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GhUMC1, a blue copper-binding protein, regulates lignin synthesis and cotton immune response

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Abstract

Verticillium wilt caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae is a serious problem for the sustainable production of cotton. The mechanism of cotton resistance to V. dahliae is unclear, which makes it is difficult to improve cotton resistance breeding. In this study, we characterized an umecyanin-like gene GhUMC1 in cotton, which is homologous to the AtBCB gene in Arabidopsis. It is predominantly expressed in roots and responds to pathogen infection. Knock-down of GhUMC1 increases plant susceptibility to V. dahliae. Expression levels of genes in the JA and SA signaling pathways in roots were down-regulated in GhUMC1-silenced plants. The transcripts of lignin synthesis genes, such as C4H, HCT, CCoAOMT and CAD, were also decreased in GhUMC1 knock-down seedlings, as was lignin content. Interestingly, knock-down of the GhUMC1 also decreased the contents of H202 compared with the control. Our results suggest that GhUMC1 is involved in cotton resistance to V. dahliae by the regulation of the JA signaling pathway and lignin metabolism.

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... The molecular mechanisms of cotton plant defence against V. dahliae are complex. Recently, SA mediated resistance and lignin, as the major physical barriers of cell wall, were reported to play an important role in cotton plant defence against V. dahliae (Pieterse et al., 2012;Seyfferth and Tsuda, 2014;Yan and Dong, 2014;Zhu et al., 2018). In SA-related resistance, the SA signalling pathway mainly participates in Arabidopsis plant defence through some hub components, including nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1), NPR3/NPR4, TGAs and pathogenesis-related gene (PR) proteins (Shah, 2003;Fu et al., 2012;Moreau et al., 2012;Seyfferth and Tsuda, 2014;Yan and Dong, 2014;Ding et al., 2018). ...
... An ethylene responserelated factor GbERF1-like gene contributed to the resistance to V. dahliae through positively regulating lignin synthesisrelated genes and enhancing the lignin content (Guo et al., 2016). Interestingly, GhUMC1 was identified to be involved in cotton resistance to V. dahliae through both the SA signalling pathway and lignin synthesis (Zhu et al., 2018). Additionally, other hosts of Verticillium pathogens can increase their resistance through lignin deposition in the secondary cell wall or vascular tissue. ...
... Many reports have shown that cotton plant defence against V. dahliae involves SA and lignin molecules (Sun et al., 2014;Zhang et al., 2017;Zhu et al., 2018). In the present study, the knockdown of GhWATs promoted accumulation of SA content, activated SA pathway-related gene expression and increased lignin accumulation in xylem sections, which facilitated plant resistance to pathogens. ...
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Verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae, seriously limits cotton production. It is difficult to control this pathogen damage mainly due to the complexity of the molecular mechanism of plant resistance to V. dahliae. Here, we identified three homologous cotton Walls Are Thin (WAT) genes, which were designated as GhWAT1, GhWAT2, and GhWAT3. The GhWATs were predominantly expressed in the roots, internodes, and hypocotyls and induced by infection with V. dahliae and treatment with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and salicylic acid (SA). GhWAT1-, GhWAT2-, or GhWAT3-silenced plants showed a comparable phenotype and level of resistance with control plants, but simultaneously silenced three GhWATs (GhWAT123-silenced), inhibited plant growth and increased plant resistance to V. dahliae, indicating that these genes were functionally redundant. In the GhWAT123-silenced plants, the expression of SA related genes was significantly upregulated compared with the control, resulting in an increase of SA level. Moreover, the histochemical analysis showed that xylem development was inhibited in GhWAT123-silenced plants compared with the control. However, lignin deposition increased in the xylem of the GhWAT123-silenced plants compared to the control, and there were higher expression levels of lignin synthesis- and lignifications-related genes in the GhWAT123-silenced plants. Collectively, the results showed that GhWATs in triple-silenced plants acts as negative regulators of plant resistance against V. dahliae. The potential mechanism of the WATs functioning in the plant defence can modulate the SA biosynthesis and lignin deposition in the xylem.
... Encoding the putative epoxide hydrolase, Gbar_A13G023450 is potentially involved in transforming epoxide-containing fatty acids and thereby cutin biosynthesis [55]. Gbar_D05G026930 encodes an uclacyaninlike blue copper-binding protein that has been implicated in lignin biosynthesis [56,57]. These kinds of genes are generally considered to involve stress responses, and thus the results provide a novel alternative way to improve cotton fiber quality. ...
... Having higher expression levels than its G. hirsutum ortholog during SCW thickening (Figure 4f), Gbar_A11G034900 may contribute to forming stronger and thinner fiber cells. Uclacyanin proteins have been considered to regulate lignin biosynthesis [56,57], but the mechanisms remain unclear. Hence, the fiber fineness improvement caused by the introgression of type II candidate gene Gbar_D05G026930 encoding an uclacyanin-like blue copper-binding protein could be due to an increase in lignin/lignin-like phenolics (Figure 5h). ...
