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Zhong M, Wang H, Hao X, Liu C, Hao J, Fan S, Han Y. LsFUL-LsSMU2 module positively controls bolting time in leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under high temperature. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 347:112195. [PMID: 39002573 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2024.112195] [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: 02/24/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
High temperature (HT) is an environmental factor that considerably affects plant physiology, development, crop yield, and economic value. HT can cause diseases and early bolting of leaf lettuce, thereby reducing the yield and quality of leaf lettuce. Herein, we used two leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) cultivars (bolting-resistant 'S24' and bolting-sensitive 'S39') to investigate the key factors and molecular mechanism impacting bolting. We found that 14 MADS-box genes implicated in bolting and flowering, LsMADS54 (also referred to as L. sativa FRUITFULL, LsFUL), was significantly up-regulated 1000 times after 5-d HT treatment and that HT-induced up-regulation of LsFUL was higher in bolting-sensitive than in resistant cultivars. The overexpression lines of LsFUL exhibited an earlier bolting time than that in the non-transformed 'S39'(CK). However, the RNA interference, and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockout lines of LsFUL exhibited a later bolting time than that in CK. In addition, we found that L. sativa SUPPRESSORS OF MEC-8 AND UNC-52 PROTEIN 2 (LsSMU2) and L. sativa CONSTANS-LIKE PROTEIN 5 (LsCOL5) interact with LsFUL, and these interactions could stimulate or prevent bolting. We observed that elevated temperature stimulated the abundance of LsSMU2 in the stem, which collaborated with LsFUL to accelerate bolting. Conversely, room temperature (RT) condition led to relatively more stable LsCOL5, which worked with LsFUL to postpone bolting. In summary, our findings demonstrate a molecular regulatory module of LsSMU2-LsFUL associated with HT-induced premature bolting, which serves as a reference for understanding HT-induced premature bolting phenomenon in leaf lettuce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjiang Zhong
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Huiyu Wang
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Xindi Hao
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Chaojie Liu
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Jinghong Hao
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Shuangxi Fan
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Yingyan Han
- Department of Plant Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of New Technology in Agricultural Application, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Plant Production Education, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China.
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Song GQ, Liu Z, Zhong GY. Regulatory frameworks involved in the floral induction, formation and developmental programming of woody horticultural plants: a case study on blueberries. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1336892. [PMID: 38410737 PMCID: PMC10894941 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1336892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Flowering represents a crucial stage in the life cycles of plants. Ensuring strong and consistent flowering is vital for maintaining crop production amidst the challenges presented by climate change. In this review, we summarized key recent efforts aimed at unraveling the complexities of plant flowering through genetic, genomic, physiological, and biochemical studies in woody species, with a special focus on the genetic control of floral initiation and activation in woody horticultural species. Key topics covered in the review include major flowering pathway genes in deciduous woody plants, regulation of the phase transition from juvenile to adult stage, the roles of CONSTANS (CO) and CO-like gene and FLOWERING LOCUS T genes in flower induction, the floral regulatory role of GA-DELLA pathway, and the multifunctional roles of MADS-box genes in flowering and dormancy release triggered by chilling. Based on our own research work in blueberries, we highlighted the central roles played by two key flowering pathway genes, FLOWERING LOCUS T and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1, which regulate floral initiation and activation (dormancy release), respectively. Collectively, our survey shows both the conserved and diverse aspects of the flowering pathway in annual and woody plants, providing insights into the potential molecular mechanisms governing woody plants. This paves the way for enhancing the resilience and productivity of fruit-bearing crops in the face of changing climatic conditions, all through the perspective of genetic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Zongrang Liu
- USDA Agricultural Research Services, Appalachian Fruit Research Station, Kearneysville, WV, United States
| | - Gan-Yuan Zhong
- USDA Agricultural Research Services, Grape Genetics Research Unit and Plant Genetic Resources Unit, Geneva, NY, United States
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3
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Song GQ, Carter BB, Zhong GY. Multiple transcriptome comparisons reveal the essential roles of FLOWERING LOCUS T in floral initiation and SOC1 and SVP in floral activation in blueberry. Front Genet 2023; 14:1105519. [PMID: 37091803 PMCID: PMC10113452 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1105519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The flowering mechanisms, especially chilling requirement-regulated flowering, in deciduous woody crops remain to be elucidated. Flower buds of northern highbush blueberry cultivar Aurora require approximately 1,000 chilling hours to bloom. Overexpression of a blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T (VcFT) enabled precocious flowering of transgenic “Aurora” mainly in non-terminated apical buds during flower bud formation, meanwhile, most of the mature flower buds could not break until they received enough chilling hours. In this study, we highlighted two groups of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in flower buds caused by VcFT overexpression (VcFT-OX) and full chilling. We compared the two groups of DEGs with a focus on flowering pathway genes. We found: 1) In non-chilled flower buds, VcFT-OX drove a high VcFT expression and repressed expression of a major MADS-box gene, blueberry SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (VcSOC1) resulting an increased VcFT/VcSOC1 expression ratio; 2) In fully chilled flower buds that are ready to break, the chilling upregulated VcSOC1 expression in non-transgenic “Aurora” and repressed VcFT expression in VcFT-OX “Aurora”, and each resulted in a decreased ratio of VcFT to VcSOC1; additionally, expression of a blueberry SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (VcSVP) was upregulated in chilled flower buds of both transgenic and non-transgenic’ “Aurora”. Together with additional analysis of VcFT and VcSOC1 in the transcriptome data of other genotypes and tissues, we provide evidence to support that VcFT expression plays a significant role in promoting floral initiation and that VcSOC1 expression is a key floral activator. We thus propose a new hypothesis on blueberry flowering mechanism, of which the ratios of VcFT-to-VcSOC1 at transcript levels in the flowering pathways determine flower bud formation and bud breaking. Generally, an increased VcFT/VcSOC1 ratio or increased VcSOC1 in leaf promotes precocious flowering and flower bud formation, and a decreased VcFT/VcSOC1 ratio with increased VcSOC1 in fully chilled flower buds contributes to flower bud breaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: Guo-qing Song,
