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Cao Y, Yang W, Ma J, Cheng Z, Zhang X, Liu X, Wu X, Zhang J. An Integrated Framework for Drought Stress in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9347. [PMID: 39273296 PMCID: PMC11395155 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179347] [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: 08/02/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
With global warming, drought stress is becoming increasingly severe, causing serious impacts on crop yield and quality. In order to survive under adverse conditions such as drought stress, plants have evolved a certain mechanism to cope. The tolerance to drought stress is mainly improved through the synergistic effect of regulatory pathways, such as transcription factors, phytohormone, stomatal movement, osmotic substances, sRNA, and antioxidant systems. This study summarizes the research progress on plant drought resistance, in order to provide a reference for improving plant drought resistance and cultivating drought-resistant varieties through genetic engineering technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyong Cao
- Institute of Cereal Crops, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Wenbo Yang
- Institute of Cereal Crops, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Juan Ma
- Institute of Cereal Crops, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Zeqiang Cheng
- Institute of Cereal Crops, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xueman Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xiaolin Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Jinghua Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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Tang X, Li Q, Feng X, Yang B, Zhong X, Zhou Y, Wang Q, Mao Y, Xie W, Liu T, Tang Q, Guo W, Wu F, Feng X, Wang Q, Lu Y, Xu J. Identification and Functional Analysis of Drought-Responsive Long Noncoding RNAs in Maize Roots. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15039. [PMID: 37894720 PMCID: PMC10606207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015039] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts with lengths of more than 200 nt and limited protein-coding potential. They were found to play important roles in plant stress responses. In this study, the maize drought-tolerant inbred line AC7643 and drought-sensitive inbred line AC7729/TZSRW, as well as their recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were selected to identify drought-responsive lncRNAs in roots. Compared with non-responsive lncRNAs, drought-responsive lncRNAs had different sequence characteristics in length of genes and number of exons. The ratio of down-regulated lncRNAs induced by drought was significantly higher than that of coding genes; and lncRNAs were more widespread expressed in recombination sites in the RILs. Additionally, by integration of the modifications of DNA 5-methylcytidine (5mC), histones, and RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A), it was found that the enrichment of histone modifications associated with transcriptional activation in the genes generated lncRNAs was lower that coding genes. The lncRNAs-mRNAs co-expression network, containing 15,340 coding genes and 953 lncRNAs, was constructed to investigate the molecular functions of lncRNAs. There are 13 modules found to be associated with survival rate under drought. We found nine SNPs located in lncRNAs among the modules associated with plant survival under drought. In conclusion, we revealed the characteristics of lncRNAs responding to drought in maize roots based on multiomics studies. These findings enrich our understanding of lncRNAs under drought and shed light on the complex regulatory networks that are orchestrated by the noncoding RNAs in response to drought stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Tang
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Qimeng Li
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xiaoju Feng
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xiu Zhong
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yan Mao
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Wubin Xie
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Tianhong Liu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Qi Tang
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Fengkai Wu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xuanjun Feng
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Qingjun Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Yanli Lu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Jie Xu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; (X.T.); (Q.L.); (X.F.); (B.Y.); (X.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Q.W.); (Y.M.); (W.X.); (T.L.); (Q.T.); (W.G.); (F.W.); (X.F.); (Q.W.)
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Exploration and Utilization in Southwest China, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
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Sun X, Xiang Y, Dou N, Zhang H, Pei S, Franco AV, Menon M, Monier B, Ferebee T, Liu T, Liu S, Gao Y, Wang J, Terzaghi W, Yan J, Hearne S, Li L, Li F, Dai M. The role of transposon inverted repeats in balancing drought tolerance and yield-related traits in maize. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:120-127. [PMID: 36229611 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01470-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The genomic basis underlying the selection for environmental adaptation and yield-related traits in maize remains poorly understood. Here we carried out genome-wide profiling of the small RNA (sRNA) transcriptome (sRNAome) and transcriptome landscapes of a global maize diversity panel under dry and wet conditions and uncover dozens of environment-specific regulatory hotspots. Transgenic and molecular studies of Drought-Related Environment-specific Super eQTL Hotspot on chromosome 8 (DRESH8) and ZmMYBR38, a target of DRESH8-derived small interfering RNAs, revealed a transposable element-mediated inverted repeats (TE-IR)-derived sRNA- and gene-regulatory network that balances plant drought tolerance with yield-related traits. A genome-wide scan revealed that TE-IRs associate with drought response and yield-related traits that were positively selected and expanded during maize domestication. These results indicate that TE-IR-mediated posttranscriptional regulation is a key molecular mechanism underlying the tradeoff between crop environmental adaptation and yield-related traits, providing potential genomic targets for the breeding of crops with greater stress tolerance but uncompromised yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
| | - Yanli Xiang
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Nannan Dou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Surui Pei
- Annoroad Gene Tech (Beijing) Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Arcadio Valdes Franco
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Mitra Menon
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology, and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Monier
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Taylor Ferebee
- School of Integrative Plant Sciences, Section of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- Annoroad Gene Tech (Beijing) Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Sanyang Liu
- Annoroad Gene Tech (Beijing) Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yuchi Gao
- Annoroad Gene Tech (Beijing) Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Jubin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Jianbing Yan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
| | - Sarah Hearne
- CIMMYT, KM 45 Carretera Mexico-Veracruz, El Batan, Texcoco, Mexico
| | - Lin Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
| | - Feng Li
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (Ministry of Education), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Mingqiu Dai
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China.
