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Mitochondrion Jul 2020The biological function of plant mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (pUCPs) has been a matter of considerable controversy. For example, the pUCP capacity to uncouple... (Review)
Review
The biological function of plant mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (pUCPs) has been a matter of considerable controversy. For example, the pUCP capacity to uncouple respiration from ATP synthesis in vivo has never been fully acknowledged, in contrast to the mammalian UCP1 (mUCP1) role in uncoupling respiration-mediated thermogenesis. Interestingly, both pUCPs and mUCPs have been associated with stress response and metabolic perturbations. Some central questions that remain are how pUCPs and mUCPs compare in biochemical properties, molecular structure and cell biology under physiological and metabolically perturbed conditions. This review takes advantage of the large amount of data available for mUCPs to review the biochemical properties, 3D structure models and potential physiological roles of pUCPs during plant development and response to stress. The biochemical properties and structure of pUCPs are revisited in light of the recent findings that pUCPs catalyse the transport of metabolites across the mitochondrial inner membrane and the resolved mUCP2 protein structure. Additionally, transcriptional regulation and co-expression networks of UCP orthologues across species are analysed, taking advantage of publicly available curated experimental datasets. Taking these together, the biological roles of pUCPs are analysed in the context of their potential roles in thermogenesis, ROS production, cell signalling and the regulation of plant cellular bioenergetics. Finally, pUCPs biological function is discussed in the context of their potential role in protecting against environmental stresses.
Topics: Energy Metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins; Models, Molecular; Plant Development; Plant Proteins; Plants; Protein Conformation; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 32439620
DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2020.05.001 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2021Zinc-finger proteins, a superfamily of proteins with a typical structural domain that coordinates a zinc ion and binds nucleic acids, participate in the regulation of... (Review)
Review
Zinc-finger proteins, a superfamily of proteins with a typical structural domain that coordinates a zinc ion and binds nucleic acids, participate in the regulation of growth, development, and stress adaptation in plants. Most zinc fingers are C2H2-type or CCCC-type, named after the configuration of cysteine (C) and histidine (H); the less-common CCCH zinc-finger proteins are important in the regulation of plant stress responses. In this review, we introduce the domain structures, classification, and subcellular localization of CCCH zinc-finger proteins in plants and discuss their functions in transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation via interactions with DNA, RNA, and other proteins. We describe the functions of CCCH zinc-finger proteins in plant development and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salt, drought, flooding, cold temperatures and oxidative stress. Finally, we summarize the signal transduction pathways and regulatory networks of CCCH zinc-finger proteins in their responses to abiotic stress. CCCH zinc-finger proteins regulate the adaptation of plants to abiotic stress in various ways, but the specific molecular mechanisms need to be further explored, along with other mechanisms such as cytoplasm-to-nucleus shuttling and post-transcriptional regulation. Unraveling the molecular mechanisms by which CCCH zinc-finger proteins improve stress tolerance will facilitate the breeding and genetic engineering of crops with improved traits.
Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Droughts; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Development; Plant Proteins; Plants; Stress, Physiological; Zinc Fingers
PubMed: 34361093
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158327 -
Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark... Dec 2021Abiotic stresses are wide-ranging environmental factors that adversely affect the yield and quality of tea plants (Camellia sinensis). As perennial woody economic... (Review)
Review
Abiotic stresses are wide-ranging environmental factors that adversely affect the yield and quality of tea plants (Camellia sinensis). As perennial woody economic plants, various environmental factors affect its growth and development. To survive under stress conditions, plants adapt to or withstand these adverse external environments by regulating their growth and morphological structure. Recently, there have been knowledges regarding the significant progress in the mechanisms of abiotic stresses (including cold and heat, drought, salt and heavy metal stresses) tolerance in tea plants. Many evidences suggest that several phytohormones are in response to various environmental stresses, and regulate plant stress adaptation. However, the regulatory mechanisms of plant abiotic stress responses and resistance remain unclear. In this review, we mainly summarize the studies on the adaptive physiological and molecular mechanisms of tea plants under abiotic stress, and discuss the direction for tea plant resistance and breeding strategies.
Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Camellia sinensis; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 34994184
DOI: 10.52586/5063 -
Cells Feb 2022The NAC transcription factor (TF) family is one of the largest plant-specific TF families and its members are involved in the regulation of many vital biological... (Review)
Review
The NAC transcription factor (TF) family is one of the largest plant-specific TF families and its members are involved in the regulation of many vital biological processes during plant growth and development. Recent studies have found that NAC TFs play important roles during the ripening of fleshy fruits and the development of quality attributes. This review focuses on the advances in our understanding of the function of NAC TFs in different fruits and their involvement in the biosynthesis and signal transduction of plant hormones, fruit textural changes, color transformation, accumulation of flavor compounds, seed development and fruit senescence. We discuss the theoretical basis and potential regulatory models for NAC TFs action and provide a comprehensive view of their multiple roles in modulating different aspects of fruit ripening and quality.
Topics: Fruit; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Solanum lycopersicum; Plant Proteins; Transcription Factors
PubMed: 35159333
DOI: 10.3390/cells11030525 -
International Journal of Molecular... Dec 2022Crop traits are controlled by multiple genes; however, the complex spatio-temporal transcriptional behavior of genes cannot be fully understood without comprehending the... (Review)
Review
Crop traits are controlled by multiple genes; however, the complex spatio-temporal transcriptional behavior of genes cannot be fully understood without comprehending the role of transcription factors (TFs) and the underlying mechanisms of the binding interactions of their -regulatory elements. NAC belongs to one of the largest families of plant-specific TFs and has been associated with the regulation of many traits. This review provides insight into the -regulation of genes by wheat s (s) for the improvement in yield-related traits, including phytohormonal homeostasis, leaf senescence, seed traits improvement, root modulation, and biotic and abiotic stresses in wheat and other cereals. We also discussed the current potential, knowledge gaps, and prospects of s.
Topics: Triticum; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Stress, Physiological; Transcription Factors
PubMed: 36499751
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315431 -
Annals of Botany May 2023Morphogenesis occurs through accurate interaction between essential players to generate highly specialized plant organs. Fruit structure and function are triggered by a...
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Morphogenesis occurs through accurate interaction between essential players to generate highly specialized plant organs. Fruit structure and function are triggered by a neat transcriptional control involving distinct regulator genes encoding transcription factors (TFs) or signalling proteins, such as the C2H2/C2HC zinc-finger NO TRANSMITTING TRACT (NTT) or the MADS-box protein SEEDSTICK (STK), which are important in setting plant reproductive competence, feasibly by affecting cell wall polysaccharide and lipid distribution. Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are major components of the cell wall and are thought to be involved in the reproductive process as important players in specific stages of development. The detection of AGPs epitopes in reproductive tissues of NTT and other fruit development-related TFs, such as MADS-box proteins including SHATTERPROOF1 (SHP1), SHP2 and STK, was the focus of this study.
METHODS
We used fluorescence microscopy to perform immunolocalization analyses on stk and ntt single mutants, on the ntt stk double mutant and on the stk shp1 shp2 triple mutant using specific anti-AGP monoclonal antibodies. In these mutants, the expression levels of selected AGP genes were also measured by quantitative real-time PCR and compared with the respective expression in wild-type (WT) plants.
KEY RESULTS
The present immunolocalization study collects information on the distribution patterns of specific AGPs in Arabidopsis female reproductive tissues, complemented by the quantification of AGP expression levels, comparing WT, stk and ntt single mutants, the ntt stk double mutant and the stk shp1 shp2 triple mutant.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings reveal distinct AGP distribution patterns in different developmental mutants related to the female reproductive unit in Arabidopsis. The value of the immunofluorescence labelling technique is highlighted in this study as an invaluable tool to dissect the remodelling nature of the cell wall in developmental processes.
Topics: Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis Proteins; Plant Proteins; Transcription Factors; Mucoproteins; MADS Domain Proteins
PubMed: 36945741
DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad046 -
Evolution & Development May 2021DELLA proteins are master growth regulators that repress responses to a group of plant growth hormones called gibberellins (GAs). Manipulation of DELLA function and... (Review)
Review
DELLA proteins are master growth regulators that repress responses to a group of plant growth hormones called gibberellins (GAs). Manipulation of DELLA function and signaling was instrumental in the development of high-yielding crop varieties that saved millions from starvation during the "Green Revolution." Despite decades of extensive research, it is still unclear how DELLA function and signaling mechanisms evolved within the land plant lineage. Here, we review current knowledge on DELLA protein function with reference to structure, posttranslational modifications, downstream transcriptional targets, and protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, we discuss older and recent findings regarding the evolution of DELLA signaling within the land plant lineage, with an emphasis on bryophytes, and identify future avenues of research that would enable us to shed more light on the evolution of DELLA signaling. Unraveling how DELLA function and signaling mechanisms have evolved could enable us to engineer better crops in an attempt to contribute to mitigating the effects of global warming and achieving global food security.