| | - Benjamin B. Carter
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Gan-Yuan Zhong
- Grape Genetics Research Unit, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Geneva, NY, United States
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4
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Cui F, Ye X, Li X, Yang Y, Hu Z, Overmyer K, Brosché M, Yu H, Salojärvi J. Chromosome-level genome assembly of the diploid blueberry Vaccinium darrowii provides insights into its subtropical adaptation and cuticle synthesis. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100307. [PMID: 35605198 PMCID: PMC9284290 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Vaccinium darrowii is a subtropical wild blueberry species that has been used to breed economically important southern highbush cultivars. The adaptive traits of V. darrowii to subtropical climates can provide valuable information for breeding blueberry and perhaps other plants, especially against the background of global warming. Here, we assembled the V. darrowii genome into 12 pseudochromosomes using Oxford Nanopore long reads complemented with Hi-C scaffolding technologies, and we predicted 41 815 genes using RNA-sequencing evidence. Syntenic analysis across three Vaccinium species revealed a highly conserved genome structure, with the highest collinearity between V. darrowii and Vaccinium corymbosum. This conserved genome structure may explain the high fertility observed during crossbreeding of V. darrowii with other blueberry cultivars. Analysis of gene expansion and tandem duplication indicated possible roles for defense- and flowering-associated genes in the adaptation of V. darrowii to the subtropics. Putative SOC1 genes in V. darrowii were identified based on phylogeny and expression analysis. Blueberries are covered in a thick cuticle layer and contain anthocyanins, which confer their powdery blue color. Using RNA sequencing, we delineated the cuticle biosynthesis pathways of Vaccinium species in V. darrowii. This result can serve as a reference for breeding berries whose colors are appealing to customers. The V. darrowii reference genome, together with the unique traits of this species, including its diploid genome, short vegetative phase, and high compatibility in hybridization with other blueberries, make V. darrowii a potential research model for blueberry species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqiang Cui
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou 311300, China.
| | - Xiaoxue Ye
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, Hainan 571101, China; School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiaoxiao Li
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Yifan Yang
- College of Forestry and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Zhubing Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Department of Biology, Institute of Plant Stress Biology, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Kirk Overmyer
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, and the Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikael Brosché
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, and the Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hong Yu
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jarkko Salojärvi
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore; Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, and the Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65 (Viikinkaari 1), 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
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5
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Wu Z, Huang L, Huang F, Lu G, Wei S, Liu C, Deng H, Liang G. Temporal transcriptome analysis provides molecular insights into flower development in red-flesh pitaya. ELECTRON J BIOTECHN 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejbt.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
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6
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Edger PP, Iorizzo M, Bassil NV, Benevenuto J, Ferrão LFV, Giongo L, Hummer K, Lawas LMF, Leisner CP, Li C, Munoz PR, Ashrafi H, Atucha A, Babiker EM, Canales E, Chagné D, DeVetter L, Ehlenfeldt M, Espley RV, Gallardo K, Günther CS, Hardigan M, Hulse-Kemp AM, Jacobs M, Lila MA, Luby C, Main D, Mengist MF, Owens GL, Perkins-Veazie P, Polashock J, Pottorff M, Rowland LJ, Sims CA, Song GQ, Spencer J, Vorsa N, Yocca AE, Zalapa J. There and back again; historical perspective and future directions for Vaccinium breeding and research studies. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhac083. [PMID: 35611183 PMCID: PMC9123236 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) contains a wide diversity of culturally and economically important berry crop species. Consumer demand and scientific research in blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) have increased worldwide over the crops' relatively short domestication history (~100 years). Other species, including bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and ohelo berry (Vaccinium reticulatum) are largely still harvested from the wild but with crop improvement efforts underway. Here, we present a review article on these Vaccinium berry crops on topics that span taxonomy to genetics and genomics to breeding. We highlight the accomplishments made thus far for each of these crops, along their journey from the wild, and propose research areas and questions that will require investments by the community over the coming decades to guide future crop improvement efforts. New tools and resources are needed to underpin the development of superior cultivars that are not only more resilient to various environmental stresses and higher yielding, but also produce fruit that continue to meet a variety of consumer preferences, including fruit quality and health related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick P Edger
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- MSU AgBioResearch, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Massimo Iorizzo
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Nahla V Bassil
- USDA-ARS, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Juliana Benevenuto
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Luis Felipe V Ferrão
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lara Giongo
- Fondazione Edmund Mach - Research and Innovation CentreItaly
| | - Kim Hummer
- USDA-ARS, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Lovely Mae F Lawas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Courtney P Leisner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Changying Li
- Phenomics and Plant Robotics Center, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Patricio R Munoz
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Hamid Ashrafi
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Amaya Atucha
- Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Ebrahiem M Babiker
- USDA-ARS Southern Horticultural Laboratory, Poplarville, MS 39470-0287, USA
| | - Elizabeth Canales
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
| | - David Chagné
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Lisa DeVetter
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, Mount Vernon, WA, 98221, USA
| | - Mark Ehlenfeldt
- SEBS, Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 01019 USA
| | - Richard V Espley
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Karina Gallardo
- School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University, Puyallup, WA 98371, USA
| | - Catrin S Günther
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Michael Hardigan
- USDA-ARS, Horticulture Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Amanda M Hulse-Kemp
