Browsing by Author "Singh, Dhriti"

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Arabidopsis RSS1 mediates cross-talk between glucose and light signaling during hypocotyl elongation growth
(Nature Publishing Group, 2017) Singh, Manjul; Gupta, Aditi; Singh, Dhriti; Khurana, Jitendra P.; Laxmi, Ashverya
Plants possess exuberant plasticity that facilitates its ability to adapt and survive under challenging environmental conditions. The developmental plasticity largely depends upon cellular elongation which is governed by a complex network of environmental and phytohormonal signals. Here, we report role of glucose (Glc) and Glc-regulated factors in controlling elongation growth and shade response in Arabidopsis. Glc controls shade induced hypocotyl elongation in a dose dependent manner. We have identified a Glc repressed factor REGULATED BY SUGAR AND SHADE1 (RSS1) encoding for an atypical basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein of unknown biological function that is required for normal Glc actions. Phenotype analysis of mutant and overexpression lines suggested RSS1 to be a negative regulator of elongation growth. RSS1 affects overall auxin homeostasis. RSS1 interacts with the elongation growth-promoting proteins HOMOLOG OF BEE2 INTERACTING WITH IBH 1 (HBI1) and BR ENHANCED EXPRESSION2 (BEE2) and negatively affects the transcription of their downstream targets such as YUCs, INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID INDUCIBLE (IAAs), LONG HYPOCOTYL IN FAR-RED1 (HFR1), HOMEOBOX PROTEIN 2 (ATHB2), XYLOGLUCAN ENDOTRANSGLUCOSYLASE/HYDROLASES (XTHs) and EXPANSINS. We propose, Glc signals might maintain optimal hypocotyl elongation under multiple signals such as light, shade and phytohormones through the central growth regulatory bHLH/HLH module.
Balancing growth and defense: Role of target of rapamycin and SNF1-related protein kinase 1 in stress signaling in plants
(John Wiley & Sons, 2021) Sharma, Mohan; Jamsheer, K. Muhammed; Saksena, Harshita B.; Jindal, Sunita; Sharma, Manvi; Singh, Dhriti; Tiwari, Archna; Awasthi, Prakhar; Laxmi, Ashverya
Plants have to maintain the growth and at the same time need to be vigilant about the imminent threat such as pathogen attack and unfavorable growth conditions. It is been observed that the energy status of the plant is an important determinant of the response to stress factors. The Target Of Rapamycin (TOR) and SNF1-Related Protein Kinase 1 (SnRK1) are serine/threonine kinases that originated early in the eukaryotic evolution, work as energy gauges in all eukaryotic lineages. During favorable growth conditions, the nutrient abundance activates TOR, which promotes growth through activation of general protein translation and cell cycle progression. The stress conditions can severely limit energy production, which can activate SnRK1 signaling. By inhibiting TOR kinase and through other effector proteins, the SnRK1 pathway enables the plants to survive in unfavorable growth conditions. The past decade opened a floodgate of studies regarding TOR and SnRK1 interaction regulating growth-defense trade-offs and stress mitigation. This also opened avenues for the utilization of these pathways for crop improvement. This chapter will succinctly summarize the current knowledge in this field and discuss the future direction of research.
Cross-talk between brassinosteroids and other phytohormones: biological functions and molecular mechanism
(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Gupta, Aditi; Singh, Manjul; Singh, Dhriti; Laxmi, Ashverya
To maintain optimal growth and survival, plants balance complex developmental processes while simultaneously sensing and responding to both endogenous physiological factors and changes in their surroundings. Phytohormones are an important class of compounds, which regulate various aspects of plant development and responses to adverse environmental conditions. With the signaling pathways well worked out for most of the hormones, it is evident that these signaling pathways interact in a complex network to coordinate such processes. Besides the five established classical groups of phytohormones, brassinosteroids (BRs) have emerged as prominent phytohormones in recent times. BRs are not only strong modulators of cellular division, cellular elongation, and cellular differentiation across plant tissues but also they make a significant contribution in improving adaptation to various stresses. This chapter summarizes mechanisms regulating production, homeostasis, signaling of BR and their interconnections with different plant hormones to control plant growth and adaptation.
