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15 pages, 3349 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Arabidopsis CNGC Family Members Contribute to Heavy Metal Ion Uptake in Plants

by Ju Yeon Moon, Célestine Belloeil, Madeline Louise Ianna and Ryoung Shin

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(2), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20020413 - 18 Jan 2019

Cited by 65 | Viewed by 7687

Abstract

Heavy metal ions, including toxic concentrations of essential ions, negatively affect diverse metabolic and cellular processes. Heavy metal ions are known to enter cells in a non-selective manner; however, few studies have examined the regulation of heavy metal ion transport. Plant cyclic nucleotide-gated [...] Read more.

Heavy metal ions, including toxic concentrations of essential ions, negatively affect diverse metabolic and cellular processes. Heavy metal ions are known to enter cells in a non-selective manner; however, few studies have examined the regulation of heavy metal ion transport. Plant cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs), a type of Ca²⁺-permeable-channel, have been suggested to be involved in the uptake of both essential and toxic cations. To determine the candidates responsible for heavy metal ion transport, a series of Arabidopsis CNGC mutants were examined for their response to Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ ions. The primary focus was on root growth and the analysis of the concentration of heavy metals in plants. Results, based on the analysis of primary root length, indicated that AtCNGC1, AtCNGC10, AtCNGC13 and AtCNGC19 play roles in Pb²⁺ toxicity, while AtCNGC11, AtCNGC13, AtCNGC16 and AtCNGC20 function in Cd²⁺ toxicity in Arabidopsis. Ion content analysis verified that the mutations of AtCNGC1 and AtCNGC13 resulted in reduced Pb²⁺ accumulation, while the mutations of AtCNGC11, AtCNGC15 and AtCNGC19 resulted in less Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ accumulation in plants. These findings provide functional evidence which support the roles of these AtCNGCs in the uptake and transport of Pb²⁺ or Cd²⁺ ion in plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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21 pages, 3404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of the AQP Family in Soybean and the Promoter Activity of TIP2;6 in Heat Stress and Hormone Responses

by Zhi-Juan Feng, Na Liu, Gu-Wen Zhang, Fu-Ge Niu, Sheng-Chun Xu and Ya-Ming Gong

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(2), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20020262 - 10 Jan 2019

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 4629

Abstract

Aquaporins (AQPs) are one diverse family of membrane channel proteins that play crucial regulatory roles in plant stress physiology. However, the heat stress responsiveness of AQP genes in soybean remains poorly understood. In this study, 75 non-redundant AQP encoding genes were identified in [...] Read more.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are one diverse family of membrane channel proteins that play crucial regulatory roles in plant stress physiology. However, the heat stress responsiveness of AQP genes in soybean remains poorly understood. In this study, 75 non-redundant AQP encoding genes were identified in soybean. Multiple sequence alignments showed that all GmAQP proteins possessed the conserved regions, which contained 6 trans-membrane domains (TM1 to TM6). Different GmAQP members consisted of distinct Asn-Pro-Ala (NPA) motifs, aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity filters and Froger’s positions (FPs). Phylogenetic analyses distinguished five sub-families within these GmAQPs: 24 GmPIPs, 24 GmTIPs, 17 GmNIPs, 8 GmSIPs, and 2 GmXIPs. Promoter cis-acting elements analyses revealed that distinct number and composition of heat stress and hormone responsive elements existed in different promoter regions of GmAQPs. QRT-PCR assays demonstrated that 12 candidate GmAQPs with relatively extensive expression in various tissues or high expression levels in root or leaf exhibited different expression changes under heat stress and hormone cues (abscisic acid (ABA), l-aminocyclopropane-l-carboxylic acid (ACC), salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)). Furthermore, the promoter activity of one previously functionally unknown AQP gene-GmTIP2;6 was investigated in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. The beta-glucuronidase (GUS) activity driven by the promoter of GmTIP2;6 was strongly induced in the heat- and ACC-treated transgenic plants and tended to be accumulated in the hypocotyls, vascular bundles, and leaf trichomes. These results will contribute to uncovering the potential functions and molecular mechanisms of soybean GmAQPs in mediating heat stress and hormone signal responses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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13 pages, 2342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Analysis of the Cadmium Tolerance of Abscisic Acid-, Stress- and Ripening-Induced Proteins (ASRs) in Maize

by Jie Zhang, Qiusha Zhu, Haijuan Yu, Liang Li, Guoqiang Zhang, Xi Chen, Mingyi Jiang and Mingpu Tan

