1
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Zhang S, Wang B, Li Q, Hui W, Yang L, Wang Z, Zhang W, Yue F, Liu N, Li H, Lu F, Zhang K, Zeng Q, Wu AM. CRISPR/Cas9 mutated p-coumaroyl shikimate 3'-hydroxylase 3 gene in Populus tomentosa reveals lignin functioning on supporting tree upright. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126762. [PMID: 37683750 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The lignin plays one of the most important roles in plant secondary metabolism. However, it is still unclear how lignin can contribute to the impressive height of wood growth. In this study, C3'H, a rate-limiting enzyme of the lignin pathway, was used as the target gene. C3'H3 was knocked out by CRISPR/Cas9 in Populus tomentosa. Compared with wild-type popular trees, c3'h3 mutants exhibited dwarf phenotypes, collapsed xylem vessels, weakened phloem thickening, decreased hydraulic conductivity and photosynthetic efficiency, and reduced auxin content, except for reduced total lignin content and significantly increased H-subunit lignin. In the c3'h3 mutant, the flavonoid biosynthesis genes CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, ANR, and LAR were upregulated, and flavonoid metabolite accumulations were detected, indicating that decreasing the lignin biosynthesis pathway enhanced flavonoid metabolic flux. Furthermore, flavonoid metabolites, such as naringenin and hesperetin, were largely increased, while higher hesperetin content suppressed plant cell division. Thus, studying the c3'h3 mutant allows us to deduce that lignin deficiency suppresses tree growth and leads to the dwarf phenotype due to collapsed xylem and thickened phloem, limiting material exchanges and transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufang Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Bo Wang
- College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Qian Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wenkai Hui
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Linjie Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Wenjuan Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Fengxia Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Nian Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Huiling Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Fachuang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, School of Light Industry and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China; Department of Biochemistry and Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, The Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Kewei Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang 321004, China
| | - Qingyin Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China.
| | - Ai-Min Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architectures, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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2
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Rates ADB, Cesarino I. Pour some sugar on me: The diverse functions of phenylpropanoid glycosylation. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 291:154138. [PMID: 38006622 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.154138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
The phenylpropanoid metabolism is the source of a vast array of specialized metabolites that play diverse functions in plant growth and development and contribute to all aspects of plant interactions with their surrounding environment. These compounds protect plants from damaging ultraviolet radiation and reactive oxygen species, provide mechanical support for the plants to stand upright, and mediate plant-plant and plant-microorganism communications. The enormous metabolic diversity of phenylpropanoids is further expanded by chemical modifications known as "decorative reactions", including hydroxylation, methylation, glycosylation, and acylation. Among these modifications, glycosylation is the major driving force of phenylpropanoid structural diversification, also contributing to the expansion of their properties. Phenylpropanoid glycosylation is catalyzed by regioselective uridine diphosphate (UDP)-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs), whereas glycosyl hydrolases known as β-glucosidases are the major players in deglycosylation. In this article, we review how the glycosylation process affects key physicochemical properties of phenylpropanoids, such as molecular stability and solubility, as well as metabolite compartmentalization/storage and biological activity/toxicity. We also summarize the recent knowledge on the functional implications of glycosylation of different classes of phenylpropanoid compounds. A balance of glycosylation/deglycosylation might represent an essential molecular mechanism to regulate phenylpropanoid homeostasis, allowing plants to dynamically respond to diverse environmental signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur de Barros Rates
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 277, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Igor Cesarino
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 277, 05508-090, São Paulo, Brazil; Synthetic and Systems Biology Center, InovaUSP, Avenida Professor Lucio Martins Rodrigues 370, 05508-020, São Paulo, Brazil.