- USDA-ARS, Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - MacKenzie Jacobs
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Mary Ann Lila
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
| | - Claire Luby
- USDA-ARS, Horticulture Crops Research Unit, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA
| | - Dorrie Main
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA
| | - Molla F Mengist
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | | | | | - James Polashock
- SEBS, Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 01019 USA
| | - Marti Pottorff
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC USA
| | - Lisa J Rowland
- USDA-ARS, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Charles A Sims
- Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Guo-qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Jessica Spencer
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC USA
| | - Nicholi Vorsa
- SEBS, Plant Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ 01019 USA
| | - Alan E Yocca
- Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Juan Zalapa
- USDA-ARS, VCRU, Department of Horticulture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Gao X, Wang L, Zhang H, Zhu B, Lv G, Xiao J. Transcriptome analysis and identification of genes associated with floral transition and fruit development in rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei). PLoS One 2021; 16:e0259119. [PMID: 34710165 PMCID: PMC8553168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Flowering and fruit set are important traits affecting fruit quality and yield in rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei). Intense efforts have been made to elucidate the influence of vernalization and phytohormones on flowering, but the molecular mechanisms of flowering and fruit set remain unclear. To unravel these mechanisms, we performed transcriptome analysis to explore blueberry transcripts from flowering to early fruit stage. We divided flowering and fruit set into flower bud (S2), initial flower (S3), bloom flower (S4), pad fruit (S5), and cup fruit (S6) based on phenotype and identified 1,344, 69, 658, and 189 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in comparisons of S3/S2, S4/S3, S5/S4, and S6/S5, respectively. There were obviously more DEGs in S3/S2 and S5/S4 than in S4/S3, and S6/S5, suggesting that S3/S2 and S5/S4 represent major transitions from buds to fruit in blueberry. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated these DEGs were mostly enriched in phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling, transporter proteins, photosynthesis, anthocyanins biosynthesis, disease resistance protein and transcription factor categories, in addition, transcript levels of phytohormones and transporters changed greatly throughout the flowering and fruit set process. Gibberellic acid and jasmonic acid mainly acted on the early stage of flowering development like expression of the florigen gene FT, while the expression of auxin response factor genes increased almost throughout the process from bud to fruit development. Transporter proteins were mainly associated with minerals during the early flowering development stage and sugars during the early fruit stage. At the early fruit stage, anthocyanins started to accumulate, and the fruit was susceptible to diseases such as fungal infection. Expression of the transcription factor MYB86 was up-regulated during initial fruit development, which may promote anthocyanin accumulation. These results will aid future studies exploring the molecular mechanism underlying flowering and fruit set of rabbiteye blueberry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Gao
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases and Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Lida Wang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases and Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases and Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
- Anhui Microanaly Gene Limited Liability Company, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases and Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Guosheng Lv
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases and Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Jiaxin Xiao
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Enzymology and Mechanism of Major Diseases and Key Laboratory of Biomedicine in Gene Diseases and Health of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui, China
- * E-mail:
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8
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Song GQ, Han X, Ryner JT, Thompson A, Wang K. Utilizing MIKC-type MADS-box protein SOC1 for yield potential enhancement in maize. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2021; 40:1679-1693. [PMID: 34091722 PMCID: PMC8376726 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-021-02722-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Overexpression of Zea mays SOC gene promotes flowering, reduces plant height, and leads to no reduction in grain production per plant, suggesting enhanced yield potential, at least, through increasing planting density. MIKC-type MADS-box gene SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (SOC1) is an integrator conserved in the plant flowering pathway. In this study, the maize SOC1 (ZmSOC1) gene was cloned and overexpressed in transgenic maize Hi-II genotype. The T0 plants were backcrossed with nontransgenic inbred B73 to produce first generation backcross (BC1) seeds. Phenotyping of both transgenic and null segregant (NT) BC1 plants was conducted in three independent experiments. The BC1 transgenic plants showed new attributes such as increased vegetative growth, accelerated flowering time, reduced overall plant height, and increased grain weight. Second generation backcross (BC2) plants were evaluated in the field using two planting densities. Compared to BC2 NT plants, BC2 transgenic plants, were 12-18% shorter, flowered 5 days earlier, and showed no reduction in grain production per plant and an increase in fat, starch, and simple sugars in the grain. Transcriptome comparison in young leaves of 56-day-old BC1 plants revealed that the overexpressed ZmSOC1 resulted in 107 differentially expressed genes. The upregulated transcription factor DNA BINDING WITH ONE FINGER 5.4 (DOF5.4) was among the genes responsible for the reduced plant height. Modulating expression of SOC1 opens a new and effective approach to promote flowering and reduce plant height, which may have potential to enhance crop yield and improve grain quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Qing Song
- Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Xue Han
- Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - John T Ryner
- Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Addie Thompson
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Kan Wang
- Department of Agronomy, Crop Bioengineering Center, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011-1051, USA
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9
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Xie X, Yue S, Shi B, Li H, Cui Y, Wang J, Yang P, Li S, Li X, Bian S. Comprehensive Analysis of the SBP Family in Blueberry and Their Regulatory Mechanism Controlling Chlorophyll Accumulation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:703994. [PMID: 34276754 PMCID: PMC8281205 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.703994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
