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Kerr SC, Shehnaz S, Paudel L, Manivannan MS, Shaw LM, Johnson A, Velasquez JTJ, Tanurdžić M, Cazzonelli CI, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Prentis PJ. Advancing tree genomics to future proof next generation orchard production. Front Plant Sci 2024; 14:1321555. [PMID: 38312357 PMCID: PMC10834703 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1321555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
The challenges facing tree orchard production in the coming years will be largely driven by changes in the climate affecting the sustainability of farming practices in specific geographical regions. Identifying key traits that enable tree crops to modify their growth to varying environmental conditions and taking advantage of new crop improvement opportunities and technologies will ensure the tree crop industry remains viable and profitable into the future. In this review article we 1) outline climate and sustainability challenges relevant to horticultural tree crop industries, 2) describe key tree crop traits targeted for improvement in agroecosystem productivity and resilience to environmental change, and 3) discuss existing and emerging genomic technologies that provide opportunities for industries to future proof the next generation of orchards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Kerr
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Saiyara Shehnaz
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lucky Paudel
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Mekaladevi S Manivannan
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Lindsay M Shaw
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Amanda Johnson
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jose Teodoro J Velasquez
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Miloš Tanurdžić
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Peter J Prentis
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Tomes S, Gunaseelan K, Dragulescu M, Wang YY, Guo L, Schaffer RJ, Varkonyi-Gasic E. A MADS-box gene-induced early flowering pear ( Pyrus communis L.) for accelerated pear breeding. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1235963. [PMID: 37818320 PMCID: PMC10560987 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1235963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
There have been a considerable number of studies that have successfully sped up the flowering cycle in woody perennial horticultural species. One particularly successful study in apple (Malus domestica) accelerated flowering using a silver birch (Betula pendula) APETALA1/FRUITFULL MADS-box gene BpMADS4, which yielded a good balance of vegetative growth to support subsequent flower and fruit development. In this study, BpMADS4 was constitutively expressed in European pear (Pyrus communis) to establish whether this could be used as a tool in a rapid pear breeding program. Transformed pear lines flowered within 6-18 months after grafting onto a quince (Cydonia oblonga) rootstock. Unlike the spindly habit of early flowering apples, the early flowering pear lines displayed a normal tree-like habit. Like apple, the flower appearance was normal, and the flowers were fertile, producing fruit and seed upon pollination. Seed from these transformed lines were germinated and 50% of the progeny flowered within 3 months of sowing, demonstrating a use for these in a fast breeding program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumathi Tomes
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Monica Dragulescu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yen-Yi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lindy Guo
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Robert J. Schaffer
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Motueka, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
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3
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Liu X, Bulley SM, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Zhong C, Li D. Kiwifruit bZIP transcription factor AcePosF21 elicits ascorbic acid biosynthesis during cold stress. Plant Physiol 2023; 192:982-999. [PMID: 36823691 PMCID: PMC10231468 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Cold stress seriously affects plant development, resulting in heavy agricultural losses. L-ascorbic acid (AsA, vitamin C) is an antioxidant implicated in abiotic stress tolerance and metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Understanding whether and how cold stress elicits AsA biosynthesis to reduce oxidative damage is important for developing cold-resistant plants. Here, we show that the accumulation of AsA in response to cold stress is a common mechanism conserved across the plant kingdom, from single-cell algae to angiosperms. We identified a basic leucine zipper domain (bZIP) transcription factor (TF) of kiwifruit (Actinidia eriantha Benth.), AcePosF21, which was triggered by cold and is involved in the regulation of kiwifruit AsA biosynthesis and defense responses against cold stress. AcePosF21 interacted with the R2R3-MYB TF AceMYB102 and directly bound to the promoter of the gene encoding GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase 3 (AceGGP3), a key conduit for regulating AsA biosynthesis, to up-regulate AceGGP3 expression and produce more AsA, which neutralized the excess ROS induced by cold stress. On the contrary, VIGS or CRISPR-Cas9-mediated editing of AcePosF21 decreased AsA content and increased the generation of ROS in kiwifruit under cold stress. Taken together, we illustrated a model for the regulatory mechanism of AcePosF21-mediated regulation of AceGGP3 expression and AsA biosynthesis to reduce oxidative damage by cold stress, which provides valuable clues for manipulating the cold resistance of kiwifruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Liu
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiufeng 1 Road, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sean M Bulley
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Caihong Zhong
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiufeng 1 Road, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
| | - Dawei Li
- Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiufeng 1 Road, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China
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4
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Herath D, Wang T, Voogd C, Peng Y, Douglas M, Putterill J, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Allan AC. Strategies for fast breeding and improvement of Actinidia species. Hortic Res 2023; 10:uhad016. [PMID: 36968184 PMCID: PMC10031733 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Yongyan Peng
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mikaela Douglas
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Joanna Putterill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
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Akagi T, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Shirasawa K, Catanach A, Henry IM, Mertten D, Datson P, Masuda K, Fujita N, Kuwada E, Ushijima K, Beppu K, Allan AC, Charlesworth D, Kataoka I. Recurrent neo-sex chromosome evolution in kiwifruit. Nat Plants 2023; 9:393-402. [PMID: 36879018 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01361-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Sex chromosome evolution is thought to be tightly associated with the acquisition and maintenance of sexual dimorphisms. Plant sex chromosomes have evolved independently in many lineages1,2 and can provide a powerful comparative framework to study this. We assembled and annotated genome sequences of three kiwifruit species (genus Actinidia) and uncovered recurrent sex chromosome turnovers in multiple lineages. Specifically, we observed structural evolution of the neo-Y chromosomes, which was driven via rapid bursts of transposable element insertions. Surprisingly, sexual dimorphisms were conserved in the different species studied, despite the fact that the partially sex-linked genes differ between them. Using gene editing in kiwifruit, we demonstrated that one of the two Y-chromosome-encoded sex-determining genes, Shy Girl, shows pleiotropic effects that can explain the conserved sexual dimorphisms. These plant sex chromosomes therefore maintain sexual dimorphisms through the conservation of a single gene, without a process involving interactions between separate sex-determining genes and genes for sexually dimorphic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Akagi
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
- Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), PRESTO, Kawaguchi-shi, Japan.
