Acylation of non-specific phospholipase C4 determines its function in plant response to phosphate deficiency

Nonspecific phospholipases C3 and C4 interact with PIN-FORMED2 to regulate growth and tropic responses in Arabidopsis

The dynamic changes in membrane phospholipids affect membrane biophysical properties and cell signaling, thereby influencing numerous biological processes. Nonspecific phospholipase C (NPC) enzymes hydrolyze common phospholipids to release diacylglycerol (DAG), which is converted to phosphatidic acid (PA) and other lipids. In this study, 2 Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) tandemly arrayed genes, NPC3 and NPC4, were identified as critical factors modulating auxin-controlled plant growth and tropic responses. Moreover, NPC3 and NPC4 were shown to interact with the auxin efflux transporter PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2). The loss of NPC3 and NPC4 enhanced the endocytosis and vacuolar degradation of PIN2, which disrupted auxin gradients and slowed gravitropic and halotropic responses. Furthermore, auxin-triggered activation of NPC3 and NPC4 is required for the asymmetric PA distribution that controls PIN2 trafficking dynamics and auxin-dependent tropic responses. Collectively, our study reveals an NPC-derived PA signaling pathway in Arabidopsis auxin fluxes that is essential for fine-tuning the balance between root growth and environmental responses.

The story of a decade: Genomics, functional genomics, and molecular breeding in Brassica napus

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is one of the major global sources of edible vegetable oil and is also used as a feed and pioneer crop and for sightseeing and industrial purposes. Improvements in genome sequencing and molecular marker technology have fueled a boom in functional genomic studies of major agronomic characters such as yield, quality, flowering time, and stress resistance. Moreover, introgression and pyramiding of key functional genes have greatly accelerated the genetic improvement of important traits. Here we summarize recent progress in rapeseed genomics and genetics, and we discuss effective molecular breeding strategies by exploring these findings in rapeseed. These insights will extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms and regulatory networks underlying agronomic traits and facilitate the breeding process, ultimately contributing to more sustainable agriculture throughout the world.

Degradation of glycosylinositol phosphoceramide during plant tissue homogenization

A convenient method for the determination of plant sphingolipids (glycosylinositol phosphoceramide, GIPC; glucosylceramide, GluCer; phytoceramide 1-phosphate, PC1P and phytoceramide, PCer) was developed. This method includes the extraction of lipids using 1-butanol, alkali hydrolysis with methylamine and separation by TLC. The amounts of sphingolipids in the sample were determined based on the relative intensities of standard sphingolipids visualized by primulin/UV on TLC. Using this method, we found that almost all GIPCs were degraded in response to tissue homogenization in cruciferous plants (cabbage, broccoli and Arabidopsis thaliana). The decrease in GIPCs was compensated for by increases in PC1P and PCer, indicating that GIPC was degraded by hydrolysis at the D and C positions of GIPC, respectively. In carrot roots and leaves, most of GIPC degradation was compensated for by an increase in PCer. In rice roots, the decrease in GIPCs was not fully explained by the increases in PC1P and PCer, indicating that enzymes other than phospholipase C and D activities operated. As the visualization of lipids on TLC is useful for detecting the appearance or disappearance of lipids, this method will be available for the characterization of metabolism of sphingolipids in plants.

Non-specific phospholipase C4 hydrolyzes phosphosphingolipids and phosphoglycerolipids and promotes rapeseed growth and yield

