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Durant PC, Bhasin A, Juenger TE, Heckman RW. Genetically correlated leaf tensile and morphological traits are driven by growing season length in a widespread perennial grass. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024; 111:e16349. [PMID: 38783552 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16349] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Leaf tensile resistance, a leaf's ability to withstand pulling forces, is an important determinant of plant ecological strategies. One potential driver of leaf tensile resistance is growing season length. When growing seasons are long, strong leaves, which often require more time and resources to construct than weak leaves, may be more advantageous than when growing seasons are short. Growing season length and other ecological conditions may also impact the morphological traits that underlie leaf tensile resistance. METHODS To understand variation in leaf tensile resistance, we measured size-dependent leaf strength and size-independent leaf toughness in diverse genotypes of the widespread perennial grass Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) in a common garden. We then used quantitative genetic approaches to estimate the heritability of leaf tensile resistance and whether there were genetic correlations between leaf tensile resistance and other morphological traits. RESULTS Leaf tensile resistance was positively associated with aboveground biomass (a proxy for fitness). Moreover, both measures of leaf tensile resistance exhibited high heritability and were positively genetically correlated with leaf lamina thickness and leaf mass per area (LMA). Leaf tensile resistance also increased with the growing season length in the habitat of origin, and this effect was mediated by both LMA and leaf thickness. CONCLUSIONS Differences in growing season length may promote selection for different leaf lifespans and may explain existing variation in leaf tensile resistance in P. virgatum. In addition, the high heritability of leaf tensile resistance suggests that P. virgatum will be able to respond to climate change as growing seasons lengthen.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Camilla Durant
- Department of Integrated Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
| | - Amit Bhasin
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrated Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
| | - Robert W Heckman
- Department of Integrated Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, USA
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Li Y, Liu Y, Gao Z, Wang F, Xu T, Qi M, Liu Y, Li T. MicroRNA162 regulates stomatal conductance in response to low night temperature stress via abscisic acid signaling pathway in tomato. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1045112. [PMID: 36938045 PMCID: PMC10019595 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1045112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) mediate the degradation of target mRNA and inhibit mRNA translation to regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in response to environmental stress in plants. We characterized the post-transcriptional mechanism by deep sequencing small RNA (sRNA) to examine how miRNAs were involved in low night temperature (LNT) stress in tomato and whether the molecular mechanism depended on the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway. We annotated conserved miRNAs and novel miRNAs with four sRNA libraries composed of wild-type (WT) tomato plants and ABA-deficient mutant (sit) plants under normal growth and LNT stress conditions. Reverse genetics analysis suggested that miR162 participated in LNT resistance and the ABA-dependent signaling pathway in tomato. miR162-overexpressing (pRI-miR162) and miR162-silenced (pRNAi-miR162) transgenic tomato plants were generated to evaluate miR162 functions in response to LNT stress. miR162 deficiency exhibited high photosynthetic capacity and regulated stomatal opening, suggesting negative regulation of miR162 in the ABA-dependent signaling pathway in response to LNT stress. As feedback regulation, miR162 positively regulated ABA to maintain homeostasis of tomato under diverse abiotic stresses. The mRNA of DICER-LIKE1 (DCL1) was targeted by miR162, and miR162 inhibited DCL1 cleavage in LNT response, including the regulation of miRNA160/164/171a and their targets. The DCL1-deficient mutants (dcl1) with CRISPR/Cas9 prevented stomatal opening to influence photosynthesis in the ABA signaling pathway under LNT stress. Finally, we established the regulatory mechanism of ABA-miR162-DCL1, which systematically mediated cold tolerance in tomato. This study suggests that post-transcriptional modulators acted as systemic signal responders via the stress hormone signaling pathway, and the model at the post-transcriptional level presents a new direction for research in plant abiotic stress resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Li
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Protected Vegetable Surrounds Bohai Gulf Region, Shenyang, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Tongliao Agricultural Technology Extension Center, Tongliao, China
| | - Zhenhua Gao
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Protected Vegetable Surrounds Bohai Gulf Region, Shenyang, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Protected Vegetable Surrounds Bohai Gulf Region, Shenyang, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Protected Vegetable Surrounds Bohai Gulf Region, Shenyang, China
| | - Mingfang Qi
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Protected Vegetable Surrounds Bohai Gulf Region, Shenyang, China
| | - Yufeng Liu
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Protected Vegetable Surrounds Bohai Gulf Region, Shenyang, China
| | - Tianlai Li
- Department of Horticulture, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture of Education Ministry and Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Protected Vegetable Surrounds Bohai Gulf Region, Shenyang, China
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Ferraz R, Coimbra S, Correia S, Canhoto J. RNA methyltransferases in plants: Breakthroughs in function and evolution. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 194:449-460. [PMID: 36502609 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.12.001] [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: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Each day it is becoming increasingly difficult not to notice the completely new, fast growing, extremely intricate and challenging world of epitranscriptomics as the understanding of RNA methylation is expanding at a hasty rate. Writers (methyltransferases), erasers (demethylases) and readers (RNA-binding proteins) are responsible for adding, removing and recognising methyl groups on RNA, respectively. Several methyltransferases identified in plants are now being investigated and recent studies have shown a connection between RNA-methyltransferases (RNA-MTases) and stress and development processes. However, compared to their animal and bacteria counterparts, the understanding of RNA methyltransferases is still incipient, particularly those located in organelles. Comparative and systematic analyses allowed the tracing of the evolution of these enzymes suggesting the existence of several methyltransferases yet to be characterised. This review outlines the functions of plant nuclear and organellar RNA-MTases in plant development and stress responses and the comparative and evolutionary discoveries made on RNA-MTases across kingdoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Ferraz
- Centre for Functional Ecology, TERRA Associate Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal; LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Sílvia Coimbra
- University of Porto, Faculty of Sciences, Portugal; LAQV Requimte, Sustainable Chemistry, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Sandra Correia
- Centre for Functional Ecology, TERRA Associate Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal.
| | - Jorge Canhoto
- Centre for Functional Ecology, TERRA Associate Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Calçada Martim de Freitas, Coimbra 3000-456, Portugal.
