Getting back to the grass roots: harnessing specialized metabolites for improved crop stress resilience

Ding, Yezhang; Northen, Trent; Khalil, Ahmed; Huffaker, Alisa; Schmelz, Eric A.

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2021.05.010

Cited by 15 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 100 publications

(111 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These collective insights support the importance of terpenoids and other specialized metabolite classes for switchgrass abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. Recent maize ( Zea mays ) and rice ( Oryza sativa ) studies showing induced diterpenoid formation under UV, oxidative and drought stress and decreased abiotic stress tolerance in diterpenoid-deficient maize mutants support a broader role of terpenoids in abiotic stress adaptation in monocot crops (Schmelz et al 2014; Ding et al 2021; Park et al 2013; Horie et al 2015; Vaughan et al 2015a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal specialized metabolite drought stress responses in switchgrass (Panicum virgatumL.)

Tiedge

Merrill

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYSwitchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a bioenergy model crop valued for its energy efficiency and drought tolerance resilience. The related monocot species rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays) deploy species-specific, specialized metabolites as core stress defenses. By contrast, specialized chemical defenses in switchgrass are largely unknown.To investigate specialized metabolic drought responses in switchgrass, we integrated tissue-specific transcriptome and metabolite analyses of the genotypes Alamo and Cave-in-Rock that feature different drought tolerance.The more drought-susceptible Cave-in-Rock featured an earlier onset of transcriptomic changes and significantly more differentially expressed genes in response to drought compared to Alamo. Specialized pathways showed moderate differential expression compared to pronounced transcriptomic alterations in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. However, diterpenoid-biosynthetic genes showed drought-inducible expression in Alamo roots, contrasting largely unaltered triterpenoid and phenylpropanoid pathways. Metabolomic analyses identified common and genotype-specific flavonoids and terpenoids. Consistent with transcriptomic alterations, several root diterpenoids showed significant drought-induced accumulation, whereas triterpenoid abundance remained predominantly unchanged. Structural analysis of drought-responsive root diterpenoids verified these metabolites as oxygenated furanoditerpenoids.Drought-dependent transcriptome and metabolite profiles provide the foundation to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying switchgrass environmental resilience. Accumulation of specialized root diterpenoids and corresponding pathway transcripts supports a role in drought stress tolerance for these compounds.Significance statementWith an increasing demand for renewable energy opposed by rising climate-driven crop losses, understanding, and leveraging plant natural defenses can enable the development of sustainable crop production systems. Here, we integrated comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses to gain a detailed understanding of the diversity and physiological relevance of specialized metabolites in upland and lowland switchgrass ecotypes and provide resources for future investigations of drought response mechanisms in switchgrass.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal specialized metabolite drought stress responses in switchgrass (Panicum virgatumL.)

Tiedge

Merrill

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Among these metabolites, diterpenoids play essential roles in plant defense and ecological adaptation (Tholl, 2015 ). For instance, chemically distinct diterpenoid blends confer pathogen and pest resistance in major global grain crops, including Zea mays (maize) and Oryza sativa (rice) (Ding et al., 2021 ; Murphy and Zerbe, 2020 ). Recent studies further suggest diterpenoid functions in abiotic stress adaptation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inducible diterpenoid formation was also observed in maize in response to oxidative, drought and salinity stress (Christensen et al., 2018 ; Mafu et al., 2018 ; Vaughan et al., 2014 ), and diterpenoid‐deficient maize mutants show decreased resilience to abiotic perturbations (Vaughan et al., 2015 ). Expanding our knowledge of diterpenoid diversity and associated metabolic genes and pathways across a broader range of monocot crop species can inform molecular breeding and engineering strategies to improve crop environmental adaptation (Bailey‐Serres et al., 2019 ; Bevan et al., 2017 ; Ding et al., 2021 ; Nelson et al., 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cytochrome P450‐catalyzed biosynthesis of furanoditerpenoids in the bioenergy crop switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Specialized diterpenoid metabolites are important mediators of plant-environment interactions in monocot crops. To understand metabolite functions in plant environmental adaptation that ultimately can enable crop improvement strategies, a deeper knowledge of the underlying species-specific biosynthetic pathways is required. Here, we report the genomics-enabled discovery of five cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYP71Z25-CYP71Z29) that form previously unknown furanoditerpenoids in the monocot bioenergy crop Panicum virgatum (switchgrass). Combinatorial pathway reconstruction showed that CYP71Z25-CYP71Z29 catalyze furan ring addition directly to primary diterpene alcohol intermediates derived from distinct class II diterpene synthase products. Transcriptional co-expression patterns and the presence of select diterpenoids in switchgrass roots support the occurrence of P450-derived furanoditerpenoids in planta. Integrating molecular dynamics, structural analysis and targeted mutagenesis identified active site determinants that contribute to the distinct catalytic specificities underlying the broad substrate promiscuity of CYP71Z25-CYP71Z29 for native and non-native diterpenoids.

show abstract

“…The JA signal activates a group of downstream transcription factors responsible for the transcriptional upregulation of defense genes (Yan et al, 2013 ). One of the common defense responses in plants is the activation of secondary metabolite accumulation, such as alkaloids and terpenoids, which act as toxic compounds to pathogens and pests (Ding et al, 2021 ). Many drugs used in modern medicine are derived from such plant secondary metabolites.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Editorial: Oxylipins: The Front Line of Plant Interactions

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Getting back to the grass roots: harnessing specialized metabolites for improved crop stress resilience

Cited by 15 publications

References 100 publications

Comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal specialized metabolite drought stress responses in switchgrass (Panicum virgatumL.)

Comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal specialized metabolite drought stress responses in switchgrass (Panicum virgatumL.)

Cytochrome P450‐catalyzed biosynthesis of furanoditerpenoids in the bioenergy crop switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)

Editorial: Oxylipins: The Front Line of Plant Interactions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About