skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


  • NSF Public Access
  • Search Results
  • Mechanically induced localisation of SECONDARY WALL INTERACTING bZIP is associated with thigmomorphogenic and secondary cell wall gene expression
Title: Mechanically induced localisation of SECONDARY WALL INTERACTING bZIP is associated with thigmomorphogenic and secondary cell wall gene expression
Abstract Plant growth requires the integration of internal and external cues, perceived and transduced into a developmental programme of cell division, elongation and wall thickening. Mechanical forces contribute to this regulation, and thigmomorphogenesis typically includes reducing stem height, increasing stem diameter, and a canonical transcriptomic response. We present data on a bZIP transcription factor involved in this process in grasses.Brachypodium distachyonSECONDARY WALL INTERACTING bZIP (SWIZ) protein translocated into the nucleus following mechanostimulation. Classical touch-responsive genes were upregulated inB. distachyonroots following touch, including significant induction of the glycoside hydrolase 17 family, which may be unique to grass thigmomorphogenesis. SWIZ protein binding to an E-box variant in exons and introns was associated with immediate activation followed by repression of gene expression.SWIZoverexpression resulted in plants with reduced stem and root elongation. These data further define plant touch-responsive transcriptomics and physiology, offering insights into grass mechanotranduction dynamics.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2049966
PAR ID:
10506085
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Cambridge University Press
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Quantitative Plant Biology
Volume:
5
ISSN:
2632-8828
Page Range / eLocation ID:
e5
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, AoB PLANTS)
    Abstract Here, we present a study into the mechanisms of primary cell wall cellulose formation in grasses, using the model cereal grass Brachypodium distachyon. The exon found adjacent to the BdCESA1 glycosyltransferase QXXRW motif was targeted using Targeting Induced Local Lesions in Genomes (TILLING) and sequencing candidate amplicons in multiple parallel reactions (SCAMPRing) leading to the identification of the Bdcesa1S830N allele. Plants carrying this missense mutation exhibited a significant reduction in crystalline cellulose content in tissues that rely on the primary cell wall for biomechanical support. However, Bdcesa1S830N plants failed to exhibit the predicted reduction in plant height. In a mechanism unavailable to eudicotyledons, B. distachyon plants homozygous for the Bdcesa1S830N allele appear to overcome the loss of internode expansion anatomically by increasing the number of nodes along the stem. Stem biomechanics were resultantly compromised in Bdcesa1S830N. The Bdcesa1S830N missense mutation did not interfere with BdCESA1 gene expression. However, molecular dynamic simulations of the CELLULOSE SYNTHASE A (CESA) structure with modelled membrane interactions illustrated that Bdcesa1S830N exhibited structural changes in the translated gene product responsible for reduced cellulose biosynthesis. Molecular dynamic simulations showed that substituting S830N resulted in a stabilizing shift in the flexibility of the class specific region arm of the core catalytic domain of CESA, revealing the importance of this motion to protein function. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Science)
    Brassinosteroids are plant steroid hormones that regulate diverse processes, such as cell division and cell elongation, through gene regulatory networks that vary in space and time. By using time series single-cell RNA sequencing to profile brassinosteroid-responsive gene expression specific to different cell types and developmental stages of theArabidopsisroot, we identified the elongating cortex as a site where brassinosteroids trigger a shift from proliferation to elongation associated with increased expression of cell wall–related genes. Our analysis revealedHOMEOBOX FROM ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA 7(HAT7) andGT-2-LIKE 1(GTL1) as brassinosteroid-responsive transcription factors that regulate cortex cell elongation. These results establish the cortex as a site of brassinosteroid-mediated growth and unveil a brassinosteroid signaling network regulating the transition from proliferation to elongation, which illuminates aspects of spatiotemporal hormone responses. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, Advanced Materials)
    Abstract Delivery of proteins in plant cells can facilitate the design of desired functions by modulation of biological processes and plant traits but is currently limited by narrow host range, tissue damage, and poor scalability. Physical barriers in plants, including cell walls and membranes, limit protein delivery to desired plant tissues. Herein, a cationic high aspect ratio polymeric nanocarriers (PNCs) platform is developed to enable efficient protein delivery to plants. The cationic nature of PNCs binds proteins through electrostatic. The ability to precisely design PNCs’ size and aspect ratio allowed us to find a cutoff of ≈14 nm in the cell wall, below which cationic PNCs can autonomously overcome the barrier and carry their cargo into plant cells. To exploit these findings, a reduction‐oxidation sensitive green fluorescent protein (roGFP) is deployed as a stress sensor protein cargo in a model plantNicotiana benthamianaand common crop plants, including tomato and maize. In vivo imaging of PNC‐roGFP enabled optical monitoring of plant response to wounding, biotic, and heat stressors. These results show that PNCs can be precisely designed below the size exclusion limit of cell walls to overcome current limitations in protein delivery to plants and facilitate species‐independent plant engineering. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; ; (, Science Advances)
    Cellulose, the most abundant polysaccharide on earth composing plant cell walls, is synthesized by coordinated action of multiple enzymes in cellulose synthase complexes embedded within the plasma membrane. Multiple chains of cellulose fibrils form intertwined extracellular matrix networks. It remains largely unknown how newly synthesized cellulose is assembled into an intricate fibril network on cell surfaces. Here, we have established an in vivo time-resolved imaging platform to continuously visualize cellulose biosynthesis and fibril network assembly onArabidopsis thalianaprotoplast surfaces as the primary cell wall regenerates. Our observations provide the basis for a model of cellulose fibril network development in protoplasts driven by an interplay of multiscale dynamics that includes rapid diffusion and coalescence of nascent cellulose fibrils, processive elongation of single fibrils, and cellulose fibrillar network rearrangement during maturation. This study provides fresh insights into the dynamic and mechanistic aspects of cell wall synthesis at the single-cell level. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (, Frontiers in Plant Science)
    Eukaryotic elongation factors (eEFs) are protein factors that mediate the extension of peptide chain, among which eukaryotic elongation factor 1 alpha (eEF1A) is one of the most abundant protein synthesis factors. Previously we showed that the P3 protein of Soybean mosaic virus (SMV), one of the most destructive and successful viral pathogens of soybean, targets a component of the soybean translation elongation complex to facilitate its pathogenesis. Here, we conducted a systematic analyses of the soybeaneEF(GmeEF) gene family in soybean and examinedits role in virus resistance. In this study, GmeEF family members were identified and characterized based on sequence analysis. The 42 members, which were unevenly distributed across the 15 chromosomes, were renamed according to their chromosomal locations. The GmeEF members were further divided into 12 subgroups based on conserved motif, gene structure, and phylogenetic analyses. Analysis of the promoter regions showed conspicuous presence of myelocytomatosis (MYC) and ethylene-responsive (ERE) cis-acting elements, which are typically involved in drought and phytohormone response, respectively, and thereby in plant stress response signaling. Transcriptome data showed that the expression of 15GmeEFgene family members changed significantly in response to SMV infection. To further examine EF1A function in pathogen response, three different Arabidopsis mutants carrying T-DNA insertions in orthologous genes were analyzed for their response to Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Results showed that there was no difference in viral response between the mutants and the wild type plants. This study provides a systematic analysis of theGmeEFgene family through analysis of expression patterns and predicted protein features. Our results lay a foundation for understanding the role ofeEFgene in soybean anti-viral response. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email