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Cabezas-Fuster A, Micol-Ponce R, Fontcuberta-Cervera S, Ponce M. Missplicing suppressor alleles of Arabidopsis PRE-MRNA PROCESSING FACTOR 8 increase splicing fidelity by reducing the use of novel splice sites. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5513-5527. [PMID: 35639749 PMCID: PMC9177961 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient splicing requires a balance between high-fidelity splice-site (SS) selection and speed. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pre-mRNA processing factor 8 (Prp8) helps to balance precise SS selection and rapid, efficient intron excision and exon joining. argonaute1-52 (ago1-52) and incurvata13 (icu13) are hypomorphic alleles of the Arabidopsis thaliana genes ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) and AUXIN RESISTANT6 (AXR6) that harbor point mutations creating a novel 3'SS and 5'SS, respectively. The spliceosome recognizes these novel SSs, as well as the intact genuine SSs, producing a mixture of wild-type and aberrant mature mRNAs. Here, we characterized five novel mutant alleles of PRP8 (one of the two Arabidopsis co-orthologs of yeast Prp8), naming these alleles morphology of ago1-52 suppressed5 (mas5). In the mas5-1 background, the spliceosome preferentially recognizes the intact genuine 3'SS of ago1-52 and 5'SS of icu13. Since point mutations that damage genuine SSs make the spliceosome prone to recognizing cryptic SSs, we also tested alleles of four genes carrying damaged genuine SSs, finding that mas5-1 did not suppress their missplicing. The mas5-1 and mas5-3 mutations represent a novel class of missplicing suppressors that increase splicing fidelity by hampering the use of novel SSs, but do not alter general pre-mRNA splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Cabezas-Fuster
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Rosa Micol-Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Sara Fontcuberta-Cervera
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - María Rosa Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
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Wen S, Li J, Hao Z, Wei L, Ma J, Zong Y, Li H. Overexpression of the LcCUC2-like gene in Arabidopsis thaliana alters the cotyledon morphology and increases rosette leaf number. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12615. [PMID: 35178288 PMCID: PMC8817629 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The unique 'mandarin jacket' leaf shape is the most famous trait of Liriodendron chinense and this characteristic gives L. chinense aesthetic and landscaping value. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism of genes involved in the leaf development of L. chinense has remained unclear. METHODS Based on transcriptome data of leaves at different developmental stages from L. chinense, we identified differentially expression genes (DEGs) functioning in leaf development. A candidate gene named LcCUC2-like (LcCUC2L) had high similarity in sequence with Arabidopsis thaliana CUC2, and used for further research. We isolated the full-length LcCUC2L gene and its promoter from L. chinense. Subsequently, we analyzed the function of the LcCUC2L gene and its promoter activity via transformation into A. thaliana. RESULTS In this study, we found that the LcCUC2L and AtCUC2 are homologous in sequence but not homologous in function. Unlike the role of AtCUC2 in leaf serration and SAM formation, the LcCUC2L mainly regulates cotyledon development and rosette leaf number. Histochemical β-glucuronidase (GUS) staining revealed that LcCUC2L was expressed in the cotyledons of A. thaliana seedlings, indicating that the LcCUC2L may play a role in cotyledon development. Ectopic expression of LcCUC2L resulted in long, narrow cotyledons without petioles, abnormal lamina epidermis cells and defective vascular tissue in cotyledons, and these results were consistent with the LcCUC2L expression pattern. Further analysis showed that overexpression of LcCUC2L also induced numerous rosette leaves. Also, LcCUC2L and other related genes showed a severe response in L. chinense by introducing exogenous auxin stimulation, partly revealed that LcCUC2L affects the leaf development by regulating the auxin content. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that LcCUC2L may play a critical role in leaf development and morphogenesis in L. chinense, and our findings provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of leaf development in L. chinense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoying Wen
- Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiayu Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziyuan Hao
- Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lingmin Wei
- Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jikai Ma
- Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yaxian Zong
- Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huogen Li
- Key Laboratory of Forest Genetics & Biotechnology of Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Hang N, Shi T, Liu Y, Ye W, Taier G, Sun Y, Wang K, Zhang W. Overexpression of Os-microRNA408 enhances drought tolerance in perennial ryegrass. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 172:733-747. [PMID: 33215699 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
As a conserved microRNA (miRNA) family in plants, miR408 is known to be involved in different abiotic stress responses, including drought. Interestingly, some studies indicated a species- and/or cultivar-specific drought-responsive characteristic of miR408 in plant drought stress. Moreover, the functions of miR408 in perennial grass species are unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of miR408 in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) by withholding water for 10 days for both wild type and transgenic plants with heterologous expression of rice (Oryza sativa L.) miR408 gene, Os-miR408. The results showed that transgenic perennial ryegrass plants displayed morphological changes under normal growth conditions, such as curl leaves and sunken stomata, which could be related to decreased leaf water loss. Moreover, transgenic perennial ryegrass exhibited improved drought tolerance, as demonstrated by maintaining higher leaf relative water content (RWC), lower electrolyte leakage (EL), and less lipid peroxidation compared to WT plants under drought stress. Furthermore, the transgenic plants showed higher antioxidative capacity under drought. These results showed that the improved drought tolerance in Os-miR408 transgenic plants could be due to leaf morphological changes favoring the maintenance of water status and to increased antioxidative capacity protecting against the reactive oxygen species damages under stress. These findings implied that miR408 could serve as a potential target for genetic manipulations to engineer perennial grass plants for improved water stress tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Hang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianran Shi
