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1.
The phosphoinositide PI(3,5)P2 inhibits the activity of plant NHX proton/potassium antiporters: Advantages of a novel electrophysiological approach.
Gradogna, A, Pardo, JM, Carpaneto, A
Biomolecular concepts. 2022;(1):119-125
Abstract
In the present work, we discuss the way in which the parallel application of the patch-clamp technique and the 2',7'-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) fluorescence detection for recording luminal proton changes allows the functional characterization of nonelectrogenic potassium/proton vacuolar antiporters of the NHX (Na+/H+ exchanger) family. Moreover, we review the functional role of the tonoplast-specific phosphoinositide PI(3,5)P2, able to simultaneously inhibit the activity of NHXs and CLC-a transporters, whose coordinated action can play an important role in the water balance of plant cells.
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2.
Brassinosteroids (BRs) Role in Plant Development and Coping with Different Stresses.
Manghwar, H, Hussain, A, Ali, Q, Liu, F
International journal of molecular sciences. 2022;(3)
Abstract
Plants are vulnerable to a number of abiotic and biotic stresses that cause a substantial decrease in the production of plants. Plants respond to different environmental stresses by experiencing a series of molecular and physiological changes coordinated by various phytohormones. The use of phytohormones to alleviate stresses has recently achieved increasing interest. Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of polyhydroxylated steroidal phytohormones that are required for the development, growth, and productivity of plants. These hormones are involved in regulating the division, elongation, and differentiation of numerous cell types throughout the entire plant life cycle. BR studies have drawn the interest of plant scientists over the last few decades due to their flexible ability to mitigate different environmental stresses. BRs have been shown in numerous studies to have a positive impact on plant responses to various biotic and abiotic stresses. BR receptors detect the BR at the cell surface, triggering a series of phosphorylation events that activate the central transcription factor (TF) Brassinazole-resistant 1 (BZR1), which regulates the transcription of BR-responsive genes in the nucleus. This review discusses the discovery, occurrence, and chemical structure of BRs in plants. Furthermore, their role in the growth and development of plants, and against various stresses, is discussed. Finally, BR signaling in plants is discussed.
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3.
BSA‑seq and genetic mapping reveals AhRt2 as a candidate gene responsible for red testa of peanut.
Zhang, K, Yuan, M, Xia, H, He, L, Ma, J, Wang, M, Zhao, H, Hou, L, Zhao, S, Li, P, et al
TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik. 2022;(5):1529-1540
Abstract
The candidate recessive gene AhRt2 responsible for red testa of peanut was identified through combined BSA-seq and linkage mapping approaches. The testa color of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important trait, and those with red testa are particularly popular owing to the high-anthocyanin content. However, the identification of genes underlying the regulation of the red testa trait in peanut are rarely reported. In order to fine map red testa gene, two F2:4 populations were constructed through the cross of YZ9102 (pink testa) with ZH12 (red testa) and ZH2 (red testa). Genetic analysis indicated that red testa was controlled by a single recessive gene named as AhRt2 (Red testa gene 2). Using BSA-seq approach, AhRt2 was preliminary identified on chromosome 12, which was further mapped to a 530-kb interval using 220 recombinant lines through linkage mapping. Furthermore, functional annotation, expression profiling, and the analyses of sequence variation confirmed that the anthocyanin reductase namely (Arahy.IK60LM) was the most likely candidate gene for AhRt2. It was found that a SNP in the third exon of AhRt2 altered the encoding amino acids, and was associated with red testa in peanut. In addition, a closely linked molecular marker linked with red testa trait in peanut was also developed for future studies. Our results provide valuable insight into the molecular mechanism underlying peanut testa color and present significant diagnostic marker resources for marker-assisted selected breeding in peanut.
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4.
An Anecdote on Prospective Protein Targets for Developing Novel Plant Growth Regulators.
