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Xu M, Li L, Yan J, Li D, Liu Y, Zhang W, Liu Y. Blocking miR396 activity by overexpression MIM396 improved switchgrass tiller number and biomass yield. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2024; 17:69. [PMID: 38802880 PMCID: PMC11131217 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02514-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND MicroRNA396 (miR396) plays an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development by repressing the expression level of its target growth-regulating factor (GRF) family genes. In our previous study, we found that overexpression of miR396 negatively regulated both tillering and biomass yield in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). We, therefore, speculated that blocking the expression of miR396 could enhance switchgrass tillering and biomass yield. Here, we produced transgenic switchgrass plants overexpressing a target mimicry form of miR396 (MIM396) in wild type (WT) and Os-MIR319b overexpressing switchgrass plant (with higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency, but reduced tillering), in which the expression of miR396 was blocked. The phenotype and biological yields of these plants were analyzed. RESULTS Blocking miR396 to improve its target PvGRFs expression in switchgrass improved the tiller number and dry weight of transgenic plants. Further morphological analysis revealed that MIM396 plants increased the number of aerial branches and basal tillers compared to those of wild-type plants. The enzymatic efficiency of MIM396 plants was reduced; however, the total sugar production per plant was still significantly higher than that of wild-type plants due to the increase in biomass. In addition, blocking miR396 in a transgenic switchgrass plant overexpressing Os-MIR319b (TG21-Ms) significantly increased the PvGRF1/3/5 expression level and tiller number and biomass yield. The miR156-target gene PvSPL4, playing a negative role in aerial and basal buds outgrowth, showed significant downregulated in MIM396 and TG21-Ms. Those results indicate that miR396-PvGRFs, through disrupting the PvSPL4 expression, are involved in miR319-PvPCFs in regulating tiller number, at least partly. CONCLUSIONS MIM396 could be used as a molecular tool to improving tiller number and biomass yield in switchgrass wild type and miR319b transgenic plants. This finding may be applied to other graminaceous plants to regulate plant biological yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhi Xu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Lin Li
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Jianping Yan
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Dayong Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Vegetable Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, 100097, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaling Liu
- National Center of Pratacultural Technology Innovation (Under Preparation), Hohhot, 010010, China
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yanrong Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Zaheer U, Munir F, Salum YM, He W. Function and regulation of plant ARGONAUTE proteins in response to environmental challenges: a review. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17115. [PMID: 38560454 PMCID: PMC10979746 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental stresses diversely affect multiple processes related to the growth, development, and yield of many crops worldwide. In response, plants have developed numerous sophisticated defense mechanisms at the cellular and subcellular levels to react and adapt to biotic and abiotic stressors. RNA silencing, which is an innate immune mechanism, mediates sequence-specific gene expression regulation in higher eukaryotes. ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins are essential components of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). They bind to small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) and target complementary RNAs, causing translational repression or triggering endonucleolytic cleavage pathways. In this review, we aim to illustrate the recently published molecular functions, regulatory mechanisms, and biological roles of AGO family proteins in model plants and cash crops, especially in the defense against diverse biotic and abiotic stresses, which could be helpful in crop improvement and stress tolerance in various plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uroosa Zaheer
- Plant Protection, State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Faisal Munir
- Plant Protection, State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Yussuf Mohamed Salum
- Plant Protection, State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Weiyi He
- Plant Protection, State Key Laboratory for Ecological Pest Control of Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Institute of Applied Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, International Joint Research Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control, Ministry of Education, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Plant Protection, Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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Yuan H, Zheng Z, Bao Y, Zhao X, Lv J, Tang C, Wang N, Liang Z, Li H, Xiang J, Qian Y, Shi Y. Identification and Regulation of Hypoxia-Tolerant and Germination-Related Genes in Rice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2177. [PMID: 38396854 PMCID: PMC10889564 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042177] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In direct seeding, hypoxia is a major stress faced by rice plants. Therefore, dissecting the response mechanism of rice to hypoxia stress and the molecular regulatory network is critical to the development of hypoxia-tolerant rice varieties and direct seeding of rice. This review summarizes the morphological, physiological, and ecological changes in rice under hypoxia stress, the discovery of hypoxia-tolerant and germination-related genes/QTLs, and the latest research on candidate genes, and explores the linkage of hypoxia tolerance genes and their distribution in indica and japonica rice through population variance analysis and haplotype network analysis. Among the candidate genes, OsMAP1 is a typical gene located on the MAPK cascade reaction for indica-japonica divergence; MHZ6 is involved in both the MAPK signaling and phytohormone transduction pathway. MHZ6 has three major haplotypes and one rare haplotype, with Hap3 being dominated by indica rice varieties, and promotes internode elongation in deep-water rice by activating the SD1 gene. OsAmy3D and Adh1 have similar indica-japonica varietal differentiation, and are mainly present in indica varieties. There are three high-frequency haplotypes of OsTPP7, namely Hap1 (n = 1109), Hap2 (n = 1349), and Hap3 (n = 217); Hap2 is more frequent in japonica, and the genetic background of OsTPP7 was derived from the japonica rice subpopulation. Further artificial selection, natural domestication, and other means to identify more resistance mechanisms of this gene may facilitate future research to breed superior rice cultivars. Finally, this study discusses the application of rice hypoxia-tolerant germplasm in future breeding research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Yuan
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Zhenzhen Zheng
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yaling Bao
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Xueyu Zhao
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Jiaqi Lv
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Chenghang Tang
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Nansheng Wang
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Zhaojie Liang
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Hua Li
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Jun Xiang
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Yingzhi Qian
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
| | - Yingyao Shi
- College of Agronomy, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; (H.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.B.); (X.Z.); (J.L.); (C.T.); (N.W.); (Z.L.); (H.L.); (J.X.); (Y.Q.)
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Jha UC, Nayyar H, Roychowdhury R, Prasad PVV, Parida SK, Siddique KHM. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in plant: Master regulators for adapting to extreme temperature conditions. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 205:108164. [PMID: 38008006 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Unusual daily temperature fluctuations caused by climate change and climate variability adversely impact agricultural crop production. Since plants are immobile and constantly receive external environmental signals, such as extreme high (heat) and low (cold) temperatures, they have developed complex molecular regulatory mechanisms to cope with stressful situations to sustain their natural growth and development. Among these mechanisms, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and long-non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play a significant role in enhancing heat and cold stress tolerance. This review explores the pivotal findings related to miRNAs, siRNAs, and lncRNAs, elucidating how they functionally regulate plant adaptation to extreme temperatures. In addition, this review addresses the challenges associated with uncovering these non-coding RNAs and understanding their roles in orchestrating heat and cold tolerance in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday Chand Jha
- Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab, Kansas State University, Department of Agronomy, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA; ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208024, India.
