1
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Knoshaug EP, Sun P, Nag A, Nguyen H, Mattoon EM, Zhang N, Liu J, Chen C, Cheng J, Zhang R, St. John P, Umen J. Identification and preliminary characterization of conserved uncharacterized proteins from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Setaria viridis. PLANT DIRECT 2023; 7:e527. [PMID: 38044962 PMCID: PMC10690477 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The rapid accumulation of sequenced plant genomes in the past decade has outpaced the still difficult problem of genome-wide protein-coding gene annotation. A substantial fraction of protein-coding genes in all plant genomes are poorly annotated or unannotated and remain functionally uncharacterized. We identified unannotated proteins in three model organisms representing distinct branches of the green lineage (Viridiplantae): Arabidopsis thaliana (eudicot), Setaria viridis (monocot), and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlorophyte alga). Using similarity searching, we identified a subset of unannotated proteins that were conserved between these species and defined them as Deep Green proteins. Bioinformatic, genomic, and structural predictions were performed to begin classifying Deep Green genes and proteins. Compared to whole proteomes for each species, the Deep Green set was enriched for proteins with predicted chloroplast targeting signals predictive of photosynthetic or plastid functions, a result that was consistent with enrichment for daylight phase diurnal expression patterning. Structural predictions using AlphaFold and comparisons to known structures showed that a significant proportion of Deep Green proteins may possess novel folds. Though only available for three organisms, the Deep Green genes and proteins provide a starting resource of high-value targets for further investigation of potentially new protein structures and functions conserved across the green lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric P. Knoshaug
- Biosciences CenterNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryGoldenColoradoUSA
| | - Peipei Sun
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Ambarish Nag
- Computational Sciences CenterNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryGoldenColoradoUSA
| | - Huong Nguyen
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMOUSA
- Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil ScienceTexas Tech UniversityLubbockTexasUSA
| | - Erin M. Mattoon
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMOUSA
- Plant and Microbial Biosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical SciencesWashington University in Saint LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | | | - Jian Liu
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer ScienceUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouriUSA
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer ScienceUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouriUSA
| | - Jianlin Cheng
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer ScienceUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMissouriUSA
| | - Ru Zhang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - Peter St. John
- Biosciences CenterNational Renewable Energy LaboratoryGoldenColoradoUSA
| | - James Umen
- Donald Danforth Plant Science CenterSt. LouisMOUSA
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Aggarwal PR, Pramitha L, Choudhary P, Singh RK, Shukla P, Prasad M, Muthamilarasan M. Multi-omics intervention in Setaria to dissect climate-resilient traits: Progress and prospects. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:892736. [PMID: 36119586 PMCID: PMC9470963 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.892736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Millets constitute a significant proportion of underutilized grasses and are well known for their climate resilience as well as excellent nutritional profiles. Among millets, foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and its wild relative green foxtail (S. viridis) are collectively regarded as models for studying broad-spectrum traits, including abiotic stress tolerance, C4 photosynthesis, biofuel, and nutritional traits. Since the genome sequence release, the crop has seen an exponential increase in omics studies to dissect agronomic, nutritional, biofuel, and climate-resilience traits. These studies have provided first-hand information on the structure, organization, evolution, and expression of several genes; however, knowledge of the precise roles of such genes and their products remains elusive. Several open-access databases have also been instituted to enable advanced scientific research on these important crops. In this context, the current review enumerates the contemporary trend of research on understanding the climate resilience and other essential traits in Setaria, the knowledge gap, and how the information could be translated for the crop improvement of related millets, biofuel crops, and cereals. Also, the review provides a roadmap for studying other underutilized crop species using Setaria as a model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Rani Aggarwal
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Lydia Pramitha
- School of Agriculture and Biosciences, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Pooja Choudhary
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | | | - Pooja Shukla
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Manoj Prasad
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, India
| | - Mehanathan Muthamilarasan
