Molecular PlantPub Date : 2024-07-01Epub Date: 2024-05-27DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.007
Wenwen Chang, Qiao Qiao, Qingtian Li, Xin Li, Yanyan Li, Xiahe Huang, Yingchun Wang, Jiayang Li, Bing Wang, Lei Wang
{"title":"Non-transcriptional regulatory activity of SMAX1 and SMXL2 mediates karrikin-regulated seedling response to red light in Arabidopsis.","authors":"Wenwen Chang, Qiao Qiao, Qingtian Li, Xin Li, Yanyan Li, Xiahe Huang, Yingchun Wang, Jiayang Li, Bing Wang, Lei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Karrikins and strigolactones govern plant development and environmental responses through closely related signaling pathways. The transcriptional repressor proteins SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1 (SMAX1), SMAX1-like2 (SMXL2), and D53-like SMXLs mediate karrikin and strigolactone signaling by directly binding downstream genes or by inhibiting the activities of transcription factors. In this study, we characterized the non-transcriptional regulatory activities of SMXL proteins in Arabidopsis. We discovered that SMAX1 and SMXL2 with mutations in their ethylene-response factor-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif had undetectable or weak transcriptional repression activities but still partially rescued the hypocotyl elongation defects and fully reversed the cotyledon epinasty defects of the smax1 smxl2 mutant. SMAX1 and SMXL2 directly interact with PHYTOCHROME INTERACTION FACTOR 4 (PIF4) and PIF5 to enhance their protein stability by interacting with phytochrome B (phyB) and suppressing the association of phyB with PIF4 and PIF5. The karrikin-responsive genes were then identified by treatment with GR24<sup>ent-5DS</sup>, a GR24 analog showing karrikin activity. Interestingly, INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID INDUCIBLE 29 (IAA29) expression was repressed by GR24<sup>ent-5DS</sup> treatment in a PIF4- and PIF5-dependent and EAR-independent manner, whereas KARRIKIN UPREGULATED F-BOX 1 (KUF1) expression was induced in a PIF4- and PIF5-independent and EAR-dependent manner. Furthermore, the non-transcriptional regulatory activity of SMAX1, which is independent of the EAR motif, had a global effect on gene expression. Taken together, these results indicate that non-transcriptional regulatory activities of SMAX1 and SMXL2 mediate karrikin-regulated seedling response to red light.</p>","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"1054-1072"},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141162263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Molecular PlantPub Date : 2024-07-01Epub Date: 2024-05-31DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.010
Hao Li, Yajuan Ou, Jidan Zhang, Kui Huang, Ping Wu, Xiaoli Guo, Hui Zhu, Yangrong Cao
{"title":"Dynamic modulation of nodulation factor receptor levels by phosphorylation-mediated functional switch of a RING-type E3 ligase during legume nodulation.","authors":"Hao Li, Yajuan Ou, Jidan Zhang, Kui Huang, Ping Wu, Xiaoli Guo, Hui Zhu, Yangrong Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The precise control of receptor levels is crucial for initiating cellular signaling transduction in response to specific ligands; however, such mechanisms regulating nodulation factor (NF) receptor (NFR)-mediated perception of NFs to establish symbiosis remain unclear. In this study, we unveil the pivotal role of the NFR-interacting RING-type E3 ligase 1 (NIRE1) in regulating NFR1/NFR5 homeostasis to optimize rhizobial infection and nodule development in Lotus japonicus. We demonstrated that NIRE1 has a dual function in this regulatory process. It associates with both NFR1 and NFR5, facilitating their degradation through K48-linked polyubiquitination before rhizobial inoculation. However, following rhizobial inoculation, NFR1 phosphorylates NIRE1 at a conserved residue, Tyr-109, inducing a functional switch in NIRE1, which enables NIRE1 to mediate K63-linked polyubiquitination, thereby stabilizing NFR1/NFR5 in infected root cells. The introduction of phospho-dead NIRE1<sup>Y109F</sup> leads to delayed nodule development, underscoring the significance of phosphorylation at Tyr-109 in orchestrating symbiotic processes. Conversely, expression of the phospho-mimic NIRE1<sup>Y109E</sup> results in the formation of spontaneous nodules in L. japonicus, further emphasizing the critical role of the phosphorylation-dependent functional switch in NIRE1. In summary, these findings uncover a fine-tuned symbiotic mechanism that a single E3 ligase could undergo a phosphorylation-dependent functional switch to dynamically and precisely regulate NF receptor protein levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"1090-1109"},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141186854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Molecular PlantPub Date : 2024-06-03Epub Date: 2024-05-23DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.005