| | - Harsh Nayyar
- Department of Botany, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
| | - Rajib Roychowdhury
- Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Research, Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) - The Volcani Institute, Rishon Lezion 7505101, Israel
| | - P V Vara Prasad
- Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab, Kansas State University, Department of Agronomy, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
| | - Swarup K Parida
- National Institute of Plant Genomic Research, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6001, Australia
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5
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Larran AS, Pajoro A, Qüesta JI. Is winter coming? Impact of the changing climate on plant responses to cold temperature. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:3175-3193. [PMID: 37438895 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14669] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is causing alterations in annual temperature regimes worldwide. Important aspects of this include the reduction of winter chilling temperatures as well as the occurrence of unpredicted frosts, both significantly affecting plant growth and yields. Recent studies advanced the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying cold responses and tolerance in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, how these cold-responsive pathways will readjust to ongoing seasonal temperature variation caused by global warming remains an open question. In this review, we highlight the plant developmental programmes that depend on cold temperature. We focus on the molecular mechanisms that plants have evolved to adjust their development and stress responses upon exposure to cold. Covering both genetic and epigenetic aspects, we present the latest insights into how alternative splicing, noncoding RNAs and the formation of biomolecular condensates play key roles in the regulation of cold responses. We conclude by commenting on attractive targets to accelerate the breeding of increased cold tolerance, bringing up biotechnological tools that might assist in overcoming current limitations. Our aim is to guide the reflection on the current agricultural challenges imposed by a changing climate and to provide useful information for improving plant resilience to unpredictable cold regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Santiago Larran
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alice Pajoro
- National Research Council, Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, Rome, Italy
| | - Julia I Qüesta
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) IRTA-CSIC-UAB-UB, Campus UAB, Barcelona, Spain
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Yuan Y, Khourchi S, Li S, Du Y, Delaplace P. Unlocking the Multifaceted Mechanisms of Bud Outgrowth: Advances in Understanding Shoot Branching. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3628. [PMID: 37896091 PMCID: PMC10610460 DOI: 10.3390/plants12203628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Shoot branching is a complex and tightly regulated developmental process that is essential for determining plant architecture and crop yields. The outgrowth of tiller buds is a crucial step in shoot branching, and it is influenced by a variety of internal and external cues. This review provides an extensive overview of the genetic, plant hormonal, and environmental factors that regulate shoot branching in several plant species, including rice, Arabidopsis, tomato, and wheat. We especially highlight the central role of TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1 (TB1), a key gene in orchestrating bud outgrowth. In addition, we discuss how the phytohormones cytokinins, strigolactones, and auxin interact to regulate tillering/branching. We also shed light on the involvement of sugar, an integral component of plant development, which can impact bud outgrowth in both trophic and signaling ways. Finally, we emphasize the substantial influence of environmental factors, such as light, temperature, water availability, biotic stresses, and nutrients, on shoot branching. In summary, this review offers a comprehensive evaluation of the multifaced regulatory mechanisms that underpin shoot branching and highlights the adaptable nature of plants to survive and persist in fluctuating environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundong Yuan
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Said Khourchi
- Plant Sciences, TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Shujia Li
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanfang Du
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat Improvement, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Pierre Delaplace
- Plant Sciences, TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
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7
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Shen X, Song Y, Ping Y, He J, Xie Y, Ma F, Li X, Guan Q. The RNA-binding protein MdHYL1 modulates cold tolerance and disease resistance in apple. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 192:2143-2160. [PMID: 36970784 PMCID: PMC10315269 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Apple (Malus domestica) trees often experience various abiotic and biotic stresses. However, due to the long juvenile period of apple and its high degree of genetic heterozygosity, only limited progress has been made in developing cold-hardy and disease-resistant cultivars through traditional approaches. Numerous studies reveal that biotechnology is a feasible approach to improve stress tolerance in woody perennial plants. HYPONASTIC LEAVES1 (HYL1), a double-stranded RNA-binding protein, is a key regulator involved in apple drought stress response. However, whether HYL1 participates in apple cold response and pathogen resistance remains unknown. In this study, we revealed that MdHYL1 plays a positive role in cold tolerance and pathogen resistance in apple. MdHYL1 acted upstream to positively regulate freezing tolerance and Alternaria alternata resistance by positively modulating transcripts of MdMYB88 and MdMYB124 in response to cold stress or A. alternata infection. In addition, MdHYL1 regulated the biogenesis of several miRNAs responsive to cold and A. alternata infection in apple. Furthermore, we identified Mdm-miRNA156 (Mdm-miR156) as a negative regulator of cold tolerance and Mdm-miRNA172 (Mdm-miR172) as a positive regulator of cold tolerance, and that Mdm-miRNA160 (Mdm-miR160) decreased plant resistance to infection by A. alternata. In summary, we highlight the molecular role of MdHYL1 regarding cold tolerance and A. alternata infection resistance, thereby providing candidate genes for breeding apple with freezing tolerance and A. alternata resistance using biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yi Song
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yikun Ping
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jieqiang He
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yinpeng Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Fengwang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Xuewei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qingmei Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi 712100, China
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8
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Shen X, Ping Y, Bao C, Liu C, Tahir MM, Li X, Song Y, Xu W, Ma F, Guan Q. Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module mediates freezing tolerance in apple. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 114:262-278. [PMID: 36738108 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Apple (Malus domestica) trees are vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Cold resistance in woody perennial plants can be improved through biotechnological approaches. However, genetic engineering requires a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the tree's response to cold. In this study, we demonstrated that the Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module is crucial for apple freezing tolerance. Mdm-miR160 plays a negative role in apple freezing tolerance, whereas MdARF17, one of the targets of Mdm-miR160, is a positive regulator of apple freezing tolerance. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that in apple, MdARF17 mediates the cold response by influencing the expression of cold-responsive genes. EMSA and ChIP-qPCR assays demonstrated that MdARF17 can bind to the promoter of MdWRKY33 and promotes its expression. Overexpression of MdWRKY33 enhanced the cold tolerance of the apple calli. In addition, we found that the Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module regulates cold tolerance in apple by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, as revealed by (i) increased H2 O2 levels and decreased peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities in Mdm-miR160e OE plants and MdARF17 RNAi plants and (ii) decreased H2 O2 levels and increased POD and CAT activities in MdmARF17 OE plants and MdWRKY33 OE calli. Taken together, our study uncovered the molecular roles of the Mdm-miR160-MdARF17-MdWRKY33 module in freezing tolerance in apple, thus providing support for breeding of cold-tolerant apple cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxia Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yikun Ping
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Chana Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Chen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Muhammad Mobeen Tahir
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xuewei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Yi Song
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Weirong Xu
- Ningxia Engineering and Technology Research Center of Grape and Wine, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, 750021, Ningxia, China
| | - Fengwang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Qingmei Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
