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Janni M, Maestri E, Gullì M, Marmiroli M, Marmiroli N. Plant responses to climate change, how global warming may impact on food security: a critical review. Front Plant Sci 2024; 14:1297569. [PMID: 38250438 PMCID: PMC10796516 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1297569] [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: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Global agricultural production must double by 2050 to meet the demands of an increasing world human population but this challenge is further exacerbated by climate change. Environmental stress, heat, and drought are key drivers in food security and strongly impacts on crop productivity. Moreover, global warming is threatening the survival of many species including those which we rely on for food production, forcing migration of cultivation areas with further impoverishing of the environment and of the genetic variability of crop species with fall out effects on food security. This review considers the relationship of climatic changes and their bearing on sustainability of natural and agricultural ecosystems, as well as the role of omics-technologies, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, phenomics and ionomics. The use of resource saving technologies such as precision agriculture and new fertilization technologies are discussed with a focus on their use in breeding plants with higher tolerance and adaptability and as mitigation tools for global warming and climate changes. Nevertheless, plants are exposed to multiple stresses. This study lays the basis for the proposition of a novel research paradigm which is referred to a holistic approach and that went beyond the exclusive concept of crop yield, but that included sustainability, socio-economic impacts of production, commercialization, and agroecosystem management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Janni
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parma, Italy
| | - Elena Maestri
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Interdepartmental Centers SITEIA.PARMA and CIDEA, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Mariolina Gullì
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Interdepartmental Centers SITEIA.PARMA and CIDEA, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Marta Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, Interdepartmental Centers SITEIA.PARMA and CIDEA, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Nelson Marmiroli
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per le Scienze Ambientali (CINSA) Interuniversity Consortium for Environmental Sciences, Parma/Venice, Italy
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Vurro F, Croci M, Impollonia G, Marchetti E, Gracia-Romero A, Bettelli M, Araus JL, Amaducci S, Janni M. Field Plant Monitoring from Macro to Micro Scale: Feasibility and Validation of Combined Field Monitoring Approaches from Remote to in Vivo to Cope with Drought Stress in Tomato. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:3851. [PMID: 38005747 PMCID: PMC10674827 DOI: 10.3390/plants12223851] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring plant growth and development during cultivation to optimize resource use efficiency is crucial to achieve an increased sustainability of agriculture systems and ensure food security. In this study, we compared field monitoring approaches from the macro to micro scale with the aim of developing novel in vivo tools for field phenotyping and advancing the efficiency of drought stress detection at the field level. To this end, we tested different methodologies in the monitoring of tomato growth under different water regimes: (i) micro-scale (inserted in the plant stem) real-time monitoring with an organic electrochemical transistor (OECT)-based sensor, namely a bioristor, that enables continuous monitoring of the plant; (ii) medium-scale (<1 m from the canopy) monitoring through red-green-blue (RGB) low-cost imaging; (iii) macro-scale multispectral and thermal monitoring using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). High correlations between aerial and proximal remote sensing were found with chlorophyll-related indices, although at specific time points (NDVI and NDRE with GGA and SPAD). The ion concentration and allocation monitored by the index R of the bioristor during the drought defense response were highly correlated with the water use indices (Crop Water Stress Index (CSWI), relative water content (RWC), vapor pressure deficit (VPD)). A high negative correlation was observed with the CWSI and, in turn, with the RWC. Although proximal remote sensing measurements correlated well with water stress indices, vegetation indices provide information about the crop's status at a specific moment. Meanwhile, the bioristor continuously monitors the ion movements and the correlated water use during plant growth and development, making this tool a promising device for field monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Vurro
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Michele Croci
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy; (M.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Giorgio Impollonia
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy; (M.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Edoardo Marchetti
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Adrian Gracia-Romero
- Integrative Crop Ecophysiology Group, Agrotecnio—Center for Research in Agrotechnology, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.G.-R.); (J.L.A.)
- Field Crops Program, Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA), 251981 Lleida, Spain
| | - Manuele Bettelli
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
| | - José Luis Araus
- Integrative Crop Ecophysiology Group, Agrotecnio—Center for Research in Agrotechnology, Plant Physiology Section, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (A.G.-R.); (J.L.A.)
| | - Stefano Amaducci
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense, 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy; (M.C.); (S.A.)
| | - Michela Janni
- Istituto dei Materiali per l’Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (F.V.); (M.B.)
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Petrozza A, Summerer S, Melfi D, Mango T, Vurro F, Bettelli M, Janni M, Cellini F, Carriero F. A Lycopene ε-Cyclase TILLING Allele Enhances Lycopene and Carotenoid Content in Fruit and Improves Drought Stress Tolerance in Tomato Plants. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1284. [PMID: 37372464 DOI: 10.3390/genes14061284] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the scenario of climate change, the availability of genetic resources for tomato cultivation that combine improved nutritional properties and more tolerance to water deficiency is highly desirable. Within this context, the molecular screenings of the Red Setter cultivar-based TILLING platform led to the isolation of a novel lycopene ε-cyclase gene (SlLCY-E) variant (G/3378/T) that produces modifications in the carotenoid content of tomato leaves and fruits. In leaf tissue, the novel G/3378/T SlLCY-E allele enhances β,β-xanthophyll content at the expense of lutein, which decreases, while in ripe tomato fruit the TILLING mutation induces a significant increase in lycopene and total carotenoid content. Under drought stress conditions, the G/3378/T SlLCY-E plants produce more abscisic acid (ABA) and still conserve their leaf carotenoid profile (reduction of lutein and increase in β,β-xanthophyll content). Furthermore, under said conditions, the mutant plants grow much better and are more tolerant to drought stress, as revealed by digital-based image analysis and in vivo monitoring of the OECT (Organic Electrochemical Transistor) sensor. Altogether, our data indicate that the novel TILLING SlLCY-E allelic variant is a valuable genetic resource that can be used for developing new tomato varieties, improved in drought stress tolerance and enriched in fruit lycopene and carotenoid content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Petrozza
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106, km 448.2, 75010 Metaponto, MT, Italy
| | - Stephan Summerer
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106, km 448.2, 75010 Metaponto, MT, Italy
| | - Donato Melfi
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106, km 448.2, 75010 Metaponto, MT, Italy
| | - Teresa Mango
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106, km 448.2, 75010 Metaponto, MT, Italy
| | - Filippo Vurro
- Istituto dei Materiali per l'Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Manuele Bettelli
- Istituto dei Materiali per l'Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Istituto dei Materiali per l'Elettronica e il Magnetismo (IMEM-CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43121 Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Cellini
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106, km 448.2, 75010 Metaponto, MT, Italy
| | - Filomena Carriero
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106, km 448.2, 75010 Metaponto, MT, Italy
