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Meng J, Li W, Qi F, Yang T, Li N, Wan J, Li X, Jiang Y, Wang C, Huang M, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Teotia S, Tang G, Zhang Z, Tang J. Knockdown of microRNA390 Enhances Maize Brace Root Growth. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6791. [PMID: 38928499 PMCID: PMC11203754 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Brace root architecture is a critical determinant of maize's stalk anchorage and nutrition uptake, influencing root lodging resistance, stress tolerance, and plant growth. To identify the key microRNAs (miRNAs) in control of maize brace root growth, we performed small RNA sequencing using brace root samples at emergence and growth stages. We focused on the genetic modulation of brace root development in maize through manipulation of miR390 and its downstream regulated auxin response factors (ARFs). In the present study, miR167, miR166, miR172, and miR390 were identified to be involved in maize brace root growth in inbred line B73. Utilizing short tandem target mimic (STTM) technology, we further developed maize lines with reduced miR390 expression and analyzed their root architecture compared to wild-type controls. Our findings show that STTM390 maize lines exhibit enhanced brace root length and increased whorl numbers. Gene expression analyses revealed that the suppression of miR390 leads to upregulation of its downstream regulated ARF genes, specifically ZmARF11 and ZmARF26, which may significantly alter root architecture. Additionally, loss-of-function mutants for ZmARF11 and ZmARF26 were characterized to further confirm the role of these genes in brace root growth. These results demonstrate that miR390, ZmARF11, and ZmARF26 play crucial roles in regulating maize brace root growth; the involved complicated molecular mechanisms need to be further explored. This study provides a genetic basis for breeding maize varieties with improved lodging resistance and adaptability to diverse agricultural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Meng
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Weiya Li
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Feiyan Qi
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Tianxiao Yang
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Na Li
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Jiong Wan
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Xiaoqi Li
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yajuan Jiang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Chenhui Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Meilian Huang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yongqiang Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Sachin Teotia
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201306, India;
| | - Guiliang Tang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Science and Technology Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA;
| | - Zhanhui Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
| | - Jihua Tang
- National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops/College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China; (J.M.); (W.L.); (F.Q.); (N.L.); (J.W.); (X.L.); (Y.J.); (C.W.); (M.H.); (Y.Z.); (Y.C.)
- The Shennong Laboratory, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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Gao X, Wu W, Yu L, Wu Y, Hong Y, Yuan X, Ming Q, Shen Z, Qin L, Zhu B. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Biocontrol Mechanism of Endophytic Bacterium AM201, Rhodococcus sp., against Root Rot Disease of Atractylodes macrocephala. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:218. [PMID: 38856763 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03742-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AMK) is a perennial herb from the plant family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae). This herb is mainly distributed in mountainous wetlands in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Hunan provinces of China. Its medicinal production and quality, however, are severely impacted by root rot disease. In our previous study, endophytic bacterium designated AM201 exerted a high biocontrol effect on the root rot disease of AMK. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this effect remain unclear. In this study, the identity of strain AM201 as Rhodococcus sp. was determined through analysis of its morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics, as well as 16S rDNA sequencing. Subsequently, we performed transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis to compare and analyze the transcriptome profiles of root tissues from two groups: AM201 (AMK seedlings inoculated with Fusarium solani [FS] and AM201) and FS (AMK seedlings inoculated with FS alone). We also conducted morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular identification analyses for the AM201 strain. We obtained 1,560 differentially expressed genes, including 187 upregulated genes and 1,373 downregulated genes. We screened six key genes (GOLS2, CIPK25, ABI2, egID, PG1, and pgxB) involved in the resistance of AM201 against AMK root rot disease. These genes play a critical role in reactive oxygen species (ROS) clearance, Ca2+ signal transduction, abscisic acid signal inhibition, plant root growth, and plant cell wall defense. The strain AM201 was identified as Rhodococcus sp. based on its morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical properties, and 16S rDNA sequencing results. The findings of this study could enable to prevent and control root rot disease in AMK and could offer theoretical guidance for the agricultural production of other medicinal herbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqi Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Wei Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Tiantai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Taizhou, 317200, China
| | - Le Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Yutong Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Yueqing Hong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yuan
- School of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Qianliang Ming
- School of Pharmacy, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Zhanyun Shen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Pharmaceutical University, Ningbo, 315500, China
| | - Luping Qin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
| | - Bo Zhu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
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Biomolecular Strategies for Vascular Bundle Development to Improve Crop Yield. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12121772. [PMID: 36551200 PMCID: PMC9775962 DOI: 10.3390/biom12121772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The need to produce crops with higher yields is critical due to a growing global population, depletion of agricultural land, and severe climate change. Compared with the "source" and "sink" transport systems that have been studied a lot, the development and utilization of vascular bundles (conducting vessels in plants) are increasingly important. Due to the complexity of the vascular system, its structure, and its delicate and deep position in the plant body, the current research on model plants remains basic knowledge and has not been repeated for crops and applied to field production. In this review, we aim to summarize the current knowledge regarding biomolecular strategies of vascular bundles in transport systems (source-flow-sink), allocation, helping crop architecture establishment, and influence of the external environment. It is expected to help understand how to use sophisticated and advancing genetic engineering technology to improve the vascular system of crops to increase yield.
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Geng W, Sun Z, Ren B, Ren H, Zhao B, Liu P, Zhang J. Spraying Ethephon Effectively Increased Canopy Light Transmittance of Densely Planted Summer Maize, Thus Achieving Synergistic Improvement in Stalk Lodging Resistance and Grain Yield. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11172219. [PMID: 36079601 PMCID: PMC9460851 DOI: 10.3390/plants11172219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Increasing planting density is an effective way to improve maize yield, but high plant populations often cause a lodging problem. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of increasing planting density on stalk lodging resistance and grain yield, and to explore the effects on stalk and yield properties of spraying ethephon in densely planted summer maize. The summer maize hybrid, Xundan20 (XD20), was used as experimental material. It was grown by spraying water (CK) or ethephon (E) at BBCH (BASF, Bayer, Ciba-Geigy and Hoechst) 17 under three different planting densities of 60,000 plants ha−1 (L), 75,000 plants ha−1 (M) and 90,000 plants ha−1 (H) in order to explore the possibility of synergistic improvement in stalk lodging resistance and grain yield. The results from this experiment suggested that the gravity center height of densely planted summer maize was significantly increased, the stem diameter, area and number of vascular bundles were significantly decreased and the dry weight per unit internode was significantly decreased, thereby weakening the stalk rind penetration strength and bending performance, resulting in a significant increase in lodging percentage. The ear height was significantly decreased and the SPAD (soil and plant analysis development) and canopy light transmittance were increased after spraying ethephon; then, the internode dry weight per unit length was increased and the stalk rind penetration strength and bending performance were enhanced so as to significantly reduce the lodging percentage and increase the grain yield. The correlation analysis further showed that lodging percentage was significantly negatively correlated with stem diameter, area and number of vascular bundles and stalk bending performance, but there were no strong relationships with grain yield. This suggested that the synergistic improvement in stalk lodging resistance and grain yield was not contradictory. Under the experiment conditions, the effect of spraying ethephon was most significant when the planting density was 90,000 plants ha−1. At the time, the lodging percentage and grain yield were 12.2% and 11,137.5 kg ha−1, which were decreased by 44.6% and increased by 8.0% compared with the control treatment. Scientific chemical regulation could significantly improve the stalk lodging resistance and grain yield of densely planted summer maize.
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