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Li C, Nong W, Boncan DAT, So WL, Yip HY, Swale T, Jia Q, Vicentin IG, Chung G, Bendena WG, Ngo JCK, Chan TF, Lam HM, Hui JHL. Elucidating the ecophysiology of soybean pod-sucking stinkbug Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) based on de novo genome assembly and transcriptome analysis. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:327. [PMID: 38565997 PMCID: PMC10985886 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10232-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Food security is important for the ever-growing global population. Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., is cultivated worldwide providing a key source of food, protein and oil. Hence, it is imperative to maintain or to increase its yield under different conditions including challenges caused by abiotic and biotic stresses. In recent years, the soybean pod-sucking stinkbug Riptortus pedestris has emerged as an important agricultural insect pest in East, South and Southeast Asia. Here, we present a genomics resource for R. pedestris including its genome assembly, messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) transcriptomes at different developmental stages and from different organs. As insect hormone biosynthesis genes (genes involved in metamorphosis) and their regulators such as miRNAs are potential targets for pest control, we analyzed the sesquiterpenoid (juvenile) and ecdysteroid (molting) hormone biosynthesis pathway genes including their miRNAs and relevant neuropeptides. Temporal gene expression changes of these insect hormone biosynthesis pathways were observed at different developmental stages. Similarly, a diet-specific response in gene expression was also observed in both head and salivary glands. Furthermore, we observed that microRNAs (bantam, miR-14, miR-316, and miR-263) of R. pedestris fed with different types of soybeans were differentially expressed in the salivary glands indicating a diet-specific response. Interestingly, the opposite arms of miR-281 (-5p and -3p), a miRNA involved in regulating development, were predicted to target Hmgs genes of R. pedestris and soybean, respectively. These observations among others highlight stinkbug's responses as a function of its interaction with soybean. In brief, the results of this study not only present salient findings that could be of potential use in pest management and mitigation but also provide an invaluable resource for R. pedestris as an insect model to facilitate studies on plant-pest interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chade Li
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shat-in, HKSAR, China
| | - Wenyan Nong
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shat-in, HKSAR, China
| | - Delbert Almerick T Boncan
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China
| | - Wai Lok So
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shat-in, HKSAR, China
| | - Ho Yin Yip
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shat-in, HKSAR, China
| | | | - Qi Jia
- Key Laboratory for Genetics Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crops, Ministry of Education/College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, PR China
| | - Ignacio G Vicentin
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria, Avenida Rivadavia, Ciudad de Buenos, 1439, Argentina
| | - Gyuhwa Chung
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, 59626, Korea
| | - William G Bendena
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, 116 Barrie St, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Jacky C K Ngo
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China.
| | - Ting Fung Chan
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China.
- Institute of Environment, Institute of Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China.
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China.
- Institute of Environment, Institute of Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China.
| | - Jerome H L Hui
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China.
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shat-in, HKSAR, China.
- Institute of Environment, Institute of Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, HKSAR, China.
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Feng L, Teng F, Li N, Zhang JC, Zhang BJ, Tsai SN, Yue XL, Gu LF, Meng GH, Deng TQ, Tong SW, Wang CM, Li Y, Shi W, Zeng YL, Jiang YM, Yu W, Ngai SM, An LZ, Lam HM, He JX. A reference-grade genome of the xerophyte Ammopiptanthus mongolicus sheds light on its evolution history in legumes and drought tolerance mechanisms. Plant Commun 2024:100891. [PMID: 38561965 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.100891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Plants grown under extreme environments represent unique sources for stress-resistant genes and mechanisms. Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (Leguminosae) is a xerophytic legume shrub with evergreen broadleaves native to the semi-arid and desert regions, however, its drought tolerance mechanisms have not been well understood. Here, we report the assembly of a reference-grade genome, its evolutionary history within the legume family, and examination to its drought tolerance mechanisms. The assembled genome size was 843.07 Mb and 98.7% of the assembly was successfully anchored to the nine chromosomes of the plant. 47,611 genes were predicted to be protein-coding and 70.71% of the genome is composed of repetitive sequences dominated by transposable elements, particularly long-terminal-repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). Evolutionary analyses revealed two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events shared by the genus Ammopiptanthus and other legumes at 130 and 58 million years ago (Mya), whereas no species-specific WGD was found within this genus. Further ancestral genome reconstruction indicated that the A. mongolicus genome had fewer rearrangements within the legume family, confirming it is a "relict plant". Transcriptomic analyses revealed that cuticular wax biosynthesis and transport genes were highly expressed under both normal and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced dehydration conditions, and significant induction of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling related genes was also observed in leaves experiencing the dehydration stress, indicating that enhanced ethylene response and formation of thick waxy cuticles are two major mechanisms of drought tolerance in A. mongolicus. Consistently, ectopic expression of AmERF2, an ethylene response factor unique for A. mongolicus, resulted in marked increase of drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants, demonstrating the application potential of A. mongolicus genes in crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Feng
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Fei Teng
- BGI-Shenzhen Tech Co., Ltd., Beishan Industrial Zone, Yantian District, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Na Li
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jia-Cheng Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bian-Jiang Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sau-Na Tsai
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiu-Le Yue
- School of Life Sciences, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China
| | - Li-Fei Gu
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guang-Hua Meng
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tian-Quan Deng
- BGI-Shenzhen Tech Co., Ltd., Beishan Industrial Zone, Yantian District, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Suk-Wah Tong
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun-Ming Wang
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Wei Shi
- BGI-Shenzhen Tech Co., Ltd., Beishan Industrial Zone, Yantian District, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Yong-Lun Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Acedemy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Yue-Ming Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany & Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Weichang Yu
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Sai-Ming Ngai
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li-Zhe An
- School of Life Sciences, and Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China; State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jun-Xian He
- School of Life Sciences, and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
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Stinson I, Li HH, Tsui MTK, Ku P, Ulus Y, Cheng Z, Lam HM. Tree foliage as a net accumulator of highly toxic methylmercury. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1757. [PMID: 38242950 PMCID: PMC10799008 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51469-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Tree canopies are known to elevate atmospheric inputs of both mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg). While foliar uptake of gaseous Hg is well documented, little is known regarding the temporal dynamics and origins of MeHg in tree foliage, which represents typically less than 1% of total Hg in foliage. In this work, we examined the foliar total Hg and MeHg content by following the growth of five individual trees of American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) for one growing season (April-November, 2017) in North Carolina, USA. We show that similar to other studies foliar Hg content increased almost linearly over time, with daily accumulation rates ranging from 0.123 to 0.161 ng/g/day. However, not all trees showed linear increases of foliar MeHg content along the growing season; we found that 2 out of 5 trees showed elevated foliar MeHg content at the initial phase of the growing season but their MeHg content declined through early summer. However, foliar MeHg content among all 5 trees showed eventual increases through the end of the growing season, proving that foliage is a net accumulator of MeHg while foliar gain of biomass did not "dilute" MeHg content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idus Stinson
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | - Han-Han Li
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China.
| | - Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA.
