Samar G Thabet, Fatmah Ahmed Safhi, Andreas Börner, Ahmad M Alqudah
{"title":"Genetic associations determine the effects of intergenerational and transgenerational stress memory for salinity exposure histories in barley.","authors":"Samar G Thabet, Fatmah Ahmed Safhi, Andreas Börner, Ahmad M Alqudah","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03404-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-024-03404-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Enhancing salt tolerance genetically through defining the genetic and physiological mechanisms intergenerational and transgenerational stress memory that contributes to sustainable agriculture by reducing the reliance on external inputs such as irrigation and improving the adaptability of barley to changing climate conditions. Salinity stress poses a substantial challenge to barley production worldwide, adversely affecting crop yield, quality, and agricultural sustainability. To address this, the present study utilized a genome-wide association san (GWAS) to identify genetic associations underlying intergenerational and transgenerational stress memory in response to salinity in a diverse panel of 138 barley accessions. We compared seeds from a second-generation group without salinity exposure (C1C2) to seeds from groups that experienced single-generation salt stress two generations ago (S1C2; transgenerational memory) or one generation ago (C1S2; intergenerational memory), as well as seeds from a group exposed to salinity across both generations (S1S2; combined memory effects). Our results revealed that historical salt stress, irrespective of the number of prior generations affected, induced significant changes in traits such as spike length, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, grain weight, thousand-kernel weight, and markedly increment in antioxidant components levels of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. These findings indicate that prior exposure to salinity leaves lasting physiological and biochemical effects that enhance the plant's ability to respond to subsequent stress. Notably, the GWAS analysis identified highly significant genetic associations and candidate genes such as HORVU.MOREX.r3.4HG0383450 linked to most of these traits under salinity exposure histories. In conclusion, intergenerational and transgenerational stress memory plays a pivotal role in enhancing barley's salt tolerance, offering valuable insights for breeding programs aimed at developing resilient barley cultivars.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142953148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yefei Li, Hong Chen, Xinping Kong, Yuying Yin, Ji Li, Kunlin Wu, Songjun Zeng, Lin Fang
{"title":"Excessive accumulation of auxin inhibits protocorm development during germination of Paphiopedilum spicerianum.","authors":"Yefei Li, Hong Chen, Xinping Kong, Yuying Yin, Ji Li, Kunlin Wu, Songjun Zeng, Lin Fang","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03419-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-024-03419-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Excessive auxin accumulation inhibits protocorm development during germination of Paphiopedilum spicerianum, delaying shoot meristem formation by downregulating boundary genes (CUC1, CUC2, CLV3) and promoting fungal colonization, essential for seedling establishment. Paphiopedilum, possess high horticultural and conservational value. Asymbiotic germination is a common propagation method, but high rates of protocorm developmental arrest hinder seedling establishment. Our study found that the key difference between normally developing protocorm (NDP) and arrested developmental protocorm (ADP) is their capability for continuous cell differentiation. In ADP, cells divide without differentiating, with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels being 20 times higher than that in NDP. This suggests that auxin level plays a role in protocorm cell fate determination. Exogenous application of NAA demonstrated that elevated auxin level can delay the formation of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) inside the protocorm. Gene expression analysis revealed that elevated auxin can inhibit or even halt the SAM formation through down-regulation of SAM-related genes such as CLV3, CUC1 and CUC2. High auxin levels also led to reduced cell wall rigidity by up-regulation of cell wall expanding protein (EXPB15), thereby creating ideal conditions for fungi entry. Inoculation with a compatible orchid mycorrhizal fungus (OMF) resulted in successful cell differentiation of ADP and eventually triggered the conversion of ADP to NDP. Since the protocorm is a distinct structure that facilitates the establishment of symbiotic associations with compatible OMF, we propose that the excessive auxin accumulation inside Paphiopedilum protocorm can pause the further development of protocorm and soften the cell wall. This strategy likely serves to enhance the attraction and colonization