The Non-Coding RNA Ncr0700/PmgR1 is Required for Photomixotrophic Growth and the Regulation of Glycogen Accumulation in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Carbohydrate metabolism is a tightly regulated process in photosynthetic organisms. In the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the photomixotrophic growth protein A (PmgA) is involved in the regulation of glucose and storage carbohydrate (i.e. glycogen) metabolism, while its biochemical activity and possible factors acting downstream of PmgA are unknown. Here, a genome-wide microarray analysis of a pmgA strain identified the expression of 36 protein-coding genes and 42 non-coding transcripts as significantly altered. From these, the non-coding RNA Ncr0700 was identified as the transcript most strongly reduced in abu...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - October 9, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: de Porcellinis, A. J., Klähn, S., Rosgaard, L., Kirsch, R., Gutekunst, K., Georg, J., Hess, W. R., Sakuragi, Y. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Drought-Up-Regulated TaNAC69-1 is a Transcriptional Repressor of TaSHY2 and TaIAA7, and Enhances Root Length and Biomass in Wheat
This study investigated the role of a drought-up-regulated Triticum aestivum NAC69-1 (TaNAC69-1) in the modulation of root growth in wheat. TaNAC69-1 was predominantly expressed in wheat roots at the early vegetative stage. Overexpression of TaNAC69-1 in wheat roots using OsRSP3 (essentially root-specific) and OsPIP2;3 (root-predominant) promoters resulted in enhanced primary seminal root length and a marked increase in maturity root biomass. Competitive growth analysis under water-limited conditions showed that OsRSP3 promoter-driven TaNAC69-1 transgenic lines produced 32% and 35% more above-ground biomass and grains than...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - October 9, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Chen, D., Richardson, T., Chai, S., Lynne McIntyre, C., Rae, A. L., Xue, G.-P. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Cell Wall Composition and Candidate Biosynthesis Gene Expression During Rice Development
Cell walls of grasses, including cereal crops and biofuel grasses, comprise the majority of plant biomass and intimately influence plant growth, development and physiology. However, the functions of many cell wall synthesis genes, and the relationships among and the functions of cell wall components remain obscure. To better understand the patterns of cell wall accumulation and identify genes that act in grass cell wall biosynthesis, we characterized 30 samples from aerial organs of rice (Oryza sativa cv. Kitaake) at 10 developmental time points, 3–100 d post-germination. Within these samples, we measured 15 cell wal...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - October 9, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Lin, F., Manisseri, C., Fagerström, A., Peck, M. L., Vega-Sanchez, M. E., Williams, B., Chiniquy, D. M., Saha, P., Pattathil, S., Conlin, B., Zhu, L., Hahn, M. G., Willats, W. G. T., Scheller, H. V., Ronald, P. C., Bartley, L. E. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Characterization of Two HKT1;4 Transporters from Triticum monococcum to Elucidate the Determinants of the Wheat Salt Tolerance Nax1 QTL
TmHKT1;4-A1 and TmHKT1;4-A2 are two Na+ transporter genes that have been identified as associated with the salt tolerance Nax1 locus found in a durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum) line issued from a cross with T. monococcum. In the present study, we were interested in getting clues on the molecular mechanisms underpinning this salt tolerance quantitative trait locus (QTL). By analyzing the phylogenetic relationships between wheat and T. monococcum HKT1;4-type genes, we found that durum and bread wheat genomes possess a close homolog of TmHKT1;4-A1, but no functional close homolog of TmHKT1;4-A2. Furthermore, pe...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - October 9, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Tounsi, S., Ben Amar, S., Masmoudi, K., Sentenac, H., Brini, F., Very, A.-A. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
ANAC032 Positively Regulates Age-Dependent and Stress-Induced Senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana
In this study, the role of ANAC032 is analyzed in Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0). ANAC032 is shown to act as a transcriptional activator and its expression is induced in senescing leaves as well as in dark-treated detached leaves. Analysis of transgenic overexpressors (OXs) and chimeric repressors (SRDXs) of ANAC032 indicates that ANAC032 positively regulates age-dependent and dark-induced leaf senescence. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that ANAC032 regulates leaf senescence mainly through the modulation of expression of the senescence-associated genes AtNYE1, SAG113 and SAUR36/SAG201, which are involved in Chl d...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - October 9, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Mahmood, K., El-Kereamy, A., Kim, S.-H., Nambara, E., Rothstein, S. J. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
