Floral organ-specific and constitutive expression of an Arabidopsis thaliana heat-shock HSP18.2::GUS fusion gene is retained even after homeotic conversion of flowers by mutation

Inducible Expression of the Restriction Enzyme Uncovered Genome-Wide Distribution and Dynamic Behavior of Histones H4K16ac and H2A.Z at DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Arabidopsis

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are among the most serious types of DNA damage, causing mutations and chromosomal rearrangements. In eukaryotes, DSBs are immediately repaired in coordination with chromatin remodeling for the deposition of DSB-related histone modifications and variants. To elucidate the details of DSB-dependent chromatin remodeling throughout the genome, artificial DSBs need to be reproducibly induced at various genomic loci. Recently, a comprehensive method for elucidating chromatin remodeling at multiple DSB loci via chemically induced expression of a restriction enzyme was developed in mammals. However, this DSB induction system is unsuitable for investigating chromatin remodeling during and after DSB repair, and such an approach has not been performed in plants. Here, we established a transgenic Arabidopsis plant harboring a restriction enzyme gene Sbf I driven by a heat-inducible promoter. Using this transgenic line, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) of histones H4K16ac and H2A.Z and investigated the dynamics of these histone marks around the endogenous 623 Sbf I recognition sites. We also precisely quantified DSB efficiency at all cleavage sites using the DNA resequencing data obtained by the ChIP-seq procedure. From the results, Sbf I-induced DSBs were detected at 360 loci, which induced the transient deposition of H4K16ac and H2A.Z around these regions. Interestingly, we also observed the co-localization of H4K16ac and H2A.Z at some DSB loci. Overall, DSB-dependent chromatin remodeling was found to be highly conserved between plants and animals. These findings provide new insights into chromatin remodeling that occurs in response to DSBs in Arabidopsis.

Grafting triggers differential responses between scion and rootstock

Grafting is a well-established practice to facilitate asexual propagation in horticultural and agricultural crops. It has become a method for studying molecular aspects of root-to-shoot and/or shoot-to-root signaling events. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in gene expression between the organs of the scion and rootstock of a homograft (Arabidopsis thaliana). MapMan and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed differentially expressed genes from numerous functional categories related to stress responses in the developing flower buds and leaves of scion and rootstock. Meta-analysis suggested induction of drought-type responses in flower buds and leaves of the scion. The flower buds of scion showed over-representation of the transcription factor genes, such as Homeobox, NAC, MYB, bHLH, B3, C3HC4, PLATZ etc. The scion leaves exhibited higher accumulation of the regulatory genes for flower development, such as SEPALLATA 1-4, Jumonji C and AHL16. Differential transcription of genes related to ethylene, gibberellic acid and other stimuli was observed between scion and rootstock. The study is useful in understanding the molecular basis of grafting and acclimation of scion on rootstock.

The leaf index: heteroblasty, natural variation, and the genetic control of polar processes of leaf expansion

The morphology of the leaves of angiosperms exhibits remarkable diversity. One of the factors showing the greatest variability is the leaf index, namely, the ratio of leaf length to leaf width. In some cases, different varieties of a single species or closely related species can be distinguished by differences in leaf index. To some extent, the leaf index reflects the morphological adaptation of leaves to a particular environment. Moreover, physiological conditions or environmental factors can change the leaf index of an individual plant. No good tools have been available for studies of the mechanisms that underlie such biodiversity. However, we have recently obtained some, albeit fragmentary, information about molecular mechanisms of leaf morphogenesis as a result of studies of leaves of the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. For example, the ANGUSTIFOLIA gene, a homolog of animal CtBP genes, controls leaf width. ANGUSTIFOLIA appears to regulate the polar elongation of leaf cells via control of the arrangement of cortical microtubules. By contrast, the ROTUNDIFOLIA3 gene controls leaf length via the biosynthesis of steroid(s). We provide here an overview of the biodiversity exhibited by the leaf index of angiosperms. In particular, we consider information obtained from studies of mutants and transgenic strains of A. thaliana, from the so-called Evo/devo perspective.

Initiation patterns of flower and floral organ development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Sector boundary analysis has been used to deduce the number and orientation of cells initiating flower and floral organ development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Sectors were produced in transgenic plants carrying the Ac transposon from maize inserted between the constitutive 35S promoter and the GUS reporter gene. Excision of the transposon results in a blue-staining sector. Plants were chosen in which an early arising sector passed from vegetative regions into the inflorescence and through a mature flower. The range of sector boundary positions seen in mature flowers indicated that flower primordia usually arise from a group of four cells on the inflorescence flank. The radial axes of the mature flower are apparently set by these cells, supporting the concept that they act as a structural template. Floral organs show two patterns of initiation, a leaf-like pattern with eight cells in a row (sepals and carpels), or a shoot-like pattern with four cells in a block (stamens). The petal initiation pattern involved too few cells to allow assignment. The numbers of initiating cells were close to those seen when organ growth commenced in each case, indicating that earlier specification of floral organ development does not occur. By examining sector boundaries in homeotic mutant flowers in which second whorl organs develop as sepal-like organs rather than petals, we have shown that their pattern of origin is position dependent rather than identity dependent.

Constitutive expression of small heat shock proteins in vegetative tissues of the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum

Using antibodies raised against two sunflower small heat shock proteins (sHSPs), we have detected immunologically related proteins in unstressed vegetative tissues from the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum. In whole plants, further accumulation of these polypeptides was induced by heat-shock or water-stress. In desiccation-intolerant Craterostigma callus tissue, we failed to detect sHSP-related polypeptides, but their expression, and the concurrent acquisition of desiccation tolerance was induced by exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. In untressed plants, the cross-reacting polypeptides were abundant in the roots and lower part of the shoots, where they showed homogeneous tissue-distributions. This constitutive expression is novel for vegetative tissues of higher plants, and resembles the expression patterns of sHSPs in desiccation-tolerant zygotic embryos and germinating seeds.

Expression of heat shock factor and heat shock protein 70 genes during maize pollen development

We have analysed the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and heat shock factor (HSF) gene during maize pollen development, HSFs being the transcriptional activators of hsp genes. In order to eliminate the sporophytic tissues of anthers, we have isolated homogeneous cell populations corresponding to five stages of maize pollen development from microspores to mature pollen. We show that in the absence of heat stress, hsp70 genes are highly expressed late-bicellular pollen as compared to other stages. HSP70 transcripts are significantly accumulated in response to a heat shock at the late microspore stage but to a much lower extent than in vegetative tissues. The latest stages of pollen development, i.e. mid-tricellular and mature pollen, do not exhibit heat-induced accumulation of HSP70 transcripts. Therefore, we analysed the expression of hsf genes throughout pollen development. We demonstrate that at least three hsf genes are expressed in maize and that transcripts corresponding to one hsf gene, whose expression is independent of temperature in somatic as well as in microgametophytic tissues, are present at similar levels throughout pollen development. In addition, we show that the expression of the two other hsf genes is heat-inducible in maize vegetative tissues and is not significantly increased after heat shock at any stage of pollen development. These results indicate that the loss of hsp gene expression at late stages of pollen development is not due to a modification of hsf gene expression at the mRNA level and that hsf gene expression is differentially regulated in vegetative and microgametophytic tissues.