Search

SHORT INTERNODES1 is a transcriptional hub mediating the integration and feedback regulation of auxin, brassinosteroid, and abscisic acid pathways to coordinate growth and stress responses in rice. Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to coordinate their growth and stress responses via integrating various phytohormone signaling pathways. However, the precise molecular mechanisms orchestrating integration of the phytohormone signaling pathways remain largely obscure. In this study, we found that the rice (Oryza sativa) short internodes1 (shi1) mutant exhibits typical auxin-deficient root development and gravitropic response, brassinosteroid (BR)-deficient plant architecture and grain size as well as enhanced abscisic acid (ABA)-mediated drought tolerance. Additionally, we found that the shi1 mutant is also hyposensitive to auxin and BR treatment but hypersensitive to ABA. Further, we showed that OsSHI1 promotes the biosynthesis of auxin and BR by activating the expression of OsYUCCAs and D11, meanwhile dampens ABA signaling by inducing the expression of OsNAC2, which encodes a repressor of ABA signaling. Furthermore, we demonstrated that 3 classes of transcription factors, AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 19 (OsARF19), LEAF AND TILLER ANGLE INCREASED CONTROLLER (LIC), and OsZIP26 and OsZIP86, directly bind to the promoter of OsSHI1 and regulate its expression in response to auxin, BR, and ABA, respectively. Collectively, our results unravel an OsSHI1-centered transcriptional regulatory hub that orchestrates the integration and self-feedback regulation of multiple phytohormone signaling pathways to coordinate plant growth and stress adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the reported P‐type pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins play roles in organelle RNA stabilization and splicing. However, P‐type PPRs involved in both RNA splicing and editing have rarely been reported, and their underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we report a rice floury endosperm22 (flo22) mutant with delayed amyloplast development in endosperm cells. Map‐based cloning and complementation tests demonstrated that FLO22 encodes a mitochondrion‐localized P‐type PPR protein. Mutation of FLO22 resulting in defective trans‐splicing of mitochondrial nad1 intron 1 and perhaps causing instability of mature transcripts affected assembly and activity of complex Ⅰ, and mitochondrial morphology and function. RNA‐seq analysis showed that expression levels of many genes involved in starch and sucrose metabolism were significantly down‐regulated in the flo22 mutant compared with the wild type, whereas genes related to oxidative phosphorylation and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were significantly up‐regulated. In addition to involvement in splicing as a P‐type PPR protein, we found that FLO22 interacted with DYW3, a DYW‐type PPR protein, and they may function synergistically in mitochondrial RNA editing. The present work indicated that FLO22 plays an important role in endosperm development and plant growth by participating in nad1 maturation and multi‐site editing of mitochondrial messager RNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Starch accounts for over 80% of the total dry weight in cereal endosperm and determines the kernel texture and nutritional quality. Amyloplasts, terminally differentiated plastids, are responsible for starch biosynthesis and storage. We screened a series of rice mutants with floury endosperm to clarify the mechanism underlying amyloplast development and starch synthesis. We identified the floury endosperm19 (flo19) mutant which shows opaque of the interior endosperm. Abnormal compound starch grains (SGs) were present in the endosperm cells of the mutant. Molecular cloning revealed that the FLO19 allele encodes a plastid‐localized pyruvate dehydrogenase complex E1 component subunit α1 (ptPDC‐E1‐α1) that is expressed in all rice tissues. In vivo enzyme assays demonstrated that the flo19 mutant showed decreased activity of the plastidic pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. In addition, the amounts of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) were much lower in the developing flo19 mutant endosperm, suggesting that FLO19 participates in fatty acid supply for galactolipid biosynthesis in amyloplasts. FLO19 overexpression significantly increased seed size and weight, but did not affect other important agronomic traits, such as panicle length, tiller number and seed setting rate. An analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism data from a panel of rice accessions identified that the pFLO19L haplotype was positively associated with grain length, implying a potential application in rice breeding. In summary, our study demonstrates that FLO19 is involved in galactolipid biosynthesis which is essential for amyloplast development and starch biosynthesis in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The