Diversity of Arabidopsis genes encoding precursors for phytosulfokine, a peptide growth factor

Sulfated peptides and their receptors: Key regulators of plant development and stress adaptation

Four distinct types of sulfated peptides have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. These peptides play crucial roles in regulating plant development and stress adaptation. Recent studies have revealed that Xanthomonas and Meloidogyne can secrete plant-like sulfated peptides, exploiting the plant sulfated peptide signaling pathway to suppress plant immunity. Over the past three decades, receptors for these four types of sulfated peptides have been identified, all of which belong to the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase subfamily. A number of regulatory proteins have been demonstrated to play important roles in their corresponding signal transduction pathways. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the discoveries of sulfated peptides and their receptors, mainly in Arabidopsis thaliana. We also discuss their known biological functions in plant development and stress adaptation. Finally, we put forward a number of questions for reference in future studies.

Pull the fuzes: Processing protein precursors to generate apoplastic danger signals for triggering plant immunity

The apoplast is one of the first cellular compartments outside the plasma membrane encountered by phytopathogenic microbes in the early stages of plant tissue invasion. Plants have developed sophisticated surveillance mechanisms to sense danger events at the cell surface and promptly activate immunity. However, a fine tuning of the activation of immune pathways is necessary to mount a robust and effective defense response. Several endogenous proteins and enzymes are synthesized as inactive precursors, and their post-translational processing has emerged as a critical mechanism for triggering alarms in the apoplast. In this review, we focus on the precursors of phytocytokines, cell wall remodeling enzymes, and proteases. The physiological events that convert inactive precursors into immunomodulatory active peptides or enzymes are described. This review also explores the functional synergies among phytocytokines, cell wall damage-associated molecular patterns, and remodeling, highlighting their roles in boosting extracellular immunity and reinforcing defenses against pests.

The effect of phytosulfokine alpha on haploid embryogenesis and gene expression of Brassica napus microspore cultures

Microspore embryogenesis (ME) is the most powerful tool for creating homozygous lines in plant breeding and molecular biology research. It is still based mainly on the reprogramming of microspores by temperature, osmotic and/or nutrient stress. New compounds are being sought that could increase the efficiency of microspore embryogenesis or even induce the formation of haploid embryos from recalcitrant genotypes. Among these, the mitogenic factor phytosulfokine alpha (PSK-α) is promising due to its broad spectrum of activity in vivo and in vitro. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of PSK-α on haploid embryogenesis from microspores of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L., DH4079), one of the most important oil crops and a model plant for studying the molecular mechanisms controlling embryo formation. We tested different concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 µM) of the peptide and evaluated its effect on microspore viability and embryo regeneration after four weeks of culture. Our results showed a positive correlation between addition of PSK-α and cultured microspore viability and a positive effect also on the number of developed embryos. The analysis of transcriptomes across three time points (day 0, 2 and 4) with or without PSK-α supplementation (15 RNA libraries in total) unveiled differentially expressed genes pivotal in cell division, microspore embryogenesis, and subsequent regeneration. PCA grouped transcriptomes by RNA sampling time, with the first two principal components explaining 56.8% variability. On day 2 with PSK, 45 genes (15 up- and 30 down-regulated) were differentially expressed when PSK-α was added and their number increased to 304 by day 4 (30 up- and 274 down-regulated). PSK, PSKR, and PSI gene expression analysis revealed dynamic patterns, with PSK2 displaying the highest increase and overall expression during microspore culture at days 2 and 4. Despite some variations, only PSK1 showed significant differential expression upon PSK-α addition. Of 16 ME-related molecular markers, 3 and 15 exhibited significant differential expression in PSK-supplemented cultures at days 2 and 4, respectively. Embryo-specific markers predominantly expressed after 4 days of culture, with higher expression in medium without PSK, while on day 0, numerous sporophyte-specific markers were highly expressed.

Phytosulfokine peptides, their receptors, and functions

Phytosulfokines (PSKs) are a class of disulfated pentapeptides and are regarded as plant peptide hormones. PSK-α, -γ, -δ, and -ϵ are four bioactive PSKs that are reported to have roles in plant growth, development, and immunity. In this review, we summarize recent advances in PSK biosynthesis, signaling, and function. PSKs are encoded by precursor genes that are widespread in higher plants. PSKs maturation from these precursors requires a sulfation step, which is catalyzed by a tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase, as well as proteolytic cleavage by subtilisin serine proteases. PSK signaling is mediated by plasma membrane-localized receptors PSKRs that belong to the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase family. Moreover, multiple biological functions can be attributed to PSKs, including promoting cell division and cell growth, regulating plant reproduction, inducing somatic embryogenesis, enhancing legume nodulation, and regulating plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stress. Finally, we propose several research directions in this field. This review provides important insights into PSKs that will facilitate biotechnological development and PSK application in agriculture.

Genome-wide association study for boll weight in Gossypium hirsutum races

High yield has always been an essential target in almost all of the cotton breeding programs. Boll weight (BW) is a key component of cotton yield. Numerous linkage mapping and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed to understand the genetic mechanism of BW, but information on the markers/genes controlling BW remains limited. In this study, we conducted a GWAS for BW using 51,268 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 189 Gossypium hirsutum accessions across five different environments. A total of 55 SNPs significantly associated with BW were detected, of which 29 and 26 were distributed in the A and D subgenomes, respectively. Five SNPs were simultaneously detected in two environments. For TM5655, TM8662, TM36371, and TM50258, the BW grouped by alleles of each SNP was significantly different. The ± 550 kb regions around these four key SNPs contained 262 genes. Of them, Gh_A02G1473, Gh_A10G1765, and Gh_A02G1442 were expressed highly at 0 to 1 days post-anthesis (dpa), - 3 to 0 dpa, and - 3 to 0 dpa in ovule of TM-1, respectively. They were presumed as the candidate genes for fiber cell differentiation, initiation, or elongation based on gene annotation of their homologs. Overall, these results supplemented valuable information for dissecting the genetic architecture of BW and might help to improve cotton yield through molecular marker-assisted selection breeding and molecular design breeding.

The Research Process of PSK Biosynthesis, Signaling Transduction, and Potential Applications in Brassica napus

Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a disulfated pentapeptide that acts as a growth regulator to control plant growth and development as well as adaptability to biotic and abiotic stress. In the last three decades, PSK has drawn increasing attention due to its various functions. Preproproteins that have been tyrosine sulfonylated and then cleaved by specific enzymes contribute to mature PSK. To transfer a signal from the apoplast to the inner cells, the PSK peptide must bind to the PSK receptors (PSKR1 and PSKR2) at the cell surface. The precise mechanism of PSK signal transduction is still unknown, given that PSKR combines receptor and kinase activity with a capacity to bind calmodulin (CaM). The binding of PSK and PSKR stimulates an abundance of cGMP downstream from PSKR, further activating a cation-translocating unit composed of cyclic nucleotide-gated channel 17 (CNGC17), H+-ATPases AHA1 and AHA2, and BRI-associated receptor kinase 1 (BAK1). Recently, it has been revealed that posttranslational ubiquitination is closely related to the control of PSK and PSKR binding. To date, the majority of studies related to PSK have used Arabidopsis. Given that rapeseed and Arabidopsis share a close genetic relationship, the relevant knowledge obtained from Arabidopsis can be further applied to rapeseed.

Rapid alkalinization factor: function, regulation, and potential applications in agriculture

Rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) is widespread throughout the plant kingdom and controls many aspects of plant life. Current studies on the regulatory mechanism underlying RALF function mainly focus on Arabidopsis, but little is known about the role of RALF in crop plants. Here, we systematically and comprehensively analyzed the relation between RALF family genes from five important crops and those in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Simultaneously, we summarized the functions of RALFs in controlling growth and developmental behavior using conservative motifs as cues and predicted the regulatory role of RALFs in cereal crops. In conclusion, RALF has considerable application potential in improving crop yields and increasing economic benefits. Using gene editing technology or taking advantage of RALF as a hormone additive are effective way to amplify the role of RALF in crop plants.