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3
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Takawira LT, Hadj Bachir I, Ployet R, Tulloch J, San Clemente H, Christie N, Ladouce N, Dupas A, Rai A, Grima-Pettenati J, Myburg AA, Mizrachi E, Mounet F, Hussey SG. Functional investigation of five R2R3-MYB transcription factors associated with wood development in Eucalyptus using DAP-seq-ML. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 113:33-57. [PMID: 37661236 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-023-01376-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
A multi-tiered transcriptional network regulates xylem differentiation and secondary cell wall (SCW) formation in plants, with evidence of both conserved and lineage-specific SCW network architecture. We aimed to elucidate the roles of selected R2R3-MYB transcription factors (TFs) linked to Eucalyptus wood formation by identifying genome-wide TF binding sites and direct target genes through an improved DAP-seq protocol combined with machine learning for target gene assignment (DAP-seq-ML). We applied this to five TFs including a well-studied SCW master regulator (EgrMYB2; homolog of AtMYB83), a repressor of lignification (EgrMYB1; homolog of AtMYB4), a TF affecting SCW thickness and vessel density (EgrMYB137; homolog of PtrMYB074) and two TFs with unclear roles in SCW regulation (EgrMYB135 and EgrMYB122). Each DAP-seq TF peak set (average 12,613 peaks) was enriched for canonical R2R3-MYB binding motifs. To improve the reliability of target gene assignment to peaks, a random forest classifier was developed from Arabidopsis DAP-seq, RNA-seq, chromatin, and conserved noncoding sequence data which demonstrated significantly higher precision and recall to the baseline method of assigning genes to proximal peaks. EgrMYB1, EgrMYB2 and EgrMYB137 predicted targets showed clear enrichment for SCW-related biological processes. As validation, EgrMYB137 overexpression in transgenic Eucalyptus hairy roots increased xylem lignification, while its dominant repression in transgenic Arabidopsis and Populus reduced xylem lignification, stunted growth, and caused downregulation of SCW genes. EgrMYB137 targets overlapped significantly with those of EgrMYB2, suggesting partial functional redundancy. Our results show that DAP-seq-ML identified biologically relevant R2R3-MYB targets supported by the finding that EgrMYB137 promotes SCW lignification in planta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lazarus T Takawira
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Ines Hadj Bachir
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Université Toulouse, CNRS, INP, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Raphael Ployet
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Jade Tulloch
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Helene San Clemente
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Université Toulouse, CNRS, INP, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Nanette Christie
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Nathalie Ladouce
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Université Toulouse, CNRS, INP, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Annabelle Dupas
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Université Toulouse, CNRS, INP, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Avanish Rai
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline Grima-Pettenati
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Université Toulouse, CNRS, INP, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Alexander A Myburg
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Eshchar Mizrachi
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Fabien Mounet
- Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales, Université Toulouse, CNRS, INP, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
| | - Steven G Hussey
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.
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4
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Donev EN, Derba‐Maceluch M, Yassin Z, Gandla ML, Pramod S, Heinonen E, Kumar V, Scheepers G, Vilaplana F, Johansson U, Hertzberg M, Sundberg B, Winestrand S, Hörnberg A, Alriksson B, Jönsson LJ, Mellerowicz EJ. Field testing of transgenic aspen from large greenhouse screening identifies unexpected winners. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:1005-1021. [PMID: 36668687 PMCID: PMC10106850 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Trees constitute promising renewable feedstocks for biorefinery using biochemical conversion, but their recalcitrance restricts their attractiveness for the industry. To obtain trees with reduced recalcitrance, large-scale genetic engineering experiments were performed in hybrid aspen blindly targeting genes expressed during wood formation and 32 lines representing seven constructs were selected for characterization in the field. Here we report phenotypes of five-year old trees considering 49 traits related to growth and wood properties. The best performing construct considering growth and glucose yield in saccharification with acid pretreatment had suppressed expression of the gene encoding an uncharacterized 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2OGD). It showed minor changes in wood chemistry but increased nanoporosity and glucose conversion. Suppressed levels of SUCROSE SYNTHASE, (SuSy), CINNAMATE 4-HYDROXYLASE (C4H) and increased levels of GTPase activating protein for ADP-ribosylation factor ZAC led to significant growth reductions and anatomical abnormalities. However, C4H and SuSy constructs greatly improved glucose yields in saccharification without and with pretreatment, respectively. Traits associated with high glucose yields were different for saccharification with and without pretreatment. While carbohydrates, phenolics and tension wood contents positively impacted the yields without pretreatment and growth, lignin content and S/G ratio were negative factors, the yields with pretreatment positively correlated with S lignin and negatively with carbohydrate contents. The genotypes with high glucose yields had increased nanoporosity and mGlcA/Xyl ratio, and some had shorter polymers extractable with subcritical water compared to wild-type. The pilot-scale industrial-like pretreatment of best-performing 2OGD construct confirmed its superior sugar yields, supporting our strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy N. Donev
