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Fitzgibbons E, Lastovich J, Scott S, Groth N, Grusz AL, Busta L. Herbarium specimens as tools for exploring the evolution of fatty acid-derived natural products in plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 39171845 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Plants synthesize natural products via lineage-specific offshoots of their core metabolic pathways, including fatty acid synthesis. Recent studies have shed light on new fatty acid-derived natural products and their biosynthetic pathways in disparate plant species. Inspired by this progress, we set out to develop tools for exploring the evolution of fatty-acid derived products. We sampled multiple species from all major clades of euphyllophytes, including ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms (monocots and eudicots), and we show that the compositional profiles (though not necessarily the total amounts) of fatty-acid derived surface waxes from preserved plant specimens are consistent with those obtained from freshly collected tissue in a semi-quantitative and sometimes quantitative manner. We then sampled herbarium specimens representing 57 monocot species to assess the phylogenetic distribution and evolution, of two fatty acid-derived natural products found in that clade: beta-diketones and alkylresorcinols. These chemical data, combined with analyses of 26 monocot genomes, revealed a co-occurrence (though not necessarily a causal relationship) between whole genome duplication and the evolution of diketone synthases from an ancestral alkylresorcinol synthase-like polyketide synthase. Limitations of using herbarium specimen wax profiles as proxies for those of fresh tissue seem likely to include effects from loss of epicuticular wax crystals, effects from preservation techniques, and variation in wax chemical profiles due to genotype or environment. Nevertheless, this work reinforces the widespread utility of herbarium specimens for studying leaf surface waxes (and possibly other chemical classes) and reveals some of the evolutionary history of fatty acid-derived natural products within monocots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Fitzgibbons
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jacob Lastovich
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Samuel Scott
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Nicole Groth
- Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
| | - Amanda L Grusz
- Department of Biology, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, USA
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Zhi L, Gong X, Zhang H, Liu J, Cao S, Zhang Y, Yan J, Tian W, He Z. Identification of QTL for Alkylresorcinols in Wheat and Development of KASP Markers for Marker-Assisted Selection of Health-Promoting Varieties. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 39052860 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c04674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
This study evaluated alkylresorcinol concentration (ARC) in recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the cross of Zhongmai 578 and Jimai 22 in three environments. ARC exhibited a continuous distribution ranging from 337.4 to 758.0, 495.4-768.0, and 456.3-764.7 μg/g, respectively, in three environments. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated significant (P < 0.001) impacts of genotypes, environments, and their interactions. The broad-sense heritability of ARC was 0.76. Genome-wide linkage mapping analysis identified four stable quantitative trait loci (QTL) for ARC on chromosomes 2A, 3A, 4D, and 7A. Kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) marker of each QTL was developed and validated in 206 representative wheat varieties. Wheat varieties harboring 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 favorable alleles had ARC of 499.1, 587.8, 644.7, 668.5, and 711.1 μg/g, respectively. This study suggests that combining multiple minor-effect QTL through KASP markers can serve as an effective strategy for breeding high-ARC wheat, thereby enhancing innovations in functional food production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhi
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xue Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hongyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jindong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shuanghe Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Zhongyuan Research Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang, 453519, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China
| | - Wenfei Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) China Office, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhonghu He
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resource and Breeding/National Wheat Improvement Centre, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) China Office, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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Targońska-Karasek M, Kwiatek M, Groszyk J, Walczewski J, Kowalczyk M, Pawelec S, Boczkowska M, Rucińska A. Characteristic of the gene candidate SecARS encoding alkylresorcinol synthase in Secale. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:8373-8383. [PMID: 37615923 PMCID: PMC10520190 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08684-y] [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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alkylresorcinols (ARs) are compounds belonging to the class of phenolic lipids. A rich source of ARs are cereal grains such as rye, wheat, triticale or barley. ARs found in plants are characterized by a variety of biological properties such as antimicrobial, antifungal and cytotoxic activity. Moreover, they are proven to have a positive influence on human health. Here, we aimed to find and characterize the gene with ARs synthase activity in the species Secale cereale. METHODS AND RESULTS Using BAC library screening, two BAC clones containing the gene candidate were isolated and sequenced. Bioinformatic analyses of the resulting contigs were used to examine the structure and other features of the gene, including promoter, intron, 3'UTR and 5'UTR. Mapping using the FISH procedure located the gene on the 4R chromosome. Comparative analysis showed that the gene is highly similar to sequences coding for type III polyketide synthase. The level of gene expression in various parts of the plant was investigated, and the biochemical function of the gene was confirmed by heterologous expression in yeast. CONCLUSIONS The conducted analyses contributed to a better understanding of the processes related to ARs synthesis. Although the research concerned the rye model, the knowledge gained may help in understanding the genetic basis of ARs biosynthesis in other species of the Poaceae family as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Targońska-Karasek
- Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden-Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin, Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Michał Kwiatek
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jolanta Groszyk
- Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute (IHAR), National Research Institute, Radzików, Poland
| | - Jakub Walczewski
- Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute (IHAR), National Research Institute, Radzików, Poland
| | - Mariusz Kowalczyk
- Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, 24-100, Puławy, Poland
| | - Sylwia Pawelec
- Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, State Research Institute, 24-100, Puławy, Poland
| | - Maja Boczkowska
- Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute (IHAR), National Research Institute, Radzików, Poland
| | - Anna Rucińska
- Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden-Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin, Warszawa, Poland
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4
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Zhao C, Tong J, Gao Z, Liu J, Hao Y, Xia X, He Z, Zhang Y, Tian W. Genome-wide association study of alkylresorcinols content in 161 wheat cultivars. J Cereal Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2023.103679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
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5
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Gerasimova SV, Kolosovskaya EV, Vikhorev AV, Korotkova AM, Hertig CW, Genaev MA, Domrachev DV, Morozov SV, Chernyak EI, Shmakov NA, Vasiliev GV, Kochetov AV, Kumlehn J, Khlestkina EK. WAX INDUCER 1 Regulates β-Diketone Biosynthesis by Mediating Expression of the Cer-cqu Gene Cluster in Barley. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076762. [PMID: 37047735 PMCID: PMC10095013 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant surface properties are crucial determinants of resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. The outer layer of the plant cuticle consists of chemically diverse epicuticular waxes. The WAX INDUCER1/SHINE subfamily of APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSIVE FACTORS regulates cuticle properties in plants. In this study, four barley genes homologous to the Arabidopsis thaliana AtWIN1 gene were mutated using RNA-guided Cas9 endonuclease. Mutations in one of them, the HvWIN1 gene, caused a recessive glossy sheath phenotype associated with β-diketone deficiency. A complementation test for win1 knockout (KO) and cer-x mutants showed that Cer-X and WIN1 are allelic variants of the same genomic locus. A comparison of the transcriptome from leaf sheaths of win1 KO and wild-type plants revealed a specific and strong downregulation of a large gene cluster residing at the previously known Cer-cqu locus. Our findings allowed us to postulate that the WIN1 transcription factor in barley is a master mediator of the β-diketone biosynthesis pathway acting through developmental stage- and organ-specific transactivation of the Cer-cqu gene cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia V Gerasimova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | | | - Alexander V Vikhorev
- Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), 190000 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna M Korotkova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Christian W Hertig
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Mikhail A Genaev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Dmitry V Domrachev
- N. N. Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sergey V Morozov
- N. N. Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena I Chernyak
- N. N. Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nikolay A Shmakov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Gennady V Vasiliev
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alex V Kochetov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Jochen Kumlehn
- Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), 06466 Gatersleben, Germany
| | - Elena K Khlestkina
- Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), 190000 Saint Petersburg, Russia
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6
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Scott S, Cahoon EB, Busta L. Variation on a theme: the structures and biosynthesis of specialized fatty acid natural products in plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:954-965. [PMID: 35749584 PMCID: PMC9546235 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plants are able to construct lineage-specific natural products from a wide array of their core metabolic pathways. Considerable progress has been made toward documenting and understanding, for example, phenylpropanoid natural products derived from phosphoenolpyruvate via the shikimate pathway, terpenoid compounds built using isopentyl pyrophosphate, and alkaloids generated by the extensive modification of amino acids. By comparison, natural products derived from fatty acids have received little attention, except for unusual fatty acids in seed oils and jasmonate-like oxylipins. However, scattered but numerous reports show that plants are able to generate many structurally diverse compounds from fatty acids, including some with highly elaborate and unique structural features that have novel bioproduct functionalities. Furthermore, although recent work has shed light on multiple new fatty acid natural product biosynthesis pathways and products in diverse plant species, these discoveries have not been reviewed. The aims of this work, therefore, are to (i) review and systematize our current knowledge of the structures and biosynthesis of fatty acid-derived natural products that are not seed oils or jasmonate-type oxylipins, specifically, polyacetylenic, very-long-chain, and aromatic fatty acid-derived natural products, and (ii) suggest priorities for future investigative steps that will bring our knowledge of fatty acid-derived natural products closer to the levels of knowledge that we have attained for other phytochemical classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Scott
