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Nguyen NH, Ho PTB, Le LTT. Revisit and explore the ethylene-independent mechanism of sex expression in cucumber (Cucumis sativus). PLANT REPRODUCTION 2024:10.1007/s00497-024-00501-1. [PMID: 38598160 DOI: 10.1007/s00497-024-00501-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE This review provides a thorough and comprehensive perspective on the topic of cucumber sexual expression. Specifically, insights into sex expression mediated by pathways other than ethylene are highlighted. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a common and important commercial crop that is cultivated and consumed worldwide. Additionally, this species is commonly used as a model for investigating plant sex expression. Cucumbers exhibit a variety of floral arrangements, comprising male, female, and hermaphroditic (bisexual) flowers. Generally, cucumber plants that produce female flowers are typically preferred due to their significant impact on the overall output. Various environmental conditions, such as temperature, light quality, and photoperiod, have been also shown to influence the sex expression in this species. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that ethylene and its biosynthesis genes are crucial in regulating cucumber sex expression. Gibberellins, another well-known phytohormone, can similarly influence cucumber sex expression via an ethylene-independent route. Further studies employing the next-generation sequencing technology also visualized a deeper slice of the molecular mechanism such as the role of the cell cycle program in the cucumber sex expression. This review aims to provide an overview of the sex expression of cucumber including its underlying molecular mechanism and regulatory aspects based on recent investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Hoai Nguyen
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Phuong Thi Bich Ho
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Linh Thi Truc Le
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
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2
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Luo H, Zhang H, Wang H. Advance in sex differentiation in cucumber. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1186904. [PMID: 37265638 PMCID: PMC10231686 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1186904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Cucumber belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae (melon genus) and is an annual herbaceous vegetable crop. Cucumber is an important cash crop that is grown all over the world. From morphology to cytology, from canonical genetics to molecular biology, researchers have performed much research on sex differentiation and its regulatory mechanism in cucumber, mainly in terms of cucumber sex determination genes, environmental conditions, and the effects of plant hormones, revealing its genetic basis to improve the number of female flowers in cucumber, thus greatly improving the yield of cucumber. This paper reviews the research progress of sex differentiation in cucumber in recent years, mainly focusing on sex-determining genes, environmental conditions, and the influence of phytohormones in cucumber, and provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the realization of high and stable yield cultivation and molecular breeding of cucumber crop traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Luo
- Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety Control of Subtropical Fruits and Vegetables, Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Shandong Province, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
- Hangzhou Lin’an District Agricultural and Rural Bureau, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huanchun Zhang
- Yantai Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Yantai, China
| | - Huasen Wang
- Key Laboratory for Quality and Safety Control of Subtropical Fruits and Vegetables, Collaborative Innovation Center for Efficient and Green Production of Agriculture in Mountainous Areas of Zhejiang Province, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
- Engineering Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Shandong Province, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
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3
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Grumet R, Lin YC, Rett-Cadman S, Malik A. Morphological and Genetic Diversity of Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) Fruit Development. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:23. [PMID: 36616152 PMCID: PMC9824707 DOI: 10.3390/plants12010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruits, which are eaten at an immature stage of development, can vary extensively in morphological features such as size, shape, waxiness, spines, warts, and flesh thickness. Different types of cucumbers that vary in these morphological traits are preferred throughout the world. Numerous studies in recent years have added greatly to our understanding of cucumber fruit development and have identified a variety of genetic factors leading to extensive diversity. Candidate genes influencing floral organ establishment, cell division and cell cycle regulation, hormone biosynthesis and response, sugar transport, trichome development, and cutin, wax, and pigment biosynthesis have all been identified as factors influencing cucumber fruit morphology. The identified genes demonstrate complex interplay between structural genes, transcription factors, and hormone signaling. Identification of genetic factors controlling these traits will facilitate breeding for desired characteristics to increase productivity, improve shipping, handling, and storage traits, and enhance consumer-desired qualities. The following review examines our current understanding of developmental and genetic factors driving diversity of cucumber fruit morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Grumet
- Graduate Program in Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ying-Chen Lin
- Graduate Program in Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Stephanie Rett-Cadman
- Graduate Program in Plant Breeding, Genetics and Biotechnology, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Ajaz Malik
- Department of Horticulture-Vegetable Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar 190 025, India
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4
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Wang L, Li H, Suo Y, Han W, Diao S, Mai Y, Wang Y, Yuan J, Ye L, Pu T, Zhang Q, Sun P, Li F, Fu J. Effects of Different Chemicals on Sexual Regulation in Persimmon ( Diospyros kaki Thunb.) Flowers. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:876086. [PMID: 35693185 PMCID: PMC9179176 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.876086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Research on crop sexuality is important for establishing systems for germplasm innovation and cultivating improved varieties. In this study, androecious persimmon trees were treated with various concentrations of ethrel (100, 500, and 1,000 mg/L) and zeatin (1, 5, and 10 mg/L) to investigate the morphological, physiological, and molecular characteristics of persimmon. Ethrel at 1,000 mg/L and zeatin at 10 mg/L both significantly reduced the stamen length and pollen grain diameter in androecious trees. Ethrel treatment also led to reduced stamen development with degenerated cellular contents; zeatin treatment promoted the development of arrested pistils via maintaining relatively normal mitochondrial morphology. Both treatments altered carbohydrate, amino acid, and endogenous phytohormone contents, as well as genes associated with hormone production and floral organ development. Thereafter, we explored the combined effects of four chemicals, including ethrel and zeatin, as well as zebularine and 5-azacytidine, both of which are DNA methylation inhibitors, on androecious persimmon flower development. Morphological comparisons showed that stamen length, pollen viability, and pollen grain diameter were significantly inhibited after combined treatment. Large numbers of genes involving in carbohydrate metabolic, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, and ribosome pathways, and metabolites including uridine monophosphate (UMP) and cyclamic acid were identified in response to the treatment, indicating complex regulatory mechanisms. An association analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data indicated that ribosomal genes have distinct effects on UMP and cyclamic acid metabolites, explaining how male floral buds of androecious persimmon trees respond to these exogenous chemicals. These findings extend the knowledge concerning sexual differentiation in persimmon; they also provide a theoretical basis for molecular breeding, high-yield cultivation, and quality improvement in persimmon.
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Zhao G, Wang M, Gan Y, Gong H, Li J, Zheng X, Liu X, Zhao S, Luo J, Wu H. Identification of suitable reference genes for quantitative reverse transcription PCR in Luffa ( Luffa cylindrica). PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 28:737-747. [PMID: 35592479 PMCID: PMC9110621 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-022-01182-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Reverse transcription real-time quantitative PCR is widely used to quantify gene expression. Reference genes are usually used as internal controls to measure the target gene expression level. To date, there is no consensus on the use of systematically validated reference genes in different tissues of Luffa. This study evaluated the expression stability of 11 candidate reference genes in different tissues using five algorithms (BestKeeper, comparative delta-Ct method, GeNorm, NormFinder, and RefFinder). Protein phosphatase 2A was the most stable gene, while alpha Tubulin was the least stable. The relative expression of ethylene-related genes in different tissues was also analyzed to reveal their role in sex determination. This study provides the basis for using suitable reference genes to evaluate targeted gene expression. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01182-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangjun Zhao
- Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Meng Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Yaqin Gan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Hao Gong
- Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Junxing Li
- Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Xiaoming Zheng
- Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Xiaoxi Liu
- Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Siying Zhao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Jianning Luo
- Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 China
| | - Haibin Wu
- Vegetable Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640 China
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangzhou, 510642 China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for New Technology Research of Vegetables, Guangzhou, 510640 China
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Niu H, Wang H, Zhao B, He J, Yang L, Ma X, Cao J, Li Z, Shen J. Exogenous auxin-induced ENHANCER OF SHOOT REGENERATION 2 (ESR2) enhances femaleness of cucumber via activating CsACS2 gene. HORTICULTURE RESEARCH 2022; 9:uhab085. [PMID: 35048108 PMCID: PMC9039497 DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a model for the study of sex differentiation in the last two decades. In cucumber, sex differentiation is mainly controlled by genetic material, but plant growth regulators can also influence or even change it. However, the effect of exogenous auxin application on cucumber sex differentiation is mostly limited in physiological level. In this study, we explored the effects of different exogenous auxin concentrations on the varieties with different mutant sex-controlling genotypes and found that there was a dosage effect of exogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) on the enhancement of cucumber femaleness. Several ACC synthetase (ACS) family members could directly respond to the induction of exogenous IAA to improve endogenous ethylene synthesis, and this process can be independent on the previously identified sex-related ACC oxidase CsACO2. We further demonstrated that ENHANCER OF SHOOT REGENERATION 2 (ESR2), responding to the induction of exogenous auxin, could directly activate CsACS2 expression by combining the ERE cis-acting element regions in the promoter, and then increase endogenous ethylene content, which may induce femaleness. These findings reveal that exogenous auxin improves cucumber femaleness via inducing sex-controlling gene and promoting ethylene synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanhuan Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 63 Nongye Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Hu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China
| | - Bosi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jiao He
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Luming Yang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 63 Nongye Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Xiongfeng Ma
- Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Jiajian Cao
- College of Horticulture, Hunan Agricultural University, Nonda Road 1, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Zheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Junjun Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
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7