- Department of Plant Sciences, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
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3
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Zhu C, Box MS, Thiruppathi D, Hu H, Yu Y, Martin C, Doust AN, McSteen P, Kellogg EA. Pleiotropic and nonredundant effects of an auxin importer in Setaria and maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 189:715-734. [PMID: 35285930 DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.14.464408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Directional transport of auxin is critical for inflorescence and floral development in flowering plants, but the role of auxin influx carriers (AUX1 proteins) has been largely overlooked. Taking advantage of available AUX1 mutants in green millet (Setaria viridis) and maize (Zea mays), we uncover previously unreported aspects of plant development that are affected by auxin influx, including higher order branches in the inflorescence, stigma branch number, glume (floral bract) development, and plant fertility. However, disruption of auxin flux does not affect all parts of the plant, with little obvious effect on inflorescence meristem size, time to flowering, and anther morphology. In double mutant studies in maize, disruptions of ZmAUX1 also affect vegetative development. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged construct of the Setaria AUX1 protein Sparse Panicle1 (SPP1) under its native promoter showed that SPP1 localizes to the plasma membrane of outer tissue layers in both roots and inflorescences, and accumulates specifically in inflorescence branch meristems, consistent with the mutant phenotype and expected auxin maxima. RNA-seq analysis indicated that most gene expression modules are conserved between mutant and wild-type plants, with only a few hundred genes differentially expressed in spp1 inflorescences. Using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 technology, we disrupted SPP1 and the other four AUX1 homologs in S. viridis. SPP1 has a larger effect on inflorescence development than the others, although all contribute to plant height, tiller formation, and leaf and root development. The AUX1 importers are thus not fully redundant in S. viridis. Our detailed phenotypic characterization plus a stable GFP-tagged line offer tools for future dissection of the function of auxin influx proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanmei Zhu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Mathew S Box
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | | | - Hao Hu
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Yunqing Yu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Callista Martin
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Andrew N Doust
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Paula McSteen
- Division of Biological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, and Missouri Maize Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
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4
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Zhu C, Box MS, Thiruppathi D, Hu H, Yu Y, Martin C, Doust AN, McSteen P, Kellogg EA. Pleiotropic and nonredundant effects of an auxin importer in Setaria and maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 189:715-734. [PMID: 35285930 PMCID: PMC9157071 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Directional transport of auxin is critical for inflorescence and floral development in flowering plants, but the role of auxin influx carriers (AUX1 proteins) has been largely overlooked. Taking advantage of available AUX1 mutants in green millet (Setaria viridis) and maize (Zea mays), we uncover previously unreported aspects of plant development that are affected by auxin influx, including higher order branches in the inflorescence, stigma branch number, glume (floral bract) development, and plant fertility. However, disruption of auxin flux does not affect all parts of the plant, with little obvious effect on inflorescence meristem size, time to flowering, and anther morphology. In double mutant studies in maize, disruptions of ZmAUX1 also affect vegetative development. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged construct of the Setaria AUX1 protein Sparse Panicle1 (SPP1) under its native promoter showed that SPP1 localizes to the plasma membrane of outer tissue layers in both roots and inflorescences, and accumulates specifically in inflorescence branch meristems, consistent with the mutant phenotype and expected auxin maxima. RNA-seq analysis indicated that most gene expression modules are conserved between mutant and wild-type plants, with only a few hundred genes differentially expressed in spp1 inflorescences. Using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 technology, we disrupted SPP1 and the other four AUX1 homologs in S. viridis. SPP1 has a larger effect on inflorescence development than the others, although all contribute to plant height, tiller formation, and leaf and root development. The AUX1 importers are thus not fully redundant in S. viridis. Our detailed phenotypic characterization plus a stable GFP-tagged line offer tools for future dissection of the function of auxin influx proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanmei Zhu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Mathew S Box
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | | | - Hao Hu
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Yunqing Yu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Callista Martin
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St Louis, Missouri 63132, USA
| | - Andrew N Doust
