SeedMatExplorer: The transcriptome atlas of Arabidopsis seed maturation
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ABSTRACT: During their maturation, seeds acquire traits that are crucial for their survival and that are of extreme importance for seed quality. In this study, we investigate the acquisition of multiple seed quality traits, especially desiccation tolerance and longevity, by analyzing longitudinal RNA-seq data collected for various stages of seed maturation. The data was acquired for several mutants, predominantly affected in abscisic acid biosynthesis and signalling, which vary in their ability to acquire seed quality traits.
Project description:During maturation seeds acquire several physiological traits to enable them to survive drying and disseminate the species. Few studies have addressed the regulatory networks controlling acquisition of these traits at the tissue level particularly in endospermic seeds such as tomato, which matures in a fully hydrated environment and does not undergo maturation drying. Using temporal RNA-seq analyses of the different seed tissues during maturation, gene network and trait-based correlations were used to explore the transcriptome signatures and identify hubs associated with desiccation tolerance, longevity, germination under water stress and dormancy.
Project description:During maturation seeds acquire several physiological traits to enable them to survive drying and disseminate the species. The maternal environment during maturation can influence seed quality. RNA-seq analyses of the embryo and the endosperm of seed matured ex planta under standard or stressful condition (high temperature and/or dim light) will underly how light and temperature and a combination of both have an impact on the molecular mechanisms governing seed quality at harvest.
Project description:We analysed transcriptome changes between seed devlopement (4 stages corresponding at before (S1) and after (S2) desiccation tolerance acquisition and before (S3) and after (S4) longevity acquisition) in dissected seed tissues (embryo, E; Endosperm Eo and Seed Coat SC)
Project description:Seed desiccation during maturation is important process for seed post-maturation behavior and harvest. However, the desiccation mechanism in soybean seed maturation is hardly known. In this study, water content in seed, pod and pedicel decreased faster than that in peduncle and stem. Therefore, we focus on the pedicel during seed maturation. By morphological analysis, the deposits in xylem vessels were confirmed in pedicel at 61 day after flowering (DAF), when there are not the deposits in peduncle. It was clarified by microarray analysis that lignin biosynthesis related genes expressed in pedicel at 61 DAF. Indeed, GmPAL, Gm4CL, GmC3H and GmCAD, which are lignin biosynthesis related genes, increased in pedicel during seed maturation. Furthermore, lignin content in pedicel also increased toward at 61 DAF and accumulated in the xylem vessels. These results suggested that lignin deposits into xylem vessels in pedicel cause the soybean seed desiccation during seed maturation.
Project description:Seeds of the legume Castanospermum australe are shed at relatively high moisture contents, and to do not acquire desiccation tolerance during their seed development, they are referred to as 'recalcitrant'. To characterize the regulatory pathways and molecular mechnanisms are occur during seed development and to allow for a comparative analysis with seed development of desiccation-tolerant species, cotyledon and embryonic axes were harvested at different stages of development, arbitrarily defined in terms of seed weight (grams) and color. Transcriptomes of 6 stages were analysed using Nimblegen slides: 2.5g - 4.5g - 7.5g - yellow-green (YG) - green (G) - brown (B) for cotyledons (C) and YG, G and B for emrbyonic axes (A)
Project description:Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the most consumed grain legume in developing countries in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa1. Like other legumes, common bean seeds are rich in protein, carbohydrates, fibers and other health-promoting phenolic compounds thus being vital for food security and income source for local small farmers2. Seed quality traits depend on accumulation of various storage molecules during the seed development (SD) process and influenced by the genotype and adaptive changes to environment3. Concerning common bean, there is still a lack of a deeper molecular knowledge of SD that is hampering the development of new biotech approaches for seed trait modulation and could timely address challenges of agriculture or industry. Our present work aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying SD using a proteomic approach. To achieve this goal, we characterized SD in terms biomass, seed length and weight in the genotype SER16, one of the most promissory drought-resistant release of the CIAT-CGIAR. Seed samples were collected at the 4 main SD stages: Late-Embryogenesis (10 days after anthesis, d.a.a.), Early (20 d.a.a.) and Late Maturation (30 d.a.a.) and Desiccation (40 d.a.a.). The analysis of bean proteome was conducted using a gel-free proteomic analysis (LC-MS/MS) under the scope of EU-FP7-PRIME-XS project. A total of 410 unique proteins were differentially expressed throughout the 4 major seed development stages, in which most of the identified proteins belong in the ‘protein metabolism’ (31,98%) functional category, that includes synthesis, regulation, folding. Other functional categories are represented such as carbohydrate and lipid metabolism (11,26%) and stress/defense and redox metabolism (11,04%). We identified 93 proteins were unique to the first (10-20 d.a.a.), 22 to the second (20-30 d.a.a.) and 40 to the last (30-40 d.a.a.) phase transition, reflecting the major biological processes occurring at this specific seed developmental stage. This study will contribute to reveal key metabolic pathways and mechanisms with potential role in modulating common bean seed development and quality traits.
Project description:A transcriptome analysis of developing abi5 and wild type (R108) seeds from Medicago truncatula was performed to decipher the role of ABI54 in the regulation of late seed maturation and seed longevity.
Project description:During seed maturation, the embryo accumulates nutrition storage compounds such as oil and reservve proteins, and acquires dormancy and desiccation tolerance. Arabidopsis transcription factors LEC1, LEC2, FUS3 and ABI3 are known as the master regulators of seed maturation because all these events during the seed maturation are severely affected by the respective mutants. In addition, the lec1, lec2 and fus3 mutants exhibit some heterochronic characteristics, as exemplified by the development of true leaf-like cotyledons during embryogenesis. To characterize these mutants at the whole genome expression level, microarray experiments were performed.
Project description:During seed maturation, the embryo accumulates nutrition storage compounds such as oil and reservve proteins, and acquires dormancy and desiccation tolerance. Arabidopsis transcription factors LEC1, LEC2, FUS3 and ABI3 are known as the master regulators of seed maturation because all these events during the seed maturation are severely affected by the respective mutants. In addition, the lec1, lec2 and fus3 mutants exhibit some heterochronic characteristics, as exemplified by the development of true leaf-like cotyledons during embryogenesis. To characterize these mutants at the whole genome expression level, microarray experiments were performed.
Project description:There are numerous examples in plants, where certain organs or developmental stages are desiccation tolerant and can withstand extended periods of severe water loss. One prime example are seeds and pollen of many spermatophytes. However, in some plants, also vegetative organs can be desiccation tolerant as for example the tubers of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) that also store larger amounts of lipids similar to seeds. Interestingly, the closest relative purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) generates tubers that do not accumulate oil and are not desiccation tolerant. We generated nanoLC-MS/MS-based proteomes of yellow nutsedge in five replicates of four stages of tuber development and compared them to the proteomes of roots and leaves, yielding 2257 distinct protein groups. Our data reveal a striking upregulation of hallmark proteins of seeds in the tubers. A deeper comparison to the tuber proteome of the closest relative purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) and a previously published proteome of Arabidopsis seeds and seedlings indicates that indeed a seed-like proteome was found in yellow but not purple nutsedge. This was further supported by an analysis of the proteome of a lipid-droplet enriched fraction of yellow nutsedge, which also displayed seed-like characteristics. One reason for the differences between the two nutsedge species might be the expression of certain transcription factors homolog to ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE3, WRINKLED1 and LEAFY COTYLEDON1 that drive gene expression in Arabidopsis seed embryos.