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Chen Y, Weng X, Zhou X, Gu J, Hu Q, Luo Q, Wen M, Li C, Wang ZY. Overexpression of cassava RSZ21b enhances drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 268:153574. [PMID: 34890846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2021.153574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Drought is one of the major environmental constraints affecting crop productivity. Plants have to adjust their developmental and physiological processes to cope with drought. We previously identified 18 cassava serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins that had a pivotal role in alternative splicing in response to environmental stress. However, functional characterization of SR proteins is rarely explored. Here, we characterized the RSZ subfamily gene MeRSZ21b in cassava. The RSZ21b belongs to the RSZ subfamily, which was widely distributed in major crops and was highly conserved. Quantitative RT-PCR assay showed that the expression of MeRSZ21b was significantly induced by drought. Moreover, overexpression of MeRSZ21b in Arabidopsis was hypersensitive to abscisic acid (ABA) in the phases of seed germination and post-germination seedling growth. Meantime, MeRSZ21b overexpression lines were resistant to sorbitol treatment, and quickly closed the stomata when compared with Col-0 under drought condition. Importantly, overexpression of MeRSZ21b resulted in improved drought tolerance through modulating ABA-dependent signaling. Therefore, our findings refine our knowledge of the SR protein-coding genes and provide novel insights for enhancing plant resistance to environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhang Chen
- Institute of Nanfan＆Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong, 510316, China
| | - Xun Weng
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhou
- Institute of Nanfan＆Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong, 510316, China
| | - Jinbao Gu
- Institute of Nanfan＆Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong, 510316, China
| | - Qing Hu
- Institute of Nanfan＆Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong, 510316, China
| | - Qingwen Luo
- Zhanjiang Sugarcane Research Center, Guangzhou Sugarcane Industry Research Institute, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524300, China
| | - Mingfu Wen
- Zhanjiang Sugarcane Research Center, Guangzhou Sugarcane Industry Research Institute, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524300, China
| | - Cong Li
- Institute of Nanfan＆Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong, 510316, China.
| | - Zhen-Yu Wang
- Institute of Nanfan＆Seed Industry, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangdong, 510316, China; Zhanjiang Sugarcane Research Center, Guangzhou Sugarcane Industry Research Institute, Zhanjiang, Guangdong, 524300, China.
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Abdellatef E, Kamal NM, Tsujimoto H. Tuning Beforehand: A Foresight on RNA Interference (RNAi) and In Vitro-Derived dsRNAs to Enhance Crop Resilience to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147687. [PMID: 34299307 PMCID: PMC8306419 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Crop yield is severely affected by biotic and abiotic stresses. Plants adapt to these stresses mainly through gene expression reprogramming at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Recently, the exogenous application of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) and RNA interference (RNAi) technology has emerged as a sustainable and publicly acceptable alternative to genetic transformation, hence, small RNAs (micro-RNAs and small interfering RNAs) have an important role in combating biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. RNAi limits the transcript level by either suppressing transcription (transcriptional gene silencing) or activating sequence-specific RNA degradation (post-transcriptional gene silencing). Using RNAi tools and their respective targets in abiotic stress responses in many crops is well documented. Many miRNAs families are reported in plant tolerance response or adaptation to drought, salinity, and temperature stresses. In biotic stress, the spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) provides an intelligent method of using dsRNA as a trigger to silence target genes in pests and pathogens without producing side effects such as those caused by chemical pesticides. In this review, we focus on the potential of SIGS as the most recent application of RNAi in agriculture and point out the trends, challenges, and risks of production technologies. Additionally, we provide insights into the potential applications of exogenous RNAi against biotic stresses. We also review the current status of RNAi/miRNA tools and their respective targets on abiotic stress and the most common responsive miRNA families triggered by stress conditions in different crop species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eltayb Abdellatef
- Commission for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, National Center for Research, P.O. Box 2404, Khartoum 11111, Sudan;
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan;
- Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Unit, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
| | - Nasrein Mohamed Kamal
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan;
- Agricultural Research Corporation, P.O. Box 30, Khartoum North 11111, Sudan
| | - Hisashi Tsujimoto
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori 680-0001, Japan;
- Correspondence:
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RNA-directed DNA methylation prevents rapid and heritable reversal of transposon silencing under heat stress in Zea mays. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009326. [PMID: 34125827 PMCID: PMC8224964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In large complex plant genomes, RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) ensures that epigenetic silencing is maintained at the boundary between genes and flanking transposable elements. In maize, RdDM is dependent on Mediator of Paramutation1 (Mop1), a gene encoding a putative RNA dependent RNA polymerase. Here we show that although RdDM is essential for the maintenance of DNA methylation of a silenced MuDR transposon in maize, a loss of that methylation does not result in a restoration of activity. Instead, heritable maintenance of silencing is maintained by histone modifications. At one terminal inverted repeat (TIR) of this element, heritable silencing is mediated via histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), and histone H3 lysine 27 dimethylation (H3K27me2), even in the absence of DNA methylation. At the second TIR, heritable silencing is mediated by histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), a mark normally associated with somatically inherited gene silencing. We find that a brief exposure of high temperature in a mop1 mutant rapidly reverses both of these modifications in conjunction with a loss of transcriptional silencing. These reversals are heritable, even in mop1 wild-type progeny in which methylation is restored at both TIRs. These observations suggest that DNA methylation is neither necessary to maintain silencing, nor is it sufficient to initiate silencing once has been reversed. However, given that heritable reactivation only occurs in a mop1 mutant background, these observations suggest that DNA methylation is required to buffer the effects of environmental stress on transposable elements. Most plant genomes are mostly transposable elements (TEs), most of which are held in check by modifications of both DNA and histones. The bulk of silenced TEs are associated with methylated DNA and histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2). In contrast, epigenetically silenced genes are often associated with histone lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Although stress can affect each of these modifications, plants are generally competent to rapidly reset them following that stress. Here we demonstrate that although DNA methylation is not required to maintain silencing of the MuDR element, it is essential for preventing heat-induced, stable and heritable changes in both H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 at this element, and for concomitant changes in transcriptional activity. These finding suggest that RdDM acts to buffer the effects of heat on silenced transposable elements, and that a loss of DNA methylation under conditions of stress can have profound and long-lasting effects on epigenetic silencing in maize.
