The bryophytes Physcomitrium patens and Marchantia polymorpha as model systems for studying evolutionary cell and developmental biology in plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Naramoto ◽  
Yuki Hata ◽  
Tomomichi Fujita ◽  
Junko Kyozuka
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Biology ◽  
Cell Division ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Marchantia Polymorpha ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Biological Studies

Abstract Bryophytes are non-vascular spore-forming plants. Unlike in flowering plants, the gametophyte (haploid) generation of bryophytes dominates the sporophyte (diploid) generation. A comparison of bryophytes with flowering plants allows us to answer some fundamental questions raised in evolutionary cell and developmental biology. The moss Physcomitrium patens was the first bryophyte with a sequenced genome. Many cell and developmental studies have been conducted in this species using gene targeting by homologous recombination. The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha has recently emerged as an excellent model system with low genomic redundancy in most of its regulatory pathways. With the development of molecular genetic tools such as efficient genome editing, both P. patens and M. polymorpha have provided many valuable insights. Here, we review these advances, with a special focus on polarity formation at the cell and tissue levels. We examine current knowledge regarding the cellular mechanisms of polarized cell elongation and cell division, including symmetric and asymmetric cell division. We also examine the role of polar auxin transport in mosses and liverworts. Finally, we discuss the future of evolutionary cell and developmental biological studies in plants.

Noncoding RNAs in Medicinal Plants and Their Regulatory Roles in Bioactive Compound Production

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caili Li ◽  
Meizhen Wang ◽  
Xiaoxiao Qiu ◽  
Hong Zhou ◽  
Shanfa Lu
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Salvia Miltiorrhiza ◽  
Noncoding Rnas ◽  
Bioactive Compound ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Small Interfering Rnas ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Regulatory Modules

Background: Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), play significant regulatory roles in plant development and secondary metabolism and are involved in plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses. They have been intensively studied in model systems and crops for approximately two decades and massive amount of information have been obtained. However, for medicinal plants, ncRNAs, particularly their regulatory roles in bioactive compound biosynthesis, are just emerging as a hot research field. Objective: This review aims to summarize current knowledge on herbal ncRNAs and their regulatory roles in bioactive compound production. Results and Conclusion: So far, scientists have identified thousands of miRNA candidates from over 50 medicinal plant species and 11794 lncRNAs from Salvia miltiorrhiza, Panax ginseng, and Digitalis purpurea. Among them, more than 30 miRNAs and five lncRNAs have been predicted to regulate bioactive compound production. The regulation may achieve through various regulatory modules and pathways, such as the miR397-LAC module, the miR12112-PPO module, the miR156-SPL module, the miR828-MYB module, the miR858-MYB module, and other siRNA and lncRNA regulatory pathways. Further functional analysis of herbal ncRNAs will provide useful information for quality and quantity improvement of medicinal plants.

scholarly journals ARP2/3-independent WAVE/SCAR pathway and class XI myosin control sperm nuclear migration in flowering plants

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (51) ◽  
pp. 32757-32763
Author(s):  
Mohammad Foteh Ali ◽  
Umma Fatema ◽  
Xiongbo Peng ◽  
Samuel W. Hacker ◽  
Daisuke Maruyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Migration ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Actin Dynamics ◽  
Double Fertilization ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Dynamic Movement ◽  
Myosin Xi ◽  
And Control

After eukaryotic fertilization, gamete nuclei migrate to fuse parental genomes in order to initiate development of the next generation. In most animals, microtubules control female and male pronuclear migration in the zygote. Flowering plants, on the other hand, have evolved actin filament (F-actin)-based sperm nuclear migration systems for karyogamy. Flowering plants have also evolved a unique double-fertilization process: two female gametophytic cells, the egg and central cells, are each fertilized by a sperm cell. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of how flowering plants utilize and control F-actin for double-fertilization events are largely unknown. Using confocal microscopy live-cell imaging with a combination of pharmacological and genetic approaches, we identified factors involved in F-actin dynamics and sperm nuclear migration inArabidopsis thaliana(Arabidopsis) andNicotiana tabacum(tobacco). We demonstrate that the F-actin regulator, SCAR2, but not the ARP2/3 protein complex, controls the coordinated active F-actin movement. These results imply that an ARP2/3-independent WAVE/SCAR-signaling pathway regulates F-actin dynamics in female gametophytic cells for fertilization. We also identify that the class XI myosin XI-G controls active F-actin movement in theArabidopsiscentral cell. XI-G is not a simple transporter, moving cargos along F-actin, but can generate forces that control the dynamic movement of F-actin for fertilization. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms that control gamete nuclear migration and reveal regulatory pathways for dynamic F-actin movement in flowering plants.

scholarly journals Molecular Crosstalking among Noncoding RNAs: A New Network Layer of Genome Regulation in Cancer

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Ragusa ◽  
Cristina Barbagallo ◽  
Duilia Brex ◽  
Angela Caponnetto ◽  
Matilde Cirnigliaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Noncoding Rnas ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
The Past ◽  
Higher Eukaryotes

