Project description:Regeneration is a common strategy for plants to repair their damaged body plans after attack from other organisms or physical assaults. Trees with bark girdling on a large scale will grow new bark within one month and this bark regeneration after girdling system has been proven to be an efficient method to study secondary vascular development as well as plant tissue regeneration in vivo. We herein show the molecular features of differentiating xylem cell fate switch process during secondary vascular tissue (SVT) regeneration in Populus. Based on our data, we propose a working model to illustrate the molecular dynamics underlying xylem cell fate switch process during SVT regeneration, which is significant to understand the pattern formation during the SVTs regeneration and also would shed light on the mechanisms of tissue regeneration in plants.
Project description:Secondary vascular system (SVS) development resulted from cambial growth is a currently not well understood process. Therefore, more studies are needed to shed more lights on the molecular mechanisms underpinning the cambial activity. The regeneration of SVS from debarked trunk that can mimic the vascular cambium-driven wood formation has developed and could be used to revealed a larger number of differentially expressed genes during the stages of cambium formation and xylem differentiation in Populus tomentosa. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression in 6 time points during the regeneration of SVS.
Project description:Regeneration is a common strategy for plants to repair their damaged body plans after attack from other organisms or physical assaults. Trees with bark girdling on a large scale will grow new bark within one month and this bark regeneration after girdling system has been proven to be an efficient method to study secondary vascular development as well as plant tissue regeneration in vivo. We herein show the molecular features of differentiating xylem cell fate switch process during secondary vascular tissue (SVT) regeneration in Populus. Based on our data, we propose a working model to illustrate the molecular dynamics underlying xylem cell fate switch process during SVT regeneration, which is significant to understand the pattern formation during the SVTs regeneration and also would shed light on the mechanisms of tissue regeneration in plants. Specific regenerated tissues of Populus at different stages were isolated by tangential cryo-sectioning. Total RNA from cryo-sections representing different regenerating tissues was extracted for Affymetrix Poplar Whole Genome Array hybridization. Five samples (two replicates for each sample) were used for gene expression analysis: differentiating xylem (diX, Stage 0), dedifferentiating xylem cells (deX, Stage I), regenerated phloem (rPh, Stage II), differentiating regenerated cambium (diC, Stage II) and regenerated cambium (rC, Stage III). In addition, one pooled genomic DNA sample from cryo-sections of differentiating xylem from two trees was isolated for DNA hybridization to produce a new CDF file that was used to mask out some potentially cross-hybridizing probesets from the standard Affymetrix Poplar Genome Array. Supplementary file: poplar.cdf
Project description:Triploid Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa Carr., Salicaceae) has stronger advantages in growth and better stress resistance and wood quality than diploid P. tomentosa. Using transcriptome sequencing technology to identify candidate transcriptome-based markers for growth vigor in young tree tissue is of great significance for the breeding of P. tomentosa varieties in the future. In this study, the cuttings of diploid and triploid P. tomentosa were used as plant materials, transcriptome sequencing was carried out, and their tissue culture materials were used for RT-qPCR verification of the expression of genes. The results showed that 12,240 differentially expressed genes in diploid and triploid P. tomentosa transcripts were annotated and enriched into 135 metabolic pathways. The top six pathways that enriched the most significantly different genes were plant-pathogen interaction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, MAPK signalling pathway-plant, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, diterpenoid biosynthesis, and the betalain biosynthesis pathway. Ten growth-related genes were selected from pathways of plant hormone signal transduction and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms for RT-qPCR verification. The expression levels of MDH and CYCD3 in tissue-cultured and greenhouse planted triploid P. tomentosa were higher than those in tissue-cultured diploid P. tomentosa, which was consist ent with the TMM values calculated by transcriptome.
Project description:The formation of vascular tissue occurs when cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and other wall components are deposited within the primary cell wall. These secondary thickened cells then undergo programmed cell death producing a network of empty cells with which water and ions can be transported throughout the plant. The hormones auxin and cytokinin are the principle signals for vascular tissue initiation. As a consequence cells cultured in-vitro can be converted into vascular tissue with the addition of exogenous auxin and cytokinin. We have created an in-vitro cell system, using callus produced from leaves that can be induced to form vascular tissue. Leaves are callused on induction media for two weeks. The callus is then transferred to liquid media and incubated under optimum conditions resulting in an increase in vascular tissue formation. Approximately 20% of cells will differentiate during the incubation period. The alteration of cytokinin concentration affects the ability of the cultured cells to undergo differentiation. Consequently callus incubated in liquid media, containing lower cytokinin concentrations, will undertake relatively little differentiation. Samples have been isolated from cell cultures at different time points and different hormone concentrations during incubation. Quantitative PCR using the marker AtCesA7, which encodes a cellulose synthase subunit specific to secondary wall deposition, was used as a guide to determine periods of high and low vascular differentiation. This system provides an opportunity to compare gene expression between differentiating and non differentiating cells and allow the identification of genes up regulated during vascular tissue formation.