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2019, 20(1), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20010133 - 1 Jan 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4776

Abstract

In plants, abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) proteins have been shown to impart tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. However, their roles in metal stress tolerance are poorly understood. To screen plant Cd-tolerance genes, the yeast-based gene hunting [...] Read more.

In plants, abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) proteins have been shown to impart tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. However, their roles in metal stress tolerance are poorly understood. To screen plant Cd-tolerance genes, the yeast-based gene hunting method which aimed to screen Cd-tolerance colonies from maize leaf cDNA library hosted in yeast was carried out. Here, maize ZmASR1 was identified to be putative Cd-tolerant through this survival screening strategy. In silico analysis of the functional domain organization, phylogenetic classification and tissue-specific expression patterns revealed that maize ASR1 to ASR5 are typical ASRs with considerable expression in leaves. Further, four of them were cloned for testifying Cd tolerance using yeast complementation assay. The results indicated that they all confer Cd tolerance in Cd-sensitive yeast. Then they were transiently expressed in tobacco leaves for subcellular localization analysis and for Cd-challenged lesion assay, continuously. The results demonstrated that all 4 maize ASRs tested are localized to the cell nucleus and cytoplasm in tobacco leaves. Moreover, they were confirmed to be Cd-tolerance genes in planta through lesion analysis in Cd-infiltrated leaves transiently expressing them. Taken together, our results demonstrate that maize ASRs play important roles in Cd tolerance, and they could be used as promising candidate genes for further functional studies toward improving the Cd tolerance in plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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13 pages, 1863 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heterologous Expression of Salvia miltiorrhiza MicroRNA408 Enhances Tolerance to Salt Stress in Nicotiana benthamiana

by Xiaorong Guo, Junfeng Niu and Xiaoyan Cao

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(12), 3985; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19123985 - 11 Dec 2018

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 4345

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small RNAs that regulate the expression of target genes post-transcriptionally; they are known to play major roles in development and responses to abiotic stress. MicroRNA408 (miR408) is a conserved small RNA in plants; it was reported [...] Read more.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small RNAs that regulate the expression of target genes post-transcriptionally; they are known to play major roles in development and responses to abiotic stress. MicroRNA408 (miR408) is a conserved small RNA in plants; it was reported that miR408 genes were involved in abiotic stress in Arabidopsis. However, miR408 in Salvia miltiorrhiza has been rarely investigated. In this study, we cloned Sm-MIR408, the miR408 precursor sequence, and its promoter sequence from S. miltiorrhiza and the role in tolerance to salt stress is described. The effects of salt stress on miR408 expression were studied by using β-glucuronidase (GUS) staining. Our data indicated that transgenic tobacco overexpressing Sm-MIR408 promoted seed germination and reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species under salt stress. Transcript levels of antioxidative genes, i.e., NbSOD, NbPOD, and NbCAT, and their enzyme activities increased in salinity-stressed transgenic tobacco plants, suggesting a better antioxidant system to cope the oxidative damage caused by salinity stress. Taken together, these findings indicated that miR408 functions in positive responses to salt tolerance in tobacco. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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14 pages, 2222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

OsYSL13 Is Involved in Iron Distribution in Rice

by Chang Zhang, Kamran Iqbal Shinwari, Le Luo and Luqing Zheng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(11), 3537; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113537 - 9 Nov 2018

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4971

Abstract

The uptake and transport of iron (Fe) in plants are both important for plant growth and human health. However, little is known about the mechanism of Fe transport in plants, especially for crops. In the present study, the function of yellow stripe-like 13 [...] Read more.

