Effects of stress-induced ABA on root architecture development:Positive and negative actions

Root architecture development,an agronomic trait that influences crop yield,is regulated by multiple plant hormones.Abscisic acid(ABA)is a stress hormone that responds to multiple stresses,including salt,drought,and cold stress,and modulates various aspects of plant growth and development.In recent years,it has been found that ABA synthesized under mild stress or well-watered conditions can support plant growth and stress resistance by positively regulating root architecture development.In this review,we summarize the molecular,cellular,and organismal basis of ABA homeostasis in the root and how ABA signaling affects root architecture development both as an inhibitor and as an activator.We discuss the implications of these studies and the potential for exploiting the components of ABA signaling in designing crop plants with improved root system development and stress resistance.

Identification of microRNAs regulating grain filling of rice inferior spikelets in response to moderate soil drying post-anthesis

The grain filling of inferior spikelets is much less complete than that of superior spikelets in rice cultivars with large panicles and numerous spikelets and is promoted by moderate soil drying(MD)post-anthesis.A growing body of evidence has shown that microRNAs function in regulating grain development.However,little is known about the mechanism of microRNA control of grain filling of inferior spikelets in response to MD.In this study,grain filling of inferior spikelets was promoted by MD treatment in Nipponbare.Small-RNA profiling at the most active grain-filling stage was conducted in inferior spikelets under control(CK)and MD treatment.Of 521 known and 128 novel miRNAs,38 known and 9 novel miRNAs were differentially expressed between the CK and MD treatments.Target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in multiple developmental and signaling pathways associated with catalytic activity,carbohydrate metabolism,and other functions.Both miR1861 and miR397 were upregulated by MD,leading to a decrease in OsSBDCP1 and OsLAC,two negative regulators of SSIIIa activity and BR signaling,respectively.In contrast,miR1432 abundance was reduced by MD,resulting in upregulation of OsACOT and thus an elevated content of both ABA and IAA.These results suggest that both starch synthesis and phytohormone biosynthesis are regulated by differentially expressed miRNAs in inferior spikelets in response to MD treatment.Our results suggest the molecular mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate grain filling in inferior spikelets of rice under moderate soil drying,providing potential application in agriculture to increase rice yields by genetic approaches.

The OsWRKY72-OsAAT30/OsGSTU26 module mediates reactive oxygen species scavenging to drive heterosis for salt tolerance in hybrid rice

Hybrid rice(Oryza sativa)generally outperforms its inbred parents in yield and stress tolerance,a phenomenon termed heterosis,but the underlying mechanism is not completely understood.Here,we combined transcriptome,proteome,physiological,and heterosis analyses to examine the salt response of super hybrid rice Chaoyou1000(CY1000).In addition to surpassing the mean values for its two parents(mid-parent heterosis),CY1000 exhibited a higher reactive oxygen species scavenging ability than both its parents(over-parent heterosis or heterobeltiosis).Nonadditive expression and allele-specific gene expression assays showed that the glutathione S-transferase gene OsGSTU26 and the amino acid transporter gene OsAAT30 may have major roles in heterosis for salt tolerance,acting in an overdominant fashion in CY1000.Furthermore,we identified OsWRKY72 as a common transcription factor that binds and regulates OsGSTU26 and OsAAT30.The salt-sensitive phenotypes were associated with the OsWRKY72^(paternal)genotype or the OsAAT30^(maternal)genotype in core rice germplasm varieties.OsWRKY72^(paternal)specifically repressed the expression of OsGSTU26 under salt stress,leading to salinity sensitivity,while OsWRKY72^(maternal)specifically repressed OsAAT30,resulting in salinity tolerance.These results suggest that the OsWRKY72-OsAAT30/OsGSTU26 module may play an important role in heterosis for salt tolerance in an overdominant fashion in CY1000 hybrid rice,providing valuable clues to elucidate the mechanism of heterosis for salinity tolerance in hybrid rice.

Proanthocyanidins Inhibit Seed Germination by Maintaining a High Level of Abscisic Acid in Arabidopsis thaliana

Proanthocyanidins （PAs） are the main products of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in seeds, but their biological function during seed germination is still unclear. We observed that seed germination is delayed with the increase of exogenous PA concentration in Arabidopsis. A similar inhibitory effect occurred in peeled Brassica napus seeds, which was observed by measuring radicle elongation. Using abscisic acid （ABA）, a biosynthetic and metabolic inhibitor, and gene expression analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction, we found that the inhibitory effect of PAs on seed germination is due to their promotion of ABA via de novo biogenesis, rather than by any inhibition of its degradation. Consistent with the relationship between PA content and ABA accumulation in seeds, PA-deficient mutants maintain a lower level of ABA compared with wild-types during germination. Our data suggest that PA distribution in the seed coat can act as a doorkeeper to seed germination. PA regulation of seed germination is mediated by the ABA signaling pathway.

