1. TGA transcription factors : structural characteristics as basis for functional variabilityŠpela Tomaž, Kristina Gruden, Anna Coll Rius, 2022, review article Abstract: TGA transcription factors are essential regulators of various cellular processes, their activity connected to different hormonal pathways, interacting proteins and regulatory elements. Belonging to the basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) family, TGAs operate by binding to their target DNA sequence as dimers through a conserved bZIP domain. Despite sharing the core DNA-binding sequence, the TGA paralogues exert somewhat different DNA-binding preferences. Sequence variability of their N- and C-terminal protein parts indicates their importance in defining TGA functional specificity through interactions with diverse proteins, affecting their DNA-binding properties. In this review, we provide a short and concise summary on plant TGA transcription factors from a structural point of view, including the relation of their structural characteristics to their functional roles in transcription regulation.
Keywords: DOG1 domain, functional variability, intrinsically disordered regions, plant transcription regulation, post-translational modifications, structural characteristics, TGA transcription factors
Published in DiRROS: 05.08.2024; Views: 95; Downloads: 128
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2. Cultivar-specific transcriptome and pan-transcriptome reconstruction of tetraploid potatoMarko Petek, Maja Zagorščak, Živa Ramšak, Sheri Sanders, Špela Tomaž, Elizabeth Tseng, Mohamed Zouine, Anna Coll Rius, Kristina Gruden, 2020, original scientific article Abstract: Although the reference genome of Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja double-monoploid (DM) clone is available, knowledge on the genetic diversity of the highly heterozygous tetraploid Group Tuberosum, representing most cultivated varieties, remains largely unexplored. This lack of knowledge hinders further progress in potato research. In conducted investigation, we first merged and manually curated the two existing partially-overlapping DM genome-based gene models, creating a union of genes in Phureja scaffold. Next, we compiled available and newly generated RNA-Seq datasets (cca. 1.5 billion reads) for three tetraploid potato genotypes (cultivar Désirée, cultivar Rywal, and breeding clone PW363) with diverse breeding pedigrees. Short-read transcriptomes were assembled using several de novo assemblers under different settings to test for optimal outcome. For cultivar Rywal, PacBio Iso-Seq full-length transcriptome sequencing was also performed. EvidentialGene redundancy-reducing pipeline complemented with in-house developed scripts was employed to produce accurate and complete cultivar-specific transcriptomes, as well as to attain the pan-transcriptome. The generated transcriptomes and pan-transcriptome represent a valuable resource for potato gene variability exploration, high-throughput omics analyses, and breeding programmes.
Published in DiRROS: 22.07.2024; Views: 130; Downloads: 98
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3. A mini-TGA protein modulates gene expression through heterogeneous association with transcription factorsŠpela Tomaž, Marko Petek, Tjaša Lukan, Karmen Pogačar, Katja Stare, Erica Teixeira Prates, Daniel A. Jacobson, Jan Zrimec, Gregor Bajc, Matej Butala, Maruša Pompe Novak, Ajda Taler-Verčič, Aleksandra Usenik, Dušan Turk, Anna Coll Rius, Kristina Gruden, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: TGA (TGACG-binding) transcription factors, which bind their target DNA through a conserved basic region leucine zipper (bZIP) domain, are vital regulators of gene expression in salicylic acid (SA)-mediated plant immunity. Here, we investigated the role of StTGA2.1, a potato (Solanum tuberosum) TGA lacking the full bZIP, which we named a mini-TGA. Such truncated proteins have been widely assigned as loss-of-function mutants. We, however, confirmed that StTGA2.1 overexpression compensates for SA-deficiency, indicating a distinct mechanism of action compared with model plant species. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we showed that StTGA2.1 can physically interact with StTGA2.2 and StTGA2.3, while its interaction with DNA was not detected. We investigated the changes in transcriptional regulation due to StTGA2.1 overexpression, identifying direct and indirect target genes. Using in planta transactivation assays, we confirmed that StTGA2.1 interacts with StTGA2.3 to activate StPRX07, a member of class III peroxidases (StPRX), which are known to play role in immune response. Finally, via structural modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, we hypothesized that the compact molecular architecture of StTGA2.1 distorts DNA conformation upon heterodimer binding to enable transcriptional activation. This study demonstrates how protein truncation can lead to distinct functions and that such events should be studied carefully in other protein families.
Published in DiRROS: 18.07.2024; Views: 145; Downloads: 72
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4. Candidate pathogenicity factor/effector proteins of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ modulate plant carbohydrate metabolism, accelerate the ascorbate–glutathione cycle, and induce autophagosomesMarina Dermastia, Špela Tomaž, Rebeka Strah, Tjaša Lukan, Anna Coll Rius, Barbara Dušak, Timotej Čepin, Aleš Kladnik, Maja Zagorščak, Kristina Gruden, Maruša Pompe Novak, 2023, original scientific article Abstract: The pathogenicity of intracellular plant pathogenic bacteria is associated with the action of pathogenicity factors/effectors, but their physiological roles for most phytoplasma species, including ‘Candidiatus Phytoplasma solani’ are unknown. Six putative pathogenicity factors/effectors from six different strains of ‘Ca. P. solani’ were selected by bioinformatic analysis. The way in which they manipulate the host cellular machinery was elucidated by analyzing Nicotiana benthamiana leaves after Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation with the pathogenicity factor/effector constructs using confocal microscopy, pull-down, and co-immunoprecipitation, and enzyme assays. Candidate pathogenicity factors/effectors were shown to modulate plant carbohydrate metabolism and the ascorbate–glutathione cycle and to induce autophagosomes. PoStoSP06, PoStoSP13, and PoStoSP28 were localized in the nucleus and cytosol. The most active effector in the processes studied was PoStoSP06. PoStoSP18 was associated with an increase in phosphoglucomutase activity, whereas PoStoSP28, previously annotated as an antigenic membrane protein StAMP, specifically interacted with phosphoglucomutase. PoStoSP04 induced only the ascorbate–glutathione cycle along with other pathogenicity factors/effectors. Candidate pathogenicity factors/effectors were involved in reprogramming host carbohydrate metabolism in favor of phytoplasma own growth and infection. They were specifically associated with three distinct metabolic pathways leading to fructose-6-phosphate as an input substrate for glycolysis. The possible significance of autophagosome induction by PoStoSP28 is discussed.
Keywords: autophagosome, effector, glycolysis, pathogenicity factor, StAMP
Published in DiRROS: 24.08.2023; Views: 726; Downloads: 346
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5. 7th Slovenian Symposium on Plant Biology with International Participation, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, September 17-18, 2018, Ljubljana, Slovenia2018, other monographs and other completed works Abstract: Publikacija je zbirka povzetkov predavanj in posterskih predstavitev v okviru simpozija
Keywords: rastline, sistemska biologija, molekularna biologija, rastlinska ekologija, interakcije, rastlinska biotehnologija, zborniki, povzetki, elektronske knjige
Published in DiRROS: 25.09.2018; Views: 5260; Downloads: 2006
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