiang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Huanhuan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resources and Eco-environment, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
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Cao H, Amin R, Niu L, Song Z, Dong B, Li H, Wang L, Meng D, Yang Q, Fu Y. Multidimensional analysis of actin depolymerising factor family in pigeon pea under different environmental stress revealed specific response genes in each subgroup. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2021; 48:180-194. [PMID: 32970987 DOI: 10.1071/fp20190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Actin depolymerising factor (ADF) is an actin binding protein that is ubiquitous in animal and plant cells. It plays an important role in plant growth and development, as well as resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. The research of plant ADF family has been restricted to Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. and some herb crops, but no woody cash crops have been reported to date. All members of the Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. ADF (CcADF) family were identified from the pigeon pea genome, and distributed among the four subfamilies by phylogenetic analysis. CcADFs were relatively conservative in gene structure evolution, protein structure and functional expression, and different CcADFs showed specific expression patterns under different treatments. The expression characteristics of several key CcADFs were revealed by analysing the stress response pattern of CcADFs and the time series RNA-seq of aluminium stress. Among them, CcADF9 in the first subgroup specifically responded to aluminium stress in the roots; CcADF3 in the second subgroup intensively responded to fungal infection in the leaves; and CcADF2 in the fourth subgroup positively responded to various stress treatments in different tissues. This study extended the relationship between plant ADF family and aluminium tolerance, as well as adding to the understanding of CcADF family in woody crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Cao
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Rohul Amin
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Lili Niu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Zhihua Song
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Biying Dong
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Hanghang Li
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Litao Wang
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Dong Meng
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China; and Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Qing Yang
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China; and Corresponding authors. ;
| | - Yujie Fu
- State Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Environmental Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, PR China; and Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing 100083, PR China; and Key Laboratory of Forestry Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; and Corresponding authors. ;
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Xu YP, Xu H, Wang B, Su XD. Crystal structures of N-terminal WRKY transcription factors and DNA complexes. Protein Cell 2020; 11:208-213. [PMID: 31734872 PMCID: PMC7026264 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-019-00670-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, and Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, and Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, and Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Su
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, and Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Jiang W, Geng Y, Liu Y, Chen S, Cao S, Li W, Chen H, Ma D, Yin J. Genome-wide identification and characterization of SRO gene family in wheat: Molecular evolution and expression profiles during different stresses. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2020; 154:590-611. [PMID: 32912491 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
SRO (SIMILAR TO RCD ONE), a type of plant-specific small protein family, play important roles in plant growth and development, as well as in response to biotic/abiotic stresses. Although characterization of SROs have been performed in model plants, little is known about their function in wheat, especially under stress conditions. In this study, 30 SRO genes were identified from the wheat genome (TaSRO). They were phylogenetically separated into two groups with distinct structures. The cis-regulatory elements in the promoter region of TaSROs were analyzed and numerous elements functionally associated with stress responding and hormones were interpreted, implying the reason for induction expression patterns of TaSROs during abiotic and biotic stresses in wheat. Whole-genome replication events in the SRO gene family of wheat and seven other species (Arabidopsis thaliana, rice, maize, barley, soybean, upland cotton, and cucumber) were analyzed, resulting in 1, 12, 9, 23, 6, 5, and 3 of gene pairs, respectively. The tissue-specific expression pattern profiling revealed that most TaSROs are highly expressed in one or more tissues and may play an important role in wheat growth and development. In addition, qRT-PCR results further confirmed that these TaSRO genes are involved in wheat stress response. In summary, our study laid a theoretical basis for molecular function deciphering of TaSROs, especially in plant hormones and biotic/abiotic stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqiang Jiang
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry/Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education/Forewarning and Management of Agricultural and Forestry Pests, Hubei Engineering Technology Center/College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434000, Hubei, China; Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuepan Geng
- Integrative Biology Laboratory, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yike Liu
- Institute of Food Crops, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430064, China
| | - Shuhui Chen
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry/Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education/Forewarning and Management of Agricultural and Forestry Pests, Hubei Engineering Technology Center/College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434000, Hubei, China
| | - Shulin Cao
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Li
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huaigu Chen
- Institute of Plant Protection, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dongfang Ma
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry/Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education/Forewarning and Management of Agricultural and Forestry Pests, Hubei Engineering Technology Center/College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434000, Hubei, China.
| | - Junliang Yin
- Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Grain Industry/Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education/Forewarning and Management of Agricultural and Forestry Pests, Hubei Engineering Technology Center/College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, 434000, Hubei, China; Institute of Food Crops, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, 430064, China.
