RESUMO
Wheat crops are frequently devastated by pandemic stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst). Here, we identify and characterize a wheat receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase gene, TaPsIPK1, that confers susceptibility to this pathogen. PsSpg1, a secreted fungal effector vital for Pst virulence, can bind TaPsIPK1, enhance its kinase activity, and promote its nuclear localization, where it phosphorylates the transcription factor TaCBF1d for gene regulation. The phosphorylation of TaCBF1d switches its transcriptional activity on the downstream genes. CRISPR-Cas9 inactivation of TaPsIPK1 in wheat confers broad-spectrum resistance against Pst without impacting important agronomic traits in two years of field tests. The disruption of TaPsIPK1 leads to immune priming without constitutive activation of defense responses. Taken together, TaPsIPK1 is a susceptibility gene known to be targeted by rust effectors, and it has great potential for developing durable resistance against rust by genetic modifications.
Assuntos
Basidiomycota , Triticum , Basidiomycota/genética , Basidiomycota/metabolismo , Doenças das Plantas , Proteínas Quinases/genética , Proteínas Quinases/metabolismo , Triticum/genética , Triticum/metabolismo , Triticum/microbiologia , Virulência/genéticaRESUMO
Crop production is a large source of atmospheric ammonia (NH3), which poses risks to air quality, human health and ecosystems1-5. However, estimating global NH3 emissions from croplands is subject to uncertainties because of data limitations, thereby limiting the accurate identification of mitigation options and efficacy4,5. Here we develop a machine learning model for generating crop-specific and spatially explicit NH3 emission factors globally (5-arcmin resolution) based on a compiled dataset of field observations. We show that global NH3 emissions from rice, wheat and maize fields in 2018 were 4.3 ± 1.0 Tg N yr-1, lower than previous estimates that did not fully consider fertilizer management practices6-9. Furthermore, spatially optimizing fertilizer management, as guided by the machine learning model, has the potential to reduce the NH3 emissions by about 38% (1.6 ± 0.4 Tg N yr-1) without altering total fertilizer nitrogen inputs. Specifically, we estimate potential NH3 emissions reductions of 47% (44-56%) for rice, 27% (24-28%) for maize and 26% (20-28%) for wheat cultivation, respectively. Under future climate change scenarios, we estimate that NH3 emissions could increase by 4.0 ± 2.7% under SSP1-2.6 and 5.5 ± 5.7% under SSP5-8.5 by 2030-2060. However, targeted fertilizer management has the potential to mitigate these increases.
Assuntos
Amônia , Produção Agrícola , Fertilizantes , Amônia/análise , Amônia/metabolismo , Produção Agrícola/métodos , Produção Agrícola/estatística & dados numéricos , Produção Agrícola/tendências , Conjuntos de Dados como Assunto , Ecossistema , Fertilizantes/efeitos adversos , Fertilizantes/análise , Fertilizantes/estatística & dados numéricos , Aprendizado de Máquina , Nitrogênio/análise , Nitrogênio/metabolismo , Oryza/metabolismo , Solo/química , Triticum/metabolismo , Zea mays/metabolismo , Mudança Climática/estatística & dados numéricosRESUMO
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum) was the first domesticated wheat species, and was central to the birth of agriculture and the Neolithic Revolution in the Fertile Crescent around 10,000 years ago1,2. Here we generate and analyse 5.2-Gb genome assemblies for wild and domesticated einkorn, including completely assembled centromeres. Einkorn centromeres are highly dynamic, showing evidence of ancient and recent centromere shifts caused by structural rearrangements. Whole-genome sequencing analysis of a diversity panel uncovered the population structure and evolutionary history of einkorn, revealing complex patterns of hybridizations and introgressions after the dispersal of domesticated einkorn from the Fertile Crescent. We also show that around 1% of the modern bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) A subgenome originates from einkorn. These resources and findings highlight the history of einkorn evolution and provide a basis to accelerate the genomics-assisted improvement of einkorn and bread wheat.