Topics: Animals; Embryophyta; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gibberellins; Plant Growth Regulators; Plant Proteins; Plants; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 33428269
DOI: 10.1111/ede.12365 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2020Plants as immovable organisms sense the stressors in their environment and respond to them by means of dedicated stress response pathways. In response to stress,... (Review)
Review
Plants as immovable organisms sense the stressors in their environment and respond to them by means of dedicated stress response pathways. In response to stress, jasmonates (jasmonic acid, its precursors and derivatives), a class of polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived phytohormones, play crucial roles in several biotic and abiotic stresses. As the major immunity hormone, jasmonates participate in numerous signal transduction pathways, including those of gene networks, regulatory proteins, signaling intermediates, and proteins, enzymes, and molecules that act to protect cells from the toxic effects of abiotic stresses. As cellular hubs for integrating informational cues from the environment, jasmonates play significant roles in alleviating salt stress, drought stress, heavy metal toxicity, micronutrient toxicity, freezing stress, ozone stress, CO stress, and light stress. Besides these, jasmonates are involved in several developmental and physiological processes throughout the plant life. In this review, we discuss the biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways of the JAs and the roles of these molecules in the plant responses to abiotic stresses.
Topics: Cyclopentanes; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Oxylipins; Plant Growth Regulators; Plant Proteins; Plants; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 31963549
DOI: 10.3390/ijms21020621 -
Journal of Experimental Botany Aug 2019Systems biology approaches have been applied over the last two decades to study plant sulphur metabolism. These 'sulphur-omics' approaches have been developed in... (Review)
Review
Systems biology approaches have been applied over the last two decades to study plant sulphur metabolism. These 'sulphur-omics' approaches have been developed in parallel with the advancing field of systems biology, which is characterized by permanent improvements of high-throughput methods to obtain system-wide data. The aim is to obtain a holistic view of sulphur metabolism and to generate models that allow predictions of metabolic and physiological responses. Besides known sulphur-responsive genes derived from previous studies, numerous genes have been identified in transcriptomics studies. This has not only increased our knowledge of sulphur metabolism but has also revealed links between metabolic processes, thus indicating a previously unexpected complex interconnectivity. The identification of response and control networks has been supported through metabolomics and proteomics studies. Due to the complex interlacing nature of biological processes, experimental validation using targeted or systems approaches is ongoing. There is still room for improvement in integrating the findings from studies of metabolomes, proteomes, and metabolic fluxes into a single unifying concept and to generate consistent models. We therefore suggest a joint effort of the sulphur research community to standardize data acquisition. Furthermore, focusing on a few different model plant systems would help overcome the problem of fragmented data, and would allow us to provide a standard data set against which future experiments can be designed and compared.
Topics: Computational Biology; Metabolomics; Plant Proteins; Plants; Proteome; Sulfur; Systems Biology
PubMed: 31404467
DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz260 -
Toxins Oct 2019Dianthin enzymes belong to ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) of type 1, i.e., they only consist of a catalytic domain and do not have a cell binding moiety.... (Review)
Review
Dianthin enzymes belong to ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) of type 1, i.e., they only consist of a catalytic domain and do not have a cell binding moiety. Dianthin-30 is very similar to saporin-S3 and saporin-S6, two RIPs often used to design targeted toxins for tumor therapy and already tested in some clinical trials. Nevertheless, dianthin enzymes also exhibit differences to saporin with regard to structure, efficacy, toxicity, immunogenicity and production by heterologous expression. Some of the distinctions might make dianthin more suitable for targeted tumor therapies than other RIPs. The present review provides an overview of the history of dianthin discovery and illuminates its structure, function and role in targeted toxins. It further discusses the option to increase the efficacy of dianthin by endosomal escape enhancers.
Topics: Animals; Endosomes; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasms; Plant Proteins; Ribosome Inactivating Proteins; Toxins, Biological
PubMed: 31614697
DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100592