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kenta Shirasawa
- Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kazusa-Kamatari, Kisarazu, Japan
| | - Andrew Catanach
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Isabelle M Henry
- Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Mertten
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Paul Datson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
- The Kiwifruit Breeding Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kanae Masuda
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Naoko Fujita
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Eriko Kuwada
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Koichiro Ushijima
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Kenji Beppu
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Ikuo Kataoka
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki, Kagawa, Japan
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Voogd C, Brian LA, Wu R, Wang T, Allan AC, Varkonyi-Gasic E. A MADS-box gene with similarity to FLC is induced by cold and correlated with epigenetic changes to control budbreak in kiwifruit. New Phytologist 2022; 233:2111-2126. [PMID: 34907541 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Temperate perennials require exposure to chilling temperatures to resume growth in the following spring. Growth and dormancy cycles are controlled by complex genetic regulatory networks and are governed by epigenetic mechanisms, but the specific genes and mechanisms remain poorly understood. To understand how seasonal changes and chilling regulate dormancy and growth in the woody perennial vine kiwifruit (Ac, Actinidia chinensis), a transcriptome study of kiwifruit buds in the field and controlled conditions was performed. A MADS-box gene with homology to Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) was identified and characterized. Elevated expression of AcFLC-like (AcFLCL) was detected during bud dormancy and chilling. A long noncoding (lnc) antisense transcript with an expression pattern opposite to AcFLCL and shorter sense noncoding RNAs were identified. Chilling induced an increase in trimethylation of lysine-4 of histone H3 (H3K4me3) in the 5' end of the gene, indicating multiple layers of epigenetic regulation in response to cold. Overexpression of AcFLCL in kiwifruit gave rise to plants with earlier budbreak, whilst gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9 resulted in transgenic lines with substantially delayed budbreak, suggesting a role in activation of growth. These results have implications for the future management and breeding of perennials for resilience to changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Lara A Brian
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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7
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Wu R, Cooney J, Tomes S, Rebstock R, Karunairetnam S, Allan AC, Macknight RC, Varkonyi-Gasic E. RNAi-mediated repression of dormancy-related genes results in evergrowing apple trees. Tree Physiol 2021; 41:1510-1523. [PMID: 33564851 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-box (DAM) and SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) genes have been implicated in the regulation of winter dormancy in perennials. Ectopic expression of apple (Malus × domestica Borkh. 'Royal Gala') DAM and SVP genes delays budbreak and constrains lateral shoot outgrowth. In this study, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to simultaneously target all apple DAM and SVP genes in order to study their role and mode of action in the regulation of bud dormancy, budbreak and flowering. A synthetic construct carrying a hairpin fragment assembled from sequences specific to coding regions of three DAM and two SVP genes was used to generate transgenic lines. Reduced expression of DAM/SVP genes resulted in delayed leaf senescence and abscission in autumn, failure to enter bud dormancy in winter and continual growth of new leaves regardless of the season for over 3 years. Precocious flowering but normal flower morphology, fertility and fruit development were observed. The non-dormant phenotype was associated with modified phytohormone composition. The content of gibberellins (GAs) and jasmonates (JAs) was significantly increased in terminal buds of RNAi lines compared with wildtype plants, accompanied by elevated expression of the key GA biosynthesis pathway gene GIBBERELLIN 20 OXIDASE-2 (MdGA20ox-2) along with the FLOWERING LOCUS T gene MdFT2. The key mediator of plasmodesmatal closure, MdCALLOSE SYNTHASE 1 (MdCALS1), was repressed in RNAi lines. This study provides functional evidence for the role of DAM/SVP genes in vegetative phenology of apple and paves the way for production of low-chill varieties suitable for growth in warming climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert Research Centre, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
| | - Janine Cooney
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Ruakura Campus, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Sumathi Tomes
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert Research Centre, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
| | - Ria Rebstock
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert Research Centre, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
| | - Sakuntala Karunairetnam
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert Research Centre, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert Research Centre, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | | | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert Research Centre, Sandringham, Auckland 1025, New Zealand
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, Wang T, Cooney J, Jeon S, Voogd C, Douglas MJ, Pilkington SM, Akagi T, Allan AC. Shy Girl, a kiwifruit suppressor of feminization, restricts gynoecium development via regulation of cytokinin metabolism and signalling. New Phytol 2021; 230:1461-1475. [PMID: 33503269 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) is a dioecious, long-living woody perennial vine. Reduced generation time and induction of hermaphroditism can accelerate crop improvement and facilitate alternative farming for better food security in the face of climate change. Previous studies identified that CENTRORADIALIS genes CEN and CEN4 act to repress flowering, whilst the male-specific Shy Girl (SyGl) gene with homology to type-C cytokinin response regulators could repress gynoecium development in model plants. Here we use CRISPR/Cas9 to mutagenize CEN, CEN4 and SyGl in the male kiwifruit A. chinensis 'Bruce'. Biallelic mutations of CEN and CEN4 generated rapid-flowering male plants, and simultaneous targeting of CEN4 and SyGl gave rise to rapid-flowering hermaphrodites with restored gynoecial function and viable pollen, providing functional evidence for the role of SyGl in suppression of feminization. Analysis of ovary tissues identified genes that contribute to carpel development and revealed that SyGl affected both cytokinin profiles and the expression of genes involved in cytokinin metabolism and signalling. The plant lines generated by CEN4/SyGl knockout could self-pollinate and produce fast-flowering offspring. These results establish that SyGI acts as the suppressor of feminization in kiwifruit and demonstrate the potential for accelerated breeding in an outcrossing horticultural woody perennial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Janine Cooney
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand
| | - Subin Jeon
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mikaela J Douglas
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Sarah M Pilkington
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Takashi Akagi
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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9
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Brian L, Warren B, McAtee P, Rodrigues J, Nieuwenhuizen N, Pasha A, David KM, Richardson A, Provart NJ, Allan AC, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Schaffer RJ. A gene expression atlas for kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) and network analysis of transcription factors. BMC Plant Biol 2021; 21:121. [PMID: 33639842 PMCID: PMC7913447 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-02894-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcriptomic studies combined with a well annotated genome have laid the foundations for new understanding of molecular processes. Tools which visualise gene expression patterns have further added to these resources. The manual annotation of the Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit) genome has resulted in a high quality set of 33,044 genes. Here we investigate gene expression patterns in diverse tissues, visualised in an Electronic Fluorescent Pictograph (eFP) browser, to study the relationship of transcription factor (TF) expression using network analysis. RESULTS Sixty-one samples covering diverse tissues at different developmental time points were selected for RNA-seq analysis and an eFP browser was generated to visualise this dataset. 2839 TFs representing 57 different classes were identified and named. Network analysis of the TF expression patterns separated TFs into 14 different modules. Two modules consisting of 237 TFs were correlated with floral bud and flower development, a further two modules containing 160 TFs were associated with fruit development and maturation. A single module of 480 TFs was associated with ethylene-induced fruit ripening. Three "hub" genes correlated with flower and fruit development consisted of a HAF-like gene central to gynoecium development, an ERF and a DOF gene. Maturing and ripening hub genes included a KNOX gene that was associated with seed maturation, and a GRAS-like TF. CONCLUSIONS This study provides an insight into the complexity of the transcriptional control of flower and fruit development, as well as providing a new resource to the plant community. The Actinidia eFP browser is provided in an accessible format that allows researchers to download and work internally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Brian
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Ben Warren
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
- School of Biological Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Peter McAtee
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Jessica Rodrigues
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Niels Nieuwenhuizen
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Asher Pasha
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology / Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Karine M David
- School of Biological Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Annette Richardson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), 121 Keri Downs Road, Kerikeri, 0294, New Zealand
| | - Nicholas J Provart
- Department of Cell & Systems Biology / Centre for the Analysis of Genome Evolution and Function, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
- School of Biological Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand
| | - Robert J Schaffer
- School of Biological Science, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1146, New Zealand.
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd (Plant & Food Research), 55 Old Mill Road, Motueka, 7198, New Zealand.