Assuntos
Produção Agrícola , Genoma de Planta , Genômica , Triticum , Triticum/classificação , Triticum/genética , Produção Agrícola/história , História Antiga , Sequenciamento Completo do Genoma , Introgressão Genética , Hibridização Genética , Pão/história , Genoma de Planta/genética , Centrômero/genéticaRESUMO
Modern green revolution varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) confer semi-dwarf and lodging-resistant plant architecture owing to the Reduced height-B1b (Rht-B1b) and Rht-D1b alleles1. However, both Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b are gain-of-function mutant alleles encoding gibberellin signalling repressors that stably repress plant growth and negatively affect nitrogen-use efficiency and grain filling2-5. Therefore, the green revolution varieties of wheat harbouring Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b usually produce smaller grain and require higher nitrogen fertilizer inputs to maintain their grain yields. Here we describe a strategy to design semi-dwarf wheat varieties without the need for Rht-B1b or Rht-D1b alleles. We discovered that absence of Rht-B1 and ZnF-B (encoding a RING-type E3 ligase) through a natural deletion of a haploblock of about 500 kilobases shaped semi-dwarf plants with more compact plant architecture and substantially improved grain yield (up to 15.2%) in field trials. Further genetic analysis confirmed that the deletion of ZnF-B induced the semi-dwarf trait in the absence of the Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b alleles through attenuating brassinosteroid (BR) perception. ZnF acts as a BR signalling activator to facilitate proteasomal destruction of the BR signalling repressor BRI1 kinase inhibitor 1 (TaBKI1), and loss of ZnF stabilizes TaBKI1 to block BR signalling transduction. Our findings not only identified a pivotal BR signalling modulator but also provided a creative strategy to design high-yield semi-dwarf wheat varieties by manipulating the BR signal pathway to sustain wheat production.
Assuntos
Biomassa , Brassinosteroides , Grão Comestível , Transdução de Sinais , Triticum , Alelos , Brassinosteroides/metabolismo , Grão Comestível/genética , Grão Comestível/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Grão Comestível/metabolismo , Deleção de Genes , Genes de Plantas , Giberelinas/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Triticum/classificação , Triticum/genética , Triticum/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Triticum/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Produtos Agrícolas/genética , Produtos Agrícolas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Produtos Agrícolas/metabolismoRESUMO
Disruption of susceptibility (S) genes in crops is an attractive breeding strategy for conferring disease resistance1,2. However, S genes are implicated in many essential biological functions and deletion of these genes typically results in undesired pleiotropic effects1. Loss-of-function mutations in one such S gene, Mildew resistance locus O (MLO), confers durable and broad-spectrum resistance to powdery mildew in various plant species2,3. However, mlo-associated resistance is also accompanied by growth penalties and yield losses3,4, thereby limiting its widespread use in agriculture. Here we describe Tamlo-R32, a mutant with a 304-kilobase pair targeted deletion in the MLO-B1 locus of wheat that retains crop growth and yields while conferring robust powdery mildew resistance. We show that this deletion results in an altered local chromatin landscape, leading to the ectopic activation of Tonoplast monosaccharide transporter 3 (TaTMT3B), and that this activation alleviates growth and yield penalties associated with MLO disruption. Notably, the function of TMT3 is conserved in other plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, precision genome editing facilitates the rapid introduction of this mlo resistance allele (Tamlo-R32) into elite wheat varieties. This work demonstrates the ability to stack genetic changes to rescue growth defects caused by recessive alleles, which is critical for developing high-yielding crop varieties with robust and durable disease resistance.
