Biologia plantarum, 2018 (vol. 62), issue 1
Original Papers
Enhanced multiplication and improved ex vitro acclimatization of Decalepis arayalpathra
Z. Ahmad, A. Shahzad, S. Sharma
Biologia plantarum 62:1-10, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0746-3 
The proposed work describes a protocol for high-frequency in vitro regeneration through nodal segments and shoot tips in Decalepsis arayalpathra, a critically endangered medicinal liana of the Western Ghats. Nodal segments were more responsive than shoot tips in terms of shoot proliferation. Murashige and Skoog's (MS) basal medium supplemented with 5.0 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA) was optimum for shoot initiation through both the explants. Among different combinations of plant growth regulators and growth additive screened, MS medium added with 5.0 μM BA + 0.5 μM indole-3-acetic acid + 20.0 μM adenine sulphate effectuated the highest...
Gibberellin A3 as an epigenetic determinant of global DNA hypo-methylation in tobacco
R. Manoharlal, G. V. S. Saiprasad, C. Ullagaddi, A. Kovaøík
Biologia plantarum 62:11-23, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0738-3
Gibberellins (GAs) are a large family of tetracyclic diterpenoids, controlling important aspects of growth and development throughout the plant life cycle. To explore the possibility that gibberellin A3 (GA3) signalling induces epigenetic alteration(s), we carried out a field experiment study using Nicotiana tabacum as a model system. The GA3 application on leaves resulted in increased plant-height, foliage density, leaf cell area, and trichome density. The plants exposed to GA3 also exhibited: 1) increased chromatin de-condensation, 2) reduced global DNA methylation, 3) reduced...
Identification, characterization, and expression of the SWEET gene family in Phalaenopsis equestris and Dendrobium officinale
T. Wang, Z. Song, W. L. Meng, L. B. Li
Biologia plantarum 62:24-32, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0750-7
Sugars are important molecules that function not only as primary metabolites, but also as nutrients and signal molecules in plants. The sugar transport protein genes family SWEET has been recently identified. The availability of the Dendrobium officinale and Phalaenopsis equestris genome sequences offered the opportunity to study the SWEET gene family in this two orchid species. We identified 22 and 16 putative SWEET genes, respectively, in the genomes of D. officinale and P. equestris using comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. Based on phylogenetic comparisons with SWEET proteins from Arabidopsis...
Characterization of Citrus WRKY transcription factors and their responses to phytohormones and abiotic stresses
V. Vives-Peris, D. Marmaneu, A. Gómez-Cadenas, R. M. Pérez-Clemente
Biologia plantarum 62:33-44, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0737-4
WRKY transcription factors (TF) family is involved in a huge variety of plant processes, including seed germination, plant development, phytohormone signalling, and defence against both biotic or abiotic stresses. In this work, WRKY TF family has been characterized in citrus. In a first experiment, the relative expression of CsWRKYs was analyzed in shoots and roots of plants treated with abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) under in vitro conditions. Expression of CsWRKYs was also determined in roots of commercial citrus rootstocks subjected to osmotic and salt stresses. A total amount of 50 CsWRKYs...
Identification and functional analysis of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in Phalaenopsis hybrids
L. M. Wang, J. Zhang, X. Y. Dong, Z. Z. Fu, H. Jiang, H. C. Zhang
Biologia plantarum 62:45-54, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0763-2
Phalaenopsis species are among the most popular potted flowers for their fascinating flowers. When their whole-genome sequencing was completed, they have become useful for studying the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis. Here, we identified 49 candidate anthocyanin synthetic genes in the Phalaenopsis genome. Our results showed that duplication events might contribute to the expansion of some gene families, such as the genes encoding chalcone synthase (PeCHS), flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase (PeF3'H), and myeloblastosis (PeMYB). To elucidate their functions in anthocyanin biosynthesis, we conducted a global expression...
