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Kenchanmane Raju SK, Zhang Y, Mahboub S, Ngu DW, Qiu Y, Harmon FG, Schnable JC, Roston RL. Rhythmic lipid and gene expression responses to chilling in panicoid grasses. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:5790-5804. [PMID: 38808657 PMCID: PMC11427832 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae247] [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: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Chilling stress threatens plant growth and development, particularly affecting membrane fluidity and cellular integrity. Understanding plant membrane responses to chilling stress is important for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance. Whereas core transcriptional responses to chilling stress and stress tolerance are conserved across species, the associated changes in membrane lipids appear to be less conserved, as which lipids are affected by chilling stress varies by species. Here, we investigated changes in gene expression and membrane lipids in response to chilling stress during one 24 h cycle in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet (Setaria italica), and chilling-sensitive sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and Urochloa (browntop signal grass, Urochloa fusca, lipids only), leveraging their evolutionary relatedness and differing levels of chilling stress tolerance. We show that most chilling-induced lipid changes are conserved across the three species, while we observed distinct, time-specific responses in chilling-tolerant foxtail millet, indicating the presence of a finely orchestrated adaptive mechanism. We detected rhythmicity in lipid responses to chilling stress in the three grasses, which were also present in Arabidopsis thaliana, suggesting the conservation of rhythmic patterns across species and highlighting the importance of accounting for time of day. When integrating lipid datasets with gene expression profiles, we identified potential candidate genes that showed corresponding transcriptional changes in response to chilling stress, providing insights into the differences in regulatory mechanisms between chilling-sensitive sorghum and chilling-tolerant foxtail millet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yang Zhang
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Samira Mahboub
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Daniel W Ngu
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Yumou Qiu
- Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Frank G Harmon
- Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - James C Schnable
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Rebecca L Roston
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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Angkawijaya AE. Time-specific lipid and gene expression responses to chilling stress in panicoid grass. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:5467-5470. [PMID: 39329183 PMCID: PMC11427819 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae336] [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: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024]
Abstract
This article comments on:
Kenchanmane Raju SK, Zhang Y, Mahboub S, Ngu DW, Qiu Y, Harmon FG, Schnable JC, Roston RL. 2024. Rhythmic lipid and gene expression responses to chilling in panicoid grasses. Journal of Experimental Botany 75, https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae247
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Tu M, Hua Y, Shao T, Zhang S, Xiang Z, Yu M, Wang G, Li Z, He Y, Yang L, Li Y. Characterization and Transcriptomic Analysis of Sorghum EIN/EIL Family and Identification of Their Roles in Internode Maturation. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2615. [PMID: 39339591 PMCID: PMC11435218 DOI: 10.3390/plants13182615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2024] [Revised: 09/18/2024] [Accepted: 09/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Ethylene-insensitive 3/Ethylene-insensitive3-like proteins (EIN3/EIL) represent a group of transcription factors critical for the ethylene signaling transduction that manipulate downstream ethylene-responsive genes, thereby regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, the identification, evolution, and divergence of the EIL family remain to be studied in Sorghum bicolor. Here, we identified eight SbEILs, which were expanded due to whole-genome-duplication (WGD) events. Characterization of the protein sequences and expression atlas demonstrates that the WGD-duplicated SbEILs could become divergent due to the differential expression patterns, rather than domain and motif architectures. Comparative expression analysis was performed between the RNA-seq data sets of internodes from several sorghum cultivars to understand the potential roles of SbEIL members in internode elongation and maturation. Our results identified SbEIL3 and 7 (the latter as a homolog of OsEIL7/OsEIL1) to be the highly expressed SbEIL genes in sorghum internodes and revealed a potential functional link between SbEIL7 and internode maturation. The co-expression analysis and comparative expression analysis with ethylene-regulated gene sets found that SbEIL7 was co-regulated with a set of ubiquitin-related protein degradation genes, suggesting possible involvement of SbEIL7 in protein degradation and processing during the post-anthesis stages. Altogether, our findings lay a foundation for future functional studies of ethylene signaling-mediated gene regulation and improvement of sorghum internode development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tu
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yuqing Hua
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Ti Shao
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Siyu Zhang
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Zihan Xiang
- School of Mathematics and Computer Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Manting Yu
- School of Mathematics and Computer Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Guoli Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zhuang Li
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yun He
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yin Li
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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Tu M, Li Z, Zhu Y, Wang P, Jia H, Wang G, Zhou Q, Hua Y, Yang L, Xiao J, Song G, Li Y. Potential Roles of the GRF Transcription Factors in Sorghum Internodes during Post-Reproductive Stages. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:2352. [PMID: 39273836 PMCID: PMC11396856 DOI: 10.3390/plants13172352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Growth-regulating factor (GRF) is a plant-specific family of transcription factors crucial for meristem development and plant growth. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a cereal species widely used for food, feed and fuel. While sorghum stems are important biomass components, the regulation of stem development and the carbohydrate composition of the stem tissues remain largely unknown. Here, we identified 11 SbGRF-encoding genes and found the SbGRF expansion driven by whole-genome duplication events. By comparative analyses of GRFs between rice and sorghum, we demonstrated the divergence of whole-genome duplication (WGD)-derived OsGRFs and SbGRFs. A comparison of SbGRFs' expression profiles supports that the WGD-duplicated OsGRFs and SbGRFs experienced distinct evolutionary trajectories, possibly leading to diverged functions. RNA-seq analysis of the internode tissues identified several SbGRFs involved in internode elongation, maturation and cell wall metabolism. We constructed co-expression networks with the RNA-seq data of sorghum internodes. Network analysis discovered that SbGRF1, 5 and 7 could be involved in the down-regulation of the biosynthesis of cell wall components, while SbGRF4, 6, 8 and 9 could be associated with the regulation of cell wall loosening, reassembly and/or starch biosynthesis. In summary, our genome-wide analysis of SbGRFs reveals the distinct evolutionary trajectories of WGD-derived SbGRF pairs. Importantly, expression analyses highlight previously unknown functions of several SbGRFs in internode elongation, maturation and the potential involvement in the metabolism of the cell wall and starch during post-anthesis stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tu
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Zhuang Li
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yuanlin Zhu
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Peng Wang
- School of Mathematics and Computer Science, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Hongbin Jia
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Guoli Wang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Qin Zhou
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yuqing Hua
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Jiangrong Xiao
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Guangsen Song
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
| | - Yin Li
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
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5
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Sahay S, Shrestha N, Dias HM, Mural RV, Grzybowski M, Schnable JC, Głowacka K. Nonphotochemical quenching kinetics GWAS in sorghum identifies genes that may play conserved roles in maize and Arabidopsis thaliana photoprotection. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39126284 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Photosynthetic organisms must cope with rapid fluctuations in light intensity. Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) enables the dissipation of excess light energy as heat under high light conditions, whereas its relaxation under low light maximizes photosynthetic productivity. We quantified variation in NPQ kinetics across a large sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) association panel in four environments, uncovering significant genetic control for NPQ. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) confidently identified three unique regions in the sorghum genome associated with NPQ and suggestive associations in an additional 61 regions. We detected strong signals from the sorghum ortholog of Arabidopsis thaliana Suppressor Of Variegation 3 (SVR3) involved in plastid-nucleus signaling. By integrating GWAS results for NPQ across maize (Zea mays) and sorghum-association panels, we identified a second gene, Non-yellowing 1 (NYE1), originally studied by Gregor Mendel in pea (Pisum sativum) and involved in the degradation of photosynthetic pigments in light-harvesting complexes. Analysis of nye1 insertion alleles in A. thaliana confirmed the effect of this gene on NPQ kinetics in eudicots. We extended our comparative genomics GWAS framework across the entire maize and sorghum genomes, identifying four additional loci involved in NPQ kinetics. These results provide a baseline for increasing the accuracy and speed of candidate gene identification for GWAS in species with high linkage disequilibrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Sahay
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Nikee Shrestha
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Henrique Moura Dias
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ravi V Mural
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Marcin Grzybowski
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - James C Schnable
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Katarzyna Głowacka
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, 60-479, Poland
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Wang G, Zeng J, Du C, Tang Q, Hua Y, Chen M, Yang G, Tu M, He G, Li Y, He J, Chang J. Divergent Roles of the Auxin Response Factors in Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) W. Watson) during Plant Growth. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8154. [PMID: 39125724 PMCID: PMC11312390 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158154] [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: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) make up a plant-specific transcription factor family that mainly couples perception of the phytohormone, auxin, and gene expression programs and plays an important and multi-faceted role during plant growth and development. Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is a representative Cymbopogon species widely used in gardening, beverages, fragrances, traditional medicine, and heavy metal phytoremediation. Biomass yield is an important trait for several agro-economic purposes of lemongrass, such as landscaping, essential oil production, and phytoremediation. Therefore, we performed gene mining of CfARFs and identified 26 and 27 CfARF-encoding genes in each of the haplotype genomes of lemongrass, respectively. Phylogenetic and domain architecture analyses showed that CfARFs can be divided into four groups, among which groups 1, 2, and 3 correspond to activator, repressor, and ETTN-like ARFs, respectively. To identify the CfARFs that may play major roles during the growth of lemongrass plants, RNA-seq was performed on three tissues (leaf, stem, and root) and four developmental stages (3-leaf, 4-leaf, 5-leaf. and mature stages). The expression profiling of CfARFs identified several highly expressed activator and repressor CfARFs and three CfARFs (CfARF3, 18, and 35) with gradually increased levels during leaf growth. Haplotype-resolved transcriptome analysis revealed that biallelic expression dominance is frequent among CfARFs and contributes to their gene expression patterns. In addition, co-expression network analysis identified the modules enriched with CfARFs. By establishing orthologous relationships among CfARFs, sorghum ARFs, and maize ARFs, we showed that CfARFs were mainly expanded by whole-genome duplications, and that the duplicated CfARFs might have been divergent due to differential expression and variations in domains and motifs. Our work provides a detailed catalog of CfARFs in lemongrass, representing a first step toward characterizing CfARF functions, and may be useful in molecular breeding to enhance lemongrass plant growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoli Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China; (G.W.); (J.Z.)
