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Zaman QU, Garg V, Raza A, Nazir MF, Hui L, Khan D, Khokhar AA, Hussain MA, Wang HF, Varshney RK. Unique regulatory network of dragon fruit simultaneously mitigates the effect of vanadium pollutant and environmental factors. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2024; 176:e14416. [PMID: 38952344 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Under changing climatic conditions, plants are simultaneously facing conflicting stresses in nature. Plants can sense different stresses, induce systematic ROS signals, and regulate transcriptomic, hormonal, and stomatal responses. We performed transcriptome analysis to reveal the integrative stress response regulatory mechanism underlying heavy metal stress alone or in combination with heat and drought conditions in pitaya (dragon fruit). A total of 70 genes were identified from 31,130 transcripts with conserved differential expression. Furthermore, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified trait-associated modules. By integrating information from three modules and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, we identified 10 interconnected genes associated with the multifaceted defense mechanism employed by pitaya against co-occurring stresses. To further confirm the reliability of the results, we performed a comparative analysis of 350 genes identified by three trait modules and 70 conserved genes exhibiting their dynamic expression under all treatments. Differential expression pattern of genes and comparative analysis, have proven instrumental in identifying ten putative structural genes. These ten genes were annotated as PLAT/LH2, CAT, MLP, HSP, PB1, PLA, NAC, HMA, and CER1 transcription factors involved in antioxidant activity, defense response, MAPK signaling, detoxification of metals and regulating the crosstalk between the complex pathways. Predictive analysis of putative candidate genes, potentially governing single, double, and multifactorial stress response, by several signaling systems and molecular patterns. These findings represent a valuable resource for pitaya breeding programs, offering the potential to develop resilient "super pitaya" plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qamar U Zaman
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Sanya, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Nanfan and High-Efficiency Tropical Agriculture, School of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Vanika Garg
- Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Ali Raza
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mian Faisal Nazir
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of ex-situ Plant Conservation and Utilization, Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, JiuJiang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Liu Hui
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Sanya, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Nanfan and High-Efficiency Tropical Agriculture, School of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Darya Khan
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Sanya, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Nanfan and High-Efficiency Tropical Agriculture, School of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Aamir Ali Khokhar
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Sanya, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Nanfan and High-Efficiency Tropical Agriculture, School of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Muhammad Azhar Hussain
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Sanya, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Nanfan and High-Efficiency Tropical Agriculture, School of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Hua-Feng Wang
- Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory, Sanya Nanfan Research Institute of Hainan University, Sanya, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Nanfan and High-Efficiency Tropical Agriculture, School of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Rajeev K Varshney
- Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
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Liu X, Zhu Q, Liu W, Zhang J. Exogenous Brassinosteroid Enhances Zinc tolerance by activating the Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis pathway in Citrullus lanatus L. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2023; 18:2186640. [PMID: 37083111 PMCID: PMC10124981 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2023.2186640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an important element in plants, but over-accumulation of Zn is harmful. The phytohormone brassinosteroids (BRs) play a key role in regulating plant growth, development, and response to stress. However, the role of BRs in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) under Zn stress, one of the most important horticultural crops, remains largely unknown. In this study, we revealed that 24-epibrassinolide (EBR), a bioactive BR enhanced Zn tolerance in watermelon plants, which was related to the EBR-induced increase in the fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and decrease in the content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Zn in watermelon leaves. Through RNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq), 350 different expressed genes (DEG) were found to be involved in the response to Zn stress after EBR treatment, including 175 up-regulated DEGs and 175 down-regulated DEGs. The up-regulated DEGs were significantly enriched in 'phenylpropanoid biosynthesis' pathway (map00940) using KEGG enrichment analysis. The gene expression levels of PAL, 4CL, CCR, and CCoAOMT, key genes involved in phenylpropanoid pathway, were significantly induced after EBR treatment. In addition, compared with Zn stress alone, EBR treatment significantly promoted the activities of PAL, 4CL, and POD by 30.90%, 20.69%, and 47.28%, respectively, and increased the content of total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and lignin by 23.02%, 40.37%, and 29.26%, respectively. The present research indicates that EBR plays an active role in strengthening Zn tolerance, thus providing new insights into the mechanism of BRs enhancing heavy metal tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefang Liu
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Safety & Environment Technology and Equipment for Planting and Breeding Industry Engineering Research Center, Yangzhou, China
- CONTACT Xuefang Liu College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou225009, China
| | - Quanwen Zhu
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Wentao Liu
- Jiangsu Safety & Environment Technology and Equipment for Planting and Breeding Industry Engineering Research Center, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Safety & Environment Technology and Equipment for Planting and Breeding Industry Engineering Research Center, Yangzhou, China
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Liu X, Zhu Q, Liu W, Zhang J. 24-Epibrassinolide confers zinc stress tolerance in watermelon seedlings through modulating antioxidative capacities and lignin accumulation. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15330. [PMID: 37187511 PMCID: PMC10178286 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an important element in plants, but over-accumulation of Zn is harmful. It is well-known that brassinolide (BR) plays a key role in the regulation of abiotic stress responses in plants. However, the effects of brassinolide on alleviating Zn phytotoxicity in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) seedlings are not clear. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR, one of the bioactive BRs) on Zn tolerance of watermelon seedlings and its potential resistance mechanism. Exposure to excessive Zn significantly inhibited shoot and root fresh weight of watermelon, but this could be significantly alleviated by the optimum 0.05 μM EBR. Exogenous spraying EBR increased the pigments and alleviated oxidative damage caused by Zn through reducing Zn accumulation and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malonaldehyde (MDA) and increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH). Importantly, the relative mRNA levels of antioxidant genesincluding Cu/Zn-superoxidedismutase (Cu-Zn SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) were significantly induced after EBR treatment. In addition, EBR pre-treatment induced lignin accumulation under Zn stress, and the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and 4-coumaric ligase (4CL), two key enzymes regulating lignin synthesis, also tended to be consistent. Collectively, the present research proves the beneficial effects of EBR in response to Zn stress through enhancing antioxidant defense and lignin accumulation and provides a new insight into the mechanism of BR-enhancing heavy metal tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefang Liu
- Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Safety&Environment Technology and Equipment for Planting and Breeding Industry Engineering Research Center, Yangzhou, China
| | - Quanwen Zhu
- Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Wentao Liu
- Jiangsu Safety&Environment Technology and Equipment for Planting and Breeding Industry Engineering Research Center, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Safety&Environment Technology and Equipment for Planting and Breeding Industry Engineering Research Center, Yangzhou, China
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