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Binmöller L, Volkert C, Kiefer C, Zühl L, Slawinska MW, Loreth A, Nauerth BH, Ibberson D, Martinez R, Mandakova TM, Zipper R, Schmidt A. Differential expression and evolutionary diversification of RNA helicases in Boechera sexual and apomictic reproduction. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:2451-2469. [PMID: 38263359 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erae026] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
In higher plants, sexual reproduction is characterized by meiosis of the first cells of the germlines, and double fertilization of the egg and central cell after gametogenesis. In contrast, in apomicts of the genus Boechera, meiosis is omitted or altered and only the central cell requires fertilization, while the embryo forms parthenogenetically from the egg cell. To deepen the understanding of the transcriptional basis underlying these differences, we applied RNA-seq to compare expression in reproductive tissues of different Boechera accessions. This confirmed previous evidence of an enrichment of RNA helicases in plant germlines. Furthermore, few RNA helicases were differentially expressed in female reproductive ovule tissues harboring mature gametophytes from apomictic and sexual accessions. For some of these genes, we further found evidence for a complex recent evolutionary history. This included a homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana FASCIATED STEM4 (FAS4). In contrast to AtFAS4, which is a single-copy gene, FAS4 is represented by three homologs in Boechera, suggesting a potential for subfunctionalization to modulate reproductive development. To gain first insights into functional roles of FAS4, we studied Arabidopsis lines carrying mutant alleles. This identified the crucial importance of AtFAS4 for reproduction, as we observed developmental defects and arrest during male and female gametogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Binmöller
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christopher Volkert
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christiane Kiefer
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luise Zühl
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Magdalena W Slawinska
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Loreth
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Berit H Nauerth
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Ibberson
- Deep Sequencing Core Facility, CellNetworks Excellence Cluster, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rafael Martinez
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Developmental Biology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Terezie M Mandakova
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Reinhard Zipper
- Institute of Biology, Plant Evolutionary Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 30, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Anja Schmidt
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Plant Evolutionary Biology, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstrasse 30, D-70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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2
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Hsieh YSY, Kao MR, Tucker MR. The knowns and unknowns of callose biosynthesis in terrestrial plants. Carbohydr Res 2024; 538:109103. [PMID: 38555659 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2024.109103] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Callose, a linear (1,3)-β-glucan, is an indispensable carbohydrate polymer required for plant growth and development. Advances in biochemical, genetic, and genomic tools, along with specific antibodies, have significantly enhanced our understanding of callose biosynthesis. As additional components of the callose synthase machinery emerge, the elucidation of molecular biosynthetic mechanisms is expected to follow. Short-term objectives involve defining the stoichiometry and turnover rates of callose synthase subunits. Long-term goals include generating recombinant callose synthases to elucidate their biochemical properties and molecular mechanisms, potentially culminating in the determination of callose synthase three-dimensional structure. This review delves into the structures and intricate molecular processes underlying callose biosynthesis, emphasizing regulatory elements and assembly mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves S Y Hsieh
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
| | - Mu-Rong Kao
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan
| | - Matthew R Tucker
- Waite Research Institute, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.
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3
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Simonini S, Bencivenga S, Grossniklaus U. A paternal signal induces endosperm proliferation upon fertilization in Arabidopsis. Science 2024; 383:646-653. [PMID: 38330116 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj4996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, sexual reproduction relies on the formation of highly differentiated cells, the gametes, which await fertilization in a quiescent state. Upon fertilization, the cell cycle resumes. Successful development requires that male and female gametes are in the same phase of the cell cycle. The molecular mechanisms that reinstate cell division in a fertilization-dependent manner are poorly understood in both animals and plants. Using Arabidopsis, we show that a sperm-derived signal induces the proliferation of a female gamete, the central cell, precisely upon fertilization. The central cell is arrested in S phase by the activity of the RETINOBLASTOMA RELATED1 (RBR1) protein. Upon fertilization, delivery of the core cell cycle component CYCD7;1 causes RBR1 degradation and thus S phase progression, ensuring the formation of functional endosperm and, consequently, viable seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Simonini
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Bencivenga
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
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Siena LA, Michaud C, Selles B, Vega JM, Pessino SC, Ingouff M, Ortiz JPA, Leblanc O. TRIMETHYLGUANOSINE SYNTHASE1 mutations decanalize female germline development in Arabidopsis. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:597-612. [PMID: 37548040 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19179] [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: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Here, we report the characterization of a plant RNA methyltransferase, orthologous to yeast trimethylguanosine synthase1 (Tgs1p) and whose downregulation was associated with apomixis in Paspalum grasses. Using phylogenetic analyses and yeast complementation, we determined that land plant genomes all encode a conserved, specific TGS1 protein. Next, we studied the role of TGS1 in female reproduction using reporter lines and loss-of-function mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana. pAtTGS1:AtTGS1 reporters showed a dynamic expression pattern. They were highly active in the placenta and ovule primordia at emergence but, subsequently, showed weak signals in the nucellus. Although expressed throughout gametophyte development, activity became restricted to the female gamete and was also detected after fertilization during embryogenesis. TGS1 depletion altered the specification of the precursor cells that give rise to the female gametophytic generation and to the sporophyte, resulting in the formation of a functional aposporous-like lineage. Our results indicate that TGS1 participates in the mechanisms restricting cell fate acquisition to a single cell at critical transitions throughout the female reproductive lineage and, thus, expand our current knowledge of the mechanisms governing female reproductive fate in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena A Siena
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Rosario, S2125ZAA, Zavalla, Argentina
| | | | - Benjamin Selles
- DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, 34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Juan Manuel Vega
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Rosario, S2125ZAA, Zavalla, Argentina
| | - Silvina C Pessino
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Rosario, S2125ZAA, Zavalla, Argentina
| | - Mathieu Ingouff
- DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, 34394, Montpellier, France
| | - Juan Pablo A Ortiz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Agrarias de Rosario, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Rosario, S2125ZAA, Zavalla, Argentina
| | - Olivier Leblanc
- DIADE, Univ Montpellier, IRD, CIRAD, 34394, Montpellier, France
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5
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Cai H, Liu L, Ma S, Aslam M, Qin Y. Insights into the role of phytohormones in plant female germline cell specification. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 75:102439. [PMID: 37604069 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102439] [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: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Germline specification is a fundamental process in plant reproduction, and the Megaspore Mother Cell (MMC), is a critical cell that differentiates and develops into the female gametophyte. While numerous studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying female germline specification, previous reviews have mainly focused on gene regulatory networks, epigenetic pathways, and small RNAs, neglecting the potential contribution of phytohormones to this process. This review aims to address this gap by highlighting recent advances in MMC formation and discussing the roles of specific phytohormones in female germline specialization. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the functions of phytohormones in the formation of MMC and their effects on female gametophyte development. Specifically, it examines the roles of gibberellins (GAs), brassinosteroids (BRs), auxins, and cytokinin, in MMC development. Understanding the function of phytohormones in MMC development is essential for comprehending the complex mechanisms underlying plant reproduction. This review adds valuable insights to the existing knowledge on MMC development, providing a new perspective for future research in the field of plant reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyang Cai
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Liping Liu
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Suzhuo Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Mohammad Aslam
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yuan Qin
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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Singh R, Shankar R, Yadav SK, Kumar V. Transcriptome analysis of ovules offers early developmental clues after fertilization in Cicer arietinum L.. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:177. [PMID: 37188294 PMCID: PMC10175530 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03599-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds are valued for their nutritional scores and limited information on the molecular mechanisms of chickpea fertilization and seed development is available. In the current work, comparative transcriptome analysis was performed on two different stages of chickpea ovules (pre- and post-fertilization) to identify key regulatory transcripts. Two-staged transcriptome sequencing was generated and over 208 million reads were mapped to quantify transcript abundance during fertilization events. Mapping to the reference genome showed that the majority (92.88%) of high-quality Illumina reads were aligned to the chickpea genome. Reference-guided genome and transcriptome assembly yielded a total of 28,783 genes. Of these, 3399 genes were differentially expressed after the fertilization event. These involve upregulated genes including a protease-like secreted in CO(2) response (LOC101500970), amino acid permease 4-like (LOC101506539), and downregulated genes MYB-related protein 305-like (LOC101493897), receptor like protein 29 (LOC101491695). WGCNA analysis and pairwise comparison of datasets, successfully constructed four co-expression modules. Transcription factor families including bHLH, MYB, MYB-related, C2H2 zinc finger, ERF, WRKY and NAC transcription factor were also found to be activated after fertilization. Activation of these genes and transcription factors results in the accumulation of carbohydrates and proteins by enhancing their trafficking and biosynthesis. Total 17 differentially expressed genes, were randomly selected for qRT-PCR for validation of transcriptome analysis and showed statistically significant correlations with the transcriptome data. Our findings provide insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying changes in fertilized chickpea ovules. This work may come closer to a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms that initiate developmental events in chickpea seeds after fertilization. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03599-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetu Singh
- Department of Botany, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151001 India
| | - Rama Shankar
- Department of Paediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 USA
| | | | - Vinay Kumar
- Department of Botany, School of Basic Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151001 India