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Manfredi R, Vurro F, Janni M, Bettelli M, Gentile F, Zappettini A, Coppedè N. Long-Term Stability in Electronic Properties of Textile Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Integrated Applications. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:1861. [PMID: 36902979 PMCID: PMC10003982 DOI: 10.3390/ma16051861] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) have demonstrated themselves to be an efficient interface between living environments and electronic devices in bioelectronic applications. The peculiar properties of conductive polymers allow new performances that overcome the limits of conventional inorganic biosensors, exploiting the high biocompatibility coupled to the ionic interaction. Moreover, the combination with biocompatible and flexible substrates, such as textile fibers, improves the interaction with living cells and allows specific new applications in the biological environment, including real-time analysis of plants' sap or human sweat monitoring. In these applications, a crucial issue is the lifetime of the sensor device. The durability, long-term stability, and sensitivity of OECTs were studied for two different textile functionalized fiber preparation processes: (i) adding ethylene glycol to the polymer solution, and (ii) using sulfuric acid as a post-treatment. Performance degradation was studied by analyzing the main electronic parameters of a significant number of sensors for a period of 30 days. RGB optical analysis were performed before and after the treatment of the devices. This study shows that device degradation occurs at voltages higher than 0.5 V. The sensors obtained with the sulfuric acid approach exhibit the most stable performances over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Manfredi
- IMEM-CNR Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Italian National Research Council, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Filippo Vurro
- IMEM-CNR Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Italian National Research Council, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- IMEM-CNR Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Italian National Research Council, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Manuele Bettelli
- IMEM-CNR Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Italian National Research Council, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Gentile
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Magna Graecia, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Andrea Zappettini
- IMEM-CNR Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Italian National Research Council, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Nicola Coppedè
- IMEM-CNR Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Italian National Research Council, Parco Area delle Scienze, 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Janni
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Roland Pieruschka
- IBG-2 Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
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Buffagni V, Vurro F, Janni M, Gullì M, Keller AA, Marmiroli N. Shaping Durum Wheat for the Future: Gene Expression Analyses and Metabolites Profiling Support the Contribution of BCAT Genes to Drought Stress Response. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:891. [PMID: 32719694 PMCID: PMC7350509 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change, its implications for agriculture, and the complex scenario presented by the scientific community are of worldwide concern. Drought is a major abiotic stress that can restrict plants growth and yields, thus the identification of genotypes with higher adaptability to drought stress represents one of the primary goals in breeding programs. During abiotic stress, metabolic adaptation is crucial for stress tolerance, and accumulation of specific amino acids and/or as secondary metabolites deriving from amino acid metabolism may correlate with the increased tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. This work, focused on the metabolism of branched chain-amino acids (BCAAs) in durum wheat and the role of branched-chain amino acid aminotransferases (BCATs) in stress response. The role of BCATs in plant response to drought was previously proposed for Arabidopsis, where the levels of BCAAs were altered at the transcriptional level under drought conditions, triggering the onset of defense response metabolism. However, in wheat the role of BCAAs as a trigger of the onset of the drought defense response has not been elucidated. A comparative genomic approach elucidated the composition of the BCAT gene family in durum wheat. Here we demonstrate a tissue and developmental stage specificity of BCATs regulation in the drought response. Moreover, a metabolites profiling was performed on two contrasting durum wheat cultivars Colosseo and Cappelli resulting in the detection of a specific pattern of metabolites accumulated among genotypes and, in particular, in an enhanced BCAAs accumulation in the tolerant cv Cappelli further supporting a role of BCAAs in the drought defense response. The results support the use of gene expression and target metabolomic in modern breeding to shape new cultivars more resilient to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Buffagni
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Filippo Vurro
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parma, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parma, Italy
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Bari, Italy
| | - Mariolina Gullì
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Arturo A. Keller
- Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Nelson Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- CINSA Interuniversity Consortium for Environmental Sciences, Parma/Venice, Italy
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Janni M, Gullì M, Maestri E, Marmiroli M, Valliyodan B, Nguyen HT, Marmiroli N. Molecular and genetic bases of heat stress responses in crop plants and breeding for increased resilience and productivity. J Exp Bot 2020; 71:3780-3802. [PMID: 31970395 PMCID: PMC7316970 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [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: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
To ensure the food security of future generations and to address the challenge of the 'no hunger zone' proposed by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), crop production must be doubled by 2050, but environmental stresses are counteracting this goal. Heat stress in particular is affecting agricultural crops more frequently and more severely. Since the discovery of the physiological, molecular, and genetic bases of heat stress responses, cultivated plants have become the subject of intense research on how they may avoid or tolerate heat stress by either using natural genetic variation or creating new variation with DNA technologies, mutational breeding, or genome editing. This review reports current understanding of the genetic and molecular bases of heat stress in crops together with recent approaches to creating heat-tolerant varieties. Research is close to a breakthrough of global relevance, breeding plants fitter to face the biggest challenge of our time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Janni
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola, Bari, Italy
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Mariolina Gullì
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Elena Maestri
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Marta Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
| | - Babu Valliyodan
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO, USA
| | - Henry T Nguyen
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Nelson Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, Parma, Italy
- CINSA Interuniversity Consortium for Environmental Sciences, Parma/Venice, Italy
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Vurro F, Janni M, Coppedè N, Gentile F, Manfredi R, Bettelli M, Zappettini A. Development of an In Vivo Sensor to Monitor the Effects of Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD) Changes to Improve Water Productivity in Agriculture. Sensors (Basel) 2019; 19:E4667. [PMID: 31661770 PMCID: PMC6864644 DOI: 10.3390/s19214667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Environment, biodiversity and ecosystem services are essential to ensure food security and nutrition. Managing natural resources and mainstreaming biodiversity across agriculture sectors are keys towards a sustainable agriculture focused on resource efficiency. Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD) is considered the main driving force of water movements in the plant vascular system, however the tools available to monitor this parameter are usually based on environmental monitoring. The driving motif of this paper is the development of an in-vivo sensor to monitor the effects of VPD changes in the plant. We have used an in vivo sensor, termed "bioristor", to continuously monitor the changes occurring in the sap ion's status when plants experience different VPD conditions and we observed a specific R (sensor response) trend in response to VPD. The possibility to directly monitor the physiological changes occurring in the plant in different VPD conditions, can be used to increase efficiency of the water management in controlled conditions thus achieving a more sustainable use of natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Vurro
- Istituto dei materiali per l'elettronica e il magnetismo (IMEM-CNR) Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Michela Janni
- Istituto dei materiali per l'elettronica e il magnetismo (IMEM-CNR) Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
- Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse (IBBR-CNR) Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy.
| | - Nicola Coppedè
- Istituto dei materiali per l'elettronica e il magnetismo (IMEM-CNR) Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Francesco Gentile
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy.
