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Sun LX, Li N, Yuan Y, Wang Y, Lu BR. Reduced Carbon Dioxide by Overexpressing EPSPS Transgene in Arabidopsis and Rice: Implications in Carbon Neutrality through Genetically Engineered Plants. BIOLOGY 2023; 13:25. [PMID: 38248456 PMCID: PMC10813641 DOI: 10.3390/biology13010025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
With the increasing challenges of climate change caused by global warming, the effective reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) becomes an urgent environmental issue for the sustainable development of human society. Previous reports indicated increased biomass in genetically engineered (GE) Arabidopsis and rice overexpressing the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) gene, suggesting the possibility of consuming more carbon by GE plants. However, whether overexpressing the EPSPS gene in GE plants consumes more CO2 remains a question. To address this question, we measured expression of the EPSPS gene, intercellular CO2 concentration, photosynthetic ratios, and gene expression (RNA-seq and RT-qPCR) in GE (overexpression) and non-GE (normal expression) Arabidopsis and rice plants. Results showed substantially increased EPSPS expression accompanied with CO2 consumption in the GE Arabidopsis and rice plants. Furthermore, overexpressing the EPSPS gene affected carbon-fixation related biological pathways. We also confirmed significant upregulation of four key carbon-fixation associated genes, in addition to increased photosynthetic ratios, in all GE plants. Our finding of significantly enhanced carbon fixation in GE plants overexpressing the EPSPS transgene provides a novel strategy to reduce global CO2 for carbon neutrality by genetic engineering of plant species, in addition to increased plant production by enhanced photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Xue Sun
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai 200438, China; (L.-X.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Ning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai 200438, China;
| | - Ye Yuan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai 200438, China; (L.-X.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Ying Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai 200438, China; (L.-X.S.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Bao-Rong Lu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai 200438, China; (L.-X.S.); (Y.Y.)
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Proietti S, Bertini L, Falconieri GS, Baccelli I, Timperio AM, Caruso C. A Metabolic Profiling Analysis Revealed a Primary Metabolism Reprogramming in Arabidopsis glyI4 Loss-of-Function Mutant. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:plants10112464. [PMID: 34834827 PMCID: PMC8624978 DOI: 10.3390/plants10112464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Methylglyoxal (MG) is a cytotoxic compound often produced as a side product of metabolic processes such as glycolysis, lipid peroxidation, and photosynthesis. MG is mainly scavenged by the glyoxalase system, a two-step pathway, in which the coordinate activity of GLYI and GLYII transforms it into D-lactate, releasing GSH. In Arabidopsis thaliana, a member of the GLYI family named GLYI4 has been recently characterized. In glyI4 mutant plants, a general stress phenotype characterized by compromised MG scavenging, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), stomatal closure, and reduced fitness was observed. In order to shed some light on the impact of gly4 loss-of-function on plant metabolism, we applied a high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomic approach to Arabidopsis Col-8 wild type and glyI4 mutant plants. A compound library containing a total of 70 metabolites, differentially synthesized in glyI4 compared to Col-8, was obtained. Pathway analysis of the identified compounds showed that the upregulated pathways are mainly involved in redox reactions and cellular energy maintenance, and those downregulated in plant defense and growth. These results improved our understanding of the impacts of glyI4 loss-of-function on the general reprogramming of the plant's metabolic landscape as a strategy for surviving under adverse physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Proietti
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.P.); (L.B.); (G.S.F.)
| | - Laura Bertini
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.P.); (L.B.); (G.S.F.)
| | - Gaia Salvatore Falconieri
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.P.); (L.B.); (G.S.F.)
| | - Ivan Baccelli
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy;
| | - Anna Maria Timperio
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.P.); (L.B.); (G.S.F.)
- Correspondence: (A.M.T.); (C.C.); Tel.: +39-0761-357330 (C.C.)
| | - Carla Caruso
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; (S.P.); (L.B.); (G.S.F.)
- Correspondence: (A.M.T.); (C.C.); Tel.: +39-0761-357330 (C.C.)
