Review
Plant Sciences
Khopeno Khuvung, Federico A. O. Silva Gutierrez, Didier Reinhardt
Summary: Despite being recognized as a phytohormone only 15 years ago, strigolactone plays a central role in controlling plant architecture, particularly in regulating shoot branching. Along with auxin, it is involved in the genetic and environmental regulation of shoot branching. The interaction between strigolactone, auxin, and other signaling pathways affects apical dominance and bud activation in flowering plants.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kuiju Niu, Ran Zhang, Ruiting Zhu, Yong Wang, Dan Zhang, Huiling Ma
Summary: Recent studies have shown that Cd stress leads to a reduction in tiller and axillary bud numbers in perennial ryegrass seedlings. This inhibition is primarily due to the suppression of axillary bud outgrowth rather than bud initiation. Cd stress induces axillary bud dormancy and inhibits axillary bud development by decreasing zeatin content and upregulating genes related to strigolactone signaling and bud dormancy.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Shangyu Chen, Xuewei Song, Qixiang Zheng, Yuqi Liu, Jingquan Yu, Yanhong Zhou, Xiaojian Xia
Summary: Researchers have discovered that the SPL13 gene in tomato can suppress the growth of lateral buds by inhibiting the synthesis of plant hormone cytokinins, thus regulating plant architecture.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Di Yang, Xiong Liu, Xiaoming Yin, Tian Dong, Min Yu, Yan Wu
Summary: The study reveals that the OsNPC6 gene in rice plays a role in mesocotyl elongation by modulating the level of phosphocholine (PCho), thereby influencing plant response to gibberellic acid (GA) signaling.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eunji Ga, Jaeeun Song, Myung Ki Min, Jihee Ha, Sangkyu Park, Saet Buyl Lee, Jong-Yeol Lee, Beom-Gi Kim
Summary: A transient gene expression system in rice protoplasts was used to systematically test the contributions of different CK signaling components, either alone or in combinations, revealing distinct CK signaling activities. This system allows rapid and high-throughput exploration of CK signaling in rice.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Seong-Gyu Jang, So-Yeon Park, San Mar Lar, Hongjia Zhang, Ah-Rim Lee, Fang-Yuan Cao, Jeonghwan Seo, Tae-Ho Ham, Joohyun Lee, Soon-Wook Kwon
Summary: In this study, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted to identify 11 lead SNPs associated with mesocotyl length in rice. A linkage disequilibrium (LD) decay analysis identified a 230 kb exploratory range for the detection of QTLs and candidate genes. Five candidate genes were detected to be significantly associated with phenotypic variation, with gene expressions related to plant hormone responses and biotic stress response.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Yamei Wang, Jindong Liu, Yun Meng, Hongyan Liu, Chang Liu, Guoyou Ye
Summary: This study identified 14 QTL associated with mesocotyl length in rice through QTL-seq and GWAS, with some QTL related to known genes or QTL and others potentially novel. Six of the identified QTL were stable across multiple populations, suggesting potential value for genetic improvement in rice direct-seeding cultivation.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Yu, Jiyang Yu, Qinglong Wang, Jing Wang, Guangxin Zhao, Hongkai Wu, Yanming Zhu, Chengcai Chu, Jun Fang
Summary: The OsOR gene in rice plays a crucial role not only in carotenoid accumulation, but also in the regulation of tiller number and responses to environmental stress.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mhyeddeen Halawa, Anne Cortleven, Thomas Schmuelling, Alexander Heyl
Summary: The signal transduction of plant hormone cytokinin is mediated by a His-to-Asp phosphorelay. Traditional cytokinin receptors include a CHASE domain and a histidine kinase domain, while a different type receptor named CHASE domain receptor serine/threonine kinase (CHARK) is also found in rice. CHARK, despite having a different kinase domain, functions as a cytokinin receptor in plants.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Stephanie C. Kerr, Suyash B. Patil, Alexandre de Saint Germain, Jean-Paul Pillot, Julie Saffar, Yasmine Ligerot, Gregoire Aubert, Sylvie Citerne, Yannick Bellec, Elizabeth A. Dun, Christine A. Beveridge, Catherine Rameau
Summary: The study identified a pea homolog gene PsSMXL7, which is related to D53 and SMXL6/SMXL7, and revealed its role in regulating bud outgrowth and integrating SL and CK responses. PsSMXL7, like D53 and related SMXLs, can be degraded by SL and induces feedback upregulation of its transcript, suggesting a conserved system in pea and rice involving SL and CK cross-talk in branching regulation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Karin Okazaki, Sachi Watanabe, Imari Koike, Kojiro Kawada, Shinsaku Ito, Hidemitsu Nakamura, Tadao Asami, Koichiro Shimomura, Mikihisa Umehara
