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Zhu Y, Li L. Wood of trees: Cellular structure, molecular formation, and genetic engineering. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 66:443-467. [PMID: 38032010 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Wood is an invaluable asset to human society due to its renewable nature, making it suitable for both sustainable energy production and material manufacturing. Additionally, wood derived from forest trees plays a crucial role in sequestering a significant portion of the carbon dioxide fixed during photosynthesis by terrestrial plants. Nevertheless, with the expansion of the global population and ongoing industrialization, forest coverage has been substantially decreased, resulting in significant challenges for wood production and supply. Wood production practices have changed away from natural forests toward plantation forests. Thus, understanding the underlying genetic mechanisms of wood formation is the foundation for developing high-quality, fast-growing plantation trees. Breeding ideal forest trees for wood production using genetic technologies has attracted the interest of many. Tremendous studies have been carried out in recent years on the molecular, genetic, and cell-biological mechanisms of wood formation, and considerable progress and findings have been achieved. These studies and findings indicate enormous possibilities and prospects for tree improvement. This review will outline and assess the cellular and molecular mechanisms of wood formation, as well as studies on genetically improving forest trees, and address future development prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems and College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Laigeng Li
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
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Liang J, Wu Z, Zhang X, Du X, Wang S, Yang Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, Yang H. Study on the Interactions of Cyclins with CDKs Involved in Auxin Signal during Leaf Development by WGCNA in Populus alba. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13445. [PMID: 37686248 PMCID: PMC10487486 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713445] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell division plays an indispensable role in leaf morphogenesis, which is regulated via the complexes formed by cyclin and cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK). In this study, gene family analysis, exogenous auxin stimulation, RNA-seq and WGCNA analysis were all used to investigate the molecular mechanisms by which cell-cycle-related factors participated in the auxin signaling pathway on leaf morphogenesis. Sixty-three cyclin members and seventeen CDK members in Populus alba were identified and systematically analyzed. During the evolution, WGD was the main reason that resulted in the expansion of cyclin and CDK genes. Firstly, after a short time treating with auxin to matured leaves of seedlings, genes related to cell division including GRF and ARGOS were both upregulated to restart the transition of cells from G1-to-S phase. Secondly, with three days of continuous auxin stimulation to leaves at different developmental stages, leaves area variation, transcriptomes and hormones were analyzed. By PCA, PCoA and WGCNA analyses, the turquoise module was both positively related to leaf development and auxin. Based on the co-expression analysis and Y2H experiment, PoalbCYCD1;4, PoalbCYCD3;3 and PoalbCYCD3;5 were supposed to interact with PoalbCDKA;1, which could be the trigger to promote the G1-to-S phase transition. The ARF transcription factor might play the key role of connecting the auxin signaling pathway and cell division in leaf morphogenesis by affecting CYC-CDK complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hailing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, The Tree and Ornamental Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100107, China; (J.L.); (Z.W.); (X.Z.); (X.D.); (S.W.); (Y.Y.); (Y.W.); (Y.W.)
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Othman SMIS, Mustaffa AF, Che-Othman MH, Samad AFA, Goh HH, Zainal Z, Ismail I. Overview of Repressive miRNA Regulation by Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM): Applications and Impact on Plant Biology. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:669. [PMID: 36771753 PMCID: PMC9918958 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The application of miRNA mimic technology for silencing mature miRNA began in 2007. This technique originated from the discovery of the INDUCED BY PHOSPHATE STARVATION 1 (IPS1) gene, which was found to be a competitive mimic that prevents the cleavage of the targeted mRNA by miRNA inhibition at the post-transcriptional level. To date, various studies have been conducted to understand the molecular mimic mechanism and to improve the efficiency of this technology. As a result, several mimic tools have been developed: target mimicry (TM), short tandem target mimic (STTM), and molecular sponges (SPs). STTM is the most-developed tool due to its stability and effectiveness in decoying miRNA. This review discusses the application of STTM technology on the loss-of-function studies of miRNA and members from diverse plant species. A modified STTM approach for studying the function of miRNA with spatial-temporal expression under the control of specific promoters is further explored. STTM technology will enhance our understanding of the miRNA activity in plant-tissue-specific development and stress responses for applications in improving plant traits via miRNA regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Muhammad Iqbal Syed Othman
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Arif Faisal Mustaffa
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - M. Hafiz Che-Othman
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Fatah A. Samad
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor Bahru 81310, Johor, Malaysia
| | - Hoe-Han Goh
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Zamri Zainal
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ismanizan Ismail
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