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Cai H, Huang Y, Liu L, Zhang M, Chai M, Xi X, Aslam M, Wang L, Ma S, Su H, Liu K, Tian Y, Zhu W, Qi J, Dresselhaus T, Qin Y. Signaling by the EPFL-ERECTA family coordinates female germline specification through the BZR1 family in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:1455-1473. [PMID: 36748257 PMCID: PMC10118260 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In most flowering plants, the female germline is initiated in the subepidermal L2 layer of ovule primordia forming a single megaspore mother cell (MMC). How signaling from the L1 (epidermal) layer could contribute to the gene regulatory network (GRN) restricting MMC formation to a single cell is unclear. We show that EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR-like (EPFL) peptide ligands are expressed in the L1 layer, together with their ERECTA family (ERf) receptor kinases, to control female germline specification in Arabidopsis thaliana. EPFL-ERf dependent signaling restricts multiple subepidermal cells from acquiring MMC-like cell identity by activating the expression of the major brassinosteroid (BR) receptor kinase BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 and the BR-responsive transcription factor BRASSINOZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1). Additionally, BZR1 coordinates female germline specification by directly activating the expression of a nucleolar GTP-binding protein, NUCLEOSTEMIN-LIKE 1 (NSN1), which is expressed in early-stage ovules excluding the MMC. Mutants defective in this GRN form multiple MMCs resulting in a strong reduction of seed set. In conclusion, we uncovered a ligand/receptor-like kinase-mediated signaling pathway acting upstream and coordinating BR signaling via NSN1 to restrict MMC differentiation to a single subepidermal cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanyang Cai
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Youmei Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Liping Liu
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Man Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- Tea Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Resources Innovation and Utilization, Dafeng Road 6, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Mengnan Chai
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xinpeng Xi
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Mohammad Aslam
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Suzhuo Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Han Su
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Kaichuang Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yaru Tian
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Wenhui Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Jingang Qi
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Thomas Dresselhaus
- Cell Biology and Plant Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Yuan Qin
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
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Li X, Li C, Zhu J, Zhong S, Zhu H, Zhang X. Functions and mechanisms of RNA helicases in plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:2295-2310. [PMID: 36416783 PMCID: PMC10082930 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
RNA helicases (RHs) are a family of ubiquitous enzymes that alter RNA structures and remodel ribonucleoprotein complexes typically using energy from the hydrolysis of ATP. RHs are involved in various aspects of RNA processing and metabolism, exemplified by transcriptional regulation, pre-mRNA splicing, miRNA biogenesis, liquid-liquid phase separation, and rRNA biogenesis, among other molecular processes. Through these mechanisms, RHs contribute to vegetative and reproductive growth, as well as abiotic and biotic stress responses throughout the life cycle in plants. In this review, we systematically characterize RH-featured domains and signature motifs in Arabidopsis. We also summarize the functions and mechanisms of RHs in various biological processes in plants with a focus on DEAD-box and DEAH-box RNA helicases, aiming to present the latest understanding of RHs in plant biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xindi Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Changhao Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jiaying Zhu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Songxiao Zhong
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Hongliang Zhu
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083 Beijing, China
| | - Xiuren Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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9
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Niccolò T, Anderson AW, Emidio A. Apomixis: oh, what a tangled web we have! PLANTA 2023; 257:92. [PMID: 37000270 PMCID: PMC10066125 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-023-04124-0] [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: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Apomixis is a complex evolutionary trait with many possible origins. Here we discuss various clues and causes, ultimately proposing a model harmonizing the three working hypotheses on the topic. Asexual reproduction through seeds, i.e., apomixis, is the holy grail of plant biology. Its implementation in modern breeding could be a game-changer for agriculture. It has the potential to generate clonal crops and maintain valuable complex genotypes and their associated heterotic traits without inbreeding depression. The genetic basis and origins of apomixis are still unclear. There are three central hypothesis for the development of apomixis that could be: i) a deviation from the sexual developmental program caused by an asynchronous development, ii) environmentally triggered through epigenetic regulations (a polyphenism of sex), iii) relying on one or more genes/alleles. Because of the ever-increasing complexity of the topic, the path toward a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying apomixis remains unclear. Here, we discuss the most recent advances in the evolution perspective of this multifaceted trait. We incorporated our understanding of the effect of endogenous effectors, such as small RNAs, epigenetic regulation, hormonal pathways, protein turnover, and cell wall modification in response to an upside stress. This can be either endogenous (hybridization or polyploidization) or exogenous environmental stress, mainly due to oxidative stress and the corresponding ROS (Reacting Oxygen Species) effectors. Finally, we graphically represented this tangled web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terzaroli Niccolò
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Aaron W Anderson
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121, Perugia, Italy
- Fulbright Scholar From Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Albertini Emidio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121, Perugia, Italy
- Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Biotecnologie (CIB), Trieste, Italy
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10
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Yang F, Li G, Felix G, Albert M, Guo M. Engineered Agrobacterium improves transformation by mitigating plant immunity detection. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 237:2493-2504. [PMID: 36564969 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18694] [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: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Agrobacterium tumefaciens microbe-associated molecular pattern elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) is perceived by orthologs of the Arabidopsis immune receptor EFR activating pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) that causes reduced T-DNA-mediated transient expression. We altered EF-Tu in A. tumefaciens to reduce PTI and improved transformation efficiency. A robust computational pipeline was established to detect EF-Tu protein variation in a large set of plant bacterial species and identified EF-Tu variants from bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 that allow the pathogen to escape EFR perception. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains were engineered to substitute EF-Tu with DC3000 variants and examined their transformation efficiency in plants. Elongation factor Tu variants with rarely occurred amino acid residues were identified within DC3000 EF-Tu that mitigates recognition by EFR. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains were engineered by expressing DC3000 EF-Tu instead of native agrobacterial EF-Tu and resulted in decreased plant immunity detection. These engineered A. tumefaciens strains displayed an increased efficiency in transient expression in both Arabidopsis thaliana and Camelina sativa. The results support the potential application of these strains as improved vehicles to introduce transgenic alleles into members of the Brassicaceae family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0722, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0660, USA
| | - Guangyong Li
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0722, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0660, USA
| | - Georg Felix
- Center for Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72074, Germany
| | - Markus Albert
- Department of Biology, Molecular Plant Physiology, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0664, USA
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Feng X, Pan S, Tu H, Huang J, Xiao C, Shen X, You L, Zhao X, Chen Y, Xu D, Qu X, Hu H. IQ67 DOMAIN protein 21 is critical for indentation formation in pavement cell morphogenesis. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:721-738. [PMID: 36263896 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In plants, cortical microtubules anchor to the plasma membrane in arrays and play important roles in cell shape. However, the molecular mechanism of microtubule binding proteins, which connect the plasma membrane and cortical microtubules in cell morphology remains largely unknown. Here, we report that a plasma membrane and microtubule dual-localized IQ67 domain protein, IQD21, is critical for cotyledon pavement cell (PC) morphogenesis in Arabidopsis. iqd21 mutation caused increased indentation width, decreased lobe length, and similar lobe number of PCs, whereas IQD21 overexpression had a different effect on cotyledon PC shape. Weak overexpression led to increased lobe number, decreased indentation width, and similar lobe length, while moderate or great overexpression resulted in decreased lobe number, indentation width, and lobe length of PCs. Live-cell observations revealed that IQD21 accumulation at indentation regions correlates with lobe initiation and outgrowth during PC development. Cell biological and genetic approaches revealed that IQD21 promotes transfacial microtubules anchoring to the plasma membrane via its polybasic sites and bundling at the indentation regions in both periclinal and anticlinal walls. IQD21 controls cortical microtubule organization mainly through promoting Katanin 1-mediated microtubule severing during PC interdigitation. These findings provide the genetic evidence that transfacial microtubule arrays play a determinant role in lobe formation, and the insight into the molecular mechanism of IQD21 in transfacial microtubule organization at indentations and puzzle-shaped PC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinhua Feng
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Shujuan Pan
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Haifu Tu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Junjie Huang
- Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Medical Research Institute, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Chuanlei Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xin Shen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Lei You
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xinyan Zhao
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201602, China
| | - Yongqiang Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Danyun Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xiaolu Qu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology (MOE), College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Honghong Hu
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
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12
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Bird DC, Ma C, Pinto S, Leong WH, Tucker MR. Genetic and Phenotypic Analysis of Ovule Development in Arabidopsis. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2686:261-281. [PMID: 37540362 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3299-4_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
The plant seed is a remarkable structure that represents the single most important energy source in global diets. The stages of reproductive growth preceding seed formation are particularly important since they influence the number, size, and quality of seed produced. The progenitor of the seed is the ovule, a multicellular organ that produces a female gametophyte while maintaining a range of somatic ovule cells to protect the seed and ensure it receives maternal nourishment. Ovule development has been well characterized in Arabidopsis using a range of molecular, genetic, and cytological assays. These can provide insight into the mechanistic basis for ovule development, and opportunities to explore its evolutionary conservation. In this chapter, we describe some of these methods and tools that can be used to investigate early ovule development and cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayton C Bird
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA, Australia
| | - Chao Ma
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA, Australia
| | - Sara Pinto
- LAQV REQUIMTE, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Weng Herng Leong
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA, Australia
| | - Matthew R Tucker
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA, Australia.