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma 74078, USA
| | - Paula McSteen
- Division of Biological Sciences, Interdisciplinary Plant Group, and Missouri Maize Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
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5
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Finley T, Chappell H, Veena V. Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Setaria viridis, a Model System for Cereals and Bioenergy Crops. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e127. [PMID: 33999520 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Setaria viridis is an emerging model system for the genetic and molecular characterization of cereals and bioenergy crops. Here, we describe a detailed procedure for genetic transformation of the S. viridis accession line ME034V-1. This method utilizes callus generated from mature seeds for infection with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain AGL1 to regenerate hygromycin-resistant stable transgenic plants. It takes approximately 7 weeks to generate callus from mature seeds, 11-17 weeks from infection to the regeneration of transgenic lines, and an additional 3-4 weeks for plant growth in the greenhouse for seed collection. The protocol as presented consistently results in transformation frequency of approximately 25% for the generation of transgenic plants, with fewer escapes and higher survivability in soil for optimal seed collection. © 2021 Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Generation of S. viridis (Accession ME034V-1) callus from mature seeds Basic Protocol 2: Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of callus to generate transgenic plants Basic Protocol 3: Plantlet transplantation in soil, plant growth in greenhouse, and seed collection Support Protocol: Preparation of Agrobacterium culture for infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd Finley
- Plant Transformation Facility, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Hal Chappell
- Plant Transformation Facility, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Veena Veena
- Plant Transformation Facility, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, Missouri
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6
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Zhu C, Liu L, Crowell O, Zhao H, Brutnell TP, Jackson D, Kellogg EA. The CLV3 Homolog in Setaria viridis Selectively Controls Inflorescence Meristem Size. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:636749. [PMID: 33659018 PMCID: PMC7917188 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.636749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The CLAVATA pathway controls meristem size during inflorescence development in both eudicots and grasses, and is initiated by peptide ligands encoded by CLV3/ESR-related (CLE) genes. While CLV3 controls all shoot meristems in Arabidopsis, evidence from cereal grasses indicates that different meristem types are regulated by different CLE peptides. The rice peptide FON2 primarily controls the size of the floral meristem, whereas the orthologous peptides CLE7 and CLE14 in maize have their most dramatic effects on inflorescence and branch meristems, hinting at diversification among CLE responses in the grasses. Setaria viridis is more closely related to maize than to rice, so can be used to test whether the maize CLE network can be generalized to all members of subfamily Panicoideae. We used CRISPR-Cas9 in S. viridis to knock out the SvFON2 gene, the closest homolog to CLV3 and FON2. Svfon2 mutants developed larger inflorescence meristems, as in maize, but had normal floral meristems, unlike Osfon2, suggesting a panicoid-specific CLE network. Vegetative traits such as plant height, tiller number and leaf number were not significantly different between mutant and wild type plants, but time to heading was shorter in the mutants. In situ hybridization showed strong expression of Svfon2 in the inflorescence and branch meristems, consistent with the mutant phenotype. Using bioinformatic analysis, we predicted the co-expression network of SvFON2 and its signaling components, which included genes known to control inflorescence architecture in maize as well as genes of unknown function. The similarity between SvFON2 function in Setaria and maize suggests that its developmental specialization in inflorescence meristem control may be shared among panicoid grasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanmei Zhu
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Lei Liu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, United States
| | - Olivia Crowell
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Hui Zhao
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology and Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-Season Reproduction Regions, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Thomas P. Brutnell
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Joint Laboratory for Photosynthesis Enhancement and C4 Rice Development, Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - David Jackson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Kellogg
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Elizabeth A. Kellogg
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7
