Review
Plant Sciences
Xiujuan Yang, Matthew R. Tucker
Summary: The plant ovule is a crucial organ that directly leads to seed formation, with its number and flower fertility being significant factors influencing yield. Studies have shown challenges in increasing one without compromising the other. Recent findings highlight regulatory pathways in Arabidopsis and cereal crops that could help overcome this yield constraint by targeting hormones and transcriptional regulators in the optimization of reproductive traits.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Diana Moreira, Dasmeet Kaur, Ana Marta Pereira, Michael A. Held, Allan M. Showalter, Silvia Coimbra
Summary: This study found that plants with mutations in galt2galt5galt7galt8galt9 genes have very few seeded fruits, indicating a significant contribution of the female gametophyte to this mutant phenotype. Mutant ovules showed abnormal callose accumulation and integument defects, resulting in pollen tube reception disturbances. In addition, the mutant ovary AGPs had a reduction in the amount of glucuronic acid. The results demonstrate the functional importance of the carbohydrate moieties of AGPs in ovule development and pollen-pistil interactions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthias Van Durme, Yadira Olvera- Carrillo, Marie L. Pfeiffer, Nicolas M. Doll, Freya De Winter, Zongcheng Lin, Moritz K. Nowack
Summary: Flowers have a specific fertile period in which pollination and fertilization must occur for seed and fruit development to begin. Unpollinated flowers can remain receptive for a few hours or several weeks before becoming infertile. Floral longevity, specifically the lifespan of the ovule, is influenced by natural selection and plant breeding. The aging process of unfertilized ovules in Arabidopsis thaliana exhibits characteristics of programmed cell death, with significant transcriptomic changes. Up-regulated transcription factors, such as NAP/ANAC029, SHYG/ANAC047, and ORE1/ANAC092, regulate ovule senescence and can extend fertility in Arabidopsis ovules.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaodong Yu, Yiren Xu, Shunping Yan
Summary: The study found that in Arabidopsis, the ethylene signaling transcription factors EIN3 and EIL1 are involved in SA-induced leaf senescence, and ET enhances the effect of SA in promoting senescence, NPR1 interacts with EIN3 to promote its transcriptional activity. This suggests that SA and ET work together in senescence, in contrast to their antagonistic crosstalk in other biological processes.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hao Xu, Danielle Ediger, Mehdi Sharifi
Summary: The yield of sweet cherry is influenced by fruit set, a sensitive developmental stage affected by spring environmental conditions. This study investigated the effects of abiotic stresses and horticultural mitigations on fruit set during the spring. The findings provide insights into the impacts of adverse temperatures and the potential of irrigation adjustment in improving fruit set.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Panpan Zhao, Fengpan Wang, Yinjiao Deng, Fanjia Zhong, Peng Tian, Dongbo Lin, Juhui Deng, Yongxia Zhang, Tengbo Huang
Summary: Sly-miR159 regulates fruit morphology in tomato by targeting SlGAMYB2, controlling fruit growth and length-to-width ratio. This pathway modulates fruit morphology by regulating gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis, offering potential applications in tomato breeding for manipulating fruit growth.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yanchong Yu, Yanan Qi, Jinpeng Xu, Xuehuan Dai, Jiacai Chen, Chun-Hai Dong, Fengning Xiang
