Seed dormancy enables seeds to remain dormant until the environmental conditions are ideal for germination.Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie seed dormancy is essential for improving grain quality an...Seed dormancy enables seeds to remain dormant until the environmental conditions are ideal for germination.Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie seed dormancy is essential for improving grain quality and preventing pre-harvest sprouting(PHS),a major challenge in global agriculture.Here,we address how long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)contribute to the regulation of seed dormancy in rice(Oryza sativa).We identified an lncRNA,VIVIpary,that is specifically expressed in embryos and is associated with shortened seed dormancy.VIVIpary exhibits higher expression in a PHS-sensitive variety,and its overexpression induces PHS,whereas its knockdown delays germination.Mechanistically,VIVIpary promotes the release of seed dormancy by regulating abscisic acid(ABA)signaling.VIVIpary serves as a spatial organizer that shapes chromatin architecture by directly binding to the chromatin adaptor protein OsMSI1 and enhancing its interaction with the histone deacetylase OsHDAC1,thereby reducing chromatin accessibility and fine-tuning ABA signaling.VIVIpary is differentially expressed between wild and cultivated rice,with higher expression in japonica rice,suggesting that it was a target of selection during rice domestication.Together,our findings reveal a domestication-associated lncRNA that modulates ABA signaling and chromatin architecture to regulate seed dormancy and PHS in rice,providing a potential target for improvement of rice agronomic traits.展开更多
Rice bacterial blight is a devastating disease worldwide,causing significant yield losses.Understanding how plants defend against microbial infection is critical for sustainable crop production.In this study,we show t...Rice bacterial blight is a devastating disease worldwide,causing significant yield losses.Understanding how plants defend against microbial infection is critical for sustainable crop production.In this study,we show that ALEX1,a previously identified pathogen-induced long noncoding RNA,localizes to the nucleus and directly binds AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 3(ARF3).We showed that ARF3 forms the condensates in the nucleus via its intrinsically disordered middle region(MR),and that these ARF3 condensates display solid-like properties.We further revealed that ALEX1 directly binds the MR of ARF3 to regulate ARF3 condensate dynamics and promote ARF3 homodimerization.The dispersed,dimeric form of ARF3,referred to as its functional phase state,enhances its ability to transcriptionally repress the expression of downstream target genes such as JAZ13,thereby modulating the jasmonic acid signaling pathway and enhancing pathogen resistance in rice.Collectively,this study reveals the role of a long noncoding RNA in regulating protein condensation and complex assembly,thus contributing to plant pathogen resistance.展开更多
Dear Editor,MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are small noncoding RNA molecules that play crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression.They have been extensively studied in various organisms,including plants,where they have been...Dear Editor,MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are small noncoding RNA molecules that play crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression.They have been extensively studied in various organisms,including plants,where they have been found to be involved in diverse biological processes,such as development,growth,and response to environmental stresses.Plant miRNAs achieve their regulatory functions by binding to the mRNA of target genes and modulating their expression levels.In recent years,there has been growing interest in understanding the evolutionary aspects of miRNA-target interactions in plants(Cui et al.,2017).The evolution of miRNAs and their target genes can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the development and adaptation of plant species.One intriguing aspect of miRNA evolution is their co-evolution with specific target genes,which can have significant implications for plant phenotypic variation and evolution.展开更多
基金supported by"The open competition program of top ten critical priorities of Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation"for the 14th Five-Year Plan of Guangdong Province(2022SDZG05 to Y.-Q.C.)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(nos.32200441 to J.-P.L.,32300440 to M.-Q.L.,and 32100437 to Y.-F.Z.)funding from Guangdong Province(2023A1515012791 to J.-P.L.).
文摘Seed dormancy enables seeds to remain dormant until the environmental conditions are ideal for germination.Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie seed dormancy is essential for improving grain quality and preventing pre-harvest sprouting(PHS),a major challenge in global agriculture.Here,we address how long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs)contribute to the regulation of seed dormancy in rice(Oryza sativa).We identified an lncRNA,VIVIpary,that is specifically expressed in embryos and is associated with shortened seed dormancy.VIVIpary exhibits higher expression in a PHS-sensitive variety,and its overexpression induces PHS,whereas its knockdown delays germination.Mechanistically,VIVIpary promotes the release of seed dormancy by regulating abscisic acid(ABA)signaling.VIVIpary serves as a spatial organizer that shapes chromatin architecture by directly binding to the chromatin adaptor protein OsMSI1 and enhancing its interaction with the histone deacetylase OsHDAC1,thereby reducing chromatin accessibility and fine-tuning ABA signaling.VIVIpary is differentially expressed between wild and cultivated rice,with higher expression in japonica rice,suggesting that it was a target of selection during rice domestication.Together,our findings reveal a domestication-associated lncRNA that modulates ABA signaling and chromatin architecture to regulate seed dormancy and PHS in rice,providing a potential target for improvement of rice agronomic traits.
基金supported by the Key Areas Research and Development Programs of Guangdong Province(2022B202060005)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(no.31970606 to Y.Y.,no.32300440 to LM.-Q.L.,and 32200441 to J.-P.L.)the grants from Guangdong Province(2023A1515012791 and 2022A1515010858 to J.-P.L.).
文摘Rice bacterial blight is a devastating disease worldwide,causing significant yield losses.Understanding how plants defend against microbial infection is critical for sustainable crop production.In this study,we show that ALEX1,a previously identified pathogen-induced long noncoding RNA,localizes to the nucleus and directly binds AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 3(ARF3).We showed that ARF3 forms the condensates in the nucleus via its intrinsically disordered middle region(MR),and that these ARF3 condensates display solid-like properties.We further revealed that ALEX1 directly binds the MR of ARF3 to regulate ARF3 condensate dynamics and promote ARF3 homodimerization.The dispersed,dimeric form of ARF3,referred to as its functional phase state,enhances its ability to transcriptionally repress the expression of downstream target genes such as JAZ13,thereby modulating the jasmonic acid signaling pathway and enhancing pathogen resistance in rice.Collectively,this study reveals the role of a long noncoding RNA in regulating protein condensation and complex assembly,thus contributing to plant pathogen resistance.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31970606 and U1901202)the grants from Guangdong Province(2023A1515012075 and 2024A1515013064)Open Project Program of State Key Laboratory for Biocontrol(2023SKLBC-KF04).
文摘Dear Editor,MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are small noncoding RNA molecules that play crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression.They have been extensively studied in various organisms,including plants,where they have been found to be involved in diverse biological processes,such as development,growth,and response to environmental stresses.Plant miRNAs achieve their regulatory functions by binding to the mRNA of target genes and modulating their expression levels.In recent years,there has been growing interest in understanding the evolutionary aspects of miRNA-target interactions in plants(Cui et al.,2017).The evolution of miRNAs and their target genes can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the development and adaptation of plant species.One intriguing aspect of miRNA evolution is their co-evolution with specific target genes,which can have significant implications for plant phenotypic variation and evolution.