- School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Peijia Ku
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Yener Ulus
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
- Department of Environmental Studies, Davidson College, Davidson, NC, 28035, USA
| | - Zhang Cheng
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Sun Z, Lam HM, Lee SH, Li X, Kong F. Soybean functional genomics: bridging theory and application. Mol Breed 2024; 44:2. [PMID: 38222976 PMCID: PMC10784232 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-024-01446-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Sun
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR People’s Republic of China
| | - Suk-Ha Lee
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Bioresources and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Xia Li
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, College of Plant Science and Technology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fanjiang Kong
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006 China
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Yung WS, Huang C, Li MW, Lam HM. Changes in epigenetic features in legumes under abiotic stresses. Plant Genome 2023; 16:e20237. [PMID: 35730915 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Legume crops are rich in nutritional value for human and livestock consumption. With global climate change, developing stress-resilient crops is crucial for ensuring global food security. Because of their nitrogen-fixing ability, legumes are also important for sustainable agriculture. Various abiotic stresses, such as salt, drought, and elevated temperatures, are known to adversely affect legume production. The responses of plants to abiotic stresses involve complicated cellular processes including stress hormone signaling, metabolic adjustments, and transcriptional regulations. Epigenetic mechanisms play a key role in regulating gene expressions at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Increasing evidence suggests the importance of epigenetic regulations of abiotic stress responses in legumes, and recent investigations have extended the scope to the epigenomic level using next-generation sequencing technologies. In this review, the current knowledge on the involvement of epigenetic features, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNAs, in abiotic stress responses in legumes is summarized and discussed. Since most of the available information focuses on a single aspect of these epigenetic features, integrative analyses involving omics data in multiple layers are needed for a better understanding of the dynamic chromatin statuses and their roles in transcriptional regulation. The inheritability of epigenetic modifications should also be assessed in future studies for their applications in improving stress tolerance in legumes through the stable epigenetic optimization of gene expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai-Shing Yung
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural Univ., Changsha, 410128, P.R. China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
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Yung WS, Chan TF, Kong F, Lam HM. The Plant Genome special section: Epigenome and epitranscriptome in plant-environment interactions. Plant Genome 2023; 16:e20404. [PMID: 38124543 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wai-Shing Yung
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
| | - Ting-Fung Chan
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
| | - Fanjiang Kong
- Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
- Institute of Environment, Energy, and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
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Xie Y, Chan LY, Cheung MY, Li MW, Lam HM. Current technical advancements in plant epitranscriptomic studies. Plant Genome 2023; 16:e20316. [PMID: 36890704 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The growth and development of plants are the result of the interplay between the internal developmental programming and plant-environment interactions. Gene expression regulations in plants are made up of multi-level networks. In the past few years, many studies were carried out on co- and post-transcriptional RNA modifications, which, together with the RNA community, are collectively known as the "epitranscriptome." The epitranscriptomic machineries were identified and their functional impacts characterized in a broad range of physiological processes in diverse plant species. There is mounting evidence to suggest that the epitranscriptome provides an additional layer in the gene regulatory network for plant development and stress responses. In the present review, we summarized the epitranscriptomic modifications found so far in plants, including chemical modifications, RNA editing, and transcript isoforms. The various approaches to RNA modification detection were described, with special emphasis on the recent development and application potential of third-generation sequencing. The roles of epitranscriptomic changes in gene regulation during plant-environment interactions were discussed in case studies. This review aims to highlight the importance of epitranscriptomics in the study of gene regulatory networks in plants and to encourage multi-omics investigations using the recent technical advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichun Xie
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Long-Yiu Chan
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ming-Yan Cheung
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Huang M, Zhang L, Yung WS, Hu Y, Wang Z, Li MW, Lam HM. Molecular evidence for enhancer-promoter interactions in light responses of soybean seedlings. Plant Physiol 2023; 193:2287-2291. [PMID: 37668345 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Interactions of enhancers with promoters and transcription factors mediate chromatin loop formation to regulate downstream gene expression in response to environmental stimuli such as light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingkun Huang
- Plant Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Centre, Lushan Botanical Garden Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, 332900 Jiujiang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Plant Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Centre, Lushan Botanical Garden Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, 332900 Jiujiang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Wai-Shing Yung
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Yufang Hu
- Plant Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics Centre, Lushan Botanical Garden Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, 332900 Jiujiang, Jiangxi, P.R. China
| | - Zhili Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, P.R. China
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Fan K, Wang Z, Sze CC, Niu Y, Wong FL, Li MW, Lam HM. MicroRNA 4407 modulates nodulation in soybean by repressing a root-specific ISOPENTENYLTRANSFERASE (GmIPT3). New Phytol 2023; 240:1034-1051. [PMID: 37653681 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of plant biological processes, including soybean nodulation. One miRNA, miR4407, was identified in soybean roots and nodules. However, the function of miR4407 in soybean is still unknown. MiR4407, unique to soybean, positively regulates lateral root emergence and root structures and represses a root-specific ISOPENTENYLTRANSFERASE (GmIPT3). By altering the expression of miR4407 and GmIPT3, we investigated the role of miR4407 in lateral root and nodule development. Both miR4407 and GmIPT3 are expressed in the inner root cortex and nodule primordia. Upon rhizobial inoculation, miR4407 was downregulated while GmIPT3 was upregulated. Overexpressing miR4407 reduced the number of nodules in transgenic soybean hairy roots while overexpressing the wild-type GmIPT3 or a miR4407-resistant GmIPT3 mutant (mGmIPT3) significantly increased the nodule number. The mechanism of miR4407 and GmIPT3 functions was also linked to autoregulation of nodulation (AON), where miR4407 overexpression repressed miR172c and activated its target, GmNNC1, turning on AON. Exogenous CK mimicked the effects of GmIPT3 overexpression on miR172c, supporting the notion that GmIPT3 regulates nodulation by enhancing root-derived CK. Overall, our data revealed a new miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanism of nodulation in soybean. MiR4407 showed a dual role in lateral root and nodule development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejing Fan
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhili Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ching-Ching Sze
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yongchao Niu
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fuk-Ling Wong
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Lee IHT, Nong W, So WL, Cheung CKH, Xie Y, Baril T, Yip HY, Swale T, Chan SKF, Wei Y, Lo N, Hayward A, Chan TF, Lam HM, Hui JHL. The genome and sex-dependent responses to temperature in the common yellow butterfly, Eurema hecabe. BMC Biol 2023; 21:200. [PMID: 37749565 PMCID: PMC10521528 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01703-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) is one of the most geographically widespread insect orders in the world, and its species play important and diverse ecological and applied roles. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges to biodiversity this century, and lepidopterans are vulnerable to climate change. Temperature-dependent gene expression differences are of relevance under the ongoing climate crisis. However, little is known about how climate affects gene expression in lepidopterans and the ecological consequences of this, particularly with respect to genes with biased expression in one of the sexes. The common yellow butterfly, Eurema hecabe (Family Pieridae), is one of the most geographically widespread lepidopterans that can be found in Asia, Africa, and Australia. Nevertheless, what temperature-dependent effects there may be and whether the effects differ between the sexes remain largely unexplored. RESULTS Here, we generated high-quality genomic resources for E. hecabe along with transcriptomes from eight developmental stages. Male and female butterflies were subjected to varying temperatures to assess sex-specific gene expression responses through mRNA and microRNA transcriptomics. We find that there are more temperature-dependent sex-biased genes in females than males, including genes that are involved in a range of biologically important functions, highlighting potential ecological impacts of increased temperatures. Further, by considering available butterfly data on sex-biased gene expression in a comparative genomic framework, we find that the pattern of sex-biased gene expression identified in E. hecabe is highly species-specific, rather than conserved across butterfly species, suggesting that sex-biased gene expression responses to climate change are complex in butterflies. CONCLUSIONS Our study lays the foundation for further understanding of differential responses to environmental stress in a widespread lepidopteran model and demonstrates the potential complexity of sex-specific responses of lepidopterans to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy H T Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wenyan Nong
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai Lok So
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chris K H Cheung
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yichun Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Ho Yin Yip
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Simon K F Chan
- Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yingying Wei
- Department of Statistics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nathan Lo
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Ting Fung Chan
- School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jerome H L Hui
- School of Life Sciences, Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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11
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Zhu F, Cao MY, Zhu PX, Zhang QP, Lam HM. Non-specific LIPID TRANSFER PROTEIN 1 enhances immunity against tobacco mosaic virus in Nicotiana benthamiana. J Exp Bot 2023; 74:5236-5254. [PMID: 37246636 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are small, cysteine-rich proteins that play significant roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses; however, the molecular mechanism of their functions against viral infections remains unclear. In this study, we employed virus-induced gene-silencing and transgenic overexpression to functionally analyse a type-I nsLTP in Nicotiana benthamiana, NbLTP1, in the immunity response against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). NbLTP1 was inducible by TMV infection, and its silencing increased TMV-induced oxidative damage and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), compromised local and systemic resistance to TMV, and inactivated the biosynthesis of salicylic acid (SA) and its downstream signaling pathway. The effects of NbLTP1-silencing were partially restored by application of exogenous SA. Overexpressing NbLTP1 activated genes related to ROS scavenging to increase cell membrane stability and maintain redox homeostasis, confirming that an early ROS burst followed by ROS suppression at the later phases of pathogenesis is essential for resistance to TMV infection. The cell-wall localization of NbLTP1 was beneficial to viral resistance. Overall, our results showed that NbLTP1 positively regulates plant immunity against viral infection through up-regulating SA biosynthesis and its downstream signaling component, NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED 1 (NPR1), which in turn activates pathogenesis-related genes, and by suppressing ROS accumulation at the later phases of viral pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhu
- College of Plant Protection, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Meng-Yao Cao
- College of Plant Protection, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Peng-Xiang Zhu
- College of Plant Protection, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Qi-Ping Zhang
- College of Plant Protection, Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
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12
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Qu C, Zhu M, Hu R, Niu Y, Chen S, Zhao H, Li C, Wang Z, Yin N, Sun F, Chen Z, Shen S, Shang G, Zhou Y, Yan X, Wei L, Liu L, Yi B, Lian J, Li J, Tang Z, Liang Y, Xu X, Wang R, Yin J, Wan H, Du H, Qian W, Chai Y, Zhou Q, He Y, Zhong S, Qiu X, Yu H, Lam HM, Lu K, Fu F, Li J. Comparative genomic analyses reveal the genetic basis of the yellow-seed trait in Brassica napus. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5194. [PMID: 37626056 PMCID: PMC10457299 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40838-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Yellow-seed trait is a desirable breeding characteristic of rapeseed (Brassica napus) that could greatly improve seed oil yield and quality. However, the underlying mechanisms controlling this phenotype in B. napus plants are difficult to discern because of their complexity. Here, we assemble high-quality genomes of yellow-seeded (GH06) and black-seeded (ZY821). Combining in-depth fine mapping of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for seed color with other omics data reveal BnA09MYB47a, encoding an R2R3-MYB-type transcription factor, as the causal gene of a major QTL controlling the yellow-seed trait. Functional studies show that sequence variation of BnA09MYB47a underlies the functional divergence between the yellow- and black-seeded B. napus. The black-seed allele BnA09MYB47aZY821, but not the yellow-seed allele BnA09MYB47aGH06, promotes flavonoid biosynthesis by directly activating the expression of BnTT18. Our discovery suggests a possible approach to breeding B. napus for improved commercial value and facilitates flavonoid biosynthesis studies in Brassica crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cunmin Qu
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meichen Zhu
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ran Hu
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yongchao Niu
- The State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Si Chen
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huiyan Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chengxiang Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Zhen Wang
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Nengwen Yin
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Fujun Sun
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiyou Chen
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shulin Shen
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoxia Shang
- National Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Innovation and Utilization of Plateau Crop Germplasm, Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xingying Yan
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lijuan Wei
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liezhao Liu
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bin Yi
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Rapeseed Improvement in Wuhan, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | | | - Jiang Li
- Biozeron Shenzhen, Inc, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhanglin Tang
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ying Liang
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinfu Xu
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jiaming Yin
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huafang Wan
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hai Du
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Qian
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yourong Chai
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qingyuan Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yajun He
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Silin Zhong
- The State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiao Qiu
- Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Hao Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- The State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kun Lu
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Fuyou Fu
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, Canada.
