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Over 70% of species, (159 of 206) are found in Mexico and are well adapted to survive under hot, arid conditions, often in marginal terrain, due to a unique combination of morphological and physiological attributes. In the pre-Columbian era agaves were also key to human adaptation to desert terrain. In contrast to other species such as cacti or resurrection plants, store carbohydrates in the form of fructan polymers rather than starch or sucrose, however, properties specific to fructans such as a strong hydration shell, the ability to be transported through phloem, variable composition throughout the life-cycle and accumulation in succulent tissues and flowers suggest a potential for multiple functional roles. This mini-review summarizes current knowledge of molecular and biochemical aspects of fructan metabolism in species.

Background Reliable indicators for the onset of flowering are not available for most perennial monocarpic species, representing a drawback for crops such as bamboo, agave and banana. The ability to predict and control the transition to the reproductive stage in A. tequilana would represent an advantage for field management of agaves for tequila production and for the development of a laboratory model for agave species. Results Consistent morphological features could not be determined for the vegetative to reproductive transition in A. tequilana . However, changes in carbohydrate metabolism where sucrose decreased and fructans of higher degree of polymerization increased in leaves before and after the vegetative to reproductive transition were observed. At the molecular level, transcriptome analysis from leaf and shoot apical meristem tissue of A. tequilana plants from different developmental stages identified OASES as the most effective assembly program and revealed evidence for incomplete transcript processing in the highly redundant assembly obtained. Gene ontology analysis uncovered enrichment for terms associated with carbohydrate and hormone metabolism and detailed analysis of expression patterns for individual genes revealed roles for specific Flowering locus T (florigen), MADS box proteins, gibberellins and fructans in the transition to flowering. Conclusions Based on the data obtained, a preliminary model was developed to describe the regulatory mechanisms underlying the initiation of flowering in A. tequilana . Identification of specific promoter and repressor Flowering Locus T and MADS box genes facilitates functional analysis and the development of strategies to modulate the vegetative to reproductive transition in A. tequilana .

The potential for crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) to support resilient crops that meet demands for food, fiber, fuel, and pharmaceutical products far exceeds current production levels. This review provides background on five families of plants that express CAM, including examples of many species within these families that have potential agricultural uses. We summarize traditional uses, current developments, management practices, environmental tolerance ranges, and economic values of CAM species with potential commercial applications. The primary benefit of CAM in agriculture is high water use efficiency that allows for reliable crop yields even in drought conditions. Agave species, for example, grow in arid conditions and have been exploited for agricultural products in North and South America for centuries. Yet, there has been very little investment in agricultural improvement for most useful Agave varieties. Other CAM species that are already traded globally include Ananas comosus (pineapple), Aloe spp., Vanilla spp., and Opuntia spp., but there are far more with agronomic uses that are less well known and not yet developed commercially. Recent advances in technology and genomic resources provide tools to understand and realize the tremendous potential for using CAM crops to produce climate-resilient agricultural commodities in the future.

The genome of the carnivorous bladderwort plant Utricularia gibba is described here; despite having undergone at least three rounds of whole-genome duplication, its genome is unusually small and virtually devoid of intergenic DNA. Tiny bladderwort genome sequenced Bladderworts are carnivorous plants found in fresh water and damp soil, where they feed on minute prey such as protozoa and rotifers. They lack clearly distinguishable roots, leaves or stems but produce tiny orchid-like flowers. The genome of one of these plants, Utricularia gibba , has now been sequence and analysed. The genome is unusually small (at 82 megabases), in part due to the near absence of intergenic DNA, but it encodes a typical number of genes for a plant and is sufficient to regulate the development and reproduction of a complex organism. Though Although remaining small, the genome has undergone at least three rounds of whole-genome duplication since common ancestry with tomato ( Solanum ) and grape ( Viti s). It has been argued that the evolution of plant genome size is principally unidirectional and increasing owing to the varied action of whole-genome duplications (WGDs) and mobile element proliferation 1 . However, extreme genome size reductions have been reported in the angiosperm family tree. Here we report the sequence of the 82-megabase genome of the carnivorous bladderwort plant Utricularia gibba . Despite its tiny size, the U. gibba genome accommodates a typical number of genes for a plant, with the main difference from other plant genomes arising from a drastic reduction in non-genic DNA. Unexpectedly, we identified at least three rounds of WGD in U. gibba since common ancestry with tomato ( Solanum ) and grape ( Vitis ). The compressed architecture of the U. gibba genome indicates that a small fraction of intergenic DNA, with few or no active retrotransposons, is sufficient to regulate and integrate all the processes required for the development and reproduction of a complex organism.

Background: Drought is one of the major constraints for plant productivity worldwide. Different mechanisms of drought-tolerance have been reported for several plant species including maize. However, the differences in global gene expression between drought-tolerant and susceptible genotypes and their relationship to physiological adaptations to drought are largely unknown. The study of the differences in global gene expression between tolerant and susceptible genotypes could provide important information to design more efficient breeding programs to produce maize varieties better adapted to water limiting conditions. Methodology/Principal Findings: Changes in physiological responses and gene expression patterns were studied under drought stress and recovery in three Mexican maize landraces which included two drought tolerant (Cajete criollo and Michoacán 21) and one susceptible (85-2) genotypes. Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, soil and leaf water potentials were monitored throughout the experiment and microarray analysis was carried out on transcripts obtained at 10 and 17 days following application of stress and after recovery irrigation. The two tolerant genotypes show more drastic changes in global gene expression which correlate with different physiological mechanisms of adaptation to drought. Differences in the kinetics and number of up- and down-regulated genes were observed between the tolerant and susceptible maize genotypes, as well as differences between the two tolerant genotypes. Interestingly, the most dramatic differences between the tolerant and susceptible genotypes were observed during recovery irrigation, suggesting that the tolerant genotypes activate mechanisms that allow more efficient recovery after a severe drought. Conclusions/Significance: A correlation between levels of photosynthesis and transcription under stress was observed and differences in the number, type and expression levels of transcription factor families were also identified under drought and recovery between the three maize landraces. Gene expression analysis suggests that the drought tolerant landraces have a greater capacity to rapidly modulate more genes under drought and recovery in comparison to the susceptible landrace. Modulation of a greater number of differentially expressed genes of different TF gene families is an important characteristic of the tolerant genotypes. Finally, important differences were also noted between the tolerant landraces that underlie different mechanisms of achieving tolerance.

