1
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Zhang B, Ma Z, Guo H, Chen S, Liu J. Single-cell RNA-sequencing provides new insights into the cell-specific expression patterns and transcriptional regulation of photosynthetic genes in bermudagrass leaf blades. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 213:108857. [PMID: 38905728 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108857] [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: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
As an important warm-season turfgrass species, bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) flourishes in warm areas around the world due to the existence of the C4 photosynthetic pathway. However, how C4 photosynthesis operates in bermudagrass leaves is still poorly understood. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing on 5296 cells from bermudagrass leaf blades. Eight cell clusters corresponding to mesophyll, bundle sheath, epidermis and vascular bundle cells were successfully identified using known cell marker genes. Expression profiling indicated that genes encoding NADP-dependent malic enzymes (NADP-MEs) were highly expressed in bundle sheath cells, whereas NAD-ME genes were weakly expressed in all cell types, suggesting C4 photosynthesis of bermudagrass leaf blades might be NADP-ME type rather than NAD-ME type. The results also indicated that starch synthesis-related genes showed preferential expression in bundle sheath cells, whereas starch degradation-related genes were highly expressed in mesophyll cells, which agrees with the observed accumulation of starch-filled chloroplasts in bundle sheath cells. Gene co-expression analysis further revealed that different families of transcription factors were co-expressed with multiple C4 photosynthesis-related genes, suggesting a complex transcription regulatory network of C4 photosynthesis might exist in bermudagrass leaf blades. These findings collectively provided new insights into the cell-specific expression patterns and transcriptional regulation of photosynthetic genes in bermudagrass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
| | - Ziyan Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Hailin Guo
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
| | - Si Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jianxiu Liu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
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2
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Hua X, Li Z, Dou M, Zhang Y, Zhao D, Shi H, Li Y, Li S, Huang Y, Qi Y, Wang B, Wang Q, Wang Q, Gao R, Ming R, Tang H, Yao W, Zhang M, Zhang J. Transcriptome and small RNA analysis unveils novel insights into the C 4 gene regulation in sugarcane. PLANTA 2024; 259:120. [PMID: 38607398 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04390-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION This study reveals miRNA indirect regulation of C4 genes in sugarcane through transcription factors, highlighting potential key regulators like SsHAM3a. C4 photosynthesis is crucial for the high productivity and biomass of sugarcane, however, the miRNA regulation of C4 genes in sugarcane remains elusive. We have identified 384 miRNAs along the leaf gradients, including 293 known miRNAs and 91 novel miRNAs. Among these, 86 unique miRNAs exhibited differential expression patterns, and we identified 3511 potential expressed targets of these differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs). Analyses using Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment revealed that targets of miRNAs with positive correlations are integral to chlorophyll-related photosynthetic processes. In contrast, negatively correlated pairs are primarily associated with metabolic functions. It is worth noting that no C4 genes were predicted as targets of DEmiRNAs. Our application of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) led to a gene regulatory network (GRN) suggesting miRNAs might indirectly regulate C4 genes via transcription factors (TFs). The GRAS TF SsHAM3a emerged as a potential regulator of C4 genes, targeted by miR171y and miR171am, and exhibiting a negative correlation with miRNA expression along the leaf gradient. This study sheds light on the complex involvement of miRNAs in regulating C4 genes, offering a foundation for future research into enhancing sugarcane's photosynthetic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuting Hua
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Zhen Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Meijie Dou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yanqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Dongxu Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Huihong Shi
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yihan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Shuangyu Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yumin Huang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Yiying Qi
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Baiyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Qiyun Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Qiaoyu Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Ruiting Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Ray Ming
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
- Department of Plant Biology, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Haibao Tang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Wei Yao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Muqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China
| | - Jisen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, Guangxi University, Guangxi, 530004, China.
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3
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Yang QY, Wang XQ, Yang YJ, Huang W. Fluctuating light induces a significant photoinhibition of photosystem I in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 207:108426. [PMID: 38340689 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
In nature, light intensity usually fluctuates and a sudden shade-sun transition can induce photodamage to photosystem I (PSI) in many angiosperms. Photosynthetic regulation in fluctuating light (FL) has been studied extensively in C3 plants; however, little is known about how C4 plants cope FL to prevent PSI photoinhibition. We here compared photosynthetic responses to FL between maize (Zea mays, C4) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, C3) grown under full sunlight. Maize leaves had significantly higher cyclic electron flow (CEF) activity and lower photorespiration activity than tomato. Upon a sudden shade-sun transition, maize showed a significant stronger transient PSI over-reduction than tomato, resulting in a significant greater PSI photoinhibition in maize after FL treatment. During the first seconds upon shade-sun transition, CEF was stimulated in maize at a much higher extent than tomato, favoring the rapid formation of trans-thylakoid proton gradient (ΔpH), which was helped by a transient down-regulation of chloroplast ATP synthase activity. Therefore, modulation of ΔpH by regulation of CEF and chloroplast ATP synthase adjusted PSI redox state at donor side, which partially compensated for the deficiency of photorespiration. We propose that C4 plants use different photosynthetic strategies for coping with FL as compared with C3 plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Yan Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China; Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Xiao-Qian Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Ying-Jie Yang
- Flower Research Institute of Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, 650205, China.
| | - Wei Huang
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China.
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4
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Li X, Li J, Wei S, Gao Y, Pei H, Geng R, Lu Z, Wang P, Zhou W. Maize GOLDEN2-LIKE proteins enhance drought tolerance in rice by promoting stomatal closure. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:774-786. [PMID: 37850886 PMCID: PMC10828204 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Drought has become one of the most severe abiotic stresses experienced in agricultural production across the world. Plants respond to water deficit via stomatal movements in the leaves, which are mainly regulated by abscisic acid (ABA). A previous study from our lab showed that constitutive expression of maize (Zea mays L.) GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK) transcription factors in rice (Oryza sativa L.) can improve stomatal conductance and plant photosynthetic capacity under field conditions. In the present study, we uncovered a function of ZmGLK regulation of stomatal movement in rice during drought stress. We found that elevated drought tolerance in rice plants overexpressing ZmGLK1 or GOLDEN2 (ZmG2) was conferred by rapid ABA-mediated stomatal closure. Comparative analysis of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from the rice leaves and DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) results obtained in vitro revealed that ZmGLKs played roles in regulating ABA-related and stress-responsive pathways. Four upregulated genes closely functioning in abiotic stress tolerance with strong binding peaks in the DAP-seq data were identified as putative target genes of ZmGLK1 and ZmG2 in rice. These results demonstrated that maize GLKs play an important role in regulating stomatal movements to coordinate photosynthesis and stress tolerance. This trait is a valuable target for breeding drought-tolerant crop plants without compromising photosynthetic capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Li
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jing Li
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shaobo Wei
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hongcui Pei
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Rudan Geng
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zefu Lu
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Peng Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant
Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai
200032, China
| | - Wenbin Zhou
- Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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5
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Zhang Q, Tian S, Chen G, Tang Q, Zhang Y, Fleming AJ, Zhu XG, Wang P. Regulatory NADH dehydrogenase-like complex optimizes C 4 photosynthetic carbon flow and cellular redox in maize. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:82-101. [PMID: 37872738 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
C4 plants typically operate a CO2 concentration mechanism from mesophyll (M) cells into bundle sheath (BS) cells. NADH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex is enriched in the BS cells of many NADP-malic enzyme (ME) type C4 plants and is more abundant in C4 than in C3 plants, but to what extent it is involved in the CO2 concentration mechanism remains to be experimentally investigated. We created maize and rice mutants deficient in NDH function and then used a combination of transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic approaches for comparative analysis. Considerable decreases in growth, photosynthetic activities, and levels of key photosynthetic proteins were observed in maize but not rice mutants. However, transcript abundance for many cyclic electron transport (CET) and Calvin-Benson cycle components, as well as BS-specific C4 enzymes, was increased in maize mutants. Metabolite analysis of the maize ndh mutants revealed an increased NADPH : NADP ratio, as well as malate, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), and photorespiration intermediates. We suggest that by optimizing NADPH and malate levels and adjusting NADP-ME activity, NDH functions to balance metabolic and redox states in the BS cells of maize (in addition to ATP supply), coordinating photosynthetic transcript abundance and protein content, thus directly regulating the carbon flow in the two-celled C4 system of maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Zhang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shilong Tian
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Genyun Chen
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiming Tang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yijing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Andrew J Fleming
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Xin-Guang Zhu
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Wang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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6
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Lambret‐Frotte J, Smith G, Langdale JA. GOLDEN2-like1 is sufficient but not necessary for chloroplast biogenesis in mesophyll cells of C 4 grasses. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 117:416-431. [PMID: 37882077 PMCID: PMC10953395 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are the site of photosynthesis. In land plants, chloroplast biogenesis is regulated by a family of transcription factors named GOLDEN2-like (GLK). In C4 grasses, it has been hypothesized that genome duplication events led to the sub-functionalization of GLK paralogs (GLK1 and GLK2) to control chloroplast biogenesis in two distinct cell types: mesophyll and bundle sheath cells. Although previous characterization of golden2 (g2) mutants in maize has demonstrated a role for GLK2 paralogs in regulating chloroplast biogenesis in bundle sheath cells, the function of GLK1 has remained elusive. Here we show that, contrary to expectations, GLK1 is not required for chloroplast biogenesis in mesophyll cells of maize. Comparisons between maize and Setaria viridis, which represent two independent C4 origins within the Poales, further show that the role of GLK paralogs in controlling chloroplast biogenesis in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells differs between species. Despite these differences, complementation analysis revealed that GLK1 and GLK2 genes from maize are both sufficient to restore functional chloroplast development in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells of S. viridis mutants. Collectively our results suggest an evolutionary trajectory in C4 grasses whereby both orthologs retained the ability to induce chloroplast biogenesis but GLK2 adopted a more prominent developmental role, particularly in relation to chloroplast activation in bundle sheath cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Lambret‐Frotte
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RoadOX1 3RBOxfordUK
- Present address:
NIAB, Park FarmVilla Road, ImpingtonCB24 9NZCambridgeUK
| | - Georgia Smith
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RoadOX1 3RBOxfordUK
| | - Jane A. Langdale
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RoadOX1 3RBOxfordUK
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7
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Huang CF, Liu WY, Yu CP, Wu SH, Ku MSB, Li WH. C 4 leaf development and evolution. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 76:102454. [PMID: 37743123 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102454] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is more efficient than C3 photosynthesis for two reasons. First, C4 plants have evolved efficient C4 enzymes to suppress wasteful photorespiration and enhance CO2 fixation. Second, C4 leaves have Kranz anatomy in which the veins are surrounded by one layer of bundle sheath (BS) cells and one layer of mesophyll (M) cells. The BS and M cells are functionally well differentiated and also well coordinated for rapid assimilation of atmospheric CO2 and transport of photo-assimilates between the two types of cells. Recent comparative transcriptomics of developing M and BS cells in young maize embryonic leaves revealed not only potential regulators of BS and M cell differentiation but also rapid early BS cell differentiation whereas slower, more prolonged M cell differentiation, contrary to the traditional view of a far simpler process of M cell development. Moreover, new upstream regulators of Kranz anatomy development have been identified and a number of gene co-expression modules for early vascular development have been inferred. Also, a candidate gene regulatory network associated with Kranz anatomy and vascular development has been constructed. Additionally, how whole genome duplication (WGD) may facilitate C4 evolution has been studied and the reasons for why the same WGD event led to successful C4 evolution in Gynandropsis gynandra but not in the sister species Tarenaya hassleriana have been proposed. Finally, new future research directions are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Fa Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 115 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yu Liu
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 115 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ping Yu
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 115 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Hsing Wu
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, 115 Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Maurice S B Ku
- Institute of Bioagricultural Science, National Chiayi University, 600 Chiayi, Taiwan.
