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Chmielowska-Bąk J, Searle IR, Wakai TN, Arasimowicz-Jelonek M. The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants exposed to non-essential metals. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1278185. [PMID: 38111878 PMCID: PMC10726048 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1278185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Contamination of the soil with non-essential metals and metalloids is a serious problem in many regions of the world. These non-essential metals and metalloids are toxic to all organisms impacting crop yields and human health. Crop plants exposed to high concentrations of these metals leads to perturbed mineral homeostasis, decreased photosynthesis efficiency, inhibited cell division, oxidative stress, genotoxic effects and subsequently hampered growth. Plants can activate epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms to maintain cellular and organism homeostasis. Epigenetic modifications include changes in the patterns of cytosine and adenine DNA base modifications, changes in cellular non-coding RNAs, and remodeling histone variants and covalent histone tail modifications. Some of these epigenetic changes have been shown to be long-lasting and may therefore contribute to stress memory and modulated stress tolerance in the progeny. In the emerging field of epitranscriptomics, defined as chemical, covalent modifications of ribonucleotides in cellular transcripts, epitranscriptomic modifications are postulated as more rapid modulators of gene expression. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the plant's epigenetic changes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses, a comprehensive review of the plant's epigenetic responses to metals is lacking. While the role of epitranscriptomics during plant developmental processes and stress responses are emerging, epitranscriptomic modifications in response to metals has not been reviewed. This article describes the impact of non-essential metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, Hg, Al and As) on global and site-specific DNA methylation, histone tail modifications and epitranscriptomic modifications in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagna Chmielowska-Bąk
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
| | - Iain Robert Searle
- Discipline of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Theophilus Nang Wakai
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon
- Covenant Applied Informatics and Communication - Africa Centre of Excellence (CApIC-ACE), Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria
| | - Magdalena Arasimowicz-Jelonek
- Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
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Galati S, DalCorso G, Furini A, Fragni R, Maccari C, Mozzoni P, Giannelli G, Buschini A, Visioli G. DNA methylation is enhanced during Cd hyperaccumulation in Noccaea caerulescens ecotype Ganges. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:26178-26190. [PMID: 36352075 PMCID: PMC9995422 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23983-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we assess the DNA damage occurring in response to cadmium (Cd) in the Cd hyperaccumulator Noccaea caerulescens Ganges (GA) vs the non-accumulator and close-relative species Arabidopsis thaliana. At this purpose, the alkaline comet assay was utilized to evaluate the Cd-induced variations in nucleoids and the methy-sens comet assay, and semiquantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR were also performed to associate nucleus variations to possible DNA modifications. Cadmium induced high DNA damages in nuclei of A. thaliana while only a small increase in DNA migration was observed in N. caerulescens GA. In addition, in N. caerulescens GA, CpG DNA methylation increase upon Cd when compared to control condition, along with an increase in the expression of MET1 gene, coding for the DNA-methyltransferase. N. caerulescens GA does not show any oxidative stress under Cd treatment, while A. thaliana Cd-treated plants showed an upregulation of transcripts of the respiratory burst oxidase, accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity. These data suggest that epigenetic modifications occur in the N. caerulescens GA exposed to Cd to preserve genome integrity, contributing to Cd tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Galati
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Antonella Furini
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Rosaria Fragni
- SSICA, Experimental Station for the Food Preserving Industry, Parma, Italy
| | - Chiara Maccari
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Paola Mozzoni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Centre for Research in Toxicology (CERT), University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Annamaria Buschini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Giovanna Visioli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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Ren Q, Xu Z, Xue Y, Yang R, Ma X, Sun J, Wang J, Lin S, Wang W, Yang L, Sun Z. Mechanism of calcium signal response to cadmium stress in duckweed. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2022; 17:2119340. [PMID: 36102362 PMCID: PMC9481097 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2119340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) causes serious damage to plants. Although calcium (Ca) signal has been found to respond to certain stress, the localization of Ca and molecular mechanisms underlying Ca signal in plants during Cd stress are largely unknown. In this study, Ca2+-sensing fluorescent reporter (GCaMP3) transgenic duckweed showed the Ca2+ signal response in Lemna turionifera 5511 (duckweed) during Cd stress. Subsequently, the subcellular localization of Ca2+ has been studied during Cd stress by transmission electron microscopy, showing the accumulation of Ca2+ in vacuoles. Also, Ca2+ flow during Cd stress has been measured. At the same time, the effects of exogenous glutamic acid (Glu) and γ-aminobutyric (GABA) on duckweed can better clarify the signal operation mechanism of plants to Cd stress. The molecular mechanism of Ca2+ signal responsed during Cd stress showed that Cd treatment promotes the positive response of Ca signaling channels in plant cells, and thus affects the intracellular Ca content. These novel signal studies provided an important Ca2+ signal molecular mechanism during Cd stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuting Ren
