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Regulation of Development and Abiotic Stress Response by Zinc Finger Proteins in Plants

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 17502

Special Issue Editor

Department of Molecular Biology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Interests: plant abiotic stress response; plant development regulation; Arabidopsis; non-tandem CCCH zinc finger genes; AP2/ERF transcription factors; osmotic stress; hypoxia stress
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Zinc fingers are small zinc-ligating domains that make up the largest and most diverse superfamily of nucleic-acid-binding proteins in eukaryotes. Zinc-finger proteins are classified into several different types, including C2H2, C2C2, C2HC, C2C2C2C2, C2HCC2C2, and CCCH, based on the number and order of the Cys and His residues.

Zinc-finger proteins play a critical role in many cellular functions, including transcriptional regulation, RNA binding, regulation of apoptosis, lipid binding, and protein folding and assembly. To date, the molecular and biological functions of zinc-finger proteins have been reported in various plant species, such as Arabidopsis, rice, cotton, chickpea, sweet potato, and poplar.

This Special Issue will focus on the most recent advances in the molecular and biological functions of plant zinc-finger proteins. The submission of works reporting the molecular functions of zinc-finger proteins in abiotic stress response and/or developmental regulation is especially encouraged. Notwithstanding, contributions on other related topics aimed at understanding the biological functions of zinc-finger proteins in plants are also welcomed, including reviews and original research articles.