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluth55812MNUSA
| | - Edgar B. Cahoon
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincoln68588NEUSA
- Center for Plant Science InnovationUniversity of Nebraska LincolnLincoln68588NEUSA
| | - Lucas Busta
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Minnesota DuluthDuluth55812MNUSA
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7
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The Role of Resorcinolic Lipids of Caryopsis Surface in the Process of Cereal Infection by Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium culmorum. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12157735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cereal caryopses are rich in 5-n-alk(en)ylresorcinols, antimicrobial compounds. In this paper, the correlation between the presence of resorcinolic lipids on the surface of cereal grains and the susceptibility of their seedlings to infection by Rhizoctonia solani or Fusarium culmorum was evaluated. The declines in length of both the roots and coleoptiles were observed in barley seedlings of Scarlett and Rabel cultivars grown from the wax-impoverished seeds infected with F92 and F93 strains of Rhizoctonia solani, respectively. Regarding wheat, R. solani F93 significantly reduced only the coleoptile growth. Resorcinolic lipids, being the mixture of homologues with C17–C25 carbon chains, were the only compounds washed off wheat caryopses by chloroform. Moreover, the better anti-Rhizoctonia solani F93 activity of 5-n-alk(en)ylresorcinols of wheat grains than that of rye caryopsis lipids was proven by the poisoned medium technique. Two saturated homologues (C21:0 and C23:0) were the most effective inhibitors of the mycelial growth of this fungus. Thus, the susceptibilities of barley and wheat seedlings to some fungal pathogens have been found to be related to the content and composition of 5-n-alk(en)ylresorcinols in the waxy layer of cereal grains, confirming the protective role of these compounds, during the early stages of cereal development.
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8
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Shestopalov AV, Gaponov AM, Zabolotneva AA, Appolonova SA, Markin PA, Borisenko OV, Tutelyan AV, Rumyantsev AG, Teplyakova ED, Shin VF, Savchuk DV, Volkova NI, Ganenko LA, Makarov VV, Yudin SM, Rumyantsev SA. Alkylresorcinols: New Potential Bioregulators in the Superorganism System (Human–Microbiota). BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022030153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Aslam M, Aparato VPM, Suh DY. (2'-Oxo)alkylresorcinols restore dehydration tolerance in a knockout line of PpORS, a bryophyte-specific type III polyketide synthase in Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens. PLANTA 2022; 255:129. [PMID: 35587293 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-03909-z] [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: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
PpORS-produced 2'-oxo-5-pentacosylresorcinol (2'-oxo-C25-RL) restored dehydration tolerance in ors-3, a knockout mutant of PpORS. Feeding experiments with [14C]-2'-oxo-C25-RL suggested the role of PpORS products in cuticular polymer that confer dehydration resistance. 2'-Oxoalkylresorcinol synthase from the moss Physcomitrium (Physcomitrella) patens (PpORS) is the earliest diverged member of plant type III polyketide synthases, and produces very-long-chain 2'-oxoalkylresorcinols in vitro. Targeted knockouts of PpORS (ors) exhibited an abnormal phenotype (increased susceptibility to dehydration), and a defective cuticle in ors was suggested (Li et al., Planta 247:527-541, 2018). In the present study, we investigated chemical rescue of the ors phenotype and also metabolic fates of the PpORS products in the moss. Using C24-CoA as substrate, 2'-oxo-5-pentacosylresorcinol (2'-oxo-C25-RL) and two minor pyrones were first enzymatically prepared as total in vitro products. When a knockout mutant (ors-3) and control strains were grown in the presence of the total in vitro products or purified 2'-oxo-C25-RL, the ability of ors-3 and the control to survive dehydration stress increased in a dose-dependent manner. Structurally analogous long-chain alkylresorcinols also rescued the ors phenotype, although less efficiently. When the moss was grown in the presence of 14C-radiolabeled 2'-oxo-C25-RL, 96% of the radioactivity was recovered only after acid hydrolysis. These findings led us to propose that 2'-oxoalkylresorcinols are the functional in planta products of PpORS and are incorporated into cuticular biopolymers that confer resistance to dehydration. In addition, the earliest diverging ORS clade in phylogenetic trees of plant type III PKSs exclusively comprises bryophyte enzymes that share similar active site substitutions with PpORS. Further studies on these bryophyte enzymes may shed light on their roles in early plant evolution and offer a novel strategy for improving dehydration tolerance in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misbah Aslam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Vincent P M Aparato
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Dae-Yeon Suh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada.