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Comparative transcriptome analysis of fiber tissues between Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum could reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying high-quality fiber formation and identify candidate genes for fiber quality improvement. In this study, 759 genes were found to be strongly upregulated at the elongation stage in G. barbadense, which showed four distinct expression patterns (I–IV). Among them, the 346 genes of group IV stood out in terms of the potential to promote fiber elongation, in which we finally identified 42 elongation-related candidate genes by comparative transcriptome analysis between G. barbadense and G. hirsutum. Subsequently, we overexpressed GbAAR3 and GbTWS1, two of the 42 candidate genes, in Arabidopsis plants and validated their roles in promoting cell elongation. At the secondary cell wall (SCW) biosynthesis stage, 2275 genes were upregulated and exhibited five different expression profiles (I–V) in G. barbadense. We highlighted the critical roles of the 647 genes of group IV in SCW biosynthesis and further picked out 48 SCW biosynthesis-related candidate genes by comparative transcriptome analysis. SNP molecular markers were then successfully developed to distinguish the SCW biosynthesis-related candidate genes from their G. hirsutum orthologs, and the genotyping and phenotyping of a BC3F5 population proved their potential in improving fiber strength and micronaire. Our results contribute to the better understanding of the fiber quality differences between G. barbadense and G. hirsutum and provide novel alternative genes for fiber quality improvement.
... Earlier it was reported that lignin metabolism plays an important role in regulating cotton defense against V. dahliae (He et al., 2018b;Li et al., 2019;Xu et al., 2011;Zhu et al., 2018). To further reveal the biochemical mechanism responsible for enhanced susceptibility of GhLOX2-silenced plants to V. dahliae infection, we checked the expression pattern of lignin metabolism related genes GhCCoAOMT1-3, GhHCT1 and lignin contents at 15 dpi. ...
... Further, expression of lignin metabolism-related genes was not changed considerably in GhLOX2-silenced plants, while these genes were highly induced in WT plants. These results were consistent with other studies where reduced expression of lignin metabolism genes corresponds to susceptibility response in cotton against V. dahliae Zhu et al., 2018). ...
Article
Verticillium wilt is a major limiting factor for sustainable production of cotton but the mechanism of controlling this disease is still poorly understood. Lipoxygenase (LOX)- derived oxylipins have been implicated in defense responses against diverse pathogens; however there is limited information about the functional characterization of LOXs in response to Verticillium dahliae infection. In this study, we report the characterization of a cotton LOX gene, GhLOX2 , which phylogenetically clustered into 13-LOX subfamily and is closely related to Arabidopsis LOX2 gene. GhLOX2 was predominantly expressed in leaves and strongly induced following V . dahliae inoculation and treatment of methyl jasmonate (MeJA). RNAi-mediated knock-down of GhLOX2 enhanced cotton susceptibility to V . dahliae and was coupled with suppression of jasmonic acid (JA)-related genes both after inoculation with the cotton defoliating strain V991 or MeJA treatment. Interestingly, lignin contents, transcripts of lignin synthesis genes and H 2 O 2 contents were also decreased in GhLOX2 -silenced plants. This study suggests that GhLOX2 is involved in defense responses against infection of V . dahliae in cotton and supports that JA is one of the major defense hormones against this pathogen.
... In Arabidopsis, BOP1/2 promotes the expression of lignin biosynthetic genes, while, BP1 represses the expression of these lignin genes 41 . Recently, mounting evidence has shown that lignin accumulation confers an increased cotton plant resistance to V. dahliae 22,[24][25][26]42 . Thus, it will be interesting to confirm biochemically and genetically whether GhBOP1 promotes the expression of lignin biosynthetic To further investigate the function of GhBOP1 in lignin accumulation, we stained cotton stems with phloroglucinol-HCl. ...
... 7a, the lignin biosynthetic genes, PAL1, C4H1, 4CL1, C3H1, CCoMT1, and CAD5, showed significantly upregulation expression in overexpression plants compared with WT stems. In contrast, in RNAi plants, all these lignin biosynthesis genes showed downregulated expression, similar to previously reported results for plants inoculated with V. dahliae22,24,25,27,42 . ...
