McWRI1, a transcription factor of the AP2/SHEN family, regulates the biosynthesis of the cuticular waxes on the apple fruit surface under low temperature

The process of fruit ripening involves many chemical changes occurring not only in the mesocarp but also in the epicarp, including changes in the triterpenoid content of fruit cuticular waxes that can modify the susceptibility to pathogens and mechanical properties of the fruit surface. The aim of the study was the determination of the ripening-related changes in the triterpenoid content of fruit cuticular waxes of three plant species from the Rosaceae family, including rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa), black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa var. “Galicjanka”) and apple (Malus domestica var. “Antonovka”). The triterpenoid and steroid content in chloroform-soluble cuticular waxes was determined by a GC-MS/FID method at four different phenological stages. The profile of identified compounds was rather similar in selected fruit samples with triterpenoids with ursane-, oleanane- and lupane-type carbon skeletons, prevalence of ursolic acid and the composition of steroids. Increasing accumulation of triterpenoids and steroids, as well as the progressive enrichment of the composition of these compounds in cuticular wax during fruit development, was observed. The changes in triterpenoid content resulted from modifications of metabolic pathways, particularly hydroxylation and esterification, that can alter interactions with complementary functional groups of aliphatic constituents and lead to important changes in fruit surface quality.

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Dissecting the Roles of Cuticular Wax in Plant Resistance to Shoot Dehydration and Low-Temperature Stress in Arabidopsis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22041554 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 1554

Author(s):

Tawhidur Rahman ◽

Mingxuan Shao ◽

Shankar Pahari ◽

Prakash Venglat ◽

Raju Soolanayakanahally ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Low Temperature ◽

Cold Acclimation ◽

Water Loss ◽

Cuticular Wax ◽

Dehydration Stress ◽

Wax Deposition ◽

Cuticular Waxes ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy

Cuticular waxes are a mixture of hydrophobic very-long-chain fatty acids and their derivatives accumulated in the plant cuticle. Most studies define the role of cuticular wax largely based on reducing nonstomatal water loss. The present study investigated the role of cuticular wax in reducing both low-temperature and dehydration stress in plants using Arabidopsis thaliana mutants and transgenic genotypes altered in the formation of cuticular wax. cer3-6, a known Arabidopsis wax-deficient mutant (with distinct reduction in aldehydes, n-alkanes, secondary n-alcohols, and ketones compared to wild type (WT)), was most sensitive to water loss, while dewax, a known wax overproducer (greater alkanes and ketones compared to WT), was more resistant to dehydration compared to WT. Furthermore, cold-acclimated cer3-6 froze at warmer temperatures, while cold-acclimated dewax displayed freezing exotherms at colder temperatures compared to WT. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis identified a characteristic decrease in the accumulation of certain waxes (e.g., alkanes, alcohols) in Arabidopsis cuticles under cold acclimation, which was additionally reduced in cer3-6. Conversely, the dewax mutant showed a greater ability to accumulate waxes under cold acclimation. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) also supported observations in cuticular wax deposition under cold acclimation. Our data indicate cuticular alkane waxes along with alcohols and fatty acids can facilitate avoidance of both ice formation and leaf water loss under dehydration stress and are promising genetic targets of interest.

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The bHLH transcription factor MdbHLH3 promotes anthocyanin accumulation and fruit colouration in response to low temperature in apples

Plant Cell & Environment ◽

10.1111/j.1365-3040.2012.02523.x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 35 (11) ◽

pp. 1884-1897 ◽

Cited By ~ 241

Author(s):

XING-BIN XIE ◽

SHEN LI ◽

RUI-FEN ZHANG ◽

JING ZHAO ◽

YING-CHUN CHEN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Low Temperature ◽

Bhlh Transcription Factor ◽

Anthocyanin Accumulation ◽

Fruit Colouration

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Histopathology of apple fruit infected with strains of the low-temperature basidiomyceteCoprinus psychromorbidus

Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology ◽

10.1080/07060669009500976 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 369-375 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

D.A. Gaudet ◽

E.G. Kokko ◽

P.L. Sholberg

Keyword(s):

Low Temperature ◽

Apple Fruit

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QTL Mapping Low-Temperature Germination Ability in the Maize IBM Syn10 DH Population

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants11020214 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 214

Author(s):

Qinghui Han ◽

Qingxiang Zhu ◽

Yao Shen ◽

Michael Lee ◽

Thomas Lübberstedt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Low Temperature ◽

Candidate Genes ◽

Temperature Tolerance ◽

Bhlh Transcription Factor ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Dh Population ◽

Low Temperature Tolerance ◽

Germination Ability ◽

Upregulated Genes

Chilling injury poses a serious threat to seed emergence of spring-sowing maize in China, which has become one of the main climatic limiting factors affecting maize production in China. It is of great significance to mine the key genes controlling low-temperature tolerance during seed germination and study their functions for breeding new maize varieties with strong low-temperature tolerance during germination. In this study, 176 lines of the intermated B73 × Mo17 (IBM) Syn10 doubled haploid (DH) population, which comprised 6618 bin markers, were used for QTL analysis of low-temperature germination ability. The results showed significant differences in germination related traits under optimum-temperature condition (25 °C) and low-temperature condition (10 °C) between two parental lines. In total, 13 QTLs were detected on all chromosomes, except for chromosome 5, 7, 10. Among them, seven QTLs formed five QTL clusters on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 under the low-temperature condition, which suggested that there may be some genes regulating multiple germination traits at the same time. A total of 39 candidate genes were extracted from five QTL clusters based on the maize GDB under the low-temperature condition. To further screen candidate genes controlling low-temperature germination, RNA-Seq, in which RNA was extracted from the germination seeds of B73 and Mo17 at 10 °C, was conducted, and three B73 upregulated genes and five Mo17 upregulated genes were found by combined analysis of RNA-Seq and QTL located genes. Additionally, the variations of Zm00001d027976 (GLABRA2), Zm00001d007311 (bHLH transcription factor), and Zm00001d053703 (bZIP transcription factor) were found by comparison of amino sequence between B73 and Mo17. This study will provide a theoretical basis for marker-assisted breeding and lay a foundation for further revealing molecular mechanism of low-temperature germination tolerance in maize.

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