Message in a bottle: small signalling peptide outputs during growth and development

Abstract

Classical and recently found phytohormones play an important role in plant growth and development, but plants additionally control these processes through small signalling peptides. Over 1000 potential small signalling peptide sequences are present in the Arabidopsis genome. However, to date, a mere handful of small signalling peptides have been functionally characterized and few have been linked to a receptor. Here, we assess the potential small signalling peptide outputs, namely the molecular, biochemical, and morphological changes they trigger in Arabidopsis. However, we also include some notable studies in other plant species, in order to illustrate the varied effects that can be induced by small signalling peptides. In addition, we touch on some evolutionary aspects of small signalling peptides, as studying their signalling outputs in single-cell green algae and early land plants will assist in our understanding of more complex land plants. Our overview illustrates the growing interest in the small signalling peptide research area and its importance in deepening our understanding of plant growth and development.

Genome-Wide Identification of Medicago Peptides Involved in Macronutrient Responses and Nodulation

“…SSPs encompass many regulatory signaling molecules controlling a multitude of plant growth and development processes, including nodulation and acclimation to nutrient stress (Czyzewicz et al, 2013;Djordjevic et al, 2015;Ohkubo et al, 2017). The identification of such SSPs is of great interest for the improvement of agronomic traits and crop productivity (Bao et al, 2017), particularly in relation to nutrient acquisition.…”

The Plant Peptidome: An Expanding Repertoire of Structural Features and Biological Functions

“…Pro Hyp arabinosylation is important for maintenance of proper peptide structure and as a consequence affects peptide activity (Amano et al, 2007;Ohyama et al, 2009;Shinohara and Matsubayashi, 2013;Mohd-Radzman et al, 2015;. Tyr sulfation Plant peptides have a wide range of biological roles and act in different plant parts, as indicated in an illustration of a simplified plant (adapted from Czyzewicz et al [2013]). Peptides derived from nonfunctional precursors can be classified in three subgroups: (1) PTM peptides, (2) Cys-rich peptides, and (3) non-Cys-rich/non-PTM peptides.…”

“…They fulfill diverse roles in plant growth, development, reproduction, symbiotic interactions, and stress responses (Albert, 2013;Czyzewicz et al, 2013;Matsubayashi, 2014). On the one hand, peptides can interact directly with pathogens through their antimicrobial properties (Goyal and Mattoo, 2014).…”

Update: Post-translational protein modifications in plant metabolism

“…Plants produce hundreds of biologically active small peptides and peptide hormones (typically less than 20 amino acids) through posttranslational cleavage of proteins by a variety of endopeptidases and exopeptidases (Czyzewicz et al, 2013;Krause et al, 2013;Matsubayashi, 2014). These peptides can act systemically through longdistance transport or from cell to cell or by secretion into the apoplast, where they interact with receptors and transcription factors, thus fulfilling roles in plant cell differentiation and development, growth, and defense, indirectly influencing plant metabolism.…”