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Five stages of trichomes morphological development. (A1-A5) and (a1-a5) are leaves of WT. (B1-B5) and (b1-b5) are leaves of nps. Bars: 1 cm (A1-A5, B1-B5),100 μm (a1-a5, b1-b5)
Source publication
Background
Trichomes are excellent model systems for the analysis of cell differentiation and play essential roles in plant protection. From cucumber inbred line ‘WD1’, we identified an EMS-induced trichome abnormally developing mutant, nps , which exhibited smaller, denser and no pyramid-shaped head trichomes.
Results
Using F 2 and BC 1 populatio...
Citations
... It was shown that a decrease in MDA concentration may be due to an increase in osmolytes as a result of the ZnO-NP application. (Zhang et al. 2021). ...
Drought is a significant environmental issue affecting crop yield, nutrient content, and human food. This study investigates the potential of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in mitigating the negative effects of drought stress on pea (Pisum sativum L.). ZnO-NPs were applied through seed priming, foliar application, and soil drenching at 0, 50, 100, and 150 ppm concentrations. Our findings showed that these three methods were more effective at different concentrations of ZnO-NPs. Seed priming at 50 ppm, foliar application at 100 ppm, and soil drenching at 150 ppm performed best in mitigating drought stress. Results showed that primed seeds with zinc oxide nanoparticles (50 ppm) have improved the physical growth, physiological, antioxidant, and mineral content by 35%, 45%, 57%, and 13% under drought stress as compared to control. It was observed that foliar application of ZnO-NPs (100 ppm) has enhanced physical growth, physiological, antioxidant, and mineral content by 43%, 54%, 64%, and 15% under drought stress as compared to the control. However, application of ZnO-NPs (150 ppm) in soli drenching improved the physical growth, physiological, antioxidant, and mineral content by 47%, 60%, 64%, and 16% under drought stress as compared to control. Moreover, ZnO-NPs amendments at different concentrations significantly decreased osmotic stress. This study provides innovative evidence of ZnO-NPs to mitigate drought stress in plants through various applications, revealing their potential to boost resilience in agriculture in case of drought stress conditions.
... The gl1, tbh and mict mutants, which are all caused by mutations in the class I HD-ZIP gene Csa3G748220, appear glabrous to the naked eye; however, electron microscopy reveals the presence of incompletely developed trichomes Li et al. 2015;Zhao et al. 2015;Zhang et al. 2021c). A new allele mutation in the Csa3G748220 gene, named mict-L130F, resulted in smaller, denser and no pyramid-shaped head trichomes (Zhang et al. 2021a). The glabrous mutant nwd displays a glabrous phenotype in all plant organs, with the CsNWD gene, which encodes a vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein, possibly being a candidate gene for this trait (Zhou et al. 2024). ...
Key message
Mutations in the CsEMS1 gene result in male sterility and reduced wart number and density.
Abstract
Male sterility and fruit wart formation are two significant agronomic characteristics in cucumber (Cucumis sativus), yet knowledge of our underlying genetics is limited. In this study, we identified an EMS-induced male sterility and few small warts mutant (msfsw). Histological observations revealed defects the absence of tapetum, meiotic aberration and impaired microspore formation in the anthers of the mutant. The mutant also exhibits a reduction in both the size and number of fruit spines and fruit tubercules. Genetic analysis revealed that a single recessive gene is responsible for the mutant phenotypes. BSA-Seq and fine genetic mapping mapped the msfsw locus to a 63.7 kb region with four predicted genes. Multiple lines of evidence support CsEMS1(CsaV3_3G016940) as the candidate for the mutant allele which encodes an LRR receptor-like kinase, and a non-synonymous SNP inside the exon of CsEMS1 is the causal polymorphisms for the mutant phenotypes. This function of CsEMS1 in determination of pollen fertility was confirmed with generation and characterization of multiple knockout mutations with CRISPR/Cas9 based gene editing. In the wild-type (WT) plants, CsEMS1 was highly expressed in male flowers. In the mutant, the expression level of CsEMS1, several tapetum identity-related genes, and trichome-related genes were all significantly reduced as compared with the wild-type. Protein–protein interaction assays revealed physical interactions between CsEMS1 and CsTPD1. Quantitation of endogenous phytohormones revealed a reduction in the ethylene precursor ACC in CsEMS1 knockout lines. This work identified an important role of CsEMS1 in anther and pollen development as well as fruit spine/wart development in cucumber.
... Plant trichome development generally includes three stages: (1) fate determination and initiation, (2) branching, and (3) elongation and maturation. Many studies have confirmed that different transcription factor families, such as HD-ZIP type proteins (Henriksson et al., 2005;Xie et al., 2021a;Zhang et al., 2021c), C2H2 zinc finger proteins (Gan et al., 2007;Liao et al., 2021), basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) type proteins (Payne et al., 2000;Liu et al., 2021), and v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) family proteins (Larkin et al., 1994;Khan et al., 2021), all play a key role in plant trichome development. In addition, trichome development is strictly regulated by a variety of plant hormones (Chang et al., 2018;Du et al., 2020;Han et al., 2020). ...
