Responses to low phosphorus in high and low foliar anthocyanin coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) and maize (Zea mays)

2012 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia Henry ◽  
Surinder Chopra ◽  
David G. Clark ◽  
Jonathan P. Lynch

Foliar anthocyanin production is frequently induced by phosphorus deficiency, but the adaptive significance of increased anthocyanin production under P stress, if any, remains unknown. In this study we hypothesised that if anthocyanin expression is an adaptive response to mitigate the stress effects of P deficiency, genotypes with constitutive anthocyanin expression would have greater tolerance to P stress than low anthocyanin-producing genotypes. Four studies were conducted in greenhouse, outdoor chamber and field conditions to compare genetically similar maize and coleus plants with contrasting anthocyanin accumulation (i.e. ‘red-leafed’ vs ‘green-leafed’). In low-P treatments, anthocyanin production did not consistently result in greater photosynthesis or biomass. In coleus, red-leafed phenotypes showed lower chlorophyll a/b ratios suggesting photoprotection by anthocyanins against degradation of light harvesting complex proteins. However, the opposite trend was observed in maize, where red-leafed phenotypes showed greater chlorophyll a/b ratios and lower qP (oxidation state of PSII). Based on results from the various treatments and growth conditions of this study, it could not be concluded that high foliar anthocyanin production confers a general functional advantage under low-P stress. More research comparing inducible vs constitutive production may help elucidate the role of anthocyanin biosynthesis in P deficiency responses.

Author(s):  
N. V. Shalygo

The accumulation of carotenoids (carotenogenesis) in the cells of Haematococcus pluvialis (strain IBCE H-17) upon cultivation in nutrient media deficient in nutrient elements (N and K + P) is shown. K and P deficiency in nutrient medium led to accumulation of astaxanthin, β-carotene, anteraxanthin, zeaxanthin and violaxanthin after 18 days of cultivation, while the amount of neoxanthin and lutein was at the control level. Carotenogenesis under such conditions was accompanied by high levels of chlorophyll (a + b). The use of nutrient medium deficient in N led to the accumulation of astaxanthin and, to a lesser extent, β-carotene in haematococcus cells, while lutein, anteraxanthin, zeaxanthin, violaxanthin and neoxanthin levels were lower or the same as control. N deficiency caused the decrease in amount of chlorophyll (a + b). Nitrogen deficiency was 4.3 times more effective than control medium and 1.8 times more effective than combined potassium and phosphorus deficiency in promoting astaxanthin accumulation.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enerand Mackon ◽  
Guibeline Charlie Jeazet Dongho Epse Mackon ◽  
Yafei Ma ◽  
Muhammad Haneef Kashif ◽  
Niyaz Ali ◽  
...  

Anthocyanins are antioxidants used as natural colorants and are beneficial to human health. Anthocyanins contribute to reactive oxygen species detoxification and sustain plant growth and development under different environmental stresses. They are phenolic compounds that are broadly distributed in nature and are responsible for a wide range of attractive coloration in many plant organs. Anthocyanins are found in various parts of plants such as flowers, leaves, stems, shoots, and grains. Considering their nutritional and health attributes, anthocyanin-enriched rice or pigmented rice cultivars are a possible alternative to reduce malnutrition around the globe. Anthocyanin biosynthesis and storage in rice are complex processes in which several structural and regulatory genes are involved. In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in the molecular and genetic mechanism of anthocyanins, and their synthesis is of great interest to researchers and the scientific community. However, limited studies have reported anthocyanin synthesis, transportation, and environmental conditions that can hinder anthocyanin production in rice. Rice is a staple food around the globe, and further research on anthocyanin in rice warrants more attention. In this review, metabolic and pre-biotic activities, the underlying transportation, and storage mechanisms of anthocyanins in rice are discussed in detail. This review provides potential information for the food industry and clues for rice breeding and genetic engineering of rice.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 158
Author(s):  
Jiang Tian ◽  
Fei Ge ◽  
Dayi Zhang ◽  
Songqiang Deng ◽  
Xingwang Liu