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Benevenuto RF, Zanatta CB, Guerra MP, Nodari RO, Agapito-Tenfen SZ. Proteomic Profile of Glyphosate-Resistant Soybean under Combined Herbicide and Drought Stress Conditions. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 10:plants10112381. [PMID: 34834744 PMCID: PMC8622064 DOI: 10.3390/plants10112381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
While some genetically modified (GM) plants have been targeted to confer tolerance to abiotic stressors, transgenes are impacted by abiotic stressors, causing adverse effects on plant physiology and yield. However, routine safety analyses do not assess the response of GM plants under different environmental stress conditions. In the context of climate change, the combination of abiotic stressors is a reality in agroecosystems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the metabolic cost by assessing the proteomic profiles of GM soybean varieties under glyphosate spraying and water deficit conditions compared to their non-transgenic conventional counterparts. We found evidence of cumulative adverse effects that resulted in the reduction of enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, along with the expression of amino acids and nitrogen metabolic enzymes. Ribosomal metabolism was significantly enriched, particularly the protein families associated with ribosomal complexes L5 and L18. The interaction network map showed that the affected module representing the ribosome pathway interacts strongly with other important proteins, such as the chloro-plastic gamma ATP synthase subunit. Combined, these findings provide clear evidence for increasing the metabolic costs of GM soybean plants in response to the accumulation of stress factors. First, alterations in the ribosome pathway indicate that the GM plant itself carries a metabolic burden associated with the biosynthesis of proteins as effects of genetic transformation. GM plants also showed an imbalance in energy demand and production under controlled conditions, which was increased under drought conditions. Identifying the consequences of altered metabolism related to the interaction between plant transgene stress responses allows us to understand the possible effects on the ecology and evolution of plants in the medium and long term and the potential interactions with other organisms when these organisms are released in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Fonseca Benevenuto
- Crop Science Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88034000, Brazil; (R.F.B.); (C.B.Z.); (M.P.G.); (R.O.N.)
| | - Caroline Bedin Zanatta
- Crop Science Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88034000, Brazil; (R.F.B.); (C.B.Z.); (M.P.G.); (R.O.N.)
| | - Miguel Pedro Guerra
- Crop Science Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88034000, Brazil; (R.F.B.); (C.B.Z.); (M.P.G.); (R.O.N.)
| | - Rubens Onofre Nodari
- Crop Science Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis 88034000, Brazil; (R.F.B.); (C.B.Z.); (M.P.G.); (R.O.N.)
| | - Sarah Z. Agapito-Tenfen
- GenØk Centre for Biosafety, Siva Innovasjonssenter Postboks 6418, 9294 Tromsø, Norway
- Correspondence:
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Yao T, Feng K, Xie M, Barros J, Tschaplinski TJ, Tuskan GA, Muchero W, Chen JG. Phylogenetic Occurrence of the Phenylpropanoid Pathway and Lignin Biosynthesis in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:704697. [PMID: 34484267 PMCID: PMC8416159 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.704697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The phenylpropanoid pathway serves as a rich source of metabolites in plants and provides precursors for lignin biosynthesis. Lignin first appeared in tracheophytes and has been hypothesized to have played pivotal roles in land plant colonization. In this review, we summarize recent progress in defining the lignin biosynthetic pathway in lycophytes, monilophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. In particular, we review the key structural genes involved in p-hydroxyphenyl-, guaiacyl-, and syringyl-lignin biosynthesis across plant taxa and consider and integrate new insights on major transcription factors, such as NACs and MYBs. We also review insight regarding a new transcriptional regulator, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP) synthase, canonically identified as a key enzyme in the shikimate pathway. We use several case studies, including EPSP synthase, to illustrate the evolution processes of gene duplication and neo-functionalization in lignin biosynthesis. This review provides new insights into the genetic engineering of the lignin biosynthetic pathway to overcome biomass recalcitrance in bioenergy crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yao
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Kai Feng
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Meng Xie
- Biology Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, United States
| | - Jaime Barros
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Timothy J. Tschaplinski
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Gerald A. Tuskan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Wellington Muchero
