Nature Plants

Journal: Nature Plants

Abbreviation

Nat Plants

Publisher

Nature

ISSN

2055-026X
2055-0278

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Publications 1 - 10 of 26

Genes conserved for arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis identified through phylogenomics
Bravo, Armando; York, Thomas; Pumplin, Nathan; et al. (2016)
Nature Plants
Evolution of sex-biased gene expression in a dioecious plant
Zemp, Niklaus; Tavares, Raquel; Muyle, Aline; et al. (2016)
Nature Plants
Movement and differential consumption of short interfering RNA duplexes underlie mobile RNA interference
Devers, Emanuel; Brosnan, Christopher A.; Sarazin, Alexis; et al. (2020)
Nature Plants
In RNA interference (RNAi), the RNase III Dicer processes long double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) into short interfering RNA (siRNA), which, when loaded into ARGONAUTE (AGO) family proteins, execute gene silencing1. Remarkably, RNAi can act non-cell autonomously2,3: it is graft transmissible4,5,6,7, and plasmodesmata-associated proteins modulate its cell-to-cell spread8,9. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanisms involved remain ill defined, probably reflecting a disparity of experimental settings. Among other caveats, these almost invariably cause artificially enhanced movement via transitivity, whereby primary RNAi-target transcripts are converted into further dsRNA sources of secondary siRNA5,10,11. Whether siRNA mobility naturally requires transitivity and whether it entails the same or distinct signals for cell-to-cell versus long-distance movement remains unclear, as does the identity of the mobile signalling molecules themselves. Movement of long single-stranded RNA, dsRNA, free/AGO-bound secondary siRNA or primary siRNA have all been advocated12,13,14,15; however, an entity necessary and sufficient for all known manifestations of plant mobile RNAi remains to be ascertained. Here, we show that the same primary RNAi signal endows both vasculature-to-epidermis and long-distance silencing movement from three distinct RNAi sources. The mobile entities are AGO-free primary siRNA duplexes spreading length and sequence independently. However, their movement is accompanied by selective siRNA depletion reflecting the AGO repertoires of traversed cell types. Coupling movement with this AGO-mediated consumption process creates qualitatively distinct silencing territories, potentially enabling unlimited spatial gene regulation patterns well beyond those granted by mere gradients.
Chromatin assembly factor CAF-1 represses priming of plant defence response genes
Mozgova, Iva; Wildhaber, Thomas; Liu, Qinsong; et al. (2015)
Nature Plants
A general non-self response as part of plant immunity
Maier, Benjamin A.; Kiefer, Patrick; Field, Christopher; et al. (2021)
Nature Plants
Plants, like other multicellular lifeforms, are colonized by microorganisms. How plants respond to their microbiota is currently not well understood. We used a phylogenetically diverse set of 39 endogenous bacterial strains from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves to assess host transcriptional and metabolic adaptations to bacterial encounters. We identified a molecular response, which we termed the general non-self response (GNSR) that involves the expression of a core set of 24 genes. The GNSR genes are not only consistently induced by the presence of most strains, they also comprise the most differentially regulated genes across treatments and are predictive of a hierarchical transcriptional reprogramming beyond the GNSR. Using a complementary untargeted metabolomics approach we link the GNSR to the tryptophan-derived secondary metabolism, highlighting the importance of small molecules in plant–microbe interactions. We demonstrate that several of the GNSR genes are required for resistance against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. Our results suggest that the GNSR constitutes a defence adaptation strategy that is consistently elicited by diverse strains from various phyla, contributes to host protection and involves secondary metabolism.
Ectopic callose deposition into woody biomass modulates the nano-architecture of macrofibrils
Bourdon, Matthieu; Lyczakowski, Jan J.; Cresswell, Rosalie; et al. (2023)
Nature Plants
Plant biomass plays an increasingly important role in the circular bioeconomy, replacing non-renewable fossil resources. Genetic engineering of this lignocellulosic biomass could benefit biorefinery transformation chains by lowering economic and technological barriers to industrial processing. However, previous efforts have mostly targeted the major constituents of woody biomass: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Here we report the engineering of wood structure through the introduction of callose, a polysaccharide novel to most secondary cell walls. Our multiscale analysis of genetically engineered poplar trees shows that callose deposition modulates cell wall porosity, water and lignin contents and increases the lignin–cellulose distance, ultimately resulting in substantially decreased biomass recalcitrance. We provide a model of the wood cell wall nano-architecture engineered to accommodate the hydrated callose inclusions. Ectopic polymer introduction into biomass manifests in new physico-chemical properties and offers new avenues when considering lignocellulose engineering.
Genomic imprinting mediates dosage compensation in a young plant XY system
Muyle, Aline; Zemp, Niklaus; Fruchard, Cécile; et al. (2018)
Nature Plants
Microbiome manipulation by a soil-borne fungal plant pathogen using effector proteins
Snelders, Nick C.; Rovenich, Hanna; Petti, Gabriella C.; et al. (2020)
Nature Plants
During colonization of their hosts, pathogens secrete effector proteins to promote disease development through various mechanisms. Increasing evidence shows that the host microbiome plays a crucial role in health, and that hosts actively shape their microbiomes to suppress disease. We proposed that pathogens evolved to manipulate host microbiomes to their advantage in turn. Here, we show that the previously identified virulence effector VdAve1, secreted by the fungal plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae, displays antimicrobial activity and facilitates colonization of tomato and cotton through the manipulation of their microbiomes by suppressing antagonistic bacteria. Moreover, we show that VdAve1, and also the newly identified antimicrobial effector VdAMP2, are exploited for microbiome manipulation in the soil environment, where the fungus resides in absence of a host. In conclusion, we demonstrate that a fungal plant pathogen uses effector proteins to modulate microbiome compositions inside and outside the host, and propose that pathogen effector catalogues represent an untapped resource for new antibiotics.
Genetic elucidation of interconnected antibiotic pathways mediating maize innate immunity
Ding, Yezhang; Weckwerth, Philipp R.; Poretsky, Elly; et al. (2020)
Nature Plants
Specialized metabolites constitute key layers of immunity that underlie disease resistance in crops; however, challenges in resolving pathways limit our understanding of the functions and applications of these metabolites. In maize (Zea mays), the inducible accumulation of acidic terpenoids is increasingly considered to be a defence mechanism that contributes to disease resistance. Here, to understand maize antibiotic biosynthesis, we integrated association mapping, pan-genome multi-omic correlations, enzyme structure–function studies and targeted mutagenesis. We define ten genes in three zealexin (Zx) gene clusters that encode four sesquiterpene synthases and six cytochrome P450 proteins that collectively drive the production of diverse antibiotic cocktails. Quadruple mutants in which the ability to produce zealexins (ZXs) is blocked exhibit a broad-spectrum loss of disease resistance. Genetic redundancies ensuring pathway resiliency to single null mutations are combined with enzyme substrate promiscuity, creating a biosynthetic hourglass pathway that uses diverse substrates and in vivo combinatorial chemistry to yield complex antibiotic blends. The elucidated genetic basis of biochemical phenotypes that underlie disease resistance demonstrates a predominant maize defence pathway and informs innovative strategies for transferring chemical immunity between crops.
Globally consistent influences of seasonal precipitation limit grassland biomass response to elevated CO2
Hovenden, Mark J.; Leuzinger, Sebastian; Newton, Paul C.D.; et al. (2019)
Nature Plants

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