| | - Riccardo Manfredi
- Istituto dei materiali per l'elettronica e il magnetismo (IMEM-CNR) Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Manuele Bettelli
- Istituto dei materiali per l'elettronica e il magnetismo (IMEM-CNR) Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Andrea Zappettini
- Istituto dei materiali per l'elettronica e il magnetismo (IMEM-CNR) Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
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Danzi D, Briglia N, Petrozza A, Summerer S, Povero G, Stivaletta A, Cellini F, Pignone D, De Paola D, Janni M. Corrigendum: Can High Throughput Phenotyping Help Food Security in the Mediterranean Area? Front Plant Sci 2019; 10:737. [PMID: 31214236 PMCID: PMC6555265 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00015.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Danzi
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Nunzio Briglia
- Dipartimento delle Culture Europee e del Mediterraneo: Architettura, Ambiente, Patrimoni Culturali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Domenico Pignone
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
- Institute for Veterinary and AgriFood Bioethics, Fiumicino, Italy
| | - Domenico De Paola
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, National Research Council, Parma, Italy
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Danzi D, Briglia N, Petrozza A, Summerer S, Povero G, Stivaletta A, Cellini F, Pignone D, De Paola D, Janni M. Can High Throughput Phenotyping Help Food Security in the Mediterranean Area? Front Plant Sci 2019; 10:15. [PMID: 30740116 PMCID: PMC6355677 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
According to the IPCC 2014 report the Mediterranean region will be affected by strong climatic changes, both in terms of average temperature and of precipitations regime. This area hosts some half a billion people and the impact on food production will be severe. To implement a climate smart agriculture paradigm and a sustainable increase of agricultural productivity different approaches can be deployed. Agriculture alone consumes 70% of the entire water available on the planet, thus the observed reduction of useful rainfall and growing costs for irrigation water may severely constrain food security. In our work we focused on two typical Mediterranean crops: durum wheat, a rainfed crop, and tomato, an irrigated one. In wheat we explored the possibility of identifying genotypes resilient to water stress for future breeding aims, while in tomato we explored the possibility of using biostimulants to increase the plant capacity of using water. In order to achieve these targets, we used high throughput phenotyping (HTP). Two traits were considered: digital biovolume, a measure based on imaging techniques in the RGB domain, and Water Use Efficiency index as calculated semi-automatically on the basis of evaporation measurements resulting in a high throughput, non-destructive, non-invasive approach, as opposed to destructive and time consuming traditional methods. Our results clearly indicate that HTP is able to discriminate genotypes and biostimulant treatments that allow plants to use soil water more efficiently. In addition, these methods based on RGB quality images can easily be scaled to field phenotyping structure USVs or UAVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Danzi
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Nunzio Briglia
- Dipartimento delle Culture Europee e del Mediterraneo: Architettura, Ambiente, Patrimoni Culturali, Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Matera, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Domenico Pignone
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
- Institute for Veterinary and AgriFood Bioethics, Fiumicino, Italy
| | - Domenico De Paola
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, National Research Council, Parma, Italy
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Janni M, Coppede N, Bettelli M, Briglia N, Petrozza A, Summerer S, Vurro F, Danzi D, Cellini F, Marmiroli N, Pignone D, Iannotta S, Zappettini A. In Vivo Phenotyping for the Early Detection of Drought Stress in Tomato. Plant Phenomics 2019; 2019:6168209. [PMID: 33313533 PMCID: PMC7706337 DOI: 10.34133/2019/6168209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Drought stress imposes a major constraint over a crop yield and can be expected to grow in importance if the climate change predicted comes about. Improved methods are needed to facilitate crop management via the prompt detection of the onset of stress. Here, we report the use of an in vivo OECT (organic electrochemical transistor) sensor, termed as bioristor, in the context of the drought response of the tomato plant. The device was integrated within the plant's stem, thereby allowing for the continuous monitoring of the plant's physiological status throughout its life cycle. Bioristor was able to detect changes of ion concentration in the sap upon drought, in particular, those dissolved and transported through the transpiration stream, thus efficiently detecting the occurrence of drought stress immediately after the priming of the defence responses. The bioristor's acquired data were coupled with those obtained in a high-throughput phenotyping platform revealing the extreme complementarity of these methods to investigate the mechanisms triggered by the plant during the drought stress event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Janni
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Nicola Coppede
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Manuele Bettelli
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Nunzio Briglia
- Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Dipartimento delle Culture Europee e del Mediterraneo: Architettura, Ambiente, Patrimoni Culturali (DICEM), Via S. Rocco, I-75100 Matera, Italy
| | - Angelo Petrozza
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106 ,km 448, 2, Metaponto, MT 75010, Italy
| | - Stephan Summerer
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106 ,km 448, 2, Metaponto, MT 75010, Italy
| | - Filippo Vurro
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Donatella Danzi
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Francesco Cellini
- ALSIA Centro Ricerche Metapontum Agrobios, s.s. Jonica 106 ,km 448, 2, Metaponto, MT 75010, Italy
| | - Nelson Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Domenico Pignone
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Iannotta
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Zappettini
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
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12
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Janni M, Cadonici S, Bonas U, Grasso A, Dahab AAD, Visioli G, Pignone D, Ceriotti A, Marmiroli N. Gene-ecology of durum wheat HMW glutenin reflects their diffusion from the center of origin. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16929. [PMID: 30446715 PMCID: PMC6240061 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35251-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The production of many food items processed from wheat grain relies on the use of high gluten strength flours. As a result, about 80% of the allelic variability in the genes encoding the glutenin proteins has been lost in the shift from landraces to modern cultivars. Here, the allelic variability in the genes encoding the high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) has been characterized in 152 durum wheat lines developed from a set of landraces. The allelic composition at the two Glu-1 loci (Glu-A1 and -B1) was obtained at both the protein and the DNA level. The former locus was represented by three alleles, of which the null allele Glu-A1c was the most common. The Glu-B1 locus was more variable, with fifteen alleles represented, of which Glu-B1b (HMW-GSs 7 + 8), -B1d (6 + 8) and -B1e (20 + 20) were the most frequently occurring. The composition of HMW-GSs has been used to make inferences regarding the diffusion and diversification of durum wheat. The relationships of these allelic frequencies with their geographical distribution within the Mediterranean basin is discussed in terms of gene-ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Janni
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124, Parma, Italy.
| | - S Cadonici
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - U Bonas
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - A Grasso
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA), Via Bassini 15, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - A A D Dahab
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA), Via Bassini 15, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - G Visioli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - D Pignone
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - A Ceriotti
- National Research Council (CNR), Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA), Via Bassini 15, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - N Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
- Regione Emilia-Romagna (IT) SITEIA, PARMA Technopole, Parma, Italy
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13
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Shah N, Puthiamadathil J, Serzan M, Belouali A, Kelly W, MA B, blackburn M, Knoedler A, OchoaGonzaelz S, Janni M, Madhavan S, Gibney G, Atkins M. Clinical outcome of immune related hepatitis (IrHep) in patients with advanced melanoma (AM) treated with single agent or combination immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Ann Oncol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdy288.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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14
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Comastri A, Janni M, Simmonds J, Uauy C, Pignone D, Nguyen HT, Marmiroli N. Heat in Wheat: Exploit Reverse Genetic Techniques to Discover New Alleles Within the Triticum durum sHsp26 Family. Front Plant Sci 2018; 9:1337. [PMID: 30283469 PMCID: PMC6156267 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Wheat breeding nowadays must address producers and consumers' desire. According to the last FAO report, a dramatic decrease in wheat production is expected in the next decades mainly due to the upcoming climate change. The identification of the processes which are triggered by heat stress and how thermotolerance develops in wheat is an active research topic. Genomic approach may help wheat breeding since it allows direct study on the genotype and relationship with the phenotype. Here the isolation and characterization of four members of the chloroplast-localized small heat shock proteins (sHSP) encoded by the Hsp26 gene family is reported. Furthermore, two high throughput TILLING (Targeting Induced Local Lesions In Genomes) approaches in vivo and in silico were used for the identification of new alleles within this family. Small heat shock proteins are known to prevent the irreversible aggregation of misfolded proteins and contribute to the acquisition of thermotolerance. Chloroplast-localized sHSPs protect the photosynthetic machinery during episodes of high temperature stress. The modulation of the newly discovered genes within the sHsp26 family has been analyzed in vivo and by the ExpVIP platform widening the abiotic stress analysis; and their involvement in the heat stress response has been demonstrated. In addition, in this study a total of 50 TILLING mutant lines have been identified. A set of KASP (Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR) markers was also developed to follow the specific mutations in the ongoing backcrosses, applicable to high throughput genotyping approaches and usable in marker assisted selection breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Comastri
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Department of DiSBA, CNR, Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources, Bari, Italy
- Department of DiTET, CNR, Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism, Parma, Italy
- *Correspondence: Michela Janni
| | - James Simmonds
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Cristobal Uauy
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Domenico Pignone
- Department of DiSBA, CNR, Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources, Bari, Italy
| | - Henry T. Nguyen
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Nelson Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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Zappettini A, Coppedè N, Janni M, Bettelli M, Maida CL, Gentile F, Villani M, Rotolo R, Iannotta S, Marmiroli N. Textile electrochemical biosensor for plant science and precision farming. Acta Crystallogr A Found Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1107/s2053273317085618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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16
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Coppedè N, Janni M, Bettelli M, Maida CL, Gentile F, Villani M, Ruotolo R, Iannotta S, Marmiroli N, Marmiroli M, Zappettini A. An in vivo biosensing, biomimetic electrochemical transistor with applications in plant science and precision farming. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16195. [PMID: 29170393 PMCID: PMC5700984 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16217-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [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: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The in vivo monitoring of key plant physiology parameters will be a key enabler of precision farming. Here, a biomimetic textile-based biosensor, which can be inserted directly into plant tissue is presented: the device is able to monitor, in vivo and in real time, variations in the solute content of the plant sap. The biosensor has no detectable effect on the plant's morphology even after six weeks of continuous operation. The continuous monitoring of the sap electrolyte concentration in a growing tomato plant revealed a circadian pattern of variation. The biosensor has the potential to detect the signs of abiotic stress, and therefore might be exploited as a powerful tool to study plant physiology and to increase tomato growth sustainability. Also, it can continuously communicate the plant health status, thus potentially driving the whole farm management in the frame of smart agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Coppedè
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
- Institute of Bioscience and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Manuele Bettelli
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Calogero Leandro Maida
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43100, Parma, Italy
| | - Francesco Gentile
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Villani
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Roberta Ruotolo
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43100, Parma, Italy
| | - Salvatore Iannotta
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Nelson Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43100, Parma, Italy
| | - Marta Marmiroli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 11/A, 43100, Parma, Italy
| | - Andrea Zappettini
- Institute of Materials for Electronics and Magnetism (IMEM), National Research Council (CNR), Parco Area delle Scienze 37/A, 43124, Parma, Italy.