| | - Wen-Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 115 Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, USA.
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8
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Borba AR, Reyna-Llorens I, Dickinson PJ, Steed G, Gouveia P, Górska AM, Gomes C, Kromdijk J, Webb AAR, Saibo NJM, Hibberd JM. Compartmentation of photosynthesis gene expression in C4 maize depends on time of day. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:2306-2320. [PMID: 37555432 PMCID: PMC10663113 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Compared with the ancestral C3 state, C4 photosynthesis occurs at higher rates with improved water and nitrogen use efficiencies. In both C3 and C4 plants, rates of photosynthesis increase with light intensity and are maximal around midday. We determined that in the absence of light or temperature fluctuations, photosynthesis in maize (Zea mays) peaks in the middle of the subjective photoperiod. To investigate the molecular processes associated with these temporal changes, we performed RNA sequencing of maize mesophyll and bundle sheath strands over a 24-h time course. Preferential expression of C4 cycle genes in these cell types was strongest between 6 and 10 h after dawn when rates of photosynthesis were highest. For the bundle sheath, DNA motif enrichment and gene coexpression analyses suggested members of the DNA binding with one finger (DOF) and MADS (MINICHROMOSOME MAINTENANCE FACTOR 1/AGAMOUS/DEFICIENS/Serum Response Factor)-domain transcription factor families mediate diurnal fluctuations in C4 gene expression, while trans-activation assays in planta confirmed their ability to activate promoter fragments from bundle sheath expressed genes. The work thus identifies transcriptional regulators and peaks in cell-specific C4 gene expression coincident with maximum rates of photosynthesis in the maize leaf at midday.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Borba
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Ivan Reyna-Llorens
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Patrick J Dickinson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Gareth Steed
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Paulo Gouveia
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Alicja M Górska
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Celia Gomes
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Johannes Kromdijk
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Alex A R Webb
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Nelson J M Saibo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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9
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Furbank R, Kelly S, von Caemmerer S. Photosynthesis and food security: the evolving story of C 4 rice. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023; 158:121-130. [PMID: 37067631 PMCID: PMC10108777 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Traditional "Green Revolution" cereal breeding strategies to improve yield are now reaching a plateau in our principal global food crop rice. Photosynthesis has now become a major target of international consortia to increase yield potential. Synthetic biology is being used across multiple large projects to improve photosynthetic efficiency. This review follows the genesis and progress of one of the first of these consortia projects, now in its 13th year; the Bill and Melinda Gates funded C4 Rice Project. This project seeks to install the biochemical and anatomical attributes necessary to support C4 photosynthesis in the C3 crop rice. Here we address the advances made thus far in installing the biochemical pathway and some of the key targets yet to be reached.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Furbank
- Division of Plant Science, Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Division of Plant Science, Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
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10
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Wu C, Guo D. Identification of Two Flip-Over Genes in Grass Family as Potential Signature of C4 Photosynthesis Evolution. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14165. [PMID: 37762466 PMCID: PMC10531853 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814165] [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: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In flowering plants, C4 photosynthesis is superior to C3 type in carbon fixation efficiency and adaptation to extreme environmental conditions, but the mechanisms behind the assembly of C4 machinery remain elusive. This study attempts to dissect the evolutionary divergence from C3 to C4 photosynthesis in five photosynthetic model plants from the grass family, using a combined comparative transcriptomics and deep learning technology. By examining and comparing gene expression levels in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells of five model plants, we identified 16 differentially expressed signature genes showing cell-specific expression patterns in C3 and C4 plants. Among them, two showed distinctively opposite cell-specific expression patterns in C3 vs. C4 plants (named as FOGs). The in silico physicochemical analysis of the two FOGs illustrated that C3 homologous proteins of LHCA6 had low and stable pI values of ~6, while the pI values of LHCA6 homologs increased drastically in C4 plants Setaria viridis (7), Zea mays (8), and Sorghum bicolor (over 9), suggesting this protein may have different functions in C3 and C4 plants. Interestingly, based on pairwise protein sequence/structure similarities between each homologous FOG protein, one FOG PGRL1A showed local inconsistency between sequence similarity and structure similarity. To find more examples of the evolutionary characteristics of FOG proteins, we investigated the protein sequence/structure similarities of other FOGs (transcription factors) and found that FOG proteins have diversified incompatibility between sequence and structure similarities during grass family evolution. This raised an interesting question as to whether the sequence similarity is related to structure similarity during C4 photosynthesis evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dianjing Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China;
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11
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Hughes TE, Sedelnikova O, Thomas M, Langdale JA. Mutations in NAKED-ENDOSPERM IDD genes reveal functional interactions with SCARECROW during leaf patterning in C4 grasses. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010715. [PMID: 37068119 PMCID: PMC10138192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Leaves comprise a number of different cell-types that are patterned in the context of either the epidermal or inner cell layers. In grass leaves, two distinct anatomies develop in the inner leaf tissues depending on whether the leaf carries out C3 or C4 photosynthesis. In both cases a series of parallel veins develops that extends from the leaf base to the tip but in ancestral C3 species veins are separated by a greater number of intervening mesophyll cells than in derived C4 species. We have previously demonstrated that the GRAS transcription factor SCARECROW (SCR) regulates the number of photosynthetic mesophyll cells that form between veins in the leaves of the C4 species maize, whereas it regulates the formation of stomata in the epidermal leaf layer in the C3 species rice. Here we show that SCR is required for inner leaf patterning in the C4 species Setaria viridis but in this species the presumed ancestral stomatal patterning role is also retained. Through a comparative mutant analysis between maize, setaria and rice we further demonstrate that loss of NAKED-ENDOSPERM (NKD) INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) protein function exacerbates loss of function scr phenotypes in the inner leaf tissues of maize and setaria but not rice. Specifically, in both setaria and maize, scr;nkd mutants exhibit an increased proportion of fused veins with no intervening mesophyll cells. Thus, combined action of SCR and NKD may control how many mesophyll cells are specified between veins in the leaves of C4 but not C3 grasses. Together our results provide insight into the evolution of cell patterning in grass leaves and demonstrate a novel patterning role for IDD genes in C4 leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Hughes
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | | | - Mimi Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
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12
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Wu C, Hsieh K, Yeh S, Lu Y, Chen L, Ku MSB, Li W. Simultaneous detection of miRNA and mRNA at the single-cell level in plant tissues. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:136-149. [PMID: 36148792 PMCID: PMC9829392 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Detecting the simultaneous presence of a microRNA (miRNA) and a mRNA in a specific tissue can provide support for the prediction that the miRNA regulates the mRNA. Although two such methods have been developed for mammalian tissues, they have a low signal-noise ratio and/or poor resolution at the single-cell level. To overcome these drawbacks, we develop a method that uses sequence-specific miRNA-locked nucleic acid (LNA) and mRNA-LNA probes. Moreover, it augments the detection signal by rolling circle amplification, achieving a high signal-noise ratio at the single-cell level. Dot signals are counted for determining the expression levels of mRNA and miRNA molecules in specific cells. We show a high sequence specificity of our miRNA-LNA probe, revealing that it can discriminate single-base mismatches. Numerical quantification by our method is tested in transgenic rice lines with different gene expression levels. We conduct several applications. First, the spatial expression profiling of osa-miR156 and OsSPL12 in rice leaves reveals their specific expression in mesophyll cells. Second, studying rice and its mutant lines with our method reveals opposite expression patterns of miRNA and its target mRNA in tissues. Third, the dynamic expression profiles of ZmGRF8 and zma-miR396 during maize leaf development provide evidence that zma-miR396 regulates the preferential spatial expression of ZmGRF8 in bundle sheath cells. Finally, our method can be scaled up to simultaneously detect multiple miRNAs and mRNAs in a tissue. Thus, it is a sensitive and versatile technique for studying miRNA regulation of plant tissue development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi‐Chih Wu
- Biodiversity Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | | | - Su‐Ying Yeh
- Biodiversity Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yen‐Ting Lu
- Biodiversity Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Liang‐Jwu Chen
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing UniversityTaichungTaiwan
| | - Maurice S. B. Ku
- Department of Agricultural BiotechnologyNational Chiayi UniversityChaiyiTaiwan
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityPullmanWAUSA
| | - Wen‐Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
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13
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De-la-Cruz IM, Kariñho-Betancourt E, Núñez-Farfán J, Oyama K. Gene family evolution and natural selection signatures in Datura spp. (Solanaceae). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.916762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Elucidating the diversification process of congeneric species makes it necessary to identify the factors promoting species variation and diversification. Comparative gene family analysis allows us to elucidate the evolutionary history of species by identifying common genetic/genomic mechanisms underlying species responses to biotic and abiotic environments at the genomic level. In this study, we analyzed the high-quality transcriptomes of four Datura species, D. inoxia, D. pruinosa, D. stramonium, and D. wrightii. We performed a thorough comparative gene family analysis to infer the role of selection in molecular variation, changes in protein physicochemical properties, and gain/loss of genes during their diversification processes. The results revealed common and species-specific signals of positive selection, physicochemical divergence and/or expansion of metabolic genes (e.g., transferases and oxidoreductases) associated with terpene and tropane metabolism and some resistance genes (R genes). The gene family analysis presented here is a valuable tool for understanding the genome evolution of economically and ecologically significant taxa such as the Solanaceae family.