SQUAMOSA Promoter Binding Protein (SBP) family genes act as central players to regulate plant growth and development with functional redundancy and specificity. Addressing the diversity of the SBP family in crops is of great significance to precisely utilize them to improve agronomic traits. Blueberry is an important economic berry crop. However, the SBP family has not been described in blueberry. In the present study, twenty VcSBP genes were identified through data mining against blueberry transcriptome databases. These VcSBPs could be clustered into eight groups, and the gene structures and motif compositions are divergent among the groups and similar within each group. The VcSBPs were differentially expressed in various tissues. Intriguingly, 10 VcSBPs were highly expressed at green fruit stages and dramatically decreased at the onset of fruit ripening, implying that they are important regulators during early fruit development. Computational analysis showed that 10 VcSBPs were targeted by miR156, and four of them were further verified by degradome sequencing. Moreover, their functional diversity was studied in Arabidopsis. Noticeably, three VcSBPs significantly increased chlorophyll accumulation, and qRT-PCR analysis indicated that VcSBP13a in Arabidopsis enhanced the expression of chlorophyll biosynthetic genes such as AtDVR, AtPORA, AtPORB, AtPORC, and AtCAO. Finally, the targets of VcSBPs were computationally identified in blueberry, and the Y1H assay showed that VcSBP13a could physically bind to the promoter region of the chlorophyll-associated gene VcLHCB1. Our findings provided an overall framework for individually understanding the characteristics and functions of the SBP family in blueberry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xie
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shaokang Yue
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Baosheng Shi
- College of Landscape Architecture and Tourism, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Hongxue Li
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yuhai Cui
- London Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON Canada
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jingying Wang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Pengjie Yang
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuchun Li
- Department of Pain, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuyan Li
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shaomin Bian
- College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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10
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Song GQ, Han X. K-Domain Technology: Constitutive Expression of a Blueberry Keratin-Like Domain Mimics Expression of Multiple MADS-Box Genes in Enhancing Maize Grain Yield. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:664983. [PMID: 34025703 PMCID: PMC8137907 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.664983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
MADS-box genes are considered as the foundation of all agronomic traits because they play essential roles in almost every aspect of plant reproductive development. Keratin-like (K) domain is a conserved protein domain of tens of MIKC-type MADS-box genes in plants. K-domain technology constitutively expresses a K-domain to mimic expression of the K-domains of other MADS-box genes simultaneously and thus to generate new opportunities for yield enhancement, because the increased K-domains can likely prevent MADS-domain proteins from binding to target DNA. In this study, we evaluated utilizing the K-domain technology to increase maize yield. The K-domain of a blueberry's SUPPRESSOR of CONSTITUTIVE EXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1 (VcSOC1K) has similarities to five MADS-box genes in maize. Transgenic maize plants expressing the VcSOC1K showed 13-100% of more grain per plant than the nontransgenic plants in all five experiments conducted under different experimental conditions. Transcriptome comparisons revealed 982 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the leaves from 83-day old plants, supporting that the K-domain technology were powerful and multiple functional. The results demonstrated that constitutive expression of the VcSOC1K was very effective to enhance maize grain production. With the potential of mimicking the K-domains of multiple MADS-box genes, the K-domain technology opens a new approach to increase crop yield.
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11
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Callwood J, Melmaiee K, Kulkarni KP, Vennapusa AR, Aicha D, Moore M, Vorsa N, Natarajan P, Reddy UK, Elavarthi S. Differential Morpho-Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses to Heat Stress in Two Blueberry Species. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052481. [PMID: 33804571 PMCID: PMC7957502 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are highly vulnerable to changing climatic conditions, especially increasing temperatures. To gain insight into mechanisms underpinning the response to heat stress, two blueberry species were subjected to heat stress for 6 and 9 h at 45 °C, and leaf samples were used to study the morpho-physiological and transcriptomic changes. As compared with Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium darrowii exhibited thermal stress adaptation features such as small leaf size, parallel leaf orientation, waxy leaf coating, increased stomatal surface area, and stomatal closure. RNAseq analysis yielded ~135 million reads and identified 8305 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during heat stress against the control samples. In V. corymbosum, 2861 and 4565 genes were differentially expressed at 6 and 9 h of heat stress, whereas in V. darrowii, 2516 and 3072 DEGs were differentially expressed at 6 and 9 h, respectively. Among the pathways, the protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was the highly enriched pathway in both the species: however, certain metabolic, fatty acid, photosynthesis-related, peroxisomal, and circadian rhythm pathways were enriched differently among the species. KEGG enrichment analysis of the DEGs revealed important biosynthesis and metabolic pathways crucial in response to heat stress. The GO terms enriched in both the species under heat stress were similar, but more DEGs were enriched for GO terms in V. darrowii than the V. corymbosum. Together, these results elucidate the differential response of morpho-physiological and molecular mechanisms used by both the blueberry species under heat stress, and help in understanding the complex mechanisms involved in heat stress tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi Callwood
- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA; (J.C.); (K.P.K.); (A.R.V.); (D.A.); (S.E.)
| | - Kalpalatha Melmaiee
- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA; (J.C.); (K.P.K.); (A.R.V.); (D.A.); (S.E.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Krishnanand P. Kulkarni
- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA; (J.C.); (K.P.K.); (A.R.V.); (D.A.); (S.E.)
| | - Amaranatha R. Vennapusa
- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA; (J.C.); (K.P.K.); (A.R.V.); (D.A.); (S.E.)
| | - Diarra Aicha
- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA; (J.C.); (K.P.K.); (A.R.V.); (D.A.); (S.E.)
| | - Michael Moore
- Optical Science Center for Applied Research (OSCAR), Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA;
| | - Nicholi Vorsa
- Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension, Rutgers University, Chatsworth, NJ 08019, USA;
| | - Purushothaman Natarajan
- Department of Biology and Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA; (P.N.); (U.K.R.)
| | - Umesh K. Reddy
- Department of Biology and Gus R. Douglass Institute, West Virginia State University, Institute, WV 25112, USA; (P.N.); (U.K.R.)
| | - Sathya Elavarthi
- Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA; (J.C.); (K.P.K.); (A.R.V.); (D.A.); (S.E.)
