Water availability is undoubtedly one of the most important environmental factors affecting crop production. Drought causes a gradual deprivation of water in the soil from top to deep layers and can occur at diverse stages of plant development. Roots are the first organs that perceive water deficit in soil and their adaptive development contributes to drought adaptation. Domestication has contributed to a bottleneck in genetic diversity. Wild species or landraces represent a pool of genetic diversity that has not been exploited yet in breeding program. In this study, we used a collection of 230 two-row spring barley landraces to detect phenotypic variation in root system plasticity in response to drought and to identify new quantitative trait loci (QTL) involved in root system architecture under diverse growth conditions. For this purpose, young seedlings grown for 21 days in pouches under control and osmotic-stress conditions were phenotyped and genotyped using the barley 50k iSelect SNP array, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted using three different GWAS methods (MLM GAPIT, FarmCPU, and BLINK) to detect genotype/phenotype associations. In total, 276 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs; p-value (FDR)< 0.05) were identified for root (14 and 12 traits under osmotic-stress and control conditions, respectively) and for three shoot traits under both conditions. In total, 52 QTL (multi-trait or identified by at least two different GWAS approaches) were investigated to identify genes representing promising candidates with a role in root development and adaptation to drought stress.

• Klíčová slova
• GWAS, QTL, barley landraces, candidate gene, osmotic stress, root system architecture,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Polarized exocytosis is essential for many vital processes in eukaryotic cells, where secretory vesicles are targeted to distinct plasma membrane domains characterized by their specific lipid-protein composition. Heterooctameric protein complex exocyst facilitates the vesicle tethering to a target membrane and is a principal cell polarity regulator in eukaryotes. The architecture and molecular details of plant exocyst and its membrane recruitment have remained elusive. Here, we show that the plant exocyst consists of two modules formed by SEC3-SEC5-SEC6-SEC8 and SEC10-SEC15-EXO70-EXO84 subunits, respectively, documenting the evolutionarily conserved architecture within eukaryotes. In contrast to yeast and mammals, the two modules are linked by a plant-specific SEC3-EXO70 interaction, and plant EXO70 functionally dominates over SEC3 in the exocyst recruitment to the plasma membrane. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we found that the C-terminal part of EXO70A1, the canonical EXO70 isoform in Arabidopsis, is critical for this process. In contrast to yeast and animal cells, the EXO70A1 interaction with the plasma membrane is mediated by multiple anionic phospholipids uniquely contributing to the plant plasma membrane identity. We identified several evolutionary conserved EXO70 lysine residues and experimentally proved their importance for the EXO70A1-phospholipid interactions. Collectively, our work has uncovered plant-specific features of the exocyst complex and emphasized the importance of the specific protein-lipid code for the recruitment of peripheral membrane proteins.

• Klíčová slova
• EXO70A1, cell polarity, exocyst, phospholipids, plasma membrane,
• MeSH
• Arabidopsis metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčná membrána metabolismus   MeSH
• cytoplazma metabolismus   MeSH
• exocytóza MeSH
• fosfolipidy metabolismus   MeSH
• polarita buněk MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku metabolismus   MeSH
• proteomika metody   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• EXO70A1 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• fosfolipidy MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH

Pollen development, pollen grain germination, and pollen tube elongation are crucial biological processes in angiosperm plants that need precise regulation to deliver sperm cells to ovules for fertilization. Highly polarized secretion at a growing pollen tube tip requires the exocyst tethering complex responsible for specific targeting of secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane. Here, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) EXO70A2 (At5g52340) is the main exocyst EXO70 isoform in the male gametophyte, governing the conventional secretory function of the exocyst, analogous to EXO70A1 (At5g03540) in the sporophyte. Our analysis of a CRISPR-generated exo70a2 mutant revealed that EXO70A2 is essential for efficient pollen maturation, pollen grain germination, and pollen tube growth. GFP:EXO70A2 was localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm in developing pollen grains and later to the apical domain in growing pollen tube tips characterized by intensive exocytosis. Moreover, EXO70A2 could substitute for EXO70A1 function in the sporophyte, but not vice versa, indicating partial functional redundancy of these two closely related isoforms and higher specificity of EXO70A2 for pollen development-related processes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ancient duplication of EXO70A, one of which is always highly expressed in pollen, occurred independently in monocots and dicots. In summary, EXO70A2 is a crucial component of the exocyst complex in Arabidopsis pollen that is required for efficient plant sexual reproduction.