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13
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He S, Feng X. DNA methylation dynamics during germline development. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:2240-2251. [PMID: 36478632 PMCID: PMC10108260 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation plays essential homeostatic functions in eukaryotic genomes. In animals, DNA methylation is also developmentally regulated and, in turn, regulates development. In the past two decades, huge research effort has endorsed the understanding that DNA methylation plays a similar role in plant development, especially during sexual reproduction. The power of whole-genome sequencing and cell isolation techniques, as well as bioinformatics tools, have enabled recent studies to reveal dynamic changes in DNA methylation during germline development. Furthermore, the combination of these technological advances with genetics, developmental biology and cell biology tools has revealed functional methylation reprogramming events that control gene and transposon activities in flowering plant germlines. In this review, we discuss the major advances in our knowledge of DNA methylation dynamics during male and female germline development in flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengbo He
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
| | - Xiaoqi Feng
- John Innes Centre, Colney LaneNorwichNR4 7UHUK
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14
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Specification of female germline by microRNA orchestrated auxin signaling in Arabidopsis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6960. [PMID: 36379956 PMCID: PMC9666636 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34723-6] [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: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Germline determination is essential for species survival and evolution in multicellular organisms. In most flowering plants, formation of the female germline is initiated with specification of one megaspore mother cell (MMC) in each ovule; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this key event remains unclear. Here we report that spatially restricted auxin signaling promotes MMC fate in Arabidopsis. Our results show that the microRNA160 (miR160) targeted gene ARF17 (AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR17) is required for promoting MMC specification by genetically interacting with the SPL/NZZ (SPOROCYTELESS/NOZZLE) gene. Alterations of auxin signaling cause formation of supernumerary MMCs in an ARF17- and SPL/NZZ-dependent manner. Furthermore, miR160 and ARF17 are indispensable for attaining a normal auxin maximum at the ovule apex via modulating the expression domain of PIN1 (PIN-FORMED1) auxin transporter. Our findings elucidate the mechanism by which auxin signaling promotes the acquisition of female germline cell fate in plants.
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15
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Tirot L, Jullien PE. Epigenetic dynamics during sexual reproduction: At the nexus of developmental control and genomic integrity. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 69:102278. [PMID: 35970063 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic marks influence gene regulation and genomic stability via the repression of transposable elements. During sexual reproduction, tight regulation of the epigenome must take place to maintain the repression of transposable elements while still allowing changes in cell-specific transcriptional programs. In plants, epigenetic marks are reorganized during reproduction and a reinforcing mechanism takes place to ensure transposable elements silencing. In this review, we describe the latest advances in characterizing the cell-specific epigenetic changes occurring from sporogenesis to seed development, with a focus on DNA methylation. We highlight the epigenetic co-regulation between transposable elements and developmental genes at different stages of plant reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Tirot
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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16
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Zhou Y, Fang W, Pang Z, Chen LY, Cai H, Ain NU, Chang MC, Ming R. AP1G2 Affects Mitotic Cycles of Female and Male Gametophytes in Arabidopsis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:924417. [PMID: 35873977 PMCID: PMC9301471 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.924417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
During sexual reproduction in flowering plants, haploid spores are formed from meiosis of spore mother cells. The spores then undergo mitosis, develop into female and male gametophytes, and give rise to seeds after fertilization. We identified a female sterile mutant ap1g2-4 from EMS mutagenesis, and analyses of two T-DNA insertion mutants, ap1g2-1 +/- and ap1g2-3 -/-, and detected a partial female and male sterility. The ap1g2 mutant gametophyte development was arrested at one nuclear stage. A complementation test using a genomic sequence of AP1G2 with its native promoter restored the function in the three ap1g2 mutant lines. Transcriptome profiling of ap1g2 ovules revealed that four genes encoding clathrin assembly proteins PICALM5A/B and PICALM9A/B, which were involved in endocytosis, were downregulated, which were confirmed to interact with AP1G2 through yeast two-hybrid assays and BIFC analysis. Our result also demonstrated that RALFL4-8-15-19-26 CML16 and several calcium-dependent protein kinases, including CPK14-16-17, were all downregulated in the ovules of ap1g2-1 +/-. Moreover, Ca2+ concentration was low in impaired gametophytes. Therefore, we proposed that through interaction with PICALM5A/B and PICALM9A/B, AP1G2 may mediate gametogenesis accompanied by Ca2+ signaling in Arabidopsis. Our findings revealed a crucial role of AP1G2 in female and male gametogenesis in Arabidopsis and enhanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning sexual reproduction in flowering plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongmei Zhou
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wenqin Fang
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ziqin Pang
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Li-Yu Chen
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hanyang Cai
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Noor-Ul- Ain
- FAFU and UIUC Joint Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology and Genetic Breeding Ministry of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Men-Chi Chang
- Department of Agronomy, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ray Ming
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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17
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Sanchez-Vera V, Landberg K, Lopez-Obando M, Thelander M, Lagercrantz U, Muñoz-Viana R, Schmidt A, Grossniklaus U, Sundberg E. The Physcomitrium patens egg cell expresses several distinct epigenetic components and utilizes homologues of BONOBO genes for cell specification. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2614-2628. [PMID: 34942024 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17938] [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: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although land plant germ cells have received much attention, knowledge about their specification is still limited. We thus identified transcripts enriched in egg cells of the bryophyte model species Physcomitrium patens, compared the results with angiosperm egg cells, and selected important candidate genes for functional analysis. We used laser-assisted microdissection to perform a cell-type-specific transcriptome analysis on egg cells for comparison with available expression profiles of vegetative tissues and male reproductive organs. We made reporter lines and knockout mutants of the two BONOBO (PbBNB) genes and studied their role in reproduction. We observed an overlap in gene activity between bryophyte and angiosperm egg cells, but also clear differences. Strikingly, several processes that are male-germline specific in Arabidopsis are active in the P. patens egg cell. Among those were the moss PbBNB genes, which control proliferation and identity of both female and male germlines. Pathways shared between male and female germlines were most likely present in the common ancestors of land plants, besides sex-specifying factors. A set of genes may also be involved in the switches between the diploid and haploid moss generations. Nonangiosperm gene networks also contribute to the specification of the P. patens egg cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Sanchez-Vera
- Department of Plant Biology, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Katarina Landberg
- Department of Plant Biology, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Mauricio Lopez-Obando
- Department of Plant Biology, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Mattias Thelander
- Department of Plant Biology, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Ulf Lagercrantz
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, Uppsala, SE-752 36, Sweden
| | - Rafael Muñoz-Viana
- Department of Plant Biology, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Anja Schmidt
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, CH-8008, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zurich, CH-8008, Switzerland
| | - Eva Sundberg
- Department of Plant Biology, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7080, Uppsala, SE-75007, Sweden
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18
