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Liu H, Wu Z, Bao M, Gao F, Yang W, Abou-Elwafa SF, Liu Z, Ren Z, Zhu Y, Ku L, Su H, Chong L, Chen Y. ZmC2H2-149 negatively regulates drought tolerance by repressing ZmHSD1 in maize. Plant Cell Environ 2024; 47:885-899. [PMID: 38164019 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Drought is a major abiotic stress that limits maize production worldwide. Therefore, it is of great importance to improve drought tolerance in crop plants for sustainable agriculture. In this study, we examined the roles of Cys2 /His2 zinc-finger-proteins (C2H2-ZFPs) in maize's drought tolerance as C2H2-ZFPs have been implicated for plant stress tolerance. By subjecting 150 Ac/Ds mutant lines to drought stress, we successfully identified a Ds-insertion mutant, zmc2h2-149, which shows increased tolerance to drought stress. Overexpression of ZmC2H2-149 in maize led to a decrease in both drought tolerance and crop yield. DAP-Seq, RNA-Seq, Y1H and LUC assays additionally showed that ZmC2H2-149 directly suppresses the expression of a positive drought tolerance regulator, ZmHSD1 (hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1). Consistently, the zmhsd1 mutants exhibited decreased drought tolerance and grain yield under water deficit conditions compared to their respective wild-type plants. Our findings thus demonstrated that ZmC2H2-149 can regulate ZmHSD1 for drought stress tolerance in maize, offering valuable theoretical and genetic resources for maize breeding programmes that aim for improving drought tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huafeng Liu
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhendong Wu
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Miaomiao Bao
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Fengran Gao
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | | | - Zhixue Liu
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhenzhen Ren
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yingfang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Lixia Ku
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Huihui Su
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Leelyn Chong
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yanhui Chen
- College of Agronomy, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science and Key Laboratory of Regulating and Controlling Crop Growth and Development Ministry of Education, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Bouard W, Ouellet F, Houde M. Modulation of the wheat transcriptome by TaZFP13D under well-watered and drought conditions. Plant Mol Biol 2024; 114:16. [PMID: 38332456 PMCID: PMC10853348 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-023-01403-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Maintaining global food security in the context of climate changes will be an important challenge in the next century. Improving abiotic stress tolerance of major crops such as wheat can contribute to this goal. This can be achieved by the identification of the genes involved and their use to develop tools for breeding programs aiming to generate better adapted cultivars. Recently, we identified the wheat TaZFP13D gene encoding Zinc Finger Protein 13D as a new gene improving water-stress tolerance. The current work analyzes the TaZFP13D-dependent transcriptome modifications that occur in well-watered and dehydration conditions to better understand its function during normal growth and during drought. Plants that overexpress TaZFP13D have a higher biomass under well-watered conditions, indicating a positive effect of the protein on growth. Survival rate and stress recovery after a severe drought stress are improved compared to wild-type plants. The latter is likely due the higher activity of key antioxidant enzymes and concomitant reduction of drought-induced oxidative damage. Conversely, down-regulation of TaZFP13D decreases drought tolerance and protection against drought-induced oxidative damage. RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis identified many genes regulated by TaZFP13D that are known to improve drought tolerance. The analysis also revealed several genes involved in the photosynthetic electron transfer chain known to improve photosynthetic efficiency and chloroplast protection against drought-induced ROS damage. This study highlights the important role of TaZFP13D in wheat drought tolerance, contributes to unravel the complex regulation governed by TaZFPs, and suggests that it could be a promising marker to select wheat cultivars with higher drought tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Bouard
- Département des Sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - François Ouellet
- Département des Sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Mario Houde
- Département des Sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada.
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Li C, Xia Y, Jin K. N-terminal zinc fingers of MaNCP1 contribute to growth, stress tolerance, and virulence in Metarhizium acridum. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 216:426-436. [PMID: 35809667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
C2H2 zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are a class of important transcriptional regulators in eukaryotes involved in multiple biological regulation processes. Here, MaNCP1, a C2H2 ZFP, was functionally characterized in the model entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Deletion of MaNCP1 delayed conidial germination and hyphal growth, decreased the conidial yield and reduced the tolerances to UV-B irradiation and heat-shock. The N-terminal zinc fingers (ZFs) of MaNCP1 made the main contributions to these traits. In addition, disruption of MaNCP1 altered the conidial surface structure and decreased the conidial hydrophobicity. Bioassays showed that the virulence of the MaNCP1-disruption strain (ΔMaNCP1) was reduced in topical inoculation compared to the WT or the mutant complemented strain (CP), and the N-terminal C2H2 ZFs made a major contribution to virulence. Furthermore, the ΔMaNCP1 and C2H2 ZFs deletion mutants (MaNCP1∆N and MaNCP1∆N+C) impaired cuticular penetration. RNA-seq showed that several cuticle-degrading genes were down-regulated in the ΔMaNCP1 background, suggesting that MaNCP1 plays vital roles in regulating insect cuticle penetration. In summary, MaNCP1 affected the growth, stress tolerances and virulence of M. acridum, and the N-terminal C2H2 ZFs played indispensable roles in these important biocontrol traits. These results provide further insights into the functions of C2H2 ZFPs in entomopathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochuang Li
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 401331, PR China
| | - Yuxian Xia
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 401331, PR China.
