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Deng JL, Zhao L, Wei H, Ye HX, Yang L, Sun L, Zhao Z, Murray JD, Liu CW. A deeply conserved amino acid required for VAPYRIN localization and function during legume-rhizobial symbiosis. New Phytol 2024. [PMID: 38703001 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Li Deng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Li Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Hong Wei
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Research Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Han-Xiao Ye
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Li Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Linfeng Sun
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, MOE Key Laboratory for Membraneless Organelles and Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Research Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Zhong Zhao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
| | - Jeremy D Murray
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK
| | - Cheng-Wu Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China
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Jin D, Chen J, Kang Y, Yang F, Yu D, Liu X, Yan C, Guo Z, Zhang Y. Genome-wide characterization, transcriptome profiling, and functional analysis of the ALMT gene family in Medicago for aluminum resistance. J Plant Physiol 2024; 297:154262. [PMID: 38703548 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2024.154262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Aluminum (Al) is the major limiting factor affecting plant productivity in acidic soils. Al3+ ions exhibit increased solubility at a pH below 5, leading to plant root tip toxicity. Alternatively, plants can perceive very low concentrations of Al3+, and Al triggers downstream signaling even at pH 5.7 without causing Al toxicity. The ALUMINUM-ACTIVATED-MALATE-TRANSPORTER (ALMT) family members act as anion channels, with some regulating the secretion of malate from root apices to chelate Al, which is a crucial mechanism for plant Al resistance. To date, the role of the ALMT gene family within the legume Medicago species has not been fully characterized. In this study, we investigated the ALMT gene family in M. sativa and M. truncatula and identified 68 MsALMTs and 18 MtALMTs, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into five clades, and synteny analysis uncovered genuine paralogs and orthologs. The real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that MtALMT8, MtALMT9, and MtALMT15 in clade 2-2b are expressed in both roots and root nodules, and MtALMT8 and MtALMT9 are significantly upregulated by Al in root tips. We also observed that MtALMT8 and MtALMT9 can partially restore the Al sensitivity of Atalmt1 in Arabidopsis. Moreover, transcriptome analysis examined the expression patterns of these genes in M. sativa in response to Al at both pH 5.7 and pH 4.6, as well as to protons, and found that Al and protons can independently induce some Al-resistance genes. Overall, our findings indicate that MtALMT8 and MtALMT9 may play a role in Al resistance, and highlight the resemblance between the ALMT genes in Medicago species and those in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehui Jin
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinlong Chen
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yumeng Kang
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fang Yang
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dongwen Yu
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chengcheng Yan
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenfei Guo
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yang Zhang
- College of Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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3
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Zhang F, Long R, Ma Z, Xiao H, Xu X, Liu Z, Wei C, Wang Y, Peng Y, Yang X, Shi X, Cao S, Li M, Xu M, He F, Jiang X, Zhang T, Wang Z, Li X, Yu LX, Kang J, Zhang Z, Zhou Y, Yang Q. Evolutionary genomics of climatic adaptation and resilience to climate change in alfalfa. Mol Plant 2024:S1674-2052(24)00126-6. [PMID: 38678365 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Given the escalating impact of climate change on agriculture and food security, gaining insights into the evolutionary dynamics of climatic adaptation and uncovering climate-adapted variation empower the breeding of climate-resilience crops to face future climate change. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa subsp. sativa), the queen of forages with remarkable adaptability across diverse global environments, is an excellent model for investigating species' responses to climate change. We conducted population genomic analyses to unravel alfalfa's climatic adaptation and genetic susceptibility to future climate change, utilizing genome resequencing data from 702 accessions of 24 Medicago species. We found that interspecific genetic exchange has fueled the gene pool of alfalfa, particularly enriching defense and stress response genes. Inter-subspecific introgression between Medicago sativa subsp. falcata (subsp. falcata) and alfalfa not only aids alfalfa's climatic adaptation but also introduces genetic burden. A total of 1671 genes were associated with climatic adaptation, and 5.7% of them were introgression from subsp. falcata. Integrating climate-associated variants and climate data, we identified vulnerable populations to future climate change, particularly in higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere, serving as a clarion call for targeted conservation initiatives and breeding efforts. Moreover, we unveil pre-adaptive populations demonstrating heightened resilience to climate fluctuations, illuminating a pathway for future breeding strategies. This study enhances our understanding of alfalfa's local adaptation and facilitates breeding of climate-resilient cultivars, contributing to effective agricultural strategies facing future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China; National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Ruicai Long
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhiyao Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Hua Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Xiaodong Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Zhongjie Liu
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Chunxue Wei
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Yiwen Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Yanling Peng
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Xuanwen Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Xiaoya Shi
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Shuo Cao
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Mingna Li
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Ming Xu
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fei He
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xueqian Jiang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Tiejun Zhang
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Xianran Li
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA
| | - Long-Xi Yu
- United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Plant Germplasm Introduction and Testing Research, Prosser, WA, 99350, USA
| | - Junmei Kang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhiwu Zhang
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99163, USA
| | - Yongfeng Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, 518000, China; National Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Breeding, Tropical Crops Genetic Resources Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, 571101, China.
| | - Qingchuan Yang
- Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Pereira WJ, Boyd J, Conde D, Triozzi PM, Balmant KM, Dervinis C, Schmidt HW, Boaventura-Novaes C, Chakraborty S, Knaack SA, Gao Y, Feltus FA, Roy S, Ané JM, Frugoli J, Kirst M. The single-cell transcriptome program of nodule development cellular lineages in Medicago truncatula. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113747. [PMID: 38329875 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Legumes establish a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia by developing nodules. Nodules are modified lateral roots that undergo changes in their cellular development in response to bacteria, but the transcriptional reprogramming that occurs in these root cells remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we describe the cell-type-specific transcriptome response of Medicago truncatula roots to rhizobia during early nodule development in the wild-type genotype Jemalong A17, complemented with a hypernodulating mutant (sunn-4) to expand the cell population responding to infection and subsequent biological inferences. The analysis identifies epidermal root hair and stele sub-cell types associated with a symbiotic response to infection and regulation of nodule proliferation. Trajectory inference shows cortex-derived cell lineages differentiating to form the nodule primordia and, posteriorly, its meristem, while modulating the regulation of phytohormone-related genes. Gene regulatory analysis of the cell transcriptomes identifies new regulators of nodulation, including STYLISH 4, for which the function is validated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendell J Pereira
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jade Boyd
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Daniel Conde
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paolo M Triozzi
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; PlantLab, Center of Plant Sciences, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, 56010 Pisa, Italy
| | - Kelly M Balmant
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Christopher Dervinis
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Henry W Schmidt
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | | | - Sanhita Chakraborty
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sara A Knaack
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| | - Yueyao Gao
- Department of Genetics & Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Frank Alexander Feltus
- Department of Genetics & Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA; Biomedical Data Science and Informatics Program, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, SC 29646, USA
| | - Sushmita Roy
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726, USA; Department of Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jean-Michel Ané
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Julia Frugoli
- Department of Genetics & Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Matias Kirst
- School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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5
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Poulet A, Zhao M, Peng Y, Tham F, Jaudal M, Zhang L, van Wolfswinkel JC, Putterill J. Gene-edited Mtsoc1 triple mutant Medicago plants do not flower. Front Plant Sci 2024; 15:1357924. [PMID: 38469328 PMCID: PMC10926907 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1357924] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Optimized flowering time is an important trait that ensures successful plant adaptation and crop productivity. SOC1-like genes encode MADS transcription factors, which are known to play important roles in flowering control in many plants. This includes the best-characterized eudicot model Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), where SOC1 promotes flowering and functions as a floral integrator gene integrating signals from different flowering-time regulatory pathways. Medicago truncatula (Medicago) is a temperate reference legume with strong genomic and genetic resources used to study flowering pathways in legumes. Interestingly, despite responding to similar floral-inductive cues of extended cold (vernalization) followed by warm long days (VLD), such as in winter annual Arabidopsis, Medicago lacks FLC and CO which are key regulators of flowering in Arabidopsis. Unlike Arabidopsis with one SOC1 gene, multiple gene duplication events have given rise to three MtSOC1 paralogs within the Medicago genus in legumes: one Fabaceae group A SOC1 gene, MtSOC1a, and two tandemly repeated Fabaceae group B SOC1 genes, MtSOC1b and MtSOC1c. Previously, we showed that MtSOC1a has unique functions in floral promotion in Medicago. The Mtsoc1a Tnt1 retroelement insertion single mutant showed moderately delayed flowering in long- and short-day photoperiods, with and without prior vernalization, compared to the wild-type. In contrast, Mtsoc1b Tnt1 single mutants did not have altered flowering time or flower development, indicating that it was redundant in an otherwise wild-type background. Here, we describe the generation of Mtsoc1a Mtsoc1b Mtsoc1c triple mutant lines using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. We studied two independent triple mutant lines that segregated plants that did not flower and were bushy under floral inductive VLD. Genotyping indicated that these non-flowering plants were homozygous for the predicted strong mutant alleles of the three MtSOC1 genes. Gene expression analyses using RNA-seq and RT-qPCR indicated that these plants remained vegetative. Overall, the non-flowering triple mutants were dramatically different from the single Mtsoc1a mutant and the Arabidopsis soc1 mutant; implicating multiple MtSOC1 genes in critical overlapping roles in the transition to flowering in Medicago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Poulet
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Min Zhao
- Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yongyan Peng
- Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Mt Albert Research Centre, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - FangFei Tham
- Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mauren Jaudal
- Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Mt Albert Research Centre, The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lulu Zhang
- Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Josien C. van Wolfswinkel
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Joanna Putterill
- Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Xu L, Zhu X, Yi F, Liu Y, Sod B, Li M, Chen L, Kang J, Yang Q, Long R. A genome-wide study of the lipoxygenase gene families in Medicago truncatula and Medicago sativa reveals that MtLOX24 participates in the methyl jasmonate response. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:195. [PMID: 38373903 PMCID: PMC10875803 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10071-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lipoxygenase (LOX) is a multifunctional enzyme that is primarily related to plant organ growth and development, biotic and abiotic stress responses, and production of flavor-associated metabolites. In higher plants, the LOX family encompasses several isozymes with varying expression patterns between tissues and developmental stages. These affect processes including seed germination, seed storage, seedling growth, fruit ripening, and leaf senescence. LOX family genes have multiple functions in response to hormones such as methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid. RESULTS In this study, we identified 30 and 95 LOX homologs in Medicago truncatula and Medicago sativa, respectively. These genes were characterized with analyses of their basic physical and chemical properties, structures, chromosomal distributions, and phylogenetic relationships to understand structural variations and their physical locations. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted for members of the three LOX subfamilies (9-LOX, type I 13-LOX, and type II 13-LOX) in Arabidopsis thaliana, Glycine max, M. truncatula, and M. sativa. Analysis of predicted promoter elements revealed several relevant cis-acting elements in MtLOX and MsLOX genes, including abscisic acid (ABA) response elements (ABREs), MeJA response elements (CGTCA-motifs), and antioxidant response elements (AREs). Cis-element data combined with transcriptomic data demonstrated that LOX gene family members in these species were most likely related to abiotic stress responses, hormone responses, and plant development. Gene expression patterns were confirmed via quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Several MtLOX genes (namely MtLOX15, MtLOX16, MtLOX20, and MtLOX24) belonging to the type I 13-LOX subfamily and other LOX genes (MtLOX7, MtLOX11, MsLOX23, MsLOX87, MsLOX90, and MsLOX94) showed significantly different expression levels in the flower tissue, suggesting roles in reproductive growth. Type I 13-LOXs (MtLOX16, MtLOX20, MtLOX21, MtLOX24, MsLOX57, MsLOX84, MsLOX85, and MsLOX94) and type II 13-LOXs (MtLOX5, MtLOX6, MtLOX9, MtLOX10, MsLOX18, MsLOX23, and MsLOX30) were MeJA-inducible and were predicted to function in the jasmonic acid signaling pathway. Furthermore, exogenous MtLOX24 expression in Arabidopsis verified that MtLOX24 was involved in MeJA responses, which may be related to insect-induced abiotic stress. CONCLUSIONS We identified six and four LOX genes specifically expressed in the flowers of M. truncatula and M. sativa, respectively. Eight and seven LOX genes were induced by MeJA in M. truncatula and M. sativa, and the LOX genes identified were mainly distributed in the type I and type II 13-LOX subfamilies. MtLOX24 was up-regulated at 8 h after MeJA induction, and exogenous expression in Arabidopsis demonstrated that MtLOX24 promoted resistance to MeJA-induced stress. This study provides valuable new information regarding the evolutionary history and functions of LOX genes in the genus Medicago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xu
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhu
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fengyan Yi
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, 010031, China
| | - Yajiao Liu
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Bilig Sod
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Mingna Li
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Junmei Kang
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qingchuan Yang
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry, Ministry of Education, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730020, China
| | - Ruicai Long
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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7
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Cane JH. The Extraordinary Alkali Bee, Nomia melanderi (Halictidae), the World's Only Intensively Managed Ground-Nesting Bee. Annu Rev Entomol 2024; 69:99-116. [PMID: 37585607 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-020623-013716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Among the ground-nesting bees are several proven crop pollinators, but only the alkali bee (Nomia melanderi) has been successfully managed. In <80 years, it has become the world's most intensely studied ground-nesting solitary bee. In many ways, the bee seems paradoxical. It nests during the torrid, parched midsummer amid arid valleys and basins of the western United States, yet it wants damp nesting soil. In these basins, extensive monocultures of an irrigated Eurasian crop plant, alfalfa (lucerne), subsidize millions of alkali bees. Elsewhere, its polylectic habits and long foraging range allow it to stray into neighboring crops contaminated with insecticides. Primary wild floral hosts are either non-native or poorly known. Kleptoparasitic bees plague most ground nesters, but not alkali bees, which do, however, host other well-studied parasitoids. Building effective nesting beds requires understanding the hydraulic conductivity of silty nesting soils and its important interplay with specific soil mineral salts. Surprisingly, some isolated populations endure inhospitably cold climates by nesting amid hot springs. Despite the peculiarities and challenges associated with its management, the alkali bee remains the second most valuable managed solitary bee for US agriculture and perhaps the world.
