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Gou Y, Jing Y, Song J, Nagdy MM, Peng C, Zeng L, Chen M, Lan X, Htun ZLL, Liao Z, Li Y. A novel bHLH gene responsive to low nitrogen positively regulates the biosynthesis of medicinal tropane alkaloids in Atropa belladonna. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 266:131012. [PMID: 38522709 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Medicinal tropane alkaloids (TAs), including hyoscyamine, anisodamine and scopolamine, are essential anticholinergic drugs specifically produced in several solanaceous plants. Atropa belladonna is one of the most important medicinal plants that produces TAs. Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate new A. belladonna germplasm with the high content of TAs. Here, we found that the levels of TAs were elevated under low nitrogen (LN) condition, and identified a LN-responsive bHLH transcription factor (TF) of A. belladonna (named LNIR) regulating the biosynthesis of TAs. The expression level of LNIR was highest in secondary roots where TAs are synthesized specifically, and was significantly induced by LN. Further research revealed that LNIR directly activated the transcription of hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase gene (H6H) by binding to its promoter, which converts hyoscyamine into anisodamine and subsequently epoxidizes anisodamine to form scopolamine. Overexpression of LNIR upregulated the expression levels of TA biosynthesis genes and consequently led to the increased production of TAs. In summary, we functionally identified a LN-responsive bHLH gene that facilitated the development of A. belladonna with high-yield TAs under the decreased usage of nitrogen fertilizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqin Gou
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yanming Jing
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiaxin Song
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Mohammad Mahmoud Nagdy
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research, National Research Centre, 12311 Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Chao Peng
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Lingjiang Zeng
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Min Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaozhong Lan
- TAAHC-SWU Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, The Provincial and Ministerial Co-founded Collaborative Innovation Center for R&D in Xizang Characteristic Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Resources, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Nyingchi of Xizang 860000, China
| | - Zun Lai Lai Htun
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Department of Botany, University of Magway, Magway 04012, Myanmar
| | - Zhihua Liao
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Yan Li
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, SWU-TAAHC Medicinal Plant Joint R&D Centre, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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Quan X, Meng C, Zhang N, Liang X, Li J, Li H, He W. Genome-Wide Analysis of Barley bHLH Transcription Factors and the Functional Characterization of HvbHLH56 in Low Nitrogen Tolerance in Arabidopsis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119740. [PMID: 37298691 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Improvement of low nitrogen (LN) tolerance or nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops is imperative for environment-friendly agriculture development. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are involved in multiple abiotic stresses and are suitable as candidate genes for improving LN tolerance. Few studies were performed on the characterization of the HvbHLH gene family and their function in response to LN stress in barley. In this study, 103 HvbHLH genes were identified through genome-wide analysis. HvbHLH proteins were classified into 20 subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis in barley, which was supported by conserved motifs and gene structure analysis. The stress-related cis-element analysis in the promoters showed that HvbHLHs are probably involved in multiple stress responses. By phylogenetic analysis of HvbHLHs and bHLHs in other plants, some HvbHLHs were predicted to play roles in response to nutrition deficiency stress. Furthermore, at least 16 HvbHLHs were differentially expressed in two barley genotypes differing in LN tolerance under LN stress. Finally, overexpression of HvbHLH56 enhanced LN stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis, suggesting it is an important regulator in LN stress response. The differentially expressed HvbHLHs identified herein may be valuable for the breeding of barley cultivars with LN tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Quan
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Chen Meng
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Xiaoli Liang
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Jialin Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Hongmei Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
| | - Wenxing He
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan 250022, China
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Radani Y, Li R, Korboe HM, Ma H, Yang L. Transcriptional and Post-Translational Regulation of Plant bHLH Transcription Factors during the Response to Environmental Stresses. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12112113. [PMID: 37299095 DOI: 10.3390/plants12112113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, extensive research has been conducted to identify and characterize various plant transcription factors involved in abiotic stress responses. Therefore, numerous efforts have been made to improve plant stress tolerance by engineering these transcription factor genes. The plant basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) transcription factor family represents one of the most prominent gene families and contains a bHLH motif that is highly conserved in eukaryotic organisms. By binding to specific positions in promoters, they activate or repress the transcription of specific response genes and thus affect multiple variables in plant physiology such as the response to abiotic stresses, which include drought, climatic variations, mineral deficiencies, excessive salinity, and water stress. The regulation of bHLH transcription factors is crucial to better control their activity. On the one hand, they are regulated at the transcriptional level by other upstream components; on the other hand, they undergo various modifications such as ubiquitination, phosphorylation, and glycosylation at the post-translational level. Modified bHLH transcription factors can form a complex regulatory network to regulate the expression of stress response genes and thus determine the activation of physiological and metabolic reactions. This review article focuses on the structural characteristics, classification, function, and regulatory mechanism of bHLH transcription factor expression at the transcriptional and post-translational levels during their responses to various abiotic stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmina Radani
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Rongxue Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Harriet Mateko Korboe
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Hongyu Ma
- College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Liming Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
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