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Zu SH, Jiang YT, Chang JH, Zhang YJ, Xue HW, Lin WH. Interaction of brassinosteroid and cytokinin promotes ovule initiation and increases seed number per silique in Arabidopsis. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 64:702-716. [PMID: 34837335 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ovule initiation is a key step that strongly influences ovule number and seed yield. Notably, mutants with enhanced brassinosteroid (BR) and cytokinin (CK) signaling produce more ovules and have a higher seed number per silique (SNS) than wild-type plants. Here, we crossed BR- and CK-related mutants to test whether these phytohormones function together in ovule initiation. We determined that simultaneously enhancing BR and CK contents led to higher ovule and seed numbers than enhancing BR or CK separately, and BR and CK enhanced each other. Further, the BR-response transcription factor BZR1 directly interacted with the CK-response transcription factor ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR1 (ARR1). Treatments with BR or BR plus CK strengthened this interaction and subsequent ARR1 targeting and induction of downstream genes to promote ovule initiation. Enhanced CK signaling partially rescued the reduced SNS phenotype of BR-deficient/insensitive mutants whereas enhanced BR signaling failed to rescue the low SNS of CK-deficient mutants, suggesting that BR regulates ovule initiation and SNS through CK-mediated and -independent pathways. Our study thus reveals that interaction between BR and CK promotes ovule initiation and increases seed number, providing important clues for increasing the seed yield of dicot crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Hao Zu
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, The Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yu-Tong Jiang
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, The Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jin-Hui Chang
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, The Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yan-Jie Zhang
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, The Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hong-Wei Xue
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Wen-Hui Lin
- School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, The Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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19
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Brassinosteroid signaling regulates female germline specification in Arabidopsis. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1102-1114.e5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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20
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Petrella R, Cucinotta M, Mendes MA, Underwood CJ, Colombo L. The emerging role of small RNAs in ovule development, a kind of magic. PLANT REPRODUCTION 2021; 34:335-351. [PMID: 34142243 PMCID: PMC8566443 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-021-00421-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In plants, small RNAs have been recognized as key genetic and epigenetic regulators of development. Small RNAs are usually 20 to 30 nucleotides in length and they control, in a sequence specific manner, the transcriptional or post-transcriptional expression of genes. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the most recent findings about the function of small RNAs in ovule development, including megasporogenesis and megagametogenesis, both in sexual and apomictic plants. We discuss recent studies on the role of miRNAs, siRNAs and trans-acting RNAs (ta-siRNAs) in early female germline differentiation. The mechanistic complexity and unique regulatory features are reviewed, and possible directions for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna Petrella
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Mara Cucinotta
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta A Mendes
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Charles J Underwood
- Department of Chromosome Biology, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, 50829, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lucia Colombo
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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21
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Fernández H, Grossmann J, Gagliardini V, Feito I, Rivera A, Rodríguez L, Quintanilla LG, Quesada V, Cañal MJ, Grossniklaus U. Sexual and Apogamous Species of Woodferns Show Different Protein and Phytohormone Profiles. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:718932. [PMID: 34868105 PMCID: PMC8633544 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.718932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The gametophyte of ferns reproduces either by sexual or asexual means. In the latter, apogamy represents a peculiar case of apomixis, in which an embryo is formed from somatic cells. A proteomic and physiological approach was applied to the apogamous fern Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and its sexual relative D. oreades. The proteomic analysis compared apogamous vs. female gametophytes, whereas the phytohormone study included, in addition to females, three apogamous stages (filamentous, spatulate, and cordate). The proteomic profiles revealed a total of 879 proteins and, after annotation, different regulation was found in 206 proteins of D. affinis and 166 of its sexual counterpart. The proteins upregulated in D. affinis are mostly associated to protein metabolism (including folding, transport, and proteolysis), ribosome biogenesis, gene expression and translation, while in the sexual counterpart, they account largely for starch and sucrose metabolism, generation of energy and photosynthesis. Likewise, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) was used to assess the levels of indol-3-acetic acid (IAA); the cytokinins: 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), trans-Zeatine (Z), trans-Zeatin riboside (ZR), dyhidrozeatine (DHZ), dyhidrozeatin riboside (DHZR), isopentenyl adenine (iP), isopentenyl adenosine (iPR), abscisic acid (ABA), the gibberellins GA3 and GA4, salicylic acid (SA), and the brassinosteroids: brassinolide (BL) and castasterone (CS). IAA, the cytokinins Z, ZR, iPR, the gibberellin GA4, the brassinosteoids castasterone, and ABA accumulated more in the sexual gametophyte than in the apogamous one. When comparing the three apogamous stages, BA and SA peaked in filamentous, GA3 and BL in spatulate and DHRZ in cordate gametophytes. The results point to the existence of large metabolic differences between apogamous and sexual gametophytes, and invite to consider the fern gametophyte as a good experimental system to deepen our understanding of plant reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Fernández
- Area of Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Oviedo University, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Jonas Grossmann
- Functional Genomics Center, Zurich, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valeria Gagliardini
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich and Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Isabel Feito
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Finca Experimental La Mata, Grado, Spain
| | - Alejandro Rivera
- Area of Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Oviedo University, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Lucía Rodríguez
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Finca Experimental La Mata, Grado, Spain
| | - Luis G. Quintanilla
- Department of Biology and Geology, Physics and Inorganic Chemistry, Rey Juan Carlos University, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Víctor Quesada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Oncology of the Principality of Asturias, Oviedo University, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Mª Jesús Cañal
- Area of Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, Oviedo University, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich and Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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22
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Zhao L, Liu L, Liu Y, Dou X, Cai H, Aslam M, Hou Z, Jin X, Li Y, Wang L, Zhao H, Wang X, Sicard A, Qin Y. Characterization of germline development and identification of genes associated with germline specification in pineapple. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2021; 8:239. [PMID: 34719672 PMCID: PMC8558326 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-021-00669-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Understanding germline specification in plants could be advantageous for agricultural applications. In recent decades, substantial efforts have been made to understand germline specification in several plant species, including Arabidopsis, rice, and maize. However, our knowledge of germline specification in many agronomically important plant species remains obscure. Here, we characterized the female germline specification and subsequent female gametophyte development in pineapple using callose staining, cytological, and whole-mount immunolocalization analyses. We also determined the male germline specification and gametophyte developmental timeline and observed male meiotic behavior using chromosome spreading assays. Furthermore, we identified 229 genes that are preferentially expressed at the megaspore mother cell (MMC) stage during ovule development and 478 genes that are preferentially expressed at the pollen mother cell (PMC) stage of anther development using comparative transcriptomic analysis. The biological functions, associated regulatory pathways and expression patterns of these genes were also analyzed. Our study provides a convenient cytological reference for exploring pineapple germline development and a molecular basis for the future functional analysis of germline specification in related plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Zhao
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala BioCenter and Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Liping Liu
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yanhui Liu
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xianying Dou
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hanyang Cai
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Mohammad Aslam
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Zhimin Hou
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xingyue Jin
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yi Li
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lulu Wang
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Heming Zhao
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaomei Wang
- Horticulture Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning Investigation Station of South Subtropical Fruit Trees, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanning, China
| | - Adrien Sicard
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala BioCenter and Linnean Centre for Plant Biology, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yuan Qin
- College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Center for Genomics and Biotechnology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi, China.
