Flavonoids are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and have many diverse functions including defense, UV protection, auxin transport inhibition, allelopathy, and flower coloring. Interestingly, these compounds also have considerable biological activity in plant, animal and bacterial systems -such broad activity is accomplished by few compounds. Yet, for all the research over the last three decades, many of the cellular targets of these secondary metabolites are unknown. The many mutants available in model plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Medicago truncatula are enabling the intricacies of the physiology of these compounds to be deduced. In the present review, we cover recent advances in flavonoid research, discuss deficiencies in our understanding of the physiological processes, and suggest approaches to identify the cellular targets of flavonoids.Buer CS, Imin N, Djordjevic MA (2010) Flavonoids: new roles for old molecules.
The manifestation of repetitive developmental programmes during plant growth can be adjusted in response to various environmental cues. During root development, this means being able to precisely control root growth and lateral root development. Small signalling peptides have been found to play roles in many aspects of root development. One member of the CEP (C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE) gene family has been shown to arrest root growth. Here we report that CEP genes are widespread among seed plants but are not present in land plants that lack true branching roots or root vasculature. We have identified 10 additional CEP genes in Arabidopsis. Expression analysis revealed that CEP genes are regulated by environmental cues such as nitrogen limitation, increased salt levels, increased osmotic strength, and increased CO2 levels in both roots and shoots. Analysis of synthetic CEP variants showed that both peptide sequence and modifications of key amino acids affect CEP biological activity. Analysis of several CEP over-expression lines revealed distinct roles for CEP genes in root and shoot development. A cep3 knockout mutant showed increased root and shoot growth under a range of abiotic stress, nutrient, and light conditions. We demonstrate that CEPs are negative regulators of root development, slowing primary root growth and reducing lateral root formation. We propose that CEPs are negative regulators that mediate environmental influences on plant development.
The role of MtCEP1, a member of the CEP (C-terminally encoded peptide) signaling peptide family, was examined in Medicago truncatula root development. MtCEP1 was expressed in root tips, vascular tissue, and young lateral organs, and was up-regulated by low nitrogen levels and, independently, by elevated CO2. Overexpressing MtCEP1 or applying MtCEP1 peptide to roots elicited developmental phenotypes: inhibition of lateral root formation, enhancement of nodulation, and the induction of periodic circumferential root swellings, which arose from cortical, epidermal, and pericycle cell divisions and featured an additional cortical cell layer. MtCEP peptide addition to other legume species induced similar phenotypes. The enhancement of nodulation by MtCEP1 is partially tolerant to high nitrate, which normally strongly suppresses nodulation. These nodules develop faster, are larger, and fix more nitrogen in the absence and presence of inhibiting nitrate levels. At 25mM nitrate, nodules formed on pre-existing swelling sites induced by MtCEP1 overexpression. RNA interference-mediated silencing of several MtCEP genes revealed a negative correlation between transcript levels of MtCEP1 and MtCEP2 with the number of lateral roots. MtCEP1 peptide-dependent phenotypes were abolished or attenuated by altering or deleting key residues in its 15 amino acid domain. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that 89 and 116 genes were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively, by MtCEP1 overexpression, including transcription factors WRKY, bZIP, ERF, and MYB, homologues of LOB29, SUPERROOT2, and BABY BOOM. Taken together, the data suggest that the MtCEP1 peptide modulates lateral root and nodule development in M. truncatula.
Male reproductive development in rice (Oryza sativa Linnaeus is very sensitive to various forms of environmental stresses including low temperature. Here, we present our findings on the proteomic analysis of the later developmental consequences of low temperature treatment on rice anthers. Anther proteins at the trinucleate stage, with or without cold treatment for four days at 12 degrees C at the young microspore stage, were extracted, separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and compared. More than 3000 rice anther proteins of cold-sensitive cultivar Doongara plants at the trinucleate stage were resolved on 2-DE gels over a pH range of 4-7 and detected by silver-staining. Seventy protein spots were differentially displayed after four days of cold treatment at the young microspore stage. Of these, 12 protein spots were newly-induced, 47 were up-regulated, and 11 were down-regulated by cold treatment at the early microspore stage. We identified 18 by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry time of flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis. Of the identified proteins, seven were observed as breakdown (cleavage) products by a combination of 2-DE and MALDI-TOF analysis, thus demonstrating for the first time that cold temperature stress at the young microspore stage enhances and induces partial degradation of proteins in the rice anthers at the trinucleate stage.
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