Molecular Mechanisms of Regulation of Root Development by Plant Peptides

Peptides perform many functions, participating in the regulation of cell differentiation, regulating plant growth and development, and also involved in the response to stress factors and in antimicrobial defense. Peptides are an important class biomolecules for intercellular communication and in the transmission of various signals. The intercellular communication system based on the ligand-receptor bond is one of the most important molecular bases for creating complex multicellular organisms. Peptide-mediated intercellular communication plays a critical role in the coordination and determination of cellular functions in plants. The intercellular communication system based on the receptor-ligand is one of the most important molecular foundations for creating complex multicellular organisms. Peptide-mediated intercellular communication plays a critical role in the coordination and determination of cellular functions in plants. The identification of peptide hormones, their interaction with receptors, and the molecular mechanisms of peptide functioning are important for understanding the mechanisms of both intercellular communications and for regulating plant development. In this review, we drew attention to some peptides involved in the regulation of root development, which implement this regulation by the mechanism of a negative feedback loop.

MicroRNA858a, its encoded peptide, and phytosulfokine regulate Arabidopsis growth and development

Small molecules, such as peptides and miRNAs, are crucial regulators of plant growth. Here, we show the importance of cross-talk between miPEP858a (microRNA858a-encoded peptide)/miR858a and phytosulfokine (PSK4) in regulating plant growth and development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Genome-wide expression analysis suggested modulated expression of PSK4 in miR858a mutants and miR858a-overexpressing (miR858aOX) plants. The silencing of PSK4 in miR858aOX plants compromised growth, whereas overexpression of PSK4 in the miR858a mutant rescued the developmental defects. The exogenous application of synthetic PSK4 further complemented the plant development in mutant plants. Exogenous treatment of synthetic miPEP858a in the PSK4 mutant led to clathrin-mediated internalization of the peptide; however, it did not enhance growth as is the case in wild-type plants. We also demonstrated that MYB3 is an important molecular component participating in the miPEP858a/miR858a-PSK4 module. Finally, our work highlights the signaling between miR858a/miPEP858a-MYB3-PSK4 in modulating the expression of key elements involved in auxin responses, leading to the regulation of growth.

lncRNA7 and lncRNA2 modulate cell wall defense genes to regulate cotton resistance to Verticillium wilt

In plants, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate disease resistance against fungi and other pathogens. However, the specific mechanism behind this regulation remains unclear. In this study, we identified disease resistance-related lncRNAs as well as their regulating genes and assessed their functions by infection of cotton (Gossypium) chromosome segment substitution lines with Verticillium dahliae. Our results demonstrated that lncRNA7 and its regulating gene Pectin methylesterase inhibitor 13 (GbPMEI13) positively regulated disease resistance via the silencing approach, while ectopic overexpression of GbPMEI13 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) promoted growth and enhanced resistance to V. dahliae. In contrast, lncRNA2 and its regulating gene Polygalacturonase 12 (GbPG12) negatively regulated resistance to V. dahliae. We further found that fungal disease-related agents, including the pectin-derived oligogalacturonide (OG), could downregulate the expression of lncRNA2 and GbPG12, leading to pectin accumulation. Conversely, OG upregulated the expression of lncRNA7, which encodes a plant peptide phytosulfokine (PSK-α), which was confirmed by lncRNA7 overexpression and Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS) experiments. We showed that PSK-α promoted 3-Indoleacetic acid (IAA) accumulation and activated GbPMEI13 expression through Auxin Response Factor 5. Since it is an inhibitor of pectin methylesterase (PME), GbPMEI13 promotes pectin methylation and therefore increases the resistance to V. dahliae. Consistently, we also demonstrated that GbPMEI13 inhibits the mycelial growth and spore germination of V. dahliae in vitro. In this study, we demonstrated that lncRNA7, lncRNA2, and their regulating genes modulate cell wall defense against V. dahliae via auxin-mediated signaling, providing a strategy for cotton breeding.

Evolution of RGF/GLV/CLEL Peptide Hormones and Their Roles in Land Plant Growth and Regulation

Rooting is a key innovation during plant terrestrialization. RGFs/GLVs/CLELs are a family of secreted peptides, playing key roles in root stem cell niche maintenance and pattern formation. The origin of this peptide family is not well characterized. RGFs and their receptor genes, RGIs, were investigated comprehensively using phylogenetic and genetic analyses. We identified 203 RGF genes from 24 plant species, representing a variety of land plant lineages. We found that the RGF genes originate from land plants and expand via multiple duplication events. The lineage-specific RGF duplicates are retained due to their regulatory divergence, while a majority of RGFs experienced strong purifying selection in most land plants. Functional analysis indicated that RGFs and their receptor genes, RGIs, isolated from liverwort, tomato, and maize possess similar biological functions with their counterparts from Arabidopsis in root development. RGFs and RGIs are likely coevolved in land plants. Our studies shed light on the origin and functional conservation of this important peptide family in plant root development.

Phytocytokines function as immunological modulators of plant immunity

Plant plasma membrane-resident immune receptors regulate plant immunity by recognizing microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and phytocytokines. Phytocytokines are plant endogenous peptides, which are usually produced in the cytosol and released into the apoplast when plant encounters pathogen infections. Phytocytokines regulate plant immunity through activating an overlapping signaling pathway with MAMPs/DAMPs with some unique features. Here, we highlight the current understanding of phytocytokine production, perception and functions in plant immunity, and discuss how plants and pathogens manipulate phytocytokine signaling for their own benefits during the plant-pathogen warfare.

CASPARIAN STRIP INTEGRITY FACTOR (CIF) family peptides - regulator of plant extracellular barriers

In multicellular organisms, water and most of the small molecules, such as nutrients, toxic substances, and signaling compounds, move freely through extracellular spaces, depending on their biochemical nature. To restrict the simple diffusion of small molecules, multicellular organisms have evolved extracellular barriers across specific tissue layers, such as tight junctions in the animal epithelium. Similar extracellular barriers are also generated in plants through the accumulation of hydrophobic chemicals, such as lignin or cutin, although the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive. Here, I summarize recent advances in extracellular barrier formation in plants by focusing mainly on CASPARIAN STRIP INTEGRITY FACTOR (CIF) family peptides, which trigger the spatially precise deposition of designated cell wall components, enabling plants to establish transcellular barrier networks correctly. The genome of Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant species, harbors five CIF genes, which encode propeptides which are processed into small secreted peptides of 21-24 amino acids. Sulfation of tyrosine residues in CIF peptides ensures their full bioactivity and high-affinity binding to their receptors SCHENGEN3/GASSHO1 (SGN3/GSO1) and GSO2 in vitro. Additionally, in vivo analysis shows that physical restriction of CIF peptide diffusion and the subcellular localization of a signaling module and expression patterns of a peptide processing enzyme specify the location of signal activation. Thus, the CIF peptide family provides fascinating models for understanding mature peptide biogenesis and spatially limited signal activation with small diffusive molecules.

