Expression Of Transport-related Genes Research Articles

UvVelC is important for conidiation and pathogenicity in the rice false smut pathogen Ustilaginoidea virens

ABSTRACT Rice false smut disease is one of the most significant rice diseases worldwide. Ustilaginoidea virens is the causative agent of this disease. Although several developmental and pathogenic genes have been identified and functionally analyzed, the pathogenic molecular mechanisms of U. virens remain elusive. The velvet family regulatory proteins are involved in fungal development, conidiation, and pathogenicity. In this study, we demonstrated the function of the VelC homolog UvVELC in U. virens. We identified the velvet family protein UvVELC and characterized its functions using a target gene deletion-strategy. Deletion of UvVELC resulted in conidiation failure and pathogenicity. The UvVELC expression levels during infection suggested that this gene might be involved in the early infection process. UvVELC is also important in resistance to abiotic stresses, the utilization efficiency of glucose, stachyose, raffinose, and other sugars, and the expression of transport-related genes. Moreover, UvVELC could physically interact with UvVEA in yeast, and UvVELC/UvVEA double-knockout mutants also failed in conidiation and pathogenicity. These results indicate that UvVELC play a critical role in the conidiation and pathogenicity in U. virens. Functional analysis indicated that UvVELC-mediated conidiation and nutrient acquisition from rice regulates the pathogenicity of U. virens. Understanding the function of the UvVELC homolog could provide a potential molecular target for controlling rice false smut disease.

Heat Stress Impairs Maternal Endometrial Integrity and Results in Embryo Implantation Failure by Regulating Transport-Related Gene Expression in Tongcheng Pigs.

Heat stress (HS) poses a significant threat to production and survival in the global swine industry. However, the molecular regulatory effects of heat stress on maternal endometrial cells are poorly understood in pigs during early embryo implantation. In this study, we systematically examined morphological changes in the endometrium and the corresponding regulation mechanism in response to HS by combining scanning electron microscopy (SEM), hematoxylin/eosin (H&E) staining, western blot, and RNA-seq analyses. Our results showed that HS led to porcine endometrium damage and endometrial thinness during embryo implantation. The expression levels of cell adhesion-related proteins, including N-cadherin and E-cadherin, in the uterus were significantly lower in the heat stress group (39 ± 1 °C, n = 3) than in the control group (28 ± 1 °C, n = 3). A total of 338 up-regulated genes and 378 down-regulated genes were identified in porcine endometrium under HS. The down-regulated genes were found to be mainly enriched in the pathways related to the microtubule complex, immune system process, and metalloendopeptidase activity, whereas the up-regulated genes were mainly involved in calcium ion binding, the extracellular region, and molecular function regulation. S100A9 was found to be one of the most significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the endometrium under HS, and this gene could promote proliferation of endometrial cells and inhibit their apoptosis. Meanwhile, HS caused endometrial epithelial cell (EEC) damage and inhibited its proliferation. Overall, our results demonstrated that HS induced uterine morphological change and tissue damage by regulating the expression of genes associated with calcium ions and amino acid transport. These findings may provide novel molecular insights into endometrial damage under HS during embryo implantation.

Ion homeostasis and Na+ transport-related gene expression in two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) varieties under saline, alkaline and saline-alkaline stresses.

The sensitivity of cotton to salt stress depends on the genotypes and salt types. Understanding the mechanism of ion homeostasis under different salt stresses is necessary to improve cotton performance under saline conditions. A pot experiment using three salt stresses saline stress (NaCl+Na2SO4), alkaline stress (Na2CO3+NaHCO3), and saline-alkaline stress (NaCl+Na2SO4+Na2CO3+NaHCO3) and two cotton varieties (salt-tolerant variety L24 and salt-sensitive variety G1) was conducted. The growth, ion concentrations, and Na+ transport-related gene expression in the cotton varieties were determined. The inhibitory effects of saline-alkaline stress on cotton growth were greater than that of either saline stress or alkaline stress alone. The root/shoot ratio under alkaline stress was significantly lower than that under saline stress. The salt-tolerant cotton variety had lower Na and higher K concentrations in the leaves, stems and roots than the salt-sensitive variety under different salt stresses. For the salt-sensitive cotton variety, saline stress significantly inhibited the absorption of P and the transport of P, K, and Mg, while alkaline stress and saline-alkaline stress significantly inhibited the uptake and transport of P, K, Ca, Mg, and Zn. Most of the elements in the salt-tolerant variety accumulated in the leaves and stems under different salt stresses. This indicated that the salt-tolerant variety had a stronger ion transport capacity than the salt-sensitive variety under saline conditions. Under alkaline stress and salt-alkaline stress, the relative expression levels of the genes GhSOS1, GhNHX1 and GhAKT1 in the salt-tolerant variety were significantly higher than that in the salt-sensitive variety. These results suggest that this salt-tolerant variety of cotton has an internal mechanism to maintain ionic homeostasis.

