Rafael Massahiro Yassue: Plant Direct First Author

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Rafael Massahiro Yassue, first author of “Genome-wide association analysis of hyperspectral reflectance data to dissect the genetic architecture of growth-related traits in maize under plant growth-promoting bacteria inoculation”

Current Position: Data Scientist at GDM

Education: Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding, University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP), Brazil

Non-scientific Interests: Hiking, traveling, and cooking

Brief bio: As an Agronomist with a Ph.D. in genetics and plant breeding, my thesis focused on utilizing cutting-edge technologies to connect genomics, phenomics, and statistical modeling in plant breeding and genetics studies. The study involved using high-throughput phenotyping techniques, such as hyperspectral, thermal, and multispectral cameras, as well as RGB imaging, to understand the genetic architecture of the response to plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) in tropical maize. The research explores the use of these advanced phenotyping methods to identify the root and shoot traits and their genetic basis, and how they were associated with the response to PGPB.  Currently, I am a Data Scientist at GDM. My research interest is using experimental design, genomic selection, phenomics, and enviromics to enhance genetic gain in the context of Soybean breeding.

Chaofan Chen: Plant Physiology First Author

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Chaofan Chen, first author of “Multi-copper oxidases SKU5 and SKS1 coordinate cell wall formation using apoplastic redox-based reactions in roots”

Education:

Yangzhou university (B.S); Fujian agriculture and forestry university (Ph.D)

Non-scientific Interests: Calligraphy，Badminton

Brief bio：I have been studying for my PhD in the College of life science, Fujian agriculture and forestry university since 2017. My PhD research is focusing on the regulatory mechanism of apoplastic reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and cell wall formation in Arabidopsis. Cell wall is a fundamental plant constituent, which is essential for cell morphogenesis and resistance to external stresses. In this research, we demonstrate a new role of the Arabidopsis multi-copper oxidase-like protein SKU5 and its homolog SKU5-similar 1 (SKS1) in root cell wall formation through modulating ROS homeostasis, which providing a novel regulatory module of cell wall formation and extending our understanding of ROS homeostasis in plant cell wall.

姓名：陈超凡

目前职位：福建农林大学，生命科学学院，在读博士

教育经历：

扬州大学 学士

福建农林大学 博士在读

兴趣爱好：书法，羽毛球

个人简介：

我于2017年至今在福建农林大学生命科学学院生物学专业攻读博士学位。我的博士课题主要是关注于拟南芥质外体活性氧稳态和细胞壁形成的调节机制。细胞壁作为植物细胞的重要组成成分，对细胞的形态建成和抵抗外部压力至关重要。在这项研究中，我们证明了拟南芥类多铜氧化酶SKU5和其同源蛋白SKU5-similar 1（SKS1）通过调节活性氧的稳态在根细胞壁形成过程中起到的新作用。这个发现提供了一个新的关于细胞壁形成的调节模块，拓展了我们对植物细胞壁中活性氧稳态维持的认识。

 

Takatoshi Kiba: Plant Physiology First Author

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Takatoshi Kiba, first author of “The trans-zeatin-type side-chain modification of cytokinins controls rice growth”

Current Position:  Associate Professor (Nagoya University, Japan)

Education: PhD in Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya university

Non-scientific Interests:  Fishing

Brief bio: My interests lie in the mechanisms how plants sense and respond to environmental changes. Since I got PhD in 2003, I have been working to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie the regulatory mechanism of efficient nitrogen acquisition and utilization of plants and plant hormone biology especially focusing on cytokinin using Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sati

A MAP guides lateral root initiation

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Qian and Wang et al. investigate the function of TPXL5 in lateral root initiation.

By Yanmin Qian

State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry; Department of Plant Sciences, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

Background: Tight control of lateral root (LR) initiation is vital for root system architecture. During LR initiation, the specific pairs of founder cells expand more in the central domains and less in the peripheral domains. Such an asymmetric radial expansion promotes the subsequent progression and outgrowth of LRs. However, the underlying cellular mechanisms are largely unclear. The reorganization of cortical microtubules is necessary for plant cell expansion, and is regulated by microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). Microtubules are involved in the early events of LR initiation in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the MAPs regulating microtubule reorganization during LR initiation remain unclear.

Question: We want to know whether and how specific MAPs mediate LR initiation by regulating microtubule reorganization.