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Weiss T, Wang C, Kang X, Zhao H, Elena Gamo M, Starker CG, Crisp PA, Zhou P, Springer NM, Voytas DF, Zhang F. Optimization of multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9 system for highly efficient genome editing in Setaria viridis. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 104:828-838. [PMID: 32786122 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, Setaria viridis has been developed as a model plant to better understand the C4 photosynthetic pathway in major crops. With the increasing availability of genomic resources for S. viridis research, highly efficient genome editing technologies are needed to create genetic variation resources for functional genomics. Here, we developed a protoplast assay to rapidly optimize the multiplexed clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas9) system in S. viridis. Targeted mutagenesis efficiency was further improved by an average of 1.4-fold with the exonuclease, Trex2. Distinctive mutation profiles were found in the Cas9_Trex2 samples, with 94% of deletions larger than 10 bp, and essentially no insertions at all tested target sites. Further analyses indicated that 52.2% of deletions induced by Cas9_Trex2, as opposed to 3.5% by Cas9 alone, were repaired through microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ) rather than the canonical non-homologous end joining DNA repair pathway. Combined with a robust Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method with more than 90% efficiency, the multiplex CRISPR/Cas9_Trex2 system was demonstrated to induce targeted mutations in two tightly linked genes, svDrm1a and svDrm1b, at a frequency ranging from 73% to 100% in T0 plants. These mutations were transmitted to at least 60% of the transgene-free T1 plants, with 33% of them containing bi-allelic or homozygous mutations in both genes. This highly efficient multiplex CRISPR/Cas9_Trex2 system makes it possible to create a large mutant resource for S. viridis in a rapid and high throughput manner, and has the potential to be widely applicable in achieving more predictable and deletion-only MMEJ-mediated mutations in many plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor Weiss
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Chunfang Wang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Xiaojun Kang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Hui Zhao
- Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology & Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in Off-season Reproduction Regions, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, Hainan Province, 571101, China
| | - Maria Elena Gamo
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Colby G Starker
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Peter A Crisp
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Peng Zhou
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Nathan M Springer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Daniel F Voytas
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Feng Zhang
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Plant Precision Genomics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Microbial and Plant Genomics Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
- Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55108, USA
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Thielen PM, Pendleton AL, Player RA, Bowden KV, Lawton TJ, Wisecaver JH. Reference Genome for the Highly Transformable Setaria viridis ME034V. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:3467-3478. [PMID: 32694197 PMCID: PMC7534418 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Setaria viridis (green foxtail) is an important model system for improving cereal crops due to its diploid genome, ease of cultivation, and use of C4 photosynthesis. The S. viridis accession ME034V is exceptionally transformable, but the lack of a sequenced genome for this accession has limited its utility. We present a 397 Mb highly contiguous de novo assembly of ME034V using ultra-long nanopore sequencing technology (read N50 = 41kb). We estimate that this genome is largely complete based on our updated k-mer based genome size estimate of 401 Mb for S. viridis Genome annotation identified 37,908 protein-coding genes and >300k repetitive elements comprising 46% of the genome. We compared the ME034V assembly with two other previously sequenced Setaria genomes as well as to a diversity panel of 235 S. viridis accessions. We found the genome assemblies to be largely syntenic, but numerous unique polymorphic structural variants were discovered. Several ME034V deletions may be associated with recent retrotransposition of copia and gypsy LTR repeat families, as evidenced by their low genotype frequencies in the sampled population. Lastly, we performed a phylogenomic analysis to identify gene families that have expanded in Setaria, including those involved in specialized metabolism and plant defense response. The high continuity of the ME034V genome assembly validates the utility of ultra-long DNA sequencing to improve genetic resources for emerging model organisms. Structural variation present in Setaria illustrates the importance of obtaining the proper genome reference for genetic experiments. Thus, we anticipate that the ME034V genome will be of significant utility for the Setaria research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Thielen
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Amanda L Pendleton
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
| | - Robert A Player
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Kenneth V Bowden
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Thomas J Lawton
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland 20723
| | - Jennifer H Wisecaver
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
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9
