-
The New Phytologist Aug 2021Plants are systemically relevant to our planet not only by constituting a major part of its biomass, but also because they produce a vast diversity of bioactive... (Review)
Review
Plants are systemically relevant to our planet not only by constituting a major part of its biomass, but also because they produce a vast diversity of bioactive phytochemicals. These compounds often modulate interactions between plants and the environment, and can have substantial effects on plant consumers and their health. By taking a food web perspective, we highlight the role of bioactive phytochemicals in linking soils, plants, animals and humans and discuss their contributions to systems health. The analysis of connections among food web components revealed an underexplored potential of phytochemicals to optimize food web health and productivity.
Topics: Animals; Food Chain; Phytochemicals; Plants
PubMed: 33826755
DOI: 10.1111/nph.17385 -
The Plant Journal : For Cell and... Jan 2022Originally conceived as harmful metabolic byproducts, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are now recognized as an integral part of numerous cellular programs. Thanks to their... (Review)
Review
Originally conceived as harmful metabolic byproducts, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are now recognized as an integral part of numerous cellular programs. Thanks to their diverse physicochemical properties, compartmentalized production, and tight control exerted by the antioxidant machinery they activate signaling pathways that govern plant growth, development, and defense. Excessive ROS levels are often driven by adverse changes in environmental conditions, ultimately causing oxidative stress. The associated negative impact on cellular constituents have been a major focus of decade-long research efforts to improve the oxidative stress resilience by boosting the antioxidant machinery in model and crop species. We highlight the role of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants as integral factors of multiple signaling cascades beyond their mere function to prevent oxidative damage under adverse abiotic stress conditions.
Topics: Antioxidants; Droughts; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plants; Reactive Oxygen Species; Signal Transduction; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 34519111
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15493 -
Essays in Biochemistry Sep 2022Transcriptional reprogramming is an integral part of plant immunity. Tight regulation of the immune transcriptome is essential for a proper response of plants to... (Review)
Review
Transcriptional reprogramming is an integral part of plant immunity. Tight regulation of the immune transcriptome is essential for a proper response of plants to different types of pathogens. Consequently, transcriptional regulators are proven targets of pathogens to enhance their virulence. The plant immune transcriptome is regulated by many different, interconnected mechanisms that can determine the rate at which genes are transcribed. These include intracellular calcium signaling, modulation of the redox state, post-translational modifications of transcriptional regulators, histone modifications, DNA methylation, modulation of RNA polymerases, alternative transcription inititation, the Mediator complex and regulation by non-coding RNAs. In addition, on their journey from transcription to translation, mRNAs are further modulated through mechanisms such as nuclear RNA retention, storage of mRNA in stress granules and P-bodies, and post-transcriptional gene silencing. In this review, we highlight the latest insights into these mechanisms. Furthermore, we discuss some emerging technologies that promise to greatly enhance our understanding of the regulation of the plant immune transcriptome in the future.
Topics: DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Immunity, Innate; Mediator Complex; Plant Immunity; Plants; RNA, Messenger; RNA, Nuclear; RNA, Plant; Transcription Factors
PubMed: 35726519
DOI: 10.1042/EBC20210100 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... May 2022Plants have characteristic features that affect the expression of sexual function, notably the existence of a haploid organism in the life cycle, and in their... (Review)
Review
Plants have characteristic features that affect the expression of sexual function, notably the existence of a haploid organism in the life cycle, and in their development, which is modular, iterative and environmentally reactive. For instance, primary selection (the first filtering of the products of meiosis) is via gametes in diplontic animals, but via gametophyte organisms in plants. Intragametophytic selfing produces double haploid sporophytes which is in effect a form of clonal reproduction mediated by sexual mechanisms. In homosporous plants, the diploid sporophyte is sexless, sex being only expressed in the haploid gametophyte. However, in seed plants, the timing and location of gamete production is determined by the sporophyte, which therefore has a sexual role, and in dioecious plants has genetic sex, while the seed plant gametophyte has lost genetic sex. This evolutionary transition is one that E.J.H. Corner called 'the transference of sexuality'. The iterative development characteristic of plants can lead to a wide variety of patterns in the distribution of sexual function, and in dioecious plants poor canalization of reproductive development can lead to intrasexual mating and the production of YY supermales or WW superfemales. Finally, plant modes of asexual reproduction (agamospermy/apogamy) are also distinctive by subverting gametophytic processes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sex determination and sex chromosome evolution in land plants'.