NDH-Mediated Cyclic Electron Flow Around Photosystem I is Crucial for C4 Photosynthesis
C4 photosynthesis exhibits efficient CO2 assimilation in ambient air by concentrating CO2 around ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) through a metabolic pathway called the C4 cycle. It has been suggested that cyclic electron flow (CEF) around PSI mediated by chloroplast NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH), an alternative pathway of photosynthetic electron transport (PET), plays a crucial role in C4 photosynthesis, although the contribution of NDH-mediated CEF is small in C3 photosynthesis. Here, we generated NDH-suppressed transformants of a C4 plant, Flaveria bidentis, and showed that the NDH-suppr...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - October 9, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Ishikawa, N., Takabayashi, A., Noguchi, K., Tazoe, Y., Yamamoto, H., von Caemmerer, S., Sato, F., Endo, T. Tags: Rapid Paper Source Type: research
Physiological Roles of Plant Post-Golgi Transport Pathways in Membrane Trafficking
Membrane trafficking is the fundamental system through which proteins are sorted to their correct destinations in eukaryotic cells. Key regulators of this system include RAB GTPases and soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs). Interestingly, the numbers of RAB GTPases and SNAREs involved in post-Golgi transport pathways in plant cells are larger than those in animal and yeast cells, suggesting that plants have evolved unique and complex post-Golgi transport pathways. The trans-Golgi network (TGN) is an important organelle that acts as a sorting station in the post-Golgi transport pat...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - October 9, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Uemura, T. Tags: Mini Review Source Type: research
Nitrate Protects Cucumber Plants Against Fusarium oxysporum by Regulating Citrate Exudation
Fusarium wilt causes severe yield losses in cash crops. Nitrogen plays a critical role in the management of plant disease; however, the regulating mechanism is poorly understood. Using biochemical, physiological, bioinformatic and transcriptome approaches, we analyzed how nitrogen forms regulate the interactions between cucumber plants and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC). Nitrate significantly suppressed Fusarium wilt compared with ammonium in both pot and hydroponic experiments. Fewer FOC colonized the roots and stems under nitrate compared with ammonium supply. Cucumber grown with nitrate accumulated less fus...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Wang, M., Sun, Y., Gu, Z., Wang, R., Sun, G., Zhu, C., Guo, S., Shen, Q. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
DRP1-Dependent Endocytosis is Essential for Polar Localization and Boron-Induced Degradation of the Borate Transporter BOR1 in Arabidopsis thaliana
In this study, we first analyzed the subcellular localization of BOR1 in roots, cotyledons and hypocotyls, and revealed a polar localization in various cell types. We also found that the inner polarity of BOR1 is established after completion of cytokinesis in the root meristem. Moreover, variable-angle epifluorescence microscopy visualized BOR1–green fluorescent protein (GFP) as particles in the PM with significant lateral movements but in restricted areas. Importantly, a portion of BOR1–GFP particles co-localized with DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN 1A (DRP1A), which is involved in scission of the clathrin-coated vesi...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Yoshinari, A., Fujimoto, M., Ueda, T., Inada, N., Naito, S., Takano, J. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Ectopic Expression of BnaC.CP20.1 Results in Premature Tapetal Programmed Cell Death in Arabidopsis
Tapetal programmed cell death (PCD) is essential in pollen grain development, and cysteine proteases are ubiquitous enzymes participating in plant PCD. Although the major papain-like cysteine proteases (PLCPs) have been investigated, the exact functions of many PLCPs are still poorly understood in PCD. Here, we identified a PLCP gene, BnaC.CP20.1, which was closely related to XP_013596648.1 from Brassica oleracea. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that BnaC.CP20.1 expression was down-regulated in male-sterile lines in oilseed rape, suggesting a connection between this gene and male sterility. BnaC.CP20.1 is espe...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Song, L., Zhou, Z., Tang, S., Zhang, Z., Xia, S., Qin, M., Li, B., Wen, J., Yi, B., Shen, J., Ma, C., Fu, T., Tu, J. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Overexpression of a Novel NAC Domain-Containing Transcription Factor Gene (AaNAC1) Enhances the Content of Artemisinin and Increases Tolerance to Drought and Botrytis cinerea in Artemisia annua
