1
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Plackett ARG, Hibberd JM. Rice bundle sheath cell shape is regulated by the timing of light exposure during leaf development. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:2597-2613. [PMID: 38549236 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Plant leaves contain multiple cell types which achieve distinct characteristics whilst still coordinating development within the leaf. The bundle sheath possesses larger individual cells and lower chloroplast content than the adjacent mesophyll, but how this morphology is achieved remains unknown. To identify regulatory mechanisms determining bundle sheath cell morphology we tested the effects of perturbing environmental (light) and endogenous signals (hormones) during leaf development of Oryza sativa (rice). Total chloroplast area in bundle sheath cells was found to increase with cell size as in the mesophyll but did not maintain a 'set-point' relationship, with the longest bundle sheath cells demonstrating the lowest chloroplast content. Application of exogenous cytokinin and gibberellin significantly altered the relationship between cell size and chloroplast biosynthesis in the bundle sheath, increasing chloroplast content of the longest cells. Delayed exposure to light reduced the mean length of bundle sheath cells but increased corresponding leaf length, whereas premature light reduced final leaf length but did not affect bundle sheath cells. This suggests that the plant hormones cytokinin and gibberellin are regulators of the bundle sheath cell-chloroplast relationship and that final bundle sheath length may potentially be affected by light-mediated control of exit from the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Karthick PV, Senthil A, Djanaguiraman M, Anitha K, Kuttimani R, Boominathan P, Karthikeyan R, Raveendran M. Improving Crop Yield through Increasing Carbon Gain and Reducing Carbon Loss. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1317. [PMID: 38794389 PMCID: PMC11124956 DOI: 10.3390/plants13101317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is a process where solar energy is utilized to convert atmospheric CO2 into carbohydrates, which forms the basis for plant productivity. The increasing demand for food has created a global urge to enhance yield. Earlier, the plant breeding program was targeting the yield and yield-associated traits to enhance the crop yield. However, the yield cannot be further improved without improving the leaf photosynthetic rate. Hence, in this review, various strategies to enhance leaf photosynthesis were presented. The most promising strategies were the optimization of Rubisco carboxylation efficiency, the introduction of a CO2 concentrating mechanism in C3 plants, and the manipulation of photorespiratory bypasses in C3 plants, which are discussed in detail. Improving Rubisco's carboxylation efficiency is possible by engineering targets such as Rubisco subunits, chaperones, and Rubisco activase enzyme activity. Carbon-concentrating mechanisms can be introduced in C3 plants by the adoption of pyrenoid and carboxysomes, which can increase the CO2 concentration around the Rubisco enzyme. Photorespiration is the process by which the fixed carbon is lost through an oxidative process. Different approaches to reduce carbon and nitrogen loss were discussed. Overall, the potential approaches to improve the photosynthetic process and the way forward were discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palanivelu Vikram Karthick
- Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India; (P.V.K.); (M.D.); (K.A.); (R.K.); (P.B.)
| | - Alagarswamy Senthil
- Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India; (P.V.K.); (M.D.); (K.A.); (R.K.); (P.B.)
| | - Maduraimuthu Djanaguiraman
- Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India; (P.V.K.); (M.D.); (K.A.); (R.K.); (P.B.)
| | - Kuppusamy Anitha
- Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India; (P.V.K.); (M.D.); (K.A.); (R.K.); (P.B.)
| | - Ramalingam Kuttimani
- Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India; (P.V.K.); (M.D.); (K.A.); (R.K.); (P.B.)
| | - Parasuraman Boominathan
- Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India; (P.V.K.); (M.D.); (K.A.); (R.K.); (P.B.)
| | - Ramasamy Karthikeyan
- Directorate of Crop Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India;
| | - Muthurajan Raveendran
- Directorate of Research, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641003, India;
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3
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Vlad D, Zaidem M, Perico C, Sedelnikova O, Bhattacharya S, Langdale JA. The WIP6 transcription factor TOO MANY LATERALS specifies vein type in C 4 and C 3 grass leaves. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1670-1686.e10. [PMID: 38531358 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Grass leaves are invariantly strap shaped with an elongated distal blade and a proximal sheath that wraps around the stem. Underpinning this shape is a scaffold of leaf veins, most of which extend in parallel along the proximo-distal leaf axis. Differences between species are apparent both in the vein types that develop and in the distance between veins across the medio-lateral leaf axis. A prominent engineering goal is to increase vein density in leaves of C3 photosynthesizing species to facilitate the introduction of the more efficient C4 pathway. Here, we discover that the WIP6 transcription factor TOO MANY LATERALS (TML) specifies vein rank in both maize (C4) and rice (C3). Loss-of-function tml mutations cause large lateral veins to develop in positions normally occupied by smaller intermediate veins, and TML transcript localization in wild-type leaves is consistent with a role in suppressing lateral vein development in procambial cells that form intermediate veins. Attempts to manipulate TML function in rice were unsuccessful because transgene expression was silenced, suggesting that precise TML expression is essential for shoot viability. This finding may reflect the need to prevent the inappropriate activation of downstream targets or, given that transcriptome analysis revealed altered cytokinin and auxin signaling profiles in maize tml mutants, the need to prevent local or general hormonal imbalances. Importantly, rice tml mutants display an increased occupancy of veins in the leaf, providing a step toward an anatomical chassis for C4 engineering. Collectively, a conserved mechanism of vein rank specification in grass leaves has been revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Vlad
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Maricris Zaidem
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Chiara Perico
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Olga Sedelnikova
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Samik Bhattacharya
- Resolve BioSciences GmbH, Alfred-Nobel-Straße 10, 40789 Monheim am Rhein, Germany
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK.
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4
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Slewinski TL. Plant development: Laying the foundation for high-performance photosynthesis. Curr Biol 2024; 34:R326-R328. [PMID: 38653202 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
A new study shows that TOO MANY LATERALS/WIP6 acts as a key regulator of vein specification and development across C3 and C4 photosynthetic grasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas L Slewinski
- Lead of Crop Efficiency and Disease Discovery, Bayer Crop Science, Biotechnology Division, 700 Chesterfield Parkway West, Chesterfield, MO 63017, USA; Adjunct Faculty, Department of Plant Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65201, USA. thomas.slewinski,@,bayer.com
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5
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Bano Z, Westhoff P. A K homology (KH) domain protein identified by a forward genetic screen affects bundle sheath anatomy in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLANT DIRECT 2024; 8:e577. [PMID: 38576996 PMCID: PMC10990680 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Because of their photosynthetic capacity, leaves function as solar panels providing the basis for the growth of the entire plant. Although the molecular mechanisms of leaf development have been well studied in model dicot and monocot species, a lot of information is still needed about the interplay of the genes that regulate cell division and differentiation and thereby affect the photosynthetic performance of the leaf. We were specifically interested in understanding the differentiation of mesophyll and bundle sheath cells in Arabidopsis thaliana and aimed to identify genes that are involved in determining bundle sheath anatomy. To this end, we established a forward genetic screen by using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) for mutagenizing a reporter line expressing a chloroplast-targeted green fluorescent protein (sGFP) under the control of a bundle sheath-specific promoter. Based on the GFP fluorescence phenotype, numerous mutants were produced, and by pursuing a mapping-by-sequencing approach, the genomic segments containing mutated candidate genes were identified. One of the lines with an enhanced GFP fluorescence phenotype (named ELEVATED BUNDLE SHEATH CELLS SIGNAL 1 [ebss1]) was selected for further study, and the responsible gene was verified by CRISPR/Cas9-based mutagenesis of candidate genes located in the mapped genomic segment. The verified gene, At2g25970, encodes a K homology (KH) domain-containing protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahida Bano
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental BiologyHeinrich‐Heine‐UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Peter Westhoff
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental BiologyHeinrich‐Heine‐UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
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6
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Silva‐Alvim FAL, Alvim JC, Harvey A, Blatt MR. Speedy stomata of a C 4 plant correlate with enhanced K + channel gating. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:817-831. [PMID: 38013592 PMCID: PMC10953386 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Stomata are microscopic pores at the surface of plant leaves that facilitate gaseous diffusion to support photosynthesis. The guard cells around each stoma regulate the pore aperture. Plants that carry out C4 photosynthesis are usually more resilient than C3 plants to stress, and their stomata operate over a lower dynamic range of CO2 within the leaf. What makes guard cells of C4 plants more responsive than those of C3 plants? We used gas exchange and electrophysiology, comparing stomatal kinetics of the C4 plant Gynandropsis gynandra and the phylogenetically related C3 plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We found, with varying CO2 and light, that Gynandropsis showed faster changes in stomata conductance and greater water use efficiency when compared with Arabidopsis. Electrophysiological analysis of the dominant K+ channels showed that the outward-rectifying channels, responsible for K+ loss during stomatal closing, were characterised by a greater maximum conductance and substantial negative shift in the voltage dependence of gating, indicating a reduced inhibition by extracellular K+ and enhanced capacity for K+ flux. These differences correlated with the accelerated stomata kinetics of Gynandropsis, suggesting that subtle changes in the biophysical properties of a key transporter may prove a target for future efforts to engineer C4 stomatal kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonas Chaves Alvim
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Bower BuildingUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Andy Harvey
- Physics & AstronomyUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Michael R. Blatt
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Bower BuildingUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
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7
