Transcriptional Regulation and Signaling of Developmental Programmed Cell Death in Plants

Abstract

Developmental programmed cell death (dPCD) has multiple functions in plant growth and development, and is of great value for industrial production. Among them, wood formed by xylem dPCD is one of the most widely used natural materials. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the molecular mechanism of plant dPCD. The dPCD process is tightly regulated by genetic networks and is involved in the transduction of signaling molecules. Several key regulators have been identified in diverse organisms and individual PCD events. However, complex molecular networks controlling plant dPCD remain highly elusive, and the original triggers of this process are still unknown. This review summarizes the recent progress on the transcriptional regulation and signaling of dPCD during vegetative and reproductive development. It is hoped that this review will provide an overall view of the molecular regulation of dPCD in different developmental processes in plants and identify specific mechanisms for regulating these dPCD events. In addition, the application of plants in industrial production can be improved by manipulating dPCD in specific processes, such as xylogenesis.

Meta-QTL analysis explores the key genes, especially hormone related genes, involved in the regulation of grain water content and grain dehydration rate in maize

“…And ABA can inhibit the occurrence of PCD caused by ETH [ 7 ]. The dead cells that had experienced PCD could promote the release of auxin (IAA) [ 8 ]. Gibberellin (GA) could also regulate the PCD process of the aleurone layer cells in the grain [ 9 ].…”

Peroxisome-Mediated Reactive Oxygen Species Signals Modulate Programmed Cell Death in Plants

“…It has been well summarized that the cellular H 2 O 2 acts as signaling molecule to regulate ROS-specific transcription factors at low content, while triggers oxidative modification of DNA and proteins at high content, leading to cell damage. [ 4 , 5 ] The main mechanism of H 2 O 2 production is the photorespiratory pathway, since 70% of the total H 2 O 2 generated in photosynthetic tissues is mainly catalyzed by glycolate oxidase (GOX) in peroxisomes [ 18 ]. The photorespiratory cycle involves chloroplast, peroxisome and mitochondrion.…”

“…As a key ROS-related organelle, peroxisome is also involved in processes such as programmed cell death (PCD) [ 3 ]. In plants, PCD is defined as any form of cell death involving a series of molecular, biochemical, and cellular changes triggered by programmed developmental processes (dPCD, developmentally induced PCD) or by environmental stresses (ePCD, environmentally induced PCD) [ 4 ]. Accurate control of plant PCD is of great significance to the regulation of plant growth, development and environmental stress resistance.…”

“…It is well studied that programmed developmental processes or environmental stresses disrupt the balance between ROS production and scavenging, leading to increased cellular ROS levels [ 5 ]. The accumulation of cellular ROS acts as a signaling molecule to modulate gene expression or triggers oxidative damages to proteins, DNA and lipids, leading to cell damage and even cell death [ 4 , 5 ]. Therefore, the regulation of ROS level seems to be an effective way to adjust PCD to regulate plant development and environmental stress resistance.…”

A Transcriptomic Evaluation of the Mechanism of Programmed Cell Death of the Replaceable Bud in Chinese Chestnut

“…Ethylene promotes several PCD processes, including leaf senescence [11], flower deterioration following pollination [12], and root decline under hypoxia [13]. Other phytohormones also play key roles in PCD-related processes: gibberellic acid (GA) promotes aleuronal and tapetal PCD; GA is antagonized by abscisic acid (ABA) [14,15]; auxin is important for xylogenesis, root cap morphogenesis, and leaf senescence [16]; brassinosteroid (BR), auxin, and cytokinin promote tracheary element (TE) PCD [17]; and salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) act to regulate both aerenchyma formation and leaf senescence [18,19].…”