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10
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Laskoś K, Czyczyło‐Mysza IM, Dziurka M, Noga A, Góralska M, Bartyzel J, Myśków B. Correlation between leaf epicuticular wax composition and structure, physio-biochemical traits and drought resistance in glaucous and non-glaucous near-isogenic lines of rye. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 108:93-119. [PMID: 34288188 PMCID: PMC9291005 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this research was to investigate the differences between glaucous and non-glaucous near-isogenic lines (NILs) of winter rye (Secale cereale L.) in terms of epicuticular wax layer properties (weight, composition, and crystal morphology), selected physiological and biochemical responses, yield components, above-ground biomass, and plant height under soil drought stress. An important aspect of this analysis was to examine the correlation between the above characteristics. Two different NIL pairs were tested, each consisting of a typical glaucous line and a non-glaucous line with a recessive mutation. The drought experiment was conducted twice (2015-2016). Our study showed that wax accumulation during drought was not correlated with higher leaf hydration and glaucousness. Environmental factors had a large impact on the response of the lines to drought in individual years, both in terms of physiological and biochemical reactions, and the composition of epicuticular leaf wax. The analysed pairs displayed significantly different responses to drought. Demonstration of the correlation between the components of rye leaf wax and the physiological and biochemical parameters of rye NILs is a significant achievement of this work. Interestingly, the study showed a correlation between the wax components and the content of photosynthetic pigments and tocopherols, whose biosynthesis, similarly to the biosynthesis of wax precursors, is mainly located in chloroplasts. This suggests a relationship between wax biosynthesis and plant response to various environmental conditions and drought stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamila Laskoś
- The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology Polish Academy of SciencesNiezapominajek 2130‐239Kraków
Poland
| | - Ilona M. Czyczyło‐Mysza
- The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology Polish Academy of SciencesNiezapominajek 2130‐239Kraków
Poland
| | - Michał Dziurka
- The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology Polish Academy of SciencesNiezapominajek 2130‐239Kraków
Poland
| | - Angelika Noga
- The Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology Polish Academy of SciencesNiezapominajek 2130‐239Kraków
Poland
| | - Magdalena Góralska
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and BiotechnologyWest‐Pomeranian University of TechnologySłowackiego 1771‐434SzczecinPoland
| | - Jakub Bartyzel
- Department of Applied Nuclear PhysicsFaculty of Physics and Applied Computer ScienceAGH University of Science and TechnologyMickiewicza 330‐059KrakówPoland
| | - Beata Myśków
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and BiotechnologyWest‐Pomeranian University of TechnologySłowackiego 1771‐434SzczecinPoland
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11
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Sun Y, Hegebarth D, Jetter R. Acyl-CoA desaturase ADS4.2 is involved in the formation of characteristic wax alkenes in young Arabidopsis leaves. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 186:1812-1831. [PMID: 33890667 PMCID: PMC8331147 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Monounsaturated alkenes are present in the cuticular waxes of diverse plants and are thought to play important roles in their interactions with abiotic and biotic factors. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf wax has been reported to contain alkenes; however, their biosynthesis has not been investigated to date. Here, we found that these alkenes have mainly ω-7 and ω-9 double bonds in characteristically long hydrocarbon chains ranging from C33 to C37. A screening of desaturase-deficient mutants showed that a single desaturase belonging to the acyl-CoA desaturase (ADS) family, previously reported as ADS4.2, was responsible for introducing double bonds en route to the wax alkenes. ADS4.2 was highly expressed in young leaves, especially in trichomes, where the alkenes are known to accumulate. The enzyme showed strong activity on acyl substrates longer than C32 and ω-7 product regio-specificity when expressed in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Its endoplasmic reticulum localization further confirmed that ADS4.2 has access to very-long-chain fatty acyl-CoA substrates. The upstream biosynthesis pathways providing substrates to ADS4.2 and the downstream reactions forming the alkene products in Arabidopsis were further clarified by alkene analysis of mutants deficient in other wax biosynthesis genes. Overall, our results show that Arabidopsis produces wax alkenes through a unique elongation-desaturation pathway, which requires the participation of ADS4.2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Sun
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Daniela Hegebarth
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Reinhard Jetter
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Author for communication:
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12
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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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