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Zuluaga DL, De Paola D, Janni M, Curci PL, Sonnante G. Durum wheat miRNAs in response to nitrogen starvation at the grain filling stage. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183253. [PMID: 28813501 PMCID: PMC5558935 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Durum wheat highly depends on nitrogen for seed development and yield, and the obtainment of varieties with a better nitrogen use efficiency is crucial to reduce production costs and environmental pollution. In this study, sequencing of two small RNA libraries obtained from tissues of Ciccio and Svevo cultivars grown under nitrogen starvation conditions produced 84 novel, and 161 conserved miRNAs. Of these, 7 novel and 13 known miRNAs were newly identified in this work. Quantitative PCR analysis of selected miRNAs highlighted that the expression levels of some of them depends on the tissue and on the cultivar, Svevo being the most responsive to nitrogen starvation. A number of target genes were predicted to be involved in nitrogen metabolism. An inverse correlation for the qPCR expression data of miRNA/target pairs miR399b/PHO2, miR393c/AFB2, ttu-novel-61/CCAAT-TF was observed in specific tissues or cultivar. Especially, ttu-novel-61 was down-regulated and its target CCAAT-TF up-regulated in almost all tissues both in Svevo and in Ciccio. Moreover, CCAAT-TF was confirmed to be cleaved by ttu-novel-61 at the expected site. The discovery of miRNAs involved in the response to nitrogen stress represents an important step towards functional analyses, with the final aim to design strategies for improving nitrogen use efficiency in durum wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana L. Zuluaga
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico De Paola
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Institute for Electronics and Magnetism, National Research Council (CNR), Parma, Italy
| | - Pasquale Luca Curci
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
| | - Gabriella Sonnante
- Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, Bari, Italy
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18
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Sestili F, Sparla F, Botticella E, Janni M, D'Ovidio R, Falini G, Marri L, Cuesta-Seijo JA, Moscatello S, Battistelli A, Trost P, Lafiandra D. The down-regulation of the genes encoding Isoamylase 1 alters the starch composition of the durum wheat grain. Plant Sci 2016; 252:230-238. [PMID: 27717459 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In rice, maize and barley, the lack of Isoamylase 1 activity materially affects the composition of endosperm starch. Here, the effect of this deficiency in durum wheat has been characterized, using transgenic lines in which Isa1 was knocked down via RNAi. Transcriptional profiling confirmed the partial down-regulation of Isa1 and revealed a pleiotropic effect on the level of transcription of genes encoding other isoamylases, pullulanase and sucrose synthase. The polysaccharide content of the transgenic endosperms was different from that of the wild type in a number of ways, including a reduction in the content of starch and a moderate enhancement of both phytoglycogen and β-glucan. Some alterations were also induced in the distribution of amylopectin chain length and amylopectin fine structure. The amylopectin present in the transgenic endosperms was more readily hydrolyzable after a treatment with hydrochloric acid, which disrupted its semi-crystalline structure. The conclusion was that in durum wheat, Isoamylase 1 is important for both the synthesis of amylopectin and for determining its internal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Sestili
- Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences DAFNE, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Francesca Sparla
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology FABIT, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Ermelinda Botticella
- Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences DAFNE, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Michela Janni
- Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences DAFNE, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; National Research Council CNR-Istituto di Bioscienze e Biorisorse, Via G. Amendola, 165, 70126 Bari, Italy.
| | - Renato D'Ovidio
- Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences DAFNE, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Falini
- Department of Chemistry "G. Ciamician", University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Lucia Marri
- Carlsberg Research Laboratory, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, Copenhagen, V DK-1799, Denmark.
| | - Jose A Cuesta-Seijo
- Carlsberg Research Laboratory, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, Copenhagen, V DK-1799, Denmark.
| | - Stefano Moscatello
- National Research Council CNR-Istituto di Biologia Agroambientale e Forestale, Viale Marconi 2, 05010 Porano, TR, Italy.
| | - Alberto Battistelli
- National Research Council CNR-Istituto di Biologia Agroambientale e Forestale, Viale Marconi 2, 05010 Porano, TR, Italy.
