How do photosynthetic organisms manage light stress? A tribute to the late Professor Kozi Asada
(Source: Plant and Cell Physiology)
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - July 7, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Mano, J., Endo, T., Miyake, C. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Pectins, Hemicelluloses and Celluloses Show Specific Dynamics in the Internal and External Surfaces of Grape Berry Skin During Ripening
This study proposes an original description of polymer dynamics in grape berries during ripening, highlighting differences between the internal and external sides of the skin. (Source: Plant and Cell Physiology)
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Fasoli, M., DellAnna, R., Dal Santo, S., Balestrini, R., Sanson, A., Pezzotti, M., Monti, F., Zenoni, S. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Generation of Novel Floral Traits Using a Combination of Floral Organ-Specific Promoters and a Chimeric Repressor in Torenia fournieri Lind.
In this study, we attempted to develop a new biotechnological method for the efficient modification of floral traits. Because transcription factors play an important role in determining floral traits, chimeric repressors, which are generated by attaching a short transcriptional repressor domain to transcription factors, have been widely used as effective tools for modifying floral traits in many plant species. However, the overexpression of these chimeric repressors by the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter sometimes causes undesirable morphological alterations to other organs. We attempted simultaneously to generate ne...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Sasaki, K., Yamaguchi, H., Kasajima, I., Narumi, T., Ohtsubo, N. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Roles of Group 2 Sigma Factors in Acclimation of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to Nitrogen Deficiency
Acclimation of cyanobacteria to environmental conditions is mainly controlled at the transcriptional level, and factors of the RNA polymerase have a central role in this process. The model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has four non-essential group 2 factors (SigB, SigC, SigD and SigE) that regulate global metabolic responses to various adverse environmental conditions. Here we show that although none of the group 2 factors is essential for the major metabolic realignments induced by a short period of nitrogen starvation, the quadruple mutant without any group 2 factors and triple mutants missing both SigB a...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Antal, T., Kurkela, J., Parikainen, M., Karlund, A., Hakkila, K., Tyystjärvi, E., Tyystjärvi, T. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Modulation of NADH Levels by Arabidopsis Nudix Hydrolases, AtNUDX6 and 7, and the Respective Proteins Themselves Play Distinct Roles in the Regulation of Various Cellular Responses Involved in Biotic/Abiotic Stresses
Arabidopsis Nudix hydrolases, AtNUDX6 and 7, exhibit pyrophosphohydrolase activities toward NADH and contribute to the modulation of various defense responses, such as the poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PAR) reaction and salicylic acid (SA)-induced Nonexpresser of Pathogenesis-Related genes 1 (NPR1)-dependent defense pathway, against biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the mechanisms by which these enzymes regulate such cellular responses remain unclear. To clarify the functional role(s) of AtNUDX6 and 7 and NADH metabolism, we examined the effects of the transient expression of the active and inactive forms of AtNUDX6 and 7 un...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Ogawa, T., Muramoto, K., Takada, R., Nakagawa, S., Shigeoka, S., Yoshimura, K. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Insights into the Prunus-Specific S-RNase-Based Self-Incompatibility System from a Genome-Wide Analysis of the Evolutionary Radiation of S Locus-Related F-box Genes
Self-incompatibility (SI) is an important plant reproduction mechanism that facilitates the maintenance of genetic diversity within species. Three plant families, the Solanaceae, Rosaceae and Plantaginaceae, share an S-RNase-based gametophytic SI (GSI) system that involves a single S-RNase as the pistil S determinant and several F-box genes as pollen S determinants that act via non-self-recognition. Previous evidence has suggested a specific self-recognition mechanism in Prunus (Rosaceae), raising questions about the generality of the S-RNase-based GSI system. We investigated the evolution of the pollen S determinant by co...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Akagi, T., Henry, I. M., Morimoto, T., Tao, R. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
A Small GTPase, OsRab6a, is Involved in the Regulation of Iron Homeostasis in Rice
Plants have evolved two distinct strategies to acquire iron (Fe) from soils. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying the Fe acquisition remain largely elusive. There is emerging evidence that small GTPases are involved in the responses of plants to environmental cues. Here, we identified a gene encoding a small GTPase, OsRab6a, in rice and characterized its role in Fe acquisition by generating transgenic rice plants with overexpression and knockdown of OsRab6a. OsRab6a shared conserved functional domains with other known members of the Rab subfamily and localized ubiquitously in the cytoplasm and nucleus. The express...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Yang, A., Zhang, W.-H. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Dynamic Metabolic Regulation by a Chromosome Segment from a Wild Relative During Fruit Development in a Tomato Introgression Line, IL8-3
We performed comparative metabolome and transcriptome analyses throughout fruit development using the tomato cultivar M82 and its near-isogenic line IL8-3, with interesting and useful traits such as a high content of soluble solids. Marked differences between M82 and IL8-3 were found not only in ripe fruits but also at 20 days after flowering (DAF) in the hierarchical clustering analysis of the metabolome, whereas patterns were similar between the two genotypes at 10 and 30 DAF. Our metabolome analysis conclusively showed that 20 DAF is an important stage of fruit metabolism and that the Solanum pennellii introgressed regi...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Ikeda, H., Shibuya, T., Imanishi, S., Aso, H., Nishiyama, M., Kanayama, Y. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