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Yang X, You C, Wang X, Gao L, Mo B, Liu L, Chen X. Widespread occurrence of microRNA-mediated target cleavage on membrane-bound polysomes. Genome Biol 2021; 22:15. [PMID: 33402203 PMCID: PMC7784310 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02242-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Small RNAs (sRNAs) including microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) serve as core players in gene silencing at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels in plants, but their subcellular localization has not yet been well studied, thus limiting our mechanistic understanding of sRNA action. Results We investigate the cytoplasmic partitioning of sRNAs and their targets globally in maize (Zea mays, inbred line “B73”) and rice (Oryza sativa, cv. “Nipponbare”) by high-throughput sequencing of polysome-associated sRNAs and 3′ cleavage fragments, and find that both miRNAs and a subset of 21-nucleotide (nt)/22-nt siRNAs are enriched on membrane-bound polysomes (MBPs) relative to total polysomes (TPs) across different tissues. Most of the siRNAs are generated from transposable elements (TEs), and retrotransposons positively contributed to MBP overaccumulation of 22-nt TE-derived siRNAs (TE-siRNAs) as opposed to DNA transposons. Widespread occurrence of miRNA-mediated target cleavage is observed on MBPs, and a large proportion of these cleavage events are MBP-unique. Reproductive 21PHAS (21-nt phasiRNA-generating) and 24PHAS (24-nt phasiRNA-generating) precursors, which were commonly considered as noncoding RNAs, are bound by polysomes, and high-frequency cleavage of 21PHAS precursors by miR2118 and 24PHAS precursors by miR2275 is further detected on MBPs. Reproductive 21-nt phasiRNAs are enriched on MBPs as opposed to TPs, whereas 24-nt phasiRNAs are nearly completely devoid of polysome occupancy. Conclusions MBP overaccumulation is a conserved pattern for cytoplasmic partitioning of sRNAs, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-bound ribosomes function as an independent regulatory layer for miRNA-induced gene silencing and reproductive phasiRNA biosynthesis in maize and rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Chenjiang You
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Xufeng Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.,Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Lei Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Beixin Mo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Xuemei Chen
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
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8
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Varotto S, Tani E, Abraham E, Krugman T, Kapazoglou A, Melzer R, Radanović A, Miladinović D. Epigenetics: possible applications in climate-smart crop breeding. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:5223-5236. [PMID: 32279074 PMCID: PMC7475248 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
To better adapt transiently or lastingly to stimuli from the surrounding environment, the chromatin states in plant cells vary to allow the cells to fine-tune their transcriptional profiles. Modifications of chromatin states involve a wide range of post-transcriptional histone modifications, histone variants, DNA methylation, and activity of non-coding RNAs, which can epigenetically determine specific transcriptional outputs. Recent advances in the area of '-omics' of major crops have facilitated identification of epigenetic marks and their effect on plant response to environmental stresses. As most epigenetic mechanisms are known from studies in model plants, we summarize in this review recent epigenetic studies that may be important for improvement of crop adaptation and resilience to environmental changes, ultimately leading to the generation of stable climate-smart crops. This has paved the way for exploitation of epigenetic variation in crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals, and the Environment, University of Padova, Agripolis, Viale dell’Università, Padova, Italy
| | - Eleni Tani
- Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Abraham
- Laboratory of Range Science, School of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Tamar Krugman
- Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Aliki Kapazoglou
- Institute of Olive Tree, Subtropical Crops and Viticulture (IOSV), Department of Vitis, Hellenic Agricultural Organization-Demeter (HAO-Demeter), Lykovrysi, Greece
| | - Rainer Melzer
- School of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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9
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Hao L, Shi S, Guo H, Li M, Hu P, Wei Y, Feng Y. Genome-wide identification and expression profiles of ERF subfamily transcription factors in Zea mays. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9551. [PMID: 32742811 PMCID: PMC7370932 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ethylene-Response Factor (ERF) subfamily transcription factors (TFs) belong to the APETALA2/Ethylene-Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily and play a vital role in plant growth and development. However, identification and analysis of the ERF subfamily genes in maize have not yet been performed at genome-wide level. In this study, a total of 76 ERF subfamily TFs were identified and were found to be unevenly distributed on the maize chromosomes. These maize ERF (ZmERF) TFs were classified into six groups, namely groups B1 to B6, based on phylogenetic analysis. Synteny analysis showed that 50, 54, and 58 of the ZmERF genes were orthologous to those in rice, Brachypodium, and Sorghum, respectively. Cis-element analysis showed that elements related to plant growth and development, hormones, and abiotic stress were identified in the promoter region of ZmERF genes. Expression profiles suggested that ZmERF genes might participate in plant development and in response to salinity and drought stresses. Our findings lay a foundation and provide clues for understanding the biological functions of ERF TFs in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidong Hao
- College of Agriculture, Xinjiang Agriculture University, Urumqi, China.,College of Agriculture and Hydraulic Engineering, Sui Hua University, Suihua, China
| | - Shubing Shi
- College of Agriculture, Xinjiang Agriculture University, Urumqi, China
| | - Haibin Guo
- College of Agriculture and Hydraulic Engineering, Sui Hua University, Suihua, China
| | - Ming Li
- School of Economics and Management, Sui Hua University, Suihua, China
| | - Pan Hu
- College of Agriculture and Hydraulic Engineering, Sui Hua University, Suihua, China
| | - Yadong Wei
- College of Agriculture, Xinjiang Agriculture University, Urumqi, China
| | - Yanfei Feng
- College of Agriculture and Hydraulic Engineering, Sui Hua University, Suihua, China
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10
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Yu J, Xu F, Wei Z, Zhang X, Chen T, Pu L. Epigenomic landscape and epigenetic regulation in maize. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2020; 133:1467-1489. [PMID: 31965233 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-020-03549-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation has been implicated in the control of multiple agronomic traits in maize. Here, we review current advances in our understanding of epigenetic regulation, which has great potential for improving agronomic traits and the environmental adaptability of crops. Epigenetic regulation plays vital role in the control of complex agronomic traits. Epigenetic variation could contribute to phenotypic diversity and can be used to improve the quality and productivity of crops. Maize (Zea mays L.), one of the most widely cultivated crops for human food, animal feed, and ethanol biofuel, is a model plant for genetic studies. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technology have made possible the study of epigenetic regulation in maize on a genome-wide scale. In this review, we discuss recent epigenetic studies in maize many achieved by Chinese research groups. These studies have explored the roles of DNA methylation, posttranslational modifications of histones, chromatin remodeling, and noncoding RNAs in the regulation of gene expression in plant development and environment response. We also provide our future prospects for manipulating epigenetic regulation to improve crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Yu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Xu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ziwei Wei