| | - Kai Jin
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing 401331, PR China; Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing 401331, PR China.
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Li C, Xu D, Hu M, Zhang Q, Xia Y, Jin K. MaNCP1, a C2H2 Zinc Finger Protein, Governs the Conidiation Pattern Shift through Regulating the Reductive Pathway for Nitric Oxide Synthesis in the Filamentous Fungus Metarhizium acridum. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0053822. [PMID: 35536030 PMCID: PMC9241723 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00538-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Asexual sporulation is the most common reproduction mode of fungi. Most filamentous fungi have two conidiation patterns, normal conidiation and microcycle conidiation, which may be regulated by nutritional conditions. Nitrogen source can affect the fungal conidiation pattern, but the regulatory mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we report a C2H2 zinc finger protein, MaNCP1, which has typical transcription factor characteristics and is screened from the subtractive library regulated by nitrate in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. MaNCP1 and its N-terminal play critical roles in the conidiation pattern shift. Further study shows that MaNCP1 interacts with MaNmrA, which also contributes to the conidiation pattern shift and is involved in the reductive pathway of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis. Intriguingly, the conidiation pattern of the MaNCP1-disruption strain (ΔMaNCP1) can be restored to microcycle conidiation when grown on the microcycle conidiation medium, SYA, supplemented with NO donor or overexpressing MaNmrA in ΔMaNCP1. Here, we reveal that MaNCP1 governs the conidiation pattern shift through regulating the reductive synthesis of NO by physically targeting MaNmrA in M. acridum. This work provides new mechanistic insights into how changes in nitrogen utilization are linked to the regulation of fungal morphological changes. IMPORTANCE Fungal conidia play important roles in the response to environmental stimuli and evasion of the host immune system. The nitrogen source is one of the main factors affecting shifts in fungal conidiation patterns, but the regulatory mechanism involved is not fully understood. In this work, we report that the C2H2 zinc finger protein, MaNCP1, governs the conidiation pattern shift in M. acridum by targeting the MaNmrA gene, thereby altering the regulation of the reductive pathway for NO synthesis. This work provides further insights into how the nutritional environment can regulate the morphogenesis of filamentous fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaochuang Li
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dingxiang Xu
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meiwen Hu
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qipei Zhang
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuxian Xia
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kai Jin
- Genetic Engineering Research Center, School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Fungal Insecticide, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation Technologies Under Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
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Zhu H, Situ J, Guan T, Dou Z, Kong G, Jiang Z, Xi P. A C 2H 2 Zinc Finger Protein PlCZF1 Is Necessary for Oospore Development and Virulence in Peronophythora litchii. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2733. [PMID: 35269874 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
C2H2 zinc finger is one of the most common motifs found in the transcription factors (TFs) in eukaryotes organisms, which have a broad range of functions, such as regulation of growth and development, stress tolerance and pathogenicity. Here, PlCZF1 was identified to encode a C2H2 zinc finger in the litchi downy blight pathogen Peronophythora litchii. PlCZF1 is conserved in P. litchii and Phytophthora species. In P. litchii, PlCZF1 is highly expressed in sexual developmental and early infection stages. We generated Δplczf1 mutants using the CRISPR/Cas9 method. Compared with the wild type, the Δplczf1 mutants showed no significant difference in vegetative growth and asexual reproduction, but were defective in oospore development and virulence. Further experiments revealed that the transcription of PlM90, PlLLP and three laccase encoding genes were down-regulated in the Δplczf1 mutant. Our results demonstrated that PlCZF1 is a vital regulator for sexual development and pathogenesis in P. litchii.