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanrong Liu
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenxin Ye
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhehaote, China
| | - Geli Taier
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Sun
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Kehua Wang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- National Energy R&D Center for Biomass, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Han Y, Zhang Y, Cao G, Shao L, Ding Q, Ma L. Dynamic expression of miRNAs and functional analysis of target genes involved in the response to male sterility of the wheat line YS3038. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2021; 162:363-377. [PMID: 33730621 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.02.047] [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: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Thermosensitive cytoplasmic male sterile (TCMS) lines play an important role in wheat breeding, heterosis utilization, and germplasm innovation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate the expression level of target genes by inhibiting the translation of these genes. YS3038 is a wheat TCMS line. In this study, the fertility conversion mechanism of YS3038 was studied by examining the abortion characteristics of YS3038, the regulation pattern of miRNAs and the target genes of miRNAs in YS3038. MiRNA-seq was performed on three important stages of YS3038 under sterile and fertile conditions. Then, the clean reads were aligned with some databases to filter other ncRNAs and repeats. The known miRNAs and novel miRNAs were predicted by sequence comparison with known miRNAs from miRbase. Differential expression of miRNAs between different stages and between different fertile conditions was analyzed, and functional analysis of target genes with opposite expression patterns as those of the miRNAs was conducted. The Ubisch bodies and microspores of sterile anthers were covered with filamentous materials. The degradation of the tapetum cells, the chloroplast structure of endothecium cells, and the microspore structure were abnormal. Microspore development was hindered from the late uninucleate stage to the binucleate stage. Twenty, 52, and 68 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs) were identified at the early uninucleate, late uninucleate, and binucleate stages, respectively, and there were 0, 7, and 72 differentially expressed target genes (DETGs), respectively, at these three stages. At the binucleate stage, 29 DEmiRs had 41 target mRNAs in total, and the expression patterns of the 41 target mRNAs were opposite to those of the 29 miRNAs. Fifteen significantly enriched KEGG pathways were associated with the 41 target mRNAs. Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) play important roles in plant developmental and physiological processes. Some studies have shown that the expression of LRR-RLKs is related to the differentiation of microsporocytes and tapetum cells and to male sterility. An LRR-RLK (TaeRPK) gene was silenced by the barley stripe mosaic virus-induced gene silencing (BSMV-VIGS) method, and the seed setting rates of the TaeRPK-silenced plants (3.51%) were significantly lower than those of the negative control plants (88.78%) (P < 0.01). Thus, the TaeRPK gene is likely to be involved in the fertility conversion of YS3038.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucui Han
- College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yiyang Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Guannan Cao
- College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Leilei Shao
- College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Qin Ding
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
| | - Lingjian Ma
- College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
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Abstract
Stomatal cell fate and patterning, which are regulated by key transcriptional factors and intercellular communications, are critical for plant growth and survival. The known regulators of stomatal development do not appear to have microRNAs (miRNAs) regulating them. Thus, it remains elusive as to whether and how miRNAs are involved in stomatal development. This study identifies stomatal lineage miRNAs including developmental stage-specific miRNAs. Genetic analysis shows that stomatal lineage miRNAs positively or negatively regulate stomatal formation and patterning. Moreover, biological processes modulated by stomatal lineage miRNAs reveal previously unknown regulatory pathways in stomatal development, indicating that miRNAs function as a critical element of stomatal development. These results provide a resource for guiding the study of stomatal development. Stomata in the plant epidermis play a critical role in growth and survival by controlling gas exchange, transpiration, and immunity to pathogens. Plants modulate stomatal cell fate and patterning through key transcriptional factors and signaling pathways. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to contribute to developmental plasticity in multicellular organisms; however, no miRNAs appear to target the known regulators of stomatal development. It remains unclear as to whether miRNAs are involved in stomatal development. Here, we report highly dynamic, developmentally stage-specific miRNA expression profiles from stomatal lineage cells. We demonstrate that stomatal lineage miRNAs positively and negatively regulate stomatal formation and patterning to avoid clustered stomata. Target prediction of stomatal lineage miRNAs implicates potential cellular processes in stomatal development. We show that miR399-mediated PHO2 regulation, involved in phosphate homeostasis, contributes to the control of stomatal development. Our study demonstrates that miRNAs constitute a critical component in the regulatory mechanisms controlling stomatal development.