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiangxiang Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Chen
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Pu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
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11
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Warman C, Panda K, Vejlupkova Z, Hokin S, Unger-Wallace E, Cole RA, Chettoor AM, Jiang D, Vollbrecht E, Evans MMS, Slotkin RK, Fowler JE. High expression in maize pollen correlates with genetic contributions to pollen fitness as well as with coordinated transcription from neighboring transposable elements. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008462. [PMID: 32236090 PMCID: PMC7112179 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In flowering plants, gene expression in the haploid male gametophyte (pollen) is essential for sperm delivery and double fertilization. Pollen also undergoes dynamic epigenetic regulation of expression from transposable elements (TEs), but how this process interacts with gene expression is not clearly understood. To explore relationships among these processes, we quantified transcript levels in four male reproductive stages of maize (tassel primordia, microspores, mature pollen, and sperm cells) via RNA-seq. We found that, in contrast with vegetative cell-limited TE expression in Arabidopsis pollen, TE transcripts in maize accumulate as early as the microspore stage and are also present in sperm cells. Intriguingly, coordinate expression was observed between highly expressed protein-coding genes and their neighboring TEs, specifically in mature pollen and sperm cells. To investigate a potential relationship between elevated gene transcript level and pollen function, we measured the fitness cost (male-specific transmission defect) of GFP-tagged coding sequence insertion mutations in over 50 genes identified as highly expressed in the pollen vegetative cell, sperm cell, or seedling (as a sporophytic control). Insertions in seedling genes or sperm cell genes (with one exception) exhibited no difference from the expected 1:1 transmission ratio. In contrast, insertions in over 20% of vegetative cell genes were associated with significant reductions in fitness, showing a positive correlation of transcript level with non-Mendelian segregation when mutant. Insertions in maize gamete expressed2 (Zm gex2), the sole sperm cell gene with measured contributions to fitness, also triggered seed defects when crossed as a male, indicating a conserved role in double fertilization, given the similar phenotype previously demonstrated for the Arabidopsis ortholog GEX2. Overall, our study demonstrates a developmentally programmed and coordinated transcriptional activation of TEs and genes in pollen, and further identifies maize pollen as a model in which transcriptomic data have predictive value for quantitative phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cedar Warman
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Kaushik Panda
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Zuzana Vejlupkova
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Sam Hokin
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Erica Unger-Wallace
- Department of Genetics Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Rex A. Cole
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Antony M. Chettoor
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Duo Jiang
- Department of Statistics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Erik Vollbrecht
- Department of Genetics Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- Interdepartmental Genetics, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Matthew M. S. Evans
- Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - R. Keith Slotkin
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - John E. Fowler
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
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12
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Lunardon A, Johnson NR, Hagerott E, Phifer T, Polydore S, Coruh C, Axtell MJ. Integrated annotations and analyses of small RNA-producing loci from 47 diverse plants. Genome Res 2020; 30:497-513. [PMID: 32179590 PMCID: PMC7111516 DOI: 10.1101/gr.256750.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Plant endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression. There are two broad categories of plant sRNAs: microRNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). MicroRNA loci are relatively well-annotated but compose only a small minority of the total sRNA pool; siRNA locus annotations have lagged far behind. Here, we used a large data set of published and newly generated sRNA sequencing data (1333 sRNA-seq libraries containing more than 20 billion reads) and a uniform bioinformatic pipeline to produce comprehensive sRNA locus annotations of 47 diverse plants, yielding more than 2.7 million sRNA loci. The two most numerous classes of siRNA loci produced mainly 24- and 21-nucleotide (nt) siRNAs, respectively. Most often, 24-nt-dominated siRNA loci occurred in intergenic regions, especially at the 5′-flanking regions of protein-coding genes. In contrast, 21-nt-dominated siRNA loci were most often derived from double-stranded RNA precursors copied from spliced mRNAs. Genic 21-nt-dominated loci were especially common from disease resistance genes, including from a large number of monocots. Individual siRNA sequences of all types showed very little conservation across species, whereas mature miRNAs were more likely to be conserved. We developed a web server where our data and several search and analysis tools are freely accessible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lunardon
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Nathan R Johnson
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.,Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Emily Hagerott
- Department of Biology, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois 61401, USA
| | - Tamia Phifer
- Department of Biology, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois 61401, USA
| | - Seth Polydore
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.,Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Ceyda Coruh
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.,Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Michael J Axtell
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.,Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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13
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Ramachandran SR, Mueth NA, Zheng P, Hulbert SH. Analysis of miRNAs in Two Wheat Cultivars Infected With Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 10:1574. [PMID: 31998329 PMCID: PMC6965360 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs are small RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotes. In this study, we analyzed the small RNA profiles of two cultivars that exhibit different reactions to stripe rust infection: one susceptible, the other partially resistant. Using small RNA libraries prepared from the two wheat cultivars infected with stripe rust fungus (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), we identified 182 previously known miRNAs, 91 variants of known miRNAs, and 163 candidate novel wheat miRNAs. Known miRNA loci were usually copied in all three wheat sub-genomes, whereas novel miRNA loci were often specific to a single sub-genome. DESeq2 analysis of differentially expressed microRNAs revealed 23 miRNAs that exhibit cultivar-specific differences. TA078/miR399b showed cultivar-specific differential regulation in response to infection. Using different target prediction algorithms, 145 miRNAs were predicted to target wheat genes, while 69 miRNAs were predicted to target fungal genes. We also confirmed reciprocal expression of TA078/miR399b and tae-miR9664 and their target genes in different treatments, providing evidence for miRNA-mediated regulation during infection. Both known and novel miRNAs were predicted to target fungal genes, suggesting trans-kingdom regulation of gene expression. Overall, this study contributes to the current repository of wheat miRNAs and provides novel information on the yet-uncharacterized roles for miRNAs in the wheat-stripe rust pathosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas A. Mueth