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Akagi T, Pilkington SM, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Henry IM, Sugano SS, Sonoda M, Firl A, McNeilage MA, Douglas MJ, Wang T, Rebstock R, Voogd C, Datson P, Allan AC, Beppu K, Kataoka I, Tao R. Two Y-chromosome-encoded genes determine sex in kiwifruit. Nat Plants 2019; 5:801-809. [PMID: 31383971 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0489-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Dioecy, the presence of male and female individuals, has evolved independently in multiple flowering plant lineages1-3. Although theoretical models for the evolution of dioecy, such as the 'two-mutations' model, are well established4,5, little is known about the specific genes determining sex and their evolutionary history3. Kiwifruit, a major tree crop consumed worldwide, is a dioecious species. In kiwifruit we previously identified a Y-encoded sex-determinant candidate gene acting as the suppressor of feminization (SuF), named Shy Girl (SyGI)6. Here, we identify a second Y-encoded sex-determinant that we named Friendly Boy (FrBy), which exhibits strong expression in tapetal cells. Gene-editing and complementation analyses in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum indicated that FrBy acts for the maintenance of male (M) functions, independently of SyGI, and that these functions are conserved across angiosperm species. We further characterized the genomic architecture of the small (<1 megabase pairs (Mb)) male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY), which harbours only two genes expressed extensively in developing gynoecia and androecia, respectively: SyGI and FrBy. Re-sequencing of the genome of a natural hermaphrodite kiwifruit revealed that this individual is genetically male but carries deletion(s) of parts of the Y chromosome, including SyGI. Additionally, expression of FrBy in female kiwifruit resulted in hermaphrodite plants. These results clearly indicate that Y-encoded SyGI and FrBy act independently as the SuF and M factors in kiwifruit, respectively, and provide insight into not only the evolutionary path leading to a two-factor sex-determination system, but also a new breeding approach for dioecious species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Akagi
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
- JST, PRESTO, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama, Japan.
- Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
| | - Sarah M Pilkington
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Isabelle M Henry
- Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Shigeo S Sugano
- JST, PRESTO, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama, Japan
- R-GIRO, Ritsumeikan University, Shiga, Japan
| | - Minori Sonoda
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Alana Firl
- Department of Plant Biology and Genome Center, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A McNeilage
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mikaela J Douglas
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ria Rebstock
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Paul Datson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kenji Beppu
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Ikuo Kataoka
- Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Ryutaro Tao
- Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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11
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Wu R, Wang T, Richardson AC, Allan AC, Macknight RC, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Histone modification and activation by SOC1-like and drought stress-related transcription factors may regulate AcSVP2 expression during kiwifruit winter dormancy. Plant Sci 2019; 281:242-250. [PMID: 30824057 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP)-like and DORMANCY ASSOCIATED MADS-BOX (DAM) genes have been shown to regulate winter dormancy in woody perennials. In kiwifruit, AcSVP2 affects the duration of dormancy in cultivars that require high chill for dormancy release. In this study, we used a low-chill kiwifruit Actinidia chinensis 'Hort16A' to further study the function and regulation of AcSVP2. Overexpression of AcSVP2 in transgenic A. chinensis delayed budbreak in spring. A reduction in the active trimethylation histone marks of the histone H3K4 and acetylation of histone H3 contributed to the reduction of AcSVP2 expression towards dormancy release, while the inactive histone marks of trimethylation of the histone H3K27 and H3K9 in AcSVP2 locus did not show significant enrichment at the end of winter dormancy. Analysis of expression in shoot buds showed that AcSVP2 transcript was elevated in dormant buds during winter months and declined prior to budbreak, which was coordinated with expression of some of kiwifruit SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1)-like genes. Screening of 101 transcription factors in an assay with a 2.3 kb promoter region of AcSVP2 found that kiwifruit SOC1-like genes are able to activate the AcSVP2 promoter. We further identified additional transcription factors associated with drought/osmotic stress and dormancy which may regulate AcSVP2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Annette C Richardson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) Kerikeri, 121 Keri Downs Road, RD1, Kerikeri 0294, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand; School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard C Macknight
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
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12
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Pilkington SM, Crowhurst R, Hilario E, Nardozza S, Fraser L, Peng Y, Gunaseelan K, Simpson R, Tahir J, Deroles SC, Templeton K, Luo Z, Davy M, Cheng C, McNeilage M, Scaglione D, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Datson P, De Silva N, Gardiner SE, Bassett H, Chagné D, McCallum J, Dzierzon H, Deng C, Wang YY, Barron L, Manako K, Bowen J, Foster TM, Erridge ZA, Tiffin H, Waite CN, Davies KM, Grierson EP, Laing WA, Kirk R, Chen X, Wood M, Montefiori M, Brummell DA, Schwinn KE, Catanach A, Fullerton C, Li D, Meiyalaghan S, Nieuwenhuizen N, Read N, Prakash R, Hunter D, Zhang H, McKenzie M, Knäbel M, Harris A, Allan AC, Gleave A, Chen A, Janssen BJ, Plunkett B, Ampomah-Dwamena C, Voogd C, Leif D, Lafferty D, Souleyre EJF, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Gambi F, Hanley J, Yao JL, Cheung J, David KM, Warren B, Marsh K, Snowden KC, Lin-Wang K, Brian L, Martinez-Sanchez M, Wang M, Ileperuma N, Macnee N, Campin R, McAtee P, Drummond RSM, Espley RV, Ireland HS, Wu R, Atkinson RG, Karunairetnam S, Bulley S, Chunkath S, Hanley Z, Storey R, Thrimawithana AH, Thomson S, David C, Testolin R, Huang H, Hellens RP, Schaffer RJ. A manually annotated Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis (kiwifruit) genome highlights the challenges associated with draft genomes and gene prediction in plants. BMC Genomics 2018; 19:257. [PMID: 29661190 PMCID: PMC5902842 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4656-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Most published genome sequences are drafts, and most are dominated by computational gene prediction. Draft genomes typically incorporate considerable sequence data that are not assigned to chromosomes, and predicted genes without quality confidence measures. The current Actinidia chinensis (kiwifruit) ‘Hongyang’ draft genome has 164 Mb of sequences unassigned to pseudo-chromosomes, and omissions have been identified in the gene models. Results A second genome of an A. chinensis (genotype Red5) was fully sequenced. This new sequence resulted in a 554.0 Mb assembly with all but 6 Mb assigned to pseudo-chromosomes. Pseudo-chromosomal comparisons showed a considerable number of translocation events have occurred following a whole genome duplication (WGD) event some consistent with centromeric Robertsonian-like translocations. RNA sequencing data from 12 tissues and ab initio analysis informed a genome-wide manual annotation, using the WebApollo tool. In total, 33,044 gene loci represented by 33,123 isoforms were identified, named and tagged for quality of evidential support. Of these 3114 (9.4%) were identical to a protein within ‘Hongyang’ The Kiwifruit Information Resource (KIR v2). Some proportion of the differences will be varietal polymorphisms. However, as most computationally predicted Red5 models required manual re-annotation this proportion is expected to be small. The quality of the new gene models was tested by fully sequencing 550 cloned ‘Hort16A’ cDNAs and comparing with the predicted protein models for Red5 and both the original ‘Hongyang’ assembly and the revised annotation from KIR v2. Only 48.9% and 63.5% of the cDNAs had a match with 90% identity or better to the original and revised ‘Hongyang’ annotation, respectively, compared with 90.9% to the Red5 models. Conclusions Our study highlights the need to take a cautious approach to draft genomes and computationally predicted genes. Our use of the manual annotation tool WebApollo facilitated manual checking and correction of gene models enabling improvement of computational prediction. This utility was especially relevant for certain types of gene families such as the EXPANSIN like genes. Finally, this high quality gene set will supply the kiwifruit and general plant community with a new tool for genomics and other comparative analysis. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-018-4656-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Pilkington
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Ross Crowhurst
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Elena Hilario
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Simona Nardozza
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Lena Fraser
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Yongyan Peng
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Kularajathevan Gunaseelan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Robert Simpson
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Jibran Tahir
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | | | - Kerry Templeton
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Zhiwei Luo
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Marcus Davy
- PFR, 412 No 1 Road, Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, 3182, New Zealand
| | - Canhong Cheng
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mark McNeilage
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Davide Scaglione
- IGA Technology Services, Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico, Udine, Italy
| | - Yifei Liu
- South China Botanic Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, Wuhan, China