Patel, R, Mehta, K, Goswami, D, Saraf, M
Molecular biotechnology. 2022;(2):109-129
Abstract
Phytohormones are the main regulatory molecules of core signalling networks associated with plant life cycle regulation. Manipulation of hormone signalling cascade enables the control over physiological traits of plant, which has major applications in field of agriculture and food sustainability. Hence, stable analogues of these hormones are long sought after and many of them are currently known, but the quest for more effective, stable and economically viable analogues is still going on. This search has been further strengthened by the identification of the components of signalling cascade such as receptors, downstream cascade members and transcription factors. Furthermore, many proteins of phytohormone cascades are available in crystallized forms. Such crystallized structures can provide the basis for identification of novel interacting compounds using in silico approach. Plenty of computational tools and bioinformatics software are now available that can aid in this process. Here, the metadata of all the major phytohormone signalling cascades are presented along with discussion on major protein-ligand interactions and protein components that may act as a potential target for manipulation of phytohormone signalling cascade. Furthermore, structural aspects of phytohormones and their known analogues are also discussed that can provide the basis for the synthesis of novel analogues.
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5.
The Role of Hydrogen Sulfide in Plant Roots during Development and in Response to Abiotic Stress.
Li, H, Chen, H, Chen, L, Wang, C
International journal of molecular sciences. 2022;(3)
Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is regarded as a "New Warrior" for managing plant stress. It also plays an important role in plant growth and development. The regulation of root system architecture (RSA) by H2S has been widely recognized. Plants are dependent on the RSA to meet their water and nutritional requirements. They are also partially dependent on the RSA for adapting to environment change. Therefore, a good understanding of how H2S affects the RSA could lead to improvements in both crop function and resistance to environmental change. In this review, we summarized the regulating effects of H2S on the RSA in terms of primary root growth, lateral and adventitious root formation, root hair development, and the formation of nodules. We also discussed the genes involved in the regulation of the RSA by H2S, and the relationships with other signal pathways. In addition, we discussed how H2S regulates root growth in response to abiotic stress. This review could provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of H2S in roots during development and under abiotic stress.
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6.
Unraveling the Roles of Vascular Proteins Using Proteomics.
Liu, Y, Lin, T, Valencia, MV, Zhang, C, Lv, Z
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2021;(3)
Abstract
Vascular bundles play important roles in transporting nutrients, growth signals, amino acids, and proteins between aerial and underground tissues. In order to understand these sophisticated processes, a comprehensive analysis of the roles of the components located in the vascular tissues is required. A great deal of data has been obtained from proteomic analyses of vascular tissues in plants, which mainly aim to identify the proteins moving through the vascular tissues. Here, different aspects of the phloem and xylem proteins are reviewed, including their collection methods, and their main biological roles in growth, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. The study of vascular proteomics shows great potential to contribute to our understanding of the biological mechanisms related to development and defense in plants.
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7.
Hot topic: Thermosensing in plants.
Hayes, S, Schachtschabel, J, Mishkind, M, Munnik, T, Arisz, SA
Plant, cell & environment. 2021;(7):2018-2033
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Abstract
Plants alter their morphology and cellular homeostasis to promote resilience under a variety of heat regimes. Molecular processes that underlie these responses have been intensively studied and found to encompass diverse mechanisms operating across a broad range of cellular components, timescales and temperatures. This review explores recent progress throughout this landscape with a particular focus on thermosensing in the model plant Arabidopsis. Direct temperature sensors include the photosensors phytochrome B and phototropin, the clock component ELF3 and an RNA switch. In addition, there are heat-regulated processes mediated by ion channels, lipids and lipid-modifying enzymes, taking place at the plasma membrane and the chloroplast. In some cases, the mechanism of temperature perception is well understood but in others, this remains an open question. Potential novel thermosensing mechanisms are based on lipid and liquid-liquid phase separation. Finally, future research directions of high temperature perception and signalling pathways are discussed.
