Article
Plant Sciences
Xin Hou, Yagiz Alagoz, Ralf Welsch, Matthew D. Mortimer, Barry J. Pogson, Christopher Cazzonelli
Summary: PHYTOENE SYNTHASE (PSY) is an important enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis, and changes in its gene expression and activity can affect carotenoid composition and plastid differentiation in plants. In this study, four genetic variants of PSY were identified, and they were found to regulate leaf virescence phenotypes and plastid abnormalities in mutant plants. These variants influenced alternative splicing, enzyme-substrate interactions, and protein binding, thereby fine-tuning the levels and activity of PSY. Additionally, they also affected the accumulation of specific substances and the regulation of plastid development.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caterina 'Ambrosio, Adriana Lucia Stigliani, Jose L. Rambla, Sarah Frusciante, Gianfranco Diretto, Eugenia M. A. Enfissi, Antonio Granell, Paul D. Fraser, Giovanni Giorio
Summary: Carotenoids are essential components of the human diet due to their important biological functions. However, the zeaxanthin content in genetically modified tomato fruits was lower than expected, indicating a significant reduction in carotenoid biosynthesis. This abnormal production of zeaxanthin may be regulated by a xanthophyll-derived apocarotenoid in tomato chromoplasts.
Review
Plant Sciences
Heebak Choi, Taegyu Yi, Sun-Hwa Ha
Summary: Plastids play vital roles in plant cells, carrying out specialized functions such as photosynthesis and metabolite production. They exhibit diverse forms and characteristics that enable them to function in a variety of developmental processes and environmental signals. The regulatory mechanisms of plastids are discussed, focusing on transcriptional and post-translational levels and greening versus non-greening phenotypes.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Adel Soti, Roumaissa Ounoki, Annamaria Kosa, Beata Mysliwa-Kurdziel, Eva Sarvari, Katalin Solymosi
Summary: This study found that salt treatments partially inhibited the greening process of wheat seedling leaves, with the ionic component of salinity having a stronger negative impact than the osmotic component. High soil salinity affects the structure and function of leaves, with sodium ions having the most significant negative effect.
Article
Agronomy
Xi Liu, Ziyi Xu, Yanrong Yang, Penghui Cao, Hang Cheng, Haiying Zhou
Summary: This study identified an albino lethal mutant al3 in rice, which is a plastidic caseinolytic protease OsClpR1 affecting the transcript levels of chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development-related genes. The results provide novel insights into the function of Clps in rice.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Lv, Yueying Wang, Qiang Zhang, Changzhao Chen, Qian Qian, Longbiao Guo
Summary: The study identifies a new protein, WAL3, which plays a crucial role in chloroplast development in rice.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hong Wang, Ranran Tu, Zheyan Ruan, Duo Wu, Zequn Peng, Xingpeng Zhou, Qunen Liu, Weixun Wu, Liyong Cao, Shihua Cheng, Lianping Sun, Xiaodeng Zhan, Xihong Shen
Summary: The study isolated and characterized a gene ST3 associated with chloroplast development in rice, revealing its involvement in dNTP metabolism and providing insight into the regulatory mechanisms. The findings suggest potential application in hybrid rice breeding through manipulation of dNTP pool.
Article
Plant Sciences
Julian Koschmieder, Florian Wuest, Patrick Schaub, Daniel Alvarez, Danika Trautmann, Markus Krischke, Camille Rustenholz, Jun'ichi Mano, Martin J. Mueller, Dorothea Bartels, Philippe Hugueney, Peter Beyer, Ralf Welsch
Summary: This study characterized the transcriptome of transgenic Arabidopsis roots accumulating high levels of beta-carotene and beta-apocarotenoids, shedding light on the feedback regulation and metabolic processes involved in carotenoid degradation. The research suggests that apocarotenoid metabolization, derivatization, and compartmentalization play key roles in (apo)carotenoid metabolism in plants, with implications for detoxification enzymes and cellular deposition mechanisms.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu Yang, Haneen Abuauf, Shanshan Song, Jian You Wang, Yagiz Alagoz, Juan C. Moreno, Jianing Mi, Abdugaffor Ablazov, Muhammad Jamil, Shawkat Ali, Xiongjie Zheng, Aparna Balakrishna, Ikram Blilou, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: The enzyme DWARF27 (D27) is responsible for the isomerization of β-carotene and the initiation of strigolactone (SL) biosynthesis. In this study, the enzymatic activity and biological function of D27-like1 were investigated. D27-like1 was found to contribute to SL biosynthesis by forming 9-cis-beta-carotene. Additionally, D27-like1 was found to affect the content of ABA and auxin.
