Targeted CRISPR/Cas9-Based Knock-Out of the Rice Orthologs TILLER ANGLE CONTROL 1 (TAC1) in Poplar Induces Erect Leaf Habit and Shoot Growth

Pyramidal-, erect- or upright-growing plant forms are characterized by narrow branch angles of shoots and leaves. The putative advantage of upright-leaf and shoot habit could be a more efficient penetration of light into lower canopy layers. Pyramidal genotypes have already been reported for various tree genotypes including peach. The paralogous rice ortholog TILLER ANGLE CONTROL 1 (TAC1) has been proposed to be the responsible gene for upright growth. However, it has not really been demonstrated for any of the pyramidal tree genotypes that a knock-out mutation of the TAC1 gene is causing pyramidal plant growth. By in silico analyses, we have identified a putative rice TAC1 ortholog (Potri.014G102600, “TAC-14”) and its paralog (Potri.002G175300, “TAC-2”) in the genome of P. trichocarpa. Two putative PcTAC1 orthologs in the P. × canescens clone INRA 717-1B4 were successfully knocked-out by applying a transgenic CRISPR/Cas9-approach. The mutants were molecularly analyzed and phenotyped over a period of three years in a glasshouse. Our results indicate that the homozygous knock-out of “TAC-14” is sufficient to induce pyramidal plant growth in P. × canescens. If up to twice as many pyramidal individuals were planted on short rotation coppices (SRCs), this could lead to higher wood yield, without any breeding, simply by increasing the number of trees on a default field size.

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OseIF3h Regulates Plant Growth and Pollen Development at Translational Level Presumably through Interaction with OsMTA2

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10061101 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1101

Author(s):

Yuqing Huang ◽

Peng Zheng ◽

Xuejiao Liu ◽

Hao Chen ◽

Jumin Tu

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Translation Initiation ◽

Pollen Development ◽

Messenger Rna ◽

Protein Biosynthesis ◽

Translation Initiation Factor ◽

Initiation Factor ◽

Sequencing Data ◽

Knock Out ◽

Translational Level

The initiation stage of protein biosynthesis is a sophisticated process tightly regulated by numerous initiation factors and their associated components. However, the mechanism underlying translation initiation has not been completely understood in rice. Here, we showed knock-out mutation of the rice eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit h (OseIF3h) resulted in plant growth retardation and seed-setting rate reduction as compared to the wild type. Further investigation demonstrated an interaction between OseIF3h and OsMTA2 (mRNA adenosine methylase 2), a rice homolog of METTL3 (methyltransferase-like 3) in mammals, which provided new insight into how N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of messenger RNA (mRNA) is engaged in the translation initiation process in monocot species. Moreover, the RIP-seq (RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing) data suggested that OseIF3h was involved in multiple biological processes, including photosynthesis, cellular metabolic process, precursor metabolites, and energy generation. Therefore, we infer that OseIF3h interacts with OsMTA2 to target a particular subset of genes at translational level, regulating plant growth and pollen development.

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Impact of Foliar Application of Acibenzolar S-Methyl on Rose Rosette Disease and Rose Plant Quality

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-01-21-0131-re ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Binoy Babu ◽

Mathews L Paret ◽

Xavier Martini ◽

Gary Knox ◽

Barron Riddle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Untreated Control ◽

Systemic Acquired Resistance ◽

Foliar Application ◽

Acquired Resistance ◽

Water Control ◽

Knock Out ◽

Rose Rosette ◽

Rose Rosette Disease

Rose rosette disease (RRD) caused by rose rosette emaravirus (RRV) is a major issue in the U.S. rose industry with no effective method for its management. This study evaluated the effect of foliar application of Acibenzolar S-methyl (ASM), a plant systemic acquired resistance inducer in reducing RRD disease severity on Rosa species cv. Radtkopink (Pink Double Knock Out®) under greenhouse condition, and the effect of ASM on plant growth under commercial nursery production conditions. ASM at 50 or 100 mg/L at weekly intervals significantly reduced RRD severity compared to the untreated control in two of the three greenhouse trials (P < 0.05). The plants in these trials were subsequently pruned and observed for symptoms, which further indicated that application of ASM at 50 or 100 mg/L lowered disease severity compared to the untreated control (P < 0.05) in these two trials. Plants treated with ASM at 50 or 100 mg/L had delayed incidence of RRD compared to the non-treated controls. Plants treated with ASM at 50 or 100 mg/L rate in all three trials either did not have RRV present or the virus was present in fewer leaf samples than untreated controls as indicated by RT-qPCR analysis. Overall, plants treated with ASM at 50 mg/L had 36-43% reduced RRD incidence compared to the water control. The treatment of two cultivars of rose, ‘Radtkopink’ and ‘Meijocos’ (Pink Drift®), with weekly foliar applications of ASM at three rates (0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 oz/A) indicated that ASM had no negative effect on flowering or plant growth at even the highest rate.

