scholarly journals The genome of a subterrestrial nematode reveals adaptations to heat

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah J. Weinstein ◽  
Sarah E. Allen ◽  
Maggie C. Y. Lau ◽  
Mariana Erasmus ◽  
Kathryn C. Asalone ◽  
...  

AbstractThe nematode Halicephalobus mephisto was originally discovered inhabiting a deep terrestrial aquifer 1.3 km underground. H. mephisto can thrive under conditions of abiotic stress including heat and minimal oxygen, where it feeds on a community of both chemolithotrophic and heterotrophic prokaryotes in an unusual ecosystem isolated from the surface biosphere. Here we report the comprehensive genome and transcriptome of this organism, identifying a signature of adaptation: an expanded repertoire of 70 kilodalton heat-shock proteins (Hsp70) and avrRpt2 induced gene 1 (AIG1) proteins. The expanded Hsp70 genes are transcriptionally induced upon growth under heat stress, and we find that positive selection is detectable in several members of this family. We further show that AIG1 may have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from a rhizobial fungus. Over one-third of the genes of H. mephisto are novel, highlighting the divergence of this nematode from other sequenced organisms. This work sheds light on the genomic basis of heat tolerance in a complete subterrestrial eukaryotic genome.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah J. Weinstein ◽  
Sarah E. Allen ◽  
Maggie C. Y. Lau ◽  
Mariana Erasmus ◽  
Kathryn C. Asalone ◽  
...  

AbstractThe nematode Halicephalobus mephisto was originally discovered inhabiting a deep terrestrial aquifer 1.3 km underground. H. mephisto can thrive under conditions of abiotic stress including heat and minimal oxygen, where it feeds on a community of both chemolithotrophic and heterotrophic prokaryotes in an unusual ecosystem isolated from the surface biosphere. Here we report the comprehensive genome and transcriptome of this organism, identifying a signature of adaptation: an expanded repertoire of 70 kilodalton heat-shock proteins (Hsp70) and avrRpt2 induced gene 1 (AIG1) proteins. We find that positive selection has driven the expansion of Hsp70 genes, which are also transcriptionally induced upon growth under heat stress. We further show that AIG1 may have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from a rhizobial fungus. Over one-third of the genes of H. mephisto are novel, highlighting the divergence of this nematode from other sequenced organisms. This work sheds light on the genomic strategies of adaptation to heat in the first complete subterrestrial eukaryotic genome.


1994 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 857 ◽  
Author(s):  
HT Nguyen ◽  
CP Joshi ◽  
N Klueva ◽  
J Weng ◽  
KL Hendershot ◽  
...  

The occurrence of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) in response to high temperature stress is a universal phenomenon in higher plants and has been well documented. However, in agriculturally important species, less is known about the expression of HSPs under natural environments. A review of the heat-shock response in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is presented and recent results on the expression of wheat HSPs under diurnal stress and field conditions are reported. In the field experiment, flag leaf blade temperatures were obtained and leaf blades collected for northern blot analysis using HSP 16.9 cDNA as a probe. Temperatures of leaf blades ranged from 32 to 35�C under the tested field conditions at New Deal near Lubbock, Texas. Messenger RNAs encoding a major class of low molecular weight HSPs, HSP 16.9, were detected in all wheat genotypes examined. The results suggested that HSPs are synthesised in response to heat stress under agricultural production, and furthermore, that HSPs are produced in wheats differing in geographic background. In the controlled growth chamber experiment, HSP expression in two wheat cultivars, Mustang (heat tolerant) and Sturdy (heat susceptible) were analysed to determine if wheat genotypes differing in heat tolerance differ in in vitro HSP synthesis (translatable HSP mRNAs) under a chronic, diurnal heat-stress regime. Leaf tissues were collected from seedlings over a time-course and poly (A)+RNAs were isolated for in vitro translation and 2-D gel electrophoresis. The protein profiles shown in the 2-D gel analysis revealed that there were not only quantitative differences of individual HSPs between these two wheat lines, but also some unique HSPs which were only found in the heat tolerant line. This data provides evidence of a correlation between HSP synthesis and heat tolerance in wheat under a simulated field environment and suggests that further genetic analysis of HSPs in a segregating population is worthy of investigation. In conclusion, the results of this study provide an impetus for the investigation of the roles of HSP genes in heat tolerance in wheat.


HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 1115B-1115
Author(s):  
Seenivasan Natarajan ◽  
Jeff Kuehny

Small heat shock proteins (sHSP) are a specific group of highly conserved proteins produced in almost all living organisms under heat stress. These sHSP have been shown to help prevent damage at the biomolecular level in plants. One of the greatest impediments to production of marketable herbaceous plants and their longevity is high temperature stress. The objectives of this experiment were to study the plant responses in terms of sHSP synthesis, single leaf net photosynthesis, total water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and overall growth for two S. splendens cultivars differing in performance under heat stress. `Vista Red' (heat tolerant) and `Sizzler Red' (heat sensitive) were exposed to short duration (3 hours) high temperature stresses of 30, 35, and 40 °C in growth chambers. Increasing the temperature to about 10 to 15 °C above the optimal growth temperature (25 °C, control) induced the synthesis of sHSP 27 in S. splendens. Expression of these proteins was significantly greater in the heat-tolerant vs. the heat-sensitive cultivar. Soluble carbohydrate content was greater in `Vista Red', and in both the cultivars raffinose was the primary soluble carbohydrate in heat-stressed plants. Overall growth of plants was significantly different in the two cultivars studied in terms of plant height, stem thickness, number of days to flower, and marketable quality. The better performance of `Vista Red' under heat stress was attributed to its morphological characteristics, including short stature, thicker stems and leaves. sHSPs and WSC are also found to be associated with heat tolerance and heat adaptation in S. splendens.


Author(s):  
Mahmoud Hussien Abou-Deif ◽  
Mohamed Abdel-Salam Rashed ◽  
Kamal Mohamed Khalil ◽  
Fatma El-Sayed Mahmoud

Abstract Background Maize is one of the important cereal food crops in the world. High temperature stress causes adverse influence on plant growth. When plants are exposed to high temperatures, they produce heat shock proteins (HSPs), which may impart a generalized role in tolerance to heat stress. Proteome analysis was performed in plant to assess the changes in protein types and their expression levels under abiotic stress. The purpose of the study is to explore which proteins are involved in the response of the maize plant to heat shock treatment. Results We investigated the responses of abundant proteins of maize leaves, in an Egyptian inbred line of maize “K1”, upon heat stress through two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) on samples of maize leaf proteome. 2-DE technique was used to recognize heat-responsive protein spots using Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) and silver staining. In 2-D analysis of proteins from plants treated at 45 °C for 2 h, the results manifested 59 protein spots (4.3%) which were reproducibly detected as new spots where did not present in the control. In 2D for treated plants for 4 h, 104 protein spots (7.7%) were expressed only under heat stress. Quantification of spot intensities derived from heat treatment showed that twenty protein spots revealed clear differences between the control and the two heat treatments. Nine spots appeared with more intensity after heat treatments than the control, while four spots appeared only after heat treatments. Five spots were clearly induced after heat treatment either at 2 h or 4 h and were chosen for more analysis by LC-MSMS. They were identified as ATPase beta subunit, HSP26, HSP16.9, and unknown HSP/Chaperonin. Conclusion The results revealed that the expressive level of the four heat shock proteins that were detected in this study plays important roles to avoid heat stress in maize plants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 1617-1637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang-Zheng Wang ◽  
Chao-Jun Ma ◽  
Yi Luo ◽  
Sha-Sha Zhou ◽  
Yan Zhou ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: Heat stress could cause huge losses for Lentinula edodes in China and other Asian cultivation areas. Yet our understanding of mechanism how to defend to heat stress is incomplete. Methods: Using heat-tolerant and heat-sensitive strains of L. edodes, we reported a combined proteome and transcriptome analysis of L. edodes response to 40 °C heat stress for 24 h. Meanwhile, the effect of LeDnaJ on the thermotolerance and IAA (indoleacetic acid) biosynthesis in L. edodes was analyzed via the over-expression method. Results: The proteome results revealed that HSPs (heat shock proteins) such as Hsp40 (DnaJ), Hsp70, Hsp90 and key enzymes involved in tryptophan and IAA metabolism process LeTrpE, LeTrpD, LeTam-1, LeYUCCA were more highly expressed in S606 than in YS3357, demonstrating that HSPs and tryptophan as well as IAA metabolism pathway should play an important role in thermotolerance. Over-expression of LeDnaJ gene in S606 strains showed better tolerance to heat stress. It was also documented that intracellular IAA accumulation of S606 (8-fold up) was more than YS3357 (2-fold up), and exogenous IAA enhanced L. edodes tolerance to heat stress. Conclusion: Our data support the interest of LeTrpE, LeDnaJ, tryptophan and IAA could play a pivotal role in enhancing organism thermotolerance.


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