The VvWRKY37 Regulates Bud Break in Grape Vine Through ABA-Mediated Signaling Pathways.

Dormancy is a common survival strategy in plants to temporarily suspend visible growth under unsuitable conditions. The elaborate mechanism underlying bud break in perennial woody plants is gradually illustrated. Here, we identified a grape vine WRKY transcription factor, VvWRKY37, which was highly expressed in dormant buds. It was particularly induced by the application of exogenous abscisic acid, and depressed on exposure to gibberellin and low temperature (4°C) stress at the transcript level. The yeast one-hybrid assay confirmed that VvWRKY37 had a transcriptional activity. Ectopic over-expression of VvWRKY37 significantly delayed bud break of transgenic poplar plants. As an ABA-inducible gene, VvWRKY37 also depressed the expression of ABA catabolic gene CYP707As and enhanced the accumulation of endogenous ABA in transgenic poplar plants. The molecular pieces of evidence showed that VvWRKY37 preferentially recognized and bound W-box 5'-G/CATTGACT/C/G-3' cis-element in vitro. Additionally, VvABI5 and VvABF2 acted as the upstream transcriptional activators of VvWRKY37 via protein-DNA interactions. Taken together, our findings provided valuable insights into a new regulatory mechanism of WRKY TF by which it modulates bud break through ABA-mediated signaling pathways.

The apple BTB protein MdBT2 positively regulates MdCOP1 abundance to repress anthocyanin biosynthesis.

The ubiquitin ligase CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1) plays a central role in light-induced anthocyanin biosynthesis. However, the upstream regulatory factors of COP1 remain poorly understood, particularly in horticultural plants. Here, we identified an MdCOP1-interacting protein, BROAD-COMPLEX, TRAMTRACK AND BRIC A BRAC2 (MdBT2), in apple (Malus domestica). MdBT2 is a BTB protein that directly interacts with and stabilizes MdCOP1 by inhibiting self-ubiquitination. Fluorescence observation and cell fractionation assays showed that MdBT2 increased the abundance of MdCOP1 in the nucleus. Moreover, a series of phenotypic analyses indicated that MdBT2 promoted MdCOP1-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of the MdMYB1 transcription factor, inhibiting the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes and anthocyanin accumulation. Overall, our findings reveal a molecular mechanism by which MdBT2 positively regulates MdCOP1, providing insight into MdCOP1-mediated anthocyanin biosynthesis.

Increasing the activity of the Cu/CuAl2O4/Al2O3 catalyst for the RWGS through preserving the Cu2+ ions.

Cu-Al spinel oxide is a highly active catalyst for CO2 conversion to CO. However, it suffers from low surface area. By depositing a silica layer, we protected the catalyst surface and preserved the Cu2+ ions during the calcination process. These ions form well-dispersed Cu sites which participate in the reaction.

Functional characterization of WRKY46 in grape and its putative role in the interaction between grape and phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae).

WRKY transcription factors are involved in defense responses caused by biotic stresses. Phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch), a pest widespread in viticulture, elicits transcriptional reprogramming of plant defense-associated components, such as regulons related to WRKYs and salicylic acid (SA) signaling. In this study, we characterized WRKY46, a WRKY transcription factor responsible for phylloxera attack, and revealed the molecular mechanism for WRKY-mediated defense responses to phylloxera. qRT-PCR and GUS staining analyses revealed that WRKY46 is induced in response to phylloxera damage and mechanical wounding. VvWRKY46 is a nuclear-localized transcription factor that activates its downstream target VvCHIB by direct protein-DNA interaction. Regulons involved in the SA-mediated defense response were regulated during incompatible interactions between "1103 Paulsen" rootstock and phylloxera. In addition, WRKY46 exhibited a higher transcript abundance in "1103 Paulsen" than in "Crimson Seedless", regardless of whether the plants were infected with phylloxera. Furthermore, the enhanced expression of VvWRKY46 significantly attenuated phylloxera attack and delayed nymph development of composite grape plants. In summary, we demonstrated that WRKY46 plays a role in the SA-mediated defense-regulatory network by directly binding to the downstream structural gene VvCHIB. The phylloxera-responsive gene WRKY46 was identified, which could improve the understanding of the basic mechanism of grapevine in response to phylloxera.

Designing Heterogeneous Catalysts for Renewable Catalysis Applications Using Metal Oxide Deposition.

Heterogeneous catalysis has long been a workhorse for the chemical industry and will likely play a key role in the emerging area of renewable chemistry. However, renewable molecule streams pose unique challenges for heterogeneous catalysis due to their high oxygen content, frequent low volatility and the near constant presence of water. These constraints can often lead to the need for catalyst operation in harsh liquid phase conditions, which has compounded traditional catalyst deactivation issues. Oxygenated molecules are also frequently more reactive than petroleum-derived molecules, which creates a need for highly selective catalysts. Synthetic control over the nanostructured environment of catalytic active sites could facilitate the creation of both more stable and selective catalysts. In this review, we discuss the use of metal oxide deposition as an emerging strategy that can be used to synthesize and/or modify heterogeneous catalysts to introduce tailored nanostructures. Several important applications are reviewed, including the synthesis of high surface area mesoporous metal oxides, the enhancement of catalyst stability, and the improvement of catalyst selectivity.