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Camo-Escobar D, Alcalá-Gutiérrez C, Palafox-Figueroa E, Guillotin B, Hernández-Coronado M, Coyac-Rodríguez JL, Cerbantez-Bueno VE, Vélez-Ramírez A, de Folter S, Birnbaum KD, Ortiz-Ramírez C. A common regulatory switch controls a suite of C4 traits in multiple cell types. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.21.572850. [PMID: 38260543 PMCID: PMC10802423 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.21.572850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The C4 photosynthetic pathway provided a major advantage to plants growing in hot, dry environments, including the ancestors of our most productive crops. Two traits were essential for the evolution of this pathway: increased vein density and the functionalization of bundle sheath cells for photosynthesis. Although GRAS transcriptional regulators, including SHORT ROOT (SHR), have been implicated in mediating leaf patterning in both C3 and C4 species, little is known about what controls the specialized features of the cells that mediate C4 metabolism and physiology. We show in the model monocot, Setaria viridis, that SHR regulates components of multiple cell identities, including chloroplast biogenesis and photosynthetic gene expression in bundle sheath cells, a central feature of C4 plants. Furthermore, we found that it also contributes to the two-cell compartmentalization of the characteristic four-carbon shuttle pathway. Disruption of SHR function clearly reduced photosynthetic capacity and seed yield in mutant plants under heat stress. Together, these results show how cell identities are remodeled by SHR to host the suite of traits characteristic of C4 regulation, which are a main engineering target in non-C4 crops to improve climate resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Camo-Escobar
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
| | - Carlos Alcalá-Gutiérrez
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
| | - Ernesto Palafox-Figueroa
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
| | - Bruno Guillotin
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Marcela Hernández-Coronado
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
| | - José L. Coyac-Rodríguez
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
| | - Vincent E. Cerbantez-Bueno
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
- Present address: Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
| | - Aarón Vélez-Ramírez
- Laboratorio de Investigación Interdisciplinaria, ENES-León, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Guanajuato 37684, México
| | - Stefan de Folter
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
| | - Kenneth D. Birnbaum
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Carlos Ortiz-Ramírez
- UGA Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad, CINVESTAV Irapuato, Guanajuato 36821, México
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8
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Liu Z, Cheng J. C 4 rice engineering, beyond installing a C 4 cycle. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 206:108256. [PMID: 38091938 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.108256] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis in higher plants is carried out by two distinct cell types: mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells, as a result highly concentrated carbon dioxide is released surrounding RuBisCo in chloroplasts of bundle sheath cells and the photosynthetic efficiency is significantly higher than that of C3 plants. The evolution of the dual-cell C4 cycle involved complex modifications to leaf anatomy and cell ultra-structures. These include an increase in leaf venation, the formation of Kranz anatomy, changes in chloroplast morphology in bundle sheath cells, and increases in the density of plasmodesmata at interfaces between the bundle sheath and mesophyll cells. It is predicted that cereals will be in severe worldwide shortage at the mid-term of this century. Rice is a staple food that feeds more than half of the world's population. If rice can be engineered to perform C4 photosynthesis, it is estimated that rice yield will be increased by at least 50% due to enhanced photosynthesis. Thus, the Second Green Revolution has been launched on this principle by genetically installing C4 photosynthesis into C3 crops. The studies on molecular mechanisms underlying the changes in leaf morphoanatomy involved in C4 photosynthesis have made great progress in recent years. As there are plenty of reviews discussing the installment of the C4 cycle, we focus on the current progress and challenges posed to the research regarding leaf anatomy and cell ultra-structure modifications made towards the development of C4 rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, College of Agronomy, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China.
| | - Jinjin Cheng
- College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong, 030801, China
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9
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Schreier TB, Müller KH, Eicke S, Faulkner C, Zeeman SC, Hibberd JM. Plasmodesmal connectivity in C 4 Gynandropsis gynandra is induced by light and dependent on photosynthesis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 241:298-313. [PMID: 37882365 PMCID: PMC10952754 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
In leaves of C4 plants, the reactions of photosynthesis become restricted between two compartments. Typically, this allows accumulation of C4 acids in mesophyll (M) cells and subsequent decarboxylation in the bundle sheath (BS). In C4 grasses, proliferation of plasmodesmata between these cell types is thought to increase cell-to-cell connectivity to allow efficient metabolite movement. However, it is not known whether C4 dicotyledons also show this enhanced plasmodesmal connectivity and so whether this is a general requirement for C4 photosynthesis is not clear. How M and BS cells in C4 leaves become highly connected is also not known. We investigated these questions using 3D- and 2D-electron microscopy on the C4 dicotyledon Gynandropsis gynandra as well as phylogenetically close C3 relatives. The M-BS interface of C4 G. gynandra showed higher plasmodesmal frequency compared with closely related C3 species. Formation of these plasmodesmata was induced by light. Pharmacological agents that perturbed photosynthesis reduced the number of plasmodesmata, but this inhibitory effect could be reversed by the provision of exogenous sucrose. We conclude that enhanced formation of plasmodesmata between M and BS cells is wired to the induction of photosynthesis in C4 G. gynandra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina B. Schreier
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB1 3EAUK
- Present address:
Department of BiologyUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RoadOxfordOX1 3RBUK
| | - Karin H. Müller
- Cambridge Advanced Imaging Centre (CAIC)University of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3DYUK
| | - Simona Eicke
- Institute of Molecular Plant BiologyETH ZurichZurichCH‐8092Switzerland
| | - Christine Faulkner
- Cell and Developmental BiologyJohn Innes CentreNorwich Research ParkNorwichNR4 7UHUK
| | - Samuel C. Zeeman
- Institute of Molecular Plant BiologyETH ZurichZurichCH‐8092Switzerland
| | - Julian M. Hibberd
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB1 3EAUK
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10
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Dong W, Chang T, Dai H, Yang W, Su Y, Chao D, Zhu XG, Wang P, Yu N, Wang E. Creating a C 4-like vein pattern in rice by manipulating SHORT ROOT and auxin levels. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2023; 68:3133-3136. [PMID: 37977916 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Dong
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Tiangen Chang
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Huiling Dai
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Weibing Yang
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yu Su
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Daiyin Chao
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Xin-Guang Zhu
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Peng Wang
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Nan Yu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China.
| | - Ertao Wang
- New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai 201210, China.
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11
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Borba AR, Reyna-Llorens I, Dickinson PJ, Steed G, Gouveia P, Górska AM, Gomes C, Kromdijk J, Webb AAR, Saibo NJM, Hibberd JM. Compartmentation of photosynthesis gene expression in C4 maize depends on time of day. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:2306-2320. [PMID: 37555432 PMCID: PMC10663113 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Compared with the ancestral C3 state, C4 photosynthesis occurs at higher rates with improved water and nitrogen use efficiencies. In both C3 and C4 plants, rates of photosynthesis increase with light intensity and are maximal around midday. We determined that in the absence of light or temperature fluctuations, photosynthesis in maize (Zea mays) peaks in the middle of the subjective photoperiod. To investigate the molecular processes associated with these temporal changes, we performed RNA sequencing of maize mesophyll and bundle sheath strands over a 24-h time course. Preferential expression of C4 cycle genes in these cell types was strongest between 6 and 10 h after dawn when rates of photosynthesis were highest. For the bundle sheath, DNA motif enrichment and gene coexpression analyses suggested members of the DNA binding with one finger (DOF) and MADS (MINICHROMOSOME MAINTENANCE FACTOR 1/AGAMOUS/DEFICIENS/Serum Response Factor)-domain transcription factor families mediate diurnal fluctuations in C4 gene expression, while trans-activation assays in planta confirmed their ability to activate promoter fragments from bundle sheath expressed genes. The work thus identifies transcriptional regulators and peaks in cell-specific C4 gene expression coincident with maximum rates of photosynthesis in the maize leaf at midday.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Borba
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Ivan Reyna-Llorens
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Patrick J Dickinson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Gareth Steed
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Paulo Gouveia
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Alicja M Górska
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Celia Gomes
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Johannes Kromdijk
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Alex A R Webb
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Nelson J M Saibo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK
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12
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Furbank R, Kelly S, von Caemmerer S. Photosynthesis and food security: the evolving story of C 4 rice. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023; 158:121-130. [PMID: 37067631 PMCID: PMC10108777 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Traditional "Green Revolution" cereal breeding strategies to improve yield are now reaching a plateau in our principal global food crop rice. Photosynthesis has now become a major target of international consortia to increase yield potential. Synthetic biology is being used across multiple large projects to improve photosynthetic efficiency. This review follows the genesis and progress of one of the first of these consortia projects, now in its 13th year; the Bill and Melinda Gates funded C4 Rice Project. This project seeks to install the biochemical and anatomical attributes necessary to support C4 photosynthesis in the C3 crop rice. Here we address the advances made thus far in installing the biochemical pathway and some of the key targets yet to be reached.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Furbank
- Division of Plant Science, Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Division of Plant Science, Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
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13
