Journal of Plant Biology最新文献

A heterogeneous distribution of nutrients in the soil always affects the development of crops. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of phenotypic differences between the high- and low-nitrogen side roots of maize in response to soil nitrogen heterogeneity using a multiomics approach. The transcriptome data show that 1147 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified on the high- and low-nitrogen sides roots, with 791 down-regulated and 356 up-regulated expressions, respectively, which were concentrated mainly in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway and the plant mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway. Metabolomics show that a total of 77 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected in the high- and low-nitrogen side roots, with 13 up-regulated and 64 dow-nregulated, respectively, and the analysis of the KEGG pathway showed that DAMs were mainly enriched in flavone and flavonol biosynthesis and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The combined analysis shows that the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway in plant hormone signal transduction was significantly different between the two sides of the roots. Jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-Ile) may be a key factor in the response of maize roots to soil nitrogen heterogeneity, and the transcription factors JAZ and MYC2 regulate this pathway. In summary, transcriptomics and metabolomics have improved our understanding of how nitrogen application patterns affect root development in agroecosystems and provide a scientific basis for precision fertilization for high crop productivity.

Stomata are small pores on the surface of plant leaves that play a critical role in regulating gas exchange and water loss. The development of stomata is a complex process regulated by a network of signaling pathways and regulatory factors. In this review, we discuss the major signaling pathways and regulatory factors involved in stomatal development, including the roles of the EPF ligands family, the TMM and ERECTA receptor complex, the MAPK cascade, and various bHLH transcription factors such as SPCH. The interconnections between these pathways and regulatory factors are also summarized, revealing a complex network of interactions that integrate signals from multiple sources. Although significant progress has been made in understanding stomatal development, there are still knowledge gaps. Future studies should focus on elucidating the precise processes of the interaction between regulatory factors and signaling pathways, investigating the function of epigenetic regulation in stomatal development, and understanding the impact of environmental cues on it. This review provides insights into the complex intricate network that underlies stomatal development.

Phosphite, a reduced form of phosphate, has been proposed to be a better source of phosphorus due to its high mobility in soil and can be used as an alternative fertilizer with herbicide for growing crops engineered with bacterial phosphite dehydrogenase protein from Pseudomonas stutzeri. This enzyme uses NAD as a cofactor and its overexpression could deplete the cellular NAD pool, creating pressure on other cellular biochemical reactions. To take advantage of both NAD and NADP, we mutated the native phosphite dehydrogenase gene for relaxed cofactor specificity and overexpressed it in rice plants. The engineered rice plants were found to metabolize phosphite efficiently. However, use of phosphite as a herbicide was not met by mutated phosphite dehydrogenase overexpressing plants as compared to the rice plants overexpressing wild type phosphite dehydrogenase. Therefore, we conclude that mutant phosphite dehydrogenase has potential industrial application for NADPH regeneration and its use for engineering crops for dual fertilization and weed control system is limited.

In rice (Oryza sativa L.), the root system plays different essential roles, from water and nutrient uptake to responding to environmental signals. The mechanisms underlying root development are complex and involve many phytohormones, of which auxin is the most important. This study investigates the involvement of OsGER4, a putative Germin-like protein, in auxin-mediated crown root development in rice. The expression study of OsGER4 in the crl1 mutant confirms that OsGER4 is connected to the CRL1 signaling pathway- a master regulator for crown root development. Transgenic rice carrying the promGER4::GUS reporter gene revealed that OsGER4 is mainly expressed in the initiation and emergence zone of the crown and lateral root, such as epidermal cell, vasculature, and primordia under auxin treatment condition. Moreover, fewer crown roots of osger4 knockout mutant lines than the wild type under auxin treatment suggests that OsGER4 might function as a regulator limiting auxin flux to root growth regions under stress conditions. Besides, protein localization experiments confirmed that OsGER4 localizes to plasmodesmata, which are intercellular channels that could facilitate auxin transport. Our findings suggest that OsGER4 might play a substantial role in regulating plasmodesmata conformation to regulate auxin flow resulting in crown root developmental in rice under stress conditions.

Environmental stresses have major impacts on the morphological, physiological, and biochemical processes of plants. Among these stresses, drought is the major one which greatly restricts crop productivity globally. When challenged by drought, plants promote the expression of ABA biosynthesis genes which results in ABA accumulation. Increase in ABA level promotes stomatal closure to increase plant’s adaptative response to drought stress. To handle and restrain the negative impact of drought stress, it is important to understand how plants respond to drought and the involvement of ABA in plant adaptation to drought stress at a molecular level. Under drought stress, ABA biosynthesis is the most significant event to protect plants from the dehydration stress. ABA biosynthesis is a complicated process that is mainly regulated by ABA biosynthetic enzymes. This review highlights the recent advancements in ABA biosynthesis and its involvement in plant adaptation to drought stress to improve their growth and development under water-deficient conditions.