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Yan J, Qiu R, Wang K, Liu Y, Zhang W. Enhancing alfalfa resistance to Spodoptera herbivory by sequestering microRNA396 expression. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2023; 42:805-819. [PMID: 36757447 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-023-02993-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Sequestering microRNA396 by overexpression of MIM396 enhanced alfalfa resistance to Spodoptera litura larvae, which may be due to increased lignin content and enhanced low-molecular weight flavonoids and glucosinolates biosynthesis. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), the most important leguminous forage crop, suffers from the outbreak of defoliator insects, especially Spodoptera litura, resulting in heavy losses in yield and forage quality. Here, we found that the expression of alfalfa microRNA396 (miR396) precursor genes and mature miR396 was significantly up-regulated in wounding treatment that simulates feeding injury by defoliator insects. To verify the function of miR396 in alfalfa resistance to insect, we generated MIM396 transgenic alfalfa plants with significantly down-regulated miR396 expression by Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation. The MIM396 transgenic alfalfa plants exhibited improved resistance to Spodoptera litura larvae with increased lignin content but decreased JA accumulation. Most of the miR396 putative target GRF genes were up-regulated in MIM396 transgenic lines, and responded to the wounding treatment. By RNA sequencing analysis, we found that the differentially expressed genes related to insect resistance between WT and MIM396 transgenic plants mainly clustered in biosynthesis pathways in lignin, flavonoids and glucosinolates. In addition to the phenotype of enhanced insect resistance, MIM396 transgenic plants also displayed reduced biomass yield and forage quality. Our results broaden the function of miR396 in alfalfa and provide genetic resources for studying alfalfa insect resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Yan
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Rumeng Qiu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Kexin Wang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yanrong Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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10
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Zhu M, Dong Q, Bing J, Songbuerbatu, Zheng L, Dorjee T, Liu Q, Zhou Y, Gao F. Combined lncRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles Identified the lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA Modules Regulating the Cold Stress Response in Ammopiptanthus nanus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076502. [PMID: 37047474 PMCID: PMC10095008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play critical regulatory roles in plants. Ammopiptanthus nanus can survive under severe low-temperature stress, and lncRNAs may play crucial roles in the gene regulation network underlying the cold stress response in A. nanus. To investigate the roles of lncRNAs in the cold stress response of A. nanus, a combined lncRNA and mRNA expression profiling under cold stress was conducted. Up to 4890 novel lncRNAs were identified in A. nanus and 1322 of them were differentially expressed under cold stress, including 543 up-regulated and 779 down-regulated lncRNAs. A total of 421 lncRNAs were found to participate in the cold stress response by forming lncRNA–mRNA modules and regulating the genes encoding the stress-related transcription factors and enzymes in a cis-acting manner. We found that 31 lncRNAs acting as miRNA precursors and 8 lncRNAs acting as endogenous competitive targets of miRNAs participated in the cold stress response by forming lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory modules. In particular, a cold stress-responsive lncRNA, TCONS00065739, which was experimentally proven to be an endogenous competitive target of miR530, contributed to the cold stress adaptation by regulating TZP in A. nanus. These results provide new data for understanding the biological roles of lncRNAs in response to cold stress in plants.
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11
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Zhang Y, Zhou Y, Zhu W, Liu J, Cheng F. Non-coding RNAs fine-tune the balance between plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:965745. [PMID: 36311129 PMCID: PMC9597485 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.965745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
To survive in adverse environmental conditions, plants have evolved sophisticated genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms to balance their growth and abiotic stress tolerance. An increasing number of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including small RNAs (sRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as essential regulators which enable plants to coordinate multiple aspects of growth and responses to environmental stresses through modulating the expression of target genes at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding ncRNAs-mediated prioritization towards plant growth or tolerance to abiotic stresses, especially to cold, heat, drought and salt stresses. We highlight the diverse roles of evolutionally conserved microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and the underlying phytohormone-based signaling crosstalk in regulating the balance between plant growth and abiotic stress tolerance. We also review current discoveries regarding the potential roles of ncRNAs in stress memory in plants, which offer their descendants the potential for better fitness. Future ncRNAs-based breeding strategies are proposed to optimize the balance between growth and stress tolerance to maximize crop yield under the changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture Technology, The Protected Horticulture Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ye Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Weimin Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Protected Horticulture Technology, The Protected Horticulture Institute, Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Junzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Fang Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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12
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Xing Z, Huang T, Zhao K, Meng L, Song H, Zhang Z, Xu X, Liu S. Silencing of Sly-miR171d increased the expression of GRAS24 and enhanced postharvest chilling tolerance of tomato fruit. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1006940. [PMID: 36161008 PMCID: PMC9500411 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1006940] [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: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The role of Sly-miR171d on tomato fruit chilling injury (CI) was investigated. The results showed that silencing the endogenous Sly-miR171d effectively delayed the increase of CI and electrolyte leakage (EL) in tomato fruit, and maintained fruit firmness and quality. After low temperature storage, the expression of target gene GRAS24 increased in STTM-miR171d tomato fruit, the level of GA3 anabolism and the expression of CBF1, an important regulator of cold resistance, both increased in STTM-miR171d tomato fruit, indicated that silencing the Sly-miR171d can improve the resistance ability of postharvest tomato fruit to chilling tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengting Xing
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Taishan Huang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Keyan Zhao
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Lanhuan Meng
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Hongmiao Song
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Zhengke Zhang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiangbin Xu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Songbai Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou, China
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13
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Sun J, Chen J, Si X, Liu W, Yuan M, Guo S, Wang Y. WRKY41/WRKY46-miR396b-5p-TPR module mediates abscisic acid-induced cold tolerance of grafted cucumber seedlings. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1012439. [PMID: 36160963 PMCID: PMC9493262 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1012439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Grafting is one of the key agronomic measures to enhance the tolerance to environmental stresses in horticultural plants, but the specific molecular regulation mechanism in this tolerance largely remains unclear. Here, we found that cucumber grafted onto figleaf gourd rootstock increased cold tolerance through abscisic acid (ABA) activating WRKY41/WRKY46-miR396b-5p-TPR (tetratricopeptide repeat-like superfamily protein) module. Cucumber seedlings grafted onto figleaf gourd increased cold tolerance and induced the expression of miR396b-5p. Furthermore, overexpression of cucumber miR396b-5p in Arabidopsis improved cold tolerance. 5' RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5' RLM-RACE) and transient transformation experiments demonstrated that TPR was the target gene of miR396b-5p, while TPR overexpression plants were hypersensitive to cold stress. The yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays showed that both WRKY41 and WRKY46 bound to MIR396b-5p promoter to induce its expression. Furthermore, cold stress enhanced the content of ABA in the roots and leaves of figleaf gourd grafted cucumber seedlings. Exogenous application of ABA induced the expression of WRKY41 and WRKY46, and cold tolerance of grafted cucumber seedlings. However, figleaf gourd rootstock-induced cold tolerance was compromised when plants were pretreated with ABA biosynthesis inhibitor. Thus, ABA mediated figleaf gourd grafting-induced cold tolerance of cucumber seedlings through activating the WRKY41/WRKY46-miR396b-5p-TPR module.