Root meristem growth factor RGF, a sulfated peptide hormone in plants

In recent decades, small secreted peptides have been recognized as a new class of intercellular signaling phytohormones in plants. Tyrosine sulfation plays crucial roles in peptide hormone bioactivities in plants. The Arabidopsis tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase mutant tpst-1 causes severe abnormalities in the root tip due to deficiency in the biosynthesis of all functional tyrosine-sulfated peptides. Root meristem growth factor RGF, a sulfated peptide hormone specifically expressed in the root tip, was found to complement tpst-1 root defects. This review summarizes the history of the identification of RGF, the characteristics of RGF, the identification of RGF receptors, and the target of RGF. In brief, RGF is a 13 amino acid sulfated peptide. The RGF peptide mutant rgf1,2,3 exhibited a reduced size of the root apical meristem, indicating that RGF maintains cell proliferation activity in the root apical meristem. RGF receptors were identified by comprehensive binding analysis with a custom-made receptor expression library. The RGF receptor mutant rgfr1,2,3 showed a phenotype of reduced root length due to a reduction in the root apical meristem and was insensitive to RGF. The signaling cascade through RGF-RGF receptor pairs regulates the gradient formation of PLETHORA (PLT), which is known as the master regulator of root formation. In the peptide mutant rgf1,2,3 and receptor mutant rgfr1,2,3, the gradient of PLT proteins disappeared, indicating that RGF defines the PLT protein gradient to ensure robust root growth and root development. Recent studies of the downstream signaling of RGF-RGF receptor pairs are also described in this review.

The Peptide PbrPSK2 From Phytosulfokine Family Induces Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Production to Regulate Pear Pollen Tube Growth

Phytosulfokines (PSKs) are plant peptide growth factors that participate in multiple biological processes, including cell elongation and immune signaling. However, little is known about PSKs in Rosaceae species. Here, we identified 10 PSK genes in pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), 11 in apple (Malus × domestica), four in peach (Prunus persica), six in strawberry (Fragaria vesca), and five in Chinese plum (Prunus mume). In addition, we undertook comparative analysis of the PSK gene family in pear and the four other species. Evolutionary analysis indicated that whole genome duplication events (WGD) may have contributed to the expansion of the PSK gene family in Rosaceae. Transcriptomes, reverse transcription-PCR and quantitative real-time-PCR analyses were undertaken to demonstrate that PbrPSK2 is highly expressed in pear pollen. In addition, by adding purified E. coli-expressed PbrPSK2 to pollen and using an antisense oligonucleotide approach, we showed that PbrPSK2 can promote pear pollen tube elongation in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, PbrPSK2 was found to mediate the production of reactive oxygen species to regulate pear pollen tube growth.

TPST is involved in fructose regulation of primary root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana

TPST is involved in fructose signaling to regulate the root development and expression of genes in biological processes including auxin biosynthesis and accumulation in Arabidopsis. Sulfonation of proteins by tyrosine protein sulfotransferases (TPST) has been implicated in many important biological processes in eukaryotic organisms. Arabidopsis possesses a single TPST gene and its role in auxin homeostasis and root development has been reported. Here we show that the Arabidopsis tpst mutants are hypersensitive to fructose. In contrast to sucrose and glucose, fructose represses primary root growth of various ecotypes of Arabidopsis at low concentrations. RNA-seq analysis identified 636 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in Col-0 seedlings in response to fructose verses glucose. GO and KEGG analyses of the DEGs revealed that fructose down-regulates genes involved in photosynthesis, glucosinolate biosynthesis and IAA biosynthesis, but up-regulates genes involved in the degradation of branched amino acids, sucrose starvation response, and dark response. The fructose responsive DEGs in the tpst mutant largely overlapped with that in Col-0, and most DEGs in tpst displayed larger changes than in Col-0. Interestingly, the fructose up-regulated DEGs includes genes encoding two AtTPST substrate proteins, Phytosulfokine 2 (PSK2) and Root Meristem Growth Factor 7 (RGF7). Synthesized peptides of PSK-α and RGF7 could restore the fructose hypersensitivity of tpst mutant plants. Furthermore, auxin distribution and accumulation at the root tip were affected by fructose and the tpst mutation. Our findings suggest that fructose serves as a signal to regulate the expression of genes involved in various biological processes including auxin biosynthesis and accumulation, and that modulation of auxin accumulation and distribution in roots by fructose might be partly mediated by the TPST substrate genes PSK-α and RGF7.

Cunninghamia lanceolata PSK Peptide Hormone Genes Promote Primary Root Growth and Adventitious Root Formation

Phytosulfokine-α (PSK-α) is a newly discovered short peptide that acts as a phytohormone in various plants. Previous studies have shown that PSK-α is critical for many biological processes in plants, such as cell division and differentiation, somatic embryogenesis, pollen germination and plant resistance. In this study, we cloned two PSK homolog genes from Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook (Chinese fir), ClPSK1 and ClPSK2, and characterized their function in root development. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that both ClPSK1 and ClPSK2 were expressed in vegetative organs, mainly in roots. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing ClPSK1 or ClPSK2 showed a higher frequency of adventitious root formation and increased root length. The expression of genes in Arabidopsis that are involved in stem cell activity (PLT1, PLT2 and WOX5), radial organization of the root (SHR and SCR) and cell cycle (CYCB1;1, CYCD4;1, CDKB1;1 and RBR) were significantly up-regulated, which may contribute to the elongation of the primary root and the formation of adventitious root in transgenic lines. Our results suggest that ClPSKs play an important role during root growth and development.

Updates on molecular mechanisms in the development of branched trichome in Arabidopsis and nonbranched in cotton

Trichomes are specialized epidermal cells and a vital plant organ that protect plants from various harms and provide valuable resources for plant development and use. Some key genes related to trichomes have been identified in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana through glabrous mutants and gene cloning, and the hub MYB-bHLH-WD40, consisting of several factors including GLABRA1 (GL1), GL3, TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1 (TTG1), and ENHANCER OF GLABRA3 (EGL3), has been established. Subsequently, some upstream transcription factors, phytohormones and epigenetic modification factors have also been studied in depth. In cotton, a very important fibre and oil crop globally, in addition to the key MYB-like factors, more important regulators and potential molecular mechanisms (e.g. epigenetic modifiers, distinct metabolic pathways) are being exploited during different fibre developmental stages. This occurs due to increased cotton research, resulting in the discovery of more complex regulation mechanisms from the allotetraploid genome of cotton. In addition, some conservative as well as specific mediators are involved in trichome development in other species. This study summarizes molecular mechanisms in trichome development and provides a detailed comparison of the similarities and differences between Arabidopsis and cotton, analyses the possible reasons for the discrepancy in identification of regulators, and raises future questions and foci for understanding trichome development in more detail.

Damage-Associated Molecular Pattern-Triggered Immunity in Plants

As a universal process in multicellular organisms, including animals and plants, cells usually emit danger signals when suffering from attacks of microbes and herbivores, or physical damage. These signals, termed as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), mainly include cell wall or extracellular protein fragments, peptides, nucleotides, and amino acids. Once exposed on cell surfaces, DAMPs are detected by plasma membrane-localized receptors of surrounding cells to regulate immune responses against the invading organisms and promote damage repair. DAMPs may also act as long-distance mobile signals to mediate systemic wounding responses. Generation, release, and perception of DAMPs, and signaling events downstream of DAMP perception are all rigorously modulated by plants. These processes integrate together to determine intricate mechanisms of DAMP-triggered immunity in plants. In this review, we present an extensive overview on our current understanding of DAMPs in plant immune system.

Functional C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE (CEP) plant hormone domains evolved de novo in the plant parasite Rotylenchulus reniformis

Sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) induce and maintain an intimate relationship with their host, stimulating cells adjacent to root vascular tissue to re-differentiate into unique and metabolically active 'feeding sites'. The interaction between PPNs and their host is mediated by nematode effectors. We describe the discovery of a large and diverse family of effector genes, encoding C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE (CEP) plant hormone mimics (RrCEPs), in the syncytia-forming plant parasite Rotylenchulus reniformis. The particular attributes of RrCEPs distinguish them from all other CEPs, regardless of origin. Together with the distant phylogenetic relationship of R. reniformis to the only other CEP-encoding nematode genus identified to date (Meloidogyne), this suggests that CEPs probably evolved de novo in R. reniformis. We have characterized the first member of this large gene family (RrCEP1), demonstrating its significant up-regulation during the plant-nematode interaction and expression in the effector-producing pharyngeal gland cell. All internal CEP domains of multi-domain RrCEPs are followed by di-basic residues, suggesting a mechanism for cleavage. A synthetic peptide corresponding to RrCEP1 domain 1 is biologically active and capable of up-regulating plant nitrate transporter (AtNRT2.1) expression, whilst simultaneously reducing primary root elongation. When a non-CEP-containing, syncytia-forming PPN species (Heterodera schachtii) infects Arabidopsis in a CEP-rich environment, a smaller feeding site is produced. We hypothesize that CEPs of R. reniformis represent a two-fold adaptation to sustained biotrophy in this species: (i) increasing host nitrate uptake, whilst (ii) limiting the size of the syncytial feeding site produced.