• MeSH
• Arabidopsis genetika   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• exocytóza genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• genetická variace MeSH
• genotyp MeSH
• pylová láčka genetika   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin MeSH
• rostlinné geny MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH

Vesicle exocytosis underpins signaling and development in plants and is vital for cell expansion. Vesicle tethering and fusion are thought to occur sequentially, with tethering mediated by the exocyst and fusion driven by assembly of soluble NSF attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins from the vesicle membrane (R-SNAREs or vesicle-associated membrane proteins [VAMPs]) and the target membrane (Q-SNAREs). Interactions between exocyst and SNARE protein complexes are known, but their functional consequences remain largely unexplored. We now identify a hierarchy of interactions leading to secretion in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Mating-based split-ubiquitin screens and in vivo Förster resonance energy transfer analyses showed that exocyst EXO70 subunits bind preferentially to cognate plasma membrane SNAREs, notably SYP121 and VAMP721. The exo70A1 mutant affected SNARE distribution and suppressed vesicle traffic similarly to the dominant-negative truncated protein SYP121ΔC, which blocks secretion at the plasma membrane. These phenotypes are consistent with the epistasis of exo70A1 in the exo70A1 syp121 double mutant, which shows decreased growth similar to exo70A1 single mutants. However, the exo70A1 vamp721 mutant showed a strong, synergy, suppressing growth and cell expansion beyond the phenotypic sum of the two single mutants. These data are best explained by a hierarchy of SNARE recruitment to the exocyst at the plasma membrane, dominated by the R-SNARE and plausibly with the VAMP721 longin domain as a nexus for binding.

• MeSH
• Arabidopsis cytologie   genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčná membrána metabolismus   MeSH
• exocytóza fyziologie   MeSH
• geneticky modifikované rostliny MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny Qa-SNARE genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny R-SNARE genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny SNARE genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• rezonanční přenos fluorescenční energie MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• EXO70A1 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• PEN1 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH
• proteiny Qa-SNARE MeSH
• proteiny R-SNARE MeSH
• proteiny SNARE MeSH
• VAMP721 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč

The heterooctameric vesicle-tethering complex exocyst is important for plant development, growth, and immunity. Multiple paralogs exist for most subunits of this complex; especially the membrane-interacting subunit EXO70 underwent extensive amplification in land plants, suggesting functional specialization. Despite this specialization, most Arabidopsis exo70 mutants are viable and free of developmental defects, probably as a consequence of redundancy among isoforms. Our in silico data-mining and modeling analysis, corroborated by transcriptomic experiments, pinpointed several EXO70 paralogs to be involved in plant biotic interactions. We therefore tested corresponding single and selected double mutant combinations (for paralogs EXO70A1, B1, B2, H1, E1, and F1) in their two biologically distinct responses to Pseudomonas syringae, root hair growth stimulation and general plant susceptibility. A shift in defense responses toward either increased or decreased sensitivity was found in several double mutants compared to wild type plants or corresponding single mutants, strongly indicating both additive and compensatory effects of exo70 mutations. In addition, our experiments confirm the lipid-binding capacity of selected EXO70s, however, without the clear relatedness to predicted C-terminal lipid-binding motifs. Our analysis uncovers that there is less of functional redundancy among isoforms than we could suppose from whole sequence phylogeny and that even paralogs with overlapping expression pattern and similar membrane-binding capacity appear to have exclusive roles in plant development and biotic interactions.

• Klíčová slova
• Arabidopsis thaliana, EXO70, biotic stress, exocyst, gene expression, lipid binding, redundancy, root hairs,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Exocyst is a heterooctameric protein complex crucial for the tethering of secretory vesicles to the plasma membrane during exocytosis. Compared to other eukaryotes, exocyst subunit EXO70 is represented by many isoforms in land plants whose cell biological and biological roles, as well as modes of regulation remain largely unknown. Here, we present data on the phospho-regulation of exocyst isoform EXO70C2, which we previously identified as a putative negative regulator of exocyst function in pollen tube growth. A comprehensive phosphoproteomic analysis revealed phosphorylation of EXO70C2 at multiple sites. We have now performed localization and functional studies of phospho-dead and phospho-mimetic variants of Arabidopsis EXO70C2 in transiently transformed tobacco pollen tubes and stably transformed Arabidopsis wild type and exo70C2 mutant plants. Our data reveal a dose-dependent effect of AtEXO70C2 overexpression on pollen tube growth rate and cellular architecture. We show that changes of the AtEXO70C2 phosphorylation status lead to distinct outcomes in wild type and exo70c2 mutant cells, suggesting a complex regulatory pattern. On the other side, phosphorylation does not affect the cytoplasmic localization of AtEXO70C2 or its interaction with putative secretion inhibitor ROH1 in the yeast two-hybrid system.