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23
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Wang L, Liu Y, Aslam M, Jakada BH, Qin Y, Cai H. The Glycine-Rich Domain Protein GRDP2 Regulates Ovule Development via the Auxin Pathway in Arabidopsis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:698487. [PMID: 34777406 PMCID: PMC8585784 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.698487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The glycine-rich domain proteins (GRDP) have been functionally implicated in the cell wall structure, biotic, and abiotic stress responses. However, little is known about GRDP genes in female gametophyte development of Arabidopsis. This study shows that GRDP2, a GRDP, plays a crucial role in female gametophyte development. In GRDP2 overexpression lines, grdp2-3, the embryo sacs were arrested at FG1 and no nucleus stages. Furthermore, callose staining shows that cell plate formation during megasporogenesis is disturbed in grdp2-3. In contrast, the pollen development is not affected in grdp2-3. The expression patterns of auxin-specific marker lines in female gametophytes showed that the auxin distribution and transport were significantly changed during megagametogenesis in grdp2-3. In addition, compared with the membrane-localized pattern of PIN1, PIN2, and PIN7 in WT, the signals were detected in the cytoplasm in grdp2-3. Together, our data suggest that GRDP2 plays an essential role in auxin-mediated female gametophyte development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Wang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Yanhui Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Mohammad Aslam
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
| | - Bello Hassan Jakada
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuan Qin
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hanyang Cai
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, China
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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24
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Luo Y, Shi DQ, Jia PF, Bao Y, Li HJ, Yang WC. Nucleolar histone deacetylases HDT1, HDT2 and HDT3 regulate plant reproductive development. J Genet Genomics 2021; 49:30-39. [PMID: 34699991 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nucleolus is a membrane-less organelle where ribosomes are assembled and rRNAs transcribed and processed. The assembled ribosomes composed of ribosomal proteins and rRNAs synthesize proteins for cell survival. In plants, the loss of nucleolar ribosomal proteins often causes gametophytically or embryonically lethality. The amount of rRNAs are under stringent regulation according to demand and partially switched off by epigenetic modifications. However, the molecular mechanism for the selective activation or silencing is still unclear, and the transcriptional coordination of rRNAs and ribosomal proteins is also unknown. Here we report the critical role of three Arabidopsis nucleolar protein HDT1, HDT2 and HDT3 in fertility and transcription of rDNAs and rRNA processing-related genes through histone acetylation. This study highlights the important roles of transcriptional repression of ribosome biogenesis-related genes for plant reproductive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dong-Qiao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Peng-Fei Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuan Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hong-Ju Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Cai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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25
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Stein RE, Nauerth BH, Binmöller L, Zühl L, Loreth A, Reinert M, Ibberson D, Schmidt A. RH17 restricts reproductive fate and represses autonomous seed coat development in sexual Arabidopsis. Development 2021; 148:272091. [PMID: 34495331 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Plant sexual and asexual reproduction through seeds (apomixis) is tightly controlled by complex gene regulatory programs, which are not yet fully understood. Recent findings suggest that RNA helicases are required for plant germline development. This resembles their crucial roles in animals, where they are involved in controlling gene activity and the maintenance of genome integrity. Here, we identified previously unknown roles of Arabidopsis RH17 during reproductive development. Interestingly, RH17 is involved in repression of reproductive fate and of elements of seed development in the absence of fertilization. In lines carrying a mutant rh17 allele, development of supernumerary reproductive cell lineages in the female flower tissues (ovules) was observed, occasionally leading to formation of two embryos per seed. Furthermore, seed coat, and putatively also endosperm development, frequently initiated autonomously. Such induction of several features phenocopying distinct elements of apomixis by a single mutation is unusual and suggests that RH17 acts in regulatory control of plant reproductive development. Furthermore, an in-depth understanding of its action might be of use for agricultural applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Eric Stein
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Berit Helge Nauerth
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Binmöller
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luise Zühl
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Loreth
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Reinert
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Ibberson
- Deep Sequencing Core Facility, CellNetworks Excellence Cluster, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 267, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja Schmidt
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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26
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Hou Z, Liu Y, Zhang M, Zhao L, Jin X, Liu L, Su Z, Cai H, Qin Y. High-throughput single-cell transcriptomics reveals the female germline differentiation trajectory in Arabidopsis thaliana. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1149. [PMID: 34599277 PMCID: PMC8486858 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02676-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Female germline cells in flowering plants differentiate from somatic cells to produce specialized reproductive organs, called ovules, embedded deep inside the flowers. We investigated the molecular basis of this distinctive developmental program by performing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of 16,872 single cells of Arabidopsis thaliana ovule primordia at three developmental time points during female germline differentiation. This allowed us to identify the characteristic expression patterns of the main cell types, including the female germline and its surrounding nucellus. We then reconstructed the continuous trajectory of female germline differentiation and observed dynamic waves of gene expression along the developmental trajectory. A focused analysis revealed transcriptional cascades and identified key transcriptional factors that showed distinct expression patterns along the germline differentiation trajectory. Our study provides a valuable reference dataset of the transcriptional process during female germline differentiation at single-cell resolution, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying germline cell fate determination. Zhimin Hou, Yanhui Liu et al. used single cell RNA-seq to analyze the model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana, at three stages during female germline differentiation. They reconstructed the continuous trajectory of female germline differentiation, providing a valuable reference for future investigation of germline cell fate determination in A. thaliana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimin Hou
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yanhui Liu
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Man Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lihua Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xingyue Jin
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Liping Liu
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Zhenxia Su
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hanyang Cai
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yuan Qin
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fuzhou, China. .,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Lab of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, 530004, Nanning, China.
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27
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Böwer F, Schnittger A. How to Switch from Mitosis to Meiosis: Regulation of Germline Entry in Plants. Annu Rev Genet 2021; 55:427-452. [PMID: 34530640 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-genet-112618-043553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
One of the major cell fate transitions in eukaryotes is entry into meiosis. While in single-celled yeast this decision is triggered by nutrient starvation, in multicellular eukaryotes, such as plants, it is under developmental control. In contrast to animals, plants have only a short germline and instruct cells to become meiocytes in reproductive organs late in development. This situation argues for a fundamentally different mechanism of how plants recruit meiocytes, and consistently, none of the regulators known to control meiotic entry in yeast and animals are present in plants. In recent years, several factors involved in meiotic entry have been identified, especially in the model plant Arabidopsis, and pieces of a regulatory network of germline control in plants are emerging. However, the corresponding studies also show that the mechanisms of meiotic entry control are diversified in flowering plants, calling for further analyses in different plant species. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genetics, Volume 55 is November 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Böwer
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute for Plant Sciences and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, D-22609 Hamburg, Germany;
| | - Arp Schnittger
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute for Plant Sciences and Microbiology, University of Hamburg, D-22609 Hamburg, Germany;
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28
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Cai B, Wang T, Fu W, Harun A, Ge X, Li Z. Dosage-Dependent Gynoecium Development and Gene Expression in Brassica napus-Orychophragmus violaceus Addition Lines. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:1766. [PMID: 34579298 PMCID: PMC8469106 DOI: 10.3390/plants10091766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Distant hybridization usually leads to female sterility of the hybrid but the mechanism behind this is poorly understood. Complete pistil abortion but normal male fertility was shown by one Brassica napus-Orychophragmus violaceus monosomic alien addition line (MA, AACC + 1 IO, 2n = 39) produced previously. To study the effect of a single O. violaceus chromosome addition on pistil development in different genetic backgrounds, hybrids between the MA and B. carinata (BBCC), B. juncea (AABB), and two synthetic hexaploids (AABBCC) were firstly produced in this study which show complete female sterility. A microspore culture was further performed to produce the haploid monosomic alien addition line (HMA, AC + 1 IO, 2n = 20) and disomic addition line (DA, AACC + 2 IO, 2n = 40) together with haploid (H, AC, 2n = 19) and double haploid (DH, AACC, 2n = 38) plants of B. napus from MA to investigate the dosage effect of the alien O. violaceus chromosome on pistil development and gene expression. Compared to MA, the development of the pistils of DA and HMA was completely or partially recovered, in which the pistils could swell and elongate to a normal shape after open pollination, although no seeds were produced. Comparative RNA-seq analyses revealed that the numbers of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly different, dosage-dependent, and consistent with the phenotypic difference in pairwise comparisons of HMA vs. H, DA vs. DH, MA vs. DH, MA vs. DA, and MA vs. HMA. The gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of DEGs showed that a number of genes involved in the development of the gynoecium, embryo sac, ovule, and integuments. Particularly, several common DEGs for pistil development shared in HMA vs. H and DA vs. DH showed functions in genotoxic stress response, auxin transport, and signaling and adaxial/abaxial axis specification. The results provided updated information for the molecular mechanisms behind the gynoecium development of B. napus responding to the dosage of alien O. violaceus chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xianhong Ge
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Oil Crop Improvement (Wuhan), College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (B.C.); (T.W.); (W.F.); (A.H.); (Z.L.)
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29
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Ono A, Kinoshita T. Epigenetics and plant reproduction: Multiple steps for responsibly handling succession. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 61:102032. [PMID: 33744743 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Although flowering plants and mammals have distinct life cycles and developmental programs, epigenetic information in both plant and mammalian cells is faithfully inherited across mitotic cell division. In mammals, epigenetic reprograming is a prominent process that is re-established in the zygote and germ line during early development. By contrast, plants do not produce germ cells until later in development. This difference, along with the many examples of the transmission of stable epialleles in plants, suggests that epigenetic reprograming in plants and mammals occurs via distinct mechanisms. In this review, we highlight recent advances in genome-wide epigenetic analyses in plants. These analyses provide insight into dynamic epigenetic regulation in plants and reveal unique processes that maintain genome integrity during plant sexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akemi Ono
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, 641-12 Maioka, Totsuka, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0813, Japan.
| | - Tetsu Kinoshita
- Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, 641-12 Maioka, Totsuka, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 244-0813, Japan.