The uptake and transport of iron (Fe) in plants are both important for plant growth and human health. However, little is known about the mechanism of Fe transport in plants, especially for crops. In the present study, the function of yellow stripe-like 13 (YSL13) in rice was analyzed. OsYSL13 was highly expressed in leaves, especially in leaf blades, whereas its expression was induced by Fe deficiency both in roots and shoots. Furthermore, the expression level of OsYSL13 was higher in older leaves than that in younger leaves. OsYSL13 was located in the plasma membrane. Metal measurement revealed that Fe concentrations were lower in the youngest leaf and higher in the older leaves of the osysl13 mutant under both Fe sufficiency and deficiency conditions, compared with the wild type and two complementation lines. Moreover, the Fe concentrations in the brown rice and seeds of the osysl13 mutant were also reduced. Opposite results were found in OsYSL13 overexpression lines. These results suggest that OsYSL13 is involved in Fe distribution in rice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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20 pages, 2936 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functional Identification of Salt-Stress-Related Genes Using the FOX Hunting System from Ipomoea pes-caprae

by Mei Zhang, Hui Zhang, Jie-Xuan Zheng, Hui Mo, Kuai-Fei Xia and Shu-Guang Jian

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(11), 3446; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113446 - 2 Nov 2018

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4242

Abstract

Ipomoea pes-caprae is a seashore halophytic plant and is therefore a good model for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying salt and stress tolerance in plant research. Here, we performed Full-length cDNA Over-eXpressor (FOX) gene hunting with a functional screening of a cDNA library [...] Read more.

Ipomoea pes-caprae is a seashore halophytic plant and is therefore a good model for studying the molecular mechanisms underlying salt and stress tolerance in plant research. Here, we performed Full-length cDNA Over-eXpressor (FOX) gene hunting with a functional screening of a cDNA library using a salt-sensitive yeast mutant strain to isolate the salt-stress-related genes of I. pes-caprae (IpSR genes). The library was screened for genes that complemented the salt defect of yeast mutant AXT3 and could grow in the presence of 75 mM NaCl. We obtained 38 candidate salt-stress-related full-length cDNA clones from the I. pes-caprae cDNA library. The genes are predicted to encode proteins involved in water deficit, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, cellular vesicle trafficking, metabolic enzymes, and signal transduction factors. When combined with the quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses, several potential functional salt-tolerance-related genes were emphasized. This approach provides a rapid assay system for the large-scale screening of I. pes-caprae genes involved in the salt stress response and supports the identification of genes responsible for the molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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20 pages, 5663 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pumpkin CmHKT1;1 Controls Shoot Na⁺ Accumulation via Limiting Na⁺ Transport from Rootstock to Scion in Grafted Cucumber

by Jingyu Sun, Haishun Cao, Jintao Cheng, Xiaomeng He, Hamza Sohail, Mengliang Niu, Yuan Huang and Zhilong Bie

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(9), 2648; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19092648 - 6 Sep 2018

Cited by 39 | Viewed by 4405

Abstract

Soil salinity adversely affects the growth and yield of crops, including cucumber, one of the most important vegetables in the world. Grafting with salt-tolerant pumpkin as the rootstock effectively improves the growth of cucumber under different salt conditions by limiting Na⁺ transport [...] Read more.