Slowing the Kinetics of Alumina Sol-Gel Chemistry for Controlled Catalyst Overcoating and Improved Catalyst Stability and Selectivity.

Catalyst overcoating is an emerging approach to engineer surface functionalities on supported metal catalyst and improve catalyst selectivity and durability. Alumina deposition on high surface area material by sol-gel chemistry is traditionally difficult to control due to the fast hydrolysis kinetics of aluminum-alkoxide precursors. Here, sol-gel chemistry methods are adapted to slow down these kinetics and deposit nanometer-scale alumina overcoats. The alumina overcoats are comparable in conformality and thickness control to overcoats prepared by atomic layer deposition even on high surface area substrates. The strategy relies on regulating the hydrolysis/condensation kinetics of Al(s BuO)3 by either adding a chelating agent or using nonhydrolytic sol-gel chemistry. These two approaches produce overcoats with similar chemical properties but distinct physical textures. With chelation chemistry, a mild method compatible with supported base metal catalysts, a conformal yet porous overcoat leads to a highly sintering-resistant Cu catalyst for liquid-phase furfural hydrogenation. With the nonhydrolytic sol-gel route, a denser Al2 O3 overcoat can be deposited to create a high density of Lewis acid-metal interface sites over Pt on mesoporous silica. The resulting material has a substantially increased hydrodeoxygenation activity for the conversion of lignin-derived 4-propylguaiacol into propylcyclohexane with up to 87% selectivity.

The distribution and species of Ca2+ and subcellular localization of Ca2+ and Ca2+-ATPase in grape leaves of plants treated with fluoroglycofen.

Fluoroglycofen, a post-emergence herbicide used in vineyards to eradicate weeds, has previously been shown to turn grape leaves dark green following its use. Therefore, this study evaluates the relationship of dark green leaves with calcium form and subcellular distribution. To do this, we focused on the Ca2+ distribution and Ca2+-ATPase activity in leaf cells of one-year-old self-rooted Chardonnay grapevines treated with fluoroglycofen. Plants were separated into different treatments when they had seven or eight leaves, and different concentrations of fluoroglycofen were sprayed on the sand. The results showed that all of the soluble calcium content in the grape leaves that were treated with the highest concentration of fluoroglycofen (187.5gaiha-1) increased significantly. Specifically, the water-soluble organic acid calcium, pectate calcium, and calcium oxalate increased by 18.43%, 17.14%, and 31.05%, respectively, in the upper leaves than in the control. The subcellular distribution of Ca2+ in the dark green leaves increased significantly, especially in the cell wall and chloroplast, which increased by 25.54% and 24.10%, respectively. Through the ultrastructure localization of Ca2+ and Ca2+-ATPase contrasted with the control, the extracellular space and chloroplasts in the mesophyll cells of dark green leaves had large calcium pyroantimonate (Ca-PA) deposits. The extracellular space had fewer Ca2+-ATPase precipitation particles, whereas the chloroplasts had more. At the same time, a high concentration of fluoroglycofen decreased Ca2+-ATPase activity in grape leaves, which potentially might be due to disrupted regulation of calcium homeostatic mechanisms inside and outside of cells, resulting in a large number of Ca2+ accumulation in cells. The Ca2+ accumulation not only hindered the various cellular physiological reactions, but also caused leaves to become dark green in color.

Identification of a Novel Alternative Splicing Variant of VvPMA1 in Grape Root under Salinity.

It has been well-demonstrated that the control of plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PM H+-ATPase) activity is important to plant salt tolerance. This study found a significant increase in PM H+-ATPase (PMA) activity in grape root exposed to NaCl. Furthermore, 7 Vitis vinifera PM H+-ATPase genes (VvPMAs) were identified within the grape genome and the expression response of these VvPMAs in grape root under salinity was analyzed. Two VvPMAs (VvPMA1 and VvPMA3) were expressed more strongly in roots than the other five VvPMAs. Moreover, roots exhibited diverse patterns of gene expression of VvPMA1 and VvPMA3 responses to salt stress. Interestingly, two transcripts of VvPMA1, which were created through alternative splicing (AS), were discovered and isolated from salt stressed root. Comparing the two VvPMA1 cDNA sequences (designated VvPMA1α and VvPMA1ß) with the genomic sequence revealed that the second intron was retained in the VvPMA1ß cDNA. This intron retention was predicted to generate a novel VvPMA1 through N-terminal truncation because of a 5'- terminal frame shift. Yeast complementation assays of the two splice variants showed that VvPMA1ß could enhance the ability to complement Saccharomyces cerevisiae deficient in PM H+-ATPase activity. In addition, the expression profiles of VvPMA1α and VvPMA1ß differed under salinity. Our data suggests that through AS, the N-terminal length of VvPMA1 may be regulated to accurately modulate PM H+-ATPase activity of grape root in salt stress.

Study of Binding Interaction between Pif80 Protein Fragment and Aragonite.