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12
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Qi X, Ogden EL, Bostan H, Sargent DJ, Ward J, Gilbert J, Iorizzo M, Rowland LJ. High-Density Linkage Map Construction and QTL Identification in a Diploid Blueberry Mapping Population. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:692628. [PMID: 34234801 PMCID: PMC8256855 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.692628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Genotyping by sequencing approaches have been widely applied in major crops and are now being used in horticultural crops like berries and fruit trees. As the original and largest producer of cultivated blueberry, the United States maintains the most diverse blueberry germplasm resources comprised of many species of different ploidy levels. We previously constructed an interspecific mapping population of diploid blueberry by crossing the parent F1#10 (Vaccinium darrowii Fla4B × diploid V. corymbosum W85-20) with the parent W85-23 (diploid V. corymbosum). Employing the Capture-Seq technology developed by RAPiD Genomics, with an emphasis on probes designed in predicted gene regions, 117 F1 progeny, the two parents, and two grandparents of this population were sequenced, yielding 131.7 Gbp clean sequenced reads. A total of 160,535 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), referenced to 4,522 blueberry genome sequence scaffolds, were identified and subjected to a parent-dependent sliding window approach to further genotype the population. Recombination breakpoints were determined and marker bins were deduced to construct a high density linkage map. Twelve blueberry linkage groups (LGs) consisting of 17,486 SNP markers were obtained, spanning a total genetic distance of 1,539.4 cM. Among 18 horticultural traits phenotyped in this population, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that were significant over at least 2 years were identified for chilling requirement, cold hardiness, and fruit quality traits of color, scar size, and firmness. Interestingly, in 1 year, a QTL associated with timing of early bloom, full bloom, petal fall, and early green fruit was identified in the same region harboring the major QTL for chilling requirement. In summary, we report here the first high density bin map of a diploid blueberry mapping population and the identification of several horticulturally important QTLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinpeng Qi
- Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Elizabeth L. Ogden
- Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Hamed Bostan
- Department of Horticultural Science, Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC, United States
| | | | - Judson Ward
- Driscoll’s Inc., Watsonville, CA, United States
| | | | - Massimo Iorizzo
- Department of Horticultural Science, Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, Kannapolis, NC, United States
| | - Lisa J. Rowland
- Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center-West, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Lisa J. Rowland, ;
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13
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Tian Y, Ma Z, Ma H, Gu Y, Li Y, Sun H. Comparative transcriptome analysis of lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) provides insights into genes associated with flavonoids metabolism during fruit development. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2020.1803130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Youwen Tian
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China
| | - Zhili Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China
| | - Haohao Ma
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China
| | - Yu Gu
- Engineering Center of Genetic Breeding and Innovative Utilization of Small Fruits of Jilin Province, College of Horticulture, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China
| | - Yadong Li
- Engineering Center of Genetic Breeding and Innovative Utilization of Small Fruits of Jilin Province, College of Horticulture, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China
| | - Haiyue Sun
- Engineering Center of Genetic Breeding and Innovative Utilization of Small Fruits of Jilin Province, College of Horticulture, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, Jilin, PR China
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14
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Qi X, Ogden EL, Die JV, Ehlenfeldt MK, Polashock JJ, Darwish O, Alkharouf N, Rowland LJ. Transcriptome analysis identifies genes related to the waxy coating on blueberry fruit in two northern-adapted rabbiteye breeding populations. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 19:460. [PMID: 31711416 PMCID: PMC6844065 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-2073-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blueberry is of high economic value. Most blueberry varieties selected for the fresh market have an appealing light blue coating or "bloom" on the fruit due to the presence of a visible heavy epicuticular wax layer. This waxy layer also serves as natural defense against fruit desiccation and deterioration. RESULTS In this study, we attempted to identify gene(s) whose expression is related to the protective waxy coating on blueberry fruit utilizing two unique germplasm populations that segregate for the waxy layer. We bulked RNA from waxy and non-waxy blueberry progenies from the two northern-adapted rabbiteye hybrid breeding populations ('Nocturne' x T 300 and 'Nocturne' x US 1212), and generated 316.85 million RNA-seq reads. We de novo assembled this data set integrated with other publicly available RNA-seq data and trimmed the assembly into a 91,861 blueberry unigene collection. All unigenes were functionally annotated, resulting in 79 genes potentially related to wax accumulation. We compared the expression pattern of waxy and non-waxy progenies using edgeR and identified overall 1125 genes in the T 300 population and 2864 genes in the US 1212 population with at least a two-fold expression difference. After validating differential expression of several genes by RT-qPCR experiments, a candidate gene, FatB, which encodes acyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] hydrolase, emerged whose expression was closely linked to the segregation of the waxy coating in our populations. This gene was expressed at more than a five-fold higher level in waxy than non-waxy plants of both populations. We amplified and sequenced the cDNA for this gene from three waxy plants of each population, but were unable to amplify the cDNA from three non-waxy plants that were tested from each population. We aligned the Vaccinium deduced FATB protein sequence to FATB protein sequences from other plant species. Within the PF01643 domain, which gives FATB its catalytic function, 80.08% of the amino acids were identical or had conservative replacements between the blueberry and the Cucumis melo sequence (XP_008467164). We then amplified and sequenced a large portion of the FatB gene itself from waxy and non-waxy individuals of both populations. Alignment of the cDNA and gDNA sequences revealed that the blueberry FatB gene consists of six exons and five introns. Although we did not sequence through two very large introns, a comparison of the exon sequences found no significant sequence differences between the waxy and non-waxy plants. This suggests that another gene, which regulates or somehow affects FatB expression, must be segregating in the populations. CONCLUSIONS This study is helping to achieve a greater understanding of epicuticular wax biosynthesis in blueberry. In addition, the blueberry unigene collection should facilitate functional annotation of the coming chromosomal level blueberry genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinpeng Qi