• Klíčová slova
• Exo70, exocyst, membrane trafficking, phosphorylation, pollen tube, secretion inhibitor, tip-growth,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Background: The eukaryotic endomembrane system most likely arose via paralogous expansions of genes encoding proteins that specify organelle identity, coat complexes and govern fusion specificity. While the majority of these gene families were established by the time of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA), subsequent evolutionary events has moulded these systems, likely reflecting adaptations retained for increased fitness. As well as sequence evolution, these adaptations include loss of otherwise canonical components, the emergence of lineage-specific proteins and paralog expansion. The exocyst complex is involved in late exocytosis and additional trafficking pathways and a member of the complexes associated with tethering containing helical rods (CATCHR) tethering complex family. CATCHR includes the conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex, homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting (HOPS)/class C core vacuole/endosome tethering (CORVET) complexes and several others. The exocyst is integrated into a complex GTPase signalling network in animals, fungi and other lineages. Prompted by discovery of Exo99, a non-canonical subunit in the excavate protist Trypanosoma brucei, and availability of significantly increased genome sequence data, we re-examined evolution of the exocyst. Methods: We examined the evolution of exocyst components by comparative genomics, phylogenetics and structure prediction. Results: The exocyst composition is highly conserved, but with substantial losses of subunits in the Apicomplexa and expansions in Streptophyta plants, Metazoa and land plants, where for the latter, massive paralog expansion of Exo70 represents an extreme and unique example. Significantly, few taxa retain a partial complex, suggesting that, in general, all subunits are probably required for functionality. Further, the ninth exocyst subunit, Exo99, is specific to the Euglenozoa with a distinct architecture compared to the other subunits and which possibly represents a coat system. Conclusions: These data reveal a remarkable degree of evolutionary flexibility within the exocyst complex, suggesting significant diversity in exocytosis mechanisms.

• Klíčová slova
• Exocytosis, comparative genomics, eukaryotes, exocyst, membrane transport, molecular evolution,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Selected beneficial Pseudomonas spp. strains have the ability to influence root architecture in Arabidopsis thaliana by inhibiting primary root elongation and promoting lateral root and root hair formation. A crucial role for auxin in this long-term (1week), long-distance plant-microbe interaction has been demonstrated. METHODS: Arabidopsis seedlings were cultivated in vitro on vertical plates and inoculated with pathogenic strains Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola (Psm) and P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst), as well as Agrobacterium tumefaciens (Atu) and Escherichia coli (Eco). Root hair lengths were measured after 24 and 48h of direct exposure to each bacterial strain. Several Arabidopsis mutants with impaired responses to pathogens, impaired ethylene perception and defects in the exocyst vesicle tethering complex that is involved in secretion were also analysed. KEY RESULTS: Arabidopsis seedling roots infected with Psm or Pst responded similarly to when infected with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria; root hair growth was stimulated and primary root growth was inhibited. Other plant- and soil-adapted bacteria induced similar root hair responses. The most compromised root hair growth stimulation response was found for the knockout mutants exo70A1 and ein2. The single immune pathways dependent on salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and PAD4 are not directly involved in root hair growth stimulation; however, in the mutual cross-talk with ethylene, they indirectly modify the extent of the stimulation of root hair growth. The Flg22 peptide does not initiate root hair stimulation as intact bacteria do, but pretreatment with Flg22 prior to Psm inoculation abolished root hair growth stimulation in an FLS2 receptor kinase-dependent manner. These early response phenomena are not associated with changes in auxin levels, as monitored with the pDR5::GUS auxin reporter. CONCLUSIONS: Early stimulation of root hair growth is an effect of an unidentified component of living plant pathogenic bacteria. The root hair growth response is triggered in the range of hours after bacterial contact with roots and can be modulated by FLS2 signalling. Bacterial stimulation of root hair growth requires functional ethylene signalling and an efficient exocyst-dependent secretory machinery.

