Biomedical subjects

Mondher Bouzayen

Publications and source records attributed to Mondher Bouzayen.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

A CsWRKY46-CsPBL9-CsARI1 tripartite regulatory module coordinates H2O2 production and callose deposition in citrus fruit immunity.

Plant immunity against pathogens involves multiple immune responses and intricate regulatory networks. However, how immune networks are deployed in fruit remains poorly understood. Here, we show that citrus fruit immune responses, including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production and callose deposition, are multiply regulated by transcriptional activation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Citrus sinensis genes encoding nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase CsRBOHG and callose synthase CsCalS5, responsible for H2O2 production and callose deposition, respectively, are transcriptionally activated by CsWRKY46. Phosphorylation-enhanced activity of CsRBOHG by CsPBL9 enhances immunity. RING1-IBR-RING2 (RBR)-type E3 ligase CsARI1, acting as an immune brake, ubiquitinates CsRBOHG and CsCalS5 for degradation. Interestingly, CsARI1 also shows a moonlight function wherein it interacts with CsPBL9 in a non-ubiquitination manner, disrupting CsPBL9's interaction with CsRBOHG. This CsARI1-CsPBL9 interaction is stimulated by H2O2 as feedback. Moreover, H2O2 contributes to callose deposition, indicating an interplay between two immune responses. Our study reveals a tripartite regulatory hub orchestrating self-linked immunity in citrus fruit.

CP: plants↗

PubMed2025

The SlGRAS9-SlMYC1 regulatory module controls glandular trichome formation and modulates resilience to pest in tomato.

Trichomes of aerial plant organs contribute to adaptive responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. In horticultural plants, increasing glandular trichome density is an effective breeding strategy to enhance resistance to herbivores through promoting the capacity to produce specialized metabolites. The regulatory mechanisms controlling multicellular trichome formation are only partially understood. In this study, we reveal that SlGRAS9 and SlMYC1 transcription factors form a regulatory module controlling glandular trichome formation in multiple tissues. Knockout of SlGRAS9 or overexpression of SlMYC1 in tomato leads to an increased number of type VI glandular trichomes and to higher terpenoid accumulation in leaves, petals, sepals, and fruits. Conversely, knockout of SlMYC1 results in reduced type VI glandular trichomes number and terpenoid levels. Promoter-binding and genetic interaction experiments revealed that SlGRAS9 negatively regulates the transcription of SlMYC1, indicating that the regulation of glandular trichome formation by SlGRAS9 is dependent, at least partly, on SlMYC1. Consistently, both SlGRAS9 knockout and SlMYC1 overexpression result in higher tolerance of tomato plants to spider mites and aphids. In addition to adding some of the missing components to the mechanisms controlling formation of type VI glandular trichome, our findings also uncover new targets for breeding strategies aimed at improving crop protection against pest invasion, thus ensuring crop yield resilience to climate change.

Trichomes↗

PubMed2024

Haplotype-resolved genome assembly and implementation of VitExpress, an open interactive transcriptomic platform for grapevine.

Haplotype-resolved genome assemblies were produced for Chasselas and Ugni Blanc, two heterozygous Vitis vinifera cultivars by combining high-fidelity long-read sequencing and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C). The telomere-to-telomere full coverage of the chromosomes allowed us to assemble separately the two haplo-genomes of both cultivars and revealed structural variations between the two haplotypes of a given cultivar. The deletions/insertions, inversions, translocations, and duplications provide insight into the evolutionary history and parental relationship among grape varieties. Integration of de novo single long-read sequencing of full-length transcript isoforms (Iso-Seq) yielded a highly improved genome annotation. Given its higher contiguity, and the robustness of the IsoSeq-based annotation, the Chasselas assembly meets the standard to become the annotated reference genome for V. vinifera. Building on these resources, we developed VitExpress, an open interactive transcriptomic platform, that provides a genome browser and integrated web tools for expression profiling, and a set of statistical tools (StatTools) for the identification of highly correlated genes. Implementation of the correlation finder tool for MybA1, a major regulator of the anthocyanin pathway, identified candidate genes associated with anthocyanin metabolism, whose expression patterns were experimentally validated as discriminating between black and white grapes. These resources and innovative tools for mining genome-related data are anticipated to foster advances in several areas of grapevine research.

Vitis↗