- USDA-ARS, BARC-West, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Elizabeth L. Ogden
- USDA-ARS, BARC-West, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
| | - Jose V. Die
- Departmento de Genetica, University of Córdoba Campus Rabanales, Blg. C5, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Mark K. Ehlenfeldt
- USDA-ARS, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, at Rutgers University P.E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension, Chatsworth, NJ 08019 USA
| | - James J. Polashock
- USDA-ARS, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, at Rutgers University P.E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension, Chatsworth, NJ 08019 USA
| | - Omar Darwish
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX 76204 USA
| | - Nadim Alkharouf
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252 USA
| | - L. Jeannine Rowland
- USDA-ARS, BARC-West, Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705 USA
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15
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Zong X, Zhang Y, Walworth A, Tomaszewski EM, Callow P, Zhong GY, Song GQ. Constitutive Expression of an Apple FLC3-like Gene Promotes Flowering in Transgenic Blueberry under Nonchilling Conditions. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20112775. [PMID: 31174253 PMCID: PMC6600427 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20112775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
MADS-box transcription factors FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) and APETALA1 (AP1)/CAULIFLOWER (CAL) have an opposite effect in vernalization-regulated flowering in Arabidopsis. In woody plants, a functional FLC-like gene has not been verified through reverse genetics. To reveal chilling-regulated flowering mechanisms in woody fruit crops, we conducted phylogenetic analysis of the annotated FLC-like proteins of apple and found that these proteins are grouped more closely to Arabidopsis AP1 than the FLC group. An FLC3-like MADS-box gene from columnar apple trees (Malus domestica) (MdFLC3-like) was cloned for functional analysis through a constitutive transgenic expression. The MdFLC3-like shows 88% identity to pear's FLC-like genes and 82% identity to blueberry's CAL1 gene (VcCAL1). When constitutively expressed in a highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivar 'Legacy', the MdFLC3-like induced expressions of orthologues of three MADS-box genes, including APETALA1, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1, and CAL1. As a consequence, in contrast to the anticipated late flowering associated with an overexpressed FLC-like, the MdFLC3-like promoted flowering of transgenic blueberry plants under nonchilling conditions where nontransgenic 'Legacy' plants could not flower. Thus, the constitutively expressed MdFLC3-like in transgenic blueberries functioned likely as a blueberry's VcCAL1. The results are anticipated to facilitate future studies for revealing chilling-mediated flowering mechanisms in woody plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Zong
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
- Shandong Institute of Pomology, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Taian 271000, China.
| | - Yugang Zhang
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Breeding in Horticultural Plants, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
| | - Aaron Walworth
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Elise M Tomaszewski
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Pete Callow
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Gan-Yuan Zhong
- Grape Genetics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Geneva, NY 14456, USA.
| | - Guo-Qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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16
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Song GQ, Walworth A, Lin T, Chen Q, Han X, Irina Zaharia L, Zhong GY. VcFT-induced mobile florigenic signals in transgenic and transgrafted blueberries. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2019; 6:105. [PMID: 31645960 PMCID: PMC6804590 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-019-0188-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) can promote early flowering in annual species, but such role has not been well demonstrated in woody species. We produced self and reciprocal grafts involving non-transgenic blueberry (NT) and transgenic blueberry (T) carrying a 35S-driven blueberry FT (VcFT-OX). We demonstrated that the transgenic VcFT-OX rootstock promoted flowering of non-transgenic blueberry scions in the NT (scion):T (rootstock) grafts. We further analyzed RNA-Seq profiles and six groups of phytohormones in both NT:T and NT:NT plants. We observed content changes of several hormone metabolites, in a descending order, in the transgenic NT:T, non-transgenic NT:T, and non-transgenic NT:NT leaves. By comparing differential expression transcripts (DETs) of these tissues in relative to their control, we found that the non-transgenic NT:T leaves had many DETs shared with the transgenic NT:T leaves, but very few with the transgenic NT:T roots. Interestingly, a number of these shared DETs belong to hormone pathway genes, concurring with the content changes of hormone metabolites in both transgenic and non-transgenic leaves of the NT:T plants. These results suggest that phytohormones induced by VcFT-OX in the transgenic leaves might serve as part of the signals that resulted in early flowering in both transgenic plants and the non-transgenic NT:T scions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Aaron Walworth
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Tianyi Lin
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Qiuxia Chen
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Xiumei Han
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, National Research Council of Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W9 Canada
| | - L. Irina Zaharia
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, National Research Council of Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W9 Canada
| | - Gan-yuan Zhong
- Grape Genetics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Geneva, NY 14456 USA
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17