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In the plant response to pathogen infection, many genes' expression is temporally induced, while few spatially induced expression genes have been reported. Here, we show that GhBOP1 can autonomously expand expression from restrained tissue when Gossypium hirsutum plants are attacked by Verticillium dahliae, which is considered to be spatially induced expression. Loss- and gain-of-function analyses show that GhBOP1 is a positive regulator in the modulation of plant resistance to V. dahliae. Yeast two-hybrid assays, luciferase complementation imaging and GUS reporting show that GhBOP1 interaction with GhTGA3 promotes its activation activity, regulating the expression of down-stream defence-related genes. Moreover, the induced spatial expression of GhBOP1 is accompanied by GhBP1 repression. Both antagonistically regulate the lignin biosynthesis, conferring cotton plants enhanced resistance to V. dahliae. Taken together, these results demonstrate that GhBOP1 is an economic positive regulator participating in plant defence through both the GhBOP1-GhTGA3 module and lignin accumulation.
... The BCP (blue copper protein) is a small protein with oxidizing activity. LpBCP greatly improves salinity stress tolerance in plants and the BCP was involved in the lignin metabolic pathway, affecting plant secondary metabolism and cell wall synthesis [21][22][23]. The AtBCB protein is involved in the oxidative stress response in plants. ...
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In order to explore the response mechanism of Lilium pumilum (L. pumilum) to saline–alkali stress, we successfully cloned LpGDSL (GDSL lipase, Gly-Asp-Ser-Leu) from L. pumilum. The qRT-PCR results indicated that the LpGDSL expression was higher in the leaves of L. pumilum, and the expression of the LpGDSL reached the highest level at 12 h in leaves under 11 mM H2O2, 200 mM NaCl, 25 mM Na2CO3, and 20 mM NaHCO3. The bacteriophage overexpressing LpGDSL was more tolerant than the control under different NaHCO3 contents. Overexpressed and wild-type plants were analyzed for phenotype, chlorophyll content, O2− content, H2O2 content, lignin content, and so on. Overexpressed plants had significantly higher resistance than the wild type and were less susceptible to saline–alkali stress. The yeast two-hybrid and BiFC assays demonstrated the existence of an interaction between LpGDSL and LpBCP. The yeast one-hybrid assay and transcriptional activation assay confirmed that B3 transcription factors could act on LpGDSL promoters. Under saline–alkali stress, L. pumilum will promote the expression of LpGDSL, which will then promotes the accumulation of lignin and the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to reduce its damage, thus improving the saline–alkali resistance of the plant.
... Overexpression of respiratory burst oxidase homologue D (GhRbohD), GbRboh5 or GbRboh18, in cotton promotes the resistance of transgenic plants to V. dahliae by inducing accumulation of ROS or nitric oxide (NO) (Chang et al., 2020;Huang et al., 2021). Enhancing cell wall lignification through increasing the biosynthesis of lignin also promotes cotton resistance to V. dahliae Shi et al., 2012;Xu et al., 2011;Zhang et al., 2019;Zhu et al., 2018). For example, overexpression of genes encoding rate-limiting enzymes of lignin biosynthesis or ethylene responsive transcription factor 1-like (GbERF1-like) gene in cotton plants led to an increased lignin accumulation and enhanced V. dahliae resistance of cotton plants Sun et al., 2013;Xu et al., 2011). ...
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As a universal second messenger, cytosolic calcium (Ca²⁺) functions in multifaceted intracellular processes, including growth, development and responses to biotic/abiotic stresses in plant. The plant‐specific Ca²⁺ sensors, calmodulin and calmodulin‐like (CML) proteins, function as members of the second‐messenger system to transfer Ca²⁺ signal into downstream responses. However, the functions of CMLs in the responses of cotton (Gossypium spp.) after Verticillium dahliae infection, which causes the serious vascular disease Verticillium wilt, remain elusive. Here, we discovered that the expression level of GbCML45 was promoted after V. dahliae infection in roots of cotton, suggesting its potential role in Verticillium wilt resistance. We found that knockdown of GbCML45 in cotton plants decreased resistance while overexpression of GbCML45 in Arabidopsis thaliana plants enhanced resistance to V. dahliae infection. Furthermore, there was physiological interaction between GbCML45 and its close homologue GbCML50 by using yeast two‐hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence assays, and both proteins enhanced cotton resistance to V. dahliae infection in a Ca²⁺‐dependent way in a knockdown study. Detailed investigations indicated that several defence‐related pathways, including salicylic acid, ethylene, reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide signalling pathways, as well as accumulations of lignin and callose, are responsible for GbCML45‐ and GbCML50‐modulated V. dahliae resistance in cotton. These results collectively indicated that GbCML45 and GbCML50 act as positive regulators to improve cotton Verticillium wilt resistance, providing potential targets for exploitation of improved Verticillium wilt‐tolerant cotton cultivars by genetic engineering and molecular breeding.
... Blue copper binding (BCB) protein is involved in electron transfer during oxidative stress response. A BCB, namely GhUMC1, has been demonstrated to increase cotton resistance through H 2 O 2 , JA signaling, and lignin metabolism [75]. It remains uncertain that lignin-specific molecules trigger a burst of ROS or ROS-strength lignin deposition. ...