Findings: We found that a microtubule-stabilizing protein TPX2-LIKE5 (TPXL5) participates in LR initiation. In the tpxl5 mutant, the radial expansion in the peripheral domain of LR founder cells after the first asymmetric division was stronger than that in wildtype, and the ordered transverse cortical microtubule arrays were not well generated. Moreover, transcription factor ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5) downregulated TPXL5 expression. Mutant hy5 exhibited the opposite phenotype compared to the tpxl5 mutant. Our study demonstrates that TPXL5 positively regulates cortical microtubules reorganization in the peripheral domain, thus promoting the asymmetric radial expansion of founder cells during LR initiation. It also reveals a novel molecular mechanism by which HY5 regulates TPXL5-mediated cortical microtubule reorganization and cell remodeling during LR initiation.

Next steps: In future study, we will focus on how microtubule organization are specifically regulated in the peripheral and central domains of the founder cells. We will also study whether there is a feedback mechanism between cortical microtubules and auxin signals in HY5-mediated LR development.

Yanmin Qian, Xiaohong Wang, Yimin Liu, Xiangfeng Wang, and Tonglin Mao. (2023). HY5 inhibits lateral root initiation in Arabidopsis through negative regulation of the microtubule-stabilizing protein TPXL5. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac358

Mapping the BIN2 kinase signaling network with TurboID-mediated proximity labeling and phosphoproteomics

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Kim et al. use the TurboID biotin-labeling system and phosphoproteomics to identify substrates of the kinase BIN2.

Background: Intracellular signal transduction relies on specific and dynamic interactions between kinases and their substrates. Identifying substrate proteins of each kinase is crucial for understanding cellular signaling transduction pathways but is technically challenging because of the transient nature of the enzyme-substrate interactions and the large number of kinases acting in a cell. Arabidopsis thaliana BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE2 (BIN2) is one of the best-studied plant kinases, with key roles in multiple signaling pathways including the brassinosteroid and auxin pathways. However, BIN2’s in vivo interactors and substrate proteins have not been fully characterized. Recent studies have developed the TurboID biotin ligase as a highly efficient proximity labeling tool; its efficiency in mapping transient protein-protein interactions has not been fully explored.

Question: Can a fusion protein containing a kinase and the TurboID biotin ligase biotinylate the substrate proteins phosphorylated by the BIN2 kinase? Is this approach effective, when combined with phosphoproteomics, in identifying kinase substrates that interact transiently? What are the substrates and cellular targets of BIN2? How does the BIN2 signaling network overlap with other signaling pathways?

Findings: We show that TurboID is an effective and specific tool for mapping kinase signaling networks. We identified 482 BIN2 proximal proteins, including about two-thirds that showed BIN2-dependent phosphorylation and many known BIN2 interactors and substrates. The dataset of in vivo BIN2 interactors and substrates uncovers an expansive signaling network and reveals a convergence between the BIN2/GSK3 and O-GlcNAc modification pathways in both plants and animals.

Next steps: How BIN2 acts specifically in various signaling pathways and how it regulates various substrate proteins and cellular functions are key questions to be answered in future studies. How BIN2-mediated phosphorylation crosstalks with O-GlcNAcylation is another important question with broad implications. Our dataset of candidate proteins with modification sites will enable future investigations that advance our understanding of these important questions.

Reference:

Tae-Wuk Kim, Chan Ho Park, Chuan-Chih Hsu, Yeong-Woo Kim, Yeong-Woo Ko, Zhenzhen Zhang, Jia-Ying Zhu, Yu-Chun Hsiao, Tess Branon, Krista Kaasik, Evan Saldivar, Kevin Li, Asher Pasha, Nicholas J Provart, Alma L Burlingame, Shou-Ling Xu, Alice Y Ting, Zhi-Yong Wang (2023) Mapping the signaling network of BIN2 kinase using TurboID-mediated biotin labeling and phosphoproteomics. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koad013

The Plant Cell in a Nutshell: Strigolactones Shaped Ear Evolution

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Gou et al. explore how strigolactone hormones affected the evolution of the maize ear.

By Jiahn-Chou Guan and Karen E. Koch

Background: The prehistoric ancestor of modern maize (Zea mays) is unrecognizable, lacks a cob, and protects each of its tiny kernels inside an acorn-like shell. Evolution of the maize ear during domestication transformed these hard coverings to cob tissue, which not only freed kernels to become the largest known grains, but also helped convert spindly stems to the most massive, seed-bearing surfaces of any cereal crop. Only a small fraction of this pivotal conversion is currently understood. We knew from our previous work on overall plant architecture that strigolactone hormones (SLs) could be involved.