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Yu Z, Yan H, Liang L, Zhang Y, Yang H, Li W, Choi J, Huang J, Deng S. A C2H2-Type Zinc-Finger Protein from Millettia pinnata, MpZFP1, Enhances Salt Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10832. [PMID: 34639173 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
C2H2 zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) play important roles in plant development and response to abiotic stresses, and have been studied extensively. However, there are few studies on ZFPs in mangroves and mangrove associates, which represent a unique plant community with robust stress tolerance. MpZFP1, which is highly induced by salt stress in the mangrove associate Millettia pinnata, was cloned and functionally characterized in this study. MpZFP1 protein contains two zinc finger domains with conserved QALGGH motifs and targets to the nucleus. The heterologous expression of MpZFP1 in Arabidopsis increased the seeds' germination rate, seedling survival rate, and biomass accumulation under salt stress. The transgenic plants also increased the expression of stress-responsive genes, including RD22 and RD29A, and reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results indicate that MpZFP1 is a positive regulator of plant responses to salt stress due to its activation of gene expression and efficient scavenging of ROS.
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Wang L, Lu C, Fan M, Liao B. Coriolopsis trogii hydrophobin genes favor a clustering distribution and are widely involved in mycelial growth and primordia formation. Gene 2021; 802:145863. [PMID: 34358628 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2021.145863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Hydrophobins are small, secreted proteins with important physiological functions in mycelial growth and fungal development. Here, 1 nucleus-specific and 35 allelic hydrophobin genes were identified in the genome of a white rot fungus, Coriolopsis trogii. Among these, 22 were eight-cysteine class I hydrophobin genes and the other 14 were uncommon six-cysteine hydrophobin genes. The six-cysteine hydrophobins were speculated to have originated from a common ancestor. The hydrophobin genes favored a clustering distribution and two recent duplication pairs were identified. The genes had conserved gene structures with three exons and two introns. Cthyd18, Cthyd19, and Cthyd32 were constitutively highly expressed in all developmental stages. Cthyd20, Cthyd21, Cthyd22, Cthyd28, Cthyd30, Cthyd31, and Cthyd33 were highly expressed in mycelia, and Cthyd12 and Cthyd35 in the reproductive stages. Sixteen hydrophobin genes were regulated differently in the transition from mycelia to primordia; Cthyd35 showed maximal upregulation of 1922-fold, and Cthyd23 showed maximal downregulation of 552-fold. Most (32) hydrophobin genes showed significant differential expression between mycelia cultured in different media (potato dextrose agar or broth). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis and promoter analysis revealed that C2H2 zinc finger proteins may regulate hydrophobin genes. These results may support further research into the function and evolution of hydrophobins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lining Wang
- Institute of Bioengineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510316, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanli Lu
- Institute of Bioengineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510316, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Fan
- Institute of Bioengineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510316, People's Republic of China
| | - Baosheng Liao
- Key Laboratory of Quality Evaluation of Chinese Medicine of the Guangdong Provincial Medical, the Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China.
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Chen Y, Wang G, Pan J, Wen H, Du H, Sun J, Zhang K, Lv D, He H, Cai R, Pan J. Comprehensive Genomic Analysis and Expression Profiling of the C2H2 Zinc Finger Protein Family Under Abiotic Stresses in Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.). Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:E171. [PMID: 32041281 DOI: 10.3390/genes11020171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cucumber is one of the most important vegetables in the world. The C2H2 zinc finger protein (C2H2-ZFP) family plays an important role in the growth development and abiotic stress responses of plants. However, there have been no systematic studies on cucumber. In this study, we performed a genome-wide study of C2H2-ZFP genes and analyzed their chromosomal location, gene structure, conservation motif, and transcriptional expression. In total, 101 putative cucumber C2H2-ZFP genes were identified and divided into six groups (I–VI). RNA-seq transcriptome data on different organs revealed temporal and spatial expression specificity of the C2H2-ZFP genes. Expression analysis of sixteen selected C2H2-ZFP genes in response to cold, drought, salt, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that C2H2-ZFP genes may be involved in different signaling pathways. These results provide valuable information for studying the function of cucumber C2H2-ZFP genes in the future.