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Vadez V, Pilloni R, Grondin A, Hajjarpoor A, Belhouchette H, Brouziyne Y, Chehbouni G, Kharrou MH, Zitouna-Chebbi R, Mekki I, Molénat J, Jacob F, Bossuet J. Water use efficiency across scales: from genes to landscapes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:4770-4788. [PMID: 36779607 PMCID: PMC10474597 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Water scarcity is already set to be one of the main issues of the 21st century, because of competing needs between civil, industrial, and agricultural use. Agriculture is currently the largest user of water, but its share is bound to decrease as societies develop and clearly it needs to become more water efficient. Improving water use efficiency (WUE) at the plant level is important, but translating this at the farm/landscape level presents considerable challenges. As we move up from the scale of cells, organs, and plants to more integrated scales such as plots, fields, farm systems, and landscapes, other factors such as trade-offs need to be considered to try to improve WUE. These include choices of crop variety/species, farm management practices, landscape design, infrastructure development, and ecosystem functions, where human decisions matter. This review is a cross-disciplinary attempt to analyse approaches to addressing WUE at these different scales, including definitions of the metrics of analysis and consideration of trade-offs. The equations we present in this perspectives paper use similar metrics across scales to make them easier to connect and are developed to highlight which levers, at different scales, can improve WUE. We also refer to models operating at these different scales to assess WUE. While our entry point is plants and crops, we scale up the analysis of WUE to farm systems and landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Vadez
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), UMR DIADE, University of Montpellier, 911 Av. Agropolis BP65401, 34394, Montpellier, France
- International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, 502 324, Telangana, India
- LMI LAPSE, CERAAS-ISRA, Thiès, Senegal
| | - Raphael Pilloni
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), UMR DIADE, University of Montpellier, 911 Av. Agropolis BP65401, 34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Grondin
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), UMR DIADE, University of Montpellier, 911 Av. Agropolis BP65401, 34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Amir Hajjarpoor
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), UMR DIADE, University of Montpellier, 911 Av. Agropolis BP65401, 34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Hatem Belhouchette
- ABSys, Université de Montpellier, CIHEAM-IAMM, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France
| | - Youssef Brouziyne
- International Water Management Institute (IWMI), MENA Office, Giza 12661, Egypt
| | - Ghani Chehbouni
- International Water Research Institute (IWRI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) UMR CESBIO, Benguerir 43150, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Hakim Kharrou
- International Water Research Institute (IWRI), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) UMR CESBIO, Benguerir 43150, Morocco
| | | | - Insaf Mekki
- INRGREF, Carthage University, B.P. 10, 2080 Ariana, Tunisia
| | - Jérôme Molénat
- UMR LISAH, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro Montpellier, AgroParisTech, Montpellier, France
| | - Frédéric Jacob
- UMR LISAH, Université de Montpellier, INRAE, IRD, Institut Agro Montpellier, AgroParisTech, Montpellier, France
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14
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Simpson CJC, Singh P, Sogbohossou DEO, Eric Schranz M, Hibberd JM. A rapid method to quantify vein density in C 4 plants using starch staining. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:2928-2938. [PMID: 37350263 PMCID: PMC10947256 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis has evolved multiple times in the angiosperms and typically involves alterations to the biochemistry, cell biology and development of leaves. One common modification found in C4 plants compared with the ancestral C3 state is an increase in vein density such that the leaf contains a larger proportion of bundle sheath cells. Recent findings indicate that there may be significant intraspecific variation in traits such as vein density in C4 plants but to use such natural variation for trait-mapping, rapid phenotyping would be required. Here we report a high-throughput method to quantify vein density that leverages the bundle sheath-specific accumulation of starch found in C4 species. Starch staining allowed high-contrast images to be acquired permitting image analysis with MATLAB- and Python-based programmes. The method works for dicotyledons and monocotolydons. We applied this method to Gynandropsis gynandra where significant variation in vein density was detected between natural accessions, and Zea mays where no variation was apparent in the genotypically diverse lines assessed. We anticipate this approach will be useful to map genes controlling vein density in C4 species demonstrating natural variation for this trait.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - M. Eric Schranz
- Biosystematics GroupWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
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15
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Hongo A, Abe H, Yabiku T, Ueno O. Occurrence of distinctive cells and effects of irradiance on vascular formation in leaves of shade-tolerant C 4 grass Paspalum conjugatum. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2023; 136:691-704. [PMID: 37368133 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-023-01475-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The denser leaf vasculature of C4 plants than of C3 plants may suit rapid export of assimilates associated with their higher photosynthetic rate. However, some C4 grasses have partially reduced leaf vasculature with vascular bundle (VB)-free bundle-sheath cells called distinctive cells (DCs). The shade-tolerant C4 grass Paspalum conjugatum has such a reduced leaf vascular system with DCs. We examined whether irradiance during growth affects vascular formation in leaves of P. conjugatum grown under 100%, 30%, or 14% sunlight for 1 month alongside the C4 grass maize. Under all conditions, P. conjugatum leaves had partially reduced vasculature: DCs and incomplete small VBs without phloem occurred between VBs with a normal structure consisting of both xylem and phloem. Shaded plants had less phloem in the small VBs than the full-sunlit plants. In maize, however, all VBs always had both xylem and phloem under all light conditions. The net photosynthetic rate of both grasses was reduced under shade; that of P. conjugatum was always lower than that of maize under all light conditions, but was reduced less by shade than that of maize. The light compensation point was lower in P. conjugatum than in maize, indicating that P. conjugatum acclimatizes better to low light. The reduction of phloem in VBs of P. conjugatum may be an acclimatization to shade, because dense vasculature may be expensive for C4 plants growing in environments where the higher photosynthetic rate is not realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akane Hongo
- School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Hinako Abe
- School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yabiku
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Osamu Ueno
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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16
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Liu Q, Teng S, Deng C, Wu S, Li H, Wang Y, Wu J, Cui X, Zhang Z, Quick WP, Brutnell TP, Sun X, Lu T. SHORT ROOT and INDETERMINATE DOMAIN family members govern PIN-FORMED expression to regulate minor vein differentiation in rice. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:2848-2870. [PMID: 37154077 PMCID: PMC10396363 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
C3 and C4 grasses directly and indirectly provide the vast majority of calories to the human diet, yet our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving photosynthetic productivity in grasses is largely unexplored. Ground meristem cells divide to form mesophyll or vascular initial cells early in leaf development in C3 and C4 grasses. Here we define a genetic circuit composed of SHORT ROOT (SHR), INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD), and PIN-FORMED (PIN) family members that specifies vascular identify and ground cell proliferation in leaves of both C3 and C4 grasses. Ectopic expression and loss-of-function mutant studies of SHR paralogs in the C3 plant Oryza sativa (rice) and the C4 plant Setaria viridis (green millet) revealed the roles of these genes in both minor vein formation and ground cell differentiation. Genetic and in vitro studies further suggested that SHR regulates this process through its interactions with IDD12 and 13. We also revealed direct interactions of these IDD proteins with a putative regulatory element within the auxin transporter gene PIN5c. Collectively, these findings indicate that a SHR-IDD regulatory circuit mediates auxin transport by negatively regulating PIN expression to modulate minor vein patterning in the grasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiming Liu
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shouzhen Teng
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Chen Deng
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Suting Wu
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Haoshu Li
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yanwei Wang
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jinxia Wu
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xuean Cui
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - William Paul Quick
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
- C4 Rice Centre, International Rice Research Institute, Los Banos, Laguna 4030, Philippines
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Thomas P Brutnell
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xuehui Sun
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tiegang Lu
- Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100081, China
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, BRI, CAAS, Beijing 100081, China
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17
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Billakurthi K, Hibberd JM. A rapid and robust leaf ablation method to visualize bundle sheath cells and chloroplasts in C 3 and C 4 grasses. PLANT METHODS 2023; 19:69. [PMID: 37408013 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-023-01041-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been proposed that engineering the C4 photosynthetic pathway into C3 crops could significantly increase yield. This goal requires an increase in the chloroplast compartment of bundle sheath cells in C3 species. To facilitate large-scale testing of candidate regulators of chloroplast development in the rice bundle sheath, a simple and robust method to phenotype this tissue in C3 species is required. RESULTS We established a leaf ablation method to accelerate phenotyping of rice bundle sheath cells. The bundle sheath cells and chloroplasts were visualized using light and confocal laser microscopy. Bundle sheath cell dimensions, chloroplast area and chloroplast number per cell were measured from the images obtained by confocal laser microscopy. Bundle sheath cell dimensions of maize were also measured and compared with rice. Our data show that bundle sheath width but not length significantly differed between C3 rice and C4 maize. Comparison of paradermal versus transverse bundle sheath cell width indicated that bundle sheath cells were intact after leaf ablation. Moreover, comparisons of planar chloroplast areas and chloroplast numbers per bundle sheath cell between wild-type and transgenic rice lines expressing the maize GOLDEN-2 (ZmG2) showed that the leaf ablation method allowed differences in chloroplast parameters to be detected. CONCLUSIONS Leaf ablation is a simple approach to accessing bundle sheath cell files in C3 species. We show that this method is suitable for obtaining parameters associated with bundle sheath cell size, chloroplast area and chloroplast number per cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumari Billakurthi