| | - Paolo Trost
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology FABIT, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 42, 40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Domenico Lafiandra
- Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences DAFNE, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, SNC, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
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19
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Tundo S, Janni M, Moscetti I, Mandalà G, Savatin D, Blechl A, Favaron F, D'Ovidio R. PvPGIP2 Accumulation in Specific Floral Tissues But Not in the Endosperm Limits Fusarium graminearum Infection in Wheat. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2016; 29:815-821. [PMID: 27671121 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-07-16-0148-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium head blight (FHB) caused by Fusarium graminearum is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of wheat worldwide. The pathogen infects the spike at flowering time and causes severe yield losses, deterioration of grain quality, and accumulation of mycotoxins. The understanding of the precise means of pathogen entry and colonization of floral tissue is crucial to providing effective protection against FHB. Polygalacturonase (PG) inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are cell-wall proteins that inhibit the activity of PGs, a class of pectin-depolymerizing enzymes secreted by microbial pathogens, including Fusarium spp. The constitutive expression of a bean PGIP (PvPGIP2) limits FHB symptoms and reduces mycotoxin accumulation in wheat grain. To better understand which spike tissues play major roles in limiting F. graminearum infection, we explored the use of PvPGIP2 to defend specific spike tissues. We show here that the simultaneous expression of PvPGIP2 in lemma, palea, rachis, and anthers reduced FHB symptoms caused by F. graminearum compared with symptoms in infected nontransgenic plants. However, the expression of PvPGIP2 only in the endosperm did not affect FHB symptom development, indicating that once the pathogen has reached the endosperm, inhibition of the pathogen's PG activity is not effective in preventing its further spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Tundo
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ilaria Moscetti
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Giulia Mandalà
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Daniel Savatin
- 2 Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Ann Blechl
- 3 USDA-ARS, Western Regional Research Center, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, U.S.A.; and
| | - Francesco Favaron
- 4 Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TeSAF), Research Group in Plant Pathology, Università di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Renato D'Ovidio
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
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Tundo S, Kalunke R, Janni M, Volpi C, Lionetti V, Bellincampi D, Favaron F, D'Ovidio R. Pyramiding PvPGIP2 and TAXI-III But Not PvPGIP2 and PMEI Enhances Resistance Against Fusarium graminearum. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2016; 29:629-639. [PMID: 27366923 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-05-16-0089-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Plant protein inhibitors counteract the activity of cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) secreted by pathogens to breach the plant cell-wall barrier. Transgenic plants expressing a single protein inhibitor restrict pathogen infections. However, since pathogens secrete a number of CWDEs at the onset of infection, we combined more inhibitors in a single wheat genotype to reinforce further the cell-wall barrier. We combined polygalacturonase (PG) inhibiting protein (PGIP) and pectin methyl esterase inhibitor (PMEI), both controlling the activity of PG, one of the first CWDEs secreted during infection. We also pyramided PGIP and TAXI-III, a xylanase inhibitor that controls the activity of xylanases, key factors for the degradation of xylan, a main component of cereal cell wall. We demonstrated that the pyramiding of PGIP and PMEI did not contribute to any further improvement of disease resistance. However, the presence of both pectinase inhibitors ensured a broader spectrum of disease resistance. Conversely, the PGIP and TAXI-III combination contributed to further improvement of Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance, probably because these inhibitors target the activity of different types of CWDEs, i.e., PGs and xylanases. Worth mentioning, the reduction of FHB symptoms is accompanied by a reduction of deoxynivalenol accumulation with a foreseen great benefit to human and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio Tundo
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo
| | - Raviraj Kalunke
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo
| | - Michela Janni
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo
| | - Chiara Volpi
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo
| | - Vincenzo Lionetti
- 2 Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy; and
| | - Daniela Bellincampi
- 2 Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie "Charles Darwin", Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy; and
| | - Francesco Favaron
- 3 Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TeSAF), Research group in Plant Pathology, Università di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Renato D'Ovidio
- 1 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo
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Sella L, Castiglioni C, Paccanaro MC, Janni M, Schäfer W, D'Ovidio R, Favaron F. Involvement of Fungal Pectin Methylesterase Activity in the Interaction Between Fusarium graminearum and Wheat. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2016; 29:258-267. [PMID: 26713352 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-07-15-0174-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The genome of Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight of wheat, contains two putative pectin methylesterase (PME)-encoding genes. However, when grown in liquid culture containing pectin, F. graminearum produces only a single PME, which was purified and identified. Its encoding gene, expressed during wheat spike infection, was disrupted by targeted homologous recombination. Two Δpme mutant strains lacked PME activity but were still able to grow on highly methyl-esterified pectin even though their polygalacturonase (PG) activity showed a reduced capacity to depolymerize this substrate. The enzymatic assays performed with purified F. graminearum PG and PME demonstrated an increase in PG activity in the presence of PME on highly methyl-esterified pectin. The virulence of the mutant strains was tested on Triticum aestivum and Triticum durum spikes, and a significant reduction in the percentage of symptomatic spikelets was observed between 7 and 12 days postinfection compared with wild type, demonstrating that the F. graminearum PME contributes to fungal virulence on wheat by promoting spike colonization in the initial and middle stages of infection. In contrast, transgenic wheat plants with increased levels of pectin methyl esterification did not show any increase in resistance to the Δpme mutant, indicating that the infectivity of the fungus relies only to a certain degree on pectin degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Sella
- 1 Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TeSAF), Research group in Plant Pathology, Università di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Carla Castiglioni
- 1 Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TeSAF), Research group in Plant Pathology, Università di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Paccanaro
- 1 Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TeSAF), Research group in Plant Pathology, Università di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- 2 Dipartimento di Scienze e tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, (DAFNE), Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; and
| | - Wilhelm Schäfer
- 3 Biocenter Klein Flottbek, Molecular Phytopathology and Genetics, University of Hamburg, Hamburg Germany
| | - Renato D'Ovidio
- 2 Dipartimento di Scienze e tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, (DAFNE), Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; and
| | - Francesco Favaron
- 1 Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TeSAF), Research group in Plant Pathology, Università di Padova, Viale dell'Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy
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Masci S, Laino P, Janni M, Botticella E, Di Carli M, Benvenuto E, Danieli PP, Lilley KS, Lafiandra D, D'Ovidio R. Analysis of Quality-Related Parameters in Mature Kernels of Polygalacturonase Inhibiting Protein (PGIP) Transgenic Bread Wheat Infected with Fusarium graminearum. J Agric Food Chem 2015; 63:3962-3969. [PMID: 25823882 DOI: 10.1021/jf506003t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium head blight, caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum, has a detrimental effect on both productivity and qualitative properties of wheat. To evaluate its impact on wheat flour, we compared its effect on quality-related parameters between a transgenic bread wheat line expressing a bean polygalacturonase inhibiting protein (PGIP) and its control line. We have compared metabolic proteins, the amounts of gluten proteins and their relative ratios, starch content, yield, extent of pathogen contamination, and deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation. These comparisons showed that Fusarium significantly decreases the amount of starch in infected control plants, but not in infected PGIP plants. The flour of PGIP plants contained also a lower amount of pathogen biomass and DON accumulation. Conversely, both gluten and metabolic proteins were not significantly influenced either by the transgene or by fungal infection. These results indicate that the transgenic PGIP expression reduces the level of infection, without changing significantly the wheat seed proteome and other quality-related parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Masci
- †Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Paolo Laino
- †Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- †Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- ⊥Institute of Biosciences and BioResources (IBBR), CNR, Via G. Amendola 165/A, Bari, Italy
| | - Ermelinda Botticella
- †Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Mariasole Di Carli
- §ENEA-Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Unità Tecnica BIORAD-FARM, via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Benvenuto
- §ENEA-Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Unità Tecnica BIORAD-FARM, via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
| | - Pier Paolo Danieli
- †Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Kathryn S Lilley
- #Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Domenico Lafiandra
- †Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Renato D'Ovidio