| | - Paul Datson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Nihal De Silva
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | | | | | - David Chagné
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - John McCallum
- PFR, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Helge Dzierzon
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Cecilia Deng
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Yen-Yi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Lorna Barron
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Kelvina Manako
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Judith Bowen
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Toshi M Foster
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Zoe A Erridge
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Heather Tiffin
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Chethi N Waite
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Kevin M Davies
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | | | | | - Rebecca Kirk
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Xiuyin Chen
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Marion Wood
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mirco Montefiori
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | - Christina Fullerton
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Dawei Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Niels Nieuwenhuizen
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Nicola Read
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Roneel Prakash
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Don Hunter
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Huaibi Zhang
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | | | - Mareike Knäbel
- PFR, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand
| | - Alastair Harris
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andrew Gleave
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Angela Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Bart J Janssen
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Blue Plunkett
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Charles Ampomah-Dwamena
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Davin Leif
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Declan Lafferty
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Edwige J F Souleyre
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Francesco Gambi
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jenny Hanley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jia-Long Yao
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Joey Cheung
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Karine M David
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Ben Warren
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Ken Marsh
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Kimberley C Snowden
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Kui Lin-Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Lara Brian
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Marcela Martinez-Sanchez
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Mindy Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Nadeesha Ileperuma
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Nikolai Macnee
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Robert Campin
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Peter McAtee
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Revel S M Drummond
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Richard V Espley
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Hilary S Ireland
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Ross G Atkinson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Sakuntala Karunairetnam
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Sean Bulley
- PFR, 412 No 1 Road, Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, 3182, New Zealand
| | - Shayhan Chunkath
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Zac Hanley
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Roy Storey
- PFR, 412 No 1 Road, Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, 3182, New Zealand
| | - Amali H Thrimawithana
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Susan Thomson
- PFR, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Charles David
- PFR, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Raffaele Testolin
- IGA Technology Services, Parco Scientifico e Tecnologico, Udine, Italy.,Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Udine, Via delle Scienze 208, 33100, Udine, Italy
| | - Hongwen Huang
- South China Botanic Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510650, Guangdong, China.,Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, Wuhan, China
| | - Roger P Hellens
- Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, 4001, Australia
| | - Robert J Schaffer
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd (PFR), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand. .,School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
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13
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Wu R, Wang T, Warren BAW, Thomson SJ, Allan AC, Macknight RC, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Kiwifruit SVP2 controls developmental and drought-stress pathways. Plant Mol Biol 2018; 96:233-244. [PMID: 29222611 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-017-0688-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide targets of Actinidia chinensis SVP2 confirm roles in ABA- and dehydration-mediated growth repression and reveal a conservation in mechanism of action between SVP genes of taxonomically distant Arabidopsis and a woody perennial kiwifruit. The molecular mechanisms underlying growth and dormancy in woody perennials are largely unknown. In Arabidopsis, the MADS-box transcription factor SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) plays a key role in the progression from vegetative to floral development, and in woody perennials SVP-like genes are also proposed to be involved in controlling dormancy. During kiwifruit development SVP2 has a role in growth inhibition, with high-chill kiwifruit Actinidia deliciosa transgenic lines overexpressing SVP2 showing suppressed bud outgrowth. Transcriptomic analyses of these plants suggests that SVP2 mimics the well-documented abscisic acid (ABA) effect on the plant dehydration response. To corroborate the growth inhibition role of SVP2 in kiwifruit development at the molecular level, we analysed the genome-wide direct targets of SVP2 using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing in kiwifruit A. chinensis. SVP2 was found to bind to at least 297 target sites in the kiwifruit genome, and potentially modulates 252 genes that function in a range of biological processes, especially those involved in repressing meristem activity and ABA-mediated dehydration pathways. In addition, our ChIP-seq analysis reveals remarkable conservation in mechanism of action between SVP genes of taxonomically distant plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Ben A W Warren
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Susan J Thomson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) Lincoln, Christchurch Mail Centre, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard C Macknight
- Department of Biochemistry, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
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14
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Voogd C, Brian LA, Wang T, Allan AC, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Three FT and multiple CEN and BFT genes regulate maturity, flowering, and vegetative phenology in kiwifruit. J Exp Bot 2017; 68:1539-1553. [PMID: 28369532 PMCID: PMC5441913 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Kiwifruit is a woody perennial horticultural crop, characterized by excessive vegetative vigor, prolonged juvenility, and low productivity. To understand the molecular factors controlling flowering and winter dormancy, here we identify and characterize the kiwifruit PEBP (phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein) gene family. Five CEN-like and three BFT-like genes are differentially expressed and act as functionally conserved floral repressors, while two MFT-like genes have no impact on flowering time. FT-like genes are differentially expressed, with AcFT1 confined to shoot tip and AcFT2 to mature leaves. Both act as potent activators of flowering, but expression of AcFT2 in Arabidopsis resulted in a greater impact on plant morphology than that of AcFT1. Constitutive expression of either construct in kiwifruit promoted in vitro flowering, but AcFT2 displayed a greater flowering activation efficiency than AcFT1, leading to immediate floral transition and restriction of leaf development. Both leaf and flower differentiation were observed in AcFT1 kiwifruit lines. Sequential activation of specific PEBP genes in axillary shoot buds during growth and dormancy cycles indicated specific roles in regulation of kiwifruit vegetative and reproductive phenologies. AcCEN and AcCEN4 marked active growth, AcBFT2 was associated with suppression of latent bud growth during winter, and only AcFT was activated after cold accumulation and dormancy release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Lara A Brian
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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15
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Wu R, Wang T, Warren BAW, Allan AC, Macknight RC, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Kiwifruit SVP2 gene prevents premature budbreak during dormancy. J Exp Bot 2017; 68:1071-1082. [PMID: 28158721 PMCID: PMC5853213 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Overexpression of SVP2 in kiwifruit delays budbreak before sufficient winter chilling. SVP2-mediated vegetative growth restriction involves stress response pathways, and commonalities exist between Arabidopsis and kiwifruit SVP targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ben A W Warren
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
- Correspondence:
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16