Article
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Lignin is complex, three-dimensional biopolymer existing in plant cell wall. Lignin biosynthesis is increasingly highlighted because it is closely related to the wide applications in agriculture and industry productions, including in pulping process, forage digestibility, bio-fuel, and carbon sequestration. The functions of lignin in planta have also attracted more attentions recently, particularly in plant defense response against different pathogens. In this brief review, the progress in lignin biosynthesis is discussed, and the lignin’s roles in disease resistance are thoroughly elucidated. This issue will help in developing broad-spectrum resistant crops in agriculture.
... The high expression levels of blue copper binding protein (BCB; At5g20230) were associated with ROS scavenging in Arabidopsis (Kim et al., 2011). Also, it has been shown that suppressing GhUMC1, a blue copper-binding protein, can hinder the accumulation of ROS and considerably weaken the JA and SA signaling pathways, which raises cotton's susceptibility to Verticillium dahliae (Zhu et al., 2018). Treatment with Cn14-5-1 caused an increase in the transcript abundance of ZmSIT2 and ZmBCP at 0, 2, and 5 dpi of Cn14-5-1 in primed CO447, compared to unprimed CO447. ...
... Previous reports have demonstrated that copper stress enhanced plant resistance to pathogens through copperbinding proteins. In cotton, the blue copper-binding protein GhUMC1 has been shown to be involved in resistance to Verticillium dahlia through regulating the jasmonic acid signaling pathway and lignin metabolism [131]. In barley, Mla and Rom1 negatively regulate miR398, which elevates the transcription level of SOD1 and enhances resistance against powdery mildew [132], indicating the important role of the miR398-SOD module in regulating plant resistance against pathogens. ...
Article
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Copper (Cu)-based antimicrobial compounds (CBACs) have been widely used to control phytopathogens for nearly fourteen decades. Since the first commercialized Bordeaux mixture was introduced, CBACs have been gradually developed from highly to slightly soluble reagents and from inorganic to synthetic organic, with nanomaterials being a recent development. Traditionally, slightly soluble CBACs form a physical film on the surface of plant tissues, separating the microorganisms from the host, then release divalent or monovalent copper ions (Cu 2+ or Cu +) to construct a secondary layer of protection which inhibits the growth of pathogens. Recent progress has demonstrated that the release of a low concentration of Cu 2+ may elicit immune responses in plants. This supports a triple-tiered protection role of CBACs: break contact, inhibit microorganisms, and stimulate host immunity. This spatial defense system, which is integrated both inside and outside the plant cell, provides long-lasting and broad-spectrum protection, even against emergent copper-resistant strains. Here, we review recent findings and highlight the perspectives underlying mitigation strategies for the sustainable utilization of CBACs.
... The high expression of JAZ protein involved in JA and other hormone signaling pathways, including auxins, gibberellins (GAs), ABA, SA, and ET [21,22] indicates the strong hormonal stimuli of EL. Changes at the transcriptional level in the JA pathway, as the main effect of EL, were also detected by the expression of BlueCu_1_ BS, which has been described in the cotton immune response, lignin synthesis, and JA pathway [58]. The upregulation of the key enzyme AOS of the JA biosynthetic pathway supports this concept. ...
Article
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Plant immunological memory, priming, is a defense mechanism that can be triggered by external stimuli, leading to the activation of biochemical pathways and preparing plants for disease resistance. Plant conditioners improve yield and crop quality through nutrient efficiency and abiotic stress tolerance, which is enhanced by the addition of resistance- and priming-induced compounds. Based on this hypothesis, this study aimed to investigate plant responses to priming actives of different natures, including salicylic acid and beta-aminobutyric acid, in combination with the plant conditioning agent ELICE Vakcina®. Phytotron experiments and RNA-Seq analyses of differentially expressed genes using the combinations of these three investigated compounds were performed in a barley culture to investigate possible synergistic relationships in the genetic regulatory network. The results indicated a strong regulation of defense responses, which was enhanced by supplemental treatments; however, both synergistic and antagonistic effects were enhanced with one or two components, depending on the supplementation. The overexpressed transcripts were functionally annotated to assess their involvement in jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling; however, their determinant genes were highly dependent on the supplemental treatments. Although the effects overlapped, the potential effects of trans-priming the two supplements tested could be largely separated.
... Verticillium highly induces laccase GhLAC15 expression, and the cell walls of overexpressing plants enhance resistance to Verticillium wilt through a defense-mediated response that enhances lignification and increases arabinose and xylose accumulation [81]. GhUMC1, a divalent copper-binding protein, is an umecyanin-like gene involved in resistance to Verticillium cotton wilt through regulation of the JA signaling pathway and lignin metabolism [82]. Walls are thin (WAT) genes regulate SA metabolism and signaling by affecting polar transport of growth hormones to further enhance plant resistance to a variety of pathogens [83]. ...