- †Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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Richter L, Park A, Boileau J, Janni M, Desale S, Iglesia C. Does Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification Exam (POPQ) D-Point Predict Uterosacral Ligament Suspension Outcomes? J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmig.2014.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Gazza L, Taddei F, Conti S, Gazzelloni G, Muccilli V, Janni M, D'Ovidio R, Alfieri M, Redaelli R, Pogna NE. Biochemical and molecular characterization of Avena indolines and their role in kernel texture. Mol Genet Genomics 2014; 290:39-54. [PMID: 25120168 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-014-0894-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Among cereals, Avena sativa is characterized by an extremely soft endosperm texture, which leads to some negative agronomic and technological traits. On the basis of the well-known softening effect of puroindolines in wheat kernel texture, in this study, indolines and their encoding genes are investigated in Avena species at different ploidy levels. Three novel 14 kDa proteins, showing a central hydrophobic domain with four tryptophan residues and here named vromindoline (VIN)-1,2 and 3, were identified. Each VIN protein in diploid oat species was found to be synthesized by a single Vin gene whereas, in hexaploid A. sativa, three Vin-1, three Vin-2 and two Vin-3 genes coding for VIN-1, VIN-2 and VIN-3, respectively, were described and assigned to the A, C or D genomes based on similarity to their counterparts in diploid species. Expression of oat vromindoline transgenes in the extra-hard durum wheat led to accumulation of vromindolines in the endosperm and caused an approximate 50 % reduction of grain hardness, suggesting a central role for vromindolines in causing the extra-soft texture of oat grain. Further, hexaploid oats showed three orthologous genes coding for avenoindolines A and B, with five or three tryptophan residues, respectively, but very low amounts of avenoindolines were found in mature kernels. The present results identify a novel protein family affecting cereal kernel texture and would further elucidate the phylogenetic evolution of Avena genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gazza
- Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura (CRA-QCE), Via Cassia, 176, 00191, Rome, Italy,
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25
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Egidi E, Sestili F, Janni M, D’Ovidio R, Lafiandra D, Ceriotti A, Vensel WH, Kasarda DD, Masci S. An asparagine residue at the N-terminus affects the maturation process of low molecular weight glutenin subunits of wheat endosperm. BMC Plant Biol 2014; 14:64. [PMID: 24629124 PMCID: PMC4004387 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-14-64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wheat glutenin polymers are made up of two main subunit types, the high- (HMW-GS) and low- (LMW-GS) molecular weight subunits. These latter are represented by heterogeneous proteins. The most common, based on the first amino acid of the mature sequence, are known as LMW-m and LMW-s types. The mature sequences differ as a consequence of three extra amino acids (MET-) at the N-terminus of LMW-m types. The nucleotide sequences of their encoding genes are, however, nearly identical, so that the relationship between gene and protein sequences is difficult to ascertain.It has been hypothesized that the presence of an asparagine residue in position 23 of the complete coding sequence for the LMW-s type might account for the observed three-residue shortened sequence, as a consequence of cleavage at the asparagine by an asparaginyl endopeptidase. RESULTS We performed site-directed mutagenesis of a LMW-s gene to replace asparagine at position 23 with threonine and thus convert it to a candidate LMW-m type gene. Similarly, a candidate LMW-m type gene was mutated at position 23 to replace threonine with asparagine. Next, we produced transgenic durum wheat (cultivar Svevo) lines by introducing the mutated versions of the LMW-m and LMW-s genes, along with the wild type counterpart of the LMW-m gene.Proteomic comparisons between the transgenic and null segregant plants enabled identification of transgenic proteins by mass spectrometry analyses and Edman N-terminal sequencing. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that the formation of LMW-s type relies on the presence of an asparagine residue close to the N-terminus generated by signal peptide cleavage, and that LMW-GS can be quantitatively processed most likely by vacuolar asparaginyl endoproteases, suggesting that those accumulated in the vacuole are not sequestered into stable aggregates that would hinder the action of proteolytic enzymes. Rather, whatever is the mechanism of glutenin polymer transport to the vacuole, the proteins remain available for proteolytic processing, and can be converted to the mature form by the removal of a short N-terminal sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michela Janni
- DAFNE, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy
- Present address: Institute of Plant Genetics (IGV), CNR, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
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Moscetti I, Tundo S, Janni M, Sella L, Gazzetti K, Tauzin A, Giardina T, Masci S, Favaron F, D'Ovidio R. Constitutive expression of the xylanase inhibitor TAXI-III delays Fusarium head blight symptoms in durum wheat transgenic plants. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2013; 26:1464-72. [PMID: 23945000 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-04-13-0121-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Cereals contain xylanase inhibitor (XI) proteins which inhibit microbial xylanases and are considered part of the defense mechanisms to counteract microbial pathogens. Nevertheless, in planta evidence for this role has not been reported yet. Therefore, we produced a number of transgenic plants constitutively overexpressing TAXI-III, a member of the TAXI type XI that is induced by pathogen infection. Results showed that TAXI-III endows the transgenic wheat with new inhibition capacities. We also showed that TAXI-III is correctly secreted into the apoplast and possesses the expected inhibition parameters against microbial xylanases. The new inhibition properties of the transgenic plants correlate with a significant delay of Fusarium head blight disease symptoms caused by Fusarium graminearum but do not significantly influence leaf spot symptoms caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana. We showed that this contrasting result can be due to the different capacity of TAXI-III to inhibit the xylanase activity of these two fungal pathogens. These results provide, for the first time, clear evidence in planta that XI are involved in plant defense against fungal pathogens and show the potential to manipulate TAXI-III accumulation to improve wheat resistance against F. graminearum.
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Volpi C, Raiola A, Janni M, Gordon A, O'Sullivan DM, Favaron F, D'Ovidio R. Claviceps purpurea expressing polygalacturonases escaping PGIP inhibition fully infects PvPGIP2 wheat transgenic plants but its infection is delayed in wheat transgenic plants with increased level of pectin methyl esterification. Plant Physiol Biochem 2013; 73:294-301. [PMID: 24184449 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Claviceps purpurea is a biotrophic fungal pathogen of grasses causing the ergot disease. The infection process of C. purpurea on rye flowers is accompanied by pectin degradation and polygalacturonase (PG) activity represents a pathogenicity factor. Wheat is also infected by C. purpurea and we tested whether the presence of polygalacturonase inhibiting protein (PGIP) can affect pathogen infection and ergot disease development. Wheat transgenic plants expressing the bean PvPGIP2 did not show a clear reduction of disease symptoms when infected with C. purpurea. To ascertain the possible cause underlying this lack of improved resistance of PvPGIP2 plants, we expressed both polygalacturonases present in the C. purpurea genome, cppg1 and cppg2 in Pichia pastoris. In vitro assays using the heterologous expressed PGs and PvPGIP2 showed that neither PG is inhibited by this inhibitor. To further investigate the role of PG in the C. purpurea/wheat system, we demonstrated that the activity of both PGs of C. purpurea is reduced on highly methyl esterified pectin. Finally, we showed that this reduction in PG activity is relevant in planta, by inoculating with C. purpurea transgenic wheat plants overexpressing a pectin methyl esterase inhibitor (PMEI) and showing a high degree of pectin methyl esterification. We observed reduced disease symptoms in the transgenic line compared with null controls. Together, these results highlight the importance of pectin degradation for ergot disease development in wheat and sustain the notion that inhibition of pectin degradation may represent a possible route to control of ergot in cereals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Volpi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia (DAFNE), Università della Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
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Janni M, Bozzini T, Moscetti I, Volpi C, D'Ovidio R. Functional characterisation of wheat Pgip genes reveals their involvement in the local response to wounding. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2013; 15:1019-1024. [PMID: 23574379 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 05/17/2012] [Accepted: 11/13/2012] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are cell wall leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins involved in plant defence. The hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum, genome AABBDD) genome contains one Pgip gene per genome. Tapgip1 (B genome) and Tapgip2 (D genome) are expressed in all tissues, whereas Tapgip3 (A genome) is inactive because of a long terminal repeat, Copia retrotransposon insertion within the coding region. To verify whether Tapgip1 and Tapgip2 encode active PGIPs and are involved in the wheat defence response, we expressed them transiently and analysed their expression under stress conditions. Neither TaPGIP1 nor TaPGIP2 showed inhibition activity in vitro against fungal polygalacturonases. Moreover, a wheat genotype (T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) lacking active homologues of Tapgip1 or Tapgip2 possesses PGIP activity. At transcript level, Tapgip1 and Tapgip2 were both up-regulated after fungal infection and strongly induced following wounding. This latter result has been confirmed in transgenic wheat plants expressing the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene under control of the 5'-flanking region of Tdpgip1, a homologue of Tapgip1 with an identical sequence. Strong and transient GUS staining was mainly restricted to the damaged tissues and was not observed in adjacent tissues. Taken together, these results suggest that Tapgips and their homologues are involved in the wheat defence response by acting at the site of the lesion caused by pathogen infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Janni
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, (DAFNE) Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy; CNR Istituto di Genetica Vegetale, Bari, Italy
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Ferrari S, Sella L, Janni M, De Lorenzo G, Favaron F, D'Ovidio R. Transgenic expression of polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins in Arabidopsis and wheat increases resistance to the flower pathogen Fusarium graminearum. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2012; 14 Suppl 1:31-8. [PMID: 21974721 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2011.00449.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is one of the most important diseases of wheat worldwide, resulting in yield losses and mycotoxin contamination. The molecular mechanisms regulating Fusarium penetration and infection are poorly understood. Beside mycotoxin production, cell wall degradation may play a role in the development of FHB. Many fungal pathogens secrete polygalacturonases (PGs) during the early stages of infection, and plants have evolved polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) to restrict pectin degradation during fungal infection. To investigate the role of plant PGIPs in restricting the development of FHB symptoms, we first used Arabidopsis thaliana, whose genome encodes two PGIPs (AtPGIP1 and AtPGIP2). Arabidopsis transgenic plants expressing either of these PGIPs under control of the CaMV 35S promoter accumulate inhibitory activity against F. graminearum PG in their inflorescences, and show increased resistance to FHB. Second, transgenic wheat plants expressing the bean PvPGIP2 in their flowers also had a significant reduction of symptoms when infected with F. graminearum. Our data suggest that PGs likely play a role in F. graminearum infection of floral tissues, and that PGIPs incorporated into wheat may be important for increased resistance to FHB.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ferrari
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie Charles Darwin, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy.