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Zhang H, Li S, Yang L, Cai G, Chen H, Gao D, Lin T, Cui Q, Wang D, Li Z, Cai R, Bai S, Lucas WJ, Huang S, Zhang Z, Sun J. Gain-of-function of the 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase gene ACS1G induces female flower development in cucumber gynoecy. THE PLANT CELL 2021; 33:306-321. [PMID: 33793793 PMCID: PMC8136878 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koaa018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Unisexual flowers provide a useful system for studying plant sex determination. In cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), three major Mendelian loci control unisexual flower development, Female (F), androecious [a; 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate {ACC} synthase 11, acs11], and Monoecious (M; ACS2), referred to here as the Female, Androecious, Monoecious (FAM) model, in combination with two genes, gynoecious (g, the WIP family C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor gene WIP1) and the ethylene biosynthetic gene ACC oxidase 2 (ACO2). The F locus, conferring gynoecy and the potential for increasing fruit yield, is defined by a 30.2-kb tandem duplication containing three genes. However, the gene that determines the Female phenotype, and its mechanism, remains unknown. Here, we created a set of mutants and revealed that ACS1G is responsible for gynoecy conferred by the F locus. The duplication resulted in ACS1G acquiring a new promoter and expression pattern; in plants carrying the F locus duplication, ACS1G is expressed early in floral bud development, where it functions with ACO2 to generate an ethylene burst. The resulting ethylene represses WIP1 and activates ACS2 to initiate gynoecy. This early ACS1G expression bypasses the need for ACS11 to produce ethylene, thereby establishing a dominant pathway for female floral development. Based on these findings, we propose a model for how these ethylene biosynthesis genes cooperate to control unisexual flower development in cucumber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry
of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics,
Beijing 100081, China
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural
Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Shuai Li
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry
of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics,
Beijing 100081, China
| | - Li Yang
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural
Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Shenzhen 518124, China
- College of Horticulture and Forestry, Huazhong Agricultural University and Key
Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology, Ministry of Education, Wuhan
430070, China
| | - Guanghua Cai
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural
Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Huiming Chen
- Hunan Vegetable Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural
Science, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Dongli Gao
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural
Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Tao Lin
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural
Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Qingzhi Cui
- Hunan Vegetable Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural
Science, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Donghui Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871,
China
| | - Zheng Li
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi
712100, China
| | - Run Cai
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,
Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shunong Bai
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871,
China
| | - William J Lucas
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural
Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Shenzhen 518124, China
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis,
CA 95616, USA
| | - Sanwen Huang
- Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural
Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Shenzhen 518124, China
| | - Zhonghua Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry
of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics,
Beijing 100081, China
- College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao
266109, China
| | - Jinjing Sun
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry
of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics,
Beijing 100081, China
- Authors for correspondence: ,
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8
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Probing the floral developmental stages, bisexuality and sex reversions in castor (Ricinus communis L.). Sci Rep 2021; 11:4246. [PMID: 33608605 PMCID: PMC7895920 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81781-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Castor (Ricinus communis L) is an ideal model species for sex mechanism studies in monoecious angiosperms, due to wide variations in sex expression. Sex reversion to monoecy in pistillate lines, along with labile sex expression, negatively influences hybrid seed purity. The study focuses on understanding the mechanisms of unisexual flower development, sex reversions and sex variations in castor, using various genotypes with distinct sex expression pattern. Male and female flowers had 8 and 12 developmental stages respectively, were morphologically similar till stage 4, with an intermediate bisexual state and were intermediate between type 1 and type 2 flowers. Pistil abortion was earlier than stamen inhibition. Sex alterations occurred at floral and inflorescence level. While sex-reversion was unidirectional towards maleness via bisexual stage, at high day temperatures (Tmax > 38 °C), femaleness was restored with subsequent drop in temperatures. Temperature existing for 2–3 weeks during floral meristem development, influences sexuality of the flower. We report for first time that unisexuality is preceded by bisexuality in castor flowers which alters with genotype and temperature, and sex reversions as well as high sexual polymorphisms in castor are due to alterations in floral developmental pathways. Differentially expressed (male-abundant or male-specific) genes Short chain dehydrogenase reductase 2a (SDR) and WUSCHEL are possibly involved in sex determination of castor.
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9
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Wang L, Han W, Diao S, Suo Y, Li H, Mai Y, Wang Y, Sun P, Fu J. Study of Sexual-Linked Genes ( OGI and MeGI) on the Performance of Androecious Persimmons ( Diospyros kaki Thunb.). PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10020390. [PMID: 33670570 PMCID: PMC7922513 DOI: 10.3390/plants10020390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
It is reported that the production of floral sexual phenotype in hexaploid monoecious persimmon (Diospyros kaki) is closely related to a pseudogene called OGI, and a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE)-like insertion (named Kali) in the OGI promoter leads to the gene silence. As a result, DNA methylation level of MeGI promoter determines the development of male or female flowers. However, the molecular mechanism in androecious D. kaki, which only bear male flowers, remains elusive. Here, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), molecular cloning, and bisulfite PCR sequencing technique were carried out using 87 materials, including 56 androecious resources, 15 monoecious, and 16 gynoecious cultivars, to investigate the performance of OGI and MeGI on the specific androecious type of D. kaki in China. In conclusion, the Kali insertion was exactly located in the OGI promoter region, and the OGI gene and the Kali sequence were existing and conserved in androecious D. kaki. Meanwhile, we also demonstrated that the MeGI gene was widespread in our investigated samples. Ultimately, our result convincingly provided evidence that the low expression of OGI is probably ascribed to the presence of Kali displaying strong methylation in the OGI promoter, and low expression of MeGI, as well as high DNA methylation level, in the promoter was closely connected with the production of male flowers; this result was consistent with the monoecious persimmon model. Our findings provide predominant genetic aspects for investigation into androecious D. kaki, and future perfecting the sex-determining mechanisms in persimmon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
- Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Weijuan Han
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
| | - Songfeng Diao
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yujing Suo
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
| | - Huawei Li
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yini Mai
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yiru Wang
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
| | - Peng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (P.S.); (J.F.); Tel.: +86-371-65996829 (P.S.); Fax: +86-371-65953628 (P.S.)
| | - Jianmin Fu
- Key Laboratory of Non-Timber Forest Germplasm Enhancement & Utilization of State Administration of Forestry and Grassland, Non-Timber Forestry Research and Development Center, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhengzhou 450003, China; (L.W.); (W.H.); (S.D.); (Y.S.); (H.L.); (Y.M.); (Y.W.)
- Correspondence: (P.S.); (J.F.); Tel.: +86-371-65996829 (P.S.); Fax: +86-371-65953628 (P.S.)
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10
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Li Q, Guo W, Chen B, Pan F, Yang H, Zhou J, Wang G, Li X. Transcriptional and Hormonal Responses in Ethephon-Induced Promotion of Femaleness in Pumpkin. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:715487. [PMID: 34539706 PMCID: PMC8442687 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.715487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The number and proportion of female flowers per plant can directly influence the yield and economic benefits of cucurbit crops. Ethephon is often used to induce female flowers in cucurbits. However, the mechanism through which it affects floral sex differentiation in pumpkin is unknown. We found that the application of ethephon on shoot apical meristem of pumpkin at seedling stage significantly increased the number of female flowers and expedited the appearance of the first female flower. These effects were further investigated by transcriptome and hormone analyses of plants sprayed with ethephon. A total of 647 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, among which 522 were upregulated and 125 were downregulated. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that these genes were mainly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO). The results suggests that ethylene is a trigger for multiple hormone signaling, with approximately 4.2% of the identified DEGs involved in ethylene synthesis and multiple hormone signaling. Moreover, ethephon significantly reduced the levels of jasmonic acid (JA), jasmonoyl-L-isoleucine (JA-ILE), and para-topolin riboside (pTR) but increased the levels of 3-indoleacetamide (IAM). Although the level of 1-aminocyclopropanecarboxylic acid was not changed, the expression of ACO genes, which code for the enzyme catalyzing the key rate-limiting step in ethylene production, was significantly upregulated after ethephon treatment. The results indicate that the ethephon affects the transcription of ethylene synthesis and signaling genes, and other hormone signaling genes, especially auxin responsive genes, and modulates the levels of auxin, jasmonic acid, and cytokinin (CK), which may together contribute to femaleness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfei Li
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
| | - Weili Guo
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
| | - Bihua Chen
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
| | - Feifei Pan
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
| | - Helian Yang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
| | - Junguo Zhou
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
| | - Guangyin Wang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xinzheng Li
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, China
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xinxiang, China
- *Correspondence: Xinzheng Li,
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Comparative transcriptomic analysis of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) reveals key genes involved in pistil deletion. Hereditas 2020; 157:39. [PMID: 32900387 PMCID: PMC7487804 DOI: 10.1186/s41065-020-00153-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The growth process of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) includes vegetative growth and reproductive growth. The reproductive growth period is relatively long (approximately 1.5 years), during which a large number of nutrients are consumed, resulting in reduced tea yield and quality, accelerated aging, and shortened economic life of the tea plant. The formation of unisexual and sterile flowers can weaken the reproductive growth process of the tea plant. To further clarify the molecular mechanisms of pistil deletion in the tea plant, we investigated the transcriptome profiles in the pistil-deficient tea plant (CRQS), wild tea plant (WT), and cultivated tea plant (CT) by using RNA-Seq. Results A total of 3683 differentially expressed genes were observed between CRQS and WT flower buds, with 2064 upregulated and 1619 downregulated in the CRQS flower buds. These genes were mainly involved in the regulation of molecular function and biological processes. Ethylene synthesis–related ACC synthase genes were significantly upregulated and ACC oxidase genes were significantly downregulated. Further analysis revealed that one of the WIP transcription factors involved in ethylene synthesis was significantly upregulated. Moreover, AP1 and STK, genes related to flower development, were significantly upregulated and downregulated, respectively. Conclusions The transcriptome analysis indicated that the formation of flower buds with pistil deletion is a complex biological process. Our study identified ethylene synthesis, transcription factor WIP, and A and D-class genes, which warrant further investigation to understand the cause of pistil deletion in flower bud formation.