sequences of several important mitochondrion-encoded genes involved in respiration in higher plants are interrupted by introns. Many nuclear-encoded factors are involved in splicing these introns, but the mechanisms underlying this splicing remain unknown. Results: We isolated and characterized a rice mutant named floury shrunken endosperm 5 (fse5). In addition to having floury shrunken endosperm, the fse5 seeds either failed to germinate or produced seedlings which grew slowly and died ultimately. Fse5 encodes a putative plant organelle RNA recognition (PORR) protein targeted to mitochondria. Mutation of Fse5 hindered the splicing of the first intron of nad4, which encodes an essential subunit of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase complex I. The assembly and NADH dehydrogenase activity of complex I were subsequently disrupted by this mutation, and the structure of the mitochondria was abnormal in the fse5 mutant. The FSE5 protein was shown to interact with mitochondrial intron splicing factor 68 (MISF68), which is also a splicing factor for nad4 intron 1 identified previously via yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays. Conclusion: Fse5 which encodes a PORR domain-containing protein, is essential for the splicing of nad4 intron 1, and loss of Fse5 function affects seed development and seedling growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Thioredoxins (TRXs) occur in plant chloroplasts as complex disulphide oxidoreductases. Although many biological processes are regulated by thioredoxins, the regulatory mechanism of chloroplast TRXs are largely unknown.Here we report a rice white panicle2 mutant caused by a mutation in the thioredoxin z gene, an orthologue of AtTRX z in Arabidopsis. white panicle2 (wp2) seedlings exhibited a high‐temperature‐sensitive albinic phenotype.We found that plastid multiple organellar RNA editing factors (MORFs) were the regulatory targets of thioredoxin z. We showed that OsTRX z protein physically interacts with OsMORFs in a redox‐dependent manner and that the redox state of a conserved cysteine in the MORF box is essential for MORF–MORF interactions. wp2 and OsTRX z knockout lines show reduced editing efficiencies in many plastidial‐encoded genes especially under high‐temperature conditions. An Arabidopsis trx z mutant also exhibited significantly reduced chloroplast RNA editing.Our combined results suggest that thioredoxin z regulates chloroplast RNA editing in plants by controlling the redox state of MORFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An intentionally introduced interface layer in the resistive random-access memory (RRAM) devices play an important role in the improvement of resistive switching characteristics. In this paper, the resistive switching characteristics of ZrO2-based RRAM devices by inserting a thin TiO2 interface layer between electrodes and ZrO2 resistive switching layer were investigated. Compared with the Cu/ZrO2/Pt and Cu/ZrO2/TiO2/Pt devices, the Cu/TiO2/ZrO2/Pt and Cu/TiO2/ZrO2/TiO2/Pt devices showed much improved programing voltages, including lower forming voltage and lower set voltage. Moreover, the reset current was also improved. These results indicate that the TiO2 interface layer between the anode electrode and the resistive switching layer plays an important role in improving device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch accounts for about 80–85 % of the dry weight of grains and determines yield by impact on grain weight. And, the content and composition of starch also determine appearance, eating, cooking and nutritional quality of rice. By coordinating crucial reactions of the primary carbohydrate metabolism in all eukaryotes, fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P 2) is a traffic signal in metabolism. However, the metabolic regulation of starch in plant sink tissues by Fru-2,6-P 2 remains unclear. Here we isolated rice mutant floury endosperm23 (flo23) which has opaque endosperm and anomalous compound starch grains (SGs). flo23 mutant grains had reduced contents of starch, lipids and proteins. Map-based cloning and genetic complementation experiments showed that FLO23 encodes a cytoplasmic Fructose-6-phosphate-2-kinase/Fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase (F2KP). Mutation of OsF2KP2 decreased Fru-2,6-P 2 content in endosperm cells, leading to drastically reduced phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate contents and disordered glycolysis and energy metabolism. The results imply that OsF2KP2 participates in the glycolytic pathway by providing precursors and energy for synthesis of grain storage compounds. • flo23 displayed floury endospem consisted of anomalous starch granules. • FLO23 encoded a fructose-6-phosphate-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-bisphosphatase. • OsF2KP2 functions through homo and heterocomplexes. • Glycolysis and storage product accumulation were defective in the flo23 mutant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]