Assuntos
Ascomicetos , Resistência à Doença , Edição de Genes , Genoma de Planta , Triticum , Arabidopsis/genética , Ascomicetos/patogenicidade , Ascomicetos/fisiologia , Resistência à Doença/genética , Mutação , Melhoramento Vegetal , Doenças das Plantas/genética , Doenças das Plantas/microbiologia , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Triticum/genética , Triticum/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Triticum/microbiologiaRESUMO
Grafting is possible in both animals and plants. Although in animals the process requires surgery and is often associated with rejection of non-self, in plants grafting is widespread, and has been used since antiquity for crop improvement1. However, in the monocotyledons, which represent the second largest group of terrestrial plants and include many staple crops, the absence of vascular cambium is thought to preclude grafting2. Here we show that the embryonic hypocotyl allows intra- and inter-specific grafting in all three monocotyledon groups: the commelinids, lilioids and alismatids. We show functional graft unions through histology, application of exogenous fluorescent dyes, complementation assays for movement of endogenous hormones, and growth of plants to maturity. Expression profiling identifies genes that unify the molecular response associated with grafting in monocotyledons and dicotyledons, but also gene families that have not previously been associated with tissue union. Fusion of susceptible wheat scions to oat rootstocks confers resistance to the soil-borne pathogen Gaeumannomyces graminis. Collectively, these data overturn the consensus that monocotyledons cannot form graft unions, and identify the hypocotyl (mesocotyl in grasses) as a meristematic tissue that allows this process. We conclude that graft compatibility is a shared ability among seed-bearing plants.
Assuntos
Avena , Raízes de Plantas , Brotos de Planta , Transplantes , Triticum , Ascomicetos/patogenicidade , Avena/embriologia , Avena/microbiologia , Hipocótilo , Meristema , Raízes de Plantas/embriologia , Raízes de Plantas/microbiologia , Brotos de Planta/embriologia , Brotos de Planta/microbiologia , Triticum/embriologia , Triticum/microbiologiaRESUMO
Plant intracellular nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptors (NLRs) detect pathogen effectors to trigger immune responses1. Indirect recognition of a pathogen effector by the dicotyledonous Arabidopsis thaliana coiled-coil domain containing NLR (CNL) ZAR1 induces the formation of a large hetero-oligomeric protein complex, termed the ZAR1 resistosome, which functions as a calcium channel required for ZAR1-mediated immunity2-4. Whether the resistosome and channel activities are conserved among plant CNLs remains unknown. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the wheat CNL Sr355 in complex with the effector AvrSr356 of the wheat stem rust pathogen. Direct effector binding to the leucine-rich repeats of Sr35 results in the formation of a pentameric Sr35-AvrSr35 complex, which we term the Sr35 resistosome. Wheat Sr35 and Arabidopsis ZAR1 resistosomes bear striking structural similarities, including an arginine cluster in the leucine-rich repeats domain not previously recognized as conserved, which co-occurs and forms intramolecular interactions with the 'EDVID' motif in the coiled-coil domain. Electrophysiological measurements show that the Sr35 resistosome exhibits non-selective cation channel activity. These structural insights allowed us to generate new variants of closely related wheat and barley orphan NLRs that recognize AvrSr35. Our data support the evolutionary conservation of CNL resistosomes in plants and demonstrate proof of principle for structure-based engineering of NLRs for crop improvement.
Assuntos
Canais de Cálcio , Microscopia Crioeletrônica , Proteínas NLR , Proteínas de Plantas , Receptores Imunológicos , Triticum , Arabidopsis/imunologia , Arabidopsis/metabolismo , Arginina , Canais de Cálcio/química , Canais de Cálcio/imunologia , Canais de Cálcio/metabolismo , Cátions/metabolismo , Leucina , Proteínas NLR/química , Proteínas NLR/imunologia , Proteínas NLR/metabolismo , Doenças das Plantas/imunologia , Doenças das Plantas/microbiologia , Imunidade Vegetal , Proteínas de Plantas/química , Proteínas de Plantas/imunologia , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Receptores Imunológicos/química , Receptores Imunológicos/imunologia , Receptores Imunológicos/metabolismo , Triticum/imunologia , Triticum/metabolismo , Motivos de Aminoácidos , Sequência Conservada , EletrofisiologiaRESUMO
In wheat, the transition of the inflorescence meristem to a terminal spikelet (IMâTS) determines the spikelet number per spike (SNS), an important yield component. In this study, we demonstrate that the plant-specific transcription factor LEAFY (LFY) physically and genetically interacts with WHEAT ORTHOLOG OF APO1 (WAPO1) to regulate SNS and floret development. Loss-of-function mutations in either or both genes result in significant and similar reductions in SNS, as a result of a reduction in the rate of spikelet meristem formation per day. SNS is also modulated by significant genetic interactions between LFY and the SQUAMOSA MADS-box genes VRN1 and FUL2, which promote the IMâTS transition. Single-molecule fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed a downregulation of LFY and upregulation of the SQUAMOSA MADS-box genes in the distal part of the developing spike during the IMâTS transition, supporting their opposite roles in the regulation of SNS in wheat. Concurrently, the overlap of LFY and WAPO1 transcription domains in the developing spikelets contributes to normal floret development. Understanding the genetic network regulating SNS is a necessary first step to engineer this important agronomic trait.