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Sara HC, René GH, Rosa UC, Angela KG, Clelia DLP. Agave angustifolia albino plantlets lose stomatal physiology function by changing the development of the stomatal complex due to a molecular disruption. Mol Genet Genomics 2020; 295:787-805. [PMID: 31925511 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-019-01643-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Stomatal development is regulated by signaling pathways that function in multiple cellular programs, including cell fate and cell division. However, recent studies suggest that molecular signals are affected by CO2 concentration, light intensity, and water pressure deficit, thereby modifying distribution patterns and stomatic density and likely other foliar features as well. Here, we show that in addition to lacking chloroplasts, the albino somaclonal variants of Agave angustifolia Haw present an irregular epidermal development and morphological abnormalities of the stomatal complex, affecting the link between the stomatal conductance, transpiration and photosynthesis, as well as the development of the stoma in the upper part of the leaves. In addition, we show that changes in the transcriptional levels of SPEECHLESS (SPCH), TOO MANY MOUTHS (TMM), MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE 4 and 6 (MAPK4 and MAPK6) and FOUR LIPS (FLP), all from the meristematic tissue and leaf, differentially modulate the stomatal function between the green, variegated and albino in vitro plantlets of A. angustifolia. Likewise, we highlight the conservation of microRNAs miR166 and miR824 as part of the regulation of AGAMOUS-LIKE16 (AGL16), recently associated with the control of cell divisions that regulate the development of the stomatal complex. We propose that molecular alterations happening in albino cells formed from the meristematic base can lead to different anomalies during the transition and specification of the stomatal cell state in leaf development of albino plantlets. We conclude that the molecular alterations in the meristematic cells in albino plants might be the main variable associated with stoma distribution in this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hernández-Castellano Sara
- Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Unidad de Biotecnología, Calle 43 N°130 x 32 y 34, Chuburná de Hidalgo, 97205, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Garruña-Hernández René
- CONACYT-Instituto Tecnológico de Conkal, Avenida Tecnológico s/n Conkal, 97345, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Us-Camas Rosa
- Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Unidad de Biotecnología, Calle 43 N°130 x 32 y 34, Chuburná de Hidalgo, 97205, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Kú-Gonzalez Angela
- Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Unidad de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular de Plantas, Calle 43 N° 130 x 32 y 34, Chuburná de Hidalgo, 97205, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - De-la-Peña Clelia
- Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Unidad de Biotecnología, Calle 43 N°130 x 32 y 34, Chuburná de Hidalgo, 97205, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
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Oliver C, Pradillo M, Jover-Gil S, Cuñado N, Ponce MR, Santos JL. Loss of function of Arabidopsis microRNA-machinery genes impairs fertility, and has effects on homologous recombination and meiotic chromatin dynamics. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9280. [PMID: 28839139 PMCID: PMC5571030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07702-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ~22-nt single-stranded noncoding RNAs with regulatory roles in a wide range of cellular functions by repressing eukaryotic gene expression at a post-transcriptional level. Here, we analyzed the effects on meiosis and fertility of hypomorphic or null alleles of the HYL1, HEN1, DCL1, HST and AGO1 genes, which encode miRNA-machinery components in Arabidopsis. Reduced pollen and megaspore mother cell number and fertility were shown by the mutants analyzed. These mutants also exhibited a relaxed chromatin conformation in male meiocytes at the first meiotic division, and increased chiasma frequency, which is likely to be due to increased levels of mRNAs from key genes involved in homologous recombination. The hen1-13 mutant was found to be hypersensitive to gamma irradiation, which mainly causes double-strand breaks susceptible to be repaired by homologous recombination. Our findings uncover a role for miRNA-machinery components in Arabidopsis meiosis, as well as in the repression of key genes required for homologous recombination. These genes seem to be indirect miRNA targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Oliver
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.,Institut de Génétique Humaine UMR9002 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, 34396, Montpellier, cedex 05, France
| | - Mónica Pradillo
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Jover-Gil
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Nieves Cuñado
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Rosa Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202, Elche, Spain.
