AoB Plants最新文献

{"title":"Exitrons: offering new roles to retained introns - the novel regulators of protein diversity and utility","authors":"Muhammed Shamnas v, Akanksha Singh, Anuj Kumar, Gyan Prakash Mishra, Subodh Kumar Sinha","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae014","url":null,"abstract":"Exitrons are exonic-introns. This subclass of intron-retention alternative splicing does not contain a Pre-Terminating stop Codon. Therefore, when retained, they are always a part of a protein. Intron retention is a frequent phenomenon predominantly found in plants, which results in either the degradation of the transcripts or can serve as a stable intermediate to be processed upon induction by specific signals or the cell status. Interestingly, exitrons have coding ability and may confer additional attributes to the proteins that retain them. Therefore, exitron-containing and exitron-spliced isoforms will be a driving force for creating protein diversity in the proteome of an organism. This review establishes a basic understanding of exitron, discussing its genesis, key features, identification methods, and functions. We also try to depict its other potential roles. The present review also aims to provide a fundamental background to those who found such exitronic sequences in their gene(s) and to speculate the future course of studies.","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140203302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does stomatal patterning in amphistomatous leaves minimize the CO2 diffusion path length within leaves?","authors":"Jacob L Watts, Graham J Dow, Thomas N Buckley, Christopher D Muir","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae015","url":null,"abstract":"Photosynthesis is co-limited by multiple factors depending on the plant and its environment. These include biochemical rate limitations, internal and external water potentials, temperature, irradiance, and carbon dioxide (CO2). Amphis- tomatous leaves have stomata on both abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces. This feature is considered an adaptation to alleviate CO2 diffusion limitations in pro- ductive environments as the diffusion path length from stomate to chloroplast is effectively halved in amphistomatous leaves. Plants may also reduce CO2 limitations through other aspects of optimal stomatal anatomy: stomatal den- sity, distribution, patterning, and size. A number of studies have demonstrated that stomata are overdispersed compared to a random distribution on a sin- gle leaf surface; however, despite their prevelance in nature and near ubiquity among crop species, much less is known about stomatal anatomy in amphis- tomatous leaves, especially the coordination between leaf surfaces. Here we use novel spatial statistics based on simulations and photosynthesis modeling to test hypotheses about how amphistomatous plants may optimize CO2 diffusion in the model angiosperm Arabidopsis thaliana grown in different light environ- ments. We find that 1) stomata are overdispersed, but not ideally dispersed, on both leaf surfaces across all light treatments; 2) the patterning of stomata on abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces is independent; and 3) the theoretical im- provements to photosynthesis from abaxial-adaxial stomatal coordination are miniscule (≪ 1%) across the range of feasible parameter space. However, we also find that 4) stomatal size is correlated with the mesophyll volume that it supplies with CO2, suggesting that plants may optimize CO2 diffusion limita- tions through alternative pathways other than ideal, uniform stomatal spacing. We discuss the developmental, physical, and evolutionary constraits which may prohibit plants from reaching this theoretical adaptive peak of uniform stomatal spacing and inter-surface stomatal coordination. These findings contribute to our understanding of variation in the anatomy of amphistomatous leaves.","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140203106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Symbiotic fungi from a wild grass (Celtica gigantea) increase the growth, grain yield and quality of tritordeum under field conditions","authors":"Iñigo Zabalgogeazcoa, Juan B Arellano, Elena Mellado-Ortega, Francisco Barro, Ana Martinez-Castilla, Virginia Gonzalez-Blanco, Beatriz R Vázquez de Aldana","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae013","url":null,"abstract":"Plants function in symbiosis with numerous microorganisms, which might contribute to their adaptation and performance. In this study, we tested whether fungal strains in symbiotic interaction with roots of Celtica gigantea, a wild grass adapted to nutrient-poor soils in semiarid habitats, could improve the field performance of the agricultural cereal tritordeum (Triticum durum x Hordeum chilense). Seedlings of tritordeum were inoculated with 12 different fungal strains isolated from roots of Celtica gigantea that were first proved to promote growth of tritordeum plants under greenhouse conditions. The inoculated seedlings were transplanted to field plots at two locations belonging to different climatic zones in terms of mean temperatures and precipitation in the Iberian Peninsula. Only one strain, Diaporthe iberica T6, had a significant effect on plant height, number of tillers and grain yield in one location. This result showed a