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14
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Pradhan B, Panda D, Bishi SK, Chakraborty K, Muthusamy SK, Lenka SK. Progress and prospects of C 4 trait engineering in plants. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:920-931. [PMID: 35727191 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13446] [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: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Incorporating C4 photosynthetic traits into C3 crops is a rational approach for sustaining future demands for crop productivity. Using classical plant breeding, engineering this complex trait is unlikely to achieve its target. Therefore, it is critical and timely to implement novel biotechnological crop improvement strategies to accomplish this goal. However, a fundamental understanding of C3 , C4 , and C3 -C4 intermediate metabolism is crucial for the targeted use of biotechnological tools. This review assesses recent progress towards engineering C4 photosynthetic traits in C3 crops. We also discuss lessons learned from successes and failures of recent genetic engineering attempts in C3 crops, highlighting the pros and cons of using rice as a model plant for short-, medium- and long-term goals of genetic engineering. This review provides an integrated approach towards engineering improved photosynthetic efficiency in C3 crops for sustaining food, fibre and fuel production around the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Pradhan
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty Centre for Integrated Rural Development and Management, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - D Panda
- Department of Biodiversity & Conservation of Natural Resources, Central University of Odisha, Koraput, India
| | - S K Bishi
- School of Genomics and Molecular Breeding, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi, India
| | - K Chakraborty
- Department of Plant Physiology, ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India
| | - S K Muthusamy
- Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - S K Lenka
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Gujarat Biotechnology University, Gujarat, India
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15
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Tao S, Zhang W. Network and epigenetic characterization of subsets of genes specifically expressed in maize bundle sheath cells. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:3581-3590. [PMID: 35860403 PMCID: PMC9287181 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bundle sheath (BS) cells exhibit dramatically structural differences and functional variations at physiological, biochemical and epigenetic levels as compared to mesophyll (M) cells in maize. The regulatory mechanisms controlling functional divergences between M and BS have been extensively investigated. However, BS cell-related regulatory networks are still not completely characterized. To address this, we herein conducted WGCNA-related co-expression assays using bulk M and BS cell RNA-seq data sets and identified a module containing 384 genes highly expressed in BS cells (including 20 hub TFs) instead of M cells. According to the hub TF centered regulatory network, we found that Dof22 and Dof30 might act as key regulators in the regulation of expression of BS-specific genes, and several MYB TFs exhibited a high collaboration with Dof TFs. By comparing the enrichment levels of histone modifications, we found that genes in the aforementioned module were more enriched with histone acetylation as compared to other BS-enriched DEGs with similar expression levels. Moreover, we found that a subset of genes functioning in photosynthesis, protein auto processing and enzymatic activities were significantly enriched with broad H3K4me3. Thus, our study provides evidence showing that regulatory network and histone modifications may play vital roles in the regulation of a subset of genes with important functions in BS cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shentong Tao
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production co-sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production co-sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China
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16
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Gilman IS, Moreno-Villena JJ, Lewis ZR, Goolsby EW, Edwards EJ. Gene co-expression reveals the modularity and integration of C4 and CAM in Portulaca. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 189:735-753. [PMID: 35285495 PMCID: PMC9157154 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis and Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) have been considered as largely independent adaptations despite sharing key biochemical modules. Portulaca is a geographically widespread clade of over 100 annual and perennial angiosperm species that primarily use C4 but facultatively exhibit CAM when drought stressed, a photosynthetic system known as C4 + CAM. It has been hypothesized that C4 + CAM is rare because of pleiotropic constraints, but these have not been deeply explored. We generated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Portulaca amilis and sampled mRNA from P. amilis and Portulaca oleracea during CAM induction. Gene co-expression network analyses identified C4 and CAM gene modules shared and unique to both Portulaca species. A conserved CAM module linked phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase to starch turnover during the day-night transition and was enriched in circadian clock regulatory motifs in the P. amilis genome. Preservation of this co-expression module regardless of water status suggests that Portulaca constitutively operate a weak CAM cycle that is transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally upregulated during drought. C4 and CAM mostly used mutually exclusive genes for primary carbon fixation, and it is likely that nocturnal CAM malate stores are shuttled into diurnal C4 decarboxylation pathways, but we found evidence that metabolite cycling may occur at low levels. C4 likely evolved in Portulaca through co-option of redundant genes and integration of the diurnal portion of CAM. Thus, the ancestral CAM system did not strongly constrain C4 evolution because photosynthetic gene networks are not co-regulated for both daytime and nighttime functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian S Gilman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Author for correspondence:
| | - Jose J Moreno-Villena
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Zachary R Lewis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Eric W Goolsby
- Department of Biology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Erika J Edwards
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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17
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Single-Cell Transcriptome and Network Analyses Unveil Key Transcription Factors Regulating Mesophyll Cell Development in Maize. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020374. [PMID: 35205426 PMCID: PMC8872562 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Maize mesophyll (M) cells play important roles in various biological processes such as photosynthesis II and secondary metabolism. Functional differentiation occurs during M-cell development, but the underlying mechanisms for regulating M-cell development are largely unknown. Results: We conducted single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to profile transcripts in maize leaves. We then identified coregulated modules by analyzing the resulting pseudo-time-series data through gene regulatory network analyses. WRKY, ERF, NAC, MYB and Heat stress transcription factor (HSF) families were highly expressed in the early stage, whereas CONSTANS (CO)-like (COL) and ERF families were highly expressed in the late stage of M-cell development. Construction of regulatory networks revealed that these transcript factor (TF) families, especially HSF and COL, were the major players in the early and later stages of M-cell development, respectively. Integration of scRNA expression matrix with TF ChIP-seq and Hi-C further revealed regulatory interactions between these TFs and their targets. HSF1 and COL8 were primarily expressed in the leaf bases and tips, respectively, and their targets were validated with protoplast-based ChIP-qPCR, with the binding sites of HSF1 being experimentally confirmed. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that several TF families, with the involvement of epigenetic regulation, play vital roles in the regulation of M-cell development in maize.
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18
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Dai X, Tu X, Du B, Dong P, Sun S, Wang X, Sun J, Li G, Lu T, Zhong S, Li P. Chromatin and regulatory differentiation between bundle sheath and mesophyll cells in maize. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:675-692. [PMID: 34783109 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
C4 plants partition photosynthesis enzymes between the bundle sheath (BS) and the mesophyll (M) cells for the better delivery of CO2 to RuBisCO and to reduce photorespiration. To better understand how C4 photosynthesis is regulated at the transcriptional level, we performed RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq and Bisulfite-seq (BS-seq) on BS and M cells isolated from maize leaves. By integrating differentially expressed genes with chromatin features, we found that chromatin accessibility coordinates with epigenetic features, especially H3K27me3 modification and CHH methylation, to regulate cell type-preferentially enriched gene expression. Not only the chromatin-accessible regions (ACRs) proximal to the genes (pACRs) but also the distal ACRs (dACRs) are determinants of cell type-preferentially enriched expression. We further identified cell type-preferentially enriched motifs, e.g. AAAG for BS cells and TGACC/T for M cells, and determined their corresponding transcription factors: DOFs and WRKYs. The complex interaction between cis and trans factors in the preferential expression of C4 genes was also observed. Interestingly, cell type-preferentially enriched gene expression can be fine-tuned by the coordination of multiple chromatin features. Such coordination may be critical in ensuring the cell type-specific function of key C4 genes. Based on the observed cell type-preferentially enriched expression pattern and coordinated chromatin features, we predicted a set of functionally unknown genes, e.g. Zm00001d042050 and Zm00001d040659, to be potential key C4 genes. Our findings provide deep insight into the architectures associated with C4 gene expression and could serve as a valuable resource to further identify the regulatory mechanisms present in C4 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuru Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Xiaoyu Tu
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Baijuan Du
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Pengfei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shilei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Xianglan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Biotechnology Research Institute/National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Gene Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Gang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Tiegang Lu
- Biotechnology Research Institute/National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Gene Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Silin Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pinghua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
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19
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Yeh SY, Lin HH, Chang YM, Chang YL, Chang CK, Huang YC, Ho YW, Lin CY, Zheng JZ, Jane WN, Ng CY, Lu MY, Lai IL, To KY, Li WH, Ku MSB. Maize Golden2-like transcription factors boost rice chloroplast development, photosynthesis, and grain yield. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 188:442-459. [PMID: 34747472 PMCID: PMC9049120 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are the sites for photosynthesis, and two Golden2-like factors act as transcriptional activators of chloroplast development in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.). Rice OsGLK1 and OsGLK2 are orthologous to maize ZmGLK1 (ZmG1) and ZmGLK2 (ZmG2), respectively. However, while rice OsGLK1 and OsGLK2 act redundantly to regulate chloroplast development in mesophyll cells, maize ZmG1 and ZmG2 are functionally specialized and expressed in different cell-specific manners. To boost rice chloroplast development and photosynthesis, we generated transgenic rice plants overexpressing ZmG1 and ZmG2, individually or simultaneously, with constitutive promoters (pZmUbi::ZmG1 and p35S::ZmG2) or maize promoters (pZmG1::ZmG1, pZmG2::ZmG2, and pZmG1::ZmG1/pZmG2::ZmG2). Both ZmG1 and ZmG2 genes were highly expressed in transgenic rice leaves. Moreover, ZmG1 and ZmG2 showed coordinated expression in pZmG1::ZmG1/pZmG2::ZmG2 plants. All Golden2-like (GLK) transgenic plants had higher chlorophyll and protein contents, Rubisco activities and photosynthetic rates per unit leaf area in flag leaves. However, the highest grain yields occurred when maize promoters were used; pZmG1::ZmG1, pZmG2::ZmG2, and pZmG1::ZmG1/pZmG2::ZmG2 transgenic plants showed increases in grain yield by 51%, 47%, and 70%, respectively. In contrast, the pZmUbi::ZmG1 plant produced smaller seeds without yield increases. Transcriptome analysis indicated that maize GLKs act as master regulators promoting the expression of both photosynthesis-related and stress-responsive regulatory genes in both rice shoot and root. Thus, by promoting these important functions under the control of their own promoters, maize GLK1 and GLK2 genes together dramatically improved rice photosynthetic performance and productivity. A similar approach can potentially improve the productivity of many other crops.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yao-Ming Chang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Lun Chang
