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Trull BN, Sultana MS, Pfotenhauer AC, Stockdale JN, Pantalone V, Zhang B, Stewart CN. Robust soybean leaf agroinfiltration. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2024; 43:162. [PMID: 38837057 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-024-03245-4] [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: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE A robust agroinfiltration-mediated transient gene expression method for soybean leaves was developed. Plant genotype, developmental stage and leaf age, surfactant, and Agrobacterium culture conditions are important for successful agroinfiltration. Agroinfiltration of Nicotiana benthamiana has emerged as a workhorse transient assay for plant biotechnology and synthetic biology to test the performance of gene constructs in dicot leaves. While effective, it is nonetheless often desirable to assay transgene constructs directly in crop species. To that end, we innovated a substantially robust agroinfiltration method for Glycine max (soybean), the most widely grown dicot crop plant in the world. Several factors were found to be relevant to successful soybean leaf agroinfiltration, including genotype, surfactant, developmental stage, and Agrobacterium strain and culture medium. Our optimized protocol involved a multi-step Agrobacterium culturing process with appropriate expression vectors, Silwet L-77 as the surfactant, selection of fully expanded leaves in the VC or V1 stage of growth, and 5 min of vacuum at - 85 kPa followed by a dark incubation period before plants were returned to normal growth conditions. Using this method, young soybean leaves of two lines-V17-0799DT, and TN16-5004-were high expressors for GUS, two co-expressed fluorescent protein genes, and the RUBY reporter product, betalain. This work not only represents a new research tool for soybean biotechnology, but also indicates critical parameters for guiding agroinfiltration optimization for other crop species. We speculate that leaf developmental stage might be the most critical factor for successful agroinfiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce N Trull
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Jessica N Stockdale
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Vincent Pantalone
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Plant and Environmental Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - C Neal Stewart
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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Pfotenhauer AC, Lenaghan SC. Phytosensors: harnessing plants to understand the world around us. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2024; 87:103134. [PMID: 38705091 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2024.103134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Although plants are sessile, their ubiquitous distribution, ability to harness energy from the sun, and ability to sense above and belowground signals make them ideal candidates for biosensor development. Synthetic biology has allowed scientists to reimagine biosensors as engineered devices that are focused on accomplishing novel tasks. As such, a new wave of plant-based sensors, phytosensors, are being engineered as multi-component sense-and-report devices that can alert human operators to a variety of hazards. While phytosensors are intrinsically tied to agriculture, a new generation of phytosensors has been envisioned to function in the built environment and even in austere environments, such as space. In this review, we will explore the current state of the art with regard to phytosensor engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Scott C Lenaghan
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.
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Yang Y, Chaffin TA, Shao Y, Balasubramanian VK, Markillie M, Mitchell H, Rubio‐Wilhelmi MM, Ahkami AH, Blumwald E, Neal Stewart C. Novel synthetic inducible promoters controlling gene expression during water-deficit stress with green tissue specificity in transgenic poplar. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024; 22:1596-1609. [PMID: 38232002 PMCID: PMC11123411 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14289] [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: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Synthetic promoters may be designed using short cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and core promoter sequences for specific purposes. We identified novel conserved DNA motifs from the promoter sequences of leaf palisade and vascular cell type-specific expressed genes in water-deficit stressed poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba), collected through low-input RNA-seq analysis using laser capture microdissection. Hexamerized sequences of four conserved 20-base motifs were inserted into each synthetic promoter construct. Two of these synthetic promoters (Syn2 and Syn3) induced GFP in transformed poplar mesophyll protoplasts incubated in 0.5 M mannitol solution. To identify effect of length and sequence from a valuable 20 base motif, 5' and 3' regions from a basic sequence (GTTAACTTCAGGGCCTGTGG) of Syn3 were hexamerized to generate two shorter synthetic promoters, Syn3-10b-1 (5': GTTAACTTCA) and Syn3-10b-2 (3': GGGCCTGTGG). These promoters' activities were compared with Syn3 in plants. Syn3 and Syn3-10b-1 were specifically induced in transient agroinfiltrated Nicotiana benthamiana leaves in water cessation for 3 days. In stable transgenic poplar, Syn3 presented as a constitutive promoter but had the highest activity in leaves. Syn3-10b-1 had stronger induction in green tissues under water-deficit stress conditions than mock control. Therefore, a synthetic promoter containing the 5' sequence of Syn3 endowed both tissue-specificity and water-deficit inducibility in transgenic poplar, whereas the 3' sequence did not. Consequently, we have added two new synthetic promoters to the poplar engineering toolkit: Syn3-10b-1, a green tissue-specific and water-deficit stress-induced promoter, and Syn3, a green tissue-preferential constitutive promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongil Yang