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Li Q, Zhang L, Pan F, Guo W, Chen B, Yang H, Wang G, Li X. Transcriptomic analysis reveals ethylene signal transduction genes involved in pistil development of pumpkin. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9677. [PMID: 32879792 PMCID: PMC7442037 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of female flowers is an important process that directly affects the yield of Cucubits. Little information is available on the sex determination and development of female flowers in pumpkin, a typical monoecious plant. In the present study, we used aborted and normal pistils of pumpkin for RNA-Seq analysis and determined the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to gain insights into the molecular mechanism underlying pistil development in pumpkin. A total of 3,817 DEGs were identified, among which 1,341 were upregulated and 2,476 were downregulated. The results of transcriptome analysis were confirmed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. Eighty-four DEGs were enriched in the plant hormone signal transduction pathway, which accounted for 12.54% of the significant DEGs, and most of them were annotated as predicted ethylene responsive or insensitive transcription factor genes. Furthermore, the expression levels of four ethylene signal transduction genes in different flower structures (female calyx, pistil, male calyx, stamen, leaf, and ovary) were investigated. The ethyleneresponsive DNA binding factor, ERDBF3, and ethylene responsive transcription factor, ERTF10, showed the highest expression in pistils and the lowest expression in stamens, and their expression levels were 78- and 162-times more than that in stamens, respectively. These results suggest that plant hormone signal transduction genes, especially ethylene signal transduction genes, play an important role in the development of pistils in pumpkin. Our study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding of the mechanism of regulation of ethylene signal transduction genes in pistil development and sex determination in pumpkin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfei Li
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
| | - Li Zhang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
| | - Feifei Pan
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
| | - Weili Guo
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
| | - Bihua Chen
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
| | - Helian Yang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
| | - Guangyin Wang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
| | - Xinzheng Li
- College of Horticulture and Landscape, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xin Xiang, China.,Henan Province Engineering Research Center of Horticultural Plant Resource Utilization and Germplasm Enhancement, Xin Xiang, China
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Devani RS, Chirmade T, Sinha S, Bendahmane A, Dholakia BB, Banerjee AK, Banerjee J. Flower bud proteome reveals modulation of sex-biased proteins potentially associated with sex expression and modification in dioecious Coccinia grandis. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 19:330. [PMID: 31337343 PMCID: PMC6651928 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-019-1937-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dioecy is an important sexual system wherein, male and female flowers are borne on separate unisexual plants. Knowledge of sex-related differences can enhance our understanding in molecular and developmental processes leading to unisexual flower development. Coccinia grandis is a dioecious species belonging to Cucurbitaceae, a family well-known for diverse sexual forms. Male and female plants have 22A + XY and 22A + XX chromosomes, respectively. Previously, we have reported a gynomonoecious form (22A + XX) of C. grandis bearing morphologically hermaphrodite flowers (GyM-H) and female flowers (GyM-F). Also, we have showed that foliar spray of AgNO3 on female plant induces morphologically hermaphrodite bud development (Ag-H) despite the absence of Y-chromosome. RESULTS To identify sex-related differences, total proteomes from male, female, GyM-H and Ag-H flower buds at early and middle stages of development were analysed by label-free proteomics. Protein search against the cucumber protein sequences (Phytozome) as well as in silico translated C. grandis flower bud transcriptome database, resulted in the identification of 2426 and 3385 proteins (FDR ≤ 1%), respectively. The latter database was chosen for further analysis as it led to the detection of higher number of proteins. Identified proteins were annotated using BLAST2GO pipeline. SWATH-MS-based comparative abundance analysis between Female_Early_vs_Male_Early, Ag_Early_vs_Female_Early, GyM-H_Middle_vs_Male_Middle and Ag_Middle_vs_ Male_Middle led to the identification of 650, 1108, 905 and 805 differentially expressed proteins, respectively, at fold change ≥1.5 and P ≤ 0.05. Ethylene biosynthesis-related candidates as highlighted in protein interaction network were upregulated in female buds compared to male buds. AgNO3 treatment on female plant induced proteins related to pollen development in Ag-H buds. Additionally, a few proteins governing pollen germination and tube growth were highly enriched in male buds compared to Ag-H and GyM-H buds. CONCLUSION Overall, current proteomic analysis provides insights in the identification of key proteins governing dioecy and unisexual flower development in cucurbitaceae, the second largest horticultural family in terms of economic importance. Also, our results suggest that the ethylene-mediated stamen inhibition might be conserved in dioecious C. grandis similar to its monoecious cucurbit relatives. Further, male-biased proteins associated with pollen germination and tube growth identified here can help in understanding pollen fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Suresh Devani
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, 411008 India
- IPS2, INRA, CNRS, University Paris Sud, University of Evry, University of Paris Diderot, University of Paris Saclay, Batiment 630, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Tejas Chirmade
- Biochemical Science Division National Chemical laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, 411008 India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
| | - Sangram Sinha
- Department of Botany, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, Tripura 799022 India
| | - Abdelhafid Bendahmane
- IPS2, INRA, CNRS, University Paris Sud, University of Evry, University of Paris Diderot, University of Paris Saclay, Batiment 630, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Bhushan B. Dholakia
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, 411008 India
- Biochemical Science Division National Chemical laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, 411008 India
- Department of Molecular Biology & Bioinformatics, Tripura University, Suryamaninagar, Tripura 799022 India
| | - Anjan Kumar Banerjee
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, 411008 India
| | - Jayeeta Banerjee
- Biology Division, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, 411008 India
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Wang Y, Yan C, Zou B, Wang C, Xu W, Cui C, Qu S. Morphological, Transcriptomic and Hormonal Characterization of Trimonoecious and Subandroecious Pumpkin ( Cucurbita maxima) Suggests Important Roles of Ethylene in Sex Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20133185. [PMID: 31261811 PMCID: PMC6651883 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20133185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex expression is a complex process, and in-depth knowledge of its mechanism in pumpkin is important. In this study, young shoot apices at the one-true-leaf stage and 10-leaf stage in Cucurbita maxima trimonoecious line ‘2013–12’ and subandroecious line ‘9–6’ were collected as materials, and transcriptome sequencing was performed using an Illumina HiSeqTM 2000 System. 496 up-regulated genes and 375 down-regulated genes were identified between shoot apices containing mostly male flower buds and only female flower buds. Based on gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the ethylene and auxin synthesis and signal transduction pathways. In addition, shoot apices at the 4-leaf stage were treated with the ethylene-releasing agent 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid (Ethrel), aminoethoxyvinyl glycine (AVG), AgNO3 and indoleacetic acid (IAA). The number of female flowers up to node 20 on the main stem of ‘2013–12’ increased significantly after Ethrel and IAA treatment and decreased significantly after AVG and AgNO3 treatment. The female flowers in ‘9–6’ showed slight changes after treatment with the exogenous chemicals. The expression of key genes in ethylene synthesis and signal transduction (CmaACS7, CmaACO1, CmaETR1 and CmaEIN3) was determined using quantitative RT-PCR, and the expression of these four genes was positively correlated with the number of female flowers in ‘2013–12’. The variations in gene expression, especially that of CmaACS7, after chemical treatment were small in ‘9–6’. From stage 1 (S1) to stage 7 (S7) of flower development, the expression of CmaACS7 in the stamen was much lower than that in the ovary, stigma and style. These transcriptome data and chemical treatment results indicated that IAA might affect pumpkin sex expression by inducing CmaACS7 expression and indirectly affecting ethylene production, and the ethylene synthesis and signal transduction pathways play crucial roles in pumpkin flower sex expression. A possible reason for the differences in sex expression between pumpkin lines ‘2013–12’ and ‘9–6’ was proposed based on the key gene expression. Overall, these transcriptome data and chemical treatment results suggest important roles for ethylene in pumpkin sex expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture/Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Chundong Yan
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture/Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Bingxue Zou
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture/Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Chaojie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture/Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Wenlong Xu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture/Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Chongshi Cui
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture/Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
| | - Shuping Qu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture/Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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Li D, Sheng Y, Niu H, Li Z. Gene Interactions Regulating Sex Determination in Cucurbits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1231. [PMID: 31649699 PMCID: PMC6796545 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The family Cucurbitaceae includes many economically important crops, such as cucumber (Cucumis sativus), melon (Cucumis melo), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), which share homologous gene pathways that control similar phenotypes. Sex determination is a research hotspot associated with yield and quality, and the genes involved are highly orthologous and conserved in cucurbits. In the field, six normal sex types have been categorized according to the distribution of female, male, or bisexual flowers in a given plant. To date, five orthologous genes involved in sex determination have been cloned, and their various combinations and expression patterns can explain all the identified sex types. In addition to genetic mechanisms, ethylene controls sex expression in this family. Two ethylene signaling components have been identified recently, which will help us to explore the ethylene signaling-mediated interactions among sex-related genes. This review discusses recent advances relating to the mechanism of sex determination in cucurbits and the prospects for research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Li
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, China
| | - Yunyan Sheng
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University, Daqing, China
| | - Huanhuan Niu
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - Zheng Li
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Lai YS, Zhang W, Zhang X, Shen D, Wang H, Qiu Y, Song J, Li X. Integrative Analysis of Transcriptomic and Methylomic Data in Photoperiod-Dependent Regulation of Cucumber Sex Expression. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:3981-3991. [PMID: 30377155 PMCID: PMC6288824 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is characterized by its diversity and seasonal plasticity in sexual type. A long day length condition significantly decreased the cucumber female flower ratio by 17.7-52.9%, and the effect of photoperiod treatment is more significant under low temperature than under high temperature. Transcriptome analysis indicates that the photoperiod treatment preferentially significantly influenced flower development processes, particularly MADS-box genes in shoot apices. The long-day treatment resulted in predominantly transposable element (TE)- and gene-associated CHH-types of DNA methylation changes. Nevertheless, there was significant enrichment of CG- and CHG-types of DNA methylation changes nearing transcription start sites (TSSs)/transcription end sites (TESs) and gene bodies, respectively. Predominantly negative association between differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed which implied epiregulation of DEGs. Two MADS-box genes that were significantly downregulated by long photoperiod showed significant hypermethylation in promoter regions that is essentially TE-rich. This study indicates MADS-box genes which are partially regulated by promoter methylation state may mediate photoperiod-dependent regulation of cucumber sex expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Song Lai