Review
Plant Sciences
Katalin Solymosi, Beata Mysliwa-Kurdziel
Summary: This review provides an overview of chlorophyll biosynthesis in angiosperms and highlights the importance of protein-membrane and protein-lipid interactions in this process. The last steps of the biosynthetic pathway and the unique properties of the LPOR enzyme are also summarized in the article.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lina Escobar-Tovar, Julio Sierra, Arihel Hernandez-Munoz, Ryan P. McQuinn, Sandra Mathioni, Elizabeth Cordoba, Catherine Colas des Francs-Small, Blake C. Meyers, Barry Pogson, Patricia Leon
Summary: This study reveals the molecular events causing the leaf phenotype associated with the accumulation of ACS1, which includes two consecutive retrograde signaling cascades. Firstly, ACS1 originating in the plastid drives inhibition of plastid translation (IPT) via nuclear transcriptome remodeling of chlororibosomal proteins, requiring light as an essential component. Subsequently, IPT results in leaf morphological defects via a GUN1-dependent pathway shared with seedlings undergoing chemical IPT treatments and is restricted to an early window of the leaf development.
Article
Plant Sciences
Hongjia Liu, Xue Gong, Hui Deng, Jinjuan Tan, Yanqing Sun, Fang Wang, Wenjuan Wu, Zhongjing Zhou, Rumeng Xu, Haiyan He, Clive Lo
Summary: Aminoacyl tRNA synthetases play a crucial role in protein translation by attaching specific amino acids to tRNAs. However, their functions in regulating plant growth and development are still not well understood. In this study, we identified a rice mutant, ylc3, which exhibited reduced chlorophyll content, altered thylakoid structure, and increased levels of certain amino acids under low temperature conditions. We found that YLC3 encodes an aspartyl-tRNA synthetase localized in the cytosol and mitochondria. Proteomics analysis revealed that thylakoid proteins were down-regulated in the mutant, while proteins involved in amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis were up-regulated, particularly key enzymes that convert aspartate to asparagine. Furthermore, we observed accumulation of uncharged tRNA-Asp and phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2 alpha in the mutant, suggesting that YLC3 regulates amino acid metabolism and chloroplast thylakoid development through modulation of protein synthesis.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Abrar Felemban, Juan C. Moreno, Jianing Mi, Shawkat Ali, Arjun Sham, Synan F. Abuqamar, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: Researchers have found that the application of the carotenoid-derived metabolite beta-ionone (beta-I) causes a global reprogramming of gene expression in plants, resulting in enhanced resistance to the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea (B.c.). This discovery suggests the potential use of beta-I as an environmentally friendly bio-fungicide to control B.c. infestation.
Article
Agronomy
Syed Adeel Zafar, Muhammad Uzair, Muhammad Ramzan Khan, Suyash B. Patil, Jingjing Fang, Jinfeng Zhao, Sneh Lata Singla-Pareek, Ashwani Pareek, Xueyong Li
Summary: This study revealed the crucial role of the DPS1 gene in regulating leaf cuticle development and senescence in rice, with loss of function leading to leaf senescence and defective cuticle development. Moderate expression of DPS1 is essential for better plant growth and productivity.
FOOD AND ENERGY SECURITY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Dehui Chang, Hao Zhang, Jing Ge, Qi Xing, Xinyi Guo, Xiaohu Wang, Chen Dong
Summary: This study identifies CNS9 as an essential cis-regulatory element controlling the lineage stability and plasticity of ILC3s through modulating expression levels of ROR gamma t protein.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
N. Dhami, B. J. Pogson, D. T. Tissue, C. Cazzonelli
Summary: The study established a foliar pigment-based bioassay using Arabidopsis rosette leaves and found that environmental treatments and chemical inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis reduce chlorophyll levels in young leaves. Disruption of CAROTENOID ISOMERASE (CRTISO) activity, but not ZETA-CAROTENE ISOMERASE (Z-ISO) activity, also reduces chlorophyll levels in young leaves. These findings suggest that carotenoid isomerase activity and NFZ-induced inhibition of PDS activity elicit different signaling pathways to control chlorophyll homeostasis in young leaves of Arabidopsis.