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30
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Hernandez-Lagana E, Mosca G, Mendocilla-Sato E, Pires N, Frey A, Giraldo-Fonseca A, Michaud C, Grossniklaus U, Hamant O, Godin C, Boudaoud A, Grimanelli D, Autran D, Baroux C. Organ geometry channels reproductive cell fate in the Arabidopsis ovule primordium. eLife 2021; 10:e66031. [PMID: 33960300 PMCID: PMC8219382 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, sexual reproduction requires the separation of the germline from the soma. In flowering plants, the female germline precursor differentiates as a single spore mother cell (SMC) as the ovule primordium forms. Here, we explored how organ growth contributes to SMC differentiation. We generated 92 annotated 3D images at cellular resolution in Arabidopsis. We identified the spatio-temporal pattern of cell division that acts in a domain-specific manner as the primordium forms. Tissue growth models uncovered plausible morphogenetic principles involving a spatially confined growth signal, differential mechanical properties, and cell growth anisotropy. Our analysis revealed that SMC characteristics first arise in more than one cell but SMC fate becomes progressively restricted to a single cell during organ growth. Altered primordium geometry coincided with a delay in the fate restriction process in katanin mutants. Altogether, our study suggests that tissue geometry channels reproductive cell fate in the Arabidopsis ovule primordium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriella Mosca
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Ethel Mendocilla-Sato
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Nuno Pires
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Anja Frey
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Alejandro Giraldo-Fonseca
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | | | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | - Olivier Hamant
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, University of Lyon, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRAE, INRIALyonFrance
| | - Christophe Godin
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, University of Lyon, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRAE, INRIALyonFrance
| | - Arezki Boudaoud
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, University of Lyon, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRAE, INRIALyonFrance
| | | | - Daphné Autran
- DIADE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, IRDMontpellierFrance
- Laboratoire Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, University of Lyon, ENS Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, INRAE, INRIALyonFrance
| | - Célia Baroux
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of ZürichZürichSwitzerland
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31
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Barra L, Termolino P, Aiese Cigliano R, Cremona G, Paparo R, Lanzillo C, Consiglio MF, Conicella C. Meiocyte Isolation by INTACT and Meiotic Transcriptome Analysis in Arabidopsis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:638051. [PMID: 33747019 PMCID: PMC7969724 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.638051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types (INTACT) is a method developed to isolate cell-type-specific nuclei that are tagged through in vivo biotin labeling of a nuclear targeting fusion (NTF) protein. In our work, INTACT was used to capture nuclei of meiocytes and to generate a meiotic transcriptome in Arabidopsis. Using the promoter of AtDMC1 recombinase to label meiotic nuclei, we generated transgenic plants carrying AtDMC1:NTF along with biotin ligase enzyme (BirA) under the constitutive ACTIN2 (ACT2) promoter. AtDMC1-driven expression of biotin-labeled NTF allowed us to collect nuclei of meiocytes by streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. The nuclear meiotic transcriptome was obtained by RNA-seq using low-quantity input RNA. Transcripts grouped into different categories according to their expression levels were investigated by gene ontology enrichment analysis (GOEA). The most enriched GO term "DNA demethylation" in mid/high-expression classes suggests that this biological process is particularly relevant to meiosis onset. The majority of genes with established roles in meiosis were distributed in the classes of mid/high and high expression. Meiotic transcriptome was compared with public available transcriptomes from other tissues in Arabidopsis. Bioinformatics analysis by expression network identified a core of more than 1,500 genes related to meiosis landmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Barra
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Pasquale Termolino
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Gaetana Cremona
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Rosa Paparo
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | - Carmine Lanzillo
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Clara Conicella
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy, Portici, Italy
- *Correspondence: Clara Conicella,
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32
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Beaudry FE, Rifkin JL, Barrett SC, Wright SI. Evolutionary Genomics of Plant Gametophytic Selection. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2020; 1:100115. [PMID: 33367268 PMCID: PMC7748008 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2020.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
It has long been recognized that natural selection during the haploid gametophytic phase of the plant life cycle may have widespread importance for rates of evolution and the maintenance of genetic variation. Recent theoretical advances have further highlighted the significance of gametophytic selection for diverse evolutionary processes. Genomic approaches offer exciting opportunities to address key questions about the extent and effects of gametophytic selection on plant evolution and adaptation. Here, we review the progress and prospects for integrating functional and evolutionary genomics to test theoretical predictions, and to examine the importance of gametophytic selection on genetic diversity and rates of evolution. There is growing evidence that selection during the gametophyte phase of the plant life cycle has important effects on both gene and genome evolution and is likely to have important pleiotropic effects on the sporophyte. We discuss the opportunities to integrate comparative population genomics, genome-wide association studies, and experimental approaches to further distinguish how differential selection in the two phases of the plant life cycle contributes to genetic diversity and adaptive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix E.G. Beaudry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Joanna L. Rifkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Spencer C.H. Barrett
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Stephen I. Wright
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
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Hernandez-Lagana E, Autran D. H3.1 Eviction Marks Female Germline Precursors in Arabidopsis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 9:E1322. [PMID: 33036297 PMCID: PMC7600056 DOI: 10.3390/plants9101322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In flowering plants, germline precursors are differentiated from somatic cells. The female germline precursor of Arabidopsis thaliana is located in the internal (nucellar) tissue of the ovule, and is known as the Megaspore Mother Cell (MMC). MMC differentiation in Arabidopsis occurs when a cell in the subepidermal layer of the nucellar apex enters the meiotic program. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that MMC specification is a plastic process where the number and developmental outcome of MMCs are variable. During its differentiation, the MMC displays specific chromatin hallmarks that distinguish it from other cells within the primordium. To date, these signatures have been only analyzed at developmental stages where the MMC is morphologically conspicuous, and their role in reproductive fate acquisition remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that the histone 3 variant H3.1 HISTONE THREE RELATED 13 (HTR13) can be evicted in multiple subepidermal cells of the nucellus, but that H3.1 eviction persists only in the MMC. This pattern is established very early in ovule development and is reminiscent of the specific eviction of H3.1 that marks cell cycle exit in other somatic cell types, such as the root quiescent center (QC) of Arabidopsis. Our findings suggest that cell cycle progression in the subepidermal region of the ovule apex is modified very early in development and is associated with plasticity of reproductive fate acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daphné Autran
- DIADE, IRD, CIRAD, University of Montpellier, 911 avenue Agropolis, 34000 Montpellier, France;
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Su Z, Wang N, Hou Z, Li B, Li D, Liu Y, Cai H, Qin Y, Chen X. Regulation of Female Germline Specification via Small RNA Mobility in Arabidopsis. THE PLANT CELL 2020; 32:2842-2854. [PMID: 32703817 PMCID: PMC7474286 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.20.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In the ovules of most sexually reproducing plants, one hypodermal cell differentiates into a megaspore mother cell (MMC), which gives rise to the female germline. Trans-acting small interfering RNAs known as tasiR-ARFs have been suggested to act non-cell-autonomously to prevent the formation of multiple MMCs by repressing AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR3 (ARF3) expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we examined tasiR-ARF-related intercellular regulatory mechanisms. Expression analysis revealed that components of the tasiR-ARF biogenesis pathway are restricted to distinct ovule cell types, thus limiting tasiR-ARF production to the nucellar epidermis. We also provide data suggesting tasiR-ARF movement along the mediolateral axis into the hypodermal cells and basipetally into the chalaza. Furthermore, we used cell type-specific promoters to express ARF3m, which is resistant to tasiR-ARF regulation, in different ovule cell layers. ARF3m expression in hypodermal cells surrounding the MMC, but not in epidermal cells, led to a multiple-MMC phenotype, suggesting that tasiR-ARFs repress ARF3 in these hypodermal cells to suppress ectopic MMC fate. RNA sequencing analyses in plants with hypodermally expressed ARF3m showed that ARF3 potentially regulates MMC specification through phytohormone pathways. Our findings uncover intricate spatial restriction of tasiR-ARF biogenesis, which together with tasiR-ARF mobility enables cell-cell communication in MMC differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenxia Su
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Epigenetics, Longhua Institute of Innovative Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Nannan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhimin Hou
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Baiyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Dingning Li
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yanhui Liu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Hanyang Cai
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yuan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Genetics, Breeding, and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biology, College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Xuemei Chen
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Genome Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521