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Developing high-efficiency base editors by combining optimized synergistic core components with new types of nuclear localization signal peptide. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cj.2020.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Ma D, Zou Y, Chu Y, Liu Z, Liu G, Chu J, Li M, Wang J, Sun SY, Chang Z. A cell-permeable peptide-based PROTAC against the oncoprotein CREPT proficiently inhibits pancreatic cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:3708-3721. [PMID: 32206117 PMCID: PMC7069095 DOI: 10.7150/thno.41677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancers remain a threat to human health due to the lack of effective therapeutic strategies. Great effort has been devoted to the discovery of drug targets to treat cancers, but novel oncoproteins still need to be unveiled for efficient therapy. Methods: We show that CREPT is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and is associated with poor disease-free survival. CREPT overexpression promotes but CREPT deletion blocks colony formation and proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. To provide a proof of concept for CREPT as a new target for the inhibition of pancreatic cancer, we designed a cell-permeable peptide-based proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC), named PRTC, based on the homodimerized leucine-zipper-like motif in the C-terminus domain of CREPT to induce its degradation in vivo. Results: PRTC has high affinity for CREPT, with Kd = 0.34 +/- 0.11 μM and is able to permeate into cells because of the attached membrane-transportable peptide RRRRK. PRTC effectively induces CREPT degradation in a proteasome-dependent manner. Intriguingly, PRTC inhibits colony formation, cell proliferation, and motility in pancreatic cancer cells and ultimately impairs xenograft tumor growth, comparable to the effect of CREPT deletion. Conclusions: PRTC-induced degradation of CREPT leads to inhibition of tumor growth, which is promising for the development of new drugs against pancreatic cancer. In addition, using an interacting motif based on the dimerized structure of proteins may be a new way to design a PROTAC aiming at degrading any protein without known interacting small molecules or peptides.
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Zhang J, Li L, Huang L, Zhang M, Chen Z, Zheng Q, Zhao H, Chen X, Jiang M, Tan M. Maize NAC-domain retained splice variants act as dominant negatives to interfere with the full-length NAC counterparts. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 289:110256. [PMID: 31623792 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The plant-specific NAC transcription factors play diverse roles in various stress signaling. Alternative splicing is particularly prevalent in plants under stress. However, the investigation of cadmium (Cd) on the differential expression of the splice variants of NACs is in its infancy. Here, we identified three Cd-induced intron retention splice NAC variants which only contained the canonical NAC domain, designated as nacDomains, derived from three Cd-upregulated maize NACs. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that both nacDomain and its full-length NAC counterpart co-localized in the nucleus as manifested in the BiFC assay, thus implied that nacDomains and their corresponding NACs form heterodimers through the identical NAC domain. Further chimeric reporter/effector transient expression assay and Cd-tolerance assay in tobacco leaves collectively indicated that nacDomain-NAC heterodimers were involved in the regulation of NAC function. The results obtained here were in accordance with the model of dominant negative, which suggested that nacDomain act as the dominant negative to antagonize the regulation of NAC on its target gene expression and the Cd-tolerance function performance of NAC transcription factor. These findings proposed a novel insight into understanding the molecular mechanisms of Cd response in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Liang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Liping Huang
- International Research Center for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan, 528225, China
| | - Manman Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Ziyan Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Qingsong Zheng
- College of Resources & Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Haiyan Zhao
- College of Resources & Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xi Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Mingyi Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Mingpu Tan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
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Chen X, Li C, Wang H, Guo Z. WRKY transcription factors: evolution, binding, and action. PHYTOPATHOLOGY RESEARCH 2019; 1:13. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1186/s42483-019-0022-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
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Singh A, Sharma AK, Singh NK, Sonah H, Deshmukh R, Sharma TR. Understanding the Effect of Structural Diversity in WRKY Transcription Factors on DNA Binding Efficiency through Molecular Dynamics Simulation. BIOLOGY 2019; 8:biology8040083. [PMID: 31690005 PMCID: PMC6956055 DOI: 10.3390/biology8040083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A precise understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in stress conditions has great importance for crop improvement. Biomolecules, such as WRKY proteins, which are the largest transcription factor family that is widely distributed in higher plants, plays a significant role in plant defense response against various biotic and abiotic stressors. In the present study, an extensive homology-based three-dimensional model construction and subsequent interaction study of WRKY DNA-binding domain (DBD) in CcWRKY1 (Type I), CcWRKY51 (Type II), and CcWRKY70 (Type III) belonging to pigeonpea, a highly tolerant crop species, was performed. Evaluation of the generated protein models was done to check their reliability and accuracy based on the quantitative and qualitative parameters. The final model was subjected to investigate the comparative binding analysis of different types of WRKY–DBD with DNA-W-box (a cis-acting element) by protein–DNA docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The DNA binding specificity with WRKY variants was scrutinized through protein–DNA interaction using the HADDOCK server. The stability, as well as conformational changes of protein–DNA complex, was investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for 100 ns using GROMACS. Additionally, the comparative stability and dynamic behavior of each residue of the WRKY–DBD type were analyzed in terms of root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF)values of the backbone atoms for each frame taking the minimized structure as a reference. The details of DNA binding activity of three different types of WRKY–DBD provided here will be helpful to better understand the regulation of WRKY gene family members in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akshay Singh
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali 140306, Punjab, India.
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226031, India.
| | - Ajay Kumar Sharma
- Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh 250005, India.
| | | | - Humira Sonah
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali 140306, Punjab, India.
| | - Rupesh Deshmukh
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali 140306, Punjab, India.
| | - Tilak Raj Sharma
- National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali 140306, Punjab, India.
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