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jian Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China; (G.W.); (J.Z.)
| | - Canghao Du
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Qi Tang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yuqing Hua
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (Y.H.); (M.T.)
| | - Mingjie Chen
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Guangxiao Yang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Min Tu
- Hubei Technical Engineering Research Center for Chemical Utilization and Engineering Development of Agricultural and Byproduct Resources, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China; (Y.H.); (M.T.)
| | - Guangyuan He
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yin Li
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jinming He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Utilization and Conservation of Food and Medicinal Resources in Northern Region, School of Biology and Agriculture, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan 512005, China; (G.W.); (J.Z.)
| | - Junli Chang
- The Genetic Engineering International Cooperation Base of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of Chinese Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China; (C.D.); (Q.T.); (M.C.); (G.Y.); (G.H.); (Y.L.)
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Zeng R, Zhang X, Song G, Lv Q, Li M, Fu D, Zhang Z, Gao L, Zhang S, Yang X, Tian F, Yang S, Shi Y. Genetic variation in the aquaporin TONOPLAST INTRINSIC PROTEIN 4;3 modulates maize cold tolerance. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 39024420 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Cold stress is a major abiotic stress that threatens maize (Zea mays L.) production worldwide. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance is crucial for breeding resilient maize varieties. Tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) are a subfamily of aquaporins in plants. Here, we report that TIP family proteins are involved in maize cold tolerance. The expression of most TIP genes was responsive to cold stress. Overexpressing TIP2;1, TIP3;2 or TIP4;3 reduced the cold tolerance of maize seedlings, while loss-of-function mutants of TIP4;3 exhibited enhanced cold tolerance. Candidate gene-based association analysis revealed that a 328-bp transposon insertion in the promoter region of TIP4;3 was strongly associated with maize cold tolerance. This transposon insertion conferred cold tolerance by repressing TIP4;3 expression through increased methylation of its promoter region. Moreover, TIP4;3 was found to suppress stomatal closure and facilitate reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation under cold stress, thereby inhibiting the expression of cold-responsive genes, including DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING FACTOR 1 (DREB1) genes and a subset of peroxidase genes, ultimately attenuating maize cold tolerance. This study thus elucidates the mechanism underlying TIP-mediated cold tolerance and identifies a favourable TIP4;3 allele as a potential genetic resource for breeding cold-tolerant maize varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Guangshu Song
- Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Northeast Agricultural Research Center of China), Changchun, China
| | - Qingxue Lv
- Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Northeast Agricultural Research Center of China), Changchun, China
| | - Minze Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Diyi Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuaisong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- National Maize Improvement Center, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- National Maize Improvement Center, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuhua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiting Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, College of Biological Sciences, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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8
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Ayyappan V, Sripathi VR, Xie S, Saha MC, Hayford R, Serba DD, Subramani M, Thimmapuram J, Todd A, Kalavacharla VK. Genome-wide profiling of histone (H3) lysine 4 (K4) tri-methylation (me3) under drought, heat, and combined stresses in switchgrass. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:223. [PMID: 38424499 PMCID: PMC10903042 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10068-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season perennial (C4) grass identified as an important biofuel crop in the United States. It is well adapted to the marginal environment where heat and moisture stresses predominantly affect crop growth. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with heat and drought stress tolerance still need to be fully understood in switchgrass. The methylation of H3K4 is often associated with transcriptional activation of genes, including stress-responsive. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze genome-wide histone H3K4-tri-methylation in switchgrass under heat, drought, and combined stress. RESULTS In total, ~ 1.3 million H3K4me3 peaks were identified in this study using SICER. Among them, 7,342; 6,510; and 8,536 peaks responded under drought (DT), drought and heat (DTHT), and heat (HT) stresses, respectively. Most DT and DTHT peaks spanned 0 to + 2000 bases from the transcription start site [TSS]. By comparing differentially marked peaks with RNA-Seq data, we identified peaks associated with genes: 155 DT-responsive peaks with 118 DT-responsive genes, 121 DTHT-responsive peaks with 110 DTHT-responsive genes, and 175 HT-responsive peaks with 136 HT-responsive genes. We have identified various transcription factors involved in DT, DTHT, and HT stresses. Gene Ontology analysis using the AgriGO revealed that most genes belonged to biological processes. Most annotated peaks belonged to metabolite interconversion, RNA metabolism, transporter, protein modifying, defense/immunity, membrane traffic protein, transmembrane signal receptor, and transcriptional regulator protein families. Further, we identified significant peaks associated with TFs, hormones, signaling, fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolism, and secondary metabolites. qRT-PCR analysis revealed the relative expressions of six abiotic stress-responsive genes (transketolase, chromatin remodeling factor-CDH3, fatty-acid desaturase A, transmembrane protein 14C, beta-amylase 1, and integrase-type DNA binding protein genes) that were significantly (P < 0.05) marked during drought, heat, and combined stresses by comparing stress-induced against un-stressed and input controls. CONCLUSION Our study provides a comprehensive and reproducible epigenomic analysis of drought, heat, and combined stress responses in switchgrass. Significant enrichment of H3K4me3 peaks downstream of the TSS of protein-coding genes was observed. In addition, the cost-effective experimental design, modified ChIP-Seq approach, and analyses presented here can serve as a prototype for other non-model plant species for conducting stress studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasudevan Ayyappan
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA.
| | | | - Shaojun Xie
- Bioinformatics Core, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Malay C Saha
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Rita Hayford
- Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Desalegn D Serba
- USDA-ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ, 85138, USA.
| | - Mayavan Subramani
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA
| | | | - Antonette Todd
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA
| | - Venu Kal Kalavacharla
- Molecular Genetics and Epigenomics Laboratory, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA
- Center for Integrated Biological and Environmental Research (CIBER), Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA
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9
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Wang S, Shen Y, Deng D, Guo L, Zhang Y, Nie Y, Du Y, Zhao X, Ye X, Huang J, Huang H, Zhu JK, Wu W. Orthogroup and phylotranscriptomic analyses identify transcription factors involved in the plant cold response: A case study of Arabidopsis BBX29. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:100684. [PMID: 37674317 PMCID: PMC10721519 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are well-known transcription factors (TFs) that regulate plant cold acclimation. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from diverse plant species provide opportunities to identify other TFs involved in the cold response. However, this task is challenging because gene gain and loss has led to an intertwined community of co-orthologs and in-paralogs between and within species. Using orthogroup (closely related homologs) analysis, we identified 10,549 orthogroups in five representative eudicots. A phylotranscriptomic analysis of cold-treated seedlings from eudicots identified 35 high-confidence conserved cold-responsive transcription factor orthogroups (CoCoFos). These 35 CoCoFos included the well-known cold-responsive regulators CBFs, HSFC1, ZAT6/10, and CZF1 among others. We used Arabidopsis BBX29 for experimental validation. Expression and genetic analyses showed that cold-induction of BBX29 is CBF- and abscisic acid-independent, and BBX29 is a negative regulator of cold tolerance. Integrative RNA-seq and Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation followed by sequencing analyses revealed that BBX29 represses a set of cold-induced TFs (ZAT12, PRR9, RVE1, MYB96, etc.). Altogether, our analysis yielded a library of eudicot CoCoFos and demonstrated that BBX29 is a negative regulator of cold tolerance in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yirong Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Deyin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liangyu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yixian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuqi Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yunfei Du
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xijuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxue Ye
- Institute of Tropical Biosciences and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Jianqin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huahong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Jian-Kang Zhu
- Institute of Advanced Biotechnology and School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Center for Advanced Bioindustry Technologies, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Wenwu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an 311300, Hangzhou, China.