Plant trichomes, protrusions formed from specialized aboveground epidermal cells, provide protection against various biotic and abiotic stresses. Trichomes can be unicellular, bicellular or multicellular, with multiple branches or no branches at all. Unicellular trichomes are generally not secretory, whereas multicellular trichomes include both secretory and non-secretory hairs. The secretory trichomes release secondary metabolites such as artemisinin, which is valuable as an antimalarial agent. Cotton trichomes, also known as cotton fibers, are an important natural product for the textile industry. In recent years, much progress has been made in unraveling the molecular mechanisms of trichome formation in Arabidopsis thaliana, Gossypium hirsutum, Oryza sativa, Cucumis sativus, Solanum lycopersicum, Nicotiana tabacum, and Artemisia annua. Here, we review current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying fate determination and initiation, elongation, and maturation of unicellular, bicellular and multicellular trichomes in several representative plants. We emphasize the regulatory roles of plant hormones, transcription factors, the cell cycle and epigenetic modifications in different stages of trichome development. Finally, we identify the obstacles and key points for future research on plant trichome development, and speculated the development relationship between the salt glands of halophytes and the trichomes of non-halophytes, which provides a reference for future studying the development of plant epidermal cells.
... Cucumber is one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in the world, its growth and development were significantly affected by genetic and environmental factors [42]. VQ protein is a plant-specific transcription factor and is involved in plant growth, development, and responses to environmental adversities. ...
Background
Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most important economic crops and is susceptible to various abiotic stresses. The valine-glutamine (VQ) motif-containing proteins are plant-specific proteins with a conserved “FxxhVQxhTG” amino acid sequence that regulates plant growth and development. However, little is known about the function of VQ proteins in cucumber.
Results
In this study, a total of 32 CsVQ proteins from cucumber were confirmed and characterized using comprehensive genome-wide analysis, and they all contain a conserved motif with 10 variations. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that these CsVQ proteins were classified into nine groups by comparing the CsVQ proteins with those of Arabidopsis thaliana , melon and rice. CsVQ genes were distributed on seven chromosomes. Most of these genes were predicted to be localized in the nucleus. In addition, cis -elements in response to different stresses and hormones were observed in the promoters of the CsVQ genes. A network of CsVQ proteins interacting with WRKY transcription factors (CsWRKYs) was proposed. Moreover, the transcripts of CsVQ gene were spatio-temporal specific and were induced by abiotic adversities. CsVQ4 , CsVQ6 , CsVQ16–2 , CsVQ19, CsVQ24 , CsVQ30 , CsVQ32 , CsVQ33 , and CsVQ34 were expressed in the range of organs and tissues at higher levels and could respond to multiple hormones and different stresses, indicating that these genes were involved in the response to stimuli.
Conclusions
Together, our results reveal novel VQ resistance gene resources, and provide critical information on CsVQ genes and their encoded proteins, which supplies important genetic basis for VQ resistance breeding of cucumber plants.
Glandular trichomes (GTs) synthesize, store, and secrete diverse specialized metabolites that protect plants against biotic and abiotic stress. The bloom is deposited on the GTs and is perceptible on the surface of the cucumber fruit. Our previous investigation revealed the absence of bloom on the fruit surface in the loss‐of‐function CsMYB36 plants. GTs are formed through a series of cell differentiation events that support compound production. However, the mechanisms governing these events remain unclear. Here, we found GT cells initiate excessive periclinal divisions and fail to differentiate into functional GT cells in the absence of CsMYB36 based on the establishment of a detailed developmental process of GT in cucumber. We further found that CsMYB36 and CsGL1 form a positive feedback loop to regulate the cell differentiation of GT. DNA affinity purification (DAP)‐seq, combined with RNA‐seq data demonstrated that CsMYB36/CsGL1 can regulate the expression of phenylalanine synthesis‐related genes, including peroxidase 53 ( CsPRX53 ) which is a reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐scavenging enzyme. H 2 O 2 effectively inhibited GT cell division in Csmyb36 mutant plants. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that CsMYB36 combined with CsGL1 balances cell division and differentiation in the GT by mediating ROS homeostasis, thus affecting bloom production in cucumbers.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most widely cultivated crops worldwide and is valued for its nutritional, economic, and ecological benefits. The regulation of defense mechanisms against herbivores, along with osmotic loss and environmental regulation, is greatly affected by trichomes in cucumbers. In this study, we attempted to characterize trichomes and examined fruit physiological and transcriptome profiles by RNA sequencing in cucumber breeding lines 6101-4 and 5634-1 at three stages of fruit development through foliar application with a combination of silver nitrate (AgNO3) and sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) in comparison to non-treated controls. Notable increases in the number of trichomes and altered forms were observed for both inbred cultivars 6101-4 and 5634-1 against foliar application of chemical substances. RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in multiple pathways in cucumber trichome formation. The enrichment of differentially expressed transcripts showed that foliar application upregulated the expression of many stress-responsive and trichome-associated genes including plant hormone signal transduction, sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The dominant regulatory genes, such as allene oxide synthase (AOS) and MYB1R1 transcription factor, exhibited significant modulations in their expression in response to chemical application. The RNA-seq results were further confirmed by RT-PCR-based analysis, which revealed that after chemical application, the dominant regulatory genes, such as allene oxide synthase (AOS), PTB 19, MYB1R1, bHLH62-like, MADS-box transcription factor, and salicylic acid-binding protein 2-like, were differentially expressed, implying that these DEGs involved in multiple pathways are involved the positive regulation of the initiation and development of trichomes in C. sativus. A comparison of trichome biology and associated gene expression regulation in other plant species has shown that silver nitrate (AgNO3) and sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) are also responsible for hormonal and signaling pathway regulation. This study improves our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in C. sativus trichome development. It also emphasizes the possibility of utilizing chemical composition to modulate C. sativus trichome-related characteristics of C. sativus, leading to the improvement of plant defense mechanisms as well as environmental adaptation.