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Rocchi V, Janni M, Bellincampi D, Giardina T, D'Ovidio R. Intron retention regulates the expression of pectin methyl esterase inhibitor (Pmei) genes during wheat growth and development. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2012; 14:365-73. [PMID: 21972933 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2011.00508.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Pectin is an important component of the plant cell wall and its remodelling occurs during normal plant growth or following stress responses. Pectin is secreted into the cell wall in a highly methyl-esterified form and subsequently de-methyl-esterified by pectin methyl esterase (PME), whose activity is controlled by the pectin methyl esterase inhibitor protein (PMEI). Cereal cell wall contains a low amount of pectin; nonetheless the level and pattern of pectin methyl esterification play a primary role during development or pathogen infection. Since few data are available on the role of PMEI in plant development and defence of cereal species, we isolated and characterised three Pmei genes (Tdpmei2.1, Tdpmei2.2 and Tdpmei3) and their encoded products in wheat. Sequence comparisons showed a low level of intra- and inter-specific sequence conservation of PMEIs. Tdpmei2.1 and Tdpmei2.2 share 94% identity at protein level, but only 20% identity with the product of Tdpmei3. All three Tdpmei genes code for functional inhibitors of plant PMEs and do not inhibit microbial PMEs or a plant invertase. RT-PCR analyses demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, that Pmei genes are regulated by intron retention. Processed and unprocessed transcripts of Tdpmei2.1 and Tdpmei2.2 accumulated in several organs, but anthers contained only mature transcripts. Tdpmei3 lacks introns and its transcript accumulated mainly in stem internodes. These findings suggest that products encoded by these Tdpmei genes control organ- or tissue-specific activity of specific PME isoforms in wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Rocchi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie per l'Agricoltura, le Foreste, la Natura e l'Energia, DAFNE, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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Volpi C, Janni M, Lionetti V, Bellincampi D, Favaron F, D'Ovidio R. The ectopic expression of a pectin methyl esterase inhibitor increases pectin methyl esterification and limits fungal diseases in wheat. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2011; 24:1012-9. [PMID: 21585271 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-01-11-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Cell wall pectin methyl esterification can influence plant resistance because highly methyl-esterified pectin can be less susceptible to the hydrolysis by pectic enzymes such as fungal endopolygalacturonases (PG). Pectin is secreted into the cell wall in a highly methyl-esterified form and, here, is de-methyl esterified by pectin methyl esterase (PME). The activity of PME is controlled by specific protein inhibitors called PMEI; consequently, an increased inhibition of PME by PMEI might modify the pectin methyl esterification. In order to test the possibility of improving wheat resistance by modifying the methyl esterification of pectin cell wall, we have produced durum wheat transgenic lines expressing the PMEI from Actinidia chinensis (AcPMEI). The expression of AcPMEI endows wheat with a reduced endogenous PME activity, and transgenic lines expressing a high level of the inhibitor showed a significant increase in the degree of methyl esterification. These lines showed a significant reduction of disease symptoms caused by the fungal pathogens Bipolaris sorokiniana or Fusarium graminearum. This increased resistance was related to the impaired ability of these fungal pathogens to grow on methyl-esterified pectin and to a reduced activity of the fungal PG to hydrolyze methyl-esterified pectin. In addition to their importance for wheat improvement, these results highlight the primary role of pectin despite its low content in the wheat cell wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Volpi
- Department of Agrobiology and Agrochemistry, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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Sestili F, Janni M, Doherty A, Botticella E, D'Ovidio R, Masci S, Jones HD, Lafiandra D. Increasing the amylose content of durum wheat through silencing of the SBEIIa genes. BMC Plant Biol 2010; 10:144. [PMID: 20626919 PMCID: PMC3095290 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2229-10-144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2009] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High amylose starch has attracted particular interest because of its correlation with the amount of Resistant Starch (RS) in food. RS plays a role similar to fibre with beneficial effects for human health, providing protection from several diseases such as colon cancer, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases. Amylose content can be modified by a targeted manipulation of the starch biosynthetic pathway. In particular, the inactivation of the enzymes involved in amylopectin synthesis can lead to the increase of amylose content. In this work, genes encoding starch branching enzymes of class II (SBEIIa) were silenced using the RNA interference (RNAi) technique in two cultivars of durum wheat, using two different methods of transformation (biolistic and Agrobacterium). Expression of RNAi transcripts was targeted to the seed endosperm using a tissue-specific promoter. RESULTS Amylose content was markedly increased in the durum wheat transgenic lines exhibiting SBEIIa gene silencing. Moreover the starch granules in these lines were deformed, possessing an irregular and deflated shape and being smaller than those present in the untransformed controls. Two novel granule bound proteins, identified by SDS-PAGE in SBEIIa RNAi lines, were investigated by mass spectrometry and shown to have strong homologies to the waxy proteins. RVA analysis showed new pasting properties associated with high amylose lines in comparison with untransformed controls. Finally, pleiotropic effects on other starch genes were found by semi-quantitative and Real-Time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). CONCLUSION We have found that the silencing of SBEIIa genes in durum wheat causes obvious alterations in granule morphology and starch composition, leading to high amylose wheat. Results obtained with two different methods of transformation and in two durum wheat cultivars were comparable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Sestili
- University of Tuscia, Department of Agrobiology & Agrochemistry, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- University of Tuscia, Department of Agrobiology & Agrochemistry, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Angela Doherty
- Rothamsted Research, Department of Plant Science, Harpenden, UK
| | | | - Renato D'Ovidio
- University of Tuscia, Department of Agrobiology & Agrochemistry, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Stefania Masci
- University of Tuscia, Department of Agrobiology & Agrochemistry, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Huw D Jones
- Rothamsted Research, Department of Plant Science, Harpenden, UK
| | - Domenico Lafiandra
- University of Tuscia, Department of Agrobiology & Agrochemistry, Viterbo, Italy
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Lafiandra D, Sestili F, D'Ovidio R, Janni M, Botticella E, Ferrazzano G, Silvestri M, Ranieri R, DeAmbrogio E. Approaches for Modification of Starch Composition in Durum Wheat. Cereal Chem 2010. [DOI: 10.1094/cchem-87-1-0028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Lafiandra
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia ed Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Corresponding author. Phone: +39 0761 357243. E-mail:
| | - Francesco Sestili
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia ed Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Renato D'Ovidio
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia ed Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Michela Janni
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia ed Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Ermelinda Botticella