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
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18
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Hughes TE, Sedelnikova O, Thomas M, Langdale JA. Mutations in NAKED-ENDOSPERM IDD genes reveal functional interactions with SCARECROW during leaf patterning in C4 grasses. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010715. [PMID: 37068119 PMCID: PMC10138192 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Leaves comprise a number of different cell-types that are patterned in the context of either the epidermal or inner cell layers. In grass leaves, two distinct anatomies develop in the inner leaf tissues depending on whether the leaf carries out C3 or C4 photosynthesis. In both cases a series of parallel veins develops that extends from the leaf base to the tip but in ancestral C3 species veins are separated by a greater number of intervening mesophyll cells than in derived C4 species. We have previously demonstrated that the GRAS transcription factor SCARECROW (SCR) regulates the number of photosynthetic mesophyll cells that form between veins in the leaves of the C4 species maize, whereas it regulates the formation of stomata in the epidermal leaf layer in the C3 species rice. Here we show that SCR is required for inner leaf patterning in the C4 species Setaria viridis but in this species the presumed ancestral stomatal patterning role is also retained. Through a comparative mutant analysis between maize, setaria and rice we further demonstrate that loss of NAKED-ENDOSPERM (NKD) INDETERMINATE DOMAIN (IDD) protein function exacerbates loss of function scr phenotypes in the inner leaf tissues of maize and setaria but not rice. Specifically, in both setaria and maize, scr;nkd mutants exhibit an increased proportion of fused veins with no intervening mesophyll cells. Thus, combined action of SCR and NKD may control how many mesophyll cells are specified between veins in the leaves of C4 but not C3 grasses. Together our results provide insight into the evolution of cell patterning in grass leaves and demonstrate a novel patterning role for IDD genes in C4 leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Hughes
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | | | - Mimi Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
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19
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Shaar-Moshe L, Brady SM. SHORT-ROOT and SCARECROW homologs regulate patterning of diverse cell types within and between species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:1542-1549. [PMID: 36457304 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18654] [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: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The roles of SHORT-ROOT (SHR) and SCARECROW (SCR) in ground tissue patterning and differentiation have been well established in the root of Arabidopsis thaliana. Recently, work in additional organs and species revealed the extensive functional diversification of these genes, including regulation of cortical divisions essential for nodule organogenesis in legume roots, bundle sheath specification in the Arabidopsis leaf, patterning of inner leaf cell layers in maize, and stomatal development in rice. The co-option of distinct functions and cell types is attributed to different mechanisms, including paralog retention, spatiotemporal changes in gene expression, and novel protein functions. Elaborating our knowledge of the SHR-SCR module further unravels the developmental regulation that controls diverse forms and functions within and between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidor Shaar-Moshe
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Siobhan M Brady
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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20
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Eckardt NA, Ainsworth EA, Bahuguna RN, Broadley MR, Busch W, Carpita NC, Castrillo G, Chory J, DeHaan LR, Duarte CM, Henry A, Jagadish SVK, Langdale JA, Leakey ADB, Liao JC, Lu KJ, McCann MC, McKay JK, Odeny DA, Jorge de Oliveira E, Platten JD, Rabbi I, Rim EY, Ronald PC, Salt DE, Shigenaga AM, Wang E, Wolfe M, Zhang X. Climate change challenges, plant science solutions. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:24-66. [PMID: 36222573 PMCID: PMC9806663 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is a defining challenge of the 21st century, and this decade is a critical time for action to mitigate the worst effects on human populations and ecosystems. Plant science can play an important role in developing crops with enhanced resilience to harsh conditions (e.g. heat, drought, salt stress, flooding, disease outbreaks) and engineering efficient carbon-capturing and carbon-sequestering plants. Here, we present examples of research being conducted in these areas and discuss challenges and open questions as a call to action for the plant science community.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth A Ainsworth
- USDA ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Rajeev N Bahuguna
- Centre for Advanced Studies on Climate Change, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur 848125, Bihar, India
| | - Martin R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Wolfgang Busch
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas C Carpita
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
| | - Gabriel Castrillo
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
- Future Food Beacon of Excellence, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Joanne Chory
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | | | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amelia Henry
- International Rice Research Institute, Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - S V Krishna Jagadish
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79410, USA
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Andrew D B Leakey
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Crop Sciences, and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - James C Liao
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11528, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Jen Lu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11528, Taiwan
| | - Maureen C McCann
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
| | - John K McKay
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Damaris A Odeny
- The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics–Eastern and Southern Africa, Gigiri 39063-00623, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - J Damien Platten
- International Rice Research Institute, Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - Ismail Rabbi
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320 Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria
| | - Ellen Youngsoo Rim
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Pamela C Ronald
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, USA
| | - David E Salt
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
- Future Food Beacon of Excellence, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Alexandra M Shigenaga
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Ertao Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Marnin Wolfe
- Auburn University, Dept. of Crop Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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21
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Singh J, Garai S, Das S, Thakur JK, Tripathy BC. Role of C4 photosynthetic enzyme isoforms in C3 plants and their potential applications in improving agronomic traits in crops. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 154:233-258. [PMID: 36309625 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00978-9] [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: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
As compared to C3, C4 plants have higher photosynthetic rates and better tolerance to high temperature and drought. These traits are highly beneficial in the current scenario of global warming. Interestingly, all the genes of the C4 photosynthetic pathway are present in C3 plants, although they are involved in diverse non-photosynthetic functions. Non-photosynthetic isoforms of carbonic anhydrase (CA), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), the decarboxylating enzymes NAD/NADP-malic enzyme (NAD/NADP-ME), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and finally pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) catalyze reactions that are essential for major plant metabolism pathways, such as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, maintenance of cellular pH, uptake of nutrients and their assimilation. Consistent with this view differential expression pattern of these non-photosynthetic C3 isoforms has been observed in different tissues across the plant developmental stages, such as germination, grain filling, and leaf senescence. Also abundance of these C3 isoforms is increased considerably in response to environmental fluctuations particularly during abiotic stress. Here we review the vital roles played by C3 isoforms of C4 enzymes and the probable mechanisms by which they help plants in acclimation to adverse growth conditions. Further, their potential applications to increase the agronomic trait value of C3 crops is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitender Singh
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067, India.
| | - Sampurna Garai
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Shubhashis Das
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067, India
| | - Jitendra Kumar Thakur
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, 110067, India.
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110067, India.
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22
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Munekage YN, Taniguchi YY. A scheme for C 4 evolution derived from a comparative analysis of the closely related C 3, C 3-C 4 intermediate, C 4-like, and C 4 species in the genus Flaveria. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 110:445-454. [PMID: 35119574 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-022-01246-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: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A comparative analysis of the genus Flaveria showed a C4 evolutionary process in which the anatomical and metabolic features of C4 photosynthesis were gradually acquired through C3-C4 intermediate stages. C4 photosynthesis has been acquired in multiple lineages of angiosperms during evolution to suppress photorespiration. Crops that perform C4 photosynthesis exhibit high rates of CO2 assimilation and high grain production even under high-temperature in semiarid environments; therefore, engineering C4 photosynthesis in C3 plants is of great importance in the application field. The genus Flaveria contains a large number of C3, C3-C4 intermediate, C4-like, and C4 species, making it a good model genus to study the evolution of C4 photosynthesis, and these studies indicate the direction for C4 engineering. C4 photosynthesis was acquired gradually through the C3-C4 intermediate stage. First, a two-celled C2 cycle called C2 photosynthesis was acquired by localizing glycine decarboxylase activity in the mitochondria of bundle sheath cells. With the development of two-cell metabolism, anatomical features also changed. Next, the replacement of the two-celled C2 cycle by the two-celled C4 cycle was induced by the acquisition of cell-selective expression in addition to the upregulation of enzymes in the C4 cycle during the C3-C4 intermediate stage. This was supported by an increase in cyclic electron transport activity in response to an increase in the ATP/NADPH demand for metabolism. Suppression of the C3 cycle in mesophyll cells was induced after the functional establishment of the C4 cycle, and optimization of electron transport by suppressing the activity of photosystem II also occurred during the final phase of C4 evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri N Munekage
- School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1337, Japan.