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Cesarino I, Dello Ioio R, Kirschner GK, Ogden MS, Picard KL, Rast-Somssich MI, Somssich M. Plant science's next top models. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:1-23. [PMID: 32271862 PMCID: PMC7304477 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Model organisms are at the core of life science research. Notable examples include the mouse as a model for humans, baker's yeast for eukaryotic unicellular life and simple genetics, or the enterobacteria phage λ in virology. Plant research was an exception to this rule, with researchers relying on a variety of non-model plants until the eventual adoption of Arabidopsis thaliana as primary plant model in the 1980s. This proved to be an unprecedented success, and several secondary plant models have since been established. Currently, we are experiencing another wave of expansion in the set of plant models. SCOPE Since the 2000s, new model plants have been established to study numerous aspects of plant biology, such as the evolution of land plants, grasses, invasive and parasitic plant life, adaptation to environmental challenges, and the development of morphological diversity. Concurrent with the establishment of new plant models, the advent of the 'omics' era in biology has led to a resurgence of the more complex non-model plants. With this review, we introduce some of the new and fascinating plant models, outline why they are interesting subjects to study, the questions they will help to answer, and the molecular tools that have been established and are available to researchers. CONCLUSIONS Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying all aspects of plant biology can only be achieved with the adoption of a comprehensive set of models, each of which allows the assessment of at least one aspect of plant life. The model plants described here represent a step forward towards our goal to explore and comprehend the diversity of plant form and function. Still, several questions remain unanswered, but the constant development of novel technologies in molecular biology and bioinformatics is already paving the way for the next generation of plant models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Cesarino
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 277, Butantã, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Raffaele Dello Ioio
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Gwendolyn K Kirschner
- University of Bonn, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Division of Crop Functional Genomics, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael S Ogden
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Kelsey L Picard
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Madlen I Rast-Somssich
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marc Somssich
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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10
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Santos CM, Romeiro D, Silva JP, Basso MF, Molinari HBC, Centeno DC. An improved protocol for efficient transformation and regeneration of Setaria italica. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2020; 39:501-510. [PMID: 31915913 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-019-02505-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
An efficient and improved transformation method for functional genetics studies in S. italica, being a boon for the Setaria scientific community and for crop improvement. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is a short life cycle C4 plant, with sequenced genome, and a potential model plant for C4 species. S. italica is also important on a global food security and healthiness context due to its importance in arid and semi-arid areas. However, despite its importance, there are just few transformation protocols directed to this species. The current protocols reached about 5.5-9% of efficiency, which do not make it a valuable model organism. Different types of explants were used in the above mentioned methods, such as immature and mature inflorescence and shoot apex. However, these techniques have many limitations, such as unavailability of explants throughout the year and a crucial, laborious and considerable time-consuming selection. Aiming a simplified and efficient methodology, we adopted dry mature seeds as explants, which are available in abundance, are constant along the year and well responsive to tissue culture, in addition to a differentiated approach that reaches on an average 19.2% transformation efficiency of S. italica. Thus, we propose a protocol that optimizes the transformation efficiency of this cereal crop allowing a high increase on transformation and regeneration rates. Our transformation protocol provides an interesting tool for Setaria community research as well as enables new strategies for breeding enhanced productivity in the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Santos
- Universidade Federal Do ABC, São Bernardo Do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - D Romeiro
- Universidade Federal Do ABC, São Bernardo Do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - J P Silva
- Universidade Federal Do ABC, São Bernardo Do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | - M F Basso
- Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory, Embrapa Agroenergy, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - H B C Molinari
- Genetics and Biotechnology Laboratory, Embrapa Agroenergy, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - D C Centeno
- Universidade Federal Do ABC, São Bernardo Do Campo, SP, Brazil.