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Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Prostrate/Erect Growth Habit in Winter Durum Wheat

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21020394 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 394 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Daniela Marone ◽

Monica Rodriguez ◽

Sergio Saia ◽

Roberto Papa ◽

Domenico Rau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Association Mapping ◽

Durum Wheat ◽

Candidate Genes ◽

Zinc Finger ◽

Growth Habit ◽

Genome Wide Association ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Plant Growth Habit ◽

Tiller Angle

By selecting for prostrate growth habit of the juvenile phase of the cycle, durum wheat cultivars could be developed with improved competitive ability against weeds, and better soil coverage to reduce the soil water lost by evaporation. A panel of 184 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) genotypes, previously genotyped with DArT-seq markers, was used to perform association mapping analysis of prostrate/erect growth habit trait and to identify candidate genes. Phenotypic data of plant growth habit were recorded during three consecutive growing seasons (2014–2016), two different growth conditions (field trial and greenhouse) and two sowing periods (autumn and spring). Genome-wide association study revealed significant marker-trait associations, twelve of which were specific for a single environment/year, 4 consistent in two environments, and two MTAs for the LSmeans were identified across all environments, on chromosomes 2B and 5A. The co-localization of some MTAs identified in this study with known vernalization and photoperiod genes demonstrated that the sensitivity to vernalization and photoperiod response are actually not only key components of spring/winter growth habit, but they play also an important role in defining the magnitude of the tiller angle during the tillering stage. Many zinc-finger transcription factors, such as C2H2 or CCCH-domain zinc finger proteins, known to be involved in plant growth habit and in leaf angle regulation were found as among the most likely candidate genes. The highest numbers of candidate genes putatively related to the trait were found on chromosomes 3A, 4B, 5A and 6A. Moreover, a bioinformatic approach has been considered to search for functional ortholog genes in wheat by using the sequence of rice and barley tiller angle-related genes. The information generated could be used to improve the understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the prostrate/erect growth habit in wheat and the adaptive potential of durum wheat under resource-limited environmental conditions.

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An ipdC gene knock-out of Azospirillum brasilense strain SM and its implications on indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis and plant growth promotion

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek ◽

10.1007/s10482-007-9207-x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 93 (4) ◽

pp. 425-433 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Mandira Malhotra ◽

Sheela Srivastava

Keyword(s):

Acetic Acid ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Plant Growth Promotion ◽

Azospirillum Brasilense ◽

Growth Promotion ◽

Acid Biosynthesis ◽

Knock Out ◽

Indole 3 Acetic Acid

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Effects of increased soil fertility and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria inoculation on biomass yield, energy value, and physiological response of poplar in short-rotation coppices in a reclaimed tideland: A case study in the Saemangeum area of Korea

Biomass and Bioenergy ◽

10.1016/j.biombioe.2017.09.005 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 107 ◽

pp. 29-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ji Hwi Jang ◽

Su Young Woo ◽

Sun Hyung Kim ◽

Inkyin Khaine ◽

Myeong Ja Kwak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Soil Fertility ◽

Physiological Response ◽

Biomass Yield ◽

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria ◽

Energy Value ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Plant Growth Promoting ◽

Growth Promoting

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Effects of Leaf Loss by Artificial Defoliation on the Growth of Different Poplar and Willow Varieties

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12091224 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 1224

Author(s):

Christiane E. Helbig ◽

Michael G. Müller ◽

Dirk Landgraf

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Tree Species ◽

Block Design ◽

Economic Losses ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Annual Increment ◽

Local Conditions ◽

Growing Seasons ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Randomized Block Design