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Jin-Gui Chen
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
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Increased Longevity and Dormancy of Soil-Buried Seeds from Advanced Crop–Wild Rice Hybrids Overexpressing the EPSPS Transgene. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10060562. [PMID: 34203092 PMCID: PMC8234842 DOI: 10.3390/biology10060562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Estimating the survival and reproductive ability caused by a transgene moved from a genetically engineered (GE) crop to its wild relative populations through gene flow plays an important role in assessing the potential environmental risks of the GE crop. Such estimation has essentially focused on the survival and reproduction-related characteristics above the ground, but with little attention to the GE seeds shattered in the soil seed banks. We demonstrated that the herbicide-resistant transgene overexpressing the rice endogenous EPSP enzyme increased the survival and longevity of the GE crop–wild (Oryza rufipogon) hybrid seeds in soil seed banks. In addition, enhanced survival and longevity of the GE hybrid seeds are likely associated with increases in seed dormancy and a growth hormone (auxin) via overexpressing the EPSPS transgene. Therefore, the EPSPS transgene can persist in the soil seed banks and spread in the environment, causing unwanted environmental impacts. Abstract Estimating the fitness effect conferred by a transgene introgressed into populations of wild relative species from a genetically engineered (GE) crop plays an important role in assessing the potential environmental risks caused by transgene flow. Such estimation has essentially focused on the survival and fecundity-related characteristics measured above the ground, but with little attention to the fate of GE seeds shattered in the soil seed banks after maturation. To explore the survival and longevity of GE seeds in soil, we examined the germination behaviors of crop–wild hybrid seeds (F4–F6) from the lineages of a GE herbicide-tolerant rice (Oryzasativa) line that contains an endogenous EPSPS transgene hybridized with two wild O. rufipogon populations after the seeds were buried in soil. The results showed significantly increased germination of the GE crop–wild hybrid seeds after soil burial, compared with that of the non-GE hybrid seeds. Additionally, the proportion of dormant seeds and the content of the growth hormone auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) in the GE crop–wild hybrid seeds significantly increased. Evidently, the EPSPS transgene enhances the survival and longevity of GE crop–wild rice seeds in the soil seed banks. The enhanced survival and longevity of the GE hybrid seeds is likely associated with the increases in seed dormancy and auxin (IAA) by overexpressing the rice endogenous EPSPS transgene. Thus, the fate of GE seeds in the soil seed banks should be earnestly considered when assessing the environmental risks caused by transgene flow.
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Ramirez-Villacis DX, Finkel OM, Salas-González I, Fitzpatrick CR, Dangl JL, Jones CD, Leon-Reyes A. Root Microbiome Modulates Plant Growth Promotion Induced by Low Doses of Glyphosate. mSphere 2020; 5:5/4/e00484-20. [PMID: 32817451 DOI: 10.46678/pb.20.1383160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide with a broad action spectrum. However, at sublethal doses, glyphosate can induce plant growth, a phenomenon known as hormesis. Most glyphosate hormesis studies have been performed under microbe-free or reduced-microbial-diversity conditions; only a few were performed in open systems or agricultural fields, which include a higher diversity of soil microorganisms. Here, we investigated how microbes affect the hormesis induced by low doses of glyphosate. To this end, we used Arabidopsis thaliana and a well-characterized synthetic bacterial community of 185 strains (SynCom) that mimics the root-associated microbiome of Arabidopsis We found that a dose of 3.6 × 10-6 g acid equivalent/liter (low dose of glyphosate, or LDG) produced an ∼14% increase in the shoot dry weight (i.e., hormesis) of uninoculated plants. Unexpectedly, in plants inoculated with the SynCom, LDG reduced shoot dry weight by ∼17%. We found that LDG enriched two Firmicutes and two Burkholderia strains in the roots. These specific strains are known to act as root growth inhibitors (RGI) in monoassociation assays. We tested the link between RGI and shoot dry weight reduction in LDG by assembling a new synthetic community lacking RGI strains. Dropping RGI strains out of the community restored growth induction by LDG. Finally, we showed that individual RGI strains from a few specific phyla were sufficient to switch the response to LDG from growth promotion to growth inhibition. Our results indicate that glyphosate hormesis was completely dependent on the root microbiome composition, specifically on the presence of root growth inhibitor strains.IMPORTANCE Since the introduction of glyphosate-resistant crops, glyphosate has become the most common and widely used herbicide around the world. Due to its intensive use and ability to bind to soil particles, it can be found at low concentrations in the environment. The effect of these remnants of glyphosate in plants has not been broadly studied; however, glyphosate 1,000 to 100,000 times less concentrated than the recommended field dose promoted growth in several species in laboratory and greenhouse experiments. However, this effect is rarely observed in agricultural fields, where complex communities of microbes have a central role in the way plants respond to external cues. Our study reveals how root-associated bacteria modulate the responses of Arabidopsis to low doses of glyphosate, shifting between growth promotion and growth inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario X Ramirez-Villacis
