Wenyu Yang

ABI4 mediates antagonistic effects of abscisic acid and gibberellins at transcript and protein levels.

Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins (GAs) are plant hormones which antagonistically mediate numerous physiological processes, and their optimal balance is essential for normal plant development. However, the molecular mechanism underlying ABA and GA antagonism still needs to be determined. Here, we report that ABA-INSENSITIVE 4 (ABI4) is a central factor in GA/ABA homeostasis and antagonism in post-germination stages. ABI4 overexpression in Arabidopsis (OE-ABI4) leads to developmental defects including a decrease in plant height and poor seed production. The transcription of a key ABA biosynthetic gene, NCED6, and of a key GA catabolic gene, GA2ox7, is significantly enhanced by ABI4 overexpression. ABI4 activates NCED6 and GA2ox7 transcription by directly binding to the promoters, and genetic analysis revealed that mutation in these two genes partially rescues the dwarf phenotype of ABI4 overexpressing plants. Consistently, ABI4 overexpressing seedlings have a lower GA/ABA ratio than the wild type. We further show that ABA induces GA2ox7 transcription while GA represses NCED6 expression in an ABI4-dependent manner; and that ABA stabilizes the ABI4 protein whereas GA promotes its degradation. Taken together, these results suggest that ABA and GA antagonize each other by oppositely acting on ABI4 transcript and protein levels.

ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE 4 negatively regulates flowering through directly promoting Arabidopsis FLOWERING LOCUS C transcription

Highlight FLC is the direct target of both of the transcription factors ABI4 and ABI5, and ABA inhibits floral transition by activating FLC transcription through ABI4.

Partial improvements in the flavor quality of soybean seeds using intercropping systems with appropriate shading.

The profiles of isoflavone and fatty acids constitute important quality traits in soybean seeds, for making soy-based functional food products, due to their important contributions to the flavor and nutritional value of these products. In general, the composition of these constituents in raw soybeans is affected by cultivation factors, such as sunlight; however, the relationship of the isoflavone and fatty acid profiles with cultivation factors is not well understood. This study evaluated the isoflavone and fatty acid profiles in soybeans grown under a maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system with different row spacings, and with changes in the photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) transmittance. The effects of PAR on the isoflavone and fatty acid contents were found to be quadratic. Appropriate intercropping shading may reduce the bitterness of soybeans caused by soy aglycone and could improve their fatty acid composition.

PAR Interception and Utilization in Different Maize and Soybean Intercropping Patterns

The crop intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and radiation use efficiency (RUE) vary markedly in different intercropping systems. The HHLA (horizontally homogeneous leaf area) and ERCRT (extended row crop radiation transmission) models have been established to calculate the intercepted PAR for intercrops. However, there is still a lack of study on the intercepted PAR and RUE under different intercropping configurations using different models. To evaluate the intercepted PAR and RUE in maize and soybean under different intercropping systems, we tested different strip intercropping configurations (SI1, SI2, and SI3 based on ERCRT model) and a row intercropping configurations (RI based on HHLA model) in comparison to monoculture. Our results showed that the intercepted PAR and RUE of intercropping systems were all higher than those of monoculture. The soybean intercepted PAR in strip intercropping was 1.35 times greater than that in row intercropping. In row intercropping (RI), the lack of soybean intercepted PAR resulted in a significant reduction of soybean dry matter. Therefore, it is not the recommended configuration for soybean. In strip intercropping patterns, with the distance between maize strip increased by 0.2 m, the intercepted PAR of soybean increased by 20%. The SI2 (maize row spacing at 0.4 m and the distance between maize strip at 1.6 m) was the recommended configuration to achieve the highest value of intercepted PAR and RUE among tested strip intercropping configurations. The method of dry matter estimation using intercepted PAR and RUE is useful in simulated experiments. The simulated value was verified in comparison with experimental data, which confirmed the credibility of the simulation model. Moreover, it also provides help in the development of functional-structural plant model (FSPM).

Targeted metabolomics analysis of fatty acids in soybean seeds using GC-MS to reveal the metabolic manipulation of shading in the intercropping system

A field microenvironment varies with intercropping ecological planting patterns, especially its light conditions. Due to light reflection and absorption by maize leaves, spectral irradiance, red/far-red (R/FR) ratio, and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) of the soybean canopy are decreased in a maize–soybean intercropping system as compared to those in sole cropping. In this study, a metabolomics method was applied to analyze fatty acid metabolism of soybeans grown under an intercrop shading condition. The results indicate that the fatty acid contents of the intercropped soybean were significantly higher than those of the sole-cropped soybeans. As the shading effect increased, the soybean fatty acids content showed a rise and fall tendency. Moreover, the partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), Pearson correlation, and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) multivariate analyses showed a similar result. The results suggested that shading can manipulate soybean fatty acid metabolism in a maize–soybean strip intercropping system. Further, the metabolite profiling combined with multivariate statistical analysis can be used as a useful tool for identifying the metabolic links between fatty acid metabolites.

Metabolism variation and better storability of dark- versus light-coloured soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) seeds

The effects of storage duration on the seed germination and metabolite profiling of soybean seeds with five different coloured coats were studied. Their germination, constituents and transcript expressions of isoflavones and free fatty acids (FFAs) were compared using chromatographic metabolomic profiling and transcriptome sequencing. The seed water content was characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry. Results showed that dark-coloured seeds were less inactivated than light-coloured seeds. The aglycone and β-glucoside concentrations of upstream constituents increased significantly, whereas the acetylglucosides and malonylglucosides of downstream constituents decreased with an increase in the storage period. FFAs increased considerably in the soybean seeds as a result of storage. These results indicate that dark-coloured soybean seeds have better storability than light-coloured seeds, and seed water content plays a role in seed inactivation. It was concluded that there are certain metabolic regularities that are associated with different coloured seed coats of soybeans under storage conditions.