| | - Juan Luis Santos
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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Paces J, Nic M, Novotny T, Svoboda P. Literature review of baseline information to support the risk assessment of RNAi‐based GM plants. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [PMCID: PMC7163844 DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.en-1246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Paces
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IMG)
| | | | | | - Petr Svoboda
- Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IMG)
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13
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Fouracre JP, Poethig RS. The role of small RNAs in vegetative shoot development. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 29:64-72. [PMID: 26745378 PMCID: PMC4753120 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Shoot development consists of the production of lateral organs in predictable spatial and temporal patterns at the shoot apex. To properly integrate such programs of growth across different cell and tissue types, plants require highly complex and robust genetic networks. Over the last twenty years, the roles of small, non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) in these networks have become increasingly apparent, not least in vegetative shoot growth. In this review, we describe recent progress in understanding the contribution of sRNAs to the regulation of vegetative shoot growth, and outline persisting experimental limitations in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim P Fouracre
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, 433 S. University Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - R Scott Poethig
- Biology Department, University of Pennsylvania, 433 S. University Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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14
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Micol-Ponce R, Sánchez-García AB, Xu Q, Barrero JM, Micol JL, Ponce MR. Arabidopsis INCURVATA2 Regulates Salicylic Acid and Abscisic Acid Signaling, and Oxidative Stress Responses. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 56:2207-2219. [PMID: 26423959 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcv132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulatory states can persist through mitosis and meiosis, but the connection between chromatin structure and DNA replication remains unclear. Arabidopsis INCURVATA2 (ICU2) encodes the catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase α, and null alleles of ICU2 have an embryo-lethal phenotype. Analysis of icu2-1, a hypomorphic allele of ICU2, demonstrated that ICU2 functions in chromatin-mediated cellular memory; icu2-1 strongly impairs ICU2 function in the maintenance of repressive epigenetic marks but does not seem to affect ICU2 polymerase activity. To better understand the global function of ICU2 in epigenetic regulation, here we performed a microarray analysis of icu2-1 mutant plants. We found that the genes up-regulated in the icu2-1 mutant included genes encoding transcription factors and targets of the Polycomb Repressive Complexes. The down-regulated genes included many known players in salicylic acid (SA) biosynthesis and accumulation, ABA signaling and ABA-mediated responses. In addition, we found that icu2-1 plants had reduced SA levels in normal conditions; infection by Fusarium oxysporum induced SA accumulation in the En-2 wild type but not in the icu2-1 mutant. The icu2-1 plants were also hypersensitive to salt stress and exogenous ABA in seedling establishment, post-germination growth and stomatal closure, and accumulated more ABA than the wild type in response to salt stress. The icu2-1 mutant also showed high tolerance to the oxidative stress produced by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT). Our results uncover a role for ICU2 in the regulation of genes involved in ABA signaling as well as in SA biosynthesis and accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Micol-Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ana Belén Sánchez-García
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Qian Xu
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Plant Industry, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - José María Barrero
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Plant Industry, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - José Luis Micol
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - María Rosa Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
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Functional Analysis and RNA Sequencing Indicate the Regulatory Role of Argonaute1 in Tomato Compound Leaf Development. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0140756. [PMID: 26479258 PMCID: PMC4610667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0140756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 09/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Regardless of whether a leaf is simple or compound, the mechanism underlying its development will give rise to a full comprehension of plant morphogenesis. The role of Argonaute1 (AGO1) in the development of simple leaves has been established, but its role in the development of compound leaves remains to be characterized. In this paper, a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) strategy was used to dramatically down-regulate the expression of AGO1 ortholog in tomatoes, a model plant for research into compound leaves. AGO1-silenced tomato compound leaves exhibited morphological defects of leaf adaxial-abaxial and trichome development. Analysis of global gene expression profiles indicated that the silencing of AGO1 in tomato compound leaf caused significant changes in the expression of several critical genes, including Auxin Response Factor 4 (ARF4) and Non-expressor of PR5 (NPR5), which were involved in adaxial-abaxial formation and IAA15 that was found to contribute to growth of trichomes as well as Gibberellic Acid Insensitive (GAI) which participated in hormone regulation. Collectively, these results shed light on the complicated mechanism by which AGO1 regulates compound leaf development.
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Reis RS, Hart-Smith G, Eamens AL, Wilkins MR, Waterhouse PM. MicroRNA Regulatory Mechanisms Play Different Roles in Arabidopsis. J Proteome Res 2015; 14:4743-51. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.5b00616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo S. Reis
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Faculty
of Agriculture and Environment, University of Sydney, Eveleigh, NSW 2015, Australia
| | - Gene Hart-Smith
- Systems
Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Andrew L. Eamens
- School
of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - Marc R. Wilkins
- Systems
Biology Initiative, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Peter M. Waterhouse
- School
of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, Macleay Building A12, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Centre
for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia
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17
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Niu SH, Liu C, Yuan HW, Li P, Li Y, Li W. Identification and expression profiles of sRNAs and their biogenesis and action-related genes in male and female cones of Pinus tabuliformis. BMC Genomics 2015; 16:693. [PMID: 26369937 PMCID: PMC4570457 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-015-1885-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Small RNA (sRNA) play pivotal roles in reproductive development, and their biogenesis and action mechanisms are well characterised in angiosperm plants; however, corresponding studies in conifers are very limited. To improve our understanding of the roles of sRNA pathways in the reproductive development of conifers, the genes associated with sRNA biogenesis and action pathways were identified and analysed, and sRNA sequencing and parallel analysis of RNA ends (PARE) were performed in male and female cones of the Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis). Results Based on high-quality reference transcriptomic sequences, 21 high-confidence homologues involved in sRNA biogenesis and action in P. tabuliformis were identified, including two different DCL3 genes and one AGO4 gene. More than 75 % of genes involved in sRNA biogenesis and action have higher expression levels in female than in male cones. Twenty-six microRNA (miRNA) families and 74 targets, including 46 24-nt sRNAs with a 5’ A, which are specifically expressed in male cones or female cones and probably bind to AGO4, were identified. Conclusions The sRNA pathways have higher activity in female than in male cones, and the miRNA pathways are the main sRNA pathways in P. tabuliformis. The low level of 24-nt short-interfering RNAs in conifers is not caused by the absence of biogenesis-related genes or AGO-binding proteins, but most likely caused by the low accumulation of these key components. The identification of sRNAs and their targets, as well as genes associated with sRNA biogenesis and action, will provide a good starting point for investigations into the roles of sRNA pathways in cone development in conifers. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1885-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Hui Niu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Forest Tree Breeding, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chang Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Forest Tree Breeding, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hu-Wei Yuan
- National Engineering Laboratory for Forest Tree Breeding, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Pei Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Forest Tree Breeding, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yue Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Forest Tree Breeding, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wei Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Forest Tree Breeding, College of Biological Science and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, People's Republic of China.