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Institute of Pomology & Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611180, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Di Shen
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Haiping Wang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yang Qiu
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jiangping Song
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xixiang Li
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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Lai YS, Shen D, Zhang W, Zhang X, Qiu Y, Wang H, Dou X, Li S, Wu Y, Song J, Ji G, Li X. Temperature and photoperiod changes affect cucumber sex expression by different epigenetic regulations. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 18:268. [PMID: 30400867 PMCID: PMC6220452 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1490-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are known for their plasticity in sex expression. DNA methylation status determines gene activity but is susceptible to environmental condition changes. Thus, DNA methylation-based epigenetic regulation may at least partially account for the instability of cucumber sex expression. Do temperature and photoperiod that are the two most important environmental factors have equal effect on cucumber sex expression by similar epigenetic regulation mechanism? To answer this question, we did a two-factor experiment of temperature and photoperiod and generated methylome and transcriptome data from cucumber shoot apices. RESULTS The seasonal change in the femaleness of a cucumber core germplasm collection was investigated over five consecutive years. As a result, 71.3% of the 359 cucumber accessions significantly decreased their femaleness in early autumn when compared with spring. High temperature and long-day photoperiod treatments, which mimic early autumn conditions, are both unfavorable for female flower formation, and temperature is the predominant factor. High temperatures and long-day treatments both predominantly resulted in hypermethylation compared to demethylation, and temperature effect was decisive. The targeted cytosines shared in high-temperature and long-day photoperiod treatment showed the same change in DNA methylation level. Moreover, differentially expressed TEs (DETs) and the predicted epiregulation sites were clustered across chromosomes, and importantly, these sites were reproducible among different treatments. Essentially, the photoperiod treatment preferentially and significantly influenced flower development processes, while temperature treatment produced stronger responses from phytohormone-pathway-related genes. Cucumber AGAMOUS was likely epicontrolled exclusively by photoperiod while CAULIFLOWER A and CsACO3 were likely epicontrolled by both photoperiod and temperature. CONCLUSIONS Seasonal change of sex expression is a germplasm-wide phenomenon in cucumbers. High temperature and long-day photoperiod might have the same effect on the methylome via the same mechanism of gene-TE interaction but resulted in different epicontrol sites that account for different mechanisms between temperature- and photoperiod-dependent sex expression changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Song Lai
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
- Institute of Pomology & Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Di Shen
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yang Qiu
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Haiping Wang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xinxin Dou
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Sigeng Li
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yuanqi Wu
- Institute of Pomology & Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Jiangping Song
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Guanyu Ji
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xixiang Li
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
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Ye X, Fu M, Liu Y, An D, Zheng X, Tan B, Li J, Cheng J, Wang W, Feng J. Expression of grape ACS1 in tomato decreases ethylene and alters the balance between auxin and ethylene during shoot and root formation. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 226:154-162. [PMID: 29778014 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2018.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Ethylene plays an important role in the grape rachis, where its production can be 10 times higher than in the berry. VvACS1 is the only rachis-specific ACC synthase (ACS) gene, and its expression is coincident with ethylene production in the rachis of Vitis vinifera 'Thompson seedless'. VvACS1 was cloned and ectopically expressed in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum 'Moneymaker'). Lateral buds were increased in two- or four-week-old 35s∷VvACS1 transgenic tomato plants after transplanting. Compared with wild-type (WT) plants, the transgenic tomato plants showed higher expression of the VvACS1 gene in the flowers, leaves, rachis, and fruits. There was no obvious difference of ACS activity in the fruit of tomato, and only increased ACS activity in the rachis of tomato. Ethylene production was decreased in flowers, leaves, and fruits (seven weeks after full bloom), while the relative expression of endogenous tomato ACS1 and ACS6 genes was not down-regulated by the ectopic expression of VvACS1. These results imply that post-transcriptional or post-translational regulation of ACS may occur, resulting in lower ethylene production in the transgenic tomato plants. Moreover, expression of VvACS1 in tomato resulted in decreased auxin and increased zeatin contents in the lateral buds, as well as reduced or delayed formation of adventitious roots in lateral bud cuttings. RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analyses of rooted lateral bud cuttings indicated that the relative expression levels of the genes for zeatin O-glucosyltransferase-like, auxin repressed/dormancy-associated protein, and ERF transcription factors were higher in transgenic tomatoes than in WT, suggesting that ethylene may regulate auxin transport and distribution in shoots and that adventitious root formation employs coordination between auxin and ethylene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Ye
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengmeng Fu
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongliang An
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianbo Zheng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Tan
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jidong Li
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Cheng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiancan Feng
- College of Horticulture, Henan Agricultural University, 95 Wenhua Road, 450002 Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Tao Q, Niu H, Wang Z, Zhang W, Wang H, Wang S, Zhang X, Li Z. Ethylene responsive factor ERF110 mediates ethylene-regulated transcription of a sex determination-related orthologous gene in two Cucumis species. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:2953-2965. [PMID: 29659946 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
In plants, unisexual flowers derived from developmental sex determination form separate stamens and pistils that facilitate cross pollination. In cucumber and melon, ethylene plays a key role in sex determination. Six sex determination-related genes have been identified in ethylene biosynthesis in these Cucumis species. The interactions among these genes are thought to involve ethylene signaling; however, the underlying mechanism of regulation remains unknown. In this study, hormone treatment and qPCR assays were used to confirm expression of these sex determination-related genes in cucumber and melon is ethylene sensitive. RNA-Seq analysis subsequently helped identify the ethylene responsive factor (ERF) gene, CsERF110, related to ethylene signaling and sex determination. CsERF110 and its melon ortholog, CmERF110, shared a conserved AP2/ERF domain and showed ethylene-sensitive expression. Yeast one-hybrid and ChIP-PCR assays further indicated that CsERF110 bound to at least two sites in the promoter fragment of CsACS11, while transient transformation analysis showed that CsERF110 and CmERF110 enhance CsACS11 and CmACS11 promoter activity, respectively. Taken together, these findings suggest that CsERF110 and CmERF110 respond to ethylene signaling, mediating ethylene-regulated transcription of CsACS11 and CmACS11 in cucumber and melon, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanism involved in its regulation is thought to be conserved in these two Cucumis species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyi Tao
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Huanhuan Niu
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhongyuan Wang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wenhui Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hu Wang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shenhao Wang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xian Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zheng Li
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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20
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Pan J, Wang G, Wen H, Du H, Lian H, He H, Pan J, Cai R. Differential Gene Expression Caused by the F and M Loci Provides Insight Into Ethylene-Mediated Female Flower Differentiation in Cucumber. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:1091. [PMID: 30154805 PMCID: PMC6102477 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
In cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), the differentiation and development of female flowers are important processes that directly affect the fruit yield and quality. Sex differentiation is mainly controlled by three ethylene synthase genes, F (CsACS1G), M (CsACS2), and A (CsACS11). Thus, ethylene plays a key role in the sex differentiation in cucumber. The "one-hormone hypothesis" posits that F and M regulate the ethylene levels and initiate female flower development in cucumber. Nonetheless, the precise molecular mechanism of this process remains elusive. To investigate the mechanism by which F and M regulate the sex phenotype, three cucumber near-isogenic lines, namely H34 (FFmmAA, hermaphroditic), G12 (FFMMAA, gynoecious), and M12 (ffMMAA, monoecious), with different F and M loci were generated. The transcriptomic analysis of the apical shoots revealed that the expression of the B-class floral homeotic genes, CsPI (Csa4G358770) and CsAP3 (Csa3G865440), was immensely suppressed in G12 (100% female flowers) but highly expressed in M12 (∼90% male flowers). In contrast, CAG2 (Csa1G467100), which is an AG-like C-class floral homeotic gene, was specifically highly expressed in G12. Thus, the initiation of female flowers is likely to be caused by the downregulation of B-class and upregulation of C-class genes by ethylene production in the floral primordium. Additionally, CsERF31, which was highly expressed in G12, showed temporal and spatial expression patterns similar to those of M and responded to the ethylene-related chemical treatments. The biochemical experiments further demonstrated that CsERF31 could directly bind the promoter of M and promote its expression. Thus, CsERF31 responded to the ethylene signal derived from F and mediated the positive feedback regulation of ethylene by activating M expression, which offers an extended "one-hormone hypothesis" of sex differentiation in cucumber.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Run Cai
- *Correspondence: Junsong Pan, ; Run Cai,
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21
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Lai YS, Zhang X, Zhang W, Shen D, Wang H, Xia Y, Qiu Y, Song J, Wang C, Li X. The association of changes in DNA methylation with temperature-dependent sex determination in cucumber. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:2899-2912. [PMID: 28498935 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is characterized by its diverse and flexible sexual types. Here, we evaluated the effect of low temperature (LT) exposure on cucumber femaleness under short-day conditions. Shoot apices were subjected to whole-genome bisulfate sequencing (WGBS), mRNA-seq, and sRNA-seq. The results showed that temperature had a substantial and global impact on transposable element (TE)-related small RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) mechanisms, resulting in large amounts of CHH-type cytosine demethylation. In the cucumber genome, TEs are common in regions near genes that are also subject to DNA demethylation. TE-gene interactions showed very strong reactions to LT treatment, as nearly 80% of the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were distributed in genic regions. Demethylation near genes led to the co-ordinated expression of genes and TEs. More importantly, genome-wide de novo methylation changes also resulted in small amounts of CG- and CHG-type DMRs. Methylation changes in CG-DMRs located <600 bp from the transcription start and end sites (TSSs/TESs) negatively correlated with transcription changes in differentially expressed genes (DEGs), probably indicating epiregulation. Ethylene is called the 'sex hormone' of cucumbers. We observed the up-regulation of ethylene biosynthesis-related CsACO3 and the down-regulation of an Arabidopsis RAP2.4-like ethylene-responsive (AP2/ERF) transcription factor, demonstrating the inferred epiregulation. Our study characterized the response of the apex methylome to LT and predicted the possible epiregulation of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in cucumber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Song Lai
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Institute of Pomology & Olericulture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Di Shen
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Haiping Wang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yudong Xia
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yang Qiu