Assuntos
Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Meristema , Proteínas de Plantas , Fatores de Transcrição , Triticum , Triticum/genética , Triticum/metabolismo , Triticum/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Meristema/metabolismo , Meristema/genética , Meristema/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Proteínas de Domínio MADS/genética , Proteínas de Domínio MADS/metabolismo , Flores/genética , Flores/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Flores/metabolismo , Mutação/genética , Inflorescência/genética , Inflorescência/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Inflorescência/metabolismoRESUMO
The importance of metabolite modification and species-specific metabolic pathways has long been recognized. However, linking the chemical structure of metabolites to gene function in order to explore the genetic and biochemical basis of metabolism has not yet been reported in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Here, we profiled metabolic fragment enrichment in wheat leaves and consequently applied chemical-tag-based semi-annotated metabolomics in a genome-wide association study in accessions of wheat. The studies revealed that all 1,483 quantified metabolites have at least one known functional group whose modification is tailored in an enzyme-catalyzed manner and eventually allows efficient candidate gene mining. A Triticeae crop-specific flavonoid pathway and its underlying metabolic gene cluster were elucidated in further functional studies. Additionally, upon overexpressing the major effect gene of the cluster TraesCS2B01G460000 (TaOMT24), the pathway was reconstructed in rice (Oryza sativa), which lacks this pathway. The reported workflow represents an efficient and unbiased approach for gene mining using forward genetics in hexaploid wheat. The resultant candidate gene list contains vast molecular resources for decoding the genetic architecture of complex traits and identifying valuable breeding targets and will ultimately aid in achieving wheat crop improvement.
Assuntos
Estudo de Associação Genômica Ampla , Triticum , Triticum/genética , Triticum/metabolismo , Metabolômica , Fenótipo , Redes e Vias Metabólicas/genéticaRESUMO
Cold injury is a major environmental stress affecting the growth and yield of crops. Brassinosteroids (BRs) and salicylic acid (SA) play important roles in plant cold tolerance. However, whether or how BR signaling interacts with the SA signaling pathway in response to cold stress is still unknown. Here, we identified an SA methyltransferase, TaSAMT1 that converts SA to methyl SA (MeSA) and confers freezing tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum). TaSAMT1 overexpression greatly enhanced wheat freezing tolerance, with plants accumulating more MeSA and less SA, whereas Tasamt1 knockout lines were sensitive to freezing stress and accumulated less MeSA and more SA. Spraying plants with MeSA conferred freezing tolerance to Tasamt1 mutants, but SA did not. We revealed that BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT 1 (TaBZR1) directly binds to the TaSAMT1 promoter and induces its transcription. Moreover, TaBZR1 interacts with the histone acetyltransferase TaHAG1, which potentiates TaSAMT1 expression via increased histone acetylation and modulates the SA pathway during freezing stress. Additionally, overexpression of TaBZR1 or TaHAG1 altered TaSAMT1 expression and improved freezing tolerance. Our results demonstrate a key regulatory node that connects the BR and SA pathways in the plant cold stress response. The regulatory factors or genes identified could be effective targets for the genetic improvement of freezing tolerance in crops.