Soil salinity adversely affects the growth and yield of crops, including cucumber, one of the most important vegetables in the world. Grafting with salt-tolerant pumpkin as the rootstock effectively improves the growth of cucumber under different salt conditions by limiting Na⁺ transport from the pumpkin rootstock to the cucumber scion. High-affinity potassium transporters (HKTs) are crucial for the long distance transport of Na⁺ in plants, but the function of pumpkin HKTs in this process of grafted cucumber plants remains unclear. In this work, we have characterized CmHKT1;1 as a member of the HKT gene family in Cucurbita moschata and observed an obvious upregulation of CmHKT1;1 in roots under NaCl stress conditions. Heterologous expression analyses in yeast mutants indicated that CmHKT1;1 is a Na⁺-selective transporter. The transient expression in tobacco epidermal cells and in situ hybridization showed CmHKT1;1 localization at plasma membrane, and preferential expression in root stele. Moreover, ectopic expression of CmHKT1;1 in cucumber decreased the Na⁺ accumulation in the plants shoots. Finally, the CmHKT1;1 transgenic line as the rootstock decreased the Na⁺ content in the wild type shoots. These findings suggest that CmHKT1;1 plays a key role in the salt tolerance of grafted cucumber by limiting Na⁺ transport from the rootstock to the scion and can further be useful for engineering salt tolerance in cucurbit crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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27 pages, 10140 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ipomoea pes-caprae IpASR Improves Salinity and Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis

by Jie-Xuan Zheng, Hui Zhang, Hua-Xiang Su, Kuai-Fei Xia, Shu-Guang Jian and Mei Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(8), 2252; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19082252 - 1 Aug 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4718

Abstract

Ipomoea pes-caprae L. is an extremophile halophyte with strong adaptability to seawater and drought. It is widely used in the ecological restoration of coastal areas or degraded islands in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, a new abscisic acid, stressand [...] Read more.

Ipomoea pes-caprae L. is an extremophile halophyte with strong adaptability to seawater and drought. It is widely used in the ecological restoration of coastal areas or degraded islands in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, a new abscisic acid, stressandripening (ASR) gene, IpASR, was reported, and is mainly associated with biological functions involved in salt and drought tolerance. Sequence analysis of IpASR showed that this protein contains an ABA/WDS (abscisic acid/water deficit stress) domain, which is a common feature of all plant ASR members. Overexpression of IpASR improved Escherichia coli growth performance compared with the control under abiotic stress treatment. The transgenic overexpressing IpASR Arabidopsis showed higher tolerance to salt and drought stress than the wild type and lower accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and superoxide (O₂⁻) accompanied by increased antioxidant enzyme activity in vivo. IpASR exhibits transcription factor’s activity. Therefore, the overexpression of IpASR in Arabidopsis is supposed to influence the expression of some genes involved in anti-oxidative and abiotic stresses. The results indicate that IpASR is involved in the plant response to salt and drought and probably acts as a reactive oxygen species scavenger or transcription factor, and therefore influences physiological processes associated with various abiotic stresses in plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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20 pages, 4455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ectopic Expression of a Thellungiella salsuginea Aquaporin Gene, TsPIP1;1, Increased the Salt Tolerance of Rice

by Wei Li, Xiao-Jing Qiang, Xiao-Ri Han, Lin-Lin Jiang, Shu-Hui Zhang, Jiao Han, Rui He and Xian-Guo Cheng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(8), 2229; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19082229 - 30 Jul 2018

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 4182

Abstract

Aquaporins play important regulatory roles in the transport of water and small molecules in plants. In this study, a Thellungiella salsuginea TsPIP1;1 aquaporin was transformed into Kitaake rice, and three transgenic lines were evaluated by profiling the changes of the physiological metabolism, osmotic [...] Read more.