| | - Jiana Li
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
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Zhang Q, Liu Y, He C, Zhu R, Li M, Lam HM, Wong WT. Nutritional Assessment of Plant-Based Meat Products Available on Hong Kong Market: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Nutrients 2023; 15:3684. [PMID: 37686716 PMCID: PMC10489762 DOI: 10.3390/nu15173684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plant-based meat (PBM) takes up ever-increasing market shares and draws great attention from both customers and retailers these days. However, little is known about the nutritional quality of PBM products. OBJECTIVE This study intended to profile and evaluate the overview nutrition of PBM with equivalent meat products on the Hong Kong market. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 274 PBM and 151 meat products from 27 different brands on the Hong Kong market in October 2022. The nutritional differences between PBM and meat products were assessed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and two independent sample t-test. The nutritional quality of PBMs was evaluated according to nutrient reference value, front-of-package (FoP) criteria and nutritional score. RESULTS PBM had relatively lower energy density, total fat, saturated fat, protein, and salt compared to meat. According to the FoP criteria, 91.36%, 17.88%, and 99.34% of PBMs were labeled as medium to high in fat, salt, and sugar, respectively. Through ingredient analysis of 81 PBM products, soy and canola were the main source of protein and fat. CONCLUSIONS PBM products have a roughly better nutrient quality compared to muscle-based meat, though there is still potential for further refinement in terms of production, consumption, and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qile Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Q.Z.); (C.H.); (R.Z.)
| | - Yilin Liu
- The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Chufeng He
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Q.Z.); (C.H.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ruiwen Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Q.Z.); (C.H.); (R.Z.)
| | - Minghui Li
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, UK;
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Q.Z.); (C.H.); (R.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wing-Tak Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Q.Z.); (C.H.); (R.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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14
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Aslam MM, Fritschi FB, Di Z, Wang G, Li H, Lam HM, Waseem M, Weifeng X, Zhang J. Overexpression of LaGRAS enhances phosphorus acquisition via increased root growth of phosphorus-deficient white lupin. Physiol Plant 2023; 175:e13962. [PMID: 37343119 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
The GRAS transcription factors play an indispensable role in plant growth and responses to environmental stresses. The GRAS gene family has extensively been explored in various plant species; however, the comprehensive investigation of GRAS genes in white lupin remains insufficient. In this study, bioinformatics analysis of white lupin genome revealed 51 LaGRAS genes distributed into 10 distinct phylogenetic clades. Gene structure analyses revealed that LaGRAS proteins were considerably conserved among the same subfamilies. Notably, 25 segmental duplications and a single tandem duplication showed that segmental duplication was the major driving force for the expansion of GRAS genes in white lupin. Moreover, LaGRAS genes exhibited preferential expression in young cluster root and mature cluster roots and may play key roles in nutrient acquisition, particularly phosphorus (P). To validate this, RT-qPCR analysis of white lupin plants grown under +P (normal P) and -P (P deficiency) conditions elucidated significant differences in the transcript level of GRAS genes. Among them, LaGRAS38 and LaGRAS39 were identified as potential candidates with induced expression in MCR under -P. Additionally, white lupin transgenic hairy root overexpressing OE-LaGRAS38 and OE-LaGRAS39 showed increased root growth, and P concentration in root and leaf compared to those with empty vector control, suggesting their role in P acquisition. We believe this comprehensive analysis of GRAS members in white lupin is a first step in exploring their role in the regulation of root growth, tissue development, and ultimately improving P use efficiency in legume crops under natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehtab Muhammad Aslam
- College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
- College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), Division of Plant Sciences & Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Felix B Fritschi
- College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), Division of Plant Sciences & Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Zhang Di
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Guanqun Wang
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Haoxuan Li
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Muhammad Waseem
- College of Horticulture, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Department of Botany, University of Narowal, Narowal, Pakistan
| | - Xu Weifeng
- College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Center for Plant Water-Use and Nutrition Regulation and College of Resource and Environment, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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Leung HS, Chan LY, Law CH, Li MW, Lam HM. Twenty years of mining salt tolerance genes in soybean. Mol Breed 2023; 43:45. [PMID: 37313223 PMCID: PMC10248715 DOI: 10.1007/s11032-023-01383-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Current combined challenges of rising food demand, climate change and farmland degradation exert enormous pressure on agricultural production. Worldwide soil salinization, in particular, necessitates the development of salt-tolerant crops. Soybean, being a globally important produce, has its genetic resources increasingly examined to facilitate crop improvement based on functional genomics. In response to the multifaceted physiological challenge that salt stress imposes, soybean has evolved an array of defences against salinity. These include maintaining cell homeostasis by ion transportation, osmoregulation, and restoring oxidative balance. Other adaptations include cell wall alterations, transcriptomic reprogramming, and efficient signal transduction for detecting and responding to salt stress. Here, we reviewed functionally verified genes that underly different salt tolerance mechanisms employed by soybean in the past two decades, and discussed the strategy in selecting salt tolerance genes for crop improvement. Future studies could adopt an integrated multi-omic approach in characterizing soybean salt tolerance adaptations and put our existing knowledge into practice via omic-assisted breeding and gene editing. This review serves as a guide and inspiration for crop developers in enhancing soybean tolerance against abiotic stresses, thereby fulfilling the role of science in solving real-life problems. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01383-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoi-Sze Leung
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR People’s Republic of China
| | - Long-Yiu Chan
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR People’s Republic of China
| | - Cheuk-Hin Law
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR People’s Republic of China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR People’s Republic of China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR People’s Republic of China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518000 People’s Republic of China
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Duan S, Li MW, Niu Y, Huang C, Hang J, Shi D, Man CK, Chow ML, Wong FL, Chung G, Lam HM. A natural non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in GmbHLH113 negates its inhibitory effect on root hair elongation in soybean. Plant J 2023. [PMID: 37095646 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Root hair length (RHL) is an important character that affects nutrient acquisition in plants. The regulatory network in soybean controlling RHL is yet to be fully understood. In this study, we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) regulating RHL. One candidate causal gene in this QTL (GmbHLH113), preferentially expressed in root hairs, was annotated as encoding a basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) transcription factor. In wild soybeans, the allelic type of GmbHLH113 with a glycine in the 13th residue, which was associated with a reduction in RHL, was shown to localize in the nucleus and activate gene transcription. Another allelic type with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that resulted in a glutamate in the 13th residue is fixed in cultivated soybeans, and it lost the ability to localize to the nucleus or negatively regulate RHL. The ectopic expression of GmbHLH113 from W05 in Arabidopsis root hairs resulted in shorter RHL and reduced phosphorus (P) accumulation in shoots. Hence a loss-of-function allele in cultivated soybeans might have been selected during domestication due to its association with a longer RHL and improved nutrient acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaowei Duan
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Yongchao Niu
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
- Maize Engineering Technology Research Center of Hunan Province, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Jiayi Hang
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Da Shi
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Chun-Kuen Man
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Martha L Chow
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Fuk-Ling Wong
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Gyuhwa Chung
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, South Korea
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and the Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
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17
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Li MW, Isobe S, Lam HM. Power Up Plant Genetic Research with Genomic Data. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086876. [PMID: 37108040 PMCID: PMC10138455 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The official debut of the reference genome of Arabidopsis thaliana in 2000 [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Man-Wah Li
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sachiko Isobe
- Laboratory of Plant Genetics and Genomics, Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Kisarazu 292-0828, Chiba, Japan
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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18
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Xu Y, Luo H, Zhang H, Yung WS, Li MW, Lam HM, Huang C. Feeding the world using speed breeding technology. Trends Plant Sci 2023; 28:372-373. [PMID: 36588034 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hongbing Luo
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Maize Engineering Technology Research Center of Hunan Province, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Wai-Shing Yung
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Maize Engineering Technology Research Center of Hunan Province, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
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19
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Fan K, Ferguson BJ, Muñoz NB, Li MW, Lam HM. Editorial: Metabolic adjustments and gene expression reprogramming for symbiotic nitrogen fixation in legume nodules, volume II. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1141269. [PMID: 36760634 PMCID: PMC9903052 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1141269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kejing Fan
- Center for Soybean Research of The State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Brett James Ferguson
- Integrative Legume Research Group, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Man-Wah Li
- Center for Soybean Research of The State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of The State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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20
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Ku YS, Cheng SS, Cheung MY, Law CH, Lam HM. The Re-Localization of Proteins to or Away from Membranes as an Effective Strategy for Regulating Stress Tolerance in Plants. Membranes (Basel) 2022; 12:membranes12121261. [PMID: 36557168 PMCID: PMC9788111 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12121261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The membranes of plant cells are dynamic structures composed of phospholipids and proteins. Proteins harboring phospholipid-binding domains or lipid ligands can localize to membranes. Stress perception can alter the subcellular localization of these proteins dynamically, causing them to either associate with or detach from membranes. The mechanisms behind the re-localization involve changes in the lipidation state of the proteins and interactions with membrane-associated biomolecules. The functional significance of such re-localization includes the regulation of molecular transport, cell integrity, protein folding, signaling, and gene expression. In this review, proteins that re-localize to or away from membranes upon abiotic and biotic stresses will be discussed in terms of the mechanisms involved and the functional significance of their re-localization. Knowledge of the re-localization mechanisms will facilitate research on increasing plant stress adaptability, while the study on re-localization of proteins upon stresses will further our understanding of stress adaptation strategies in plants.