Assuntos
Brassinosteroides , Congelamento , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Metiltransferases , Proteínas de Plantas , Ácido Salicílico , Transdução de Sinais , Triticum , Triticum/genética , Triticum/fisiologia , Triticum/metabolismo , Brassinosteroides/metabolismo , Brassinosteroides/farmacologia , Ácido Salicílico/metabolismo , Ácido Salicílico/farmacologia , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Metiltransferases/metabolismo , Metiltransferases/genética , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas , Regiões Promotoras Genéticas/genética , Histona Acetiltransferases/metabolismo , Histona Acetiltransferases/genéticaRESUMO
Drought stress limits crop yield, but the molecular modulators and their mechanisms underlying the trade-off between drought resistance and crop growth and development remain elusive. Here, a grain width and weight2 (GW2)-like really interesting new gene finger E3 ligase, TaGW2, was identified as a pivotal regulator of both kernel development and drought responses in wheat (Triticum aestivum). TaGW2 overexpression enhances drought resistance but leads to yield drag under full irrigation conditions. In contrast, TaGW2 knockdown or knockout attenuates drought resistance but remarkably increases kernel size and weight. Furthermore, TaGW2 directly interacts with and ubiquitinates the type-B Arabidopsis response regulator TaARR12, promoting its degradation via the 26S proteasome. Analysis of TaARR12 overexpression and knockdown lines indicated that TaARR12 represses the drought response but does not influence grain yield in wheat. Further DNA affinity purification sequencing combined with transcriptome analysis revealed that TaARR12 downregulates stress-responsive genes, especially group-A basic leucine zipper (bZIP) genes, resulting in impaired drought resistance. Notably, TaARR12 knockdown in the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9)-mediated tagw2 knockout mutant leads to significantly higher drought resistance and grain yield compared to wild-type plants. Collectively, these findings show that the TaGW2-TaARR12 regulatory module is essential for drought responses, providing a strategy for improving stress resistance in high-yield wheat varieties.
Assuntos
Sementes , Triticum , Sementes/genética , Triticum/metabolismo , Resistência à Seca , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/genética , Ubiquitina-Proteína Ligases/metabolismo , Grão Comestível/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Secas , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismoRESUMO
Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa1-5, where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons4-6. Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) of staple cereal grains for most of the cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi. We show that there is geospatial variation in the composition of micronutrients that is nutritionally important at subnational scales. Soil and environmental covariates of grain micronutrient concentrations included soil pH, soil organic matter, temperature, rainfall and topography, which were specific to micronutrient and crop type. For rural households consuming locally sourced food-including many smallholder farming communities-the location of residence can be the largest influencing factor in determining the dietary intake of micronutrients from cereals. Positive relationships between the concentration of selenium in grain and biomarkers of selenium dietary status occur in both countries. Surveillance of MNDs on the basis of biomarkers of status and dietary intakes from national- and regional-scale food-composition data1-7 could be improved using subnational data on the composition of grain micronutrients. Beyond dietary diversification, interventions to alleviate MNDs, such as food fortification8,9 and biofortification to increase the micronutrient concentrations in crops10,11, should account for geographical effects that can be larger in magnitude than intervention outcomes.
Assuntos
Grão Comestível/química , Nutrientes/análise , Valor Nutritivo , Agricultura , Cálcio/análise , Dieta/estatística & dados numéricos , Etiópia , Humanos , Ferro/análise , Malaui , Micronutrientes/análise , Selênio/análise , Inquéritos e Questionários , Triticum/química , Zinco/análiseRESUMO
Up to 20% of people worldwide develop gastrointestinal symptoms following a meal1, leading to decreased quality of life, substantial morbidity and high medical costs. Although the interest of both the scientific and lay communities in this issue has increased markedly in recent years, with the worldwide introduction of gluten-free and other diets, the underlying mechanisms of food-induced abdominal complaints remain largely unknown. Here we show that a bacterial infection and bacterial toxins can trigger an immune response that leads to the production of dietary-antigen-specific IgE antibodies in mice, which are limited to the intestine. Following subsequent oral ingestion of the respective dietary antigen, an IgE- and mast-cell-dependent mechanism induced increased visceral pain. This aberrant pain signalling resulted from histamine receptor H1-mediated sensitization of visceral afferents. Moreover, injection of food antigens (gluten, wheat, soy and milk) into the rectosigmoid mucosa of patients with irritable bowel syndrome induced local oedema and mast cell activation. Our results identify and characterize a peripheral mechanism that underlies food-induced abdominal pain, thereby creating new possibilities for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and related abdominal pain disorders.