Brassinosteroids Regulate Root Growth, Development, and Symbiosis

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are natural plant hormones critical for growth and development. BR deficient or signaling mutants show significantly shortened root phenotypes. However, for a long time, it was thought that these phenotypes were solely caused by reduced cell elongation in the mutant roots. Functions of BRs in regulating root development have been largely neglected. Nonetheless, recent detailed analyses, revealed that BRs are not only involved in root cell elongation but are also involved in many aspects of root development, such as maintenance of meristem size, root hair formation, lateral root initiation, gravitropic response, mycorrhiza formation, and nodulation in legume species. In this review, current findings on the functions of BRs in mediating root growth, development, and symbiosis are discussed.

Transcriptome Sequencing Identified Genes and Gene Ontologies Associated with Early Freezing Tolerance in Maize

Originating in a tropical climate, maize has faced great challenges as cultivation has expanded to the majority of the world's temperate zones. In these zones, frost and cold temperatures are major factors that prevent maize from reaching its full yield potential. Among 30 elite maize inbred lines adapted to northern China, we identified two lines of extreme, but opposite, freezing tolerance levels-highly tolerant and highly sensitive. During the seedling stage of these two lines, we used RNA-seq to measure changes in maize whole genome transcriptome before and after freezing treatment. In total, 19,794 genes were expressed, of which 4550 exhibited differential expression due to either treatment (before or after freezing) or line type (tolerant or sensitive). Of the 4550 differently expressed genes, 948 exhibited differential expression due to treatment within line or lines under freezing condition. Analysis of gene ontology found that these 948 genes were significantly enriched for binding functions (DNA binding, ATP binding, and metal ion binding), protein kinase activity, and peptidase activity. Based on their enrichment, literature support, and significant levels of differential expression, 30 of these 948 genes were selected for quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) validation. The validation confirmed our RNA-Seq-based findings, with squared correlation coefficients of 80% and 50% in the tolerance and sensitive lines, respectively. This study provided valuable resources for further studies to enhance understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying maize early freezing response and enable targeted breeding strategies for developing varieties with superior frost resistance to achieve yield potential.

Transcriptome-wide high-throughput deep m(6)A-seq reveals unique differential m(6)A methylation patterns between three organs in Arabidopsis thaliana

Background

m⁶A is a ubiquitous RNA modification in eukaryotes. Transcriptome-wide m⁶A patterns in Arabidopsis have been assayed recently. However, differential m⁶A patterns between organs have not been well characterized.

Results

Over two-third of the transcripts in Arabidopsis are modified by m⁶A. In contrast to a recent observation of m⁶A enrichment in 5′ mRNA, we find that m⁶A is distributed predominantly near stop codons. Interestingly, 85 % of the modified transcripts show high m⁶A methylation extent compared to their transcript level. The 290 highly methylated transcripts are mainly associated with transporters, stress responses, redox, regulation factors, and some non-coding RNAs. On average, the proportion of transcripts showing differential methylation between two plant organs is higher than that showing differential transcript levels. The transcripts with extensively higher m⁶A methylation in an organ are associated with the unique biological processes of this organ, suggesting that m⁶A may be another important contributor to organ differentiation in Arabidopsis. Highly expressed genes are relatively less methylated and vice versa, and different RNAs have distinct m⁶A patterns, which hint at mRNA fate. Intriguingly, most of the transposable element transcripts maintained a fragmented form with a relatively low transcript level and high m⁶A methylation in the cells.

Conclusions

This is the first study to comprehensively analyze m⁶A patterns in a variety of RNAs, the relationship between transcript level and m⁶A methylation extent, and differential m⁶A patterns across organs in Arabidopsis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-015-0839-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The never-ending story: from pluripotency to plant developmental plasticity

Plants are sessile organisms, some of which can live for over a thousand years. Unlike most animals, plants employ a post-embryonic mode of development driven by the continuous activity of pluripotent stem cells. Consequently, plants are able to initiate new organs over extended periods of time, and many species can readily replace lost body structures by de novo organogenesis. Classical studies have also shown that plant tissues have a remarkable capacity to undergo de-differentiation and proliferation in vitro, highlighting the fact that plant cell fate is highly plastic. This suggests that the mechanisms regulating fate transitions must be continuously active in most plant cells and that the control of cellular pluripotency lies at the core of diverse developmental programs. Here, we review how pluripotency is established in plant stem cell systems, how it is maintained during development and growth and re-initiated during regeneration, and how these mechanisms eventually contribute to the amazing developmental plasticity of plants.

Phytosulfokine Is Involved in Positive Regulation of Lotus japonicus Nodulation

Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a tyrosine-sulfated peptide that is widely distributed in plants, participating in cell proliferation, differentiation, and innate immunity. The potential role of PSK in nodulation in legumes has not been reported. In this work, five PSK precursor genes were identified in Lotus japonicas, designated as LjPSK1 to LjPSK5. Three of them (LjPSK1, LjPSK4, and LjPSK5) were found to be expressed in nitrogen-fixing root nodules. LjPSK1 and LjPSK4 were not induced at the early stage of nodulation. Interestingly, while the expression of LjPSK4 was also found in spontaneous nodules without rhizobial colonization, LjPSK1 was not induced in these pseudo nodules. Promoter-β-glucuronidase analysis revealed that LjPSK1 was highly expressed in enlarged symbiotic cells of nodules. Exogenous addition of 1 1M synthetic PSK peptide resulted in increased nodule numbers per plant. Consistently, the number of mature nodules but not the events of rhizobial infection and nodule initiation was increased by overexpressing LjPSK1 in transgenic hairy roots, in which the expression of jasmonate-responsive genes was found to be repressed. These results suggest that PSK is a new peptide signal that regulates nodulation in legumes, probably through cross-talking with other phytohormones.

Phytosulfokine peptide signaling controls pollen tube growth and funicular pollen tube guidance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a peptide growth factor that requires tyrosine sulfation carried out by tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST) for its activity. PSK is processed from precursor proteins encoded by five genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and perceived by receptor kinases encoded by two genes in Arabidopsis. pskr1-3 pskr2-1 and tpst-1 knockout mutants displayed reduced seed production, indicative of a requirement for PSK peptide signaling in sexual plant reproduction. Expression analysis revealed PSK precursor and PSK receptor gene activity in reproductive organs with strong expression of PSK2 in pollen. In support of a role for PSK signaling in pollen, in vitro pollen tube (PT) growth was enhanced by exogenously added PSK while PTs of pskr1-3 pskr2-1 and of tpst-1 were shorter. In planta, growth of wild-type pollen in pskr1-3 pskr2-1 and tpst-1 flowers appeared slower than growth in wild-type flowers. But PTs did eventually reach the base of the style, suggesting that PT elongation rate may not be responsible for the reduced fertility. Detailed analysis of anthers, style and ovules did not reveal obvious developmental defects. By contrast, a high percentage of unfertilized ovules in pskr1-3 pskr2-1 and in tpst-1 siliques displayed loss of funicular PT guidance, suggesting that PSK signaling is required to guide the PT from the transmitting tract to the embryo sac. Cross-pollination experiments with wild-type, pskr1-3 pskr2-1 and tpst-1 male and female parents revealed that both the PT and the female sporophytic tissue and/or female gametophyte contribute to successful PT guidance via PSK signaling and to fertilization success.

