WUS and PIN1-related genes undergo dynamic expressional change during organ regeneration in response to wounding in Zoysia japonica.

Zoysia japonica is a grass specie used for golf courses and stadium lawns because of its eminent organ regeneration ability after cutting. However, the molecular mechanisms of the organ regeneration remain elusive. In plants, the shoot apical meristem (SAM) plays a critical role in organ regeneration process. Studies on shoot apical meristem (SAM) in Arabidopsis revealed PIN-FORMED 1 (PIN1) and WUSCHEL (WUS) as crucial components regulating the maintenance and proliferation of SAM via modulating the phytohormones auxin (IAA) and cytokinin (CTK), respectively. In this study, transcriptome analysis of the early wounding stage of Z. japonica cultivar "Zenith" was performed, and global expression pattern of genes related to the PIN1 and WUS network was analyzed. According to the Gene Ontology (GO) database classification, genes related to cell proliferation were identified in differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) with dramatic changes. Meanwhile, there were 18 IAA and CTK-related GO terms. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database classification showed that "plant hormone signal transduction" was gradually become the most abundant enrichment pathways within 6 h. Twenty-four Z. japonica genes with homology to Arabidopsis genes that are involved in PIN1 and WUS network were examined for expression. Among them, 21 genes showed dynamic changes whereas three genes did not. Those results suggesting that the key genes involved in the regeneration exhibited difference in both plants. Finally, we proposed a simple molecular mechanism of the Z. japonica organ regeneration regulated by PIN1 and WUS after wounding.

De novo Transcriptome Analysis of Rhizoctonia solani AG1 IA Strain Early Invasion in Zoysia japonica Root.

Zoysia japonica brown spot was caused by necrotrophic fungus Rhizoctonia solani invasion, which led to severe financial loss in city lawn and golf ground maintenance. However, little was known about the molecular mechanism of R. solani pathogenicity in Z. japonica. In this study we examined early stage interaction between R. solani AG1 IA strain and Z. japonica cultivar "Zenith" root by cell ultra-structure analysis, pathogenesis-related proteins assay and transcriptome analysis to explore molecular clues for AG1 IA strain pathogenicity in Z. japonica. No obvious cell structure damage was found in infected roots and most pathogenesis-related protein activities showedg a downward trend especially in 36 h post inoculation, which exhibits AG1 IA strain stealthy invasion characteristic. According to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database classification, most DEGs in infected "Zenith" roots dynamically changed especially in three aspects, signal transduction, gene translation, and protein synthesis. Total 3422 unigenes of "Zenith" root were predicted into 14 kinds of resistance (R) gene class. Potential fungal resistance related unigenes of "Zenith" root were involved in ligin biosynthesis, phytoalexin synthesis, oxidative burst, wax biosynthesis, while two down-regulated unigenes encoding leucine-rich repeat receptor protein kinase and subtilisin-like protease might be important for host-derived signal perception to AG1 IA strain invasion. According to Pathogen Host Interaction (PHI) database annotation, 1508 unigenes of AG1 IA strain were predicted and classified into 37 known pathogen species, in addition, unigenes encoding virulence, signaling, host stress tolerance, and potential effector were also predicted. This research uncovered transcriptional profiling during the early phase interaction between R. solani AG1 IA strain and Z. japonica, and will greatly help identify key pathogenicity of AG1 IA strain.

Nitrogen dose and type of herbicide used for growth regulation on the green coloration intensity of Emerald grass / Intensidade da coloração verde das folhas da grama esmeralda submetida a doses de nitrogênio e ao uso de herbicidas como reguladores de crescimento

ABSTRACT: Nitrogen (N) is the main nutrient responsible for the green coloration of lawns but also stimulates the growth of the aerial portion of grass, thus increasing mowing expenses. Therefore, herbicides may be used as a growth regulator. The ideal herbicide will reduce lawn height without affecting esthetics. Toward this end, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the green coloration of Emerald grass ( Zoysia japonica Steud.) under the effect of different N doses or herbicides used as growth regulators. The study site consisted of randomized blocks containing 20 treatments arranged in a 5×4 factorial design with four treatment groups: four herbicides (glyphosate, imazaquin, imazethapyr, and metsulfuron-methyl, accounting for 200, 420, 80, and 140g ha-1 of the active ingredient, respectively) and the control sample (no herbicide); and three doses of N in the form of urea (5, 10, and 20g m-2), divided into five applications per year, in addition to a treatment without N. Leaf chlorophyll content (LCC) was assessed and the aerial portion of the lawn was measured with digital image analysis. Doses of N ranging from 10 to 20g m-2, divided into five applications a year, provided the lawn with intense green coloration, and the herbicides glyphosate (200g ha-1), imazaquin (420g ha-1), and imazethapyr (80g ha-1) were reported to be suitable for use as growth regulators of the study species, considering maintenance of esthetic quality (green coloration). The digital image analysis of the aerial portion provided more accurate results than use of a chlorophyll meter with regard to the recommendation of both N dose and herbicides to be used as growth regulators of Emerald grass.

