Field and saccharification performances of poplars severely downregulated in CAD1.

Lignin is one of the main factors causing lignocellulosic biomass recalcitrance to enzymatic hydrolysis. Glasshouse-grown poplars severely downregulated for CINNAMYL ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE 1 (CAD1), the enzyme catalysing the last step in the monolignol-specific branch of lignin biosynthesis, have increased saccharification yields and normal growth. Here, we assess the performance of these hpCAD poplars in the field under short rotation coppice culture for two consecutive rotations of 1 yr and 3 yr. While 1-yr-old hpCAD wood had 10% less lignin, 3-yr-old hpCAD wood had wild-type lignin levels. Because of their altered cell wall composition, including elevated levels of cinnamaldehydes, both 1-yr-old and 3-yr-old hpCAD wood showed enhanced saccharification yields upon harsh alkaline pretreatments (up to +85% and +77%, respectively). In contrast with previous field trials with poplars less severely downregulated for CINNAMYL ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE (CAD), the hpCAD poplars displayed leaning phenotypes, early bud set, early flowering and yield penalties. Moreover, hpCAD wood had enlarged vessels, decreased wood density and reduced relative and free water contents. Our data show that the phenotypes of CAD-deficient poplars are strongly dependent on the environment and underpin the importance of field trials in translating basic research towards applications.

ARACINs, Brassicaceae-specific peptides exhibiting antifungal activities against necrotrophic pathogens in Arabidopsis.

Plants have developed a variety of mechanisms to cope with abiotic and biotic stresses. In a previous subcellular localization study of hydrogen peroxide-responsive proteins, two peptides with an unknown function (designated ARACIN1 and ARACIN2) have been identified. These peptides are structurally very similar but are transcriptionally differentially regulated during abiotic stresses during Botrytis cinerea infection or after benzothiadiazole and methyl jasmonate treatments. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), these paralogous genes are positioned in tandem within a cluster of pathogen defense-related genes. Both ARACINs are small, cationic, and hydrophobic peptides, known characteristics for antimicrobial peptides. Their genes are expressed in peripheral cell layers prone to pathogen entry and are lineage specific to the Brassicaceae family. In vitro bioassays demonstrated that both ARACIN peptides have a direct antifungal effect against the agronomically and economically important necrotrophic fungi B. cinerea, Alternaria brassicicola, Fusarium graminearum, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). In addition, transgenic Arabidopsis plants that ectopically express ARACIN1 are protected better against infections with both B. cinerea and A. brassicicola. Therefore, we can conclude that both ARACINs act as antimicrobial peptides.

Chemical PARP inhibition enhances growth of Arabidopsis and reduces anthocyanin accumulation and the activation of stress protective mechanisms.

Poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) post-translationally modifies proteins through the addition of ADP-ribose polymers, yet its role in modulating plant development and stress responses is only poorly understood. The experiments presented here address some of the gaps in our understanding of its role in stress tolerance and thereby provide new insights into tolerance mechanisms and growth. Using a combination of chemical and genetic approaches, this study characterized phenotypes associated with PARP inhibition at the physiological level. Molecular analyses including gene expression analysis, measurement of primary metabolites and redox metabolites were used to understand the underlying processes. The analysis revealed that PARP inhibition represses anthocyanin and ascorbate accumulation under stress conditions. The reduction in defense is correlated with enhanced biomass production. Even in unstressed conditions protective genes and molecules are repressed by PARP inhibition. The reduced anthocyanin production was shown to be based on the repression of transcription of key regulatory and biosynthesis genes. PARP is a key factor for understanding growth and stress responses of plants. PARP inhibition allows plants to reduce protection such as anthocyanin, ascorbate or Non-Photochemical-Quenching whilst maintaining high energy levels likely enabling the observed enhancement of biomass production under stress, opening interesting perspectives for increasing crop productivity.

Photosynthetic control of electron transport and the regulation of gene expression.