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Agrícola y de Alimentos-Ingeniería en Agronomía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Omri M Finkel
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Isai Salas-González
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Connor R Fitzpatrick
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeffery L Dangl
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Corbin D Jones
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Antonio Leon-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Agrícola y de Alimentos-Ingeniería en Agronomía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Galapagos Science Center, USFQ-UNC, San Cristobal, Galápagos, Ecuador
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Ramirez-Villacis DX, Finkel OM, Salas-González I, Fitzpatrick CR, Dangl JL, Jones CD, Leon-Reyes A. Root Microbiome Modulates Plant Growth Promotion Induced by Low Doses of Glyphosate. mSphere 2020; 5:e00484-20. [PMID: 32817451 PMCID: PMC7426167 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00484-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Glyphosate is a commonly used herbicide with a broad action spectrum. However, at sublethal doses, glyphosate can induce plant growth, a phenomenon known as hormesis. Most glyphosate hormesis studies have been performed under microbe-free or reduced-microbial-diversity conditions; only a few were performed in open systems or agricultural fields, which include a higher diversity of soil microorganisms. Here, we investigated how microbes affect the hormesis induced by low doses of glyphosate. To this end, we used Arabidopsis thaliana and a well-characterized synthetic bacterial community of 185 strains (SynCom) that mimics the root-associated microbiome of Arabidopsis We found that a dose of 3.6 × 10-6 g acid equivalent/liter (low dose of glyphosate, or LDG) produced an ∼14% increase in the shoot dry weight (i.e., hormesis) of uninoculated plants. Unexpectedly, in plants inoculated with the SynCom, LDG reduced shoot dry weight by ∼17%. We found that LDG enriched two Firmicutes and two Burkholderia strains in the roots. These specific strains are known to act as root growth inhibitors (RGI) in monoassociation assays. We tested the link between RGI and shoot dry weight reduction in LDG by assembling a new synthetic community lacking RGI strains. Dropping RGI strains out of the community restored growth induction by LDG. Finally, we showed that individual RGI strains from a few specific phyla were sufficient to switch the response to LDG from growth promotion to growth inhibition. Our results indicate that glyphosate hormesis was completely dependent on the root microbiome composition, specifically on the presence of root growth inhibitor strains.IMPORTANCE Since the introduction of glyphosate-resistant crops, glyphosate has become the most common and widely used herbicide around the world. Due to its intensive use and ability to bind to soil particles, it can be found at low concentrations in the environment. The effect of these remnants of glyphosate in plants has not been broadly studied; however, glyphosate 1,000 to 100,000 times less concentrated than the recommended field dose promoted growth in several species in laboratory and greenhouse experiments. However, this effect is rarely observed in agricultural fields, where complex communities of microbes have a central role in the way plants respond to external cues. Our study reveals how root-associated bacteria modulate the responses of Arabidopsis to low doses of glyphosate, shifting between growth promotion and growth inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario X Ramirez-Villacis
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Agrícola y de Alimentos-Ingeniería en Agronomía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Omri M Finkel
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Isai Salas-González
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Connor R Fitzpatrick
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeffery L Dangl
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Corbin D Jones
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Curriculum in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Antonio Leon-Reyes
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Agrícola y de Alimentos-Ingeniería en Agronomía, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Galapagos Science Center, USFQ-UNC, San Cristobal, Galápagos, Ecuador