Question: Could SLs be among the missing factors in evolution of the maize ear from its wild ancestor, teosinte? We hypothesized that SLs could restructure kernel-bearing surfaces of cobs, increase seed size, and coordinate these changes. We also proposed that SLs could regulate a known domestication gene as well as act alone.

Findings: A rare combination of domestication features emerged in maize mutants unable to form or sense SLs. Kernels were small, cobs primitive, and seed-bearing cupules larger. Also, when SL-deficient mutants were combined with an ancestral form of the known domestication gene, Tga1 (Teosinte glume architecture 1), ears and kernels showed the most primitive, teosinte-like features yet observed. In addition, without SLs coordinating development, rigid seed-bearing cupules often ruptured growing kernels. Finally, analysis of underlying mechanisms indicated that SLs could act alone as well as regulate Tga1 by sequestering its protein. Evidence included RNA-seq expression analysis, protein-protein interactions, and additional maize genetics.

Next steps: We now will intensify our focus on identifying genetic modifiers and other means of modulating SL activity in maize. The results presented here show that impacts could coordinate ear and kernel features in addition to known roles of SLs in maize architecture, mycorrhizal symbioses, and vulnerability to devastation by witchweed (Striga) in Africa.

Reference:

Jiahn-Chou Guan, Changsheng Li, Sherry Flint-Garcia, Masaharu Suzuki, Shan Wu, Jonathan W Saunders, Lemeng Dong, Harro J Bouwmeester, Donald R McCarty, and Karen E Koch (2023) Maize domestication phenotypes reveal strigolactone networks coordinating grain size evolution with kernel-bearing cupule architecture. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac370

Shugang Hui: Plant Physiology First Author

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Shugang Hui, first author of “Rice microRNA156/529-SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE7/14/17 modules regulate defenses against bacteria”

Current Position: Postdoc, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Huazhong Agricultural University

Education: Ph. D., Huazhong Agricultural University

Non-scientific Interests: Reading and travelling

Brief bio: Throughout my postgraduate studies, I had the opportunity to work closely with Professor Shiping Wang and her research group. During this time, my research focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of sulfate inhibit the virulence of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) in rice. Additionally, I investigated the pathogenic mechanisms of TALEs, which are essential virulence factors in various plant pathogenic bacteria. The findings of my research were published in prestigious journals such as molecular plant, molecular plant pathology, and plant science, and have helped to advance our understanding of rice disease resistance.

I am currently working as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of professor Meng Yuan at the national key laboratory of crop genetic improvement. Our study revealed that the bacterial pathogens Xoo and Xoc activate the expressions of miR156 and miR529, which in turn suppress the transcriptions of OsSPL7, OsSPL14, and OsSPL17. Down-regulated these OsSPLs could not efficiently activate the transcriptions of their downstream target genes OsAOS2 and OsNPR1, leading to decreased JA accumulation and weakened SA signaling pathway, respectively, which facilitate the infection of Xoo or Xoc. The revealed miR156/529-OsSPL7/14/17-OsAOS2/OsNPR1 regulatory network provides a potential strategy to improve rice resistance by suppressing miR156/529 expression or enhancing OsSPL7/14/17 expression.

姓名：惠述刚

目前职位：华中农业大学作物遗传改良全国重点实验室，博士后

教育背景：华中农业大学，博士

兴趣爱好：阅读，旅游

个人简介：本人研究生期间在王石平老师的指导下详细解析了硫酸根离子抑制水稻白叶枯病菌和细菌性条斑病菌致病力的机制以及TALE的致病机制，相关工作发表于Molecular plant，Molecular plant pathology和Plant science等杂志。

我现在在作物遗传改良全国重点实验室袁猛老师实验室做博士后。我们的研究发现水稻白叶枯病菌和细菌性条斑病菌激活miR156和miR529的表达，这两种miRNA会抑制OsSPL7、OsSPL14和OsSPL17的转录。下调OsSPL7/14/17的表达，无法有效地激活他们的下游靶基因OsAOS2和OsNPR1的转录，导致水稻中的茉莉酸含量减少，同时也削弱了水杨酸信号转导通路，从而有利于白叶枯病菌和细菌性条斑病菌的侵染。我们的研究揭示了miR156/529-OsSPL7/14/17-OsAOS2/OsNPR1调控网络参与水稻抗病的机制，为通过抑制miR156/529表达或增强OsSPL7/14/17表达培育抗病水稻品种提供了理论基础。

Ana Lopez Vazquez: The Plant Cell First Author

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Ana Lopez Vazquez, first author of “Protein S-acylation controls the subcellular localization and biological activity of PHYTOCHROME KINASE SUBSTRATE”

Current Position: TBD

Education: Ph.D. in Life Sciences, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland. Master’s degree in Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Seville, Spain. Bachelor in Biology, University of Seville, Spain.

