The Plant CellPub Date : 2024-04-04DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae106
Ze Li, Zerui Li, Yulong Ji, Chunyu Wang, Shufang Wang, Yiting Shi, Jie Le, Mei Zhang
{"title":"The Heat shock factor 20–HSF4–Cellulose synthase A2 module regulates heat stress tolerance in maize","authors":"Ze Li, Zerui Li, Yulong Ji, Chunyu Wang, Shufang Wang, Yiting Shi, Jie Le, Mei Zhang","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koae106","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae106","url":null,"abstract":"Temperature shapes the geographical distribution and behavior of plants. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying the plant heat response is important for developing climate-resilient crops, including maize (Zea mays). To identify transcription factors that may contribute to the maize heat response, we generated a dataset of short- and long-term transcriptome changes following a heat treatment time course in the inbred line B73. Co-expression network analysis highlighted several transcription factors, including the class B2a heat shock factor (HSF) ZmHSF20. Zmhsf20 mutant seedlings exhibited enhanced tolerance to heat stress. Furthermore, DNA affinity purification sequencing and Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation (CUT&Tag) assays demonstrated that ZmHSF20 binds to the promoters of Cellulose synthase A2 (ZmCesA2) and three class A Hsf genes, including ZmHsf4, repressing their transcription. We showed that ZmCesA2 and ZmHSF4 promote the heat response, with ZmHSF4 directly activating ZmCesA2 transcription. In agreement with the transcriptome analysis, ZmHSF20 inhibited cellulose accumulation and repressed the expression of cell wall–related genes. Importantly, the Zmhsf20 Zmhsf4 double mutant exhibited decreased thermotolerance, placing ZmHsf4 downstream of ZmHsf20. We proposed an expanded model of the heat stress response in maize, whereby ZmHSF20 lowers seedling heat tolerance by repressing ZmHsf4 and ZmCesA2, thus balancing seedling growth and defense.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140349145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2024-04-03DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae102
Matthias Ostermeier, Adriana Garibay-Hernández, Victoria J C Holzer, Michael Schroda, Jörg Nickelsen
{"title":"Structure, biogenesis and evolution of thylakoid membranes","authors":"Matthias Ostermeier, Adriana Garibay-Hernández, Victoria J C Holzer, Michael Schroda, Jörg Nickelsen","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koae102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae102","url":null,"abstract":"Cyanobacteria and chloroplasts of algae and plants harbor specialized thylakoid membranes that convert sunlight into chemical energy. These membranes house photosystems II and I, the vital protein-pigment complexes that drive oxygenic photosynthesis. In the course of their evolution, thylakoid membranes have diversified in structure. However, the core machinery for photosynthetic electron transport remained largely unchanged, with adaptations occurring primarily in the light-harvesting antenna systems. Whereas thylakoid membranes in cyanobacteria are relatively simple they become more complex in algae and plants. The chloroplasts of vascular plants contain intricate networks of stacked grana and unstacked stroma thylakoids. This review provides an in-depth view of thylakoid membrane architectures in phototrophs, and the determinants that shape their forms, as well as presenting recent insights into the spatial organization of their biogenesis and maintenance. Its overall goal is to define the underlying principles that have guided the evolution of these bioenergetic membranes.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140349150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2024-02-02DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae031
Chris Lowe
{"title":"Thank You to Reviewers and Editors for 2023","authors":"Chris Lowe","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koae031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae031","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139870431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2024-02-02DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae031
Chris Lowe
{"title":"Thank You to Reviewers and Editors for 2023","authors":"Chris Lowe","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koae031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae031","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139810365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2024-02-01DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae008
Lei Zhang, Qun Zhu, Yuanhua Tan, Miaomiao Deng, Lei Zhang, Yangrong Cao, Xiaoli Guo
{"title":"Mitogen-activated protein kinases MPK3 and MPK6 phosphorylate receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase CDL1 to regulate soybean basal immunity","authors":"Lei Zhang, Qun Zhu, Yuanhua Tan, Miaomiao Deng, Lei Zhang, Yangrong Cao, Xiaoli Guo","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koae008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koae008","url":null,"abstract":"Soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines Ichinohe), one of the most devastating soybean (Glycine max) pathogens, causes significant yield loss in soybean production. Nematode infection triggers plant defense responses; however, the components involved in the upstream signaling cascade remain largely unknown. In this study, we established that a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling module, activated by nematode infection or wounding, is crucial for soybeans to establish SCN resistance. GmMPK3 and GmMPK6 directly interact