- Department of Bioagricultural Science, National
Chiayi University, Chiayi 600, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Kang Chang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Cin Huang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Wen Ho
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chu-Yin Lin
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Jun-Ze Zheng
- Department of Bioagricultural Science, National
Chiayi University, Chiayi 600, Taiwan
| | - Wann-Neng Jane
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Yeung Ng
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Mei-Yeh Lu
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - I-Ling Lai
- Graduate Institute of Bioresources, National
Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung 912,
Taiwan
| | - Kin-Ying To
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia
Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of
Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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20
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Calace P, Tonetti T, Margarit E, Figueroa CM, Lobertti C, Andreo CS, Gerrard Wheeler MC, Saigo M. The C4 cycle and beyond: diverse metabolic adaptations accompany dual-cell photosynthetic functions in Setaria. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:7876-7890. [PMID: 34402880 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab381] [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: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is typically characterized by the spatial compartmentalization of the photosynthetic reactions into mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells. Initial carbon fixation within M cells gives rise to C4 acids, which are transported to the BS cells. There, C4 acids are decarboxylated so that the resulting CO2 is incorporated into the Calvin cycle. This work is focused on the study of Setaria viridis, a C4 model plant, closely related to several major feed and bioenergy grasses. First, we performed the heterologous expression and biochemical characterization of Setaria isoforms for chloroplastic NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) and mitochondrial NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME). The kinetic parameters obtained agree with a major role for NADP-ME in the decarboxylation of the C4 acid malate in the chloroplasts of BS cells. In addition, mitochondria-located NAD-ME showed regulatory properties that could be important in the context of the operation of the C4 carbon shuttle. Secondly, we compared the proteomes of M and BS compartments and found 825 differentially accumulated proteins that could support different metabolic scenarios. Most interestingly, we found evidence of metabolic strategies to insulate the C4 core avoiding the leakage of intermediates by either up-regulation or down-regulation of chloroplastic, mitochondrial, and peroxisomal proteins. Overall, the results presented in this work provide novel data concerning the complexity of C4 metabolism, uncovering future lines of research that will undoubtedly contribute to the expansion of knowledge on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Calace
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Tomás Tonetti
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (IAL-CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Margarit
- Grupo de Calidad de Frutos Cítricos, Bayas y Mejoramiento Forestal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carlos M Figueroa
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral (IAL-CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Carlos Lobertti
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Patogénesis Bacteriana, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET), Centro Científico Tecnológico Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carlos S Andreo
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariel C Gerrard Wheeler
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Mariana Saigo
- Grupo de Metabolismo del Carbono y Producción Vegetal, Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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21
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Ortiz-Ramírez C, Guillotin B, Xu X, Rahni R, Zhang S, Yan Z, Coqueiro Dias Araujo P, Demesa-Arevalo E, Lee L, Van Eck J, Gingeras TR, Jackson D, Gallagher KL, Birnbaum KD. Ground tissue circuitry regulates organ complexity in maize and Setaria. Science 2021; 374:1247-1252. [PMID: 34855479 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj2327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Ortiz-Ramírez
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.,UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
| | - Bruno Guillotin
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Xiaosa Xu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Ramin Rahni
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Sanqiang Zhang
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Zhe Yan
- School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 1904, USA
| | | | | | - Laura Lee
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Joyce Van Eck
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.,Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - David Jackson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Kimberly L Gallagher
- School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 1904, USA
| | - Kenneth D Birnbaum
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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22
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Washburn JD, Strable J, Dickinson P, Kothapalli SS, Brose JM, Covshoff S, Conant GC, Hibberd JM, Pires JC. Distinct C 4 sub-types and C 3 bundle sheath isolation in the Paniceae grasses. PLANT DIRECT 2021; 5:e373. [PMID: 34988355 PMCID: PMC8711749 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.373] [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: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In C4 plants, the enzymatic machinery underpinning photosynthesis can vary, with, for example, three distinct C4 acid decarboxylases being used to release CO2 in the vicinity of RuBisCO. For decades, these decarboxylases have been used to classify C4 species into three biochemical sub-types. However, more recently, the notion that C4 species mix and match C4 acid decarboxylases has increased in popularity, and as a consequence, the validity of specific biochemical sub-types has been questioned. Using five species from the grass tribe Paniceae, we show that, although in some species transcripts and enzymes involved in multiple C4 acid decarboxylases accumulate, in others, transcript abundance and enzyme activity is almost entirely from one decarboxylase. In addition, the development of a bundle sheath isolation procedure for a close C3 species in the Paniceae enables the preliminary exploration of C4 sub-type evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. Washburn
- Plant Genetics Research Unit, USDA‐ARSUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Josh Strable
- Department of Molecular and Structural BiochemistryNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | | | | | - Julia M. Brose
- Division of Biological SciencesUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMOUSA
| | - Sarah Covshoff
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Gavin C. Conant
- Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics Research Center, Department of Biological SciencesNorth Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
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23
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Zhao Z, Shuang J, Li Z, Xiao H, Liu Y, Wang T, Wei Y, Hu S, Wan S, Peng R. Identification of the Golden-2-like transcription factors gene family in Gossypium hirsutum. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12484. [PMID: 34820202 PMCID: PMC8603818 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Golden2-Like (GLK) transcription factors are a type of transcriptional regulator in plants. They play a pivotal role in the plant physiological activity process and abiotic stress response. Methods In this study, the potential function of GLK family genes in Gossypium hirsutum was studied based on genomic identification, phylogenetic analysis, chromosome mapping and cis-regulatory elements prediction. Gene expression of nine key genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR experiments. Results Herein, we identified a total of 146 GhGLK genes in Gossypium hirsutum, which were unevenly distributed on each of the chromosomes. There were significant differences in the number and location of genes between the At sub-genome and the Dt sub-genome. According to the phylogenetic analysis, they were divided into ten subgroups, each of which had very similar number and structure of exons and introns. Some cis-regulatory elements were identified through promoter analysis, including five types of elements related to abiotic stress response, five types of elements related to phytohormone and five types of elements involved in growth and development. Based on public transcriptome data analysis, we identified nine key GhGLKs involved in salt, cold, and drought stress. The qRT-PCR results showed that these genes had different expression patterns under these stress conditions, suggesting that GhGLK genes played an important role in abiotic stress response. This study laid a theoretical foundation for the screening and functional verification of genes related to stress resistance of GLK gene family in cotton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilin Zhao
- College of Plant Science, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China.,Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
| | - Jiaran Shuang
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
| | - Zhaoguo Li
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
| | - Huimin Xiao
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
| | - Yuling Liu
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
| | - Yangyang Wei
- Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
| | - Shoulin Hu
- College of Plant Science, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China
| | - Sumei Wan
- College of Plant Science, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China
| | - Renhai Peng
- College of Plant Science, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China.,Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang, Henan, China
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24
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Cao Y, Sun G, Zhai X, Xu P, Ma L, Deng M, Zhao Z, Yang H, Dong Y, Shang Z, Lv Y, Yan L, Liu H, Cao X, Li B, Wang Z, Zhao X, Yu H, Wang F, Ma W, Huang J, Fan G. Genomic insights into the fast growth of paulownias and the formation of Paulownia witches' broom. MOLECULAR PLANT 2021; 14:1668-1682. [PMID: 34214658 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2021.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Paulownias are among the fastest growing trees in the world, but they often suffer tremendous loss of wood production due to infection by Paulownia witches' broom (PaWB) phytoplasmas. In this study, we have sequenced and assembled a high-quality nuclear genome of Paulownia fortunei, a commonly cultivated paulownia species. The assembled genome of P. fortunei is 511.6 Mb in size, with 93.2% of its sequences anchored to 20 pseudo-chromosomes, and it contains 31 985 protein-coding genes. Phylogenomic analyses show that the family Paulowniaceae is sister to a clade composed of Phrymaceae and Orobanchaceae. Higher photosynthetic efficiency is achieved by integrating C3 photosynthesis and the crassulacean acid metabolism pathway, which may contribute to the extremely fast growth habit of paulownia trees. Comparative transcriptome analyses reveal modules related to cambial growth and development, photosynthesis, and defense responses. Additional genome sequencing of PaWB phytoplasma, combined with functional analyses, indicates that the effector PaWB-SAP54 interacts directly with Paulownia PfSPLa, which in turn causes the degradation of PfSPLa by the ubiquitin-mediated pathway and leads to the formation of witches' broom. Taken together, these results provide significant insights into the biology of paulownias and the regulatory mechanism for the formation of PaWB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabing Cao
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Guiling Sun
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
| | - Xiaoqiao Zhai
- Henan Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Pingluo Xu
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Liming Ma
- Biomarker Technologies Corporation, Beijing 101399, China
| | - Minjie Deng
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Zhenli Zhao
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Haibo Yang
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Yanpeng Dong
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Zhonghai Shang
- Henan Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Yujie Lv
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Lijun Yan
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Haifang Liu
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Xibing Cao
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Bingbing Li
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Xiaogai Zhao
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- Biomarker Technologies Corporation, Beijing 101399, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Biomarker Technologies Corporation, Beijing 101399, China
| | - Wen Ma
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China
| | - Jinling Huang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China; Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
| | - Guoqiang Fan
- Institute of Paulownia, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China; College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China.