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10
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Yang Z, Cao Y, Shi Y, Qin F, Jiang C, Yang S. Genetic and molecular exploration of maize environmental stress resilience: Toward sustainable agriculture. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:1496-1517. [PMID: 37464740 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change exacerbates the effects of environmental stressors, such as drought, flooding, extreme temperatures, salinity, and alkalinity, on crop growth and grain yield, threatening the sustainability of the food supply. Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most widely cultivated crops and the most abundant grain crop in production worldwide. However, the stability of maize yield is highly dependent on environmental conditions. Recently, great progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying maize responses to environmental stresses and in developing stress-resilient varieties due to advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies, multi-omics analysis platforms, and automated phenotyping facilities. In this review, we summarize recent advances in dissecting the genetic factors and networks that contribute to maize abiotic stress tolerance through diverse strategies. We also discuss future challenges and opportunities for the development of climate-resilient maize varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yibo Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yiting Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Feng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Caifu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Shuhua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Resilience, Frontiers Science Center for Molecular Design Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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11
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Siddiqui MN, Pandey K, Bhadhury SK, Sadeqi B, Schneider M, Sanchez-Garcia M, Stich B, Schaaf G, Léon J, Ballvora A. Convergently selected NPF2.12 coordinates root growth and nitrogen use efficiency in wheat and barley. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:2175-2193. [PMID: 36808608 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18820] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the genetic and molecular function of nitrate sensing and acquisition across crop species will accelerate breeding of cultivars with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Here, we performed a genome-wide scan using wheat and barley accessions characterized under low and high N inputs that uncovered the NPF2.12 gene, encoding a homolog of the Arabidopsis nitrate transceptor NRT1.6 and other low-affinity nitrate transporters that belong to the MAJOR FACILITATOR SUPERFAMILY. Next, it is shown that variations in the NPF2.12 promoter correlated with altered NPF2.12 transcript levels where decreased gene expression was measured under low nitrate availability. Multiple field trials revealed a significantly enhanced N content in leaves and grains and NUE in the presence of the elite allele TaNPF2.12TT grown under low N conditions. Furthermore, the nitrate reductase encoding gene NIA1 was up-regulated in npf2.12 mutant upon low nitrate concentrations, thereby resulting in elevated levels of nitric oxide (NO) production. This increase in NO correlated with the higher root growth, nitrate uptake, and N translocation observed in the mutant when compared to wild-type. The presented data indicate that the elite haplotype alleles of NPF2.12 are convergently selected in wheat and barley that by inactivation indirectly contribute to root growth and NUE by activating NO signaling under low nitrate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nurealam Siddiqui
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, Bonn, D-53115, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, 1706, Bangladesh
| | - Kailash Pandey
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, Bonn, D-53115, Germany
| | - Suzan Kumer Bhadhury
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, Bonn, D-53115, Germany
| | - Bahman Sadeqi
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, Bonn, D-53115, Germany
| | - Michael Schneider
- Institute for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics of Plants, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Miguel Sanchez-Garcia
- Biodiversity and Crop Improvement Program, International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat, 10101, Morocco
| | - Benjamin Stich
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, 1706, Bangladesh
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
| | - Gabriel Schaaf
- Department of Plant Nutrition, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), University of Bonn, Karlrobert-Kreiten-Str. 13, Bonn, D-53115, Germany
| | - Jens Léon
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, Bonn, D-53115, Germany
- Field Lab Campus Klein-Altendorf, University of Bonn, Klein-Altendorf 2, Rheinbach, 53359, Germany
| | - Agim Ballvora
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES)-Plant Breeding, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, Bonn, D-53115, Germany
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12
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Guillotin B, Rahni R, Passalacqua M, Mohammed MA, Xu X, Raju SK, Ramírez CO, Jackson D, Groen SC, Gillis J, Birnbaum KD. A pan-grass transcriptome reveals patterns of cellular divergence in crops. Nature 2023; 617:785-791. [PMID: 37165193 PMCID: PMC10657638 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06053-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Different plant species within the grasses were parallel targets of domestication, giving rise to crops with distinct evolutionary histories and traits1. Key traits that distinguish these species are mediated by specialized cell types2. Here we compare the transcriptomes of root cells in three grass species-Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor and Setaria viridis. We show that single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing provide complementary readouts of cell identity in dicots and monocots, warranting a combined analysis. Cell types were mapped across species to identify robust, orthologous marker genes. The comparative cellular analysis shows that the transcriptomes of some cell types diverged more rapidly than those of others-driven, in part, by recruitment of gene modules from other cell types. The data also show that a recent whole-genome duplication provides a rich source of new, highly localized gene expression domains that favour fast-evolving cell types. Together, the cell-by-cell comparative analysis shows how fine-scale cellular profiling can extract conserved modules from a pan transcriptome and provide insight on the evolution of cells that mediate key functions in crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Guillotin
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ramin Rahni
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Mohammed Ateequr Mohammed
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Xiaosa Xu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sunil Kenchanmane Raju
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Carlos Ortiz Ramírez
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- UGA-LANGEBIO Cinvestav, Guanajuato, México
| | | | - Simon C Groen
- Department of Nematology and Center for Plant Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Jesse Gillis
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kenneth D Birnbaum
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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13
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Myers ZA, Wootan CM, Liang Z, Zhou P, Engelhorn J, Hartwig T, Nathan SM. Conserved and variable heat stress responses of the Heat Shock Factor transcription factor family in maize and Setaria viridis. PLANT DIRECT 2023; 7:e489. [PMID: 37124872 PMCID: PMC10133983 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The Heat Shock Factor (HSF) transcription factor family is a central and required component of plant heat stress responses and acquired thermotolerance. The HSF family has dramatically expanded in plant lineages, often including a repertoire of 20 or more genes. Here we assess and compare the composition, heat responsiveness, and chromatin profiles of the HSF families in maize and Setaria viridis (Setaria), two model C4 panicoid grasses. Both species encode a similar number of HSFs, and examples of both conserved and variable expression responses to a heat stress event were observed between the two species. Chromatin accessibility and genome-wide DNA-binding profiles were generated to assess the chromatin of HSF family members with distinct responses to heat stress. We observed significant variability for both chromatin accessibility and promoter occupancy within similarly regulated sets of HSFs between Setaria and maize, as well as between syntenic pairs of maize HSFs retained following its most recent genome duplication event. Additionally, we observed the widespread presence of TF binding at HSF promoters in control conditions, even at HSFs that are only expressed in response to heat stress. TF-binding peaks were typically near putative HSF-binding sites in HSFs upregulated in response to heat stress, but not in stable or not expressed HSFs. These observations collectively support a complex scenario of expansion and subfunctionalization within this transcription factor family and suggest that within-family HSF transcriptional regulation is a conserved, defining feature of the family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A. Myers
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Clair M. Wootan
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Zhikai Liang
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Peng Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesInstitute of Crop SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Julia Engelhorn
- Heinrich‐Heine UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding ResearchCologneGermany
| | - Thomas Hartwig
- Heinrich‐Heine UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding ResearchCologneGermany
| | - Springer M. Nathan
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
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14
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Pardo J, Wai CM, Harman M, Nguyen A, Kremling KA, Romay MC, Lepak N, Bauerle TL, Buckler ES, Thompson AM, VanBuren R. Cross-species predictive modeling reveals conserved drought responses between maize and sorghum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216894120. [PMID: 36848555 PMCID: PMC10013860 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216894120] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Drought tolerance is a highly complex trait controlled by numerous interconnected pathways with substantial variation within and across plant species. This complexity makes it difficult to distill individual genetic loci underlying tolerance, and to identify core or conserved drought-responsive pathways. Here, we collected drought physiology and gene expression datasets across diverse genotypes of the C4 cereals sorghum and maize and searched for signatures defining water-deficit responses. Differential gene expression identified few overlapping drought-associated genes across sorghum genotypes, but using a predictive modeling approach, we found a shared core drought response across development, genotype, and stress severity. Our model had similar robustness when applied to datasets in maize, reflecting a conserved drought response between sorghum and maize. The top predictors are enriched in functions associated with various abiotic stress-responsive pathways as well as core cellular functions. These conserved drought response genes were less likely to contain deleterious mutations than other gene sets, suggesting that core drought-responsive genes are under evolutionary and functional constraints. Our findings support a broad evolutionary conservation of drought responses in C4 grasses regardless of innate stress tolerance, which could have important implications for developing climate resilient cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Pardo
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
| | - Ching Man Wai
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
| | - Maxwell Harman
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
| | - Annie Nguyen
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
| | - Karl A. Kremling
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Maria Cinta Romay
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Nicholas Lepak
- Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Taryn L. Bauerle
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Edward S. Buckler
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY14853
- Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Ithaca, NY14853
| | - Addie M. Thompson
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
| | - Robert VanBuren
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
- Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI48824
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15
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Yang M, Chen J, Liu T, Xiang L, Zhou BF. Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Calmodulin-Like Gene Family in Paspalums vaginatium Revealed Their Role in Response to Salt and Cold Stress. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2023; 45:1693-1711. [PMID: 36826054 PMCID: PMC9954852 DOI: 10.3390/cimb45020109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The calmodulin-like (CML) family is an important calcium (Ca2+) sensor in plants and plays a pivotal role in the response to abiotic and biotic stresses. As one of the most salt-tolerant grass species, Paspalums vaginatum is resistant to multiple abiotic stresses, such as salt, cold, and drought. However, investigations of PvCML proteins in P. vaginatum have been limited. Based on the recently published P. vaginatum genome, we identified forty-nine PvCMLs and performed a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of PvCMLs. The main results showed that the PvCMLs were unevenly distributed on all chromosomes and that the expansion of PvCMLs was shaped by tandem and segmental duplications. In addition, cis-acting element analysis, expression profiles, and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that PvCMLs were involved in the response to salt and cold stress. Most interestingly, we found evidence of a tandem gene cluster that independently evolved in P. vaginatum and may participate in cold resistance. In summary, our work provides important insight into how grass species are resistant to abiotic stresses such as salt and cold and could be the basis of further gene function research on CMLs in P. vaginatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meizhen Yang
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jingjin Chen
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Leilei Xiang
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Biao-Feng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-17665141041
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16
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Liang Z, Meng X, Schnable JC. A Transferable Machine Learning Framework for Predicting Transcriptional Responses of Genes Across Species. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2698:361-379. [PMID: 37682485 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3354-0_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Leveraging existing resources in studied species to predict gene functions has the potential to rapidly expand understanding of annotated genes in other, less well-studied, species with assembled genomes. However, orthology is not a reliable predictor for the transcriptional responses of genes to stress. Machine learning methods can quantitatively estimate expression patterns and gene functions using known annotations and collections of features describing each gene. In this chapter, we describe a supervised machine learning framework to predict stress-responsive genes across species using only features derived from nucleotide sequences, using the example of cold stress-responsive genes in different Panicoid grass species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikai Liang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - Xiaoxi Meng
- Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - James C Schnable
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
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17
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Sun G, Wase N, Shu S, Jenkins J, Zhou B, Torres-Rodríguez JV, Chen C, Sandor L, Plott C, Yoshinga Y, Daum C, Qi P, Barry K, Lipzen A, Berry L, Pedersen C, Gottilla T, Foltz A, Yu H, O'Malley R, Zhang C, Devos KM, Sigmon B, Yu B, Obata T, Schmutz J, Schnable JC. Genome of Paspalum vaginatum and the role of trehalose mediated autophagy in increasing maize biomass. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7731. [PMID: 36513676 PMCID: PMC9747981 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35507-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of crop wild relatives can tolerate extreme stress to a degree outside the range observed in their domesticated relatives. However, it is unclear whether or how the molecular mechanisms employed by these species can be translated to domesticated crops. Paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) is a self-incompatible and multiply stress-tolerant wild relative of maize and sorghum. Here, we describe the sequencing and pseudomolecule level assembly of a vegetatively propagated accession of P. vaginatum. Phylogenetic analysis based on 6,151 single-copy syntenic orthologues conserved in 6 related grass species places paspalum as an outgroup of the maize-sorghum clade. In parallel metabolic experiments, paspalum, but neither maize nor sorghum, exhibits a significant increase in trehalose when grown under nutrient-deficit conditions. Inducing trehalose accumulation in maize, imitating the metabolic phenotype of paspalum, results in autophagy dependent increases in biomass accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangchao Sun
- Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Nishikant Wase
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Biomolecular Analysis Facility. School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Shengqiang Shu
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jerry Jenkins
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Bangjun Zhou
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - J Vladimir Torres-Rodríguez
- Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Cindy Chen
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Laura Sandor
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Chris Plott
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA
| | - Yuko Yoshinga
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Christopher Daum
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Peng Qi
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Kerrie Barry
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Anna Lipzen
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Luke Berry
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Connor Pedersen
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Thomas Gottilla
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Ashley Foltz
- Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Huihui Yu
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Ronan O'Malley
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Katrien M Devos
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Brandi Sigmon
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Bin Yu
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Toshihiro Obata
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Jeremy Schmutz
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence, CA, 94720, USA.