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Timothy A. Chaffin
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Yuanhua Shao
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | | | - Meng Markillie
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWAUSA
| | - Hugh Mitchell
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWAUSA
| | | | - Amir H. Ahkami
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWAUSA
| | - Eduardo Blumwald
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCaliforniaUSA
| | - C. Neal Stewart
- Center for Agricultural Synthetic BiologyUniversity of Tennessee Institute of AgricultureKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of Plant SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
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Ling Y, Jinshi Z, Yilu Q, Jinjin L, Mei L, Weilin Z. Transcriptome profiling reveals ethylene formation in rice seeds by trichloroisocyanuric acid. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2023; 42:1721-1732. [PMID: 37594528 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-023-03058-x] [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: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Ethylene formation via methionine reacting with trichloroisocyanuric acid under FeSO4 condition in a non-enzymatical manner provides one economically and efficiently novel ethylene-forming approach in planta. Rice seed germination can be stimulated by trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCICA). However, the molecular basis of TCICA in stimulating rice seed germination remains unclear. In this study, the molecular mechanism on how TCICA stimulated rice seed germination was examined via comparative transcriptome. Results showed that clustering of transcripts of TCICA-treated seeds, water-treated seeds, and dry seeds was clearly separated. Twenty-two and three hundred differentially expressed genes were identified as TCICA treatment responsive genes and TCICA treatment potentially responsive genes, respectively. Two and one TCICA treatment responsive genes were involved in ethylene signal transduction and iron homeostasis, respectively. Seventeen of the three hundred TCICA treatment potentially responsive genes were significantly annotated to iron ion binding. Meanwhile, level of methionine (ethylene precursor) showed a 73.9% decrease in response to TCICA treatment. Ethylene was then proved to produce via methionine reacting with TCICA under FeSO4 condition in vitro. Revealing ethylene formation by TCICA not only may bring novel insights into crosstalk between ethylene and other phytohormones during rice seed germination, but also may provide one economically and efficiently novel approach to producing ethylene in planta independently of the ethylene biosynthesis in plants and thereby may broaden its applications in investigational and applied purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ling
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhang Jinshi
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian Yilu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, People's Republic of China
| | - Lian Jinjin
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Mei
- Analysis Center of Agrobiology and Environmental Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhang Weilin
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, 321004, People's Republic of China.
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Brooks EG, Elorriaga E, Liu Y, Duduit JR, Yuan G, Tsai CJ, Tuskan GA, Ranney TG, Yang X, Liu W. Plant Promoters and Terminators for High-Precision Bioengineering. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2023; 5:0013. [PMID: 37849460 PMCID: PMC10328392 DOI: 10.34133/bdr.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
High-precision bioengineering and synthetic biology require fine-tuning gene expression at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Gene transcription is tightly regulated by promoters and terminators. Promoters determine the timing, tissues and cells, and levels of the expression of genes. Terminators mediate transcription termination of genes and affect mRNA levels posttranscriptionally, e.g., the 3'-end processing, stability, translation efficiency, and nuclear to cytoplasmic export of mRNAs. The promoter and terminator combination affects gene expression. In the present article, we review the function and features of plant core promoters, proximal and distal promoters, and terminators, and their effects on and benchmarking strategies for regulating gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily G. Brooks
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Estefania Elorriaga
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - James R. Duduit
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Guoliang Yuan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Chung-Jui Tsai
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resource, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Gerald A. Tuskan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Thomas G. Ranney
- Mountain Crop Improvement Lab, Department of Horticultural Science, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center, North Carolina State University, Mills River, NC 28759, USA
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resource, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Wusheng Liu
- Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
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