0
selected
-
1.
Auxin/Cytokinin Antagonistic Control of the Shoot/Root Growth Ratio and Its Relevance for Adaptation to Drought and Nutrient Deficiency Stresses.
Kurepa, J, Smalle, JA
International journal of molecular sciences. 2022;(4)
Abstract
The hormones auxin and cytokinin regulate numerous aspects of plant development and often act as an antagonistic hormone pair. One of the more striking examples of the auxin/cytokinin antagonism involves regulation of the shoot/root growth ratio in which cytokinin promotes shoot and inhibits root growth, whereas auxin does the opposite. Control of the shoot/root growth ratio is essential for the survival of terrestrial plants because it allows growth adaptations to water and mineral nutrient availability in the soil. Because a decrease in shoot growth combined with an increase in root growth leads to survival under drought stress and nutrient limiting conditions, it was not surprising to find that auxin promotes, while cytokinin reduces, drought stress tolerance and nutrient uptake. Recent data show that drought stress and nutrient availability also alter the cytokinin and auxin signaling and biosynthesis pathways and that this stress-induced regulation affects cytokinin and auxin in the opposite manner. These antagonistic effects of cytokinin and auxin suggested that each hormone directly and negatively regulates biosynthesis or signaling of the other. However, a growing body of evidence supports unidirectional regulation, with auxin emerging as the primary regulatory component. This master regulatory role of auxin may not come as a surprise when viewed from an evolutionary perspective.
-
2.
Potassium and phosphorus transport and signaling in plants.
Wang, Y, Chen, YF, Wu, WH
Journal of integrative plant biology. 2021;(1):34-52
Abstract
Nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and phosphorus (P) are essential macronutrients for plant growth and development, and their availability affects crop yield. Compared with N, the relatively low availability of K and P in soils limits crop production and thus threatens food security and agricultural sustainability. Improvement of plant nutrient utilization efficiency provides a potential route to overcome the effects of K and P deficiencies. Investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying how plants sense, absorb, transport, and use K and P is an important prerequisite to improve crop nutrient utilization efficiency. In this review, we summarize current understanding of K and P transport and signaling in plants, mainly taking Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa) as examples. We also discuss the mechanisms coordinating transport of N and K, as well as P and N.
-
3.
Cytokinin-Controlled Gradient Distribution of Auxin in Arabidopsis Root Tip.
Wu, L, Wang, JL, Li, XF, Guo, GQ
International journal of molecular sciences. 2021;(8)
Abstract
The plant root is a dynamic system, which is able to respond promptly to external environmental stimuli by constantly adjusting its growth and development. A key component regulating this growth and development is the finely tuned cross-talk between the auxin and cytokinin phytohormones. The gradient distribution of auxin is not only important for the growth and development of roots, but also for root growth in various response. Recent studies have shed light on the molecular mechanisms of cytokinin-mediated regulation of local auxin biosynthesis/metabolism and redistribution in establishing active auxin gradients, resulting in cell division and differentiation in primary root tips. In this review, we focus our attention on the molecular mechanisms underlying the cytokinin-controlled auxin gradient in root tips.
-
4.
Review: More than sweet: New insights into the biology of phloem parenchyma transfer cells in Arabidopsis.
Wei, XY, Collings, DA, McCurdy, DW
Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology. 2021;:110990
Abstract
Transfer cells (TCs) develop extensive wall ingrowths to facilitate enhanced rates of membrane transport. In Arabidopsis, TCs trans-differentiate from phloem parenchyma (PP) cells abutting the sieve element/companion cell complex in minor veins of foliar tissues and, based on anatomy and expression of SWEET sucrose uniporters, are assumed to play pivotal roles in phloem loading. While wall ingrowth deposition in PP TCs is a dynamic process responding to abiotic stresses such as high light and cold, the transcriptional control of PP TC development, including deposition of the wall ingrowths themselves, is not understood. PP TC development is a trait of vegetative phase change, potentially linking wall ingrowth deposition with floral induction. Transcript profiling by RNA-seq identified NAC056 and NAC018 (NARS1 and NARS2) as putative regulators of wall ingrowth deposition, while recent single cell RNA-seq analysis of leaf vasculature identified PP-specific expression of NAC056. Numerous membrane transporters, particularly of the UmamiT family of amino acid efflux carriers, were also identified. Collectively, these findings, and the recent discovery that wall ingrowth deposition is regulated by sucrose-dependent loading activity of these cells, provide new insights into the biology of PP TCs and their importance to phloem loading in Arabidopsis, establishing these cells as a key transport hub for phloem loading.