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, 35806, USA.
| | - James C Schnable
- Quantitative Life Sciences Initiative, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
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18
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Jin L, Zhang G, Yang G, Dong J. Identification of the Karyopherin Superfamily in Maize and Its Functional Cues in Plant Development. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214103. [PMID: 36430578 PMCID: PMC9699179 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Appropriate nucleo-cytoplasmic partitioning of proteins is a vital regulatory mechanism in phytohormone signaling and plant development. However, how this is achieved remains incompletely understood. The Karyopherin (KAP) superfamily is critical for separating the biological processes in the nucleus from those in the cytoplasm. The KAP superfamily is divided into Importin α (IMPα) and Importin β (IMPβ) families and includes the core components in mediating nucleocytoplasmic transport. Recent reports suggest the KAPs play crucial regulatory roles in Arabidopsis development and stress response by regulating the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport of members in hormone signaling. However, the KAP members and their associated molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood in maize. Therefore, we first identified seven IMPα and twenty-seven IMPβ genes in the maize genome and described their evolution traits and the recognition rules for substrates with nuclear localization signals (NLSs) or nuclear export signals (NESs) in plants. Next, we searched for the protein interaction partners of the ZmKAPs and selected the ones with Arabidopsis orthologs functioning in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling to predict their potential function. Finally, we found that several ZmKAPs share similar expression patterns with their interacting proteins, implying their function in root development. Overall, this article focuses on the Karyopherin superfamily in maize and starts with this entry point by systematically comprehending the KAP-mediated nucleo-cytoplasmic transport process in plants, and then predicts the function of the ZmKAPs during maize development, with a perspective on a closely associated regulatory mechanism between the nucleo-cytoplasmic transport and the phytohormone network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Jin
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Guobin Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
| | - Guixiao Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Jiaqiang Dong
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
- Correspondence:
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19
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Hämälä T, Ning W, Kuittinen H, Aryamanesh N, Savolainen O. Environmental response in gene expression and DNA methylation reveals factors influencing the adaptive potential of Arabidopsis lyrata. eLife 2022; 11:e83115. [PMID: 36306157 PMCID: PMC9616567 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding what factors influence plastic and genetic variation is valuable for predicting how organisms respond to changes in the selective environment. Here, using gene expression and DNA methylation as molecular phenotypes, we study environmentally induced variation among Arabidopsis lyrata plants grown at lowland and alpine field sites. Our results show that gene expression is highly plastic, as many more genes are differentially expressed between the field sites than between populations. These environmentally responsive genes evolve under strong selective constraint - the strength of purifying selection on the coding sequence is high, while the rate of adaptive evolution is low. We find, however, that positive selection on cis-regulatory variants has likely contributed to the maintenance of genetically variable environmental responses, but such variants segregate only between distantly related populations. In contrast to gene expression, DNA methylation at genic regions is largely insensitive to the environment, and plastic methylation changes are not associated with differential gene expression. Besides genes, we detect environmental effects at transposable elements (TEs): TEs at the high-altitude field site have higher expression and methylation levels, suggestive of a broad-scale TE activation. Compared to the lowland population, plants native to the alpine environment harbor an excess of recent TE insertions, and we observe that specific TE families are enriched within environmentally responsive genes. Our findings provide insight into selective forces shaping plastic and genetic variation. We also highlight how plastic responses at TEs can rapidly create novel heritable variation in stressful conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomas Hämälä
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Weixuan Ning
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Helmi Kuittinen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Nader Aryamanesh
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Outi Savolainen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of OuluOuluFinland
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20
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Jiang H, Shi Y, Liu J, Li Z, Fu D, Wu S, Li M, Yang Z, Shi Y, Lai J, Yang X, Gong Z, Hua J, Yang S. Natural polymorphism of ZmICE1 contributes to amino acid metabolism that impacts cold tolerance in maize. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:1176-1190. [PMID: 36241735 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01254-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cold stress negatively affects maize (Zea mays L.) growth, development and yield. Metabolic adjustments contribute to the adaptation of maize under cold stress. We show here that the transcription factor INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION 1 (ZmICE1) plays a prominent role in reprogramming amino acid metabolome and COLD-RESPONSIVE (COR) genes during cold stress in maize. Derivatives of amino acids glutamate/asparagine (Glu/Asn) induce a burst of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which suppress the cold-mediated induction of DEHYDRATION RESPONSE ELEMENT-BINDING PROTEIN 1 (ZmDREB1) genes and impair cold tolerance. ZmICE1 blocks this negative regulation of cold tolerance by directly repressing the expression of the key Glu/Asn biosynthesis genes, ASPARAGINE SYNTHETASEs. Moreover, ZmICE1 directly regulates the expression of DREB1s. Natural variation at the ZmICE1 promoter determines the binding affinity of the transcriptional activator ZmMYB39, a positive regulator of cold tolerance in maize, resulting in different degrees of ZmICE1 transcription and cold tolerance across inbred lines. This study thus unravels a mechanism of cold tolerance in maize and provides potential targets for engineering cold-tolerant varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiting Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Fresh Corn Research Center of BTH, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Diyi Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shifeng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Minze Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zijia Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunlu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinsheng Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- National Maize Improvement Center, Department of Plant Genetics and Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhizhong Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Hua
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Shuhua Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, Center for Crop Functional Genomics and Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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21
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Yin L, Xu G, Yang J, Zhao M. The Heterogeneity in the Landscape of Gene Dominance in Maize is Accompanied by Unique Chromatin Environments. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6709529. [PMID: 36130304 PMCID: PMC9547528 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac198] [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] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Subgenome dominance after whole-genome duplication (WGD) has been observed in many plant species. However, the degree to which the chromatin environment affects this bias has not been explored. Here, we compared the dominant subgenome (maize1) and the recessive subgenome (maize2) with respect to patterns of sequence substitutions, genes expression, transposable element accumulation, small interfering RNAs, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and accessible chromatin regions (ACRs). Our data show that the degree of bias between subgenomes for all the measured variables does not vary significantly when both of the WGD genes are located in pericentromeric regions. Our data further indicate that the location of maize1 genes in chromosomal arms is pivotal for maize1 to maintain its dominance, but location has a less effect on maize2 homoeologs. In addition to homoeologous genes, we compared ACRs, which often harbor cis-regulatory elements, between the two subgenomes and demonstrate that maize1 ACRs have a higher level of chromatin accessibility, a lower level of sequence substitution, and are enriched in chromosomal arms. Furthermore, we find that a loss of maize1 ACRs near their nearby genes is associated with a reduction in purifying selection and expression of maize1 genes relative to their maize2 homoeologs. Taken together, our data suggest that chromatin environment and cis-regulatory elements are important determinants shaping the divergence and evolution of duplicated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangwei Yin
- Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056
| | - Gen Xu
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583
| | - Jinliang Yang
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583
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22
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Cox K. From the archives: Genetic determinants of trait measurement errors, gene regulatory changes between maize and sorghum, and a tissue-specific regulatory element. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:2811-2812. [PMID: 35652266 PMCID: PMC9338814 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
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23
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Schulte LM, Koirtyohann KM, McGinnis KM. Using iRNA-seq analysis to predict gene expression regulatory level and activity in Zea mays tissues. G3 GENES|GENOMES|GENETICS 2022; 12:6566301. [PMID: 35404453 PMCID: PMC9157096 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Plants regulate gene expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels to produce a variety of functionally diverse cells and tissues that ensure normal growth, development, and environmental response. Although distinct gene expression patterns have been characterized between different plant tissues, the specific role of transcriptional regulation of tissue-specific expression is not well-characterized in plants. RNA-seq, while widely used to assay for changes in transcript abundance, does not discriminate between differential expression caused by mRNA degradation and active transcription. Recently, the presence of intron sequences in RNA-seq analysis of libraries constructed with total RNA has been found to coincide with genes undergoing active transcription. We have adapted the intron RNA-sequencing analysis to determine genome-wide transcriptional activity in 2 different maize (Zea mays) tissues: husk and V2-inner stem tissue. A total of 5,341 genes were predicted to be transcriptionally differentially expressed between the 2 tissues, including many genes expected to have biological activity relevant to the functional and developmental identity of each tissue. Correlations with transcriptional enhancer and transcription factor activity support the validity of intron RNA-sequencing predictions of transcriptional regulation. A subset of transcription factors was further analyzed using gene regulatory network analysis to determine the possible impact of their activation. The predicted regulatory patterns between these genes were used to model a potential gene regulatory network of transcription factors and regulatory targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Schulte
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Kathryn M Koirtyohann
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Karen M McGinnis
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
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24
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Zhou P, Enders TA, Myers ZA, Magnusson E, Crisp PA, Noshay JM, Gomez-Cano F, Liang Z, Grotewold E, Greenham K, Springer NM. Prediction of conserved and variable heat and cold stress response in maize using cis-regulatory information. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:514-534. [PMID: 34735005 PMCID: PMC8773969 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene expression are important for responses to abiotic stress. Transcriptome profiling of heat- or cold-stressed maize genotypes identifies many changes in transcript abundance. We used comparisons of expression responses in multiple genotypes to identify alleles with variable responses to heat or cold stress and to distinguish examples of cis- or trans-regulatory variation for stress-responsive expression changes. We used motifs enriched near the transcription start sites (TSSs) for thermal stress-responsive genes to develop predictive models of gene expression responses. Prediction accuracies can be improved by focusing only on motifs within unmethylated regions near the TSS and vary for genes with different dynamic responses to stress. Models trained on expression responses in a single genotype and promoter sequences provided lower performance when applied to other genotypes but this could be improved by using models trained on data from all three genotypes tested. The analysis of genes with cis-regulatory variation provides evidence for structural variants that result in presence/absence of transcription factor binding sites in creating variable responses. This study provides insights into cis-regulatory motifs for heat- and cold-responsive gene expression and defines a framework for developing models to predict expression responses across multiple genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Tara A Enders
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Zachary A Myers
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Erika Magnusson
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Peter A Crisp
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Jaclyn M Noshay
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Fabio Gomez-Cano
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Zhikai Liang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Erich Grotewold
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Kathleen Greenham
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Nathan M Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
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25
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Stitzer MC, Anderson SN, Springer NM, Ross-Ibarra J. The genomic ecosystem of transposable elements in maize. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009768. [PMID: 34648488 PMCID: PMC8547701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) constitute the majority of flowering plant DNA, reflecting their tremendous success in subverting, avoiding, and surviving the defenses of their host genomes to ensure their selfish replication. More than 85% of the sequence of the maize genome can be ascribed to past transposition, providing a major contribution to the structure of the genome. Evidence from individual loci has informed our understanding of how transposition has shaped the genome, and a number of individual TE insertions have been causally linked to dramatic phenotypic changes. Genome-wide analyses in maize and other taxa have frequently represented TEs as a relatively homogeneous class of fragmentary relics of past transposition, obscuring their evolutionary history and interaction with their host genome. Using an updated annotation of structurally intact TEs in the maize reference genome, we investigate the family-level dynamics of TEs in maize. Integrating a variety of data, from descriptors of individual TEs like coding capacity, expression, and methylation, as well as similar features of the sequence they inserted into, we model the relationship between attributes of the genomic environment and the survival of TE copies and families. In contrast to the wholesale relegation of all TEs to a single category of junk DNA, these differences reveal a diversity of survival strategies of TE families. Together these generate a rich ecology of the genome, with each TE family representing the evolution of a distinct ecological niche. We conclude that while the impact of transposition is highly family- and context-dependent, a family-level understanding of the ecology of TEs in the genome can refine our ability to predict the role of TEs in generating genetic and phenotypic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C. Stitzer
- Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Sarah N. Anderson
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Nathan M. Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
- Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
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26
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Abstract
The same gene is often regulated differently in response to stress in even closely related plant species. Directly measuring stress-responsive gene expression can be financially and logistically challenging in nonmodel species. Here, we show that models trained using data on which genes respond to cold in one species can predict which genes will respond to cold in related species, even when the training and target species vary in their degree of tolerance to cold. The prediction models we used require only genomic sequence and gene models. As a result, data from well-studied model species may be used to predict which genes will respond to stress in less-studied species with sequenced genomes. Although genome-sequence assemblies are available for a growing number of plant species, gene-expression responses to stimuli have been cataloged for only a subset of these species. Many genes show altered transcription patterns in response to abiotic stresses. However, orthologous genes in related species often exhibit different responses to a given stress. Accordingly, data on the regulation of gene expression in one species are not reliable predictors of orthologous gene responses in a related species. Here, we trained a supervised classification model to identify genes that transcriptionally respond to cold stress. A model trained with only features calculated directly from genome assemblies exhibited only modest decreases in performance relative to models trained by using genomic, chromatin, and evolution/diversity features. Models trained with data from one species successfully predicted which genes would respond to cold stress in other related species. Cross-species predictions remained accurate when training was performed in cold-sensitive species and predictions were performed in cold-tolerant species and vice versa. Models trained with data on gene expression in multiple species provided at least equivalent performance to models trained and tested in a single species and outperformed single-species models in cross-species prediction. These results suggest that classifiers trained on stress data from well-studied species may suffice for predicting gene-expression patterns in related, less-studied species with sequenced genomes.