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jiangping Song
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Chenchen Wang
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xixiang Li
- Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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22
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Zhang Y, Zhao G, Li Y, Mo N, Zhang J, Liang Y. Transcriptomic Analysis Implies That GA Regulates Sex Expression via Ethylene-Dependent and Ethylene-Independent Pathways in Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:10. [PMID: 28154572 PMCID: PMC5243814 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Sex differentiation of flower buds is an important developmental process that directly affects fruit yield of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Plant hormones, such as gibberellins (GAs) and ethylene can promote development of male and female flowers, respectively, however, the regulatory mechanisms of GA-induced male flower formation and potential involvement of ethylene in this process still remain unknown. In this study, to unravel the genes and gene networks involved in GA-regulated cucumber sexual development, we performed high throughout RNA-Seq analyses that compared the transcriptomes of shoot tips between GA3 treated and untreated gynoecious cucumber plants. Results showed that GA3 application markedly induced male flowers but decreased ethylene production in shoot tips. Furthermore, the transcript levels of M (CsACS2) gene, ethylene receptor CsETR1 and some ethylene-responsive transcription factors were dramatically changed after GA3 treatment, suggesting a potential involvement of ethylene in GA-regulated sex expression of cucumber. Interestingly, GA3 down-regulated transcript of a C-class floral homeotic gene, CAG2, indicating that GA may also influence cucumber sex determination through an ethylene-independent process. These results suggest a novel model for hormone-mediated sex differentiation and provide a theoretical basis for further dissection of the regulatory mechanism of male flower formation in cucumber. Statement: We reveal that GA can regulate sex expression of cucumber via an ethylene-dependent manner, and the M (CsACS2), CsETR1, and ERFs are probably involved in this process. Moreover, CAG2, a C-class floral homeotic gene, may also participate in GA-modulated cucumber sex determination, but this pathway is ethylene-independent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Region, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
| | - Guiye Zhao
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Region, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
| | - Yushun Li
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Region, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
| | - Ning Mo
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Region, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Region, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
| | - Yan Liang
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Region, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China
- *Correspondence: Yan Liang,
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23
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Chen H, Sun J, Li S, Cui Q, Zhang H, Xin F, Wang H, Lin T, Gao D, Wang S, Li X, Wang D, Zhang Z, Xu Z, Huang S. An ACC Oxidase Gene Essential for Cucumber Carpel Development. MOLECULAR PLANT 2016; 9:1315-1327. [PMID: 27403533 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2016.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination in plants gives rise to unisexual flowers that facilitate outcrossing and enhance genetic diversity. In cucumber and melon, ethylene promotes carpel development and arrests stamen development. Five sex-determination genes have been identified, including four encoding 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) synthase that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in ethylene biosynthesis, and a transcription factor gene CmWIP1 that corresponds to the Mendelian locus gynoecious in melon and is a negative regulator of femaleness. ACC oxidase (ACO) converts ACC into ethylene; however, it remains elusive which ACO gene in the cucumber genome is critical for sex determination and how CmWIP1 represses development of female flowers. In this study, we discovered that mutation in an ACO gene, CsACO2, confers androecy in cucumber that bears only male flowers. The mutation disrupts the enzymatic activity of CsACO2, resulting in 50% less ethylene emission from shoot tips. CsACO2 was expressed in the carpel primordia and its expression overlapped with that of CsACS11 in female flowers at key stages for sex determination, presumably providing sufficient ethylene required for proper CsACS2 expression. CmACO3, the ortholog of CsACO2, showed a similar expression pattern in the carpel region, suggesting a conserved function of CsACO2/CmACO3. We demonstrated that CsWIP1, the ortholog of CmWIP1, could directly bind the promoter of CsACO2 and repress its expression. Taken together, we propose a presumably conserved regulatory module consisting of WIP1 transcription factor and ACO controls unisexual flower development in cucumber and melon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiming Chen
- Hunan Vegetable Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Jinjing Sun
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shuai Li
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qingzhi Cui
- Hunan Vegetable Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China
| | - Huimin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Agricultural Genomic Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Fengjiao Xin
- Institute of Agricultural Product Processing, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Huaisong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tao Lin
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Agricultural Genomic Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Dongli Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Agricultural Genomic Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Shenhao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xia Li
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Donghui Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Zhonghua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhihong Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Sanwen Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Laboratory of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Agricultural Genomic Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China.
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24
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Bu F, Chen H, Shi Q, Zhou Q, Gao D, Zhang Z, Huang S. A major quantitative trait locus conferring subgynoecy in cucumber. TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2016; 129:97-104. [PMID: 26433829 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-015-2612-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A major QTL conditioning high degree of femaleness in cucumber was identified by marker analysis and next generation sequencing. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a model species for sex determination studies, and its yield is associated with the degree of femaleness. Subgynoecy represents a sex form with a high degree of femaleness for which the genetic basis remains elusive. In this study, genetic analysis in the F2 and BC1 populations developed from a cross between subgynoecious S-2-98 and monoecious M95 suggested a quantitative nature of subgynoecy. Application of simple sequence repeat markers between subgynoecious and monoecious bulks constructed from BC1 plants identified three QTLs: sg3.1, sg6.1, and sg6.2. The major QTL sg3.1 contributed to 54.6% of the phenotypic variation, and its presence was confirmed by genome-wide comparison of SNP profiles between parental lines and a subgynoecious bulk constructed from BC6 plants. Using PCR-based markers developed from the SNP profile, sg3.1 was further delimited to a genomic region of 799 kb. The genetic basis of subgynoecy revealed here shall shed light on the development of elite cultivars with high yield potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengjiao Bu
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Lab of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Huiming Chen
- Hunan Vegetable Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha, 410125, China
| | - Qiuxiang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Lab of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Lab of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Dongli Gao
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Lab of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhonghua Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Lab of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Sanwen Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Ministry of Agriculture, Sino-Dutch Joint Lab of Horticultural Genomics, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
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25
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Ramos MJN, Coito JL, Silva HG, Cunha J, Costa MMR, Rocheta M. Flower development and sex specification in wild grapevine. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:1095. [PMID: 25495781 PMCID: PMC4363350 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-1095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild plants of Vitis closely related to the cultivated grapevine (V. v. vinifera) are believed to have been first domesticated 10,000 years BC around the Caspian Sea. V. v. vinifera is hermaphrodite whereas V. v. sylvestris is a dioecious species. Male flowers show a reduced pistil without style or stigma and female flowers present reflexed stamens with infertile pollen. V. vinifera produce perfect flowers with all functional structures. The mechanism for flower sex determination and specification in grapevine is still unknown. RESULTS To understand which genes are involved during the establishment of male, female and complete flowers, we analysed and compared the transcription profiles of four developmental stages of the three genders. We showed that sex determination is a late event during flower development and that the expression of genes from the ABCDE model is not directly correlated with the establishment of sexual dimorphism. We propose a temporal comprehensive model in which two mutations in two linked genes could be players in sex determination and indirectly establish the Vitis domestication process. Additionally, we also found clusters of genes differentially expressed between genders and between developmental stages that suggest a role involved in sex differentiation. Also, the detection of differentially transcribed regions that extended existing gene models (intergenic regions) between sexes suggests that they may account for some of the variation between the subspecies. CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence of differences of expression levels in genes from the ABCDE model that could explain the shift from hermaphroditism to dioecy. We propose that sex specification occurs after floral organ identity has been established and therefore, sex determination genes might be having an effect downstream of the ABCDE model genes.For the first time a full transcriptomic analysis was performed in different flower developmental stages in the same individual. Our experimental approach enabled us to create a comprehensive catalogue of transcribed genes across developmental stages and genders that will contribute for future work in sex determination in seed plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Jesus Nunes Ramos
- />Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, CBAA, Tapada da Ajuda, 1359-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Lucas Coito
- />Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, CBAA, Tapada da Ajuda, 1359-017 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Helena Gomes Silva
- />Center for Biodiversity Functional and Integrative Genomics (BioFIG), Plant Functional Biology Center, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Jorge Cunha
- />Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta d’Almoinha, Dois Portos, Portugal
- />ITQB, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Maria Manuela Ribeiro Costa
- />Center for Biodiversity Functional and Integrative Genomics (BioFIG), Plant Functional Biology Center, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Margarida Rocheta
- />Universidade de Lisboa, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, CBAA, Tapada da Ajuda, 1359-017 Lisboa, Portugal
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26