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Teng K, Tan P, Guo W, Yue Y, Fan X, Wu J. Heterologous Expression of a Novel Zoysia japonica C 2H 2 Zinc Finger Gene, ZjZFN1, Improved Salt Tolerance in Arabidopsis. Front Plant Sci 2018; 9:1159. [PMID: 30154810 PMCID: PMC6102363 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.01159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that some grass species are more tolerant to various abiotic and biotic stresses than many crops. Zinc finger proteins play important roles in plant abiotic and biotic stresses. Although genes coding for these proteins have been cloned and identified in various plants, their function and underlying transcriptional mechanisms in the halophyte Zoysia japonica are barely known. In the present study, ZjZFN1 was isolated from Z. japonica using RACE method. Quantitative real time PCR results revealed that the expression of ZjZFN1 was much higher in leaf than in root and stem tissues, and induced by salt, cold or ABA treatment. The subcellular localization assay demonstrated that ZjZFN1 was localized to the nucleus. Expression of the ZjZFN1 in Arabidopsis thaliana improved seed germination and enhanced plant adaption to salinity stress with improved percentage of green cotyledons and growth status under salinity stress. Physiological and transcriptional analyses suggested that ZjZFN1 might, at least in part, influence reactive oxygen species accumulation and regulate the transcription of salinity responsive genes. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing analysis of ZjZFN1-overexpressing plants revealed that ZjZFN1 may serve as a transcriptional activator in the regulation of stress responsive pathways, including phenylalanine metabolism, α-linolenic acid metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. Taken together, these results provide evidence that ZjZFN1 is a potential key player in plants' tolerance to salt stress, and it could be a valuable gene in Z. japonica breeding projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Teng
- Beijing Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Penghui Tan
- Turfgrass Research Institute, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Weier Guo
- Department of Plant Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Yuesen Yue
- Beijing Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xifeng Fan
- Beijing Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juying Wu
- Beijing Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, China
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Cheuk A, Houde M. Genome wide identification of C1-2i zinc finger proteins and their response to abiotic stress in hexaploid wheat. Mol Genet Genomics 2016; 291:873-90. [PMID: 26638714 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-015-1152-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The C1-2i wheat Q-type C2H2 zinc finger protein (ZFP) transcription factor subclass has been reported to play important roles in plant stress responses. This subclass of ZFPs has not been studied in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) and we aimed to identify all members of this subclass and evaluate their responses to different abiotic stresses causing oxidative stress. Exploiting the recently published wheat draft genome sequence, we identified 53 members (including homoeologs from A, B and D genomes) of the C1-2i wheat Q-type C2H2 ZFPs (TaZFPs) representing 21 genes. Evolution analysis revealed that 9 TaZFPs members are directly inherited from the parents Triticum urartu and Aegilops tauschii, while 15 diverged through neoploidization events. This TaZFP subclass is responsive to the oxidative stress generator H2O2 and to high light, drought stress and flooding. Most TaZFPs are responsive to H2O2 (37/53), high light (44/53), flooding (31/53) or drought (37/53); 32 TaZFPs were up-regulated by at least 3 stresses and 16 were responsive to all stresses tested. A large number of these TaZFPs were physically mapped on different wheat draft genome sequences with known markers useful for QTL mapping. Our results show that the C1-2i subclass of TaZFPs is associated with responses to different abiotic stresses and that most TaZFPs (30/53 or 57 %) are located on group 5 chromosomes known to be involved in environment adaptation. Detailed characterization of these novel wheat TaZFPs and their association to QTL or eQTL may help to design wheat cultivars with improved tolerance to abiotic stress.
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Yang X, Zhang W, He H, Nie J, Bie B, Zhao J, Ren G, Li Y, Zhang D, Pan J, Cai R. Tuberculate fruit gene Tu encodes a C2 H2 zinc finger protein that is required for the warty fruit phenotype in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Plant J 2014; 78:1034-46. [PMID: 24708549 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [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: 10/22/2013] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Cucumber fruits that have tubercules and spines (trichomes) are known to possess a warty (Wty) phenotype. In this study, the tuberculate fruit gene Tu was identified by map-based cloning, and was found to encode a transcription factor (TF) with a single C2 H2 zinc finger domain. Tu was identified in all 38 Wty lines examined, and was completely absent from all 56 non-warty (nWty) lines. Cucumber plants transgenic for Tu (TCP) revealed that Tu was required for the Wty fruit phenotype. Subcellular localization showed that the fusion protein GFP-Tu was localized mainly to the nucleus. Based on analyses of semi-quantitative and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and mRNA in situ hybridization, we found that Tu was expressed specifically in fruit spine cells during development of fruit tubercules. Moreover, cytokinin (CTK) content measurements and cytological observations in Wty and nWty fruits revealed that the Wty fruit phenotype correlated with high endogenous CTK concentrations. As a result of further analyses on the transcriptomic profile of the nWty fruit epidermis and TCP fruit warts, expression of CTK-associated genes, and hormone content in nWty fruit epidermis, Wty fruit warts and epidermis, and TCP fruit warts and epidermis, we found that Tu probably promoted CTK biosynthesis in fruit warts. Here we show that Tu could not be expressed in the glabrous and tubercule-free mutant line gl that contained Tu, this result that futher confirmed the epistatic effect of the trichome (spine) gene Gl over Tu. Taken together, these data led us to propose a genetic pathway for the Wty fruit trait that could guide future mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuqin Yang
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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