Review
Plant Sciences
Lucky Paudel, Stephanie Kerr, Peter Prentis, Milos Tanurdzic, Alexie Papanicolaou, Jonathan M. Plett, Christopher Cazzonelli
Summary: Multipartite viral vectors are a simple, inexpensive, and effective biotechnological tool for transiently manipulating gene expression in plants. By manipulating carotenoid biosynthesis, these vectors have advanced our understanding of carotenoid regulation and accumulation. This technology is important for characterizing gene function, accelerating fruit tree breeding programs, and developing carotenoid-enriched plant products.
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Angus Dingley, Sidra Anwar, Paul Kristiansen, Nigel W. M. Warwick, Chun-Hui Wang, Brian M. Sindel, Christopher I. Cazzonelli
Summary: Global climate change and anthropological activities have resulted in a decline in insect pollinators worldwide. This has led to the need for alternate natural insect pollinators and artificial technologies in agricultural practices. Tomato plants have a unique self-pollinating mechanism that requires stimulation of floral organs to release pollen. Precision pollination has the potential to significantly improve tomato seed set, size, yield, and quality. This review discusses various pollination mechanisms for tomato flowers and explores emerging precision pollination technologies.
Review
Plant Sciences
Andres Garcia, Oorbessy Gaju, Andrew F. Bowerman, Sally A. Buck, John R. Evans, Robert T. Furbank, Matthew Gilliham, A. Harvey Millar, Barry J. Pogson, Matthew P. Reynolds, Yong-Ling Ruan, Nicolas L. Taylor, Stephen D. Tyerman, Owen K. Atkin
Summary: This review explores the potential to increase crop yield potential by optimizing the efficiency of converting light energy into biomass, respiratory ATP production, and ATP use. By targeting factors such as photoprotective machinery, enzymatic kinetics, and metabolic pathways, it is possible to significantly enhance the yield potential of globally important crops.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrew F. Bowerman, Caitlin S. Byrt, Stuart John Roy, Spencer M. Whitney, Jenny C. Mortimer, Rachel A. Ankeny, Matthew Gilliham, Dabing Zhang, Anthony A. Millar, Greg J. Rebetzke, Barry J. Pogson
Summary: This article reviews the impact of climate change on farming systems and discusses the traits and technologies needed to develop climate-resilient crops. It emphasizes the importance of public engagement and highlights the challenges of feeding a growing population under harsh and unpredictable climate conditions. It also emphasizes the need to prepare for floods, droughts, frosts, and heat waves, and advocates for modifying current practices and innovative breeding methods.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu Yang, Haneen Abuauf, Shanshan Song, Jian You Wang, Yagiz Alagoz, Juan C. Moreno, Jianing Mi, Abdugaffor Ablazov, Muhammad Jamil, Shawkat Ali, Xiongjie Zheng, Aparna Balakrishna, Ikram Blilou, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: The enzyme DWARF27 (D27) is responsible for the isomerization of β-carotene and the initiation of strigolactone (SL) biosynthesis. In this study, the enzymatic activity and biological function of D27-like1 were investigated. D27-like1 was found to contribute to SL biosynthesis by forming 9-cis-beta-carotene. Additionally, D27-like1 was found to affect the content of ABA and auxin.