Phosphorus (P) is a vital element in biological molecules, and one of the main limiting elements for biomass production as plant-available P represents only a small fraction of total soil P. Increasing global food demand and modern agricultural consumption of P fertilizers could lead to excessive inputs of inorganic P in intensively managed croplands, consequently rising P losses and ongoing eutrophication of surface waters. Despite phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) are widely accepted as eco-friendly P fertilizers for increasing agricultural productivity, a comprehensive and deeper understanding of the role of PSMs in P geochemical processes for managing P deficiency has received inadequate attention. In this review, we summarize the basic P forms and their geochemical and biological cycles in soil systems, how PSMs mediate soil P biogeochemical cycles, and the metabolic and enzymatic mechanisms behind these processes. We also highlight the important roles of PSMs in the biogeochemical P cycle and provide perspectives on several environmental issues to prioritize in future PSM applications.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyu Zhang ◽  
Huanqing Xu ◽  
Yuming Yang ◽  
Xiangqian Zhang ◽  
Zhongwen Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and development, and low-phosphorus (LP) stress is a major factor limiting the growth and yield of soybean. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been reported to be key regulators in the responses of plants to stress conditions, but the mechanism through which LP stress mediates the biogenesis of lncRNAs in soybean remains unclear. Results In this study, to explore the response mechanisms of lncRNAs to LP stress, we used the roots of two representative soybean genotypes that present opposite responses to P deficiency, namely, a P-sensitive genotype (Bogao) and a P-tolerant genotype (NN94156), for the construction of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) libraries. In total, 4,166 novel lncRNAs, including 525 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, were identified from the two genotypes at different P levels. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that numerous DE lncRNAs might be involved in diverse biological processes related to phosphate, such as lipid metabolic processes, catalytic activity, cell membrane formation, signal transduction, and nitrogen fixation. Moreover, lncRNA-mRNA-miRNA and lncRNA-mRNA networks were constructed, and the results identified several promising lncRNAs that might be highly valuable for further analysis of the mechanism underlying the response of soybean to LP stress. Conclusions These results revealed that LP stress can significantly alter the genome-wide profiles of lncRNAs, particularly those of the P-sensitive genotype Bogao. Our findings increase the understanding of and provide new insights into the function of lncRNAs in the responses of soybean to P stress.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaobai Li ◽  
Jian Sun ◽  
Jingyong Jiang ◽  
Zhen Chen ◽  
Aaron Jackson

Abstract Rubus chingii, is a red-fruited species of Rubus native to China, which is a popular and nutritious fruit in China. However, change in flavonoid composition and content during fruit maturation is poorly understood. This study examined flavonoids and the genes/proteins during four fruit ripening phases using LC-MS/MS. As a result, six major kinds of anthocyanins were first identified in R. chingii, which primarily consisted of flavanol-anthocyanins, are new to Rubus. Apart from anthocyanins, concentrations of fruit flavonoids were much higher than most berries including raspberries, and it is this that contributes to their high phenolic concentrations and antioxidant capabilities. In contrast to other known raspberries, R. chingii had a decline in flavonoids during fruit maturation, which was due to down-regulation of genes/proteins involved in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis. Surprisingly, anthocyanin continuously decreased during fruit coloration. This suggests that anthocyanins are not responsible for the fruit’s reddish coloration. The biosynthesis of these flavanol-anthocyanins consumed two flavonoid units both produced through the same upstream pathway. Their presence indicates a reduction in the potential biosynthesis of anthocyanin production. Also, the constantly low expression of RcANS gene down-regulated overall anthocyanin biosynthesis. The lack of RcF3’5’H gene/protein hindered the production of delphinidin glycosides. Flavonoids primarily comprising of quercetin/kaempferol-glycosides were predominately located at fruit epidermal-hair and placentae. The profile and biosynthesis of R. chingii flavonoids are unique to Rubus. It could be used to broaden the genetic base of raspberry cultivars and to improve their fruit quality.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayan Maity ◽  
Vangelis Daskalakis ◽  
Marcus Elstner ◽  
Ulrich Kleinekathöfer

Photosynthetic processes are driven by sunlight. Too little of it and the photosynthetic machinery cannot produce the reductive power to drive the anabolic pathways. Too much sunlight and the machinery can get damaged. In higher plants, the major Light Harvesting Complex (LHCII) efficiently absorbs the light energy, but can also dissipate it when in excess (quenching). In order to study the dynamics related to the quenching process but also the exciton dynamics in general, one needs to accurately determine the so-called spectral density which describes the coupling between the relevant pigment modes and the environmental degrees of freedom. To this end, Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations in a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) fashion utilizing the density functional based tight binding (DFTB) method have been performed for the ground state dynamics. Subsequently, the time-dependent extension of the long-range-corrected DFTB scheme has been employed for the excited state calculations of the individual chlorophyll-a molecules in the LHCII complex. The analysis of this data resulted in spectral densities showing an astonishing agreement with the experimental counterpart in this rather large system. This consistency with an experimental observable also supports the accuracy, robustness, and reliability of the present multi-scale scheme. In addition, the resulting spectral densities and site energies were used to determine the exciton transfer rate within a special pigment pair consisting of a chlorophyll-a and a carotenoid molecule which is assumed to play a role in the balance between the light harvesting and quenching modes.


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