The sugar transporter GmSWEET48 impacts seed yield and composition of soybean.

During the early stages of seed development, the small embryo receives large amounts of sugar from the liquid endosperm of the developing seed. A sugar deficit can lead to severe seed abortion and yield loss. However, the key factors influencing sugar transport and crop yield remain largely unknown.

A phosphorylation-regulated NPF transporter determines salt tolerance by mediating chloride uptake in soybean plants.

Chloride (Cl) ions cause major damage to crops in saline soils. Understanding the key factors that influence Cl uptake and translocation will aid the breeding of more salt-tolerant crops. Here, using genome-wide association study and transcriptomic analysis, we identified a NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1 (NRT1)/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER family (NPF) protein, GmNPF7.

Light-gated channelrhodopsin sparks proton-induced calcium release in guard cells.

Although there has been long-standing recognition that stimuli-induced cytosolic pH alterations coincide with changes in calcium ion (Ca) levels, the interdependence between protons (H) and Ca remains poorly understood. We addressed this topic using the light-gated channelrhodopsin KCR2 from the pseudofungus , which operates as a H conductive, Ca impermeable ion channel on the plasma membrane of plant cells. Light activation of KCR2 in guard cells evokes a transient cytoplasmic acidification that sparks Ca release from the endoplasmic reticulum.

Phosphatidic acid regulates ammonium uptake by interacting with AMMONIUM TRANSPORTER 1;1 in Arabidopsis.

Ammonium (NH4+) is a key inorganic nitrogen source in cellular amino acid biosynthesis. The coupling of transcriptional and posttranslational regulation of AMMONIUM TRANSPORTER (AMT) ensures that NH4+ acquisition by plant roots is properly balanced, which allows for rapid adaptation to a variety of nitrogen conditions. Here, we report that phospholipase D (PLD)-derived phosphatidic acid (PA) interacts with AMT1;1 to mediate NH4+ uptake in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana).

Rice potassium transporter OsHAK18 mediates phloem K loading and redistribution.

High-affinity K transporters/K uptake permeases/K transporters (HAK/KUP/KT) are important pathways mediating K transport across cell membranes, which function in maintaining K homeostasis during plant growth and stress response. An increasing number of studies have shown that HAK/KUP/KT transporters play crucial roles in root K uptake and root-to-shoot translocation. However, whether HAK/KUP/KT transporters also function in phloem K translocation remain unclear.

OsCYBDOMG1, a cytochrome b561 domain-containing protein, regulates salt tolerance and grain yield in rice.

OsCYBDOMG1 positively regulates salt tolerance, plant growth, and grain yield by affecting ascorbate biosynthesis and redox state. Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress affecting rice growth and productivity. Many genes involved in the salt stress response have been identified, but the precise mechanisms underlying salt tolerance remain unclear.

Phosphatidic acid-regulated SOS2 controls sodium and potassium homeostasis in Arabidopsis under salt stress.

The maintenance of sodium/potassium (Na /K ) homeostasis in plant cells is essential for salt tolerance. Plants export excess Na out of cells mainly through the Salt Overly Sensitive (SOS) pathway, activated by a calcium signal; however, it is unknown whether other signals regulate the SOS pathway and how K uptake is regulated under salt stress. Phosphatidic acid (PA) is emerging as a lipid signaling molecule that modulates cellular processes in development and the response to stimuli.

A 14-3-3 protein positively regulates rice salt tolerance by stabilizing phospholipase C1.

The phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase Cs (PI-PLCs) catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositols, which play crucial roles in signaling transduction during plant development and stress response. However, the regulation of PI-PLC is still poorly understood. A previous study showed that a rice PI-PLC, OsPLC1, was essential to rice salt tolerance.

Transcriptional repressor RST1 controls salt tolerance and grain yield in rice by regulating gene expression of asparagine synthetase.

Salt stress impairs nutrient metabolism in plant cells, leading to growth and yield penalties. However, the mechanism by which plants alter their nutrient metabolism processes in response to salt stress remains elusive. In this study, we identified and characterized the rice () () mutant, which displayed improved salt tolerance and grain yield.

Mitochondrial GPAT-derived LPA controls auxin-dependent embryonic and postembryonic development.

Membrane properties are emerging as important cues for the spatiotemporal regulation of hormone signaling. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) evokes multiple biological responses by activating G protein-coupled receptors in mammals. In this study, we demonstrated that LPA derived from the mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases GPAT1 and GPAT2 is a critical lipid-based cue for auxin-controlled embryogenesis and plant growth in .

An endoplasmic reticulum-localized cytochrome regulates high-affinity K transport in response to salt stress in rice.

Potassium (K) is an essential element for growth and development in both animals and plants, while high levels of environmental sodium (Na) represent a threat to most plants. The uptake of K from high-saline environments is an essential mechanism to maintain intracellular K/Na homeostasis, which can help reduce toxicity caused by Na accumulation, thereby improving the salt tolerance of plants. However, the mechanisms and regulation of K-uptake during salt stress remain poorly understood.

A bHLH protein, OsBIM1, positively regulates rice leaf angle by promoting brassinosteroid signaling.

Rice leaf angle is an important agronomic trait determining plant architecture and crop yield. Brassinosteroids (BRs) play crucial roles in controlling rice leaf angle, thus an increasing number of researches were focused on the BR signaling pathway in rice. However, the orthologs of some important components in Arabidopsis BR signaling have not yet been characterized in rice.

Rice shaker potassium channel OsAKT2 positively regulates salt tolerance and grain yield by mediating K redistribution.

