Functionally Similar WRKY Proteins Regulate Vacuolar Acidification in Petunia and Hair Development in Arabidopsis.

The WD40 proteins ANTHOCYANIN11 (AN11) from petunia (Petunia hybrida) and TRANSPARENT TESTA GLABRA1 (TTG1) from Arabidopsis thaliana and associated basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and MYB transcription factors activate a variety of differentiation processes. In petunia petals, AN11 and the bHLH protein AN1 activate, together with the MYB protein AN2, anthocyanin biosynthesis and, together with the MYB protein PH4, distinct genes, such as PH1 and PH5, that acidify the vacuole. To understand how AN1 and AN11 activate anthocyanin biosynthetic and PH genes independently, we isolated PH3. We found that PH3 is a target gene of the AN11-AN1-PH4 complex and encodes a WRKY protein that can bind to AN11 and is required, in a feed-forward loop, together with AN11-AN1-PH4 for transcription of PH5. PH3 is highly similar to TTG2, which regulates hair development, tannin accumulation, and mucilage production in Arabidopsis. Like PH3, TTG2 can bind to petunia AN11 and the Arabidopsis homolog TTG1, complement ph3 in petunia, and reactivate the PH3 target gene PH5. Our findings show that the specificity of WD40-bHLH-MYB complexes is in part determined by interacting proteins, such as PH3 and TTG2, and reveal an unanticipated similarity in the regulatory circuitry that controls petunia vacuolar acidification and Arabidopsis hair development.

Comparative analysis of targeted long read sequencing approaches for characterization of a plant's immune receptor repertoire.

BACKGROUND: The Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION™ sequencer is a small, portable, low cost device that is accessible to labs of all sizes and attractive for in-the-field sequencing experiments. Selective breeding of crops has led to a reduction in genetic diversity, and wild relatives are a key source of new genetic resistance to pathogens, usually via NLR immune receptor-encoding genes. Recent studies have demonstrated how crop NLR repertoires can be targeted for sequencing on Illumina or PacBio (RenSeq) and the specific gene conveying pathogen resistance identified. RESULTS: Sequence yields per MinION run are lower than Illumina, making targeted resequencing an efficient approach. While MinION generates long reads similar to PacBio it doesn't generate the highly accurate multipass consensus reads, which presents downstream bioinformatics challenges. Here we demonstrate how MinION data can be used for RenSeq achieving similar results to the PacBio and how novel NLR gene fusions can be identified via a Nanopore RenSeq pipeline. CONCLUSION: The described library preparation and bioinformatics methods should be applicable to other gene families or any targeted long DNA fragment nanopore sequencing project.

Evolution of tonoplast P-ATPase transporters involved in vacuolar acidification.

Petunia mutants (Petunia hybrida) with blue flowers defined a novel vacuolar proton pump consisting of two interacting P-ATPases, PH1 and PH5, that hyper-acidify the vacuoles of petal cells. PH5 is similar to plasma membrane H(+) P3A -ATPase, whereas PH1 is the only known eukaryoticP3B -ATPase. As there were no indications that this tonoplast pump is widespread in plants, we investigated the distribution and evolution of PH1 and PH5. We combined database mining and phylogenetic and synteny analyses of PH1- and PH5-like proteins from all kingdoms with functional analyses (mutant complementation and intracellular localization) of homologs from diverse angiosperms. We identified functional PH1 and PH5 homologs in divergent angiosperms. PH5 homologs evolved from plasma membrane P3A -ATPases, acquiring an N-terminal tonoplast-sorting sequence and new cellular function before angiosperms appeared. PH1 is widespread among seed plants and related proteins are found in some groups of bacteria and fungi and in one moss, but is absent in most algae, suggesting that its evolution involved several cases of gene loss and possibly horizontal transfer events. The distribution of PH1 and PH5 in the plant kingdom suggests that vacuolar acidification by P-ATPases appeared in gymnosperms before flowers. This implies that, next to flower color determination, vacuolar hyper-acidification is required for yet unknown processes.

Resistance gene enrichment sequencing (RenSeq) enables reannotation of the NB-LRR gene family from sequenced plant genomes and rapid mapping of resistance loci in segregating populations.