Fan Xu, Daolei Zhang, Liang Le, Li Pu
{"title":"Polycomb and trithorax: Their yin-yang dynamics in plants.","authors":"Fan Xu, Daolei Zhang, Liang Le, Li Pu","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"845-847"},"PeriodicalIF":17.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141088493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Molecular PlantPub Date : 2024-06-03Epub Date: 2024-05-13DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.003
Xianhong Wang, Ioly Kotta-Loizou, Robert H A Coutts, Huifang Deng, Zhenhao Han, Ni Hong, Karim Shafik, Liping Wang, Yashuang Guo, Mengmeng Yang, Wenxing Xu, Guoping Wang
{"title":"A circular single-stranded DNA mycovirus infects plants and confers broad-spectrum fungal resistance.","authors":"Xianhong Wang, Ioly Kotta-Loizou, Robert H A Coutts, Huifang Deng, Zhenhao Han, Ni Hong, Karim Shafik, Liping Wang, Yashuang Guo, Mengmeng Yang, Wenxing Xu, Guoping Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses have been rarely found in fungi, and the evolutionary and ecological relationships among ssDNA viruses infecting fungi and other organisms remain unclear. In this study, a novel circular ssDNA virus, tentatively named Diaporthe sojae circular DNA virus 1 (DsCDV1), was identified in the phytopathogenic fungus Diaporthe sojae isolated from pear trees. DsCDV1 has a monopartite genome (3185 nt in size) encapsidated in isometric virions (21-26 nm in diameter). The genome comprises seven putative open reading frames encoding a discrete replicase (Rep) split by an intergenic region, a putative capsid protein (CP), several proteins of unknown function (P1-P4), and a long intergenic region. Notably, the two split parts of DsCDV1 Rep share high identities with the Reps of Geminiviridae and Genomoviridae, respectively, indicating an evolutionary linkage with both families. Phylogenetic analysis based on Rep or CP sequences placed DsCDV1 in a unique cluster, supporting the establishment of a new family, tentatively named Gegemycoviridae, intermediate to both families. DsCDV1 significantly attenuates fungal growth and nearly erases fungal virulence when transfected into the host fungus. Remarkably, DsCDV1 can systematically infect tobacco and pear seedlings, providing broad-spectrum resistance to fungal diseases. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that DsCDV1 P3 is systematically localized in the plasmodesmata, while its expression in trans-complementation experiments could restore systematic infection of a movement-deficient plant virus, suggesting that P3 is a movement protein. DsCDV1 exhibits unique molecular and biological traits not observed in other ssDNA viruses, serving as a link between fungal and plant ssDNA viruses and presenting an evolutionary connection between ssDNA viruses and fungi. These findings contribute to expanding our understanding of ssDNA virus diversity and evolution, offering potential biocontrol applications for managing crucial plant diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"955-971"},"PeriodicalIF":27.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140922884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"OsPRMT6a-mediated arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 regulates jasmonate signaling and spikelet development in rice.","authors":"Kun Dong, Fuqing Wu, Siqi Cheng, Shuai Li, Feng Zhang, Xinxin Xing, Xin Jin, Sheng Luo, Miao Feng, Rong Miao, Yanqi Chang, Shuang Zhang, Xiaoman You, Peiran Wang, Xin Zhang, Cailin Lei, Yulong Ren, Shanshan Zhu, Xiuping Guo, Chuanyin Wu, Dong-Lei Yang, Qibing Lin, Zhijun Cheng, Jianmin Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although both protein arginine methylation (PRMT) and jasmonate (JA) signaling are crucial for regulating plant development, the relationship between these processes in the control of spikelet development remains unclear. In this study, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate two OsPRMT6a loss-of-function mutants that exhibit various abnormal spikelet structures. Interestingly, we found that OsPRMT6a can methylate arginine residues in JA signal repressors OsJAZ1 and OsJAZ7. We showed that arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 enhances the binding affinity of OsJAZ1 with the JA receptors OsCOI1a and OsCOI1b in the presence of JAs, thereby promoting the