Over the past few years, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been extensively studied because of the significant biological roles that they play in regulation of cellular mechanisms. ncRNAs are associated to higher eukaryotes complexity; accordingly, their dysfunction results in pathological phenotypes, including cancer. To date, most research efforts have been mainly focused on how ncRNAs could modulate the expression of protein-coding genes in pathological phenotypes. However, recent evidence has shown the existence of an unexpected interplay among ncRNAs that strongly influences cancer development and progression. ncRNAs can interact with and regulate each other through various molecular mechanisms generating a complex network including different species of RNAs (e.g., mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs). Such a hidden network of RNA-RNA competitive interactions pervades and modulates the physiological functioning of canonical protein-coding pathways involved in proliferation, differentiation, and metastasis in cancer. Moreover, the pivotal role of ncRNAs as keystones of network structural integrity makes them very attractive and promising targets for innovative RNA-based therapeutics. In this review we will discuss: (1) the current knowledge on complex crosstalk among ncRNAs, with a special focus on cancer; and (2) the main issues and criticisms concerning ncRNAs targeting in therapeutics.

scholarly journals Coronavirus, the King Who Wanted More Than a Crown: From Common to the Highly Pathogenic SARS-CoV-2, Is the Key in the Accessory Genes?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Chazal
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Etiologic Agent ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Accessory Gene ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Highly Pathogenic ◽  
Gene Acquisition ◽  
Human Coronaviruses ◽  
Virus Adaptation

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), that emerged in late 2019, is the etiologic agent of the current “coronavirus disease 2019” (COVID-19) pandemic, which has serious health implications and a significant global economic impact. Of the seven human coronaviruses, all of which have a zoonotic origin, the pandemic SARS-CoV-2, is the third emerging coronavirus, in the 21st century, highly pathogenic to the human population. Previous human coronavirus outbreaks (SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV) have already provided several valuable information on some of the common molecular and cellular mechanisms of coronavirus infections as well as their origin. However, to meet the new challenge caused by the SARS-CoV-2, a detailed understanding of the biological specificities, as well as knowledge of the origin are crucial to provide information on viral pathogenicity, transmission and epidemiology, and to enable strategies for therapeutic interventions and drug discovery. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the current advances in SARS-CoV-2 knowledges, in light of pre-existing information of other recently emerging coronaviruses. We depict the specificity of the immune response of wild bats and discuss current knowledge of the genetic diversity of bat-hosted coronaviruses that promotes viral genome expansion (accessory gene acquisition). In addition, we describe the basic virology of coronaviruses with a special focus SARS-CoV-2. Finally, we highlight, in detail, the current knowledge of genes and accessory proteins which we postulate to be the major keys to promote virus adaptation to specific hosts (bat and human), to contribute to the suppression of immune responses, as well as to pathogenicity.

scholarly journals The TGFβ Family in Human Placental Development at the Fetal-Maternal Interface

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 453
Author(s):  
Susana M. Chuva de Sousa Lopes ◽  
Marta S. Alexdottir ◽  
Gudrun Valdimarsdottir
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Beta ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Cell Model ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Placental Development

Emerging data suggest that a trophoblast stem cell (TSC) population exists in the early human placenta. However, in vitro stem cell culture models are still in development and it remains under debate how well they reflect primary trophoblast (TB) cells. The absence of robust protocols to generate TSCs from humans has resulted in limited knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that regulate human placental development and TB lineage specification when compared to other human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). As placentation in mouse and human differ considerably, it is only with the development of human-based disease models using TSCs that we will be able to understand the various diseases caused by abnormal placentation in humans, such as preeclampsia. In this review, we summarize the knowledge on normal human placental development, the placental disease preeclampsia, and current stem cell model systems used to mimic TB differentiation. A special focus is given to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) family as it has been shown that the TGFβ family has an important role in human placental development and disease.

scholarly journals Hypoxia, Acidification and Inflammation: Partners in Crime in Parkinson’s Disease Pathogenesis?

Immuno ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-90
Author(s):  
Johannes Burtscher ◽  
Grégoire P. Millet
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Brain Cell ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Molecular Alterations ◽  
Research Fields

Like in other neurodegenerative diseases, protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Differentiating characteristics of PD include the central role of α-synuclein in the aggregation pathology, a distinct vulnerability of the striato-nigral system with the related motor symptoms, as well as specific mitochondrial deficits. Which molecular alterations cause neurodegeneration and drive PD pathogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we summarize evidence of the involvement of three interdependent factors in PD and suggest that their interplay is likely a trigger and/or aggravator of PD-related neurodegeneration: hypoxia, acidification and inflammation. We aim to integrate the existing knowledge on the well-established role of inflammation and immunity, the emerging interest in the contribution of hypoxic insults and the rather neglected effects of brain acidification in PD pathogenesis. Their tight association as an important aspect of the disease merits detailed investigation. Consequences of related injuries are discussed in the context of aging and the interaction of different brain cell types, in particular with regard to potential consequences on the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. A special focus is put on the identification of current knowledge gaps and we emphasize the importance of related insights from other research fields, such as cancer research and immunometabolism, for neurodegeneration research. The highlighted interplay of hypoxia, acidification and inflammation is likely also of relevance for other neurodegenerative diseases, despite disease-specific biochemical and metabolic alterations.