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Xia Z, Song Q, Harada K, Chen J, Zhou C. Editorial: Genetic characterization of yield- and quality-related traits in legumes. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1281138. [PMID: 37915514 PMCID: PMC10616896 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1281138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengjun Xia
- Key Laboratory of Soybean Molecular Design Breeding, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Qijian Song
- United States Department of Agriculture- Agriculture Research Service (USDA ARS), Soybean Genome & Improvement Lab, Beltsville, MD, United States
| | - Kyuya Harada
- Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Jianghua Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Topical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Chuanen Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Development and Environmental Adaptation Biology, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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9
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Abuelsoud W, Madany MMY, Sheteiwy MS, Korany SM, Alsharef E, AbdElgawad H. Alleviation of gadolinium stress on Medicago by elevated atmospheric CO 2 is mediated by changes in carbohydrates, Anthocyanin, and proline metabolism. Plant Physiol Biochem 2023; 202:107925. [PMID: 37566995 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REE) like Gadolinium (Gd), are increasingly used in industry and agriculture and this is concomitant with the increasingly leaking of Gd into the environment. Under a certain threshold concentration, REE can promote plant growth, however, beyond this concentration, they exert negative effects on plant growth. Moreover, the effect of Gd on plants growth and metabolism under a futuristic climate with increasingly atmospheric CO2 has not yet been studied. To this end, we investigated the effect of soil contamination with Gd (150 mg/kg soil) on the growth, carbohydrates, proline, and anthocyanin metabolism of Medicago plants grown under ambient (aCO2, 410 ppm) or elevated CO2 (eCO2, 720 ppm) concentration. Gd negatively affected the growth and photosynthesis of plants and imposed oxidative stress i.e., increased H2O2 and lipid peroxidation (MDA) level. As defense lines, the level and metabolism of osmoprotectants (soluble sugars and proline) and antioxidants (phenolics, anthocyanins, and tocopherols) were increased under Gd treatment. High CO2 positively affected the growth and metabolism of Medicago plants. Moreover, eCO2 mitigated the negative impacts of Gd on Medicago growth. It further induced the levels of osmoprotectants and antioxidants. In line with increased proline and anthocyanins, their metabolic enzymes (e.g. OAT, P5CS, PAL, and CS) were also increased. This study advances our understanding of how Gd adversely affects Medicago plant growth and metabolism. It also sheds light on the biochemical mechanisms underlying the Gd stress-reducing impact of eCO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walid Abuelsoud
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt.
| | - Mahmoud M Y Madany
- Biology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, 41411, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed S Sheteiwy
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt
| | - Shereen M Korany
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Emad Alsharef
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62521, Egypt
| | - Hamada AbdElgawad
- Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62521, Egypt; Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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10
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Shao A, Fan S, Xu X, Wang W, Fu J. Identification and evolution analysis of YUCCA genes of Medicago sativa and Medicago truncatula and their expression profiles under abiotic stress. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1268027. [PMID: 37701802 PMCID: PMC10494245 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1268027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
The YUCCAs (YUC) are functionally identified flavin-containing monooxidases (FMOs) in plants that act as an important rate-limiting enzyme functioning in the auxin synthesis IPA (indole-3-pyruvic acid) pathway. In this study, 12 MsYUCs and 15 MtYUCs containing characteristic conserved motifs were identified in M. sativa (Medicago sativa L.) and M. truncatula (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that YUC proteins underwent an evolutionary divergence. Both tandem and segmental duplication events were presented in MsYUC and MtYUC genes. Comparative syntenic maps of M. sativa with M. truncatula, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), or rice (Oryza sativa L.) were constructed to illustrate the evolution relationship of the YUC gene family. A large number of cis-acting elements related to stress response and hormone regulation were revealed in the promoter sequences of MsYUCs. Expression analysis showed that MsYUCs had a tissue-specific, genotype-differential expression and a differential abiotic stress response pattern based on transcriptome data analysis of M. sativa online. In addition, RT-qPCR confirmed that salt stress significantly induced the expression of MsYUC1/MsYUC10 but significantly inhibited MsYUC2/MsYUC3 expression and the expression of MsYUC10/MsYUC11/MsYUC12 was significantly induced by cold treatment. These results could provide valuable information for functional analysis of YUC genes via gene engineering of the auxin synthetic IPA pathway in Medicago.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Wei Wang
- Coastal Salinity Tolerant Grass Engineering and Technology Research Center, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Jinmin Fu
- Coastal Salinity Tolerant Grass Engineering and Technology Research Center, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong, China
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11
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Ferreira AC, Rebelo BA, Abranches R. A simplified protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cell suspension cultures of the model species Medicago truncatula A17. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 2023; 153:669-675. [PMID: 37197004 PMCID: PMC10034231 DOI: 10.1007/s11240-023-02495-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
This manuscript describes a unique protocol for the rapid transformation of Medicago truncatula A17 cell suspension cultures mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Medicago cells were collected on day 7 of the growth curve, which corresponded to the beginning of the exponential phase. They were then co-cultured with Agrobacterium for 3 days before being spread onto a petri dish with appropriate antibiotic selection. The Receptor Binding Domain of the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 was used as a model to develop this protocol. The presence of the transgene was assessed using PCR, and the integrity of the product was evaluated by SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Clara Ferreira
- Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, ITQB NOVA – Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Bárbara A. Rebelo
- Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, ITQB NOVA – Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Rita Abranches
- Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, ITQB NOVA – Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
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12
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Tang M, Wang H, Qi X, He T, Zhang B, Wang E, Yu M, Wang B, Wang F, Liu Z, Liu X. Diversification of Sinorhizobium populations associated with Medicago polymorpha and Medicago lupulina in purple soil of China. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:1055694. [PMID: 36687603 PMCID: PMC9846747 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1055694] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The double selection of environment adaptation and host specificity forced the diversification of rhizobia in nature. In the tropical region of China, Medicago polymorpha and Medicago lupulina are widely distributed, particularly in purple soil. However, the local distribution and diversity of rhizobia associated with these legumes has not been systematically investigated. To this end, root nodules of M. polymorpha and M. lupulina grown in purple soil at seven locations in Yunnan Province of China were collected for rhizobial isolation. The obtained rhizobia were characterized by RFLP of 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer, BOXAIR fingerprinting, and phylogeny of housekeeping and symbiosis genes. As result, a total of 91 rhizobial strains were classified into species Sinorhizobium medicae and S. meliloti, while three nodC gene types were identified among them. S. medicae containing nodC of type I was dominant in farmlands associated with M. polymorpha; while S. meliloti harboring nodC of type III was dominant in wild land nodulated by M. lupulina. For both rhizobial species, greater genetic diversity was detected in the populations isolated from their preferred host plant. A high level of genetic differentiation was observed between the two Sinorhizobium species, and gene flow was evident within the populations of the same species derived from different soil types, indicating that rhizobial evolution is likely associated with the soil features. To examine the effects of environmental features on rhizobial distribution, soil physicochemical traits and rhizobial genotypes were applied for constrained analysis of principle coordinates, which demonstrated that soil features like pH, nitrogen and sodium were the principle factors governing the rhizobial geographical distribution. Altogether, both S. medicae and S. meliloti strains could naturally nodulate with M. polymorpha and M. lupulina, but the rhizobium-legume symbiosis compatibility determined by both the host species and soil factors was also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Tang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China
| | - Xin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China
| | - Teng He
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China
| | - Entao Wang
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miao Yu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China
| | - Beinan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration for Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming City, China
| | - Zhongkuan Liu
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang, China,*Correspondence: Zhongkuan Liu, ; Xiaoyun Liu,
| | - Xiaoyun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Diversity Research and Application of Hebei Province, College of Life Science, Engineering Laboratory of Microbial Breeding and Preservation of Hebei Province, Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Hebei University, Baoding City, China,*Correspondence: Zhongkuan Liu, ; Xiaoyun Liu,
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13
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Lawrenson T, Atkinson N, Forner M, Harwood W. Highly Efficient Gene Knockout in Medicago truncatula Genotype R108 Using CRISPR-Cas9 System and an Optimized Agrobacterium Transformation Method. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2653:221-252. [PMID: 36995630 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3131-7_15] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Medicago truncatula is the model plant species for studying symbioses with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizae, where edited mutants are invaluable for elucidating the contributions of known genes in these processes. Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9)-based genome editing is a facile means of achieving loss of function, including where multiple gene knockouts are desired in a single generation. We describe how the user can customize our vector to target single or multiple genes, then how the vector is used to make M. truncatula transgenic plants containing target site mutations. Finally, obtaining transgene-free homozygous mutants is covered.
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14
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Liu J, Wang T, Qin Q, Yu X, Yang S, Dinkins RD, Kuczmog A, Putnoky P, Muszyński A, Griffitts JS, Kereszt A, Zhu H. Paired Medicago receptors mediate broad-spectrum resistance to nodulation by Sinorhizobium meliloti carrying a species-specific gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2214703119. [PMID: 36508666 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214703119] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Plants have evolved the ability to distinguish between symbiotic and pathogenic microbial signals. However, potentially cooperative plant-microbe interactions often abort due to incompatible signaling. The Nodulation Specificity 1 (NS1) locus in the legume Medicago truncatula blocks tissue invasion and root nodule induction by many strains of the nitrogen-fixing symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti. Controlling this strain-specific nodulation blockade are two genes at the NS1 locus, designated NS1a and NS1b, which encode malectin-like leucine-rich repeat receptor kinases. Expression of NS1a and NS1b is induced upon inoculation by both compatible and incompatible Sinorhizobium strains and is dependent on host perception of bacterial nodulation (Nod) factors. Both presence/absence and sequence polymorphisms of the paired receptors contribute to the evolution and functional diversification of the NS1 locus. A bacterial gene, designated rns1, is required for activation of NS1-mediated nodulation restriction. rns1 encodes a type I-secreted protein and is present in approximately 50% of the nearly 250 sequenced S. meliloti strains but not found in over 60 sequenced strains from the closely related species Sinorhizobium medicae. S. meliloti strains lacking functional rns1 are able to evade NS1-mediated nodulation blockade.