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18
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Mateo-Bonmatí E, Casanova-Sáez R, Candela H, Micol JL. Rapid identification of angulata leaf mutations using next-generation sequencing. PLANTA 2014; 240:1113-1122. [PMID: 25102851 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-014-2137-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Map-based (positional) cloning has traditionally been the preferred strategy for identifying the causal genes underlying the phenotypes of mutants isolated in forward genetic screens. Massively parallel sequencing technologies are enabling the rapid cloning of genes identified in such screens. We have used a combination of linkage mapping and whole-genome re-sequencing to identify the causal mutations in four loss-of-function angulata (anu) mutants. These mutants were isolated in a screen for mutants with defects in leaf shape and leaf pigmentation. Our results show that the anu1-1, anu4-1, anu9-1 and anu12-1 mutants carry new alleles of the previously characterized SECA2, TRANSLOCON AT THE OUTER MEMBRANE OF CHLOROPLASTS 33 (TOC33), NON-INTRINSIC ABC PROTEIN 14 (NAP14) and CLP PROTEASE PROTEOLYTIC SUBUNIT 1 (CLPR1) genes. Re-sequencing the genomes of fine mapped mutants is a feasible approach that has allowed us to identify a moderate number of candidate mutations, including the one that causes the mutant phenotype, in a nonstandard genetic background. Our results indicate that anu mutations specifically affect plastid-localized proteins involved in diverse processes, such as the movement of peptides through chloroplast membranes (ANU1 and ANU4), metal homeostasis (ANU9) and protein degradation (ANU12).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Mateo-Bonmatí
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202, Elche, Alicante, Spain
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19
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Fernández-Nohales P, Domenech MJ, Martínez de Alba AE, Micol JL, Ponce MR, Madueño F. AGO1 controls arabidopsis inflorescence architecture possibly by regulating TFL1 expression. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2014; 114:1471-81. [PMID: 24989784 PMCID: PMC4204786 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1) gene is pivotal in the control of inflorescence architecture in arabidopsis. Thus, tfl1 mutants flower early and have a very short inflorescence phase, while TFL1-overexpressing plants have extended vegetative and inflorescence phases, producing many coflorescences. TFL1 is expressed in the shoot meristems, never in the flowers. In the inflorescence apex, TFL1 keeps the floral genes LEAFY (LFY) and APETALA1 (AP1) restricted to the flower, while LFY and AP1 restrict TFL1 to the inflorescence meristem. In spite of the central role of TFL1 in inflorescence architecture, regulation of its expression is poorly understood. This study aims to expand the understanding of inflorescence development by identifying and studying novel TFL1 regulators. METHODS Mutagenesis of an Arabidopsis thaliana line carrying a TFL1::GUS (β-glucuronidase) reporter construct was used to isolate a mutant with altered TFL1 expression. The mutated gene was identified by positional cloning. Expression of TFL1 and TFL1::GUS was analysed by real-time PCR and histochemical GUS detection. Double-mutant analysis was used to assess the contribution of TFL1 to the inflorescence mutant phenotype. KEY RESULTS A mutant with both an increased number of coflorescences and high and ectopic TFL1 expression was isolated. Cloning of the mutated gene showed that both phenotypes were caused by a mutation in the ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) gene, which encodes a key component of the RNA silencing machinery. Analysis of another ago1 allele indicated that the proliferation of coflorescences and ectopic TFL1 expression phenotypes are not allele specific. The increased number of coflorescences is suppressed in ago1 tfl1 double mutants. CONCLUSIONS The results identify AGO1 as a repressor of TFL1 expression. Moreover, they reveal a novel role for AGO1 in inflorescence development, controlling the production of coflorescences. AGO1 seems to play this role through regulating TFL1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Fernández-Nohales
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - M J Domenech
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - A E Martínez de Alba
- Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin, UMR 1318, INRA, Route de St-Cyr, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - J L Micol
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - M R Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - F Madueño
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia 46022, Spain
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20
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Jover-Gil S, Paz-Ares J, Micol JL, Ponce MR. Multi-gene silencing in Arabidopsis: a collection of artificial microRNAs targeting groups of paralogs encoding transcription factors. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 80:149-160. [PMID: 25040904 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Revised: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Functional redundancy often hampers the analysis of gene families. To overcome this difficulty, we constructed Arabidopsis thaliana lines that expressed artificial microRNAs designed to simultaneously target two to six paralogous genes encoding members of transcription factor families. Of the 576 genes that we chose as targets, only 122 had already been functionally studied at some level. As a simple indicator of the inhibitory effects of our amiRNAs on their targets, we examined the amiRNA-expressing transgenic lines for morphological phenotypes at the rosette stage. Of 338 transgenes tested, 21 caused a visible morphological phenotype in leaves, a proportion that is much higher than that expected as a result of insertional mutagenesis. Also, our collection probably represents many other mutant phenotypes, not just those in leaves. This robust, versatile method enables functional examination of redundant transcription factor paralogs, and is particularly useful for genes that occur in tandem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jover-Gil
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202, Elche, Alicante, Spain
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21