ubiquitination of OsJAZ1 by the SCF<sup>OsCOI1a/OsCOI1b</sup> complex and degradation via the 26S proteasome. This process ultimately releases OsMYC2, a core transcriptional regulator in the JA signaling pathway, to activate or repress JA-responsive genes, thereby maintaining normal plant (spikelet) development. However, in the osprmt6a-1 mutant, reduced arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 impaires the interaction between OsJAZ1 and OsCOI1a/OsCOI1b in the presence of JAs. As a result, OsJAZ1 proteins become more stable, repressing JA responses, thus causing the formation of abnormal spikelet structures. Moreover, we discovered that JA signaling reduces the OsPRMT6a mRNA level in an OsMYC2-dependent manner, thereby establishing a negative feedback loop to balance JA signaling. We further found that OsPRMT6a-mediated arginine methylation of OsJAZ1 likely serves as a switch to tune JA signaling to maintain normal spikelet development under harsh environmental conditions such as high temperatures. Collectively, our study establishes a direct molecular link between arginine methylation and JA signaling in rice.</p>","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"900-919"},"PeriodicalIF":27.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140857225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Molecular PlantPub Date : 2024-06-03Epub Date: 2024-05-07DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.001
Qibin Wang, Qiuyue Guo, Qingbiao Shi, Hengjia Yang, Meiling Liu, Yani Niu, Shuxuan Quan, Di Xu, Xiaofeng Chen, Laiyi Li, Wenchang Xu, Fanying Kong, Haisen Zhang, Pinghua Li, Bosheng Li, Gang Li
{"title":"Histological and single-nucleus transcriptome analyses reveal the specialized functions of ligular sclerenchyma cells and key regulators of leaf angle in maize.","authors":"Qibin Wang, Qiuyue Guo, Qingbiao Shi, Hengjia Yang, Meiling Liu, Yani Niu, Shuxuan Quan, Di Xu, Xiaofeng Chen, Laiyi Li, Wenchang Xu, Fanying Kong, Haisen Zhang, Pinghua Li, Bosheng Li, Gang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Leaf angle (LA) is a crucial factor that affects planting density and yield in maize. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying LA formation remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed a comparative histological analysis of the ligular region across various maize inbred lines and revealed that LA is significantly influenced by a two-step regulatory process involving initial cell elongation followed by subsequent lignification in the ligular adaxial sclerenchyma cells (SCs). Subsequently, we performed both bulk and single-nucleus RNA sequencing, generated a comprehensive transcriptomic atlas of the ligular region, and identified numerous genes enriched in the hypodermal cells that may influence their specialization into SCs. Furthermore, we functionally characterized two genes encoding atypical basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors, bHLH30 and its homolog bHLH155, which are highly expressed in the elongated adaxial cells. Genetic analyses revealed that bHLH30 and bHLH155 positively regulate LA expansion, and molecular experiments demonstrated their ability to activate the transcription of genes involved in cell elongation and lignification of SCs. These findings highlight the specialized functions of ligular adaxial SCs in LA regulation by restricting further extension of ligular cells and enhancing mechanical strength. The transcriptomic atlas of the ligular region at single-nucleus resolution not only deepens our understanding of LA regulation but also enables identification of numerous potential targets for optimizing plant architecture in modern maize breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"920-934"},"PeriodicalIF":27.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140892082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evolutionary genomics of climatic adaptation and resilience to climate change in alfalfa.","authors":"Fan Zhang, Ruicai Long, Zhiyao Ma, Hua Xiao, Xiaodong Xu, Zhongjie Liu, Chunxue Wei, Yiwen Wang, Yanling Peng, Xuanwen Yang, Xiaoya Shi, Shuo Cao, Mingna Li, Ming Xu, Fei He, Xueqian Jiang, Tiejun Zhang, Zhen Wang, Xianran Li, Long-Xi Yu, Junmei Kang, Zhiwu Zhang, Yongfeng Zhou, Qingchuan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Given the escalating impact of climate change on agriculture and food security, gaining insights into the evolutionary dynamics of climatic adaptation and uncovering climate-adapted variation can empower the breeding of climate-resilient crops to face future climate change. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa subsp. sativa), the queen of forages, shows remarkable adaptability across diverse global environments, making it an excellent model for investigating species responses to climate change. In this study, we performed population genomic analyses using genome resequencing data from 702 accessions of 24 Medicago species to unravel alfalfa's climatic adaptation and genetic susceptibility to future climate change. We found that interspecific genetic exchange has contributed to the gene pool of alfalfa, particularly enriching defense and stress-response genes. Intersubspecific introgression between M. sativa subsp. falcata (subsp. falcata) and alfalfa not only aids alfalfa's climatic adaptation but also introduces genetic burden. A total of 1671 genes were associated with climatic adaptation, and 5.7% of them were introgressions from subsp. falcata. By integrating climate-associated variants and climate data, we identified populations that are vulnerable to future climate change, particularly in higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. These findings serve as a clarion call for targeted conservation initiatives and breeding efforts. We also identified pre-adaptive populations that demonstrate heightened resilience to climate fluctuations, illuminating a pathway for future breeding strategies. Collectively, this study enhances our understanding about the local adaptation mechanisms of alfalfa and facilitates the breeding of climate-resilient alfalfa cultivars, contributing to effective agricultural strategies for facing future climate change.</p>","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"867-883"},"PeriodicalIF":27.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140863520","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Molecular PlantPub Date : 2024-06-03Epub Date: 2024-05-01DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.008
Liping Zeng, Maria Fernanda Gomez Mendez, Jingzhe Guo, Jishan Jiang, Bailong Zhang, Hao Chen, Brandon Le, Haiyan Ke, Katayoon Dehesh
{"title":"Activation of stress-response genes by retrograde signaling-mediated destabilization of nuclear importin IMPα-9 and its interactor TPR2.","authors":"Liping Zeng, Maria Fernanda Gomez Mendez, Jingzhe Guo, Jishan Jiang, Bailong Zhang, Hao Chen, Brandon Le, Haiyan Ke, Katayoon Dehesh","doi":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stress-induced retrograde signal transmission from the plastids to the nucleus has long puzzled plant biologists. To address this, we performed a suppressor screen of the ceh1 mutant, which contains elevated 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-2,4-cyclopyrophosphate (MEcPP) levels, and identified the gain-of-function mutant impα-9, which shows reversed dwarfism and suppressed expression of stress-response genes in the ceh1 background despite heightened MEcPP. Subsequent genetic and biochemical analyses established that the accumulation of MEcPP initiates an upsurge in Arabidopsis SKP1-like 1 (ASK1) abundance, a pivotal component in the proteasome degradation pathway. This increase in ASK1 prompts the degradation of IMPα-9. Moreover, we uncovered a protein-protein interaction between IMPα-9 and TPR2, a transcriptional co-suppressor and found that a reduction in IMPα-9 levels coincides with a decrease in TPR2 abundance. Significantly, the interaction between IMPα-9 and TPR2 was disrupted in impα-9 mutants, highlighting the critical role of a single amino acid alteration in maintaining their association. Disruption of their interaction results in the reversal of MEcPP-associated phenotypes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with sequencing analyses revealed that TPR2 binds globally to stress-response genes and suggested that IMPα-9 associates with the chromatin. They function together to suppress the expression of stress-response genes under normal conditions, but this suppression is alleviated in response to stress through the degradation of the suppressing machinery. The biological relevance of our discoveries was validated under high light stress, marked by MEcPP accumulation, elevated ASK1 levels, IMPα-9 degredation, reduced TPR2 abundance, and subsequent activation of a network of stress-response genes. In summary, our study collectively unveils fresh insights into plant adaptive mechanisms, highlighting intricate interactions among retrograde signaling, the proteasome, and nuclear transport machinery.</p>","PeriodicalId":19012,"journal":{"name":"Molecular Plant","volume":" ","pages":"884-899"},"PeriodicalIF":27.5,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140861083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}