Phosphorus is a major nutrient vital for plant growth and development, with a substantial amount of cellular phosphorus being used for the biosynthesis of membrane phospholipids. Here, we report that NON-SPECIFIC PHOSPHOLIPASE C4 (NPC4) in rapeseed (Brassica napus) releases phosphate from phospholipids to promote growth and seed yield, as plants with altered NPC4 levels showed significant changes in seed production under different phosphate conditions. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9)-mediated knockout of BnaNPC4 led to elevated accumulation of phospholipids and decreased growth, whereas overexpression (OE) of BnaNPC4 resulted in lower phospholipid contents and increased plant growth and seed production. We demonstrate that BnaNPC4 hydrolyzes phosphosphingolipids and phosphoglycerolipids in vitro, and plants with altered BnaNPC4 function displayed changes in their sphingolipid and glycerolipid contents in roots, with a greater change in glycerolipids than sphingolipids in leaves, particularly under phosphate deficiency conditions. In addition, BnaNPC4-OE plants led to the upregulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism, phosphate release, and phosphate transport and an increase in free inorganic phosphate in leaves. These results indicate that BnaNPC4 hydrolyzes phosphosphingolipids and phosphoglycerolipids in rapeseed to enhance phosphate release from membrane phospholipids and promote growth and seed production.

Two aspartic proteases, BnaAP36s and BnaAP39s, regulate pollen tube guidance in Brassica napus

Pollen tube (PT) growth towards the micropyle is critical for successful double fertilization. However, the mechanism of micropyle-directed PT growth is still unclear in Brassica napus. In this study, two aspartate proteases, BnaAP36s and BnaAP39s, were identified in B. napus. BnaAP36s and BnaAP39s were localized to the plasma membrane. The homologues of BnaAP36 and BnaAP39 were highly expressed in flower organs, especially in the anther. Sextuple and double mutants of BnaAP36s and BnaAP39s were then generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Compared to WT, the seed-set of cr-bnaap36 and cr-bnaap39 mutants was reduced by 50% and 60%, respectively. The reduction in seed-set was also found when cr-bnaap36 and cr-bnaap39 were used as the female parent in a reciprocal cross assay. Like WT, cr-bnaap36 and cr-bnaap39 pollen were able to germinate and the relative PTs were able to elongate in style. Approximately 36% and 33% of cr-bnaap36 and cr-bnaap39 PTs, respectively, failed to grow towards the micropyle, indicating that BnaAP36s and BnaAP39s are essential for micropyle-directed PT growth. Furthermore, Alexander's staining showed that 10% of cr-bnaap39 pollen grains were aborted, but not cr-bnaap36, suggesting that BnaAP39s may also affect microspore development. These results suggest that BnaAP36s and BnaAP39s play a critical role in the growth of micropyle-directed PTs in B. napus.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01377-1.

Insights into the mechanism of phospholipid hydrolysis by plant non-specific phospholipase C

Non-specific phospholipase C (NPC) hydrolyzes major membrane phospholipids to release diacylglycerol (DAG), a potent lipid-derived messenger regulating cell functions. Despite extensive studies on NPCs reveal their fundamental roles in plant growth and development, the mechanistic understanding of phospholipid-hydrolyzing by NPCs, remains largely unknown. Here we report the crystal structure of Arabidopsis NPC4 at a resolution of 2.1 Å. NPC4 is divided into a phosphoesterase domain (PD) and a C-terminal domain (CTD), and is structurally distinct from other characterized phospholipases. The previously uncharacterized CTD is indispensable for the full activity of NPC4. Mechanistically, CTD contributes NPC4 activity mainly via CTD^α1-PD interaction, which ultimately stabilizes the catalytic pocket in PD. Together with a series of structure-guided biochemical studies, our work elucidates the structural basis and provides molecular mechanism of phospholipid hydrolysis by NPC4, and adds new insights into the members of phospholipase family.

Nonspecific phospholipase C3 of radish has phospholipase D activity towards glycosylinositol phosphoceramide

Glycosylinositol phosphoceramide (GIPC) is a major sphingolipid in the plasma membranes of plants. Previously, we found an enzyme activity that produces phytoceramide 1-phosphate (PC1P) by hydrolysis of the D position of GIPC in cabbage and named this activity as GIPC-phospholipase D (PLD). Here, we purified GIPC-PLD by sequential chromatography from radish roots. Peptide mass fingerprinting analysis revealed that the potential candidate for GIPC-PLD protein was nonspecific phospholipase C3 (NPC3), which has not been characterized as a PLD. The recombinant NPC3 protein obtained by heterologous expression system in Escherichia coli produced PC1P from GIPC and showed essentially the same enzymatic properties as those we characterized as GIPC-PLD in cabbage, radish and Arabidopsis thaliana. From these results, we conclude that NPC3 is one of the enzymes that degrade GIPC.

