TaWRKY55-TaPLATZ2 module negatively regulate saline-alkali stress tolerance in wheat.

Saline-alkaline soils are a major environmental problem that limit plant growth and crop productivity. Plasma membrane H-ATPases and the salt overly sensitive (SOS) signaling pathway play important roles in plant responses to saline-alkali stress. However, little is known about the functional genes and mechanisms regulating the transcription of H-ATPases and SOS pathway genes under saline-alkali stress.

Maize ZmSRO1e promotes mesocotyl elongation and deep sowing tolerance by inhibiting the activity of ZmbZIP61.

Deep sowing is a traditional method for drought resistance in maize production, and mesocotyl elongation is strongly associated with the ability of maize to germinate from deep soil. However, little is known about the functional genes and mechanisms regulating maize mesocotyl elongation. In the present study, we identified a plant-specific SIMILAR TO RCD-ONE (SRO) protein family member, ZmSRO1e, involved in maize mesocotyl elongation.

Ca-dependent TaCCD1 cooperates with TaSAUR215 to enhance plasma membrane H-ATPase activity and alkali stress tolerance by inhibiting PP2C-mediated dephosphorylation of TaHA2 in wheat.

Alkali stress is a major constraint for crop production in many regions of saline-alkali land. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which wheat responds to alkali stress. In this study, we identified a calcium ion-binding protein from wheat, TaCCD1, which is critical for regulating the plasma membrane (PM) H-ATPase-mediated alkali stress response.

Maize SRO1e represses anthocyanin synthesis through regulating the MBW complex in response to abiotic stress.

Plants experiencing abiotic stress react by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), compounds that, if allowed to accumulate to excess, repress plant growth and development. Anthocyanins induced by abiotic stress are strong antioxidants that neutralize ROS, whereas their over-accumulation retards plant growth. Although the mechanism of anthocyanin synthesis has been revealed, how plants balance anthocyanin synthesis under abiotic stress to maintain ROS homeostasis is unknown.

TaCYP81D5, one member in a wheat cytochrome P450 gene cluster, confers salinity tolerance via reactive oxygen species scavenging.

As one of the largest gene families in plants, the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase genes (CYPs) are involved in diverse biological processes including biotic and abiotic stress response. Moreover, P450 genes are prone to expanding due to gene tandem duplication during evolution, resulting in generations of novel alleles with the neo-function or enhanced function. Here, the bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) gene TaCYP81D5 was found to lie within a cluster of five tandemly arranged CYP81D genes, although only a single such gene (BdCYP81D1) was present in the equivalent genomic region of the wheat relative Brachypodium distachyon.

Genetic and epigenetic changes in somatic hybrid introgression lines between wheat and tall wheatgrass.

Broad phenotypic variations were induced in derivatives of an asymmetric somatic hybridization of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum Podp); however, how these variations occurred was unknown. We explored the nature of these variations by cytogenetic assays and DNA profiling techniques to characterize six genetically stable somatic introgression lines. Karyotyping results show the six lines similar to their wheat parent, but GISH analysis identified the presence of a number of short introgressed tall wheatgrass chromatin segments.

Novel LMW glutenin subunit genes from wild emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) in relation to Glu-3 evolution.

Four low-molecular-weight-isoleucine (LMW-i)-type and one novel chimeric (between LMW-i and LMW-methionine (m) types) low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) genes were characterized from wild emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccoides), designated as emmer-1 to emmer-5. All five LMW-GS genes possessed the same primary structure shared by other published LMW-GSs. The three genes emmer-1, emmer-3, and emmer-5 are similar, with the exception that emmer-3 and emmer-5 lost a few repeat motifs compared to emmer-1.

Characterisation of low molecular weight glutenin subunit genes from Pseudoroegneria spicata and Pd. strigosa.

We report the characterisation of nine novel low molecular weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) genes from two Pseudoroegneria species, Pd. spicata and Pd. strigosa.

Characterization of high molecular weight glutenin subunit genes from the Ns genome of Psathyrostachys juncea.

The Ns genome of the genus Psathyrostachys possesses superior traits useful for wheat improvement. However, very little is known about the high molecular weight (HMW) subunits of glutenin encoded by the Ns genome. In this paper, we report the isolation of four alleles of HMW glutenin subunit gene from Psathyrostachys juncea.

Induced and constitutive DNA methylation in a salinity-tolerant wheat introgression line.

Cytosine methylation is a well recognized epigenetic mark. Here, the methylation status of a salinity-tolerant wheat cultivar (cv. SR3, derived from a somatic hybridization event) and its progenitor parent (cv.