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25
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Cui H. Challenges and Approaches to Crop Improvement Through C3-to-C4 Engineering. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:715391. [PMID: 34594351 PMCID: PMC8476962 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.715391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
With a rapidly growing world population and dwindling natural resources, we are now facing the enormous challenge of increasing crop yields while simultaneously improving the efficiency of resource utilization. Introduction of C4 photosynthesis into C3 crops is widely accepted as a key strategy to meet this challenge because C4 plants are more efficient than C3 plants in photosynthesis and resource usage, particularly in hot climates, where the potential for productivity is high. Lending support to the feasibility of this C3-to-C4 engineering, evidence indicates that C4 photosynthesis has evolved from C3 photosynthesis in multiple lineages. Nevertheless, C3-to-C4 engineering is not an easy task, as several features essential to C4 photosynthesis must be introduced into C3 plants. One such feature is the spatial separation of the two phases of photosynthesis (CO2 fixation and carbohydrate synthesis) into the mesophyll and bundle sheath cells, respectively. Another feature is the Kranz anatomy, characterized by a close association between the mesophyll and bundle sheath (BS) cells (1:1 ratio). These anatomical features, along with a C4-specific carbon fixation enzyme (PEPC), form a CO2-concentration mechanism that ensures a high photosynthetic efficiency. Much effort has been taken in the past to introduce the C4 mechanism into C3 plants, but none of these attempts has met with success, which is in my opinion due to a lack of system-level understanding and manipulation of the C3 and C4 pathways. As a prerequisite for the C3-to-C4 engineering, I propose that not only the mechanisms that control the Kranz anatomy and cell-type-specific expression in C3 and C4 plants must be elucidated, but also a good understanding of the gene regulatory network underlying C3 and C4 photosynthesis must be achieved. In this review, I first describe the past and current efforts to increase photosynthetic efficiency in C3 plants and their limitations; I then discuss a systems approach to tackling down this challenge, some practical issues, and recent technical innovations that would help us to solve these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchang Cui
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- College of Life Science, Northwest Science University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, China
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26
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Chotewutmontri P, Barkan A. Ribosome profiling elucidates differential gene expression in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:59-72. [PMID: 34618144 PMCID: PMC8418429 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The efficiencies offered by C4 photosynthesis have motivated efforts to understand its biochemical, genetic, and developmental basis. Reactions underlying C4 traits in most C4 plants are partitioned between two cell types, bundle sheath (BS), and mesophyll (M) cells. RNA-seq has been used to catalog differential gene expression in BS and M cells in maize (Zea mays) and several other C4 species. However, the contribution of translational control to maintaining the distinct proteomes of BS and M cells has not been addressed. In this study, we used ribosome profiling and RNA-seq to describe translatomes, translational efficiencies, and microRNA abundance in BS- and M-enriched fractions of maize seedling leaves. A conservative interpretation of our data revealed 182 genes exhibiting cell type-dependent differences in translational efficiency, 31 of which encode proteins with core roles in C4 photosynthesis. Our results suggest that non-AUG start codons are used preferentially in upstream open reading frames of BS cells, revealed mRNA sequence motifs that correlate with cell type-dependent translation, and identified potential translational regulators that are differentially expressed. In addition, our data expand the set of genes known to be differentially expressed in BS and M cells, including genes encoding transcription factors and microRNAs. These data add to the resources for understanding the evolutionary and developmental basis of C4 photosynthesis and for its engineering into C3 crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakitchai Chotewutmontri
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA
- Author for communication:
| | - Alice Barkan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA
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27
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Adak A, Murray SC, Anderson SL, Popescu SC, Malambo L, Romay MC, de Leon N. Unoccupied aerial systems discovered overlooked loci capturing the variation of entire growing period in maize. THE PLANT GENOME 2021; 14:e20102. [PMID: 34009740 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Traditional phenotyping methods, coupled with genetic mapping in segregating populations, have identified loci governing complex traits in many crops. Unoccupied aerial systems (UAS)-based phenotyping has helped to reveal a more novel and dynamic relationship between time-specific associated loci with complex traits previously unable to be evaluated. Over 1,500 maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid row plots containing 280 different replicated maize hybrids from the Genomes to Fields (G2F) project were evaluated agronomically and using UAS in 2017. Weekly UAS flights captured variation in plant heights during the growing season under three different management conditions each year: optimal planting with irrigation (G2FI), optimal dryland planting without irrigation (G2FD), and a stressed late planting (G2LA). Plant height of different flights were ranked based on importance for yield using a random forest (RF) algorithm. Plant heights captured by early flights in G2FI trials had higher importance (based on Gini scores) for predicting maize grain yield (GY) but also higher accuracies in genomic predictions which fluctuated for G2FD (-0.06∼0.73), G2FI (0.33∼0.76), and G2LA (0.26∼0.78) trials. A genome-wide association analysis discovered 52 significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), seven were found consistently in more than one flights or trial; 45 were flight or trial specific. Total cumulative marker effects for each chromosome's contributions to plant height also changed depending on flight. Using UAS phenotyping, this study showed that many candidate genes putatively play a role in the regulation of plant architecture even in relatively early stages of maize growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alper Adak
- Dept. of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX, 77843-2474, USA
| | - Seth C Murray
- Dept. of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX, 77843-2474, USA
| | - Steven L Anderson
- Dept. of Environmental Hort., Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Apopka, FL, USA
| | - Sorin C Popescu
- Dept. of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX, 77843-2120, USA
| | - Lonesome Malambo
- Dept. of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX, 77843-2120, USA
| | - M Cinta Romay
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Natalia de Leon
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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28
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Hua L, Stevenson SR, Reyna-Llorens I, Xiong H, Kopriva S, Hibberd JM. The bundle sheath of rice is conditioned to play an active role in water transport as well as sulfur assimilation and jasmonic acid synthesis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 107:268-286. [PMID: 33901336 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Leaves comprise multiple cell types but our knowledge of the patterns of gene expression that underpin their functional specialization is fragmentary. Our understanding and ability to undertake the rational redesign of these cells is therefore limited. We aimed to identify genes associated with the incompletely understood bundle sheath of C3 plants, which represents a key target associated with engineering traits such as C4 photosynthesis into Oryza sativa (rice). To better understand the veins, bundle sheath and mesophyll cells of rice, we used laser capture microdissection followed by deep sequencing. Gene expression of the mesophyll is conditioned to allow coenzyme metabolism and redox homeostasis, as well as photosynthesis. In contrast, the bundle sheath is specialized in water transport, sulphur assimilation and jasmonic acid biosynthesis. Despite the small chloroplast compartment of bundle sheath cells, substantial photosynthesis gene expression was detected. These patterns of gene expression were not associated with the presence or absence of specific transcription factors in each cell type, but were instead associated with gradients in expression across the leaf. Comparative analysis with C3 Arabidopsis identified a small gene set preferentially expressed in the bundle sheath cells of both species. This gene set included genes encoding transcription factors from 14 orthogroups and proteins allowing water transport, sulphate assimilation and jasmonic acid synthesis. The most parsimonious explanation for our findings is that bundle sheath cells from the last common ancestor of rice and Arabidopsis were specialized in this manner, and as the species diverged these patterns of gene expression have been maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Hua
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Sean R Stevenson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Ivan Reyna-Llorens
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Haiyan Xiong
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Stanislav Kopriva
- Institute for Plant Sciences, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47b, Cologne, 50674, Germany
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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29
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Tahmasebi A, Niazi A. Comparison of Transcriptional Response of C 3 and C 4 Plants to Drought Stress Using Meta-Analysis and Systems Biology Approach. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:668736. [PMID: 34276729 PMCID: PMC8280774 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.668736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Drought stress affects a range of plant processes. It is still not well-known how C3 and C4 plants respond to drought. Here, we used a combination of meta-analysis and network analysis to compare the transcriptional responses of Oryza sativa (rice), a C3 plant, and Zea mays (maize), a C4 plant, to drought stress. The findings showed that drought stress changes the expression of genes and affects different mechanisms in the C3 and C4 plants. We identified several genes that were differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under stress conditions in both species, most of which are associated with photosynthesis, molecule metabolic process, and response to stress. Additionally, we observed that many DEGs physically located within the quantitative trait locus regions are associated with C isotope signature (d13C), photosynthetic gas exchange, and root characteristics traits. Through the gene co-expression and differential co-expression network methods, we identified sets of genes with similar and different behaviors among C3 and C4 plants during drought stress. This result indicates that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway plays an important part in the differences between the C3 and C4 species. The present study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the response of C3 and C4 plants to drought stress, which may useful for engineering drought tolerance in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Niazi
- Institute of Biotechnology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
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30
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Callegari Ferrari R, Pires Bittencourt P, Yumi Nagumo P, Silva Oliveira W, Aurineide Rodrigues M, Hartwell J, Freschi L. Developing Portulaca oleracea as a model system for functional genomics analysis of C 4/CAM photosynthesis. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2021; 48:666-682. [PMID: 33256895 DOI: 10.1071/fp20202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Previously regarded as an intriguing photosynthetic curiosity, the occurrence of C4 and Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis within a single organism has recently emerged as a source of information for future biotechnological use. Among C4/CAM facultative species, Portulaca oleracea L. has been used as a model for biochemical and gene expression analysis of C4/CAM under field and laboratory conditions. In the present work, we focussed on developing molecular tools to facilitate functional genomics studies in this species, from the optimisation of RNA isolation protocols to a method for stable genetic transformation. Eleven variations of RNA extraction procedures were tested and compared for RNA quantity and quality. Also, 7 sample sets comprising total RNA from hormonal and abiotic stress treatments, distinct plant organs, leaf developmental stages, and subspecies were used to select, among 12 reference genes, the most stable reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of each experimental condition. Furthermore, different explant sources, Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains, and regeneration and antibiotic selection media were tested in various combinations to optimise a protocol for stable genetic transformation of P. oleracea. Altogether, we provide essential tools for functional gene analysis in the context of C4/CAM photosynthesis, including an efficient RNA isolation method, preferred reference genes for RT-qPCR normalisation for a range of experimental conditions, and a protocol to produce P. oleracea stable transformants using A. tumefaciens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Callegari Ferrari
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brasil
| | - Priscila Pires Bittencourt
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brasil
| | - Paula Yumi Nagumo
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brasil
| | - Willian Silva Oliveira
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brasil
| | - Maria Aurineide Rodrigues
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brasil
| | - James Hartwell
- Department of Biochemistry and Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Luciano Freschi
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brasil; and Corresponding author.
