Background To ensure food security in the face of climate change and the growing world population... more Background To ensure food security in the face of climate change and the growing world population, multi-pronged measures should be taken. One promising approach uses plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF), such as Trichoderma, to reduce the usage of agrochemicals and increase plant yield, stress tolerance, and nutritional value. However, large-scale applications of PGPF have been hampered by several constraints, and, consequently, usage on a large scale is still limited. Seed coating, a process that consists of covering seeds with low quantities of exogenous materials, is gaining attention as an efficient and feasible delivery system for PGPF. Methods We have designed a new seed coating composed of chitin, methylcellulose, and Trichoderma viride spores and assessed its effect on canola (Brassica napus L.) growth and development. For this purpose, we analyzed the antifungal activity of T. viride against common canola pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium culmorum, and Colletotri...
The floral development in an important legume crop yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper cv.) i... more The floral development in an important legume crop yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper cv.) is often affected by the abscission of flowers leading to significant economic losses. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), which have a proven effect on almost all developmental processes in other plants, might be of key players in a complex net of molecular interactions regulating flower development and abscission. This study represents the first comprehensive sncRNA identification and analysis of small RNA, transcriptome and degradome sequencing data in lupine flowers to elucidate their role in the regulation of lupine generative development. As shedding in lupine primarily concerns flowers formed at the upper part of the inflorescence, we analyzed samples from extreme parts of raceme separately and conducted an additional analysis of pedicels from abscising and non-abscising flowers where abscission zone forms. A total of 394 known and 28 novel miRNAs and 316 phased siRNAs were identified...
Background Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.) is an important legume crop. However, its ... more Background Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.) is an important legume crop. However, its flower development and pod formation are often affected by excessive abscission. Organ detachment occurs within the abscission zone (AZ) and in L. luteus primarily affects flowers formed at the top of the inflorescence. The top flowers’ fate appears determined before anthesis. The organ development and abscission mechanisms utilize a complex molecular network, not yet not fully understood, especially as to the role of miRNAs and siRNAs. We aimed at identifying differentially expressed (DE) small ncRNAs in lupine by comparing small RNA-seq libraries generated from developing upper and lower raceme flowers, and flower pedicels with active and inactive AZs. Their target genes were also identified using transcriptome and degradome sequencing. Results Within all the libraries, 394 known and 28 novel miRNAs and 316 phased siRNAs were identified. In flowers at different stages of development, 3...
Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.), a member of the legume family (Fabaceae L.), has an ... more Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.), a member of the legume family (Fabaceae L.), has an enormous practical importance. Its excessive flower and pod abscission represents an economic drawback, as proper flower and seed formation and development is crucial for the plant's productivity. Generative organ detachment takes place at the basis of the pedicels, within a specialized group of cells collectively known as the abscission zone (AZ). During plant growth these cells become competent to respond to specific signals that trigger separation and lead to the abolition of cell wall adhesion. Little is known about the molecular network controlling the yellow lupine organ abscission. The aim of our study was to establish the divergences and similarities in transcriptional networks in the pods, flowers and flower pedicels abscised or maintained on the plant, and to identify genes playing key roles in generative organ abscission in yellow lupine. Based on de novo transcriptome ass...