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ziyi Xu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Xue
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xu Ma
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinge Sun
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuang Lin
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenqiao Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhanpeng Sun
- Faculty of Education, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
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Javad S, Shah AA, Ramzan M, Sardar R, Javed T, Al-Huqail AA, Ali HM, Chaudhry O, Yasin NA, Ahmed S, Hussain RA, Hussain I. Hydrogen sulphide alleviates cadmium stress in Trigonella foenum-graecum by modulating antioxidant enzymes and polyamine content. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2022; 24:618-626. [PMID: 35114051 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) toxicity reduces growth and yield of crops grown in metal-polluted sites. Research was conducted to estimate the potential of hydrogen sulphide (H2 S) to mitigate toxicity caused by Cd in fenugreek seedlings (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.). Different concentrations of CdCl2 (Cd1-1 mM, Cd2-1.5 mM, Cd3-2mM) and H2 S (HS1-100 µM, HS2-150 µM, HS3-200 µM) were assessed. Seeds of fenugreek were primed with sodium hydrosulphide (NaHS), as H2 S donor. Seedlings growing in Cd-spiked media treated with H2 S were harvested after 2 weeks. Cd stress affected growth of fenugreek seedlings. Cd toxicity decreased leaf relative water content (LRWC), intercellular CO2 concentration, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration. However, application of H2 S significantly improved seedling morphological attributes by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, i.e. APX, CAT and SOD, in Cd-contaminated soil. H2 S treatment also regulated phenolic and flavonoid content. H2 S-induced biosynthesis of spermidine (Spd) and putrescine (Put) could account for the enhancement of growth and physiological performance of fenugreek seedlings under Cd stress. H2 S treatment also reduced H2 O2 production (38%) and electrolyte leakage (EL, 51%) in seedlings grown in different concentrations of Cd. It is recommended to evaluate the efficacy of H2 S in alleviating Cd toxicity in other crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Javad
- Department of Botany, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - A A Shah
- Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology., University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan., Lahore, Pakistan
| | - M Ramzan
- Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - R Sardar
- Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - T Javed
- College of Agriculture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - A A Al-Huqail
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - H M Ali
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - O Chaudhry
- Ontario Institute of Agrology, Biology and Environmental Sciences, Albert Campbell Collegiate Institute (NS), Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - N A Yasin
- Senior Superintendent Garden, RO-II Office, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - S Ahmed
- Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - R A Hussain
- Department of Botany, Division of Science and Technology., University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan., Lahore, Pakistan
| | - I Hussain
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan
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Hernandez-Apaolaza L. Priming With Silicon: A Review of a Promising Tool to Improve Micronutrient Deficiency Symptoms. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:840770. [PMID: 35300007 PMCID: PMC8921768 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.840770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Priming consists of a short pretreatment or preconditioning of seeds or seedlings with different types of primers (biological, chemical, or physical), which activates various mechanisms that improve plant vigor. In addition, stress responses are also upregulated with priming, obtaining plant phenotypes more tolerant to stress. As priming is thought to create a memory in plants, it is impairing a better resilience against stress situations. In today's world and due to climatic change, almost all plants encounter stresses with different severity. Lots of these stresses are relevant to biotic phenomena, but lots of them are also relevant to abiotic ones. In both these two conditions, silicon application has strong and positive effects when used as a priming agent. Several Si seed priming experiments have been performed to cope with several abiotic stresses (drought, salinity, alkaline stress), and Si primers have been used in non-stress situations to increase seed or seedlings vigor, but few has been done in the field of plant recovery with Si after a stress situation, although promising results have been referenced in the scarce literature. This review pointed out that Si could be successfully used in seed priming under optimal conditions (increased seed vigor), to cope with several stresses and also to recover plants from stressful situations more rapidly, and open a promising research topic to investigate, as priming is not an expensive technique and is easy to introduce by growers.
