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Chen S, Fan X, Song M, Yao S, Liu T, Ding W, Liu L, Zhang M, Zhan W, Yan L, Sun G, Li H, Wang L, Zhang K, Jia X, Yang Q, Yang J. Cryptochrome 1b represses gibberellin signaling to enhance lodging resistance in maize. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 194:902-917. [PMID: 37934825 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide. Photoperiod, light quality, and light intensity in the environment can affect the growth, development, yield, and quality of maize. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), cryptochromes are blue-light receptors that mediate the photocontrol of stem elongation, leaf expansion, shade tolerance, and photoperiodic flowering. However, the function of maize cryptochrome ZmCRY in maize architecture and photomorphogenic development remains largely elusive. The ZmCRY1b transgene product can activate the light signaling pathway in Arabidopsis and complement the etiolation phenotype of the cry1-304 mutant. Our findings show that the loss-of-function mutant of ZmCRY1b in maize exhibits more etiolation phenotypes under low blue light and appears slender in the field compared with wild-type plants. Under blue and white light, overexpression of ZmCRY1b in maize substantially inhibits seedling etiolation and shade response by enhancing protein accumulation of the bZIP transcription factors ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (ZmHY5) and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5-LIKE (ZmHY5L), which directly upregulate the expression of genes encoding gibberellin (GA) 2-oxidase to deactivate GA and repress plant height. More interestingly, ZmCRY1b enhances lodging resistance by reducing plant and ear heights and promoting root growth in both inbred lines and hybrids. In conclusion, ZmCRY1b contributes blue-light signaling upon seedling de-etiolation and integrates light signals with the GA metabolic pathway in maize, resulting in lodging resistance and providing information for improving maize varieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizhan Chen
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Xiaocong Fan
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Meifang Song
- Institute of Radiation Technology, Beijing Academy of Science and Technology, Beijing 100875, China
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Shuaitao Yao
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Tong Liu
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Wusi Ding
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Lei Liu
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Menglan Zhang
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Weimin Zhan
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Lei Yan
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Guanghua Sun
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Hongdan Li
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Lijian Wang
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Kang Zhang
- Department of Precision Plant Gene Delivery, Genovo Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Tianjin 301700, China
| | - Xiaolin Jia
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Qinghua Yang
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jianping Yang
- College of Agronomy, State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, and Center for Crop Genome Engineering, Longzi Lake Campus, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
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Kanojia A, Bhola D, Mudgil Y. Light signaling as cellular integrator of multiple environmental cues in plants. PHYSIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PLANTS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 29:1485-1503. [PMID: 38076763 PMCID: PMC10709290 DOI: 10.1007/s12298-023-01364-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants being sessile need to rapidly adapt to the constantly changing environment through modifications in their internal clock, metabolism, and gene expression. They have evolved an intricate system to perceive and transfer the signals from the primary environmental factors namely light, temperature and water to regulate their growth development and survival. Over past few decades rigorous research using molecular genetics approaches, especially in model plant Arabidopsis, has resulted in substantial progress in discovering various photoreceptor systems and light signaling components. In parallel several molecular pathways operating in response to other environmental cues have also been elucidated. Interestingly, the studies have shown that expression profiles of genes involved in photomorphogenesis can undergo modulation in response to other cues from the environment. Recently, the photoreceptor, PHYB, has been shown to function as a thermosensor. Downstream components of light signaling pathway like COP1 and PIF have also emerged as integrating hubs for various kinds of signals. All these findings indicate that light signaling components may act as central integrator of various environmental cues to regulate plant growth and development processes. In this review, we present a perspective on cross talk of signaling mechanisms induced in response to myriad array of signals and their integration with the light signaling components. By putting light signals on the central stage, we propose the possibilities of enhancing plant resilience to the changing environment by fine-tuning the genetic manipulation of its signaling components in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Kanojia
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007 India
| | - Diksha Bhola
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007 India
| | - Yashwanti Mudgil
- Department of Botany, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110007 India
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