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Karssemeijer PN, de Kreek KA, Gols R, Neequaye M, Reichelt M, Gershenzon J, van Loon JJA, Dicke M. Specialist root herbivore modulates plant transcriptome and downregulates defensive secondary metabolites in a brassicaceous plant. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:2378-2392. [PMID: 35717563 PMCID: PMC9540780 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18324] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants face attackers aboveground and belowground. Insect root herbivores can lead to severe crop losses, yet the underlying transcriptomic responses have rarely been studied. We studied the dynamics of the transcriptomic response of Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) primary roots to feeding damage by cabbage root fly larvae (Delia radicum), alone or in combination with aboveground herbivory by cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae) or diamondback moth caterpillars (Plutella xylostella). This was supplemented with analyses of phytohormones and the main classes of secondary metabolites; aromatic, indole and aliphatic glucosinolates. Root herbivory leads to major transcriptomic rearrangement that is modulated by aboveground feeding caterpillars, but not aphids, through priming soon after root feeding starts. The root herbivore downregulates aliphatic glucosinolates. Knocking out aliphatic glucosinolate biosynthesis with CRISPR-Cas9 results in enhanced performance of the specialist root herbivore, indicating that the herbivore downregulates an effective defence. This study advances our understanding of how plants cope with root herbivory and highlights several novel aspects of insect-plant interactions for future research. Further, our findings may help breeders develop a sustainable solution to a devastating root pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter N. Karssemeijer
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and Research6708PBWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Kris A. de Kreek
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and Research6708PBWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Rieta Gols
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and Research6708PBWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Mikhaela Neequaye
- John Innes CentreNorwich Research ParkNR4 7UHNorwichUK
- Quadram Institute BioscienceNorwich Research ParkNR4 7UQNorwichUK
| | - Michael Reichelt
- Department of BiochemistryMax‐Planck‐Institute for Chemical Ecology07745JenaGermany
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of BiochemistryMax‐Planck‐Institute for Chemical Ecology07745JenaGermany
| | - Joop J. A. van Loon
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and Research6708PBWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and Research6708PBWageningenthe Netherlands
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2
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Martínez-Medina A, Mbaluto CM, Maedicke A, Weinhold A, Vergara F, van Dam NM. Leaf herbivory counteracts nematode-triggered repression of jasmonate-related defenses in tomato roots. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:1762-1778. [PMID: 34618073 PMCID: PMC8566281 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Shoot herbivores may influence the communities of herbivores associated with the roots via inducible defenses. However, the molecular mechanisms and hormonal signaling underpinning the systemic impact of leaf herbivory on root-induced responses against nematodes remain poorly understood. By using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) as a model plant, we explored the impact of leaf herbivory by Manduca sexta on the performance of the root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. By performing glasshouse bioassays, we found that leaf herbivory reduced M. incognita performance in the roots. By analyzing the root expression profile of a set of oxylipin-related marker genes and jasmonate root content, we show that leaf herbivory systemically activates the 13-Lipoxigenase (LOX) and 9-LOX branches of the oxylipin pathway in roots and counteracts the M. incognita-triggered repression of the 13-LOX branch. By using untargeted metabolomics, we also found that leaf herbivory counteracts the M. incognita-mediated repression of putative root chemical defenses. To explore the signaling involved in this shoot-to-root interaction, we performed glasshouse bioassays with grafted plants compromised in jasmonate synthesis or perception, specifically in their shoots. We demonstrated the importance of an intact shoot jasmonate perception, whereas having an intact jasmonate biosynthesis pathway was not essential for this shoot-to-root interaction. Our results highlight the impact of leaf herbivory on the ability of M. incognita to manipulate root defenses and point to an important role for the jasmonate signaling pathway in shoot-to-root signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainhoa Martínez-Medina
- Molecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstraße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Plant-Microorganism Interactions, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA‐CSIC), Cordel de Merinas 40-52, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
- Author for communication:
| | - Crispus M Mbaluto
- Molecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstraße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Anne Maedicke
- Molecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstraße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Weinhold
- Molecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstraße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Fredd Vergara
- Molecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstraße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Nicole M van Dam
- Molecular Interaction Ecology, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburgerstraße 159, 07743 Jena, Germany
