Project description:Intercropping is a vital technology in resource-limited agricultural systems with low inputs. Peanut/maize intercropping enhances iron (Fe) nutrition in calcareous soil. Proteomic studies of the differences in peanut leaves, maize leaves and maize roots between intercropping and monocropping systems indicated that peanut/maize intercropping not only improves Fe availability in the rhizosphere but also influences the levels of proteins related to carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Moreover, intercropping may enhance stress resistance in the peanut plant (Xiong et al. 2013b). Although the mechanism and molecular ecological significance of peanut/maize intercropping have been investigated, little is known about the genes and/or gene products in peanut and maize roots that mediate the benefits of intercropping. In the present study, we investigated the transcriptomes of maize roots grown in intercropping and monocropping systems by microarray analysis. The results enabled exploration differentially expressed genes in intercropped maize. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. Luhua14) and maize (Zea mays L. cv. Nongda108) seeds were grown in calcareous sandy soil in a greenhouse. The soil was enhanced with basal fertilizers [composition (mg·kg−1 soil): N, 100 (Ca (NO3)2·4H2O); P, 150 (KH2PO4); K, 100 (KCl); Mg, 50 (MgSO4·7H2O); Cu, 5 (CuSO4·5H2O); and Zn, 5 (ZnSO4·7H2O)]. The experiment consisted of three cropping treatments: peanut monocropping, maize monocropping and intercropping of peanut and maize. After germination of peanut for 10 days, maize was sown. Maize samples were harvested after 63 days of growth of peanut plants based on the degree of Fe chlorosis in the leaves of monocropped peanut. The leaves of monocropped peanut plants exhibited symptoms of Fe-deficiency chlorosis at 63 days, while the leaves of peanut plants intercropped with maize maintained a green color.
Project description:Intercropping is a sustainable agricultural practice widely used around the world for enhancing resource use efficiency. However, short crops often grow in shade condition underneath the canopy of tall crops. Soybean is one of the most important oil crops and usually is planted in intercropping patterns. However, little is known about the acclimation responses of soybean leaves to shade in intercropping condition at the transcriptome level.
Project description:Aposematism and warning coloration are common defense strategies used by animals to deter predators. Pestilential gregarious locusts display a striking black-brown pattern, which is presumed to be a form of warning coloration compared to green solitary locusts. However, the specific mechanisms involved in regulating this distinctive pattern are not yet understood. Here, we found that different amounts of β-carotene and β-carotene-binding protein (βCBP) complexes confer the black tergum and brown sternum of locust. The expression level of βCBP is regulated by the bZIP transcription factor ATF2, which is activated by protein kinase C alpha (PKCα) in response to crowding. Specifically, ATF2 is phosphorylated at Ser327 and translocates to the nucleus, where it binds to specific sites on the βCBP promoter and stimulates overexpression. Differential phosphorylation of ATF2 resulted in the divergent black and brown body coloration of gregarious locusts. The overexpression of βCBP in the sternum is essential for the accumulation of red pigments, which creates the sharp contrast between the black tergum and the brown sternum. This spatial variation in ATF2 phosphorylation levels allows locusts to adapt to changing environmental conditions and better evade predation.