Wheat-associated Pseudomonas taiwanensis WRS8 reduces cadmium uptake by increasing root surface cadmium adsorption and decreasing cadmium uptake and transport related gene expression in wheat.

Metal-resistant bacteria can reduce Cd accumulation in plants, but mechanisms underlying this effect are poorly understood. In this study, a highly effective Cd-resistant WRS8 strain was obtained from the rhizoshere soil of Triticum aestivum L. Yangmai-13 and identified as Pseudomonas taiwanensis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Strain WRS8 was investigated for its effects on Cd availability and wheat tissue Cd contents and the related mechanisms using a hydroponic culture experiment. In strain WRS8-inoculated solution, the Cd concentration reduced and the pH and cell-adsorbed Cd increased with time. Strain WRS8 increased the wheat root and above-ground tissue dry weights by 11-36% compared to the controls. In strain WRS8-inoculated wheat plants, the Cd contents of the roots and above-ground tissues decreased by 78-85% and 88-94% and the Cd bioconcentration and translocation factors decreased by 78-85% and 46-58% at days 3 and 10, respectively, compared with the controls. The root surface-adsorbed Cd contents increased by 99-121% in the WRS8 strain-inoculated wheat plants at days 3 and 10 compared to the controls. Furthermore, strain WRS8 colonized the wheat root surfaces and interiors and reduced the expression levels of the LCT1 and HMA2 genes involved in Cd accumulation and transport in wheat roots by 46% and 30%, respectively, compared to the controls. In the Cd-contaminated soils, strain WRS8 significantly reduced the available Cd content by 20-24% and increased the pH compared to the controls. These findings showed the important role of strain WRS8 in reducing solution and soil Cd availability and suggested that strain WRS8 reduced the wheat tissue Cd accumulation by increasing root surface Cd adsorption and decreasing wheat root Cd uptake and transport-related gene expression and may provide a new and effective wheat rhizobacteria-enhanced approach for reducing wheat Cd uptake in Cd-polluted environments.

Differences in Flower Transcriptome between Grapevine Clones Are Related to Their Cluster Compactness, Fruitfulness, and Berry Size.

Grapevine cluster compactness has a clear impact on fruit quality and health status, as clusters with greater compactness are more susceptible to pests and diseases and ripen more asynchronously. Different parameters related to inflorescence and cluster architecture (length, width, branching, etc.), fruitfulness (number of berries, number of seeds) and berry size (length, width) contribute to the final level of compactness. From a collection of 501 clones of cultivar Garnacha Tinta, two compact and two loose clones with stable differences for cluster compactness-related traits were selected and phenotyped. Key organs and developmental stages were selected for sampling and transcriptomic analyses. Comparison of global gene expression patterns in flowers at the end of bloom allowed identification of potential gene networks with a role in determining the final berry number, berry size and ultimately cluster compactness. A large portion of the differentially expressed genes were found in networks related to cell division (carbohydrates uptake, cell wall metabolism, cell cycle, nucleic acids metabolism, cell division, DNA repair). Their greater expression level in flowers of compact clones indicated that the number of berries and the berry size at ripening appear related to the rate of cell replication in flowers during the early growth stages after pollination. In addition, fluctuations in auxin and gibberellin signaling and transport related gene expression support that they play a central role in fruit set and impact berry number and size. Other hormones, such as ethylene and jasmonate may differentially regulate indirect effects, such as defense mechanisms activation or polyphenols production. This is the first transcriptomic based analysis focused on the discovery of the underlying gene networks involved in grapevine traits of grapevine cluster compactness, berry number and berry size.

Editorial: Transport in Plant Microbe Interactions.

Editorial: Transport in Plant Microbe Interactions.

Placenta nutrient transport-related gene expression: the impact of maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain

Objective: Maternal obesity and excess gestational weight gain (GWG) increase the risk of delivering large infants. This study examined the associations between maternal obesity and GWG on the expression of genes involved in fatty acid, amino acid and glucose transport, and the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and insulin signaling axes in the placenta. Methods: Placenta samples were obtained from lean (n = 11) and obese (n = 10) women. Gene expression in the placenta was measured using polymerase chain reaction. Results: There were no differences in placenta gene expression between the lean and obese women, with the exception of lower expression of mTOR in the women with obesity who delivered male offspring (obese n = 6; lean n = 7). GWG in excess of the upper limit of the body mass index (BMI) specific guidelines was correlated with increased expression of SNAT1 and decreased expression of FABP3, mTOR, IRS1 and IGF1R. Conclusions: Variations in GWG may alter the expression of genes involved in regulating placental nutrient transport. Future research on placental nutrient transport should account for the sex of the offspring and the percentage of GWG that is gained above the upper limit for the pre-pregnancy BMI.