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Ping Zheng
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Scot H. Hulbert
- Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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14
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Han Y, Li X, Yan Y, Duan MH, Xu JH. Identification, characterization, and functional prediction of circular RNAs in maize. Mol Genet Genomics 2020; 295:491-503. [PMID: 31894398 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-019-01638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new type of intracellular regulator that have been widely identified in animals and plants by high-throughput sequencing. However, there are still few functional studies on circRNAs in plants. To better understand maize circRNAs and their potential functions, we identified 1199 circRNAs in maize from RiboMinus RNA-Seq transcriptome data, and found distinct features of splicing site selection bias, longer flanking introns, and miniature inverted-repeat transposable element (MITE) insertions in flanking introns in maize circRNAs compared to other plant circRNAs. In total, 31 and 36 orthologous circRNAs were identified in rice and maize, respectively, but the orthologous parental genes could not produce orthologous circRNAs, mostly because of long-sequence insertions/deletions at flanking introns and approximately 24.3% of them contained MITE sequences. The majority of maize circRNAs showed high diversity of expression under different treatments and/or in different genetic backgrounds, implying that circRNAs could be involved in various regulatory networks. Twenty-six ecircRNAs were predicted to contain one or more target mimics, and 229 circRNAs had high coding potential, indicating that circRNAs could perform peptide-encoding functions in plants. These results will broaden understanding of the roles of circRNAs in plants and support further functional work on maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Han
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ming-Hua Duan
- Zhejiang Zhengjingyuan Pharmacy Chain Co., Ltd. and Hangzhou Zhengcaiyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, 310021, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Hong Xu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, China.
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15
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Forestan C, Farinati S, Zambelli F, Pavesi G, Rossi V, Varotto S. Epigenetic signatures of stress adaptation and flowering regulation in response to extended drought and recovery in Zea mays. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:55-75. [PMID: 31677283 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
During their lifespan, plants respond to a multitude of stressful factors. Dynamic changes in chromatin and concomitant transcriptional variations control stress response and adaptation, with epigenetic memory mechanisms integrating environmental conditions and appropriate developmental programs over the time. Here we analyzed transcriptome and genome-wide histone modifications of maize plants subjected to a mild and prolonged drought stress just before the flowering transition. Stress was followed by a complete recovery period to evaluate drought memory mechanisms. Three categories of stress-memory genes were identified: i) "transcriptional memory" genes, with stable transcriptional changes persisting after the recovery; ii) "epigenetic memory candidate" genes in which stress-induced chromatin changes persist longer than the stimulus, in absence of transcriptional changes; iii) "delayed memory" genes, not immediately affected by the stress, but perceiving and storing stress signal for a delayed response. This last memory mechanism is described for the first time in drought response. In addition, applied drought stress altered floral patterning, possibly by affecting expression and chromatin of flowering regulatory genes. Altogether, we provided a genome-wide map of the coordination between genes and chromatin marks utilized by plants to adapt to a stressful environment, describing how this serves as a backbone for setting stress memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Forestan
- Department of Agronomy Animals Food Natural Resources and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Silvia Farinati
- Department of Agronomy Animals Food Natural Resources and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
| | - Federico Zambelli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Pavesi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Rossi
- CREA - Centro di Cerealicoltura e Colture Industriali (CREA-CI), Via Stezzano 24, 24126, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy Animals Food Natural Resources and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, Italy
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16
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Crisp PA, Hammond R, Zhou P, Vaillancourt B, Lipzen A, Daum C, Barry K, de Leon N, Buell CR, Kaeppler SM, Meyers BC, Hirsch CN, Springer NM. Variation and Inheritance of Small RNAs in Maize Inbreds and F1 Hybrids. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 182:318-331. [PMID: 31575624 PMCID: PMC6945832 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Small RNAs (sRNAs) regulate gene expression, play important roles in epigenetic pathways, and are hypothesized to contribute to hybrid vigor in plants. Prior investigations have provided valuable insights into associations between sRNAs and heterosis, often using a single hybrid genotype or tissue, but our understanding of the role of sRNAs and their potential value to plant breeding are limited by an incomplete picture of sRNA variation between diverse genotypes and development stages. Here, we provide a deep exploration of sRNA variation and inheritance among a panel of 108 maize (Zea mays) samples spanning five tissues from eight inbred parents and 12 hybrid genotypes, covering a spectrum of heterotic groups, genetic variation, and levels of heterosis for various traits. We document substantial developmental and genotypic influences on sRNA expression, with varying patterns for 21-nucleotide (nt), 22-nt, and 24-nt sRNAs. We provide a detailed view of the distribution of sRNAs in the maize genome, revealing a complex makeup that also shows developmental plasticity, particularly for 22-nt sRNAs. sRNAs exhibited substantially more variation between inbreds as compared with observed variation for gene expression. In hybrids, we identify locus-specific examples of nonadditive inheritance, mostly characterized as partial or complete dominance, but rarely outside the parental range. However, the global abundance of 21-nt, 22-nt, and 24-nt sRNAs varies very little between inbreds and hybrids, suggesting that hybridization affects sRNA expression principally at specific loci rather than on a global scale. This study provides a valuable resource for understanding the potential role of sRNAs in hybrid vigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Crisp
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Reza Hammond
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19711
| | - Peng Zhou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Brieanne Vaillancourt
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Anna Lipzen
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California 94598
| | - Chris Daum
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California 94598
| | - Kerrie Barry
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California 94598
| | - Natalia de Leon
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - C Robin Buell
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824
| | - Shawn M Kaeppler
- Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - Blake C Meyers
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63132
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211
| | - Candice N Hirsch
- Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Nathan M Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108
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17