RenSeq is a NB-LRR (nucleotide binding-site leucine-rich repeat) gene-targeted, Resistance gene enrichment and sequencing method that enables discovery and annotation of pathogen resistance gene family members in plant genome sequences. We successfully applied RenSeq to the sequenced potato Solanum tuberosum clone DM, and increased the number of identified NB-LRRs from 438 to 755. The majority of these identified R gene loci reside in poorly or previously unannotated regions of the genome. Sequence and positional details on the 12 chromosomes have been established for 704 NB-LRRs and can be accessed through a genome browser that we provide. We compared these NB-LRR genes and the corresponding oligonucleotide baits with the highest sequence similarity and demonstrated that ~80% sequence identity is sufficient for enrichment. Analysis of the sequenced tomato S. lycopersicum 'Heinz 1706' extended the NB-LRR complement to 394 loci. We further describe a methodology that applies RenSeq to rapidly identify molecular markers that co-segregate with a pathogen resistance trait of interest. In two independent segregating populations involving the wild Solanum species S. berthaultii (Rpi-ber2) and S. ruiz-ceballosii (Rpi-rzc1), we were able to apply RenSeq successfully to identify markers that co-segregate with resistance towards the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans. These SNP identification workflows were designed as easy-to-adapt Galaxy pipelines.

Spatially resolved transcriptomics reveals plant host responses to pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Thorough understanding of complex model systems requires the characterisation of processes in different cell types of an organism. This can be achieved with high-throughput spatial transcriptomics at a large scale. However, for plant model systems this is still challenging as suitable transcriptomics methods are sparsely available. Here we present GaST-seq (Grid-assisted, Spatial Transcriptome sequencing), an easy to adopt, micro-scale spatial-transcriptomics workflow that allows to study expression profiles across small areas of plant tissue at a fraction of the cost of existing sequencing-based methods. RESULTS: We compare the GaST-seq method with widely used library preparation methods (Illumina TruSeq). In spatial experiments we show that the GaST-seq method is sensitive enough to identify expression differences across a plant organ. We further assess the spatial transcriptome response of Arabidopsis thaliana leaves exposed to the bacterial molecule flagellin-22, and show that with eukaryotic (Albugo laibachii) infection both host and pathogen spatial transcriptomes are obtained. CONCLUSION: We show that our method can be used to identify known, rapidly flagellin-22 elicited genes, plant immune response pathways to bacterial attack and spatial expression patterns of genes associated with these pathways.

The ash dieback invasion of Europe was founded by two genetically divergent individuals.

Accelerating international trade and climate change make pathogen spread an increasing concern. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, the causal agent of ash dieback, is a fungal pathogen that has been moving across continents and hosts from Asian to European ash. Most European common ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) are highly susceptible to H. fraxineus, although a minority (~5%) have partial resistance to dieback. Here, we assemble and annotate a H. fraxineus draft genome, which approaches chromosome scale. Pathogen genetic diversity across Europe and in Japan, reveals a strong bottleneck in Europe, though a signal of adaptive diversity remains in key host interaction genes. We find that the European population was founded by two divergent haploid individuals. Divergence between these haplotypes represents the ancestral polymorphism within a large source population. Subsequent introduction from this source would greatly increase adaptive potential of the pathogen. Thus, further introgression of H. fraxineus into Europe represents a potential threat and Europe-wide biological security measures are needed to manage this disease.

Flavonoids: a colorful model for the regulation and evolution of biochemical pathways.

For more than a century, the biosynthesis of flavonoid pigments has been a favorite of scientists to study a wide variety of biological processes, such as inheritance and transposition, and has become one of the best-studied pathways in nature. The analysis of pigmentation continues to provide insights into new areas, such as the channeling and intracellular transport of metabolites, regulation of gene expression and RNA interference. Moreover, because pigmentation is studied in a variety of species, it provides unique molecular insights into the evolution of biochemical pathways and regulatory networks.

A Tonoplast P3B-ATPase Mediates Fusion of Two Types of Vacuoles in Petal Cells.

It is known that plant cells can contain multiple distinct vacuoles; however, the abundance of multivacuolar cells and the mechanisms underlying vacuolar differentiation and communication among different types of vacuoles remain unknown. PH1 and PH5 are tonoplast P-ATPases that form a heteromeric pump that hyper-acidifies the central vacuole (CV) of epidermal cells in petunia petals. Here, we show that the sorting of this pump and other vacuolar proteins to the CV involves transit through small vacuoles: vacuolinos. Vacuolino formation is controlled by transcription factors regulating pigment synthesis and transcription of PH1 and PH5. Trafficking of proteins from vacuolinos to the central vacuole is impaired by misexpression of vacuolar SNAREs as well as mutants for the PH1 component of the PH1-PH5 pump. The finding that PH1-PH5 and these SNAREs interact strongly suggests that structural tonoplast proteins can act as tethering factors in the recognition of different vacuolar types.