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3
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Valim H, Dalton H, Joo Y, McGale E, Halitschke R, Gaquerel E, Baldwin IT, Schuman MC. TOC1 in Nicotiana attenuata regulates efficient allocation of nitrogen to defense metabolites under herbivory stress. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1227-1242. [PMID: 32608045 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16784] [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: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The circadian clock contextualizes plant responses to environmental signals. Plants use temporal information to respond to herbivory, but many of the functional roles of circadian clock components in these responses, and their contribution to fitness, remain unknown. We investigate the role of the central clock regulator TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1 (TOC1) in Nicotiana attenuata's defense responses to the specialist herbivore Manduca sexta under both field and glasshouse conditions. We utilize 15 N pulse-labeling to quantify nitrogen incorporation into pools of three defense compounds: caffeoylputrescine (CP), dicaffeoyl spermidine (DCS) and nicotine. Nitrogen incorporation was decreased in CP and DCS and increased in nicotine pools in irTOC1 plants compared to empty vector (EV) under control conditions, but these differences were abolished after simulated herbivory. Differences between EV and irTOC1 plants in nicotine, but not phenolamide production, were abolished by treatment with the ethylene agonist 1-methylcyclopropene. Using micrografting, TOC1's effect on nicotine was isolated to the root and did not affect the fitness of heterografts under field conditions. These results suggest that the circadian clock contributes to plant fitness by balancing production of metabolically expensive nitrogen-rich defense compounds and mediating the allocation of resources between vegetative biomass and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Valim
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Heidi Dalton
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Youngsung Joo
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Erica McGale
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Rayko Halitschke
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Gaquerel
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
- Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, University of Strasbourg, 12 Rue du Général Zimmer, Strasbourg, 67084, France
| | - Ian T Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
| | - Meredith C Schuman
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, Jena, 07745, Germany
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4
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Karssemeijer PN, Reichelt M, Gershenzon J, van Loon J, Dicke M. Foliar herbivory by caterpillars and aphids differentially affects phytohormonal signalling in roots and plant defence to a root herbivore. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:775-786. [PMID: 31873957 PMCID: PMC7065167 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Plant-mediated interactions are an important force in insect ecology. Through such interactions, herbivores feeding on leaves can affect root feeders. However, the mechanisms regulating the effects of above-ground herbivory on below-ground herbivores are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the performance of cabbage root fly larvae (Delia radicum) on cabbage plants (Brassica oleracea) previously exposed to above ground herbivores belonging to two feeding guilds: leaf chewing diamondback moth caterpillars (Plutella xylostella) or phloem-feeding cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae). Our study focusses on root-herbivore performance and defence signalling in primary roots by quantifying phytohormones and gene expression. We show that leaf herbivory by caterpillars, but not by aphids, strongly attenuates root herbivore performance. Above-ground herbivory causes changes in primary roots in terms of gene transcripts and metabolites involved in plant defence. Feeding by below-ground herbivores strongly induces the jasmonate pathway in primary roots. Caterpillars feeding on leaves cause a slight induction of the primary root jasmonate pathway and interact with plant defence signalling in response to root herbivores. In conclusion, feeding by a leaf chewer and a phloem feeder differentially affects root-herbivore performance, root-herbivore-induced phytohormonal signalling, and secondary metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Reichelt
- Department of BiochemistryMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyJenaGermany
| | - Jonathan Gershenzon
- Department of BiochemistryMax Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyJenaGermany
| | - Joop van Loon
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of EntomologyWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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5
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Yang H, Wang Y, Li L, Li F, He Y, Wu J, Wei C. Transcriptomic and Phytochemical Analyses Reveal Root-Mediated Resource-Based Defense Response to Leaf Herbivory by Ectropis oblique in Tea Plant ( Camellia sinensis). JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2019; 67:5465-5476. [PMID: 30916943 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Leaf herbivory on tea plants ( Camellia sinensis) by tea geometrids ( Ectropis oblique) severely threaten the yield and quality of tea. In previous work, we found that local defense response was induced in damaged leaves by geometrids at the transcriptome level. Here, we investigated the systemic response triggered in undamaged roots and the potential role of roots in response to leaf herbivory. Comparative transcriptome analysis and carbohydrate dynamics indicated that leaf herbivory activated systemic carbon reallocation to enhance resource investment for local secondary metabolism. The crucial role of jasmonic acid and the involvement of other potential hormone signals for local and systemic signaling networks were supported by phytohormone quantification and dynamic expression analysis of phytohormone-related genes. This work represents a deep understanding of the interaction of tea plants and geometrids from the perspective of systems biology and reveals that tea plants have evolved an intricate root-mediated resource-based resistance strategy to cope with geometrid attack.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Jianqiang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Kunming Institute of Botany , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Kunming , Yunnan 650201 , People's Republic of China