Summary: The study has demonstrated that WRKY71 acts as a positive regulator of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis, directly regulating senescence-associated genes and mediating multiple signals to accelerate leaf senescence. Additionally, WRKY71 was found to mediate ethylene signaling and synthesis, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of leaf senescence regulation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alon Israeli, Ramona Schubert, Nave Man, Naama Teboul, Juan Carlos Serrani Yarce, Emily E. Rosowski, Miin-Feng Wu, Matan Levy, Idan Efroni, Karin Ljung, Bettina Hause, Jason W. Reed, Naomi Ori
Summary: Fruit formation is dependent on successful fertilization and is susceptible to weather fluctuations affecting pollination. The auxin hormone plays a role in fruit initiation and growth after fertilization. This study examines the regulation of fruit set and growth by the ARF family in tomato and Arabidopsis, and demonstrates that reducing the activity of SlARF8 genes can improve yield stability in fluctuating temperatures.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiaotong Ji, Meiling Wang, Zhuangzhuang Xu, Kai Wang, Daoyang Sun, Lixin Niu
Summary: This study identified a MYB transcription factor gene, PlMYB308, which plays an important regulatory role in the senescence process of herbaceous peony flowers. PlMYB308 is regulated by endogenous hormones and modulates flower senescence by regulating hormone levels. PlMYB308 specifically binds the promoter of PlACO1 and further regulates ethylene production. Modulation of PlMYB308 and PlACO1 can delay flower senescence and extend the vase life of the flowers.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Lei Wang, Zisheng Luo, Zhaojun Ban, Nan Jiang, Mingyi Yang, Li Li
Summary: The application of exogenous melatonin significantly delays color change and firmness decline of jujubes, while maintaining the content of total soluble solids and titratable acidity. Exogenous melatonin also increases endogenous melatonin content and enhances phenolic compounds levels.
Article
Horticulture
Mona Anbaz, Mina Bayanati, Tahmineh Lohrasebi, Amir Mousavi, Khadijeh Razavi
Summary: This study conducted the first comprehensive genome-wide exploration of the PDI gene family in Rosa chinensis and revealed their role in flower aging. The researchers identified 41 RcPDIs in the genome of R. chinensis and investigated their chromosomal distribution, gene structure, and conserved protein sequences. Protein interaction analysis also showed that RhPDI and RhPDIA6 were related to other protein disulfide isomerases and oxidases. Additionally, the study found that the expression of both genes in cut roses can be induced by ethylene treatment.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Tianye Chen, Wenhui Duan
Summary: In this study, the effects of low temperature on the senescence of tomato fruit were investigated. The results showed that low temperature storage suppressed ethylene signaling, leading to delayed fruit senescence.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yan Li, Chang Liu, Qinghua Shi, Fengjuan Yang, Min Wei
Summary: The study investigated the effects of red (R) and blue (B) light on endogenous melatonin levels and fruit quality during tomato ripening. It was found that melatonin levels decreased as fruit ripened, but were noticeably enhanced with mixed red and blue (RB) light, leading to accelerated fruit softening and increased ethylene and lycopene biosynthesis. The findings suggest that RB light may regulate endogenous melatonin, promoting fruit ripening and quality improvement in tomatoes through cross-talk with other biomolecules and increased ethylene production and signaling.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Erika A. Keshishian, Brannan R. Cliver, William F. McLaughlin, H. Tucker Hallmark, Lenka Plackova, Leslie R. Goertzen, Ondrej Novak, Paul A. Cobine, Courtney P. Leisner, Aaron M. Rashotte
Summary: Cytokinin is important for development and abiotic stress response, and CYTOKININ RESPONSE FACTOR 2 (CRF2) is involved in salt stress response. CRF2 regulates cytokinin biosynthesis genes and ion content, and plays a role in modulating photosynthesis during salt stress.