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Lin T, Walworth A, Zong X, Danial GH, Tomaszewski EM, Callow P, Han X, Irina Zaharia L, Edger PP, Zhong GY, Song GQ. VcRR2 regulates chilling-mediated flowering through expression of hormone genes in a transgenic blueberry mutant. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2019; 6:96. [PMID: 31645954 PMCID: PMC6804727 DOI: 10.1038/s41438-019-0180-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism underlying dormancy release and the induction of flowering remains poorly understood in woody plants. Mu-legacy is a valuable blueberry mutant, in which a transgene insertion caused increased expression of a RESPONSE REGULATOR 2-like gene (VcRR2). Mu-legacy plants, compared with nontransgenic 'Legacy' plants, show dwarfing, promotion of flower bud formation, and can flower under nonchilling conditions. We conducted transcriptomic comparisons in leaves, chilled and nonchilled flowering buds, and late-pink buds, and analyzed a total of 41 metabolites of six groups of hormones in leaf tissues of both Mu-legacy and 'Legacy' plants. These analyses uncovered that increased VcRR2 expression promotes the expression of a homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana ENT-COPALYL DIPHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE 1 (VcGA1), which induces new homeostasis of hormones, including increased gibberellin 4 (GA4) levels in Mu-legacy leaves. Consequently, increased expression of VcRR2 and VcGA1, which function in cytokinin responses and gibberellin synthesis, respectively, initiated the reduction in plant height and the enhancement of flower bud formation of the Mu-legacy plants through interactions of multiple approaches. In nonchilled flower buds, 29 differentially expressed transcripts of 17 genes of five groups of hormones were identified in transcriptome comparisons between Mu-legacy and 'Legacy' plants, of which 22 were chilling responsive. Thus, these analyses suggest that increased expression of VcRR2 was collectively responsible for promoting flower bud formation in highbush blueberry under nonchilling conditions. We report here for the first time the importance of VcRR2 to induce a suite of downstream hormones that promote flowering in woody plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Lin
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Aaron Walworth
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Xiaojuan Zong
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Gharbia H. Danial
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Elise M. Tomaszewski
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Pete Callow
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Xiumei Han
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, National Research Council of Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W9 Canada
| | - L. Irina Zaharia
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development, National Research Council of Canada, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W9 Canada
| | - Patrick P. Edger
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Gan-yuan Zhong
- Grape Genetics Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Geneva, NY 14456 USA
| | - Guo-qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
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18
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Song GQ, Chen Q. Overexpression of the MADS-box gene K-domain increases the yield potential of blueberry. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 276:22-31. [PMID: 30348321 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
MADS-box genes play a significant role for plant flowering. Keratin-like (K) domains are involved in protein-to-protein interactions in the formation of the MIKC-type MADS-box domain proteins. In this study, the potential of utilizing the K domain of a Vaccinium corymbosum SOC1-like gene (VcSOC1K) was investigated to modulate expression of other blueberry MADS-box genes for increasing blueberry productivity. Chilled transgenic blueberry plants overexpressing the VcSOC1K showed a significant increase in the number of canes, floral buds, and flower and fruit clusters compared to chilled non-transgenic plants. Additionally, nonchilled transgenic plants flowered whereas nonchilled non-transgenic plants did not. Transgenic plants showed an increase in tolerance to high soil pH. Comparative transcriptome analysis of transgenic and non-transgenic leaves showed differential expression of 17% of the MADS-box genes identified in blueberry. These differentially expressed (DE) MADS-box genes were associated with genes related to plant flowering, phytohormones, and response to various biotic and abiotic stimuli. The phenotypic changes and the DE MADS-box genes caused by the overexpression of VcSOC1K not only reveal that the MADS-box genes are involved in chilling/vernalization-mediated flowering in blueberry but also demonstrated that the overexpression of the K domain can effectively modulate plant reproductive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Qiuxia Chen
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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19
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Song GQ, Walworth A. An invaluable transgenic blueberry for studying chilling-induced flowering in woody plants. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:265. [PMID: 30382848 PMCID: PMC6211425 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1494-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many deciduous woody crops require a minimum level of chilling to break dormancy and allow the seasonal growth of vegetative and floral buds. In this study, we report the discovery of an invaluable transgenic event of the blueberry cultivar 'Legacy' (hereafter, Mu-Legacy) for studying chilling-induced flowering in woody plants. Mu-legacy and its progeny provide a unique material to study the unknown mechanism of chilling-mediated flowering in woody plants. RESULTS Unlike nontransgenic 'Legacy' and plants of 48 other transgenic events, Mu-Legacy plants were able to flower under nonchilling conditions and had early flower bud formation, reduced plant size, and reduced chilling requirement for normal flowering. These characteristics were heritable and also observed in self-pollinated, transgenic T1 progenies of Mu-Legacy. A 47-Kbp genomic sequence surrounding the transgene insertion position was identified. RNA-sequencing data showed increased expression of a RESPONSE REGULATOR 2-like gene (VcRR2), located adjacent to the insertion position in Mu-Legacy and likely driven by the CaMV 35S promoter of the transgene. The Mu-Legacy showed 209 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in nonchilled flower buds (compared to nontransgenic 'Legacy'), of which only four DEGs were in the flowering pathway. This suggests altered expression of these few genes, VcRR2 and four flowering DEGs, is sufficient to significantly change flowering behavior in Mu-Legacy. CONCLUSIONS The significance of VcRR2 in Mu-Legacy suggests that the VcRR2-involved cytokinin pathway likely contributes to the major differences in chilling-mediated flowering between woody and herbaceous plants. More importantly, Mu-Legacy shows increased yield potential, a decreased chilling requirement, and better winter hardiness than many low-chilling cultivars growing in southern warm winter conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Aaron Walworth
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
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Song GQ, Chen Q. Comparative transcriptome analysis of nonchilled, chilled, and late-pink bud reveals flowering pathway genes involved in chilling-mediated flowering in blueberry. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:98. [PMID: 29855262 PMCID: PMC5984463 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1311-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blueberry cultivars require a fixed quantity of chilling hours during winter endo-dormancy for vernalization. In this study, transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing data from nonchilled, chilled, and late pink buds of southern highbush blueberry 'Legacy' was performed to reveal genes associated with chilling accumulation and bud break. RESULTS Fully chilled 'Legacy' plants flowered normally whereas nonchilled plants could not flower. Compared to nonchilled flower buds, chilled flower buds showed differential expression of 89% of flowering pathway genes, 86% of MADS-box genes, and 84% of cold-regulated genes. Blueberry orthologues of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) did not show a differential expression in chilled flower buds (compared to nonchilled flower bud) but were up-regulated in late-pink buds (compared to chilled flower bud). Orthologoues of major MADS-box genes were significantly up-regulated in chilled flower buds and down-regulated in late-pink buds. Functional orthologues of FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) were not found in blueberry. Orthologues of Protein FD (FD), TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1), and LEAFY (LFY) were down-regulated in chilled flower buds and in late-pink buds compared to nonchilled flower bud. CONCLUSIONS The changes from nonchilled to chilled and chilled to late-pink buds are associated with transcriptional changes in a large number of differentially expressed (DE) phytohormone-related genes and DE flowering pathway genes. The profile of DE genes suggests that orthologues of FT, FD, TFL1, LFY, and MADS-box genes are the major genes involved in chilling-mediated blueberry bud-break. The results contribute to the comprehensive investigation of the vernalization-mediated flowering mechanism in woody plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Qiuxia Chen
