Plant Molecular Biology最新文献

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., a traditional Chinese herb used for both medicinal and culinary purposes, contained various bioactive compounds such as volatile oils, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, which contribute to its diverse pharmacological activities. BBXs (B-box zinc finger genes), a subfamily of zinc finger proteins, play critical regulatory roles in plant growth and development, abiotic stress responses, and pigment accumulation. However, research on the PfBBXs in P. frutescens remains limited. In this study, 31 PfBBXs were identified from the P. frutescens genome. Their protein physicochemical properties, phylogeny, conserved domains, motifs, cis-acting elements, and expression patterns were systematically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis classified PfBBXs into five subfamilies, with similar conserved motifs and gene structures within each subfamily but notable divergence among them. Promoter regions of PfBBXs were enriched in cis-regulatory elements related to light responsiveness, stress responses, and phytohormone signaling. Different light intensities significantly affected the leaf area and the accumulation of anthocyanins and flavonoids. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that light intensity modulated the biosynthesis of flavonoids and anthocyanins. Transcriptomic screening identified five highly light-responsive PfBBXs (PfBBX10, 12, 13, 17, and 18), whose light-induced expression patterns were further validated by qRT-PCR. Among them, PfBBX10, 12, and 17 exhibited significant positive correlations with anthocyanin and flavonoid contents, suggesting their pivotal roles in light signaling and secondary metabolism regulation. This study lays a foundation for functional characterization of PfBBXs in P. frutescens particularly in light signal transduction and anthocyanin accumulation.

Plants, constantly exposed to dynamic environmental conditions, encounter various abiotic stresses that significantly affect their growth and development. In response, plants initiate complex physiological and molecular adjustments, including altered gene expression. One of the most influential factors in mitigating stress impacts is the plant-microbe interaction. Among these, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are well-studied for their ability to enhance plant resilience. More recently, microalgae have emerged as potential members of the plant microbiome, although their roles remain comparatively underexplored. This study investigates the transcriptomic responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to inoculation with the PGPR strain Stutzerimonas stutzeri, the green microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, and a consortium of both microorganisms under salt stress conditions. Through RNA-seq analysis, we identified a set of core genes commonly regulated across all inoculation treatments, including SALT OVERLY SENSITIVE 3 (SOS3), the potassium channel AKT2, and CBL-INTERACTING PROTEIN KINASE 5 (CIPK5), suggesting a shared stress-mitigation mechanism. Additionally, we identified genes uniquely regulated in response to the S. stutzeri-C. vulgaris consortium. These included components of the ethylene signaling pathway (EIN3/EIL1), detoxification-associated genes such as β-GLUCOSIDASE (BGLU22), and transcription factors linked to stress response, notably NAC6 and MYB12. Together, these findings provide insight into the specific and overlapping transcriptomic changes induced by bacterial, algal, and combined inoculations, contributing to our understanding of plant-microbe interactions under salt stress.

Sugar metabolism in plants is highly dynamic throughout their life cycle, driven by the continuous production, accumulation, and distribution of these molecules along the plant body. To cope with fluctuating sugar levels during their life cycle, plants have developed mechanisms to sense and respond to these changes accordingly. Noteworthy, sugars not only fulfill metabolic roles, but also act as signaling molecules that regulate plant growth and development. Of the array of sugar responses, their influence on gene expression is particularly significant, as it impacts a wide range of physiological processes, including key economic traits of plants. However, despite the broad regulatory role of sugars in gene expression, the transcriptional mechanisms behind their regulation remain largely unknown. Among the many sugar-regulated genes in plants, efforts have been focused on identifying cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and trans-regulatory factors (transcription factors, TFs) involved in gene sugar responsiveness at transcriptional level, but only some have been experimentally confirmed. Therefore, this review outlines those approaches used for identifying sugar CREs and TFs, along with an updated compilation of the elements associated with glucose and sucrose signaling transcriptional responses. In addition, the evolutionary conservation of these regulatory elements in different plant species is addressed, highlighting those with potential biotechnological applications. In summary, the gathering of this information has the purpose of updating our current knowledge regarding the mechanism of how sugars exert its effect on gene expression. This understanding is essential for advancing in the manipulation of these regulatory elements to improve key traits in economically valuable plants, such as oil and sugar accumulation, crop yield, and fruit quality.