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Cotton is an important economic crop. Fusarium and Verticillium are the primary pathogenic fungi that threaten both the quality and sustainable production of cotton. As an opportunistic pathogen, Fusarium causes various human diseases, including fungal keratitis, which is the most common. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study and clarify the resistance mechanisms of cotton and humans toward Fusarium in order to mitigate, or eliminate, its harm. Herein, we first discuss the resistance and susceptibility mechanisms of cotton to Fusarium and Verticillium wilt and classify associated genes based on their functions. We then outline the characteristics and pathogenicity of Fusarium and describe the multiple roles of human neutrophils in limiting hyphal growth. Finally, we comprehensively compare the similarities and differences between animal and plant resistance to Fusarium and put forward new insights into novel strategies for cotton disease resistance breeding and treatment of Fusarium infection in humans.
... Glycine-rich proteins have been found in the cell walls of many higher plants, and they reportedly accumulate in vascular tissues; their synthesis is thought to be part of a defensive mechanism (Mousavi and Hotta, 2005). Meanwhile, 2-oxoisovalerate dehydrogenase transcription was significantly induced by water stress in drought-susceptible and drought-tolerant wheat (Li, 2012), and suppression of the cotton umecyanin-like gene GhUMC1 weakens the jasmonate signaling pathway and downregulates lignin synthesis, increasing seedling susceptibility to verticillium wilt (Zhu et al., 2018). Given these findings, these four up-regulated proteins may play an important role in pathogen resistance. ...
Article
Bacterial wilt is a serious disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) caused by the soil-borne pathogenic bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum. Detecting changes in protein abundance in potato plants in response to R. solanacearum is a pivotal step in uncovering the molecular interactions of plant pathogens. In this study, using the disease-resistant cultivar ‘Zhongshu 3’, we analyzed protein expression in potato seedlings inoculated with R. solanacearum every 12 h for a total of 72 h using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation-based proteomics. Our results indicate that pathogenesis-related proteins, stressrelated proteins, non-specific lipid transfer proteins, small heat shock proteins, and osmotin-like proteins were up-regulated in response to pathogen infection at different time points. The accumulation of these proteins in response to biotic stress suggests that these proteins play an important role in pathogen resistance. Our findings will provide an important basis for characterizing the role of these proteins in increasing plant resistance to pathogens and in breeding bacterial wilt-resistant plants.
... [27][28][29]46 Silencing the AtBCB gene leads to a reduction of lignin accumulation. 47 Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) related to lignin biosynthesis and its transcriptional regulation are uncovered based on Zhong (2015). 48 LpCPC may affect the content of the soluble phenol and lignin under stress, the content of the soluble phenol and the lignin was detected in the roots and stems of transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana and wildtype. ...
Article
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Lilium Pumilum with wide distribution is highly tolerant to salinity. The blue copper protein LpCPC (Lilium pumilum Cucumber Peeling Cupredoxin) gene was cloned from Lilium pumilum, which has the conserved regions of type I copper protein. Moreover, LpCPC has the closest relation to CPC from Actinidia chinensis using DNAMAN software and MEGA7 software. qRT-PCR indicated that LpCPC expression was higher in root and bulb of Lilium pumilum, and the expression of the LpCPC gene increased and reached the highest level at 12 h in bulbs under 20 mM NaHCO3. The transgenic yeast was more tolerant compared with the control under NaHCO3 stress. Compared with the wild type, overexpressing plants indicated a relatively lower degree of wilting. In addition, the chlorophyll content, soluble phenol content, and lignin content of overexpressing lines were higher than that of wild-type, whereas the relative conductivity of overexpressing plants was significantly lower than that of wild-type plants. Expression of essential genes including NHX1 and SOS1 in salt stress response pathways are steadily higher in overexpression tobacco than that in wild-types. Transgenic lines had much higher levels of CCR1 and CAD, which are involved in lignin production, compared with wild-type lines. The yeast two-hybrid technique was applied to screen probable interacting proteins interacting with LpCPC. Eight proteins interacted with LpCPC were screened, and five of which were demonstrated to be associated with plant salinity resistance. Overall, the role of gene LpCPC is mediating molecule responses in increasing saline-alkali stress resistance, indicating that it is an essential gene to enhance salt tolerance in Lilium pumilum.
... Stems are the central part of the plant, connected with the leaves up and the roots down, and transport important substances for long-distance cell-to-cell communication. Besides, the stem is involved in carbon storage and remobilization of plants, influencing the control of plant's carbon metabolism [1][2][3]. Therefore, understanding the regulation mechanism of stem differentiation is instrumental. The stem development is moderated by an elaborated regulation network which has been well elucidated in Arabidopsis and woody species [4,5]. ...
