Sorghum qTGW1a encodes a G-protein subunit and acts as a negative regulator of grain size.

Grain size is a major determinant of grain yield in sorghum and other cereals. Over 100 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of grain size have been identified in sorghum. However, no gene underlying any grain size QTL has been cloned. Here, we describe the fine mapping and cloning of one grain size QTL. From an F8 recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between inbred lines 654 and LTR108, we identified 44 grain size QTLs. One QTL, qTGW1a, was detected consistently on the long arm of chromosome 1 in the span of 4 years. Using the extreme recombinants from an F2:3 fine-mapping population, qTGW1a was delimited within a ~33 kb region containing three predicted genes. One of them, SORBI_3001G341700, predicted to encode a G-protein γ subunit and homologous to GS3 in rice, is likely to be the causative gene for qTGW1a. qTGW1a appears to act as a negative regulator of grain size in sorghum. The functional allele of the putatively causative gene of qTGW1a from inbred line 654 decreased grain size, plant height, and grain yield in transgenic rice. Identification of the gene underlying qTGW1a advances our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of grain size in sorghum and provides a target to manipulate grain size through genome editing.

Heat Stress Suppresses Brassica napus Seed Oil Accumulation by Inhibition of Photosynthesis and BnWRI1 Pathway.

Heat stress during Brassica napus seed filling severely impairs yield and oil content. However, the mechanisms underlying heat-stress effects on B. napus seed photosynthesis and oil accumulation remain elusive. In this study, we showed that heat stress resulted in reduction of seed oil accumulation, whereas the seed sugar content was enhanced, which indicated that incorporation of carbohydrates into triacylglycerols was impaired. Photosynthesis and respiration rates, and the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II in developing seeds were inhibited by heat stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that heat stress led to up-regulation of genes associated with high light response, providing evidence that photoinhibition was induced by heat stress. BnWRI1 and its downstream genes, including genes involved in de novo fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, were down-regulated by heat stress. Overexpression of BnWRI1 with a seed-specific promoter stabilized both oil accumulation and photosynthesis under the heat-stress condition, which suggested BnWRI1 plays an important role in mediating the effect of heat stress on fatty acid biosynthesis. A number of sugar transporter genes were inhibited by heat stress, resulting in defective integration of carbohydrates into triacylglycerols units. The results collectively demonstrated that disturbances of the seed photosynthesis machinery, impairment of carbohydrates incorporation into triacylglycerols and transcriptional deregulation of the BnWRI1 pathway by heat stress might be the major cause of decreased oil accumulation in the seed.

Characterization and molecular cloning of a serine hydroxymethyltransferase 1 (OsSHM1) in rice.

Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) is important for one carbon metabolism and photorespiration in higher plants for its participation in plant growth and development, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. A rice serine hydroxymethyltransferase gene, OsSHM1, an ortholog of Arabidopsis SHM1, was isolated using map-based cloning. The osshm1 mutant had chlorotic lesions and a considerably smaller, lethal phenotype under natural ambient CO2 concentrations, but could be restored to wild type with normal growth under elevated CO2 levels (0.5% CO2 ), showing a typical photorespiratory phenotype. The data from antioxidant enzymes activity measurement suggested that osshm1 was subjected to significant oxidative stress. Also, OsSHM1 was expressed in all organs tested (root, culm, leaf, and young panicle) but predominantly in leaves. OsSHM1 protein is localized to the mitochondria. Our study suggested that molecular function of the OsSHM1 gene is conserved in rice and Arabidopsis.

Ferroptosis induction in host rice by endophyte OsiSh-2 is necessary for mutualism and disease resistance in symbiosis.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death that was discovered recently. For beneficial microbes to establish mutualistic relationships with hosts, precisely controlled cell death in plant cells is necessary. However, whether ferroptosis is involved in the endophyte‒plant system is poorly understood. Here, we reported that endophytic Streptomyces hygroscopicus OsiSh-2, which established a sophisticated and beneficial interaction with host rice plants, caused ferroptotic cell death in rice characterized by ferroptosis- and immune-related markers. Treatments with ferroptosis inhibitors and inducers, different doses of OsiSh-2, and the siderophore synthesis-deficient mutant ΔcchH revealed that only moderate ferroptosis induced by endophytes is essential for the establishment of an optimal symbiont to enhance plant growth. Additionally, ferroptosis involved in a defence-primed state in rice, which contributed to improved resistance against rice blast disease. Overall, our study provides new insights into the mechanisms of endophyte‒plant interactions mediated by ferroptosis and suggests new directions for crop yield promotion.

Seed size is determined by the combinations of the genes controlling different seed characteristics in rice.