Topics: Animals; Diploidy; Germ Cells, Plant; Plants; Reproduction
PubMed: 35306890
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0213 -
The Plant Journal : For Cell and... Jan 2021The interaction of plants with complex microbial communities is the result of co-evolution over millions of years and contributed to plant transition and adaptation to... (Review)
Review
The interaction of plants with complex microbial communities is the result of co-evolution over millions of years and contributed to plant transition and adaptation to land. The ability of plants to be an essential part of complex and highly dynamic ecosystems is dependent on their interaction with diverse microbial communities. Plant microbiota can support, and even enable, the diverse functions of plants and are crucial in sustaining plant fitness under often rapidly changing environments. The composition and diversity of microbiota differs between plant and soil compartments. It indicates that microbial communities in these compartments are not static but are adjusted by the environment as well as inter-microbial and plant-microbe communication. Hormones take a crucial role in contributing to the assembly of plant microbiomes, and plants and microbes often employ the same hormones with completely different intentions. Here, the function of hormones as go-betweens between plants and microbes to influence the shape of plant microbial communities is discussed. The versatility of plant and microbe-derived hormones essentially contributes to the creation of habitats that are the origin of diversity and, thus, multifunctionality of plants, their microbiota and ultimately ecosystems.
Topics: Abscisic Acid; Cyclopentanes; Ethylenes; Indoleacetic Acids; Microbiota; Oxylipins; Plant Growth Regulators; Plant Roots; Plants; Rhizosphere; Salicylic Acid; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33332645
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15135 -
Plant Signaling & Behavior Dec 2023Sulfur is one of the essential nutrients that is required for the adequate growth and development of plants. Sulfur is a structural component of protein disulfide bonds,... (Review)
Review
Sulfur is one of the essential nutrients that is required for the adequate growth and development of plants. Sulfur is a structural component of protein disulfide bonds, amino acids, vitamins, and cofactors. Most of the sulfur in soil is present in organic matter and hence not accessible to the plants. Anionic form of sulfur (SO) is the primary source of sulfur for plants that are generally present in minimal amounts in the soil. It is water-soluble, so readily leaches out of the soil. Sulfur and sulfur-containing compounds act as signaling molecules in stress management as well as normal metabolic processes. They also take part in crosstalk of complex signaling network as a mediator molecule. Plants uptake sulfate directly from the soil by using their dedicated sulfate transporters. In addition, plants also use the sulfur transporter of a symbiotically associated organism like bacteria and fungi to uptake sulfur from the soil especially under sulfur depleted conditions. So, sulfur is a very important component of plant metabolism and its analysis with different dimensions is highly required to improve the overall well-being of plants, and dependent animals as well as human beings. The deficiency of sulfur leads to stunted growth of plants and ultimately loss of yield. In this review, we have focused on sulfur nutrition, uptake, transport, and inter-organismic transfer to host plants. Given the strong potential for agricultural use of sulfur sources and their applications, we cover what is known about sulfur impact on the plant health. We identify opportunities to expand our understanding of how the application of soil microbes like AMF or other root endophytic fungi affects plant sulfur uptake and in turn plant growth and development.
Topics: Humans; Plants; Sulfur; Sulfates; Soil; Growth and Development
PubMed: 35129079
DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2030082 -
Current Biology : CB Apr 2023Cellulose is the chief constituent of the plant cell wall and therefore is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. However, cellulose synthesis is not limited to the...