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Micol-Ponce R, Aguilera V, Ponce MR. A genetic screen for suppressors of a hypomorphic allele of Arabidopsis ARGONAUTE1. Sci Rep 2014; 4:5533. [PMID: 24985352 PMCID: PMC4078309 DOI: 10.1038/srep05533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) encodes a key component of the complexes mediating microRNA (miRNA) function in Arabidopsis. To study the regulation, action and interactions of AGO1, we conducted a genetic screen to identify second-site mutations modifying the morphological phenotype of ago1-52, a partial loss-of-function allele of AGO1. Unlike null ago1 mutations, the hypomorphic ago1-52 allele does not cause lethality or sterility; however, ago1-52 does produce a morphological phenotype clearly distinct from wild type. In our screen for modifiers of ago1-52, we identified suppressor mutations that partially restore wild-type morphology in the ago1-52 background and we termed these mas (morphology of argonaute1-52 suppressed). We focused on 23 of these putative suppressors. Linkage analysis of the mas mutations together with sequencing of the AGO1 gene in genomic DNA and cDNA from ago1-52 mas plants indicated that 22 of the mas lines contain extragenic suppressors, and one contains an intragenic suppressor that affects splicing of ago1-52. In the presence of the wild-type allele of AGO1, most of the mas mutations cause a mild or no mutant phenotype on their own, indicating that the ago1-52 mutant may provide a sensitized background for examining the interactions of AGO1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Micol-Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Verónica Aguilera
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
- These authors contributed equally to this work
- Current address: Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Rosa Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
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Le J, Zou J, Yang K, Wang M. Signaling to stomatal initiation and cell division. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 5:297. [PMID: 25002867 PMCID: PMC4066587 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2014.00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Stomata are two-celled valves that control epidermal pores whose opening and spacing optimizes shoot-atmosphere gas exchange. Arabidopsis stomatal formation involves at least one asymmetric division and one symmetric division. Stomatal formation and patterning are regulated by the frequency and placement of asymmetric divisions. This model system has already led to significant advances in developmental biology, such as the regulation of cell fate, division, differentiation, and patterning. Over the last 30 years, stomatal development has been found to be controlled by numerous intrinsic genetic and environmental factors. This mini review focuses on the signaling involved in stomatal initiation and in divisions in the cell lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Le
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
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23
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Yang K, Jiang M, Le J. A new loss-of-function allele 28y reveals a role of ARGONAUTE1 in limiting asymmetric division of stomatal lineage ground cell. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 56:539-49. [PMID: 24386951 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 12/26/2013] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In Arabidopsis thaliana L., stomata are produced through a series of divisions including asymmetric and symmetric divisions. Asymmetric entry division of meristemoid mother cell produces two daughter cells, the smaller meristemoid and the larger sister cell, a stomatal lineage ground cell (SLGC). Stomatal lineage ground cells can differentiate into epidermal pavement cells but have the potential to divide asymmetrically, spacing divisions, to create satellite meristemoids. Peptide ligands and TOO MANY MOUTHS (TMM) and ERECTA family receptors regulate the initiation of stomatal lineages, activity, and orientation of spacing divisions. Here, we reported that a natural mutant 28y displayed an increased stomatal density and index. Using map-based cloning, we identified mutation in ARGONAUTE1 (AGO1) as the cause of 28y phenotypes. Time-lapse tracing of stomatal lineage cells reveals that stomatal overproduction in 28y is caused by the excessive asymmetric spacing division of SLGCs. Further genetic results demonstrated that AGO1 acts downstream of TMM and negatively regulates the SPCH transcripts, but in a brassinosteroid-independent manner. Upregulation of AGAMOUS-LIKE16 (AGL16) in 28y mutants suggests that AGO1 is required to restrict AGL16-mediated stomatal spacing divisions, an miRNA pathway in addition to ligand-receptor signaling modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kezhen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
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24
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Casanova-Sáez R, Candela H, Micol JL. Combined haploinsufficiency and purifying selection drive retention of RPL36a paralogs in Arabidopsis. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4122. [PMID: 24535089 PMCID: PMC3927210 DOI: 10.1038/srep04122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Whole-genome duplication events have driven to a large degree the evolution of angiosperm genomes. Although the majority of redundant gene copies after a genome duplication are lost, subfunctionalization or gene balance account for the retention of gene copies. The Arabidopsis 80S ribosome represents an excellent model to test the gene balance hypothesis as it consists of 80 ribosomal proteins, all of them encoded by genes belonging to small gene families. Here, we present the isolation of mutant alleles of the APICULATA2 (API2) and RPL36aA paralogous genes, which encode identical ribosomal proteins but share a similarity of 89% in their coding sequences. RPL36aA was found expressed at a higher level than API2 in the wild type. The loss-of-function api2 and rpl36aa mutations are recessive and affect leaf development in a similar way. Their double mutant combinations with asymmetric leaves2-1 (as2-1) caused leaf polarity defects that were stronger in rpl36aa as2-1 than in api2 as2-1. Our results highlight the role of combined haploinsufficiency and purifying selection in the retention of these paralogous genes in the Arabidopsis genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Casanova-Sáez
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Héctor Candela
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - José Luis Micol
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain
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25