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Switzenberg JA, Little HA, Hammar SA, Grumet R. Floral primordia-targeted ACS (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase) expression in transgenic Cucumis melo implicates fine tuning of ethylene production mediating unisexual flower development. PLANTA 2014; 240:797-808. [PMID: 25066672 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-014-2118-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Floral primordia-targeted expression of the ethylene biosynthetic gene, ACS , in melon suggests that differential timing and ethylene response thresholds combine to promote carpels, inhibit stamens, and prevent asexual bud formation. Typical angiosperm flowers produce both male and female reproductive organs. However, numerous species have evolved unisexuality. Melons (Cucumis melo L.) can produce varying combinations of male, female or bisexual flowers. Regardless of final sex, floral development begins with sequential initiation of all four floral whorls; unisexuality results from carpel or stamen primordia arrest regulated by the G and A loci, respectively. Ethylene, which promotes femaleness, is a key factor regulating sex expression. We sought to further understand the location, timing, level, and relationship to sex gene expression required for ethylene to promote carpel development or inhibit stamen development. Andromonoecious melons (GGaa) were transformed with the ethylene biosynthetic enzyme gene, ACS (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase), targeted for expression in stamen and petal, or carpel and nectary, primordia using Arabidopsis APETALA3 (AP3) or CRABSCLAW (CRC) promoters, respectively. CRC::ACS plants did not exhibit altered sex phenotype. AP3::ACS melons showed increased femaleness manifested by gain of a bisexual-only phase not seen in wild type, decreased male buds and flowers, and loss of the initial male-only phase. In extreme cases, plants became phenotypically hermaphrodite, rather than andromonoecious. A reduced portion of buds progressed beyond initial whorl formation. Both the ACS transgene and exogenous ethylene reduced the expression of the native carpel-suppressing gene, G, while elevating expression of the stamen-suppressing gene, A. These results show ethylene-mediated regulation of key sex expression genes and suggest a mechanism by which temporally regulated ethylene production and differential ethylene response thresholds can promote carpels, inhibit stamens, and prevent the formation of asexual buds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Switzenberg
- Graduate Program in Genetics and Department of Horticulture, Plant and Soil Science Building, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue Street, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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27
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Zhang Y, Zhang X, Liu B, Wang W, Liu X, Chen C, Liu X, Yang S, Ren H. A GAMYB homologue CsGAMYB1 regulates sex expression of cucumber via an ethylene-independent pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2014; 65:3201-13. [PMID: 24790111 PMCID: PMC4071842 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a typical monoecious vegetable with individual male and female flowers, and has been used as a model plant for sex determination. It is well known that sex differentiation of cucumber can be regulated by phytohormones, such as gibberellic acid (GA) and ethylene. The molecular mechanism of female sex expression modulated by ethylene has been widely understood, but how GA controls male sex expression remains elusive. In hermaphroditic Arabidopsis and rice, GA can regulate stamen and anther development via the transcriptional regulation of GAMYB. Here we characterized a GAMYB homologue CsGAMYB1 in cucumber. We found that CsGAMYB1 is predominantly expressed in male flower buds, where its expression is upregulated by GA3 treatment. CsGAMYB1 protein is localized in the nucleus. CsGAMYB1 can partially rescue stamen development and fertility phenotypes of an Arabidopsis myb33 myb65 double mutant. However, constitutive overexpression of CsGAMYB1 in wild-type Arabidopsis resulted in male sterility, which mimics the effect of GA overdose in flower development. Knockdown of CsGAMYB1 in cucumber decreases the ratio of nodes with male and female flowers, and ethylene is not involved in this process. Our data suggest that CsGAMYB1 regulates sex expression of cucumber via an ethylene-independent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolan Zhang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Bin Liu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Wenjiao Wang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xingwang Liu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Chunhua Chen
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Xiaofeng Liu
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Sen Yang
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
| | - Huazhong Ren
- College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P. R. China
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Martínez C, Manzano S, Megías Z, Barrera A, Boualem A, Garrido D, Bendahmane A, Jamilena M. Molecular and functional characterization of CpACS27A gene reveals its involvement in monoecy instability and other associated traits in squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). PLANTA 2014; 239:1201-15. [PMID: 24595516 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-014-2043-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A number of Cucurbita pepo genotypes showing instable monoecy or partial andromonoecy, i.e. an incomplete conversion of female into bisexual flowers, have been detected. Given that in melon and cucumber andromonoecy is the result of reduction of ethylene production in female floral buds, caused by mutations in the ethylene biosynthesis genes CmACS7 and CsACS2; we have cloned and characterized two related C. pepo genes, CpACS27A and CpACS27B. The molecular structure of CpACS27A and its specific expression in the carpels of female flowers during earlier stages of flower development suggests that this gene is the Cucurbita ortholog of CmACS7 and CsACS2. CpACS27B is likely to be a paralogous pseudogene since it has not been found to be expressed in any of the analyzed tissues. CpACS27A was sequenced in Bolognese (Bog) and Vegetable Spaghetti (Veg), two monoecious inbred lines whose F2 was segregating for partial andromonoecy. The Bog allele of CpACS27A carried a missense mutation that resulted in a substitution of the conserved serine residue in position 176 by an alanine. Segregation analysis indicated that this mutant variant is necessary but not sufficient to confer the andromonoecious phenotype in squash. In concordance with its involvement in stamen arrest, a reduction in CpACS27A expression has been found in bisexual flower buds at earlier stages of development. This reduction in CpACS27A expression was concomitant with a downregulation of other ethylene biosynthesis and signaling genes during earlier and later stages of ovary development. The role of CpACS27A is discussed regarding the regulation of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling genes in the control of andromonoecy-associated traits, such as the delayed maturation of corolla and stigma as well as the parthenocarpic development of the fruit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Martínez
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), Universidad de Almería, La Cañada de San Urbano s/n, 04120, Almería, Spain
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Boualem A, Fleurier S, Troadec C, Audigier P, Kumar APK, Chatterjee M, Alsadon AA, Sadder MT, Wahb-Allah MA, Al-Doss AA, Bendahmane A. Development of a Cucumis sativus TILLinG platform for forward and reverse genetics. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97963. [PMID: 24835852 PMCID: PMC4024006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family that includes more than 800 species. The cucumber genome has been recently sequenced and annotated. Transcriptomics and genome sequencing of many plant genomes are providing information on candidate genes potentially related to agronomically important traits. To accelerate functional characterization of these genes in cucumber we have generated an EMS mutant population that can be used as a TILLinG platform for reverse genetics. Principal Findings A population of 3,331 M2 mutant seed families was generated using two EMS concentrations (0.5% and 0.75%). Genomic DNA was extracted from M2 families and eight-fold pooled for mutation detection by ENDO1 nuclease. To assess the quality of the mutant collection, we screened for induced mutations in five genes and identified 26 mutations. The average mutation rate was calculated as 1/1147 Kb giving rise to approximately 320 mutations per genome. We focused our characterization on three missense mutations, G33C, S238F and S249F identified in the CsACS2 sex determination gene. Protein modeling and crystallography studies predicted that mutation at G33 may affect the protein function, whereas mutations at S238 and S249 may not impair the protein function. As predicted, detailed phenotypic evaluation showed that the S238F and the S249F mutant lines had no sexual phenotype. In contrast, plants homozygous for the G33C mutation showed a complete sexual transition from monoecy to andromonoecy. This result demonstrates that TILLinG is a valuable tool for functional validation of gene function in crops recalcitrant to transgenic transformation. Conclusions We have developed a cucumber mutant population that can be used as an efficient reverse genetics tool. The cucumber TILLinG collection as well as the previously described melon TILLinG collection will prove to be a valuable resource for both fundamental research and the identification of agronomically-important genes for crop improvement in cucurbits in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnane Boualem
- INRA-URGV, UMR1165, Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Saclay Plant Sciences, Evry, France
| | - Sebastien Fleurier
- INRA-URGV, UMR1165, Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Saclay Plant Sciences, Evry, France
| | - Christelle Troadec
- INRA-URGV, UMR1165, Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Saclay Plant Sciences, Evry, France
| | - Pascal Audigier
- INRA-URGV, UMR1165, Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Saclay Plant Sciences, Evry, France
| | - Anish P. K. Kumar
- Bench Bio Pvt Ltd., c/o Jai Research Foundation, Vapi, Gujarat, India
| | - Manash Chatterjee
- Bench Bio Pvt Ltd., c/o Jai Research Foundation, Vapi, Gujarat, India
- Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre (PABC), Botany and Plant Science, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Abdullah A. Alsadon
- Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Monther T. Sadder
- Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mahmoud A. Wahb-Allah
- Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah A. Al-Doss
- Department of Plant Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelhafid Bendahmane
- INRA-URGV, UMR1165, Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Saclay Plant Sciences, Evry, France
- * E-mail:
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Zhang Y, Liu B, Yang S, An J, Chen C, Zhang X, Ren H. A cucumber DELLA homolog CsGAIP may inhibit staminate development through transcriptional repression of B class floral homeotic genes. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91804. [PMID: 24632777 PMCID: PMC3954735 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In hermaphroditic Arabidopsis, the phytohormone gibberellin (GA) stimulates stamen development by opposing the DELLA repression of B and C classes of floral homeotic genes. GA can promote male flower formation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), a typical monoecious vegetable with unisexual flowers, and the molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here we characterized a DELLA homolog CsGAIP in cucumber, and we found that CsGAIP is highly expressed in stem and male flower buds. In situ hybridization showed that CsGAIP is greatly enriched in the stamen primordia, especially during the hermaphrodite stage of flower development. Further, CsGAIP protein is located in nucleus. CsGAIP can partially rescue the plant height, stamen development and fertility phenotypes of Arabidopsis rga-24/gai-t6 mutant, and ectopic expression of CsGAIP in wide-type Arabidopsis results in reduced number of stamens and decreased transcription of B class floral homeotic genes APETALA3 (AP3) and PISTILLATA (PI). Our data suggest that monoecious CsGAIP may inhibit staminate development through transcriptional repression of B class floral homeotic genes in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China; Department of Vegetable Science, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China; Department of Vegetable Science, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Sen Yang
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China; Department of Vegetable Science, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jingbo An
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China; Department of Vegetable Science, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Chunhua Chen
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China; Department of Vegetable Science, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xiaolan Zhang
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China; Department of Vegetable Science, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (HR)
| | - Huazhong Ren
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China; Department of Vegetable Science, Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, China Agricultural University, Beijing, P.R. China
- * E-mail: (XZ); (HR)
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31
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Unisexual cucumber flowers, sex and sex differentiation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2013; 304:1-55. [PMID: 23809434 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407696-9.00001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Sex is a universal phenomenon in the world of eukaryotes. Attempts have been made to understand regulatory mechanisms for plant sex determination by investigating unisexual flowers. The cucumber plant is one of the model systems for studying how sex determination is regulated by phytohormones. A systematic investigation of the development of unisexual cucumber flowers is summarized here, and it is suggested that the mechanism of the unisexual flower can help us to understand how the process leading to one type of gametogenesis is prevented. Based on these findings, we concluded that the unisexual cucumber flowers is not an issue of sex differentiation, but instead a mechanism for avoiding self-pollination. Sex differentiation is essentially the divergent point(s) leading to heterogametogenesis. On the basis of analyses of sex differentiation in unicellular organisms and animals as well as the core process of plant life cycle, a concept of "sexual reproduction cycle" is proposed for understanding the essential role of sex and a "progressive model" for future investigations of sex differentiation in plants.
