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The New Phytologist Oct 2023RNA interference (RNAi) is arguably one of the more versatile mechanisms in cell biology, facilitating the fine regulation of gene expression and protection against... (Review)
Review
RNA interference (RNAi) is arguably one of the more versatile mechanisms in cell biology, facilitating the fine regulation of gene expression and protection against mobile genomic elements, whilst also constituting a key aspect of induced plant immunity. More recently, the use of this mechanism to regulate gene expression in heterospecific partners - cross-kingdom RNAi (ckRNAi) - has been shown to form a critical part of bidirectional interactions between hosts and endosymbionts, regulating the interplay between microbial infection mechanisms and host immunity. Here, we review the current understanding of ckRNAi as it relates to interactions between plants and their pathogenic and mutualistic endosymbionts, with particular emphasis on evidence in support of ckRNAi in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.
Topics: Symbiosis; Mycorrhizae; RNA Interference; Plants
PubMed: 37452489
DOI: 10.1111/nph.19122 -
Plant Reproduction Dec 2021The seeds of flowering plants are sexually produced propagules that ensure dispersal and resilience of the next generation. Seeds harbor embryos, three dimensional...
The seeds of flowering plants are sexually produced propagules that ensure dispersal and resilience of the next generation. Seeds harbor embryos, three dimensional structures that are often miniatures of the adult plant in terms of general structure and primordial organs. In addition, embryos contain the meristems that give rise to post-embryonically generated structures. However common, flowering plant embryos are an evolutionary derived state. Flowering plants are part of a much larger group of embryo-bearing plants, aptly termed Embryophyta. A key question is what evolutionary trajectory led to the emergence of flowering plant embryos. In this opinion, we deconstruct the flowering plant embryo and describe the current state of knowledge of embryos in other plant lineages. While we are far yet from understanding the ancestral state of plant embryogenesis, we argue what current knowledge may suggest and how the knowledge gaps may be closed.
Topics: Magnoliopsida; Meristem; Plants; Reproduction; Seeds
PubMed: 34313838
DOI: 10.1007/s00497-021-00427-y -
American Journal of Botany Nov 2021Plant phenology research has surged in recent decades, in part due to interest in phenological sensitivity to climate change and the vital role phenology plays in... (Review)
Review
Plant phenology research has surged in recent decades, in part due to interest in phenological sensitivity to climate change and the vital role phenology plays in ecology. Many local-scale studies have generated important findings regarding the physiology, responses, and risks associated with shifts in plant phenology. By comparison, our understanding of regional- and global-scale phenology has been largely limited to remote sensing of green-up without the ability to differentiate among plant species. However, a new generation of analytical tools and data sources-including enhanced remote sensing products, digitized herbarium specimen data, and public participation in science-now permits investigating patterns and drivers of phenology across extensive taxonomic, temporal, and spatial scales, in an emerging field that we call macrophenology. Recent studies have highlighted how phenology affects dynamics at broad scales, including species interactions and ranges, carbon fluxes, and climate. At the cusp of this developing field of study, we review the theoretical and practical advances in four primary areas of plant macrophenology: (1) global patterns and shifts in plant phenology, (2) within-species changes in phenology as they mediate species' range limits and invasions at the regional scale, (3) broad-scale variation in phenology among species leading to ecological mismatches, and (4) interactions between phenology and global ecosystem processes. To stimulate future research, we describe opportunities for macrophenology to address grand challenges in each of these research areas, as well as recently available data sources that enhance and enable macrophenology research.
Topics: Climate Change; Ecosystem; Plants; Seasons
PubMed: 34755895
DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1793 -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2022Salinity is a natural and anthropogenic process that plants overcome using various responses. Salinity imposes a two-phase effect, simplified into the initial osmotic... (Review)
Review
Salinity is a natural and anthropogenic process that plants overcome using various responses. Salinity imposes a two-phase effect, simplified into the initial osmotic challenges and subsequent salinity-specific ion toxicities from continual exposure to sodium and chloride ions. Plant responses to salinity encompass a complex gene network involving osmotic balance, ion transport, antioxidant response, and hormone signaling pathways typically mediated by transcription factors. One particular transcription factor mega family, , is a principal regulator of salinity responses. Here, we categorize a collection of known salinity-responding and summarize their molecular pathways. collectively play a part in regulating osmotic balance, ion transport response, antioxidant response, and hormone signaling pathways in plants. Particular attention is given to the hormone signaling pathway to illuminate the relationship between and abscisic acid signaling. Observed trends among are highlighted, including group II as major regulators of the salinity response. We recommend renaming existing and adopting a naming system to a standardized format based on protein structure.