-
5.
Calcium signaling networks mediate nitrate sensing and responses in Arabidopsis.
Liu, L, Gao, H, Li, S, Han, Z, Li, B
Plant signaling & behavior. 2021;(10):1938441
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
Nitrate signaling integrates and coordinates the expression of a wide range of genes, metabolic pathways and ultimately, plant growth and development. Calcium signaling is proved to be involved in the primary nitrate response pathway. However, it is much less understood how calcium signaling mediates nitrate sensing and responses from the extracellular space to cytoplasm, then to the nucleus. In this review, we describe how transceptor-channel complex (cyclic nucleotide-gated channel protein 15 interacting with nitrate transceptor, CNGC15-NRT1.1), calcineurin B-like proteins (CBLs, CBL1, CBL9), CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs), phospholipase C (PLC) and calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs, also CPKs), acting as key players, complete a potential backbone of the nitrate-signaling pathway, from the plasma membrane to the nucleus. NRT1.1 together with CBL1/9-CIPK23 and CBL-CIPK8 links the NO3- signaling to cytoplasmic and nuclear regulators and triggers downstream NO3- responses. PLCs and inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate (IP3) connect NO3- signaling and cytoplasmic Ca2+ signature. CPK10/30/32 fill the gap between NRT1.1 and NIN-like protein (NLP) transcription factors. The arabidopsis nitrate regulated1 (ANR1) is induced from the endosome by the Ca2+-CPKs-NLPs signaling pathway activated by the unphosphorylated form of NRT1.1 (NRT1.1 T101A) at high nitrate condition. Understanding how calcium signaling interconnects the upstream nitrate sensor complex with downstream multiple sensors of the nitrate-signaling pathway is key to completing the nutrient-growth regulatory networks.
-
6.
CLAVATA3, a plant peptide controlling stem cell fate in the meristem.
Hirakawa, Y
Peptides. 2021;:170579
Abstract
CLAVATA3 (CLV3) is a peptide signal initially identified in the analysis of clv mutants in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, as a regulator of meristem homeostasis and floral organ numbers. CLV3 homologs are widely conserved in land plants, collectively called CLV3/ESR-related (CLE) genes. A 12-amino acid CLE peptide with hydroxyproline residues was identified in Zinnia elegans cell culture system, in which cells secrete a CLE peptide called tracheary element differentiation factor (TDIF) into the culture medium. Mature CLV3 peptide is also a post-translationally modified short peptide containing additional triarabinosylation on a hydroxyproline residue. Genetic studies have revealed the involvement of leucin-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) in CLV3 signaling, including CLV1/BAM-CIK, CLV2-CRN and RPK2, although the mechanisms of signal transduction and integration via crosstalk is still largely unknown. Recent studies on bryophyte model species provided a clue to understand evolution and ancestral function of CLV signaling in land plants. Fundamental understanding on CLV signaling provided an opportunity to optimize the crop yield traits using a novel breeding technology with CRISPR/Cas genome editing.
-
7.
Beyond the Usual Suspects: Physiological Roles of the Arabidopsis Amidase Signature (AS) Superfamily Members in Plant Growth Processes and Stress Responses.
Moya-Cuevas, J, Pérez-Alonso, MM, Ortiz-García, P, Pollmann, S
Biomolecules. 2021;(8)
Abstract
The diversification of land plants largely relies on their ability to cope with constant environmental fluctuations, which negatively impact their reproductive fitness and trigger adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this limiting landscape, cumulative research attention has centred on deepening the roles of major phytohormones, mostly auxins, together with brassinosteroids, jasmonates, and abscisic acid, despite the signaling networks orchestrating the crosstalk among them are so far only poorly understood. Accordingly, this review focuses on the Arabidopsis Amidase Signature (AS) superfamily members, with the aim of highlighting the hitherto relatively underappreciated functions of AMIDASE1 (AMI1) and FATTY ACID AMIDE HYDROLASE (FAAH), as comparable coordinators of the growth-defense trade-off, by balancing auxin and ABA homeostasis through the conversion of their likely bioactive substrates, indole-3-acetamide and N-acylethanolamine.