with CDG1-LIKE1 (GmCDL1), a member of the receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase (RLCK) subfamily VII. These kinases phosphorylate GmCDL1 at Thr-372 to prevent its proteasome-mediated degradation. Functional analysis demonstrated that GmCDL1 positively regulates immune responses and promotes SCN resistance in soybeans. GmMPK3-mediated and GmMPK6-mediated phosphorylation of GmCDL1 enhances GmMPK3 and GmMPK6 activation and soybean disease resistance, representing a positive feedback mechanism. Additionally, 2 L-type lectin receptor kinases, GmLecRK02g and GmLecRK08g, associate with GmCDL1 to initiate downstream immune signaling. Notably, our study also unveils the potential involvement of GmLecRKs and GmCDL1 in countering other soybean pathogens beyond nematodes. Taken together, our findings reveal the pivotal role of the GmLecRKs–GmCDL1–MAPK regulatory module in triggering soybean basal immune responses.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139660115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2023-12-20DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad315
Wen-qiu Wang, Xiao-fen Liu, Yong-jing Zhu, Jia-zhen Zhu, Chao Liu, Zhi-ye Wang, Xing-Xing Shen, Andrew C Allan, Xue-ren Yin
{"title":"Identification of miRNA858 long-loop precursors in seed plants","authors":"Wen-qiu Wang, Xiao-fen Liu, Yong-jing Zhu, Jia-zhen Zhu, Chao Liu, Zhi-ye Wang, Xing-Xing Shen, Andrew C Allan, Xue-ren Yin","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koad315","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad315","url":null,"abstract":"MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-protein-coding short transcripts that provide a layer of post-transcriptional regulation essential to many plant biological processes. MiR858, which targets the transcripts of MYB transcription factors, can affect a range of secondary metabolic processes. Although miR858 and its 187-nt precursor have been well studied in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), a systematic investigation of miR858 precursors and their functions across plant species is lacking due to a problem in identifying the transcripts that generate this sub-class. By re-evaluating the transcript of miR858 and relaxing the length cut-off for identifying hairpins, we found in kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) that miR858 has long-loop hairpins (1,100-2,100-nt), whose intervening sequences between miRNA generating complementary sites were longer than all previously reported miRNA hairpins. Importantly, these precursors of miR858 containing long-loop hairpins (termed MIR858L) are widespread in seed plants including Arabidopsis, varying between 350- and 5,500-nt. Moreover, we showed that MIR858L has a greater impact on proanthocyanidin and flavonol levels in both Arabidopsis and kiwifruit. We suggest that an active MIR858L-MYB regulatory module appeared in the transition of early land plants to large upright flowering plants, making a key contribution to plant secondary metabolism.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138770563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2023-12-19DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad314
Zhen Fan, Vance M Whitaker
{"title":"Genomic signatures of strawberry domestication and diversification","authors":"Zhen Fan, Vance M Whitaker","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koad314","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad314","url":null,"abstract":"Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) has a brief history of less than 300 years, beginning with the hybridization of octoploids F. chiloensis and F. virginiana. Here we explored the genomic signatures of early domestication and subsequent diversification for different climates using whole-genome sequences of 289 wild, heirloom and modern varieties from two major breeding programs in the US. Four non-admixed wild octoploid populations were identified, with recurrent introgression among the sympatric populations. The proportion of F. virginiana ancestry increased by 20% in modern varieties over initial hybrids, and the proportion of F. chiloensis subsp. pacifica rose from 0 to 3.4%. Effective population size rapidly declined during early breeding. Meanwhile, divergent selection for distinct environments reshaped wild allelic origins in 21 of 28 chromosomes. Overlapping divergent selective sweeps in natural and domesticated populations revealed 16 convergent genomic signatures that may be important for climatic adaptation. Despite 20 breeding cycles since initial hybridization, more than half of loci underlying yield and fruit size are still not under artificial selection. These insights add clarity to the domestication and breeding history of what is now the most widely cultivated fruit in the world.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138770564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2023-12-14DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad310
Samantha Vivia The, James P Santiago, Clara Pappenberger, Ulrich Z Hammes, Mechthild Tegeder