Zanthoxylum armatum (Z. armatum) is a significant economic tree species known for its medicinal and edible properties. However, the presence of prickles on Z. armatum poses a considerable challenge to the advancement of its industry. Numerous studies have indicated that the C2H2 zinc finger protein (C2H2-ZFPs) families are crucial in the development of plant trichomes or prickles. This study identified 78 ZaC2H2 genes from the Z. armatum genome, categorizing them into three groups and analyzing their protein physicochemical properties, chromosomal locations, conserved domains, and gene structures. The evolutionary analysis indicates that the amplification of ZaC2H2 genes primarily results from whole-genome duplication or segmental duplication, and these genes have undergone strong purifying selection pressure throughout their evolutionary history. The analysis of cis-acting elements revealed that they contain various hormone response elements, such as ABRE, AuxRR, the CGTCA motif, GARE motifs, and TCA elements, which are responsive to ABA, IAA, MeJA, GA, and SA signals. RT-qPCR was employed to assess the expression levels of the candidate genes ZaC2H2-45, ZaC2H2-46, ZaC2H2-49, and ZaC2H2-55 under the treatment of five hormones. The results indicated that the expression levels of the ZaC2H2-46 and ZaC2H2-55 genes were significantly up-regulated under NAA, SA, and MeJA treatments. These results will help to further understand the characteristics of the ZaC2H2 gene family and provide a theoretical basis for studying the development of prickles.
Plants are continuously exposed to many stressors in addition to ordinary biochemical and physiological processes, all under complex gene regulation. On the other hand, zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, however, deficiencies are common. Recent findings connect the regulation of the expression of said ZIP genes with zinc, structurally, as a transport mechanism and as a possible biological sensor. This chapter summarizes the main structural characteristics of the HD-ZIP protein subfamilies, as well as the physiological processes in which they are involved, and relevant aspects of zinc homeostasis. Also, zinc carry mechanisms and its role in the regulation of ZIP genes are described. From future perspectives, it is suggested to continue research to define the correlation between the protein and the genes involved within the ZIP family, especially the Zn-transporters, since the genetic modification of crops would be especially useful to correct the low-Zn condition and improve the Zn-efficiency.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fruit spines are a classic material for researching the development of multicellular trichomes. Some key genes that influence trichome development have been confirmed to be associated with cuticle biosynthesis and secondary metabolism. However, the biological mechanisms underlying trichome development, cuticle biosynthesis, and secondary metabolism in cucumber remain poorly understood. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) fruit spines are classic material for researching the development of multicellular trichomes. Some key genes that influence trichome development have been confirmed to be associated with cuticle biosynthesis and secondary metabolism. However, the biological mechanisms underlying trichome development, cuticle biosynthesis, and secondary metabolism in cucumber remain poorly understood. CsTs, a C-type lectin receptor-like kinase gene, reportedly causes a tender trichome phenotype in cucumber when it mutates. In this study, the role of CsTs in cucumber fruit spine morphogenesis was confirmed using gene editing technology. Sectioning technology and cell wall component detection were used to analyze the main causes of tender fruit spines in the ts mutant. Subsequently, transcriptome data and a series of molecular biology experiments were used to further investigate the relationship between CsTs and cytoskeletal homeostasis in cucumber. CsTs overexpression partially compensated for the abnormal trichome phenotype of an Arabidopsis homolog mutant. Genetic hybridization and metabolic analysis indicated that CsTs and CsMcit can affect trichome development and cuticle biosynthesis using the same pathway. Our findings provide important background information for future research on the molecular mechanism underlying cucumber trichome development and contribute to understanding the biological function of C-type lectin receptor-like kinases.