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15
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Cassidy ST, Markalanda S, McFadden CJ, Wood CW. Herbivory modifies plant symbiont number and impact on host plant performance in the field. Evolution 2022; 76:2945-2958. [PMID: 36221227 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14641] [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: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Species interactions are a unifying theme in ecology and evolution. Both fields are currently moving beyond their historical focus on isolated pairwise relationships to understand how ecological communities affect focal interactions. Additional species can modify both the number of interactions and the fitness consequences of each interaction (i.e., selection). Although only selection affects the evolution of the focal interaction, the two are often conflated, limiting our understanding of the evolution of multispecies interactions. We manipulated aboveground herbivory on the legume Medicago lupulina in the field and quantified its effect on number of symbionts and the per-symbiont impact on plant performance in two belowground symbioses: mutualistic rhizobia bacteria (Ensifer meliloti) and parasitic root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne hapla). We found that herbivores modified the number of rhizobia nodules, as well as the benefit per nodule. However, each effect was specific to a distinct herbivory regime: natural herbivory affected nodule number, whereas leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) weakened the per nodule benefit. We did not detect any effect of herbivory on nematode gall number or the cost of infection. Our data demonstrate that distinguishing between symbiont number from the fitness consequences of symbiosis is crucial to accurately infer how pairwise interactions will evolve in a community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven T Cassidy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA
| | - Shaniya Markalanda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, USA
| | - Connor J McFadden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, USA
| | - Corlett W Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
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16
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Zhang XX, Ren XL, Qi XT, Yang ZM, Feng XL, Zhang T, Wang HJ, Liang P, Jiang QY, Yang WJ, Fu Y, Chen M, Fu ZX, Xu B. Evolution of the CBL and CIPK gene families in Medicago: genome-wide characterization, pervasive duplication, and expression pattern under salt and drought stress. BMC Plant Biol 2022; 22:512. [PMID: 36324083 PMCID: PMC9632064 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03884-3] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs) are ubiquitous Ca2+ sensors that mediate plant responses to various stress and developmental processes by interacting with CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs). CBLs and CIPKs play essential roles in acclimatization of crop plants. However, evolution of these two gene families in the genus Medicago is poorly understood. RESULTS A total of 68 CBL and 135 CIPK genes have been identified in five genomes from Medicago. Among these genomes, the gene number of CBLs and CIPKs shows no significant difference at the haploid genome level. Phylogenetic and comprehensive characteristic analyses reveal that CBLs and CIPKs are classified into four clades respectively, which is validated by distribution of conserved motifs. The synteny analysis indicates that the whole genome duplication events (WGDs) have contributed to the expansion of both families. Expression analysis demonstrates that two MsCBLs and three MsCIPKs are specifically expressed in roots, mature leaves, developing flowers and nitrogen fixing nodules of Medicago sativa spp. sativa, the widely grown tetraploid species. In particular, the expression of these five genes was highly up-regulated in roots when exposed to salt and drought stress, indicating crucial roles in stress responses. CONCLUSIONS Our study leads to a comprehensive understanding of evolution of CBL and CIPK gene families in Medicago, but also provides a rich resource to further address the functions of CBL-CIPK complexes in cultivated species and their closely related wild relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Xia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xiao-Long Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Tong Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhi-Min Yang
- Zhangjiakou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhangjiakou, 075000, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Feng
- Zhangjiakou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhangjiakou, 075000, China
| | - Tian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hui-Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Peng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qi-Ying Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen-Jun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Min Chen
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Zhi-Xi Fu
- College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610101, China
| | - Bo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China.
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17
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Jaudal M, Mayo‐Smith M, Poulet A, Whibley A, Peng Y, Zhang L, Thomson G, Trimborn L, Jacob Y, van Wolfswinkel JC, Goldstone DC, Wen J, Mysore KS, Putterill J. MtING2 encodes an ING domain PHD finger protein which affects Medicago growth, flowering, global patterns of H3K4me3, and gene expression. Plant J 2022; 112:1029-1050. [PMID: 36178149 PMCID: PMC9828230 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15994] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Flowering of the reference legume Medicago truncatula is promoted by winter cold (vernalization) followed by long-day photoperiods (VLD) similar to winter annual Arabidopsis. However, Medicago lacks FLC and CO, key regulators of Arabidopsis VLD flowering. Most plants have two INHIBITOR OF GROWTH (ING) genes (ING1 and ING2), encoding proteins with an ING domain with two anti-parallel alpha-helices and a plant homeodomain (PHD) finger, but their genetic role has not been previously described. In Medicago, Mting1 gene-edited mutants developed and flowered normally, but an Mting2-1 Tnt1 insertion mutant and gene-edited Mting2 mutants had developmental abnormalities including delayed flowering particularly in VLD, compact architecture, abnormal leaves with extra leaflets but no trichomes, and smaller seeds and barrels. Mting2 mutants had reduced expression of activators of flowering, including the FT-like gene MtFTa1, and increased expression of the candidate repressor MtTFL1c, consistent with the delayed flowering of the mutant. MtING2 overexpression complemented Mting2-1, but did not accelerate flowering in wild type. The MtING2 PHD finger bound H3K4me2/3 peptides weakly in vitro, but analysis of gene-edited mutants indicated that it was dispensable to MtING2 function in wild-type plants. RNA sequencing experiments indicated that >7000 genes are mis-expressed in the Mting2-1 mutant, consistent with its strong mutant phenotypes. Interestingly, ChIP-seq analysis identified >5000 novel H3K4me3 locations in the genome of Mting2-1 mutants compared to wild type R108. Overall, our mutant study has uncovered an important physiological role of a plant ING2 gene in development, flowering, and gene expression, which likely involves an epigenetic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauren Jaudal
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
| | - Matthew Mayo‐Smith
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
| | - Axel Poulet
- Yale UniversityDepartment of MolecularCellular and Developmental BiologyFaculty of Arts and Sciences260 Whitney AvenueNew HavenCT06511USA
| | - Annabel Whibley
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
| | - Yongyan Peng
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
| | - Lulu Zhang
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
| | - Geoffrey Thomson
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
- Yale UniversityDepartment of MolecularCellular and Developmental BiologyFaculty of Arts and Sciences260 Whitney AvenueNew HavenCT06511USA
| | - Laura Trimborn
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
- Institute for Plant Sciences, BiocenterUniversity of CologneZülpicher Str. 47b50674CologneGermany
| | - Yannick Jacob
- Yale UniversityDepartment of MolecularCellular and Developmental BiologyFaculty of Arts and Sciences260 Whitney AvenueNew HavenCT06511USA
| | - Josien C. van Wolfswinkel
- Yale UniversityDepartment of MolecularCellular and Developmental BiologyFaculty of Arts and Sciences260 Whitney AvenueNew HavenCT06511USA
| | - David C. Goldstone
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
| | - Jiangqi Wen
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State University3210 Sam Noble ParkwayArdmoreOK73401USA
| | - Kirankumar S. Mysore
- Institute for Agricultural BiosciencesOklahoma State University3210 Sam Noble ParkwayArdmoreOK73401USA
| | - Joanna Putterill
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandPrivate Bag 92019Auckland1142New Zealand
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18
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Epstein B, Burghardt LT, Heath KD, Grillo MA, Kostanecki A, Hämälä T, Young ND, Tiffin P. Combining GWAS and population genomic analyses to characterize coevolution in a legume-rhizobia symbiosis. Mol Ecol 2022. [PMID: 35793264 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16602] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The mutualism between legumes and rhizobia is clearly the product of past coevolution. However, the nature of ongoing evolution between these partners is less clear. To characterize the nature of recent coevolution between legumes and rhizobia, we used population genomic analysis to characterize selection on functionally annotated symbiosis genes as well as on symbiosis gene candidates identified through a two-species association analysis. For the association analysis, we inoculated each of 202 accessions of the legume host Medicago truncatula with a community of 88 Sinorhizobia (Ensifer) meliloti strains. Multistrain inoculation, which better reflects the ecological reality of rhizobial selection in nature than single-strain inoculation, allows strains to compete for nodulation opportunities and host resources and for hosts to preferentially form nodules and provide resources to some strains. We found extensive host by symbiont, that is, genotype-by-genotype, effects on rhizobial fitness and some annotated rhizobial genes bear signatures of recent positive selection. However, neither genes responsible for this variation nor annotated host symbiosis genes are enriched for signatures of either positive or balancing selection. This result suggests that stabilizing selection dominates selection acting on symbiotic traits and that variation in these traits is under mutation-selection balance. Consistent with the lack of positive selection acting on host genes, we found that among-host variation in growth was similar whether plants were grown with rhizobia or N-fertilizer, suggesting that the symbiosis may not be a major driver of variation in plant growth in multistrain contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Epstein
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Liana T Burghardt
- Department of Plant Sciences, The University of Pennsylvania, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Katy D Heath
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Michael A Grillo
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Adam Kostanecki
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tuomas Hämälä
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.,School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Nevin D Young
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.,Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Peter Tiffin
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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19
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Burr AA, Woods KD, Cassidy ST, Wood CW. Priority effects alter the colonization success of a host-associated parasite and mutualist. Ecology 2022; 103:e3720. [PMID: 35396706 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3720] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Priority effects shape the assembly of free-living communities and host-associated communities. However, the current literature does not fully incorporate two features of host-symbiont interactions-correlated host responses to multiple symbionts and ontogenetic changes in host responses to symbionts-leading to an incomplete picture of the role of priority effects in host-associated communities. We factorially manipulated the inoculation timing of two plant symbionts (mutualistic rhizobia bacteria and parasitic root-knot nematodes) and tested how host age at arrival, arrival order, and arrival synchrony affected symbiont colonization success in the model legume Medicago truncatula. We found that host age, arrival order, and arrival synchrony significantly affected colonization of one or both symbionts. Host age at arrival only affected nematodes but not rhizobia: younger plants were more heavily infected than older plants. By contrast, arrival order only affected rhizobia but not nematodes: plants formed more rhizobia nodules when rhizobia arrived before nematodes. Finally, synchronous arrival decreased colonization both symbionts, an effect that depended on host age. Our results demonstrate that priority effects compromise the host's ability to control colonization by two major symbionts, and suggest that the role of correlated host responses and host ontogeny in the assembly of host-associated communities deserve further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey A Burr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kamron D Woods
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Steven T Cassidy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Corlett W Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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20
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Kovacs S, Fodor L, Domonkos A, Ayaydin F, Laczi K, Rákhely G, Kalo P. Amino Acid Polymorphisms in the VHIID Conserved Motif of Nodulation Signaling Pathways 2 Distinctly Modulate Symbiotic Signaling and Nodule Morphogenesis in Medicago truncatula. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:709857. [PMID: 34966395 PMCID: PMC8711286 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.709857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Legumes establish an endosymbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria. Following the mutual recognition of the symbiotic partner, the infection process is controlled by the induction of the signaling pathway and subsequent activation of symbiosis-related host genes. One of the protein complexes regulating nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis is formed by GRAS domain regulatory proteins Nodulation Signaling Pathways 1 and 2 (NSP1 and NSP2) that control the expression of several early nodulation genes. Here, we report on a novel point mutant allele (nsp2-6) affecting the function of the NSP2 gene and compared the mutant with the formerly identified nsp2-3 mutant. Both mutants carry a single amino acid substitution in the VHIID motif of the NSP2 protein. We found that the two mutant alleles show dissimilar root hair response to bacterial infection. Although the nsp2-3 mutant developed aberrant infection threads, rhizobia were able to colonize nodule cells in this mutant. The encoded NSP2 proteins of the nsp2-3 and the novel nsp2 mutants interact with NSP1 diversely and, as a consequence, the activation of early nodulin genes and nodule organogenesis are arrested in the new nsp2 allele. The novel mutant with amino acid substitution D244H in NSP2 shows similar defects in symbiotic responses as a formerly identified nsp2-2 mutant carrying a deletion in the NSP2 gene. Additionally, we found that rhizobial strains induce delayed nodule formation on the roots of the ns2-3 weak allele. Our study highlights the importance of a conserved Asp residue in the VHIID motif of NSP2 that is required for the formation of a functional NSP1-NSP2 signaling module. Furthermore, our results imply the involvement of NSP2 during differentiation of symbiotic nodule cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szilárd Kovacs
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Lili Fodor
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllö, Hungary
| | - Agota Domonkos
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllö, Hungary
| | - Ferhan Ayaydin
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine (HCEMM) Nonprofit Ltd., Szeged, Hungary
- Cellular Imaging Laboratory, Biological Research Center, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Krisztián Laczi
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor Rákhely
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Kalo
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Eötvös Lóránd Research Network, Szeged, Hungary
- Institute of Genetics and Biotechnology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gödöllö, Hungary
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21
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Yıldırım H, Tosun O, Bekircan Ç. Ophryocystis sitonae sp. nov., (Neogregarinida: Ophryocystidae) parasitizing Sitona humeralis Stephens, 1831 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Microb Pathog 2021; 162:105305. [PMID: 34826554 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105305] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Sitona humeralis Stephens 1831 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an important pest of the Medicago and Vicia species in Turkey, and this study was conducted the determine the natural pathogens of this beetle. In the present study, a new neogregarine was observed in Malpighian tubules of the S. humeralis, collected from Ordu (Turkey) on the wild Medicago species. The yellowish oocysts were the most notable feature of the current neogregarine. The Giemsa-stained mature oocysts were fusiform shaped and measured 8.7 ± 0.7 (7.12-11.11) μm in length and 4.1 ± 0.3 (3.05-5.01) μm in width. The smooth oocyst wall was relatively thin (175-230 nm), and polar plugs were non-evident (weight = 380 nm, height = 500 nm). The 18S rDNA gene of the current neogregarine was sequenced and compared with fifteen sequences from GenBank. Morphological, ultrastructural, and molecular features indicate that the described neogregarine in S. humeralis differed from the all known Ophryocystis species and named here Ophryocystis sitonae sp. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilal Yıldırım
- Espiye Vocational School, Giresun University, 28600, Giresun, Turkey
| | - Onur Tosun
- Maçka Vocational School, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey
| | - Çağrı Bekircan
- Sarayönü Vocational School, Selçuk University, 42100, Konya, Turkey.