Toward a Molecular Understanding of Abscisic Acid Actions in Floral Transition

The transition from the vegetative growth phase to flowering is a crucial checkpoint for plant reproduction and survival, especially under environmental stress conditions. Numerous factors regulate flowering time, including exogenous environmental cues such as day length and temperature, as well as salt and drought stresses, and endogenous phytohormone signaling cascades. Gibberellins and ABA are one classic combination of phytohormones which antagonistically regulate several biological processes, including seed dormancy and germination, primary root growth and seedling development. As regards control of flowering time, gibberellin exhibits a positive role, and represents an important pathway in the regulation of floral transition. However, over the past decades, numerous investigations have demonstrated that the contribution of the stress hormone ABA to floral transition is still controversial, as both positive and negative effects have been documented. It is important to determine why and how ABA shows this contradictory effect on flowering time. In this up to date review, primarily based on recent publications and emerging data, we summarize the distinct and contrasting roles of ABA on floral transition, while the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying these roles are discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges and open questions in this topic are presented.

Effects of reduced nitrogen inputs on crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency in a long-term maize-soybean relay strip intercropping system

The blind pursuit of high yields via increased fertilizer inputs increases the environmental costs. Relay intercropping has advantages for yield, but a strategy for N management is urgently required to decrease N inputs without yield loss in maize-soybean relay intercropping systems (IMS). Experiments were conducted with three levels of N and three planting patterns, and dry matter accumulation, nitrogen uptake, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), competition ratio (CR), system productivity index (SPI), land equivalent ratio (LER), and crop root distribution were investigated. Our results showed that the CR of soybean was greater than 1, and that the change in root distribution in space and time resulted in an interspecific facilitation in IMS. The maximum yield of maize under monoculture maize (MM) occurred with conventional nitrogen (CN), whereas under IMS, the maximum yield occurred with reduced nitrogen (RN). The yield of monoculture soybean (MS) and of soybean in IMS both reached a maximum under RN. The LER of IMS varied from 1.85 to 2.36, and the SPI peaked under RN. Additionally, the NUE of IMS increased by 103.7% under RN compared with that under CN. In conclusion, the separation of the root ecological niche contributed to a positive interspecific facilitation, which increased the land productivity. Thus, maize-soybean relay intercropping with reduced N input provides a very useful approach to increase land productivity and avert environmental pollution.

Water use efficiency and evapotranspiration in maize-soybean relay strip intercrop systems as affected by planting geometries

Optimum planting geometries have been shown to increase crop yields in maize-soybean intercrop systems. However, little is known about whether changes in planting geometry improve the seasonal water use of maize and soybean intercrops. We conducted two different field experiments in 2013 and 2014 to investigate the effects of changes in planting geometry on water use efficiency (WUE) and evapotranspiration (ETc) of maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] relay strip intercrop systems. Our results showed that the leaf area index of maize for both years where intercropping occurred was notably greater compared to sole maize, thus the soil water content (SWC), soil evaporation (E), and throughfall followed a decreasing trend in the following order: central row of maize strip (CRM) < adjacent row between maize and soybean strip (AR) < central row of soybean strip (CRS). When intercropped, the highest grain yield for maize and total yields were recorded for the 40:120 cm and 40:160 cm planting geometries using 160 cm and 200 cm bandwidth, respectively. By contrast, the highest grain yield of intercropped soybean was appeared for the 20:140 cm and 20:180 cm planting geometries. The largest land equivalent ratios were 1.62 for the 40:120 cm planting geometry and 1.79 for the 40:160 cm planting geometry, indicating that both intercropping strategies were advantageous. Changes in planting geometries did not show any significant effect on the ETc of the maize and soybean intercrops. WUEs in the different planting geometries of intercrop systems were lower compared to sole cropping. However, the highest group WUEs of 23.06 and 26.21 kg ha-1 mm-1 for the 40:120 cm and 40:160 cm planting geometries, respectively, were 39% and 23% higher than those for sole cropping. Moreover, the highest water equivalent ratio values of 1.66 and 1.76 also appeared for the 40:120 cm and 40:160 cm planting geometries. We therefore suggest that an optimum planting geometry of 40:160 cm and bandwidth of 200 cm could be a viable planting pattern management method for attaining high group WUE in maize-soybean intercrop systems.

Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins Antagonistically Mediate Plant Development and Abiotic Stress Responses

Phytohormones regulate numerous important biological processes in plant development and biotic/abiotic stress response cascades. More than 50 and 100 years have passed since the initial discoveries of the phytohormones abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins (GA), respectively. Over the past several decades, numerous elegant studies have demonstrated that ABA and GA antagonistically regulate many plant developmental processes, including seed maturation, seed dormancy and germination, root initiation, hypocotyl and stem elongation, and floral transition. Furthermore, as a well-established stress hormone, ABA plays a key role in plant responses to abiotic stresses, such as drought, flooding, salinity and low temperature. Interestingly, recent evidence revealed that GA are also involved in plant response to adverse environmental conditions. Consequently, the complex crosstalk networks between ABA and GA, mediated by diverse key regulators, have been extensively investigated and documented. In this updated mini-review, we summarize the most recent advances in our understanding of the antagonistically regulatory roles of ABA and GA in different stages of plant development and in various plant–environment interactions, focusing on the crosstalk between ABA and GA at the levels of phytohormone metabolism and signal transduction.