Overexpression of tomato WHIRLY protein enhances tolerance to drought stress and resistance to Pseudomonas solanacearum in transgenic tobacco
S.-Y. Zhao, G.-D. Wang, W.-Y. Zhao, S. Zhang, F.-Y. Kong, X.-C. Dong, Q.-W. Meng
Biologia plantarum 62:55-68, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0714-y
WHIRLY transcription factors play critical roles in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, but their other biological functions remain unclear. In this study, SlWHY2, a member of the WHIRLY family, was isolated from Solanum lycopersicum. The role of SlWHY2 was studied using transgenic tobacco plants. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that SlWHY2 expression was induced by polyethylene glycol, NaCl, salicylic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and bacterial pathogens. SlWHY2 overexpression in tobacco caused enhanced tolerance to drought stress, as indicated by lower accumulation of malondialdehyde...
High irradiance sensitive phenotype of Arabidopsis hit2/xpo1a mutant is caused in part by nuclear confinement of AtHsfA4a
H.-Y. Huang, K.-Y. Chang, S.-J. Wu
Biologia plantarum 62:69-79, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0753-4
In Arabidopsis, EXPORTIN1A (HIT2/XPO1A) and EXPORTIN1B (XPO1B) mediate the translocation of nuclear export sequence (NES)-bearing proteins from nucleus to cytoplasm. However, a mutation in HIT2/XPO1A but not in XPO1B induces sensitivity to high irradiance (HI). Arabidopsis thaliana heat stress elements A4a and A5 (AtHsfA4a and AtHsfA5) are involved in plant responses to HI and possess NESs; therefore, their nucleo-cytoplasmic partitioning was analyzed. In wild-type and xpo1b mutant cells, AtHsfA4a normally remained in the cytoplasm but became concentrated in the nucleus following exposure to HI, whereas AtHsfA5 was...
Knockout mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana β-galactosidase. Modifications in the cell wall saccharides and enzymatic activities
M. Moneo-Sánchez, L. Izquierdo, I. Martín, J. Hernández-Nistal, L. Albornos, B. Dopico, E. Labrador
Biologia plantarum 62:80-88, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0739-2
This work studied the six β-galactosidases (BGALs) of the subfamily a1 of Arabidopsis, that have been proposed to play important roles in the cell wall remodelling during plant development, although their precise functions are still unknown. Knockout mutants bgal1, bgal2, bgal3, bgal4, bgal5, and bgal12 of Arabidopsis and their wild type (WT) plants were analysed to determine their morphology and composition of their cell walls. The gas chromatography and the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed differences between the mutants and their WT such as in the proportions of glucose,...
Assessment of reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR normalization in Ilex paraguariensis leaves during drought
R. M. Acevedo, E. H. Avico, O. A. Ruiz, P. A. Sansberro
Biologia plantarum 62:89-96, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0754-3
Reverse transcription of RNA followed by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is to date the most reliable method for gene expression studies. However, to control the errors introduced along the numerous experimental procedures, it requires a normalization using internal reference genes with stable expression. To address this issue, nine candidate reference genes were investigated in Ilex paraguariensis leaves subjected to water stress. To facilitate the selection, we analysed the real-time qPCR data with three different software programs. The obtained results support the conclusion that RNA polymerase associated protein rtf1 homolog (RTF)...
Identification and comparative analysis of aluminum-induced microRNAs conferring plant tolerance to aluminum stress in soybean
S. C. Huang, G. H. Lu, C. Y. Tang, Y. J. Ji, G. S. Tan, D. Q. Hu, J. Cheng, G. H. Wang, J. L. Qi, Y. H. Yang
Biologia plantarum 62:97-108, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0752-5
Aluminum (Al) toxicity in acidic soils is a major factor restricting crop production. Although the molecular mechanisms of Al responses have been extensively investigated, microRNA (miRNA) mediated differential Al tolerance in different soybean genotypes remains largely unknown. In this study, two soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genotypes, Al-tolerant BX10 and Al-sensitive BD2, were treated with 0 and 50 μM AlCl3 and then used to construct the miRNA libraries for deep sequencing. Results revealed 453 miRNAs, whose expression patterns were affected by Al stress. We also identified 32 differentially expressed miRNAs: 19 in BX10, 7 in BD2,...