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6
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Li B, Förster C, Robert CAM, Züst T, Hu L, Machado RAR, Berset JD, Handrick V, Knauer T, Hensel G, Chen W, Kumlehn J, Yang P, Keller B, Gershenzon J, Jander G, Köllner TG, Erb M. Convergent evolution of a metabolic switch between aphid and caterpillar resistance in cereals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaat6797. [PMID: 30525102 PMCID: PMC6281429 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat6797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Tailoring defense responses to different attackers is important for plant performance. Plants can use secondary metabolites with dual functions in resistance and defense signaling to mount herbivore-specific responses. To date, the specificity and evolution of this mechanism are unclear. Here, we studied the functional architecture, specificity, and genetic basis of defense regulation by benzoxazinoids in cereals. We document that DIMBOA-Glc induces callose as an aphid resistance factor in wheat. O-methylation of DIMBOA-Glc to HDMBOA-Glc increases plant resistance to caterpillars but reduces callose inducibility and resistance to aphids. DIMBOA-Glc induces callose in wheat and maize, but not in Arabidopsis, while the glucosinolate 4MO-I3M does the opposite. We identify a wheat O-methyltransferase (TaBX10) that is induced by caterpillar feeding and converts DIMBOA-Glc to HDMBOA-Glc in vitro. While the core pathway of benzoxazinoid biosynthesis is conserved between wheat and maize, the wheat genome does not contain close homologs of the maize DIMBOA-Glc O-methyltransferase genes, and TaBx10 is only distantly related. Thus, the functional architecture of herbivore-specific defense regulation is similar in maize and wheat, but the regulating biosynthetic genes likely evolved separately. This study shows how two different cereal species independently achieved herbivore-specific defense activation by regulating secondary metabolite production.
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Li
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - C. Förster
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - C. A. M. Robert
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - T. Züst
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - L. Hu
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - R. A. R. Machado
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - J.-D. Berset
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - V. Handrick
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - T. Knauer
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - G. Hensel
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany
| | - W. Chen
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany
| | - J. Kumlehn
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany
| | - P. Yang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - B. Keller
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - J. Gershenzon
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - G. Jander
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - T. G. Köllner
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - M. Erb
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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7
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Bozorov TA, Dinh ST, Baldwin IT. JA but not JA-Ile is the cell-nonautonomous signal activating JA mediated systemic defenses to herbivory in Nicotiana attenuata. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 59:552-571. [PMID: 28422432 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The whole-plant activation of defense responses to wounding and herbivory requires systemic signaling in which jasmonates (JAs) play a pivotal role. To examine the nature of the slower cell-nonautonomous as compared to the rapid cell-autonomous signal in mediating systemic defenses in Nicotiana attenuata, reciprocal stem grafting-experiments were used with plants silenced for the JA biosynthetic gene ALLENE OXIDE CYCLASE (irAOC) or plants transformed to create JA sinks by ectopically expressing Arabidopsis JA-O-methyltransferase (ovJMT). JA-impaired irAOC plants were defective in the cell-nonautonomous signaling pathway but not in JA transport. Conversely, ovJMT plants abrogated the production of a graft-transmissible JA signal. Both genotypes displayed unaltered cell-autonomous signaling. Defense responses (17-hydroxygeranyllinalool diterpene glycosides, nicotine, and proteinase inhibitors) and metabolite profiles were differently induced in irAOC and ovJMT scions in response to graft-transmissible signals from elicited wild type stocks. The performance of Manduca sexta larvae on the scions of different graft combinations was consistent with the patterns of systemic defense metabolite elicitations. Taken together, we conclude that JA and possibly MeJA, but not JA-Ile, either directly functions as a long-distance transmissible signal or indirectly interacts with long distance signal(s) to activate systemic defense responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tohir A Bozorov