{"title":"UMAMIT44 is a key player in glutamate export from Arabidopsis chloroplasts","authors":"Samantha Vivia The, James P Santiago, Clara Pappenberger, Ulrich Z Hammes, Mechthild Tegeder","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koad310","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad310","url":null,"abstract":"Selective partitioning of amino acids among organelles, cells, tissues, and organs is essential for cellular metabolism and plant growth. Nitrogen assimilation into glutamine and glutamate and de novo biosynthesis of most protein amino acids occurs in chloroplasts; therefore, various transport mechanisms must exist to accommodate their directional efflux from the stroma to the cytosol and feed the amino acids into the extraplastidial metabolic and long-distance transport pathways. Yet, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) transporters functioning in plastidial export of amino acids remained undiscovered. Here, USUALLY MULTIPLE ACIDS MOVE IN AND OUT TRANSPORTER 44 (UMAMIT44) was identified and shown to function in glutamate export from Arabidopsis chloroplasts. UMAMIT44 controls glutamate homeostasis within and outside of chloroplasts and influences nitrogen partitioning from leaves to sinks. Glutamate imbalances in chloroplasts and leaves of umamit44 mutants impact cellular redox state, nitrogen and carbon metabolism, and amino acid and sucrose supply of growing sinks, leading to negative effects on plant growth. Nonetheless, the mutant lines adjust to some extent by upregulating alternative pathways for glutamate synthesis outside the plastids and by mitigating oxidative stress through the production of other amino acids and antioxidants. Overall, this study establishes that the role of UMAMIT44 in glutamate export from chloroplasts is vital for controlling nitrogen availability within source leaf cells and for sink nutrition, with impact on growth and seed yield.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138679124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The MBD–ACD DNA methylation reader complex recruits MICRORCHIDIA6 to regulate rRNA gene expression in Arabidopsis","authors":"Zhitong Ren, Runyu Gou, Wanqing Zhuo, Zhiyu Chen, Xiaochang Yin, Yuxin Cao, Yue Wang, Yingjie Mi, Yannan Liu, Yingxiang Wang, Liu-Min Fan, Xing Wang Deng, Weiqiang Qian","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koad313","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad313","url":null,"abstract":"DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark implicated in selective rRNA gene expression, but the DNA methylation readers and effectors remain largely unknown. Here, we report a protein complex that reads DNA methylation to regulate variant-specific 45S rRNA gene expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The complex, consisting of METHYL-CpG-BINDING DOMAIN PROTEIN5 (MBD5), MBD6, ALPHA-CRYSTALLIN DOMAIN PROTEIN15.5 (ACD15.5), and ACD21.4, directly binds to 45S rDNA. While MBD5 and MBD6 function redundantly, ACD15.5 and ACD21.4 are indispensable for variant-specific rRNA gene expression. These four proteins undergo phase separation in vitro and in vivo and are interdependent for their phase separation. The α-crystallin domain of ACD15.5 and ACD21.4, which is essential for their function, enables phase separation of the complex, likely by mediating multivalent protein interactions. The effector MICRORCHIDIA6 (MORC6) directly interacts with ACD15.5 and ACD21.4, but not with MBD5 and MBD6, and is recruited to 45S rDNA by the MBD–ACD complex to regulate variant-specific 45S rRNA expression. Our study reveals a pathway in Arabidopsis through which certain 45S rRNA gene variants are silenced, while others are activated.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138679282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Plant CellPub Date : 2023-12-12DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad308
Jie Wang, Norbert Bollier, Rafael Andrade Buono, Hannah Vahldick, Zongcheng Lin, Qiangnan Feng, Roman Hudecek, Qihang Jiang, Evelien Mylle, Daniel Van Damme, Moritz K Nowack
{"title":"A developmentally controlled cellular decompartmentalization process executes programmed cell death in the Arabidopsis root cap","authors":"Jie Wang, Norbert Bollier, Rafael Andrade Buono, Hannah Vahldick, Zongcheng Lin, Qiangnan Feng, Roman Hudecek, Qihang Jiang, Evelien Mylle, Daniel Van Damme, Moritz K Nowack","doi":"10.1093/plcell/koad308","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad308","url":null,"abstract":"Programmed cell death (PCD) is a fundamental cellular process crucial to development, homeostasis, and immunity in multicellular eukaryotes. In contrast to our knowledge on the regulation of diverse animal cell death subroutines, information on execution of PCD in plants remains fragmentary. Here we make use of the accessibility of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) root cap to visualize the execution process of developmentally controlled PCD. We identify a succession of selective decompartmentalization events and ion fluxes as part of the terminal differentiation program that is orchestrated by the NAC (NO APICAL MERISTEM, ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA ACTIVATING FACTOR, CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON) transcription factor SOMBRERO. Surprisingly, breakdown of the large central vacuole is a relatively late and variable event, preceded by an increase of intracellular calcium levels and acidification, release of mitochondrial matrix proteins, leakage of nuclear and endoplasmic reticulum lumina, and release of fluorescent membrane reporters into the cytosol. In analogy to animal apoptosis, the plasma membrane remains impermeable for proteins during and after PCD execution. Elevated intracellular calcium levels and acidification are sufficient to trigger cell death execution specifically in terminally differentiated root cap cells, suggesting that these ion fluxes act as PCD-triggering signals. This detailed information on the cellular processes occurring during developmental PCD in plants is a pivotal prerequisite for future research into the molecular mechanisms of cell death execution.","PeriodicalId":501012,"journal":{"name":"The Plant Cell","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138578309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}