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21
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Wang Z, Huang C, Niu Y, Yung WS, Xiao Z, Wong FL, Huang M, Wang X, Man CK, Sze CC, Liu A, Wang Q, Chen Y, Liu S, Wu C, Liu L, Hou W, Han T, Li MW, Lam HM. QTL analyses of soybean root system architecture revealed genetic relationships with shoot-related traits. Theor Appl Genet 2022; 135:4507-4522. [PMID: 36422673 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-022-04235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The genetic basis of soybean root system architecture (RSA) and the genetic relationship between shoot and RSA were revealed by integrating data from recombinant inbred population grafting and QTL mapping. Variations in root system architecture (RSA) affect the functions of roots and thus play vital roles in plant adaptations and agricultural productivity. The aim of this study was to unravel the genetic relationship between RSA traits and shoot-related traits in soybean. This study characterized RSA variability at seedling stage in a recombinant inbred population, derived from a cross between cultivated soybean C08 and wild soybean W05, and performed high-resolution quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. In total, 34 and 41 QTLs were detected for RSA-related and shoot-related traits, respectively, constituting eight QTL clusters. Significant QTL correspondence was found between shoot biomass and RSA-related traits, consistent with significant correlations between these phenotypes. RSA-related QTLs also overlapped with selection regions in the genome, suggesting the cultivar RSA could be a partial consequence of domestication. Using reciprocal grafting, we confirmed that shoot-derived signals affected root development and the effects were controlled by multiple loci. Meanwhile, RSA-related QTLs were found to co-localize with four soybean flowering-time loci. Consistent with the phenotypes of the parental lines of our RI population, diminishing the function of flowering controlling E1 family through RNA interference (RNAi) led to reduced root growth. This implies that the flowering time-related genes within the RSA-related QTLs are actually contributing to RSA. To conclude, this study identified the QTLs that determine RSA through controlling root growth indirectly via regulating shoot functions, and discovered superior alleles from wild soybean that could be used to improve the root structure in existing soybean cultivars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Wang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, China
| | - Yongchao Niu
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Wai-Shing Yung
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhixia Xiao
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fuk-Ling Wong
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mingkun Huang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang, 332900, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Chun-Kuen Man
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ching-Ching Sze
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ailin Liu
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qianwen Wang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yinglong Chen
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, & School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA6001, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming On the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shuo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming On the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Cunxiang Wu
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology (Beijing), Institute of Crop Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Lifeng Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology (Beijing), Institute of Crop Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Wensheng Hou
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology (Beijing), Institute of Crop Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Tianfu Han
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology (Beijing), Institute of Crop Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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22
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Cheung MY, Li X, Ku YS, Chen Z, Lam HM. Co-crystalization reveals the interaction between AtYchF1 and ppGpp. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:1061350. [PMID: 36533075 PMCID: PMC9748339 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1061350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
AtYchF1 is an unconventional G-protein in Arabidopsis thaliana that exhibits relaxed nucleotide-binding specificity. The bindings between AtYchF1 and biomolecules including GTP, ATP, and 26S rRNA have been reported. In this study, we demonstrated the binding of AtYchF1 to ppGpp in addition to the above molecules. AtYchF1 is a cytosolic protein previously reported as a negative regulator of both biotic and abiotic stresses while the accumulation of ppGpp in the cytoplasm induces retarded plant growth and development. By co-crystallization, in vitro pull-down experiments, and hydrolytic biochemical assays, we demonstrated the binding and hydrolysis of ppGpp by AtYchF1. ppGpp inhibits the binding of AtYchF1 to ATP, GTP, and 26S rRNA. The ppGpp hydrolyzing activity of AtYchF1 failed to be activated by AtGAP1. The AtYchF1-ppGpp co-crystal structure suggests that ppGpp might prevent His136 from executing nucleotide hydrolysis. In addition, upon the binding of ppGpp, the conformation between the TGS and helical domains of AtYchF1 changes. Such structural changes probably influence the binding between AtYchF1 and other molecules such as 26S rRNA. Since YchF proteins are conserved among different kingdoms of life, the findings advance the knowledge on the role of AtYchF1 in regulating nucleotide signaling as well as hint at the possible involvement of YchF proteins in regulating ppGpp level in other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Yan Cheung
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaorong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yee-Shan Ku
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhongzhou Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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23
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Xiao Z, Wang Q, Li MW, Huang M, Wang Z, Xie M, Varshney RK, Nguyen HT, Chan TF, Lam HM. Wildsoydb DataHub: a platform for accessing soybean multiomic datasets across multiple reference genomes. Plant Physiol 2022; 190:2099-2102. [PMID: 36063461 PMCID: PMC9706425 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The Wildsoydb DataHub is an integrated interface for biologists and breeders to access soybean genomic resources easily, allowing them to fully utilize the results of genomic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixia Xiao
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Qianwen Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Mingkun Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
- Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang 332900, China
| | - Zhili Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Min Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Plant and Animal Genomics, BGI Genomics, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Rajeev K Varshney
- State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Henry T Nguyen
- Division of Plant Sciences, National Center for Soybean Biotechnology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA
| | - Ting-Fung Chan
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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24
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Sintaha M, Man CK, Yung WS, Duan S, Li MW, Lam HM. Drought Stress Priming Improved the Drought Tolerance of Soybean. Plants (Basel) 2022; 11:2954. [PMID: 36365408 PMCID: PMC9653977 DOI: 10.3390/plants11212954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The capability of a plant to protect itself from stress-related damages is termed "adaptability" and the phenomenon of showing better performance in subsequent stress is termed "stress memory". While drought is one of the most serious disasters to result from climate change, the current understanding of drought stress priming in soybean is still inadequate for effective crop improvement. To fill this gap, in this study, the drought memory response was evaluated in cultivated soybean (Glycine max). To determine if a priming stress prior to a drought stress would be beneficial to the survival of soybean, plants were divided into three treatment groups: the unprimed group receiving one cycle of stress (1S), the primed group receiving two cycles of stress (2S), and the unstressed control group not subjected to any stress (US). When compared with the unprimed plants, priming led to a reduction of drought stress index (DSI) by 3, resulting in more than 14% increase in surviving leaves, more than 13% increase in leaf water content, slight increase in shoot water content and a slower rate of loss of water from the detached leaves. Primed plants had less than 60% the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance compared to the unprimed plants, accompanied by a slight drop in photosynthesis rate, and about a 30% increase in water usage efficiency (WUE). Priming also increased the root-to-shoot ratio, potentially improving water uptake. Selected genes encoding late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins and MYB, NAC and PP2C domain-containing transcription factors were shown to be highly induced in primed plants compared to the unprimed group. In conclusion, priming significantly improved the drought stress response in soybean during recurrent drought, partially through the maintenance of water status and stronger expression of stress related genes. In sum, we have identified key physiological parameters for soybean which may be used as indicators for future genetic study to identify the genetic element controlling the drought stress priming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariz Sintaha
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chun-Kuen Man
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai-Shing Yung
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shaowei Duan
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
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Wang Z, Yung WS, Huang C, Li MW, Lam HM. Grafting: connecting classic techniques with modern plant research. Trends Plant Sci 2022; 27:1187-1188. [PMID: 35902345 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Wang
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Wai-Shing Yung
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China; Maize Engineering Technology Research Center of Hunan Province, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
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26
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Rehman HM, Chen S, Zhang S, Khalid M, Uzair M, Wilmarth PA, Ahmad S, Lam HM. Membrane Proteomic Profiling of Soybean Leaf and Root Tissues Uncovers Salt-Stress-Responsive Membrane Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13270. [PMID: 36362058 PMCID: PMC9655375 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cultivated soybean (Glycine max (L.)), the world's most important legume crop, has high-to-moderate salt sensitivity. Being the frontier for sensing and controlling solute transport, membrane proteins could be involved in cell signaling, osmoregulation, and stress-sensing mechanisms, but their roles in abiotic stresses are still largely unknown. By analyzing salt-induced membrane proteomic changes in the roots and leaves of salt-sensitive soybean cultivar (C08) seedlings germinated under NaCl, we detected 972 membrane proteins, with those present in both leaves and roots annotated as receptor kinases, calcium-sensing proteins, abscisic acid receptors, cation and anion channel proteins, proton pumps, amide and peptide transporters, and vesicle transport-related proteins etc. Endocytosis, linoleic acid metabolism, and fatty acid biosynthesis pathway-related proteins were enriched in roots whereas phagosome, spliceosome and soluble NSF attachment protein receptor (SNARE) interaction-related proteins were enriched in leaves. Using label-free quantitation, 129 differentially expressed membrane proteins were found in both tissues upon NaCl treatment. Additionally, the 140 NaCl-induced proteins identified in roots and 57 in leaves are vesicle-, mitochondrial-, and chloroplast-associated membrane proteins and those with functions related to ion transport, protein transport, ATP hydrolysis, protein folding, and receptor kinases, etc. Our proteomic results were verified against corresponding gene expression patterns from published C08 RNA-seq data, demonstrating the importance of solute transport and sensing in salt stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hafiz Mamoon Rehman
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shengjie Chen
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shoudong Zhang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Memoona Khalid
