Suppressing Tymovirus replication in plants using a variant of ubiquitin.

RNA viruses have evolved numerous strategies to overcome host resistance and immunity, including the use of multifunctional proteases that not only cleave viral polyproteins during virus replication but also deubiquitinate cellular proteins to suppress ubiquitin (Ub)-mediated antiviral mechanisms. Here, we report an approach to attenuate the infection of Arabidopsis thaliana by Turnip Yellow Mosaic Virus (TYMV) by suppressing the polyprotein cleavage and deubiquitination activities of the TYMV protease (PRO). Performing selections using a library of phage-displayed Ub variants (UbVs) for binding to recombinant PRO yielded several UbVs that bound the viral protease with nanomolar affinities and blocked its function.

The arabidopsis phytoglobin 1 (Pgb1) involvement in somatic embryogenesis is linked to changes in ethylene and the class VII ethylene transcription factor HRE2.

Phytoglobin1 promotes Arabidopsis somatic embryogenesis through the mediation of ethylene and the ERFVII HRE2. Generation of somatic embryos in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) is a two-step process, encompassing an induction phase where embryogenic tissue (ET) is formed followed by a developmental phase encouraging the growth of the embryos. Using previously characterized transgenic lines dysregulating the class 1 Phytoglobin (Pgb1) we show that suppression of Pgb1 decreases somatic embryogenesis (SE).

Mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL) in L. for tolerance to water stress.

L. plants are sensitive to water stress conditions throughout their life cycle from seed germination to seed setting. This study aims at identifying quantitative trait loci (QTL) linked to tolerance to water stress mimicked by applications of 10% polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000).

Low-oxygen-induced root bending is altered by phytoglobin1 through mediation of ethylene response factors (ERFs) and auxin signaling.

phytoglobin1 positively regulates root bending in hypoxic Arabidopsis roots through regulation of ethylene response factors and auxin transport. Hypoxia-induced root bending is known to be mediated by the redundant activity of the group VII ethylene response factors (ERFVII) RAP2.12 and HRE2, causing changes in polar auxin transport (PAT).

The Brassica napus phytoglobin 1 (BnPgb1) mitigates the decrease in plant fertility resulting from high temperature stress.

High temperature stress during flowering adversely affects plant fertility, decreasing plant productivity. Daily cycles of heat stress (HS), imposed on Brassica napus L. plants by slowly ramping the temperature from 23 °C to 35 °C before lowering back to pre-stress conditions, inhibited flower and silique formation, with fewer seeds per silique during the stress period, as well as decreased pollen viability.