substantial divergence between the results of greenhouse and field tests. In terms of grain nutritional quality, several parameters were differentially affected at both locations: Diaporthe T6, Pleosporales T7, Zygomycota T29 and Zygomycota T80 increased the content of total carotenoids, mainly lutein, in the colder location; whereas gluten proteins increased with several treatments in the warmer location. In conclusion, early inoculation of tritordeum plants with fungal symbionts had substantial beneficial effects on subsequent plant growth and development in the field. Regarding grain nutritional quality, the effect of inoculation was affected by the agroclimatic differences between both field locations.","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140147438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Schizachyrium scoparium (C4) better tolerates drought than Andropogon gerardii (C4) via constant CO2 supply for photosynthesis during water stress","authors":"Alina Dekirmenjian, Diego Montano, Michelle L Budny, Nathan P Lemoine","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae012","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change is dramatically altering global precipitation patterns across terrestrial ecosystems, making it critically important that we understand both how and why plant species vary in their drought sensitivities. Andropogon gerardii and Schizachyrium scoparium, both C4 grasses, provide a model system for understanding the physiological mechanisms that determine how species of a single functional type can differ in drought responses, an issue remains a critical gap in our ability to model and predict the impacts of drought on grassland ecosystems. Despite the greater lability of foliar water content, previous experiments have demonstrated that S. scoparium maintains higher photosynthetic capacity during droughts. It is therefore likely that the ability of S. scoparium to withstand drought instead derives from a greater metabolic resistance to drought. Here, we tested the following hypotheses: (H1) Andropogon gerardii is more vulnerable to drought than S. scoparium at both the population and organismal levels, (H2) Andropogon gerardii is less stomatally-flexible than S. scoparium, and (H3) Andropogon gerardii is more metabolically-limited than S. scoparium. Our results indicate that it is actually stomatal limitations of CO2 supply that limit A. gerardii photosynthesis during drought. Schizachyrium scoparium was more drought-resistant than A. gerardii based on long-term field data, organismal biomass production, and physiological gas exchange measurements. While both S. scoparium and A. gerardii avoided metabolic limitation of photosynthesis, CO2 supply of A. gerardii was greatly reduced during late-stage drought stress. That two common, co-occurring C4 species possess such different responses to drought highlights the physiological variability inherent within plant functional groups and underscores the need for more studies of C4 drought tolerance.","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140098181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vertebrates can be more important pollinators than invertebrates on islands: the case of <i>Malva (=Lavatera) arborea</i> L.","authors":"Cristina Robles, Víctor Romero-Egea, Anna Traveset, Rocío Ruiz de Ybáñez, Sandra Hervías-Parejo","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae010","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aobpla/plae010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Premise of the study:</i> On islands, flowering plants tend to be more generalist in their pollination needs, as insects (the main pollinators of flowering plants) are underrepresented in these ecosystems compared to the mainland. In addition, some vertebrate species that are typically insectivorous or granivorous on the mainland are forced to broaden their diet and consume other resources such as nectar or pollen on the islands. The shrub <i>Malva arborea</i>, with its large and colourful flowers, attracts different groups of potential pollinators. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of vertebrates versus insects in an insular population of <i>M. arborea</i> and to investigate its reproductive system. <i>Methods:</i> For three groups of taxa (insects, birds and lizards), we assessed the two components of pollination effectiveness: (i) the quantitative component (i.e. number of visits and number of flowers contacted) through direct observations of flowers; and (ii) the qualitative component (fruit and seed set, number and size of seeds and proportion of seedling emergence) through pollinator exclusion experiments. <i>Key results:</i> Vertebrates (birds and lizards) were quantitatively the most effective pollinators, followed by insects. However, when all three groups visited the flowers, fruit and seed set were higher than when any of them were excluded. We also found that <i>M. arborea</i> has hermaphrodite flowers and is able to reproduce by autogamy, although less efficiently than when pollinated by animals. <i>Conclusions:</i> Both vertebrates and insects play an important role in the reproduction of <i>M. arborea</i>. Although the plant does not need pollinators to produce seeds, its reproductive success increases when all pollinators are allowed to visit the flowers. Besides providing new information on <i>M. arborea,</i> these findings may help to better understand the role of different pollinator groups in the reproduction of other plant species, especially on islands where the co-occurrence of vertebrate and invertebrate pollination in the same plant species is usual.