- Centre of Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Uzair
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Phillip A. Wilmarth
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Seed Center, Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture, Riyadh 14712, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Khalid M, Rehman HM, Ahmed N, Nawaz S, Saleem F, Ahmad S, Uzair M, Rana IA, Atif RM, Zaman QU, Lam HM. Using Exogenous Melatonin, Glutathione, Proline, and Glycine Betaine Treatments to Combat Abiotic Stresses in Crops. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12913. [PMID: 36361700 PMCID: PMC9657122 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, and heavy metals, are associated with global climate change and hamper plant growth and development, affecting crop yields and quality. However, the negative effects of abiotic stresses can be mitigated through exogenous treatments using small biomolecules. For example, the foliar application of melatonin provides the following: it protects the photosynthetic apparatus; it increases the antioxidant defenses, osmoprotectant, and soluble sugar levels; it prevents tissue damage and reduces electrolyte leakage; it improves reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging; and it increases biomass, maintains the redox and ion homeostasis, and improves gaseous exchange. Glutathione spray upregulates the glyoxalase system, reduces methylglyoxal (MG) toxicity and oxidative stress, decreases hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde accumulation, improves the defense mechanisms, tissue repairs, and nitrogen fixation, and upregulates the phytochelatins. The exogenous application of proline enhances growth and other physiological characteristics, upregulates osmoprotection, protects the integrity of the plasma lemma, reduces lipid peroxidation, increases photosynthetic pigments, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and amino acids, and enhances stress tolerance, carbon fixation, and leaf nitrogen content. The foliar application of glycine betaine improves growth, upregulates osmoprotection and osmoregulation, increases relative water content, net photosynthetic rate, and catalase activity, decreases photorespiration, ion leakage, and lipid peroxidation, protects the oxygen-evolving complex, and prevents chlorosis. Chemical priming has various important advantages over transgenic technology as it is typically more affordable for farmers and safe for plants, people, and animals, while being considered environmentally acceptable. Chemical priming helps to improve the quality and quantity of the yield. This review summarizes and discusses how exogenous melatonin, glutathione, proline, and glycine betaine can help crops combat abiotic stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Memoona Khalid
- Centre for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Mamoon Rehman
- Centre for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- Center for Soybean Research of the Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Nisar Ahmed
- Centre for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Sehar Nawaz
- Centre for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Fozia Saleem
- Centre for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Seed Center, Ministry of Environment, Water & Agriculture, Riyadh 14712, Saudi Arabia
| | - Muhammad Uzair
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Iqrar Ahmad Rana
- Centre for Agricultural Biochemistry and Biotechnology (CABB), University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
- Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad Pakistan, Punjab 38000, Pakistan
| | - Rana Muhammad Atif
- Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad Pakistan, Punjab 38000, Pakistan
| | - Qamar U. Zaman
- Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad Pakistan, Punjab 38000, Pakistan
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
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Fan K, Sze CC, Li MW, Lam HM. Roles of non-coding RNAs in the hormonal and nutritional regulation in nodulation and nitrogen fixation. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:997037. [PMID: 36330261 PMCID: PMC9623164 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.997037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic nitrogen fixation is an important component in the nitrogen cycle and is a potential solution for sustainable agriculture. It is the result of the interactions between the plant host, mostly restricted to legume species, and the rhizobial symbiont. From the first encounter between the host and the symbiont to eventual successful nitrogen fixation, there are delicate processes involved, such as nodule organogenesis, rhizobial infection thread progression, differentiation of the bacteroid, deregulation of the host defense systems, and reallocation of resources. All these processes are tightly regulated at different levels. Recent evidence revealed that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), participate in these processes by controlling the transcription and translation of effector genes. In general, ncRNAs are functional transcripts without translation potential and are important gene regulators. MiRNAs, negative gene regulators, bind to the target mRNAs and repress protein production by causing the cleavage of mRNA and translational silencing. LncRNAs affect the formation of chromosomal loops, DNA methylation, histone modification, and alternative splicing to modulate gene expression. Both lncRNAs and circRNAs could serve as target mimics of miRNA to inhibit miRNA functions. In this review, we summarized and discussed the current understanding of the roles of ncRNAs in legume nodulation and nitrogen fixation in the root nodule, mainly focusing on their regulation of hormone signal transduction, the autoregulation of nodulation (AON) pathway and nutrient homeostasis in nodules. Unraveling the mediation of legume nodulation by ncRNAs will give us new insights into designing higher-performance leguminous crops for sustainable agriculture.
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Cheng SS, Ku YS, Cheung MY, Lam HM. Identification of stably expressed reference genes for expression studies in Arabidopsis thaliana using mass spectrometry-based label-free quantification. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:1001920. [PMID: 36247637 PMCID: PMC9557097 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1001920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis thaliana has been used regularly as a model plant in gene expression studies on transcriptional reprogramming upon pathogen infection, such as that by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000), or when subjected to stress hormone treatments including jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and abscisic acid (ABA). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has been extensively employed to quantitate these gene expression changes. However, the accuracy of the quantitation is largely dependent on the stability of the expressions of reference genes used for normalization. Recently, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has been widely used to mine stably expressed genes for use as references in RT-qPCR. However, the amplification step in RNA-seq creates an intrinsic bias against those genes with relatively low expression levels, and therefore does not provide an accurate quantification of all expressed genes. In this study, we employed mass spectrometry-based label-free quantification (LFQ) in proteomic analyses to identify those proteins with abundances unaffected by Pst DC3000 infection. We verified, using RT-qPCR, that the levels of their corresponding mRNAs were also unaffected by Pst DC3000 infection. Compared to commonly used reference genes for expression studies in A. thaliana upon Pst DC3000 infection, the candidate reference genes reported in this study generally have a higher expression stability. In addition, using RT-qPCR, we verified that the mRNAs of the candidate reference genes were stably expressed upon stress hormone treatments including JA, SA, and ABA. Results indicated that the candidate genes identified here had stable expressions upon these stresses and are suitable to be used as reference genes for RT-qPCR. Among the 18 candidate reference genes reported in this study, many of them had greater expression stability than the commonly used reference genes, such as ACT7, in previous studies. Here, besides proposing more appropriate reference genes for Arabidopsis expression studies, we also demonstrated the capacity of mass spectrometry-based LFQ to quantify protein abundance and the possibility to extend protein expression studies to the transcript level.
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Xiao Z, Lam HM. ShinySyn: a Shiny/R application for the interactive visualization and integration of macro- and micro-synteny data. Bioinformatics 2022; 38:4406-4408. [PMID: 35866686 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Synteny analysis is a widely used framework in comparative genomics studies, which provides valuable information to reveal chromosome collinearity in both intra-species and inter-species. Most analysis pipelines, however, are command line-based, making it challenging for biologists to run the algorithms and visualize the results. Existing visualization tools either provide static plots or can only be run on web-based servers and lack efficient visualization methods for associating macro-synteny blocks with individual gene pairs in a micro-synteny region. RESULTS We developed ShinySyn, a Shiny/R application built on the MCscan framework that provides an easy-to-use graphic interface for synteny analyses without requiring any programming skills, to reduce technical barriers. ShinySyn not only provides interactive visualization for macro-synteny, micro-synteny and genome-level dot views, but it also creates an intuitive representation with a dynamic zooming feature from macro-synteny to individual homologous genes. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The source code and installation instructions for ShinySyn can be accessed via https://github.com/obenno/ShinySyn. A pre-built docker image is also available at https://hub.docker.com/r/obenno/shinysyn. The application can be used locally or seamlessly integrated into any Shiny application server.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixia Xiao
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
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Sin WC, Lam HM, Ngai SM. Identification of Diverse Stress-Responsive Xylem Sap Peptides in Soybean. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158641. [PMID: 35955768 PMCID: PMC9369194 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence has revealed that plant secretory peptides are involved in the long-distance signaling pathways that help to regulate plant development and signal stress responses. In this study, we purified small peptides from soybean (Glycine max) xylem sap via o-chlorophenol extraction and conducted an in-depth peptidomic analysis using a mass spectrometry (MS) and bioinformatics approach. We successfully identified 14 post-translationally modified peptide groups belonging to the peptide families CEP (C-terminally encoded peptides), CLE (CLAVATA3/embryo surrounding region-related), PSY (plant peptides containing tyrosine sulfation), and XAP (xylem sap-associated peptides). Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis showed unique tissue expression patterns among the peptide-encoding genes. Further qPCR analysis of some of the peptide-encoding genes showed differential stress-response profiles toward various abiotic stress factors. Targeted MS-based quantification of the nitrogen deficiency-responsive peptides, GmXAP6a and GmCEP-XSP1, demonstrated upregulation of peptide translocation in xylem sap under nitrogen-deficiency stress. Quantitative proteomic analysis of GmCEP-XSP1 overexpression in hairy soybean roots revealed that GmCEP-XSP1 significantly impacts stress response-related proteins. This study provides new insights that root-to-shoot peptide signaling plays important roles in regulating plant stress-response mechanisms.
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Xu Y, Li R, Luo H, Wang Z, Li MW, Lam HM, Huang C. Protoplasts: small cells with big roles in plant biology. Trends Plant Sci 2022; 27:828-829. [PMID: 35422380 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Ruilian Li
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Maize Engineering Technology Research Center of Hunan Province, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Hongbing Luo
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Maize Engineering Technology Research Center of Hunan Province, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Zhili Wang
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 999077, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 999077, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 999077, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Maize Engineering Technology Research Center of Hunan Province, College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 999077, China.