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11
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Hunter CT, Block AK, Christensen SA, Li QB, Rering C, Alborn HT. Setaria viridis as a model for translational genetic studies of jasmonic acid-related insect defenses in Zea mays. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2020; 291:110329. [PMID: 31928686 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Little is known regarding insect defense pathways in Setaria viridis (setaria), a model system for panicoid grasses, including Zea mays (maize). It is thus of interest to compare insect herbivory responses of setaria and maize. Here we use metabolic, phylogenetic, and gene expression analyses to measure a subset of jasmonic acid (JA)-related defense responses to leaf-chewing caterpillars. Phylogenetic comparisons of known defense-related maize genes were used to identify putative orthologs in setaria, and candidates were tested by quantitative PCR to determine transcriptional responses to insect challenge. Our findings show that while much of the core JA-related metabolic and genetic responses appear conserved between setaria and maize, production of downstream secondary metabolites such as benzoxazinoids and herbivore-induced plant volatiles are dissimilar. This diversity of chemical defenses and gene families involved in secondary metabolism among grasses presents new opportunities for cross species engineering. The high degree of genetic similarity and ease of orthologous gene identification between setaria and maize make setaria an excellent species for translational genetic studies, but the species specificity of downstream insect defense chemistry makes some pathways unamenable to cross-species comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles T Hunter
- Chemistry Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA.
| | - Anna K Block
- Chemistry Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Shawn A Christensen
- Chemistry Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Qin-Bao Li
- Chemistry Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Caitlin Rering
- Chemistry Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | - Hans T Alborn
- Chemistry Research Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
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12
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Feldman MJ, Ellsworth PZ, Fahlgren N, Gehan MA, Cousins AB, Baxter I. Components of Water Use Efficiency Have Unique Genetic Signatures in the Model C 4 Grass Setaria. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 178:699-715. [PMID: 30093527 PMCID: PMC6181048 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Plant growth and water use are interrelated processes influenced by genetically controlled morphological and biochemical characteristics. Improving plant water use efficiency (WUE) to sustain growth in different environments is an important breeding objective that can improve crop yields and enhance agricultural sustainability. However, genetic improvement of WUE using traditional methods has proven difficult due to the low throughput and environmental heterogeneity of field settings. To overcome these limitations, this study utilizes a high-throughput phenotyping platform to quantify plant size and water use of an interspecific Setaria italica × Setaria viridis recombinant inbred line population at daily intervals in both well-watered and water-limited conditions. Our findings indicate that measurements of plant size and water use are correlated strongly in this system; therefore, a linear modeling approach was used to partition this relationship into predicted values of plant size given water use and deviations from this relationship at the genotype level. The resulting traits describing plant size, water use, and WUE all were heritable and responsive to soil water availability, allowing for a genetic dissection of the components of plant WUE under different watering treatments. Linkage mapping identified major loci underlying two different pleiotropic components of WUE. This study indicates that alleles controlling WUE derived from both wild and domesticated accessions can be utilized to predictably modulate trait values given a specified precipitation regime in the model C4 genus Setaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J Feldman
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63132
| | - Patrick Z Ellsworth
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164
| | - Noah Fahlgren
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63132
| | - Malia A Gehan
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63132
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164
| | - Ivan Baxter
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri 63132
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13
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Zhu C, Yang J, Box MS, Kellogg EA, Eveland AL. A Dynamic Co-expression Map of Early Inflorescence Development in Setaria viridis Provides a Resource for Gene Discovery and Comparative Genomics. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1309. [PMID: 30258452 PMCID: PMC6143762 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The morphological and functional diversity of plant form is governed by dynamic gene regulatory networks. In cereal crops, grain and/or pollen-bearing inflorescences exhibit vast architectural diversity and developmental complexity, yet the underlying genetic framework is only partly known. Setaria viridis is a small, rapidly growing grass species in the subfamily Panicoideae, a group that includes economically important cereal crops such as maize and sorghum. The S. viridis inflorescence displays complex branching patterns, but its early development is similar to that of other panicoid grasses, and thus is an ideal model for studying inflorescence architecture. Here we report a detailed transcriptional resource that captures dynamic transitions across six sequential stages of S. viridis inflorescence development, from reproductive onset to floral organ differentiation. Co-expression analyses identified stage-specific signatures of development, which include homologs of previously known developmental genes from maize and rice, suites of transcription factors and gene family members, and genes of unknown function. This spatiotemporal co-expression map and associated analyses provide a foundation for gene discovery in S. viridis inflorescence development, and a comparative model for exploring related architectural features in agronomically important cereals.