The term 'photosynthetic control' describes the short- and long-term mechanisms that regulate reactions in the photosynthetic electron transport (PET) chain so that the rate of production of ATP and NADPH is coordinated with the rate of their utilization in metabolism. At low irradiances these mechanisms serve to optimize light use efficiency, while at high irradiances they operate to dissipate excess excitation energy as heat. Similarly, the production of ATP and NADPH in ratios tailored to meet demand is finely tuned by a sophisticated series of controls that prevents the accumulation of high NAD(P)H/NAD(P) ratios and ATP/ADP ratios that would lead to potentially harmful over-reduction and inactivation of PET chain components. In recent years, photosynthetic control has also been extrapolated to the regulation of gene expression because mechanisms that are identical or similar to those that serve to regulate electron flow through the PET chain also coordinate the regulated expression of genes encoding photosynthetic proteins. This requires coordinated gene expression in the chloroplasts, mitochondria, and nuclei, involving complex networks of forward and retrograde signalling pathways. Photosynthetic control operates to control photosynthetic gene expression in response to environmental and metabolic changes. Mining literature data on transcriptome profiles of C(3) and C(4) leaves from plants grown under high atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) levels compared with those grown with ambient CO(2) reveals that the transition to higher photorespiratory conditions in C(3) plants enhances the expression of genes associated with cyclic electron flow pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana, consistent with the higher ATP requirement (relative to NADPH) of photorespiration.

Photosynthesis, photorespiration, and light signalling in defence responses.

Visible light is the basic energetic driver of plant biomass production through photosynthesis. The constantly fluctuating availability of light and other environmental factors means that the photosynthetic apparatus must be able to operate in a dynamic fashion appropriate to the prevailing conditions. Dynamic regulation is achieved through an array of homeostatic control mechanisms that both respond to and influence cellular energy and reductant status. In addition, light availability and quality are continuously monitored by plants through photoreceptors. Outside the laboratory growth room, it is within the context of complex changes in energy and signalling status that plants must regulate pathways to deal with biotic challenges, and this can be influenced by changes in the highly energetic photosynthetic pathways and in the turnover of the photosynthetic machinery. Because of this, defence responses are neither simple nor easily predictable, but rather conditioned by the nutritional and signalling status of the plant cell. This review discusses recent data and emerging concepts of how recognized defence pathways interact with and are influenced by light-dependent processes. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential roles of the chloroplast, photorespiration, and photoreceptor-associated pathways in regulating the outcome of interactions between plants and pathogenic organisms.

Day length is a key regulator of transcriptomic responses to both CO(2) and H(2)O(2) in Arabidopsis.

Growth day length, CO(2) levels and H(2)O(2) all impact plant function, but interactions between them remain unclear. Using a whole-genome transcriptomics approach, we identified gene expression patterns responding to these three factors in Arabidopsis Col-0 and the conditional catalase-deficient mutant, cat2. Plants grown for 5 weeks at high CO(2) in short days (hCO(2)) were transferred to air in short days (SD air) or long days (LD air), and microarray data produced were subjected to three independent studies. The first two analysed genotype-independent responses. They identified 1549 genes differentially expressed after transfer from hCO(2) to SD air. Almost half of these, including genes modulated by sugars or associated with redox, stress or abscisic acid (ABA) functions, as well as light signalling and clock genes, were no longer significant after transfer to air in LD. In a third study, day length-dependent H(2)O(2)-responsive genes were identified by comparing the two genotypes. Two clearly independent responses were observed in cat2 transferred to air in SD and LD. Most H(2)O(2) -responsive genes were up-regulated more strongly in SD air. Overall, the analysis shows that both CO(2) and H(2)O(2) interact with day length and photoreceptor pathways, indicating close networking between carbon status, light and redox state in environmental responses.

Glutathione in plants: an integrated overview.

Plants cannot survive without glutathione (γ-glutamylcysteinylglycine) or γ-glutamylcysteine-containing homologues. The reasons why this small molecule is indispensable are not fully understood, but it can be inferred that glutathione has functions in plant development that cannot be performed by other thiols or antioxidants. The known functions of glutathione include roles in biosynthetic pathways, detoxification, antioxidant biochemistry and redox homeostasis. Glutathione can interact in multiple ways with proteins through thiol-disulphide exchange and related processes. Its strategic position between oxidants such as reactive oxygen species and cellular reductants makes the glutathione system perfectly configured for signalling functions. Recent years have witnessed considerable progress in understanding glutathione synthesis, degradation and transport, particularly in relation to cellular redox homeostasis and related signalling under optimal and stress conditions. Here we outline the key recent advances and discuss how alterations in glutathione status, such as those observed during stress, may participate in signal transduction cascades. The discussion highlights some of the issues surrounding the regulation of glutathione contents, the control of glutathione redox potential, and how the functions of glutathione and other thiols are integrated to fine-tune photorespiratory and respiratory metabolism and to modulate phytohormone signalling pathways through appropriate modification of sensitive protein cysteine residues.