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22
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Tiwari M, Pandey V, Singh B, Yadav M, Bhatia S. Evolutionary and expression dynamics of LRR-RLKs and functional establishment of KLAVIER homolog in shoot mediated regulation of AON in chickpea symbiosis. Genomics 2021; 113:4313-4326. [PMID: 34801685 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.11.022] [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: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chickpea shoot exogenously treated with cytokinin showed stunted phenotype of root, shoot and significantly reduced nodule numbers. Genome-wide identification of LRR-RLKs in chickpea and Medicago resulted in 200 and 371 genes respectively. Gene duplication analysis revealed that LRR-RLKs family expanded through segmental duplications in chickpea and tandem duplications in Medicago. Expression profiling of LRR-RLKs revealed their involvement in cytokinin signaling and plant organ development. Overexpression of KLAVIER ortholog of chickpea, Ca_LRR-RLK147, in roots revealed its localization in the membrane but showed no effect on root nodulation despite increased cle peptide levels. Two findings (i) drastic effect on nodule number by exogenous cytokinin treatment to only shoot and restoration to normal nodulation by treatment to both root and shoot tissue and (ii) no effect on nodule number by overexpression of Ca_LRR-RLK147 establishes the fact that despite presence of cle peptides in root, the function of Ca_LRR-RLK147 was shoot mediated during AON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Tiwari
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Vimal Pandey
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Baljinder Singh
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Manisha Yadav
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India
| | - Sabhyata Bhatia
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi 110067, India.
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23
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Gutierrez N, Torres AM. QTL dissection and mining of candidate genes for Ascochyta fabae and Orobanche crenata resistance in faba bean (Vicia faba L.). BMC Plant Biol 2021; 21:551. [PMID: 34809555 PMCID: PMC8607628 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03335-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ascochyta blight caused by Ascochyta fabae Speg. and broomrape (Orobanche crenata) are among the economically most significant pathogens of faba bean. Several QTLs conferring resistance against the two pathogens have been identified and validated in different genetic backgrounds. The aim of this study was to saturate the most stable QTLs for ascochyta and broomrape resistance in two Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) populations, 29H x Vf136 and Vf6 x Vf136, to identify candidate genes conferring resistance against these two pathogens. RESULTS We exploited the synteny between faba bean and the model species Medicago truncatula by selecting a set of 219 genes encoding putative WRKY transcription factors and defense related proteins falling within the target QTL intervals, for genotyping and marker saturation in the two RIL populations. Seventy and 50 of the candidate genes could be mapped in 29H x Vf136 and Vf6 x Vf136, respectively. Besides the strong reduction of the QTL intervals, the mapping process allowed replacing previous dominant and pedigree-specific RAPD flanking markers with robust and transferrable SNP markers, revealing promising candidates for resistance against the two pathogens. CONCLUSIONS Although further efforts in association mapping and expression studies will be required to corroborate the candidate genes for resistance, the fine-mapping approach proposed here increases the genetic resolution of relevant QTL regions and paves the way for an efficient deployment of useful alleles for faba bean ascochyta and broomrape resistance through marker-assisted breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Gutierrez
- Área de Genómica y Biotecnología, IFAPA-Centro Alameda del Obispo, Apdo 3092, E-14080, Córdoba, Spain.
| | - Ana M Torres
- Área de Genómica y Biotecnología, IFAPA-Centro Alameda del Obispo, Apdo 3092, E-14080, Córdoba, Spain
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24
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Carrere S, Verdier J, Gamas P. MtExpress, a Comprehensive and Curated RNAseq-based Gene Expression Atlas for the Model Legume Medicago truncatula. Plant Cell Physiol 2021; 62:1494-1500. [PMID: 34245304 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcab110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [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: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Although RNA sequencing (RNAseq) has been becoming the main transcriptomic approach in the model legume Medicago truncatula, there is currently no genome-wide gene expression atlas covering the whole set of RNAseq data published for this species. Nowadays, such a tool is highly valuable to provide a global view of gene expression in a wide range of conditions and tissues/organs. Here, we present MtExpress, a gene expression atlas that compiles an exhaustive set of published M. truncatula RNAseq data (https://medicago.toulouse.inrae.fr/MtExpress). MtExpress makes use of recent releases of M. truncatula genome sequence and annotation, as well as up-to-date tools to perform mapping, quality control, statistical analysis and normalization of RNAseq data. MtExpress combines semi-automated pipelines with manual re-labeling and organization of samples to produce an attractive and user-friendly interface, fully integrated with other available Medicago genomic resources. Importantly, MtExpress is highly flexible, in terms of both queries, e.g. allowing searches with gene names and orthologous gene IDs from Arabidopsis and other legume species, and outputs, to customize visualization and redirect gene study to relevant Medicago webservers. Thanks to its semi-automated pipeline, MtExpress will be frequently updated to follow the rapid pace of M. truncatula RNAseq data publications, as well as the constant improvement of genome annotation. MtExpress also hosts legacy GeneChip expression data originally stored in the Medicago Gene Expression Atlas, as a very valuable and complementary resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Carrere
- LIPME, INRAE, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, 24 Chemin de Borde Rouge, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, Castanet-Tolosan 31320, France
| | - Jerome Verdier
- Institut Agro, INRAE, IRHS, SFR QUASAV, Université d'Angers, 42 Rue Georges Morel, 49070 Beaucouzé, Angers 49000, France
| | - Pascal Gamas
- LIPME, INRAE, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, 24 Chemin de Borde Rouge, 31320 Auzeville-Tolosane, Castanet-Tolosan 31320, France
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25
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Wu S, Chen J, Li Y, Liu A, Li A, Yin M, Shrestha N, Liu J, Ren G. Extensive genomic rearrangements mediated by repetitive sequences in plastomes of Medicago and its relatives. BMC Plant Biol 2021; 21:421. [PMID: 34521343 PMCID: PMC8438982 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03202-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although plastomes are highly conserved with respect to gene content and order in most photosynthetic angiosperms, extensive genomic rearrangements have been reported in Fabaceae, particularly within the inverted repeat lacking clade (IRLC) of Papilionoideae. Two hypotheses, i.e., the absence of the IR and the increased repeat content, have been proposed to affect the stability of plastomes. However, this is still unclear for the IRLC species. Here, we aimed to investigate the relationships between repeat content and the degree of genomic rearrangements in plastomes of Medicago and its relatives Trigonella and Melilotus, which are nested firmly within the IRLC. RESULTS We detected abundant repetitive elements and extensive genomic rearrangements in the 75 newly assembled plastomes of 20 species, including gene loss, intron loss and gain, pseudogenization, tRNA duplication, inversion, and a second independent IR gain (IR ~ 15 kb in Melilotus dentata) in addition to the previous first reported cases in Medicago minima. We also conducted comparative genomic analysis to evaluate plastome evolution. Our results indicated that the overall repeat content is positively correlated with the degree of genomic rearrangements. Some of the genomic rearrangements were found to be directly linked with repetitive sequences. Tandem repeated sequences have been detected in the three genes with accelerated substitution rates (i.e., accD, clpP, and ycf1) and their length variation could be explained by the insertions of tandem repeats. The repeat contents of the three localized hypermutation regions around these three genes with accelerated substitution rates are also significantly higher than that of the remaining plastome sequences. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that IR reemergence in the IRLC species does not ensure their plastome stability. Instead, repeat-mediated illegitimate recombination is the major mechanism leading to genome instability, a pattern in agreement with recent findings in other angiosperm lineages. The plastome data generated herein provide valuable genomic resources for further investigating the plastome evolution in legumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jinyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ai Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mou Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Nawal Shrestha
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education &State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangpeng Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Institute of Innovation Ecology & School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
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26
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Tordsen CL, Giles JM, Sathoff AE. First Report of Aphanomyces euteiches Race 1 and Race 2 Causing Aphanomyces Root Rot on Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa) in South Dakota. Plant Dis 2021; 106:771. [PMID: 34410863 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-08-21-1733-pdn] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Aphanomyces euteiches causes Aphanomyces root rot (ARR) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa), along with root rot on many other legumes, including pea, clover, and lentil (Malvick et al., 2009). In 2020, South Dakota (SD) planted the most acres of alfalfa in the United States, which demonstrates the importance of alfalfa to the state. Several SD growers reported alfalfa establishment problems likely to be associated with ARR. Soil samples were collected from 16 fields under commercial alfalfa production in Lake County, SD in June 2020. Composite soil samples based on 24 subsamples were collected in a W-shaped pattern at a depth of 15 cm. Collected soil was sieved, and 80 cm3 was placed in plastic pots (6 cm x 6 cm). Each pot was planted with 25 seeds, covered with an additional 15 cm3 soil, and placed in a growth chamber with a 16-hour photoperiod at temperatures of 24 and 19 ℃ (day and night). Alfalfa seedlings, including Saranac (susceptible to races R1 and R2), WAPH-1 (resistant only to R1), WAPH-5 (resistant to both R1 and R2), and Mustang 625 (resistant to both R1 and R2 and coated with mefenoxam) grew in collected soil for 7 days, followed by 4 days under flooded conditions. Trays were drained, and at 21 days after planting (DAP), roots were removed from soil, washed in distilled water, and rated to measure severity of disease symptoms (Samac et al., 2015). The average severity index (ASI) used a 1-5 disease severity scale, 5 being a dead plant and 1 being no symptoms present (http://www.naaic.org/stdtests/Aphano.html). Race was based on ASI where R1 included an ASI of ≥3 for Saranac and <3 for WAPH-1, and R2 included an ASI of >3.0 for Saranac and WAPH-1 and <3.0 for WAPH-5 (Malvick and Grau, 2001). Race-typing experiments were repeated twice with six replicate pots per alfalfa cultivar per experiment and determined the presence of both R1 and R2 in Lake County, SD. ASI values for Mustang 625 and WAPH-5 were similar across all fields evaluated, which indicates limited confounding effects of other root rotting pathogens. DNA was extracted from three symptomatic roots from each field and was PCR amplified using A. euteiches specific primers (Vandemark et al., 2002). A PCR product was observed in all 16 fields evaluated, and the absence of a product was observed when DNA was extracted from alfalfa roots grown in vermiculite. Following race-typing, infected alfalfa roots were surfaced sterilized and placed on Aphanomyces selective media consisting of mefenoxam and benomyl in cornmeal agar (CMA) (Pfender et al., 1984). Isolates were identified as A. euteiches based on hyphal morphology (Malvick and Grau, 2001). Alfalfa seedlings (Saranac) were grown in vermiculite under growth conditions used for the race-typing assay and inoculated 6 DAP with two isolates of A. euteiches. Inoculation was completed using half plates of one week old A. euteiches mycelium on CMA blended with one liter of water (Samac et al., 2015). At 35 DAP, control alfalfa seedlings inoculated with blended CMA and water remained asymptomatic, and alfalfa infected with A. euteiches displayed symptoms including honey-brown colored lesions. For confirmation of Koch's postulates, DNA from three re-infected seedlings was again PCR amplified using A. euteiches specific primers and confirmed our previous work. This is the first report of either R1 or R2 of A. euteiches causing ARR on alfalfa in SD. To avoid future yield loss, SD growers should consider planting available alfalfa cultivars that have resistance to both races of A. euteiches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conner L Tordsen
- Dakota State University, 40975, Biology, Madison, South Dakota, United States;
| | - Jennifer M Giles
- Dakota State University, 40975, Biology, Madison, South Dakota, United States;
| | - Andrew Edward Sathoff
- Dakota State University, 40975, Biology, 820 N Washington Ave., Madison, South Dakota, United States, 57042-1799;
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27
