Leguminous plants have established mutualistic endosymbiotic interactions with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia to secure nitrogen sources in root nodules. Before nodule formation, the development of early symbiotic structures is essential for rhizobia docking, internalization, targeted delivery, and intracellular accommodation. We recently reported that overexpression of stress-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase (SIMK) in alfalfa affects root hair, nodule, and shoot formation, raising the question of how SIMK modulates these processes. In particular, detailed subcellular spatial distribution, activation, and developmental relocation of SIMK during early stages of alfalfa nodulation remain unclear. Here, we characterized SIMK distribution in Ensifer meliloti-infected root hairs using live-cell imaging and immunolocalization, employing alfalfa stable transgenic lines with genetically manipulated SIMK abundance and kinase activity. In the SIMKK-RNAi line, showing down-regulation of SIMKK and SIMK, we found considerably decreased accumulation of phosphorylated SIMK around infection pockets and infection threads. However, this was strongly increased in the GFP-SIMK line, constitutively overexpressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged SIMK. Thus, genetically manipulated SIMK modulates root hair capacity to form infection pockets and infection threads. Advanced light-sheet fluorescence microscopy on intact plants allowed non-invasive imaging of spatiotemporal interactions between root hairs and symbiotic E. meliloti, while immunofluorescence detection confirmed that SIMK was activated in these locations. Our results shed new light on SIMK spatiotemporal participation in early interactions between alfalfa and E. meliloti, and its internalization into root hairs, showing that local accumulation of active SIMK modulates early nodulation in alfalfa.

• Klíčová slova
• Ensifer meliloti, Alfalfa, MAPKs, SIMK, immunolocalization, infection pocket, infection thread, light-sheet fluorescence microscopy, root hairs, subcellular localization,
• MeSH
• Medicago sativa genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• mikroskopie MeSH
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy * metabolismus   MeSH
• rostliny metabolismus   MeSH
• Sinorhizobium meliloti * metabolismus   MeSH
• symbióza fyziologie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy * MeSH

Nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and legumes have developed complex mutualistic mechanism that allows to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. Signalling by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) seems to be involved in this symbiotic interaction. Previously, we reported that stress-induced MAPK (SIMK) shows predominantly nuclear localization in alfalfa root epidermal cells. Nevertheless, SIMK is activated and relocalized to the tips of growing root hairs during their development. SIMK kinase (SIMKK) is a well-known upstream activator of SIMK. Here, we characterized production parameters of transgenic alfalfa plants with genetically manipulated SIMK after infection with Sinorhizobium meliloti. SIMKK RNAi lines, causing strong downregulation of both SIMKK and SIMK, showed reduced root hair growth and lower capacity to form infection threads and nodules. In contrast, constitutive overexpression of GFP-tagged SIMK promoted root hair growth as well as infection thread and nodule clustering. Moreover, SIMKK and SIMK downregulation led to decrease, while overexpression of GFP-tagged SIMK led to increase of biomass in above-ground part of plants. These data suggest that genetic manipulations causing downregulation or overexpression of SIMK affect root hair, nodule and shoot formation patterns in alfalfa, and point to the new biotechnological potential of this MAPK.

• Klíčová slova
• Medicago sativa, SIMK, SIMKK, infection thread, nodule, root hair,
• MeSH
• biomasa MeSH
• Medicago sativa * genetika   MeSH
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy kinas MeSH
• rostlinné proteiny * genetika   MeSH
• shluková analýza MeSH
• symbióza genetika   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy kinas MeSH
• rostlinné proteiny * MeSH

For several decades, researchers are working to develop improved major crops with better adaptability and tolerance to environmental stresses. Forage legumes have been widely spread in the world due to their great ecological and economic values. Abiotic and biotic stresses are main factors limiting legume production, however, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) shows relatively high level of tolerance to drought and salt stress. Efforts focused on alfalfa improvements have led to the release of cultivars with new traits of agronomic importance such as high yield, better stress tolerance or forage quality. Alfalfa has very high nutritional value due to its efficient symbiotic association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, while deep root system can help to prevent soil water loss in dry lands. The use of modern biotechnology tools is challenging in alfalfa since full genome, unlike to its close relative barrel medic (Medicago truncatula Gaertn.), was not released yet. Identification, isolation, and improvement of genes involved in abiotic or biotic stress response significantly contributed to the progress of our understanding how crop plants cope with these environmental challenges. In this review, we provide an overview of the progress that has been made in high-throughput sequencing, characterization of genes for abiotic or biotic stress tolerance, gene editing, as well as proteomic and metabolomics techniques bearing biotechnological potential for alfalfa improvement.