| | - Yukimi Y Taniguchi
- School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 2-1 Gakuen, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1337, Japan
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Pradhan B, Panda D, Bishi SK, Chakraborty K, Muthusamy SK, Lenka SK. Progress and prospects of C 4 trait engineering in plants. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:920-931. [PMID: 35727191 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13446] [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: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Incorporating C4 photosynthetic traits into C3 crops is a rational approach for sustaining future demands for crop productivity. Using classical plant breeding, engineering this complex trait is unlikely to achieve its target. Therefore, it is critical and timely to implement novel biotechnological crop improvement strategies to accomplish this goal. However, a fundamental understanding of C3 , C4 , and C3 -C4 intermediate metabolism is crucial for the targeted use of biotechnological tools. This review assesses recent progress towards engineering C4 photosynthetic traits in C3 crops. We also discuss lessons learned from successes and failures of recent genetic engineering attempts in C3 crops, highlighting the pros and cons of using rice as a model plant for short-, medium- and long-term goals of genetic engineering. This review provides an integrated approach towards engineering improved photosynthetic efficiency in C3 crops for sustaining food, fibre and fuel production around the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Pradhan
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty Centre for Integrated Rural Development and Management, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - D Panda
- Department of Biodiversity & Conservation of Natural Resources, Central University of Odisha, Koraput, India
| | - S K Bishi
- School of Genomics and Molecular Breeding, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Ranchi, India
| | - K Chakraborty
- Department of Plant Physiology, ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, India
| | - S K Muthusamy
- Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - S K Lenka
- Department of Plant Biotechnology, Gujarat Biotechnology University, Gujarat, India
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Inorganic Nitrogen-Containing Aerosol Deposition Caused “Excessive Photosynthesis” of Herbs, Resulting in Increased Nitrogen Demand. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11172225. [PMID: 36079607 PMCID: PMC9460276 DOI: 10.3390/plants11172225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The amount of atmospheric nitrogen-containing aerosols has increased dramatically due to the globally rising levels of nitrogen from fertilization and atmospheric deposition. Although the balance of carbon and nitrogen in plants is a crucial component of physiological and biochemical indexes and plays a key role in adaptive regulation, our understanding of how nitrogen-containing aerosols affect this remains limited; in particular, regarding the associated mechanisms. Using a fumigation particle generator, we generated ammonium nitrate solution (in four concentrations of 0, 15, 30, 60 kg N hm−2 year−1) into droplets, in 90% of which the diameters were less than 2.5 μm, in the range of 0.35–4 μm, and fumigated Iris germanica L. and Portulaca grandiflora Hook. for 30 days in April and August. We found that the weight percentage of nitrogen in the upper epidermis, mesophyll tissue, and bulk of leaves decreased significantly with the N addition rate, which caused a decrease of carbon:nitrogen ratio, due to the enhanced net photosynthetic rate. Compared with Portulaca grandiflora Hook., Iris germanica L. responded more significantly to the disturbance of N addition, resulting in a decrease in the weight percentage of nitrogen in the roots, due to a lower nitrogen use efficiency. In addition, the superoxide dismutase activity of the two plants was inhibited with a higher concentration of nitrogen sol; a reduction of superoxide dismutase activity in plants means that the resistance of plants to various environmental stresses is reduced, and this decrease in superoxide dismutase activity may be related to ROS signaling. The results suggest that inorganic nitrogen-containing aerosols caused excessive stress to plants, especially for Iris germanica L.
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Takao K, Shirakura H, Hatakeyama Y, Ueno O. Salt stress induces Kranz anatomy and expression of C 4 photosynthetic enzymes in the amphibious sedge Eleocharis vivipara. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 153:93-102. [PMID: 35352232 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00913-y] [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: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Eleocharis vivipara Link is a unique amphibious leafless plant of the Cyperaceae. The terrestrial form develops culms with Kranz anatomy and C4-like traits, while the submerged form does culms with non-Kranz anatomy and C3 traits. The submerged form develops new culms with C4-like mode when exposed to air or exogenous abscisic acid. In this study, we investigated whether salt stress (0.05-0.3 M NaCl) has a similar effect. When the submerged form was grown for one month in solutions of 0.1 M NaCl and more, culm growth was strongly suppressed. However, these plants slowly developed new culms that had Kranz anatomy with chloroplast-abundant Kranz bundle sheath cells. Although the culms of the submerged form had only few stomata, culms grown in the NaCl solution had many stomata. The NaCl-grown culms also accumulated large amounts of C4 photosynthetic enzymes (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate Pi dikinase), and the cellular localization patterns of these enzymes and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase were similar to those in terrestrial culms. Accumulation of C4 enzymes increased in mature culms of the submerged form (with non-Kranz anatomy) when exposed to 0.2 M NaCl solution for one week. These results suggest that salt stress induces development of Kranz anatomy and expression of C4 photosynthetic enzymes in the submerged C3 form of E. vivipara, whereas the anatomical and biochemical traits of C4 photosynthesis appear to be regulated independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Takao
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Hiroko Shirakura
- School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yuto Hatakeyama
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Osamu Ueno
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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26
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Tao S, Zhang W. Network and epigenetic characterization of subsets of genes specifically expressed in maize bundle sheath cells. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:3581-3590. [PMID: 35860403 PMCID: PMC9287181 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bundle sheath (BS) cells exhibit dramatically structural differences and functional variations at physiological, biochemical and epigenetic levels as compared to mesophyll (M) cells in maize. The regulatory mechanisms controlling functional divergences between M and BS have been extensively investigated. However, BS cell-related regulatory networks are still not completely characterized. To address this, we herein conducted WGCNA-related co-expression assays using bulk M and BS cell RNA-seq data sets and identified a module containing 384 genes highly expressed in BS cells (including 20 hub TFs) instead of M cells. According to the hub TF centered regulatory network, we found that Dof22 and Dof30 might act as key regulators in the regulation of expression of BS-specific genes, and several MYB TFs exhibited a high collaboration with Dof TFs. By comparing the enrichment levels of histone modifications, we found that genes in the aforementioned module were more enriched with histone acetylation as compared to other BS-enriched DEGs with similar expression levels. Moreover, we found that a subset of genes functioning in photosynthesis, protein auto processing and enzymatic activities were significantly enriched with broad H3K4me3. Thus, our study provides evidence showing that regulatory network and histone modifications may play vital roles in the regulation of a subset of genes with important functions in BS cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shentong Tao
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production co-sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China
| | - Wenli Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production co-sponsored by Province and Ministry (CIC-MCP), Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, PR China
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27
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Skirycz A, Fernie AR. Past accomplishments and future challenges of the multi-omics characterization of leaf growth. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 189:473-489. [PMID: 35325227 PMCID: PMC9157134 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The advent of omics technologies has revolutionized biology and advanced our understanding of all biological processes, including major developmental transitions in plants and animals. Here, we review the vast knowledge accumulated concerning leaf growth in terms of transcriptional regulation before turning our attention to the historically less well-characterized alterations at the protein and metabolite level. We will then discuss how the advent of biochemical methods coupled with metabolomics and proteomics can provide insight into the protein-protein and protein-metabolite interactome of the growing leaves. We finally highlight the substantial challenges in detection, spatial resolution, integration, and functional validation of the omics results, focusing on metabolomics as a prerequisite for a comprehensive understanding of small-molecule regulation of plant growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Skirycz
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm 14476, Germany
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
- Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm 14476, Germany
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28
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Simpson CJC, Reeves G, Tripathi A, Singh P, Hibberd JM. Using breeding and quantitative genetics to understand the C4 pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:3072-3084. [PMID: 34747993 PMCID: PMC9126733 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Reducing photorespiration in C3 crops could significantly increase rates of photosynthesis and yield. One method to achieve this would be to integrate C4 photosynthesis into C3 species. This objective is challenging as it involves engineering incompletely understood traits into C3 leaves, including complex changes to their biochemistry, cell biology, and anatomy. Quantitative genetics and selective breeding offer underexplored routes to identify regulators of these processes. We first review examples of natural intraspecific variation in C4 photosynthesis as well as the potential for hybridization between C3 and C4 species. We then discuss how quantitative genetic approaches including artificial selection and genome-wide association could be used to better understand the C4 syndrome and in so doing guide the engineering of the C4 pathway into C3 crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor J C Simpson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gregory Reeves
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anoop Tripathi
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Correspondence:
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29
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Perico C, Tan S, Langdale JA. Developmental regulation of leaf venation patterns: monocot versus eudicots and the role of auxin. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:783-803. [PMID: 35020214 PMCID: PMC9994446 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Organisation and patterning of the vascular network in land plants varies in different taxonomic, developmental and environmental contexts. In leaves, the degree of vascular strand connectivity influences both light and CO2 harvesting capabilities as well as hydraulic capacity. As such, developmental mechanisms that regulate leaf venation patterning have a direct impact on physiological performance. Development of the leaf venation network requires the specification of procambial cells within the ground meristem of the primordium and subsequent proliferation and differentiation of the procambial lineage to form vascular strands. An understanding of how diverse venation patterns are manifest therefore requires mechanistic insight into how procambium is dynamically specified in a growing leaf. A role for auxin in this process was identified many years ago, but questions remain. In this review we first provide an overview of the diverse venation patterns that exist in land plants, providing an evolutionary perspective. We then focus on the developmental regulation of leaf venation patterns in angiosperms, comparing patterning in eudicots and monocots, and the role of auxin in each case. Although common themes emerge, we conclude that the developmental mechanisms elucidated in eudicots are unlikely to fully explain how parallel venation patterns in monocot leaves are elaborated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Perico
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RdOxfordOX1 3RBUK
| | - Sovanna Tan
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RdOxfordOX1 3RBUK
| | - Jane A. Langdale
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordSouth Parks RdOxfordOX1 3RBUK
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30
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Eckardt NA. From the archives: Photosynthesis matters; PSII antenna size, photorespiration, and the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. THE PLANT CELL 2022; 34:1145-1146. [PMID: 35234934 PMCID: PMC8972218 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A Eckardt
- Senior Features Editor, The Plant Cell, American Society of Plant Biologists, USA
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31
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Accelerated remodeling of the mesophyll-bundle sheath interface in the maize C4 cycle mutant leaves. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5057. [PMID: 35322159 PMCID: PMC8943126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09135-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis in the maize leaf involves the exchange of organic acids between mesophyll (M) and the bundle sheath (BS) cells. The transport is mediated by plasmodesmata embedded in the suberized cell wall. We examined the maize Kranz anatomy with a focus on the plasmodesmata and cell wall suberization with microscopy methods. In the young leaf zone where M and BS cells had indistinguishable proplastids, plasmodesmata were simple and no suberin was detected. In leaf zones where dimorphic chloroplasts were evident, the plasmodesma acquired sphincter and cytoplasmic sleeves, and suberin was discerned. These modifications were accompanied by a drop in symplastic dye mobility at the M-BS boundary. We compared the kinetics of chloroplast differentiation and the modifications in M-BS connectivity in ppdk and dct2 mutants where C4 cycle is affected. The rate of chloroplast diversification did not alter, but plasmodesma remodeling, symplastic transport inhibition, and cell wall suberization were observed from younger leaf zone in the mutants than in wild type. Our results indicate that inactivation of the C4 genes accelerated the changes in the M-BS interface, and the reduced permeability suggests that symplastic transport between M and BS could be regulated for normal operation of C4 cycle.