scholarly journals Flowering plant embryos: How did we end up here?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan A. Rensing ◽  
Dolf Weijers
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
General Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Flowering Plants ◽  
Flowering Plant ◽  
Adult Plant ◽  
Ancestral State ◽  
Evolutionary Trajectory ◽  
Current State ◽  
Plant Embryo

AbstractThe seeds of flowering plants are sexually produced propagules that ensure dispersal and resilience of the next generation. Seeds harbor embryos, three dimensional structures that are often miniatures of the adult plant in terms of general structure and primordial organs. In addition, embryos contain the meristems that give rise to post-embryonically generated structures. However common, flowering plant embryos are an evolutionary derived state. Flowering plants are part of a much larger group of embryo-bearing plants, aptly termed Embryophyta. A key question is what evolutionary trajectory led to the emergence of flowering plant embryos. In this opinion, we deconstruct the flowering plant embryo and describe the current state of knowledge of embryos in other plant lineages. While we are far yet from understanding the ancestral state of plant embryogenesis, we argue what current knowledge may suggest and how the knowledge gaps may be closed.

scholarly journals Stress-Related Dysfunction of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis—An Attempt for Understanding Resilience?

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7339
Author(s):  
Julia Leschik ◽  
Beat Lutz ◽  
Antonietta Gentile
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Adult Neurogenesis ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Functional Relation ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Extrinsic Cues ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Newborn Neurons

Newborn neurons in the adult hippocampus are regulated by many intrinsic and extrinsic cues. It is well accepted that elevated glucocorticoid levels lead to downregulation of adult neurogenesis, which this review discusses as one reason why psychiatric diseases, such as major depression, develop after long-term stress exposure. In reverse, adult neurogenesis has been suggested to protect against stress-induced major depression, and hence, could serve as a resilience mechanism. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge about the functional relation of adult neurogenesis and stress in health and disease. A special focus will lie on the mechanisms underlying the cascades of events from prolonged high glucocorticoid concentrations to reduced numbers of newborn neurons. In addition to neurotransmitter and neurotrophic factor dysregulation, these mechanisms include immunomodulatory pathways, as well as microbiota changes influencing the gut-brain axis. Finally, we discuss recent findings delineating the role of adult neurogenesis in stress resilience.

scholarly journals Rho GTPases as Key Molecular Players within Intestinal Mucosa and GI Diseases

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Rashmita Pradhan ◽  
Phuong A. Ngo ◽  
Luz d. C. Martínez-Sánchez ◽  
Markus F. Neurath ◽  
Rocío López-Posadas
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Mucosa ◽  
Rho Gtpases ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Effector Proteins ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Rho Proteins

Rho proteins operate as key regulators of the cytoskeleton, cell morphology and trafficking. Acting as molecular switches, the function of Rho GTPases is determined by guanosine triphosphate (GTP)/guanosine diphosphate (GDP) exchange and their lipidation via prenylation, allowing their binding to cellular membranes and the interaction with downstream effector proteins in close proximity to the membrane. A plethora of in vitro studies demonstrate the indispensable function of Rho proteins for cytoskeleton dynamics within different cell types. However, only in the last decades we have got access to genetically modified mouse models to decipher the intricate regulation between members of the Rho family within specific cell types in the complex in vivo situation. Translationally, alterations of the expression and/or function of Rho GTPases have been associated with several pathological conditions, such as inflammation and cancer. In the context of the GI tract, the continuous crosstalk between the host and the intestinal microbiota requires a tight regulation of the complex interaction between cellular components within the intestinal tissue. Recent studies demonstrate that Rho GTPases play important roles for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis in the gut. We will summarize the current knowledge on Rho protein function within individual cell types in the intestinal mucosa in vivo, with special focus on intestinal epithelial cells and T cells.

scholarly journals Hampering Stromal Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment as a Therapeutic Strategy to Destem Cancer Stem Cells

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 3191
Author(s):  
Katherine Po Sin Chung ◽  
Rainbow Wing Hei Leung ◽  
Terence Kin Wah Lee
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Tumor Microenvironment ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Stromal Cells ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Intrinsic Regulation ◽  
Mechanistic Basis ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) within the tumor bulk play crucial roles in tumor initiation, recurrence and therapeutic resistance. In addition to intrinsic regulation, a growing body of evidence suggests that the phenotypes of CSCs are also regulated extrinsically by stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we discuss the current knowledge of the interplay between stromal cells and cancer cells with a special focus on how stromal cells drive the stemness of cancer cells and immune evasive mechanisms of CSCs. Knowledge gained from the interaction between CSCs and stromal cells will provide a mechanistic basis for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancers.

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