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Marta Derba‐Maceluch
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Zakiya Yassin
- Enhet Produktionssystem och MaterialRISE Research Institutes of SwedenVäxjöSweden
| | | | - Sivan Pramod
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of ChemistryKTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University CentreStockholmSweden
| | - Emilia Heinonen
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of ChemistryKTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University CentreStockholmSweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Centre (WWSC)KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - Vikash Kumar
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | - Gerhard Scheepers
- Enhet Produktionssystem och MaterialRISE Research Institutes of SwedenVäxjöSweden
| | - Francisco Vilaplana
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of ChemistryKTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University CentreStockholmSweden
- Wallenberg Wood Science Centre (WWSC)KTH Royal Institute of TechnologyStockholmSweden
| | - Ulf Johansson
- Tönnersjöheden Experimental ForestSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSimlångsdalenSweden
| | | | - Björn Sundberg
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Ewa J. Mellerowicz
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesUmeåSweden
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5
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El Houari I, Klíma P, Baekelandt A, Staswick PE, Uzunova V, Del Genio CI, Steenackers W, Dobrev PI, Filepová R, Novák O, Napier R, Petrášek J, Inzé D, Boerjan W, Vanholme B. Non-specific effects of the CINNAMATE-4-HYDROXYLASE inhibitor piperonylic acid. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37036146 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Chemical inhibitors are often implemented for the functional characterization of genes to overcome the limitations associated with genetic approaches. Although it is well established that the specificity of the compound is key to success of a pharmacological approach, off-target effects are often overlooked or simply neglected in a complex biological setting. Here we illustrate the cause and implications of such secondary effects by focusing on piperonylic acid (PA), an inhibitor of CINNAMATE-4-HYDROXYLASE (C4H) that is frequently used to investigate the involvement of lignin during plant growth and development. When supplied to plants, we found that PA is recognized as a substrate by GRETCHEN HAGEN 3.6 (GH3.6), an amido synthetase involved in the formation of the indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) conjugate IAA-Asp. By competing for the same enzyme, PA interferes with IAA conjugation, resulting in an increase in IAA concentrations in the plant. In line with the broad substrate specificity of the GH3 family of enzymes, treatment with PA increased not only IAA levels but also those of other GH3-conjugated phytohormones, namely jasmonic acid and salicylic acid. Finally, we found that interference with the endogenous function of GH3s potentially contributes to phenotypes previously observed upon PA treatment. We conclude that deregulation of phytohormone homeostasis by surrogate occupation of the conjugation machinery in the plant is likely a general phenomenon when using chemical inhibitors. Our results hereby provide a novel and important basis for future reference in studies using chemical inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias El Houari
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petr Klíma
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany, Rozvojová 263, 165 02, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Alexandra Baekelandt
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paul E Staswick
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Veselina Uzunova
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Charo I Del Genio
- Centre for Fluid and Complex Systems, School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics, Coventry University, Prior Street, Coventry, CV1 5FB, UK
| | - Ward Steenackers
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Petre I Dobrev
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany, Rozvojová 263, 165 02, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Roberta Filepová
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany, Rozvojová 263, 165 02, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Novák
- Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Faculty of Science of Palacký University & Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Šlechtitelů 27, CZ-78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Napier
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Jan Petrášek
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Botany, Rozvojová 263, 165 02, Prague 6, Czech Republic
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 5, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Dirk Inzé
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wout Boerjan
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bartel Vanholme
- Ghent University, Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 71, B-9052, Ghent, Belgium
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6
