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Ferrero-Serrano Á, Chakravorty D, Kirven KJ, Assmann SM. Oryza CLIMtools: A genome-environment association resource reveals adaptive roles for heterotrimeric G proteins in the regulation of rice agronomic traits. Plant Commun 2024; 5:100813. [PMID: 38213027 PMCID: PMC11009157 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100813] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Modern crop varieties display a degree of mismatch between their current distributions and the suitability of the local climate for their productivity. To address this issue, we present Oryza CLIMtools (https://gramene.org/CLIMtools/oryza_v1.0/), the first resource for pan-genome prediction of climate-associated genetic variants in a crop species. Oryza CLIMtools consists of interactive web-based databases that enable the user to (1) explore the local environments of traditional rice varieties (landraces) in South-East Asia and (2) investigate the environment by genome associations for 658 Indica and 283 Japonica rice landrace accessions collected from georeferenced local environments and included in the 3K Rice Genomes Project. We demonstrate the value of these resources by identifying an interplay between flowering time and temperature in the local environment that is facilitated by adaptive natural variation in OsHD2 and disrupted by a natural variant in OsSOC1. Prior quantitative trait locus analysis has suggested the importance of heterotrimeric G proteins in the control of agronomic traits. Accordingly, we analyzed the climate associations of natural variants in the different heterotrimeric G protein subunits. We identified a coordinated role of G proteins in adaptation to the prevailing potential evapotranspiration gradient and revealed their regulation of key agronomic traits, including plant height and seed and panicle length. We conclude by highlighting the prospect of targeting heterotrimeric G proteins to produce climate-resilient crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ferrero-Serrano
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - David Chakravorty
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kobie J Kirven
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Bioinformatics and Genomics, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Ferrero-Serrano Á, Chakravorty D, Kirven KJ, Assmann SM. Oryza CLIMtools: A Genome-Environment Association Resource Reveals Adaptive Roles for Heterotrimeric G Proteins in the Regulation of Rice Agronomic Traits. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.10.540241. [PMID: 37214799 PMCID: PMC10197702 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.10.540241] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Modern crop varieties display a degree of mismatch between their current distributions and the suitability of the local climate for their productivity. To this end, we present Oryza CLIMtools (https://gramene.org/CLIMtools/oryza_v1.0/), the first resource for pan-genome prediction of climate-associated genetic variants in a crop species. Oryza CLIMtools consists of interactive web-based databases that allow the user to: i) explore the local environments of traditional rice varieties (landraces) in South-Eastern Asia, and; ii) investigate the environment by genome associations for 658 Indica and 283 Japonica rice landrace accessions collected from georeferenced local environments and included in the 3K Rice Genomes Project. We exemplify the value of these resources, identifying an interplay between flowering time and temperature in the local environment that is facilitated by adaptive natural variation in OsHD2 and disrupted by a natural variant in OsSOC1. Prior QTL analysis has suggested the importance of heterotrimeric G proteins in the control of agronomic traits. Accordingly, we analyzed the climate associations of natural variants in the different heterotrimeric G protein subunits. We identified a coordinated role of G proteins in adaptation to the prevailing Potential Evapotranspiration gradient and their regulation of key agronomic traits including plant height and seed and panicle length. We conclude by highlighting the prospect of targeting heterotrimeric G proteins to produce crops that are climate resilient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ferrero-Serrano
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - David Chakravorty
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Kobie J. Kirven
- Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Bioinformatics and Genomics, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Sarah M. Assmann
- Biology Department, Pennsylvania State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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Ferrero-Serrano Á, Chakravorty D. Plants and heterotrimeric G proteins: Expect the unexpected. Mol Plant 2023; 16:506-508. [PMID: 36575797 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ferrero-Serrano
- Biology Department, Penn State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - David Chakravorty
- Biology Department, Penn State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Ferrero-Serrano Á, Sylvia MM, Forstmeier PC, Olson AJ, Ware D, Bevilacqua PC, Assmann SM. Experimental demonstration and pan-structurome prediction of climate-associated riboSNitches in Arabidopsis. Genome Biol 2022; 23:101. [PMID: 35440059 PMCID: PMC9017077 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-022-02656-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) aim to correlate phenotypic changes with genotypic variation. Upon transcription, single nucleotide variants (SNVs) may alter mRNA structure, with potential impacts on transcript stability, macromolecular interactions, and translation. However, plant genomes have not been assessed for the presence of these structure-altering polymorphisms or “riboSNitches.” Results We experimentally demonstrate the presence of riboSNitches in transcripts of two Arabidopsis genes, ZINC RIBBON 3 (ZR3) and COTTON GOLGI-RELATED 3 (CGR3), which are associated with continentality and temperature variation in the natural environment. These riboSNitches are also associated with differences in the abundance of their respective transcripts, implying a role in regulating the gene's expression in adaptation to local climate conditions. We then computationally predict riboSNitches transcriptome-wide in mRNAs of 879 naturally inbred Arabidopsis accessions. We characterize correlations between SNPs/riboSNitches in these accessions and 434 climate descriptors of their local environments, suggesting a role of these variants in local adaptation. We integrate this information in CLIMtools V2.0 and provide a new web resource, T-CLIM, that reveals associations between transcript abundance variation and local environmental variation. Conclusion We functionally validate two plant riboSNitches and, for the first time, demonstrate riboSNitch conditionality dependent on temperature, coining the term “conditional riboSNitch.” We provide the first pan-genome-wide prediction of riboSNitches in plants. We expand our previous CLIMtools web resource with riboSNitch information and with 1868 additional Arabidopsis genomes and 269 additional climate conditions, which will greatly facilitate in silico studies of natural genetic variation, its phenotypic consequences, and its role in local adaptation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13059-022-02656-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ferrero-Serrano
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Megan M Sylvia
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Peter C Forstmeier
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Andrew J Olson
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA
| | - Doreen Ware
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, 11724, USA.,USDA ARS NAA Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Philip C Bevilacqua
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA.,Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA. .,Center for RNA Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA, 16802, USA.