Targeted capture and sequencing of gene-sized DNA molecules.

Targeted capture provides an efficient and sensitive means for sequencing specific genomic regions in a high-throughput manner. To date, this method has mostly been used to capture exons from the genome (the exome) using short insert libraries and short-read sequencing technology, enabling the identification of genetic variants or new members of large gene families. Sequencing larger molecules results in the capture of whole genes, including intronic and intergenic sequences that are typically more polymorphic and allow the resolution of the gene structure of homologous genes, which are often clustered together on the chromosome. Here, we describe an improved method for the capture and single-molecule sequencing of DNA molecules as large as 7 kb by means of size selection and optimized PCR conditions. Our approach can be used to capture, sequence, and distinguish between similar members of the NB-LRR gene family-key genes in plant immune systems.

Genomic DNA library preparation for resistance gene enrichment and sequencing (RenSeq) in plants.

Enrichment of genomic DNA for genes of interest prior to high-throughput sequencing offers an efficient and cost-effective approach to reduce genome complexity. Target enrichment typically yields higher read-depth for selected genes and is therefore suitable for determination of sequence polymorphisms and enables multiplexing of samples. Target enrichment also provides a means to annotate specific gene families within the sequenced organisms without the requirements for gene models. Here we describe enrichment procedures for NB-LRR-type plant resistance genes that can, for example, be used to establish the NB-LRR gene complements of individual plants and to map resistances more rapidly using a bulked segregant analysis.

Elevating crop disease resistance with cloned genes.

Essentially all plant species exhibit heritable genetic variation for resistance to a variety of plant diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, oomycetes or viruses. Disease losses in crop monocultures are already significant, and would be greater but for applications of disease-controlling agrichemicals. For sustainable intensification of crop production, we argue that disease control should as far as possible be achieved using genetics rather than using costly recurrent chemical sprays. The latter imply CO2 emissions from diesel fuel and potential soil compaction from tractor journeys. Great progress has been made in the past 25 years in our understanding of the molecular basis of plant disease resistance mechanisms, and of how pathogens circumvent them. These insights can inform more sophisticated approaches to elevating disease resistance in crops that help us tip the evolutionary balance in favour of the crop and away from the pathogen. We illustrate this theme with an account of a genetically modified (GM) blight-resistant potato trial in Norwich, using the Rpi-vnt1.1 gene isolated from a wild relative of potato, Solanum venturii, and introduced by GM methods into the potato variety Desiree.

Hyperacidification of vacuoles by the combined action of two different P-ATPases in the tonoplast determines flower color.

The acidification of endomembrane compartments is essential for enzyme activities, sorting, trafficking, and trans-membrane transport of various compounds. Vacuoles are mildly acidic in most plant cells because of the action of V-ATPase and/or pyrophosphatase proton pumps but are hyperacidified in specific cells by mechanisms that remained unclear. Here, we show that the blue petal color of petunia ph mutants is due to a failure to hyperacidify vacuoles. We report that PH1 encodes a P3B-ATPase, hitherto known as Mg2(+) transporters in bacteria only, that resides in the vacuolar membrane (tonoplast). In vivo nuclear magnetic resonance and genetic data show that PH1 is required and, together with the tonoplast H(+) P3A-ATPase PH5, sufficient to hyperacidify vacuoles. PH1 has no H(+) transport activity on its own but can physically interact with PH5 and boost PH5 H(+) transport activity. Hence, the hyperacidification of vacuoles in petals, and possibly other tissues, relies on a heteromeric P-ATPase pump.

Identifying and classifying trait linked polymorphisms in non-reference species by walking coloured de bruijn graphs.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms are invaluable markers for tracing the genetic basis of inheritable traits and the ability to create marker libraries quickly is vital for timely identification of target genes. Next-generation sequencing makes it possible to sample a genome rapidly, but polymorphism detection relies on having a reference genome to which reads can be aligned and variants detected. We present Bubbleparse, a method for detecting variants directly from next-generation reads without a reference sequence. Bubbleparse uses the de Bruijn graph implementation in the Cortex framework as a basis and allows the user to identify bubbles in these graphs that represent polymorphisms, quickly, easily and sensitively. We show that the Bubbleparse algorithm is sensitive and can detect many polymorphisms quickly and that it performs well when compared with polymorphism detection methods based on alignment to a reference in Arabidopsis thaliana. We show that the heuristic can be used to maximise the number of true polymorphisms returned, and with a proof-of-principle experiment show that Bubbleparse is very effective on data from unsequenced wild relatives of potato and enabled us to identify disease resistance linked genes quickly and easily.

