PbrmiR397a regulates lignification during stone cell development in pear fruit

Lignified stone cells substantially reduce fruit quality. Therefore, it is desirable to inhibit stone cell development using genetic technologies. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating lignification are poorly understood in fruit stone cells. In this study, we have shown that microRNA (miR) miR397a regulates fruit cell lignification by inhibiting laccase (LAC) genes that encode key lignin biosynthesis enzymes. Transient overexpression of PbrmiR397a, which is the miR397a of Chinese pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), and simultaneous silencing of three LAC genes reduced the lignin content and stone cell number in pear fruit. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identified in the promoter of the PbrmiR397a gene was found to associate with low levels of fruit lignin, after analysis of the genome sequences of sixty pear varieties. This SNP created a TCA element that responded to salicylic acid to induce gene expression as confirmed using a cell‐based assay system. Furthermore, stable overexpression of PbrmiR397a in transgenic tobacco plants reduced the expression of target LAC genes and decreased the content of lignin but did not change the ratio of syringyl‐ and guaiacyl‐lignin monomers. Consistent with reduction in lignin content, the transgenic plants showed fewer numbers of vessel elements and thinner secondary walls in the remaining elements compared to wild‐type control plants. This study has advanced our understanding of the regulation of lignin biosynthesis and provided useful molecular genetic information for improving pear fruit quality.     

雷公藤AP2/ERF转录因子基因的克隆与分析

该研究以雷公藤发状根为材料,根据雷公藤根转录组数据设计引物,采用RT-PCR方法克隆得到2个雷公藤AP2/ERF转录因子,分别命名为TwAP2/ERF1基因(GenBank登录号:GAVZ01042389.1)和TwAP2/ERF2基因(GenBank登录号:GAVZ01016765.1)。TwAP2/ERF1基因含有一个525bp开放阅读框(ORF),编码186个氨基酸;TwAP2/ERF2基因的ORF为789bp,编码262个氨基酸;2个基因编码的蛋白质均为亲水性蛋白质。系统进化分析表明,TwAP2/ERF1与油桐(Vernicia fordii)AP2/ERF(APQ47444.1)和木油桐(Vernicia montana)AP2/ERF(APQ47365.1)相似性较高,TwAP2/ERF2与毛果杨(Populus trichocarpa)AP2/ERF(XP_002304640.1)和樱桃(Prunus pseudocerasus)AP2/ERF(ALD84477.1)相似性较高。雷公藤发状根经MeJA诱导后,TwAP2/ERF1基因的相对表达量明显提高,并于处理后9h达到最高值,为对照表达量的16.77倍;而MeJA处理对TwAP2/ERF2基因的表达表现出抑制作用,但于处理后48h相对表达量有所提高。研究表明,雷公藤TwAP2/ERF1转录因子响应MeJA早期诱导正调控,推测其可能参与调控雷公藤植物次生代谢产物的生物合成,该研究结果为阐明雷公藤次生代谢物质的生物合成调控与利用现代生物技术提高雷公藤植物细胞中次生代谢物质的含量奠定了基础。     

The C2H2 zinc‐finger protein SlZF3 regulates AsA synthesis and salt tolerance by interacting with CSN5B

Abiotic stresses are a major cause of crop loss. Ascorbic acid (AsA) promotes stress tolerance by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), which accumulate when plants experience abiotic stress. Although the biosynthesis and metabolism of AsA are well established, the genes that regulate these pathways remain largely unexplored. Here, we report on a novel regulatory gene from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) named SlZF3 that encodes a Cys2/His2‐type zinc‐finger protein with an EAR repression domain. The expression of SlZF3 was rapidly induced by NaCl treatments. The overexpression of SlZF3 significantly increased the levels of AsA in tomato and Arabidopsis. Consequently, the AsA‐mediated ROS‐scavenging capacity of the SlZF3‐overexpressing plants was increased, which enhanced the salt tolerance of these plants. Protein–protein interaction assays demonstrated that SlZF3 directly binds CSN5B, a key component of the COP9 signalosome. This interaction inhibited the binding of CSN5B to VTC1, a GDP‐mannose pyrophosphorylase that contributes to AsA biosynthesis. We found that the EAR domain promoted the stability of SlZF3 but was not required for the interaction between SlZF3 and CSN5B. Our findings indicate that SlZF3 simultaneously promotes the accumulation of AsA and enhances plant salt‐stress tolerance.