Topics: Abscisic Acid; Antioxidants; Chlorides; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Hormones; Plant Proteins; Plants; Plants, Genetically Modified; Salinity; Salt Tolerance; Sodium; Stress, Physiological; Transcription Factors
PubMed: 36142857
DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810947 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2021Numerous plant compounds and their metal-ion complexes exert antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and other beneficial effects. This review highlights the... (Review)
Review
Numerous plant compounds and their metal-ion complexes exert antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and other beneficial effects. This review highlights the different bioactivities of flavonoids, chromones, and coumarins and their metal-ions complexes due to different structural characteristics. In addition to insight into the most studied antioxidative properties of these compounds, the first part of the review provides a comprehensive overview of exogenous and endogenous sources of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, oxidative stress-mediated damages of lipids and proteins, and on protective roles of antioxidant defense systems, including plant-derived antioxidants. Additionally, the review covers the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of flavonoids, chromones, coumarins and their metal-ion complexes which support its application in medicine, pharmacy, and cosmetology.
Topics: Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antioxidants; Coordination Complexes; Free Radicals; Humans; Ions; Metals; Phytochemicals; Plants
PubMed: 34443474
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26164886 -
Biotechnology Advances Oct 2023Glycosyltransferases catalyse the transfer of a glycosyl moiety from a donor to an acceptor. Members of this enzyme class are ubiquitous throughout all kingdoms of life... (Review)
Review
Glycosyltransferases catalyse the transfer of a glycosyl moiety from a donor to an acceptor. Members of this enzyme class are ubiquitous throughout all kingdoms of life and are involved in the biosynthesis of countless types of glycosides. Family 1 glycosyltransferases, also referred to as uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferases (UGTs), glycosylate small molecules such as secondary metabolites and xenobiotics. In plants, UGTs are recognised for their multiple functionalities ranging from roles in growth regulation and development, in protection against pathogens and abiotic stresses and in adaptation to changing environments. In this study, we review UGT-mediated glycosylation of phytohormones, endogenous secondary metabolites, and xenobiotics and contextualise the role this chemical modification plays in the response to biotic and abiotic stresses and plant fitness. Here, the potential advantages and drawbacks of altering the expression patterns of specific UGTs along with the heterologous expression of UGTs across plant species to improve stress tolerance in plants are discussed. We conclude that UGT-based genetic modification of plants could potentially enhance agricultural efficiency and take part in controlling the biological activity of xenobiotics in bioremediation strategies. However, more knowledge of the intricate interplay between UGTs in plants is needed to unlock the full potential of UGTs in crop resistance.
Topics: Glycosyltransferases; Uridine Diphosphate; Crop Protection; Xenobiotics; Glycosylation; Plants; Phylogeny
PubMed: 37268151
DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108182 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Jun 2022Many environmental factors impact plant and pollinator communities. However, variation in soil moisture and how it mediates the plant-pollinator interactions has yet to...
Many environmental factors impact plant and pollinator communities. However, variation in soil moisture and how it mediates the plant-pollinator interactions has yet to be elucidated. We hypothesized that long-term variation in soil moisture can exert a strong selective pressure on the floral and vegetative traits of plants, leading to changes in pollinator visitation. We demonstrated that there are three phenotypic populations of in our study alpine region in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau that vary in floral colour and other traits. Pink (dry habitat) and blue (intermediate habitat) flower populations are visited primarily by bumblebees, and white (wet habitat) flower populations are visited by flies. These patterns of visitation are driven by vegetative and floral traits and are constant when non-endemic plants are placed in the intermediate habitats. Additionally, the floral communities in different habitats vary, with more insect-pollinated forbs in the dry and intermediate habitats versus the wet habitats. Through a common garden and reciprocal transplant experiment, we demonstrated that plant growth traits, pollinator attractiveness and seed production are highest when the plant population is raised in its endemic habitat. This suggests that these plant populations have evolved to pollinator communities associated with habitat differences. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.