Rhizosheath formation and involvement in foxtail millet(Setaria italica) root growth under drought stress

The rhizosheath, a layer of soil particles that adheres firmly to the root surface by a combination of root hairs and mucilage, may improve tolerance to drought stress. Setaria italica(L.) P. Beauv.(foxtail millet), a member of the Poaceae family, is an important food and fodder crop in arid regions and forms a larger rhizosheath under drought conditions. Rhizosheath formation under drought conditions has been studied, but the regulation of root hair growth and rhizosheath size in response to soil moisture remains unclear. To address this question, in this study we monitored root hair growth and rhizosheath development in response to a gradual decline in soil moisture. Here, we determined that a soil moisture level of 10%–14%(w/w)stimulated greater rhizosheath production compared to other soil moisture levels. Root hair density and length also increased at this soil moisture level, which was validated by measurement of the expression of root hair-related genes.These findings contribute to our understanding of rhizosheath formation in response to soil water stress.

WRKY transcription factors in plant responses to stresses

The WRKY gene family is among the largest families of transcription factors （TFs） in higher plants. By regulating the plant hormone signal transduction pathway, these TFs play critical roles in some plant processes in response to biotic and abiotic stress, Various bodies of research have demonstrated the important biological functions of WRKY TFs in plant response to different kinds of biotic and abiotic stresses and working mecha- nisms. However, very li2ttle summarization has been done to review their research progress. Not iust important TFs function in plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses, WRKY also participates in carbohydrate synthesis, senes- cence, development, and secondary metabolites synthesis. WRKY proteins can bind to W-box （TGACC （A/T）） in the promoter of its target genes and activate or repress the expression of downstream genes to regulate their stress response. Moreover, WRKY proteins can interact with other TFs to regulate plant defensive responses. In the present review, we focus on the structural characteristics of WRKY TFs and the research progress on their functions in plant responses to a variety of stresses.

Two hydroxypyruvate reductases encoded by OsHPR1 and OsHPR2 are involved in photorespiratory metabolism in rice

Mutations in the photorespiration pathway dis- play a lethal phenotype in atmospheric air, which can be fully recovered by elevated C02. An exception is that mutants of peroxisomal hydroxypyruvate reductase （HPR1） do not have this phenotype, indicating the presence of cytosolic bypass in the photorespiration pathway. In this study, we constructed overexpression of the OsHPR1 gene and RNA interference plants of OsHPR1 and OsHPR2 genes in rice （Oryza sativo L. cv. Zhonghua 11）. Results from reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）, Western blot, and enzyme assays showed that HPR1 activity changed significantly in corresponding transgenic lines without any effect on HPR2 activity, which is the same for HPR2. However, metabolite analysis and the serine glyoxylate aminotransferase （SGAT） activity assay showed that the metabolite flux of photorespiration was disturbed in RNAi lines of both HPR genes. Furthermore, HPR1 and HPR2 proteins were located to the peroxisome and cytosol, respectively, by transient expression experiment. Double mutant hprl x hpr2 was generated by crossing individual mutant of hprl and hpr2. The phenotypes of all transgenic lines were determined in ambient air and C02-elevated air. The phenotype typical of photorespiration mutants was observed only where activity of both HPRI and HPR2 were downregulated in the same line. These findings demonstrate that two hydroxypyruvate reductases encoded by OsHPRI and OsHPR2 are involved in photorespiratory metabolism in rice.

Drought stress and plant ecotype drive microbiome recruitment in switchgrass rhizosheath

The rhizosheath,a layer of soil grains that adheres firmly to roots,is beneficial for plant growth and adaptation to drought environments.Switchgrass is a perennial C4 grass which can form contact rhizosheath under drought conditions.In this study,we characterized the microbiomes of four different rhizocompartments of two switchgrass ecotypes(Alamo and Kanlow)grown under drought or well-watered conditions via 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing.These four rhizocompartments,the bulk soil,rhizosheath soil,rhizoplane,and root endosphere,harbored both distinct and overlapping microbial communities.The root compartments(rhizoplane and root endosphere)displayed low-complexity communities dominated by Proteobacteria and Firmicutes.Compared to bulk soil,Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes were selectively enriched,while Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were selectively depleted,in rhizosheath soil.Taxa from Proteobacteria or Firmicutes were specifically selected in Alamo or Kanlow rhizosheath soil.Following drought stress,Citrobacter and Acinetobacter were further enriched in rhizosheath soil,suggesting that rhizosheath microbiome assembly is driven by drought stress.Additionally,the ecotype-specific recruitment of rhizosheath microbiome reveals their differences in drought stress responses.Collectively,these results shed light on rhizosheath microbiome recruitment in switchgrass and lay the foundation for the improvement of drought tolerance in switchgrass by regulating the rhizosheath microbiome.