1
|
Xu W, John Martin JJ, Li X, Liu X, Zhang R, Hou M, Cao H, Cheng S. Unveiling the Secrets of Oil Palm Genetics: A Look into Omics Research. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8625. [PMID: 39201312 PMCID: PMC11354864 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168625] [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: 06/23/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Oil palm is a versatile oil crop with numerous applications. Significant progress has been made in applying histological techniques in oil palm research in recent years. Whole genome sequencing of oil palm has been carried out to explain the function and structure of the order genome, facilitating the development of molecular markers and the construction of genetic maps, which are crucial for studying important traits and genetic resources in oil palm. Transcriptomics provides a powerful tool for studying various aspects of plant biology, including abiotic and biotic stresses, fatty acid composition and accumulation, and sexual reproduction, while proteomics and metabolomics provide opportunities to study lipid synthesis and stress responses, regulate fatty acid composition based on different gene and metabolite levels, elucidate the physiological mechanisms in response to abiotic stresses, and explain intriguing biological processes in oil palm. This paper summarizes the current status of oil palm research from a multi-omics perspective and hopes to provide a reference for further in-depth research on oil palm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Xu
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China; (W.X.); (J.J.J.M.); (X.L.); (X.L.); (R.Z.); (M.H.)
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang 571339, China
- College of Tropical Crops, Yunnan Agricultural University, Pu’er 665000, China
| | - Jerome Jeyakumar John Martin
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China; (W.X.); (J.J.J.M.); (X.L.); (X.L.); (R.Z.); (M.H.)
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang 571339, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China; (W.X.); (J.J.J.M.); (X.L.); (X.L.); (R.Z.); (M.H.)
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang 571339, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China; (W.X.); (J.J.J.M.); (X.L.); (X.L.); (R.Z.); (M.H.)
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang 571339, China
| | - Ruimin Zhang
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China; (W.X.); (J.J.J.M.); (X.L.); (X.L.); (R.Z.); (M.H.)
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang 571339, China
| | - Mingming Hou
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China; (W.X.); (J.J.J.M.); (X.L.); (X.L.); (R.Z.); (M.H.)
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang 571339, China
| | - Hongxing Cao
- National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China; (W.X.); (J.J.J.M.); (X.L.); (X.L.); (R.Z.); (M.H.)
- Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang 571339, China
| | - Shuanghong Cheng
- College of Tropical Crops, Yunnan Agricultural University, Pu’er 665000, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen X, Zhao C, Yun P, Yu M, Zhou M, Chen ZH, Shabala S. Climate-resilient crops: Lessons from xerophytes. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 117:1815-1835. [PMID: 37967090 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16549] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Developing climate-resilient crops is critical for future food security and sustainable agriculture under current climate scenarios. Of specific importance are drought and soil salinity. Tolerance traits to these stresses are highly complex, and the progress in improving crop tolerance is too slow to cope with the growing demand in food production unless a major paradigm shift in crop breeding occurs. In this work, we combined bioinformatics and physiological approaches to compare some of the key traits that may differentiate between xerophytes (naturally drought-tolerant plants) and mesophytes (to which the majority of the crops belong). We show that both xerophytes and salt-tolerant mesophytes have a much larger number of copies in key gene families conferring some of the key traits related to plant osmotic adjustment, abscisic acid (ABA) sensing and signalling, and stomata development. We show that drought and salt-tolerant species have (i) higher reliance on Na for osmotic adjustment via more diversified and efficient operation of Na+ /H+ tonoplast exchangers (NHXs) and vacuolar H+ - pyrophosphatase (VPPases); (ii) fewer and faster stomata; (iii) intrinsically lower ABA content; (iv) altered structure of pyrabactin resistance/pyrabactin resistance-like (PYR/PYL) ABA receptors; and (v) higher number of gene copies for protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) and sucrose non-fermenting 1 (SNF1)-related protein kinase 2/open stomata 1 (SnRK2/OST1) ABA signalling components. We also show that the past trends in crop breeding for Na+ exclusion to improve salinity stress tolerance are counterproductive and compromise their drought tolerance. Incorporating these genetic insights into breeding practices could pave the way for more drought-tolerant and salt-resistant crops, securing agricultural yields in an era of climate unpredictability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Chenchen Zhao
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Prospect, Tasmania, 7250, Australia
| | - Ping Yun
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Min Yu
- International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - Meixue Zhou
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Prospect, Tasmania, 7250, Australia
| | - Zhong-Hua Chen