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He J, Jiang Z, Gao L, You C, Ma X, Wang X, Xu X, Mo B, Chen X, Liu L. Genome-Wide Transcript and Small RNA Profiling Reveals Transcriptomic Responses to Heat Stress. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 181:609-629. [PMID: 31395615 PMCID: PMC6776850 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Because of climate change, crops will experience increasing heat stress. However, the ways in which heat stress affects crop growth and yield at the molecular level remain poorly understood. We generated spatiotemporal mRNA and small RNA transcriptome data, spanning seven tissues at three time points, to investigate the effects of heat stress on vegetative and reproductive development in maize (Zea mays). Among the small RNAs significantly induced by heat stress was a plastid-derived 19-nucleotide small RNA, which is possibly the residual footprint of a pentatricopeptide repeat protein. This suggests that heat stress induces the turnover of certain plastid transcripts. Consistently, genes responsible for photosynthesis in chloroplasts were repressed after heat stress. Analysis also revealed that the abundance of 24-nucletide small interfering RNAs from transposable elements was conspicuously reduced by heat stress in tassels and roots; nearby genes showed a similar expression trend. Finally, specific microRNA and passenger microRNA species were identified, which in other plant species have not before been reported as responsive to heat stress. This study generated an atlas of genome-wide transcriptomic responses to heat stress, revealing several key regulators as potential targets for thermotolerance improvement in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
| | - Zengming Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
| | - Lei Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
| | - Chenjiang You
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Xuan Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
| | - Xufeng Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
| | - Xiaofeng Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
| | - Beixin Mo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
| | - Xuemei Chen
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
| | - Lin Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Bioindustry and Innovation Research Institute, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China
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18
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Zheng J, Zeng E, Du Y, He C, Hu Y, Jiao Z, Wang K, Li W, Ludens M, Fu J, Wang H, White FF, Wang G, Liu S. Temporal Small RNA Expression Profiling under Drought Reveals a Potential Regulatory Role of Small Nucleolar RNAs in the Drought Responses of Maize. THE PLANT GENOME 2019; 12:180058. [PMID: 30951096 DOI: 10.3835/plantgenome2018.08.0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Small RNAs (sRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that play roles in many biological processes, including drought responses in plants. However, how the expression of sRNAs dynamically changes with the gradual imposition of drought stress in plants is largely unknown. We generated time-series sRNA sequence data from maize ( L.) seedlings under drought stress (DS) and under well-watered (WW) conditions at the same time points. Analyses of length, functional annotation, and abundance of 736,372 nonredundant sRNAs from both DS and WW data, as well as genome copy numbers at the corresponding genomic regions, revealed distinct patterns of abundance and genome organization for different sRNA classes. The analysis identified 6646 sRNAs whose regulation was altered in response to drought stress. Among drought-responsive sRNAs, 1325 showed transient downregulation by the seventh day, coinciding with visible symptoms of drought stress. The profiles revealed drought-responsive microRNAs, as well as other sRNAs that originated from ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), splicing small nuclear RNAs, and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNA). Expression profiles of their sRNA derivers indicated that snoRNAs might play a regulatory role through regulating the stability of rRNAs and splicing small nuclear RNAs under drought condition.
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19
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MCENet: A database for maize conditional co-expression network and network characterization collaborated with multi-dimensional omics levels. J Genet Genomics 2018; 45:351-360. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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20
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Minow MAA, Ávila LM, Turner K, Ponzoni E, Mascheretti I, Dussault FM, Lukens L, Rossi V, Colasanti J. Distinct gene networks modulate floral induction of autonomous maize and photoperiod-dependent teosinte. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:2937-2952. [PMID: 29688423 PMCID: PMC5972621 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Temperate maize was domesticated from its tropical ancestor, teosinte. Whereas temperate maize is an autonomous day-neutral plant, teosinte is an obligate short-day plant that requires uninterrupted long nights to induce flowering. Leaf-derived florigenic signals trigger reproductive growth in both teosinte and temperate maize. To study the genetic mechanisms underlying floral inductive pathways in maize and teosinte, mRNA and small RNA genome-wide expression analyses were conducted on leaf tissue from plants that were induced or not induced to flower. Transcriptome profiles reveal common differentially expressed genes during floral induction, but a comparison of candidate flowering time genes indicates that photoperiod and autonomous pathways act independently. Expression differences in teosinte are consistent with the current paradigm for photoperiod-induced flowering, where changes in circadian clock output trigger florigen production. Conversely, differentially expressed genes in temperate maize link carbon partitioning and flowering, but also show altered expression of circadian clock genes that are distinct from those altered upon photoperiodic induction in teosinte. Altered miRNA399 levels in both teosinte and maize suggest a novel common connection between flowering and phosphorus perception. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying a strengthened autonomous pathway that enabled maize growth throughout temperate regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A A Minow
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luis M Ávila
- Plant Agriculture Department, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Katie Turner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Ponzoni
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Iride Mascheretti
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Forest M Dussault
- Research and Development, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lewis Lukens
- Plant Agriculture Department, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincenzo Rossi
- Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Cereal and Industrial Crops, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Joseph Colasanti
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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21
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Morgado L, Preite V, Oplaat C, Anava S, Ferreira de Carvalho J, Rechavi O, Johannes F, Verhoeven KJF. Small RNAs Reflect Grandparental Environments in Apomictic Dandelion. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 34:2035-2040. [PMID: 28472380 PMCID: PMC5850771 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msx150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants can show long-term effects of environmental stresses and in some cases a stress “memory” has been reported to persist across generations, potentially mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. However, few documented cases exist of transgenerational effects that persist for multiple generations and it remains unclear if or how epigenetic mechanisms are involved. Here, we show that the composition of small regulatory RNAs in apomictic dandelion lineages reveals a footprint of drought stress and salicylic acid treatment experienced two generations ago. Overall proportions of 21 and 24 nt RNA pools were shifted due to grandparental treatments. While individual genes did not show strong up- or downregulation of associated sRNAs, the subset of genes that showed the strongest shifts in sRNA abundance was significantly enriched for several GO terms including stress-specific functions. This suggests that a stress-induced signal was transmitted across multiple unexposed generations leading to persistent changes in epigenetic gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Morgado