Abstract

Plant secondary cell wall provides physical support for upright growth and transportation of water and nutrients. Detailed characterization of the molecular mechanism for SCW biosynthesis would be of great importance for breeding maize varieties. Cellulose, synthesized by the cellulose synthase complex (CSC), composed of cellulose synthase (CesA) proteins, is a main component of plant cell walls. However, CesA genes that are specific for SCW biosynthesis in maize were undefined. In our study, ZmCesA10, 11, and 12 were characterized to be responsible for SCW biosynthesis in maize. ZmCesA10, 11, and 12 interact with each other and are co-expressed in maize culms and roots. Mutants for ZmCesA10, 11, and 12, exhibited an increased culm brittleness, a reduced cell wall thickness, and cellulose content. We concluded that ZmCesA10, 11, and 12 would be markers for the SCW study, and finally this study helps in the construction of the molecular network for SCW biosynthesis in maize.

The carbon sequestration capacity of plants has been used as a nature-based solution to reduce carbon emissions. Perennial herbs potentially contribute to carbon sequestration by allocating carbon to belowground parts as well as trees. As individual-level estimations have mainly been carried out for tree species, individual-level carbon sequestration for understory perennial herb species is poorly understood. To estimate the below- and aboveground carbon sequestration capacity, ten perennial herb species were planted for field experiment. Individual carbon sequestration by biomass was calculated by measuring the aboveground- and estimating belowground biomass gain at harvest. We further measured non-destructive aboveground parameters, such as photosynthesis and leaf area, to estimate the belowground biomass. Four species (Aconitum jaluense Kom., Aquilegea oxysepala Trautv. & C.A.Mey., Disporum smilacinum A.Gray, and Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum (Miq.) Ohwi) showed the positive belowground carbon sequestration level during the experimental period. Correlation analyses indicated that the aboveground biomass and leaf area at senescence stage could be used as non-destructive estimates of belowground carbon sequestration. The perennial herb species habitat suitability for use as additional carbon sinks in urban forests and for forest restoration should be assessed based on the increase in belowground biomass.

Plants, being sessile organisms, are exposed to a diverse range of environmental challenge. Over time, they have evolved various mechanisms to withstand these harsh conditions, often acquiring functional redundancy in genes with similar sequence. This genetic redundancy, while advantageous for the plant's adaptability, poses challenges in functional genomics research. To address this issue, we developed CAFRI-Arabidopsis (https://cafri.khu.ac.kr/arabidopsis/), a web resource designed to intuitively explore functional redundancy in Arabidopsis, a model plant that has significantly contributed to understanding the morphological and physiological traits. Our tool combines transcriptome data with Pfam-based phylogenetic data across 33 tissues/organs to visualize and quantify functional redundancy. Its effectiveness has been validated through a comprehensive literature review. User-friendly in design, CAFRI-Arabidopsis allows users to quickly generate results by inputting the desired locus. We anticipate that this tool will be invaluable in uncovering new insights in plant developmental and physiological studies that have been previously obscured due to functional redundancy.

Abstract

Owing to its high nutritional content of protein, oil, fatty acids, and sugars, soybean (Glycine max L.), one of the most significant legume crops, is utilized worldwide as food, feed, and fuel for daily life applications. The seeds, leaves, branches, roots, and pods of soybean contain essential bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and other specialized metabolites, that play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In recent years, significant progress has been made in increasing soybean production. Therefore, here, we summarize the most recent breakthroughs in metabolite profiling and bioactive compound identification in soybeans to inform future digital breeding approaches. In addition to classical metabolite investigations, the discovery of metabolites involved in the dehydration response was made through a recent study that examined the regulatory network of metabolites and plant hormone genes. This review aimed to provide a metabolic perspective on soybeans that will benefit soybean production. The findings of this review will facilitate the development of novel soybean cultivars containing highly valuable metabolites for digital breeding.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an enteropathogenic swine coronavirus that causes severe diarrheal disease in suckling piglets and young pigs, leading to death. Transfer of maternal neutralizing antibodies from sows to piglets is critical to protecting piglets from PDCoV. Therefore, highly immunogenic antigens are required for the development of effective vaccine. Here, we produced plant-based recombinant protein vaccine against PDCoV in the form of bacteria-like particles (BLPs) using Lactococcus lactis to enhance the antigenicity. The S1 domain of spike protein from KNU16-07 strain was used as an antigen. The antigen was fused with lysine motifs (LysM) and coiled domains of coronin 1 (ccCor1) for L. lactis surface display. This fusion strategy facilitated the separation of the expressed proteins and increased antigenicity. The recombinant proteins were expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana and purified as BLPs. To determine whether PDCoV S1-coated BLPs could be immunized in the absence of adjuvants, plasma samples were obtained from mice injected with antigen. In conclusion, the PDCoV S1 domain generated from N. benthamiana excellently produced antibodies as a potential antigen and can be considered as an effective vaccine for passive immunization of piglets against PDCoV.