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14
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Jiang J, Zhu H, Li N, Batley J, Wang Y. The miR393-Target Module Regulates Plant Development and Responses to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169477. [PMID: 36012740 PMCID: PMC9409142 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of endogenous small RNAs, are broadly involved in plant development, morphogenesis and responses to various environmental stresses, through manipulating the cleavage, translational expression, or DNA methylation of target mRNAs. miR393 is a conserved miRNA family present in many plants, which mainly targets genes encoding the transport inhibitor response1 (TIR1)/auxin signaling F-box (AFB) auxin receptors, and thus greatly affects the auxin signal perception, Aux/IAA degradation, and related gene expression. This review introduces the advances made on the miR393/target module regulating plant development and the plant’s responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This module is valuable for genetic manipulation of optimized conditions for crop growth and development and would also be helpful in improving crop yield through molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Jiang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Haotian Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Na Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jacqueline Batley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (Y.W.)
| | - Youping Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (Y.W.)
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15
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Genome-Wide Analysis of miR159 Gene Family and Predicted Target Genes Associated with Environmental Stress in Dendrobium officinale: A Bioinformatics Study. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13071221. [PMID: 35886004 PMCID: PMC9320484 DOI: 10.3390/genes13071221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendrobium officinale (D. officinale) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine with high economic value. MicroR159 (miR159) is an ancient and conserved microRNA (miRNA) family in land plants, playing roles in the progress of growth and development, as well as the stress response. In order to find out functions of miR159 in D. officinale, multiple bioinformatic approaches were employed and 10 MIR159 genes were found, localizing on seven chromosomes and an unanchored segment of the D. officinale genome. All of the precursor sequences of Dof-miR159 could form a stable stem-loop structure. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the MIR159 genes of D. officinale were divided into five clades. Furthermore, the conservation analysis suggested that the 2 to 20 nt region of miR159 mature sequences were highly conserved among family members. The promoter analysis of MIR159s showed that the majority of the predicted cis-elements were related to environmental stress or hormones. In total, five classes of genes were predicted to be the target genes of Dof-miR159s, including GAMYB transcription factors, which had been confirmed in many other land plants. The expression patterns of predicted target genes revealed their potential roles in the growth and development of D. officinale, as well as in cold and drought stress responses. In conclusion, our results illustrated the stress-related miR159-targeted genes in D. officinale, which could provide candidate genes for resistance breeding in the future.
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16
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Advances in the regulation of plant salt-stress tolerance by miRNA. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:5041-5055. [PMID: 35381964 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07179-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Salt stress significantly affects the growth, development, yield, and quality of plants. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in various stress responses via target gene regulation. Their role in regulating salt stress has also received significant attention from researchers. Various transcription factor families are the common target genes of plant miRNAs. Thus, regulating the expression of miRNAs is a novel method for developing salt-tolerant crops. This review summarizes plant miRNAs that mediate salt tolerance, specifically miRNAs that have been utilized in genetic engineering to modify plant salinity tolerance. The molecular mechanism by which miRNAs mediate salt stress tolerance merits elucidation, and this knowledge will promote the development of miRNA-mediated salt-tolerant crops and provide new strategies against increasingly severe soil salinization.
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17
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Salah R, Zhang RJ, Xia SW, Song SS, Hao Q, Hashem MH, Li HX, Li Y, Li XX, Lai YS. Higher Phytohormone Contents and Weaker Phytohormone Signal Transduction Were Observed in Cold-Tolerant Cucumber. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:961. [PMID: 35406941 PMCID: PMC9003209 DOI: 10.3390/plants11070961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) originated from the South Asian subcontinent, and most of them are fragile to cold stress. In this study, we evaluated the cold tolerance of 115 cucumber accessions and screened out 10 accessions showing high resistance to cold stress. We measured and compared plant hormone contents between cold-tolerant cucumber CT90R and cold-sensitive cucumber CT57S in cold treatment. Most of the detected plant hormones showed significantly higher content in CT90R. To elucidate the role of plant hormones, we compared the leaf- and root-transcriptomes of CT90R with those of CT57S in cold stress treatment. In leaves, there were 1209 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between CT90R and CT57S, while there were 703 in roots. These DEGs were not evenly distributed across the chromosomes and there were significant enrichments at particular positions, including qLTT6.2, a known QTL controlling cucumber cold tolerance. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the pathway of plant hormone transductions between CT90R and CT57S in leaves. In short, genes involved in plant hormone transductions showed lower transcription levels in CT90R. In roots, the most significantly different pathway was phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. CT90R seemed to actively accumulate more monolignols by upregulating cinnamyl-alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) genes. These results above suggest a new perspective on the regulation mechanism of cold tolerance in cucumbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radwa Salah
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
- Faculty of Agriculture, Minya University, Minya 61511, Egypt
| | - Rui-Jin Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Shi-Wei Xia
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Shan-Shan Song
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Qian Hao
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Mustafa H. Hashem
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
- Central Lab. of Organic Agriculture, Agricultural Research Center, Giza 12619, Egypt
| | - Huan-Xiu Li
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yu Li
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xi-Xiang Li
- Institution of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, South Zhongguancun Street 12, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Yun-Song Lai
- College of Horticulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (R.S.); (R.-J.Z.); (S.-W.X.); (S.-S.S.); (Q.H.); (M.H.H.); (H.-X.L.); (Y.L.)
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18
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Chao H, Hu Y, Zhao L, Xin S, Ni Q, Zhang P, Chen M. Biogenesis, Functions, Interactions, and Resources of Non-Coding RNAs in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073695. [PMID: 35409060 PMCID: PMC8998614 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant transcriptomes encompass a large number of functional non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), only some of which have protein-coding capacity. Since their initial discovery, ncRNAs have been classified into two broad categories based on their biogenesis and mechanisms of action, housekeeping ncRNAs and regulatory ncRNAs. With advances in RNA sequencing technology and computational methods, bioinformatics resources continue to emerge and update rapidly, including workflow for in silico ncRNA analysis, up-to-date platforms, databases, and tools dedicated to ncRNA identification and functional annotation. In this review, we aim to describe the biogenesis, biological functions, and interactions with DNA, RNA, protein, and microorganism of five major regulatory ncRNAs (miRNA, siRNA, tsRNA, circRNA, lncRNA) in plants. Then, we systematically summarize tools for analysis and prediction of plant ncRNAs, as well as databases. Furthermore, we discuss the silico analysis process of these ncRNAs and present a protocol for step-by-step computational analysis of ncRNAs. In general, this review will help researchers better understand the world of ncRNAs at multiple levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Peijing Zhang
- Correspondence: (P.Z.); (M.C.); Tel./Fax: +86-(0)571-88206612 (M.C.)
| | - Ming Chen
- Correspondence: (P.Z.); (M.C.); Tel./Fax: +86-(0)571-88206612 (M.C.)