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32
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Li Z, Wang S, Tao Q, Pan J, Si L, Gong Z, Cai R. A putative positive feedback regulation mechanism in CsACS2 expression suggests a modified model for sex determination in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2012; 63:4475-84. [PMID: 22577183 PMCID: PMC3421985 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ers123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Revised: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that the plant hormone ethylene plays a key role in cucumber sex determination. Since the unisexual control gene M was cloned and shown to encode an ethylene synthase, instead of an ethylene receptor, the 'one-hormone hypothesis', which was used to explain the cucumber sex phenotype, has been challenged. Here, the physiological function of CsACS2 (the gene encoded by the M locus) was studied using the transgenic tobacco system. The results indicated that overexpression of CsACS2 increased ethylene production in the tobacco plant, and the native cucumber promoter had no activity in transgenic tobacco (PM). However, when PM plants were treated with exogenous ethylene, CsACS2 expression could be detected. In cucumber, ethylene treatment could also induce transcription of CsACS2, while inhibition of ethylene action reduced the expression level. These findings suggest a positive feedback regulation mechanism for CsACS2, and a modified 'one-hormone hypothesis' for sex determination in cucumber is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Li
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Shu Wang
- College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest Forest University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Qianyi Tao
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Junsong Pan
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Longting Si
- College of Horticulture, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110161, China
| | - Zhenhui Gong
- College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Run Cai
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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Bai SN, Xu ZH. Bird-nest puzzle: can the study of unisexual flowers such as cucumber solve the problem of plant sex determination? PROTOPLASMA 2012; 249 Suppl 2:S119-23. [PMID: 22415162 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-012-0396-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/29/2012] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Unisexual flower development has long been used as a model system to understand the mechanism of plant sex determination. However, based on our investigation of the mechanisms regulating the development of unisexual cucumber flowers, we have realized that understanding how organ development is inhibited may not necessarily reveal how an organ is formed. We refer to this problem as a "bird-nest puzzle," meaning one cannot understand how a bird lays and hatches its eggs by understanding how its nest is ruined. To understand the biological significance of unisexual flowers, we reexamine the original meaning of sex and its application in plants. Additionally, we propose that the fundamental biological advantage for the selection and maintenance of unisexual flowers during evolution is to promote cross pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Nong Bai
- PKU-Yale Joint Research Center of Agricultural and Plant Molecular Biology, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.
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Foucart C, Boualem A, Lasseur B, Eleblu J, Fahraj I, Bendahmane A. [Sex determination in cucurbits]. Biol Aujourdhui 2012; 206:57-62. [PMID: 22463996 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2012005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination in plants leads to the development of unisexual flowers from an originally bisexual floral meristem. Cucurbits are not only species of agronomic interest but they also represent model species for the study of plant sex determination, because of their ability to harbor different sexual types. Such sexual forms are controlled by the identity of the alleles at the following loci: andromonoecious (a) and gynoecious (g) in melon, or androecious (a), Female (F), and Monoecious (M) in cucumber. We firstly showed that the andromonoecious a gene in melon encodes for an ACC synthase (CmACS7) and demonstrated that andromonoecy results from a mutation in the active site of the enzyme. Expression of the active enzyme inhibits the development of the male organs and is not required for carpel development. Because the a gene in melon and M gene in cucumber control the same sexual transition, monoecy to andromonoecy, we isolated the andromonoecy M gene in cucumber using a candidate gene approach in combination with genetic and biochemical analysis. We demonstrated the co-segregation of CsACS2, a close ortholog of CmACS7, with the M locus, and showed that the cucumber andromonoecious phenotype is also due to a loss of ACS enzymatic activity. CsACS2 is expressed specifically in carpel primordia of female flowers and should play a similar role to that of CmACS7 in melon in the inhibition of stamina development. Finally, we also showed that the transition from male to female flowers in the gynoecious lines results from epigenetic changes in the promoter of a C(2)H (2) zinc-finger transcription factor, CmWIP1. This epigenetic change is elicited by the insertion of a DNA transposon, which causes the spreading of DNA methylation to the CmWIP1 promoter. Expression of CmWIP1 leads to carpel abortion, resulting in the development of unisexual male flowers. From all these results, we built a model in which CmACS7 and CmWIP1 interact to control the development of male, female and hermaphrodite flowers in melon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Foucart
- INRA-CNRS, UMR1165, Unité de REcherche en Génomique Végétale, 91057 Évry Cedex, France
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35
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Gu HT, Wang DH, Li X, He CX, Xu ZH, Bai SN. Characterization of an ethylene-inducible, calcium-dependent nuclease that is differentially expressed in cucumber flower development. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2011; 192:590-600. [PMID: 21801181 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03825.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
• Production of unisexual flowers is an important mechanism that promotes cross-pollination in angiosperms. We previously identified primordial anther-specific DNA damage and organ-specific ethylene perception responsible for the arrest of stamen development in female flowers, but little is known about how the two processes are linked. • To identify potential links between the two processes, we performed suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) stamens of male and female flowers at stage 6, with stamens at stage 5 of bisexual flowers as a control. • Among the differentially expressed genes, we identified an expressed sequence tag (EST) encoding a cucumber homolog to an Arabidopsis calcium-dependent nuclease (CAN), designated CsCaN. Full-length CsCaN cDNA and the respective genomic DNA sequence were cloned and characterized. The CsCaN protein exhibited calcium-dependent nuclease activity. CsCaN showed ubiquitous expression; however, increased gene expression was detected in the stamens of stage 6 female flowers compared with male flowers. As expected, CsCaN expression was ethylene inducible. It was of great interest that CsCaN was post-translationally modified. • This study demonstrated that CsCaN is a novel cucumber nuclease gene, whose DNase activity is regulated at multiple levels, and which could be involved in the primordial anther-specific DNA damage of developing female cucumber flowers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tao Gu
- PKU-Yale Joint Research Center of Agricultural and Plant Molecular Biology, National Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Gene Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Miao M, Yang X, Han X, Wang K. Sugar signalling is involved in the sex expression response of monoecious cucumber to low temperature. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2011; 62:797-804. [PMID: 20937729 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erq315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate how low temperature alters the sex expression of monoecious cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.). Plants were grown under different day/night temperature regimes, 28 °C/18 °C (12 h/12 h), 18 °C/12 °C, 28 °C/12 °C, and 28 °C/(6 h 18 °C+6 h 12 °C). It was found that plant femaleness is highest in the 28 °C/(6 h 18 °C+6 h 12 °C) treatment. Analysis of endogenous phytohormones and sugars in the shoot apex revealed that plant femaleness is positively correlated with the levels of ethylene, abscisic acid (ABA), glucose, and sucrose. Exogenous application experiments suggest that ABA and ethylene biosynthesis, as well as plant femaleness, was enhanced by glucose, sucrose, and mannose, but not by 3-O-methylglucose. Exogenous ABA had no significant effect on ethylene biosynthesis and plant femaleness. Both low temperature- and sugar-induced ABA biosynthesis, ethylene evolution, and plant femaleness can be antagonized by the hexokinase inhibitor glucosamine and the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor nordihydroguaiaretic acid. It is concluded that the enhancement of cucumber femaleness under various temperature regimes is induced by elevated levels of glucose and sucrose in the shoot apex through a sugar signalling pathway involving hexokinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minmin Miao
- Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, School of Horticulture and Plant Protection, Yangzhou University, 12 Wenhui East Road, Yangzou 225009, China.