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Genetics and Plants Experimental Biology, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Yukori-Yuz, 111226, Kibray, Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan
| | - Son Truong Dinh
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology - Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Ngo Xuan Quang Street, 100000, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Ian T Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Str. 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
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8
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Massalha H, Korenblum E, Tholl D, Aharoni A. Small molecules below-ground: the role of specialized metabolites in the rhizosphere. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 90:788-807. [PMID: 28333395 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Soil communities are diverse taxonomically and functionally. This ecosystem experiences highly complex networks of interactions, but may also present functionally independent entities. Plant roots, a metabolically active hotspot in the soil, take an essential part in below-ground interactions. While plants are known to release an extremely high portion of the fixated carbon to the soil, less information is known about the composition and role of C-containing compounds in the rhizosphere, in particular those involved in chemical communication. Specialized metabolites (or secondary metabolites) produced by plants and their associated microbes have a critical role in various biological activities that modulate the behavior of neighboring organisms. Thus, elucidating the chemical composition and function of specialized metabolites in the rhizosphere is a key element in understanding interactions in this below-ground environment. Here, we review key classes of specialized metabolites that occur as mostly non-volatile compounds in root exudates or are emitted as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The role of these metabolites in below-ground interactions and response to nutrient deficiency, as well as their tissue and cell type-specific biosynthesis and release are discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Massalha
- Department of Plant Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Elisa Korenblum
- Department of Plant Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Dorothea Tholl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Asaph Aharoni
- Department of Plant Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
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9
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Brockmöller T, Ling Z, Li D, Gaquerel E, Baldwin IT, Xu S. Nicotiana attenuata Data Hub (NaDH): an integrative platform for exploring genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data in wild tobacco. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:79. [PMID: 28086860 PMCID: PMC5237228 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-3465-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nicotiana attenuata (coyote tobacco) is an ecological model for studying plant-environment interactions and plant gene function under real-world conditions. During the last decade, large amounts of genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data have been generated with this plant which has provided new insights into how native plants interact with herbivores, pollinators and microbes. However, an integrative and open access platform that allows for the efficient mining of these -omics data remained unavailable until now. DESCRIPTION We present the Nicotiana attenuata Data Hub (NaDH) as a centralized platform for integrating and visualizing genomic, phylogenomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data in N. attenuata. The NaDH currently hosts collections of predicted protein coding sequences of 11 plant species, including two recently sequenced Nicotiana species, and their functional annotations, 222 microarray datasets from 10 different experiments, a transcriptomic atlas based on 20 RNA-seq expression profiles and a metabolomic atlas based on 895 metabolite spectra analyzed by mass spectrometry. We implemented several visualization tools, including a modified version of the Electronic Fluorescent Pictograph (eFP) browser, co-expression networks and the Interactive Tree Of Life (iTOL) for studying gene expression divergence among duplicated homologous. In addition, the NaDH allows researchers to query phylogenetic trees of 16,305 gene families and provides tools for analyzing their evolutionary history. Furthermore, we also implemented tools to identify co-expressed genes and metabolites, which can be used for predicting the functions of genes. Using the transcription factor NaMYB8 as an example, we illustrate that the tools and data in NaDH can facilitate identification of candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of specialized metabolites. CONCLUSION The NaDH provides interactive visualization and data analysis tools that integrate the expression and evolutionary history of genes in Nicotiana, which can facilitate rapid gene discovery and comparative genomic analysis. Because N. attenuata shares many genome-wide features with other Nicotiana species including cultivated tobacco, and hence NaDH can be a resource for exploring the function and evolution of genes in Nicotiana species in general. The NaDH can be accessed at: http://nadh.ice.mpg.de/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Brockmöller
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Zhihao Ling
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Dapeng Li
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Emmanuel Gaquerel
- Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 360, Heidelberg, D-69120 Germany
| | - Ian T. Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Shuqing Xu
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745 Jena, Germany