- Groningen Bioinformatics Centre, University of Groningen, AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Veronica Preite
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carla Oplaat
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sarit Anava
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Julie Ferreira de Carvalho
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Oded Rechavi
- Department of Neurobiology, Wise Faculty of Life Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Frank Johannes
- Population Epigenetics and Epigenomics, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.,Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Koen J F Verhoeven
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
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22
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Lunardon A, Forestan C, Farinati S, Varotto S. De Novo Identification of sRNA Loci and Non-coding RNAs by High-Throughput Sequencing. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1675:297-314. [PMID: 29052198 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7318-7_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-coding RNA transcripts, such as long non-coding RNAs, miRNAs, siRNAs, and transposon-originating transcripts, are involved in the regulation of RNA stability, protein translation, and/or the modulation of chromatin states. RNA-Seq can be used to catalog this diversity of novel transcripts and a joint analysis of these transcriptomic data can provide useful insights into epigenetic regulation of dynamic responses such as the stress response, which may not be deciphered from individual analysis of single transcript categories. Here, we present a protocol that allows the identification and analysis of small RNAs and long non-coding RNAs, together with the comparison of these species between different sample types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lunardon
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE) Agripolis, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Cristian Forestan
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE) Agripolis, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Silvia Farinati
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE) Agripolis, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE) Agripolis, University of Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy.
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23
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Forestan C, Farinati S, Aiese Cigliano R, Lunardon A, Sanseverino W, Varotto S. Maize RNA PolIV affects the expression of genes with nearby TE insertions and has a genome-wide repressive impact on transcription. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 17:161. [PMID: 29025411 PMCID: PMC5639751 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-017-1108-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is a plant-specific epigenetic process that relies on the RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) for the production of 24 nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNA) that guide the cytosine methylation and silencing of genes and transposons. Zea mays RPD1/RMR6 gene encodes the largest subunit of Pol IV and is required for normal plant development, paramutation, transcriptional repression of certain transposable elements (TEs) and transcriptional regulation of specific alleles. RESULTS In this study we applied a total RNA-Seq approach to compare the B73 and rpd1/rmr6 leaf transcriptomes. Although previous studies indicated that loss of siRNAs production in RdDM mutants provokes a strong loss of CHH DNA methylation but not massive gene or TEs transcriptional activation in both Arabidopsis and maize, our total RNA-Seq analysis of rpd1/rmr6 transcriptome reveals that loss of Pol IV activity causes a global increase in the transcribed fraction of the maize genome. Our results point to the genes with nearby TE insertions as being the most strongly affected by Pol IV-mediated gene silencing. TEs modulation of nearby gene expression is linked to alternative methylation profiles on gene flanking regions, and these profiles are strictly dependent on specific characteristics of the TE member inserted. Although Pol IV is essential for the biogenesis of siRNAs, the genes with associated siRNA loci are less affected by the pol IV mutation. CONCLUSIONS This deep and integrated analysis of gene expression, TEs distribution, smallRNA targeting and DNA methylation levels, reveals that loss of Pol IV activity globally affects genome regulation, pointing at TEs as modulator of nearby gene expression and indicating the existence of multiple level epigenetic silencing mechanisms. Our results also suggest a predominant role of the Pol IV-mediated RdDM pathway in genome dominance regulation, and subgenome stability and evolution in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Forestan
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD Italy
| | - Silvia Farinati
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD Italy
| | | | - Alice Lunardon
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD Italy
- Present Address: Department of Biology and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, PA 16802 USA
| | | | - Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural resources, Animals and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro, PD Italy
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24
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Xu J, Wang Q, Freeling M, Zhang X, Xu Y, Mao Y, Tang X, Wu F, Lan H, Cao M, Rong T, Lisch D, Lu Y. Natural antisense transcripts are significantly involved in regulation of drought stress in maize. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:5126-5141. [PMID: 28175341 PMCID: PMC5435991 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are a prominent and complex class of regulatory RNAs. Using strand-specific RNA sequencing, we identified 1769 sense and antisense transcript pairs (NAT pairs) in two maize inbreds with different sensitivity to drought, as well as in two derivative recombination inbred lines (RILs). A significantly higher proportion of NATs relative to non-NATs are specifically expressed under water stress (WS). Surprisingly, expression of sense and antisense transcripts produced by NAT pairs is significantly correlated, particularly under WS. We found an unexpected large proportion of NATs with protein coding potential, as estimated by ribosome release scores. Small RNAs significantly accumulate within NAT pairs, with 21 nt smRNA particularly enriched in overlapping regions of these pairs of genes. The abundance of these smRNAs is significantly altered in the leafbladeless1 mutant, suggesting that these genes may be regulated by the tasiRNA pathway. Further, NATs are significantly hypomethylated and include fewer transposable element sequences relative to non-NAT genes. NAT gene regions also exhibit higher levels of H3K36me3, H3K9ac, and H3K4me3, but lower levels of H3K27me3, indicating that NAT gene pairs generally exhibit an open chromatin configuration. Finally, NAT pairs in 368 diverse maize inbreds and 19 segregating populations were specifically enriched for polymorphisms associated with drought tolerance. Taken together, the data highlight the potential impact of that small RNAs and histone modifications have in regulation of NAT expression, and the significance of NATs in response to WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Xu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China.,Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94703, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Micheal Freeling
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94703, USA
| | - Xuecai Zhang
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batan 56130, Texcoco, Mexico
| | - Yunbi Xu
