Molecular Horticulture最新文献

ORANGE (OR) family proteins are DnaJE1 molecular chaperones ubiquitous and highly conserved in all plant species, indicating their important roles in plant growth and development. OR proteins have been found to exert multiple functions in regulating carotenoid and chlorophyll biosynthesis, plastid development, and stress tolerance, with additional functions expected to be discovered. As molecular chaperones, OR proteins directly influence the stability of their target proteins via their holdase activity and may perform other molecular roles through unknown mechanisms. Exploration of OR has uncovered novel mechanisms underlying core plant metabolism pathways and expanded our understanding of processes linked to plastid development. Continued investigation of OR family proteins will not only reveal new functions of molecular chaperones but also provide pioneering tools for crop improvement. Thus, OR family proteins offer a distinctive opportunity to comprehend molecular chaperones in modulating various metabolic and developmental processes and exemplify the importance of chaperones in crop development and adaptability. This review briefly details the history of OR family proteins, highlights recent advancements in understanding their myriad of functions, and discusses the prospects of this fascinating group of chaperones towards generating innovative, more nutritious, and resilient crops alongside other agronomically important traits.

The presence of stone cells in pear fruit, caused by lignified secondary cell walls (SCWs), leads to a grainy texture in the fruit flesh, thereby compromising its overall quality. Lignification is influenced by various environmental signals, including light, however the underlying mechanism are poorly understood. This study reveals that SCW thickening and lignin accumulation in stone cells were regulated by a blue light signal, mediated through the activation of PbNSC by PbbHLH195. The results revealed that the stone cell formation was prompted by supplementary with blue light, with lignin accumulation linked to the upregulation of the NAC STONE CELL PROMOTING FACTOR (PbNSC). PbbHLH195 was identified as a novel molecular hub connecting lignification to blue light signal through its physical interaction with PbCRY1a. The biochemical and functional analysis indicates that PbbHLH195 contributes to stone cell lignification by activating the promoter of PbNSC. Our findings offer novel insights into the mechanisms of lignin biosynthesis in response to blue light, identifying valuable genetic targets for enhancing the fruit quality of pear.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a crucial role in regulating plant growth, stress responses, and specialized metabolism. Licorice, utilized as both food and herbal medicine for millennia, includes Glycyrrhiza inflata as one of its primary medicinal species used globally. This study investigated the regulatory function of HDAC-mediated histone deacetylation in flavonoid biosynthesis in licorice. The research identified nineteen HDACs in the G. inflata genome. Abiotic stresses and plant hormones were found to influence flavonoid compound accumulation, correlating with altered expression patterns of HDAC genes and global histone H3 acetylation (H3ac) levels. Notably, several HDAC inhibitors enhanced flavonoid accumulation in G. inflata. Subsequent RNA-seq analysis revealed that the HDAC inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) activated the expression of multiple genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis. ChIP-qPCR demonstrated that SAHA treatment increased the H3ac levels of flavonoid synthesis-related genes. Furthermore, overexpression of GiHDA2b, an HDAC member, decreased, while RNAi of GiHDA2b increased, the levels of expression and H3K18 acetylation of licochalcone A (LCA) biosynthetic genes indicating its negative role in flavonoid biosynthesis. This research provides valuable insights into the regulatory roles of GiHDACs and histone deacetylation in flavonoid biosynthesis in licorice, potentially contributing to improved bioactive compound production in medicinal plants.

Areca catechu, as a traditional Chinese medicine, contains a high concentration of therapeutic compounds. However, the biosynthesis of these compounds is largely unexplored. We present a haplotype-resolved genome assembly and annotation for A. catechu, with chromosome-level genome sizes of 2.45 Gb (Ac. Hap1) and 2.49 Gb (Ac. Hap2). A comparative analysis of the haplotypes revealed significant divergence, including multiple Mb-level large inversions. Furthermore, A. catechu shared two whole genome duplications with other palm plants and its genome size had increased due to the insertion of transposons within the last 2.5 million years. By integrating transcriptomics and metabolomics, two tandem genes (AcGNMT1 and AcGNMT2) were negatively associated with guvacine and trigonelline in gene-metabolite interaction network. AcGNMT1, AcGNMT2 and their three homologous genes were involved in the conversion of guvacine to arecoline. Further analyses tested the function of AcUGT71CE15, AcUGT74CJ38, AcUGT87EE5 and AcUGT83S982 as glucosyltransferases, and AcUGT78AP14 was identified as a rhamnosyltransferase involved in flavonol glycosylation. Our study provides a high-quality genome of A. catechu, characterizes the arecoline biosynthetic pathway and expands the understanding of the diversity of UDP-glucosyltransferase and UDP-rhamnosyltransferase, offering insights into the potential of A. catechu for the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds.