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The stem is an important organ in supporting plant body, transporting nutrients and communicating signals for plant growing. However, studies on the regulation of stem development in tomato are rather limited. In our study, we demonstrated that SlHB8 negatively regulated tomato stem development. SlHB8 belongs to homeo domain-leucine zipper Class III gene family transcription factors and expressed in all the organs examined including root, stem, leaves, flower, and fruit. Among these tissues, SlHB8 showed stable high expression level during tomato stem development. Overexpression of SlHB8 gene decreased stem diameter with inhibited xylem width and xylem cell layers, while loss of function of SlHB8gene increased the stem diameter and xylem width. The contents of lignin were decreased both in leaves and stems of SlHB8 overexpression plants. RNA-seq analysis on the stems of wild type and SlHB8 transgenic plants showed that the 116 DEGs (differential expressed genes) with reversible expression profiles in SlHB8-ox and SlHB8-cr plants were significantly enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway and plant-pathogen pathway which were related to lignin biosynthesis and disease resistance. Meanwhile, the key genes involved in the lignin biosynthesis pathway such as SlCCR (cinnamoyl-CoA reductase), SlCYP73A14/C4H (cinnamate 4-hydroxylase), SlC3H (coumarate 3-hydroxylase) and SlCAD (cinnamoyl alcohol dehydrogenase) were down-regulated in both stem and leaves of SlHB8 overexpression plants, indicating a negative regulatory role of SlHB8 in the lignin biosynthesis and stem development.
... For instance, overexpression of GhLac1 increased the resistance of cotton against V. dahliae by promoting lignin synthesis (Hu et al. 2018). GhUMC1 was identified to involve in cotton resistance to V. dahliae through the regulation to both lignin synthesis and the SA pathway (Zhu et al. 2018). Besides, overexpression of GbERF1-like in cotton lines enhanced the resistance to V. dahliae by positive regulation of lignin synthesis (Guo et al. 2016). ...
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Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt, caused by Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum, respectively, severely restricted cotton production. It is difficult to control the damage due to large unknown about the interaction between plants and pathogens. Here, we reported the identification of cotton Bsr-k1, which was also designated as GhBsr-k1. The GhBsr-k1 was expressed in the root, stem and leaf. Silencing of GhBsr-k1 improved plant resistance to both V. dahliae and F. oxysporum. In the GhBsr-k1-silenced plants, the expression of phenylpropanoid metabolism related genes were significantly up-regulated comparing with the control, which resulting the increase of lignin deposition. Moreover, the expression level of PALs exhibited highly negative correlation with GhBsr-k1. Collectively, the results suggested GhBsr-k1 acted as a negative regulator during plant resistance against V. dahliae and F. oxysporum. The potential mechanisms beyond GhBsr-k1 in plant defense may related to the regulation of the transcript of lignin deposition genes (GhPAL2, GhPAL5).
... Lignin plays a critical role in cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae: the resistant cotton varieties show a high level of lignin deposition and ligninlike phenolic polymers, (Smit and Dubery 1997) and the lignin content is positively correlated with resistance to V. dahliae (Xu et al. 2011). The GhDIR1, GbERF1-like, GhUMC1, GhWAT and GhLAC15 genes improve cotton resistance to V. dahliae via activating or strengthening lignin synthesis (Guo et al. 2016;Shi et al. 2012;Tang et al. 2019b;Zhang et al. 2019;Zhu et al. 2018). We hypothesize that lignin synthesis-related genes contributed to the cotton resistance to Fov through positively regulating lignin synthesis and enhancing the lignin content. ...
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Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov) is a destructive soil-borne cotton disease. To profile the genes and pathways responding to Fov infection, we compared transcriptomic responses before and after F. oxysporum inoculation in a highly resistant cotton cultivar, Yumian21, and a highly susceptible cultivar, Jimian11. Although the overall gene expression pattern was downregulated in both cultivars, the global gene expression in the resistant cultivar was stronger than that in the susceptible cultivar. In addition, the expressed genes of two cultivars mostly differed in “cellular process,” “single-organism process,” “metabolic process,” and “response to stimulus” functional groups in the biological process Gene Ontology category: the upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEG) were largely enriched in the resistant cultivar, while the downregulated DEGs were largely enriched in the susceptible cultivar. Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and phenylalanine metabolism are the key metabolic pathways in cotton in response to Fov. We found that lignin plays a potential role in cotton resistance to Fov. Two coding genes, caffeic acid 3-O-methyltransferase and peroxidase2, as well as the two transcription factors MYB46 and MYB86, are possibly involved in the accumulation and synthesis of lignin. Furthermore, the result showed that the quantification of lignin could be potentially used as a selection tool to identify Fusarium wilt resistant cotton.