Assuntos
Dor Abdominal/imunologia , Dor Abdominal/patologia , Alérgenos/imunologia , Hipersensibilidade Alimentar/imunologia , Alimentos/efeitos adversos , Intestinos/imunologia , Síndrome do Intestino Irritável/imunologia , Dor Abdominal/etiologia , Dor Abdominal/microbiologia , Adulto , Animais , Citrobacter rodentium/imunologia , Diarreia/imunologia , Diarreia/microbiologia , Diarreia/patologia , Infecções por Enterobacteriaceae/complicações , Infecções por Enterobacteriaceae/imunologia , Infecções por Enterobacteriaceae/microbiologia , Feminino , Hipersensibilidade Alimentar/complicações , Hipersensibilidade Alimentar/microbiologia , Hipersensibilidade Alimentar/patologia , Glutens/imunologia , Humanos , Imunoglobulina E/imunologia , Mucosa Intestinal/imunologia , Mucosa Intestinal/microbiologia , Mucosa Intestinal/patologia , Intestinos/microbiologia , Intestinos/patologia , Síndrome do Intestino Irritável/etiologia , Síndrome do Intestino Irritável/microbiologia , Síndrome do Intestino Irritável/patologia , Masculino , Mastócitos/imunologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Leite/imunologia , Ovalbumina/imunologia , Qualidade de Vida , Receptores Histamínicos H1/metabolismo , Proteínas de Soja/imunologia , Triticum/imunologiaRESUMO
Transforming smallholder farms is critical to global food security and environmental sustainability. The science and technology backyard (STB) platform has proved to be a viable approach in China. However, STB has traditionally focused on empowering smallholder farmers by transferring knowledge, and wide-scale adoption of more sustainable practices and technologies remains a challenge. Here, we report on a long-term project focused on technology scale-up for smallholder farmers by expanding and upgrading the original STB platform (STB 2.0). We created a formalized and standardized process by which to engage and collaborate with farmers, including integrating their feedback via equal dialogues in the process of designing and promoting technologies. Based on 288 site-year of field trials in three regions in the North China Plain over 5 y, we find that technologies cocreated through this process were more easily accepted by farmers and increased their crop yields and nitrogen factor productivity by 7.2% and 28.1% in wheat production and by 11.4% and 27.0% in maize production, respectively. In promoting these technologies more broadly, we created a "one-stop" multistakeholder program involving local government agencies, enterprises, universities, and farmers. The program was shown to be much more effective than the traditional extension methods applied at the STB, yielding substantial environmental and economic benefits. Our study contributes an important case study for technology scale-up for smallholder agriculture. The STB 2.0 platform being explored emphasizes equal dialogue with farmers, multistakeholder collaboration, and long-term investment. These lessons may provide value for the global smallholder research and practitioners.
Assuntos
Agricultura , China , Agricultura/métodos , Fazendeiros , Humanos , Produtos Agrícolas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Comportamento Cooperativo , Zea mays/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Desenvolvimento Sustentável , Conservação dos Recursos Naturais/métodos , Triticum/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Produção Agrícola/métodosRESUMO
This study aimed to reconstruct the environmental conditions and the crop management practices and plant characteristics when agriculture appeared in western Europe. We analyzed oak charcoal and a large number of cereal caryopsides recovered from La Draga (Girona, Spain), an early (5300 to 4800 cal. BC) agricultural site from the Iberian Peninsula. The carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) values of oak, the dominant forest species in the region, indicates prevalence of a wet climate at the site. Further, we reconstructed crop management conditions, achievable yield, and crop characteristics through the analysis of Δ13C, nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N), nitrogen content, and the reconstructed weight of wheat and barley caryopsides, following protocols developed by our team [Araus et al., Nat. Commun. 5, 3953 (2014)] and comparison of these parameters with present-day organic agriculture in the region. In parallel, a regional perspective was achieved through the study of wheat and barley grains of seventeen Neolithic sites from the western Mediterranean. The results suggest that rather than small-garden cultivation, a more extensive agriculture was practiced under good water availability and moderate manuring. Moreover, results from La Draga evidence that grain weight and spike morphology were comparable to contemporary cereals. Growing conditions and the prevalence of improved crop traits indicate that agriculture was fairly consolidated at the time it reached the western edge of Europe.