</p>","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10944019/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140144379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and application of an inexpensive open-source dendrometer for detecting xylem water potential and radial stem growth at high spatial and temporal resolution.","authors":"Sean M Gleason, Jared J Stewart, Brendan Allen, Stephanie K Polutchko, Jordan McMahon, Daniel Spitzer, David M Barnard","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae009","DOIUrl":"10.1093/aobpla/plae009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is currently a need for inexpensive, continuous, non-destructive water potential measurements at high temporal resolution (<1 min). We describe here the development and testing of an entirely open-source dendrometer that, when combined with periodic Scholander pressure chamber measurements, provides sub-minute resolution estimates of water potential when placed on tissues exhibiting little or no secondary growth (petioles, monocotyledon stems). The dendrometer can also be used to measure radial growth of stems and branches when placed on dicotyledon and gymnosperm species. The dendrometer can be interfaced directly with a computer in real time in the lab or greenhouse, or connected to a datalogger for long periods of use in the field on batteries. We tested this device on a herbaceous dicotyledon (<i>Helianthus annuus</i>) (petioles and stems) and a monocotyledon (<i>Zea mays</i>) species (stems) for 1 week during dehydration and re-watering treatments under laboratory conditions. We also demonstrated the ability of the device to record branch and trunk diameter variation of a woody dicotyledon (<i>Rhus typhina</i>) in the field. Under laboratory conditions, we compared our device (hereafter 'contact' dendrometer) with modified versions of another open-source dendrometer (the 'optical' dendrometer). Overall, contact and optical dendrometers were well aligned with one another, with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.77 to 0.97. Both dendrometer devices were well aligned with direct measurements of xylem water potential, with calibration curves exhibiting significant non-linearity, especially at water potentials near the point of incipient plasmolysis, with pseudo <i>R</i>² values (Efron) ranging from 0.89 to 0.99. Overall, both dendrometers were comparable and provided sufficient resolution to detect subtle differences in stem water potential (ca. 50 kPa) resulting from light-induced changes in transpiration, vapour pressure deficit and drying/wetting soils. All hardware designs, alternative configurations, software and build instructions for the contact dendrometers are provided.</p>","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10953470/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140177353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Selfing in epiphytic bromeliads compensates for the limited pollination services provided by nectarivorous bats in a neotropical montane forest","authors":"Stephanie Núñez-Hidalgo, Alfredo Cascante-Marín","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae011","url":null,"abstract":"Plants with specialized pollination systems frequently exhibit adaptations for self-pollination, and this contradictory situation has been explained in terms of the reproductive assurance function of selfing. In the Neotropics, several plant lineages rely on specialized vertebrate pollinators for sexual reproduction, including the highly diverse Bromeliaceae family, which also displays a propensity for selfing. Thus far, the scarce evidence on the role of selfing in bromeliads and in other neotropical plant groups is inconclusive. To provide insights into the evolution and persistence of self-fertilization in the breeding systems of Bromeliaceae, we studied four sympatric epiphytic species from the genus Werauhia (Tillandsioideae) in Costa Rica. We documented their floral biology, pollination ecology, and breeding systems. We estimated the contribution of selfing by comparing the reproductive success between emasculated flowers requiring pollinator visits and unmanipulated flowers capable of selfing and exposed to open pollination across two flowering seasons. The studied species displayed specialized pollination by nectar-feeding bats as well as a high selfing ability (autofertility index values &amp;gt; 0.53), which was attained by a delayed selfing mechanism. Fruit set from natural cross-pollination was low (&amp;lt;26% in both years) and suggested limited pollinator visitation. In line with this, we found a very low bat visitation to flowers using video-camera recording, from 0 to 0.24 visits per plant per night. On the contrary, the contribution of selfing was comparatively significant since 54-80% of the fruit set from unmanipulated flowers can be attributed to autonomous self-pollination. We concluded that inadequate cross-pollination services diminished the reproductive success of the studied Werauhia, which was compensated for by a delayed selfing mechanism. The low negative effects of