iTRAQ Protein Profile Differential Analysis of Dormant and Germinated Grassbur Twin Seeds Reveals that Ribosomal Synthesis and Carbohydrate Metabolism Promote Germination Possibly Through the PI3K Pathway
Grassbur is a destructive and invasive weed in pastures, and its burs can cause gastric damage to animals. The strong adaptability and reproductive potential of grassbur are partly due to a unique germination mechanism whereby twin seeds develop in a single bur: one seed germinates, but the other remains dormant. To investigate the molecular mechanism of seed germination in twin seeds, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) to perform a dynamic proteomic analysis of germination and dormancy. A total of 1,984 proteins were identified, 161 of which were considered to be differentially accumulate...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Zhang, G.-L., Zhu, Y., Fu, W.-D., Wang, P., Zhang, R.-H., Zhang, Y.-L., Song, Z., Xia, G.-X., Wu, J.-H. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Evolution of Green Plants Accompanied Changes in Light-Harvesting Systems
Photosynthetic organisms have various pigments enabling them to adapt to various light environments. Green plants are divided into two groups: streptophytes and chlorophytes. Streptophytes include some freshwater green algae and land plants, while chlorophytes comprise the other freshwater green algae and seawater green algae. The environmental conditions driving the divergence of green plants into these two groups and the changes in photosynthetic properties accompanying their evolution remain unknown. Here, we separated the core antennae of PSI and the peripheral antennae [light-harvesting complexes (LHCs)] in green plan...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Kunugi, M., Satoh, S., Ihara, K., Shibata, K., Yamagishi, Y., Kogame, K., Obokata, J., Takabayashi, A., Tanaka, A. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Oryza sativa H+-ATPase (OSA) is Involved in the Regulation of Dumbbell-Shaped Guard Cells of Rice
The stomatal apparatus consists of a pair of guard cells and regulates gas exchange between the leaf and atmosphere. In guard cells, blue light (BL) activates H+-ATPase in the plasma membrane through the phosphorylation of its penultimate threonine, mediating stomatal opening. Although this regulation is thought to be widely adopted among kidney-shaped guard cells in dicots, the molecular basis underlying that of dumbbell-shaped guard cells in monocots remains unclear. Here, we show that H+-ATPases are involved in the regulation of dumbbell-shaped guard cells. Stomatal opening of rice was promoted by the H+-ATPase activato...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Toda, Y., Wang, Y., Takahashi, A., Kawai, Y., Tada, Y., Yamaji, N., Feng Ma, J., Ashikari, M., Kinoshita, T. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
A SAL1 Loss-of-Function Arabidopsis Mutant Exhibits Enhanced Cadmium Tolerance in Association with Alleviation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
SAL1, as a negative regulator of stress response signaling, has been studied extensively for its role in plant response to environmental stresses. However, the role of SAL1 in cadmium (Cd) stress response and the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Using an Arabidopsis thaliana loss-of-function mutant of SAL1, we assessed Cd resistance and further explored the Cd toxicity mechanism through analysis of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. The loss of SAL1 function greatly improved Cd tolerance and significantly attenuated ER stress in Arabidopsis. Exposure to Cd induced an ER stress response in Arabidopsis as ...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Xi, H., Xu, H., Xu, W., He, Z., Xu, W., Ma, M. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Genome-Wide Identification of Soybean U-Box E3 Ubiquitin Ligases and Roles of GmPUB8 in Negative Regulation of Drought Stress Response in Arabidopsis
This study helps us to understand the functions of PUB E3 ubiquitin ligases in soybean. (Source: Plant and Cell Physiology)
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Wang, N., Liu, Y., Cong, Y., Wang, T., Zhong, X., Yang, S., Li, Y., Gai, J. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
Cuticular Defects in Oryza sativa ATP-binding Cassette Transporter G31 Mutant Plants Cause Dwarfism, Elevated Defense Responses and Pathogen Resistance
The cuticle covers the surface of the polysaccharide cell wall of leaf epidermal cells and forms an essential diffusion barrier between plant and environment. Homologs of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter AtABCG32/HvABCG31 clade are necessary for the formation of a functional cuticle in both monocots and dicots. Here we characterize the osabcg31 knockout mutant and hairpin RNA interference (RNAi)-down-regulated OsABCG31 plant lines having reduced plant growth and a permeable cuticle. The reduced content of cutin in leaves and structural alterations in the cuticle and at the cuticle–cell wall interface in pla...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Garroum, I., Bidzinski, P., Daraspe, J., Mucciolo, A., Humbel, B. M., Morel, J.-B., Nawrath, C. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
An Aluminum-Inducible IREG Gene is Required for Internal Detoxification of Aluminum in Buckwheat
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is able to detoxify aluminum (Al) both externally and internally, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its high Al tolerance are not understood. We functionally characterized a gene (FeIREG1) belonging to IRON REGULATED/ferroportin in buckwheat, which showed high expression in our previous genome-wide transcriptome analysis. FeIREG1 was mainly expressed in the roots, and its expression was up-regulated by Al, but not by other metals and low pH. Furthermore, in contrast to AtIREG1 and AtIREG2 in Arabidopsis, the expression of FeIREG1 was not induced by Fe deficiency. Spatial expres...
Source: Plant and Cell Physiology - June 12, 2016 Category: Cytology Authors: Yokosho, K., Yamaji, N., Mitani-Ueno, N., Shen, R. F., Ma, J. F. Tags: Regular Papers Source Type: research