Assuntos
Agricultura , Isótopos de Carbono , Hordeum , Isótopos de Nitrogênio , Triticum , Isótopos de Carbono/análise , Agricultura/métodos , Isótopos de Nitrogênio/análise , Produtos Agrícolas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Europa (Continente) , Quercus , Espanha , Grão Comestível , História AntigaRESUMO
The utilization of reduced plant height genes Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b, encoding homeologous DELLA proteins, led to the wheat Green Revolution (GR). However, the specific functions of GR genes in yield determination and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remained unknown. Here, we validated that Rht-B1b, as a representative of GR genes, affects plant architecture and yield component traits. Upregulation of Rht-B1b reduced plant height, leaf size and grain weight, but increased tiller number, tiller angle, spike number per unit area, and grain number per spike. Dynamic investigations showed that Rht-B1b increased spike number by improving tillering initiation rather than outgrowth, and enhanced grain number by promoting floret fertility. Rht-B1b reduced plant height by reducing cell size in the internodes, and reduced grain size or weight by decreasing cell number in the pericarp. Transcriptome analyses uncovered that Rht-B1b regulates many homologs of previously reported key genes for given traits and several putative integrators for different traits. These findings specify the pleiotropic functions of Rht-B1b in improving yield and provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying plant morphogenesis and yield formation.
Assuntos
Genes de Plantas , Triticum , Alelos , Fenótipo , Grão Comestível/metabolismo , Desenvolvimento Vegetal/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismoRESUMO
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum species complexes (FGSG), is an epidemic disease in wheat and poses a serious threat to wheat production and security worldwide. Profilins are a class of actin-binding proteins that participate in actin depolymerization. However, the roles of profilins in plant fungal pathogens remain largely unexplored. Here, we identified FgPfn, a homolog to profilins in F. graminearum, and the deletion of FgPfn resulted in severe defects in mycelial growth, conidia production, and pathogenicity, accompanied by marked disruptions in toxisomes formation and deoxynivalenol (DON) transport, while sexual development was aborted. Additionally, FgPfn interacted with Fgα1 and Fgß2, the significant components of microtubules. The organization of microtubules in the ΔFgPfn was strongly inhibited under the treatment of 0.4 µg/mL carbendazim, a well-known group of tubulin interferers, resulting in increased sensitivity to carbendazim. Moreover, FgPfn interacted with both myosin-5 (FgMyo5) and actin (FgAct), the targets of the fungicide phenamacril, and these interactions were reduced after phenamacril treatment. The deletion of FgPfn disrupted the normal organization of FgMyo5 and FgAct cytoskeleton, weakened the interaction between FgMyo5 and FgAct, and resulting in increased sensitivity to phenamacril. The core region of the interaction between FgPfn and FgAct was investigated, revealing that the integrity of both proteins was necessary for their interaction. Furthermore, mutations in R72, R77, R86, G91, I101, A112, G113, and D124 caused the non-interaction between FgPfn and FgAct. The R86K, I101E, and D124E mutants in FgPfn resulted in severe defects in actin organization, development, and pathogenicity. Taken together, this study revealed the role of FgPfn-dependent cytoskeleton in development, DON production and transport, fungicides sensitivity in F. graminearum.
