Selective perturbation of protein interactions with chemical compounds enables dissection and control of developmental processes. Differentiation of stomata, cellular valves vital for plant growth and survival, is specified by the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) heterodimers. Harnessing a new amination reaction, we here report a synthesis, derivatization, target identification, and mode of action of an atypical doubly-sulfonylated imidazolone, Stomidazolone, which triggers stomatal stem cell arrest. Our forward chemical genetics followed by biophysical analyses elucidates that Stomidazolone directly binds to the C-terminal ACT-Like (ACTL) domain of MUTE, a master regulator of stomatal differentiation, and perturbs its heterodimerization with a partner bHLH, SCREAM in vitro and in plant cells. On the other hand, Stomidazolone analogs that are biologically inactive do not bind to MUTE or disrupt the SCREAM-MUTE heterodimers. Guided by structural docking modeling, we rationally design MUTE with reduced Stomidazolone binding. These engineered MUTE proteins are fully functional and confer Stomidazolone resistance in vivo. Our study identifies doubly-sulfonylated imidazolone as a direct inhibitor of the stomatal master regulator, further expanding the chemical space for perturbing bHLH-ACTL proteins to manipulate plant development.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53214-4 | DOI Listing |
Elife
December 2024
Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Understanding the genomic basis of natural variation in plant pest resistance is an important goal in plant science, but it usually requires large and labor-intensive phenotyping experiments. Here, we explored the possibility that non-target reads from plant DNA sequencing can serve as phenotyping proxies for addressing such questions. We used data from a whole-genome and -epigenome sequencing study of 207 natural lines of field pennycress () that were grown in a common environment and spontaneously colonized by aphids, mildew, and other microbes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
December 2024
Facultad de Agronomía y Sistemas Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile.
This study investigates the impact of water stress on grapevines, specifically examining the role of rootstocks and aquaporins. Two experiments on potted plants were conducted in central Chile during the summer, under conditions of high water demand, involving various rootstock genotypes and combinations of Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) grafted onto rootstocks. Significant differences were observed among plants in terms of stem water potential, stomatal conductance, and growth rate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHortic Res
December 2024
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
Soluble sugars are not only an important contributor to fruit quality, but also serve as the osmotic regulators in response to abiotic stresses. Early drought stress promotes sugar accumulation, while specific sugar transporters govern the cellular distribution of the sugars. Here, we show that apple plantlets accumulate soluble sugars in leaf tissues under drought stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
December 2024
Department of Geography & Spatial Information/Center for Land and Marine Spatial Utilization and Governance Research, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
BMC Genomics
November 2024
College of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, 341000, China.
The sustainable development of the citrus industry is greatly affected by citrus canker, an important bacterial disease. To explore the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of citrus resistance to canker disease, this study used the susceptible Citrus sinensis cv. 'Newhall' and its citrus canker-resistant bud mutation variety 'Longhuitian' (LHT) as materials.
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