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27
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Natural variation in a type-A response regulator confers maize chilling tolerance. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4713. [PMID: 34354054 PMCID: PMC8342596 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25001-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a cold-sensitive species that often faces chilling stress, which adversely affects growth and reproduction. However, the genetic basis of low-temperature adaptation in maize remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that natural variation in the type-A Response Regulator 1 (ZmRR1) gene leads to differences in chilling tolerance among maize inbred lines. Association analysis reveals that InDel-35 of ZmRR1, encoding a protein harboring a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MPK) phosphorylation residue, is strongly associated with chilling tolerance. ZmMPK8, a negative regulator of chilling tolerance, interacts with and phosphorylates ZmRR1 at Ser15. The deletion of a 45-bp region of ZmRR1 harboring Ser15 inhibits its degradation via the 26 S proteasome pathway by preventing its phosphorylation by ZmMPK8. Transcriptome analysis indicates that ZmRR1 positively regulates the expression of ZmDREB1 and Cellulose synthase (CesA) genes to enhance chilling tolerance. Our findings thus provide a potential genetic resource for improving chilling tolerance in maize. The genetic basis of low-temperature tolerance in maize is unclear. Here, the authors show that the type-A Response Regulator 1 (ZmRR1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MPK8) are positive and negative regulators of maize chilling tolerance, and ZmRR1 is phosphorylated by ZmMPK8 during cold treatment.
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Wu D, Tanaka R, Li X, Ramstein GP, Cu S, Hamilton JP, Buell CR, Stangoulis J, Rocheford T, Gore MA. High-resolution genome-wide association study pinpoints metal transporter and chelator genes involved in the genetic control of element levels in maize grain. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2021; 11:6156830. [PMID: 33677522 PMCID: PMC8759812 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkab059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite its importance to plant function and human health, the genetics underpinning element levels in maize grain remain largely unknown. Through a genome-wide association study in the maize Ames panel of nearly 2,000 inbred lines that was imputed with ∼7.7 million SNP markers, we investigated the genetic basis of natural variation for the concentration of 11 elements in grain. Novel associations were detected for the metal transporter genes rte2 (rotten ear2) and irt1 (iron-regulated transporter1) with boron and nickel, respectively. We also further resolved loci that were previously found to be associated with one or more of five elements (copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and/or zinc), with two metal chelator and five metal transporter candidate causal genes identified. The nas5 (nicotianamine synthase5) gene involved in the synthesis of nicotianamine, a metal chelator, was found associated with both zinc and iron and suggests a common genetic basis controlling the accumulation of these two metals in the grain. Furthermore, moderate predictive abilities were obtained for the 11 elemental grain phenotypes with two whole-genome prediction models: Bayesian Ridge Regression (0.33–0.51) and BayesB (0.33–0.53). Of the two models, BayesB, with its greater emphasis on large-effect loci, showed ∼4–10% higher predictive abilities for nickel, molybdenum, and copper. Altogether, our findings contribute to an improved genotype-phenotype map for grain element accumulation in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Wu
- Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Ryokei Tanaka
- Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Xiaowei Li
- Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Suong Cu
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - John P Hamilton
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - C Robin Buell
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - James Stangoulis
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Torbert Rocheford
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Michael A Gore
- Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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29
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Vatov E, Ludewig U, Zentgraf U. Disparate Dynamics of Gene Body and cis-Regulatory Element Evolution Illustrated for the Senescence-Associated Cysteine Protease Gene SAG12 of Plants. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:1380. [PMID: 34371583 PMCID: PMC8309469 DOI: 10.3390/plants10071380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Gene regulation networks precisely orchestrate the expression of genes that are closely associated with defined physiological and developmental processes such as leaf senescence in plants. The Arabidopsis thaliana senescence-associated gene 12 (AtSAG12) encodes a cysteine protease that is (i) involved in the degradation of chloroplast proteins and (ii) almost exclusively expressed during senescence. Transcription factors, such as WRKY53 and WRKY45, bind to W-boxes in the promoter region of AtSAG12 and play key roles in its activation. Other transcription factors, such as bZIPs, might have accessory functions in their gene regulation, as several A-boxes have been identified and appear to be highly overrepresented in the promoter region compared to the whole genome distribution but are not localized within the regulatory regions driving senescence-associated expression. To address whether these two regulatory elements exhibiting these different properties are conserved in other closely related species, we constructed phylogenetic trees of the coding sequences of orthologs of AtSAG12 and screened their respective 2000 bp promoter regions for the presence of conserved cis-regulatory elements, such as bZIP and WRKY binding sites. Interestingly, the functional relevant upstream located W-boxes were absent in plant species as closely related as Arabidopsis lyrata, whereas an A-box cluster appeared to be conserved in the Arabidopsis species but disappeared in Brassica napus. Several orthologs were present in other species, possibly because of local or whole genome duplication events, but with distinct cis-regulatory sites in different locations. However, at least one gene copy in each family analyzed carried one W-box and one A-box in its promoter. These gene differences in SAG12 orthologs are discussed in the framework of cis- and trans-regulatory factors, of promoter and gene evolution, of genetic variation, and of the enhancement of the adaptability of plants to changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Vatov
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 32, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- Institute of Crop Science, Nutritional Crop Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 20, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany;
| | - Uwe Ludewig
- Institute of Crop Science, Nutritional Crop Physiology, University of Hohenheim, Fruwirthstr. 20, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany;
| | - Ulrike Zentgraf
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 32, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
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Ackerman A, Wenndt A, Boyles R. The Sorghum Grain Mold Disease Complex: Pathogens, Host Responses, and the Bioactive Metabolites at Play. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:660171. [PMID: 34122480 PMCID: PMC8192977 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.660171] [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: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Grain mold is a major concern in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production systems, threatening grain quality, safety, and nutritional value as both human food and livestock feed. The crop's nutritional value, environmental resilience, and economic promise poise sorghum for increased acreage, especially in light of the growing pressures of climate change on global food systems. In order to fully take advantage of this potential, sorghum improvement efforts and production systems must be proactive in managing the sorghum grain mold disease complex, which not only jeopardizes agricultural productivity and profitability, but is also the culprit of harmful mycotoxins that warrant substantial public health concern. The robust scholarly literature from the 1980s to the early 2000s yielded valuable insights and key comprehensive reviews of the grain mold disease complex. Nevertheless, there remains a substantial gap in understanding the complex multi-organismal dynamics that underpin the plant-pathogen interactions involved - a gap that must be filled in order to deliver improved germplasm that is not only capable of withstanding the pressures of climate change, but also wields robust resistance to disease and mycotoxin accumulation. The present review seeks to provide an updated perspective of the sorghum grain mold disease complex, bolstered by recent advances in the understanding of the genetic and the biochemical interactions among the fungal pathogens, their corresponding mycotoxins, and the sorghum host. Critical components of the sorghum grain mold disease complex are summarized in narrative format to consolidate a collection of important concepts: (1) the current state of sorghum grain mold in research and production systems; (2) overview of the individual pathogens that contribute to the grain mold complex; (3) the mycotoxin-producing potential of these pathogens on sorghum and other substrates; and (4) a systems biology approach to the understanding of host responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlyn Ackerman
- Cereal Grains Breeding and Genetics, Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Florence, SC, United States
| | - Anthony Wenndt
- Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, The School of Integrated Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Richard Boyles
- Cereal Grains Breeding and Genetics, Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Florence, SC, United States
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31
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Adhikari P, Mideros SX, Jamann TM. Differential Regulation of Maize and Sorghum Orthologs in Response to the Fungal Pathogen Exserohilum turcicum. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:675208. [PMID: 34113371 PMCID: PMC8185347 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.675208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Pathogens that infect more than one host offer an opportunity to study how resistance mechanisms have evolved across different species. Exserohilum turcicum infects both maize and sorghum and the isolates are host-specific, offering a unique system to examine both compatible and incompatible interactions. We conducted transcriptional analysis of maize and sorghum in response to maize-specific and sorghum-specific E. turcicum isolates and identified functionally related co-expressed modules. Maize had a more robust transcriptional response than sorghum. E. turcicum responsive genes were enriched in core orthologs in both crops, but only up to 16% of core orthologs showed conserved expression patterns. Most changes in gene expression for the core orthologs, including hub genes, were lineage specific, suggesting a role for regulatory divergent evolution. We identified several defense-related shared differentially expressed (DE) orthologs with conserved expression patterns between the two crops, suggesting a role for parallel evolution of those genes in both crops. Many of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during the incompatible interaction were related to quantitative disease resistance (QDR). This work offers insights into how different hosts with relatively recent divergence interact with a common pathogen. Our results are important for developing resistance to this critical pathogen and understanding the evolution of host-pathogen interactions.