Rice seed size is an important agronomic trait in determining the yield potential, and four seed size related genes (GS3, GW2, qSW5/GW5 and GIF1) have been cloned in rice so far. However, the relationship among these four genes is still unclear, which will impede the process of gene pyramiding breeding program to some extent. To shade light on the relationship of above four genes, gene expression analysis was performed with GS3-RNAi, GW2-RNAi lines and CSSL of qSW5 at the transcriptional level. The results clearly showed that qSW5 and GW2 positively regulate the expression of GS3. Meanwhile, qSW5 can be down-regulated by repression of GW2 transcription. Additionally, GIF1 expression was found to be positively regulated by qSW5 but negatively by GW2 and GS3. Moreover, the allelic effects of qSW5 and GS3 were detailedly characterized based on a natural population consisting of 180 rice cultivars. It was indicated that mutual interactions exist between the two genes, in which, qSW5 affecting seed length is masked by GS3 alleles, and GS3 affecting seed width is masked by qSW5 alleles. These findings provide more insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying seed size development in rice and are likely to be useful for improving rice grain yield.

Genome-wide analysis of the auxin response factors (ARF) gene family in rice (Oryza sativa).

Auxin response factors (ARFs) are transcription factors that bind with specificity to TGTCTC-containing auxin response elements (AuxREs) found in promoters of primary/early auxin response genes and mediate responses to the plant hormone auxin. The ARF genes are represented by a large multigene family in plants. A comprehensive genome-wide analysis was carried out in this study to find all ARFs in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa subsp. japonica), 23 and 25 ARF genes, named as AtARFs and OsARFs, were identified, respectively. Chromosomal locations of all OsARFs were presented and it was found that the duplication of OsARFs was associated with only the chromosomal block duplications but not local tandem duplications. A phylogenetic tree was generated from alignments of the full-length protein sequences of 25 OsARFs and 23 AtARFs to examine the phylogenetic relationships of rice and Arabidopsis ARF proteins. All 48 members of ARF gene families fell into three major classes, a total of 13 sister pairs, including 9 OsARF-OsARF, 2 AtARF-AtARF and 2 AtARF-OsARF sister pairs were formed, showing different orthologous relationships between AtARFs and OsARFs. EST analysis and RT-PCR assays demonstrated that 24 of all 25 OsARF genes were active and the transcript abundance of some OsARF genes was affected by auxin treatment or light- and dark-grown conditions. The outcome of the present study provides basic genomic information for the rice ARF gene family and will pave the way for elucidating the precise role of OsARFs in plant growth and development in the future.

OspTAC2 encodes a pentatricopeptide repeat protein and regulates rice chloroplast development.

Functional chloroplast generation depends on the precise coordination of gene expression between the plastid and the nucleus and is essential for plant growth and development. In this study, a rice (Oryza sativa) mutant that exhibited albino and seedling-lethal phenotypes was isolated from a60Co-irradiated rice population. The mutant gene was identified as an ortholog of the Arabidopsis plastid transcriptionally active chromosome protein 2 (pTAC2) gene, and the mutant strain was designated osptac2. Sequence and transcription analyses showed that OspTAC2 encodes a putative chloroplast protein consisting of 10 pentratricopeptide repeat (PPR) domains and a C-terminal small MutS-related (SMR) domain. Cytological observations via microscopy showed that the OspTAC2-green fluorescent fusion protein is localized in the chloroplasts. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the chloroplast of the osptac2 mutant lacks an organized thylakoid membrane. The transcript levels of all investigated PEP (plastid-encoded RNA polymerase)-dependent genes were dramatically reduced in the osptac2 mutant, whereas the transcript levels of NEP (nuclear-encoded polymerase)-dependent genes were increased. These results suggest that OspTAC2 plays a critical role in chloroplast development and indicate that the molecular function of the OspTAC2 gene is conserved in rice and Arabidopsis.

Removal of environmental estrogens by bacterial cell immobilization technique.

Contamination of steroidal estrogens in the environment has raised a great public concern, and therefore, developing an effective method for removal of trace amount of environmental estrogens is necessary. In this study, two estrogen-degrading bacteria were isolated from activated sludge and were identified as strain Sphingomonas sp. AHC-F and strain Sphingobium sp. AX-B. They were capable of utilizing estrone (E1) and 17ß-estradiol (E2) as sole carbon and energy source. Cell immobilization technique was applied to these two estrogen-degrading bacteria. Confocal laser-scanning microscopy images with live and dead staining of entrapped bacterial cells showed that most bacteria were present inside the porous structure and were mostly viable after immobilization procedures. Batch estrogen degradation study showed that immobilized strains AHC-F and AX-B could effectively degrade 2 mg/L of E2 and its metabolite E1. Immobilized bacteria column reactors using pure culture of strain AHC-F were set up for continuous-flow removal of 850 ng/L of E2 in the influent. The removal efficiency of E2 and equivalent estrogenic quantity of E2 (EEQ) could achieve 94 and 87% under 12 h hydraulic retention time (HRT), respectively. Increasing HRT could further improve the removal efficiency of EEQ. When the HRT increased to 72 h, the effluent concentrations of E2 and E1 were not detectable by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results also proved that most of the estrogen removal was due to biodegradation. This study has demonstrated the potential use of immobilized bacteria technique for the removal of environmental estrogens.