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Cheng SS, Ku YS, Cheung MY, Lam HM. AtGAP1 Promotes the Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 by Regulating Cell-Wall Thickness and Stomatal Aperture in Arabidopsis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147540. [PMID: 35886893 PMCID: PMC9323218 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
GTP is an important signaling molecule involved in the growth, development, and stress adaptability of plants. The functions are mediated via binding to GTPases which are in turn regulated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Satellite reports have suggested the positive roles of GAPs in regulating ABA signaling and pathogen resistance in plants. However, the molecular mechanisms that bring forth the pathogen resistance have remained unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of AtGAP1 was inducible by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). The overexpression of AtGAP1 in Arabidopsis promoted the expression of PR1 and the resistance to Pst DC3000. Proteomic analyses revealed the enhanced accumulation of cell-wall-modifying proteins as a result of AtGAP1 overexpression. By microscopic analyses, we showed that the overexpression of AtGAP1 resulted in increased thickness of the mesophyll cell wall and reduced stomatal aperture, which are effective strategies for restricting the entry of foliar pathogens. Altogether, we demonstrated that AtGAP1 increases the resistance to Pst DC3000 in Arabidopsis by promoting cellular strategies that restrict the entry of pathogens into the cells. These results point to a future direction for studying the modes of action of GAPs in regulating plant cell structures and disease resistance.
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Li MW, Lam HM. Genomic Studies of Plant-Environment Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23115871. [PMID: 35682550 PMCID: PMC9180848 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23115871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
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Xu Y, Luo H, Wang Z, Lam HM, Huang C. Oxford Nanopore Technology: revolutionizing genomics research in plants. Trends Plant Sci 2022; 27:510-511. [PMID: 34836785 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Hongbing Luo
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
| | - Zhili Wang
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 999077, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 999077, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- College of Agronomy, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China; Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 999077, China; Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
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Huang M, Zhang L, Zhou L, Yung WS, Wang Z, Xiao Z, Wang Q, Wang X, Li MW, Lam HM. Identification of the accessible chromatin regions in six tissues in the soybean. Genomics 2022; 114:110364. [PMID: 35421559 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Accessible chromatin regions (ACRs) are tightly associated with gene expressions in the genome. Conserved non-coding cis-regulatory elements, such as transcription factor binding motifs, are usually found in ACRs, indicating an essential regulatory role of ACRs in the plant genome architecture. However, there have been few studies on soybean ACRs, especially those focusing on specific tissues. Hence, in this study, with the convenient ATAC-seq, we identified the ACRs in six soybean tissues, including root, leaf bud, flower, flower bud, developing seed, and pod. In total, the ACRs occupied about 3.3% of the entire soybean genome. By integrating the results from RNA-seq and transcription factor (TF) ChIP-seq, ACRs were found to be tightly associated with gene expressions and TF binding capacities in soybean. Together, these data provide a comprehensive understanding of the genomic features of ACRs in soybean. As a collection of essential genomic resources, these processed data are made available at datahub.wildsoydb.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingkun Huang
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China; Lushan Botanical Garden Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.9 Zhiqing Road, Lushan, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, PR China.
| | - Ling Zhang
- Lushan Botanical Garden Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, NO.9 Zhiqing Road, Lushan, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, PR China
| | - Limeng Zhou
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Wai-Shing Yung
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Zhili Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Zhixia Xiao
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Qianwen Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Xin Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China.
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China.
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Ku YS, Cheung MY, Cheng SS, Nadeem MA, Chung G, Lam HM. Using the Knowledge of Post-transcriptional Regulations to Guide Gene Selections for Molecular Breeding in Soybean. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:867731. [PMID: 35432392 PMCID: PMC9009170 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.867731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The omics approaches allow the scientific community to successfully identify genomic regions associated with traits of interest for marker-assisted breeding. Agronomic traits such as seed color, yield, growth habit, and stress tolerance have been the targets for soybean molecular breeding. Genes governing these traits often undergo post-transcriptional modifications, which should be taken into consideration when choosing elite genes for molecular breeding. Post-transcriptional regulations of genes include transcript regulations, protein modifications, and even the regulation of the translational machinery. Transcript regulations involve elements such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) for the maintenance of transcript stability or regulation of translation efficiency. Protein modifications involve molecular modifications of target proteins and the alterations of their interacting partners. Regulations of the translational machinery include those on translation factors and the ribosomal protein complex. Post-transcriptional regulations usually involve a set of genes instead of a single gene. Such a property may facilitate molecular breeding. In this review, we will discuss the post-transcriptional modifications of genes related to favorable agronomic traits such as stress tolerance, growth, and nutrient uptake, using examples from soybean as well as other crops. The examples from other crops may guide the selection of genes for marker-assisted breeding in soybean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Shan Ku
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ming-Yan Cheung
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sau-Shan Cheng
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Muhammad Azhar Nadeem
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Sivas University of Science and Technology, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Gyuhwa Chung
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu, South Korea
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Lung SC, Lai SH, Wang H, Zhang X, Liu A, Guo ZH, Lam HM, Chye ML. Oxylipin signaling in salt-stressed soybean is modulated by ligand-dependent interaction of Class II acyl-CoA-binding proteins with lipoxygenase. Plant Cell 2022; 34:1117-1143. [PMID: 34919703 PMCID: PMC8894927 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koab306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Plant lipoxygenases (LOXs) oxygenate linoleic and linolenic acids, creating hydroperoxy derivatives, and from these, jasmonates and other oxylipins are derived. Despite the importance of oxylipin signaling, its activation mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we show that soybean ACYL-COA-BINDING PROTEIN3 (ACBP3) and ACBP4, two Class II acyl-CoA-binding proteins, suppressed activity of the vegetative LOX homolog VLXB by sequestering it at the endoplasmic reticulum. The ACBP4-VLXB interaction was facilitated by linoleoyl-CoA and linolenoyl-CoA, which competed with phosphatidic acid (PA) for ACBP4 binding. In salt-stressed roots, alternative splicing produced ACBP variants incapable of VLXB interaction. Overexpression of the variants enhanced LOX activity and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis and soybean hairy roots, whereas overexpressors of the native forms exhibited reciprocal phenotypes. Consistently, the differential alternative splicing pattern in two soybean genotypes coincided with their difference in salt-induced lipid peroxidation. Salt-treated soybean roots were enriched in C32:0-PA species that showed high affinity to Class II ACBPs. We conclude that PA signaling and alternative splicing suppress ligand-dependent interaction of Class II ACBPs with VLXB, thereby triggering lipid peroxidation during salt stress. Hence, our findings unveil a dual mechanism that initiates the onset of oxylipin signaling in the salinity response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiu-Cheung Lung
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sze Han Lai
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haiyang Wang
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiuying Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ailin Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ze-Hua Guo
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mee-Len Chye
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
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Ku YS, Cheng SS, Ng MS, Chung G, Lam HM. The Tiny Companion Matters: The Important Role of Protons in Active Transports in Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052824. [PMID: 35269965 PMCID: PMC8911182 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In plants, the translocation of molecules, such as ions, metabolites, and hormones, between different subcellular compartments or different cells is achieved by transmembrane transporters, which play important roles in growth, development, and adaptation to the environment. To facilitate transport in a specific direction, active transporters that can translocate their substrates against the concentration gradient are needed. Examples of major active transporters in plants include ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporters, monosaccharide transporters (MSTs), sucrose transporters (SUTs), and amino acid transporters. Transport via ABC transporters is driven by ATP. The electrochemical gradient across the membrane energizes these secondary transporters. The pH in each cell and subcellular compartment is tightly regulated and yet highly dynamic, especially when under stress. Here, the effects of cellular and subcellular pH on the activities of ABC transporters, MATE transporters, MSTs, SUTs, and amino acid transporters will be discussed to enhance our understanding of their mechanics. The relation of the altered transporter activities to various biological processes of plants will also be addressed. Although most molecular transport research has focused on the substrate, the role of protons, the tiny counterparts of the substrate, should also not be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Shan Ku
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (S.-S.C.); (M.-S.N.)
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.K.); (H.-M.L.); Tel.: +852-3943-8132 (Y.-S.K.); +852-3943-6336 (H.-M.L.)
| | - Sau-Shan Cheng
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (S.-S.C.); (M.-S.N.)
| | - Ming-Sin Ng
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (S.-S.C.); (M.-S.N.)
| | - Gyuhwa Chung
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Korea;
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (S.-S.C.); (M.-S.N.)
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.K.); (H.-M.L.); Tel.: +852-3943-8132 (Y.-S.K.); +852-3943-6336 (H.-M.L.)