... MYB-related transcription factors regulate different branches of flavonoid metabolism in plants (Azuma et al. 2012). Prupe.5G114200 is annotated as umecyanin or umecyanin-like, which is plant-specific phytocyanin involved in the electron transfer activity of the copper binding (Zhu et al., 2018) and might be associated with plant defensive mechanism to metal stress (Posmyk et al., 2009). Prupe.5G114700 was annotated as mitogenactivated protein kinase 7, which is reported to be activated by environmental stress in peach and sweet cherry (Raingeaud et al. 1996). ...
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Genetic control and location of QTLs associated with phytochemical compounds and fruit quality in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] were evaluated using an F2 mapping population (ZC2) derived from cross between ‘Zin Dai’ × ‘Crimson Lady’. Antioxidant capacity, accumulation of phenolic compounds (total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins), and fruit quality traits (fruit diameter, fruit weight, fruit firmness, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and ripening index) were evaluated for 2 years (2013–2014). Fourteen QTLs for phytochemical and fruit quality traits were identified in 5 LGs, with two QTL clusters (qPC.ZC_5.1_2014 and qPC.ZC_7.1) observed on LGs 5 and 7. The QTL cluster qPC.ZC_5.1_2014 was associated with antioxidant capacity, flavonoids, anthocyanin content, and SSC, while qPC.ZC_7.1 exhibited association only with flavonoids and fruit ripening index. QTL clusters associated with different fruit quality traits were observed on LGs 1 and 6. Candidate gene analyses of the QTL cluster on LG5 (qPC.ZC_5.1_2014) revealed 14 candidate genes in peach with functional annotation related to biosynthesis pathway of phytochemical compounds.
... GhDIR1 encodes a putative dirigent protein and its overexpression leads to increases in lignin content in transgenic cotton plants, which display enhanced tolerance to V. dahliae infection [38]. GhUMC1, an umecyanin-like gene in cotton, is involved in the resistance of cotton plants to V. dahliae through regulation of the JA signalling pathway and lignin metabolism [39]. ...
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Verticillium dahliae is a soil-borne hemibiotrophic fungus that can lead to plant vascular disease and significant economic loss worldwide. Its hosts include over 400 dicotyledon plant species, such as annual herbs, perennials, and woody plants. The average yield loss of cotton crop caused by Verticillium wilt is approximately 10%–35%. As the control of this disease is an urgent task for many countries, further understanding of the interaction between plants and V. dahliae is essential. Fungi can promote or inhibit plant growth, which is important; however, the most important relationship between plants and fungi is the host–pathogen relationship. Plants can become resistant to V. dahliae through diverse mechanisms such as cell wall modifications, extracellular enzymes, pattern recognition receptors, transcription factors, and salicylic acid (SA)/jasmonic acid (JA)/ethylene (ET)-related signal transduction pathways. Over the last decade, several studies on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of plant resistance to V. dahliae have been undertaken. In this review, many resistance-related genes are summarised to provide a theoretical basis for better understanding of the molecular genetic mechanisms of plant resistance to V. dahliae. Moreover, it is intended to serve as a resource for research focused on the development of genetic resistance mechanisms to combat Verticillium wilt.
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Verticillium wilt, caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae, is one of the most devastating diseases in cotton (Gossypium spp.). Lignin in the cell wall forms a physical barrier to inhibit pathogen invasion, and defense-induced lignification reinforces secondary cell wall to prevent pathogens from further spreading. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenases (CADs) catalyze the production of three main monolignols, p-coumaryl- (H), coniferyl- (G), and sinapyl-alcohols (S), which are the fundamental blocks of lignin. Here, we identified CAD genes in G. hirsutum, analyzed their expression profiles in cotton leaf, stem, and root from different developmental stages, and selected GhCAD35, GhCAD45, and GhCAD43, which were consistently induced by V. dahliae inoculation in G. hirsutum cultivars resistant or susceptible to V. dahliae. On the basis of confirmation of the in vitro enzymatic activity of the three proteins in generation of the three monolignols, we used virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to investigate the effects of silencing of GhCAD35, GhCAD45, or GhCAD43 on resistance to V. dahliae as well as on deposition and the composition of lignin. Silencing each of the three CADs impaired the defense-induced lignification and salicylic acid biosynthesis in stem, and compromised resistance to V. dahliae. Moreover, our study showed that silencing the three GhCADs severely affected the biosynthesis of S-lignin, leading to a decrease of the syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio. Heterogeneous overexpression of GhCAD35, GhCAD45, or GhCAD43 in Arabidopsis enhanced disease resistance. Taken together, our study demonstrates a role of the three GhCADs in defense-induced lignin biosynthesis and resistance to V. dahliae in G. hirsutum.