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Shi Q, Tian D, Wang J, Chen A, Miao Y, Chen Y, Li J, Wu X, Zheng B, Guo W, Shi X. Overexpression of miR390b promotes stem elongation and height growth in Populus. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2023; 10:uhac258. [PMID: 36778185 PMCID: PMC9907050 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhac258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNA390 (miR390) is involved in plant growth and development by down-regulating the expression of the downstream genes trans-acting short interfering RNA3 (TAS3) and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs (ARFs). There is a scarcity of research on the involvement of the miR390-TAS3-ARFs pathway in the stem development of Populus. Here, differentially expressed miRNAs during poplar stem development were screened by small RNA sequencing analysis, and a novel function of miR390b in stem development was revealed. Overexpression of miR390b (OE-miR390b) resulted in a large increase in the number of xylem fiber cells and a slight decrease in the cell length at the longitudinal axis. Overall increases in stem elongation and plant height were observed in the OE-miR390b plants. According to transcriptome sequencing results and transient co-expression analysis, TAS3.1 and TAS3.2 were identified as the target genes of miR390 in poplar and were negatively regulated by miR390 in the apex. The transcription levels of ARF3.2 and ARF4 were significantly repressed in OE-miR390b plants and strongly negatively correlated with the number of xylem fiber cells along the longitudinal axis. These findings indicate that the conserved miR390-TAS3-ARFs pathway in poplar is involved in stem elongation and plant height growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaofang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Poplar Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Dongdong Tian
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
| | - Jieyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Poplar Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Aoli Chen
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yuqing Miao
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yiming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Poplar Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Jun Li
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Poplar Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Xiaomeng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Bo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Poplar Research Center, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Wenwu Guo
- Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology of Ministry of Education, College of Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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De Meester B, Vanholme R, Mota T, Boerjan W. Lignin engineering in forest trees: From gene discovery to field trials. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 3:100465. [PMID: 36307984 PMCID: PMC9700206 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Wood is an abundant and renewable feedstock for the production of pulp, fuels, and biobased materials. However, wood is recalcitrant toward deconstruction into cellulose and simple sugars, mainly because of the presence of lignin, an aromatic polymer that shields cell-wall polysaccharides. Hence, numerous research efforts have focused on engineering lignin amount and composition to improve wood processability. Here, we focus on results that have been obtained by engineering the lignin biosynthesis and branching pathways in forest trees to reduce cell-wall recalcitrance, including the introduction of exotic lignin monomers. In addition, we draw general conclusions from over 20 years of field trial research with trees engineered to produce less or altered lignin. We discuss possible causes and solutions for the yield penalty that is often associated with lignin engineering in trees. Finally, we discuss how conventional and new breeding strategies can be combined to develop elite clones with desired lignin properties. We conclude this review with priorities for the development of commercially relevant lignin-engineered trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara De Meester
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ruben Vanholme
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thatiane Mota
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wout Boerjan
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium; VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.
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Jiang J, Zhu H, Li N, Batley J, Wang Y. The miR393-Target Module Regulates Plant Development and Responses to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169477. [PMID: 36012740 PMCID: PMC9409142 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of endogenous small RNAs, are broadly involved in plant development, morphogenesis and responses to various environmental stresses, through manipulating the cleavage, translational expression, or DNA methylation of target mRNAs. miR393 is a conserved miRNA family present in many plants, which mainly targets genes encoding the transport inhibitor response1 (TIR1)/auxin signaling F-box (AFB) auxin receptors, and thus greatly affects the auxin signal perception, Aux/IAA degradation, and related gene expression. This review introduces the advances made on the miR393/target module regulating plant development and the plant’s responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. This module is valuable for genetic manipulation of optimized conditions for crop growth and development and would also be helpful in improving crop yield through molecular breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjin Jiang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Haotian Zhu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Na Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jacqueline Batley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (Y.W.)
| | - Youping Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (Y.W.)
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The Intersection of Non-Coding RNAs Contributes to Forest Trees' Response to Abiotic Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126365. [PMID: 35742808 PMCID: PMC9223653 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play essential roles in plants by modulating the expression of genes at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level. In recent years, ncRNAs have been recognized as crucial regulators for growth and development in forest trees, and ncRNAs that respond to various abiotic stresses are now under intense study. In this review, we summarized recent advances in the understanding of abiotic stress-responsive microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in forest trees. Furthermore, we analyzed the intersection of miRNAs, and epigenetic modified ncRNAs of forest trees in response to abiotic stress. In particular, the abiotic stress-related lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of forest trees was explored.
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