Effect of Elevated Temperature on Tomato Post-Harvest Properties.

The fleshy fruit of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a commodity used worldwide as a fresh or processed product. Like many crops, tomato plants and harvested fruits are susceptible to the onset of climate change. Temperature plays a key role in tomato fruit production and ripening, including softening, development of fruit colour, flavour and aroma. The combination of climate change and the drive to reduce carbon emission and energy consumption is likely to affect tomato post-harvest storage conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of an elevated storage temperature on tomato shelf life and fungal susceptibility. A collection of 41 genotypes with low and high field performance at elevated temperature, including different growth, fruit and market types, was used to assess post-harvest performances. A temperature increase from 18-20 °C to 26 °C reduced average shelf life of fruit by 4 days ± 1 day and increased fungal susceptibility by 11% ± 5% across all genotypes. We identified tomato varieties that exhibit both favourable post-harvest fruit quality and high field performance at elevated temperature. This work contributes to efforts to enhance crop resilience by selecting for thermotolerance combined with traits suitable to maintain and improve fruit quality, shelf life and pathogen susceptibility under changing climate conditions.

Analysis of Tomato Post-Harvest Properties: Fruit Color, Shelf Life, and Fungal Susceptibility.

A wide variety of fresh market and processing tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) is grown and consumed worldwide. Post-harvest losses are a major contributing factor to losses in crop productivity and can account for up to 50% of the harvest. To select and breed elite tomato varieties, it is important to characterize fruit quality and evaluate the post-harvest properties of tomato fruits. This includes the analysis of shelf life (the period during which a fruit remains suitable for consumption without qualitative deterioration), color, and pathogen susceptibility. Tomato shelf life depends upon the rate of fruit softening which accompanies fruit ripening and exacerbates damage during transport and handling. Furthermore, the susceptibility of tomatoes to fruit pathogens is also often linked to fruit ripening, especially for necrotrophic fungi such as Botrytis cinerea, also known as gray mold. The methods described here are critical for determining fruit quality and fungal susceptibility during storage. © 2020 The Authors. Basic Protocol 1: Fruit color as a determinant of fruit quality Basic Protocol 2: Shelf life test of tomato fruits Basic Protocol 3: Botrytis cinerea pathogen test of tomato fruits Support Protocol: Preparation of Botrytis spore inoculum.

RNA-seq, de novo transcriptome assembly and flavonoid gene analysis in 13 wild and cultivated berry fruit species with high content of phenolics.

BACKGROUND: Flavonoids are produced in all flowering plants in a wide range of tissues including in berry fruits. These compounds are of considerable interest for their biological activities, health benefits and potential pharmacological applications. However, transcriptomic and genomic resources for wild and cultivated berry fruit species are often limited, despite their value in underpinning the in-depth study of metabolic pathways, fruit ripening as well as in the identification of genotypes rich in bioactive compounds. RESULTS: To access the genetic diversity of wild and cultivated berry fruit species that accumulate high levels of phenolic compounds in their fleshy berry(-like) fruits, we selected 13 species from Europe, South America and Asia representing eight genera, seven families and seven orders within three clades of the kingdom Plantae. RNA from either ripe fruits (ten species) or three ripening stages (two species) as well as leaf RNA (one species) were used to construct, assemble and analyse de novo transcriptomes. The transcriptome sequences are deposited in the BacHBerryGEN database (http://jicbio.nbi.ac.uk/berries) and were used, as a proof of concept, via its BLAST portal (http://jicbio.nbi.ac.uk/berries/blast.html) to identify candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoid compounds. Genes encoding regulatory proteins of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway (MYB and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors and WD40 repeat proteins) were isolated using the transcriptomic resources of wild blackberry (Rubus genevieri) and cultivated red raspberry (Rubus idaeus cv. Prestige) and were shown to activate anthocyanin synthesis in Nicotiana benthamiana. Expression patterns of candidate flavonoid gene transcripts were also studied across three fruit developmental stages via the BacHBerryEXP gene expression browser (http://www.bachberryexp.com) in R. genevieri and R. idaeus cv. Prestige. CONCLUSIONS: We report a transcriptome resource that includes data for a wide range of berry(-like) fruit species that has been developed for gene identification and functional analysis to assist in berry fruit improvement. These resources will enable investigations of metabolic processes in berries beyond the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway analysed in this study. The RNA-seq data will be useful for studies of berry fruit development and to select wild plant species useful for plant breeding purposes.

Insect-borne plant pathogenic bacteria: getting a ride goes beyond physical contact.