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Singh D, Chaudhary P, Taunk J, Kumar Singh C, Sharma S, Singh VJ, Singh D, Chinnusamy V, Yadav R, Pal M. Plant epigenomics for extenuation of abiotic stresses: challenges and future perspectives. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:6836-6855. [PMID: 34302734 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate change has escalated abiotic stresses, leading to adverse effects on plant growth and development, eventually having deleterious consequences on crop productivity. Environmental stresses induce epigenetic changes, namely cytosine DNA methylation and histone post-translational modifications, thus altering chromatin structure and gene expression. Stable epigenetic changes are inheritable across generations and this enables plants to adapt to environmental changes (epipriming). Hence, epigenomes serve as a good source of additional tier of variability for development of climate-smart crops. Epigenetic resources such as epialleles, epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRILs), epigenetic quantitative trait loci (epiQTLs), and epigenetic hybrids (epihybrids) can be utilized in epibreeding for improving stress tolerance of crops. Epigenome engineering is also gaining momentum for developing sustainable epimarks associated with important agronomic traits. Different epigenome editing tools are available for creating, erasing, and reading such epigenetic codes in plant genomes. However, epigenome editing is still understudied in plants due to its complex nature. Epigenetic interventions such as epi-fingerprinting can be exploited in the near future for health and quality assessment of crops under stress conditions. Keeping in view the challenges and opportunities associated with this important technology, the present review intends to enhance understanding of stress-induced epigenetic changes in plants and its prospects for development of climate-ready crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dharmendra Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Priya Chaudhary
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Jyoti Taunk
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Chandan Kumar Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Shristi Sharma
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Vikram Jeet Singh
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Deepti Singh
- Department of Botany, Meerut College, Meerut, India
| | - Viswanathan Chinnusamy
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajbir Yadav
- Division of Genetics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi,India
| | - Madan Pal
- Division of Plant Physiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India
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Effect of Cadmium Chloride and Cadmium Nitrate on Growth and Mineral Nutrient Content in the Root of Fava Bean ( Vicia faba L.). PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10051007. [PMID: 34070227 PMCID: PMC8158726 DOI: 10.3390/plants10051007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to analyze the differences in the tolerance of fava bean (Vicia faba cv. Aštar) roots to cadmium in nitrate-Cd(NO3)2-and chloride-CdCl2-solutions. The physiological and biochemical parameters were assessed. The tested doses of Cd (50, 100, 150 and 300 mg/L) did not influence the germination of seeds. However, considerable growth inhibition and dehydration were observed after 96 h incubation. The thickness of roots and rupture of cell membranes increased along with the increasing concentration of the metal in the solution. At a Cd dose of 300 mg/L, irrespective of the solution used, increased nitrogen concentration and no change in sodium content were observed. The content of magnesium increased due to the dose of 100 mg/L (cadmium nitrate) and the content of calcium increased due to the dose of 300 mg/L (in either nitrate or chloride). The correlation analyses pointed to a possible effect of nitrates in the applied solutions on the accumulation of Cd and some minerals in the roots of the given variety of fava bean. This may be important for both research and agricultural practice. The identification of crops with high tolerance to cadmium, as well as knowledge about the mechanisms of ion interactions at the soil solution-plant level, is important in terms of such crops' use in the process of the remediation of cadmium-contaminated soils coupled with food production.
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Plant Recovery after Metal Stress-A Review. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10030450. [PMID: 33673654 PMCID: PMC7997312 DOI: 10.3390/plants10030450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Contamination of the environment with metals, their adverse impact on plant performance and transmission to the human food chain through crops and vegetables are important concerns worldwide. Although the literature on metal contamination, toxicity and plant response to this stress factor is quite abundant, there are very limited reports on the phenomenon of plant recovery after metal stress. The present article reviews available literature on the recovery process examined in various plant species, in response to several metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn), applied at different concentrations and treatment duration. The reviewed studies have been carried out in laboratory conditions. However, it should be highlighted that although metal stress is not as transient as most of other stress factors (e.g., drought, heat, chilling), metal concentration in the soil may still decrease due to, e.g., leaching to lower soil layers or uptake by organisms. Thus, in natural conditions, plants may be subjected to post-metal-stress conditions. The review also discusses the mechanism behind efficient recovery and the impact of post metal stress on future plant performance-possible acquisition of stress memory, adaptation to unfavorable conditions and cross-tolerance towards other stress factors.
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MicroRNA-Mediated Responses to Cadmium Stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10010130. [PMID: 33435199 PMCID: PMC7827075 DOI: 10.3390/plants10010130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, the presence of cadmium (Cd) in the environment has increased significantly due to anthropogenic activities. Cd is taken up from the soil by plant roots for its subsequent translocation to shoots. However, Cd is a non-essential heavy metal and is therefore toxic to plants when it over-accumulates. MicroRNA (miRNA)-directed gene expression regulation is central to the response of a plant to Cd stress. Here, we document the miRNA-directed response of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) plants and the drb1, drb2 and drb4 mutant lines to Cd stress. Phenotypic and physiological analyses revealed the drb1 mutant to display the highest degree of tolerance to the imposed stress while the drb2 mutant was the most sensitive. RT-qPCR-based molecular profiling of miRNA abundance and miRNA target gene expression revealed DRB1 to be the primary double-stranded RNA binding (DRB) protein required for the production of six of the seven Cd-responsive miRNAs analyzed. However, DRB2, and not DRB1, was determined to be required for miR396 production. RT-qPCR further inferred that transcript cleavage was the RNA silencing mechanism directed by each assessed miRNA to control miRNA target gene expression. Taken together, the results presented here reveal the complexity of the miRNA-directed molecular response of Arabidopsis to Cd stress.
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