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32
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Dai X, Tu X, Du B, Dong P, Sun S, Wang X, Sun J, Li G, Lu T, Zhong S, Li P. Chromatin and regulatory differentiation between bundle sheath and mesophyll cells in maize. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 109:675-692. [PMID: 34783109 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
C4 plants partition photosynthesis enzymes between the bundle sheath (BS) and the mesophyll (M) cells for the better delivery of CO2 to RuBisCO and to reduce photorespiration. To better understand how C4 photosynthesis is regulated at the transcriptional level, we performed RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq and Bisulfite-seq (BS-seq) on BS and M cells isolated from maize leaves. By integrating differentially expressed genes with chromatin features, we found that chromatin accessibility coordinates with epigenetic features, especially H3K27me3 modification and CHH methylation, to regulate cell type-preferentially enriched gene expression. Not only the chromatin-accessible regions (ACRs) proximal to the genes (pACRs) but also the distal ACRs (dACRs) are determinants of cell type-preferentially enriched expression. We further identified cell type-preferentially enriched motifs, e.g. AAAG for BS cells and TGACC/T for M cells, and determined their corresponding transcription factors: DOFs and WRKYs. The complex interaction between cis and trans factors in the preferential expression of C4 genes was also observed. Interestingly, cell type-preferentially enriched gene expression can be fine-tuned by the coordination of multiple chromatin features. Such coordination may be critical in ensuring the cell type-specific function of key C4 genes. Based on the observed cell type-preferentially enriched expression pattern and coordinated chromatin features, we predicted a set of functionally unknown genes, e.g. Zm00001d042050 and Zm00001d040659, to be potential key C4 genes. Our findings provide deep insight into the architectures associated with C4 gene expression and could serve as a valuable resource to further identify the regulatory mechanisms present in C4 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuru Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Xiaoyu Tu
- Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Baijuan Du
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Pengfei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shilei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Xianglan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Biotechnology Research Institute/National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Gene Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Gang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
| | - Tiegang Lu
- Biotechnology Research Institute/National Key Facility for Gene Resources and Gene Improvement, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Silin Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pinghua Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomic Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, 271018, China
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Lo SF, Chatterjee J, Biswal AK, Liu IL, Chang YP, Chen PJ, Wanchana S, Elmido-Mabilangan A, Nepomuceno RA, Bandyopadhyay A, Hsing YI, Quick WP. Closer vein spacing by ectopic expression of nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat proteins in rice leaves. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:319-335. [PMID: 34837515 PMCID: PMC8850240 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02810-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Elevated expression of nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat proteins led to closer vein spacing and higher vein density in rice leaves. To feed the growing global population and mitigate the negative effects of climate change, there is a need to improve the photosynthetic capacity and efficiency of major crops such as rice to enhance grain yield potential. Alterations in internal leaf morphology and cellular architecture are needed to underpin some of these improvements. One of the targets is to generate a "Kranz-like" anatomy in leaves that includes decreased interveinal spacing close to that in C4 plant species. As C4 photosynthesis has evolved from C3 photosynthesis independently in multiple lineages, the genes required to facilitate C4 may already be present in the rice genome. The Taiwan Rice Insertional Mutants (TRIM) population offers the advantage of gain-of-function phenotype trapping, which accelerates the identification of rice gene function. In the present study, we screened the TRIM population to determine the extent to which genetic plasticity can alter vein density (VD) in rice. Close vein spacing mutant 1 (CVS1), identified from a VD screening of approximately 17,000 TRIM lines, conferred heritable high leaf VD. Increased vein number in CVS1 was confirmed to be associated with activated expression of two nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) proteins. Overexpression of the two NB-LRR genes individually in rice recapitulates the high VD phenotype, due mainly to reduced interveinal mesophyll cell (M cell) number, length, bulliform cell size and thus interveinal distance. Our studies demonstrate that the trait of high VD in rice can be achieved by elevated expression of NB-LRR proteins limited to no yield penalty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuen-Fang Lo
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Jolly Chatterjee
- C4 Rice Centre, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Akshaya K Biswal
- C4 Rice Centre, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
- Genetic Resources Program, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Carretera México-Veracruz km. 45, El Batán, Texcoco, CP 56237, México
| | - I-Lun Liu
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Pei Chang
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Jing Chen
- Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, 402, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Samart Wanchana
- C4 Rice Centre, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | | | - Robert A Nepomuceno
- National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines (BIOTECH-UPLB), Los Baños, 4031, Philippines
| | | | - Yue-Ie Hsing
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - William Paul Quick
- C4 Rice Centre, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines.
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
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Hussain S, Ulhassan Z, Brestic M, Zivcak M, Allakhverdiev SI, Yang X, Safdar ME, Yang W, Liu W. Photosynthesis research under climate change. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2021; 150:5-19. [PMID: 34235625 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-021-00861-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Increasing global population and climate change uncertainties have compelled increased photosynthetic efficiency and yields to ensure food security over the coming decades. Potentially, genetic manipulation and minimization of carbon or energy losses can be ideal to boost photosynthetic efficiency or crop productivity. Despite significant efforts, limited success has been achieved. There is a need for thorough improvement in key photosynthetic limiting factors, such as stomatal conductance, mesophyll conductance, biochemical capacity combined with Rubisco, the Calvin-Benson cycle, thylakoid membrane electron transport, nonphotochemical quenching, and carbon metabolism or fixation pathways. In addition, the mechanistic basis for the enhancement in photosynthetic adaptation to environmental variables such as light intensity, temperature and elevated CO2 requires further investigation. This review sheds light on strategies to improve plant photosynthesis by targeting these intrinsic photosynthetic limitations and external environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajad Hussain
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211-Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China (Ministry of Agriculture), Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zaid Ulhassan
- Institute of Crop Science, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Laboratory of Spectroscopy Sensing, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Marian Brestic
- Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, 94976, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Marek Zivcak
- Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, 94976, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Suleyman I Allakhverdiev
- К.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya St. 35, Moscow, Russia, 127276
| | - Xinghong Yang
- Department of Plant Physiology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Agricultural University, Daizong Road No. 61, 271018, Taian, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Wenyu Yang
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211-Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China (Ministry of Agriculture), Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weiguo Liu
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211-Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China (Ministry of Agriculture), Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
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Artur MAS, Kajala K. Convergent evolution of gene regulatory networks underlying plant adaptations to dry environments. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:3211-3222. [PMID: 34196969 PMCID: PMC8518057 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Plants transitioned from an aquatic to a terrestrial lifestyle during their evolution. On land, fluctuations on water availability in the environment became one of the major problems they encountered. The appearance of morpho-physiological adaptations to cope with and tolerate water loss from the cells was undeniably useful to survive on dry land. Some of these adaptations, such as carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs), desiccation tolerance (DT) and root impermeabilization, appeared in multiple plant lineages. Despite being crucial for evolution on land, it has been unclear how these adaptations convergently evolved in the various plant lineages. Recent advances on whole genome and transcriptome sequencing are revealing that co-option of genes and gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is a common feature underlying the convergent evolution of these adaptations. In this review, we address how the study of CCMs and DT has provided insight into convergent evolution of GRNs underlying plant adaptation to dry environments, and how these insights could be applied to currently emerging understanding of evolution of root impermeabilization through different barrier cell types. We discuss examples of co-option, conservation and innovation of genes and GRNs at the cell, tissue and organ levels revealed by recent phylogenomic (comparative genomic) and comparative transcriptomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana A. S. Artur
- Laboratory of Plant PhysiologyWageningen UniversityWageningenThe Netherlands
- Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | - Kaisa Kajala
- Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental BiologyUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
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Cui H. Challenges and Approaches to Crop Improvement Through C3-to-C4 Engineering. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:715391. [PMID: 34594351 PMCID: PMC8476962 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.715391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