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19
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Luo P, Di D, Wu L, Yang J, Lu Y, Shi W. MicroRNAs Are Involved in Regulating Plant Development and Stress Response through Fine-Tuning of TIR1/AFB-Dependent Auxin Signaling. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23010510. [PMID: 35008937 PMCID: PMC8745101 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Auxin, primarily indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), is a versatile signal molecule that regulates many aspects of plant growth, development, and stress response. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs), a type of short non-coding RNA, have emerged as master regulators of the auxin response pathways by affecting auxin homeostasis and perception in plants. The combination of these miRNAs and the autoregulation of the auxin signaling pathways, as well as the interaction with other hormones, creates a regulatory network that controls the level of auxin perception and signal transduction to maintain signaling homeostasis. In this review, we will detail the miRNAs involved in auxin signaling to illustrate its in planta complex regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Luo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China;
- Correspondence: (P.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Dongwei Di
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; (Y.L.); (W.S.)
- Correspondence: (P.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Lei Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
| | - Jiangwei Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China;
| | - Yufang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; (Y.L.); (W.S.)
| | - Weiming Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; (Y.L.); (W.S.)
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20
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Liu Y, Yan J, Wang K, Li D, Yang R, Luo H, Zhang W. MiR396-GRF module associates with switchgrass biomass yield and feedstock quality. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2021; 19:1523-1536. [PMID: 33567151 PMCID: PMC8384596 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Improving plant biomass yield and/or feedstock quality for highly efficient lignocellulose conversion has been the main research focus in genetic modification of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a dedicated model plant for biofuel production. Here, we proved that overexpression of miR396 (OE-miR396) leads to reduced plant height and lignin content mainly by reducing G-lignin monomer content. We identified nineteen PvGRFs in switchgrass and proved thirteen of them were cleaved by miR396. MiR396-targeted PvGRF1, PvGRF9 and PvGRF3 showed significantly higher expression in stem. By separately overexpressing rPvGRF1, 3 and 9, in which synonymous mutations abolished the miR396 target sites, and suppression of PvGRF1/3/9 activity via PvGRF1/3/9-SRDX overexpression in switchgrass, we confirmed PvGRF1 and PvGRF9 played positive roles in improving plant height and G-lignin content. Overexpression of PvGRF9 was sufficient to complement the defective phenotype of OE-miR396 plants. MiR396-PvGRF9 modulates these traits partly by interfering GA and auxin biosynthesis and signalling transduction and cell wall lignin, glucose and xylan biosynthesis pathways. Moreover, by enzymatic hydrolysis analyses, we found that overexpression of rPvGRF9 significantly enhanced per plant sugar yield. Our results suggest that PvGRF9 can be utilized as a candidate molecular tool in modifying plant biomass yield and feedstock quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanrong Liu
- College of Grassland Science and technologyChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jianping Yan
- College of Grassland Science and technologyChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Kexin Wang
- College of Grassland Science and technologyChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Dayong Li
- College of Life SciencesShandong Normal UniversityJinanShandongChina
| | - Rui Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural ApplicationCollege of Plant Science and TechnologyBeijing University of AgricultureBeijingChina
| | - Hong Luo
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and technologyChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
- Key Lab of Grassland Science in BeijingChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
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21
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Li H, Yu TT, Ning YS, Li H, Zhang WW, Yang HQ. Hydrogen Sulfide Alleviates Alkaline Salt Stress by Regulating the Expression of MicroRNAs in Malus hupehensis Rehd. Roots. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:663519. [PMID: 34381471 PMCID: PMC8350742 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.663519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Malus hupehensis Rehd. var. pingyiensis Jiang (Pingyi Tiancha, PYTC) is an excellent apple rootstock and ornamental tree, but its tolerance to salt stress is weak. Our previous study showed that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) could alleviate damage in M. hupehensis roots under alkaline salt stress. However, the molecular mechanism of H2S mitigation alkaline salt remains to be elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important regulatory roles in plant response to salt stress. Whether miRNAs are involved in the mitigation of alkaline salt stress mediated by H2S remains unclear. In the present study, through the expression analysis of miRNAs and target gene response to H2S and alkaline salt stress in M. hupehensis roots, 115 known miRNAs (belonging to 37 miRNA families) and 15 predicted novel miRNAs were identified. In addition, we identified and analyzed 175 miRNA target genes. We certified the expression levels of 15 miRNAs and nine corresponding target genes by real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Interestingly, H2S pretreatment could specifically induce the downregulation of mhp-miR408a expression, and upregulated mhp-miR477a and mhp-miR827. Moreover, root architecture was improved by regulating the expression of mhp-miR159c and mhp-miR169 and their target genes. These results suggest that the miRNA-mediated regulatory network participates in the process of H2S-mitigated alkaline salt stress in M. hupehensis roots. This study provides a further understanding of miRNA regulation in the H2S mitigation of alkaline salt stress in M. hupehensis roots.
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22
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Identification of MicroRNAs in Taxillus chinensis (DC.) Danser Seeds under Cold Stress. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 2021:5585884. [PMID: 34159194 PMCID: PMC8188600 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5585884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Taxillus chinensis (DC.) Danser, a parasitic plant that belongs to the Loranthaceae family, has a long history of being used in the Chinese medicine. We observed that the loranthus seeds were sensitive to temperature and could lose viability below 0°C quickly. Thus, we performed small RNA sequencing to study the microRNA (miRNA) regulation in the loranthus seeds under cold stress. In total, we identified 600 miRNAs, for the first time, in the loranthus seeds under cold stress. Then, we detected 224, 229, and 223 miRNAs (TPM > 1) in A0 (control), A1 (cold treatment for 12 h at 0°C), and A2 (cold treatment for 36 h at 0°C), respectively. We next identified 103 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs) in the loranthus seeds in response to cold. Notably, miR408 was upregulated during the cold treatment, which can regulate genes encoding phytocyanin family proteins and phytophenol oxidases. Some DEmiRs were specific to A1 and may function in early response to cold, such as gma-miR393b-3p, miR946, ath-miR779.2-3p, miR398, and miR9662. It is interesting that ICE3, IAA13, and multiple transcription factors (e.g., WRKY and CRF4 and TCP4) regulated by the DEmiRs have been reported to respond cold in other plants. We further identified 4, 3, and 4 DEmiRs involved in the pathways “responding to cold,” “responding to abiotic stimulus,” and “seed development/germination,” respectively. qRT-PCR was used to confirm the expression changes of DEmiRs and their targets in the loranthus seeds during the cold treatment. This is the first time to study cold-responsive miRNAs in loranthus, and our findings provide a valuable resource for future studies.
