The genome of a wild Medicago species provides insights into the tolerant mechanisms of legume forage to environmental stress

Wang, Tianzuo; Ren, Lifei; Li, Caihong; Zhang, Di; Zhang, Xiuxiu; Zhou, Gang; Da, Gao; Chen, Rujin; Chen, Yuhui; Wang, Zhaolan; Shi, Fengling; Farmer, Andrew; Li, Yansu; Zhou, Min; Young, Nevin D.; Zhang, Wenhao

doi:10.1186/s12915-021-01033-0

Cited by 46 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 79 publications

(67 reference statements)

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“…As shown in Figure 4A, we constructed a heat map of the expression levels of lignin-related genes, which indicates that LAC17 showed significantly different transcript levels, while other lignin biosynthesis genes showed very similar transcript levels between the two cultivars. The RNA-Seq data were also analyzed with the newly published M. ruthenica reference genome, and the expression levels of 11 genes in the lignin biosynthesis pathway were consistent with the results of non-reference genome analysis (Supplementary Figure 1; Wang et al, 2021). As shown in Figure 4B, qRT-PCR results of most lignin-genes were consistent with those of the transcriptomic analysis, confirming that the expression level of putative LAC17 in cv.…”

Section: Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes Involved In...supporting

confidence: 79%

The MicroRNA397a-LACCASE17 module regulates lignin biosynthesis in Medicago ruthenica (L.)

et al. 2022

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Mechanical strength is essential for the upright growth habit, which is one of the most important characteristics of terrestrial plants. Lignin, a phenylpropanoid-derived polymer mainly present in secondary cell walls plays critical role in providing mechanical support. Here, we report that the prostrate-stem cultivar of the legume forage Medicago ruthenica cultivar ‘Mengnong No. 1’ shows compromised mechanical strength compared with the erect-stem cultivar ‘Zhilixing’. The erect-stem cultivar, ‘Zhilixing’ has significantly higher lignin content, leading to higher mechanical strength than the prostrate-stem cultivar. The low abundance of miRNA397a in the Zhiixing cultivar causes reduced cleavage of MrLAC17 transcript, which results in enhanced expression level of MrLAC17 compared to that in the prostrate-stem cultivar Mengnong No. 1. Complementation of the Arabidopsis lac4 lac17 double mutants with MrLAC17 restored the lignin content to wild-type levels, confirming that MrLAC17 perform an exchangeable role with Arabidopsis laccases. LAC17-mediated lignin polymerization is therefore increased in the ‘Zhilixing’, causing the erect stem phenotype. Our data reveal the importance of the miR397a in the lignin biosynthesis and suggest a strategy for molecular breeding targeting plant architecture in legume forage.

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Section: Identification Of Differentially Expressed Genes Involved In...supporting

confidence: 79%

The MicroRNA397a-LACCASE17 module regulates lignin biosynthesis in Medicago ruthenica (L.)

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“…Compared with other cultivated medics ( M. sativa , M. truncatula , etc. ), the AP2/ERF and bZIP family genes in M. ruthenica were more abundant ( Wang et al, 2021 ). In addition, the SURNod19 gene family is annotated in NCBI as up-regulated by stress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MrERF, MrbZIP, and MrSURNod of Medicago ruthenica Are Involved in Plant Growth and Abiotic Stress Response

Shi

2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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Abiotic stresses affect plant growth and productivity. The outstanding stress resistance of Medicago ruthenica makes it a desirable gene resource to improve the stress tolerance of other plants. The roles of three differently expressed genes [(DEGs) (MrERF, MrbZIP, and MrSURNod)] from M. ruthenica in stress resistance have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we constructed their expression vectors, transformed them into tobacco, and subjected transgenic lines to abiotic stresses. Through comprehensive bioinformatics, transcriptomic, morphological, and physiological analyses of transgenic lines, we have revealed the critical role of these three DEGs in plant growth and abiotic stress response. The upregulation of genes enhanced the germination rate, biomass, root length number, etc. Additionally, the accumulation of osmolytes increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes. These genes are also associated with improved seed yield, increased branching, and early flowering, thereby shortening the growth period. Potentially, this is one of the ways for tobacco to cope with stress. Furthermore, the resistance of transgenic tobacco expressing MrERF or MrbZIP was better than that with MrSURNod. MrERF and MrbZIP can improve drought and salt tolerance of plants, whereas MrSURNod is beneficial in improving drought and cold resistance. Moreover, MrERF or MrbZIP can promote root elongation and increase the root number, whereas MrSURNod mainly promotes root elongation. This may be the reason why stress resistance conferred by MrSURNod is weaker than that associated with the other two genes. Overall, MrERF, MrbZIP, and MrSURNod positively modulate plant growth and stress tolerance.

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“…Legumes are a particularly important source of food for livestock worldwide ( Wang T. Z. et al, 2021 ). The conventional breeding of crops is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and cost-inefficient ( Mishra et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Conclusion and Future Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tolerant mechanism of model legume plant Medicago truncatula to drought, salt, and cold stresses

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Legume plants produce one-third of the total yield of primary crops and are important food sources for both humans and animals worldwide. Frequent exposure to abiotic stresses, such as drought, salt, and cold, greatly limits the production of legume crops. Several morphological, physiological, and molecular studies have been conducted to characterize the response and adaptation mechanism to abiotic stresses. The tolerant mechanisms of the model legume plant Medicago truncatula to abiotic stresses have been extensively studied. Although many potential genes and integrated networks underlying the M. truncatula in responding to abiotic stresses have been identified and described, a comprehensive summary of the tolerant mechanism is lacking. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the adaptive mechanism by which M. truncatula responds to drought, salt, and cold stress. We also discuss future research that need to be explored to improve the abiotic tolerance of legume plants.

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The genome of a wild Medicago species provides insights into the tolerant mechanisms of legume forage to environmental stress

Cited by 46 publications

References 79 publications

The MicroRNA397a-LACCASE17 module regulates lignin biosynthesis in Medicago ruthenica (L.)

The MicroRNA397a-LACCASE17 module regulates lignin biosynthesis in Medicago ruthenica (L.)

MrERF, MrbZIP, and MrSURNod of Medicago ruthenica Are Involved in Plant Growth and Abiotic Stress Response

Tolerant mechanism of model legume plant Medicago truncatula to drought, salt, and cold stresses

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