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Witvrouw K, Kim H, Vanholme R, Goeminne G, Ralph J, Boerjan W, Vanholme B. Reassessing the claimed cytokinin-substituting activity of dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol glucoside. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2123301120. [PMID: 36827261 PMCID: PMC9992782 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2123301120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol glucoside (DCG) is a phenylpropanoid-derived plant metabolite with reported cytokinin-substituting and cell-division-promoting activity. Despite its claimed activity, DCG did not trigger morphological changes in Arabidopsis seedlings nor did it alter transcriptional shifts in cell division and cytokinin-responsive genes. In reinvestigating the bioactivity of DCG in its original setting, the previously described stimulation of tobacco callus formation could not be confirmed. No evidence was found that DCG is actually taken up by plant cells, which could explain the absence of any observable activity in the performed experiments. The DCG content in plant tissue increased when feeding explants with the DCG aglycone dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol, which is readily taken up and converted to DCG by plant cells. Despite the increased DCG content, no activity for this metabolite could be demonstrated. Our results therefore demand a reevaluation of the often-quoted cytokinin-substituting and cell-division-promoting activity that has previously been attributed to this metabolite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaas Witvrouw
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, GhentB-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, GhentB-9052, Belgium
| | - Hoon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53706
- The U.S. Department of Energy's Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, The Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53726
| | - Ruben Vanholme
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, GhentB-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, GhentB-9052, Belgium
| | - Geert Goeminne
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, GhentB-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, GhentB-9052, Belgium
- VIB Metabolomics Core, GhentB-9052, Belgium
| | - John Ralph
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53706
- The U.S. Department of Energy's Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, The Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI53726
| | - Wout Boerjan
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, GhentB-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, GhentB-9052, Belgium
| | - Bartel Vanholme
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, GhentB-9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, GhentB-9052, Belgium
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7
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Kurepa J, Shull TE, Smalle JA. Friends in Arms: Flavonoids and the Auxin/Cytokinin Balance in Terrestrialization. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:517. [PMID: 36771601 PMCID: PMC9921348 DOI: 10.3390/plants12030517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Land plants survive the challenges of new environments by evolving mechanisms that protect them from excess irradiation, nutrient deficiency, and temperature and water availability fluctuations. One such evolved mechanism is the regulation of the shoot/root growth ratio in response to water and nutrient availability by balancing the actions of the hormones auxin and cytokinin. Plant terrestrialization co-occurred with a dramatic expansion in secondary metabolism, particularly with the evolution and establishment of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. Flavonoid biosynthesis is responsive to a wide range of stresses, and the numerous synthesized flavonoid species offer two main evolutionary advantages to land plants. First, flavonoids are antioxidants and thus defend plants against those adverse conditions that lead to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Second, flavonoids aid in protecting plants against water and nutrient deficiency by modulating root development and establishing symbiotic relations with beneficial soil fungi and bacteria. Here, we review different aspects of the relationships between the auxin/cytokinin module and flavonoids. The current body of knowledge suggests that whereas both auxin and cytokinin regulate flavonoid biosynthesis, flavonoids act to fine-tune only auxin, which in turn regulates cytokinin action. This conclusion agrees with the established master regulatory function of auxin in controlling the shoot/root growth ratio.
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8
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Wang P, Guo L, Morgan J, Dudareva N, Chapple C. Transcript and metabolite network perturbations in lignin biosynthetic mutants of Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:2828-2846. [PMID: 35880844 PMCID: PMC9706439 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Lignin, one of the most abundant polymers in plants, is derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway, which also gives rise to an array of metabolites that are essential for plant fitness. Genetic engineering of lignification can cause drastic changes in transcription and metabolite accumulation with or without an accompanying development phenotype. To understand the impact of lignin perturbation, we analyzed transcriptome and metabolite data from the rapidly lignifying stem tissue in 13 selected phenylpropanoid mutants and wild-type Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Our dataset contains 20,974 expressed genes, of which over 26% had altered transcript levels in at least one mutant, and 18 targeted metabolites, all of which displayed altered accumulation in at least one mutant. We found that lignin biosynthesis and phenylalanine supply via the shikimate pathway are tightly co-regulated at the transcriptional level. The hierarchical clustering analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) grouped the 13 mutants into 5 subgroups with similar profiles of mis-regulated genes. Functional analysis of the DEGs in these mutants and correlation between gene expression and metabolite accumulation revealed system-wide effects on transcripts involved in multiple biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Longyun Guo
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - John Morgan
- Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Natalia Dudareva
- Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
- Purdue Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
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9