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Abstract
Semidwarf stature is a valuable agronomic trait in grain crops that reduces lodging and increases harvest index. A fundamental advance during the 1960s Green Revolution was the introduction of semidwarf cultivars of rice and wheat. Essentially, all semidwarf varieties of rice under cultivation today owe their diminished stature to a specific null mutation in the gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis gene, SD1 However, it is now well-established that, in addition to GAs, brassinosteroids and strigolactones also control plant height. In this review, we describe the synthesis and signaling pathways of these three hormones as understood in rice and discuss the mutants and transgenics in these pathways that confer semidwarfism and other valuable architectural traits. We propose that such genes offer underexploited opportunities for broadening the genetic basis and germplasm in semidwarf rice breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian Cantos
- Biology Department, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Biology Department, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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Ferrero-Serrano Á, Su Z, Assmann SM. Illuminating the role of the Gα heterotrimeric G protein subunit, RGA1, in regulating photoprotection and photoavoidance in rice. Plant Cell Environ 2018; 41:451-468. [PMID: 29216416 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We studied physiological mechanisms of photoavoidance and photoprotection of a dwarf rice mutant with erect leaves, d1, in which the RGA1 gene, which encodes the Gα subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein, is non-functional. Leaves of d1 exhibit lower leaf temperature and higher photochemical reflectance index relative to wild type (WT), indicative of increased photoavoidance and more efficient light harvesting. RNA sequencing analysis of flag leaves revealed that messenger RNA levels of genes encoding heat shock proteins, enzymes associated with chlorophyll breakdown, and ROS scavengers were down-regulated in d1. By contrast, genes encoding proteins associated with light harvesting, Photosystem II, cyclic electron transport, Photosystem I, and chlorophyll biosynthesis were up-regulated in d1. Consistent with these observations, when WT and d1 plants were experimentally subjected to the same light intensity, d1 plants exhibited a greater capacity to dissipate excess irradiance (increased nonphotochemical quenching) relative to WT. The increased capacity in d1 for both photoavoidance and photoprotection reduced sustained photoinhibitory damage, as revealed by a higher Fv /Fm . We therefore propose RGA1 as a regulator of photoavoidance and photoprotection mechanisms in rice and highlight the prospect of exploiting modulation of heterotrimeric G protein signalling to increase these characteristics and improve the yield of cereals in the event of abiotic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ferrero-Serrano
- Biology Department, Penn State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Zhao Su
- Biology Department, Penn State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Biology Department, Penn State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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Ferrero-Serrano Á, Assmann SM. The α-subunit of the rice heterotrimeric G protein, RGA1, regulates drought tolerance during the vegetative phase in the dwarf rice mutant d1. J Exp Bot 2016; 67:3433-43. [PMID: 27194741 PMCID: PMC4892740 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [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
Essential in the Green Revolution was the development of high-yielding dwarf varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.), but their selection was not based on responses to water limitation. We studied physiological responses to progressive drought of the dwarf rice mutant, d1, in which the RGA1 gene, which encodes the GTP-binding α-subunit of the heterotrimeric G protein, is non-functional. Wild-type (WT) plants cease net carbon fixation 11 days after water is withheld, while d1 plants maintain net photosynthesis for an additional week. During drought, d1 plants exhibit greater stomatal conductance than the WT, but both genotypes exhibit the same transpirational water loss per unit leaf area. This is explained by a smaller driving force for water loss in d1 owing to its lower leaf temperatures, consistent with its more erect architecture. As drought becomes more severe, WT plants show an accelerated decline in photosynthesis, which may be exacerbated by the higher leaf temperatures in the WT. We thus show how a rice mutant with dwarf and erect leaves has a decreased susceptibility to water stress. Accordingly, it may be useful to incorporate RGA1 mutation in breeding or biotechnological strategies for development of drought-resistant rice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Ferrero-Serrano
- Biology Department, Penn State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sarah M Assmann
- Biology Department, Penn State University, 208 Mueller Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Ferrero-Serrano Á, Hild AL, Mealor BA. Can Invasive Species Enhance Competitive Ability and Restoration Potential in Native Grass Populations? Restor Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2009.00611.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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