Article
Plant Sciences
Shina Huang, Kaiheng Zhu, Yanbo Chen, Xiaojing Wang, Yaqin Wang
Summary: The study identified GhPOE1 as a positive regulator of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis, with overexpression leading to yellowing leaves and significant changes in gene expression. This suggests that GhPOE1 may serve as a novel candidate for prolonging the vase life of cut Gerbera flowers.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
D. Marin, J. Armengol, P. Carbonell-Bejerano, J. M. Escalona, D. Gramaje, E. Hernandez-Montes, D. S. Intrigliolo, J. M. Martinez-Zapater, H. Medrano, J. M. Miras-Avalos, J. E. Palomares-Rius, P. Romero-Azorin, R. Save, L. G. Santesteban, F. de Herralde
Summary: Viticulture is facing emerging challenges due to climate change and social demands, requiring adaptation strategies for sustainability. Rootstocks play a crucial role in connecting soil and scion, offering a potential solution to address climate change and soil-borne pests.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF GRAPE AND WINE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Javier Ib, Lalla Hasna Zinelabidine, Rafael Torres-Perez, Jerome Grimplet, Elisa Baroja, Sergio Ibanez, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Jose Miguel Martinez-Zapater, Javier Ibanez, Javier Tello
Summary: The study revealed that grape yield components are determined by complex polygenic factors, with certain SNPs showing additive effects on the phenotype. This suggests that superior grape cultivars with optimized fruit production can potentially be generated by pyramiding advantageous alleles from different genetic loci.
Article
Plant Sciences
Carolina Royo, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Rafael Torres-Perez, Luisa Freire, Javier Ibanez, Jose Miguel Martinez-Zapater, Mar Vilanova
Summary: The study found that the terpenic composition in grape juice can differentiate between floral, terpenic, and neutral aroma profiles across different cultivars. While the terpenic profile of Loureira and Albarino white cultivars was not associated with muscat-like mutations, Albarino carries a V34L substitution in VviDXS1 that is also present in other aromatic cultivars and was not reported before.
JOURNAL OF BERRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Luciano Calderon, Nuria Mauri, Claudio Munoz, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Laura Bree, Daniel Bergamin, Cristobal Sola, Sebastian Gomez-Talquenca, Carolina Royo, Javier Ibanez, Jose Miguel Martinez-Zapater, Diego Lijavetzky
Summary: The study suggests that human actions may drive somatic mutations leading to genetic diversity in grapevines, such as the Malbec cultivar. Through whole-genome resequencing data and genotyping experiments, genetically divergent clonal lineages were identified and associated with the time span of clonal propagation of the analyzed accessions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel Ventimilla, Karelia Velazquez, Susana Ruiz-Ruiz, Javier Terol, Miguel A. Perez-Amador, M. Carmen Vives, Jose Guerri, Manuel Talon, Francisco R. Tadeo
Summary: In Nicotiana benthamiana, the pair of NbenIDA1 homeologs and the receptor NbenHAE.1 regulate corolla abscission by controlling cellular breakdown, demonstrating the conservation of the IDA-HAE/HSL2 signaling module in angiosperms.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ana P. Santos, Carolina Belfiore, Cristina Urbez, Alejandro Ferrando, Miguel A. Blazquez, Maria E. Farias
Summary: This study found that bacteria from extreme environments can promote plant growth and enhance the tolerance of soybean plants to salt stress. These bacteria not only increased the germination rate of soybeans but also doubled the length and dry biomass of soybean roots under salt stress. Additionally, the presence of these bacteria resulted in changes in plant gene expression, particularly in genes related to growth and stress responses. This research suggests that these extremophilic bacteria could serve as potential bio-inoculants to alleviate salt stress and promote plant growth.
JOURNAL OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Adam Nunn, Isaac Rodriguez-Arevalo, Zenith Tandukar, Katherine Frels, Adrian Contreras-Garrido, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Panpan Zhang, Daniela Ramos-Cruz, Katharina Jandrasits, Christa Lanz, Anthony Brusa, Marie Mirouze, Kevin Dorn, Brice Jarvis, John Sedbrook, Donald L. Wyse, Christian Otto, David Langenberger, Peter F. Stadler, Detlef Weigel, M. David Marks, James A. Anderson, Claude Becker, Ratan Chopra
Summary: Thlaspi arvense, a winter annual oilseed crop, is being domesticated to improve ecosystems and agricultural productivity without increasing land use. It is a selfing diploid and a suitable model species for genetics and epigenetics. The study presents a chromosome-level genome assembly and investigates gene structure differences between two highly transformable accessions.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniela Barro-Trastoy, Maria D. Gomez, Noel Blanco-Tourinan, Pablo Tornero, Miguel A. Perez-Amador
Summary: DELLA proteins participate in ovule initiation by forming a protein complex with the CUC2 transcription factor. This interaction helps determine the boundary regions between ovules during pistil development. DELLA proteins may also act as transcriptional co-regulators in a CUC2-dependent manner at certain gene loci.