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10
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Zhou W, Brockmöller T, Ling Z, Omdahl A, Baldwin IT, Xu S. Evolution of herbivore-induced early defense signaling was shaped by genome-wide duplications in Nicotiana. eLife 2016; 5:e19531. [PMID: 27813478 PMCID: PMC5115867 DOI: 10.7554/elife.19531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Herbivore-induced defenses are widespread, rapidly evolving and relevant for plant fitness. Such induced defenses are often mediated by early defense signaling (EDS) rapidly activated by the perception of herbivore associated elicitors (HAE) that includes transient accumulations of jasmonic acid (JA). Analyzing 60 HAE-induced leaf transcriptomes from closely-related Nicotiana species revealed a key gene co-expression network (M4 module) which is co-activated with the HAE-induced JA accumulations but is elicited independently of JA, as revealed in plants silenced in JA signaling. Functional annotations of the M4 module were consistent with roles in EDS and a newly identified hub gene of the M4 module (NaLRRK1) mediates a negative feedback loop with JA signaling. Phylogenomic analysis revealed preferential gene retention after genome-wide duplications shaped the evolution of HAE-induced EDS in Nicotiana. These results highlight the importance of genome-wide duplications in the evolution of adaptive traits in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwu Zhou
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Brockmöller
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Zhihao Ling
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Ashton Omdahl
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Brigham Young University, Provo, United States
| | - Ian T Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
| | - Shuqing Xu
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
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11
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Ling Z, Zhou W, Baldwin IT, Xu S. Insect herbivory elicits genome-wide alternative splicing responses in Nicotiana attenuata. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 84:228-43. [PMID: 26306554 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Changes in gene expression and alternative splicing (AS) are involved in many responses to abiotic and biotic stresses in eukaryotic organisms. In response to attack and oviposition by insect herbivores, plants elicit rapid changes in gene expression which are essential for the activation of plant defenses; however, the herbivory-induced changes in AS remain unstudied. Using mRNA sequencing, we performed a genome-wide analysis on tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) feeding-induced AS in both leaves and roots of Nicotiana attenuata. Feeding by M. sexta for 5 h reduced total AS events by 7.3% in leaves but increased them in roots by 8.0% and significantly changed AS patterns in leaves and roots of existing AS genes. Feeding by M. sexta also resulted in increased (in roots) and decreased (in leaves) transcript levels of the serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins that are involved in the AS machinery of plants and induced changes in SR gene expression that were jasmonic acid (JA)-independent in leaves but JA-dependent in roots. Changes in AS and gene expression elicited by M. sexta feeding were regulated independently in both tissues. This study provides genome-wide evidence that insect herbivory induces changes not only in the levels of gene expression but also in their splicing, which might contribute to defense against and/or tolerance of herbivory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Ling
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Wenwu Zhou
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Ian T Baldwin
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Shuqing Xu
- Department of Molecular Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knöll-Straße 8, D-07745, Jena, Germany
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Gruau C, Trotel-Aziz P, Villaume S, Rabenoelina F, Clément C, Baillieul F, Aziz A. Pseudomonas fluorescens PTA-CT2 Triggers Local and Systemic Immune Response Against Botrytis cinerea in Grapevine. MOLECULAR PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS : MPMI 2015; 28:1117-29. [PMID: 26075828 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-04-15-0092-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Although induced systemic resistance (ISR) is well-documented in the context of plant-beneficial bacteria interactions, knowledge about the local and systemic molecular and biochemical defense responses before or upon pathogen infection in grapevine is very scarce. In this study, we first investigated the capacity of grapevine plants to express immune responses at both above- and below-ground levels upon interaction with a beneficial bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens PTA-CT2. We then explored whether the extent of priming state could contribute to the PTA-CT2-induced ISR in Botrytis cinerea-infected leaves. Our data provide evidence that this bacterium colonized grapevine roots but not the above-ground plant parts and altered the plant phenotype that displayed multiple defense responses both locally and systemically. The grapevine roots and leaves exhibited distinct patterns of defense-related gene expression during root colonization by PTA-CT2. Roots responded faster than leaves and some responses were more strongly upregulated in roots than in leaves and vice versa for other genes. These responses appear to be associated with some induction of cell death in roots and a transient expression of HSR, a hypersensitive response-related gene in both local (roots) and systemic (leaves) tissues. However, stilbenic phytoalexin patterns followed opposite trends in roots compared with leaves but no phytoalexin was exuded during plant-bacterium interaction, suggesting that roots could play an important role in the transfer of metabolites contributing to immune response at the systemic level. Unexpectedly, in B. cinerea-infected leaves PTA-CT2-mediated ISR was accompanied in large part by a downregulation of different defense-related genes, including HSR. Only phytoalexins and glutathion-S-transferase 1 transcripts were upregulated, while the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes was maintained at a higher level than the control. This suggests that decreased expression of HSR, as a marker of cell death, and activation of secondary metabolism pathways could be responsible for a reduced B. cinerea colonization capacity in bacterized plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Gruau