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8.
Agroinfiltration Mediated Scalable Transient Gene Expression in Genome Edited Crop Plants.
Kaur, M, Manchanda, P, Kalia, A, Ahmed, FK, Nepovimova, E, Kuca, K, Abd-Elsalam, KA
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(19)
Abstract
Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is one of the most commonly used genetic transformation method that involves transfer of foreign genes into target plants. Agroinfiltration, an Agrobacterium-based transient approach and the breakthrough discovery of CRISPR/Cas9 holds trending stature to perform targeted and efficient genome editing (GE). The predominant feature of agroinfiltration is the abolishment of Transfer-DNA (T-DNA) integration event to ensure fewer biosafety and regulatory issues besides showcasing the capability to perform transcription and translation efficiently, hence providing a large picture through pilot-scale experiment via transient approach. The direct delivery of recombinant agrobacteria through this approach carrying CRISPR/Cas cassette to knockout the expression of the target gene in the intercellular tissue spaces by physical or vacuum infiltration can simplify the targeted site modification. This review aims to provide information on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and implementation of agroinfiltration with GE to widen the horizon of targeted genome editing before a stable genome editing approach. This will ease the screening of numerous functions of genes in different plant species with wider applicability in future.
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9.
Plant protease as regulator and signaling molecule for enhancing environmental stress-tolerance.
Sharma, P, Gayen, D
Plant cell reports. 2021;(11):2081-2095
Abstract
Proteases are ubiquitous in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Plant proteases are key regulators of various physiological processes, including protein homeostasis, organelle development, senescence, seed germination, protein processing, environmental stress response, and programmed cell death. Proteases are involved in the breakdown of peptide bonds resulting in irreversible posttranslational modification of the protein. Proteases act as signaling molecules that specifically regulate cellular function by cleaving and triggering receptor molecules. Peptides derived from proteolysis regulate ROS signaling under oxidative stress in the plant. It degrades misfolded and abnormal proteins into amino acids to repair the cell damage and regulates the biological process in response to environmental stress. Proteases modulate the biogenesis of phytohormones which control plant growth, development, and environmental stresses. Protein homeostasis, the overall balance between protein synthesis and proteolysis, is required for plant growth and development. Abiotic and biotic stresses are major factors that negatively impact cellular survivability, biomass production, and reduced crop yield potentials. Therefore, the identification of various stress-responsive proteases and their molecular functions may elucidate valuable information for the development of stress-resilient crops with higher yield potentials. However, the understanding of molecular mechanisms of plant protease remains unexplored. This review provides an overview of proteases related to development, signaling, and growth regulation to acclimatize environmental stress in plants.
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10.
Crosstalk between abscisic acid and nitric oxide under heat stress: exploring new vantage points.
Iqbal, N, Umar, S, Khan, NA, Corpas, FJ
Plant cell reports. 2021;(8):1429-1450
Abstract
Heat stress adversely affects plants growth potential. Global warming is reported to increase in the intensity, frequency, and duration of heatwaves, eventually affecting ecology, agriculture and economy. With an expected increase in average temperature by 2-3 °C over the next 30-50 years, crop production is facing a severe threat to sub-optimum growth conditions. Abscisic acid (ABA) and nitric oxide (NO) are growth regulators that are involved in the adaptation to heat stress by affecting each other and changing the adaptation process. The interaction between these molecules has been discussed in various studies in general or under stress conditions; however, regarding high temperature, their interaction has little been worked out. In the present review, the focus is shifted on the role of these molecules under heat stress emphasizing the different possible interactions between ABA and NO as both regulate stomatal closure and other molecules including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), antioxidants, proline, glycine betaine, calcium (Ca2+) and heat shock protein (HSP). Exploring the crosstalk between ABA and NO with other molecules under heat stress will provide us with a comprehensive knowledge of plants mechanism of heat tolerance which could be useful to develop heat stress-resistant varieties.