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32
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A co-opted steroid synthesis gene, maintained in sorghum but not maize, is associated with a divergence in leaf wax chemistry. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2022982118. [PMID: 33723068 PMCID: PMC8000359 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022982118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Virtually all above-ground plant surfaces, such as leaf and stem exteriors, are covered in a cuticle: a wax-infused polyester. This waxy biocomposite is the largest interface between Earth’s biosphere and atmosphere. Its chemical composition is not only highly tuned to mediate nonstomatal water loss, but it also self-assembles to produce superhydrophobic surfaces, protects against UV radiation, and contains bioactive compounds that help resist microbial attack. Developing fundamental knowledge of waxy biocomposites, particularly those on crop species, is a prerequisite for an understanding of their structure–function relationships. Here, we uncover a likely genetic basis for the presence and absence, respectively, of triterpenoids in the leaf waxes of sorghum and maize—compounds previously associated with creating heat-tolerant cuticular water barriers. Virtually all land plants are coated in a cuticle, a waxy polyester that prevents nonstomatal water loss and is important for heat and drought tolerance. Here, we describe a likely genetic basis for a divergence in cuticular wax chemistry between Sorghum bicolor, a drought tolerant crop widely cultivated in hot climates, and its close relative Zea mays (maize). Combining chemical analyses, heterologous expression, and comparative genomics, we reveal that: 1) sorghum and maize leaf waxes are similar at the juvenile stage but, after the juvenile-to-adult transition, sorghum leaf waxes are rich in triterpenoids that are absent from maize; 2) biosynthesis of the majority of sorghum leaf triterpenoids is mediated by a gene that maize and sorghum both inherited from a common ancestor but that is only functionally maintained in sorghum; and 3) sorghum leaf triterpenoids accumulate in a spatial pattern that was previously shown to strengthen the cuticle and decrease water loss at high temperatures. These findings uncover the possibility for resurrection of a cuticular triterpenoid-synthesizing gene in maize that could create a more heat-tolerant water barrier on the plant’s leaf surfaces. They also provide a fundamental understanding of sorghum leaf waxes that will inform efforts to divert surface carbon to intracellular storage for bioenergy and bioproduct innovations.
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Weissmann S, Huang P, Wiechert MA, Furuyama K, Brutnell TP, Taniguchi M, Schnable JC, Mockler TC. DCT4-A New Member of the Dicarboxylate Transporter Family in C4 Grasses. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6126432. [PMID: 33587128 PMCID: PMC7883667 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Malate transport shuttles atmospheric carbon into the Calvin–Benson cycle during NADP-ME C4 photosynthesis. Previous characterizations of several plant dicarboxylate transporters (DCT) showed that they efficiently exchange malate across membranes. Here, we identify and characterize a previously unknown member of the DCT family, DCT4, in Sorghum bicolor. We show that SbDCT4 exchanges malate across membranes and its expression pattern is consistent with a role in malate transport during C4 photosynthesis. SbDCT4 is not syntenic to the characterized photosynthetic gene ZmDCT2, and an ortholog is not detectable in the maize reference genome. We found that the expression patterns of DCT family genes in the leaves of Zea mays, and S. bicolor varied by cell type. Our results suggest that subfunctionalization, of members of the DCT family, for the transport of malate into the bundle sheath plastids, occurred during the process of independent recurrent evolution of C4 photosynthesis in grasses of the PACMAD clade. We also show that this subfunctionalization is lineage independent. Our results challenge the dogma that key C4 genes must be orthologues of one another among C4 species, and shed new light on the evolution of C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarit Weissmann
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Pu Huang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Koki Furuyama
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
| | - Thomas P Brutnell
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Mitsutaka Taniguchi
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Aichi, Japan
| | - James C Schnable
- Computational Sciences Initiative, Center for Plant Science Innovation, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Todd C Mockler
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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34
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Hostetler AN, Khangura RS, Dilkes BP, Sparks EE. Bracing for sustainable agriculture: the development and function of brace roots in members of Poaceae. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 59:101985. [PMID: 33418403 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2020.101985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Optimization of crop production requires root systems to function in water uptake, nutrient use, and anchorage. In maize, two types of nodal roots-subterranean crown and aerial brace roots function in anchorage and water uptake and preferentially express multiple water and nutrient transporters. Brace root development shares genetic control with juvenile-to-adult phase change and flowering time. We present a comprehensive list of the genes known to alter brace roots and explore these as candidates for QTL studies in maize and sorghum. Brace root development and function may be conserved in other members of Poaceae, however research is limited. This work highlights the critical knowledge gap of aerial nodal root development and function and suggests new focus areas for breeding resilient crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Hostetler
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19711, United States
| | - Rajdeep S Khangura
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States
| | - Brian P Dilkes
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States
| | - Erin E Sparks
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19711, United States.
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35
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Lozano R, Gazave E, Dos Santos JPR, Stetter MG, Valluru R, Bandillo N, Fernandes SB, Brown PJ, Shakoor N, Mockler TC, Cooper EA, Taylor Perkins M, Buckler ES, Ross-Ibarra J, Gore MA. Comparative evolutionary genetics of deleterious load in sorghum and maize. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:17-24. [PMID: 33452486 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-00834-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sorghum and maize share a close evolutionary history that can be explored through comparative genomics1,2. To perform a large-scale comparison of the genomic variation between these two species, we analysed ~13 million variants identified from whole-genome resequencing of 499 sorghum lines together with 25 million variants previously identified in 1,218 maize lines. Deleterious mutations in both species were prevalent in pericentromeric regions, enriched in non-syntenic genes and present at low allele frequencies. A comparison of deleterious burden between sorghum and maize revealed that sorghum, in contrast to maize, departed from the domestication-cost hypothesis that predicts a higher deleterious burden among domesticates compared with wild lines. Additionally, sorghum and maize population genetic summary statistics were used to predict a gene deleterious index with an accuracy greater than 0.5. This research represents a key step towards understanding the evolutionary dynamics of deleterious variants in sorghum and provides a comparative genomics framework to start prioritizing these variants for removal through genome editing and breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Lozano
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Elodie Gazave
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Institute of Biotechnology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jhonathan P R Dos Santos
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil
| | - Markus G Stetter
- Botanical Institute, Biozentrum, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ravi Valluru
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - Nonoy Bandillo
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA
| | - Samuel B Fernandes
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Patrick J Brown
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Nadia Shakoor
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Todd C Mockler
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Cooper
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - M Taylor Perkins
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Edward S Buckler
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Institute for Genomic Diversity, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) R. W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- Center for Population Biology and Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Michael A Gore
- Plant Breeding and Genetics, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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Xu G, Lyu J, Li Q, Liu H, Wang D, Zhang M, Springer NM, Ross-Ibarra J, Yang J. Evolutionary and functional genomics of DNA methylation in maize domestication and improvement. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5539. [PMID: 33139747 PMCID: PMC7606521 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19333-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is a ubiquitous chromatin feature, present in 25% of cytosines in the maize genome, but variation and evolution of the methylation landscape during maize domestication remain largely unknown. Here, we leverage whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) data on populations of modern maize, landrace, and teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis) to estimate epimutation rates and selection coefficients. We find weak evidence for direct selection on DNA methylation in any context, but thousands of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are identified population-wide that are correlated with recent selection. For two trait-associated DMRs, vgt1-DMR and tb1-DMR, HiChIP data indicate that the interactive loops between DMRs and respective downstream genes are present in B73, a modern maize line, but absent in teosinte. Our results enable a better understanding of the evolutionary forces acting on patterns of DNA methylation and suggest a role of methylation variation in adaptive evolution. Variation and evolution of DNA methylation during maize domestication remain largely unknown. Here, the authors generate genome and methylome sequencing data as well as HiChIP-based interactome data to investigate the adaptive and phenotypic consequences of methylation variations in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Xu
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Jing Lyu
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Plant Biology, Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Han Liu
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Fragrant Hill, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Dafang Wang
- Division of Math and Sciences, Delta State University, Cleveland, MS, 38733, USA
| | - Mei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Fragrant Hill, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Nathan M Springer
- Department of Plant Biology, Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jeffrey Ross-Ibarra
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, Center for Population Biology and Genome Center, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jinliang Yang
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA. .,Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.