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Wu R, Tomes S, Karunairetnam S, Tustin SD, Hellens RP, Allan AC, Macknight RC, Varkonyi-Gasic E. SVP-like MADS Box Genes Control Dormancy and Budbreak in Apple. Front Plant Sci 2017; 8:477. [PMID: 28421103 PMCID: PMC5378812 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The annual growth cycle of trees is the result of seasonal cues. The onset of winter triggers an endodormant state preventing bud growth and, once a chilling requirement is satisfied, these buds enter an ecodormant state and resume growing. MADS-box genes with similarity to Arabidopsis SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) [the SVP-like and DORMANCY ASSOCIATED MADS-BOX (DAM) genes] have been implicated in regulating flowering and growth-dormancy cycles in perennials. Here, we identified and characterized three DAM-like (MdDAMs) and two SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE-like (MdSVPs) genes from apple (Malus × domestica 'Royal Gala'). The expression of MdDAMa and MdDAMc indicated they may play a role in triggering autumn growth cessation. In contrast, the expression of MdDAMb, MdSVPa and MdSVPb suggested a role in maintaining bud dormancy. Consistent with this, ectopic expression of MdDAMb and MdSVPa in 'Royal Gala' apple plants resulted in delayed budbreak and architecture change due to constrained lateral shoot outgrowth, but normal flower and fruit development. The association of MdSVPa and MdSVPb expression with floral bud development in the low fruiting 'Off' trees of a biennial bearing cultivar 'Sciros' suggested the SVP genes might also play a role in floral meristem identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited – Plant & Food ResearchAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Sumathi Tomes
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited – Plant & Food ResearchAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Sakuntala Karunairetnam
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited – Plant & Food ResearchAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Stuart D. Tustin
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited – Plant & Food ResearchHawke’s Bay, New Zealand
| | - Roger P. Hellens
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited – Plant & Food ResearchAuckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C. Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited – Plant & Food ResearchAuckland, New Zealand
- School of Biological Sciences, University of AucklandAuckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited – Plant & Food ResearchAuckland, New Zealand
- *Correspondence: Erika Varkonyi-Gasic,
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17
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Brunner AM, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Jones RC. Phase Change and Phenology in Trees. Comparative and Evolutionary Genomics of Angiosperm Trees 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/7397_2016_30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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18
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Voogd C, Brian LA, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Two Subclasses of Differentially Expressed TPS1 Genes and Biochemically Active TPS1 Proteins May Contribute to Sugar Signalling in Kiwifruit Actinidia chinensis. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0168075. [PMID: 27992562 PMCID: PMC5167275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Trehalose metabolism and its intermediate trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) are implicated in sensing and signalling sucrose availability. Four class I TREHALOSE-6-PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (TPS1) genes were identified in kiwifruit, three of which have both the TPS and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) domain, while the fourth gene gives rise to a truncated transcript. The transcript with highest sequence homology to Arabidopsis TPS1, designated TPS1.1a was the most highly abundant TPS1 transcript in all examined kiwifruit tissues. An additional exon giving rise to a small N-terminal extension was found for two of the TPS1 transcripts, designated TPS1.2a and TPS1.2b. Homology in sequence and gene structure with TPS1 genes from Solanaceae suggests they belong to a separate, asterid-specific class I TPS subclade. Expression of full-length and potential splice variants of these two kiwifruit TPS1.2 transcripts was sufficient to substitute for the lack of functional TPS1 in the yeast tps1Δ tps2Δ mutant, but only weak complementation was detected in the yeast tps1Δ mutant, and no or very weak complementation was obtained with the TPS1.1a construct. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines expressing kiwifruit TPS1.2 under the control of 35S promoter exhibited growth and morphological defects. We investigated the responses of plants to elevated kiwifruit TPS1 activity at the transcriptional level, using transient expression of TPS1.2a in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, followed by RNA-seq. Differentially expressed genes were identified as candidates for future functional analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lara A. Brian
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
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19
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Putterill J, Varkonyi-Gasic E. FT and florigen long-distance flowering control in plants. Curr Opin Plant Biol 2016; 33:77-82. [PMID: 27348248 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The great hunt for florigen, the universal, long distance flowering regulator proposed by Chailakhan in the 1930s, resulted in the discovery a decade ago that FT-like proteins fulfilled the predictions for florigen. They are small (∼175 amino acids), globular, phosphatidylethanolamine-binding (PEBP) proteins, phloem-expressed, graft-transmissible and able to move to the shoot apex to act as potent stimulators of flowering in many plants. Genes that regulate Arabidopsis FT protein movement and some features of Arabidopsis FT protein that make it an effective florigen have recently been identified. Although floral promotion via graft transmission of FT has not been demonstrated in trees, FT-like genes have been successfully applied to reducing the long juvenile (pre-flowering) phase of many trees enabling fast track breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Putterill
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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20
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Liu Y, Lin-Wang K, Espley RV, Wang L, Yang H, Yu B, Dare A, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Wang J, Zhang J, Wang D, Allan AC. Functional diversification of the potato R2R3 MYB anthocyanin activators AN1, MYBA1, and MYB113 and their interaction with basic helix-loop-helix cofactors. J Exp Bot 2016; 67:2159-76. [PMID: 26884602 PMCID: PMC4809278 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), R2R3 MYBs are involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis. We examined sequences of these MYBs in cultivated potatoes, which are more complex than diploid potato due to ploidy and heterozygosity. We found amino acid variants in the C-terminus of the MYB StAN1, termed R0, R1, and R3, due to the presence of a repeated 10-amino acid motif. These variant MYBs showed some expression in both white and pigmented tubers. We found several new alleles or gene family members of R2R3 MYBs,StMYBA1 and StMYB113, which were also expressed in white potato tubers. From functional analysis in tobacco, we showed that the presence of a C-terminal 10-amino acid motif is optimal for activating anthocyanin accumulation. Engineering a motif back into a MYB lacking this sequence enhanced its activating ability. Versions of StMYBA1 and StMYB113 can also activate anthocyanin accumulation in tobacco leaves, with the exception of StMYB113-3, which has a partial R2R3 domain. We isolated five family members of potato StbHLH1, and one StJAF13, to test their ability to interact with MYB variants. The results showed that two alleles of StbHLH1 from white skin and red skin are non-functional, while three other StbHLH1s have different co-regulating abilities, and need to be activated by StJAF13. Combined with expression analysis in potato tuber, results suggest that StbHLH1 and StJAF13a re key co-regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis, while the transcripts of MYB variants StAN1,StMYBA1, and StMYB113 are well expressed, even in the absence of pigmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Liu
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement and Germplasm Enhancement, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Kui Lin-Wang
- Plant & Food Research Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Richard V Espley
- Plant & Food Research Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Li Wang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement and Germplasm Enhancement, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Hongyu Yang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement and Germplasm Enhancement, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement and Germplasm Enhancement, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Andrew Dare
- Plant & Food Research Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- Plant & Food Research Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jing Wang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Junlian Zhang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement and Germplasm Enhancement, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China College of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Di Wang
- Gansu Key Laboratory of Crop Improvement and Germplasm Enhancement, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Andrew C Allan
- Plant & Food Research Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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21
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Voogd C, Wang T, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Functional and expression analyses of kiwifruit SOC1-like genes suggest that they may not have a role in the transition to flowering but may affect the duration of dormancy. J Exp Bot 2015; 66:4699-710. [PMID: 25979999 PMCID: PMC4507769 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The MADS-domain transcription factor SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 (SOC1) is one of the key integrators of endogenous and environmental signals that promote flowering in the annual species Arabidopsis thaliana. In the deciduous woody perennial vine kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.), environmental signals are integrated to regulate annual cycles of growth and dormancy. Accumulation of chilling during winter is required for dormancy break and flowering in spring. In order to understand the regulation of dormancy and flowering in kiwifruit, nine kiwifruit SOC1-like genes were identified and characterized. All genes affected flowering time of A. thaliana Col-0 and were able to rescue the late flowering phenotype of the soc1-2 mutant when ectopically expressed. A differential capacity for homodimerization was observed, but all proteins were capable of strong interactions with SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) MADS-domain proteins. Largely overlapping spatial domains but distinct expression profiles in buds were identified between the SOC1-like gene family members. Ectopic expression of AcSOC1e, AcSOC1i, and AcSOC1f in Actinidia chinensis had no impact on establishment of winter dormancy and failed to induce precocious flowering, but AcSOC1i reduced the duration of dormancy in the absence of winter chilling. These findings add to our understanding of the SOC1-like gene family and the potential diversification of SOC1 function in woody perennials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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22