Non-scientific Interests: nature, swimming, diving, travelling, hiking, cooking, and dancing.

Brief bio: after finishing my master’s thesis project on enzymatic engineering at the Institute of Plant Biochemistry and Photosynthesis in Seville, Spain, I joined the proteomics team at The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich, England, where I temporarily worked on the molecular signaling underlying plant-pathogens interactions. Then, I decided to study my Ph.D. in the lab of Prof. Christian Fankhauser at the Center for Integrative Genomics in Lausanne, Switzerland, where I worked on the molecular mechanisms underlying plant development in response to light using the model Arabidopsis thaliana. My research focused on understanding how the Phytochrome Kinase Substrate (PKS) protein family works on a mechanistic level to promote hypocotyl directional growth. I conducted a structure-function study that identified two functionally relevant PKS protein motifs, one of them addressed in this article. I tested the importance of the other motif for the interaction with binding partners, which is leading to further studies aiming to understand the role of PKS in differential growth regulation. Through a collaboration with the lab of Prof. Christian Hardtke, I had the opportunity to test the importance of PKS in the grass Brachypodium distachyon, part of another piece of work focusing on the functional conservation and diversification of PKS proteins.

New tricks for old dogs: The making of complex flowers in Delphinieae

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Zhao et al. examine the genetic basis of complex flowers.

Huiqi Zhao(a,b,d), Hong Liaoa, Shuixian Lia(b,c), Rui Zhang(a,e), Hongzhi Konga(b,c), Hongyan Shana(c)

 a State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
b University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
c China National Botanical Garden, Beijing 100093, China
d Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571100, China
e Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

Background: Flowers can be simple or complex if their structures and symmetries, as well as the shapes, types, numbers, fusion, and arrangements of their constituent parts are considered. While models for floral organ identity specification and flower symmetry determination laid the foundation for understanding the developmental mechanisms of diverse flowers, how complex flowers are made via development and evolution remains largely unclear. Members of the tribe Delphinieae (Ranunculaceae) bear highly specialized, nearly zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical) spiral flowers with nested petal and sepal spurs and reduced petals, making them excellent systems for studying the mechanisms underlying the making of complex flowers.

Question: How are Delphinieae flowers generated via development and evolution? Did floral organ identity genes and floral symmetry genes also play key roles during the evolution of highly complex Delphinieae flowers? Did the two key morphological innovations, zygomorphy and spurs, originate concurrently or successively?

Findings: By conducting extensive phylogenetic, comparative transcriptomic, expression, and functional studies, we revealed that duplication and/or diversification of AP3-3, AGL6, CYC and DIV lineage genes was tightly associated with the origination of Delphinieae flowers. Compared to the outgroup Nigelleae, one of the AGL6-lineage members, AGL6-1a, and two CYC2-like genes, CYC2a and CYC2b, have gained new functions in specifying floral zygomorphy in Delphinieae. More intriguingly, regulatory links were found between CYC2b and AP3-3 and among CYC2a, AGL6-1a and DIV1. Altogether, these findings suggest that duplication and diversification of floral symmetry genes, as well as co-option of the duplicated copies into the pre-existing floral regulatory network, may have been the reasons for the origin of the Delphinieae-type flowers.

Next steps: We will seek to determine how sepal and petal spurs originated in Delphinieae and how complex flowers in other plant lineages formed via development and evolution.

Reference:

Huiqi Zhao, Hong Liao, Shuixian Li, Rui Zhang, Jing Dai, Pengrui Ma, Tianpeng Wang, Meimei Wang, Yi Yuan, Xuehao Fu, Jie Cheng, Xiaoshan Duan, Yanru Xie, Peng Zhang, Hongzhi Kong, Hongyan Shan (2023) Delphinieae flowers originated from the rewiring of interactions between duplicated and diversified floral organ identity and symmetry genes. https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koac368