- URVVC EA 4707, SDRP, University of Reims, UFR Sciences, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
| | - Patricia Trotel-Aziz
- URVVC EA 4707, SDRP, University of Reims, UFR Sciences, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
| | - Sandra Villaume
- URVVC EA 4707, SDRP, University of Reims, UFR Sciences, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
| | - Fanja Rabenoelina
- URVVC EA 4707, SDRP, University of Reims, UFR Sciences, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
| | - Christophe Clément
- URVVC EA 4707, SDRP, University of Reims, UFR Sciences, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
| | - Fabienne Baillieul
- URVVC EA 4707, SDRP, University of Reims, UFR Sciences, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
| | - Aziz Aziz
- URVVC EA 4707, SDRP, University of Reims, UFR Sciences, Campus Moulin de la Housse, 51687 Reims Cedex 02, France
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Abstract
Chemical ecology elucidates the nature and role of natural products as mediators of organismal interactions. The emerging techniques that can be summarized under the concept of metabolomics provide new opportunities to study such environmentally relevant signaling molecules. Especially comparative tools in metabolomics enable the identification of compounds that are regulated during interaction situations and that might play a role as e.g. pheromones, allelochemicals or in induced and activated defenses. This approach helps overcoming limitations of traditional bioassay-guided structure elucidation approaches. But the power of metabolomics is not limited to the comparison of metabolic profiles of interacting partners. Especially the link to other -omics techniques helps to unravel not only the compounds in question but the entire biosynthetic and genetic re-wiring, required for an ecological response. This review comprehensively highlights successful applications of metabolomics in chemical ecology and discusses existing limitations of these novel techniques. It focuses on recent developments in comparative metabolomics and discusses the use of metabolomics in the systems biology of organismal interactions. It also outlines the potential of large metabolomics initiatives for model organisms in the field of chemical ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Kuhlisch
- Friedrich Schiller University, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Lessingstr. 8, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
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14
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Schmidt L, Hummel GM, Thiele B, Schurr U, Thorpe MR. Leaf wounding or simulated herbivory in young N. attenuata plants reduces carbon delivery to roots and root tips. PLANTA 2015; 241:917-28. [PMID: 25528149 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-014-2230-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
MAIN CONCLUSION In Nicotiana attenuata seedlings, simulated herbivo ry by the specialist Manduca sexta decreases root growth and partitioning of recent photoassimilates to roots in contrast to increased partitioning reported for older plants. Root elongation rate in Nicotiana attenuata has been shown to decrease after leaf herbivory, despite reports of an increased proportion of recently mobilized photoassimilate being delivered towards the root system in many species after similar treatments. To study this apparent contradiction, we measured the distribution of recent photoassimilate within root tissues after wounding or simulated herbivory of N. attenuata leaves. We found no contradiction: herbivory reduced carbon delivery to root tips. However, the speed of phloem transport in both shoot and root, and the delivery of recently assimilated carbon to the entire root system, declined after wounding or simulated herbivory, in contrast with the often-reported increase in root partitioning. We conclude that the herbivory response in N. attenuata seedlings is to favor the shoot and not bunker carbon in the root system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Schmidt
- IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425, Jülich, Germany,
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15
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Barah P, Bones AM. Multidimensional approaches for studying plant defence against insects: from ecology to omics and synthetic biology. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:479-93. [PMID: 25538257 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The biggest challenge for modern biology is to integrate multidisciplinary approaches towards understanding the organizational and functional complexity of biological systems at different hierarchies, starting from the subcellular molecular mechanisms (microscopic) to the functional interactions of ecological communities (macroscopic). The plant-insect interaction is a good model for this purpose with the availability of an enormous amount of information at the molecular and the ecosystem levels. Changing global climatic conditions are abruptly resetting plant-insect interactions. Integration of discretely located heterogeneous information from the ecosystem to genes and pathways will be an advantage to understand the complexity of plant-insect interactions. This review will present the recent developments in omics-based high-throughput experimental approaches, with particular emphasis on studying plant defence responses against insect attack. The review highlights the importance of using integrative systems approaches to study plant-insect interactions from the macroscopic to the microscopic level. We analyse the current efforts in generating, integrating and modelling multiomics data to understand plant-insect interaction at a systems level. As a future prospect, we highlight the growing interest in utilizing the synthetic biology platform for engineering insect-resistant plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Barah