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Aslam M, Sugita K, Qin Y, Rahman A. Aux/IAA14 Regulates microRNA-Mediated Cold Stress Response in Arabidopsis Roots. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8441. [PMID: 33182739 PMCID: PMC7697755 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The phytohormone auxin and microRNA-mediated regulation of gene expressions are key regulators of plant growth and development at both optimal and under low-temperature stress conditions. However, the mechanistic link between microRNA and auxin in regulating plant cold stress response remains elusive. To better understand the role of microRNA (miR) in the crosstalk between auxin and cold stress responses, we took advantage of the mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with altered response to auxin transport and signal. Screening of the mutants for root growth recovery after cold stress at 4 °C revealed that the auxin signaling mutant, solitary root 1 (slr1; mutation in Aux/IAA14), shows a hypersensitive response to cold stress. Genome-wide expression analysis of miRs in the wild-type and slr1 mutant roots using next-generation sequencing revealed 180 known and 71 novel cold-responsive microRNAs. Cold stress also increased the abundance of 26-31 nt small RNA population in slr1 compared with wild type. Comparative analysis of microRNA expression shows significant differential expression of 13 known and 7 novel miRs in slr1 at 4 °C compared with wild type. Target gene expression analysis of the members from one potential candidate miR, miR169, revealed the possible involvement of miR169/NF-YA module in the Aux/IAA14-mediated cold stress response. Taken together, these results indicate that SLR/IAA14, a transcriptional repressor of auxin signaling, plays a crucial role in integrating miRs in auxin and cold responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Aslam
- Department of Plant Bio Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan; (M.A.); (K.S.)
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China;
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Kenji Sugita
- Department of Plant Bio Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan; (M.A.); (K.S.)
| | - Yuan Qin
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China;
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Abidur Rahman
- Department of Plant Bio Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan; (M.A.); (K.S.)
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan
- Agri-Innovation Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan
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Guo W, Chen L, Herrera-Estrella L, Cao D, Tran LSP. Altering Plant Architecture to Improve Performance and Resistance. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 25:1154-1170. [PMID: 32595089 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
High-stress resistance and yield are major goals in crop cultivation, which can be addressed by modifying plant architecture. Significant progress has been made in recent years to understand how plant architecture is controlled under various growth conditions, recognizing the central role phytohormones play in response to environmental stresses. miRNAs, transcription factors, and other associated proteins regulate plant architecture, mainly via the modulation of hormone homeostasis and signaling. To generate crop plants of ideal architecture, we propose simultaneous editing of multiple genes involved in the regulatory networks associated with plant architecture as a feasible strategy. This strategy can help to address the need to increase grain yield and/or stress resistance under the pressures of the ever-increasing world population and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Limiao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Luis Herrera-Estrella
- The Unidad de Genomica Avanzada (Langebio), Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico; Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Texas Tech University, TX, USA
| | - Dong Cao
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China.
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, 03 Quang Trung, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam; Stress Adaptation Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22, Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.
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Hu T, Wang T, Li H, Wassie M, Xu H, Chen L. Genome-wide small RNA profiling reveals tiller development in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb). BMC Genomics 2020; 21:696. [PMID: 33023464 PMCID: PMC7539525 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-07103-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is a major cool-season forage and turfgrass species. The low tiller density and size dramatically limits its turf performance and forage yield. MicroRNAs (miRNA)-genes modules play critical roles in tiller development in plants. In this study, a genome-wide small RNA profiling was carried out in two tall fescue genotypes contrasting for tillering production (‘Ch-3’, high tiller production rate and ‘Ch-5’, low tiller production rate) and two types of tissue samples at different tillering development stage (Pre-tillering, grass before tillering; Tillering, grass after tillering). ‘Ch-3’, ‘Ch-5’, Pre-tillering, and Tillering samples were analyzed using high-throughput RNA sequencing. Results A total of 222 million high-quality clean reads were generated and 208 miRNAs were discovered, including 148 known miRNAs belonging to 70 families and 60 novel ones. Furthermore, 18 miRNAs were involved in tall fescue tiller development process. Among them, 14 miRNAs displayed increased abundance in both Ch-3 and Tillering plants compared with that in Ch-5 and Pre-tillering plants and were positive with tillering, while another four miRNAs were negative with tiller development. Out of the three miRNAs osa-miR156a, zma-miR528a-3p and osa-miR444b.2, the rest of 15 miRNAs were newfound and associated with tiller development in plants. Based on our previous full-length transcriptome analysis in tall fescue, 28,927 potential target genes were discovered for all identified miRNAs. Most of the 212 target genes of the 18 miRNAs were dominantly enriched into “ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis”, “phagosome”, “fatty acid biosynthesis”, “oxidative phosphorylation”, and “biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids” KEGG pathways. In addition, bdi-miR167e-3p targets two kinase proteins EIF2AK4 and IRAK4, and osa-miR397a targets auxin response factor 5, which may be the significant miRNA-genes controllers in tillering development. Conclusions This is the first genome-wide miRNA profiles analysis to identify regulators involved in tiller development in cool-season turfgrass. Tillering related 18 miRNAs and their 212 target genes provide novel information for the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of miRNA-genes mediated tiller development in cool-season turfgrass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China. .,Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Tao Wang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Huiying Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.,Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Misganaw Wassie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.,Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huawei Xu
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Liang Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China. .,Center of Economic Botany, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
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Liu Y, Yan J, Wang K, Li D, Han Y, Zhang W. Heteroexpression of Osa- miR319b improved switchgrass biomass yield and feedstock quality by repression of PvPCF5. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:56. [PMID: 32206089 PMCID: PMC7081615 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01693-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a C4 perennial grass, has been recognized as one of the most potentially important lignocellulose biofuel crops. MicroRNA319 (miR319) plays a key role in plant development, abiotic resistance, and cell wall biosynthesis by repressing expression of its target TCP genes. We hypothesized miR319-TCP pathway could play important roles in switchgrass feedstock characteristics for biofuel production, and produced switchgrass transgenic plants overexpressing miR319 (by ectopic expressing Osa-MIR319b gene), blocking miR319 (by overexpressing a target mimicry of miR319/MIM319) and repression of miR319 target gene PvPCF5. Plant phenotype, biomass yield, and feedstock quality of transgenic plants were analyzed. RESULTS Overexpression of miR319 in switchgrass promoted leaf elongation and expansion of transgenic plants, increased plant height, stem diameter, and resulted in a significant increase in plant biomass yield. Transgenic plants overexpressing of miR319 reduced lignin content, showed significantly higher enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency compared to the wild type plant. However, opposite results were observed in the MIM319 plants. Furthermore, suppression of miR319 target gene PvPCF5 activity also reduced lignin content, increased lignin monomer S/G ratio and the proportion of β-O-4 linkages, while significantly improving the sugar production per plant. Quantitative real-time (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that expression of PvMYB58/63B and PvHCT with predicted TCP binding sites in their promoter regions was negatively regulated by miR319-PvPCF5 module. CONCLUSIONS MiR319-PvPCF5 module plays positive roles in regulating biomass yield and quality of switchgrass. It can be utilized as a candidate molecular tool in regulating biomass yield and feedstock quality. The finding could also be transferred to other grasses for forage quality improvement through genetic manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanrong Liu
- College of Biological Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianping Yan
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Kexin Wang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
| | - Dayong Li
- Beijing Vegetable Research Center (BVRC), Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing, 100097 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yejun Han
- National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