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Kiefer M, Nauerth BH, Volkert C, Ibberson D, Loreth A, Schmidt A. Gene Function Rather than Reproductive Mode Drives the Evolution of RNA Helicases in Sexual and Apomictic Boechera. Genome Biol Evol 2020; 12:656-673. [PMID: 32302391 PMCID: PMC7250504 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaa078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In higher plants, sexual and asexual reproductions through seeds (apomixis) have evolved as alternative strategies. Evolutionary advantages leading to coexistence of both reproductive modes are currently not well understood. It is expected that accumulation of deleterious mutations leads to a rapid elimination of apomictic lineages from populations. In this line, apomixis originated repeatedly, likely from deregulation of the sexual pathway, leading to alterations in the development of reproductive lineages (germlines) in apomicts as compared with sexual plants. This potentially involves mutations in genes controlling reproduction. Increasing evidence suggests that RNA helicases are crucial regulators of germline development. To gain insights into the evolution of 58 members of this diverse gene family in sexual and apomictic plants, we applied target enrichment combined with next-generation sequencing to identify allelic variants from 24 accessions of the genus Boechera, comprising sexual, facultative, and obligate apomicts. Interestingly, allelic variants from apomicts did not show consistently increased mutation frequency. Either sequences were highly conserved in any accession, or allelic variants preferentially harbored mutations in evolutionary less conserved C- and N-terminal domains, or presented high mutation load independent of the reproductive mode. Only for a few genes allelic variants harboring deleterious mutations were only identified in apomicts. To test if high sequence conservation correlates with roles in fundamental cellular or developmental processes, we analyzed Arabidopsis thaliana mutant lines in VASA-LIKE (VASL), and identified pleiotropic defects during ovule and reproductive development. This indicates that also in apomicts mechanisms of selection are in place based on gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Kiefer
- Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Berit H Nauerth
- Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christopher Volkert
- Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Ibberson
- Deep Sequencing Core Facility, CellNetworks Excellence Cluster, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Loreth
- Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja Schmidt
- Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Moreno JE. Closing Gaps and Opening New Avenues during Megasporogenesis of Rice. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 182:1806-1807. [PMID: 32253331 PMCID: PMC7140952 DOI: 10.1104/pp.20.00189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier E Moreno
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe 3000, Argentina
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Controlling Apomixis: Shared Features and Distinct Characteristics of Gene Regulation. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11030329. [PMID: 32245021 PMCID: PMC7140868 DOI: 10.3390/genes11030329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In higher plants, sexual and asexual reproduction through seeds (apomixis) have evolved as alternative strategies. As apomixis leads to the formation of clonal offspring, its great potential for agricultural applications has long been recognized. However, the genetic basis and the molecular control underlying apomixis and its evolutionary origin are to date not fully understood. Both in sexual and apomictic plants, reproduction is tightly controlled by versatile mechanisms regulating gene expression, translation, and protein abundance and activity. Increasing evidence suggests that interrelated pathways including epigenetic regulation, cell-cycle control, hormonal pathways, and signal transduction processes are relevant for apomixis. Additional molecular mechanisms are being identified that involve the activity of DNA- and RNA-binding proteins, such as RNA helicases which are increasingly recognized as important regulators of reproduction. Together with other factors including non-coding RNAs, their association with ribosomes is likely to be relevant for the formation and specification of the apomictic reproductive lineage. Subsequent seed formation appears to involve an interplay of transcriptional activation and repression of developmental programs by epigenetic regulatory mechanisms. In this review, insights into the genetic basis and molecular control of apomixis are presented, also taking into account potential relations to environmental stress, and considering aspects of evolution.
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Abstract
Transcriptomic studies have proven powerful and effective as a tool to study the molecular underpinnings of plant development. Still, it remains challenging to disentangle cell- or tissue-specific transcriptomes in complex structures like the plant seed. In particular, the embryo of flowering plants is embedded in the endosperm, a nurturing tissue, which, in turn, is enclosed by the maternal seed coat. Here, we describe laser-assisted microdissection (LAM) to isolate highly pure embryo tissue from whole seeds. This technique is applicable to virtually any plant seed, and we illustrate the use of LAM to isolate embryos from species of the Boechera and Solanum genera. LAM is a tool that will greatly help to increase the repertoires of tissue-specific transcriptomes, including those of embryos and parts thereof, in nonmodel plants.
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Liu H, Cao A, Yang L, Wang J. Rice Female Meiosis: Genome-Wide mRNA, Small RNA, and DNA Methylation Analysis During Ovule Development. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2061:267-280. [PMID: 31583666 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9818-0_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Meiosis is an essential process in sexual life cycle, not only for the genomic stability maintenance but also for the genetic diversity creation through recombination. In rice ovule, megaspore mother cells undergo meiosis to form megaspores; then the functional megaspore performs three rounds of mitoses to form female gametophyte. However, the mechanism of gene expression and regulation in female meiosis process is still poorly understood. As important gene regulatory factors, miRNAs and DNA methylation are widely involved in plant meiosis and ovule development. In order to systematically study the potential mechanism of gene expression and regulation in female meiosis, ovules at megaspore mother cell meiosis stage, functional megaspore mitosis stage, and mature female gametophytes are collected to perform genome-wide RNA sequencing, small RNA sequencing, and bisulfite sequencing. Through bioinformatics analysis, we obtained many differentially expressed genes, miRNAs, and differentially methylated genes related to female meiosis. These data may provide important clues for further revealing the mechanism of female meiosis in rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helian Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Aqin Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liyu Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianbo Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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40
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Sankaranarayanan S, Ju Y, Kessler SA. Reactive Oxygen Species as Mediators of Gametophyte Development and Double Fertilization in Flowering Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1199. [PMID: 32849744 PMCID: PMC7419745 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are toxic by-products of aerobic metabolism. In plants, they also function as important signaling molecules that regulate biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as plant growth and development. Recent studies have implicated ROS in various aspects of plant reproduction. In male gametophytes, ROS are associated with germline development as well as the developmentally associated programmed cell death of tapetal cells necessary for microspore development. ROS have a role in regulation of female gametophyte patterning and maintenance of embryo sac polarity. During pollination, ROS play roles in the generation of self-incompatibility response during pollen-pistil interaction, pollen tube growth, pollen tube burst for sperm release and fertilization. In this mini review, we provide an overview of ROS production and signaling in the context of plant reproductive development, from female and male gametophyte development to fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanian Sankaranarayanan
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, ; Sharon A. Kessler,
| | - Yan Ju
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Sharon A. Kessler
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- *Correspondence: Subramanian Sankaranarayanan, ; Sharon A. Kessler,
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41
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Zühl L, Volkert C, Ibberson D, Schmidt A. Differential activity of F-box genes and E3 ligases distinguishes sexual versus apomictic germline specification in Boechera. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:5643-5657. [PMID: 31294816 PMCID: PMC6812705 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Germline specification is the first step during sexual and apomictic plant reproduction, and takes place in the nucellus of the ovule, a specialized domain of the reproductive flower tissues. In each case, a sporophytic cell is determined to form the sexual megaspore mother cell (MMC) or an apomictic initial cell (AIC). These differ in their developmental fates: while the MMC undergoes meiosis, the AIC modifies or omits meiosis to form the female gametophyte. Despite great interest in these distinct developmental processes, little is known about their gene regulatory basis. To elucidate the gene regulatory networks underlying germline specification, we conducted tissue-specific transcriptional profiling using laser-assisted microdissection and RNA sequencing to compare the transcriptomes of nucellar tissues between different sexual and apomictic Boechera accessions representing four species and two ploidy levels. This allowed us to distinguish between expression differences caused by genetic background or reproductive mode. Statistical data analysis revealed 45 genes that were significantly differentially expressed, and which potentially play a role for determination of the reproductive mode. Based on annotations, these included F-box genes and E3 ligases that most likely relate to genes previously described as regulators important for germline development. Our findings provide novel insights into the transcriptional basis of sexual and apomictic reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luise Zühl
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg
- Present address: Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Department of Comparative Development and Genetics, Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10, D-50829 Cologne
| | - Christopher Volkert
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg
| | - David Ibberson
- Deep Sequencing Core Facility, CellNetworks Excellence Cluster, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg
| | - Anja Schmidt
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Department of Biodiversity and Plant Systematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld, Heidelberg
- Correspondence:
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42
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Ashapkin VV, Kutueva LI, Aleksandrushkina NI, Vanyushin BF. Epigenetic Regulation of Plant Gametophyte Development. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20123051. [PMID: 31234519 PMCID: PMC6627097 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20123051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike in animals, the reproductive lineage cells in plants differentiate from within somatic tissues late in development to produce a specific haploid generation of the life cycle-male and female gametophytes. In flowering plants, the male gametophyte develops within the anthers and the female gametophyte-within the ovule. Both gametophytes consist of only a few cells. There are two major stages of gametophyte development-meiotic and post-meiotic. In the first stage, sporocyte mother cells differentiate within the anther (pollen mother cell) and the ovule (megaspore mother cell). These sporocyte mother cells undergo two meiotic divisions to produce four haploid daughter cells-male spores (microspores) and female spores (megaspores). In the second stage, the haploid spore cells undergo few asymmetric haploid mitotic divisions to produce the 3-cell male or 7-cell female gametophyte. Both stages of gametophyte development involve extensive epigenetic reprogramming, including siRNA dependent changes in DNA methylation and chromatin restructuring. This intricate mosaic of epigenetic changes determines, to a great extent, embryo and endosperm development in the future sporophyte generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasily V Ashapkin
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia.
| | - Lyudmila I Kutueva
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia.
| | | | - Boris F Vanyushin
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia.