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14
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Hu H, Mauro-Herrera M, Doust AN. Domestication and Improvement in the Model C4 Grass, Setaria. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:719. [PMID: 29896214 PMCID: PMC5986938 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Setaria viridis (green foxtail) and its domesticated relative S. italica (foxtail millet) are diploid C4 panicoid grasses that are being developed as model systems for studying grass genomics, genetics, development, and evolution. According to archeological evidence, foxtail millet was domesticated from green foxtail approximately 9,000 to 6,000 YBP in China. Under long-term human selection, domesticated foxtail millet developed many traits adapted to human cultivation and agricultural production. In comparison with its wild ancestor, foxtail millet has fewer vegetative branches, reduced grain shattering, delayed flowering time and less photoperiod sensitivity. Foxtail millet is the only present-day crop in the genus Setaria, although archeological records suggest that other species were domesticated and later abandoned in the last 10,000 years. We present an overview of domestication in foxtail millet, by reviewing recent studies on the genetic regulation of several domesticated traits in foxtail millet and discuss how the foxtail millet and green foxtail system could be further developed to both better understand its domestication history, and to provide more tools for future breeding efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrew N. Doust
- Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
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15
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Van Eck J. The Status of Setaria viridis Transformation: Agrobacterium-Mediated to Floral Dip. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:652. [PMID: 29887870 PMCID: PMC5981604 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Setaria viridis has many attributes, including small stature and simple growth requirements, that make it attractive as a model species for monocots. Genetic engineering (transformation) methodology is a key prerequisite for adoption of plant species as models. Various transformation approaches have been reported for S. viridis including tissue culture-based and in planta by Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection of floral organs referred to as the floral dip method. The tissue culture-based method utilizes A. tumefaciens infection of mature seed-derived callus with subsequent recovery of stable transgenic lines. Vectors found to be most effective contain the hygromycin phosphotransferase selectable marker gene driven by either Panicum virgatum or Zea mays ubiquitin promoters. As for the floral dip method, there are two reports based on Agrobacterium infection of young S. viridis inflorescences. Plants were allowed to mature, seeds were collected, and analysis of the progeny verified the presence of transgenes. Each transformation approach, tissue culture-based and floral dip, has advantages and disadvantages depending on the expertise of personnel and resources available. While the tissue culture-based method results in a higher transformation efficiency than floral dip, implementation requires a specific technical skillset that limits availability of experienced personnel to successfully perform transformations. Less technical experience is required for floral dip; however, a lack of high-quality growth chambers or greenhouses that provide the necessary optimum growing conditions would reduce an already low transformation efficiency or would not result in recovery of transgenic lines. An overview of transformation methods reported for S. viridis is presented in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce Van Eck
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, United States
- Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Acharya BR, Roy Choudhury S, Estelle AB, Vijayakumar A, Zhu C, Hovis L, Pandey S. Optimization of Phenotyping Assays for the Model Monocot Setaria viridis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:2172. [PMID: 29312412 PMCID: PMC5743732 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.02172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Setaria viridis (green foxtail) is an important model plant for the study of C4 photosynthesis in panicoid grasses, and is fast emerging as a system of choice for the study of plant development, domestication, abiotic stress responses and evolution. Basic research findings in Setaria are expected to advance research not only in this species and its close relative S. italica (foxtail millet), but also in other panicoid grasses, many of which are important food or bioenergy crops. Here we report on the standardization of multiple growth and development assays for S. viridis under controlled conditions, and in response to several phytohormones and abiotic stresses. We optimized these assays at three different stages of the plant's life: seed germination and post-germination growth using agar plate-based assays, early seedling growth and development using germination pouch-based assays, and adult plant growth and development under environmentally controlled growth chambers and greenhouses. These assays will be useful for the community to perform large scale phenotyping analyses, mutant screens, comparative physiological analysis, and functional characterization of novel genes of Setaria or other related agricultural crops. Precise description of various growth conditions, effective treatment conditions and description of the resultant phenotypes will help expand the use of S. viridis as an effective model system.
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