Aquaporins play important regulatory roles in the transport of water and small molecules in plants. In this study, a Thellungiella salsuginea TsPIP1;1 aquaporin was transformed into Kitaake rice, and three transgenic lines were evaluated by profiling the changes of the physiological metabolism, osmotic potential, and differentially expressed genes under salt stress. The TsPIP1;1 protein contains six transmembrane domains and is localized in the cytoplasm membrane. Overexpression of the TsPIP1;1 gene not only increased the accumulation of prolines, soluble sugars and chlorophyll, but also lowered the osmotic potential and malondialdehyde content in rice under salt stress, and alleviated the amount of salt damage done to rice organs by regulating the distribution of Na/K ions, thereby promoting photosynthetic rates. Transcriptome sequencing confirmed that the differentially expressed genes that are up-regulated in rice positively respond to salt stimulus, the photosynthetic metabolic process, and the accumulation profiles of small molecules and Na/K ions. The co-expressed Rubisco and LHCA4 genes in rice were remarkably up-regulated under salt stress. This data suggests that overexpression of the TsPIP1;1 gene is involved in the regulation of water transport, the accumulation of Na/K ions, and the translocation of photosynthetic metabolites, thus conferring enhanced salt tolerance to rice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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24 pages, 2914 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early Transcriptomic Response to Phosphate Deprivation in Soybean Leaves as Revealed by RNA-Sequencing

by Houqing Zeng, Xiajun Zhang, Xin Zhang, Erxu Pi, Liang Xiao and Yiyong Zhu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(7), 2145; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19072145 - 23 Jul 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5586

Abstract

Low phosphate (Pi) availability is an important limiting factor affecting soybean production. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for low Pi stress response and tolerance remain largely unknown, especially for the early signaling events under low Pi stress. Here, a genome-wide transcriptomic analysis [...] Read more.

Low phosphate (Pi) availability is an important limiting factor affecting soybean production. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for low Pi stress response and tolerance remain largely unknown, especially for the early signaling events under low Pi stress. Here, a genome-wide transcriptomic analysis in soybean leaves treated with a short-term Pi-deprivation (24 h) was performed through high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. A total of 533 loci were found to be differentially expressed in response to Pi deprivation, including 36 mis-annotated loci and 32 novel loci. Among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 303 were induced and 230 were repressed by Pi deprivation. To validate the reliability of the RNA-seq data, 18 DEGs were randomly selected and analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction), which exhibited similar fold changes with RNA-seq. Enrichment analyses showed that 29 GO (Gene Ontology) terms and 8 KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways were significantly enriched in the up-regulated DEGs and 25 GO terms and 16 KEGG pathways were significantly enriched in the down-regulated DEGs. Some DEGs potentially involved in Pi sensing and signaling were up-regulated by short-term Pi deprivation, including five SPX-containing genes. Some DEGs possibly associated with water and nutrient uptake, hormonal and calcium signaling, protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation and cell wall modification were affected at the early stage of Pi deprivation. The cis-elements of PHO (phosphatase) element, PHO-like element and P responsive element were present more frequently in promoter regions of up-regulated DEGs compared to that of randomly-selected genes in the soybean genome. Our transcriptomic data showed an intricate network containing transporters, transcription factors, kinases and phosphatases, hormone and calcium signaling components is involved in plant responses to early Pi deprivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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16 pages, 4009 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of CIPK Family and Analysis Responses to Various Stresses in Apple (Malus domestica)

by Lili Niu, Biying Dong, Zhihua Song, Dong Meng and Yujie Fu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(7), 2131; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19072131 - 22 Jul 2018

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 5763

Abstract

In the CIPK family, the CBL-interacting protein kinases have shown crucial roles in hormone signaling transduction, and response to abiotic stress in plant developmental processes. The CIPK family is characterized by conserved NAF/FISL (Asn-Ala-Phe) and PPI (protein-phosphatase interaction) domains in the C-terminus. However, [...] Read more.

In the CIPK family, the CBL-interacting protein kinases have shown crucial roles in hormone signaling transduction, and response to abiotic stress in plant developmental processes. The CIPK family is characterized by conserved NAF/FISL (Asn-Ala-Phe) and PPI (protein-phosphatase interaction) domains in the C-terminus. However, little data has been reported about the CIPK family in apple. A total of 34 MdCIPK genes were identified from the apple genome in this study and were later divided into two groups according to the CIPK domains, characterized by gene structure and chromosomal distribution, and then mapped onto 17 chromosomes. All MdCIPK genes were expressed in the four apple tissues (leaf, root, flower, and fruit). In addition, the MdCIPK gene expression profile showed that five members among them revealed enhanced expression during the pollen tube growth stages. The MdCIPK4 was the most expressive during the entire fruit development stages. Under stress conditions 21 MdCIPK genes transcript levels were up-regulated in response to fungal and salt treatments. This suggested the possible features of these genes’ response to stresses in apples. Our findings provide a new insight about the roles of CIPK genes in apples, which could contribute to the cloning and functional analysis of CIPK genes in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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16 pages, 2418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological and Proteomics Analyses Reveal Low-Phosphorus Stress Affected the Regulation of Photosynthesis in Soybean