With a rapidly growing world population and dwindling natural resources, we are now facing the enormous challenge of increasing crop yields while simultaneously improving the efficiency of resource utilization. Introduction of C4 photosynthesis into C3 crops is widely accepted as a key strategy to meet this challenge because C4 plants are more efficient than C3 plants in photosynthesis and resource usage, particularly in hot climates, where the potential for productivity is high. Lending support to the feasibility of this C3-to-C4 engineering, evidence indicates that C4 photosynthesis has evolved from C3 photosynthesis in multiple lineages. Nevertheless, C3-to-C4 engineering is not an easy task, as several features essential to C4 photosynthesis must be introduced into C3 plants. One such feature is the spatial separation of the two phases of photosynthesis (CO2 fixation and carbohydrate synthesis) into the mesophyll and bundle sheath cells, respectively. Another feature is the Kranz anatomy, characterized by a close association between the mesophyll and bundle sheath (BS) cells (1:1 ratio). These anatomical features, along with a C4-specific carbon fixation enzyme (PEPC), form a CO2-concentration mechanism that ensures a high photosynthetic efficiency. Much effort has been taken in the past to introduce the C4 mechanism into C3 plants, but none of these attempts has met with success, which is in my opinion due to a lack of system-level understanding and manipulation of the C3 and C4 pathways. As a prerequisite for the C3-to-C4 engineering, I propose that not only the mechanisms that control the Kranz anatomy and cell-type-specific expression in C3 and C4 plants must be elucidated, but also a good understanding of the gene regulatory network underlying C3 and C4 photosynthesis must be achieved. In this review, I first describe the past and current efforts to increase photosynthetic efficiency in C3 plants and their limitations; I then discuss a systems approach to tackling down this challenge, some practical issues, and recent technical innovations that would help us to solve these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongchang Cui
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- College of Life Science, Northwest Science University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, China
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Chotewutmontri P, Barkan A. Ribosome profiling elucidates differential gene expression in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 187:59-72. [PMID: 34618144 PMCID: PMC8418429 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiab272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The efficiencies offered by C4 photosynthesis have motivated efforts to understand its biochemical, genetic, and developmental basis. Reactions underlying C4 traits in most C4 plants are partitioned between two cell types, bundle sheath (BS), and mesophyll (M) cells. RNA-seq has been used to catalog differential gene expression in BS and M cells in maize (Zea mays) and several other C4 species. However, the contribution of translational control to maintaining the distinct proteomes of BS and M cells has not been addressed. In this study, we used ribosome profiling and RNA-seq to describe translatomes, translational efficiencies, and microRNA abundance in BS- and M-enriched fractions of maize seedling leaves. A conservative interpretation of our data revealed 182 genes exhibiting cell type-dependent differences in translational efficiency, 31 of which encode proteins with core roles in C4 photosynthesis. Our results suggest that non-AUG start codons are used preferentially in upstream open reading frames of BS cells, revealed mRNA sequence motifs that correlate with cell type-dependent translation, and identified potential translational regulators that are differentially expressed. In addition, our data expand the set of genes known to be differentially expressed in BS and M cells, including genes encoding transcription factors and microRNAs. These data add to the resources for understanding the evolutionary and developmental basis of C4 photosynthesis and for its engineering into C3 crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakitchai Chotewutmontri
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA
- Author for communication:
| | - Alice Barkan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 USA
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Tardieu F. Different avenues for progress apply to drought tolerance, water use efficiency and yield in dry areas. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 73:128-134. [PMID: 34365080 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Drought tolerance, water use efficiency (WUE) and yield in dry areas are often considered as synonyms. However, they correspond to markedly different suites of physiological mechanisms, based on combinations of alleles constrained by evolution into consistent strategies. Improving (i) drought tolerance, sensu stricto, involves extreme conservative strategy with protection and repair mechanisms; (ii) WUE most often results in small plants but avenues exist with lower penalties for growth, that is, by reducing night transpiration; (iii) yield for drought prone areas involves both constititutive traits (e.g. phenology or plant architecture), favourable for most environmental scenarios, and adaptive physiological traits whose effects suited to a given scenario. Genetic improvement of the latter would requires identification of scenario-dependent combinations of alleles, involving phenomics, modelling and genomic prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Tardieu
- LEPSE, Univ Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, Montpellier, France.
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Suizu Y, Takao K, Ueno O. Gibberellic acid induces non-Kranz anatomy with C 4-like biochemical traits in the amphibious sedge Eleocharis vivipara. PLANTA 2021; 254:10. [PMID: 34156511 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-021-03662-9] [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: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Gibberellic acid induces photosynthetic tissues with non-Kranz anatomy and C4-like biochemical traits in terrestrial-form plants of Eleocharis vivipara. This suggests that the structural and biochemical traits are independently regulated. The amphibious leafless sedge, Eleocharis vivipara Link, develops culms (photosynthetic organs) with C4-like traits and Kranz anatomy under terrestrial conditions, and C3 traits and non-Kranz anatomy under submerged conditions. The conversion from C3 mode to C4-like mode in E. vivipara is reportedly mediated by abscisic acid. Here, we investigated the effects of gibberellic acid (GA) on the differentiation of anatomical and photosynthetic traits because GA is involved in heterophylly in aquatic plants. When 100 µM GA was sprayed on terrestrial plants, the newly developed culms had non-Kranz anatomy in the basal part and Kranz-like anatomy in the upper part. In the basal part, the mesophyll cells were well developed, whereas the Kranz (bundle sheath) cells were reduced and contained few chloroplasts and mitochondria. Stomatal frequency was lower in the basal part than in the upper part. Nevertheless, these tissues had abundant accumulation and high activities of C4 photosynthetic enzymes and had C4-like δ13C values, as seen in the culms of the terrestrial form. When submerged plants were grown under water containing GA-biosynthesis inhibitors (uniconazole or paclobutrazol), the new culms had Kranz anatomy. The culms developed under paclobutrazol had the C3 pattern of cellular accumulation of photosynthetic enzymes. These data suggest that GA induces production of photosynthetic tissues with non-Kranz anatomy in terrestrial plants of E. vivipara, without concomitant expression of C3 biochemical traits. The data also suggest that the differentiation of C4 structural and biochemical traits is regulated independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshinobu Suizu
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Kazuya Takao
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Osamu Ueno
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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Bezrutczyk M, Zöllner NR, Kruse CPS, Hartwig T, Lautwein T, Köhrer K, Frommer WB, Kim JY. Evidence for phloem loading via the abaxial bundle sheath cells in maize leaves. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:531-547. [PMID: 33955497 PMCID: PMC8136869 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koaa055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Leaves are asymmetric, with different functions for adaxial and abaxial tissue. The bundle sheath (BS) of C3 barley (Hordeum vulgare) is dorsoventrally differentiated into three types of cells: adaxial structural, lateral S-type, and abaxial L-type BS cells. Based on plasmodesmatal connections between S-type cells and mestome sheath (parenchymatous cell layer below bundle sheath), S-type cells likely transfer assimilates toward the phloem. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to investigate BS differentiation in C4 maize (Zea mays L.) plants. Abaxial BS (abBS) cells of rank-2 intermediate veins specifically expressed three SWEET sucrose uniporters (SWEET13a, b, and c) and UmamiT amino acid efflux transporters. SWEET13a, b, c mRNAs were also detected in the phloem parenchyma (PP). We show that maize has acquired a mechanism for phloem loading in which abBS cells provide the main route for apoplasmic sucrose transfer toward the phloem. This putative route predominates in veins responsible for phloem loading (rank-2 intermediate), whereas rank-1 intermediate and major veins export sucrose from the PP adjacent to the sieve element companion cell complex, as in Arabidopsis thaliana. We surmise that abBS identity is subject to dorsoventral patterning and has components of PP identity. These observations provide insights into the unique transport-specific properties of abBS cells and support a modification to the canonical phloem loading pathway in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Bezrutczyk
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Nora R Zöllner
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Colin P S Kruse
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Thomas Hartwig
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Tobias Lautwein
- Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Genomics and Transcriptomics Laboratory (GTL), Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Karl Köhrer
- Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Genomics and Transcriptomics Laboratory (GTL), Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Wolf B Frommer
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
- Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
- Author for correspondence:
| | - Ji-Yun Kim
- Institute for Molecular Physiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
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Strable J. A pointillist portrait of maize leaf protoplasts points to bundle sheath polarity and a potentially new path to phloem loading. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:447-448. [PMID: 33793841 PMCID: PMC8136865 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koaa058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Josh Strable
- Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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Formation of Proto-Kranz in C3 Rice Induced by Spike-Stalk Injection Method. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094305. [PMID: 33919137 PMCID: PMC8122280 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction of C4 photosynthetic traits into C3 crops is an important strategy for improving photosynthetic capacity and productivity. Here, we report the research results of a variant line of sorghum-rice (SR) plant with big panicle and high spikelet density by introducing sorghum genome DNA into rice by spike-stalk injection. The whole-genome resequencing showed that a few sorghum genes could be integrated into the rice genome. Gene expression was confirmed for two C4 photosynthetic enzymes containing pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Exogenous sorghum DNA integration induced a series of key traits associated with the C4 pathway called "proto-Kranz" anatomy, including leaf thickness, bundle sheath number and size, and chloroplast size in bundle sheath cells. Significantly, transgenic plants exhibited enhanced photosynthetic capacity resulting from both photosynthetic CO2-concentrating effect and improved energy balance, which led to an increase in carbohydrate levels and productivity. Furthermore, such rice plant exhibited delayed leaf senescence. In summary, this study provides a proof for the feasibility of inducing the transition from C3 leaf anatomy to proto-Kranz by spike-stalk injection to achieve efficient photosynthesis and increase productivity.