Plant pathogens have evolved numerous strategies that enable their movement from plant to plant. Phytopathogens use a great variety of insect species for transmission to plants, and insect transmission has evolved multiple times independently, particularly for phloem-inhabiting bacteria. Recent studies have advanced our understanding about the mechanisms of physical association between plant pathogenic bacteria and insect vectors. Furthermore, recent evidence shows that the transmission of plant pathogens goes beyond a physical association with the insect, and involves active modulation of plant processes by the bacteria to promote insect herbivore attraction, colonization and pathogen transmission.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Brachypodium distachyon.

Brachypodium distachyon is an attractive genomics and biological model system for grass research. Recently, the complete annotated genome sequence of the diploid line Bd21 has been released. Genetic transformation technologies are critical for the discovery and validation of gene function in Brachypodium. Here, we describe an efficient procedure enabling the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of a range of diploid and polyploid genotypes of Brachypodium. The procedure relies on the transformation of compact embryogenic calli derived from immature embryos using either chemical selection alone or a combination of chemical and visual screening of transformed tissues and plants. Transformation efficiencies of around 20% can routinely be achieved using this protocol. In the context of the BrachyTAG programme (BrachyTAG.org), this procedure made possible the mass production of Bd21T-DNA mutant plant lines.

T-DNA mutagenesis in Brachypodium distachyon.

During the past decade, Brachypodium distachyon has emerged as an attractive experimental system and genomics model for grass research. Numerous molecular tools and genomics resources have already been developed. Functional genomics resources, including mutant collections, expression/tiling microarray, mapping populations, and genome re-sequencing for natural accessions, are rapidly being developed and made available to the community. In this article, the focus is on the current status of systematic T-DNA mutagenesis in Brachypodium. Large collections of T-DNA-tagged lines are being generated by a community of laboratories in the context of the International Brachypodium Tagging Consortium. To date, >13 000 lines produced by the BrachyTAG programme and USDA-ARS Western Regional Research Center are available by online request. The utility of these mutant collections is illustrated with some examples from the BrachyTAG collection at the John Innes Centre-such as those in the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) and brassinosteroid insensitive-1 (BRI1) genes. A series of other mutants exhibiting growth phenotypes is also presented. These examples highlight the value of Brachypodium as a model for grass functional genomics.

A T-DNA mutation in the RNA helicase eIF4A confers a dose-dependent dwarfing phenotype in Brachypodium distachyon.

In a survey of the BrachyTAG mutant population of Brachypodium distachyon, we identified a line carrying a T-DNA insertion in one of the two eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) genes present in the nuclear genome. The eif4a homozygous mutant plants were slow-growing, and exhibited reduced final plant stature due to a decrease in both cell number and cell size, consistent with roles for eIF4A in both cell division and cell growth. Hemizygous plants displayed a semi-dwarfing phenotype, in which stem length was reduced but leaf length was normal. Linkage between the insertion site and phenotype was confirmed, and we show that the level of eIF4A protein is strongly reduced in the mutant. Transformation of the Brachypodium homozygous mutant with a genomic copy of the Arabidopsis eIF4A-1 gene partially complemented the growth phenotype, indicating that gene function is conserved between mono- and dicotyledonous species. This study identifies eIF4A as a novel dose-dependent regulator of stem elongation, and demonstrates the utility of Brachypodium as a model for grass and cereals research.

Inducing chromosome pairing through premature condensation: analysis of wheat interspecific hybrids.

At the onset of meiosis, chromosomes first decondense and then condense as the process of recognition and intimate pairing occurs between homologous chromosomes. We show here that okadaic acid, a drug known to induce chromosome condensation, can be introduced into wheat interspecific hybrids prior to meiosis to induce chromosome pairing. This pairing occurs in the presence of the Ph1 locus, which usually suppresses pairing of related chromosomes and which we show here delays condensation. Thus the timing of chromosome condensation during the onset of meiosis is an important factor in controlling chromosome pairing.

Distribution and characterization of more than 1000 T-DNA tags in the genome of Brachypodium distachyon community standard line Bd21.

A collection of 4117 fertile T-DNA lines has been generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the diploid community standard line Bd21 of Brachypodium distachyon. The regions flanking the T-DNA left and right borders of the first 741 transformed plants were isolated by adapter-ligation PCR and sequenced. A total of 1005 genomic sequences (representing 44.1% of all flanking sequences retrieved) characterized 660 independent T-DNA loci assigned to a unique location in the Brachypodium genome sequence. Seventy-six percent of the fertile plant lines contained at least one anchored T-DNA locus (1.17 loci per tagged line on average). Analysis of the regions flanking both borders of the T-DNA increased the number of T-DNA loci tagged and the number of tagged lines by approximately 50% when compared to a single border analysis. T-DNA integration (2.4 insertions per Mb on average) was proportional to chromosome size, however, varied greatly along each chromosome with often low insertion level around centromeres. The frequency of insertion within transposable elements (5.3%) was fivefold lower than expected if random insertion would have occurred. More than half of the T-DNAs inserted in genic regions. On average, one gene could be tagged for every second fertile plant line produced and more than one plant line out of three contained a T-DNA insertion directly within or 500 bp around the coding sequence. Approximately, 60% of the genes tagged corresponded to expressed genes. The T-DNA lines generated by the BrachyTAG programme are available as a community resource and have been distributed internationally since 2008 via the BrachyTAG.org web site.

A protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Brachypodium distachyon community standard line Bd21.

Brachypodium distachyon is a novel model system for structural and functional genomics studies of temperate grasses because of its biological and genetic attributes. Recently, the genome sequence of the community standard line Bd21 has been released and the availability of an efficient transformation system is critical for the discovery and validation of the function of Brachypodium genes. Here, we provide an improved procedure for the facile and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of line Bd21. The protocol relies on the transformation of compact embryogenic calli derived from immature embryos using visual and chemical screening of transformed tissues and plants. The combination of green fluorescent protein expression and hygromycin resistance enables early identification of transformation events and drastically reduces the quantity of tissue to be handled throughout the selection process. Approximately eight independent fully developed transgenic Bd21 plants can be produced from each immature embryo, enabling the generation of thousands of T-DNA lines. The process--from wild-type seeds to transgenic T(1) seeds--takes approximately 8 months to complete.

A protocol for efficiently retrieving and characterizing flanking sequence tags (FSTs) in Brachypodium distachyon T-DNA insertional mutants.

Brachypodium distachyon is emerging as a new model system for bridging research into temperate cereal crops, such as wheat and barley, and for promoting research in novel biomass grasses. Here, we provide an adapter ligation PCR protocol that allows the large-scale characterization of T-DNA insertions into the genome of Brachypodium. The procedure enables the retrieval and mapping of the regions flanking the right and left borders (RB and LB) of the T-DNA inserts and consists of five steps: extraction and restriction digest of genomic DNA; ligation of an adapter to the genomic DNA; PCR amplification of the regions flanking the T-DNA insert(s) using primers specific to the adapter and the T-DNA; sequencing of the PCR products; and identification of the flanking sequence tags (FSTs) characterizing the T-DNA inserts. Analyzing the regions flanking both the LB and RB of the T-DNA inserts significantly improves FST retrieval and the frequency of mutant lines for which at least one FST can be identified. It takes approximately 16 or 10 d for a single person to analyze 96 T-DNA lines using individual or batch procedures, respectively.

Gene insertion patterns and sites.

During the past 25 years, the molecular analysis of transgene insertion patterns and sites in plants has greatly contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying transgene integration, expression, and stability in the nuclear genome. Molecular characterization is also an essential step in the safety assessment of genetically modified crops. This chapter describes the standard experimental procedures used to analyze transgene insertion patterns and loci in cereals and grasses transformed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens or direct transfer of DNA. Methods and protocols enabling the determination of the number and configuration of transgenic loci via a combination of inheritance studies, polymerase chain reaction, and Southern analyses are presented. The complete characterization of transgenic inserts in plants is, however, a holistic process relying on a wide variety of experimental approaches. In this chapter, these additional approaches are not detailed but references to relevant bibliographic records are provided.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the temperate grass Brachypodium distachyon (genotype Bd21) for T-DNA insertional mutagenesis.

Brachypodium distachyon is a promising model system for the structural and functional genomics of temperate grasses because of its physical, genetic and genome attributes. The sequencing of the inbred line Bd21 (http://www.brachypodium.org) started in 2007. However, a transformation method remains to be developed for the community standard line Bd21. In this article, a facile, efficient and rapid transformation system for Bd21 is described using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of compact embryogenic calli (CEC) derived from immature embryos. Key features of this system include: (i) the use of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) associated with hygromycin selection for rapid identification of transgenic calli and plants; (ii) the desiccation of CEC after inoculation with Agrobacterium; (iii) the utilization of Bd21 plants regenerated from tissue culture as a source of immature embryos; (iv) the control of the duration of the selection process; and (v) the supplementation of culture media with CuSO4 prior to and during the regeneration of transgenic plants. Approximately 17% of CEC produced transgenic plants, enabling the generation of hundreds of T-DNA insertion lines per experiment. GFP expression was observed in primary transformed Bd21 plants (T0) and their progeny (T1). The Mendelian inheritance of the transgenes was confirmed. An adaptor-anchor strategy was developed for efficient retrieval of flanking sequence tags (FSTs) of T-DNA inserts, and the resulting sequences are available in public databases. The production of T-DNA insertion lines and the retrieval of associated FSTs reported here for the reference inbred line Bd21 will facilitate large-scale functional genomics research in this model system.