- National Energy R &D Center for Biomass (NECB), China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193 People’s Republic of China
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Liu Y, Li D, Yan J, Wang K, Luo H, Zhang W. MiR319 mediated salt tolerance by ethylene. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2019; 17:2370-2383. [PMID: 31094071 PMCID: PMC6835123 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Salinity-induced accumulation of certain microRNAs accompanied by gaseous phytohormone ethylene production has been recognized as a mechanism of plant salt tolerance. MicroRNA319 (miR319) has been characterized as an important player in abiotic stress resistance in some C3 plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice. However, its role in the dedicated biomass plant switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a C4 plant, has not been reported. Here, we show crosstalk between miR319 and ethylene (ET) for increasing salt tolerance. By overexpressing Osa-MIR319b and a target mimicry form of miR319 (MIM319), we showed that miR319 positively regulated ET synthesis and salt tolerance in switchgrass. By experimental treatments, we demonstrated that ET-mediated salt tolerance in switchgrass was dose-dependent, and miR319 regulated the switchgrass salt response by fine-tuning ET synthesis. Further experiments showed that the repression of a miR319 target, PvPCF5, in switchgrass also led to enhanced ethylene accumulation and salt tolerance in transgenic plants. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis demonstrated that overexpression of miR319 (OE-miR319) down-regulated the expression of key genes in the methionine (Met) cycle but promoted the expression of genes in ethylene synthesis. The results enrich our understanding of the synergistic effects of the miR319-PvPCF5 module and ethylene synthesis in the salt tolerance of switchgrass, a C4 bioenergy plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanrong Liu
- Department of Grassland ScienceChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Dayong Li
- Beijing Vegetable Research Center (BVRC)Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry SciencesNational Engineering Research Center for VegetablesBeijingChina
| | - Jianping Yan
- Department of Grassland ScienceChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Kexin Wang
- Department of Grassland ScienceChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hong Luo
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- Department of Grassland ScienceChina Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
- National Energy R&D Center for Biomass (NECB)China Agricultural UniversityBeijingChina
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Yan H, Bombarely A, Xu B, Wu B, Frazier TP, Zhang X, Chen J, Chen P, Sun M, Feng G, Wang C, Cui C, Li Q, Zhao B, Huang L. Autopolyploidization in switchgrass alters phenotype and flowering time via epigenetic and transcription regulation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:5673-5686. [PMID: 31419288 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Polyploidization is a significant source of genomic and organism diversification during plant evolution, and leads to substantial alterations in plant phenotypes and natural fitness. To help understand the phenotypic and molecular impacts of autopolyploidization, we conducted epigenetic and full-transcriptomic analyses of a synthesized autopolyploid accession of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in order to interpret the molecular and phenotypic changes. We found that mCHH levels were decreased in both genic and transposable element (TE) regions, and that TE methylation near genes was decreased as well. Among 142 differentially expressed genes involved in cell division, cellulose biosynthesis, auxin response, growth, and reproduction processes, 75 of them were modified by 122 differentially methylated regions, 10 miRNAs, and 15 siRNAs. In addition, up-regulated PvTOE1 and suppressed PvFT probably contribute to later flowering time of the autopolyploid. The expression changes were probably associated with modification of nearby methylation sites and siRNAs. We also experimentally demonstrated that expression levels of PvFT and PvTOE1 were regulated by DNA methylation, supporting the link between alterations in methylation induced by polyploidization and the phenotypic changes that were observed. Collectively, our results show epigenetic modifications in synthetic autopolyploid switchgrass for the first time, and support the hypothesis that polyploidization-induced methylation is an important cause of phenotypic alterations and is potentially important for plant evolution and improved fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Yan
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Aureliano Bombarely
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Bin Xu
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bingchao Wu
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Taylor P Frazier
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Xinquan Zhang
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Peilin Chen
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Min Sun
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangyan Feng
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chengran Wang
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenming Cui
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Qi Li
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Bingyu Zhao
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Linkai Huang
- Department of Grassland Science, Animal Science and Technology College, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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Xie Z, Lin W, Yu G, Cheng Q, Xu B, Huang B. Improved cold tolerance in switchgrass by a novel CCCH-type zinc finger transcription factor gene, PvC3H72, associated with ICE1-CBF-COR regulon and ABA-responsive genes. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2019; 12:224. [PMID: 31548866 PMCID: PMC6753611 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-019-1564-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a warm-season perennial grass. Improving its cold tolerance is important for its sustainable production in cooler regions. Through genome-wide bioinformatic analysis of switchgrass Zinc finger-CCCH genes (PvC3Hs), we found that several PvC3Hs, including PvC3H72, might play regulatory roles in plant cold tolerance. The objectives of this study were to characterize PvC3H72 using reverse genetics approach and to understand its functional role in cold signal transduction and cold tolerance in switchgrass. RESULTS PvC3H72 is an intronless gene encoding a transcriptional activation factor. The expression of PvC3H72 was rapidly and highly induced by cold stress. Transgenic switchgrass with over-expressed PvC3H72 driven under maize ubiquitin promoter showed significantly improved chilling tolerance at 4 °C as demonstrated by less electrolyte leakage and higher relative water content than wild-type (WT) plants, as well as significantly higher survival rate after freezing treatment at - 5 °C. Improved cold tolerance of PvC3H72 transgenic lines was associated with significantly up-regulated expression of ICE1-CBF-COR regulon and ABA-responsive genes during cold treatment. CONCLUSIONS PvC3H72 was the first characterized switchgrass cold-tolerance gene and also the only Znf-CCCH family gene known as a transcription factor in plant cold tolerance. PvC3H72 was an added signaling component in plant cold tolerance associated with regulation of ICE1-CBF-COR regulon and ABA-responsive genes. Knowledge gained in this study not only added another acting component into plant cold-tolerance mechanism, but also be of high value for genetic improvement of cold tolerance in switchgrass as well as other warm-season grasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheni Xie
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenjing Lin
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 People’s Republic of China
| | - Guohui Yu
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiang Cheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Poplar Germplasm Enhancement and Variety Improvement, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037 People’s Republic of China
| | - Bin Xu
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 People’s Republic of China
| | - Bingru Huang
- Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA
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An J, Niu H, Ni Y, Jiang Y, Zheng Y, He R, Li J, Jiao Z, Zhang J, Li H, Li Q, Niu J. The miRNA-mRNA Networks Involving Abnormal Energy and Hormone Metabolisms Restrict Tillering in a Wheat Mutant dmc. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4586. [PMID: 31533225 PMCID: PMC6770018 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tillers not only determine plant architecture but also influence crop yield. To explore the miRNA regulatory network restraining tiller development in a dwarf-monoculm wheat mutant (dmc) derived from Guomai 301 (wild type, WT), we employed miRNome and transcriptome integrative analysis, real-time qRT-PCR, histochemistry, and determinations of the key metabolites and photosynthesis parameters. A total of 91 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified between dmc and WT. Among them, 40 key DEMs targeted 45 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including the key DEGs encode growth-regulating factors (GRF), auxin response factors (ARF), and other proteins involved in the metabolisms of hormones and carbohydrates, etc. Compared with WT, both the chlorophyll contents and the photosynthesis rate were lower in dmc. The contents of glucose, sucrose, fructose, and maltose were lower in dmc. The contents of auxin (IAA) and zeatin (ZA) were significantly lower, but gibberellin (GA) was significantly higher in the tiller tissues of dmc. This research demonstrated that the DEMs regulating hormone and carbohydrate metabolisms were important causes for dmc to not tiller. A primary miRNA-mRNA regulatory model for dmc tillering was established. The lower photosynthesis rate, insufficient energy, and abnormal hormone metabolisms restrict tillering in dmc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhang An
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Hao Niu
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China.