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43
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Developmental and biophysical determinants of grass leaf size worldwide. Nature 2021; 592:242-247. [PMID: 33762735 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03370-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
One of the most notable ecological trends-described more than 2,300 years ago by Theophrastus-is the association of small leaves with dry and cold climates, which has recently been recognized for eudicotyledonous plants at a global scale1-3. For eudicotyledons, this pattern has been attributed to the fact that small leaves have a thinner boundary layer that helps to avoid extreme leaf temperatures4 and their leaf development results in vein traits that improve water transport under cold or dry climates5,6. However, the global distribution of leaf size and its adaptive basis have not been tested in the grasses, which represent a diverse lineage that is distinct in leaf morphology and that contributes 33% of terrestrial primary productivity (including the bulk of crop production)7. Here we demonstrate that grasses have shorter and narrower leaves under colder and drier climates worldwide. We show that small grass leaves have thermal advantages and vein development that contrast with those of eudicotyledons, but that also explain the abundance of small leaves in cold and dry climates. The worldwide distribution of leaf size in grasses exemplifies how biophysical and developmental processes result in convergence across major lineages in adaptation to climate globally, and highlights the importance of leaf size and venation architecture for grass performance in past, present and future ecosystems.
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Tashima M, Yabiku T, Ueno O. Coleataenia prionitis, a C 4-like species in the Poaceae. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2021; 147:211-227. [PMID: 33393063 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-020-00808-w] [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: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
C4-like plants represent the penultimate stage of evolution from C3 to C4 plants. Although Coleataenia prionitis (formerly Panicum prionitis) has been described as a C4 plant, its leaf anatomy and gas exchange traits suggest that it may be a C4-like plant. Here, we reexamined the leaf structure and biochemical and physiological traits of photosynthesis in this grass. The large vascular bundles were surrounded by two layers of bundle sheath (BS): a colorless outer BS and a chloroplast-rich inner BS. Small vascular bundles, which generally had a single BS layer with various vascular structures, also occurred throughout the mesophyll together with BS cells not associated with vascular tissue. The mesophyll cells did not show a radial arrangement typical of Kranz anatomy. These features suggest that the leaf anatomy of C. prionitis is on the evolutionary pathway to a complete C4 Kranz type. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and pyruvate, Pi dikinase occurred in the mesophyll and outer BS. Glycine decarboxylase was confined to the inner BS. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) accumulated in the mesophyll and both BSs. C. prionitis had biochemical traits of NADP-malic enzyme type, whereas its gas exchange traits were close to those of C4-like intermediate plants rather than C4 plants. A gas exchange study with a PEPC inhibitor suggested that Rubisco in the mesophyll could fix atmospheric CO2. These data demonstrate that C. prionitis is not a true C4 plant but should be considered as a C4-like plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maho Tashima
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takayuki Yabiku
- Graduate School of Bioresources and Environmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Osamu Ueno
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Motooka, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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Lundgren MR. C 2 photosynthesis: a promising route towards crop improvement? THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1734-1740. [PMID: 32080851 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
C2 photosynthesis is a carbon concentrating mechanism that can increase net CO2 assimilation by capturing, concentrating and re-assimilating CO2 released by photorespiration. Empirical and modelling studies indicate that C2 plants assimilate more carbon than C3 plants under high temperature, bright light, and low CO2 conditions. I argue that engineering C2 photosynthesis into C3 crops is a promising approach to improve photosynthetic performance under these - and temporally heterogeneous - environments, and review the modifications that may re-create a C2 phenotype in C3 plants. Although a C2 engineering program would encounter many of the same challenges faced by C4 engineering programmes, the simpler leaf anatomical requirements make C2 engineering a feasible approach to improve crops in the medium term.
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Hughes TE, Langdale JA. SCARECROW gene function is required for photosynthetic development in maize. PLANT DIRECT 2020; 4:e00264. [PMID: 32999956 PMCID: PMC7507539 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis in grasses relies on a specialized leaf anatomy. In maize, this "Kranz" leaf anatomy is patterned in part by the duplicated SCARECROW (SCR) genes ZmSCR1 and ZmSCR1h. Here we show that in addition to patterning defects, chlorophyll content and levels of transcripts encoding Golden2-like regulators of chloroplast development are significantly lower in Zmscr1; Zmscr1h mutants than in wild-type. These perturbations are not associated with changes in chloroplast number, size, or ultrastructure. However, the maximum rates of carboxylation by ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO, V cmax) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, V pmax) are both reduced, leading to perturbed plant growth. The CO2 compensation point and 13C‰ of Zmscr1;Zmscr1h plants are both normal, indicating that a canonical C4 cycle is operating, albeit at reduced overall capacity. Taken together, our results reveal that the maize SCR genes, either directly or indirectly, play a role in photosynthetic development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT SCARECROW (SCR) is one of the best studied plant developmental regulators, however, its role in downstream plant physiology is less well-understood. Here, we have demonstrated that SCR is required to establish and/or maintain photosynthetic capacity in maize leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. Hughes
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Jane A. Langdale
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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47
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Necrotic upper tips1 mimics heat and drought stress and encodes a protoxylem-specific transcription factor in maize. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20908-20919. [PMID: 32778598 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005014117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining sufficient water transport during flowering is essential for proper organ growth, fertilization, and yield. Water deficits that coincide with flowering result in leaf wilting, necrosis, tassel browning, and sterility, a stress condition known as "tassel blasting." We identified a mutant, necrotic upper tips1 (nut1), that mimics tassel blasting and drought stress and reveals the genetic mechanisms underlying these processes. The nut1 phenotype is evident only after the floral transition, and the mutants have difficulty moving water as shown by dye uptake and movement assays. These defects are correlated with reduced protoxylem vessel thickness that indirectly affects metaxylem cell wall integrity and function in the mutant. nut1 is caused by an Ac transposon insertion into the coding region of a unique NAC transcription factor within the VND clade of Arabidopsis NUT1 localizes to the developing protoxylem of root, stem, and leaf sheath, but not metaxylem, and its expression is induced by flowering. NUT1 downstream target genes function in cell wall biosynthesis, apoptosis, and maintenance of xylem cell wall thickness and strength. These results show that maintaining protoxylem vessel integrity during periods of high water movement requires the expression of specialized, dynamically regulated transcription factors within the vasculature.
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Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved multiple times independently from ancestral C3 photosynthesis in a broad range of flowering land plant families and in both monocots and dicots. The evolution of C4 photosynthesis entails the recruitment of enzyme activities that are not involved in photosynthetic carbon fixation in C3 plants to photosynthesis. This requires a different regulation of gene expression as well as a different regulation of enzyme activities in comparison to the C3 context. Further, C4 photosynthesis relies on a distinct leaf anatomy that differs from that of C3, requiring a differential regulation of leaf development in C4. We summarize recent progress in the understanding of C4-specific features in evolution and metabolic regulation in the context of C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urte Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
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Kohli A, Miro B, Balié J, d’A Hughes J. Photosynthesis research: a model to bridge fundamental science, translational products, and socio-economic considerations in agriculture. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:2281-2298. [PMID: 32076700 PMCID: PMC7135011 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite impressive success in molecular physiological understanding of photosynthesis, and preliminary evidence on its potential for quantum shifts in agricultural productivity, the question remains of whether increased photosynthesis, without parallel fine-tuning of the associated processes, is enough. There is a distinct lack of formal socio-economic impact studies that address the critical questions of product profiling, cost-benefit analysis, environmental trade-offs, and technological and market forces in product acceptability. When a relatively well understood process gains enough traction for translational value, its broader scientific and technical gap assessment, in conjunction with its socio-economic impact assessment for success, should be a prerequisite. The successes in the upstream basic understanding of photosynthesis should be integrated with a gap analysis for downstream translational applications to impact the farmers' and customers' lifestyles and livelihoods. The purpose of this review is to assess how the laboratory, the field, and the societal demands from photosynthesis could generate a transformative product. Two crucial recommendations from the analysis of the state of knowledge and potential ways forward are (i) the formulation of integrative mega-projects, which span the multistakeholder spectrum, to ensure rapid success in harnessing the transformative power of photosynthesis; and (ii) stipulating spatiotemporal, labour, and economic criteria to stage-gate deliverables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Kohli
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Berta Miro
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Jean Balié
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines
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50
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Zhu XG, Ort DR, Parry MAJ, von Caemmerer S. A wish list for synthetic biology in photosynthesis research. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:2219-2225. [PMID: 32060550 PMCID: PMC7134917 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This perspective summarizes the presentations and discussions at the ' International Symposium on Synthetic Biology in Photosynthesis Research', which was held in Shanghai in 2018. Leveraging the current advanced understanding of photosynthetic systems, the symposium brain-stormed about the redesign and engineering of photosynthetic systems for translational goals and evaluated available new technologies/tools for synthetic biology as well as technological obstacles and new tools that would be needed to overcome them. Four major research areas for redesigning photosynthesis were identified: (i) mining natural variations of photosynthesis; (ii) coordinating photosynthesis with pathways utilizing photosynthate; (iii) reconstruction of highly efficient photosynthetic systems in non-host species; and (iv) development of new photosynthetic systems that do not exist in nature. To expedite photosynthesis synthetic biology research, an array of new technologies and community resources need to be developed, which include expanded modelling capacities, molecular engineering toolboxes, model species, and phenotyping tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Guang Zhu
- Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology and Center for Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Donald R Ort
- Departments of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Martin A J Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Acton, Australia
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