Pif is a crucial protein for the formation of the nacreous layer in Pinctada fucata. Three non-acidic peptide fragments of the aragonite-binding domain (Pif80) are selected, which contain multiple copies of the repeat sequence DDRK, to study the interaction between non-acidic peptides and aragonite. The polypeptides DDRKDDRKGGK (Pif80-11) and DDRKDDRKGGKDDRKDDRKGGK (Pif80-22) have similar binding affinity to aragonite. Solid-state NMR data indicate that the backbones of Pif80-11 and Pif80-22 peptides bound on aragonite adopt a random-coil conformation. Pif80-11 is a lot more effective than Pif80-22 in promoting the nucleation of aragonite on the substrate of ß-chitin. Our results suggest that the structural arrangement at a protein-mineral interface depends on the surface structure of the mineral substrate and the protein sequence. The side chains of the basic residues, which function as anchors to the aragonite surface, have uniform structures. The role of basic residues as anchors in protein-mineral interaction may play an important role in biomineralization.

[Effects of different salt and alkali stresses on ion distribution in Red globe/Beta grapevines].

The potted Red globe/Beta grapevines were selected to irrigated with NaCl, Na2SO4, NaHCO3, NH4Cl, (NH4)2SO4. Hence, the ions which induced leaf etiolation were screened and the impacts of different salt and alkali on ion distribution in different organs of grapevines were investigated. It was found that NaHCO3 exerted the greatest effects on grapevines, leaf etiolation at 14 days after treatment. By contrast, NaCl and NH4Cl treatments induced leaf etiolation at 28 days after treatment. The Na+ content in all the detected organs were significantly increased under NaHCO3 and NaCl treatment, and Na+ content in root under NaHCO3 treatment was 6.4 times as that in control root. NaHCO3 and NaCl treatments significantly decreased K+ content in the organs with the exception of leaf. NaHCO3 treatment significantly decreased K/Na in different organs, which declined to 0.1 in root. By contrast, NaCl treatment significantly decreased K/Na in the detected organs with exception of stem. Besides, the transport of Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+ to aboveground organs was significantly decreased by NaHCO3 and NaCl treatments. K/Na ratio in the detected organs were decreased under NH4Cl, (NH4) 2SO4 and Na2SO4 treatments, especially under NH4 Cl treatment. Taken together, NaHCO3 was the primary factor resulting in leaf etiolation, followed by NaCl and NH4Cl, while (NH4) 2SO4 and Na2SO4 produced impacts.

[Cadmium accumulation, subcellular distribution, and chemical forms in Vitis vinifera cv. chardonnay grapevine].

A pot culture experiment was conducted to study the Cd absorption, Cd subcellular distribution, and Cd chemical forms in one-year old self-rooted Chardonnay and SO4 rootstock-grafted Chardonnay grapevine after root-irrigating with different concentration CdCl and CaCl2. In the grapevine, the absorbed Cd was mostly distributed in underground organs (root and rhizome). In treatment 4 mmol x L(-1) of CdCl2, 77.1% and 1.4% of the absorbed Cd in self-rooted Chardonnay were accumulated in underground organs and leaves, respectively, while 93.9% and 0.1% of the absorbed Cd in grafted Chardonnay were accumulated in the organs below graft position and in leaves, respectively. 5 mmol L(-1) of CaCl2 decreased the plant Cd absorption and accumulation, while 10 mmol x L(-1) of CaCl2 increased the plant Cd absorption and accumulation significantly. The Cd subcellular distribution in roots and leaves was in the order of cell wall > soluble fraction > organelle, and more than 50% of the Cd was accumulated in cell wall. In the roots, NaCl-extractable Cd had a major proportion, followed by HAc-extractable Cd, and water-extractable Cd. The contents of all the Cd chemical forms varied with the increasing concentration of Cd in the treatments.

[Physiological and biochemical responses of different scion/rootstock combinations grapevine to partial rootzone drought].

By using self-made wooden boxes with two separated zones, the grapevine Vitis vinifera cv. Malvasia (M) grafted on rootstocks 3309C, 420A and 110R, respectively, was planted, and the physiological and biochemical responses of these scion/rootstock combinations to bilateral alternative irrigation (AI) and unilateral irrigation (UI) were studied. The results showed that in treatments AI and UI, the average leaf ABA content of test scion/rootstock combinations increased by 267.5% and 394.7%, respectively, while stomatal conduction and transpiration decreased markedly. In treatment UI, the leaf SOD and CAT activities and Pro content were notably enhanced, with the greatest increment in M/110R and followed by in M/420A and M/3309C; while in treatment AI, the leaf SOD and CAT activities of test scion/rootstock combinations enhanced slightly and Pro content increased markedly. UI induced a remarkable increase of leaf relative electronic conductivity and MDA and H2O2 contents, with the highest increment in M/3309C and the lowest in M/110R. In summary, the drought resistance of different scion/rootstock combinations grapevine mainly depended on the variety of rootstock. 110R had a higher drought-resistance than 420A and 3309C. Comparing with unilateral irrigation, bilateral alternative irrigation had lesser damage to grapevine, being a profitable water-saving irrigation technique.