Project description:Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a relevant crop cultivated over the world, largely in water insufficiency vulnerable areas. Since drought is the main environmental factor restraining worldwide crop production, efforts have been invested to amend drought tolerance in commercial common bean varieties. However, scarce molecular data are available for those cultivars of P. vulgaris with drought tolerance attributes. As a first approach, Pinto Saltillo (PS), Azufrado Higuera (AH), and Negro Jamapa Plus (NP) were assessed phenotypically and physiologically to determine the outcome in response to drought on these common bean cultivars. Based on this, a Next-generation sequencing approach was applied to PS, which was the most drought-tolerant cultivar to determine the molecular changes at the transcriptional level. The RNA-Seq analysis revealed that numerous PS genes are dynamically modulated by drought. In brief, 1005 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, from which 645 genes were up-regulated by drought stress, whereas 360 genes were down-regulated. Further analysis showed that the enriched categories of the up-regulated genes in response to drought fit to processes related to carbohydrate metabolism (polysaccharide metabolic processes), particularly genes encoding proteins located within the cell periphery (cell wall dynamics). In the case of down-regulated genes, heat shock-responsive genes, mainly associated with protein folding, chloroplast, and oxidation-reduction processes were identified. Our findings suggest that secondary cell wall (SCW) properties contribute to P. vulgaris L. drought tolerance through alleviation or mitigation of drought-induced osmotic disturbances, making cultivars more adaptable to such stress. Altogether, the knowledge derived from this study is significant for a forthcoming understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in drought tolerance on common bean, especially for drought-tolerant cultivars such as PS.
Project description:The length of internodes is critical in determining the height of the castor plant (Ricinus communis L.), and is closely associated with internode elongation. However, the exact mechanisms underlying internode elongation, particularly in the main stem of the castor plant, remain uncertain. To investigate further, we conducted a study using the dwarf castor variety 071113, comparing it with the homologous high-stalk Zhuansihao as a control. Our research included cytological observation, physiological measurement, transcriptome sequencing, and metabolic determination. By integrating these findings, we discovered that the dwarf 071113 undergoes earlier main stem lignification development and has a more active lignin synthesis pathway in internode intermediate development. The plant hormone IAA also plays a role in this process. Furthermore, potential enzymes and regulators have been identified, including the auxin influx carrier AUX1 LAX, auxin response protein IAA13, ARF3, auxin-responsive protein SAUR50, peroxidase, and EXPs that regulate cell cycle, cell wall synthesis, as well as growth and development, were also. Based on these findings, we developed a model for castor internode elongation and gained a better understanding of the dwarfing mechanism of the 071113 variety. Our work lays a theoretical foundation for the future breeding of dwarf castor varieties.
Project description:To examine the differential gene expression of genes invovled in hydroxy fatty acid accumulation within the endosperm and embryo tissues of castor seeds
Project description:Early planting is one of the strategies used to increase grain yield in temperate regions. However, poor cold tolerance in castor inhibits seed germination, resulting in lower seedling emergence and biomass. To date, proteomics studies have identified diverse proteins associated with germinating or developing castor seeds; however, the regulators involved in early imbibed castor seeds under cold stress are rare. Here, the elite castor variety Tongbi 5 was used to identify the differential abundance protein species (DAPS) between cold stress (4 °C) and control conditions (30 °C ) imbibed seeds. As a result, 127 proteins were identified to be differentially accumulated according to iTRAQ strategy. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that 84 DAPS were annotated in 24 GO functional groups, 70 DAPS were classified into 16 COG categories, and 56 DAPS were involved in 16 KEGG pathways. Based on physiological index assays and iTRAQ results, this study provided some invaluable insights into the cold stress responses of early imbibed castor seeds.
