| 1. |
- Asaf, Sajjad, et al.
(author)
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Comparative analysis of complete plastid genomes from wild soybean (Glycine soja) and nine other Glycine species
- 2017
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In: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library Science (PLOS). - 1932-6203. ; 12:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The plastid genomes of different plant species exhibit significant variation, thereby providing valuable markers for exploring evolutionary relationships and population genetics. Glycine soja (wild soybean) is recognized as the wild ancestor of cultivated soybean (G. max), representing a valuable genetic resource for soybean breeding programmes. In the present study, the complete plastid genome of G. soja was sequenced using Illumina paired-end sequencing and then compared it for the first time with previously reported plastid genome sequences from nine other Glycine species. The G. soja plastid genome was 152,224 bp in length and possessed a typical quadripartite structure, consisting of a pair of inverted repeats (IRa/IRb; 25,574 bp) separated by small (178,963 bp) and large (83,181 bp) single-copy regions, with a 51-kb inversion in the large single-copy region. The genome encoded 134 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and 39 transfer RNA genes, and possessed 204 randomly distributed microsatellites, including 15 forward, 25 tandem, and 34 palindromic repeats. Whole-plastid genome comparisons revealed an overall high degree of sequence similarity between G. max and G. gracilis and some divergence in the intergenic spacers of other species. Greater numbers of indels and SNP substitutions were observed compared with G. cyrtoloba. The sequence of the accD gene from G. soja was highly divergent from those of the other species except for G. max and G. gracilis. Phylogenomic analyses of the complete plastid genomes and 76 shared genes yielded an identical topology and indicated that G. soja is closely related to G. max and G. gracilis. The complete G. soja genome sequenced in the present study is a valuable resource for investigating the population and evolutionary genetics of Glycine species and can be used to identify related species.
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| 2. |
- Asaf, Sajjad, et al.
(author)
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Osmoprotective functions conferred to soybean plants via inoculation with Sphingomonas sp. LK11 and exogenous trehalose
- 2017
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In: Microbiology Research. - : Elsevier. - 0944-5013 .- 1618-0623. ; 205, s. 135-145
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Osmotic stress induced by drought can hinder the growth and yield of crop plants. To understand the eco-physiological role of osmoprotectants, the combined utilization of endophytes and osmolytes (trehalose) can be an ideal strategy used to overcome the adverse effects of drought. Hence, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of Sphingomonas sp. LK11, which produces phytohormones and synthesizes trehalose, in improving soybean plant growth under drought-induced osmotic stress (−0.4, −0.9, and −1.2 MPa). The results showed that the inoculation of soybean plants with Sphingomonas sp. LK11 significantly increased plant length, dry biomass, photosynthetic pigments, glutathione, amino acids (proline, glycine, and glutamate), and primary sugars as compared to control plants under varying drought stresses. Trehalose applied to the plant with or without endophyte-inoculation also showed similar plant growth-promoting attributes under stress. Stress exposure significantly enhanced endogenous jasmonic (JA) and abscisic (ABA) acid contents in control plants. In contrast, Sphingomonas sp. LK11-inoculation significantly lowered ABA and JA levels in soybean plants, but these phytohormones increased in response to combined treatments during stress. The drought-induced osmotic stress resistance associated with Sphingomonas sp. LK11 and trehalose was also evidenced by increased mRNA gene expression of soybean dehydration responsive element binding protein (DREB)-type transcription factors (GmDREBa and GmDREB2) and the MYB (myeloblastosis) transcription factor (GmMYBJ1) as compared to the control. In conclusion, our findings demonstrated that inoculation with this endophyte and trehalose improved the negative effects of drought-induced osmotic stress, and it enhanced soybean plant growth and tolerance.
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| 3. |
- Asaf, Sajjad, et al.