-
8.
Molecular and functional dissection of EARLY-FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) and ELF4 in Arabidopsis.
Zhao, H, Xu, D, Tian, T, Kong, F, Lin, K, Gan, S, Zhang, H, Li, G
Plant science : an international journal of experimental plant biology. 2021;:110786
Abstract
The circadian clock is an endogenous timekeeper system that generates biological rhythms of approximately 24 h in most organisms. EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) and ELF4 were initially identified as negative regulators of flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana. They were then found to play crucial roles in the circadian clock by integrating environmental light and ambient temperature signals and transmitting them to the central oscillator, thereby regulating various downstream cellular and physiological processes. At dusk, ELF3 acts as a scaffold, interacting with ELF4 and the transcription factor LUX ARRHYTHMO (PHYTOCLOCK1) to form an EVENING COMPLEX (EC). This complex represses the transcription of multiple circadian clock-related genes, thus inhibiting hypocotyl elongation and flowering. Subsequent studies have expanded knowledge about the regulatory roles of the EC in thermomorphogenesis and shade responses. In addition, ELF3 and ELF4 also form multiple complexes with other proteins including chromatin remodeling factors, histone deacetylase, and transcription factors, thus enabling the transcriptional repression of diverse targets. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of ELF3 and ELF4 in plants and discuss directions for future research on ELF3 and ELF4.
-
9.
Biosynthesis and Functions of Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acids in the Responses of Plants to Abiotic and Biotic Stresses.
Batsale, M, Bahammou, D, Fouillen, L, Mongrand, S, Joubès, J, Domergue, F
Cells. 2021;(6)
Abstract
Very-long-chain fatty acids (i.e., fatty acids with more than 18 carbon atoms; VLCFA) are important molecules that play crucial physiological and structural roles in plants. VLCFA are specifically present in several membrane lipids and essential for membrane homeostasis. Their specific accumulation in the sphingolipids of the plasma membrane outer leaflet is of primordial importance for its correct functioning in intercellular communication. VLCFA are found in phospholipids, notably in phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine, where they could play a role in membrane domain organization and interleaflet coupling. In epidermal cells, VLCFA are precursors of the cuticular waxes of the plant cuticle, which are of primary importance for many interactions of the plant with its surrounding environment. VLCFA are also major components of the root suberin barrier, which has been shown to be fundamental for nutrient homeostasis and plant adaptation to adverse conditions. Finally, some plants store VLCFA in the triacylglycerols of their seeds so that they later play a pivotal role in seed germination. In this review, taking advantage of the many studies conducted using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model, we present our current knowledge on the biosynthesis and regulation of VLCFA in plants, and on the various functions that VLCFA and their derivatives play in the interactions of plants with their abiotic and biotic environment.
-
10.
A quick journey into the diversity of iron uptake strategies in photosynthetic organisms.
Martín-Barranco, A, Thomine, S, Vert, G, Zelazny, E
Plant signaling & behavior. 2021;(11):1975088
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
Iron (Fe) is involved in multiple processes that contribute to the maintenance of the cellular homeostasis of all living beings. In photosynthetic organisms, Fe is notably required for photosynthesis. Although iron is generally abundant in the environment, it is frequently poorly bioavailable. This review focuses on the molecular strategies that photosynthetic organisms have evolved to optimize iron acquisition, using Arabidopsis thaliana, rice (Oryza sativa), and some unicellular algae as models. Non-graminaceous plants, including Arabidopsis, take up iron from the soil by an acidification-reduction-transport process (strategy I) requiring specific proteins that were recently shown to associate in a dedicated complex. On the other hand, graminaceous plants, such as rice, use the so-called strategy II to acquire iron, which relies on the uptake of Fe3+ chelated by phytosiderophores that are secreted by the plant into the rhizosphere. However, apart these main strategies, accessory mechanisms contribute to robust iron uptake in both Arabidopsis and rice. Unicellular algae combine reductive and non-reductive mechanisms for iron uptake and present important specificities compared to land plants. Since the majority of the molecular actors required for iron acquisition in algae are not conserved in land plants, questions arise about the evolution of the Fe uptake processes upon land colonization.