Background Desiccation tolerant Selaginella species evolved to survive extreme environmental conditions. Studies to determine the mechanisms involved in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance (DT) have focused on only a few Selaginella species. Due to the large diversity in morphology and the wide range of responses to desiccation within the genus, the understanding of the molecular basis of DT in Selaginella species is still limited. Results Here we present a reference transcriptome for the desiccation tolerant species S. sellowii and the desiccation sensitive species S. denticulata . The analysis also included transcriptome data for the well-studied S. lepidophylla (desiccation tolerant), in order to identify DT mechanisms that are independent of morphological adaptations. We used a comparative approach to discriminate between DT responses and the common water loss response in Selaginella species. Predicted proteomes show strong homology, but most of the desiccation responsive genes differ between species. Despite such differences, functional analysis revealed that tolerant species with different morphologies employ similar mechanisms to survive desiccation. Significant functions involved in DT and shared by both tolerant species included induction of antioxidant systems, amino acid and secondary metabolism, whereas species-specific responses included cell wall modification and carbohydrate metabolism. Conclusions Reference transcriptomes generated in this work represent a valuable resource to study Selaginella biology and plant evolution in relation to DT. Our results provide evidence of convergent evolution of S. sellowii and S. lepidophylla due to the different gene sets that underwent selection to acquire DT

The Agave genus is composed of approximately 210 species distributed from south United States to Colombia and Venezuela. Numerous Agave species have been used for the preparation of alcoholic beverages and have attracted interest in the pharmaceutical and food industry. Despite their economic importance, there are few initiatives for the improvement and selection of characteristics of interest. This is mainly due to its morphology, long lifecycles, and monocarpic nature. Micropropagation is a feasible alternative to the improvement of Agave species. It has been used for multiple purposes, including massive propagation, induction of somaclonal variation to enhance agronomic characteristics of interest, maintenance of specific genotypes, and genetic transformation using molecular techniques. In this report, we summarize the most outstanding findings regarding the micropropagation of Agave species mediated by multiple regeneration responses. We also describe the media and growth regulators for each of the previously described methods. In addition, we discuss how micropropagation has allowed the development of transformation protocols. Exploitation of this technology may be a feasible strategy to introduce genes and improve certain traits. Genetic transformation also offers an opportunity for studying molecular mechanisms. This represents advantages for optimizing production in the field and for implementing breeding programs.

Background Agaves are succulent monocotyledonous plants native to xeric environments of North America. Because of their adaptations to their environment, including crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM, a water-efficient form of photosynthesis), and existing technologies for ethanol production, agaves have gained attention both as potential lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstocks and models for exploring plant responses to abiotic stress. However, the lack of comprehensive Agave sequence datasets limits the scope of investigations into the molecular-genetic basis of Agave traits. Results Here, we present comprehensive, high quality de novo transcriptome assemblies of two Agave species, A. tequilana and A. deserti, built from short-read RNA-seq data. Our analyses support completeness and accuracy of the de novo transcriptome assemblies, with each species having a minimum of approximately 35,000 protein-coding genes. Comparison of agave proteomes to those of additional plant species identifies biological functions of gene families displaying sequence divergence in agave species. Additionally, a focus on the transcriptomics of the A. deserti juvenile leaf confirms evolutionary conservation of monocotyledonous leaf physiology and development along the proximal-distal axis. Conclusions Our work presents a comprehensive transcriptome resource for two Agave species and provides insight into their biology and physiology. These resources are a foundation for further investigation of agave biology and their improvement for bioenergy development.

Methodology combining mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) with ion mobility separation (IMS) has emerged as a biological imaging technique due to its versatility, sensitivity and label-free approach. This technique has been shown to separate isomeric compounds such as lipids, amino acids, carboxylic acids and carbohydrates. This report describes mass spectrometry imaging in combination with traveling-wave ion mobility separation and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). Positive ionization mode was used to locate fructans on tissue printed sections of Agave rhizome and stem tissue and distinguished fructan isoforms. Here we show the location of fructans ranging from DP3 to DP17 to be differentially abundant across the stem tissue and for the first time, experimental collision cross sections of endogenous fructan structures have been collected, revealing at least two isoforms for fructans of DP4, DP5, DP6, DP7, DP8, DP10, and DP11. This demonstrates that complex fructans such as agavins can be located and their isoforms resolved using a combination of MALDI, IMS, and MSI, without the need for extraction or derivatization. Use of this methodology uncovered patterns of fructan localization consistent with functional differences where higher DP fructans are found toward the central section of the stem supporting a role in long term carbohydrate storage whereas lower DP fructans are concentrated in the highly vascularized central core of rhizomes supporting a role in mobilization of carbohydrates from the mother plant to developing offsets. Tissue specific patterns of expression of genes encoding enzymes involved in fructan metabolism are consistent with fructan structures and localization.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00324.].[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00324.].