Abscisic acid regulates axillary bud outgrowth responses to the ratio of red to far-red light.

Low red light/far-red light ratio (R:FR) serves as an indicator of impending competition and has been demonstrated to suppress branch development. The regulation of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) rosette bud outgrowth by the R:FR and the associated mechanisms were investigated at several levels. Growth under low R:FR suppressed outgrowth of the third from topmost bud (bud n-2) but not that of the topmost bud. Subsequently increasing the R:FR near the time of anthesis promoted bud n-2 outgrowth and reduced topmost bud growth. Buds from specific rosette positions, exhibiting divergent fates to increased R:FR, were harvested 3 h after modifying the R:FR and were used to conduct ATH1 microarray-based transcriptome profiling. Differentially expressed genes showed enrichment of light signaling and hormone-related Gene Ontology terms and promoter motifs, most notably those associated with abscisic acid (ABA). Genes associated with ABA biosynthesis, including the key biosynthetic gene NINE-CIS-EPOXYCAROTENOID DIOXYGENASE3 (NCED3), and with ABA signaling were expressed at higher levels in the responsive bud n-2, and increasing the R:FR decreased their expression only in bud n-2. ABA abundance in responsive buds decreased within 12 h of increasing the R:FR, while indole-3-acetic acid levels did not change. A role for ABA in repressing bud outgrowth from lower positions under low R:FR was demonstrated using the nced3-2 and aba2-1 ABA biosynthesis mutants, which showed enhanced branching and a defective bud n-2 outgrowth response to low R:FR. The results provide evidence that ABA regulates bud outgrowth responses to the R:FR and thus extend the known hormonal pathways associated with the regulation of branching and shade avoidance.

The timing of low R:FR exposure profoundly affects Arabidopsis branching responses.

The ratio of Red to Far Red light (R:FR) is sensed by phytochromes, including phytochrome B, and serves as a signal of potential competition. Low R:FR represses Arabidopsis thaliana branching by promoting the accumulation of abscisic acid in the young buds and by enhancing auxin signaling in the main shoot. While overall plant level branching is reduced by low R:FR, the growth of the uppermost branches tends to be promoted while the lower buds are suppressed. Buds at intermediate positions can show either growth promotion or growth suppression by low R:FR if they become exposed to low R:FR late or early, respectively. This pattern suggests that developmental stage specific programming occurs to modify the response of specific buds to branching regulators including auxin and ABA.

Physiology and transcriptomics of water-deficit stress responses in wheat cultivars TAM 111 and TAM 112.

Hard red winter wheat crops on the U.S. Southern Great Plains often experience moderate to severe drought stress, especially during the grain filling stage, resulting in significant yield losses. Cultivars TAM 111 and TAM 112 are widely cultivated in the region, share parentage and showed superior but distinct adaption mechanisms under water-deficit (WD) conditions. Nevertheless, the physiological and molecular basis of their adaptation remains unknown. A greenhouse study was conducted to understand the differences in the physiological and transcriptomic responses of TAM 111 and TAM 112 to WD stress. Whole-plant data indicated that TAM 112 used more water, produced more biomass and grain yield under WD compared to TAM 111. Leaf-level data at the grain filling stage indicated that TAM 112 had elevated abscisic acid (ABA) content and reduced stomatal conductance and photosynthesis as compared to TAM 111. Sustained WD during the grain filling stage also resulted in greater flag leaf transcriptome changes in TAM 112 than TAM 111. Transcripts associated with photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, phytohormone metabolism, and other dehydration responses were uniquely regulated between cultivars. These results suggested a differential role for ABA in regulating physiological and transcriptomic changes associated with WD stress and potential involvement in the superior adaptation and yield of TAM 112.

Transcriptomics of induced defense responses to greenbug aphid feeding in near isogenic wheat lines.

The greenbug aphid, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) is an important cereal pest, periodically threatening wheat yields in the United States and around the world. The single dominant gene, Gb3-based resistance is highly durable against prevailing greenbug biotypes under field conditions; however, the molecular mechanisms of Gb3-mediated defense responses remain unknown. We used Affymetrix GeneChip Wheat Genome Arrays to investigate the transcriptomics of host defense responses upon greenbug feeding on resistant and susceptible bulks (RB and SB, respectively) derived from two near-isogenic lines. The study identified 692 differentially expressed transcripts and further functional classification recognized 122 transcripts that are putatively associated to mediate biotic stress responses. In RB, Gb3-mediated resistance resulted in activation of transmembrane receptor kinases and signaling-related transcripts involved in early signal transduction cascades. While in SB, transcripts mediating final steps in jasmonic acid biosynthesis, redox homeostasis, peroxidases, glutathione S-transferases, and notable defense-related secondary metabolites were induced. Also transcripts involved in callose and cell wall decomposition were elevated SB, plausibly to facilitate uninterrupted feeding operations. These results suggest that Gb3-mediated resistance is less vulnerable to cell wall modification and the data provides ample tools for further investigations concerning R gene based model of resistance.