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Roy S, Breakspear A, Cousins D, Torres-Jerez I, Jackson K, Kumar A, Su Y, Liu CW, Krom N, Udvardi M, Xu P, Murray JD. Three Common Symbiotic ABC Subfamily B Transporters in Medicago truncatula Are Regulated by a NIN-Independent Branch of the Symbiosis Signaling Pathway. Mol Plant Microbe Interact 2021; 34:939-951. [PMID: 33779265 DOI: 10.1094/mpmi-02-21-0036-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Several ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters involved in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and nodulation have been identified. We describe three previously unreported ABC subfamily B transporters, named AMN1, AMN2, and AMN3 (ABCB for mycorrhization and nodulation), that are expressed early during infection by rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. These ABCB transporters are strongly expressed in symbiotically infected tissues, including in root-hair cells with rhizobial infection threads and arbusculated cells. During nodulation, the expression of these genes is highly induced by rhizobia and purified Nod factors and is dependent on DMI3 but is not dependent on other known major regulators of infection, such as NIN, NSP1, or NSP2. During mycorrhization their expression is dependent on DMI3 and RAM1 but not on NSP1 and NSP2. Therefore, they may be commonly regulated through a distinct branch of the common symbiotic pathway. Mutants with exonic Tnt1-transposon insertions were isolated for all three genes. None of the single or double mutants showed any differences in colonization by either rhizobia or mycorrhizal fungi, but the triple amn1 amn2 amn3 mutant showed an increase in nodule number. Further studies are needed to identify potential substrates of these transporters and understand their roles in these beneficial symbioses.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali Roy
- John Innes Centre, Norwich, NR4 7UH, U.K
| | | | | | | | | | - Anil Kumar
- CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CEMPS), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 Feng Lin Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yangyang Su
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Plant Germplasm Resource, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | | | - Nick Krom
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK 73401, U.S.A
| | | | - Ping Xu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Plant Germplasm Resource, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Jeremy D Murray
- John Innes Centre, Norwich, NR4 7UH, U.K
- CAS-JIC Centre of Excellence for Plant and Microbial Science (CEPAMS), Centre for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CEMPS), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 Feng Lin Road, Shanghai 200032, China
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28
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Marzorati F, Wang C, Pavesi G, Mizzi L, Morandini P. Cleaning the Medicago Microarray Database to Improve Gene Function Analysis. Plants (Basel) 2021; 10:plants10061240. [PMID: 34207216 PMCID: PMC8234645 DOI: 10.3390/plants10061240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptomics studies have been facilitated by the development of microarray and RNA-Seq technologies, with thousands of expression datasets available for many species. However, the quality of data can be highly variable, making the combined analysis of different datasets difficult and unreliable. Most of the microarray data for Medicago truncatula, the barrel medic, have been stored and made publicly accessible on the web database Medicago truncatula Gene Expression atlas (MtGEA). The aim of this work is to ameliorate the quality of the MtGEA database through a general method based on logical and statistical relationships among parameters and conditions. The initial 716 columns available in the dataset were reduced to 607 by evaluating the quality of data through the sum of the expression levels over the entire transcriptome probes and Pearson correlation among hybridizations. The reduced dataset shows great improvements in the consistency of the data, with a reduction in both false positives and false negatives resulting from Pearson correlation and GO enrichment analysis among genes. The approach we used is of general validity and our intent is to extend the analysis to other plant microarray databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Marzorati
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Chu Wang
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy; (C.W.); (G.P.); (L.M.)
| | - Giulio Pavesi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy; (C.W.); (G.P.); (L.M.)
| | - Luca Mizzi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy; (C.W.); (G.P.); (L.M.)
| | - Piero Morandini
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milano, Italy;
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Afkhami ME, Friesen ML, Stinchcombe JR. Multiple Mutualism Effects generate synergistic selection and strengthen fitness alignment in the interaction between legumes, rhizobia and mycorrhizal fungi. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1824-1834. [PMID: 34110064 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Nearly all organisms participate in multiple mutualisms, and complementarity within these complex interactions can result in synergistic fitness effects. However, it remains largely untested how multiple mutualisms impact eco-evolutionary dynamics in interacting species. We tested how multiple microbial mutualists-N-fixing bacteria and mycorrrhizal fungi-affected selection and heritability of traits in their shared host plant (Medicago truncatula), as well as fitness alignment between partners. Our results demonstrate for the first time that multiple mutualisms synergistically affect the selection and heritability of host traits and enhance fitness alignment between mutualists. Specifically, we found interaction with multiple microbial symbionts doubled the strength of natural selection on a plant architectural trait, resulted in 2- to 3-fold higher heritability of plant reproductive success, and more than doubled fitness alignment between N-fixing bacteria and plants. These findings show synergism generated by multiple mutualisms extends to key components of microevolutionary change, emphasising the importance of multiple mutualism effects on evolutionary trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maren L Friesen
- Department of Plant Pathology, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - John R Stinchcombe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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30
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Abstract
In this review, we explore recent advances in knowledge of the structure and dynamics of the plant nuclear envelope. As a paradigm, we focused our attention on the Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex, a structurally conserved bridging complex comprising SUN domain proteins in the inner nuclear membrane and KASH domain proteins in the outer nuclear membrane. Studies have revealed that this bridging complex has multiple functions with structural roles in positioning the nucleus within the cell, conveying signals across the membrane and organizing chromatin in the 3D nuclear space with impact on gene transcription. We also provide an up-to-date survey in nuclear dynamics research achieved so far in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana that highlights its potential impact on several key plant functions such as growth, seed maturation and germination, reproduction and response to biotic and abiotic stress. Finally, we bring evidences that most of the constituents of the LINC Complex and associated components are, with some specificities, conserved in monocot and dicot crop species and are displaying very similar functions to those described for Arabidopsis. This leads us to suggest that a better knowledge of this system and a better account of its potential applications will in the future enhance the resilience and productivity of crop plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Evans
- Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University , Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Mermet
- GReD, CNRS, INSERM, Université Clermont Auvergne , Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Christophe Tatout
- GReD, CNRS, INSERM, Université Clermont Auvergne , Clermont-Ferrand, France
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31
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Albicoro FJ, Draghi WO, Martini MC, Salas ME, Torres Tejerizo GA, Lozano MJ, López JL, Vacca C, Cafiero JH, Pistorio M, Bednarz H, Meier D, Lagares A, Niehaus K, Becker A, Del Papa MF. The two-component system ActJK is involved in acid stress tolerance and symbiosis in Sinorhizobium meliloti. J Biotechnol 2021; 329:80-91. [PMID: 33539896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2021.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The nitrogen-fixing α-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti genome codifies at least 50 response regulator (RR) proteins mediating different and, in many cases, unknown processes. RR-mutant library screening allowed us to identify genes potentially implicated in survival to acid conditions. actJ mutation resulted in a strain with reduced growth rate under mildly acidic conditions as well as a lower capacity to tolerate a sudden shift to lethal acidic conditions compared with the parental strain. Mutation of the downstream gene actK, which encodes for a histidine kinase, showed a similar phenotype in acidic environments suggesting a functional two-component system. Interestingly, even though nodulation kinetics, quantity, and macroscopic morphology of Medicago sativa nodules were not affected in actJ and actK mutants, ActK was required to express the wild-type nitrogen fixation phenotype and ActJK was necessary for full bacteroid development and nodule occupancy. The actJK regulatory system presented here provides insights into an evolutionary process in rhizobium adaptation to acidic environments and suggests that actJK-controlled functions are crucial for optimal symbiosis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Albicoro
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Walter O Draghi
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - María C Martini
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - María E Salas
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - G A Torres Tejerizo
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mauricio J Lozano
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - José L López
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Carolina Vacca
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Juan H Cafiero
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mariano Pistorio
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Hanna Bednarz
- CeBiTec, Centrum für Biotechnologie, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Doreen Meier
- CeBiTec, Centrum für Biotechnologie, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany; LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Antonio Lagares
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Karsten Niehaus
- CeBiTec, Centrum für Biotechnologie, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Anke Becker
- LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - M F Del Papa
- Instituto de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular -CONICET CCT La Plata Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
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Chen J, Wu G, Shrestha N, Wu S, Guo W, Yin M, Li A, Liu J, Ren G. Phylogeny and Species Delimitation of Chinese Medicago (Leguminosae) and Its Relatives Based on Molecular and Morphological Evidence. Front Plant Sci 2021; 11:619799. [PMID: 33584760 PMCID: PMC7874099 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.619799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Medicago and its relatives, Trigonella and Melilotus comprise the most important forage resources globally. The alfalfa selected from the wild relatives has been cultivated worldwide as the forage queen. In the Flora of China, 15 Medicago, eight Trigonella, and four Melilotus species are recorded, of which six Medicago and two Trigonella species are introduced. Although several studies have been conducted to investigate the phylogenetic relationship within the three genera, many Chinese naturally distributed or endemic species are not included in those studies. Therefore, the taxonomic identity and phylogenetic relationship of these species remains unclear. In this study, we collected samples representing 18 out of 19 Chinese naturally distributed species of these three genera and three introduced Medicago species, and applied an integrative approach by combining evidences from population-based morphological clusters and molecular data to investigate species boundaries. A total of 186 individuals selected from 156 populations and 454 individuals from 124 populations were collected for genetic and morphological analyses, respectively. We sequenced three commonly used DNA barcodes (trnH-psbA, trnK-matK, and ITS) and one nuclear marker (GA3ox1) for phylogenetic analyses. We found that 16 out of 21 species could be well delimited based on phylogenetic analyses and morphological clusters. Two Trigonella species may be merged as one species or treated as two subspecies, and Medicago falcata should be treated as a subspecies of the M. sativa complex. We further found that major incongruences between the chloroplast and nuclear trees mainly occurred among the deep diverging lineages, which may be resulted from hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting and/or sampling errors. Further studies involving a finer sampling of species associated with large scale genomic data should be employed to better understand the species delimitation of these three genera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Guili Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Nawal Shrestha
