Palacios-Martinez, J. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2024

The non-specific phospholipase C of common bean PvNPC4 modulates roots and nodule development

Plant phospholipase C (PLC) proteins are phospholipid-degrading enzymes classified into two subfamilies: phosphoinositide-specific PLCs (PI-PLCs) and non-specific PLCs (NPCs). PI-PLCs have been widely studied in various biological contexts, including responses to abiotic and biotic stresses and plant development; NPCs have been less thoroughly studied. No PLC subfamily has been characterized in relation to the symbiotic interaction between Fabaceae (legume) species and the nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia. However, lipids are reported to be crucial to this interaction, and PLCs may therefore contribute to regulating legume-rhizobia symbiosis. In this work, we functionally characterized NPC4 from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) during rhizobial symbiosis, finding evidence that NPC4 plays an important role in bean root development. The knockdown of PvNPC4 by RNA interference (RNAi) resulted in fewer and shorter primary roots and fewer lateral roots than were seen in control plants. Importantly, this phenotype seems to be related to altered auxin signaling. In the bean-rhizobia symbiosis, PvNPC4 transcript abundance increased 3 days after inoculation with Rhizobium tropici. Moreover, the number of infection threads and nodules, as well as the transcript abundance of PvEnod40, a regulatory gene of early stages of symbiosis, decreased in PvNPC4-RNAi roots. Additionally, transcript abundance of genes involved in autoregulation of nodulation (AON) was altered by PvNPC4 silencing. These results indicate that PvNPC4 is a key regulator of root and nodule development, underscoring the participation of PLC in rhizobial symbiosis.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Multi-organ transcriptomic landscape of Ambystoma velasci metamorphosis

Metamorphosis is a postembryonic developmental process that involves morphophysiological and behavioral changes, allowing organisms to adapt into a novel environment. In some amphibians, aquatic organisms undergo metamorphosis to adapt in a terrestrial environment. These organisms experience major changes in their circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory and reproductive systems. We performed a transcriptional global analysis of heart, lung and gills during diverse stages of Ambystoma velasci metamorphosis. In our analyses, we identified eight gene clusters for each organ, according to the expression patterns of differentially expressed genes. We found 4,064 differentially expressed genes in the heart, 4,107 in the lung and 8,265 in the gills. Among the differentially expressed genes in the heart, we observed genes involved in the differentiation of cardiomyocytes in the interatrial zone, vasculogenesis and in the maturation of coronary vessels. In the lung, we found genes differentially expressed related to angiogenesis, alveolarization and synthesis of the surfactant protein. In the case of the gills, the most prominent biological processes identified are degradation of extracellular matrix, apoptosis and keratin production. Our study sheds light on the transcriptional responses and the pathways involved in the transformation of the facultative metamorphic salamander A. velasci in an organ-specific manner.

developmental biology↗