(author)
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The complete chloroplast genome of wild rice (Oryza minuta) and its comparison to related species
- 2017
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In: Frontiers in Plant Science. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 1664-462X. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Oryza minuta, a tetraploid wild relative of cultivated rice (family Poaceae), possesses a BBCC genome and contains genes that confer resistance to bacterial blight (BB) and white-backed (WBPH) and brown (BPH) plant hoppers. Based on the importance of this wild species, this study aimed to understand the phylogenetic relationships of O. minuta with other Oryza species through an in-depth analysis of the composition and diversity of the chloroplast (cp) genome. The analysis revealed a cp genome size of 135,094 bp with a typical quadripartite structure and consisting of a pair of inverted repeats separated by small and large single copies, 139 representative genes, and 419 randomly distributed microsatellites. The genomic organization, gene order, GC content and codon usage are similar to those of typical angiosperm cp genomes. Approximately 30 forward, 28 tandem and 20 palindromic repeats were detected in the O. minuta cp genome. Comparison of the complete O. minuta cp genome with another eleven Oryza species showed a high degree of sequence similarity and relatively high divergence of intergenic spacers. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted based on the complete genome sequence, 65 shared genes and matK gene showed same topologies and O. minuta forms a single clade with parental O. punctata. Thus, the complete O. minuta cp genome provides interesting insights and valuable information that can be used to identify related species and reconstruct its phylogeny.
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| 4. |
- Imran, Qari Muhammad, et al.
(author)
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Transcriptome wide identification and characterization of NO-responsive WRKY transcription factors in Arabidopsis thaliana L.
- 2018
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In: Environmental and Experimental Botany. - : Elsevier. - 0098-8472 .- 1873-7307. ; 148, s. 128-143
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- WRKY transcription factors are important plant-specific regulatory genes characterized by one or two conserved WRKY domain(s) usually followed by a zinc-finger motif. In this study using Arabidopsis thaliana, the RNA-Seq based transcriptomic analysis showed differential expression of 33 genes encoding WRKY TFs in response to the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-Nitrosocysteine (CySNO). Interestingly, 93.9% of these TFs were up-regulated with at least 2-fold change, suggesting their putative involvement in NO mediated gene regulation. GO- analysis of all the 33 transcriptomic elements showed their putative involvement in biological processes such as abiotic stress tolerance and defense against fungal pathogens (89.39 fold enrichment). Analysis of the NO-responsive AtWRKY TFs promoter region revealed the presence of the cis-acting elements such as ABRE, EIRE, ERE, and MBS involved in osmotic stress response, maximal elicitor-mediated activation, and drought-stress regulation. The analysis of NO-responsive AtWRKY TF motifs and their comparison with rice, soybean, and tomato orthologs suggested that members of the WRKY family belonging to the same group shared similar motifs and phylogenetic tree suggested that these TFs were highly conserved. Validation of transcriptomic data through quantitative real time-PCR showed a high correlation coefficient (0.85) indicating the high reliability and similarity of both types of analysis. Comparison of the NO-responsive and non-responsive WRKYs showed the presence of tyrosine (T) and cysteine (C) residues at a distance of 7 residues from the WRKYGQK motif which may serve as potential targets for modification by NO via tyrosine nitration and S-nitrosylation. We also validated the response of WRKYs through in vivo analysis using atwrky62 loss of function mutant and the results indicated a negative role of AtWRKY62 in plant growth. Furthermore, atwrky62 showed significantly less SNO contents compared to wild type plants indicating putative role of AtWRKY62 in NO metabolism.
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| 5. |
- Imran, Qari Muhammad, et al.
(author)
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WRKYs, the Jack-of-various-Trades, Modulate Dehydration Stress in Populus davidiana-A Transcriptomic Approach
- 2019
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In: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI. - 1661-6596 .- 1422-0067. ; 20:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Populus davidiana, native to Korea and central Asian countries, is a major contributor to the Korean forest cover. In the current study, using high-throughput RNA-seq mediated transcriptome analysis, we identified about 87 P. davidiana WRKY transcription factors (PopdaWRKY TFs) that showed differential expression to dehydration stress in both sensitive and tolerant cultivars. Our results suggested that, on average, most of the WRKY genes were upregulated in tolerant cultivars but downregulated in sensitive cultivars. Based on protein sequence alignment, P. davidiana WRKYs were classified into three major groups, I, II, III, and further subgroups. Phylogenetic analysis showed that WRKY TFs and their orthologs in Arabidopsis and rice were clustered together in the same subgroups, suggesting similar functions across species. Significant correlation was found among qRT-PCR and RNA-seq analysis. In vivo analysis using model plant Arabidopsis showed that atwrky62 (orthologous to Potri.016G137900) knockout mutants were significantly sensitive to dehydration possibly due to an inability to close their stomata under dehydration conditions. In addition, a concomitant decrease in expression of ABA biosynthetic genes was observed. The AtHK1 that regulates stomatal movement was also downregulated in atwrky62 compared to the wild type. Taken together, our findings suggest a regulatory role of PopdaWRKYs under dehydration stress.
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