inbreeding on seed set and germination likely reinforce the persistence of selfing in this bromeliad group. These results suggest that selfing in bat-pollinated bromeliads may have evolved as a response to pollinator limitation.","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139977345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of life cycle and venation pattern on the coordination between stomatal and vein densities of herbs","authors":"Guolan Liu, Peili Fu, Qinggong Mao, Jiangbao Xia, Wanli Zhao","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae007","url":null,"abstract":"Background and Aims Life cycle (annual vs perennial) and leaf venation pattern (parallel and reticular) are known to be related to water use strategies in herb species and critical adaptation to certain climatic conditions. However, the effect of these two traits and how they influence the coordination between vein density (vein length per area, VLA) and stomatal density (SD) remains unclear. Methods In this study, we examined the leaves of 53 herb species from a subtropical botanical garden in Guangdong Province, China, including herbs with different life cycle and leaf venation pattern. We assessed 21 leaf water related functional traits for all species, including leaf area (LA), major and minor VLA, major and minor vein diameter (VD), SD, and stomatal length (SL). Key Results The results showed no significant differences in mean SD and SL between either functional group (parallel venation vs reticular venation and annual vs perennial). However, parallel vein herbs and perennial herbs displayed a significantly higher mean LA and minor VD, and lower minor VLA compared to reticular vein herbs and annual herbs, respectively. There was a linear correlation between total VLA and SD in perennial and reticular vein herbs, but this kind of correlation was not found in annual and parallel vein herbs. The major VLA and minor VD were significantly affected by the interaction between life cycle and leaf venation pattern. Conclusions Our findings suggested that VLA, rather than SD, may serve as a more adaptable structure regulated by herbaceous plants to support the coordination between leaf water supply and demand in the context of different life cycles and leaf venation patterns. The results of the present study provide mechanistic understandings of functional advantages of different leaf types, which may involve in species fitness in community assembly and divergent responses to climate changes.","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139947707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide investigation of SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE genes in Liriodendron and functional characterization of LcSPL2","authors":"Yu Zhang, Qinghua Hu, Xinyu Zhai, Zhonghua Tu, Jing Wang, Minxin Wang, Huogen Li","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae008","url":null,"abstract":"Premise The plant-specific SQUAMOSA promoter-binding protein-like (SPL) transcription factors play a pivotal role in various developmental processes, including leaf morphogenesis and vegetative-to-reproductive phase transition. Liriodendron chinense and Liriodendron tulipifera are widely used in landscaping due to their tulip-like flowers and peculiar leaves. However, the SPL gene family in Liriodendron has not been identified and systematically characterized. Methods We systematically identified and characterized the SPLs family members in Liriodendron, including phylogeny, gene structure, syntenic analyses. Subsequently, we quantified the expression patterns of LcSPLs across various tissue sites through RT-qPCR assays, hence identified the target gene, LcSPL2. Finally, we characterized the functions of LcSPL2 via ectopic transformation. Results Altogether, 17 LcSPL and 18 LtSPL genes were genome-widely identified in L. chinense and L. tulipifera respectively. All the 35 SPLs were grouped into nine clades. Both species had three SPL gene pairs arising from segmental duplication events, and the LcSPLs displayed high collinearity with the L. tulipifera genome. RT-qPCR assays showed that SPL genes were differentially expressed in different tissues, especially. Because LcSPL2 is highly expressed in pistils and leaves, it was selected to describe the SPL gene family of L. chinense by ectopic expression. We showed that overexpression of LcSPL2 in Arabidopsis thaliana resulted in earlier flowering and fewer rosette leaves. Moreover, we observed that overexpression of LcSPL2 in A. thaliana up-regulated the expression levels of four genes related to flower development. Conclusions This study identified SPL genes in Liriodendron and characterized the function of LcSPL2 in advancing flower development.","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139956852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to: Degeneration of oil bodies by rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER)-associated protein during seed germination in <i>Cannabis sativa</i> L.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/aobpla/plae006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plad082.].</p>","PeriodicalId":48955,"journal":{"name":"AoB Plants","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10860383/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139730801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}