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Chentao Lin

Publications and source records attributed to Chentao Lin.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Time-course transcriptome and proteomic dynamics during the de novo shoot organogenesis in Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata).

De novo shoot organogenesis (DNSO) enables plants to regenerate shoots from various explants, offering valuable opportunities for research and plant biotechnology applications. While significant progress has been made in understanding regeneration in angiosperms, the regulatory mechanisms in gymnosperms, particularly Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), remain poorly understood, despite its importance as a key timber species in China. This study successfully established an efficient DNSO protocol for Chinese fir, identifying six distinct stages in the process through cellular-level analysis. Time-course transcriptome and proteomics analyses revealed dynamic changes in mRNA and protein levels during regeneration. Notably, proteins showed more significant alterations across a broad range of biological processes, often independent of corresponding mRNA changes. Key pathways associated with ethylene metabolism and abiotic stress responses were enriched, highlighting their critical roles in regeneration. Further experiments confirmed that moderate osmotic stress treatments (150 mm mannitol) and ethylene treatment (100 μm ACC and 5 μm AgNO3) substantially enhanced DNSO efficiency. In summary, this study uncovers the molecular mechanisms underlying Chinese fir DNSO, providing valuable insights into improving plant regeneration efficiency in this economically important species. These findings contribute to advancements in plant biotechnology and sustainable forestry practices.

Cunninghamia↗

The cryptochromes.

Cryptochromes are photoreceptors that regulate entrainment by light of the circadian clock in plants and animals. They also act as integral parts of the central circadian oscillator in animal brains and as receptors controlling photomorphogenesis in response to blue or ultraviolet (UV-A) light in plants. Cryptochromes are probably the evolutionary descendents of DNA photolyases, which are light-activated DNA-repair enzymes, and are classified into three groups -- plant cryptochromes, animal cryptochromes, and CRY-DASH proteins. Cryptochromes and photolyases have similar three-dimensional structures, characterized by an alpha/beta domain and a helical domain. The structure also includes a chromophore, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). The FAD-access cavity of the helical domain is the catalytic site of photolyases, and it is predicted also to be important in the mechanism of cryptochromes.

Animals↗

Regulation of flowering time in Arabidopsis by K homology domain proteins.

The transition from vegetative growth to reproductive development in Arabidopsis is regulated by multiple floral induction pathways, including the photoperiodic, the autonomous, the vernalization, and the hormonal pathways. These pathways converge to regulate the expression of a small set of genes critical for floral initiation and different signal transduction pathways can interact to govern the time to flower. One important regulator of floral initiation is the MADS-box transcription factor FLC, which acts as a negative regulator of flowering in response to both endogenous and environmental signals. In this report, we describe a study of the flowering-time gene, FLK [flowering locus K homology (KH) domain] that encodes a putative RNA-binding protein with three KH domains. The flk mutations cause delayed flowering without a significant effect on the photoperiodic or vernalization responses. FLK functions primarily as a repressor of FLC expression, although it also modestly affects expression of genes associated with the photoperiodic pathway. In addition to FLK, the expression of two other KH domain genes are modestly affected by the flk mutation, suggesting a possible involvement of more than one KH domain protein in the regulation of flowering time in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis↗

Regulation of photoperiodic flowering by Arabidopsis photoreceptors.

Photoperiodism is a day-length-dependent seasonal change of physiological or developmental activities that is widely found in plants and animals. Photoperiodic flowering in plants is regulated by photosensory receptors including the red/far-red light-receptor phytochromes and the blue/UV-A light-receptor cryptochromes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the specific roles of individual photoreceptors have remained poorly understood. Here, we report a study of the day-length-dependent response of cryptochrome 2 (cry2) and phytochrome A (phyA) and their role as day-length sensors in Arabidopsis. The protein abundance of cry2 and phyA showed a diurnal rhythm in plants grown in short-day but not in plants grown in long-day. The short-day-specific diurnal rhythm of cry2 is determined primarily by blue light-dependent cry2 turnover. Consistent with a proposition that cry2 and phyA are the major day-length sensors in Arabidopsis, we show that phyA mediates far-red light promotion of flowering with modes of action similar to that of cry2. Based on these results and a finding that the photoperiodic responsiveness of plants depends on light quality, a model is proposed to explain how individual phytochromes and cryptochromes work together to confer photoperiodic responsiveness in Arabidopsis.

Arabidopsis↗

Target genes for OBP3, a Dof transcription factor, include novel basic helix-loop-helix domain proteins inducible by salicylic acid.