Topics: Animals; Flowers; Magnoliopsida; Plants; Pollination; Soil
PubMed: 35491589
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0423 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021Cyanogenic glycosides are an important and widespread class of plant natural products, which are however structurally less diverse than many other classes of natural... (Review)
Review
Cyanogenic glycosides are an important and widespread class of plant natural products, which are however structurally less diverse than many other classes of natural products. So far, 112 naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides have been described in the phytochemical literature. Currently, these unique compounds have been reported from more than 2500 plant species. Natural cyanogenic glycosides show variations regarding both the aglycone and the sugar part of the molecules. The predominant sugar moiety is glucose but many substitution patterns of this glucose moiety exist in nature. Regarding the aglycone moiety, four different basic classes can be distinguished, aliphatic, cyclic, aromatic, and heterocyclic aglycones. Our overview covers all cyanogenic glycosides isolated from plants and includes 33 compounds with a non-cyclic aglycone, 20 cyclopentane derivatives, 55 natural products with an aromatic aglycone, and four dihydropyridone derivatives. In the following sections, we will provide an overview about the chemical diversity known so far and mention the first source from which the respective compounds had been isolated. This review will serve as a first reference for researchers trying to find new cyanogenic glycosides and highlights some gaps in the knowledge about the exact structures of already described compounds.
Topics: Biological Products; Glycosides; Hydrogen Cyanide; Plants
PubMed: 33573160
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26030719 -
PloS One 2023Climate change will significantly impact the world's ecosystems, in part by altering species interactions and ecological processes, such as herbivory and plant community...
Climate change will significantly impact the world's ecosystems, in part by altering species interactions and ecological processes, such as herbivory and plant community dynamics, which may impact forage quality and ecosystem production. Yet relatively few field experimental manipulations assessing all of these parameters have been performed to date. To help fill this knowledge gap, we evaluated the effects of increased temperature (+3°C day and night, year-round) and precipitation (+30% of mean annual rainfall) on slug herbivory and abundance and plant community dynamics biweekly in a pasture located in central Kentucky, U.S.A. Warming increased slug abundance once during the winter, likely due to improving conditions for foraging, whereas warming reduced slug abundance at times in late spring, mid-summer, and early fall (from 62-95% reduction depending on month). We found that warming and increased precipitation did not significantly modify slug herbivory at our site, despite altering slug abundance and affecting plant community composition and forage quality. Climate change will alter seasonal patterns of slug abundance through both direct effects on slug biology and indirect effects mediated by changes in the plant community, suggesting that pasture management practices may have to adapt.
Topics: Animals; Ecosystem; Grassland; Climate Change; Gastropoda; Plants
PubMed: 36917602
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283128 -
Phytopathology May 2023Plants produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites that are involved in a wide range of different functions, including stress tolerance, signaling molecules for... (Review)
Review
Plants produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites that are involved in a wide range of different functions, including stress tolerance, signaling molecules for interactions with other species (allelopathy), and protecting plants against herbivores and pathogens. With the rise of more accessible, high-throughput mass spectrometry and new analytical tools, it becomes feasible to identify and validate new secondary metabolites involved in pathogen resistance or assign new roles to previously detected compounds. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the major pathogen defense-associated classes of secondary metabolites, with a focus on those with direct anti-pathogen function. For each class, we highlight one or more typical examples representing the class to give a comprehensive summary of some of the work done to date. In the second part of this review, we highlight how new technological advances and high-throughput experiments in combination with other sources of -omics data, such as genomics and transcriptomics, can accelerate the studies on secondary metabolites and help to link these compounds to genotypes. Employing such approaches will improve our understanding of chemical defenses against plant pathogens and allow for rapid development of markers for resistance breeding.
Topics: Plant Diseases; Plant Breeding; Metabolomics; Plants; Genomics
PubMed: 36856491
DOI: 10.1094/PHYTO-11-22-0415-FI