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Wu R, Wang T, McGie T, Voogd C, Allan AC, Hellens RP, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Overexpression of the kiwifruit SVP3 gene affects reproductive development and suppresses anthocyanin biosynthesis in petals, but has no effect on vegetative growth, dormancy, or flowering time. J Exp Bot 2014; 65:4985-95. [PMID: 24948678 PMCID: PMC4144777 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
SVP-like MADS domain transcription factors have been shown to regulate flowering time and both inflorescence and flower development in annual plants, while having effects on growth cessation and terminal bud formation in perennial species. Previously, four SVP genes were described in woody perennial vine kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.), with possible distinct roles in bud dormancy and flowering. Kiwifruit SVP3 transcript was confined to vegetative tissues and acted as a repressor of flowering as it was able to rescue the Arabidopsis svp41 mutant. To characterize kiwifruit SVP3 further, ectopic expression in kiwifruit species was performed. Ectopic expression of SVP3 in A. deliciosa did not affect general plant growth or the duration of endodormancy. Ectopic expression of SVP3 in A. eriantha also resulted in plants with normal vegetative growth, bud break, and flowering time. However, significantly prolonged and abnormal flower, fruit, and seed development were observed, arising from SVP3 interactions with kiwifruit floral homeotic MADS-domain proteins. Petal pigmentation was reduced as a result of SVP3-mediated interference with transcription of the kiwifruit flower tissue-specific R2R3 MYB regulator, MYB110a, and the gene encoding the key anthocyanin biosynthetic step, F3GT1. Constitutive expression of SVP3 had a similar impact on reproductive development in transgenic tobacco. The flowering time was not affected in day-neutral and photoperiod-responsive Nicotiana tabacum cultivars, but anthesis and seed germination were significantly delayed. The accumulation of anthocyanin in petals was reduced and the same underlying mechanism of R2R3 MYB NtAN2 transcript reduction was demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tony McGie
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Palmerston North, Private Bag 11600, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Andrew C Allan
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Hellens
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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23
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, Moss SMA, Voogd C, Wang T, Putterill J, Hellens RP. Homologs of FT, CEN and FD respond to developmental and environmental signals affecting growth and flowering in the perennial vine kiwifruit. New Phytol 2013; 198:732-746. [PMID: 23577598 DOI: 10.1111/nph.12162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 01/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and CENTRORADIALIS (CEN) homologs have been implicated in regulation of growth, determinacy and flowering. The roles of kiwifruit FT and CEN were explored using a combination of expression analysis, protein interactions, response to temperature in high-chill and low-chill kiwifruit cultivars and ectopic expression in Arabidopsis and Actinidia. The expression and activity of FT was opposite from that of CEN and incorporated an interaction with a FLOWERING LOCUS D (FD)-like bZIP transcription factor. Accumulation of FT transcript was associated with plant maturity and particular stages of leaf, flower and fruit development, but could be detected irrespective of the flowering process and failed to induce precocious flowering in transgenic kiwifruit. Instead, transgenic plants demonstrated reduced growth and survival rate. Accumulation of FT transcript was detected in dormant buds and stem in response to winter chilling. In contrast, FD in buds was reduced by exposure to cold. CEN transcript accumulated in developing latent buds, but declined before the onset of dormancy and delayed flowering when ectopically expressed in kiwifruit. Our results suggest roles for FT, CEN and FD in integration of developmental and environmental cues that affect dormancy, budbreak and flowering in kiwifruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Sarah M A Moss
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Tianchi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Joanna Putterill
- Flowering Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Hellens
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research), Private Bag 92169, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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24
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, Lough RH, Moss SMA, Wu R, Hellens RP. Kiwifruit floral gene APETALA2 is alternatively spliced and accumulates in aberrant indeterminate flowers in the absence of miR172. Plant Mol Biol 2012; 78:417-29. [PMID: 22290408 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-012-9877-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
In Arabidopsis, the identity of perianth and reproductive organs are specified by antagonistic action of two floral homeotic genes, APETALA2 (AP2) and AGAMOUS (AG). AP2 is also negatively regulated by an evolutionary conserved interaction with a microRNA, miR172, and has additional roles in general plant development. A kiwifruit gene with high levels of homology to AP2 and AP2-like genes from other plant species was identified. The transcript was abundant in the kiwifruit flower, particularly petal, suggesting a role in floral organ identity. Splice variants were identified, all containing both AP2 domains, including a variant that potentially produces a shorter transcript without the miRNA172 targeting site. Increased AP2 transcript accumulation was detected in the aberrant flowers of the mutant ‘Pukekohe dwarf’ with multiple perianth whorls and extended petaloid features. In contrast to normal kiwifruit flowers, the aberrant flowers failed to accumulate miR172 in the developing whorls, although accumulation was detected at the base of the flower. An additional role during dormancy in kiwifruit was proposed based on AP2 transcript accumulation in axillary buds before and after budbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Mt Albert, Auckland Mail Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
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25
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Wu RM, Walton EF, Richardson AC, Wood M, Hellens RP, Varkonyi-Gasic E. Conservation and divergence of four kiwifruit SVP-like MADS-box genes suggest distinct roles in kiwifruit bud dormancy and flowering. J Exp Bot 2012; 63:797-807. [PMID: 22071267 PMCID: PMC3254681 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/err304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Revised: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/30/2011] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
MADS-box genes similar to Arabidopsis SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) have been implicated in the regulation of flowering in annual species and bud dormancy in perennial species. Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) are woody perennial vines where bud dormancy and out-growth affect flower development. To determine the role of SVP-like genes in dormancy and flowering of kiwifruit, four MADS-box genes with homology to Arabidopsis SVP, designated SVP1, SVP2, SVP3, and SVP4, have been identified and analysed in kiwifruit and functionally characterized in Arabidopsis. Phylogenetic analysis indicate that these genes fall into different sub-clades within the SVP-like gene group, suggesting distinct functions. Expression was generally confined to vegetative tissues, and increased transcript accumulation in shoot buds over the winter period suggests a role for these genes in bud dormancy. Down-regulation before flower differentiation indicate possible roles as floral repressors. Over-expression and complementation studies in Arabidopsis resulted in a range of floral reversion phenotypes arising from interactions with Arabidopsis MADS-box proteins, but only SVP1 and SVP3 were able to complement the svp mutant. These results suggest that the kiwifruit SVP-like genes may have distinct roles during bud dormancy and flowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Mei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Eric F. Walton
- University of Otago, PO Box 5543, Auckland 1141, New Zealand
| | - Annette C. Richardson
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Kerikeri, PO Box 23, Kerikeri 0245, New Zealand
| | - Marion Wood
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Roger P. Hellens
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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26