Overexpression of a salicylic-acid (SA)-inducible Arabidopsis DNA binding with one finger (Dof) transcription factor, called OBF-binding protein 3 (OBP3; AtDof3.6), has previously been shown to result in growth defects. In this study, suppressive subtraction hybridization (SSH) was used to isolate genes induced in an OBP3-overexpression line and several putative clones, called OBP3-responsive genes (ORGs), were isolated. The link with the induced expression levels of these genes and OBP3 overexpression was confirmed by analysing additional OBP3-overexpression lines. ORG1 through ORG4 are novel genes, while ORG5 is an extensin gene, AtExt1. While ORG4 has no similarity with other proteins in the database, ORG1 has weak similarity in different regions of the predicted protein with CDC2 and fibrillin. ORG2 and ORG3 share 80% overall identity in their deduced amino acid sequences and contain a basic helix-loop-helix DNA-binding domain, suggesting that ORG2 and ORG3 may be transcription factors. The expression of the ORG1, ORG2 and ORG3 genes was co-regulated under all conditions examined including upregulation by SA and downregulation by jasmonic acid (JA). Fifteen OBP3-silenced lines were generated to further explore the function of OBP3. Although there were no visible phenotypic changes in any of these lines, the expression of ORG1, ORG2 and ORG3 was reduced. Among the ORG genes, ORG1, ORG2 and ORG3 contained the highest number of potential Dof-binding sites in the promoter region, and their expression was significantly increased within 3 h after induction of OBP3 expression using an inducible promoter system, and closely reflected the expression levels of the exogenous OBP3 protein. The results from the gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments suggest that the ORG1, ORG2 and ORG3 genes are direct target genes of OBP3.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Blue light-dependent in vivo and in vitro phosphorylation of Arabidopsis cryptochrome 1.

Cryptochromes are photolyase-like blue/UV-A light receptors that regulate various light responses in animals and plants. Arabidopsis cryptochrome 1 (cry1) is the major photoreceptor mediating blue light inhibition of hypocotyl elongation. The initial photochemistry underlying cryptochrome function and regulation remain poorly understood. We report here a study of the blue light-dependent phosphorylation of Arabidopsis cry1. Cry1 is detected primarily as unphosphorylated protein in etiolated seedlings, but it is phosphorylated in plants exposed to blue light. Cry1 phosphorylation increases in response to increased fluence of blue light, whereas the phosphorylated cry1 disappears rapidly when plants are transferred from light to dark. Light-dependent cry1 phosphorylation appears specific to blue light, because little cry1 phosphorylation is detected in seedlings treated with red light or far-red light, and it is largely independent from phytochrome actions, because no phytochrome mutants tested significantly affect cry1 phosphorylation. The Arabidopsis cry1 protein expressed and purified from insect cells is phosphorylated in vitro in a blue light-dependent manner, consistent with cry1 undergoing autophosphorylation. To determine whether cry1 phosphorylation is associated with its function or regulation, we isolated and characterized missense cry1 mutants that express full-length CRY1 apoprotein. Mutant residues are found throughout the CRY1 coding sequence, but none of these inactive cry1 mutant proteins shows blue light-induced phosphorylation. These results demonstrate that blue light-dependent cry1 phosphorylation is closely associated with the function or regulation of the photoreceptor and that the overall structure of cry1 is critical to its phosphorylation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cryptochrome structure and signal transduction.

Cryptochromes are photosensory receptors mediating light regulation of growth and development in plants. Since the isolation of the Arabidopsis CRY1 gene in 1993, cryptochromes have been found in every multicellular eukaryote examined. Most plant cryptochromes have a chromophore-binding domain that shares similar structure with DNA photolyase, and a carboxyl terminal extension that contains a DQXVP-acidic-STAES (DAS) domain conserved from moss, to fern, to angiosperm. In Arabidopsis, cryptochromes are nuclear proteins that mediate light control of stem elongation, leaf expansion, photoperiodic flowering, and the circadian clock. Cryptochromes may act by interacting with proteins such as phytochromes, COP1, and clock proteins, or/and chromatin and DNA. Recent studies suggest that cryptochromes undergo a blue light-dependent phosphorylation that affects the conformation, intermolecular interactions, physiological activities, and protein abundance of the photoreceptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Regulation of Arabidopsis cryptochrome 2 by blue-light-dependent phosphorylation.

Cryptochromes are blue/ultraviolet-A light receptors that mediate various light responses in plants and animals. But the initial photochemical reaction of cryptochrome is still unclear. For example, although most photoreceptors are known to undergo light-dependent protein modification such as phosphorylation, no blue-light dependent phosphorylation has been reported for a cryptochrome. Arabidopsis cryptochrome 2 (cry2) mediates light regulation of seedling development and photoperiodic flowering. The physiological activity and cellular level of cry2 protein are light-dependent, and protein protein interactions are important for cry2 function. Here we report that cry2 undergoes a blue-light-dependent phosphorylation, and that cry2 phosphorylation is associated with its function and regulation. Our results suggest that, in the absence of light, cry2 remains unphosphorylated, inactive and stable; absorption of blue light induces the phosphorylation of cry2, triggering photomorphogenic responses and eventually degradation of the photoreceptor.

Arabidopsis↗

Phototropin blue light receptors and light-induced movement responses in plants.

Two blue light receptors in Arabidopsis, termed phot1 and phot2, which contain flavin chromophores and have intrinsic protein kinase activity, participate in several physiological processes. Lin looks at the genetic evidence regarding how these photoreceptors mediate blue light-induced phototropism, chloroplast relocalization, and opening of the stomatal aperture.

Arabidopsis↗

Proteolysis of endomorphin-1 by brain synaptic membrane-associated peptidases.

The biotransformation of endomorphin-1 (EM-1) by brain synaptic membranes has been studied. Peptide fragments of EM-1 that were formed during incubation with membrane preparations in vitro were isolated by High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and characterized using determination of amino acid composition. At pH 7.4, two degradation products, EM-1(1-3) and EM-1(1-2), were identified. EM-1 was degraded 77.5% at 30 min incubation with synaptic membranes. The time course of the experiments and the effect of carboxypeptidase inhibitor (CPI) demonstrated that the proteolysis reaction involves the participation of carboxypeptidase activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