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31
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Marand AP, Chen Z, Gallavotti A, Schmitz RJ. A cis-regulatory atlas in maize at single-cell resolution. Cell 2021; 184:3041-3055.e21. [PMID: 33964211 DOI: 10.1101/2020.09.27.315499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
cis-regulatory elements (CREs) encode the genomic blueprints of spatiotemporal gene expression programs enabling highly specialized cell functions. Using single-cell genomics in six maize organs, we determined the cis- and trans-regulatory factors defining diverse cell identities and coordinating chromatin organization by profiling transcription factor (TF) combinatorics, identifying TFs with non-cell-autonomous activity, and uncovering TFs underlying higher-order chromatin interactions. Cell-type-specific CREs were enriched for enhancer activity and within unmethylated long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Moreover, we found cell-type-specific CREs are hotspots for phenotype-associated genetic variants and were targeted by selection during modern maize breeding, highlighting the biological implications of this CRE atlas. Through comparison of maize and Arabidopsis thaliana developmental trajectories, we identified TFs and CREs with conserved and divergent chromatin dynamics, showcasing extensive evolution of gene regulatory networks. In addition to this rich dataset, we developed single-cell analysis software, Socrates, which can be used to understand cis-regulatory variation in any species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zongliang Chen
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Andrea Gallavotti
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
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32
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A cis-regulatory atlas in maize at single-cell resolution. Cell 2021; 184:3041-3055.e21. [PMID: 33964211 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
cis-regulatory elements (CREs) encode the genomic blueprints of spatiotemporal gene expression programs enabling highly specialized cell functions. Using single-cell genomics in six maize organs, we determined the cis- and trans-regulatory factors defining diverse cell identities and coordinating chromatin organization by profiling transcription factor (TF) combinatorics, identifying TFs with non-cell-autonomous activity, and uncovering TFs underlying higher-order chromatin interactions. Cell-type-specific CREs were enriched for enhancer activity and within unmethylated long terminal repeat retrotransposons. Moreover, we found cell-type-specific CREs are hotspots for phenotype-associated genetic variants and were targeted by selection during modern maize breeding, highlighting the biological implications of this CRE atlas. Through comparison of maize and Arabidopsis thaliana developmental trajectories, we identified TFs and CREs with conserved and divergent chromatin dynamics, showcasing extensive evolution of gene regulatory networks. In addition to this rich dataset, we developed single-cell analysis software, Socrates, which can be used to understand cis-regulatory variation in any species.
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Bezrutczyk M, Zöllner NR, Kruse CPS, Hartwig T, Lautwein T, Köhrer K, Frommer WB, Kim JY. Evidence for phloem loading via the abaxial bundle sheath cells in maize leaves. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:531-547. [PMID: 33955497 PMCID: PMC8136869 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koaa055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Leaves are asymmetric, with different functions for adaxial and abaxial tissue. The bundle sheath (BS) of C3 barley (Hordeum vulgare) is dorsoventrally differentiated into three types of cells: adaxial structural, lateral S-type, and abaxial L-type BS cells. Based on plasmodesmatal connections between S-type cells and mestome sheath (parenchymatous cell layer below bundle sheath), S-type cells likely transfer assimilates toward the phloem. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate BS differentiation in C4 maize (Zea mays L.) plants. Abaxial BS (abBS) cells of rank-2 intermediate veins specifically expressed three SWEET sucrose uniporters (SWEET13a, b, and c) and UmamiT amino acid efflux transporters. SWEET13a, b, c mRNAs were also detected in the phloem parenchyma (PP). We show that maize has acquired a mechanism for phloem loading in which abBS cells provide the main route for apoplasmic sucrose transfer toward the phloem. This putative route predominates in veins responsible for phloem loading (rank-2 intermediate), whereas rank-1 intermediate and major veins export sucrose from the PP adjacent to the sieve element companion cell complex, as in Arabidopsis thaliana. We surmise that abBS identity is subject to dorsoventral patterning and has components of PP identity. These observations provide insights into the unique transport-specific properties of abBS cells and support a modification to the canonical phloem loading pathway in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Bezrutczyk
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Nora R Zöllner
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Colin P S Kruse
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Thomas Hartwig
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Tobias Lautwein
- Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Genomics and Transcriptomics Laboratory (GTL), Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Karl Köhrer
- Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Genomics and Transcriptomics Laboratory (GTL), Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Wolf B Frommer
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
- Author for correspondence:
| | - Ji-Yun Kim
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
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Xu X, Crow M, Rice BR, Li F, Harris B, Liu L, Demesa-Arevalo E, Lu Z, Wang L, Fox N, Wang X, Drenkow J, Luo A, Char SN, Yang B, Sylvester AW, Gingeras TR, Schmitz RJ, Ware D, Lipka AE, Gillis J, Jackson D. Single-cell RNA sequencing of developing maize ears facilitates functional analysis and trait candidate gene discovery. Dev Cell 2021; 56:557-568.e6. [PMID: 33400914 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2020.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Crop productivity depends on activity of meristems that produce optimized plant architectures, including that of the maize ear. A comprehensive understanding of development requires insight into the full diversity of cell types and developmental domains and the gene networks required to specify them. Until now, these were identified primarily by morphology and insights from classical genetics, which are limited by genetic redundancy and pleiotropy. Here, we investigated the transcriptional profiles of 12,525 single cells from developing maize ears. The resulting developmental atlas provides a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) map of an inflorescence. We validated our results by mRNA in situ hybridization and by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) RNA-seq, and we show how these data may facilitate genetic studies by predicting genetic redundancy, integrating transcriptional networks, and identifying candidate genes associated with crop yield traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaosa Xu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Megan Crow
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Brian R Rice
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Forrest Li
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Benjamin Harris
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Lei Liu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | | | - Zefu Lu
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Liya Wang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Nathan Fox
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Xiaofei Wang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Jorg Drenkow
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Anding Luo
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Si Nian Char
- Division of Plant Sciences, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Bing Yang
- Division of Plant Sciences, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO 63132, USA
| | - Anne W Sylvester
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | | | - Robert J Schmitz
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Doreen Ware
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA; USDA-ARS, Robert W. Holley Center, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Alexander E Lipka
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jesse Gillis
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - David Jackson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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Raffan S, Halford NG. Cereal asparagine synthetase genes. THE ANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY 2021; 178:6-22. [PMID: 33518769 PMCID: PMC7818274 DOI: 10.1111/aab.12632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Asparagine synthetase catalyses the transfer of an amino group from glutamine to aspartate to form glutamate and asparagine. The accumulation of free (nonprotein) asparagine in crops has implications for food safety because free asparagine is the precursor for acrylamide, a carcinogenic contaminant that forms during high-temperature cooking and processing. Here we review publicly available genome data for asparagine synthetase genes from species of the Pooideae subfamily, including bread wheat and related wheat species (Triticum and Aegilops spp.), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and rye (Secale cereale) of the Triticeae tribe. Also from the Pooideae subfamily: brachypodium (Brachypodium dIstachyon) of the Brachypodiae tribe. More diverse species are also included, comprising sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and maize (Zea mays) of the Panicoideae subfamily and rice (Oryza sativa) of the Ehrhartoideae subfamily. The asparagine synthetase gene families of the Triticeae species each comprise five genes per genome, with the genes assigned to four groups: 1, 2, 3 (subdivided into 3.1 and 3.2) and 4. Each species has a single gene per genome in each group, except that some bread wheat varieties (genomes AABBDD) and emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides; genomes AABB) lack a group 2 gene in the B genome. This raises questions about the ancestry of cultivated pasta wheat and the B genome donor of bread wheat, suggesting that the hybridisation event that gave rise to hexaploid bread wheat occurred more than once. In phylogenetic analyses, genes from the other species cluster with the Triticeae genes, but brachypodium, sorghum and maize lack a group 2 gene, while rice has only two genes, one group 3 and one group 4. This means that TaASN2, the most highly expressed asparagine synthetase gene in wheat grain, has no equivalent in maize, rice, sorghum or brachypodium. An evolutionary pathway is proposed in which a series of gene duplications gave rise to the five genes found in modern Triticeae species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Raffan
- Plant Sciences DepartmentRothamsted ResearchHarpendenUK
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Fan Z, Kong M, Ma L, Duan S, Gao N, Xuqing C, Yongsheng T. Transcriptome analysis of a novel maize bsd C4 mutant using RNA-seq. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2020; 15:1777374. [PMID: 32538297 PMCID: PMC8570717 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2020.1777374] [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: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The C4 plants like maize are at an advantage because they exhibit higher carbon conversion efficiency than C3 during photosynthesis. Using the evaluation of photosynthetic phenotypes and subcellular structure, and high-quality transcriptome analysis for four types of leaves from a bundle sheath defective maize mutant (bsd) and 501 wild line, the key target genes, important transcription factors, and specific pathways were obtained, which may regulate the C-concentrating mechanisms and antioxidant protection of the photosynthetic system, gibberellin signaling, ribosome editing, glycolysis, and chlorophyll biosynthesis. Based on these target genes, a novel network with photosynthetic transformation efficiency with oxidative decarboxylation and ribosome regulation was filtered innovatively by Cytoscape, which adds to our understanding for high-efficiency C-fixation and its genetic improvement in C3 and C4 plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Fan