Maintaining Na /K homeostasis is a critical feature for plant survival under salt stress, which depends on the operation of Na and K transporters. Although some K transporters mediating root K uptake have been reported to be essential to the maintenance of Na /K homeostasis, the effect of K long-distance translocation via phloem on plant salt tolerance remains unclear. Here, we provide physiological and genetic evidence of the involvement of phloem-localized OsAKT2 in rice salt tolerance.

Corrigendum to: Phosphatidic acid binds to and regulates guanine nucleotide exchange factor 8 (GEF8) activity in Arabidopsis.

Phosphatidic acid (PA) forms part of plant lipid metabolism and is a signalling molecule used in response to various external stresses. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate small GTPase ROPs, serving as molecular switches in a wide range of signalling pathways. However, the interaction between PA and GEFs in plants has not yet been reported.

Multiple basic amino acid residues contribute to phosphatidic acid-mediated inhibition of rice potassium channel OsAKT2.

Anionic phospholipid phosphatidic acid (PA) behaves as an important second messenger involved in many cellular processes, such as development, cytoskeletal dynamics, vesicle trafficking, and stress response. Recently, it was reported that PA can directly bind with the rice Shaker K channel OsAKT2 to inhibit its channel activity. Two adjacent arginine residues (R644 and R645) in ANK domain were identified as a PA-binding site essential to the PA-mediated inhibition of OsAKT2.

Phosphatidic acid directly binds with rice potassium channel OsAKT2 to inhibit its activity.

The plant Shaker K channel AtAKT2 has been identified as a weakly rectifying channel that can stabilize membrane potentials to promote photoassimilate phloem loading and translocation. Thus, studies on functional characterization and regulatory mechanisms of AtAKT2-like channels in crops are highly important for improving crop production. Here, we identified the rice OsAKT2 as the ortholog of Arabidopsis AtAKT2, which is primarily expressed in the shoot phloem and localized at the plasma membrane.

Phosphatidic acid promotes the activation and plasma membrane localization of MKK7 and MKK9 in response to salt stress.

Phosphatidic acid (PA) is a lipid secondary messenger involved in intracellular signaling in eukaryotes. It has been confirmed that PA mediates salt stress signaling by promoting activation of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase 6 (MPK6) which phosphorylates Na/H antiporter SOS1. However, the MPK6-upstream kinases and their relationship to PA remain unclear.

Identification and functional characterization of the chloride channel gene, GsCLC-c2 from wild soybean.

Background: The anionic toxicity of plants under salt stress is mainly caused by chloride (Cl). Thus Cl influx, transport and their regulatory mechanisms should be one of the most important aspects of plant salt tolerance studies, but are often sidelined by the focus on sodium (Na) toxicity and its associated adaptations. Plant chloride channels (CLCs) are transport proteins for anions including Cl and nitrate (NO), and are critical for nutrition uptake and transport, adjustment of cellular turgor, stomatal movement, signal transduction, and Cl and NO homeostasis under salt stress.

Phosphatidic Acid Directly Regulates PINOID-Dependent Phosphorylation and Activation of the PIN-FORMED2 Auxin Efflux Transporter in Response to Salt Stress.

Remodeling of auxin distribution during the integration of plant growth responses with the environment requires the precise control of auxin influx and efflux transporters. The plasma membrane-localized PIN-FORMED (PIN) proteins facilitate auxin efflux from cells, and their activity is regulated by reversible phosphorylation. How PIN modulates plant cellular responses to external stresses and whether its activity is coordinated by phospholipids remain unclear.

Phosphatidic acid binds to and regulates guanine nucleotide exchange factor 8 (GEF8) activity in Arabidopsis.

Phosphatidic acid (PA) forms part of plant lipid metabolism and is a signalling molecule used in response to various external stresses. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) activate small GTPase ROPs, serving as molecular switches in a wide range of signalling pathways. However, the interaction between PA and GEFs in plants has not yet been reported.

Arabidopsis thaliana constitutively active ROP11 interacts with the NADPH oxidase respiratory burst oxidase homologue F to regulate reactive oxygen species production in root hairs.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key signalling role in cells. Plant NADPH oxidases, also known as respiratory burst oxidase homologues (Rbohs), are well characterised ROS-generating systems. In this study, we found that the constitutively active small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) ROP11 (CA-ROP11) interacted with RbohF by using a yeast two-hybrid analysis, a pull-down assay and an in vivo bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay.

AtKC1 and CIPK23 Synergistically Modulate AKT1-Mediated Low-Potassium Stress Responses in Arabidopsis.

In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the Shaker K(+) channel AKT1 conducts K(+) uptake in root cells, and its activity is regulated by CBL1/9-CIPK23 complexes as well as by the AtKC1 channel subunit. CIPK23 and AtKC1 are both involved in the AKT1-mediated low-K(+) (LK) response; however, the relationship between them remains unclear. In this study, we screened suppressors of low-K(+) sensitive [lks1 (cipk23)] and isolated the suppressor of lks1 (sls1) mutant, which suppressed the leaf chlorosis phenotype of lks1 under LK conditions.

The potassium transporter OsHAK21 functions in the maintenance of ion homeostasis and tolerance to salt stress in rice.

The intracellular potassium (K(+) ) homeostasis, which is crucial for plant survival in saline environments, is modulated by K(+) channels and transporters. Some members of the high-affinity K(+) transporter (HAK) family are believed to function in the regulation of plant salt tolerance, but the physiological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report a significant inducement of OsHAK21 expression by high-salinity treatment and provide genetic evidence of the involvement of OsHAK21 in rice salt tolerance.