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), El Batan 56130, Texcoco, Mexico.,Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Haidian, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yan Mao
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Xin Tang
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Fengkai Wu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Hai Lan
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Moju Cao
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Tingzhao Rong
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
| | - Damon Lisch
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Yanli Lu
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang 611130, Sichuan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, China
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25
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Cheng CY, Krishnakumar V, Chan AP, Thibaud-Nissen F, Schobel S, Town CD. Araport11: a complete reannotation of the Arabidopsis thaliana reference genome. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 89:789-804. [PMID: 27862469 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 632] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana is a dicot model organism for research in many aspects of plant biology. A comprehensive annotation of its genome paves the way for understanding the functions and activities of all types of transcripts, including mRNA, the various classes of non-coding RNA, and small RNA. The TAIR10 annotation update had a profound impact on Arabidopsis research but was released more than 5 years ago. Maintaining the accuracy of the annotation continues to be a prerequisite for future progress. Using an integrative annotation pipeline, we assembled tissue-specific RNA-Seq libraries from 113 datasets and constructed 48 359 transcript models of protein-coding genes in eleven tissues. In addition, we annotated various classes of non-coding RNA including microRNA, long intergenic RNA, small nucleolar RNA, natural antisense transcript, small nuclear RNA, and small RNA using published datasets and in-house analytic results. Altogether, we identified 635 novel protein-coding genes, 508 novel transcribed regions, 5178 non-coding RNAs, and 35 846 small RNA loci that were formerly unannotated. Analysis of the splicing events and RNA-Seq based expression profiles revealed the landscapes of gene structures, untranslated regions, and splicing activities to be more intricate than previously appreciated. Furthermore, we present 692 uniformly expressed housekeeping genes, 43% of whose human orthologs are also housekeeping genes. This updated Arabidopsis genome annotation with a substantially increased resolution of gene models will not only further our understanding of the biological processes of this plant model but also of other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yi Cheng
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 9714 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Vivek Krishnakumar
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 9714 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Agnes P Chan
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 9714 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Françoise Thibaud-Nissen
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20894, USA
| | - Seth Schobel
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 9714 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
| | - Christopher D Town
- J. Craig Venter Institute, 9714 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA
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26
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Epigenetic Control of Gene Expression in Maize. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 328:25-48. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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27
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Liu H, Able AJ, Able JA. SMARTER De-Stressed Cereal Breeding. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 21:909-925. [PMID: 27514453 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2016.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
In cereal breeding programs, improved yield potential and stability are ultimate goals when developing new varieties. To facilitate achieving these goals, reproductive success under stressful growing conditions is of the highest priority. In recent times, small RNA (sRNA)-mediated pathways have been associated with the regulation of genes involved in stress adaptation and reproduction in both model plants and several cereals. Reproductive and physiological traits such as flowering time, reproductive branching, and root architecture can be manipulated by sRNA regulatory modules. We review sRNA-mediated pathways that could be exploited to expand crop diversity with adaptive traits and, in particular, the development of high-yielding stress-tolerant cereals: SMARTER cereal breeding through 'Small RNA-Mediated Adaptation of Reproductive Targets in Epigenetic Regulation'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haipei Liu
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Research Institute, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Amanda J Able
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Research Institute, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Jason A Able
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Research Institute, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064, Australia.
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28
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Recent Perspective of Next Generation Sequencing: Applications in Molecular Plant Biology and Crop Improvement. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40011-016-0770-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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29
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Forestan C, Aiese Cigliano R, Farinati S, Lunardon A, Sanseverino W, Varotto S. Stress-induced and epigenetic-mediated maize transcriptome regulation study by means of transcriptome reannotation and differential expression analysis. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30446. [PMID: 27461139 PMCID: PMC4962059 DOI: 10.1038/srep30446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant's response and adaptation to abiotic stresses involve sophisticated genetic and epigenetic regulatory systems. To obtain a global view of molecular response to osmotic stresses, including the non-coding portion of genome, we conducted a total leaf transcriptome analysis on maize plants subjected to prolonged drought and salt stresses. Stress application to both B73 wild type and the epiregulator mutant rpd1-1/rmr6 allowed dissection of the epigenetic component of stress response. Coupling total RNA-Seq and transcriptome re-assembly we annotated thousands of new maize transcripts, together with 13,387 lncRNAs that may play critical roles in regulating gene expression. Differential expression analysis revealed hundreds of genes modulated by long-term stress application, including also many lncRNAs and transposons specifically induced by stresses. The amplitude and dynamic of the stress-modulated gene sets are very different between B73 and rpd1-1/rmr6 mutant plants, as result of stress-like effect on genome regulation caused by the mutation itself, which activates many stress-related genes even in control condition. The analyzed extensive set of total RNA-Seq data, together with the improvement of the transcriptome and the identification of the non-coding portion of the transcriptome give a revealing insight into the genetic and epigenetic mechanism responsible for maize molecular response to abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Forestan
- Department of Agronomy, Animals, Food, Natural Resources and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD)-Italy
| | | | - Silvia Farinati
- Department of Agronomy, Animals, Food, Natural Resources and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD)-Italy
| | - Alice Lunardon
- Department of Biology and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | | | - Serena Varotto
- Department of Agronomy, Animals, Food, Natural Resources and Environment, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD)-Italy
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