- North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resource of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Mengsi Kong
- North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resource of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Liangliang Ma
- North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resource of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Shiming Duan
- North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resource of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Nan Gao
- North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resource of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Chen Xuqing
- Beijing Agro-Biotechnology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Science, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Yongsheng
- North China Key Laboratory for Crop Germplasm Resource of Education Ministry, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
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Genomic dissection and expression analysis of stress-responsive genes in C4 panicoid models, Setaria italica and Setaria viridis. J Biotechnol 2020; 318:57-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Lyu MJA, Wang Y, Jiang J, Liu X, Chen G, Zhu XG. What Matters for C 4 Transporters: Evolutionary Changes of Phospho enolpyruvate Transporter for C 4 Photosynthesis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:935. [PMID: 32695130 PMCID: PMC7338763 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a complex trait that evolved from its ancestral C3 photosynthesis by recruiting pre-existing genes. These co-opted genes were changed in many aspects compared to their counterparts in C3 species. Most of the evolutionary changes of the C4 shuttle enzymes are well characterized, however, evolutionary changes for the recruited metabolite transporters are less studied. Here we analyzed the evolutionary changes of the shuttle enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) transporter (PPT) during its recruitment from C3 to C4 photosynthesis. Our analysis showed that among the two PPT paralogs PPT1 and PPT2, PPT1 was the copy recruited for C4 photosynthesis in multiple C4 lineages. During C4 evolution, PPT1 gained increased transcript abundance, shifted its expression from predominantly in root to in leaf and from bundle sheath cell to mesophyll cell, and gained more rapid and long-lasting responsiveness to light. Modifications occurred in both regulatory and coding regions in C4 PPT1 as compared to C3 PPT1, however, the PEP transporting function of PPT1 remained. We found that PPT1 of a Flaveria C4 species recruited a MEM1 B submodule in the promoter region, which might be related to the increased transcript abundance of PPT1 in C4 mesophyll cells. The case study of PPT further suggested that high transcript abundance in a proper location is of high priority for PPT to support C4 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ju Amy Lyu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaling Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianjun Jiang
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery & Laboratory of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Xinyu Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Genyun Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-Guang Zhu
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence In Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved multiple times independently from ancestral C3 photosynthesis in a broad range of flowering land plant families and in both monocots and dicots. The evolution of C4 photosynthesis entails the recruitment of enzyme activities that are not involved in photosynthetic carbon fixation in C3 plants to photosynthesis. This requires a different regulation of gene expression as well as a different regulation of enzyme activities in comparison to the C3 context. Further, C4 photosynthesis relies on a distinct leaf anatomy that differs from that of C3, requiring a differential regulation of leaf development in C4. We summarize recent progress in the understanding of C4-specific features in evolution and metabolic regulation in the context of C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urte Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
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40
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Hendron RW, Kelly S. Subdivision of Light Signaling Networks Contributes to Partitioning of C 4 Photosynthesis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 182:1297-1309. [PMID: 31862840 PMCID: PMC7054874 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.01053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Plants coordinate the expression of photosynthesis-related genes in response to growth and environmental changes. In species that conduct two-cell C4 photosynthesis, expression of photosynthesis genes is partitioned such that leaf mesophyll and bundle sheath cells accumulate different components of the photosynthetic pathway. The identities of the regulatory networks that facilitate this partitioning are unknown. Here, we show that differences in light perception between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells facilitate differential regulation and accumulation of photosynthesis gene transcripts in the C4 crop maize (Zea mays). Key components of the photosynthesis gene regulatory network differentially accumulated between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells, indicative of differential network activity across cell types. We further show that blue (but not red) light is necessary and sufficient to activate photosystem II assembly in mesophyll cells in etiolated maize. Finally, we demonstrate that 61% of all light-induced mesophyll and bundle sheath genes were induced only by blue light or only by red light, but not both. These findings provide evidence that subdivision of light signaling networks is a component of cellular partitioning of C4 photosynthesis in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross-W Hendron
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom
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Afamefule C, Raines CA. Insights Into the Regulation of the Expression Pattern of Calvin-Benson-Bassham Cycle Enzymes in C 3 and C 4 Grasses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:570436. [PMID: 33178241 PMCID: PMC7595957 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.570436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is characterized by the compartmentalization of the processes of atmospheric uptake of CO2 and its conversion into carbohydrate between mesophyll and bundle-sheath cells. As a result, most of the enzymes participating in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle, including RubisCO, are highly expressed in bundle-sheath cells. There is evidence that changes in the regulatory sequences of RubisCO contribute to its bundle-sheath-specific expression, however, little is known about how the spatial-expression pattern of other CBB cycle enzymes is regulated. In this study, we use a computational approach to scan for transcription factor binding sites in the regulatory regions of the genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes, SBPase, FBPase, PRK, and GAPDH-B, of C3 and C4 grasses. We identified potential cis-regulatory elements present in each of the genes studied here, regardless of the photosynthetic path used by the plant. The trans-acting factors that bind these elements have been validated in A. thaliana and might regulate the expression of the genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes. In addition, we also found C4-specific transcription factor binding sites in the genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes that could potentially contribute to the pathway-specific regulation of gene expression. These results provide a foundation for the functional analysis of the differences in regulation of genes encoding CBB cycle enzymes between C3 and C4 grasses.
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Penning BW, Shiga TM, Klimek JF, SanMiguel PJ, Shreve J, Thimmapuram J, Sykes RW, Davis MF, McCann MC, Carpita NC. Expression profiles of cell-wall related genes vary broadly between two common maize inbreds during stem development. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:785. [PMID: 31664907 PMCID: PMC6819468 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6117-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The cellular machinery for cell wall synthesis and metabolism is encoded by members of large multi-gene families. Maize is both a genetic model for grass species and a potential source of lignocellulosic biomass from crop residues. Genetic improvement of maize for its utility as a bioenergy feedstock depends on identification of the specific gene family members expressed during secondary wall development in stems. Results High-throughput sequencing of transcripts expressed in developing rind tissues of stem internodes provided a comprehensive inventory of cell wall-related genes in maize (Zea mays, cultivar B73). Of 1239 of these genes, 854 were expressed among the internodes at ≥95 reads per 20 M, and 693 of them at ≥500 reads per 20 M. Grasses have cell wall compositions distinct from non-commelinid species; only one-quarter of maize cell wall-related genes expressed in stems were putatively orthologous with those of the eudicot Arabidopsis. Using a slope-metric algorithm, five distinct patterns for sub-sets of co-expressed genes were defined across a time course of stem development. For the subset of genes associated with secondary wall formation, fifteen sequence motifs were found in promoter regions. The same members of gene families were often expressed in two maize inbreds, B73 and Mo17, but levels of gene expression between them varied, with 30% of all genes exhibiting at least a 5-fold difference at any stage. Although presence-absence and copy-number variation might account for much of these differences, fold-changes of expression of a CADa and a FLA11 gene were attributed to polymorphisms in promoter response elements. Conclusions Large genetic variation in maize as a species precludes the extrapolation of cell wall-related gene expression networks even from one common inbred line to another. Elucidation of genotype-specific expression patterns and their regulatory controls will be needed for association panels of inbreds and landraces to fully exploit genetic variation in maize and other bioenergy grass species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan W Penning
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,, Present Address: USDA-ARS, Wheat Quality Research Unit, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Tânia M Shiga
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,Present Address: Departamento de Alimentos e Nutrição Experimental, FCF-USP F, 3091-3647 / 3091-3007, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580 - BL-14 CEP 05508-000, Butantã, Sâo Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - John F Klimek
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Philip J SanMiguel
- Genomics Core Facility, Purdue University, 170 South University Street, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Jacob Shreve
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Purdue University, 155 South Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,, Present Address: Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA
| | - Jyothi Thimmapuram
- Present Address: Departamento de Alimentos e Nutrição Experimental, FCF-USP F, 3091-3647 / 3091-3007, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580 - BL-14 CEP 05508-000, Butantã, Sâo Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Bioinformatics Core Facility, Purdue University, 155 South Grant Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Robert W Sykes
- National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, 80401, USA.,, Present Address: Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Mark F Davis
- National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
| | - Maureen C McCann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, USA
| | - Nicholas C Carpita
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA. .,Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, USA.