by Shanshan Chu, Hongyan Li, Xiangqian Zhang, Kaiye Yu, Maoni Chao, Suoyi Han and Dan Zhang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(6), 1688; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19061688 - 6 Jun 2018

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4878

Abstract

Previous studies have revealed a significant genetic relationship between phosphorus (P)-efficiency and photosynthesis-related traits in soybean. In this study, we used proteome profiling in combination with expression analysis, biochemical investigations, and leaf ultrastructural analysis to identify the underlying physiological and molecular responses. The [...] Read more.

Previous studies have revealed a significant genetic relationship between phosphorus (P)-efficiency and photosynthesis-related traits in soybean. In this study, we used proteome profiling in combination with expression analysis, biochemical investigations, and leaf ultrastructural analysis to identify the underlying physiological and molecular responses. The expression analysis and ultrastructural analysis showed that the photosynthesis key genes were decreased at transcript levels and the leaf mesophyll and chloroplast were severely damaged after low-P stress. Approximately 55 protein spots showed changes under low-P condition by mass spectrometry, of which 17 were involved in various photosynthetic processes. Further analysis revealed the depression of photosynthesis caused by low-P stress mainly involves the regulation of leaf structure, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, absorption and transportation of CO₂, photosynthetic electron transport, production of assimilatory power, and levels of enzymes related to the Calvin cycle. In summary, our findings indicated that the existence of a stringent relationship between P supply and the genomic control of photosynthesis in soybean. As an important strategy to protect soybean photosynthesis, P could maintain the stability of cell structure, up-regulate the enzymes’ activities, recover the process of photosystem II (PSII), and induce the expression of low-P responsive genes and proteins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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19 pages, 3289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Expression of AhDREB1, an AP2/ERF Transcription Factor Gene from Peanut, Is Affected by Histone Acetylation and Increases Abscisic Acid Sensitivity and Tolerance to Osmotic Stress in Arabidopsis

by Baihong Zhang, Liangchen Su, Bo Hu and Ling Li

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(5), 1441; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19051441 - 11 May 2018

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 5184

Abstract

Drought stress negatively affects plant growth and development. An increasing number of reports have revealed the involvement of APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factors (TFs) in biotic and abiotic stress regulation in plants. However, research on these TFs in the peanut plant (Arachis [...] Read more.

Drought stress negatively affects plant growth and development. An increasing number of reports have revealed the involvement of APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factors (TFs) in biotic and abiotic stress regulation in plants. However, research on these TFs in the peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea) has been limited. Here, we isolated a full-length coding sequence (CDS) of the AP2/ERF family gene AhDREB1 from the peanut plant and showed that its expression was induced by Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) 6000 and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. When overexpressed in Arabidopsis, AhDREB1 increased both ABA levels and ABA sensitivity, affected the ABA signaling pathway and increased the expression of downstream drought stress-related genes RD29A, P5CS1, P5CS2 and NCED1. These results demonstrate that AhDREB1 can improve tolerance to drought via the ABA-dependent pathway in Arabidopsis. In the peanut plant, the specific histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) promotes AhDREB1 transcription and the enrichment level of H3ac was increased in regions of the AhDREB1 gene during TSA and PEG treatment. In summary, histone acetylation can affect the expression of AhDREB1 under osmotic stress conditions, thereby improving plant drought resistance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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17 pages, 5496 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide Identification of MicroRNAs in Response to Cadmium Stress in Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.) Using High-Throughput Sequencing

by Hongju Jian, Bo Yang, Aoxiang Zhang, Jinqi Ma, Yiran Ding, Zhiyou Chen, Jiana Li, Xinfu Xu and Liezhao Liu