The PSI family of nuclear proteins is required for growth in arabidopsis

PSI1 was identified as a gene that is co-expressed with the phytosulfokine (PSK) receptor genes PSKR1 and PSKR2 in Arabidopsis thaliana. It represents a plant-specific protein family of unknown function with six members in two clades. Clade 1 members PSI1, PSI2 and PSI3 were characterized in this study. All three are nuclear localized. A predicted N-terminal myristoylation site was functionally analyzed. psi1-1 seedlings have shorter roots and hypocotyls. This growth-retarded phenotype was restored by expression of either wildtype PSI1 or PSI1 G2A with a mutated myristate attachment site in the psi1-1 background suggesting that myristate attachment was not essential for PSI1 function. psi2-1 and psi3-1 seedlings have a wildtype phenotype but overexpression of PSI1 or PSI2 promoted seedling growth. PSI2 activity appears to be linked to PSK signaling as psi2-1 and psi2-1 psi3-1 roots are unresponsive to PSK. PSI3 functions in vegetative plant growth synergistic with PSI2. psi3-1 and particularly psi2-1 psi3-1 rosettes are small. Overexpression of PSI3 promoted plant growth indicating that PSI3 is limiting at the vegetative stage. Severe dwarfism of psi2-1 psi3-1 plants results from reduced cell growth and proliferation and premature leaf growth arrest. Plants further display reduced fertility and premature senescence revealing a crucial function of PSI proteins in vegetative growth and reproduction. Psi single and double knock-out plants have less and PSI3ox plants have more starch compared to wt and growth retardation is partially rescued by sucrose. Our studies reveal a crucial function of the nuclear-localized PSI proteins in growth possibly through metabolic control.

A peptide hormone gene, GhPSK promotes fibre elongation and contributes to longer and finer cotton fibre

Cotton fibres, the single-celled trichomes derived from the ovule epidermis, provide the most important natural material for the global textile industry. A number of studies have demonstrated that regulating endogenous hormone levels through transgenic approaches can improve cotton fibre qualities. Phytosulfokine-α (PSK-α) is a novel peptide hormone in plants that is involved in regulating cell proliferation and elongation. However, its potential applications in crop genetic improvement have not been evaluated. In this study, we describe how exogenous PSK-α application promotes cotton fibre cell elongation in vitro. Chlorate, an effective inhibitor of peptide sulfation, suppressed fibre elongation in ovule culture. Exogenously applied PSK-α partly restored the chlorate-induced suppression. A putative PSK gene (GhPSK) was cloned from Gossypium hirsutum. Expression pattern analysis revealed that GhPSK is preferentially expressed in rapidly elongating fibre cells (5-20 days postanthesis). Overexpression of GhPSK in cotton increased the endogenous PSK-α level and promoted cotton fibre cell elongation, resulting in longer and finer fibres. Further results from electrophysiological and physiological analyses suggest that GhPSK affects fibre development through regulation of K(+) efflux. Digital gene expression (DGE) profile analysis of GhPSK overexpression lines indicates that PSK signalling may regulate the respiratory electron-transport chain and reactive oxygen species to affect cotton fibre development. These results imply that peptide hormones are involved in cotton fibre growth and suggest a new strategy for the biotechnological improvement of cotton fibre quality.

Bioinformatic and phylogenetic analysis of the CLAVATA3/EMBRYO-SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) and the CLE-LIKE signal peptide genes in the Pinophyta

BACKGROUND

There is a rapidly growing awareness that plant peptide signalling molecules are numerous and varied and they are known to play fundamental roles in angiosperm plant growth and development. Two closely related peptide signalling molecule families are the CLAVATA3-EMBRYO-SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) and CLE-LIKE (CLEL) genes, which encode precursors of secreted peptide ligands that have roles in meristem maintenance and root gravitropism. Progress in peptide signalling molecule research in gymnosperms has lagged behind that of angiosperms. We therefore sought to identify CLE and CLEL genes in gymnosperms and conduct a comparative analysis of these gene families with angiosperms.

RESULTS

We undertook a meta-analysis of the GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ gymnosperm EST database and the Picea abies and P. glauca genomes and identified 93 putative CLE genes and 11 CLEL genes among eight Pinophyta species, in the genera Cryptomeria, Pinus and Picea. The predicted conifer CLE and CLEL protein sequences had close phylogenetic relationships with their homologues in Arabidopsis. Notably, perfect conservation of the active CLE dodecapeptide in presumed orthologues of the Arabidopsis CLE41/44-TRACHEARY ELEMENT DIFFERENTIATION (TDIF) protein, an inhibitor of tracheary element (xylem) differentiation, was seen in all eight conifer species. We cloned the Pinus radiata CLE41/44-TDIF orthologues. These genes were preferentially expressed in phloem in planta as expected, but unexpectedly, also in differentiating tracheary element (TE) cultures. Surprisingly, transcript abundances of these TE differentiation-inhibitors sharply increased during early TE differentiation, suggesting that some cells differentiate into phloem cells in addition to TEs in these cultures. Applied CLE13 and CLE41/44 peptides inhibited root elongation in Pinus radiata seedlings. We show evidence that two CLEL genes are alternatively spliced via 3'-terminal acceptor exons encoding separate CLEL peptides.

CONCLUSIONS

The CLE and CLEL genes are found in conifers and they exhibit at least as much sequence diversity in these species as they do in other plant species. Only one CLE peptide sequence has been 100% conserved between gymnosperms and angiosperms over 300 million years of evolutionary history, the CLE41/44-TDIF peptide and its likely conifer orthologues. The preferential expression of these vascular development-regulating genes in phloem in conifers, as they are in dicot species, suggests close parallels in the regulation of secondary growth and wood formation in gymnosperm and dicot plants. Based on our bioinformatic analysis, we predict a novel mechanism of regulation of the expression of several conifer CLEL peptides, via alternative splicing resulting in the selection of alternative C-terminal exons encoding separate CLEL peptides.

Message in a bottle: small signalling peptide outputs during growth and development

Classical and recently found phytohormones play an important role in plant growth and development, but plants additionally control these processes through small signalling peptides. Over 1000 potential small signalling peptide sequences are present in the Arabidopsis genome. However, to date, a mere handful of small signalling peptides have been functionally characterized and few have been linked to a receptor. Here, we assess the potential small signalling peptide outputs, namely the molecular, biochemical, and morphological changes they trigger in Arabidopsis. However, we also include some notable studies in other plant species, in order to illustrate the varied effects that can be induced by small signalling peptides. In addition, we touch on some evolutionary aspects of small signalling peptides, as studying their signalling outputs in single-cell green algae and early land plants will assist in our understanding of more complex land plants. Our overview illustrates the growing interest in the small signalling peptide research area and its importance in deepening our understanding of plant growth and development.

ERF115 controls root quiescent center cell division and stem cell replenishment

The quiescent center (QC) plays an essential role during root development by creating a microenvironment that preserves the stem cell fate of its surrounding cells. Despite being surrounded by highly mitotic active cells, QC cells self-renew at a low proliferation rate. Here, we identified the ERF115 transcription factor as a rate-limiting factor of QC cell division, acting as a transcriptional activator of the phytosulfokine PSK5 peptide hormone. ERF115 marks QC cell division but is restrained through proteolysis by the APC/C(CCS52A2) ubiquitin ligase, whereas QC proliferation is driven by brassinosteroid-dependent ERF115 expression. Together, these two antagonistic mechanisms delimit ERF115 activity, which is called upon when surrounding stem cells are damaged, revealing a cell cycle regulatory mechanism accounting for stem cell niche longevity.