Review
Plant Sciences
Alice Stra, Lamyaa O. Almarwaey, Yagiz Alagoz, Juan C. Moreno, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: Carotenoids are natural pigments produced by plants, algae, bacteria, and microorganisms, playing essential roles in light-harvesting and protecting the photosynthetic apparatus. They are also precursors of important metabolites like vitamin A and phytohormones. Genetic engineering and metabolic engineering have been used to enhance carotenoid content and production, with recent advances including CRISPR technologies and viral vectors. Manipulating carotenoid biosynthesis can improve crop yield and growth, making it an important target for crop improvements. This article provides an overview of carotenoid biosynthesis and discusses the latest advances in synthetic carotenoid metabolism in plants and microorganisms.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Vanessa M. Conn, Marta Gabryelska, John Toubia, Kirsty Kirk, Laura Gantley, Jason A. Powell, Gokhan Cildir, Shashikanth Marri, Ryan Liu, Brett W. Stringer, Scott Townley, Stuart T. Webb, He Lin, Saumya E. Samaraweera, Sheree Bailey, Andrew S. Moore, Mellissa Maybury, Dawei Liu, Alex D. Colella, Timothy Chataway, Craig T. Wallington-Gates, Lucie Walters, Jane Sibbons, Luke A. Seith, Vinay Tergaonkar, Richard J. D'Andrea, Stuart M. Pitson, Gregory J. Goodall, Simon J. Conn
Summary: The first step of oncogenesis is the acquisition of genetic mutations to initiate and sustain malignancy. In acute leukemias, the formation of a potent oncogene called the MLL recombinome by chromosomal translocations is a key example of this initiation phase. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a type of covalently closed RNA molecules, are enriched within the MLL recombinome and can bind DNA to form circRNA:DNA hybrids (circR loops) at specific sites. These circR loops promote transcriptional pausing, chromatin re-organization, and DNA breakage, leading to the generation of clinically relevant chromosomal translocations and hastening disease onset in mouse leukemia xenograft models.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Katya M. Aguliar M. Perez, Yagiz Alagoz, Batoul Maatouk, Jian You Wang, Lamis Berqdar, Somayah Qutub, Muhammad Jamil, Sara AlNasser, Nouf BinSaleh, Peiyu Lin, Lamyaa Almarwaey, Tadao Asami, Salim Al-Babili, Niveen M. Khashab
Summary: Sustainable and precise fortification practices are necessary for ensuring food security. This study demonstrates that biomimetic mineralization can effectively encapsulate and control the release of plant biostimulants to improve crop quality and yield in field experiments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ryan P. McQuinn, Julie Leroux, Julio Sierra, Lina Escobar-Tovar, Sarah Frusciante, E. Jean Finnegan, Gianfranco Diretto, Giovanni Giuliano, James J. Giovannoni, Patricia Leon, Barry J. Pogson
Summary: The redundancy and interplay among transcriptional regulators of floral development play a crucial role in ensuring plant reproductive success and crop production. This study reveals an additional layer of complexity in the regulation of floral meristem identity and flower development, linking carotenoid biosynthesis and metabolism to the determinate flowering regulation. The accumulation and cleavage of various ?-carotenes in the clb5 mutant of Arabidopsis leads to the reprogramming of gene regulatory networks, establishing floral meristem identity similar to the master regulator APETALA1 (AP1). The findings also suggest that this link between carotenoid metabolism and floral development is conserved in tomato, involving AP1 and SEPALLATA3 (SEP3) as redundant regulators of floral meristem identity.
Article
Agronomy
Muhammad Jamil, Jian You Wang, Lamis Berqdar, Yagiz Alagoz, Ahmed Behisi, Salim Al-Babili
Summary: The root-parasitic plant Striga hermonthica poses a significant threat to cereal production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Inducing suicidal germination of Striga seeds is a promising strategy to deplete the seed bank in infested soils. This study explores the potential of cytokinins as germination agents and demonstrates the efficacy of thidiazuron in inducing Striga seed germination.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Sachin G. Chavan, Xin He, Chelsea Maier, Yagiz Alagoz, Sidra Anwar, Zhong-Hua Chen, Oula Ghannoum, Christopher I. Cazzonelli, David T. Tissue
Summary: Glasshouse films can reduce energy costs by limiting non-productive heat-generating radiation, but their effects on yield of greenhouse horticultural crops are unknown.
ANNALS OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xin Hou, Yagiz Alagoz, Ralf Welsch, Matthew D. Mortimer, Barry J. Pogson, Christopher Cazzonelli
Summary: PHYTOENE SYNTHASE (PSY) is an important enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis, and changes in its gene expression and activity can affect carotenoid composition and plastid differentiation in plants. In this study, four genetic variants of PSY were identified, and they were found to regulate leaf virescence phenotypes and plastid abnormalities in mutant plants. These variants influenced alternative splicing, enzyme-substrate interactions, and protein binding, thereby fine-tuning the levels and activity of PSY. Additionally, they also affected the accumulation of specific substances and the regulation of plastid development.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