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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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10
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Ferreira SS, Goeminne G, Simões MS, Pina AVDA, Lima LGAD, Pezard J, Gutiérrez A, Rencoret J, Mortimer JC, Del Río JC, Boerjan W, Cesarino I. Transcriptional and metabolic changes associated with internode development and reduced cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase activity in sorghum. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:6307-6333. [PMID: 35788296 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms associated with secondary cell wall (SCW) deposition in sorghum remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we employed untargeted metabolomics and large-scale transcriptomics to correlate changes in SCW deposition with variation in global gene expression profiles and metabolite abundance along an elongating internode of sorghum, with a major focus on lignin and phenolic metabolism. To gain deeper insight into the metabolic and transcriptional changes associated with pathway perturbations, a bmr6 mutant [with reduced cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) activity] was analyzed. In the wild type, internode development was accompanied by an increase in the content of oligolignols, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, hydroxycinnamate esters, and flavonoid glucosides, including tricin derivatives. We further identified modules of genes whose expression pattern correlated with SCW deposition and the accumulation of these target metabolites. Reduced CAD activity resulted in the accumulation of hexosylated forms of hydroxycinnamates (and their derivatives), hydroxycinnamaldehydes, and benzenoids. The expression of genes belonging to one specific module in our co-expression analysis correlated with the differential accumulation of these compounds and contributed to explaining this metabolic phenotype. Metabolomics and transcriptomics data further suggested that CAD perturbation activates distinct detoxification routes in sorghum internodes. Our systems biology approach provides a landscape of the metabolic and transcriptional changes associated with internode development and with reduced CAD activity in sorghum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sávio Siqueira Ferreira
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Geert Goeminne
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- VIB Metabolomics Core, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marcella Siqueira Simões
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Jade Pezard
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ana Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Avenida de la Reina Mercedes, Seville, Spain
| | - Jorge Rencoret
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Avenida de la Reina Mercedes, Seville, Spain
| | - Jenny C Mortimer
- Joint BioEnergy Institute, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - José C Del Río
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Avenida de la Reina Mercedes, Seville, Spain
| | - Wout Boerjan
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Igor Cesarino
- Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, São Paulo, Brazil
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Center, InovaUSP, Avenida Professor Lucio Martins Rodrigues, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Shrestha HK, Fichman Y, Engle NL, Tschaplinski TJ, Mittler R, Dixon RA, Hettich RL, Barros J, Abraham PE. Multi-omic characterization of bifunctional peroxidase 4-coumarate 3-hydroxylase knockdown in Brachypodium distachyon provides insights into lignin modification-associated pleiotropic effects. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:908649. [PMID: 36247563 PMCID: PMC9554711 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.908649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A bifunctional peroxidase enzyme, 4-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H/APX), provides a parallel route to the shikimate shunt pathway for the conversion of 4-coumarate to caffeate in the early steps of lignin biosynthesis. Knockdown of C3H/APX (C3H/APX-KD) expression has been shown to reduce the lignin content in Brachypodium distachyon. However, like many other lignin-modified plants, C3H/APX-KDs show unpredictable pleiotropic phenotypes, including stunted growth, delayed senescence, and reduced seed yield. A system-wide level understanding of altered biological processes in lignin-modified plants can help pinpoint the lignin-modification associated growth defects to benefit future studies aiming to negate the yield penalty. Here, a multi-omic approach was used to characterize molecular changes resulting from C3H/APX-KD associated lignin modification and negative growth phenotype in Brachypodium distachyon. Our findings demonstrate that C3H/APX knockdown in Brachypodium stems substantially alters the abundance of enzymes implicated in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway and disrupt cellular redox homeostasis. Moreover, it elicits plant defense responses associated with intracellular kinases and phytohormone-based signaling to facilitate growth-defense trade-offs. A deeper understanding along with potential targets to mitigate the pleiotropic phenotypes identified in this study could aid to increase the economic feasibility of lignocellulosic biofuel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Him K. Shrestha
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
- Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Yosef Fichman
- Division of Plant Sciences and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Nancy L. Engle
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | | | - Ron Mittler
- Division of Plant Sciences and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Richard A. Dixon
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Jaime Barros
- Division of Plant Sciences and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Paul E. Abraham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
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