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Burgess SJ, Reyna-Llorens I, Stevenson SR, Singh P, Jaeger K, Hibberd JM. Genome-Wide Transcription Factor Binding in Leaves from C 3 and C 4 Grasses. THE PLANT CELL 2019; 31:2297-2314. [PMID: 31427470 PMCID: PMC6790085 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.19.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The majority of plants use C3 photosynthesis, but over 60 independent lineages of angiosperms have evolved the C4 pathway. In most C4 species, photosynthesis gene expression is compartmented between mesophyll and bundle-sheath cells. We performed DNaseI sequencing to identify genome-wide profiles of transcription factor binding in leaves of the C4 grasses Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, and Setaria italica as well as C3 Brachypodium distachyon In C4 species, while bundle-sheath strands and whole leaves shared similarity in the broad regions of DNA accessible to transcription factors, the short sequences bound varied. Transcription factor binding was prevalent in gene bodies as well as promoters, and many of these sites could represent duons that influence gene regulation in addition to amino acid sequence. Although globally there was little correlation between any individual DNaseI footprint and cell-specific gene expression, within individual species transcription factor binding to the same motifs in multiple genes provided evidence for shared mechanisms governing C4 photosynthesis gene expression. Furthermore, interspecific comparisons identified a small number of highly conserved transcription factor binding sites associated with leaves from species that diverged around 60 million years ago. These data therefore provide insight into the architecture associated with C4 photosynthesis gene expression in particular and characteristics of transcription factor binding in cereal crops in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Burgess
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Reyna-Llorens
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Sean R Stevenson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - Katja Jaeger
- Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1LR, United Kingdom
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
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44
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Hughes TE, Sedelnikova OV, Wu H, Becraft PW, Langdale JA. Redundant SCARECROW genes pattern distinct cell layers in roots and leaves of maize. Development 2019; 146:dev.177543. [PMID: 31235633 PMCID: PMC6679360 DOI: 10.1242/dev.177543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The highly efficient C4 photosynthetic pathway is facilitated by ‘Kranz’ leaf anatomy. In Kranz leaves, closely spaced veins are encircled by concentric layers of photosynthetic bundle sheath (inner) and mesophyll (outer) cells. Here, we demonstrate that, in the C4 monocot maize, Kranz patterning is regulated by redundant function of SCARECROW 1 (ZmSCR1) and a previously uncharacterized homeologue: ZmSCR1h. ZmSCR1 and ZmSCR1h transcripts accumulate in ground meristem cells of developing leaf primordia and in Zmscr1;Zmscr1h mutant leaves, most veins are separated by one rather than two mesophyll cells; many veins have sclerenchyma above and/or below instead of mesophyll cells; and supernumerary bundle sheath cells develop. The mutant defects are unified by compromised mesophyll cell development. In addition to Kranz defects, Zmscr1;Zmscr1h mutants fail to form an organized endodermal layer in the root. Collectively, these data indicate that ZmSCR1 and ZmSCR1h redundantly regulate cell-type patterning in both the leaves and roots of maize. Leaf and root pathways are distinguished, however, by the cell layer in which they operate – mesophyll at a two-cell distance from leaf veins versus endodermis immediately adjacent to root vasculature. Summary: Two duplicated maize SCARECROW genes control the development of the endodermis in roots and the mesophyll in leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Hughes
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Olga V Sedelnikova
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Hao Wu
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Philip W Becraft
- Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
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Cacefo V, Ribas AF, Zilliani RR, Neris DM, Domingues DS, Moro AL, Vieira LGE. Decarboxylation mechanisms of C4 photosynthesis in Saccharum spp.: increased PEPCK activity under water-limiting conditions. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 19:144. [PMID: 30991938 PMCID: PMC6469216 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-1745-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND C4 plants have been classified into three subtypes based on the enzymes used to decarboxylate C4 acids in the bundle sheath cells (NADP-ME, NAD-ME and PEPCK pathways). Evidences indicate that, depending on environmental factors, C4 plants may exhibit a certain degree of flexibility in the use of the decarboxylation mechanisms. In this context, the objective was to extend the knowledge on the degree of flexibility between the pathways of decarboxylation in sugarcane, a NADP-ME species, at different levels of water deficit. RESULTS An experiment was carried out with two cultivars - RB92579 (tolerant to water deficit) and SP80-3280 (susceptible to water deficit) subjected to moderate level (- 1.5 to - 1.8 MPa), severe level (below - 2.0 MPa) and recovery (48 h after rehydration) and changes in the activities of the enzymes involved in the three C4 mechanisms and in gene expression were investigated. Our results showed that sugarcane uses the PEPCK pathway as a decarboxylation mechanism in addition to the NADP-ME, which was more evident under water deficit conditions for both cultivars. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained here, show that sugarcane increases the use of the PEPCK pathway as a decarboxylation mechanism, in addition to the NADP-ME pathway, under conditions of water deficit, particularly in the tolerant cultivar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Cacefo
- Centro de Estudos em Ecofisiologia Vegetal do Oeste Paulista (CEVOP), Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 572, CEP, Presidente Prudente, SP 19067-175 Brazil
| | - Alessandra Ferreira Ribas
- Agronomy Graduate Program, Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 572, CEP, Presidente Prudente, SP 19067-175 Brazil
| | - Rafael Rebes Zilliani
- Centro de Estudos em Ecofisiologia Vegetal do Oeste Paulista (CEVOP), Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 572, CEP, Presidente Prudente, SP 19067-175 Brazil
| | - Daniel Moreira Neris
- Centro de Estudos em Ecofisiologia Vegetal do Oeste Paulista (CEVOP), Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 572, CEP, Presidente Prudente, SP 19067-175 Brazil
| | - Douglas Silva Domingues
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Avenida 24-A, 1515, CEP, Rio Claro, SP 13506-900 Brazil
| | - Adriana Lima Moro
- Centro de Estudos em Ecofisiologia Vegetal do Oeste Paulista (CEVOP), Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 572, CEP, Presidente Prudente, SP 19067-175 Brazil
| | - Luiz Gonzaga Esteves Vieira
- Agronomy Graduate Program, Universidade do Oeste Paulista (UNOESTE), Rodovia Raposo Tavares, Km 572, CEP, Presidente Prudente, SP 19067-175 Brazil
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Comparative transcriptomics method to infer gene coexpression networks and its applications to maize and rice leaf transcriptomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:3091-3099. [PMID: 30718437 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817621116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-series transcriptomes of a biological process obtained under different conditions are useful for identifying the regulators of the process and their regulatory networks. However, such data are 3D (gene expression, time, and condition), and there is currently no method that can deal with their full complexity. Here, we developed a method that avoids time-point alignment and normalization between conditions. We applied it to analyze time-series transcriptomes of developing maize leaves under light-dark cycles and under total darkness and obtained eight time-ordered gene coexpression networks (TO-GCNs), which can be used to predict upstream regulators of any genes in the GCNs. One of the eight TO-GCNs is light-independent and likely includes all genes involved in the development of Kranz anatomy, which is a structure crucial for the high efficiency of photosynthesis in C4 plants. Using this TO-GCN, we predicted and experimentally validated a regulatory cascade upstream of SHORTROOT1, a key Kranz anatomy regulator. Moreover, we applied the method to compare transcriptomes from maize and rice leaf segments and identified regulators of maize C4 enzyme genes and RUBISCO SMALL SUBUNIT2 Our study provides not only a powerful method but also novel insights into the regulatory networks underlying Kranz anatomy development and C4 photosynthesis.
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Schlüter U, Bräutigam A, Droz JM, Schwender J, Weber APM. The role of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in C 4 photosynthesis. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2019; 21 Suppl 1:64-76. [PMID: 30126035 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Alanine and aspartate are essential transfer metabolites for C4 species of the NAD-malic enzyme and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase subtype. To some degree both amino acids are also part of the metabolite shuttle in NADP-malic enzyme plants. In comparison with C3 species, the majority of C4 species are therefore characterised by enhanced expression and activity of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (AT) in the photosynthetically active tissue. Both enzymes exist in multiple copies and have been found in different subcellular compartments. We tested whether different C4 species show preferential recruitment of enzymes from specific lineages and subcellular compartments. Phylogenetic analysis of alanine and aspartate ATs from a variety of monocot and eudicot C4 species and their C3 relatives was combined with subcellular prediction tools and analysis of the subsequent transcript amounts in mature leaves. Recruitment of aspartate AT from a specific subcellular compartment was strongly connected to the biochemical subtype. Deviation from the main model was however observed in Gynandropsis gynandra. The configuration of alanine AT generally differed in monocot and eudicot species. C4 monocots recruited an alanine AT from a specific cytosolic branch, but eudicots use alanine AT copies from a mitochondrial branch. Generally, plants display high plasticity in the setup of the C4 pathway. Beside the common models for the different C4 subtypes, individual solutions were found for plant groups or lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A Bräutigam
- Computational Biology, Centre for Biotechnology, University Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - J Schwender
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, USA
| | - A P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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Penning BW, McCann MC, Carpita NC. Evolution of the Cell Wall Gene Families of Grasses. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1205. [PMID: 31681352 PMCID: PMC6805987 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Grasses and related commelinid monocot species synthesize cell walls distinct in composition from other angiosperm species. With few exceptions, the genomes of all angiosperms contain the genes that encode the enzymes for synthesis of all cell-wall polysaccharide, phenylpropanoid, and protein constituents known in vascular plants. RNA-seq analysis of transcripts expressed during development of the upper and lower internodes of maize (Zea mays) stem captured the expression of cell-wall-related genes associated with primary or secondary wall formation. High levels of transcript abundances were not confined to genes associated with the distinct walls of grasses but also of those associated with xyloglucan and pectin synthesis. Combined with proteomics data to confirm that expressed genes are translated, we propose that the distinctive cell-wall composition of grasses results from sorting downstream from their sites of synthesis in the Golgi apparatus and hydrolysis of the uncharacteristic polysaccharides and not from differential expression of synthases of grass-specific polysaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan W. Penning
- Corn, Soybean and Wheat Quality Research, USDA-ARS, Wooster, OH, United States
| | - Maureen C. McCann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Nicholas C. Carpita
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Department of Botany & Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Nicholas C. Carpita,
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49
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Sedelnikova OV, Hughes TE, Langdale JA. Understanding the Genetic Basis of C 4 Kranz Anatomy with a View to Engineering C 3 Crops. Annu Rev Genet 2018; 52:249-270. [PMID: 30208293 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-120417-031217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
One of the most remarkable examples of convergent evolution is the transition from C3 to C4 photosynthesis, an event that occurred on over 60 independent occasions. The evolution of C4 is particularly noteworthy because of the complexity of the developmental and metabolic changes that took place. In most cases, compartmentalized metabolic reactions were facilitated by the development of a distinct leaf anatomy known as Kranz. C4 Kranz anatomy differs from ancestral C3 anatomy with respect to vein spacing patterns across the leaf, cell-type specification around veins, and cell-specific organelle function. Here we review our current understanding of how Kranz anatomy evolved and how it develops, with a focus on studies that are dissecting the underlying genetic mechanisms. This research field has gained prominence in recent years because understanding the genetic regulation of Kranz may enable the C3-to-C4 transition to be engineered, an endeavor that would significantly enhance crop productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Sedelnikova
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom; , ,
| | - Thomas E Hughes
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom; , ,
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom; , ,
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50
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Nuccio ML, Potter L, Stiegelmeyer SM, Curley J, Cohn J, Wittich PE, Tan X, Davis J, Ni J, Trullinger J, Hall R, Bate NJ. Strategies and tools to improve crop productivity by targeting photosynthesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0377. [PMID: 28808096 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Crop productivity needs to substantially increase to meet global food and feed demand for a rapidly growing world population. Agricultural technology developers are pursuing a variety of approaches based on both traditional technologies such as genetic improvement, pest control and mechanization as well as new technologies such as genomics, gene manipulation and environmental modelling to develop crops that are capable of meeting growing demand. Photosynthesis is a key biochemical process that, many suggest, is not yet optimized for industrial agriculture or the modern global environment. We are interested in identifying control points in maize photoassimilation that are amenable to gene manipulation to improve overall productivity. Our approach encompasses: developing and using novel gene discovery techniques, translating our discoveries into traits and evaluating each trait in a stepwise manner that reflects a modern production environment. Our aim is to provide step change advancement in overall crop productivity and deliver this new technology into the hands of growers.This article is part of the themed issue 'Enhancing photosynthesis in crop plants: targets for improvement'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Nuccio
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Laura Potter
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Suzy M Stiegelmeyer
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Joseph Curley
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Jonathan Cohn
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Peter E Wittich
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Xiaoping Tan
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Jimena Davis
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Junjian Ni
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Jon Trullinger
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Rick Hall
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
| | - Nicholas J Bate
- Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC., 9 Davis Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 541-8500, USA
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