Summary: SL inhibits adventitious shoot formation in ipecac, while SL-related inhibitors promote adventitious shoot formation. The results suggest that SL-related inhibitors may serve as new plant growth regulators for improving plant propagation efficiency in vitro.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Randall P. Niedz, Kim D. Bowman
Summary: This study aimed to improve the efficiency of citrus bud-grafting. A multifactor design of experiment approach was used to determine the effects of six factors on bud-grafting measures. Four useful measures were identified for treatments of practical value. The results showed that no supplemental light reduced the number of shoots from rootstock axial buds, a south orientation and 5 mM BA maximized the percentage of grafted buds that formed shoots, a north orientation and 5 mM BA maximized the length of the longest grafted bud shoot, and 5 mM BA maximized the leaf area of the grafted bud shoots.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuanli Jia, Tao Wang, Gaozi Zhou, Lei Tang, Xueping Yue, Xinrui Liu, Tao Cao, Juan Yang, Youfeng Tao, Fei Deng, Wei Zhou, Wanjun Ren, Yong Chen
Summary: The elongation of mesocotyl in rice seedlings is not beneficial for improving the quality of mechanically transplanted seedlings, resulting in weak seedlings and poor root coiling force. The length of mesocotyl shows a single peak with increasing seedling age and gradually disappears. Longer mesocotyls senesce slower but yield lower-quality seedlings, making them unsuitable for mechanized transplantation.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yun Meng, Junhui Zhan, Hongyan Liu, Jindong Liu, Yamei Wang, Zhan Guo, Sang He, Lixiao Nie, Ajay Kohli, Guoyou Ye
Summary: Through a genome-wide association study, natural allelic variations in a mitochondrial transcription termination factor, OsML1, were found to predominantly determine the natural variation of mesocotyl length (ML) in rice. Transgenic experiments showed that OsML1 influences cell elongation primarily through H2O2 homeostasis, which promotes mesocotyl elongation and improves the emergence rate under deep direct seeding. Thus, OsML1 is a key positive regulator of ML and can be used in developing varieties for deep direct seeding.
Article
Plant Sciences
Manrong Zha, Yanhui Zhao, Yan Wang, Bingxian Chen, Zecheng Tan
Summary: Shoot branching, a crucial trait in rice, is regulated by auxins, cytokinins, and strigolactones. This study investigated the impact of different treatments on tiller and axillary bud development in rice and found that nutrient deficiency and exogenous strigolactone supply inhibit tiller outgrowth by reducing cytokinin content in the buds. The study also revealed that strigolactone promotes OsCKX gene expression in buds, indicating an antagonistic role of strigolactone with cytokinin in regulating bud outgrowth.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Takaki Yamauchi, Ole Pedersen, Mikio Nakazono, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi
Summary: Drought and flooding present contrasting abiotic stressors for plants, with root anatomical traits playing a crucial role in adaptation. Research indicates that the ratio of root tissue areas can fully explain the adaptations of wild Poaceae species to soil water gradients. Three indices (CSR, XSR, and ACR) can determine the optimal anatomical traits for plant adaptation to soil water content.
Article
Plant Sciences
Hiroki Ayabe, Narumi Kawai, Mitsuhiro Shibamura, Yoichiro Fukao, Masaru Fujimoto, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, Shin-ichi Arimura
Summary: Two translation-related proteins are identified as interacting with FMT, affecting mitochondrial distribution. Unlike other CLU genes, mutations in FMT do not result in a clear decrease in nuclear-encoded mitochondrial protein levels, suggesting functional divergence within the CLU superfamily gene family.
PLANT CELL REPORTS
(2021)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Masaaki Umeda, Momoko Ikeuchi, Masaki Ishikawa, Toshiro Ito, Ryuichi Nishihama, Junko Kyozuka, Keiko U. Torii, Akiko Satake, Gohta Goshima, Hitoshi Sakakibara
Summary: The remarkable features of plant stem cells, including pluripotency and the ability to generate new organs, set them apart from animal cells. A research project supported by the Japanese government aims to uncover the regulatory principles governing plant stem cell characteristics through collaboration with multiple research groups. The project focuses on key factors triggering epigenetic reprogramming, gene network changes, and hormonal regulation in plant stem cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuki Hata, Junko Kyozuka
Summary: This review compares the molecular mechanisms of stem cell control in the shoot apical meristems of mosses and angiosperms, highlighting the conserved features and evolution of plant stem cells. The findings demonstrate the importance and conservation of hormonal, genetic, and epigenetic factors in stem cell regulation across different plant species, providing insights into the evolutionary trajectory of the shoot apical meristem.
PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Junko Kyozuka, Takahito Nomura, Masaki Shimamura
Summary: Strigolactones (SLs) are plant hormones and signaling chemicals that affect the growth and development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and parasitic plants. Recent research has shed light on the origin and evolution of SLs functions.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Andree S. Kusnandar, Jun-Ichi Itoh, Yutaka Sato, Eriko Honda, Ken-Ichiro Hibara, Junko Kyozuka, Satoshi Naramoto
Summary: NDL1 is a crucial transcription factor in rice that regulates leaf development and shoot apical meristem maintenance. Loss of NDL1 function results in abnormal leaves and shoot apical meristems, as well as reduced auxin signaling. The study reveals the molecular basis for leaf development in rice.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Takaki Yamauchi, Mikio Nakazono
Summary: Lysigenous aerenchyma created by cortical cell death facilitates efficient oxygen diffusion within plants and reduces energy costs. Studies have shown benefits of aerenchyma formation under various conditions, but further research is needed to understand the involved mechanisms.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fiona Wacera Wahinya, Kiyoshi Yamazaki, Zihuan Jing, Tsuneaki Takami, Takehiro Kamiya, Hiromi Kajiya-Kanegae, Hideki Takanashi, Hiroyoshi Iwata, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, Toru Fujiwara, Wataru Sakamoto
Summary: Understanding the genetic factors that control grain ionome profiles in sorghum is important for optimized crop production. This study identified a gene, SbHMA3a, responsible for low accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in grain and showed that it functions as a Cd transporter in root tissues. These findings will facilitate the development of cultivars with low Cd accumulation or the use of high-Cd cultivars for phytoremediation.
PLANT AND CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Issei Nakazato, Miki Okuno, Chang Zhou, Takehiko Itoh, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, Mizuki Takenaka, Shin-Ichi Arimura
Summary: In addition to their role in respiration, mitochondria in land plants contain important genes whose functions and regulations are not fully understood. Until recently, it has been challenging to analyze and improve these genes due to the lack of methods for stably modifying plant mitochondrial genomes. However, the use of mitochondria-targeting transcription activator-like effector nucleases (mitoTALENs) has provided a breakthrough in gene disruption without causing major changes in genome structure. This study demonstrates the successful use of mitochondria-targeting TALEN-based cytidine deaminase to substitute targeted base pairs in plant mitochondrial genomes, highlighting the potential for precise genetic modifications in plants.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hiroki Ayabe, Atsushi Toyoda, Akitoshi Iwamoto, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, Shin-ichi Arimura
Summary: Disruption of a single mitochondria-encoded gene leads to widespread changes in mitochondria and nuclear gene expression, potentially due to increased mitochondrial genome copy number. A method using mitochondria-localized TALEN (mitoTALEN) has been developed for disrupting mitochondrial genes in several plant species. In this study, disruption of NADH dehydrogenase subunit7 (NAD7) gene in Arabidopsis using mitoTALEN resulted in severe growth inhibition and lethality, indicating the essential function of NAD7 in Arabidopsis. Knockout of nad7 also increased mitochondrial genome copy number and overall expression of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. Similar increases were observed in mutants with decreased NAD7 transcripts and dysfunctional mitochondrial respiratory complexes. These findings suggest a global gene-expression control mechanism through mitochondrial genome copy number in Arabidopsis and the broad consequences of disrupting single mitochondrial genes in both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Takaki Yamauchi, Akihiro Tanaka, Mikio Nakazono, Yoshiaki Inukai
Summary: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of modeling-based age-dependent analysis for dissecting stepwise lateral root development in rice. By measuring various parameters and fitting them with appropriate models, the researchers identified age-dependent patterns and found that the mutant iaa13 showed reduced lateral root and primordium numbers and lengths. Gene expression patterns suggested the involvement of ARF11 in lateral root initiation and growth, while PINOID-dependent auxin flux shift contributed to lateral root diameter increase.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yiling Miao, Qian Xun, Teruaki Taji, Keisuke Tanaka, Naoko Yasuno, Chengqiang Ding, Junko Kyozuka
Summary: ABERRANT PANICLE ORGANIZATION2 is a master regulator of rice panicle development, directly regulating a set of genes in multiple steps of reproductive development.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Satoshi Naramoto, Yuki Hata, Tomomichi Fujita, Junko Kyozuka
Summary: Bryophytes are nonvascular spore-forming plants with the gametophyte generation dominating over the sporophyte generation. Moss Physcomitrium patens and liverwort Marchantia polymorpha have been important model systems for studying cell and developmental biology, providing insights into polarity formation and cellular mechanisms. Future studies in evolutionary cell and developmental biology of plants will continue to benefit from advancements in genomic tools and model systems like these.
Article
Plant Sciences
Issei Nakazato, Miki Okuno, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yoshiko Tamura, Takehiko Itoh, Toshiharu Shikanai, Hideki Takanashi, Nobuhiro Tsutsumi, Shin-ichi Arimura
Summary: By fusing bacterial cytidine deaminase with the DNA binding domains of transcription activator-like effector nucleases, targeted base editing in the plastid genome of Arabidopsis thaliana was achieved, with mutations inherited by offspring independently of their nuclear-introduced vectors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yohei Mizuno, Aino Komatsu, Shota Shimazaki, Satoshi Naramoto, Keisuke Inoue, Xiaonan Xie, Kimitsune Ishizaki, Takayuki Kohchi, Junko Kyozuka
Summary: In this study, it was demonstrated that early thallus growth is retarded and gemma dormancy in the dark is suppressed in Mpkai2a and Mpmax2 loss-of-function mutants. However, these defects were counteracted in Mpkai2a Mpsmx1 and Mpmax2 Mpsmx1 double mutants, indicating that MpKAI2A, MpMAX2, and MpSMXL act in the same genetic pathway.