Pyruvate transporter BnaBASS2 impacts seed oil accumulation in Brassica napus

Bile acid: sodium symporter family protein 2 (BASS2) is a sodium-dependent pyruvate transporter, which transports pyruvate from cytosol into plastid in plants. In this study, we investigated the function of chloroplast envelope membrane-localized BnaBASS2 in seed metabolism and seed oil accumulation of Brassica napus (B. napus). Four BASS2 genes were identified in the genome of B. napus. BnaA05.BASS2 was overexpressed while BnaA05.BASS2 and BnaC04.BASS2-1 were mutated by CRISPR in B. napus. Metabolite analysis revealed that the manipulation of BnaBASS2 caused significant changes in glycolysis-, fatty acid synthesis-, and energy-related metabolites in the chloroplasts of 31 day-after-flowering (DAF) seeds. The analysis of fatty acids and lipids in developing seeds showed that BnaBASS2 could affect lipid metabolism and oil accumulation in developing seeds. Moreover, the overexpression (OE) of BnaA05.BASS2 could promote the expression level of multiple genes involved in the synthesis of oil and the formation of oil body during seed development. Disruption of BnaA05.BASS2 and BnaC04.BASS2-1 resulted in decreasing the seed oil content (SOC) by 2.8%-5.0%, while OE of BnaA05.BASS2 significantly promoted the SOC by 1.4%-3.4%. Together, our results suggest that BnaBASS2 is a potential target gene for breeding B. napus with high SOC.

Advances in Plant Lipid Metabolism Responses to Phosphate Scarcity

Low phosphate (Pi) availability in soils severely limits crop growth and production. Plants have evolved to have numerous physiological and molecular adaptive mechanisms to cope with Pi starvation. The release of Pi from membrane phospholipids is considered to improve plant phosphorus (P) utilization efficiency in response to Pi starvation and accompanies membrane lipid remodeling. In this review, we summarize recent discoveries related to this topic and the molecular basis of membrane phospholipid alteration and triacylglycerol metabolism in response to Pi depletion in plants at different subcellular levels. These findings will help to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to Pi starvation and thus help to develop crop cultivars with high P utilization efficiency.

Protein S-acyltransferases and acyl protein thioesterases, regulation executors of protein S-acylation in plants

Protein S-acylation, also known as palmitoylation, is an important lipid post-translational modification of proteins in eukaryotes. S-acylation plays critical roles in a variety of protein functions involved in plant development and responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. The status of S-acylation on proteins is dynamic and reversible, which is catalyzed by protein S-acyltransferases (PATs) and reversed by acyl protein thioesterases. The cycle of S-acylation and de-S-acylation provides a molecular mechanism for membrane-associated proteins to undergo cycling and trafficking between different cell compartments and thus works as a switch to initiate or terminate particular signaling transductions on the membrane surface. In plants, thousands of proteins have been identified to be S-acylated through proteomics. Many S-acylated proteins and quite a few PAT-substrate pairs have been functionally characterized. A recently characterized acyl protein thioesterases family, ABAPT family proteins in Arabidopsis, has provided new insights into the de-S-acylation process. However, our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms controlling the S-acylation and de-S-acylation process is surprisingly incomplete. In this review, we discuss how protein S-acylation level is regulated with the focus on catalyzing enzymes in plants. We also propose the challenges and potential developments for the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms controlling protein S-acylation in plants.