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia ed Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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Farina A, Rocchi V, Janni M, Benedettelli S, De Lorenzo G, D'Ovidio R. The bean polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein 2 (PvPGIP2) is highly conserved in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm and related species. Theor Appl Genet 2009; 118:1371-1379. [PMID: 19238348 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-009-0987-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2008] [Accepted: 01/31/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are extracellular plant protein inhibitors of endo-polygalacturonases (PGs) that belong to the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein family. In bean, PGIP is encoded by a small gene family of four members among which Pvpgip2 encodes the most wide-spectrum and efficient inhibitor of fungal PGs. In order to evaluate the sequence polymorphism of Pvpgip2 and its functional significance, we have analyzed a number of wild and cultivated bean (P. vulgaris) accessions of Andean and Mesoamerican origin, and some genotypes from the related species P. coccineus, P. acutifolius, and P. lunatus. Our analyses indicate that the protein encoded by Pvpgip2 is highly conserved in the bean germplasm. The few detected polymorphic sites correspond to synonymous substitutions and only two wild genotypes contain a Pvpgip2 with a single non-synonymous replacement. Sequence comparison showed a slightly larger variation in the related bean species P. coccineus, P. acutifolius, and P. lunatus and confirmed the known phylogenetic relationships with P. vulgaris. The majority of the replacements were within the xxLxLxx region of the leucine rich repeat (LRR) domain and none of them affected residues contributing to structural features. The variant PGIPs were expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana using PVX as vector and their inhibitory activity compared to that of PvPPGIP2. All the variants were able to fully inhibit the four fungal PGs tested with minor differences. Taken together these results support the hypothesis that the overall sequence conservation of PGIP2 and minor variation at specific sites is necessary for high-affinity recognition of different fungal PGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Farina
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
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Di Giovanni M, Cenci A, Janni M, D'Ovidio R. A LTR copia retrotransposon and Mutator transposons interrupt Pgip genes in cultivated and wild wheats. Theor Appl Genet 2008; 116:859-867. [PMID: 18301877 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-008-0719-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2007] [Accepted: 01/17/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins involved in plant defence. Wheat pgip genes have been isolated from the B (Tapgip1) and D (Tapgip2) genomes, and now we report the identification of pgip genes from the A genomes of wild and cultivated wheats. By Southern blots and sequence analysis of BAC clones we demonstrated that wheat contains a single copy pgip gene per genome and the one from the A genome, pgip3, is inactivated by the insertion of a long terminal repeat copia retrotranspon within the fourth LRR. We demonstrated also that this retrotransposon insertion is present in Triticum urartu and all the polyploidy wheats assayed, but is absent in T. monococcum (Tmpgip3), suggesting that this insertion took place after the divergence between T. monococcum and T. urartu, but before the formation of the polyploid wheats. We identified also two independent insertion events of new Class II transposable elements, Vacuna, belonging to the Mutator superfamily, that interrupted the Tdipgip1 gene of T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides. The occurrence of these transposons within the coding region of Tdipgip1 facilitated the mapping of the Pgip locus in the pericentric region of the short arm of chromosome group 7. We speculate that the inactivation of pgip genes are tolerated because of redundancy of PGIP activities in the wheat genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Di Giovanni
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, s.n.c, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
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Janni M, Sella L, Favaron F, Blechl AE, De Lorenzo G, D'Ovidio R. The expression of a bean PGIP in transgenic wheat confers increased resistance to the fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2008; 21:171-177. [PMID: 18184061 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-21-2-0171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
A possible strategy to control plant pathogens is the improvement of natural plant defense mechanisms against the tools that pathogens commonly use to penetrate and colonize the host tissue. One of these mechanisms is represented by the host plant's ability to inhibit the pathogen's capacity to degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides. Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIP) are plant defense cell wall glycoproteins that inhibit the activity of fungal endopolygalacturonases (endo-PGs). To assess the effectiveness of these proteins in protecting wheat from fungal pathogens, we produced a number of transgenic wheat lines expressing a bean PGIP (PvPGIP2) having a wide spectrum of specificities against fungal PGs. Three independent transgenic lines were characterized in detail, including determination of the levels of PvPGIP2 accumulation and its subcellular localization and inhibitory activity. Results show that the transgene-encoded protein is correctly secreted into the apoplast, maintains its characteristic recognition specificities, and endows the transgenic wheat with new PG recognition capabilities. As a consequence, transgenic wheat tissue showed increased resistance to digestion by the PG of Fusarium moniliforme. These new properties also were confirmed at the plant level during interactions with the fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana. All three lines showed significant reductions in symptom progression (46 to 50%) through the leaves following infection with this pathogen. Our results illustrate the feasibility of improving wheat's defenses against pathogens by expression of proteins with new capabilities to counteract those produced by the pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Janni
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
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Janni M, Di Giovanni M, Roberti S, Capodicasa C, D'Ovidio R. Characterization of expressed Pgip genes in rice and wheat reveals similar extent of sequence variation to dicot PGIPs and identifies an active PGIP lacking an entire LRR repeat. Theor Appl Genet 2006; 113:1233-45. [PMID: 16906405 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-006-0378-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2006] [Accepted: 07/20/2006] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Polygalacturonase-inhibiting proteins (PGIPs) are leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins involved in plant defence. A number of PGIPs have been characterized from dicot species, whereas only a few data are available from monocots. Database searches and genome-specific cloning strategies allowed the identification of four rice (Oryza sativa L.) and two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Pgip genes. The rice Pgip genes (Ospgip1, Ospgip2, Ospgip3 and Ospgip4) are distributed over a 30 kbp region of the short arm of chromosome 5, whereas the wheat Pgip genes, Tapgip1 and Tapgip2, are localized on the short arm of chromosome 7B and 7D, respectively. Deduced amino acid sequences show the typical LRR modular organization and a conserved distribution of the eight cysteines at the N- and C-terminal regions. Sequence comparison suggests that monocot and dicot PGIPs form two separate clusters sharing about 40% identity and shows that this value is close to the extent of variability observed within each cluster. Gene-specific RT-PCR and biochemical analyses demonstrate that both Ospgips and Tapgips are expressed in the whole plant or in a tissue-specific manner, and that OsPGIP1, lacking an entire LRR repeat, is an active inhibitor of fungal polygalacturonases. This last finding can contribute to define the molecular features of PG-PGIP interactions and highlights that the genetic events that can generate variability at the Pgip locus are not only limited to substitutions or small insertions/deletions, as so far reported, but can also involve variation in the number of LRRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Janni
- Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Via San Camillo de Lellis, s.n.c., 01100 Viterbo, Italy
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