Novel applications of motif-directed profiling to identify disease resistance genes in plants.

BACKGROUND: Molecular profiling of gene families is a versatile tool to study diversity between individual genomes in sexual crosses and germplasm. Nucleotide binding site (NBS) profiling, in particular, targets conserved nucleotide binding site-encoding sequences of resistance gene analogs (RGAs), and is widely used to identify molecular markers for disease resistance (R) genes. RESULTS: In this study, we used NBS profiling to identify genome-wide locations of RGA clusters in the genome of potato clone RH. Positions of RGAs in the potato RH and DM genomes that were generated using profiling and genome sequencing, respectively, were compared. Largely overlapping results, but also interesting discrepancies, were found. Due to the clustering of RGAs, several parts of the genome are overexposed while others remain underexposed using NBS profiling. It is shown how the profiling of other gene families, i.e. protein kinases and different protein domain-coding sequences (i.e., TIR), can be used to achieve a better marker distribution. The power of profiling techniques is further illustrated using RGA cluster-directed profiling in a population of Solanum berthaultii. Multiple different paralogous RGAs within the Rpi-ber cluster could be genetically distinguished. Finally, an adaptation of the profiling protocol was made that allowed the parallel sequencing of profiling fragments using next generation sequencing. The types of RGAs that were tagged in this next-generation profiling approach largely overlapped with classical gel-based profiling. As a potential application of next-generation profiling, we showed how the R gene family associated with late blight resistance in the SH*RH population could be identified using a bulked segregant approach. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we provide a comprehensive overview of previously described and novel profiling primers and their genomic targets in potato through genetic mapping and comparative genomics. Furthermore, it is shown how genome-wide or fine mapping can be pursued by choosing different sets of profiling primers. A protocol for next-generation profiling is provided and will form the basis for novel applications. Using the current overview of genomic targets, a rational choice can be made for profiling primers to be employed.

An H+ P-ATPase on the tonoplast determines vacuolar pH and flower colour.

The regulation of pH in cellular compartments is crucial for intracellular trafficking of vesicles and proteins and the transport of small molecules, including hormones. In endomembrane compartments, pH is regulated by vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase), which, in plants, act together with H(+)-pyrophosphatases (PPase), whereas distinct P-type H(+)-ATPases in the cell membrane control the pH in the cytoplasm and energize the plasma membrane. Flower colour mutants have proved useful in identifying genes controlling the pH of vacuoles where anthocyanin pigments accumulate. Here we show that PH5 of petunia encodes a P(3A)-ATPase proton pump that, unlike other P-type H(+)-ATPases, resides in the vacuolar membrane. Mutation of PH5 reduces vacuolar acidification in petals, resulting in a blue flower colour and abolishes the accumulation of proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins) in seeds. Expression of PH5 is directly activated by transcription regulators of the anthocyanin pathway, in conjunction with PH3 and PH4. Thus, flower coloration, a key-factor in plant reproduction, involves the coordinated activation of pigment synthesis and a specific pathway for vacuolar acidification.

PH4 of Petunia is an R2R3 MYB protein that activates vacuolar acidification through interactions with basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factors of the anthocyanin pathway.

The Petunia hybrida genes ANTHOCYANIN1 (AN1) and AN2 encode transcription factors with a basic-helix-loop-helix (BHLH) and a MYB domain, respectively, that are required for anthocyanin synthesis and acidification of the vacuole in petal cells. Mutation of PH4 results in a bluer flower color, increased pH of petal extracts, and, in certain genetic backgrounds, the disappearance of anthocyanins and fading of the flower color. PH4 encodes a MYB domain protein that is expressed in the petal epidermis and that can interact, like AN2, with AN1 and the related BHLH protein JAF13 in yeast two-hybrid assays. Mutation of PH4 has little or no effect on the expression of structural anthocyanin genes but strongly downregulates the expression of CAC16.5, encoding a protease-like protein of unknown biological function. Constitutive expression of PH4 and AN1 in transgenic plants is sufficient to activate CAC16.5 ectopically. Together with the previous finding that AN1 domains required for anthocyanin synthesis and vacuolar acidification can be partially separated, this suggests that AN1 activates different pathways through interactions with distinct MYB proteins.