by OMFs in the native habitat of Paphiopedilum, facilitating essential symbiotic relationships necessary for their survival and growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"23"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143046268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing virus-mediated genome editing for cultivated tomato through low temperature.","authors":"Ga Hui Kang, Yujung Ko, Je Min Lee","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03392-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-024-03392-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Viral vector-mediated gene editing is enhanced for cultivated tomato under low temperature conditions, enabling higher mutation rates, heritable, and virus-free gene editing for efficient breeding. The CRISPR/Cas system, a versatile gene-editing tool, has revolutionized plant breeding by enabling precise genetic modifications. The development of robust and efficient genome-editing tools for crops is crucial for their application in plant breeding. In this study, we highly improved virus-induced genome-editing (VIGE) system for cultivated tomato. Vectors of tobacco rattle virus (TRV) and potato virus X (PVX) were used to deliver sgRNA targeting phytoene desaturase (SlPDS), along with mobile RNA sequences of tFT or tRNA<sup>Ileu</sup>, into Cas9-overexpressing cultivated tomato (S. lycopersicum cv. Moneymaker). Our results demonstrate that low temperature significantly enhanced viral vector-mediated gene editing efficiency in both cotyledons and systemic upper leaves. However, no mutant progeny was obtained from TRV- and PVX301-infected MM-Cas9 plants. To address this challenge, we employed tissue culture techniques and found that low-temperature incubations at the initiation stage of tissue culture lead to enhanced editing efficiency in both vectors, resulting in a higher mutation rate (> 70%) of SlPDS in regenerated plants. Heritable gene-edited and virus-free progenies were successfully identified. This study presents a straightforward approach to enhance VIGE efficiency and the expeditious production of gene-edited lines in tomato breeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"22"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143047734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shuping Zhao, Chuyan Zhang, Jiao Jiao, Yao Zhang, Tao Jiang, Peng Wu, Kai Feng, Liangjun Li
{"title":"The transcription factor NnNAC100 positively regulates amylopectin biosynthesis by activating NnSBEII in the rhizome of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.","authors":"Shuping Zhao, Chuyan Zhang, Jiao Jiao, Yao Zhang, Tao Jiang, Peng Wu, Kai Feng, Liangjun Li","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03408-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-024-03408-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>NnNAC100-NnSBEII modules enhance starch content of the rhizome in Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. is a popular aquatic vegetable and traditional Chinese medicine whose quality and taste are mainly determined by the starch. Although starch-related genes have been functionally characterized, the regulated mechanism of enzyme (SBE) remains unclear. In this study, we identified and functionally elucidated the functions of NnSBEII and NnNAC100 using transient overexpression of NnSBEII and NnNAC100 in rhizomes of lotus, and it significantly increased the amylopectin content and total starch content. Accordingly, functional complementation assay in defective Arabidopsis also showed that NnSBEII compensated for the low content of starch in the mutant sbe2.2. In addition, overexpression of NnSBEII and NnNAC100 significantly increased the content of starch in transgenic lines. Consistently, opposite results were observed under the background of repressed NnSBEII and NnNAC100 in rhizomes of lotus. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays revealed that NnNAC100 could directly bind to the NnSBEII promoter and promote the expression of NnSBEII. Transient overexpression of NnNAC100 upregulated NnSBEII expression significantly, while the expression level of AtSBE2.2 in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing NnNAC100 was higher than that of WT, which indicated that NnNAC100 promoted the synthesis of amylopectin by enhancing the expression of NnSBEII. In addition, we found that NnSBEII could form a complex protein by interacting with soluble starch synthase (NnSS2) to increase the activity of the SBEII enzyme. These results reveal a novel mechanism that the NnNAC100-NnSBEII-NnSBEII/NnSS2 module regulates amylopectin biosynthesis and these will provide insights into the broader implications of the regulation mechanism of starch biosynthesis.