RESUMO: Embora o nitrogênio (N) seja o principal nutriente responsável pela coloração verde dos gramados, o mesmo estimula o crescimento da parte aérea, resultando em maior dispêndio com cortes. Assim, a utilização de herbicidas como reguladores de crescimento seria alternativa, sendo ideal aquele que reduzisse a altura sem afetar a estética do gramado. Diante do exposto, objetivou-se avaliar a coloração verde da grama esmeralda ( Zoysia japonica Steud.) sob o efeito de doses de N e do uso de herbicidas como reguladores de crescimento. Utilizou-se o delineamento em blocos casualizados com 20 tratamentos dispostos num fatorial 5x4 com quatro repetições, sendo quatro herbicidas: glyphosate, imazaquin, imazethapyr e metsulfuron-methyl (200, 420, 80 e 140g ha-1 do ingrediente ativo (i.a.), respectivamente) e a testemunha (sem herbicida); e três doses de N na forma de ureia: 5, 10 e 20g m-2, parceladas em cinco aplicações ao ano, além do tratamento sem N. Avaliaram-se o índice de clorofila foliar (ICF) e a análise por imagem digital da parte aérea do gramado. Doses de 10 a 20g m-2 de N, parceladas em cinco vezes ao ano, propiciaram coloração verde intensa do gramado e os herbicidas glyphosate (200g ha-1), imazaquin (420g ha-1) e imazethapyr (80g ha-1) foram adequados para utilização como reguladores do crescimento da espécie estudada, considerando a qualidade estética (cor verde). A análise por imagem digital da parte aérea forneceu resultados mais precisos que o uso do clorofilômetro, quanto à recomendação da dose de N, bem como dos herbicidas a serem utilizados como reguladores de crescimento da grama esmeralda.

Corrigendum: De novo assembly of the Japanese lawngrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) root transcriptome and identification of candidate unigenes related to early responses under salt stress.

[This corrects the article on p. 610 in vol. 6, PMID: 26347751.].

De novo assembly of the Japanese lawngrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) root transcriptome and identification of candidate unigenes related to early responses under salt stress.

Japanese lawngrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) is an important warm-season turfgrass that is able to survive in a range of soils, from infertile sands to clays, and to grow well under saline conditions. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in its resistance to salt stress. Here, we used high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate the changes in gene expression of Zoysia grass at high NaCl concentrations. We first constructed two sequencing libraries, including control and NaCl-treated samples, and sequenced them using the Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 platform. Approximately 157.20 million paired-end reads with a total length of 68.68 Mb were obtained. Subsequently, 100,800 unigenes with an N50 length of 1104 bp were assembled using Trinity, among which 70,127 unigenes were functionally annotated (E ≤ 10(-5)) in the non-redundant protein (NR) database. Furthermore, three public databases, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Swiss-prot, and Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COGs), were used for gene function analysis and enrichment. The annotated genes included 46 Gene Ontology (GO) terms, 120 KEGG pathways, and 25 COGs. Compared with the control, 6035 genes were significantly different (false discovery rate ≤0.01, |log2Ratio|≥1) in the NaCl-treated samples. These genes were enriched in 10 KEGG pathways and 58 GO terms, and subjected to 25 COG categories. Using high-throughput next-generation sequencing, we built a database as a global transcript resource for Z. japonica Steud. roots. The results of this study will advance our understanding of the early salt response in Japanese lawngrass roots.

Uso de lodo de esgoto na produção de tapetes de grama esmeralda / Use of sewage sludge in zoysiagrass production

Com objetivo de avaliar o efeito do lodo de esgoto na formação e qualidades de tapetes de grama, foi instalado, em Itapetininga, São Paulo (SP), o experimento utilizando grama Zoysia japonica Steud., conhecida como esmeralda. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso em parcelas subdivididas, com quatro repetições, sendo as parcelas principais constituídas de cinco doses de lodo (0, 10, 20, 30 e 40Mg ha-1, base seca), mais um tratamento com NPK, de acordo com as necessidades da cultura e as subparcelas com dois sistemas de manejo (com e sem o uso de escarificador utilizado para romper uma camada superficial compactada). Utilizou-se o lodo da Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto de Jundiaí, SP. As doses de lodo aplicadas correspondem às doses de 100, 200, 300 e 400kg ha-1 de nitrogênio. Após 165 dias da aplicação do lodo de esgoto, a dose de 31Mg ha-1 permitiu o fechamento completo (100% da taxa de cobertura do solo) e a maior resistência dos tapetes de grama. O mesmo resultado foi encontrado quando utilizou-se a adubação química. A testemunha e as parcelas que receberam 10Mg ha-1 de lodo não formaram tapete. O lodo de esgoto aplicado em superfície promoveu redução da massa dos tapetes de grama esmeralda. O uso do escarificador reduziu a resistência dos tapetes de grama esmeralda. Os valores de metais pesados encontrados no lodo de esgoto estavam abaixo do limite estabelecido pelas normas que regulamenta a utilização do lodo de esgoto na agricultura.

Aiming to evaluate sewage sludge effect in the grass sod qualitiy and formation it was installed in Itapetininha - SP one experiment using Zoysia japonica Steud. The experimental design adopted was randomized blocks with split plot design, with four replications, the main plots consisting of five doses of sludge (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40Mg ha-1, a dry basis), another treatment with NPK, according to the requirement of the culture, and subplots with two management systems (with and without chisel use, to break a compacted surface layer). The sludge used came from "Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto de Jundiaí/SP". The doses of sludge applied correspond to the doses of 100, 200, 300 and 400kg ha-1 of nitrogen. 165 days after sewage sludge application, the dose of 31Mg ha-1 allowed the complete closing (100% of soil cover rate) and greater resistance of the zoysiagrass sod. The same results were found when chemical fertilization was used. The control and the plots that received 10Mg ha-1 of sludge did not formed sod. The sewage sludge applied to surface promoted reduction of zoysiagrass sod mass. The use of surface chisel reduced the strength of zoysiagrass sod. The heavy metals values found in sewage sludge were below the limit set by the rules governing the sewage sludge use in agriculture.