Prof. Dr. Yong-Hwan Moon
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • zinc-finger proteins
  • plant development
  • abiotic stress response
  • RNA binding
  • DNA binding
  • transcriptional regulation
  • post-transcriptional regulation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 5012 KiB  
Article
Ectopic Expression of Arabidopsis thaliana zDof1.3 in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Is Associated with Improved Greenhouse Productivity and Enhanced Carbon and Nitrogen Use
by Kietsuda Luengwilai, Jingwei Yu, Randi C. Jiménez, Maysaya Thitisaksakul, Andrea Vega, Shaoyun Dong and Diane M. Beckles
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11229; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms231911229 - 23 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1634
Abstract
A large collection of transgenic tomato lines, each ectopically expressing a different Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor, was screened for variants with alterations in leaf starch. Such lines may be affected in carbon partitioning, and in allocation to the sinks. We focused on ‘L4080’, [...] Read more.
A large collection of transgenic tomato lines, each ectopically expressing a different Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor, was screened for variants with alterations in leaf starch. Such lines may be affected in carbon partitioning, and in allocation to the sinks. We focused on ‘L4080’, which harbored an A. thaliana zDof (DNA-binding one zinc finger) isoform 1.3 (AtzDof1.3) gene, and which had a 2–4-fold higher starch-to-sucrose ratio in source leaves over the diel (p < 0.05). Our aim was to determine whether there were associated effects on productivity. L4080 plants were altered in nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) metabolism. The N-to-C ratio was higher in six-week-old L4080, and when treated with 1/10 N, L4080 growth was less inhibited compared to the wild-type and this was accompanied by faster root elongation (p < 0.05). The six-week-old L4080 acquired 42% more dry matter at 720 ppm CO2, compared to ambient CO2 (p < 0.05), while the wild-type (WT) remained unchanged. GC-MS-TOF data showed that L4080 source leaves were enriched in amino acids compared to the WT, and at 49 DPA, fruit had 25% greater mass, higher sucrose, and increased yield (25%; p < 0.05) compared to the WT. An Affymetrix cDNA array analysis suggested that only 0.39% of the 9000 cDNAs were altered by 1.5-fold (p < 0.01) in L4080 source leaves. 14C-labeling of fruit disks identified potential differences in 14-DPA fruit metabolism suggesting that post-transcriptional regulation was important. We conclude that AtzDof1.3 and the germplasm derived therefrom, should be investigated for their ‘climate-change adaptive’ potential. Full article
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13 pages, 5688 KiB  
Article
AaZFP3, a Novel CCCH-Type Zinc Finger Protein from Adonis amurensis, Promotes Early Flowering in Arabidopsis by Regulating the Expression of Flowering-Related Genes
by Meiqi Wang, Haizhen Zhang, Shengyue Dai, Shuang Feng, Shufang Gong, Jingang Wang and Aimin Zhou
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(15), 8166; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23158166 - 25 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1552
Abstract
CCCH-type zinc finger proteins (ZFP) are a large family of proteins that play various important roles in plant growth and development; however, the functions of most proteins in this family are uncharacterized. In this study, a CCCH-type ZFP, AaZFP3, was identified in the [...] Read more.
CCCH-type zinc finger proteins (ZFP) are a large family of proteins that play various important roles in plant growth and development; however, the functions of most proteins in this family are uncharacterized. In this study, a CCCH-type ZFP, AaZFP3, was identified in the floral organ of Adonis amurensis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that AaZFP3 was widely expressed in the flowers of A.amurensis. Subcellular localization analysis showed that the AaZFP3 protein was mainly localized to the cytoplasm in tobacco and Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the overexpression of AaZFP3 promoted early flowering in Arabidopsis under both normal and relatively low-temperature conditions. RNA-sequencing and qPCR analyses revealed that the expression of multiple key flowering-time genes was altered in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AaZFP3 compared to wild-type. Of these genes, FLOWERING LOCUS T (AtFT) expression was most significantly up-regulated, whereas FLOWERING LOCUS C (AtFLC) was significantly down-regulated. These results suggest that the overexpression of AaZFP3 promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis by affecting the expression of flowering-time genes. Overall, our study indicates that AaZFP3 may be involved in flowering regulation in A.amurensis and may represent an important genetic resource for improving flowering-time control in other ornamental plants or crops. Full article
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13 pages, 3788 KiB  
Article
Non-TZF Transcriptional Activator AtC3H12 Negatively Affects Seed Germination and Seedling Development in Arabidopsis
by Hye-Yeon Seok, Taehyoung Kim, Sun-Young Lee and Yong-Hwan Moon
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(3), 1572; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23031572 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2375
Abstract
CCCH zinc finger proteins are a large protein family and are classified as either tandem CCCH zinc finger (TZF) or non-TZF proteins. The roles of TZF genes in several plants have been well determined, whereas the functions of many non-TZF genes in plants [...] Read more.
CCCH zinc finger proteins are a large protein family and are classified as either tandem CCCH zinc finger (TZF) or non-TZF proteins. The roles of TZF genes in several plants have been well determined, whereas the functions of many non-TZF genes in plants remain uncharacterized. Herein, we describe biological and molecular functions of AtC3H12, an Arabidopsis non-TZF protein containing three CCCH zinc finger motifs. AtC3H12 has orthologs in several plant species but has no paralog in Arabidopsis. AtC3H12-overexpressing transgenic plants (OXs) germinated slower than wild-type (WT) plants, whereas atc3h12 mutants germinated faster than WT plants. The fresh weight (FW) and primary root lengths of AtC3H12 OX seedlings were lighter and shorter than those of WT seedlings, respectively. In contrast, FW and primary root lengths of atc3h12 seedlings were heavier and longer than those of WT seedlings, respectively. AtC3H12 was localized in the nucleus and displayed transactivation activity in both yeast and Arabidopsis. We found that the 97–197 aa region of AtC3H12 is an important part for its transactivation activity. Detection of expression levels and analysis of Arabidopsis transgenic plants harboring a PAtC3H12::GUS construct showed that AtC3H12 expression increases as the Arabidopsis seedlings develop. Taken together, our results demonstrate that AtC3H12 negatively affects seed germination and seedling development as a nuclear transcriptional activator in Arabidopsis. To our knowledge, this is the first report to show that non-TZF proteins negatively affect plant development as nuclear transcriptional activators. Full article
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Review

