Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is one of the most devastating pathogens that cost huge economic losses in soybean production worldwide. Due to the duplicated genome, clustered and highly homologous nature of R genes, as well as recalcitrant to transformation, soybean disease resistance studies is largely lagging compared with other diploid crops. In this review, we focus on the major advances that have been made in identifying both the virulence/avirulence factors of SMV and mapping of SMV resistant genes in soybean. In addition, we review the progress in dissecting the SMV resistant signaling pathways in soybean, with a special focus on the studies using virus-induced gene silencing. The soybean genome has been fully sequenced, and the increasingly saturated SNP markers have been identified. With these resources available together with the newly developed genome editing tools, and more efficient soybean transformation system, cloning SMV resistant genes, and ultimately generating cultivars with a broader spectrum resistance to SMV are becoming more realistic than ever.
Cadmium (Cd) pollution in food chains pose a potential health risk for humans. Sulfur (S) is a significant macronutrient that plays a significant role in the regulation of plant responses to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. However, no information is currently available about the impact of S application on ascorbate-glutathione metabolism (ASA-GSH cycle) of Pakchoi plants under Cd stress. The two previously identified genotypes, namely, Aikangqing (a Cd-tolerant cultivar) and Qibaoqing (a Cd-sensitive cultivar), were utilized to investigate the role of S to mitigate Cd toxicity in Pakchoi plants under different Cd regimes. Results showed that Cd stress inhibited plant growth and induced oxidative stress. Exogenous application of S significantly increased the tolerance of Pakchoi seedlings suffering from Cd stress. This effect was demonstrated by increased growth parameters; stimulated activities of the antioxidant enzymes and upregulated genes involved in the ASA-GSH cycle and S assimilation; and by the enhanced ASA, GSH, phytochelatins, and nonprotein thiol production. This study shows that applying S nutrition can mitigate Cd toxicity in Pakchoi plants which has the potential in assisting the development of breeding strategies aimed at limiting Cd phytoaccumulation and decreasing Cd hazards in the food chain.
MADS-box transcription factors play vital roles in multiple biological processes in plants. At present, a comprehensive investigation into the genome-wide identification and classification of MADS-box genes in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) has not been reported. In this study, we identified 72 MADS-box genes in the foxtail millet genome and give an overview of the phylogeny, chromosomal location, gene structures, and potential functions of the proteins encoded by these genes. We also found that the expression of 10 MIKC-type MADS-box genes was induced by abiotic stresses (PEG-6000 and NaCl) and exogenous hormones (ABA and GA), which suggests that these genes may play important regulatory roles in response to different stresses. Further studies showed that transgenic Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants overexpressing SiMADS51 had reduced drought stress tolerance as revealed by lower survival rates and poorer growth performance under drought stress conditions, which demonstrated that SiMADS51 is a negative regulator of drought stress tolerance in plants. Moreover, expression of some stress-related genes were down-regulated in the SiMADS51-overexpressing plants. The results of our study provide an overall picture of the MADS-box gene family in foxtail millet and establish a foundation for further research on the mechanisms of action of MADS-box proteins with respect to abiotic stresses.
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