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Yung WS, Wang Q, Huang M, Wong FL, Liu A, Ng MS, Li KP, Sze CC, Li MW, Lam HM. Priming-induced alterations in histone modifications modulate transcriptional responses in soybean under salt stress. Plant J 2022; 109:1575-1590. [PMID: 34961994 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plants that have experienced certain abiotic stress may gain tolerance to a similar stress in subsequent exposure. This phenomenon, called priming, was observed here in soybean (Glycine max) seedlings exposed to salt stress. Time-course transcriptomic profiles revealed distinctively different transcriptional responses in the primed seedlings from those in the non-primed seedlings under high salinity stress, indicating a stress response strategy of repressing unhelpful biotic stress responses and focusing on the promotion of those responses important for salt tolerance. To identify histone marks altered by the priming salinity treatment, a genome-wide profiling of histone 3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2), H3K4me3, and histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) was performed. Our integrative analyses revealed that priming induced drastic alterations in these histone marks, which coordinately modified the stress response, ion homeostasis, and cell wall modification. Furthermore, transcriptional network analyses unveiled epigenetically modified networks which mediate the strategic downregulation of defense responses. Altering the histone acetylation status using a chemical inhibitor could elicit the priming-like transcriptional responses in non-primed seedlings, confirming the importance of histone marks in forming the priming response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai-Shing Yung
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qianwen Wang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Mingkun Huang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang, Jiangxi, 332900, China
| | - Fuk-Ling Wong
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ailin Liu
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ming-Sin Ng
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kwan-Pok Li
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ching-Ching Sze
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Bayer PE, Valliyodan B, Hu H, Marsh JI, Yuan Y, Vuong TD, Patil G, Song Q, Batley J, Varshney RK, Lam HM, Edwards D, Nguyen HT. Sequencing the USDA core soybean collection reveals gene loss during domestication and breeding. Plant Genome 2022; 15:e20109. [PMID: 34169673 DOI: 10.1002/tpg2.20109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The gene content of plants varies between individuals of the same species due to gene presence/absence variation, and selection can alter the frequency of specific genes in a population. Selection during domestication and breeding will modify the genomic landscape, though the nature of these modifications is only understood for specific genes or on a more general level (e.g., by a loss of genetic diversity). Here we have assembled and analyzed a soybean (Glycine spp.) pangenome representing more than 1,000 soybean accessions derived from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection, including both wild and cultivated lineages, to assess genomewide changes in gene and allele frequency during domestication and breeding. We identified 3,765 genes that are absent from the Lee reference genome assembly and assessed the presence/absence of all genes across this population. In addition to a loss of genetic diversity, we found a significant reduction in the average number of protein-coding genes per individual during domestication and subsequent breeding, though with some genes and allelic variants increasing in frequency associated with selection for agronomic traits. This analysis provides a genomic perspective of domestication and breeding in this important oilseed crop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp E Bayer
- School of Biological Sciences and Inst. of Agriculture, The Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Babu Valliyodan
- Dep. of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Lincoln Univ., Jefferson, City, MO, 65101, USA
- Div. of Plant Sciences and National Ctr. for Soybean Biotechnology, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Haifei Hu
- School of Biological Sciences and Inst. of Agriculture, The Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Jacob I Marsh
- School of Biological Sciences and Inst. of Agriculture, The Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Yuxuan Yuan
- School of Biological Sciences and Inst. of Agriculture, The Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Ctr. for Soybean Research of the State Key Lab. of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tri D Vuong
- Div. of Plant Sciences and National Ctr. for Soybean Biotechnology, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Gunvant Patil
- Div. of Plant Sciences and National Ctr. for Soybean Biotechnology, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Dep. of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Qijian Song
- U.S. Dep. of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Soybean Genomics and Improvement Lab., Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Jacqueline Batley
- School of Biological Sciences and Inst. of Agriculture, The Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Rajeev K Varshney
- Ctr. of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology, International Crops Research Inst. for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, India
- State Agricultural Biotechnology Ctr., Crop Research Innovation Ctr., Food Futures Inst., Murdoch Univ., Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Ctr. for Soybean Research of the State Key Lab. of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese Univ. of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - David Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences and Inst. of Agriculture, The Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Henry T Nguyen
- Div. of Plant Sciences and National Ctr. for Soybean Biotechnology, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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Ku YS, Lin X, Fan K, Cheng SS, Chan TF, Chung G, Lam HM. The Identification of MATE Antisense Transcripts in Soybean Using Strand-Specific RNA-Seq Datasets. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:228. [PMID: 35205273 PMCID: PMC8871956 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) have been generally reported as negative regulators of their sense counterparts. Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) proteins mediate the transport of various substrates. Although MATEs have been identified genome-wide in various plant species, their transcript regulators remain unclear. Here, using the publicly available strand-specific RNA-seq datasets of Glycine soja (wild soybean) which have the data from various tissues including developing pods, developing seeds, embryos, cotyledons and hypocotyls, roots, apical buds, stems, and flowers, we identified 35 antisense transcripts of MATEs from 28 gene loci after transcriptome assembly. Spearman correlation coefficients suggested the positive expression correlations of eight MATE antisense and sense transcript pairs. By aligning the identified transcripts with the reference genome of Glycine max (cultivated soybean), the MATE antisense and sense transcript pairs were identified. Using soybean C08 (Glycine max), in developing pods and seeds, the positive correlations between MATE antisense and sense transcript pairs were shown by RT-qPCR. These findings suggest that soybean antisense transcripts are not necessarily negative transcription regulators of their sense counterparts. This study enhances the existing knowledge on the transcription regulation of MATE transporters by uncovering the previously unknown MATE antisense transcripts and their potential synergetic effects on sense transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Shan Ku
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.-S.K.); (X.L.); (K.F.); (S.-S.C.); (T.-F.C.)
| | - Xiao Lin
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.-S.K.); (X.L.); (K.F.); (S.-S.C.); (T.-F.C.)
| | - Kejing Fan
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.-S.K.); (X.L.); (K.F.); (S.-S.C.); (T.-F.C.)
| | - Sau-Shan Cheng
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.-S.K.); (X.L.); (K.F.); (S.-S.C.); (T.-F.C.)
| | - Ting-Fung Chan
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.-S.K.); (X.L.); (K.F.); (S.-S.C.); (T.-F.C.)
| | - Gyuhwa Chung
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Korea;
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Y.-S.K.); (X.L.); (K.F.); (S.-S.C.); (T.-F.C.)
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Das D, Paries M, Hobecker K, Gigl M, Dawid C, Lam HM, Zhang J, Chen M, Gutjahr C. PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE transcription factors enable arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:477. [PMID: 35078978 PMCID: PMC8789775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-27976-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a widespread symbiosis between roots of the majority of land plants and Glomeromycotina fungi. AM is important for ecosystem health and functioning as the fungi critically support plant performance by providing essential mineral nutrients, particularly the poorly accessible phosphate, in exchange for organic carbon. AM fungi colonize the inside of roots and this is promoted at low but inhibited at high plant phosphate status, while the mechanistic basis for this phosphate-dependence remained obscure. Here we demonstrate that a major transcriptional regulator of phosphate starvation responses in rice PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 2 (PHR2) regulates AM. Root colonization of phr2 mutants is drastically reduced, and PHR2 is required for root colonization, mycorrhizal phosphate uptake, and yield increase in field soil. PHR2 promotes AM by targeting genes required for pre-contact signaling, root colonization, and AM function. Thus, this important symbiosis is directly wired to the PHR2-controlled plant phosphate starvation response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debatosh Das
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Research and Development Center for Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 10 Yuexing 2nd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China
| | - Michael Paries
- Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Karen Hobecker
- Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Michael Gigl
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Corinna Dawid
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 10 Yuexing 2nd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 10 Yuexing 2nd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shatin, Hong Kong.
| | - Moxian Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Research and Development Center for Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
| | - Caroline Gutjahr
- Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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Das D, Paries M, Hobecker K, Gigl M, Dawid C, Lam HM, Zhang J, Chen M, Gutjahr C. PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE transcription factors enable arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis. Nat Commun 2022; 13:477. [PMID: 35078978 DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.05.467437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is a widespread symbiosis between roots of the majority of land plants and Glomeromycotina fungi. AM is important for ecosystem health and functioning as the fungi critically support plant performance by providing essential mineral nutrients, particularly the poorly accessible phosphate, in exchange for organic carbon. AM fungi colonize the inside of roots and this is promoted at low but inhibited at high plant phosphate status, while the mechanistic basis for this phosphate-dependence remained obscure. Here we demonstrate that a major transcriptional regulator of phosphate starvation responses in rice PHOSPHATE STARVATION RESPONSE 2 (PHR2) regulates AM. Root colonization of phr2 mutants is drastically reduced, and PHR2 is required for root colonization, mycorrhizal phosphate uptake, and yield increase in field soil. PHR2 promotes AM by targeting genes required for pre-contact signaling, root colonization, and AM function. Thus, this important symbiosis is directly wired to the PHR2-controlled plant phosphate starvation response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debatosh Das
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Research and Development Center for Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 10 Yuexing 2nd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China
| | - Michael Paries
- Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Karen Hobecker
- Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Michael Gigl
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Corinna Dawid
- Chair of Food Chemistry and Molecular Sensory Science, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Lise-Meitner-Str. 34, D-85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 10 Yuexing 2nd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, No. 10 Yuexing 2nd Road, Nanshan, Shenzhen, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Shatin, Hong Kong.
| | - Moxian Chen
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Research and Development Center for Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China.
| | - Caroline Gutjahr
- Plant Genetics, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Emil Ramann Str. 4, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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Li C, Nong W, Zhao S, Lin X, Xie Y, Cheung MY, Xiao Z, Wong AYP, Chan TF, Hui JHL, Lam HM. Differential microRNA expression, microRNA arm switching, and microRNA:long noncoding RNA interaction in response to salinity stress in soybean. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:65. [PMID: 35057741 PMCID: PMC8780314 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08308-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soybean is a major legume crop with high nutritional and environmental values suitable for sustainable agriculture. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), are important regulators of gene functions in eukaryotes. However, the interactions between these two types of ncRNAs in the context of plant physiology, especially in response to salinity stress, are poorly understood. RESULTS Here, we challenged a cultivated soybean accession (C08) and a wild one (W05) with salt treatment and obtained their small RNA transcriptomes at six time points from both root and leaf tissues. In addition to thoroughly analyzing the differentially expressed miRNAs, we also documented the first case of miRNA arm-switching (miR166m), the swapping of dominant miRNA arm expression, in soybean in different tissues. Two arms of miR166m target different genes related to salinity stress (chloroplastic beta-amylase 1 targeted by miR166m-5p and calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 targeted by miR166m-3p), suggesting arm-switching of miR166m play roles in soybean in response to salinity stress. Furthermore, two pairs of miRNA:lncRNA interacting partners (miR166i-5p and lncRNA Gmax_MSTRG.35921.1; and miR394a-3p and lncRNA Gmax_MSTRG.18616.1) were also discovered in reaction to salinity stress. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates how ncRNA involves in salinity stress responses in soybean by miRNA arm switching and miRNA:lncRNA interactions. The behaviors of ncRNAs revealed in this study will shed new light on molecular regulatory mechanisms of stress responses in plants, and hence provide potential new strategies for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chade Li
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
| | - Wenyan Nong
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
| | - Shancen Zhao
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
- BGI Institute of Applied Agriculture, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518120, P.R. China
| | - Xiao Lin
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
| | - Yichun Xie
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
| | - Ming-Yan Cheung
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
| | - Zhixia Xiao
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
| | - Annette Y P Wong
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China
| | - Ting Fung Chan
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China.
| | - Jerome H L Hui
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China.