Rapeseed cakes with low glucosinolates content (GC) possess high feeding value. However, the pursuit of low-GC seeds has inadvertently resulted in a reduction of GC in leaves, making plants more susceptible to stress and lowering their nutritional quality. Therefore, it is imperative to disrupt the tight association between GC in these two tissues and ultimately develop genotypes with low-GC seeds but high-GC leaves. The distinct mechanisms underlying glucosinolate (GSL) synthesis in these two tissues remain unclear. Here, we discovered that aliphatic and aromatic GSLs, rather than indole GSLs, contribute to the positive correlation between GC in seeds and leaves. We performed selective-sweep analyses and identified the genomic footprints left after decades of intense selection for low-GC seeds. By conducting genome-wide association studies and analyzing differentially expressed genes in high- and low-GC seeds and leaves, we compiled lists of distinct genes involved in GSL synthesis in leaves and seeds separately. In particular, BnMYB28 plays a key role in regulating GC in both seeds and leaves. Selection and manipulation of BnaC09.MYB28 would affect GC in both tissues. However, downregulation of BnaA02.MYB28 and/or BnaC02.MYB28 would likely reduce GC in seeds without causing a concurrent reduction in GC in leaves.

Polyploidy occurs frequently in plants and is an important force in plant evolution and crop breeding. New polyploids face various challenges due to genome duplication and subsequent changes in epigenetic modifications, nucleus/cell size and gene expression. How polyploids produce evolutionary novelty remains to be understood. In this study, a transcriptome comparison between 21-day-old diploid and autotetraploid pak choi seedlings revealed that there are few differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with a greater proportion of DEGs downregulated in response to genome duplication. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis indicated that the level of DNA methylation is obviously increased, especially in transposable elements (TEs) and 1 kb flanking regions, upon genome doubling. The differentially methylated regions between diploid and autotetraploid pak choi were related to 12,857 differentially hypermethylated genes and 8,451 hypomethylated genes, and the DEGs were negatively correlated with the differential methylation in the regions across the DEGs. Notably, TE methylation increases significantly in regions flanking neighboring non-DEGs rather than those flanking DEGs. These results shed light on the role of DNA methylation in the transcriptional regulation of genes in polyploids and the mechanism of coping with "genome shock" due to genome doubling in cruciferous plants.

Kiwifruit bacterial canker is a devastating disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa). NAC transcription factors play a significant role in host immunity. However, the potential molecular mechanism of resistance to semi-biotrophic Psa mediated by NAC transcription factors in kiwifruit remains unclear. In this study, we identified a typical NAC transcription factor, AcNAC10, which is involved in the jasmonic acid (JA) pathway and is highly expressed in resistant variety RH12 responsing to Psa. By overexpression and silencing of AcNAC10 in kiwifruit, it plays a positive role in enhancing kiwifruit resistance. Likewise, heterologous expression of AcNAC10 in transgenic Arabidopsis and tomato enhanced resistance to P. syringae. By directly binding to the promoter of AcLOX3, AcNAC10 inhibited its expression as a transcriptional suppressor. Using a yeast one-hybrid screening library, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and dual-luciferase reporter assays, it showed that AcTGA07 can activate the expression of AcNAC10. Moreover, we demonstrated that AcTGA07 decreased JA accumulation independently of the AcNAC10-AcLOX3 pathway. Our study elucidated the transcriptional cascade regulatory network of AcTGA07-AcNAC10-AcLOX3, which enhanced the disease resistance of kiwifruit to Psa by inhibiting JA synthesis.

Lanxangia tsaoko is widely utilized in human cuisine as a popular flavoring agent due to its distinctive aroma. It also has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. The edible and medicinal properties of L. tsaoko are primarily attributed to its diverse array of volatile metabolites. Previous research has mainly focused on classifying the constituents and their pharmacological activities in L. tsaoko, leaving gaps in comprehensive identification and elucidation of the biosynthetic mechanisms of these metabolites. In this study, we employed a multi-omics approach and functional characterization to investigate the biosynthesis of volatile terpenoids in L. tsaoko. The results demonstrated that terpenoids constituted the highest proportion of volatile compounds in L. tsaoko. Additionally, 42 terpene synthase (TPS) coding genes were identified through genome-wide analysis. Functional characterization revealed that eight LtTPSs effectively catalyzed geranyl pyrophosphate to produce monoterpenoids, while four LtTPSs converted farnesyl pyrophosphate to generate sesquiterpenoids. Genome-wide and single-gene duplication events contributed to functional diversification among LtTPSs with high identity, promoting the diversity of terpenoids. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the biosynthesis of volatile terpenoids in L. tsaoko, enhance the current knowledge of TPS, and contribute to the broader understanding of the biochemical diversity of terpenoids in plants.