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Furuta KM, Hellmann E, Helariutta Y. Molecular control of cell specification and cell differentiation during procambial development. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2014; 65:607-38. [PMID: 24579995 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050213-040306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Land plants develop vascular tissues that enable the long-distance transport of water and nutrients in xylem and phloem, provide mechanical support for their vertical growth, and produce cells in radial growth. Vascular tissues are produced in many parts of the plant and during different developmental stages. Early vascular development is focused in procambial meristems, and in some species it continues during the secondary phase of plant development in cambial meristems. In this review, we highlight recent progress in understanding procambial development. This involves the analysis of stem cell-like properties of procambial tissues, specification of xylem and phloem, and differentiation of the conductive tissues. Several major plant hormones, small-RNA species, and transcriptional networks play a role in vascular development. We describe current approaches to integrating these networks as well as their potential role in explaining the diversity and evolution of plant vascular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Miyashima Furuta
- Institute of Biotechnology and Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FIN-00014, Finland; , ,
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26
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Ferrández-Ayela A, Micol-Ponce R, Sánchez-García AB, Alonso-Peral MM, Micol JL, Ponce MR. Mutation of an Arabidopsis NatB N-alpha-terminal acetylation complex component causes pleiotropic developmental defects. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80697. [PMID: 24244708 PMCID: PMC3828409 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
N-α-terminal acetylation is one of the most common, but least understood modifications of eukaryotic proteins. Although a high degree of conservation exists between the N-α-terminal acetylomes of plants and animals, very little information is available on this modification in plants. In yeast and humans, N-α-acetyltransferase complexes include a single catalytic subunit and one or two auxiliary subunits. Here, we report the positional cloning of TRANSCURVATA2 (TCU2), which encodes the auxiliary subunit of the NatB N-α-acetyltransferase complex in Arabidopsis. The phenotypes of loss-of-function tcu2 alleles indicate that NatB complex activity is required for flowering time regulation and for leaf, inflorescence, flower, fruit and embryonic development. In double mutants, tcu2 alleles synergistically interact with alleles of ARGONAUTE10, which encodes a component of the microRNA machinery. In summary, NatB-mediated N-α-terminal acetylation of proteins is pleiotropically required for Arabidopsis development and seems to be functionally related to the microRNA pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosa Micol-Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, Elche, Spain
| | | | | | - José Luis Micol
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, Elche, Spain
| | - María Rosa Ponce
- Instituto de Bioingeniería, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Campus de Elche, Elche, Spain
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Sack L, Scoffoni C. Leaf venation: structure, function, development, evolution, ecology and applications in the past, present and future. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2013; 198:983-1000. [PMID: 23600478 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 334] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 02/18/2013] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The design and function of leaf venation are important to plant performance, with key implications for the distribution and productivity of ecosystems, and applications in paleobiology, agriculture and technology. We synthesize classical concepts and the recent literature on a wide range of aspects of leaf venation. We describe 10 major structural features that contribute to multiple key functions, and scale up to leaf and plant performance. We describe the development and plasticity of leaf venation and its adaptation across environments globally, and a new global data compilation indicating trends relating vein length per unit area to climate, growth form and habitat worldwide. We synthesize the evolution of vein traits in the major plant lineages throughout paleohistory, highlighting the multiple origins of individual traits. We summarize the strikingly diverse current applications of leaf vein research in multiple fields of science and industry. A unified core understanding will enable an increasing range of plant biologists to incorporate leaf venation into their research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Christine Scoffoni
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Machida Y, Fukaki H, Araki T. Plant meristems and organogenesis: the new era of plant developmental research. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 54:295-301. [PMID: 23468554 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pct034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
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Esteve-Bruna D, Pérez-Pérez JM, Ponce MR, Micol JL. incurvata13, a novel allele of AUXIN RESISTANT6, reveals a specific role for auxin and the SCF complex in Arabidopsis embryogenesis, vascular specification, and leaf flatness. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 161:1303-20. [PMID: 23319550 PMCID: PMC3585598 DOI: 10.1104/pp.112.207779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Auxin plays a pivotal role in plant development by modulating the activity of SCF ubiquitin ligase complexes. Here, we positionally cloned Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) incurvata13 (icu13), a mutation that causes leaf hyponasty and reduces leaf venation pattern complexity and auxin responsiveness. We found that icu13 is a novel recessive allele of AUXIN RESISTANT6 (AXR6), which encodes CULLIN1, an invariable component of the SCF complex. Consistent with a role for auxin in vascular specification, the vascular defects in the icu13 mutant were accompanied by reduced expression of auxin transport and auxin perception markers in provascular cells. This observation is consistent with the expression pattern of AXR6, which we found to be restricted to vascular precursors and hydathodes in wild-type leaf primordia. AXR1, RELATED TO UBIQUITIN1-CONJUGATING ENZYME1, CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC9 SIGNALOSOME5A, and CULLIN-ASSOCIATED NEDD8-DISSOCIATED1 participate in the covalent modification of CULLIN1 by RELATED TO UBIQUITIN. Hypomorphic alleles of these genes also display simple venation patterns, and their double mutant combinations with icu13 exhibited a synergistic, rootless phenotype reminiscent of that caused by loss of function of MONOPTEROS (MP), which forms an auxin-signaling module with BODENLOS (BDL). The phenotypes of double mutant combinations of icu13 with either a gain-of-function allele of BDL or a loss-of-function allele of MP were synergistic. In addition, a BDL:green fluorescent protein fusion protein accumulated in icu13, and BDL loss of function or MP overexpression suppressed the phenotype of icu13. Our results demonstrate that the MP-BDL module is required not only for root specification in embryogenesis and vascular postembryonic development but also for leaf flatness.
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