Assuntos
Actinas , Proteínas Fúngicas , Fungicidas Industriais , Fusarium , Microtúbulos , Doenças das Plantas , Triticum , Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Fusarium/metabolismo , Fusarium/patogenicidade , Fusarium/genética , Fusarium/efeitos dos fármacos , Fusarium/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Actinas/metabolismo , Doenças das Plantas/microbiologia , Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Triticum/microbiologia , Fungicidas Industriais/farmacologia , Esporos Fúngicos/metabolismo , Esporos Fúngicos/crescimento & desenvolvimento , ReproduçãoRESUMO
Breeding has dramatically changed the plant architecture of wheat (Triticum aestivum), resulting in the development of high-yielding varieties adapted to modern farming systems. However, how wheat breeding shaped the genomic architecture of this crop remains poorly understood. Here, we performed a comprehensive comparative analysis of a whole-genome resequencing panel of 355 common wheat accessions (representing diverse landraces and modern cultivars from China and the United States) at the phenotypic and genomic levels. The genetic diversity of modern wheat cultivars was clearly reduced compared to landraces. Consistent with these genetic changes, most phenotypes of cultivars from China and the United States were significantly altered. Of the 21 agronomic traits investigated, 8 showed convergent changes between the 2 countries. Moreover, of the 207 loci associated with these 21 traits, more than half overlapped with genomic regions that showed evidence of selection. The distribution of selected loci between the Chinese and American cultivars suggests that breeding for increased productivity in these 2 regions was accomplished by pyramiding both shared and region-specific variants. This work provides a framework to understand the genetic architecture of the adaptation of wheat to diverse agricultural production environments, as well as guidelines for optimizing breeding strategies to design better wheat varieties.
Assuntos
Genoma de Planta , Triticum , Estados Unidos , Triticum/genética , Genoma de Planta/genética , Melhoramento Vegetal , Fenótipo , China , Variação GenéticaRESUMO
The utilization of stabilized DELLA proteins Rht-B1b and Rht-D1b was crucial for increasing wheat (Triticum aestivum) productivity during the Green Revolution. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be clarified. Here, we cloned a gain-of-function allele of the GSK3/SHAGGY-like kinase-encoding gene GSK3 by characterizing a dwarf wheat mutant. Furthermore, we determined that GSK3 interacts with and phosphorylates the Green Revolution protein Rht-B1b to promote it to reduce plant height in wheat. Specifically, phosphorylation by GSK3 may enhance the activity and stability of Rht-B1b, allowing it to inhibit the activities of its target transcription factors. Taken together, we reveal a positive regulatory mechanism for the Green Revolution protein Rht-B1b by GSK3, which might have contributed to the Green Revolution in wheat.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Plantas , Triticum , Triticum/genética , Triticum/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Quinase 3 da Glicogênio Sintase/genética , Quinase 3 da Glicogênio Sintase/metabolismo , AlelosRESUMO
The plastidial α-glucan phosphorylase (PHS1) can elongate and degrade maltooligosaccharides (MOSs), but its exact physiological role in plants is poorly understood. Here, we discover a specialized role of PHS1 in establishing the unique bimodal characteristic of starch granules in wheat (Triticum spp.) endosperm. Wheat endosperm contains large A-type granules that initiate at early grain development and small B-type granules that initiate in later grain development. We demonstrate that PHS1 interacts with B-GRANULE CONTENT1 (BGC1), a carbohydrate-binding protein essential for normal B-type granule initiation. Mutants of tetraploid durum wheat (Triticum turgidum) deficient in all homoeologs of PHS1 had normal A-type granules but fewer and larger B-type granules. Grain size and starch content were not affected by the mutations. Further, by assessing granule numbers during grain development in the phs1 mutant and using a double mutant defective in both PHS1 and BGC1, we demonstrate that PHS1 is exclusively involved in B-type granule initiation. The total starch content and number of starch granules per chloroplast in leaves were not affected by loss of PHS1, suggesting that its role in granule initiation in wheat is limited to the endosperm. We therefore propose that the initiation of A- and B-type granules occurs via distinct biochemical mechanisms, where PHS1 plays an exclusive role in B-type granule initiation.