PSKR1 and PSY1R-mediated regulation of plant defense responses

Plant peptide signaling is an upcoming topic in many areas of plant research. Our recent findings show that the tyrosine sulfated peptide receptors PSKR1 and PSY1R are not only involved in growth and development but also in plant defense. They modulate salicylate- and jasmonate-dependent defense pathways in an antagonistic manner and this phenomenon might be dependent on the age and developmental stage of the plant. Here we discuss how the endogenous peptides might integrate growth, wounding, senescence and the opposing defense pathways against biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens for increased fitness of the plant.

Trichoderma-plant root colonization: escaping early plant defense responses and activation of the antioxidant machinery for saline stress tolerance

Trichoderma spp. are versatile opportunistic plant symbionts which can colonize the apoplast of plant roots. Microarrays analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana roots inoculated with Trichoderma asperelloides T203, coupled with qPCR analysis of 137 stress responsive genes and transcription factors, revealed wide gene transcript reprogramming, proceeded by a transient repression of the plant immune responses supposedly to allow root colonization. Enhancement in the expression of WRKY18 and WRKY40, which stimulate JA-signaling via suppression of JAZ repressors and negatively regulate the expression of the defense genes FMO1, PAD3 and CYP71A13, was detected in Arabidopsis roots upon Trichoderma colonization. Reduced root colonization was observed in the wrky18/wrky40 double mutant line, while partial phenotypic complementation was achieved by over-expressing WRKY40 in the wrky18 wrky40 background. On the other hand increased colonization rate was found in roots of the FMO1 knockout mutant. Trichoderma spp. stimulate plant growth and resistance to a wide range of adverse environmental conditions. Arabidopsis and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants treated with Trichoderma prior to salt stress imposition show significantly improved seed germination. In addition, Trichoderma treatment affects the expression of several genes related to osmo-protection and general oxidative stress in roots of both plants. The MDAR gene coding for monodehydroascorbate reductase is significantly up-regulated and, accordingly, the pool of reduced ascorbic acid was found to be increased in Trichoderma treated plants. 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC)-deaminase silenced Trichoderma mutants were less effective in providing tolerance to salt stress, suggesting that Trichoderma, similarly to ACC deaminase producing bacteria, can ameliorate plant growth under conditions of abiotic stress, by lowering ameliorating increases in ethylene levels as well as promoting an elevated antioxidative capacity.

Antagonistic peptide technology for functional dissection of CLV3/ESR genes in Arabidopsis

In recent years, peptide hormones have been recognized as important signal molecules in plants. Genetic characterization of such peptides is challenging since they are usually encoded by small genes. As a proof of concept, we used the well-characterized stem cell-restricting CLAVATA3 (CLV3) to develop an antagonistic peptide technology by transformations of wild-type Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) with constructs carrying the full-length CLV3 with every residue in the peptide-coding region replaced, one at a time, by alanine. Analyses of transgenic plants allowed us to identify one line exhibiting a dominant-negative clv3-like phenotype, with enlarged shoot apical meristems and increased numbers of floral organs. We then performed second dimensional amino acid substitutions to replace the glycine residue individually with the other 18 possible proteinaceous amino acids. Examination of transgenic plants showed that a glycine-to-threonine substitution gave the strongest antagonistic effect in the wild type, in which over 70% of transgenic lines showed the clv3-like phenotype. Among these substitutions, a negative correlation was observed between the antagonistic effects in the wild type and the complementation efficiencies in clv3. We also demonstrated that such an antagonistic peptide technology is applicable to other CLV3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION (CLE) genes, CLE8 and CLE22, as well as in vitro treatments. We believe this technology provides a powerful tool for functional dissection of widely occurring CLE genes in plants.

The tyrosine-sulfated peptide receptors PSKR1 and PSY1R modify the immunity of Arabidopsis to biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens in an antagonistic manner

The tyrosine-sulfated peptides PSKα and PSY1 bind to specific leucine-rich repeat surface receptor kinases and control cell proliferation in plants. In a reverse genetic screen, we identified the phytosulfokine (PSK) receptor PSKR1 as an important component of plant defense. Multiple independent loss-of-function mutants in PSKR1 are more resistant to biotrophic bacteria, show enhanced pathogen-associated molecular pattern responses and less lesion formation after infection with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. By contrast, pskr1 mutants are more susceptible to necrotrophic fungal infection with Alternaria brassicicola, show more lesion formation and fungal growth which is not observed on wild-type plants. The antagonistic effect on biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogen resistance is reflected by enhanced salicylate and reduced jasmonate responses in the mutants, suggesting that PSKR1 suppresses salicylate-dependent defense responses. Detailed analysis of single and multiple mutations in the three paralogous genes PSKR1, -2 and PSY1-receptor (PSY1R) determined that PSKR1 and PSY1R, but not PSKR2, have a partially redundant effect on plant immunity. In animals and plants, peptide sulfation is catalyzed by a tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST). Mutants lacking TPST show increased resistance to bacterial infection and increased susceptibility to fungal infection, mimicking the triple receptor mutant phenotypes. Feeding experiments with PSKα in tpst-1 mutants partially restore the defense-related phenotypes, indicating that perception of the PSKα peptide has a direct effect on plant defense. These results suggest that the PSKR subfamily integrates growth-promoting and defense signals mediated by sulfated peptides and modulates cellular plasticity to allow flexible adjustment to environmental changes.

Phytosulfokine control of growth occurs in the epidermis, is likely to be non-cell autonomous and is dependent on brassinosteroids

Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a secreted disulfated pentapeptide that controls root and shoot growth. The ubiquitous expression of PSK precursor and of the LRR receptor kinase genes in Arabidopsis raised the question of whether PSK acts as an autocrine growth factor in planta. Expression of PSKR1 under the control of tissue- and cell type-specific promoters in a receptor null background strongly suggests that PSK is a non-cell autonomous signal that controls growth through localized activity in the epidermis. pskr1-3 pskr2-1 seedlings had shorter roots and hypocotyls than the wild type, whereas 35S: PSKR1 or 35S: PSKR2 seedlings were larger, indicating that receptor abundance limits growth in planta. The preferential expression of PSKR1 in the epidermis of CER6: PSKR1 pskr1-3 pskr2-1 seedlings was sufficient to promote wild-type growth. Moreover, in GL2:PSKR1 pskr1-3 pskr2-1 seedlings that express PSKR1 in atrichoblasts of the root epidermis, root growth was restored to wild-type levels. In pskr1-3 pskr2-1 seedlings, trichoblasts and atrichoblasts were shorter than in the wild type. Trichoblasts of GL2:PSKR1 pskr1-3 pskr2-1 seedlings, which are unable to sense PSK, nonetheless had acquired wild-type length, suggesting that PSK acts as a non-cell autonomous signal. Inhibition of brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis with brassinazole (BZ) caused a loss of responsiveness to PSK in wild-type, tpst-1 (tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase-1), PSKR1ox12 and CER6:PSKR1-3-1 seedlings, as did the genetic knock-out of BR synthesis in det2-1 and of BR perception in bri1-9, suggesting that BR mediates PSK-dependent growth. Quantitative PCR analysis of BR-related genes in wild-type, pskr1-3 pskr2-1, PSKR1ox and tpst-1 seedlings showed largely unchanged transcript levels of BR biosynthesis genes.

Small open reading frames associated with morphogenesis are hidden in plant genomes

It is likely that many small ORFs (sORFs; 30-100 amino acids) are missed when genomes are annotated. To overcome this limitation, we identified ∼8,000 sORFs with high coding potential in intergenic regions of the Arabidopsis thaliana genome. However, the question remains as to whether these coding sORFs play functional roles. Using a designed array, we generated an expression atlas for 16 organs and 17 environmental conditions among 7,901 identified coding sORFs. A total of 2,099 coding sORFs were highly expressed under at least one experimental condition, and 571 were significantly conserved in other land plants. A total of 473 coding sORFs were overexpressed; ∼10% (49/473) induced visible phenotypic effects, a proportion that is approximately seven times higher than that of randomly chosen known genes. These results indicate that many coding sORFs hidden in plant genomes are associated with morphogenesis. We believe that the expression atlas will contribute to further study of the roles of sORFs in plants.