Cellulose is the chief constituent of the plant cell wall and therefore is the most abundant biopolymer on Earth. However, cellulose synthesis is not limited to the plant kingdom: it is also found in a wide variety of bacteria, as well as in oomycetes, algae, slime mold, and urochordates, which are the only animals that synthesize cellulose. Nevertheless, cellulose synthesis has been mainly studied in plants and bacteria. In plants, cellulose confers mechanical support and protection against environmental stresses, and guides anisotropic cell growth. In bacteria, cellulose secretion is associated with biofilm formation, which protects cells from stresses or host immune responses and allows for community synergy in colonizing surfaces and capturing nutrients. In the context of our society, cellulose is an important part of woody plant biomass and is thus a renewable resource crucial for many industries, whereas bacterial cellulose is used for a plethora of biomedical and bioengineering applications. In addition, biofilms can reduce the susceptibility of bacteria to antibacterial agents and thus increase infection risk; understanding the molecular mechanism behind cellulose synthesis and biofilm formation is therefore of prime importance.In this primer, we aim to highlight the main differences as well as the common features of the molecular mechanism shared by the many species synthesizing cellulose across kingdoms.
Topics: Animals; Biofilms; Cellulose; Plants; Cell Membrane; Cell Wall; Bacteria
PubMed: 37040702
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.044 -
Journal of Experimental Botany Aug 2019Sulfated peptides are plant hormones that are active at nanomolar concentrations. The sulfation at one or more tyrosine residues is catalysed by tyrosylprotein... (Review)
Review
Sulfated peptides are plant hormones that are active at nanomolar concentrations. The sulfation at one or more tyrosine residues is catalysed by tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST), which is encoded by a single-copy gene. The sulfate group is provided by the co-substrate 3´-phosphoadenosine 5´-phosphosulfate (PAPS), which links synthesis of sulfated signaling peptides to sulfur metabolism. The precursor proteins share a conserved DY-motif that is implicated in specifying tyrosine sulfation. Several sulfated peptides undergo additional modification such as hydroxylation of proline and glycosylation of hydroxyproline. The modifications render the secreted signaling molecules active and stable. Several sulfated signaling peptides have been shown to be perceived by leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) but have signaling pathways that, for the most part, are yet to be elucidated. Sulfated peptide hormones regulate growth and a wide variety of developmental processes, and intricately modulate immunity to pathogens. While basic research on sulfated peptides has made steady progress, their potential in agricultural and pharmaceutical applications has yet to be explored.
Topics: Peptide Hormones; Plant Development; Plant Growth Regulators; Plant Proteins; Plants; Sulfates
PubMed: 31231771
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz292 -
Genes Feb 2021The molecular components of the circadian system possess the interesting feature of acting together to create a self-sustaining oscillator, while at the same time acting... (Review)
Review
The molecular components of the circadian system possess the interesting feature of acting together to create a self-sustaining oscillator, while at the same time acting individually, and in complexes, to confer phase-specific circadian control over a wide range of physiological and developmental outputs. This means that many circadian oscillator proteins are simultaneously also part of the circadian output pathway. Most studies have focused on transcriptional control of circadian rhythms, but work in plants and metazoans has shown the importance of post-transcriptional and post-translational processes within the circadian system. Here we highlight recent work describing post-translational mechanisms that impact both the function of the oscillator and the clock-controlled outputs.
Topics: Circadian Clocks; Circadian Rhythm; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Plants; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 33668215
DOI: 10.3390/genes12030325 -
Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal... May 2022Dogs possess the ability to obtain essential nutrients, established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), from both animal- and plant-based... (Review)
Review
Dogs possess the ability to obtain essential nutrients, established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), from both animal- and plant-based ingredients. There has been a recent increase in the popularity of diets that limit or completely exclude certain plant-based ingredients. Examples of these diets include 'ancestral' or 'evolutionary' diets, raw meat-based diets and grain-free diets. As compared to animal sources, plant-derived ingredients (including vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds) provide many non-essential phytonutrients with some data suggesting they confer health benefits. This review aims to assess the strength of current evidence on the relationship between the consumption of plant-based foods and phytonutrients (such as plant-derived carotenoids, polyphenols and phytosterols) and biomarkers of health and diseases (such as body weight/condition, gastrointestinal health, immune health, cardiovascular health, visual function and cognitive function) from clinical trials and epidemiological studies. This review highlights the potential nutritional and health benefits of including plant-based ingredients as a part of balanced canine diets. We also highlight current research gaps in existing studies and provide future research directions to inform the impact of incorporating plant-based ingredients in commercial or home-prepared diets.
Topics: Animals; Diet; Dogs; Fruit; Nutritional Status; Phytochemicals; Plants; United States; Vegetables
PubMed: 34495560
DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13626