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Mimida N, Kidou SI, Iwanami H, Moriya S, Abe K, Voogd C, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Kotoda N. Apple FLOWERING LOCUS T proteins interact with transcription factors implicated in cell growth and organ development. Tree Physiol 2011; 31:555-66. [PMID: 21571725 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpr028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the flowering process in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) is essential for developing methods to shorten the breeding period and regulate fruit yield. It is known that FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) acts as a transmissible floral inducer in the Arabidopsis flowering network system. To clarify the molecular network of two apple FT orthologues, MdFT1 and MdFT2, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify proteins that interact with MdFT1. We identified several transcription factors, including two members of the TCP (TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA and PROLIFERATING CELL FACTORs) family, designated MdTCP2 and MdTCP4, and an Arabidopsis thaliana VOZ1 (Vascular plant One Zinc finger protein1)-like protein, designated MdVOZ1. MdTCP2 and MdVOZ1 also interacted with MdFT2 in yeast. The expression domain of MdTCP2 and MdVOZ1 partially overlapped with that of MdFT1 and MdFT2, most strikingly in apple fruit tissue, further suggesting a potential interaction in vivo. Constitutive expression of MdTCP2, MdTCP4 and MdVOZ1 in Arabidopsis affected plant size, leaf morphology and the formation of leaf primordia on the adaxial side of cotyledons. On the other hand, chimeric MdTCP2, MdTCP4 and MdVOZ1 repressors that included the ethylene-responsive transcription factors (ERF)-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) domain motif influenced reproduction and inflorescence architecture in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results suggest that MdFT1 and/or MdFT2 might be involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and the formation of new tissues and that they might affect leaf and fruit development by interacting with TCP- and VOZ-family proteins. DDBJ accession nos. AB531019 (MdTCP2a mRNA), AB531020 (MdTCP2b mRNA), AB531021 (MdTCP4a mRNA), AB531022 (MdTCP4b mRNA) and AB531023 (MdVOZ1a mRNA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Naozumi Mimida
- Apple Breeding and Physiology Research Team, National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, Morioka 020-0123, Japan. ,
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, Moss SM, Voogd C, Wu R, Lough RH, Wang YY, Hellens RP. Identification and characterization of flowering genes in kiwifruit: sequence conservation and role in kiwifruit flower development. BMC Plant Biol 2011; 11:72. [PMID: 21521532 PMCID: PMC3103426 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-11-72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Accepted: 04/27/2011] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flower development in kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is initiated in the first growing season, when undifferentiated primordia are established in latent shoot buds. These primordia can differentiate into flowers in the second growing season, after the winter dormancy period and upon accumulation of adequate winter chilling. Kiwifruit is an important horticultural crop, yet little is known about the molecular regulation of flower development. RESULTS To study kiwifruit flower development, nine MADS-box genes were identified and functionally characterized. Protein sequence alignment, phenotypes obtained upon overexpression in Arabidopsis and expression patterns suggest that the identified genes are required for floral meristem and floral organ specification. Their role during budbreak and flower development was studied. A spontaneous kiwifruit mutant was utilized to correlate the extended expression domains of these flowering genes with abnormal floral development. CONCLUSIONS This study provides a description of flower development in kiwifruit at the molecular level. It has identified markers for flower development, and candidates for manipulation of kiwifruit growth, phase change and time of flowering. The expression in normal and aberrant flowers provided a model for kiwifruit flower development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Sarah M Moss
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Charlotte Voogd
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Rongmei Wu
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Robyn H Lough
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Yen-Yi Wang
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Hellens
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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Abstract
Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small RNAs that are essential for plant development and survival. They arise from larger precursor RNAs with a characteristic hairpin structure and regulate gene activity by targeting mRNA transcripts for cleavage or translational repression. Efficient and reliable detection and quantification of miRNA expression has become an essential step in understanding their specific roles. The expression levels of miRNAs can vary dramatically between samples and they often escape detection by conventional technologies such as cloning, northern hybridization and microarray analysis. The stem-loop RT-PCR method described here is designed to detect and quantify mature miRNAs in a fast, specific, accurate and reliable manner. First, a miRNA-specific stem-loop RT primer is hybridized to the miRNA and then reverse transcribed. Next, the RT product is amplified and monitored in real time using a miRNA-specific forward primer and the universal reverse primer. This method enables miRNA expression profiling from as little as 10 pg of total RNA and is suitable for high-throughput miRNA expression analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, Mt. Albert Research Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, Gould N, Sandanayaka M, Sutherland P, MacDiarmid RM. Characterisation of microRNAs from apple (Malus domestica 'Royal Gala') vascular tissue and phloem sap. BMC Plant Biol 2010. [PMID: 20682080 DOI: 10.1186/1471-222910-159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNAs that play an important role in development and environmental responses. Hundreds of plant miRNAs have been identified to date, mainly from the model species for which there are available genome sequences. The current challenge is to characterise miRNAs from plant species with agricultural and horticultural importance, to aid our understanding of important regulatory mechanisms in crop species and enable improvement of crops and rootstocks. RESULTS Based on the knowledge that many miRNAs occur in large gene families and are highly conserved among distantly related species, we analysed expression of twenty-one miRNA sequences in different tissues of apple (Malus x domestica 'Royal Gala'). We identified eighteen sequences that are expressed in at least one of the tissues tested. Some, but not all, miRNAs expressed in apple tissues including the phloem tissue were also detected in the phloem sap sample derived from the stylets of woolly apple aphids. Most of the miRNAs detected in apple phloem sap were also abundant in the phloem sap of herbaceous species. Potential targets for apple miRNAs were identified that encode putative proteins shown to be targets of corresponding miRNAs in a number of plant species. Expression patterns of potential targets were analysed and correlated with expression of corresponding miRNAs. CONCLUSIONS This study validated tissue-specific expression of apple miRNAs that target genes responsible for plant growth, development, and stress response. A subset of characterised miRNAs was also present in the apple phloem translocation stream. A comparative analysis of phloem miRNAs in herbaceous species and woody perennials will aid our understanding of non-cell autonomous roles of miRNAs in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, Plant & Food Research, Auckland Mail Centre, Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
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30
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, Gould N, Sandanayaka M, Sutherland P, MacDiarmid RM. Characterisation of microRNAs from apple (Malus domestica 'Royal Gala') vascular tissue and phloem sap. BMC Plant Biol 2010; 10:159. [PMID: 20682080 PMCID: PMC3095296 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-10-159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2010] [Accepted: 08/04/2010] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNAs that play an important role in development and environmental responses. Hundreds of plant miRNAs have been identified to date, mainly from the model species for which there are available genome sequences. The current challenge is to characterise miRNAs from plant species with agricultural and horticultural importance, to aid our understanding of important regulatory mechanisms in crop species and enable improvement of crops and rootstocks. RESULTS Based on the knowledge that many miRNAs occur in large gene families and are highly conserved among distantly related species, we analysed expression of twenty-one miRNA sequences in different tissues of apple (Malus x domestica 'Royal Gala'). We identified eighteen sequences that are expressed in at least one of the tissues tested. Some, but not all, miRNAs expressed in apple tissues including the phloem tissue were also detected in the phloem sap sample derived from the stylets of woolly apple aphids. Most of the miRNAs detected in apple phloem sap were also abundant in the phloem sap of herbaceous species. Potential targets for apple miRNAs were identified that encode putative proteins shown to be targets of corresponding miRNAs in a number of plant species. Expression patterns of potential targets were analysed and correlated with expression of corresponding miRNAs. CONCLUSIONS This study validated tissue-specific expression of apple miRNAs that target genes responsible for plant growth, development, and stress response. A subset of characterised miRNAs was also present in the apple phloem translocation stream. A comparative analysis of phloem miRNAs in herbaceous species and woody perennials will aid our understanding of non-cell autonomous roles of miRNAs in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Nick Gould
- Plant & Food Research Ruakura, Private Bag 3123, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Manoharie Sandanayaka
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Paul Sutherland
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Robin M MacDiarmid
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research) Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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31
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Abstract
Plant small RNAs are a class of 19- to 25-nucleotide (nt) RNA molecules that are essential for genome stability, development and differentiation, disease, cellular communication, signaling, and adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Small RNAs comprise two major RNA classes, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). Efficient and reliable detection and quantification of small RNA expression has become an essential step in understanding their roles in specific cells and tissues. Here we provide protocols for the detection of miRNAs by stem-loop RT-PCR. This method enables fast and reliable miRNA expression profiling from as little as 20 pg of total RNA extracted from plant tissue and is suitable for high-throughput miRNA expression analysis. In addition, this method can be used to detect other classes of small RNAs, provided the sequence is known and their GC contents are similar to those specific for miRNAs.
