Diverging cell wall strategies for drought adaptation in two maize inbreds with contrasting lodging resistance

© 2024 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.The plant cell wall is a plastic structure of variable composition that constitutes the first line of defence against environmental challenges. Lodging and drought are two stressful conditions that severely impact maize yield. In a previous work, we characterised the cell walls of two maize inbreds, EA2024 (susceptible) and B73 (resistant) to stalk lodging. Here, we show that drought induces distinct phenotypical, physiological, cell wall, and transcriptional changes in the two inbreds, with B73 exhibiting lower tolerance to this stress than EA2024. In control conditions, EA2024 stalks had higher levels of cellulose, uronic acids and p-coumarate than B73. However, upon drought EA2024 displayed increased levels of arabinose-enriched polymers, such as pectin-arabinans and arabinogalactan proteins, and a decreased lignin content. By contrast, B73 displayed a deeper rearrangement of cell walls upon drought, including modifications in lignin composition (increased S subunits and S/G ratio; decreased H subunits) and an increase of uronic acids. Drought induced more substantial changes in gene expression in B73 compared to EA2024, particularly in cell wall-related genes, that were modulated in an inbred-specific manner. Transcription factor enrichment assays unveiled inbred-specific regulatory networks coordinating cell wall genes expression. Altogether, these findings reveal that B73 and EA2024 inbreds, with opposite stalk-lodging phenotypes, undertake different cell wall modification strategies in response to drought. We propose that the specific cell wall composition conferring lodging resistance to B73, compromises its cell wall plasticity, and renders this inbred more susceptible to drought.This work was supported by the Grants AGL2014-58126-R; RTC-2016-5816-2 and PID2022-142786NB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ERDF “A way to make Europe” and received financial support from the CONSOLIDER-INGENIO programme (CSD2007-00036) from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. S.C. was financed with a PhD contract (PRE2019-089329) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ESF Investing in your future”, and by SEV-2015-0533-19-1 and CEX2019-000902-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. A.M.-R. was financed with a PhD contract from the Consejería de Educación de Castilla y León and the Fondo Social Europeo (ORDEN EDU/601/2020, July 7th). This work was also supported by the SGR programmes (2017SGR710 and 2021-SGR-01131) from the Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Empresa i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya and by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. This work was financially supported by RYC2021-033414-l to R.U funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 by the “European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR”. Finally, we acknowledge financial support from the Grants SEV-2015-0533-19-1 and CEX2019-000902-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000902-S).Peer reviewe

Under a new light : Regulation of light-dependent pathways by non-coding RNAs

The biological relevance of non-protein coding RNAs in the regulation of critical plant processes has been firmly established in recent years. This has been mostly achieved with the discovery and functional characterization of small non-coding RNAs, such as small interfering RNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs). However, recent next-generation sequencing techniques have widened our view of the non-coding RNA world, which now includes long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Small and lncRNAs seem to diverge in their biogenesis and mode of action, but growing evidence highlights their relevance in developmental processes and in responses to particular environmental conditions. Light can affect MIRNA gene transcription, miRNA biogenesis, and RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) activity, thus controlling not only miRNA accumulation but also their biological function. In addition, miRNAs can mediate several light-regulated processes. In the lncRNA world, few reports are available, but they already indicate a role in the regulation of photomorphogenesis, cotyledon greening, and photoperiod-regulated flowering. In this review, we will discuss how light controls MIRNA gene expression and the accumulation of their mature forms, with a particular emphasis on those miRNAs that respond to different light qualities and are conserved among species. We will also address the role of small non-coding RNAs, particularly miRNAs, and lncRNAs in the regulation of light-dependent pathways. We will mainly focus on the recent progress done in understanding the interconnection between these non-coding RNAs and photomorphogenesis, circadian clock function, and photoperiod-dependent flowering

Under a New Light: Regulation of Light-Dependent Pathways by Non-coding RNAs

The biological relevance of non-protein coding RNAs in the regulation of critical plant processes has been firmly established in recent years. This has been mostly achieved with the discovery and functional characterization of small non-coding RNAs, such as small interfering RNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs). However, recent next-generation sequencing techniques have widened our view of the non-coding RNA world, which now includes long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Small and lncRNAs seem to diverge in their biogenesis and mode of action, but growing evidence highlights their relevance in developmental processes and in responses to particular environmental conditions. Light can affect MIRNA gene transcription, miRNA biogenesis, and RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) activity, thus controlling not only miRNA accumulation but also their biological function. In addition, miRNAs can mediate several light-regulated processes. In the lncRNA world, few reports are available, but they already indicate a role in the regulation of photomorphogenesis, cotyledon greening, and photoperiod-regulated flowering. In this review, we will discuss how light controls MIRNA gene expression and the accumulation of their mature forms, with a particular emphasis on those miRNAs that respond to different light qualities and are conserved among species. We will also address the role of small non-coding RNAs, particularly miRNAs, and lncRNAs in the regulation of light-dependent pathways. We will mainly focus on the recent progress done in understanding the interconnection between these non-coding RNAs and photomorphogenesis, circadian clock function, and photoperiod-dependent flowering