The peptide growth factor, phytosulfokine, attenuates pattern-triggered immunity

Pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) is triggered by recognition of elicitors called microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs). Although immune responses may provide good protection of plants from pathogen attack, excessive immune responses have negative impacts on plant growth and development. Thus, a good balance between positive and negative effects on the immune signaling network is important for plant fitness. However, little information is known about the molecular mechanisms that are involved in attenuation of PTI. Here, we describe a growth-promoting peptide hormone, phytosulfokine (PSK), as attenuating PTI signaling in Arabidopsis. This research was motivated by the observation that expression of the PSK Receptor 1 (PSKR1) gene was induced by MAMP treatment. Plants homozygous for pskr1 T-DNA insertions showed enhanced defense gene expression and seedling growth inhibition triggered by MAMPs. The pskr1 plants also showed enhanced PTI against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. These results indicate that the PSKR-mediated signaling attenuates immune responses. Tyrosyl protein sulfotransferase (TPST) is an enzyme required for production of the mature sulfated PSK. Like pskr1 mutants, a tpst T-DNA insertion line exhibited enhanced MAMP-triggered seedling growth inhibition, which was suppressed by exogenous application of PSK. Thus, PSK signaling mediated by PSKR1 attenuates PTI but stimulates growth.

The phytosulfokine (PSK) receptor is capable of guanylate cyclase activity and enabling cyclic GMP-dependent signaling in plants

Phytosulfokines (PSKs) are sulfated pentapeptides that stimulate plant growth and differentiation mediated by the PSK receptor (PSKR1), which is a leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase. We identified a putative guanylate cyclase (GC) catalytic center in PSKR1 that is embedded within the kinase domain and hypothesized that the GC works in conjunction with the kinase in downstream PSK signaling. We expressed the recombinant complete kinase (cytoplasmic) domain of AtPSKR1 and show that it has serine/threonine kinase activity using the Ser/Thr peptide 1 as a substrate with an approximate K(m) of 7.5 μm and V(max) of 1800 nmol min(-1) mg(-1) of protein. This same recombinant protein also has GC activity in vitro that is dependent on the presence of either Mg(2+) or Mn(2+). Overexpression of the full-length AtPSKR1 receptor in Arabidopsis leaf protoplasts raised the endogenous basal cGMP levels over 20-fold, indicating that the receptor has GC activity in vivo. In addition, PSK-α itself, but not the non-sulfated backbone, induces rapid increases in cGMP levels in protoplasts. Together these results indicate that the PSKR1 contains dual GC and kinase catalytic activities that operate in vivo and that this receptor constitutes a novel class of enzymes with overlapping catalytic domains.

Phytosulfokine-α controls hypocotyl length and cell expansion in Arabidopsis thaliana through phytosulfokine receptor 1

The disulfated peptide growth factor phytosulfokine-α (PSK-α) is perceived by LRR receptor kinases. In this study, a role for PSK signaling through PSK receptor PSKR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana hypocotyl cell elongation is established. Hypocotyls of etiolated pskr1-2 and pskr1-3 seedlings, but not of pskr2-1 seedlings were shorter than wt due to reduced cell elongation. Treatment with PSK-α did not promote hypocotyl growth indicating that PSK levels were saturating. Tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST) is responsible for sulfation and hence activation of the PSK precursor. The tpst-1 mutant displayed shorter hypocotyls with shorter cells than wt. Treatment of tpst-1 seedlings with PSK-α partially restored elongation growth in a dose-dependent manner. Hypocotyl elongation was significantly enhanced in tpst-1 seedlings at nanomolar PSK-α concentrations. Cell expansion was studied in hypocotyl protoplasts. WT and pskr2-1 protoplasts expanded in the presence of PSK-α in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, pskr1-2 and pskr1-3 protoplasts were unresponsive to PSK-α. Protoplast swelling in response to PSK-α was unaffected by ortho-vanadate, which inhibits the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase. In maize (Zea mays L.), coleoptile protoplast expansion was similarly induced by PSK-α in a dose-dependent manner and was dependent on the presence of K(+) in the media. In conclusion, PSK-α signaling of hypocotyl elongation and protoplast expansion occurs through PSKR1 and likely involves K(+) uptake, but does not require extracellular acidification by the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase.

A role for PSK signaling in wounding and microbial interactions in Arabidopsis

PSK-alpha is a disulfated peptide that acts as a growth factor in plants. PSK-alpha is derived from preproproteins which are encoded by five PSK precursor genes in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh and is perceived by leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases. Arabidopsis has two PSK receptor genes, PSKR1 and PSKR2. Although ligand and receptor are well characterized, the biological functions of PSK signaling are not well understood. Using reporter lines and receptor knockout mutants of Arabidopsis, a role for PSK signaling in biotic interactions and in wounding was analyzed. Treatment of Arabidopsis leaves with the fungal elicitor E-Fol, or the fungal pathogens Alternaria brassicicola and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resulted in induction of PSK2 and PSKR1 as shown by promoter:GUS analysis. Wounding of hypocotyls or leaves induced PSK3:GUS, PSK5:GUS and PSKR1:GUS expression indicating that PSK precursor genes are differentially regulated in response to specific stresses. The receptor knockout lines pskr1-3 and pskr2-1 showed significantly reduced photosynthesis in response to the fungal elicitor E-Fol which indicates that fungal defence is impaired. pskr1-3 plants further showed reduced growth of crown galls after infection with Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A role for PSK signaling in Agrobacterium tumefaciens tumor growth was supported by the finding that PSK precursor genes and PSKR1 are expressed in crown galls. Overall, the results indicate that PSK signaling may play a previously undescribed role in pathogen or herbivore interactions and is crucial for Agrobacterium-induced cell proliferation in crown gall formation.

Bioinformatic identification of plant peptides

Plant peptides play a number of important roles in defence, development and many other aspects of plant physiology. Identifying additional peptide sequences provides the starting point to investigate their function using molecular, genetic or biochemical techniques. Due to their small size, identifying peptide sequences may not succeed using the default bioinformatic approaches that work well for average-sized proteins. There are two general scenarios related to bioinformatic identification of peptides to be discussed in this paper. In the first scenario, one already has the sequence of a plant peptide and is trying to find more plant peptides with some sequence similarity to the starting peptide. To do this, the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is employed, with the parameters adjusted to be more favourable for identifying potential peptide matches. A second scenario involves trying to identify plant peptides without using sequence similarity searches to known plant peptides. In this approach, features such as protein size and the presence of a cleavable amino-terminal signal peptide are used to screen annotated proteins. A variation of this method can be used to screen for unannotated peptides from genomic sequences. Bioinformatic resources related to Arabidopsis thaliana will be used to illustrate these approaches.

Involvement of phytosulfokine in the attenuation of stress response during the transdifferentiation of zinnia mesophyll cells into tracheary elements

Phytosulfokine (PSK) is a sulfated peptide hormone required for the proliferation and differentiation of plant cells. Here, we characterize the physiological roles of PSK in transdifferentiation of isolated mesophyll cells of zinnia (Zinnia elegans 'Canary Bird') into tracheary elements (TEs). Transcripts for a zinnia PSK precursor gene, ZePSK1, show two peaks of expression during TE differentiation; the first accumulation is transiently induced in response to wounding at 24 h of culture, and the second accumulation is induced in the final stage of TE differentiation and is dependent on endogenous brassinosteroids. Chlorate, a potent inhibitor of peptide sulfation, is successfully applied as an inhibitor of PSK action. Chlorate significantly suppresses TE differentiation. The chlorate-induced suppression of TE differentiation is overcome by exogenously applied PSK. In the presence of chlorate, expression of stress-related genes for proteinase inhibitors and a pathogenesis-related protein is enhanced and changed from a transient to a continuous pattern. On the contrary, administration of PSK significantly reduces the accumulation of transcripts for the stress-related genes. Even in the absence of auxin and cytokinin, addition of PSK suppresses stress-related gene expression. Microarray analysis reveals 66 genes down-regulated and 42 genes up-regulated in the presence of PSK. The large majority of down-regulated genes show significant similarity to various families of stress-related proteins, including chitinases, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis enzymes, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase, and receptor-like protein kinases. These results suggest the involvement of PSK in the attenuation of stress response and healing of wound-activated cells during the early stage of TE differentiation.