Convergent evolution, where unrelated species independently evolve similar traits, provides valuable insights into the genetic and developmental adaptation. In plants, physical defenses like spines, thorns, and prickles exemplifies this phenomenon. These structures, collectively termed "spinescence," arise from distinct developmental origins-spines from leaves, thorns from stems or branches, and prickles as epidermal outgrowths-but converge in function to deter herbivory and enhance survival. Among these, prickles are particularly interesting due to their morphological diversity and repeated gain or loss across various plant lineages. The genus Solanum serve as model for studying prickle genetics. In "Spiny Solanums," prickles evolved approximately six million years ago, with prickle loss occurring multiple times as seen in domesticated eggplant (Solanum melongena). Recent studies identify the LONELY GUY (LOG) gene family, crucial for cytokinin biosynthesis, as a key regulator of prickle development. Loss-of-function mutations in LOG homologs associated with prickleless phenotypes in various plants, including roses, chinese dates, and alfalfa, suggesting a conserved role in prickle suppression. This review explores the evolutionary, genetic, and molecular mechanisms underlying prickle development, emphasizing the LOG gene family. It discusses phenotypic convergence and agriculture applications, such as breeding prickle-free crops, offering broader insights into plant adaptation and the evolution of physical defenses.

To address the problem of lower anthocyanin contents in blood oranges at the ripening stage in local orchards, we compared the effects of postharvest storage at different temperatures on anthocyanin production in the pulps of fruit. Transcriptome sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics methods were used to analyze the dynamic changes in differentially expressed genes and differentially accumulated metabolites, respectively, during storage at 8 ℃ or room temperature (15 ℃). The results indicated that anthocyanin and citrate contents in fruit were higher at 8 ℃ than at other storage temperatures. The mRNA levels of TT8, a bHLH transcription factor, were higher in fruits stored at 8 ℃ than at room temperature throughout the entire storage period. Conversely, alternative splicing transcripts of TT8△, lacking a partial coding sequence, exhibited lower expression levels in fruit stored at 8 ℃. During postharvest storage, the genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and proton pumping were activated by TT8 and its partners. So that the increasing anthocyanin contents in juice sac tissues were attributed partially to TT8 expression changes caused by the alternative splicing during postharvest storage at a moderate temperature.

Environmental challenges such as drought, salinity, heavy metal contamination, and nutrient deficiencies threaten global agricultural productivity and food security. These stressors drastically reduce crop yields, necessitating innovative solutions. Recent advancements in omics-based research-spanning genomics, metabolomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, and phenomics-have transformed our understanding of plant stress responses at the molecular level. High-throughput sequencing, mass spectrometry, and computational biology have facilitated the identification of stress-responsive genes, proteins, and metabolites critical for enhancing plant resilience. This review evaluates omics-driven strategies for improving crop performance under environmental stress. It emphasizes multi-omics data integration, precision breeding, artificial intelligence (AI) in crop modeling, and genome-editing technologies. Notably, breakthroughs in machine learning and AI have refined predictive modeling, enabling precise selection of stress-tolerant traits and optimizing breeding strategies. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including the complexity of multi-omics data analysis, high technology costs, and regulatory barriers. Bridging the gap between research and practical applications requires developing cost-effective platforms, enhancing AI-driven models, and conducting large-scale field validations. This review highlights the transformative potential of omics technologies to develop climate-resilient crops. By integrating these advanced methodologies, agriculture can achieve sustainable food production and bolster global food security in the face of climate change and environmental stressors.

Wheat, an important staple crop providing food and nutrition worldwide, is aptly called the "King of Cereals". Salinization is a process when soil is tainted with salt that consequently impacts the growth and development of plants, which leads to a decline in the yield of many food crops. The present study provides a brief impression about salinity stress on physiological and molecular processes, which affects the plants' growth and development. Salinity stress in crop plants is responsible for various metabolic and physiological changes. In this study we summarize the genes and molecular mechanism involved in ion transport like Sodium/hydrogen antiporter exchanger (NHXs), High-affinity potassium transporters (HKTs) and osmolytes that causes nutritional disturbance and inhibits the process of uptake of water by roots, seed germination, photosynthesis, and declines the growth of plants. Salinity in wheat inhibits the spike development and yield potential of crop plants, lower yield production is particularly related to a decrease in tiller numbers and by sterile spikelets in some cultivars. Future studies should focus on crop tolerance to salinity to gain better understanding of crop tolerance in saline field conditions. Global cereal production is hampered by soil salinity and sodicity, but tolerance breeding has also been sluggish. Narrow gene pools, an overemphasis on the sodium exclusion mechanism, a lack of awareness against stress tissue tolerance mechanisms in which aggregation of inorganic ions such as Na⁺ is involved, and the lack of appropriate screening tools, which leads to slowed development. This review summarizes current knowledge and emphasizes the need for integrative strategies to enhance wheat resilience under saline conditions.