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Lora J, Yang X, Tucker MR. Establishing a framework for female germline initiation in the plant ovule. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:2937-2949. [PMID: 31063548 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Female gametogenesis in flowering plants initiates in the ovule, where a single germline progenitor differentiates from a pool of somatic cells. Germline initiation is a fundamental prerequisite for seed development but is poorly understood at the molecular level due to the location of the cells deep within the flower. Studies in Arabidopsis have shown that regulators of germline development include transcription factors such as NOZZLE/SPOROCYTELESS and WUSCHEL, components of the RNA-dependent DNA methylation pathway such as ARGONAUTE9 and RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE 6, and phytohormones such as auxin and cytokinin. These factors accumulate in a range of cell types from where they establish an environment to support germline differentiation. Recent studies provide fresh insight into the transition from somatic to germline identity, linking chromatin regulators, cell cycle genes, and novel mobile signals, capitalizing on cell type-specific methodologies in both dicot and monocot models. These findings are providing unique molecular and compositional insight into the mechanistic basis and evolutionary conservation of female germline development in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Lora
- Department of Subtropical Fruits, Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea 'La Mayora' (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga, Spain
| | - Xiujuan Yang
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA, Australia
| | - Mathew R Tucker
- School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA, Australia
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44
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Pinto SC, Mendes MA, Coimbra S, Tucker MR. Revisiting the Female Germline and Its Expanding Toolbox. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 24:455-467. [PMID: 30850278 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The Arabidopsis thaliana ovule arises as a female reproductive organ composed solely of somatic diploid cells. Among them, one cell will acquire a unique identity and initiate female germline development. In this review we explore the complex network that facilitates differentiation of this single cell, and consider how it becomes committed to a distinct developmental program. We highlight recent progress towards understanding the role of intercellular communication, cell competency, and cell-cycle regulation in the ovule primordium, and we discuss the possibility that distinct pathways restrict germline development at different stages. Importantly, these recent findings suggest a renaissance in plant ovule research, restoring the female germline as an attractive model to study cell communication and cell fate establishment in multicellular organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara C Pinto
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; GreenUPorto, Sustainable AgriFood Production Research Centre, Rua da Agrária 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Marta A Mendes
- Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Sílvia Coimbra
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; GreenUPorto, Sustainable AgriFood Production Research Centre, Rua da Agrária 747, 4485-646 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Matthew R Tucker
- School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Urrbrae, SA 5064, Australia.
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45
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Brukhin V, Osadtchiy JV, Florez-Rueda AM, Smetanin D, Bakin E, Nobre MS, Grossniklaus U. The Boechera Genus as a Resource for Apomixis Research. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:392. [PMID: 31001306 PMCID: PMC6454215 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The genera Boechera (A. Löve et D. Löve) and Arabidopsis, the latter containing the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, belong to the same clade within the Brassicaceae family. Boechera is the only among the more than 370 genera in the Brassicaceae where apomixis is well documented. Apomixis refers to the asexual reproduction through seed, and a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms has great potential for applications in agriculture. The Boechera genus currently includes 110 species (of which 38 are reported to be triploid and thus apomictic), which are distributed mostly in the North America. The apomictic lineages of Boechera occur at both the diploid and triploid level and show signs of a hybridogenic origin, resulting in a modification of their chromosome structure, as reflected by alloploidy, aneuploidy, substitutions of homeologous chromosomes, and the presence of aberrant chromosomes. In this review, we discuss the advantages of the Boechera genus to study apomixis, consider its modes of reproduction as well as the inheritance and possible mechanisms controlling apomixis. We also consider population genetic aspects and a possible role of hybridization at the origin of apomixis in Boechera. The molecular tools available to study Boechera, such as transformation techniques, laser capture microdissection, analysis of transcriptomes etc. are also discussed. We survey available genome assemblies of Boechera spp. and point out the challenges to assemble the highly heterozygous genomes of apomictic species. Due to these challenges, we argue for the application of an alternative reference-free method for the comparative analysis of such genomes, provide an overview of genomic sequencing data in the genus Boechera suitable for such analysis, and provide examples of its application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Brukhin
- Theodosius Dobzhansky Center for Genome Bioinformatics, St. Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Plant Embryology and Reproductive Biology, Komarov Botanical Institute RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Jaroslaw V. Osadtchiy
- Department of Plant Embryology and Reproductive Biology, Komarov Botanical Institute RAS, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ana Marcela Florez-Rueda
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dmitry Smetanin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Evgeny Bakin
- Theodosius Dobzhansky Center for Genome Bioinformatics, St. Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Bioinformatics Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Margarida Sofia Nobre
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ueli Grossniklaus
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, Zürich-Basel Plant Science Center, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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León-Martínez G, Vielle-Calzada JP. Apomixis in flowering plants: Developmental and evolutionary considerations. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 131:565-604. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Erbasol Serbes I, Palovaara J, Groß-Hardt R. Development and function of the flowering plant female gametophyte. Curr Top Dev Biol 2019; 131:401-434. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Nakajima K. Be my baby: patterning toward plant germ cells. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 41:110-115. [PMID: 29223127 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2017] [Revised: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In flowering plants, germ cells are formed via tightly coordinated patterning processes that facilitate specification of spore mother cells and meiosis during sporogenesis, as well as functional differentiation of germ cells in gametogenesis. Studies using the conventional Arabidopsis system and the newly emerged bryophyte system have revealed novel interactions between regulatory factors that restrict the number of spore mother cells, and evolutionarily conserved factors that promote germ cell differentiation. This short review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the cellular events that lead to the formation of germ cells in plants, and highlights questions that remain to be addressed in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiji Nakajima
- Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
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Yao X, Yang H, Zhu Y, Xue J, Wang T, Song T, Yang Z, Wang S. The Canonical E2Fs Are Required for Germline Development in Arabidopsis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:638. [PMID: 29868091 PMCID: PMC5962754 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
A number of cell fate determinations, including cell division, cell differentiation, and programmed cell death, intensely occur during plant germline development. How these cell fate determinations are regulated remains largely unclear. The transcription factor E2F is a core cell cycle regulator. Here we show that the Arabidopsis canonical E2Fs, including E2Fa, E2Fb, and E2Fc, play a redundant role in plant germline development. The e2fa e2fb e2fc (e2fabc) triple mutant is sterile, although its vegetative development appears normal. On the one hand, the e2fabc microspores undergo cell death during pollen mitosis. Microspores start to die at the bicellular stage. By the tricellular stage, the majority of the e2fabc microspores are degenerated. On the other hand, a wild type ovule often has one megaspore mother cell (MMC), whereas the majority of e2fabc ovules have two to three MMCs. The subsequent female gametogenesis of e2fabc mutant is aborted and the vacuole is severely impaired in the embryo sac. Analysis of transmission efficiency showed that the canonical E2Fs from both male and female gametophyte are essential for plant gametogenesis. Our study reveals that the canonical E2Fs are required for plant germline development, especially the pollen mitosis and the archesporial cell (AC)-MMC transition.
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KLU suppresses megasporocyte cell fate through SWR1-mediated activation of WRKY28 expression in Arabidopsis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 115:E526-E535. [PMID: 29288215 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1716054115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Germ-line specification is essential for sexual reproduction. In the ovules of most flowering plants, only a single hypodermal cell enlarges and differentiates into a megaspore mother cell (MMC), the founder cell of the female germ-line lineage. The molecular mechanisms restricting MMC specification to a single cell remain elusive. We show that the Arabidopsis transcription factor WRKY28 is exclusively expressed in hypodermal somatic cells surrounding the MMC and is required to repress these cells from acquiring MMC-like cell identity. In this process, the SWR1 chromatin remodeling complex mediates the incorporation of the histone variant H2A.Z at the WRKY28 locus. Moreover, the cytochrome P450 gene KLU, expressed in inner integument primordia, non-cell-autonomously promotes WRKY28 expression through H2A.Z deposition at WRKY28. Taken together, our findings show how somatic cells in ovule primordia cooperatively use chromatin remodeling to restrict germ-line cell specification to a single cell.
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