Plant peptides in signalling: looking for new partners

A novel candidate ligand-receptor system, INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) and the related receptor-like kinases (RLKs) HAESA (HAE) and HAESA-LIKE (HSL)2, has been shown to control floral abscission in Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, several IDA-LIKE (IDL) proteins, which contain a conserved C-terminal domain resembling that of the CLAVATA (CLV)3-ENDOSPERM SURROUNDING REGION (ESR)-RELATED (CLE) protein family, have been shown to be partially redundant with IDA. Here, we use the genetic similarities between the IDA and CLV3 signalling systems to hypothesize that closely related peptide ligands are likely to interact with families of closely related RLKs. Guided by this hypothesis and with the aid of genetics and novel methods, ligand-receptor systems can be identified to improve our understanding of developmental processes in plants.

The transcriptome of syncytia induced by the cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii in Arabidopsis roots

Arabidopsis thaliana is a host for the sugar beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. Juvenile nematodes invade the roots and induce the development of a syncytium, which functions as a feeding site for the nematode. Here, we report on the transcriptome of syncytia induced in the roots of Arabidopsis. Microaspiration was employed to harvest pure syncytium material, which was then used to prepare RNA for hybridization to Affymetrix GeneChips. Initial data analysis showed that the gene expression in syncytia at 5 and 15 days post-infection did not differ greatly, and so both time points were compared together with control roots. Out of a total of 21 138 genes, 18.4% (3893) had a higher expression level and 15.8% (3338) had a lower expression level in syncytia, as compared with control roots, using a multiple-testing corrected false discovery rate of below 5%. A gene ontology (GO) analysis of up- and downregulated genes showed that categories related to high metabolic activity were preferentially upregulated. A principal component analysis was applied to compare the transcriptome of syncytia with the transcriptome of different Arabidopsis organs (obtained by the AtGenExpress project), and with specific root tissues. This analysis revealed that syncytia are transcriptionally clearly different from roots (and all other organs), as well as from other root tissues.

PSK-α promotes root growth in Arabidopsis

Phytosulfokine-α (PSK-α) is a disulfated pentapeptide described to act as a growth factor in suspension cells. In this study, the involvement of PSK signaling through the PSK receptor gene AtPSKR1 in Arabidopsis root growth was assessed.Expression studies of PSK precursor genes and of AtPSKR1 were performed in roots with RT-PCR and P:GUS analyses. Root elongation, lateral root formation, cell production and root cell elongation were analyzed in wild-type (wt) and in the receptor knockout mutant Atpskr1-T treated with or without synthetic PSK-α.Phytosulfokine and AtPSKR1 genes are differentially expressed in roots. PSK-α induced root growth in a dose-dependent manner without affecting lateral root density. Kinematic analysis established that enhancement of root growth by PSK-α was mainly caused by an increase in cell size. In Atpskr1-T, the primary roots were shorter as a result of reduced mature cell size and a smaller root apical meristem composed of fewer cells than in wt.The results indicate that PSK-α signaling through AtPSKR1 affects root elongation primarily via control of mature cell size. Root organogenesis, on the other hand,is not controlled by PSK-α.

Disruption of adenosine-5'-phosphosulfate kinase in Arabidopsis reduces levels of sulfated secondary metabolites

Plants can metabolize sulfate by two pathways, which branch at the level of adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (APS). APS can be reduced to sulfide and incorporated into Cys in the primary sulfate assimilation pathway or phosphorylated by APS kinase to 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate, which is the activated sulfate form for sulfation reactions. To assess to what extent APS kinase regulates accumulation of sulfated compounds, we analyzed the corresponding gene family in Arabidopsis thaliana. Analysis of T-DNA insertion knockout lines for each of the four isoforms did not reveal any phenotypical alterations. However, when all six combinations of double mutants were compared, the apk1 apk2 plants were significantly smaller than wild-type plants. The levels of glucosinolates, a major class of sulfated secondary metabolites, and the sulfated 12-hydroxyjasmonate were reduced approximately fivefold in apk1 apk2 plants. Although auxin levels were increased in the apk1 apk2 mutants, as is the case for most plants with compromised glucosinolate synthesis, typical high auxin phenotypes were not observed. The reduction in glucosinolates resulted in increased transcript levels for genes involved in glucosinolate biosynthesis and accumulation of desulfated precursors. It also led to great alterations in sulfur metabolism: the levels of sulfate and thiols increased in the apk1 apk2 plants. The data indicate that the APK1 and APK2 isoforms of APS kinase play a major role in the synthesis of secondary sulfated metabolites and are required for normal growth rates.

Transcriptional profiling of pea ABR17 mediated changes in gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana

BACKGROUND

Pathogenesis-related proteins belonging to group 10 (PR10) are elevated in response to biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Previously, we have shown a drastic salinity-induced increase in the levels of ABR17, a member of the PR10 family, in pea. Furthermore, we have also demonstrated that the constitutive expression of pea ABR17 cDNA in Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus enhances their germination and early seedling growth under stress. Although it has been reported that several members of the PR10 family including ABR17 possess RNase activity, the exact mechanism by which the aforementioned characteristics are conferred by ABR17 is unknown at this time. We hypothesized that a study of differences in transcriptome between wild type (WT) and ABR17 transgenic A. thaliana may shed light on this process.

RESULTS

The molecular changes brought about by the expression of pea ABR17 cDNA in A. thaliana in the presence or absence of salt stress were investigated using microarrays consisting of 70-mer oligonucleotide probes representing 23,686 Arabidopsis genes. Statistical analysis identified number of genes which were over represented among up- or down-regulated transcripts in the transgenic line. Our results highlight the important roles of many abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinin (CK) responsive genes in ABR17 transgenic lines. Although the transcriptional changes followed a general salt response theme in both WT and transgenic seedlings under salt stress, many genes exhibited differential expression patterns when the transgenic and WT lines were compared. These genes include plant defensins, heat shock proteins, other defense related genes, and several transcriptional factors. Our microarray results for selected genes were validated using quantitative real-time PCR.

CONCLUSION

Transcriptional analysis in ABR17 transgenic Arabidopsis plants, both under normal and saline conditions, revealed significant changes in abundance of transcripts for many stress responsive genes, as well as those related to plant growth and development. Our results also suggest that ABR17 may mediate stress tolerance through the modulation of many ABA- and CK-responsive genes and may further our understanding of the role of ABR17 in mediating plant stress responses.

A conserved dibasic site is essential for correct processing of the peptide hormone AtRALF1 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Prohormone proteins in animals and yeast are typically processed at dibasic sites by convertases. Propeptide hormones are also found in plants but little is known about processing. We show for the first time that a dibasic site upstream of a plant peptide hormone, AtRALF1, is essential for processing. Overexpression of preproAtRALF1 causes semi-dwarfism whereas overexpression of preproAtRALF1(R69A), the propeptide with a mutation in the dibasic site, shows a normal phenotype. RALF1(R69A) plants accumulate only the mutated proprotein and not the processed peptide. In vitro processing using microsomal fractions suggests that processing is carried out by a kexin-like convertase.