Project description:A novel sequence that functions as a promoter element for moderate constitutive expression of transgenes, designated as the PtMCP promoter, was isolated from the woody perennial Populus tomentosa. The PtMCP promoter was fused to the GUS reporter gene to characterize its expression pattern in different species. In stable Arabidopsis transformants, transcripts of the GUS reporter gene could be detected by RT-PCR in the root, stem, leaf, flower and silique. Further histochemical and fluorometric GUS activity assays demonstrated that the promoter could direct transgene expression in all tissues and organs, including roots, stems, rosette leaves, cauline leaves and flowers of seedlings and maturing plants. Its constitutive expression pattern was similar to that of the CaMV35S promoter, but the level of GUS activity was significantly lower than in CaMV35S promoter::GUS plants. We also characterized the promoter through transient expression in transgenic tobacco and observed similar expression patterns. Histochemical GUS staining and quantitative analysis detected GUS activity in all tissues and organs of tobacco, including roots, stems, leaves, flower buds and flowers, but GUS activity in PtMCP promoter::GUS plants was significantly lower than in CaMV35S promoter::GUS plants. Our results suggested that the PtMCP promoter from poplar is a constitutive promoter with moderate activity and that its function is presumably conserved in different species. Therefore, the PtMCP promoter may provide a practical choice to direct moderate level constitutive expression of transgenes and could be a valuable new tool in plant genetic engineering.
Project description:Non-coding RNA, known as long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), circular RNA (circRNA) and microRNA (miRNA), are taking part in the multiple developmental processes in plants. However, the roles of which played during the cambium activity periodicity of woody plants remain poorly understood. Here, lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks of the cambium activity periodicity in Populus tomentosa was constructed, combined with morphologic observation and transcriptome profiling. Light microscopy and Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) staining revealed that cell walls were much thicker and number of cell layers was increased during the active-dormant stage, accompanied by abundant change of polysaccharides. The novel lncRNAs and circRNAs were investigated, and we found that 2037 lncRNAs and 299 circRNAs were differentially expression during the vascular cambium period, respectively. Moreover, 1046 genes were identified as a target gene of 2037 novel lncRNAs, and 89 of which were the miRNA precursors or targets. By aligning miRNA precursors to the 7655 lncRNAs, 21 lncRNAs were identified as precursors tof 19 known miRNAs. Furthermore, the target mRNA of lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA network mainly participated in phytohormone, cell wall alteration and chlorophyll metabolism were analyzed by GO enrichment and KEGG pathway. Especially, circRNA33 and circRNA190 taking part in the phytohormone signal pathway were down-regulated during the active-dormant transition. Xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase protein 24-like and UDP-glycosyltransferase 85A1 involved in the cell wall modification were the targets of lncRNA MSTRG.11198.1 and MSTRG.1050.1. Notably, circRNA103 and MSTRG.10851.1 regulate the cambium periodicity may interact with the miR482. These results give a new light into activity-dormancy regulation, associated with transcriptional dynamics and non-coding RNA networks of potential targets identification.
Project description:Currently little is known about the genetic mechanisms regulating the vascular cambium or the secondary growth of stems. We show here that the Populus Class I KNOX homeobox gene ARBORKNOX2 (ARK2) regulates both cell division in the cambium region and the differentiation of daughter cells in secondary xylem and phloem. ARK2 is expressed in the shoot apical meristem, and the vascular cambium region, reflecting some overlap in the regulation of these meristems. ARK2 is expressed broadly in the cambium region and in differentiating lignified cells types before becoming progressively restricted to the cambium. Populus overexpressing ARK2 present stem phenotypes with precocious cambium formation, delayed differentiation of cambium daughter cells, a wider cambium region, and ultimately less phloem fibers and secondary xylem. In contrast, Populus expressing RNAi or amicroRNA that target ARK2 transcripts present precocious differentiation of secondary phloem fibers and xylem, and ultimately more secondary xylem tissue and thicker secondary cell walls in phloem fibers and secondary xylem cells. These phenotypes in turn correlate with changes in the expression of genes affecting cell division, auxin, and cell wall synthesis and lignification that indicate that ARK2 primarily affects woody tissue development by regulation of cell differentiation. Notably, wood properties associated with secondary cell wall synthesis are negatively associated with ARK2 expression, including lignin and cellulose content. Together, our results suggest that ARK2 functions primarily by negatively regulating cell differentiation during secondary growth. We propose that ARK2 may identify a co-evolved regulatory module that influences complex wood properties relevant to ecological, industrial, and biofuels applications.