• Klíčová slova
• Arabidopsis, Flg22, Pseudomonas, Root hair, dde2/ein2/pad4/sid2, exocyst, vesicle trafficking,
• MeSH
• Arabidopsis genetika   růst a vývoj   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• genový knockout MeSH
• interakce hostitele a patogenu * MeSH
• kořeny rostlin růst a vývoj   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• proteinkinasy genetika   MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku genetika   MeSH
• Pseudomonas syringae * MeSH
• receptory buněčného povrchu genetika   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin MeSH
• signální transdukce MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• EIN2 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• EXO70A1 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• FLS2 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• proteinkinasy MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH
• receptory buněčného povrchu MeSH

The exocyst is a conserved vesicle-tethering complex with principal roles in cell polarity and morphogenesis. Several studies point to its involvement in polarized secretion during microbial pathogen defense. In this context, we have found an interaction between the Arabidopsis EXO70B1 exocyst subunit, a protein which was previously associated with both the defense response and autophagy, and RPM1 INTERACTING PROTEIN 4 (RIN4), the best studied member of the NOI protein family and a known regulator of plant defense pathways. Interestingly, fragments of RIN4 mimicking the cleavage caused by the Pseudomonas syringae effector protease, AvrRpt2, fail to interact strongly with EXO70B1. We observed that transiently expressed RIN4, but not the plasma membrane (PM) protein aquaporin PIP2, recruits EXO70B1 to the PM. Unlike EXO70B1, RIN4 does not recruit the core exocyst subunit SEC6 to the PM under these conditions. Furthermore, the AvrRpt2 effector protease delivered by P. syringae is able to release both RIN4 and EXO70B1 to the cytoplasm. We present a model for how RIN4 might regulate the localization and putative function of EXO70B1 and speculate on the role the AvrRpt2 protease might have in the regulation of this defense response.

• Klíčová slova
• Autophagy, EXO70B1, EXO70B2, RIN4, exocyst, plant immunity, secretion,
• MeSH
• akvaporiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Arabidopsis metabolismus   MeSH
• bakteriální proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• buněčná membrána MeSH
• intracelulární signální peptidy a proteiny MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Pseudomonas syringae metabolismus   MeSH
• transportní proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• akvaporiny MeSH
• avrRpt2 protein, Pseudomonas syringae MeSH Prohlížeč
• bakteriální proteiny MeSH
• EXO70B1 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• intracelulární signální peptidy a proteiny MeSH
• plasma membrane intrinsic protein 2 Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH
• RIN4 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• transportní proteiny MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny MeSH

The exocyst, a eukaryotic tethering complex, coregulates targeted exocytosis as an effector of small GTPases in polarized cell growth. In land plants, several exocyst subunits are encoded by double or triple paralogs, culminating in tens of EXO70 paralogs. Out of 23 Arabidopsis thaliana EXO70 isoforms, we analyzed seven isoforms expressed in pollen. Genetic and microscopic analyses of single mutants in EXO70A2, EXO70C1, EXO70C2, EXO70F1, EXO70H3, EXO70H5, and EXO70H6 genes revealed that only a loss-of-function EXO70C2 allele resulted in a significant male-specific transmission defect (segregation 40%:51%:9%) due to aberrant pollen tube growth. Mutant pollen tubes grown in vitro exhibited an enhanced growth rate and a decreased thickness of the tip cell wall, causing tip bursts. However, exo70C2 pollen tubes could frequently recover and restart their speedy elongation, resulting in a repetitive stop-and-go growth dynamics. A pollen-specific depletion of the closest paralog, EXO70C1, using artificial microRNA in the exo70C2 mutant background, resulted in a complete pollen-specific transmission defect, suggesting redundant functions of EXO70C1 and EXO70C2. Both EXO70C1 and EXO70C2, GFP tagged and expressed under the control of their native promoters, localized in the cytoplasm of pollen grains, pollen tubes, and also root trichoblast cells. The expression of EXO70C2-GFP complemented the aberrant growth of exo70C2 pollen tubes. The absent EXO70C2 interactions with core exocyst subunits in the yeast two-hybrid assay, cytoplasmic localization, and genetic effect suggest an unconventional EXO70 function possibly as a regulator of exocytosis outside the exocyst complex. In conclusion, EXO70C2 is a novel factor contributing to the regulation of optimal tip growth of Arabidopsis pollen tubes.

• MeSH
• Arabidopsis genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• geneticky modifikované rostliny MeSH
• konfokální mikroskopie MeSH
• kořeny rostlin genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• protein - isoformy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• pyl genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• pylová láčka genetika   růst a vývoj   metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin * MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• vývojová regulace genové exprese * MeSH
• zelené fluorescenční proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• EXO70C2 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• protein - isoformy MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku MeSH
• vezikulární transportní proteiny MeSH
• zelené fluorescenční proteiny MeSH