| | - Yongjing Ni
- Shangqiu Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Shangqiu 476000, China.
| | - Yumei Jiang
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Yongxing Zheng
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Ruishi He
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Junchang Li
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Zhixin Jiao
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Jing Zhang
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Huijuan Li
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Qiaoyun Li
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Jishan Niu
- National Centre of Engineering and Technological Research for Wheat/Key Laboratory of Physiological Ecology and Genetic Improvement of Food Crops in Henan Province, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
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Song X, Li Y, Cao X, Qi Y. MicroRNAs and Their Regulatory Roles in Plant-Environment Interactions. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 70:489-525. [PMID: 30848930 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-050718-100334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 366] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20-24 nucleotide noncoding RNAs abundant in plants and animals. The biogenesis of plant miRNAs involves transcription of miRNA genes, processing of primary miRNA transcripts by DICER-LIKE proteins into mature miRNAs, and loading of mature miRNAs into ARGONAUTE proteins to form miRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). By targeting complementary sequences, miRISC negatively regulates gene expression, thereby coordinating plant development and plant-environment interactions. In this review, we present and discuss recent updates on the mechanisms and regulation of miRNA biogenesis, miRISC assembly and actions as well as the regulatory roles of miRNAs in plant developmental plasticity, abiotic/biotic responses, and symbiotic/parasitic interactions. Finally, we suggest future directions for plant miRNA research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianwei Song
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Yan Li
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiaofeng Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Yijun Qi
- Center for Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100084, China
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Zhao J, Yuan S, Zhou M, Yuan N, Li Z, Hu Q, Bethea FG, Liu H, Li S, Luo H. Transgenic creeping bentgrass overexpressing Osa-miR393a exhibits altered plant development and improved multiple stress tolerance. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2019; 17:233-251. [PMID: 29873883 PMCID: PMC6330543 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNA393 (miR393) has been implicated in plant growth, development and multiple stress responses in annual species such as Arabidopsis and rice. However, the role of miR393 in perennial grasses remains unexplored. Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is an environmentally and economically important C3 cool-season perennial turfgrass. Understanding how miR393 functions in this representative turf species would allow the development of novel strategies in genetically engineering grass species for improved abiotic stress tolerance. We have generated and characterized transgenic creeping bentgrass plants overexpressing rice pri-miR393a (Osa-miR393a). We found that Osa-miR393a transgenics had fewer, but longer tillers, enhanced drought stress tolerance associated with reduced stomata density and denser cuticles, improved salt stress tolerance associated with increased uptake of potassium and enhanced heat stress tolerance associated with induced expression of small heat-shock protein in comparison with wild-type controls. We also identified two targets of miR393, AsAFB2 and AsTIR1, whose expression is repressed in transgenics. Taken together, our results revealed the distinctive roles of miR393/target module in plant development and stress responses between creeping bentgrass and other annual species, suggesting that miR393 would be a promising candidate for generating superior crop cultivars with enhanced multiple stress tolerance, thus contributing to agricultural productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junming Zhao
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
- Animal Science and Technology CollegeSichuan Agricultural UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Shuangrong Yuan
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Man Zhou
- College of Natural, Applied and Health SciencesWenzhou Kean UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Ning Yuan
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Zhigang Li
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Qian Hu
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Frank G. Bethea
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Haibo Liu
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
| | - Shigui Li
- Rice Research InstituteSichuan Agricultural UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Hong Luo
- Department of Genetics and BiochemistryClemson UniversityClemsonSCUSA
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Yan J, Liu Y, Wang K, Li D, Hu Q, Zhang W. Overexpression of OsPIL1 enhanced biomass yield and saccharification efficiency in switchgrass. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 276:143-151. [PMID: 30348312 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a herbaceous cellulosic biofuel plant with broad adaptability. However, the intrinsic recalcitrance of biomass and limited land for switchgrass planting hinder its utilization as feedstock for biofuel ethanol production. The OsPIL1 (PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 3-LIKE 1) gene encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor. Its expression is induced by light, which facilitated the expression of cell wall-related genes, promoted cell elongation and resulted in longer internode in rice. Here, we introduced the OsPIL1 gene into switchgrass by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with the aim of improving biomass yield of transgenic switchgrass plants. The transgenic plants were verified by PCR, Southern-blotting, RT-PCR and qRT-PCR tests, respectively. The transgenic plants overexpression of OsPIL1 showed increased plant height and biomass yield. Microscopy analysis showed that the length of epidermal cells of transgenic plants was longer than that of wild type. OsPIL1 overexpressed transgenic switchgrass plants also released more soluble sugar after enzymatic hydrolysis, indicating improved saccharification efficiency. The results suggest OsPIL1 can be used as a useful molecular tool in improving plant biomass and saccharification efficiency with the purpose of plant fiber biofuel ethanol production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianping Yan
- Department of Grassland Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
| | - Yanrong Liu
- Department of Grassland Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
| | - Kexin Wang
- Department of Grassland Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
| | - Dayong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center for Plant Gene Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China.
| | - Qingquan Hu
- Yunnan Animal Science and Veterinary Institute, Kunming, 650224, PR China.
| | - Wanjun Zhang
- Department of Grassland Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China; National Energy R&D Center for Biomass (NECB), China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, PR China.
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