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In environmental conditions, crop plants are extremely affected by multiple abiotic stresses including salinity, drought, heat, and cold, as well as several biotic stresses such as pests and pathogens. However, salinity, drought, and wilt diseases (e.g., Fusarium and Verticillium) are considered the most destructive environmental stresses to cotton plants. These cause severe growth interruption and yield loss of cotton. Since cotton crops are central contributors to total worldwide fiber production, and also important for oilseed crops, it is essential to improve stress tolerant cultivars to secure future sustainable crop production under adverse environments. Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to respond and acclimate to adverse stress conditions at both physiological and molecular levels. Recent progresses in molecular genetics have delivered new insights into the regulatory network system of plant genes, which generally includes defense of cell membranes and proteins, signaling cascades and transcriptional control, and ion uptake and transport and their relevant biochemical pathways and signal factors. In this review, we mainly summarize recent progress concerning several resistance-related genes of cotton plants in response to abiotic (salt and drought) and biotic (Fusarium and Verticillium wilt) stresses and classify them according to their molecular functions to better understand the genetic network. Moreover, this review proposes that studies of stress related genes will advance the security of cotton yield and production under a changing climate and that these genes should be incorporated in the development of cotton tolerant to salt, drought, and fungal wilt diseases (Verticillium and Fusarium).
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In environmental conditions, crop plants are extremely affected by multiple abiotic stresses including salinity, drought, heat, and cold, as well as several biotic stresses such as pests and pathogens. However, salinity, drought, and wilt diseases (e.g., Fusarium and Verticillium) are considered the most destructive environmental stresses to cotton plants. These cause severe growth interruption and yield loss of cotton. Since cotton crops are central contributors to total worldwide fiber production, and also important for oilseed crops, it is essential to improve stress tolerant cultivars to secure future sustainable crop production under adverse environments. Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to respond and acclimate to adverse stress conditions at both physiological and molecular levels. Recent progresses in molecular genetics have delivered new insights into the regulatory network system of plant genes, which generally includes defense of cell membranes and proteins, signaling cascades and transcriptional control, and ion uptake and transport and their relevant biochemical pathways and signal factors. In this review, we mainly summarize recent progress concerning several resistance-related genes of cotton plants in response to abiotic (salt and drought) and biotic (Fusarium and Verticillium wilt) stresses and classify them according to their molecular functions to better understand the genetic network. Moreover, this review proposes that studies of stress related genes will advance the security of cotton yield and production under a changing climate and that these genes should be incorporated in the development of cotton tolerant to salt, drought, and fungal wilt diseases (Verticillium and Fusarium).
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Soilborne plant pathogenic species in the fungal genus Verticillium cause destructive Verticillium wilt disease on economically important crops worldwide. Since R gene-mediated resistance is only effective against race 1 of V. dahliae, fortification of plant basal resistance along with cultural practices are essential to combat Verticillium wilts. Plant hormones involved in cell signaling impact defense responses and development, an understanding of which may provide useful solutions incorporating aspects of basal defense. In this review, we examine the current knowledge of the interplay between plant hormones, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, ethylene, brassinosteroids, cytokinin, gibberellic acid, auxin, and nitric oxide, and the defense responses and signaling pathways that contribute to resistance and susceptibility in Verticillium-host interactions. Though we make connections where possible to non-model systems, the emphasis is placed on Arabidopsis-V. dahliae and V. longisporum interactions since much of the research on this interplay is focused on these systems. An understanding of hormone signaling in Verticillium-host interactions will help to determine the molecular basis of Verticillium wilt progression in the host and potentially provide insight on alternative approaches for disease management.
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Plants evolve effective mechanisms to protect themselves against multiple stresses and employ jasmonates (JA) as vital defense signals to defend against pathogen infection. Accumulation of JA induced by signals from biotic and abiotic stresses, results in degradation of Jasmonate-ZIM-Domain (JAZ) proteins, and then de-repressed the JAZ-repressed transcription factors (such as MYC2) to activate defense responses and developmental processes. Here, we characterized a JAZ family protein, GhJAZ2, from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) which was induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and inoculation of Verticillium dahliae. Over-expression of GhJAZ2 in cotton impairs the sensitivity to JA, decreases the expression level of JA-response genes (GhPDF1.2 and GhVSP) and enhances the susceptibility to V. dahliae and insect herbivory. Yeast two-hybrid and BiFC assays showed that GhJAZ2 may be involved in regulation of cotton disease resistance by interacting with more disease response proteins, like pathogenesis-related protein GhPR10, dirigent-like protein GhD2, NBS-LRR disease resistant protein GhR1, and a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor GhbHLH171. Unlike MYC2, over-expression of GhbHLH171 in cotton activates the JA synthesis and signaling pathway, and improves plant tolerance to fungus V. dahliae. Molecular and genetic evidences showed that GhJAZ2 could interact with GhbHLH171 and inhibit its transcriptional activity, as a result, restrain the JA-mediated defense response. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of GhJAZ2 in the regulation of cotton defense response. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.