Biotechnological improvements in wine production: genetically modified yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PósterThe genetic improvement of industrial wine strains is now based on genetic engineering, the technology where just one characteristic of a gene can be modified with precision without affecting other desirable properties. Impressive progress has been made, specially, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The principal targets of improvement fall into four categories: Fermentation performance, processing, organoleptic characteristics and wholesomeness of the product. This technology is enabling the development of a new generation of specialized yeast strains, with new more suitable characteristics for winemaking

Diverging cell wall strategies for drought adaptation in two maize inbreds with contrasting lodging resistance

The plant cell wall is a plastic structure of variable composition that constitutes the first line of defence against environmental challenges. Lodging and drought are two stressful conditions that severely impact maize yield. In a previous work, we characterised the cell walls of two maize inbreds, EA2024 (susceptible) and B73 (resistant) to stalk lodging. Here, we show that drought induces distinct phenotypical, physiological, cell wall, and transcriptional changes in the two inbreds, with B73 exhibiting lower tolerance to this stress than EA2024. In control conditions, EA2024 stalks had higher levels of cellulose, uronic acids and p‐coumarate than B73. However, upon drought EA2024 displayed increased levels of arabinose‐enriched polymers, such as pectin‐arabinans and arabinogalactan proteins, and a decreased lignin content. By contrast, B73 displayed a deeper rearrangement of cell walls upon drought, including modifications in lignin composition (increased S subunits and S/G ratio; decreased H subunits) and an increase of uronic acids. Drought induced more substantial changes in gene expression in B73 compared to EA2024, particularly in cell wall‐related genes, that were modulated in an inbred‐specific manner. Transcription factor enrichment assays unveiled inbred‐specific regulatory networks coordinating cell wall genes expression. Altogether, these findings reveal that B73 and EA2024 inbreds, with opposite stalk‐lodging phenotypes, undertake different cell wall modification strategies in response to drought. We propose that the specific cell wall composition conferring lodging resistance to B73, compromises its cell wall plasticity, and renders this inbred more susceptible to drought.This work was supported by the Grants AGL2014-58126-R; RTC-2016-5816-2 and PID2022-142786NB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and ERDF “A way to make Europe” and received financial support from the CONSOLIDER-INGENIO programme (CSD2007-00036) from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. S.C. was financed with a PhD contract (PRE2019-089329) funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ESF Investing in your future”, and by SEV-2015-0533-19-1 and CEX2019-000902-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. A.M.-R. was financed with a PhD contract from the Consejería de Educación de Castilla y León and the Fondo Social Europeo (ORDEN EDU/601/2020, July 7th). This work was also supported by the SGR programmes (2017SGR710 and 2021-SGR-01131) from the Secretaria d'Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Empresa i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya and by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. This work was financially supported by RYC2021-033414-l to R.U funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 by the “European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR”. Finally, we acknowledge financial support from the Grants SEV-2015-0533-19-1 and CEX2019-000902-S funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diverging cell wall strategies for drought adaptation in two maize inbreds with contrasting lodging resistance

The plant cell wall is a plastic structure of variable composition that constitutes the first line of defence against environmental challenges. Lodging and drought are two stressful conditions that severely impact maize yield. In a previous work, we characterised the cell walls of two maize inbreds, EA2024 (susceptible) and B73 (resistant) to stalk lodging. Here, we show that drought induces distinct phenotypical, physiological, cell wall, and transcriptional changes in the two inbreds, with B73 exhibiting lower tolerance to this stress than EA2024. In control conditions, EA2024 stalks had higher levels of cellulose, uronic acids and p‐coumarate than B73. However, upon drought EA2024 displayed increased levels of arabinose‐enriched polymers, such as pectin‐arabinans and arabinogalactan proteins, and a decreased lignin content. By contrast, B73 displayed a deeper rearrangement of cell walls upon drought, including modifications in lignin composition (increased S subunits and S/G ratio; decreased H subunits) and an increase of uronic acids. Drought induced more substantial changes in gene expression in B73 compared to EA2024, particularly in cell wall‐related genes, that were modulated in an inbred‐specific manner. Transcription factor enrichment assays unveiled inbred‐specific regulatory networks coordinating cell wall genes expression. Altogether, these findings reveal that B73 and EA2024 inbreds, with opposite stalk‐lodging phenotypes, undertake different cell wall modification strategies in response to drought. We propose that the specific cell wall composition conferring lodging resistance to B73, compromises its cell wall plasticity, and renders this inbred more susceptible to drought