- Simon F.S. Li Marine Science Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China.
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, P.R. China.
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Liu X, Tai APK, Chen Y, Zhang L, Shaddick G, Yan X, Lam HM. Publisher Correction: Dietary shifts can reduce premature deaths related to particulate matter pollution in China. Nat Food 2022; 3:86. [PMID: 37118495 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00458-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Liu
- Earth System Science Programme and Graduate Division of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amos P K Tai
- Earth System Science Programme and Graduate Division of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Youfan Chen
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Gavin Shaddick
- Department of Mathematics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence, Met Office, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Xiaoyu Yan
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Liu S, Begum N, An T, Zhao T, Xu B, Zhang S, Deng X, Lam HM, Nguyen HT, Siddique KHM, Chen Y. Characterization of Root System Architecture Traits in Diverse Soybean Genotypes Using a Semi-Hydroponic System. Plants (Basel) 2021; 10:2781. [PMID: 34961252 PMCID: PMC8707277 DOI: 10.3390/plants10122781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Phenotypic variation and correlations among root traits form the basis for selecting and breeding soybean varieties with efficient access to water and nutrients and better adaptation to abiotic stresses. Therefore, it is important to develop a simple and consistent system to study root traits in soybean. In this study, we adopted the semi-hydroponic system to investigate the variability in root morphological traits of 171 soybean genotypes popularized in the Yangtze and Huaihe River regions, eastern China. Highly diverse phenotypes were observed: shoot height (18.7-86.7 cm per plant with a median of 52.3 cm); total root length (208-1663 cm per plant with a median of 885 cm); and root mass (dry weight) (19.4-251 mg per plant with a median of 124 mg). Both total root length and root mass exhibited significant positive correlation with shoot mass (p ≤ 0.05), indicating their relationship with plant growth and adaptation strategies. The nine selected traits contributed to one of the two principal components (eigenvalues > 1), accounting for 78.9% of the total genotypic variation. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis separated the 171 genotypes into five major groups based on these root traits. Three selected genotypes with contrasting root systems were validated in soil-filled rhizoboxes (1.5 m deep) until maturity. Consistent ranking of the genotypes in some important root traits at various growth stages between the two experiments indicates the reliability of the semi-hydroponic system in phenotyping root trait variability at the early growth stage in soybean germplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Liu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xi’an 712100, China; (S.L.); (T.A.); (B.X.); (S.Z.); (X.D.)
| | - Naheeda Begum
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (N.B.); (T.Z.)
| | - Tingting An
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xi’an 712100, China; (S.L.); (T.A.); (B.X.); (S.Z.); (X.D.)
| | - Tuanjie Zhao
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics and Breeding for Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture, State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; (N.B.); (T.Z.)
| | - Bingcheng Xu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xi’an 712100, China; (S.L.); (T.A.); (B.X.); (S.Z.); (X.D.)
| | - Suiqi Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xi’an 712100, China; (S.L.); (T.A.); (B.X.); (S.Z.); (X.D.)
| | - Xiping Deng
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xi’an 712100, China; (S.L.); (T.A.); (B.X.); (S.Z.); (X.D.)
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Center for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Henry T. Nguyen
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA;
| | - Kadambot H. M. Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Australia;
| | - Yinglong Chen
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, and State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xi’an 712100, China; (S.L.); (T.A.); (B.X.); (S.Z.); (X.D.)
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6009, Australia;
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Liu X, Tai APK, Chen Y, Zhang L, Shaddick G, Yan X, Lam HM. Dietary shifts can reduce premature deaths related to particulate matter pollution in China. Nat Food 2021; 2:997-1004. [PMID: 37118261 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00430-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Shifting towards more meat-intensive diets may have indirect health consequences through environmental degradation. Here we examine how trends in dietary patterns in China over 1980-2010 have worsened fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution, thereby inducing indirect health impacts. We show that changes in dietary composition alone, mainly by driving the rising demands for meat and animal feed, have enhanced ammonia (NH3) emissions from Chinese agriculture by 63% and increased annual PM2.5 by up to ~10 µg m-3 (~20% of total PM2.5 increase) over the period. Such effects are more than double that driven by increased food production solely due to population growth. Shifting the current diet towards a less meat-intensive recommended diet can decrease NH3 emission by ~17% and PM2.5 by 2-6 µg m-3, and avoid ~75,000 Chinese annual premature deaths related to PM2.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Liu
- Earth System Science Programme and Graduate Division of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amos P K Tai
- Earth System Science Programme and Graduate Division of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Youfan Chen
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Gavin Shaddick
- Department of Mathematics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Joint Centre for Excellence in Environmental Intelligence, Met Office, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Xiaoyu Yan
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Soybean Research, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Yung WS, Li MW, Sze CC, Wang Q, Lam HM. Histone modifications and chromatin remodelling in plants in response to salt stress. Physiol Plant 2021; 173:1495-1513. [PMID: 34028035 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In the face of global food security crises, it is necessary to boost agricultural production. One factor hampering the attempts to increase food production is elevated soil salinity, which can be due to salt that is naturally present in the soil or a consequence of excessive or prolonged irrigation or application of fertiliser. In response to environmental stresses, plants activate multiple molecular mechanisms, including the timely activation of stress-responsive transcriptional networks. However, in the case of salt stress, the combined effects of the initial osmotic shock and the subsequent ion-specific stress increase the complexity in the selective regulation of gene expressions involved in restoring or maintaining osmotic balance, ion homeostasis and reactive oxygen species scavenging. Histone modifications and chromatin remodelling are important epigenetic processes that regulate gene expressions by modifying the chromatin status and recruiting transcription regulators. In this review, we have specifically summarised the currently available knowledge on histone modifications and chromatin remodelling in relation to plant responses to salt stress. Current findings have revealed the functional importance of chromatin modifiers in regulating salt tolerance and identified the effector genes affected by epigenetic modifications, although counteraction between modifiers within the same family may occur. Emerging evidence has also illustrated the crosstalk between epigenetic modifications and hormone signalling pathways which involves formation of protein complexes. With an improved understanding of these processes, plant breeders will be able to develop alternative strategies using genome editing technologies for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai-Shing Yung
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Man-Wah Li
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ching-Ching Sze
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Qianwen Wang
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- School of Life Sciences and Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
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Ng MS, Ku YS, Yung WS, Cheng SS, Man CK, Yang L, Song S, Chung G, Lam HM. MATE-Type Proteins Are Responsible for Isoflavone Transportation and Accumulation in Soybean Seeds. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12017. [PMID: 34769445 PMCID: PMC8585119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222112017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Soybeans are nutritionally important as human food and animal feed. Apart from the macronutrients such as proteins and oils, soybeans are also high in health-beneficial secondary metabolites and are uniquely enriched in isoflavones among food crops. Isoflavone biosynthesis has been relatively well characterized, but the mechanism of their transportation in soybean cells is largely unknown. Using the yeast model, we showed that GmMATE1 and GmMATE2 promoted the accumulation of isoflavones, mainly in the aglycone forms. Using the tobacco BrightYellow-2 (BY-2) cell model, GmMATE1 and GmMATE2 were found to be localized in the vacuolar membrane. Such subcellular localization supports the notion that GmMATE1 and GmMATE2 function by compartmentalizing isoflavones in the vacuole. Expression analyses showed that GmMATE1 was mainly expressed in the developing soybean pod. Soybean mutants defective in GmMATE1 had significantly reduced total seed isoflavone contents, whereas the overexpression of GmMATE1 in transgenic soybean promoted the accumulation of seed isoflavones. Our results showed that GmMATE1, and possibly also GmMATE2, are bona fide isoflavone transporters that promote the accumulation of isoflavones in soybean seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Sin Ng
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (M.-S.N.); (W.-S.Y.); (S.-S.C.); (C.-K.M.); (L.Y.)
| | - Yee-Shan Ku
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (M.-S.N.); (W.-S.Y.); (S.-S.C.); (C.-K.M.); (L.Y.)
| | - Wai-Shing Yung
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (M.-S.N.); (W.-S.Y.); (S.-S.C.); (C.-K.M.); (L.Y.)
| | - Sau-Shan Cheng
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (M.-S.N.); (W.-S.Y.); (S.-S.C.); (C.-K.M.); (L.Y.)
| | - Chun-Kuen Man
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (M.-S.N.); (W.-S.Y.); (S.-S.C.); (C.-K.M.); (L.Y.)
| | - Liu Yang
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (M.-S.N.); (W.-S.Y.); (S.-S.C.); (C.-K.M.); (L.Y.)
| | - Shikui Song
- Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China;
| | - Gyuhwa Chung
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu 59626, Korea;
| | - Hon-Ming Lam
- Centre for Soybean Research of the State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology and School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (M.-S.N.); (W.-S.Y.); (S.-S.C.); (C.-K.M.); (L.Y.)
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