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shuang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mou Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Guangpeng Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Echeverria A, Larrainzar E, Li W, Watanabe Y, Sato M, Tran CD, Moler JA, Hirai MY, Sawada Y, Tran LSP, Gonzalez EM. Medicago sativa and Medicago truncatula Show Contrasting Root Metabolic Responses to Drought. Front Plant Sci 2021; 12:652143. [PMID: 33968107 PMCID: PMC8097159 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.652143] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Drought is an environmental stressor that affects crop yield worldwide. Understanding plant physiological responses to stress conditions is needed to secure food in future climate conditions. In this study, we applied a combination of plant physiology and metabolomic techniques to understand plant responses to progressive water deficit focusing on the root system. We chose two legume plants with contrasting tolerance to drought, the widely cultivated alfalfa Medicago sativa (Ms) and the model legume Medicago truncatula (Mt) for comparative analysis. Ms taproot (tapR) and Mt fibrous root (fibR) biomass increased during drought, while a progressive decline in water content was observed in both species. Metabolomic analysis allowed the identification of key metabolites in the different tissues tested. Under drought, carbohydrates, abscisic acid, and proline predominantly accumulated in leaves and tapRs, whereas flavonoids increased in fibRs in both species. Raffinose-family related metabolites accumulated during drought. Along with an accumulation of root sucrose in plants subjected to drought, both species showed a decrease in sucrose synthase (SUS) activity related to a reduction in the transcript level of SUS1, the main SUS gene. This study highlights the relevance of root carbon metabolism during drought conditions and provides evidence on the specific accumulation of metabolites throughout the root system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andres Echeverria
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Estíbaliz Larrainzar
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Weiqiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Department of Biology, Institute of Plant Stress Biology, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Henan Joint International Laboratory for Crop Multi-Omics Research, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Stress Adaptation Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuko Watanabe
- Stress Adaptation Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Muneo Sato
- Metabolic System Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Cuong Duy Tran
- Stress Adaptation Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
- Agricultural Genetics Institute, Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Jose A. Moler
- Department of Statistics, Computing and Mathematics, Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Masami Yokota Hirai
- Metabolic System Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yuji Sawada
- Metabolic System Research Team, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Lam-Son Phan Tran
- Stress Adaptation Research Unit, RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Japan
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, Vietnam
- Institute of Genomics for Crop Abiotic Stress Tolerance, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States
- Lam-Son Phan Tran,
| | - Esther M. Gonzalez
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research in Applied Biology (IMAB), Public University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- *Correspondence: Esther M. Gonzalez,
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34
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Jaudal M, Wen J, Mysore KS, Putterill J. Medicago PHYA promotes flowering, primary stem elongation and expression of flowering time genes in long days. BMC Plant Biol 2020; 20:329. [PMID: 32652925 PMCID: PMC7353751 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02540-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Flowering time is an important trait for productivity in legumes, which include many food and fodder plants. Medicago truncatula (Medicago) is a model temperate legume used to study flowering time pathways. Like Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), its flowering is promoted by extended periods of cold (vernalization, V), followed by warm long day (LD) photoperiods. However, Arabidopsis flowering-time genes such as the FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC)/ MADS AFFECTING FLOWERING (MAF) clade are missing and CONSTANS-LIKE (CO-LIKE) genes do not appear to have a role in Medicago or Pisum sativum (pea). Another photoperiodic regulator, the red/far red photoreceptor PHYTOCHROME A (PHYA), promotes Arabidopsis flowering by stabilizing the CO protein in LD. Interestingly, despite the absence of CO-LIKE function in pea, PsPHYA plays a key role in promoting LD photoperiodic flowering and plant architecture. Medicago has one homolog of PHYA, MtPHYA, but its function is not known. RESULTS Genetic analysis of two MtPHYA Tnt1 insertion mutant alleles indicates that MtPHYA has an important role in promoting Medicago flowering and primary stem elongation in VLD and LD and in perception of far-red wavelengths in seedlings. MtPHYA positively regulates the expression of MtE1-like (MtE1L), a homologue of an important legume-specific flowering time gene, E1 in soybean and other Medicago LD-regulated flowering-time gene homologues, including the three FLOWERING LOCUS T-LIKE (FT-LIKE) genes, MtFTa1, MtFTb1 and MtFTb2 and the two FRUITFULL-LIKE (FUL-LIKE) genes MtFULa and MtFULb. MtPHYA also modulates the expression of the circadian clock genes, GIGANTEA (GI) and TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION 1a (TOC1a). Genetic analyses indicate that Mtphya-1 Mte1l double mutants flowered at the same time as the single mutants. However, Mtphya-1 Mtfta1 double mutants had a weak additive effect in delaying flowering and in reduction of primary axis lengths beyond what was conferred by either of the single mutants. CONCLUSION MtPHYA has an important role in LD photoperiodic control of flowering, plant architecture and seedling de-etiolation under far-red wavelengths in Medicago. It promotes the expression of LD-induced flowering time genes and modulates clock-related genes. In addition to MtFTa1, MtPHYA likely regulates other targets during LD floral induction in Medicago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauren Jaudal
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Jiangqi Wen
- Noble Research Institute, 2510 Sam Noble Parkway, Ardmore, OK73401, USA
| | | | - Joanna Putterill
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Though many plant defensins exhibit antibacterial activity, little is known about their antibacterial mode of action (MOA). Antimicrobial peptides with a characterized MOA induce the expression of multiple bacterial outer membrane modifications, which are required for resistance to these membrane-targeting peptides. Mini-Tn5-lux mutant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Tn insertions disrupting outer membrane protective modifications were assessed for sensitivity against plant defensin peptides. These transcriptional lux reporter strains were also evaluated for lux gene expression in response to sublethal plant defensin exposure. Also, a plant pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae was modified through transposon mutagenesis to create mutants that are resistant to in vitro MtDef4 treatments. RESULTS Plant defensins displayed specific and potent antibacterial activity against strains of P. aeruginosa. A defensin from Medicago truncatula, MtDef4, induced dose-dependent gene expression of the aminoarabinose modification of LPS and surface polycation spermidine production operons. The ability for MtDef4 to damage bacterial outer membranes was also verified visually through fluorescent microscopy. Another defensin from M. truncatula, MtDef5, failed to induce lux gene expression and limited outer membrane damage was detected with fluorescent microscopy. The transposon insertion site on MtDef4 resistant P. syringae pv. syringae mutants was sequenced, and modifications of ribosomal genes were identified to contribute to enhanced resistance to plant defensin treatments. CONCLUSIONS MtDef4 damages the outer membrane similar to polymyxin B, which stimulates antimicrobial peptide resistance mechanisms to plant defensins. MtDef5, appears to have a different antibacterial MOA. Additionally, the MtDef4 antibacterial mode of action may also involve inhibition of translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew E Sathoff
- Department of Plant Pathology, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA. .,Department of Biology, Dakota State University, 820 N Washington Ave, Madison, SD, 57042, USA.
| | - Shawn Lewenza
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease, 3330 Hospital Dr. N.W., University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4Z6, Canada.,Faculty of Science and Technology, 1 University Dr., Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, T9S 3A3, Canada
| | - Deborah A Samac
- Department of Plant Pathology, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.,USDA-ARS, Plant Science Research Unit, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA
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Michno J, Liu J, Jeffers JR, Stupar RM, Myers CL. Identification of nodulation-related genes in Medicago truncatula using genome-wide association studies and co-expression networks. Plant Direct 2020; 4:e00220. [PMID: 32426691 PMCID: PMC7229696 DOI: 10.1002/pld3.220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have proven to be a valuable approach for identifying genetic intervals associated with phenotypic variation in Medicago truncatula. These intervals can vary in size, depending on the historical local recombination. Typically, significant intervals span numerous gene models, limiting the ability to resolve high-confidence candidate genes underlying the trait of interest. Additional genomic data, including gene co-expression networks, can be combined with the genetic mapping information to successfully identify candidate genes. Co-expression network analysis provides information about the functional relationships of each gene through its similarity of expression patterns to other well-defined clusters of genes. In this study, we integrated data from GWAS and co-expression networks to pinpoint candidate genes that may be associated with nodule-related phenotypes in M. truncatula. We further investigated a subset of these genes and confirmed that several had existing evidence linking them nodulation, including MEDTR2G101090 (PEN3-like), a previously validated gene associated with nodule number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean‐Michel Michno
- Bioinformatics and Computational BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota
| | - Junqi Liu
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota
| | - Joseph R. Jeffers
- Department of Computer Science and EngineeringUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesota
| | - Robert M. Stupar
- Bioinformatics and Computational BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota
| | - Chad L. Myers
- Bioinformatics and Computational BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesota
- Department of Computer Science and EngineeringUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesota
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37
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Renzi JP, Duchoslav M, Brus J, Hradilová I, Pechanec V, Václavek T, Machalová J, Hron K, Verdier J, Smýkal P. Physical Dormancy Release in Medicago truncatula Seeds Is Related to Environmental Variations. Plants (Basel) 2020; 9:E503. [PMID: 32295289 PMCID: PMC7238229 DOI: 10.3390/plants9040503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Seed dormancy and timing of its release is an important developmental transition determining the survival of individuals, populations, and species in variable environments. Medicago truncatula was used as a model to study physical seed dormancy at the ecological and genetics level. The effect of alternating temperatures, as one of the causes releasing physical seed dormancy, was tested in 178 M. truncatula accessions over three years. Several coefficients of dormancy release were related to environmental variables. Dormancy varied greatly (4-100%) across accessions as well as year of experiment. We observed overall higher physical dormancy release under more alternating temperatures (35/15 °C) in comparison with less alternating ones (25/15 °C). Accessions from more arid climates released dormancy under higher experimental temperature alternations more than accessions originating from less arid environments. The plasticity of physical dormancy can probably distribute the germination through the year and act as a bet-hedging strategy in arid environments. On the other hand, a slight increase in physical dormancy was observed in accessions from environments with higher among-season temperature variation. Genome-wide association analysis identified 136 candidate genes related to secondary metabolite synthesis, hormone regulation, and modification of the cell wall. The activity of these genes might mediate seed coat permeability and, ultimately, imbibition and germination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Pablo Renzi
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Hilario Ascasubi 8142, Argentina;
| | - Martin Duchoslav
- Department of Botany, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (M.D.); (I.H.)
| | - Jan Brus
- Department of Geoinformatics, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (J.B.); (V.P.)
| | - Iveta Hradilová
- Department of Botany, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (M.D.); (I.H.)
| | - Vilém Pechanec
- Department of Geoinformatics, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (J.B.); (V.P.)
| | - Tadeáš Václavek
- Department of Mathematical Analysis and Applications of Mathematics, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (T.V.); (J.M.); (K.H.)
| | - Jitka Machalová
- Department of Mathematical Analysis and Applications of Mathematics, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (T.V.); (J.M.); (K.H.)
| | - Karel Hron
- Department of Mathematical Analysis and Applications of Mathematics, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (T.V.); (J.M.); (K.H.)
| | - Jerome Verdier
- UMR 1345 Institut de Recherche en Horticulture et Semences, Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, Université d’Angers, SFR 4207 QUASAV, 49070 Beaucouzé, France;
| | - Petr Smýkal
- Department of Botany, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (M.D.); (I.H.)