Validating a Major Quantitative Trait Locus and Predicting Candidate Genes Associated With Kernel Width Through QTL Mapping and RNA-Sequencing Technology Using Near-Isogenic Lines in Maize

Kernel size is an important agronomic trait for grain yield in maize. The purpose of this study was to validate a major quantitative trait locus (QTL), qKW-1, which was identified in the F₂ and F_2:3 populations from a cross between the maize inbred lines SG5/SG7 and to predict candidate genes for kernel width (KW) in maize. A major QTL, qKW-1, was mapped in multiple environments in our previous study. To validate and fine map qKW-1, near-isogenic lines (NILs) with 469 individuals were developed by continuous backcrossing between SG5 as the donor parent and SG7 as the recurrent parent. Marker-assisted selection was conducted from the BC₂F₁ generation with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers near qKW-1. A secondary linkage map with four markers, PLK12, PLK13, PLK15, and PLK17, was developed and used for mapping the qKW-1 locus. Finally, qKW-1 was mapped between the PLK12 and PLK13 intervals, with a distance of 2.23 cM to PLK12 and 0.04 cM to PLK13, a confidence interval of 5.3 cM and a phenotypic contribution rate of 23.8%. The QTL mapping result obtained was further validated by using selected overlapping recombinant chromosomes on the target segment of maize chromosome 3. Transcriptome analysis showed that a total of 12 out of 45 protein-coding genes differentially expressed between the two parents were detected in the identified qKW-1 physical interval by blasting with the Zea_Mays_B73 v4 genome. GRMZM2G083176 encodes the Niemann-Pick disease type C, and GRMZM2G081719 encodes the nitrate transporter 1 (NRT1) protein. The two genes GRMZM2G083176 and GRMZM2G081719 were predicted to be candidate genes of qKW-1. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) validation was conducted, and the results provide further proof of the two candidate genes most likely responsible for qKW-1. The work will not only help to understand the genetic mechanisms of KW in maize but also lay a foundation for further cloning of promising loci.

Screening DHHCs of S-acylated proteins using an OsDHHC cDNA library and bimolecular fluorescence complementation in rice

S-acylation is an important lipid modification that primarily involves DHHC proteins (DHHCs) and associated S-acylated proteins. No DHHC-S-acylated protein pair has been reported so far in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and the molecular mechanisms underlying S-acylation in plants are largely unknown. We constructed an OsDHHC cDNA library for screening corresponding pairs of DHHCs and S-acylated proteins using bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. Five DHHC-S-acylated protein pairs (OsDHHC30-OsCBL2, OsDHHC30-OsCBL3, OsDHHC18-OsNOA1, OsDHHC13-OsNAC9, and OsDHHC14-GSD1) were identified in rice. Among the pairs, OsCBL2 and OsCBL3 were S-acylated by OsDHHC30 in yeast and rice. The localization of OsCBL2 and OsCBL3 in the endomembrane depended on S-acylation mediated by OsDHHC30. Meanwhile, all four OsDHHCs screened complemented the thermosensitive phenotype of an akr1 yeast mutant, and their DHHC motifs were required for S-acyltransferase activity. Overexpression of OsDHHC30 in rice plants improved their salt and oxidative tolerance. Together, these results contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying S-acylation in plants.

The functions of phospholipases and their hydrolysis products in plant growth, development and stress responses

Cell membranes are the initial site of stimulus perception from environment and phospholipids are the basic and important components of cell membranes. Phospholipases hydrolyze membrane lipids to generate various cellular mediators. These phospholipase-derived products, such as diacylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, inositol phosphates, lysophopsholipids, and free fatty acids, act as second messengers, playing vital roles in signal transduction during plant growth, development, and stress responses. This review focuses on the structure, substrate specificities, reaction requirements, and acting mechanism of several phospholipase families. It will discuss their functional significance in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In addition, it will highlight some critical knowledge gaps in the action mechanism, metabolic and signaling roles of these phospholipases and their products in the context of plant growth, development and stress responses.