A potent endophytic fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum YZ1 protects against Fusarium infection in field-grown wheat.

Fusarium diseases pose a severe global threat to major cereal crops, particularly wheat. Existing biocontrol strains against Fusarium diseases are believed to primarily rely on antagonistic mechanisms, but not widely used under field conditions. Here, we report an endophytic fungus, Purpureocillium lilacinum YZ1, that shows promise in combating wheat Fusarium diseases. Under glasshouse conditions, YZ1 inoculation increased the survival rate of Fusarium graminearum (Fg)-infected wheat seedlings from 0% to > 60% at the seedling stage, and reduced spikelet infections by 70.8% during anthesis. In field trials, the application of YZ1 resulted in an impressive 89.0% reduction in Fg-susceptible spikelets. While a slight antagonistic effect of YZ1 against Fg was observed on plates, the induction of wheat systemic resistance by YZ1, which is distantly effective, non-specific, and long-lasting, appeared to be a key contributor to YZ1's biocontrol capabilities. Utilizing three imaging methods, we confirmed YZ1 as a potent endophyte capable of rapid colonization of wheat roots, and systematically spreading to the stem and leaves. Integrating dual RNA-Seq, photosynthesis measurements and cell wall visualization supported the link between YZ1's growth-promoting abilities and the activation of wheat systemic resistance. In conclusion, endophytes such as YZ1, which exhibits non-antagonistic mechanisms, hold significant potential for industrial-scale biocontrol applications.

Unraveling plant-microbe interactions: can integrated omics approaches offer concrete answers?

Advances in high throughput omics techniques provide avenues to decipher plant microbiomes. However, there is limited information on how integrated informatics can help provide deeper insights into plant-microbe interactions in a concerted way. Integrating multi-omics datasets can transform our understanding of the plant microbiome from unspecified genetic influences on interacting species to specific gene-by-gene interactions. Here, we highlight recent progress and emerging strategies in crop microbiome omics research and review key aspects of how the integration of host and microbial omics-based datasets can be used to provide a comprehensive outline of complex crop-microbe interactions. We describe how these technological advances have helped unravel crucial plant and microbial genes and pathways that control beneficial, pathogenic, and commensal plant-microbe interactions. We identify crucial knowledge gaps and synthesize current limitations in our understanding of crop microbiome omics approaches. We highlight recent studies in which multi-omics-based approaches have led to improved models of crop microbial community structure and function. Finally, we recommend holistic approaches in integrating host and microbial omics datasets to achieve precision and efficiency in data analysis, which is crucial for biotic and abiotic stress control and in understanding the contribution of the microbiota in shaping plant fitness.

Transcription Factors Associated with Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance and Their Potential for Crops Improvement.

In field conditions, crops are adversely affected by a wide range of abiotic stresses including drought, cold, salt, and heat, as well as biotic stresses including pests and pathogens. These stresses can have a marked effect on crop yield. The present and future effects of climate change necessitate the improvement of crop stress tolerance. Plants have evolved sophisticated stress response strategies, and genes that encode transcription factors (TFs) that are master regulators of stress-responsive genes are excellent candidates for crop improvement. Related examples in recent studies include TF gene modulation and overexpression approaches in crop species to enhance stress tolerance. However, much remains to be discovered about the diverse plant TFs. Of the >80 TF families, only a few, such as NAC, MYB, WRKY, bZIP, and ERF/DREB, with vital roles in abiotic and biotic stress responses have been intensively studied. Moreover, although significant progress has been made in deciphering the roles of TFs in important cereal crops, fewer TF genes have been elucidated in sorghum. As a model drought-tolerant crop, sorghum research warrants further focus. This review summarizes recent progress on major TF families associated with abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and their potential for crop improvement, particularly in sorghum. Other TF families and non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression are discussed briefly. Despite the emphasis on sorghum, numerous examples from wheat, rice, maize, and barley are included. Collectively, the aim of this review is to illustrate the potential application of TF genes for stress tolerance improvement and the engineering of resistant crops, with an emphasis on sorghum.

Transcription factors involved in abiotic stress responses in Maize (Zea mays L.) and their roles in enhanced productivity in the post genomics era.

BACKGROUND: Maize (Zea mays L.) is a principal cereal crop cultivated worldwide for human food, animal feed, and more recently as a source of biofuel. However, as a direct consequence of water insufficiency and climate change, frequent occurrences of both biotic and abiotic stresses have been reported in various regions around the world, and recently, this has become a constant threat in increasing global maize yields. Plants respond to abiotic stresses by utilizing the activities of transcription factors (TFs), which are families of genes coding for specific TF proteins. TF target genes form a regulon that is involved in the repression/activation of genes associated with abiotic stress responses. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to have a systematic study on each TF family, the downstream target genes they regulate, and the specific TF genes involved in multiple abiotic stress responses in maize and other staple crops. METHOD: In this review, the main TF families, the specific TF genes and their regulons that are involved in abiotic stress regulation will be briefly discussed. Great emphasis will be given on maize abiotic stress improvement throughout this review, although other examples from different plants like rice, Arabidopsis, wheat, and barley will be used. RESULTS: We have described in detail the main TF families in maize that take part in abiotic stress responses together with their regulons. Furthermore, we have also briefly described the utilization of high-efficiency technologies in the study and characterization of TFs involved in the abiotic stress regulatory networks in plants with an emphasis on increasing maize production. Examples of these technologies include next-generation sequencing, microarray analysis, machine learning, and RNA-Seq. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it is expected that all the information provided in this review will in time contribute to the use of TF genes in the research, breeding, and development of new abiotic stress tolerant maize cultivars.