Integration of Environmental and Developmental (or Metabolic) Control of Seed Mass by Sugar and Ethylene Metabolisms in Arabidopsis

Abstract

In higher plants, seed mass is an important to evolutionary fitness. In this context, seedling establishment positively correlates with seed mass under conditions of environmental stress. Thus, seed mass constitutes an important agricultural trait. Here, we show loss-of-function of YODA (YDA), a MAPKK Kinase, and decreased seed mass, which leads to susceptibility to drought. Furthermore, we demonstrate that yda disrupts sugar metabolisms but not the gaseous plant hormone, ethylene. Our data suggest that the transcription factor EIN3 (ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3), integral to both sugar and ethylene metabolisms, physically interacts with YDA. Further, ein3-1 mutants exhibited increased seed mass. Genetic analysis indicated that YDA and EIN3 were integral to a sugar-mediated metabolism cascade which regulates seed mass by maternally controlling embryo size. It is well established that ethylene metabolism leads to the suppression of drought tolerance by the EIN3 mediated inhibition of CBF1, a transcription factor required for the expression genes of abiotic stress. Our findings help guide the synthesis of a model predicting how sugar/ethylene metabolisms and environmental stress are integrated at EIN3 to control both the establishment of drought tolerance and the production of seed mass. Collectively, these insights into the molecular mechanism underpinning the regulation of plant seed size may aid prospective breeding or design strategies to increase crop yield.

ENO2 Affects the Seed Size and Weight by Adjusting Cytokinin Content and Forming ENO2-bZIP75 Complex in Arabidopsis thaliana

“…The regulatory network of genes that involved in the growth and development of maternal and zygotic tissues is crucial for seed size/weight. Recently, extensive studies have been made in establishing what metabolism molecule integrates plant responses to environmental stresses into the control of seed size and weight (Meng et al, 2018). It has been reported that soluble sugar accumulation can influence seed size via AN3-YDA (ANGUSTIFOLIA3-YODA) gene cascade and integration of environmental and development (or metabolic), and control seed weight by sugar and ethylene metabolisms in Arabidopsis (Meng et al, 2017;Meng et al, 2018).…”

“…Recently, extensive studies have been made in establishing what metabolism molecule integrates plant responses to environmental stresses into the control of seed size and weight (Meng et al, 2018). It has been reported that soluble sugar accumulation can influence seed size via AN3-YDA (ANGUSTIFOLIA3-YODA) gene cascade and integration of environmental and development (or metabolic), and control seed weight by sugar and ethylene metabolisms in Arabidopsis (Meng et al, 2017;Meng et al, 2018). The signaling pathways that may affect seed size and weight have been identified, including the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, G-protein signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, transcriptional regulators, HAIKU (IKU) pathway, and phytohormones .…”

Ethylene signaling in rice and Arabidopsis: New regulators and mechanisms

“…Ethylene also plays a role in modulating seed development. Compared with WT Arabidopsis , EIN3 mutants present increased seed size, likely by affecting embryo cell elongation (Meng et al, 2018). Ethylene is also reported to promote seed iron storage during Arabidopsis seed maturation, possibly through an EIN3‐ERF95‐FER1‐dependent signaling pathway (Sun et al, 2020).…”

Arabidopsis ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) is associated with the promoter of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1) to regulate light‐mediated stomatal development

“…Total RNA was extracted from tissues indicated in the figures by the TRIZOL reagent (Invitrogen), as has been described by Meng (2015) and Meng, Xu, Wan, and Wang (2018). SYBR green was used to monitor the kinetics of PCR product in real-time RT-PCR, as has been described by Meng (2015).…”