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, Wu R, Wood M, Walton EF, Hellens RP. Protocol: a highly sensitive RT-PCR method for detection and quantification of microRNAs. Plant Methods 2007; 3:12. [PMID: 17931426 PMCID: PMC2225395 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4811-3-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 812] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2007] [Accepted: 10/12/2007] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs with a critical role in development and environmental responses. Efficient and reliable detection of miRNAs is an essential step towards understanding their roles in specific cells and tissues. However, gel-based assays currently used to detect miRNAs are very limited in terms of throughput, sensitivity and specificity. Here we provide protocols for detection and quantification of miRNAs by RT-PCR. We describe an end-point and real-time looped RT-PCR procedure and demonstrate detection of miRNAs from as little as 20 pg of plant tissue total RNA and from total RNA isolated from as little as 0.1 mul of phloem sap. In addition, we have developed an alternative real-time PCR assay that can further improve specificity when detecting low abundant miRNAs. Using this assay, we have demonstrated that miRNAs are differentially expressed in the phloem sap and the surrounding vascular tissue. This method enables fast, sensitive and specific miRNA expression profiling and is suitable for facilitation of high-throughput detection and quantification of miRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- HortResearch, Mt Albert Research Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rongmei Wu
- HortResearch, Mt Albert Research Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Marion Wood
- HortResearch, Mt Albert Research Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Eric F Walton
- HortResearch, Mt Albert Research Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Hellens
- HortResearch, Mt Albert Research Centre, Private Bag 92169, Auckland, New Zealand
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Lin MK, Belanger H, Lee YJ, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Taoka KI, Miura E, Xoconostle-Cázares B, Gendler K, Jorgensen RA, Phinney B, Lough TJ, Lucas WJ. FLOWERING LOCUS T protein may act as the long-distance florigenic signal in the cucurbits. Plant Cell 2007; 19:1488-506. [PMID: 17540715 PMCID: PMC1913722 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.107.051920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 314] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Cucurbita moschata, a cucurbit species responsive to inductive short-day (SD) photoperiods, and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) were used to test whether long-distance movement of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) mRNA or FT is required for floral induction. Ectopic expression of FT by ZYMV was highly effective in mediating floral induction of long-day (LD)-treated plants. Moreover, the infection zone of ZYMV was far removed from floral meristems, suggesting that FT transcripts do not function as the florigenic signal in this system. Heterografting demonstrated efficient transmission of a florigenic signal from flowering Cucurbita maxima stocks to LD-grown C. moschata scions. Real-time RT-PCR performed on phloem sap collected from C. maxima stocks detected no FT transcripts, whereas mass spectrometry of phloem sap proteins revealed the presence of Cm-FTL1 and Cm-FTL2. Importantly, studies on LD- and SD-treated C. moschata plants established that Cmo-FTL1 and Cmo-FTL2 are regulated by photoperiod at the level of movement into the phloem and not by transcription. Finally, mass spectrometry of florally induced heterografted C. moschata scions revealed that C. maxima FT, but not FT mRNA, crossed the graft union in the phloem translocation stream. Collectively, these studies are consistent with FT functioning as a component of the florigenic signaling system in the cucurbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Kuem Lin
- Section of Plant Biology, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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Yoo BC, Kragler F, Varkonyi-Gasic E, Haywood V, Archer-Evans S, Lee YM, Lough TJ, Lucas WJ. A systemic small RNA signaling system in plants. Plant Cell 2004; 16:1979-2000. [PMID: 15258266 PMCID: PMC519190 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.104.023614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 367] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2004] [Accepted: 05/06/2004] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Systemic translocation of RNA exerts non-cell-autonomous control over plant development and defense. Long-distance delivery of mRNA has been proven, but transport of small interfering RNA and microRNA remains to be demonstrated. Analyses performed on phloem sap collected from a range of plants identified populations of small RNA species. The dynamic nature of this population was reflected in its response to growth conditions and viral infection. The authenticity of these phloem small RNA molecules was confirmed by bioinformatic analysis; potential targets for a set of phloem small RNA species were identified. Heterografting studies, using spontaneously silencing coat protein (CP) plant lines, also established that transgene-derived siRNA move in the long-distance phloem and initiate CP gene silencing in the scion. Biochemical analysis of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) phloem sap led to the characterization of C. maxima Phloem SMALL RNA BINDING PROTEIN1 (CmPSRP1), a unique component of the protein machinery probably involved in small RNA trafficking. Equivalently sized small RNA binding proteins were detected in phloem sap from cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and lupin (Lupinus albus). PSRP1 binds selectively to 25-nucleotide single-stranded RNA species. Microinjection studies provided direct evidence that PSRP1 could mediate the cell-to-cell trafficking of 25-nucleotide single-stranded, but not double-stranded, RNA molecules. The potential role played by PSRP1 in long-distance transmission of silencing signals is discussed with respect to the pathways and mechanisms used by plants to exert systemic control over developmental and physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byung-Chun Yoo
- Section of Plant Biology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
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Varkonyi-Gasic E, White DWR. The white clover enod40 gene family. Expression patterns of two types of genes indicate a role in vascular function. Plant Physiol 2002; 129:1107-18. [PMID: 12114565 PMCID: PMC166505 DOI: 10.1104/pp.010916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2001] [Revised: 01/02/2002] [Accepted: 03/22/2002] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Enod40 is one of the genes associated with legume nodule development and has a putative role in general plant organogenesis. We have isolated a small enod40 gene family from white clover (Trifolium repens), with three genes designated Trenod40-1, Trenod40-2, and Trenod40-3, all containing the conserved enod40 regions I and II. Trenod40-1 and Trenod40-2 share over 90% homology in the transcribed regions and high levels of similarity in their upstream regulatory sequences. Trenod40-1 and Trenod40-2 are similar to the enod40 genes of legumes forming indeterminate nodules (group II) and are predominantly expressed in nodules. Trenod40-3 shares only 32.8% identity with Trenod40-1 and Trenod40-2 within the transcribed region. Trenod40-3 is similar to the enod40 genes of legumes with determinate nodules (group I) and is not predominantly expressed in nodules. To our knowledge, this is the first report of both group I- and group II-type enod40 genes being expressed in a single legume species. In situ hybridization studies revealed that Trenod40 genes were highly expressed in non-symbiotic tissues, particularly in stolon nodes during nodal root and lateral shoot development. High levels of Trenod40 transcripts were also present in the vascular bundles of mature plant organs, mainly at sites of intensive lateral transport, suggesting a role in vascular tissue function. The expression pattern of Trenod40 genes was analyzed further using Trenod40 promoter-gus fusions in transgenic white clover and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), indicating that white clover and tobacco share the regulatory mechanisms for Trenod40-1/2 promoters and some aspects of Trenod40-3 regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Varkonyi-Gasic
- Plant Breeding and Genomics, AgResearch, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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