• Klíčová slova
• Medicago sativa, alfalfa, genomics, metabolomics, proteomics, stress resistance genes,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

BACKGROUND: Microbial-associated molecular patterns activate several MAP kinases, which are major regulators of the innate immune response in Arabidopsis thaliana that induce large-scale changes in gene expression. Here, we determine whether microbial-associated molecular pattern-triggered gene expression involves modifications at the chromatin level. RESULTS: Histone acetylation and deacetylation are major regulators of microbial-associated molecular pattern-triggered gene expression and implicate the histone deacetylase HD2B in the reprogramming of defence gene expression and innate immunity. The MAP kinase MPK3 directly interacts with and phosphorylates HD2B, thereby regulating the intra-nuclear compartmentalization and function of the histone deacetylase. CONCLUSIONS: By studying a number of gene loci that undergo microbial-associated molecular pattern-dependent activation or repression, our data reveal a mechanistic model for how protein kinase signaling directly impacts chromatin reprogramming in plant defense.

• MeSH
• Arabidopsis imunologie   MeSH
• chromatin fyziologie   MeSH
• flagelin imunologie   MeSH
• fosforylace MeSH
• fyziologický stres MeSH
• histondeacetylasy metabolismus   MeSH
• histony metabolismus   MeSH
• imunita rostlin * MeSH
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy kinas metabolismus   MeSH
• přirozená imunita MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku metabolismus   MeSH
• restrukturace chromatinu * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• AtMPK3 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• chromatin MeSH
• flagelin MeSH
• histondeacetylasy MeSH
• histony MeSH
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy kinas MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH

The aim of the present study is to rationalize acrylamide pendant Phos-Tag™ in-gel discrimination of phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated plant protein species with standard immunoblot analysis, and optimize sample preparation, efficient electrophoretic separation and transfer. We tested variants of the method including extraction buffers suitable for preservation of phosphorylated protein species in crude extracts from plants and we addressed the importance of the cation (Mn(2+) or Zn(2+)) used in the gel recipe for efficient transfer to PVDF membranes for further immunoblot analysis. We demonstrate the monitoring of Medicago sativa stress-induced mitogen activated protein kinase (SIMK) in stress-treated wild type plants and transgenic SIMKK RNAi line. We further show the hyperosmotically-induced phosphorylation of the previously uncharacterized HvMPK4 of barley. The method is validated using inducible phosphorylation of barley and wheat α-tubulin and of Arabidopsis MPK6. Acrylamide pendant Phos-Tag™offers a flexible tool for studying protein phosphorylation in crops and Arabidopsis circumventing radioactive labeling and the use of phosphorylation specific antibodies.

• Klíčová slova
• Arabidopsis thaliana, Hordeum vulgare, Medicago sativa, SDS-PAGE Phos-TagTM, Triticum turgidum, mitogen activated protein kinase, protein phosphorylation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Dual-specificity mitogen-activated protein kinases kinases (MAPKKs) are the immediate upstream activators of MAPKs. They simultaneously phosphorylate the TXY motif within the activation loop of MAPKs, allowing them to interact with and regulate multiple substrates. Often, the activation of MAPKs triggers their nuclear translocation. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and the physiological consequences of the activation of MAPKs, particularly in plants, are still poorly understood. Here, we studied the activation and localization of the Medicago sativa stress-induced MAPKK (SIMKK)-SIMK module after salt stress. In the inactive state, SIMKK and SIMK co-localized in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Upon salt stress, however, a substantial part of the nuclear pool of both SIMKK and SIMK relocated to cytoplasmic compartments. The course of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of SIMK correlated temporally with the dual phosphorylation of the pTEpY motif. SIMKK function was further studied in Arabidopsis plants overexpressing SIMKK-yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) fusions. SIMKK-YFP plants showed enhanced activation of Arabidopsis MPK3 and MPK6 kinases upon salt treatment and exhibited high sensitivity against salt stress at the seedling stage, although they were salt insensitive during seed germination. Proteomic analysis of SIMKK-YFP overexpressors indicated the differential regulation of proteins directly or indirectly involved in salt stress responses. These proteins included catalase, peroxiredoxin, glutathione S-transferase, nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1, endoplasmic reticulum luminal-binding protein 2, and finally plasma membrane aquaporins. In conclusion, Arabidopsis seedlings overexpressing SIMKK-YFP exhibited higher salt sensitivity consistent with their proteome composition and with the presumptive MPK3/MPK6 hijacking of the salt response pathway.

• Klíčová slova
• Arabidopsis, MAPK, Medicago, SIMK, SIMKK, proteomics, salt stress, subcellular relocation.,
• MeSH
• aktivace enzymů MeSH
• Arabidopsis genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• exprese genu MeSH
• geneticky modifikované rostliny genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• Medicago sativa enzymologie   genetika   MeSH
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy kinas genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• rostlinné proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• semenáček genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• soli metabolismus   MeSH
• transport proteinů MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy kinas MeSH
• rostlinné proteiny MeSH
• soli MeSH