Characterization, genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and expression of the aluminum tolerance MATE1 gene in Secale species
E. Santos, C. Benito, J. Silva-Navas, F. J. Gallego, A. M. Figueiras, O. Pinto-Carnide, M. Matos
Biologia plantarum 62:109-120, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0749-0
Aluminum (Al) is the main limiting factor for crop production in acidic soils. Efflux of organic acids is one of the mechanisms that determine Al-tolerance, and an Al-activated citrate transporter (multidrug and toxic compound extrusion) MATE1 gene is involved in different species. The contribution of the rye MATE1 gene (ScMATE1) depends on the rye (Secale cereale L.) cultivars and the crosses analyzed; there is no information about different rye species. The cDNA sequences, phylogenetic relationships, Al-tolerance, citrate exudation, and expression of the ScMATE1 gene were analyzed in several cultivars and wild species/subspecies...
The effect of boron availability, CO2, and irradiance on relative accumulation of the major boron transport proteins, BOR1 and NIP5;1
S. Mishra, S. A. Heckathorn, J. M. Frantz, C. Krause
Biologia plantarum 62:121-128, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0744-5
Boron (B) is an essential plant micronutrient. Two major B-transport proteins have been recently identified and partially characterized: BOR1, a high-affinity B efflux transporter involved in xylem loading, and NIP5;1, a plasma-membrane boric-acid channel involved in B uptake. To date, studies of these B transporters have investigated their expression individually (mainly as mRNA), and only in response to variation in B availability (mostly B deficiency); the influence of other factors, such as plant resource status, has not been studied. To address this, we grew geranium (Pelargonium × hortorum cv. Maverick White) plants under ambient...
Tolerance to soil water stress by Oryza sativa cv. IR20 was improved by expression of Wsi18 gene locus from Oryza nivara
R. Kaur, A. Chakraborty, R. K. Bhunia, S. K. Sen, A. K. Ghosh
Biologia plantarum 62:129-139, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0742-7
Wild rice genotypes are rich in genetic diversity. This has potential to improve agronomic rice by allele mining for superior traits. Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are often associated with desiccation tolerance and stress signalling. In the present study, a group 3 LEA gene, Wsi18 from the wild rice Oryza nivara was expressed under its own inducible promoter element in stress susceptible cultivated indica rice (cv. IR20). The resulting transgenic plants cultivated in a greenhouse showed enhanced tolerance to soil water deficit. Transgenic plants had higher grain yield, plant survival rate, and shoot relative...
Freezing tolerance of chickpea: biochemical and molecular changes at vegetative stage
Ö. Arslan, F. Eyidoğan, Y. Ekmekçi
Biologia plantarum 62:140-148, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0760-5
The aim of this study was to find a correlation between the freezing tolerance of three chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars (İnci, Iºik-05, and Sari-98) and their wild relative C. echinospermum and physiological responses. Chickpea plants (15-d-old) were subjected to cold acclimation (CA) (10 °C for 7 d), freezing (-3 or -5 °C for 2 h), and subsequent rewarming (25 °C for 7 d). In two separate experiments with three replications, we determined growth, water status, photosystem 2 photochemical activity, photosynthetic pigments, H2O2, malondialdehyde, and proline content, relative leakage ratio, antioxidant...
Comparison of nitrogen uptake in the roots and rhizomes of Leymus chinensis
S. Li, F. Jiang, Y. Han, P. Gao, H. Zhao, Y. Wang, S. Han
Biologia plantarum 62:149-156, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0748-1
Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel is a rhizomatous grass species in the Eastern Eurasian steppe zone that is often limited by low soil nitrogen availability. Although a previous study showed that the rhizomes of L. chinensis have the capacity to take up nitrogen, the importance of such uptake for nitrogen nutrition is unclear. Moreover, little is known regarding the inorganic nitrogen uptake kinetics of roots and rhizomes in response to nitrogen status. Here, we first found that ammonium is preferred over nitrate and glycine for L. chinensis growth. Using the 15N-labelling method, we found that the rate of ion influx into...