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(5), 1431; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19051431 - 10 May 2018

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 5174

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in regulating stress-response genes in plants. However, identification of miRNAs and the corresponding target genes that are induced in response to cadmium (Cd) stress in Brassica napus remains limited. In the current study, we sequenced three small-RNA libraries [...] Read more.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in regulating stress-response genes in plants. However, identification of miRNAs and the corresponding target genes that are induced in response to cadmium (Cd) stress in Brassica napus remains limited. In the current study, we sequenced three small-RNA libraries from B. napus after 0 days, 1 days, and 3 days of Cd treatment. In total, 44 known miRNAs (belonging to 27 families) and 103 novel miRNAs were identified. A comprehensive analysis of miRNA expression profiles found 39 differentially expressed miRNAs between control and Cd-treated plants; 13 differentially expressed miRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Characterization of the corresponding target genes indicated functions in processes including transcription factor regulation, biotic stress response, ion homeostasis, and secondary metabolism. Furthermore, we propose a hypothetical model of the Cd-response mechanism in B. napus. Combined with qRT-PCR confirmation, our data suggested that miRNAs were involved in the regulations of TFs, biotic stress defense, ion homeostasis and secondary metabolism synthesis to respond Cd stress in B. napus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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15 pages, 877 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Expected and Unexpected Roles of Nitrate Transporters in Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance and Their Regulation

by Guo-Bin Zhang, Shuan Meng and Ji-Ming Gong

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(11), 3535; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113535 - 9 Nov 2018

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 6522

Abstract

Nitrate transporters are primarily responsible for absorption of nitrate from soil and nitrate translocation among different parts of plants. They deliver nitrate to where it is needed. However, recent studies have revealed that nitrate transporters are extensively involved in coping with adverse environmental [...] Read more.

Nitrate transporters are primarily responsible for absorption of nitrate from soil and nitrate translocation among different parts of plants. They deliver nitrate to where it is needed. However, recent studies have revealed that nitrate transporters are extensively involved in coping with adverse environmental conditions besides limited nitrate/nitrogen availability. In this review, we describe the functions of the nitrate transporters related to abiotic stresses and their regulation. The expected and unexpected roles of nitrate transporters in plant abiotic stress resistance will also be discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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16 pages, 770 KiB

Open AccessReview

Sensing of Abiotic Stress and Ionic Stress Responses in Plants

by Yu Zhang, Yang Lv, Noushin Jahan, Guang Chen, Deyong Ren and Longbiao Guo

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2018, 19(11), 3298; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113298 - 24 Oct 2018

Cited by 65 | Viewed by 8379

Abstract

Plants need to cope with complex environments throughout their life cycle. Abiotic stresses, including drought, cold, salt and heat, can cause a reduction in plant growth and loss of crop yield. Plants sensing stress signals and adapting to adverse environments are fundamental biological [...] Read more.

Plants need to cope with complex environments throughout their life cycle. Abiotic stresses, including drought, cold, salt and heat, can cause a reduction in plant growth and loss of crop yield. Plants sensing stress signals and adapting to adverse environments are fundamental biological problems. We review the stress sensors in stress sensing and the responses, and then discuss ionic stress signaling and the responses. During ionic stress, the calcineurin B-like proteins (CBL) and CBL-interacting protein kinases (CBL−CIPK) complex is identified as a primary element of the calcium sensor for perceiving environmental signals. The CBL−CIPK system shows specificity and variety in its response to different stresses. Obtaining a deeper understanding of stress signaling and the responses will mitigate or solve crop yield crises in extreme environments with fast-growing populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ion Transporters and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants)

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