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D’Addabbo T, Argentieri MP, Żuchowski J, Biazzi E, Tava A, Oleszek W, Avato P. Activity of Saponins from Medicago Species against Phytoparasitic Nematodes. Plants (Basel) 2020; 9:plants9040443. [PMID: 32252361 PMCID: PMC7238174 DOI: 10.3390/plants9040443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Content of bioactive saponins of Medicago species suggests that they may also exert, as previously demonstrated on M. sativa, nematicidal properties exploitable for the formulation of new products for sustainable phytoparasitic nematode management. This study was addressed to highlight the bioactivity of saponins from five different Medicago species still poorly known for their biological efficacy, i.e., M. heyniana, M. hybrida, M. lupulina, M. murex and M. truncatula, against the plant parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne incognita, Xiphinema index and Globodera rostochiensis. The bioactivity of the extracts from the five Medicago species was assessed by in vitro assays on the juveniles (J2) and eggs of M. incognita and G. rostochiensis and the adult females of X. index. The suppressiveness to M. incognita of soil treatments with the Medicago plant biomasses was also investigated in a tomato experiment. The nematicidal activity of the five Medicago species was reported and discussed in relation to their phytochemical profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trifone D’Addabbo
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Council of Research, 70125 Bari, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Maria Pia Argentieri
- Department of Pharmacy–Drug Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy; (M.P.A.); (P.A.)
| | - Jerzy Żuchowski
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation–State Research Institute, 24-100 Pulawi, Poland; (J.Ż.); (W.O.)
| | - Elisa Biazzi
- CREA-Research Centre for Animal Production and Acquaculture, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (E.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Aldo Tava
- CREA-Research Centre for Animal Production and Acquaculture, 26900 Lodi, Italy; (E.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Wieslaw Oleszek
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation–State Research Institute, 24-100 Pulawi, Poland; (J.Ż.); (W.O.)
| | - Pinarosa Avato
- Department of Pharmacy–Drug Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70125 Bari, Italy; (M.P.A.); (P.A.)
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Erickson BJ, Staples NC, Hess N, Staples MA, Weissert C, Finkelstein RR, Cooper JB. PRPs localized to the middle lamellae are required for cortical tissue integrity in Medicago truncatula roots. Plant Mol Biol 2020; 102:571-588. [PMID: 31927659 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-019-00960-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A family of repetitive proline-rich proteins interact with acidic pectins and play distinct roles in legume root cell walls affecting cortical and vascular structure. A proline-rich protein (PRP) family, composed of tandemly repeated Pro-Hyp-Val-X-Lys pentapeptide motifs, is found primarily in the Leguminosae. Four distinct size classes within this family are encoded by seven tightly linked genes: MtPRP1, MtPRP2 and MtPRP3, and four nearly identical MtPRP4 genes. Promoter fusions to β-glucuronidase showed strong expression in the stele of hairy roots for all 4 PRP genes tested, with additional expression in the cortex for PRP1, PRP2 and PRP4. All except MtPRP4 are strongly expressed in non-tumorous roots, and secreted and ionically bound to root cell walls. These PRPs are absent from root epidermal cell walls, and PRP accumulation is highly localized within the walls of root cortical and vascular tissues. Within xylem tissue, PRPs are deposited in secondary thickenings where it is spatially exclusive to lignin. In newly differentiating xylem, PRPs are deposited in the regularly spaced paired-pits and pit membranes that hydraulically connect neighboring xylem elements. Hairpin-RNA knock-down constructs reducing PRP expression in Medicago truncatula hairy root tumors disrupted cortical and vascular patterning. Immunoblots showed that the knockdown tumors had potentially compensating increases in the non-targeted PRPs, all of which cross-react with the anti-PRP antibodies. However, PRP3 knockdown differed from knockdown of PRP1 and PRP2 in that it greatly reduced viability of hairy root tumors. We hypothesize that repetitive PRPs interact with acidic pectins to form block-copolymer gels that can play distinct roles in legume root cell walls.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Joy Erickson
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Biological Sciences Department, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA, 95401, USA
| | - Nathan C Staples
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Biological Sciences Department, Cañada College, Redwood City, CA, 94061, USA
| | - Nicole Hess
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Michelle A Staples
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Christian Weissert
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Biology Department, Universität Hamburg, 22609, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ruth R Finkelstein
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
| | - James B Cooper
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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Cassidy ST, Burr AA, Reeb RA, Melero Pardo AL, Woods KD, Wood CW. Using clear plastic CD cases as low-cost mini-rhizotrons to phenotype root traits. Appl Plant Sci 2020; 8:e11340. [PMID: 32351801 PMCID: PMC7186896 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE We developed a novel low-cost method to visually phenotype belowground structures in the plant rhizosphere. We devised the method introduced here to address the difficulties encountered growing plants in seed germination pouches for long-term experiments and the high cost of other mini-rhizotron alternatives. METHODS AND RESULTS The method described here took inspiration from homemade ant farms commonly used as an educational tool in elementary schools. Using compact disc (CD) cases, we developed mini-rhizotrons for use in the field and laboratory using the burclover Medicago lupulina. CONCLUSIONS Our method combines the benefits of pots and germination pouches. In CD mini-rhizotrons, plants grew significantly larger than in germination pouches, and unlike pots, it is possible to measure roots without destructive sampling. Our protocol is a cheaper, widely available alternative to more destructive methods, which could facilitate the study of belowground phenotypes and processes by scientists with fewer resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven T Cassidy
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
- Present address: Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville Florida USA
| | - Audrey A Burr
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Rachel A Reeb
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Ana L Melero Pardo
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Kamron D Woods
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
| | - Corlett W Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USA
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Huisman R, Hontelez J, Bisseling T, Limpens E. SNARE Complexity in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. Front Plant Sci 2020; 11:354. [PMID: 32308661 PMCID: PMC7145992 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
How cells control the proper delivery of vesicles and their associated cargo to specific plasma membrane (PM) domains upon internal or external cues is a major question in plant cell biology. A widely held hypothesis is that expansion of plant exocytotic machinery components, such as SNARE proteins, has led to a diversification of exocytotic membrane trafficking pathways to function in specific biological processes. A key biological process that involves the creation of a specialized PM domain is the formation of a host-microbe interface (the peri-arbuscular membrane) in the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We have previously shown that the ability to intracellularly host AM fungi correlates with the evolutionary expansion of both v- (VAMP721d/e) and t-SNARE (SYP132α) proteins, that are essential for arbuscule formation in Medicago truncatula. Here we studied to what extent the symbiotic SNAREs are different from their non-symbiotic family members and whether symbiotic SNAREs define a distinct symbiotic membrane trafficking pathway. We show that all tested SYP1 family proteins, and most of the non-symbiotic VAMP72 members, are able to complement the defect in arbuscule formation upon knock-down/-out of their symbiotic counterparts when expressed at sufficient levels. This functional redundancy is in line with the ability of all tested v- and t-SNARE combinations to form SNARE complexes. Interestingly, the symbiotic t-SNARE SYP132α appeared to occur less in complex with v-SNAREs compared to the non-symbiotic syntaxins in arbuscule-containing cells. This correlated with a preferential localization of SYP132α to functional branches of partially collapsing arbuscules, while non-symbiotic syntaxins accumulate at the degrading parts. Overexpression of VAMP721e caused a shift in SYP132α localization toward the degrading parts, suggesting an influence on its endocytic turn-over. These data indicate that the symbiotic SNAREs do not selectively interact to define a symbiotic vesicle trafficking pathway, but that symbiotic SNARE complexes are more rapidly disassembled resulting in a preferential localization of SYP132α at functional arbuscule branches.
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Zhang L, Jiang A, Thomson G, Kerr-Phillips M, Phan C, Krueger T, Jaudal M, Wen J, Mysore KS, Putterill J. Overexpression of Medicago MtCDFd1_1 Causes Delayed Flowering in Medicago via Repression of MtFTa1 but Not MtCO-Like Genes. Front Plant Sci 2019; 10:1148. [PMID: 31608091 PMCID: PMC6761483 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Optimizing flowering time is crucial for maximizing crop productivity, but gaps remain in the knowledge of the mechanisms underpinning temperate legume flowering. Medicago, like winter annual Arabidopsis, accelerates flowering after exposure to extended cold (vernalization, V) followed by long-day (LD) photoperiods. In Arabidopsis, photoperiodic flowering is triggered through CO, a photoperiodic switch that directly activates the FT gene encoding a mobile florigen and potent activator of flowering. In Arabidopsis, several CYCLING DOF FACTORs (CDFs), including AtCDF1, act redundantly to repress CO and thus FT expression, until their removal in LD by a blue-light-induced F-BOX1/GIGANTEA (FKF1/GI) complex. Medicago possesses a homolog of FT, MtFTa1, which acts as a strong activator of flowering. However, the regulation of MtFTa1 does not appear to involve a CO-like gene. Nevertheless, work in pea suggests that CDFs may still regulate flowering time in temperate legumes. Here, we analyze the function of Medicago MtCDF genes with a focus on MtCDFd1_1 in flowering time and development. MtCDFd1_1 causes strong delays to flowering when overexpressed in Arabidopsis and shows a cyclical diurnal expression in Medicago with peak expression at dawn, consistent with AtCDF genes like AtCDF1. However, MtCDFd1_1 lacks predicted GI or FKF1 binding domains, indicating possible differences in its regulation from AtCDF1. In Arabidopsis, CDFs act in a redundant manner, and the same is likely true of temperate legumes as no flowering time phenotypes were observed when MtCDFd1_1 or other MtCDFs were knocked out in Medicago Tnt1 lines. Nevertheless, overexpression of MtCDFd1_1 in Medicago plants resulted in late flowering relative to wild type in inductive vernalized long-day (VLD) conditions, but not in vernalized short days (VSDs), rendering them day neutral. Expression of MtCO-like genes was not affected in the transgenic lines, but LD-induced genes MtFTa1, MtFTb1, MtFTb2, and MtSOC1a showed reduced expression. Plants carrying both the Mtfta1 mutation and 35S:MtCDFd1_1 flowered no later than the Mtfta1 plants. This indicates that 35S:MtCDFd1_1 likely influences flowering in VLD via repressive effects on MtFTa1 expression. Overall, our study implicates MtCDF genes in photoperiodic regulation in Medicago by working redundantly to repress FT-like genes, particularly MtFTa1, but in a CO-independent manner, indicating differences from the Arabidopsis model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Zhang
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrew Jiang
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Geoffrey Thomson
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Megan Kerr-Phillips
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Chau Phan
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thorben Krueger
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Mauren Jaudal
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jiangqi Wen
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, United States
| | | | - Joanna Putterill
- The Flowering Lab, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Choi IS, Jansen R, Ruhlman T. Lost and Found: Return of the Inverted Repeat in the Legume Clade Defined by Its Absence. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:1321-1333. [PMID: 31046101 PMCID: PMC6496590 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The plant genome comprises a coevolving, integrated genetic system housed in three subcellular compartments: the nucleus, mitochondrion, and the plastid. The typical land plant plastid genome (plastome) comprises the sum of repeating units of 130–160 kb in length. The plastome inverted repeat (IR) divides each plastome monomer into large and small single copy regions, an architecture highly conserved across land plants. There have been varying degrees of expansion or contraction of the IR, and in a few distinct lineages, including the IR-lacking clade of papilionoid legumes, one copy of the IR has been lost. Completion of plastome sequencing and assembly for 19 Medicago species and Trigonella foenum-graceum and comparative analysis with other IR-lacking clade taxa revealed modest divergence with regard to structural organization overall. However, one clade contained unique variation suggesting an ancestor had experienced repeat-mediated changes in plastome structure. In Medicago minima, a novel IR of ∼9 kb was confirmed and the role of repeat-mediated, recombination-dependent replication in IR reemergence is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Su Choi
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Robert Jansen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin.,Center of Excellence for Bionanoscience Research, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tracey Ruhlman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin
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Lagunas B, Achom M, Bonyadi-Pour R, Pardal AJ, Richmond BL, Sergaki C, Vázquez S, Schäfer P, Ott S, Hammond J, Gifford ML. Regulation of Resource Partitioning Coordinates Nitrogen and Rhizobia Responses and Autoregulation of Nodulation in Medicago truncatula. Mol Plant 2019; 12:833-846. [PMID: 30953787 PMCID: PMC6557310 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how plants respond to nitrogen in their environment is crucial for determining how they use it and how the nitrogen use affects other processes related to plant growth and development. Under nitrogen limitation the activity and affinity of uptake systems is increased in roots, and lateral root formation is regulated in order to adapt to low nitrogen levels and scavenge from the soil. Plants in the legume family can form associations with rhizobial nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and this association is tightly regulated by nitrogen levels. The effect of nitrogen on nodulation has been extensively investigated, but the effects of nodulation on plant nitrogen responses remain largely unclear. In this study, we integrated molecular and phenotypic data in the legume Medicago truncatula and determined that genes controlling nitrogen influx are differently expressed depending on whether plants are mock or rhizobia inoculated. We found that a functional autoregulation of nodulation pathway is required for roots to perceive, take up, and mobilize nitrogen as well as for normal root development. Our results together revealed that autoregulation of nodulation, root development, and the location of nitrogen are processes balanced by the whole plant system as part of a resource-partitioning mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Lagunas
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Mingkee Achom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | - Alonso J Pardal
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | | | - Chrysi Sergaki
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Saúl Vázquez
- Gateway Building, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK
| | - Patrick Schäfer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Sascha Ott
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
| | - John Hammond
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK; Southern Cross Plant Science, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
| | - Miriam L Gifford
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
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Antonets KS, Onishchuk OP, Kurchak ON, Volkov KV, Lykholay AN, Andreeva EA, Andronov EE, Pinaev AG, Provorov NA, Nizhnikov AA. [Proteomic Profile of the Bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti Depends on Its Life Form and Host Plant Species]. Mol Biol (Mosk) 2018; 52:898-904. [PMID: 30363063 DOI: 10.1134/s0026898418050038] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The importance of root nodule bacteria in biotechnology is determined by their distinctive feature: symbiotic nitrogen fixation resulting in the production of organic nitrogen-containing compounds. While interacting with host legume plants, the cells of these bacteria undergo global changes at all levels of expression of genetic information leading to the formation in root nodules of so-called bacteroids functioning as nitrogen fixation factories. The molecular mechanisms underlying plant-microbial symbiosis are actively investigated, and one of the most interesting and poorly studied aspects of this problem is the species-specificity of interaction between root nodule bacteria and host plants. In this work we have performed the proteomic analysis of the Sinorhizobium meliloti bacteroids isolated from two legume species: alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L.). It has been shown that the S. meliloti bacteroids produce a lot of proteins (many of them associated with symbiosis) in a host-specific manner, i.e., only in certain host plant species. It has been demonstrated for the first time that the levels of expression in bacteroids of the genes encoding the ExoZ and MscL proteins responsible for the synthesis of surface lipopolysaccha-rides and formation of a large conductance mechanosensitive channel, respectively, depend on a host plant species that confirms the results of proteomic analysis. Overall, our data show that the regulation of bacteroid development by the host plant has species-specific features.