Xylem sap chemistry: seasonal changes in timberline conifers Pinus cembra, Picea abies, and Larix decidua
A. Losso, A. Nardini, B. Dämon, S. Mayr
Biologia plantarum 62:157-165, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0755-2
The seasonal course of xylem sap parameters (electrical conductivity EC, potassium concentration [K+], and pH) of three conifers (Pinus cembra, Picea abies, and Larix decidua) growing at the alpine timberline was monitored. We also looked into possible effects of [K+] and pH on the difference in hydraulic conductivity (Δks). In all studied species, EC, [K+], and pH varied considerably over the year, with pH ranging between 7.3 (February) and 5.8 (June) and [K+] changing between 0.4 (January) and 2.5 mM (June). The Δks was overall low with positive values...
The effects of silver ions and silver nanoparticles on cell division and expression of cdc2 gene in Allium cepa root tips
A. S. Fouad, R. M. Hafez
Biologia plantarum 62:166-172, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0751-6
The effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), silver ions (Ag+), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on mitosis and expression of a gene encoding cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (cdc2) in onion roots were compared. Three concentrations (5, 10, and 15 mg dm-3) were employed in combination with three incubation times (3, 6, and 9 h). PVP enhanced mitotic index and cdc2 expression. Both silver forms decreased mitotic index and cdc2 expression. Genotoxicity of both silver forms were indicated by three major distinguishable classes of chromosome aberrations: spindle disturbances, clastogenic aberrations, and chromosome stickiness....
Changes in leaf tissue of Carica papaya during single and mixed infections with Papaya ringspot virus and Papaya mosaic virus
M. A. García-Viera, L. Sánchez-Segura, G. Chavez-Calvillo, D. Jarquín-Rosales, L. Silva-Rosales
Biologia plantarum 62:173-180, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0741-8
Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is susceptible to viral diseases caused by Papaya mosaic virus (PapMV) and Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV), which limit fruit production and affect economic yield. The symptoms produced by both the viruses are similar in early stages of infection and include vein and leaf chlorosis, which develop into mosaic at later stages of infection when leaf lamina can get reduced in size and distorted with a shoe-string aspect. Digital image analyses, such as fractal dimension (FD) and lacunarity (λ) were used here to examine papaya tissue after single and mixed infections of PRSV and PapMV. Morphological changes,...
Allantoin accumulation in response to increased growth irradiance in Arabidopsis thaliana
S. Irani, J. M. Lobo, G. R. Gray, C. D. Todd
Biologia plantarum 62:181-187, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0747-2
Excess radiation is one of frequent natural environmental stresses that plants have to cope with on a daily basis. Therefore, plants have evolved many short- and long-term mechanisms to acclimate to high irradiance and tolerate it. Ureides, generated from purine degradation, have been proposed as compounds involved in environmental stress responses, including altered irradiance. In the present study, high irradiance was used to investigate ureide content and gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis plants shifted to high irradiance showed high content of a specific ureide compound, allantoin. The accumulation of allantoin...
Brief Communications
Hydrogen sulfide is involved in the regulation of ascorbate and glutathione metabolism by jasmonic acid in Arabidopsis thaliana
C. Shan, T. Wang, Y. Zhou, W. Wang
Biologia plantarum 62:188-193, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0740-9
This study investigated the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the regulation of the ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) metabolism by jasmonic acid (JA) in the leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana by using H2S scavenger hypotaurine (HT) and H2S synthetic mutant (SALK_041918, designated Atl-cdes). The results showed that JA significantly increased the H2S content, the activities of L-cysteine desulfhydrase (L-CDes), D-cysteine desulfhydrase (D-CDes), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase...
Photoperiod and ethylene-dependent expression of gibberellin biosynthesis gene InEKO1 during flower induction of Ipomoea nil
K. Marciniak, E. Wilmowicz, A. Kuæko, J. Kopcewicz
Biologia plantarum 62:194-199, 2018 | DOI: 10.1007/s10535-017-0743-6
Ent-kaurene oxidase (EKO) catalyze three sequential oxidations in the early steps of gibberellin biosynthesis pathway. In this research, a cDNA sequence of InEKO1 gene in the model short-day plant Ipomoea nil was identified. Our studies revealed that inductive conditions for flowering caused an increase in the transcriptional activity of the examined gene in the cotyledons-the main organs for the perception of the photoperiodic stimulus. In contrast, in the second half of the 16 h long inductive night and after that, a decreased amount of InEKO1 mRNA in the apexes was detected. What is more, ethylene, the key inhibitor of...