The NAC (NAM, ATAF and CUC) superfamily is one of the largest plant-specific transcription factor families. NAC transcription factors always play important roles in response to various abiotic stresses. A NAC transcription factor gene AaNAC1 containing a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 864 bp was cloned from Artemisia annua. The expression of AaNAC1 could be induced by dehydration, cold, salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ), suggesting that it might be a key regulator of stress signaling pathways in A. annua. AaNAC1 was shown to be localized to the nuclei by transforming tobacco leaf epidermal cells. When AaN...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Lv, Z., Wang, S., Zhang, F., Chen, L., Hao, X., Pan, Q., Fu, X., Li, L., Sun, X., Tang, K. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
The Metabolic Signature of Biomass Formation in Barley
The network analysis of genome-wide transcriptome responses, metabolic signatures and enzymes’ relationship to biomass formation has been studied in a diverse panel of 12 barley accessions during vegetative and reproductive stages. The primary metabolites and enzymes involved in central metabolism that determine the accumulation of shoot biomass at the vegetative stage of barley development are primarily being linked to sucrose accumulation and sucrose synthase activity. Interestingly, the metabolic and enzyme links which are strongly associated with biomass accumulation during reproductive stages are related to star...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Ghaffari, M. R., Shahinnia, F., Usadel, B., Junker, B., Schreiber, F., Sreenivasulu, N., Hajirezaei, M. R. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
l-Histidine Induces Resistance in Plants to the Bacterial Pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum Partially Through the Activation of Ethylene Signaling
Wilt disease in plants, which is caused by the soil-borne bacterial pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum, is one of the most devastating plant diseases. We previously detected bacterial wilt disease-inhibiting activity in an extract from yeast cells. In the present study, we purified this activity and identified one of the substances responsible for the activity as the amino acid histidine. The exogenous application of l-histidine, but not d-histidine, inhibited wilt disease in tomato and Arabidopsis plants without exhibiting any antibacterial activity. l-Histidine induced the expression of genes related to ethylene (ET) biosyn...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Seo, S., Nakaho, K., Hong, S. W., Takahashi, H., Shigemori, H., Mitsuhara, I. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
CyanoP is Involved in the Early Steps of Photosystem II Assembly in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Although the PSII complex is highly conserved in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts, the PsbU and PsbV subunits stabilizing the oxygen-evolving Mn4CaO5 cluster in cyanobacteria are absent in chloroplasts and have been replaced by the PsbP and PsbQ subunits. There is, however, a distant cyanobacterial homolog of PsbP, termed CyanoP, of unknown function. Here we show that CyanoP plays a role in the early stages of PSII biogenesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. CyanoP is present in the PSII reaction center assembly complex (RCII) lacking both the CP47 and CP43 modules and binds to the smaller D2 module. A small amount of larger P...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Knoppova, J., Yu, J., Konik, P., Nixon, P. J., Komenda, J. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
The Role of Phospholipase D and MAPK Signaling Cascades in the Adaption of Lichen Microalgae to Desiccation: Changes in Membrane Lipids and Phosphoproteome
Classically, lichen phycobionts are described as poikilohydric organisms able to undergo desiccation due to the constitutive presence of molecular protection mechanisms. However, little is known about the induction of cellular responses in lichen phycobionts during drying. The analysis of the lipid composition of the desiccated lichen microalga Asterochloris erici revealed the unusual accumulation of highly polar lipids (oligogalactolipids and phosphatidylinositol), which prevents the fusion of membranes during stress, but also the active degradation of cone-shaped lipids (monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and phosphatidylethan...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - September 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Gasulla, F., Barreno, E., Parages, M. L., Camara, J., Jimenez, C., Dörmann, P., Bartels, D. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