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Wu T, Qin Z, Zhou X, Feng Z, Du Y. Transcriptome profile analysis of floral sex determination in cucumber. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2010; 167:905-13. [PMID: 20303197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2010.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2009] [Revised: 02/18/2010] [Accepted: 02/18/2010] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Cucumber has been widely studied as a model for floral sex determination. In this investigation, we performed genome-wide transcriptional profiling of apical tissue of a gynoecious mutant (Csg-G) and the monoecious wild-type (Csg-M) of cucumber in an attempt to isolate genes involved in sex determination, using the Solexa technology. The profiling analysis revealed numerous changes in gene expression attributable to the mutation, which resulted in the down-regulation of 600 genes and the up-regulation of 143 genes. The Solexa data were confirmed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in biogenesis, transport and organization of cellular component, macromolecular and cellular biosynthesis, localization, establishment of localization, translation and other processes. Furthermore, the expression of some of these genes depended upon the tissue and the developmental stage of the flowers of gynoecious mutant. The results of this study suggest two important concepts, which govern sex determination in cucumber. First, the differential expression of genes involved in plant hormone signaling pathways, such as ACS, Asr1, CsIAA2, CS-AUX1 and TLP, indicate that phytohormones and their crosstalk might play a critical role in the sex determination. Second, the regulation of some transcription factors, including EREBP-9, may also be involved in this developmental process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Wu
- Horticultural Department, Northeast Agricultural University, 59 Mucai Road, Harbin 150030, China
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38
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Tao QY, Li Z, He HL, Pan JS, Cai R. [Expression analysis of the unisex-determine gene M in cucumber]. YI CHUAN = HEREDITAS 2010; 32:632-638. [PMID: 20566468 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2010.00632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Sex determination in plants has various mechanism; however, a single gene locus controlling unisexual expression is unique in the Cucurbitaceae plants, particularly cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and melon (Cucumis melo L.). In this study, with quantitative RT-PCR method, two sets of near-isogenic lines (NILs) were used to analyze the expression pattern of gene CsACS2 (GenBank accession number FJ529216). Additionally, chemical applications (AgNO3 and AVG) were used to investigate the effect of the plant endogenous ethylene on CsACS2 expression. Expression analysis reveals that endogenous ethylene, which might be derived from F or M itself, could activate the expression of M gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian-Yi Tao
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
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Wang DH, Li F, Duan QH, Han T, Xu ZH, Bai SN. Ethylene perception is involved in female cucumber flower development. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2010; 61:862-72. [PMID: 20030751 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-313x.2009.04114.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that ethylene promotes female flower development in cucumber. However, little is known about how the gaseous hormone selectively affects female flowers, and what mechanism it uses. Previously, we found organ-specific DNA damage in the primordial anther of female cucumber flowers. This finding led to a hypothesis that ethylene might promote female flower development via the organ-specific induction of DNA damage in primordial anthers. In this study, we tested this hypothesis first by demonstrating ethylene induction of DNA damage via the ethylene signaling pathway using cucumber protoplasts. Then, using representative component genes of the ethylene signaling pathway as probes, we found that one of the ethylene receptors, CsETR1, was temporally and spatially downregulated in the stamens of stage-6 female cucumber flowers, especially along with the increase of the nodes. Furthermore, by constructing transgenic Arabidopsis plants with organ-specific expression of antisense CsETR1 under the control of an AP3 promoter to downregulate ETR1 expression in the stamens, we generated Arabidopsis 'female flowers', in which the abnormal stamens mimic those of female cucumber flowers. Our data suggest that ethylene perception is involved in the arrest of stamen development in female cucumber flowers through the induction of DNA damage. This opens up a novel perspective and approach to solve the half-century-long puzzle of how gaseous ethylene selectively promotes female flowers in the monoecious cucumber plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Hui Wang
- PKU-Yale Joint Research Center of Agricultural and Plant Molecular Biology, National Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Gene Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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Boualem A, Troadec C, Kovalski I, Sari MA, Perl-Treves R, Bendahmane A. A conserved ethylene biosynthesis enzyme leads to andromonoecy in two cucumis species. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6144. [PMID: 19578542 PMCID: PMC2701604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2009] [Accepted: 06/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Andromonoecy is a widespread sexual system in angiosperms, characterized by plants carrying both male and bisexual flowers. Monoecy is characterized by the presence of both male and female flowers on the same plant. In cucumber, these sexual forms are controlled by the identity of the alleles at the M locus. In melon, we recently showed that the transition from monoecy to andromonoecy result from a mutation in 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) gene, CmACS-7. To isolate the andromonoecy gene in cucumber we used a candidate gene approach in combination with genetical and biochemical analysis. We demonstrated co-segregation of CsACS2, a close homolog of CmACS-7, with the M locus. Sequence analysis of CsACS2 in cucumber accessions identified four CsACS2 isoforms, three in andromonoecious and one in monoecious lines. To determine whether the andromonoecious phenotype is due to a loss of ACS enzymatic activity, we expressed the four isoforms in Escherichia coli and assayed their activity in vitro. Like in melon, the isoforms from the andromonoecious lines showed reduced to no enzymatic activity and the isoform from the monoecious line was active. Consistent with this, the mutations leading andromonoecy were clustered in the active site of the enzyme. Based on this, we concluded that active CsACS2 enzyme leads to the development of female flowers in monoecious lines, whereas a reduction of enzymatic activity yields hermaphrodite flowers. Consistent with this, CsACS2, like CmACS-7 in melon, is expressed specifically in carpel primordia of buds determined to develop carpels. Following ACS expression, inter-organ communication is likely responsible for the inhibition of stamina development. In both melon and cucumber, flower unisexuality seems to be the ancestral situation, as the majority of Cucumis species are monoecious. Thus, the ancestor gene of CmACS-7/CsACS2 likely have controlled the stamen development before speciation of Cucumis sativus (cucumber) and Cucumis melo (melon) that have diverged over 40 My ago. The isolation of the genes for andromonoecy in Cucumis species provides a molecular basis for understanding how sexual systems arise and are maintained within and between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnane Boualem
- INRA-CNRS, UMR1165, Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Evry, France
| | - Christelle Troadec
- INRA-CNRS, UMR1165, Unité de Recherche en Génomique Végétale, Evry, France
| | - Irina Kovalski
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Marie-Agnes Sari
- CNRS, UMR 8601, Laboratoire de Chimie et Biochimie Pharmacologiques et Toxicologiques, Université René Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Rafael Perl-Treves
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Szwacka M, Siedlecka E, Zawirska-Wojtasiak R, Wiśniewski Ł, Malepszy S. Expression pattern of the pre-prothaumatin II gene under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter in transgenic cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) flower buds and fruits. J Appl Genet 2009; 50:9-16. [PMID: 19193977 DOI: 10.1007/bf03195646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Thaumatin II is an extremely sweet-tasting protein produced by fruits of the West African shrub Thaumatococcus daniellii Benth, so it can be used in biotechnology to improve the tastes of various plant products. This study is concerned with the spatial and temporal aspects of expression of the 35S-pre-prothaumatin II chimeric gene in flower buds and fruits of transgenic cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) line 225. The activity of the 35S promoter in organs of line 225 was compared with its activity in 2 other transgenic lines. The accumulation of recombinant thaumatin varied spatially in flower bud tissues of transgenic lines. We found that these differences in the spatial accumulation of transgenic protein concerned the ovary of female buds and the perianth of male buds. In contrast to flower parts, recombinant thaumatin was found in nearly all parts of the young fruit from the transgenic plants. The pre-prothaumatin II gene expression was detected at a very early developmental stage in male buds, and its pattern was rather conserved as the buds aged. The expression of the transgene was also detected in vascular tissues of examined organs but was undetectable in pollen grains, in agreement with the generally held view that the CaMV 35S promoter is virtually silent in pollen. Immunocytochemical analyses of sections of control organs revealed endogenous homolog(s) of thaumatin when using polyclonal antisera, but not when using monoclonal antibodies for recombinant thaumatin detection in transgenic cucumber.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Szwacka
- Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warszawa, Poland.
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Molecular isolation of the M gene suggests that a conserved-residue conversion induces the formation of bisexual flowers in cucumber plants. Genetics 2009; 182:1381-5. [PMID: 19474195 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.109.104737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex determination in plants involves a variety of mechanisms. Here, we report the map-based cloning and characterization of the unisexual-flower-controlling gene M. M was identified as a previously characterized putative 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase gene, while the m allele that mutated at a conserved site (Gly33Cys) lost activity in the original enzymatically active allele.
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Li Z, Pan J, Guan Y, Tao Q, He H, Si L, Cai R. Development and fine mapping of three co-dominant SCAR markers linked to the M/m gene in the cucumber plant (Cucumis sativus L.). TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2008; 117:1253-60. [PMID: 18712515 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-008-0859-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2008] [Accepted: 07/26/2008] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Owing to its diverse sex types, the cucumber plant has been studied widely as a model for sex determination. In addition to environmental factors and plant hormones, three major genes-F/f, M/m, and A/a-regulate the sex types in the cucumber plant. By combining the bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and the sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) technology, we identified eight markers linking to the M/m locus. Among them, the two closely linked SRAP markers flanking the M/m locus were the co-dominant marker ME1EM26 and the dominant marker ME1EM23. Further, the co-dominant marker ME8SA7 co-segregated with the M/m locus. With the chromosome walking method using the cucumber genomic bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library, we successfully developed a co-dominant SCAR marker S_ME1EM23 from the ME1EM23 sequence. Along with the other two co-dominant SCAR markers S_ME1EM26 and S_ME8SA7 (developed from ME1EM26 and ME8SA7, respectively) in a larger segregating population (900 individuals), the M/m locus was mapped between S_ME1EM26 (5.4 cM) and S_ME1EM23 (0.7 cM), and S_ME8SA7 co-segregated with it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Li
- Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai, China
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