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Atle M Bones
- Cell Molecular Biology and Genomics Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), N 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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Yang Y, Li X, Kong X, Ma L, Hu X, Yang Y. Transcriptome analysis reveals diversified adaptation of Stipa purpurea along a drought gradient on the Tibetan Plateau. Funct Integr Genomics 2014; 15:295-307. [PMID: 25471470 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-014-0419-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Natural selection drives species adaptations to biotic and abiotic stresses. Species distributed along a moisture gradient, such as Stipa purpurea, a dominant grass in alpine arid and semi-arid meadows on the Tibetan Plateau, provide an opportunity to evaluate the effects of long-term adaptation to differing degrees of drought stress on gene expression. However, the genetic basis of this divergence remains largely unknown. Next-generation sequencing technologies have provided important genome-wide insights on the evolution of organisms for which genomic information is lacking. To understand how S. purpurea responds to drought stress, we selected five populations distributed along the degressive rainfall line on the northwestern Tibetan Plateau that currently present evolutionary acclimation to localized drought pressure at the physiological and biochemical levels and compared their transcriptome responses. In addition, we performed de novo assembly of the S. purpurea transcriptome using short read sequencing technology and successfully assembled 84,298 unigenes from approximately 51 million sequencing reads. We quantified gene expression level to compare their transcriptome responses using mRNA-Seq and identified differentially expressed transcripts that are involved in primary and secondary plant metabolism, plant hormone synthesis, defense responses, and cell wall synthesis. Furthermore, physiological and biochemical evidence supports that abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation and cell wall strengthening derived from the differential transcripts contribute to the tolerance of S. purpurea to drought stress. The mechanisms by which S. purpurea adapts to drought stress provide new insight into how plants ecologically adapt and evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunqiang Yang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, 650204, China
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Mitsunami T, Nishihara M, Galis I, Alamgir KM, Hojo Y, Fujita K, Sasaki N, Nemoto K, Sawasaki T, Arimura GI. Overexpression of the PAP1 transcription factor reveals a complex regulation of flavonoid and phenylpropanoid metabolism in Nicotiana tabacum plants attacked by Spodoptera litura. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108849. [PMID: 25268129 PMCID: PMC4182574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Anthocyanin pigments and associated flavonoids have demonstrated antioxidant properties and benefits for human health. Consequently, current plant bioengineers have focused on how to modify flavonoid metabolism in plants. Most of that research, however, does not consider the role of natural biotic stresses (e.g., herbivore attack). To understand the influence of herbivore attack on the metabolic engineering of flavonoids, we examined tobacco plants overexpressing the Arabidopsis PAP1 gene (encoding an MYB transcription factor), which accumulated anthocyanin pigments and other flavonoids/phenylpropanoids. In comparison to wild-type and control plants, transgenic plants exhibited greater resistance to Spodoptera litura. Moreover, herbivory suppressed the PAP1-induced increase of transcripts of flavonoid/phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes (e.g., F3H) and the subsequent accumulation of these genes' metabolites, despite the unaltered PAP1 mRNA levels after herbivory. The instances of down-regulation were independent of the signaling pathways mediated by defense-related jasmonates but were relevant to the levels of PAP1-induced and herbivory-suppressed transcription factors, An1a and An1b. Although initially F3H transcripts were suppressed by herbivory, after the S. litura feeding was interrupted, F3H transcripts increased. We hypothesize that in transgenic plants responding to herbivory, there is a complex mechanism regulating enriched flavonoid/phenylpropanoid compounds, via biotic stress signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Mitsunami
- Department of Biological Science & Technology, Faculty of Industrial Science & Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Ivan Galis
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Kabir Md Alamgir
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Yuko Hojo
- Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Kurashiki, Japan
| | - Kohei Fujita
- Iwate Biotechnology Research Center, Kitakami, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Gen-ichiro Arimura
- Department of Biological Science & Technology, Faculty of Industrial Science & Technology, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
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