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37
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Tu M, Li Y. Profiling Alternative 3' Untranslated Regions in Sorghum using RNA-seq Data. Front Genet 2020; 11:556749. [PMID: 33193635 PMCID: PMC7649775 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.556749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sorghum is an important crop widely used for food, feed, and fuel. Transcriptome-wide studies of 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTR) using regular RNA-seq remain scarce in sorghum, while transcriptomes have been characterized extensively using Illumina short-read sequencing platforms for many sorghum varieties under various conditions or developmental contexts. 3′UTR is a critical regulatory component of genes, controlling the translation, transport, and stability of messenger RNAs. In the present study, we profiled the alternative 3′UTRs at the transcriptome level in three genetically related but phenotypically contrasting lines of sorghum: Rio, BTx406, and R9188. A total of 1,197 transcripts with alternative 3′UTRs were detected using RNA-seq data. Their categorization identified 612 high-confidence alternative 3′UTRs. Importantly, the high-confidence alternative 3′UTR genes significantly overlapped with the genesets that are associated with RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, suggesting a clear indication between alternative 3′UTR and m6A methylation in sorghum. Moreover, taking advantage of sorghum genetics, we provided evidence of genotype specificity of alternative 3′UTR usage. In summary, our work exemplifies a transcriptome-wide profiling of alternative 3′UTRs using regular RNA-seq data in non-model crops and gains insights into alternative 3′UTRs and their genotype specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tu
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Yin Li
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
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38
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Schnable JC. Genes and gene models, an important distinction. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:50-55. [PMID: 31241760 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Genome sequencing has fundamentally changed how plant biologists think about genes. All or nearly all genes can ultimately be associated with a gene model. However, many gene models appear to play little or no role in the traits of an organism. A range of structural, molecular, population and evolutionary features all show a separation between genes with known phenotypes and the overall set of annotated gene models. These different features could be combined to develop models to distinguish the genes that determine the traits of plants from the subset gene other annotated gene models which are unlikely to play a role in doing so. Efforts to identify the subset of annotated gene models likely involved in specifying the characteristics of plants would help aid a wide range of researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture and Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
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Maize adaptation across temperate climates was obtained via expression of two florigen genes. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008882. [PMID: 32673315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Expansion of the maize growing area was central for food security in temperate regions. In addition to the suppression of the short-day requirement for floral induction, it required breeding for a large range of flowering time that compensates the effect of South-North gradients of temperatures. Here we show the role of a novel florigen gene, ZCN12, in the latter adaptation in cooperation with ZCN8. Strong eQTLs of ZCN8 and ZCN12, measured in 327 maize lines, accounted for most of the genetic variance of flowering time in platform and field experiments. ZCN12 had a strong effect on flowering time of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants; a path analysis showed that it directly affected maize flowering time together with ZCN8. The allelic composition at ZCN QTLs showed clear signs of selection by breeders. This suggests that florigens played a central role in ensuring a large range of flowering time, necessary for adaptation to temperate areas.
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40
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Lai X, Bendix C, Yan L, Zhang Y, Schnable JC, Harmon FG. Interspecific analysis of diurnal gene regulation in panicoid grasses identifies known and novel regulatory motifs. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:428. [PMID: 32586356 PMCID: PMC7315539 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06824-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The circadian clock drives endogenous 24-h rhythms that allow organisms to adapt and prepare for predictable and repeated changes in their environment throughout the day-night (diurnal) cycle. Many components of the circadian clock in Arabidopsis thaliana have been functionally characterized, but comparatively little is known about circadian clocks in grass species including major crops like maize and sorghum. Results Comparative research based on protein homology and diurnal gene expression patterns suggests the function of some predicted clock components in grasses is conserved with their Arabidopsis counterparts, while others have diverged in function. Our analysis of diurnal gene expression in three panicoid grasses sorghum, maize, and foxtail millet revealed conserved and divergent evolution of expression for core circadian clock genes and for the overall transcriptome. We find that several classes of core circadian clock genes in these grasses differ in copy number compared to Arabidopsis, but mostly exhibit conservation of both protein sequence and diurnal expression pattern with the notable exception of maize paralogous genes. We predict conserved cis-regulatory motifs shared between maize, sorghum, and foxtail millet through identification of diurnal co-expression clusters for a subset of 27,196 orthologous syntenic genes. In this analysis, a Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel based method to control for background variation identified significant enrichment for both expected and novel 6–8 nucleotide motifs in the promoter regions of genes with shared diurnal regulation predicted to function in common physiological activities. Conclusions This study illustrates the divergence and conservation of circadian clocks and diurnal regulatory networks across syntenic orthologous genes in panacoid grass species. Further, conserved local regulatory sequences contribute to the architecture of these diurnal regulatory networks that produce conserved patterns of diurnal gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjun Lai
- Center for Plant Science Innovation & Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, 68588, USA.,College of Agricultural Sciences, Xichang University, Liangshan, Xichang, 615000, China
| | - Claire Bendix
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.,Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, 94710, USA
| | - Lang Yan
- Center for Plant Science Innovation & Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, 68588, USA.,College of Agricultural Sciences, Xichang University, Liangshan, Xichang, 615000, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Center for Plant Science Innovation & Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, 68588, USA
| | - James C Schnable
- Center for Plant Science Innovation & Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, 68588, USA.
| | - Frank G Harmon
- Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. .,Plant Gene Expression Center, USDA-ARS, Albany, CA, 94710, USA.
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Liang Z, Qiu Y, Schnable JC. Genome-Phenome Wide Association in Maize and Arabidopsis Identifies a Common Molecular and Evolutionary Signature. MOLECULAR PLANT 2020; 13:907-922. [PMID: 32171733 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2020.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Linking natural genetic variation to trait variation can help determine the functional roles ofdifferent genes. Variations of one or several traits are often assessed separately. High-throughput phenotyping and data mining can capture dozens or hundreds of traits from the same individuals. Here, we test the association between markers within a gene and many traits simultaneously. This genome-phenome wide association study (GPWAS) is both a multi-marker and multi-trait test. Genes identified using GPWAS with 260 phenotypic traits in maize were enriched for genes independently linked to phenotypic variation. Traits associated with classical mutants were consistent with reported phenotypes for mutant alleles. Genes linked to phenomic variation in maize using GPWAS shared molecular, population genetic, and evolutionary features with classical mutants in maize. Genes linked to phenomic variation in Arabidopsis using GPWAS are significantly enriched in genes with known loss-of-function phenotypes. GPWAS may be an effective strategy to identify genes in which loss-of-function alleles produce mutant phenotypes. The shared signatures present in classical mutants and genes identified using GPWAS may be markers for genes with a role in specifying plant phenotypes generally or pleiotropy specifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikai Liang
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Plant Science Innovation Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Yumou Qiu
- Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - James C Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Plant Science Innovation Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
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Jones DM, Vandepoele K. Identification and evolution of gene regulatory networks: insights from comparative studies in plants. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 54:42-48. [PMID: 32062128 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2019.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The availability of genome sequences, genome-wide assays of transcription factor binding, and accessible chromatin maps have unveiled gene regulatory landscapes in plants. This understanding has ushered in comparative gene regulatory network studies that assess network rewiring between species, across time, and between biological tissues. Comparisons of cis-regulatory elements across the plant kingdom have uncovered examples of conserved sequences, but also of divergence, indicating that selective pressures can vary in different plant families. Transcription factor duplication, followed by spatiotemporal expression divergence of the duplicates, also appears to be a key mechanism of network evolution. Here, we review recent literature describing the regulation of gene expression in plants, and how comparative studies provide insights into how these regulatory interactions change and lead to gene regulatory network rewiring.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Marc Jones
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium; Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Klaas Vandepoele
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium; Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.
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Du H, Ning L, He B, Wang Y, Ge M, Xu J, Zhao H. Cross-Species Root Transcriptional Network Analysis Highlights Conserved Modules in Response to Nitrate between Maize and Sorghum. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041445. [PMID: 32093344 PMCID: PMC7073038 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to respond to the fluctuation of available nitrogen (N) in soil, but the genetic mechanisms underlying the N response in crops are not well-documented. In this study, we generated a time series of NO3−-mediated transcriptional profiles in roots of maize and sorghum, respectively. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we identified modules of co-expressed genes that related to NO3− treatments. A cross-species comparison revealed 22 conserved modules, of which four were related to hormone signaling, suggesting that hormones participate in the early nitrate response. Three other modules are composed of genes that are mainly upregulated by NO3− and involved in nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism, including NRT, NIR, NIA, FNR, and G6PD2. Two G2-like transcription factors (ZmNIGT1 and SbNIGT1), induced by NO3− stimulation, were identified as hub transcription factors (TFs) in the modules. Transient assays demonstrated that ZmNIGT1 and SbNIGT1 are transcriptional repressors. We identified the target genes of ZmNIGT1 by DNA affinity-purification sequencing (DAP-Seq) and found that they were significantly enriched in catalytic activity, including carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrient metabolism. A set of ZmNIGT1 targets encode transcription factors (ERF, ARF, and AGL) that are involved in hormone signaling and root development. We propose that ZmNIGT1 and SbNIGT1 are negative regulators of nitrate responses that play an important role in optimizing nutrition metabolism and root morphogenesis. Together with conserved N responsive modules, our study indicated that, to encounter N variation in soil, maize and sorghum have evolved an NO3−-regulatory network containing a set of conserved modules and transcription factors.