Project description:Drought is one of the most crucial environmental stresses limiting faba bean growth and productivity in the Mediterranean region. In order to explore how the faba bean plant responds to drought stress, a physiological and proteomic analysis was performed in leaf tissue. All physiological parameters were affected by drought. The physiological mechanism underlying the response of faba bean leaves to drought was therefore attributed to the alleviation of oxidative stress via the accumulation of organic solutes such as proline and to the synergistic action of the antioxidant enzyme system (CAT, SOD, APX and GPOX). Proteomic analysis identified 2000 proteins from faba bean leaves, of which were 81 differentially expressed. Of those, 45 were upregulated and 36 were downregulated under drought treatment. GO and KEGG enrichments indicated differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) associated with photosynthesis, antioxidants/detoxifying enzymes, molecular chaperones, biosynthesis of amino acids and secondary metabolites, signal transduction, energy and carbohydrate metabolism and metabolic enzymes. The current results provide evidence for a complex synergetic pathway, in which ROS detoxification mechanisms and photoprotection constituted the major aspect of drought tolerance in faba bean leaves. These results offer a foundational basis regarding the molecular mechanism involved in drought resistance within the faba bean species
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of pear tree comparing a resistant/tolerant cultivar with a susceptible cultivar to the Stemphylium vesicarium fungus Rocha' pear is an economically important portuguese Pyrus communis L. cultivar very susceptible to the Stemphylium vesicarium pathogenic fungus, the brown spot agent, causing huge decrease on fruit quality and yield production. Field control of brown spot disease is based in systemic application of antifungal chemicals with high economic costs and dramatic consequences to public health and environmental pollution. Plant-pathogen interactions involve a series of events encompassing constitutive and induced plant defence responses whose dissection has been a research target for control many crop diseases. The biosynthesis of cell wall polymers and antifungal compounds appear to be an efficient physical and chemical barrier to infection.To understand the molecular responses behind defence mechanisms of resistant/tolerant and susceptible cultivars of Pyrus communis L. to the S. vesicarium fungus, cDNA microarray technology was used to identify the genes differentially expressed along a time course leaf inoculation between 'Rocha' pear cultivar (a high susceptible cultivar) and 'Ercolini' pear cultivar (a resistant/tolerant pear cultivar). This study aims to contribute with information on the molecular mechanisms involved in host-pathogen interactions responsible for pear tree brown spot disease and resistance to Stemphylium vesicarium.
Project description:Small noncoding RNA (sncRNA), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and endogenous small-interfering RNAs (endo-siRNAs) are key gene regulators in eukaryotes, playing critical roles in plant development and stress tolerance. Trans-acting siRNAs (ta-siRNAs), which are secondary siRNAs triggered by miRNAs, and siRNAs from natural antisense transcripts (nat-siRNAs) are two well-studied classes of endo-siRNAs. In order to understand sncRNAsM-bM-^@M-^Y roles in plant cold response and stress acclimation, we studied miRNAs and endo-siRNAs in Cassava (Manihot esculenta), a major source of food for the world populations in tropical regions. Combining Next-Generation sequencing and computational and experimental analyses, we profiled and characterized sncRNA species and mRNA genes from the plants that experienced severe and moderate cold stresses, that underwent further severe cold stress after cold acclimation at moderate stress, and that grew under the normal condition. We also included Castor bean (Ricinus communis) to understand conservation of sncRNAs. In addition to known miRNAs, we identified dozens of novel miRNAs as well as ta-siRNA-yielding and nat-siRNA-yielding loci in Cassava and Castor bean, respectively. Among the expressed sncRNAs, many sncRNAs were differentially expressed under cold stresses. Our study provided the results on gene regulation by sncRNAs in cold acclimation of Euphorbiaceous plants and the role of sncRNA-mediated pathways affected by cold stress and stress acclimation in Cassava. Examination of small RNA populations in Cassava cultivar SC124 under the normal condition (NC), gradual cold acclimation (CA), cold shock (CS) and stress acclimation Cold stress after cold acclimation (CCA).