The cultivation of fast-growing tree species in short rotation coppices has gained popularity in Germany in recent years. The resilience of these coppices to phyllophagous pest organisms is crucial for their profitable management, since the loss of a single annual increment can lead to uncompensable economic losses. To study the effects of leaf loss on the growth of poplar and willow varieties that are frequently cultivated under local conditions, three sample short rotation coppices including five poplar (Populus spp.) and three willow (Salix spp.) varieties were established in a randomized block design with four artificial defoliation variants and, on one site, with three different variants regarding the number of defoliation treatments. After up to three defoliation treatments within two growing seasons, the results show negative effects of leaf loss on the height growth and the fresh weight of the aboveground biomass of plants. Our data also suggests a lasting effect of defoliation on plant growth and re-growth after the end of the treatment. In general, defoliation had a greater impact on the growth of poplars than on willows. We conclude that even minor leaf loss can have an impact on plant growth but that the actual effects of defoliation clearly depend on the site, tree species, and variety as well as the extent and number of defoliations, which determine the ability of plants for compensatory growth.

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Functional disruption of cell wall invertase inhibitor by genome editing increases sugar content of tomato fruit without decrease fruit weight

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-00966-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kohei Kawaguchi ◽

Rie Takei-Hoshi ◽

Ikue Yoshikawa ◽

Keiji Nishida ◽

Makoto Kobayashi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Wall ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Genome Editing ◽

Sugar Content ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Cell Wall Invertase ◽

Knock Out ◽

High Sugar ◽

Invertase Inhibitor ◽

High Sugar Content

AbstractSugar content is one of the most important quality traits of tomato. Cell wall invertase promotes sucrose unloading in the fruit by maintaining a gradient of sucrose concentration between source leaves and fruits, while invertase inhibitor (INVINH) regulates this process. In this study, knock-out of cell wall INVINH in tomato (SlINVINH1) was performed by genome editing using, CRISPR/Cas9 and Target-AID technologies. Most of the genome-edited lines set higher soluble solid content (SSC) fruit than the original cultivar ‘Suzukoma’, while fruit weight was different among the genome-edited lines. From these genome-edited lines, three lines (193–3, 199–2, and 247–2), whose SSC was significantly higher than ‘Suzukoma’ and fruit weight were almost the same as the original cultivar, were selected. The fruit weight and overall plant growth of the two lines were comparable to those of the original cultivar. In contrast, the fructose and glucose contents in the mature fruits of the two lines were significantly higher than those of the original cultivar. The mature fruits of genome edited line 193–3 showed the highest sugar content, and the fructose and glucose contents were 29% and 36% higher than that of the original cultivar, respectively. Whole genome sequence data showed no off-target mutations in the genome-edited lines. Non-target metabolome analysis of mature fruits revealed that fructose was the highest loading factor in principal component analysis (PCA) between the genome-edited line and the original cultivar, and no unexpected metabolites appeared in the genome-edited line. In this study, we succeeded in producing tomato lines with high sugar content without a decrease in fruit weight and deterioration of plant growth by knock-out of SlINVINH1 using genome editing technology. This study showed that functional disruption of SlINVINH1 is an effective approach to produce tomato cultivars with high sugar content.

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Evaluation of the Behavior of Some Genotypes of Salix sp. in the Conditions of Sandy Soils

Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca Agriculture ◽

10.15835/buasvmcn-agr:003017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 75 (1) ◽

pp. 44

Author(s):

Marin SOARE ◽

Paula IANCU ◽

Elena BONCIU ◽

Ion NICOLAE ◽

Luminita BUSE DRAGOMIR ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Survival Rate ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Vegetative Growth ◽

Growth And Development ◽

Sandy Soils ◽

Stem Height ◽

Short Rotation ◽

Hydric Stress ◽

Main Factors ◽

Comparative Analyse

The aim of this study was to make a comparative analyse of nine willow genotypes (seven Romanian and two Swedish clones) in order to test them for short rotation coppice. Researches have been carried out in the sandy soils from Southern Romania, over a period of two years of vegetation. There were made determinations as concern plants growth and development and were referring to survival rate, stem height, number of shoots/plant and stem diameter at the base. Hydric stress is one of the main factors of limiting plant growth on this type of soil and the experimented willow genotypes have reacted differently. The obtained results have shown the fact that the largest vegetative growth was recorded in Pesred and Inger genotypes. It also emphasizes with good results in terms of the quantity of biomass RO 1077, Fragisal and Robisal genotypes. Based on the obtained results it can appreciate that Salix sp. represents a solution of utilize the sandy soils which have low fertile and obtaining considerable amounts of biomass, in the conditions of ensuring of water and nutritive resources.

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