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Zhang X, Fernandes SB, Kaiser C, Adhikari P, Brown PJ, Mideros SX, Jamann TM. Conserved defense responses between maize and sorghum to Exserohilum turcicum. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 20:67. [PMID: 32041528 PMCID: PMC7011368 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-2275-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exserohilum turcicum is an important pathogen of both sorghum and maize, causing sorghum leaf blight and northern corn leaf blight. Because the same pathogen can infect and cause major losses for two of the most important grain crops, it is an ideal pathosystem to study plant-pathogen evolution and investigate shared resistance mechanisms between the two plant species. To identify sorghum genes involved in the E. turcicum response, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS). RESULTS Using the sorghum conversion panel evaluated across three environments, we identified a total of 216 significant markers. Based on physical linkage with the significant markers, we detected a total of 113 unique candidate genes, some with known roles in plant defense. Also, we compared maize genes known to play a role in resistance to E. turcicum with the association mapping results and found evidence of genes conferring resistance in both crops, providing evidence of shared resistance between maize and sorghum. CONCLUSIONS Using a genetics approach, we identified shared genetic regions conferring resistance to E. turcicum in both maize and sorghum. We identified several promising candidate genes for resistance to leaf blight in sorghum, including genes related to R-gene mediated resistance. We present significant advancements in the understanding of host resistance to E. turcicum, which is crucial to reduce losses due to this important pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Zhang
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Samuel B Fernandes
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Christopher Kaiser
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Pragya Adhikari
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Patrick J Brown
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Santiago X Mideros
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Tiffany M Jamann
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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Zheng Z, Hey S, Jubery T, Liu H, Yang Y, Coffey L, Miao C, Sigmon B, Schnable JC, Hochholdinger F, Ganapathysubramanian B, Schnable PS. Shared Genetic Control of Root System Architecture between Zea mays and Sorghum bicolor. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 182:977-991. [PMID: 31740504 PMCID: PMC6997706 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Determining the genetic control of root system architecture (RSA) in plants via large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) requires high-throughput pipelines for root phenotyping. We developed Core Root Excavation using Compressed-air (CREAMD), a high-throughput pipeline for the cleaning of field-grown roots, and Core Root Feature Extraction (COFE), a semiautomated pipeline for the extraction of RSA traits from images. CREAMD-COFE was applied to diversity panels of maize (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), which consisted of 369 and 294 genotypes, respectively. Six RSA-traits were extracted from images collected from >3,300 maize roots and >1,470 sorghum roots. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based GWAS identified 87 TAS (trait-associated SNPs) in maize, representing 77 genes and 115 TAS in sorghum. An additional 62 RSA-associated maize genes were identified via expression read depth GWAS. Among the 139 maize RSA-associated genes (or their homologs), 22 (16%) are known to affect RSA in maize or other species. In addition, 26 RSA-associated genes are coregulated with genes previously shown to affect RSA and 51 (37% of RSA-associated genes) are themselves transe-quantitative trait locus for another RSA-associated gene. Finally, the finding that RSA-associated genes from maize and sorghum included seven pairs of syntenic genes demonstrates the conservation of regulation of morphology across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Zheng
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
- Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Stefan Hey
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
- INRES, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Crop Functional Genomics, University of Bonn, Bonn 53113, Germany
| | - Talukder Jubery
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Huyu Liu
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
- Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
- Department of Plant Genetics & Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
- Department of Plant Genetics & Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lisa Coffey
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Chenyong Miao
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583
| | - Brandi Sigmon
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583
| | - James C Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583
| | - Frank Hochholdinger
- INRES, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, Crop Functional Genomics, University of Bonn, Bonn 53113, Germany
| | | | - Patrick S Schnable
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
- Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
- Department of Plant Genetics & Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Carvalho DS, Nishimwe AV, Schnable JC. IsoSeq transcriptome assembly of C 3 panicoid grasses provides tools to study evolutionary change in the Panicoideae. PLANT DIRECT 2020; 4:e00203. [PMID: 32128472 PMCID: PMC7047018 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The number of plant species with genomic and transcriptomic data has been increasing rapidly. The grasses-Poaceae-have been well represented among species with published reference genomes. However, as a result the genomes of wild grasses are less frequently targeted by sequencing efforts. Sequence data from wild relatives of crop species in the grasses can aid the study of domestication, gene discovery for breeding and crop improvement, and improve our understanding of the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. Here, we used long-read sequencing technology to characterize the transcriptomes of three C3 panicoid grass species: Dichanthelium oligosanthes, Chasmanthium laxum, and Hymenachne amplexicaulis. Based on alignments to the sorghum genome, we estimate that assembled consensus transcripts from each species capture between 54.2% and 65.7% of the conserved syntenic gene space in grasses. Genes co-opted into C4 were also well represented in this dataset, despite concerns that because these genes might play roles unrelated to photosynthesis in the target species, they would be expressed at low levels and missed by transcript-based sequencing. A combined analysis using syntenic orthologous genes from grasses with published reference genomes and consensus long-read sequences from these wild species was consistent with previously published phylogenies. It is hoped that these data, targeting underrepresented classes of species within the PACMAD grasses-wild species and species utilizing C3 photosynthesis-will aid in future studies of domestication and C4 evolution by decreasing the evolutionary distance between C4 and C3 species within this clade, enabling more accurate comparisons associated with evolution of the C4 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S. Carvalho
- Department of Agronomy and HorticultureCenter for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska‐LincolnLincolnNEUSA
| | - Aime V. Nishimwe
- Department of Agronomy and HorticultureCenter for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska‐LincolnLincolnNEUSA
| | - James C. Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and HorticultureCenter for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska‐LincolnLincolnNEUSA
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Leiboff S, Hake S. Reconstructing the Transcriptional Ontogeny of Maize and Sorghum Supports an Inverse Hourglass Model of Inflorescence Development. Curr Biol 2019; 29:3410-3419.e3. [PMID: 31587998 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Assembling meaningful comparisons between species is a major limitation in studying the evolution of organismal form. To understand development in maize and sorghum, closely related species with architecturally distinct inflorescences, we collected RNA-seq profiles encompassing inflorescence body-plan specification in both species. We reconstructed molecular ontogenies from 40 B73 maize tassels and 47 BTx623 sorghum panicles and separated them into transcriptional stages. To discover new markers of inflorescence development, we used random forest machine learning to determine stage by RNA-seq. We used two descriptions of transcriptional conservation to identify hourglass-like stages during inflorescence development. Despite a relatively short 12 million years since their last common ancestor, we found maize and sorghum inflorescences are most different during their hourglass-like stages of development, following an inverse-hourglass model of development. We discuss whether agricultural selection may account for the rapid divergence signatures in these species and the observed separation of evolutionary pressure and developmental reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Leiboff
- Plant Gene Expression Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and University of California, Berkeley, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
| | - Sarah Hake
- Plant Gene Expression Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service and University of California, Berkeley, Albany, CA 94710, USA
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Yan L, Kenchanmane Raju SK, Lai X, Zhang Y, Dai X, Rodriguez O, Mahboub S, Roston RL, Schnable JC. Parallels between natural selection in the cold-adapted crop-wild relative Tripsacum dactyloides and artificial selection in temperate adapted maize. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 99:965-977. [PMID: 31069858 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Artificial selection has produced varieties of domesticated maize that thrive in temperate climates around the world. However, the direct progenitor of maize, teosinte, is indigenous only to a relatively small range of tropical and subtropical latitudes and grows poorly or not at all outside of this region. Tripsacum, a sister genus to maize and teosinte, is naturally endemic to the majority of areas in the western hemisphere where maize is cultivated. A full-length reference transcriptome for Tripsacum dactyloides generated using long-read Iso-Seq data was used to characterize independent adaptation to temperate climates in this clade. Genes related to phospholipid biosynthesis, a critical component of cold acclimation in other cold-adapted plant lineages, were enriched among those genes experiencing more rapid rates of protein sequence evolution in T. dactyloides. In contrast with previous studies of parallel selection, we find that there is a significant overlap between the genes that were targets of artificial selection during the adaptation of maize to temperate climates and those that were targets of natural selection in temperate-adapted T. dactyloides. Genes related to growth, development, response to stimulus, signaling, and organelles were enriched in the set of genes identified as both targets of natural and artificial selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Yan
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Laboratory of Functional Genome and Application of Potato, Xichang University, Liangshan, 615000, China
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | | | - Xianjun Lai
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Laboratory of Functional Genome and Application of Potato, Xichang University, Liangshan, 615000, China
- Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Xiuru Dai
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Oscar Rodriguez
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, 68588, NE, USA
| | - Samira Mahboub
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Rebecca L Roston
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - James C Schnable
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, 68588, NE, USA
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Moghimi N, Desai JS, Bheemanahalli R, Impa SM, Vennapusa AR, Sebela D, Perumal R, Doherty CJ, Jagadish SVK. New candidate loci and marker genes on chromosome 7 for improved chilling tolerance in sorghum. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:3357-3371. [PMID: 30949711 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Sorghum is often exposed to suboptimal low temperature stress under field conditions, particularly at the seedling establishment stage. Enhancing chilling tolerance will facilitate earlier planting and so minimize the negative impacts of other stresses experienced at later growth stages. Genome-wide association mapping was performed on a sorghum association panel grown under control (30/20 °C; day/night) and chilling (20/10 °C) conditions. Genomic regions on chromosome 7, controlling the emergence index and seedling (root and shoot) vigor, were associated with increased chilling tolerance but they did not co-localize with undesirable tannin content quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Shoot and root samples from highly contrasting haplotype pairs expressing differential responses to chilling stress were used to identify candidate genes. Three candidate genes (an alpha/beta hydrolase domain protein, a DnaJ/Hsp40 motif-containing protein, and a YTH domain-containing RNA-binding protein) were expressed at significantly higher levels under chilling stress in the tolerant haplotype compared with the sensitive haplotype and BTx623. Moreover, two CBF/DREB1A transcription factors on chromosome 2 showed a divergent response to chilling in the contrasting haplotypes. These studies identify haplotype differences on chromosome 7 that modulate chilling tolerance by either regulating CBF or feeding back into this signaling pathway. We have identified new candidate genes that will be useful markers in ongoing efforts to develop tannin-free chilling-tolerant sorghum hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naghmeh Moghimi
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Jigar S Desai
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Somayanda M Impa
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | | | - David Sebela
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Ramasamy Perumal
- Agricultural Research Center, Kansas State University, Hays, KS, USA
| | - Colleen J Doherty
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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50
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Transcriptome Changes during Major Developmental Transitions Accompanied with Little Alteration of DNA Methylome in Two Pleurotus Species. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10060465. [PMID: 31212970 PMCID: PMC6627472 DOI: 10.3390/genes10060465] [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: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pleurotus tuoliensis (Pt) and P. eryngii var. eryngii (Pe) are important edible mushrooms. The epigenetic and gene expression signatures characterizing major developmental transitions in these two mushrooms remain largely unknown. Here, we report global analyses of DNA methylation and gene expression in both mushrooms across three major developmental transitions, from mycelium to primordium and to fruit body, by whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-seq-based transcriptome profiling. Our results revealed that in both Pt and Pe the landscapes of methylome are largely stable irrespective of genomic features, e.g., in both protein-coding genes and transposable elements (TEs), across the developmental transitions. The repressive impact of DNA methylation on expression of a small subset of genes is likely due to TE-associated effects rather than their own developmental dynamics. Global expression of gene orthologs was also broadly conserved between Pt and Pe, but discernible interspecific differences exist especially at the fruit body formation stage, and which are primarily due to differences in trans-acting factors. The methylome and transcriptome repertories we established for the two mushroom species may facilitate further studies of the epigenetic and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms underpinning gene during development in Pleurotus and related genera.
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