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"21"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142922606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Auxin promotes chloroplast division by increasing the expression of chloroplast division genes.","authors":"Yixuan Wang, Zhongyang Zhou, Xiaomin Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03415-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-024-03415-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Auxin stimulates chloroplast division by upregulating the expression of genes involved in chloroplast division and influencing the positioning of chloroplast division rings. Chloroplasts divide by binary fission, forming a ring complex at the division site. Auxin, particularly indole acetic acid (IAA), significantly influences various aspects of plant growth. However, the impact of auxin on chloroplast division remains unclear. In this study, different concentrations of exogenous IAA were applied to wild Arabidopsis thaliana. The results showed that the number and size differences of chloroplasts in the cells of Arabidopsis thaliana treated with high concentrations of IAA increased compared to untreated plants. Further investigation revealed that high concentrations of IAA affected the expression of chloroplast division genes and the formation of division rings. In chloroplast division mutants, the effect of IAA on promoting chloroplast division is impaired. Defects of IAA synthetic gene also lead to a reduced effect of IAA on chloroplast division. Our findings demonstrate that auxin influences chloroplast division by regulating the expressions of chloroplast division genes and affecting the localization of division rings. These results are significant for further exploring the relationship between auxin and chloroplast division.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"20"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142910323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Small molecules inhibiting EPHEMERAL1 to extend flower longevity by regulating petal senescence.","authors":"Vipasha Verma, Bhavya Bhargava","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03403-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-024-03403-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Everlastin1 and Everlastin2, potent inhibitors of EPH1, were identified through a wheat cell-free chemical-screening system. This innovative platform enables the development of small molecules that target 'undruggable' transcription factors. By specifically targeting the EPH1 pathway, these inhibitors delay petal senescence, extending the longevity and quality of ornamental flowers. This approach offers a precise alternative to traditional postharvest treatments. Moreover, this chemical discovery strategy can be applied to develop inhibitors for other agriculturally important traits and disease-related transcription factors, opening up broad applications in floriculture, agriculture, and beyond.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142910331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characterization of the wall-associated kinase (WAK) gene family in Gossypium barbadense reveals the positive role of GbWAK5 in salt tolerance.","authors":"Zhiqiang Zhang, Wenyu Ma, Haijuan Wang, Zhongying Ren, Yangai Liu, Kunlun He, Fei Zhang, Wuwei Ye, Wenqi Huo, Wei Li, Xiongfeng Ma, Daigang Yang","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03407-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-024-03407-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>We characterized the WAK gene family in Gossypium barbadense and revealed the potential function of GbWAK5 in regulating salt tolerance by modulating ion homeostasis. Soil salinization is one of the main factors restricting cotton production. Although the role of the wall-associated kinases (WAKs) in plants has been extensively studied, its response to salt stress in sea-island cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) has not been reported. Here, we conducted a whole-genome analysis of the WAK gene family in G. barbadense, identifying a total of 70 GbWAK genes, which were classified into five clades. Segmental and tandem duplication events have contributed to the expansion of the GbWAK gene family. A large number of cis-acting elements were predicted in the GbWAK promoter region. Through RNA sequencing, 37 GbWAKs that potentially play a role in cotton's response to salt stress were screened out, among which 10 genes with sustained up-regulated expression were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). GbWAK5, a member of Clade II, was significantly up-regulated following NaCl treatment and exhibited a typical WAK structure. Subcellular localization indicated that GbWAK5 is localized on the plasma membrane. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) experiments revealed that the knockdown of GbWAK5 resulted in more severe dehydration and wilting in plants compared to the control under NaCl treatment. RNA-seq analysis revealed that several ion transport-related genes were down-regulated in TRV:GbWAK5 plants under salt stress, while TRV:GbWAK5 plants accumulated more Na<sup>+</sup> and exhibited a higher Na<sup>+</sup>/K<sup>+</sup> ratio compared to TRV:00 plants. These results offer a comprehensive analysis of the G. barbadense WAK gene family for the first time, and conclude that GbWAK5 is a promising gene for improving cotton's resistance to salt stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142910325","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The GRAS transcription factor OsGRAS2 negatively impacts salt tolerance in rice.","authors":"Ao Ma, Tian-Jing Wang, Haoran Wang, Peng Guo, Xiaoyuan Peng, Xiaohang Wang, Ganghua Zhou, Wenxin Liu, Dongxiao Zhou, Jie Wang, Zheng-Yi Xu","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03413-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-024-03413-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Transcription factor OsGRAS2 regulates salt stress tolerance and yield in rice. Plant-specific GRAS transcription factors are involved in many different aspects of plant growth and development, as well as in biotic and abiotic stress responses, although whether and how they participate in salt stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa) remains unclear. A screen of a previously generated set of activation-tagged lines revealed that Activation Tagging Line 63 (AC63) displayed a salt stress-sensitive phenotype. Subsequent thermal asymmetric interlace polymerase chain reaction (TAIL-PCR) showed that AC63 was due to overexpression of OsGRAS2. Ectopic overexpression of OsGRAS2 caused increased salt stress sensitivity, while osgras2 loss-of-function lines displayed salt stress-resistant phenotypes. Further, we observed that OsGRAS2 impacts Na<sup>+</sup> and K<sup>+</sup> ion homeostasis in the shoots. Mutation of OsGRAS2 increased salt tolerance without yield penalty. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that OsGRAS2 belonged to the LISCL subfamily of GRAS transcription factors and had high amino acid similarity to OsGRAS23. Both OsGRAS2 and OsGRAS23 underwent homomeric and heteromeric interactions, indicating that they formed homo- and hetero-dimers. Moreover, OsGRAS2 and OsGRAS23 showed transcriptional activation activity that was mostly governed by motif1, which was located at the N-terminal region. Further, we found OsGRAS2 binds to the OsWRKY53 promoter to increase its expression, thereby negatively impacting the OsHKT1;5 expression. This study demonstrates a novel insight into how LISCL subfamily GRAS transcription factors impact salt stress tolerance in rice.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"17"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142910335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Plant extracellular vesicles contribute to the amplification of immune signals during systemic acquired resistance.","authors":"Wenjing Wang, Junsong Zhang, Liying Pan, Zijia Liu, Weiwei Yi, Xiaolong Xing, Linlin Bai, Qiao Liu, Qingbin Chen, Lingyu Mi, Qingfeng Zhou, Dongli Pei, Hang Gao","doi":"10.1007/s00299-024-03417-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00299-024-03417-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key message: </strong>Plant extracellular vesicles play a role in systemic acquired resistance by facilitating the transmission of immune signals between plant cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a critical role in facilitating the transfer of nucleic acids and proteins between plants and pathogens. However, the involvement of plant EVs in intercellular communication and their contribution to the regulation of physiological and pathological conditions in plants remains unclear. In this study, we isolated EVs from the apoplast of Arabidopsis plants induced by systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and conducted proteomic and physiological analyses to investigate the role of EVs in SAR. The results demonstrated that plant cells are capable of internalizing EVs, and EV secretion was enhanced in SAR-induced plants. EVs isolated from SAR-induced plants effectively inhibited the spore production of Botrytis cinerea, activated the transcription of several SAR marker genes, and improved plant resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). Several proteins associated with defense responses were enriched in EVs upon SAR induction. Among these, the receptor-like kinase H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-Induced Ca<sup>2+</sup> Increase 1 (HPCA1) was identified as a crucial component in SAR. In addition, plant EVs contained numerous proteins involved in the transmission of signals related to pathogen-associated molecular patterns-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Our findings suggest that plant EVs are functionally involved in the propagation of SAR signals and may play diverse roles in plant immune responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":20204,"journal":{"name":"Plant Cell Reports","volume":"44 1","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142910328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}