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14 pages, 2288 KiB  
Review
Hormone Regulation of CCCH Zinc Finger Proteins in Plants
by Qiao Wang, Shangfa Song, Xintong Lu, Yiqing Wang, Yan Chen, Xiuwen Wu, Li Tan and Guohua Chai
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14288; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms232214288 - 18 Nov 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1645
Abstract
CCCH zinc finger proteins contain one to six tandem CCCH motifs composed of three cysteine and one histidine residues and have been widely found in eukaryotes. Plant CCCH proteins control a wide range of developmental and adaptive processes through DNA–protein, RNA–protein and/or protein–protein [...] Read more.
CCCH zinc finger proteins contain one to six tandem CCCH motifs composed of three cysteine and one histidine residues and have been widely found in eukaryotes. Plant CCCH proteins control a wide range of developmental and adaptive processes through DNA–protein, RNA–protein and/or protein–protein interactions. The complex networks underlying these processes regulated by plant CCCH proteins are often involved in phytohormones as signal molecules. In this review, we described the evolution of CCCH proteins from green algae to vascular plants and summarized the functions of plant CCCH proteins that are influenced by six major hormones, including abscisic acid, gibberellic acid, brassinosteroid, jasmonate, ethylene and auxin. We further compared the regulatory mechanisms of plant and animal CCCH proteins via hormone signaling. Among them, Arabidopsis AtC3H14, 15 and human hTTP, three typical CCCH proteins, are able to integrate multiple hormones to participate in various biological processes. Full article
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50 pages, 3741 KiB  
Review
Biotechnological Advances to Improve Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops
by Miguel Angel Villalobos-López, Analilia Arroyo-Becerra, Anareli Quintero-Jiménez and Gabriel Iturriaga
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 12053; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms231912053 - 10 Oct 2022
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5292
Abstract
The major challenges that agriculture is facing in the twenty-first century are increasing droughts, water scarcity, flooding, poorer soils, and extreme temperatures due to climate change. However, most crops are not tolerant to extreme climatic environments. The aim in the near future, in [...] Read more.
The major challenges that agriculture is facing in the twenty-first century are increasing droughts, water scarcity, flooding, poorer soils, and extreme temperatures due to climate change. However, most crops are not tolerant to extreme climatic environments. The aim in the near future, in a world with hunger and an increasing population, is to breed and/or engineer crops to tolerate abiotic stress with a higher yield. Some crop varieties display a certain degree of tolerance, which has been exploited by plant breeders to develop varieties that thrive under stress conditions. Moreover, a long list of genes involved in abiotic stress tolerance have been identified and characterized by molecular techniques and overexpressed individually in plant transformation experiments. Nevertheless, stress tolerance phenotypes are polygenetic traits, which current genomic tools are dissecting to exploit their use by accelerating genetic introgression using molecular markers or site-directed mutagenesis such as CRISPR-Cas9. In this review, we describe plant mechanisms to sense and tolerate adverse climate conditions and examine and discuss classic and new molecular tools to select and improve abiotic stress tolerance in major crops. Full article
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15 pages, 1447 KiB  
Review
C2H2 Zinc Finger Proteins Response to Abiotic Stress in Plants
by Yihua Liu, Ali Raza Khan and Yinbo Gan
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(5), 2730; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms23052730 - 01 Mar 2022
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 4130
Abstract
Abiotic stresses have already exhibited the negative effects on crop growth and development, thereby influencing crop quality and yield. Therefore, plants have developed regulatory mechanisms to adopt against such harsh changing environmental conditions. Recent studies have shown that zinc finger protein transcription factors [...] Read more.
Abiotic stresses have already exhibited the negative effects on crop growth and development, thereby influencing crop quality and yield. Therefore, plants have developed regulatory mechanisms to adopt against such harsh changing environmental conditions. Recent studies have shown that zinc finger protein transcription factors play a crucial role in plant growth and development as well as in stress response. C2H2 zinc finger proteins are one of the best-studied types and have been shown to play diverse roles in the plant abiotic stress responses. However, the C2H2 zinc finger network in plants is complex and needs to be further studied in abiotic stress responses. Here in this review, we mainly focus on recent findings on the regulatory mechanisms, summarize the structural and functional characterization of C2H2 zinc finger proteins, and discuss the C2H2 zinc finger proteins involved in the different signal pathways in plant responses to abiotic stress. Full article
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