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
| | - Sergey Shabala
- International Research Centre for Environmental Membrane Biology, Foshan University, Foshan, 528000, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Song Z, Wang L, Lee M, Yue GH. The evolution and expression of stomatal regulators in C3 and C4 crops: Implications on the divergent drought tolerance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1100838. [PMID: 36818875 PMCID: PMC9929459 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1100838] [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: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Drought stress is a major environmental hazard. Stomatal development is highly responsive to abiotic stress and has been used as a cellular marker for drought-tolerant crop selection. C3 and C4 crops have evolved into different photosynthetic systems and physiological responses to water deficits. The genome sequences of maize, sorghum, and sugarcane make it possible to explore the association of the stomatal response to drought stress with the evolution of the key stomatal regulators. In this study, phylogenic analysis, gene expression analysis and stomatal assay under drought stress were used to investigate the drought tolerance of C3 and C4 plants. Our data shows that C3 and C4 plants exhibit different drought responses at the cellular level. Drought represses the growth and stomatal development of C3 crops but has little effect on that of C4 plants. In addition, stomatal development is unresponsive to drought in drought-tolerant C3 crops but is repressed in drought-tolerant C4 plants. The different developmental responses to drought in C3 and C4 plants might be associated with the divergent expression of their SPEECHLESS genes. In particular, C4 crops have evolved to generate multiple SPEECHLESS homologs with different genetic structure and expression levels. Our research provides not only molecular evidence that supports the evolutionary history of C4 from C3 plants but also a possible molecular model that controls the cellular response to abiotic stress in C3 and C4 crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhuojun Song
- Molecular Population Genetics and Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Le Wang
- Molecular Population Genetics and Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - May Lee
- Molecular Population Genetics and Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gen Hua Yue
- Molecular Population Genetics and Breeding Group, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li X, Liu L, Sun S, Li Y, Jia L, Ye S, Yu Y, Dossa K, Luan Y. Transcriptome analysis reveals the key pathways and candidate genes involved in salt stress responses in Cymbidium ensifolium leaves. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:64. [PMID: 36721093 PMCID: PMC9890885 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04050-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cymbidium ensifolium L. is known for its ornamental value and is frequently used in cosmetics. Information about the salt stress response of C. ensifolium is scarce. In this study, we reported the physiological and transcriptomic responses of C. ensifolium leaves under the influence of 100 mM NaCl stress for 48 (T48) and 96 (T96) hours. RESULTS Leaf Na+ content, activities of the antioxidant enzymes i.e., superoxide dismutase, glutathione S-transferase, and ascorbate peroxidase, and malondialdehyde content were increased in salt-stressed leaves of C. ensifolium. Transcriptome analysis revealed that a relatively high number of genes were differentially expressed in CKvsT48 (17,249) compared to CKvsT96 (5,376). Several genes related to salt stress sensing (calcium signaling, stomata closure, cell-wall remodeling, and ROS scavenging), ion balance (Na+ and H+), ion homeostasis (Na+/K+ ratios), and phytohormone signaling (abscisic acid and brassinosteroid) were differentially expressed in CKvsT48, CKvsT96, and T48vsT96. In general, the expression of genes enriched in these pathways was increased in T48 compared to CK while reduced in T96 compared to T48. Transcription factors (TFs) belonging to more than 70 families were differentially expressed; the major families of differentially expressed TFs included bHLH, NAC, MYB, WRKY, MYB-related, and C3H. A Myb-like gene (CenREV3) was further characterized by overexpressing it in Arabidopsis thaliana. CenREV3's expression was decreased with the prolongation of salt stress. As a result, the CenREV3-overexpression lines showed reduced root length, germination %, and survival % suggesting that this TF is a negative regulator of salt stress tolerance. CONCLUSION These results provide the basis for future studies to explore the salt stress response-related pathways in C. ensifolium.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 650021, Kunming, China
| | - Lanlan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, China
| | - Shixian Sun
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Wetland Conservation, Restoration and Ecological Services, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, China
| | - Yanmei Li
- Department of Life Technology Teaching and Research, School of Life Science, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, China
| | - Lu Jia
- Department of Life Technology Teaching and Research, School of Life Science, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, China
| | - Shili Ye
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, China
| | - Yanxuan Yu
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, China
| | - Komivi Dossa
- CIRAD, UMR AGAP Institute, F-34398, Montpellier, France
| | - Yunpeng Luan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 650021, Kunming, China.