The pCLEAN dual binary vector system for Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation.

The development of novel transformation vectors is essential to the improvement of plant transformation technologies. Here, we report the construction and testing of a new multifunctional dual binary vector system, pCLEAN, for Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation. The pCLEAN vectors are based on the widely used pGreen/pSoup system and the pCLEAN-G/pCLEAN-S plasmids are fully compatible with the existing pGreen/pSoup vectors. A single Agrobacterium can harbor (1) pCLEAN-G and pSoup, (2) pGreen and pCLEAN-S, or (3) pCLEAN-G and pCLEAN-S vector combination. pCLEAN vectors have been designed to enable the delivery of multiple transgenes from distinct T-DNAs and/or vector backbone sequences while minimizing the insertion of superfluous DNA sequences into the plant nuclear genome as well as facilitating the production of marker-free plants. pCLEAN vectors contain a minimal T-DNA (102 nucleotides) consisting of direct border repeats surrounding a 52-nucleotide-long multiple cloning site, an optimized left-border sequence, a double left-border sequence, restriction sites outside the borders, and two independent T-DNAs. In addition, selectable and/or reporter genes have been inserted into the vector backbone sequence to allow either the counter-screening of backbone transfer or its exploitation for the production of marker-free plants. The efficiency of the different pCLEAN vectors has been assessed using transient and stable transformation assays in Nicotiana benthamiana and/or Oryza sativa.

Analysis of the sucrose synthase gene family in Arabidopsis.

The properties and expression patterns of the six isoforms of sucrose synthase in Arabidopsis are described, and their functions are explored through analysis of T-DNA insertion mutants. The isoforms have generally similar kinetic properties. Although there is variation in sensitivity to substrate inhibition by fructose this is unlikely to be of major physiological significance. No two isoforms have the same spatial and temporal expression patterns. Some are highly expressed in specific locations, whereas others are more generally expressed. More than one isoform is expressed in all organs examined. Mutant plants lacking individual isoforms have no obvious growth phenotypes, and are not significantly different from wild-type plants in starch, sugar and cellulose content, seed weight or seed composition under the growth conditions employed. Double mutants lacking the pairs of similar isoforms sus2 and sus3, and sus5 and sus6, are also not significantly different in these respects from wild-type plants. These results are surprising in the light of the marked phenotypes observed when individual isoforms are eliminated in crop plants including pea, maize, potato and cotton. A sus1/sus4 double mutant grows normally in well-aerated conditions, but shows marked growth retardation and accumulation of sugars when roots are subjected to hypoxia. The sucrose synthase activity in roots of this mutant is 3% or less of wild-type activity. Thus under well-aerated conditions sucrose mobilization in the root can proceed almost entirely via invertases without obvious detriment to the plant, but under hypoxia there is a specific requirement for sucrose synthase activity.

Characterization of a protein from Rice tungro spherical virus with serine proteinase-like activity.

The RNA genome of Rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) is predicted to be expressed as a large polyprotein precursor (Shen et al., Virology 193, 621-630, 1993 ). The polyprotein is processed by at least one virus-encoded protease located adjacent to the C-terminal putative RNA polymerase which shows sequence similarity to viral serine-like proteases. The catalytic activity of this protease was explored using in vitro transcription/translation systems. Besides acting in cis, the protease had activity in trans on precursors containing regions of the 3' half of the polyprotein but did not process a substrate consisting of a precursor of the coat proteins. The substitution mutation of Asp(2735) of the RTSV polyprotein had no effect on proteolysis; however, His(2680), Glu(2717), Cys(2811) and His(2830) proved to be essential for catalytic activity and could constitute the catalytic centre and/or substrate-binding pocket of the RTSV 3C-like protease.

RNAs 1 and 2 of Alfalfa mosaic virus, expressed in transgenic plants, start to replicate only after infection of the plants with RNA 3.

RNAs 1 and 2 of the tripartite genome of Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) encode the two viral replicase subunits. Full-length DNA copies of RNAs 1 and 2 were used to transform tobacco plants (R12 lines). None of the transgenic lines showed resistance to AMV infection. In healthy R12 plants, the transcripts of the viral cDNAs were copied by the transgenic viral replicase into minus-strand RNAs but subsequent steps in replication were blocked. When the R12 plants were inoculated with AMV RNA 3, this block was lifted and the transgenic RNAs 1 and 2 were amplified by the transgenic replicase together with RNA 3. The transgenic expression of RNAs 1 and 2 largely circumvented the role of coat protein (CP) in the inoculum that is required for infection of nontransgenic plants. The results for the first time demonstrate the role of CP in AMV plus-strand RNA synthesis at the whole plant level.