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Affiliation(s)
- K S Antonets
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608 Russia.,St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia
| | - O P Onishchuk
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608 Russia
| | - O N Kurchak
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608 Russia
| | - K V Volkov
- St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia
| | - A N Lykholay
- St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia
| | - E A Andreeva
- St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia
| | - E E Andronov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608 Russia.,St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia
| | - A G Pinaev
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608 Russia
| | - N A Provorov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608 Russia
| | - A A Nizhnikov
- All-Russia Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology, St. Petersburg, Pushkin, 196608 Russia.,St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia.,
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Epstein B, Abou-Shanab RAI, Shamseldin A, Taylor MR, Guhlin J, Burghardt LT, Nelson M, Sadowsky MJ, Tiffin P. Genome-Wide Association Analyses in the Model Rhizobium Ensifer meliloti. mSphere 2018; 3:e00386-18. [PMID: 30355664 DOI: 10.1128/mSphere.00386-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) can identify genetic variants responsible for naturally occurring and quantitative phenotypic variation. Association studies therefore provide a powerful complement to approaches that rely on de novo mutations for characterizing gene function. Although bacteria should be amenable to GWAS, few GWAS have been conducted on bacteria, and the extent to which nonindependence among genomic variants (e.g., linkage disequilibrium [LD]) and the genetic architecture of phenotypic traits will affect GWAS performance is unclear. We apply association analyses to identify candidate genes underlying variation in 20 biochemical, growth, and symbiotic phenotypes among 153 strains of Ensifer meliloti For 11 traits, we find genotype-phenotype associations that are stronger than expected by chance, with the candidates in relatively small linkage groups, indicating that LD does not preclude resolving association candidates to relatively small genomic regions. The significant candidates show an enrichment for nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) over gene presence-absence variation (PAV), and for five traits, candidates are enriched in large linkage groups, a possible signature of epistasis. Many of the variants most strongly associated with symbiosis phenotypes were in genes previously identified as being involved in nitrogen fixation or nodulation. For other traits, apparently strong associations were not stronger than the range of associations detected in permuted data. In sum, our data show that GWAS in bacteria may be a powerful tool for characterizing genetic architecture and identifying genes responsible for phenotypic variation. However, careful evaluation of candidates is necessary to avoid false signals of association.IMPORTANCE Genome-wide association analyses are a powerful approach for identifying gene function. These analyses are becoming commonplace in studies of humans, domesticated animals, and crop plants but have rarely been conducted in bacteria. We applied association analyses to 20 traits measured in Ensifer meliloti, an agriculturally and ecologically important bacterium because it fixes nitrogen when in symbiosis with leguminous plants. We identified candidate alleles and gene presence-absence variants underlying variation in symbiosis traits, antibiotic resistance, and use of various carbon sources; some of these candidates are in genes previously known to affect these traits whereas others were in genes that have not been well characterized. Our results point to the potential power of association analyses in bacteria, but also to the need to carefully evaluate the potential for false associations.
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47
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Cheng N, Foster J, Mysore KS, Wen J, Rao X, Nakata PA. Effect of Acyl Activating Enzyme (AAE) 3 on the growth and development of Medicago truncatula. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 505:255-260. [PMID: 30245129 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.09.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Acyl-Activating Enzyme (AAE) 3 gene encodes an oxalyl-CoA synthetase that catalyzes the conversion of oxalate to oxalyl-CoA in a CoA and ATP-dependent manner. Although the biochemical activity of AAE3 has been established, its biological role in plant growth and development remains unclear. To advance our understanding of the role of AAE3 in plant growth and development, we report here the characterization of two Medicago truncatula AAE3 (Mtaae3) mutants. Characterization of a Mtaae3 RNAi mutant revealed an accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals and increased seed permeability. These phenotypes were also exhibited in the Arabidopsis aae3 (Ataae3) mutants. Unlike the Ataae3 mutants, the Mtaae3 RNAi mutant did not show a reduction in vegetative growth, decreased seed germination, or increased seed calcium concentration. In an effort to clarify these phenotypic differences, a Mtaae3 Tnt1 mutant was identified and characterized. This Mtaae3 Tnt1 mutant displayed reduced vegetative growth, decreased seed germination, and increased seed calcium concentration as well as an accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals and increased seed permeability as found in Ataae3. Overall, the results presented here show the importance of AAE3 in the growth and development of plants. In addition, this study highlights the ability to separate specific growth and development phenotypes based on the level of AAE3 gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninghui Cheng
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030-2600, USA
| | - Justin Foster
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030-2600, USA
| | | | - Jiangqi Wen
- Noble Research Institute, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA
| | - Xiaolan Rao
- BioDiscovery Institute and Department of Biological Sciences, College of Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203, USA
| | - Paul A Nakata
- USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030-2600, USA.
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Abstract
Background A large proportion of the flowers and ovules of plants do not develop into fruits and seeds. Plant reproduction may be limited because of pollen limitation and resource limitation. Medicago sativa L. is an ecologically important species in northwest China. We conducted a pollen supplementation experiment to determine the degree of pollen limitation in this species and detect the possible effects of resource allocation on pollen supplementation. We crossed two factors, pollen level (natural condition and hand pollinated) and resource level (control, water added, and fertilizer added), to estimate the effects of pollen addition and resource limitation on the opening of flowers and seed set. We also analyzed the floral characters, visitation frequency of pollinators and pollinator activity to estimate the effect of pollinators on the reproduction of M. sativa. Results Our results indicated that addition of pollen to some flowers did not divert resources from other flowers and that the addition of pollen boosted the seed set per flower, with no effect on flower number. The primary effect of resource limitation was on the number of flowers produced; however, there was no significant effect on seed set per flower. These findings showed that pollen limitation was an important limiting factor for seed set. In addition, Andrena lebedevi Popov was identified as the most effective pollinator, and pollinator visiting and activity affected reproduction success in M. sativa. Conclusions We found outcrossing was dominant in the breeding system and insect pollination played an important role in outcrossing. These findings have identified the dominant factor influencing seed set of M. sativa. This study aspires to contribute to a better understanding of pollen limitation, resource limitation and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chen
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, CAS, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Xiao-An Zuo
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, CAS, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
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Abstract
Flowering time is an important trait that influences adaptation and yield in many crop legumes. Both the inherent earliness of flowering and the degree to which it is responsive to environmental factors determine both the eco-geographic range across which crops can be successfully grown and the seasonal cycles most suitable for production. This chapter will provide a brief review of studies investigating the genetic control of flowering time in Medicago truncatula.
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Curtin SJ, Xiong Y, Michno J, Campbell BW, Stec AO, Čermák T, Starker C, Voytas DF, Eamens AL, Stupar RM. CRISPR/Cas9 and TALENs generate heritable mutations for genes involved in small RNA processing of Glycine max and Medicago truncatula. Plant Biotechnol J 2018; 16:1125-1137. [PMID: 29087011 PMCID: PMC5978873 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [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: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Processing of double-stranded RNA precursors into small RNAs is an essential regulator of gene expression in plant development and stress response. Small RNA processing requires the combined activity of a functionally diverse group of molecular components. However, in most of the plant species, there are insufficient mutant resources to functionally characterize each encoding gene. Here, mutations in loci encoding protein machinery involved in small RNA processing in soya bean and Medicago truncatula were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 and TAL-effector nuclease (TALEN) mutagenesis platforms. An efficient CRISPR/Cas9 reagent was used to create a bi-allelic double mutant for the two soya bean paralogous Double-stranded RNA-binding2 (GmDrb2a and GmDrb2b) genes. These mutations, along with a CRISPR/Cas9-generated mutation of the M. truncatula Hua enhancer1 (MtHen1) gene, were determined to be germ-line transmissible. Furthermore, TALENs were used to generate a mutation within the soya bean Dicer-like2 gene. CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis of the soya bean Dicer-like3 gene and the GmHen1a gene was observed in the T0 generation, but these mutations failed to transmit to the T1 generation. The irregular transmission of induced mutations and the corresponding transgenes was investigated by whole-genome sequencing to reveal a spectrum of non-germ-line-targeted mutations and multiple transgene insertion events. Finally, a suite of combinatorial mutant plants were generated by combining the previously reported Gmdcl1a, Gmdcl1b and Gmdcl4b mutants with the Gmdrb2ab double mutant. Altogether, this study demonstrates the synergistic use of different genome engineering platforms to generate a collection of useful mutant plant lines for future study of small RNA processing in legume crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun J. Curtin
- Department of Plant PathologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
- Present address:
Plant Science Research UnitAgricultural Research ServiceUnited States Department of AgricultureSt PaulMNUSA
| | - Yer Xiong
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
| | - Jean‐Michel Michno
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate ProgramUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
| | | | - Adrian O. Stec
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
| | - Tomas Čermák
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & DevelopmentCenter for Genome EngineeringUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
- Present address:
Agricultural Research ServiceInari Agriculture, Inc.CambridgeMAUSA
| | - Colby Starker
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & DevelopmentCenter for Genome EngineeringUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Daniel F. Voytas
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & DevelopmentCenter for Genome EngineeringUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - Andrew L. Eamens
- School of Environmental and Life SciencesThe University of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Robert M. Stupar
- Department of Agronomy and Plant GeneticsUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMNUSA
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Graduate ProgramUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMNUSA
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