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Belbin FE, Hall GJ, Jackson AB, Schanschieff FE, Archibald G, Formstone C, Dodd AN. Plant circadian rhythms regulate the effectiveness of a glyphosate-based herbicide. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3704. [PMID: 31420556 PMCID: PMC6697731 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11709-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbicides increase crop yields by allowing weed control and harvest management. Glyphosate is the most widely-used herbicide active ingredient, with $11 billion spent annually on glyphosate-containing products applied to >350 million hectares worldwide, using about 8.6 billion kg of glyphosate. The herbicidal effectiveness of glyphosate can depend upon the time of day of spraying. Here, we show that the plant circadian clock regulates the effectiveness of glyphosate. We identify a daily and circadian rhythm in the inhibition of plant development by glyphosate, due to interaction between glyphosate activity, the circadian oscillator and potentially auxin signalling. We identify that the circadian clock controls the timing and extent of glyphosate-induced plant cell death. Furthermore, the clock controls a rhythm in the minimum effective dose of glyphosate. We propose the concept of agricultural chronotherapy, similar in principle to chronotherapy in medical practice. Our findings provide a platform to refine agrochemical use and development, conferring future economic and environmental benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona E Belbin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Gavin J Hall
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Warfield, Bracknell, RG42 6EY, UK
| | - Amelia B Jackson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
| | | | - George Archibald
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Warfield, Bracknell, RG42 6EY, UK
| | - Carl Formstone
- Syngenta, Jealott's Hill International Research Centre, Warfield, Bracknell, RG42 6EY, UK
| | - Antony N Dodd
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.
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Ortega JL, Rajapakse W, Bagga S, Apodaca K, Lucero Y, Sengupta-Gopalan C. An intragenic approach to confer glyphosate resistance in chile (Capsicum annuum) by introducing an in vitro mutagenized chile EPSPS gene encoding for a glyphosate resistant EPSPS protein. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194666. [PMID: 29649228 PMCID: PMC5896900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chile pepper (Capsicum annuum) is an important high valued crop worldwide, and when grown on a large scale has problems with weeds. One important herbicide used is glyphosate. Glyphosate inactivates the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), a key enzyme in the synthesis of aromatic amino acids. A transgenic approach towards making glyphosate resistant plants, entails introducing copies of a gene encoding for glyphosate-resistant EPSPS enzyme into the plant. The main objective of our work was to use an intragenic approach to confer resistance to glyphosate in chile which would require using only chile genes for transformation including the selectable marker. Tobacco was used as the transgenic system to identify different gene constructs that would allow for the development of the intragenic system for chile, since chile transformation is inefficient. An EPSPS gene was isolated from chile and mutagenized to introduce substitutions that are known to make the encoded enzyme resistant to glyphosate. The promoter for EPSPS gene was isolated from chile and the mutagenized chile EPSPS cDNA was engineered behind both the CaMV35S promoter and the EPSPS promoter. The leaves from the transformants were checked for resistance to glyphosate using a cut leaf assay. In tobacco, though both gene constructs exhibited some degree of resistance to glyphosate, the construct with the CaMV35S promoter was more effective and as such chile was transformed with this gene construct. The chile transformants showed resistance to low concentrations of glyphosate. Furthermore, preliminary studies showed that the mutated EPSPS gene driven by the CaMV35S promoter could be used as a selectable marker for transformation. We have shown that an intragenic approach can be used to confer glyphosate-resistance in chile. However, we need a stronger chile promoter and a mutated chile gene that encodes for a more glyphosate resistant EPSPS protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Luis Ortega
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Wathsala Rajapakse
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Suman Bagga
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Kimberly Apodaca
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Yvonne Lucero
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - Champa Sengupta-Gopalan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States of America