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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The Cold-Regulated Genes of Blueberry and Their Response to Overexpression of VcDDF1 in Several Tissues. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19061553. [PMID: 29882876 PMCID: PMC6032386 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19061553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of blueberry cold-regulated genes (VcCORs) could play a role in the variable cold hardiness of blueberry tissues. In this study, transcriptome comparisons were conducted to reveal expression of VcCORs in non-acclimated leaves, flower buds, and flowers of both non-transgenic and transgenic blueberries containing an overexpressed blueberry DWARF AND DELAYED FLOWERING gene (VcDDF1) as well as in fully chilled flower buds of non-transgenic blueberry. In non-transgenic blueberries, 57.5% of VcCOR genes showed differential expression in at least one of the three pairwise comparisons between non-acclimated leaves, flower buds, and flowers, and six out of nine dehydration-responsive element-binding factors showed differential expression. In addition, expression of VcDDF1 was not cold-inducible in non-transgenic blueberries and had higher expression in flowers than in leaves or non-acclimated flower buds. In transgenic blueberries, overexpression of VcDDF1 resulted in higher VcDDF1 expression in leaves than in flower buds and flowers. VcDDF1 overexpression enhanced expression of blueberry CBF1 and CBF3 in leaves and repressed expression of CBF3 in both flower buds and flowers. Overall, the results revealed tissue-specific expression patterns of VcCORs. The responses of VcCORs to overexpression of VcDDF1 suggest that it is possible to increase plant cold hardiness through overexpression of a non-cold-inducible gene.
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Song GQ, Gao X. Transcriptomic changes reveal gene networks responding to the overexpression of a blueberry DWARF AND DELAYED FLOWERING 1 gene in transgenic blueberry plants. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2017; 17:106. [PMID: 28629320 PMCID: PMC5477172 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-017-1053-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Constitutive expression of the CBF/DREB1 for increasing freezing tolerance in woody plants is often associated with other phenotypic changes including dwarf plant and delayed flowering. These phenotypic changes have been observed when Arabidopsis DWARF AND DELAYED FLOWERING 1 (DDF1) was overexpressed in A. thaliana plants. To date, the DDF1 orthologues have not been studied in woody plants. The aim of this study is to investigate transcriptomic responses to the overexpression of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) DDF1 (herein, VcDDF1-OX). RESULTS The VcDDF1-OX resulted in enhanced freezing tolerance in tetraploid blueberry plants and did not result in significant changes in plant size, chilling requirement, and flowering time. Comparative transcriptome analysis of transgenic 'Legacy-VcDDF1-OX' plants containing an overexpressed VcDDF1 with non-transgenic highbush blueberry 'Legacy' plants revealed the VcDDF1-OX derived differentially expressed (DE) genes and transcripts in the pathways of cold-response, plant flowering, DELLA proteins, and plant phytohormones. The increase in freezing tolerance was associated to the expression of cold-regulated genes (CORs) and the ethylene pathway genes. The unchanged plant size, dormancy and flowering were due to the minimal effect of the VcDDF1-OX on the expression of DELLA proteins, flowering pathway genes, and the other phytohormone genes related to plant growth and development. The DE genes in auxin and cytokinin pathways suggest that the VcDDF1-OX has also altered plant tolerance to drought and high salinity. CONCLUSION A DDF1 orthologue in blueberry functioned differently from the DDF1 reported in Arabidopsis. The overexpression of VcDDF1 or its orthologues is a new approach to increase freezing tolerance of deciduous woody plant species with no obvious effect on plant size and plant flowering time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-qing Song
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
| | - Xuan Gao
- Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Utilization of Important Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000 China
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Gao X, Walworth AE, Mackie C, Song GQ. Overexpression of blueberry FLOWERING LOCUS T is associated with changes in the expression of phytohormone-related genes in blueberry plants. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2016; 3:16053. [PMID: 27818778 PMCID: PMC5080838 DOI: 10.1038/hortres.2016.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Flowering locus T (FT) is a primary integrator in the regulation of plant flowering. Overexpressing a blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) FT gene (VcFT) (herein VcFT-OX) resulted in early flowering and dwarfing in 'Aurora' plants (herein 'VcFT-Aurora'). In this study, we found that VcFT-OX reduced shoot regeneration from leaf explants. To investigate the potential roles of the phytohormone pathway genes associated with VcFT-OX, differentially expressed (DE) genes in leaf tissues of 'VcFT-Aurora' plants were annotated and analyzed using non-transgenic 'Aurora' plants as a control. Three DE floral genes, including the blueberry SUPPRESSOR of Overexpression of constans 1 (VcSOC1) (gibberellin related), Abscisic acid responsive elements-binding factor 2 (VcABF2) and protein related to ABI3/VP1 (VcABI3/VP1) (ethylene-related), are present under both the phytohormone-responsive and the dwarfing-related Gene Ontology terms. The gene networks of the DE genes overall showed the molecular basis of the multifunctional aspects of VcFT overexpression beyond flowering promotion and suggested that phytohormone changes could be signaling molecules with important roles in the phenotypic changes driven by VcFT-OX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Gao
- Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Utilization of Important Biological Resources, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Aaron E Walworth
- Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Charity Mackie
- Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Guo-qing Song
- Department of Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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