Article
Horticulture
J. Tello, C. Royo, E. Baroja, E. Garcia-Escudero, J. M. Martinez-Zapater, P. Carbonell-Bejerano
Summary: The sensitivity of fruit set to the environment is a genetic feature that limits production in some grapevine clones. Research on the Tempranillo Blanco cultivar reveals that decreased fruit yield is associated with somatic loss of fruit colour and lower cluster weight due to genetic reduction in pollen viability. Environmental factors such as prolonged cold periods and abundant rainfalls are also found to contribute to increased seedless berries in the cluster.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Cecilia Martinez-Martinez, Maria Jose Gonzalo, Pablo Sipowicz, Manuel Campos, Irene Martinez-Fernandez, Carmen Leida, Mohammed Zouine, Konstantinos G. Alexiou, Jordi Garcia-Mas, Maria Dolores Gomez, Pablo Tornero, Miguel Angel Perez-Amador, Cristina Esteras, Belen Pico, Carlos Romero, Antonio J. Monforte
Summary: The gene underlying the melon fruit shape QTL fsqs8.1 belongs to the Ovate Family Proteins, and changes in gene expression likely due to a cryptic structural variation at this locus lead to variation in fruit morphology. The round fruit shape induced by the CALC allele at the early ovary development stage is a result of this variation, which is responsible for transgressive segregation in fruit shape.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fernando A. Rabanal, Maike Graff, Christa Lanz, Katrin Fritschi, Victor Llaca, Michelle Lang, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Ian Henderson, Detlef Weigel
Summary: By comparing the assembly methods of long-read and high-fidelity reads, researchers found that contig breaks in long-read assembly are mainly caused by centromeres and rDNA clusters, while unfilled gaps in high-fidelity assembly are primarily composed of relatively short repetitive segments. This approach demonstrates its value in research by enabling the reconstruction of gapless genome regions.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2022)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Gabriella De Lorenzis, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Silvia Laura Toffolatti, Javier Tello
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Maria Dolores Gomez, Isabel Cored, Daniela Barro-Trastoy, Joaquin Sanchez-Matilla, Pablo Tornero, Miguel A. Perez-Amador
Summary: Seed size is a crucial factor in crop breeding. A study has found that DELLA proteins play a key role in controlling seed size by regulating the transcriptional activation of AINTEGUMENTA, which promotes cell proliferation and organ growth in the ovule integuments. This discovery suggests that modulation of the DELLA-dependent pathway could be a potential approach to improve crop yield.
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Grey Monroe, Thanvi Srikant, Pablo Carbonell-Bejerano, Claude Becker, Mariele Lensink, Moises Exposito-Alonso, Marie Klein, Julia Hildebrandt, Manuela Neumann, Daniel Kliebenstein, Mao-Lun Weng, Eric Imbert, Jon Agren, Matthew T. Rutter, Charles B. Fenster, Detlef Weigel
Article
Plant Sciences
Asier Briones-Moreno, Jorge Hernandez-Garcia, Carlos Vargas-Chavez, Noel Blanco-Tourinan, Alexandros Phokas, Cristina Urbez, Pablo D. Cerdan, Juliet C. Coates, David Alabadi, Miguel A. Blazquez
Summary: DELLA proteins are specific transcriptional regulators in land plants that transmit environmental information to various plant processes. The regulation of DELLA stability by gibberellins and their interaction with hundreds of transcription factors are the molecular basis for their critical function in angiosperms. It is unclear whether the ability to establish interaction networks is an ancestral property of DELLA proteins or is linked to their role in gibberellin signaling.