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Fang J, Nan P, Gu Z, Ge X, Feng YQ, Lu BR. Overexpressing Exogenous 5-Enolpyruvylshikimate-3-Phosphate Synthase (EPSPS) Genes Increases Fecundity and Auxin Content of Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:233. [PMID: 29535747 PMCID: PMC5835131 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic glyphosate-tolerant plants overproducing EPSPS (5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase) may exhibit enhanced fitness in glyphosate-free environments. If so, introgression of transgenes overexpressing EPSPS into wild relative species may lead to increased competitiveness of crop-wild hybrids, resulting in unpredicted environmental impact. Assessing fitness effects of transgenes overexpressing EPSPS in a model plant species can help address this question, while elucidating how overproducing EPSPS affects the fitness-related traits of plants. We produced segregating T2 and T3Arabidopsis thaliana lineages with or without a transgene overexpressing EPSPS isolated from rice or Agrobacterium (CP4). For each of the three transgenes, we compared glyphosate tolerance, some fitness-related traits, and auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) content in transgene-present, transgene-absent, empty vector (EV), and parental lineages in a common-garden experiment. We detected substantially increased glyphosate tolerance in T2 plants of transgene-present lineages that overproduced EPSPS. We also documented significant increases in fecundity, which was associated with increased auxin content in T3 transgene-present lineages containing rice EPSPS genes, compared with their segregating transgene-absent lineages, EV, and parental controls. Our results from Arabidopsis with nine transgenic events provide a strong support to the hypothesis that transgenic plants overproducing EPSPS can benefit from a fecundity advantage in glyphosate-free environments. Stimulated biosynthesis of auxin, an important plant growth hormone, by overproducing EPSPS may play a role in enhanced fecundity of the transgenic Arabidopsis plants. The obtained knowledge is useful for assessing environmental impact caused by introgression of transgenes overproducing EPSPS from any GE crop into populations of its wild relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Fang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peng Nan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zongying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Plant Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaochun Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Plant Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Qi Feng
- Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Bao-Rong Lu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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11
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Yang X, Li L, Jiang X, Wang W, Cai X, Su J, Wang F, Lu BR. Genetically engineered rice endogenous 5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (epsps) transgene alters phenology and fitness of crop-wild hybrid offspring. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6834. [PMID: 28754953 PMCID: PMC5533792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07089-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetically engineered (GE) rice endogenous epsps (5-enolpyruvoylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase) gene overexpressing EPSPS can increase glyphosate herbicide-resistance of cultivated rice. This type of epsps transgene can enhance the fecundity of rice crop-weed hybrid offspring in the absence of glyphosate, stimulating great concerns over undesired environmental impacts of transgene flow to populations of wild relatives. Here, we report the substantial alteration of phenology and fitness traits in F1-F3 crop-wild hybrid descendants derived from crosses between an epsps GE rice line and two endangered wild rice (Oryza rufipogon) populations, based on the common-garden field experiments. Under the glyphosate-free condition, transgenic hybrid lineages showed significantly earlier tillering and flowering, as well as increased fecundity and overwintering survival/regeneration abilities. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between the contents of endogenous EPSPS of wild, weedy, and cultivated rice parents and fitness differences caused by the incorporation of the epsps transgene. Namely, a lower level of endogenous EPSPS in the transgene-recipient populations displayed a more pronounced enhancement in fitness. The altered phenology and enhanced fitness of crop-wild hybrid offspring by the epsps transgene may cause unwanted environmental consequences when this type of glyphosate-resistance transgene introgressed into wild rice populations through gene flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Lei Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xiaoqi Jiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xingxing Cai
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jun Su
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering for Agriculture, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350003, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering for Agriculture, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350003, China
| | - Bao-Rong Lu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Songhu Road 2005, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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