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China, Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, 650224, Kunming, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ferreira TMM, Ferreira Filho JA, Leão AP, de Sousa CAF, Souza MTJ. Structural and functional analysis of stress-inducible genes and their promoters selected from young oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis) under salt stress. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:735. [PMCID: PMC9620643 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08926-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Soil salinity is a problem in more than 100 countries across all continents. It is one of the abiotic stress that threatens agriculture the most, negatively affecting crops and reducing productivity. Transcriptomics is a technology applied to characterize the transcriptome in a cell, tissue, or organism at a given time via RNA-Seq, also known as full-transcriptome shotgun sequencing. This technology allows the identification of most genes expressed at a particular stage, and different isoforms are separated and transcript expression levels measured. Once determined by this technology, the expression profile of a gene must undergo validation by another, such as quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). This study aimed to select, annotate, and validate stress-inducible genes—and their promoters—differentially expressed in the leaves of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plants under saline stress. Results The transcriptome analysis led to the selection of 14 genes that underwent structural and functional annotation, besides having their expression validated using the qRT-PCR technique. When compared, the RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR profiles of those genes resulted in some inconsistencies. The structural and functional annotation analysis of proteins coded by the selected genes showed that some of them are orthologs of genes reported as conferring resistance to salinity in other species. There were those coding for proteins related to the transport of salt into and out of cells, transcriptional regulatory activity, and opening and closing of stomata. The annotation analysis performed on the promoter sequence revealed 22 distinct types of cis-acting elements, and 14 of them are known to be involved in abiotic stress. Conclusion This study has helped validate the process of an accurate selection of genes responsive to salt stress with a specific and predefined expression profile and their promoter sequence. Its results also can be used in molecular-genetics-assisted breeding programs. In addition, using the identified genes is a window of opportunity for strategies trying to relieve the damages arising from the salt stress in many glycophyte crops with economic importance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thalita Massaro Malheiros Ferreira
- grid.411269.90000 0000 8816 9513Graduate Program of Plant Biotechnology, Federal University of Lavras, 37200-000 Lavras, MG CP 3037, Brazil
| | - Jaire Alves Ferreira Filho
- grid.460200.00000 0004 0541 873XBrazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Agroenergy, 70770-901 Brasília, DF Brazil
| | - André Pereira Leão
- grid.460200.00000 0004 0541 873XBrazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Agroenergy, 70770-901 Brasília, DF Brazil
| | | | - Manoel Teixeira Jr. Souza
- grid.411269.90000 0000 8816 9513Graduate Program of Plant Biotechnology, Federal University of Lavras, 37200-000 Lavras, MG CP 3037, Brazil ,grid.460200.00000 0004 0541 873XBrazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Agroenergy, 70770-901 Brasília, DF Brazil
| |
Collapse
|