Plants constantly exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions develop signalling strategies t... more Plants constantly exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions develop signalling strategies that determine their acclimation, fitness and survival. Coordination between the different cells and tissues requires complex mechanisms of signal communication that lead to overall plant global signalling homeostasis. Numerous pathways controlling signal transduction and gene expression are known. While initial responses of plants to environmental signals rely primarily on electrical signalling, longer-term responses that alter morphology rely on complex physiological networks. Electrochemical signals result from, for example, stimulation of non-photochemical quenching-dependent chloroplast retrograde signalling that with the help of the chloroplast stromules is transmitted to the other organelles and plasma membrane and trigger H+-ATPase, ion movements and changes in a transmembrane voltage potential. These in turn switch on phytohormones, which are chemical messengers coordinating cellular activity and anterograde signalling from the nucleus. Their regulatory pathways do not operate independently but rather are linked together in a complex network of interactions as observed, for example, by the antagonistic effect of, for example, cytokinins and abscisic acid. Furthermore, it is accompanied by the constant production of reactive oxygen species (e.g. hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen) which are not only harmful agents causing oxidative damage but also have important roles as intra- and intercellular signalling molecules. The simultaneous interplay of electrical signals, multiple hormones and reactive oxygen species influences redox status of the cells that are not directly exposed to primary stress factor and induces retrograde signalling to the nucleus, leading to alterations of gene expression and anterograde signalling. Changes in gene expression profile in response to such direct and indirect environmental stimuli are very complex and largely are depending on specific interactions of cis- and trans-regulatory elements but also on epigenetic changes, e.g. DNA methylations. All of these finally determine plant growth, development and acclimatory and immune defence responses.
Systemic acquired acclimation (SAA) is an important light acclimatory mechanism that depends on t... more Systemic acquired acclimation (SAA) is an important light acclimatory mechanism that depends on the global adjustments of non-photochemical quenching and chloroplast retrograde signaling. As the exact regulation of these processes is not known, we measured time-resolved fluorescence of chlorophyll a in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves exposed to excess light, in leaves undergoing SAA, and in leaves after excess light episode. We compare the behavior induced in wild-type plants with null mutant of non-photochemical quenching (npq4-1). The wild type rosettes exhibit a small reduction of fluorescence decay times in leaves directly exposed to excess light and in leaves undergoing SAA in ambient low light. However in npq4-1 exposition to excess light results in much faster fluorescence decay, which is insensitive to excitation power. At the same time npq4-1 leaves undergoing SAA displayed intermediate fluorescence decay. The npq4-1 plants also lost the ability to optimize florescence decay, a...
Background To ensure food security in the face of climate change and the growing world population... more Background To ensure food security in the face of climate change and the growing world population, multi-pronged measures should be taken. One promising approach uses plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF), such as Trichoderma, to reduce the usage of agrochemicals and increase plant yield, stress tolerance, and nutritional value. However, large-scale applications of PGPF have been hampered by several constraints, and, consequently, usage on a large scale is still limited. Seed coating, a process that consists of covering seeds with low quantities of exogenous materials, is gaining attention as an efficient and feasible delivery system for PGPF. Methods We have designed a new seed coating composed of chitin, methylcellulose, and Trichoderma viride spores and assessed its effect on canola (Brassica napus L.) growth and development. For this purpose, we analyzed the antifungal activity of T. viride against common canola pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium culmorum, and Colletotri...
The floral development in an important legume crop yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper cv.) i... more The floral development in an important legume crop yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper cv.) is often affected by the abscission of flowers leading to significant economic losses. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), which have a proven effect on almost all developmental processes in other plants, might be of key players in a complex net of molecular interactions regulating flower development and abscission. This study represents the first comprehensive sncRNA identification and analysis of small RNA, transcriptome and degradome sequencing data in lupine flowers to elucidate their role in the regulation of lupine generative development. As shedding in lupine primarily concerns flowers formed at the upper part of the inflorescence, we analyzed samples from extreme parts of raceme separately and conducted an additional analysis of pedicels from abscising and non-abscising flowers where abscission zone forms. A total of 394 known and 28 novel miRNAs and 316 phased siRNAs were identified...
Background Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.) is an important legume crop. However, its ... more Background Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.) is an important legume crop. However, its flower development and pod formation are often affected by excessive abscission. Organ detachment occurs within the abscission zone (AZ) and in L. luteus primarily affects flowers formed at the top of the inflorescence. The top flowers’ fate appears determined before anthesis. The organ development and abscission mechanisms utilize a complex molecular network, not yet not fully understood, especially as to the role of miRNAs and siRNAs. We aimed at identifying differentially expressed (DE) small ncRNAs in lupine by comparing small RNA-seq libraries generated from developing upper and lower raceme flowers, and flower pedicels with active and inactive AZs. Their target genes were also identified using transcriptome and degradome sequencing. Results Within all the libraries, 394 known and 28 novel miRNAs and 316 phased siRNAs were identified. In flowers at different stages of development, 3...
Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.), a member of the legume family (Fabaceae L.), has an ... more Yellow lupine (Lupinus luteus L., Taper c.), a member of the legume family (Fabaceae L.), has an enormous practical importance. Its excessive flower and pod abscission represents an economic drawback, as proper flower and seed formation and development is crucial for the plant's productivity. Generative organ detachment takes place at the basis of the pedicels, within a specialized group of cells collectively known as the abscission zone (AZ). During plant growth these cells become competent to respond to specific signals that trigger separation and lead to the abolition of cell wall adhesion. Little is known about the molecular network controlling the yellow lupine organ abscission. The aim of our study was to establish the divergences and similarities in transcriptional networks in the pods, flowers and flower pedicels abscised or maintained on the plant, and to identify genes playing key roles in generative organ abscission in yellow lupine. Based on de novo transcriptome ass...
Plants constantly exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions develop signalling strategies t... more Plants constantly exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions develop signalling strategies that determine their acclimation, fitness and survival. Coordination between the different cells and tissues requires complex mechanisms of signal communication that lead to overall plant global signalling homeostasis. Numerous pathways controlling signal transduction and gene expression are known. While initial responses of plants to environmental signals rely primarily on electrical signalling, longer-term responses that alter morphology rely on complex physiological networks. Electrochemical signals result from, for example, stimulation of non-photochemical quenching-dependent chloroplast retrograde signalling that with the help of the chloroplast stromules is transmitted to the other organelles and plasma membrane and trigger H+-ATPase, ion movements and changes in a transmembrane voltage potential. These in turn switch on phytohormones, which are chemical messengers coordinating cellular activity and anterograde signalling from the nucleus. Their regulatory pathways do not operate independently but rather are linked together in a complex network of interactions as observed, for example, by the antagonistic effect of, for example, cytokinins and abscisic acid. Furthermore, it is accompanied by the constant production of reactive oxygen species (e.g. hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen) which are not only harmful agents causing oxidative damage but also have important roles as intra- and intercellular signalling molecules. The simultaneous interplay of electrical signals, multiple hormones and reactive oxygen species influences redox status of the cells that are not directly exposed to primary stress factor and induces retrograde signalling to the nucleus, leading to alterations of gene expression and anterograde signalling. Changes in gene expression profile in response to such direct and indirect environmental stimuli are very complex and largely are depending on specific interactions of cis- and trans-regulatory elements but also on epigenetic changes, e.g. DNA methylations. All of these finally determine plant growth, development and acclimatory and immune defence responses.
Systemic acquired acclimation (SAA) is an important light acclimatory mechanism that depends on t... more Systemic acquired acclimation (SAA) is an important light acclimatory mechanism that depends on the global adjustments of non-photochemical quenching and chloroplast retrograde signaling. As the exact regulation of these processes is not known, we measured time-resolved fluorescence of chlorophyll a in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves exposed to excess light, in leaves undergoing SAA, and in leaves after excess light episode. We compare the behavior induced in wild-type plants with null mutant of non-photochemical quenching (npq4-1). The wild type rosettes exhibit a small reduction of fluorescence decay times in leaves directly exposed to excess light and in leaves undergoing SAA in ambient low light. However in npq4-1 exposition to excess light results in much faster fluorescence decay, which is insensitive to excitation power. At the same time npq4-1 leaves undergoing SAA displayed intermediate fluorescence decay. The npq4-1 plants also lost the ability to optimize florescence decay, a...
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Papers by Milena Kulasek