The FCS-LIKE ZINC FINGER 6 and 10 are involved in regulating osmotic stress responses in Arabidopsis
(Taylor & Francis Group, 2019) Jamsheer, K Muhammed; Singh, Dhriti; Sharma, Mohan; Sharma, Manvi; Jindal, Sunita; Mannully, Chanchal T.; Shukla, Brihaspati N.; Laxmi, Ashverya
The TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN-SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 1 (TOR-SnRK1) arms race is a key regulator of plant growth in response to energy fluctuations and stress. Recently, we have identified that two members of the FCS-LIKE ZINC FINGER (FLZ) protein family, FLZ6 and 10, repress SnRK1 signaling and thereby involved in the activation of the TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) signaling. In this study, we demonstrate that FLZ6 and 10 are also involved in the regulation of osmotic stress responses. Downregulation of FLZ6 and 10 results in enhanced expression of stress-responsive genes and better resilience towards osmotic stress at the seedling stage. These results indicate that FLZ6 and 10 are involved in the regulation of stress mitigation in plants through directly affecting SnRK1 signaling.
FCS-like zinc finger 6 and 10 repress SnRK1 signalling in Arabidopsis
(John Wiley & Sons, 2018) Jamsheer, Muhammed K.; Sharma, Manvi; Singh, Dhriti; Mannully, Chanchal Thomas; Jindal, Sunita; Shukla, Brihaspati Narayan; Laxmi, Ashverya
SNF1-Related Protein Kinase 1 (SnRK1) is a central regulator of plant growth during energy starvation. The FCS-Like Zinc finger (FLZ) proteins are recently identified adaptor proteins which facilitate the interaction of SnRK1 with other proteins. In this study, we identified that two starvation-induced FLZ genes, FLZ6 and FLZ10, work as repressors of SnRK1 signalling. The reduced expression of these genes resulted in an increase in the level of SnRK1α1, which is the major catalytic subunit of SnRK1. This resulted in a concomitant increase in the phosphorylated protein and SnRK1 activity in the flz6 and flz10 mutants. FLZ6 and FLZ10 specifically interact with SnRK1α subunits in the cytoplasmic foci which colocalized with the endoplasmic reticulum. In physiological assays, similar to SnRK1α1 overexpression line, flz mutants showed compromised growth. Further, the growth promotion in response to favourable growth conditions was found to be attenuated in the mutants. The enhanced SnRK1 activity in the mutants resulted in a reduction in the level of phosphorylated RIBOSOMAL S6 KINASE and the expression of E2Fa and its targets indicating that TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN-dependent promotion of protein synthesis and cell cycle progression is impaired. Taken together, this study uncovers a plant-specific modulation of SnRK1 signalling.
Genome-wide identification and expression, protein-protein interaction and evolutionary analysis of the seed plant-specific BIG GRAIN and BIG GRAIN LIKE gene family
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2017) Mishra, Bhuwaneshwar S.; Jamsheer, K Muhammed; Singh, Dhriti; Sharma, Manvi; Laxmi, Ashverya
BIG GRAIN1 (BG1) is an auxin-regulated gene which functions in auxin pathway and positively regulates biomass, grain size and yield in rice. However, the evolutionary origin and divergence of these genes are still unknown. In this study, we found that BG genes are probably originated in seed plants. We also identified that seed plants evolved a class of BIG GRAIN LIKE (BGL) genes which share conserved middle and C-terminal motifs with BG. The BG genes were present in all monocot and eudicot species analyzed; however, the BGL genes were absent in few monocot lineages. Both BG and BGL were found to be serine-rich proteins; however, differences in expansion and rates of retention after whole genome duplication events were observed. Promoters of BG and BGL genes were found to be enriched with auxin-responsive elements and the Arabidopsis thaliana BG and BGL genes were found to be auxin-regulated. The auxin-induced expression of AthBG2 was found to be dependent on the conserved ARF17/19 module. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified that AthBG2 interact with regulators of splicing, transcription and chromatin remodeling. Taken together, this study provides interesting insights about BG and BGL genes and incentivizes future work in this gene family which has the potential to be used for crop manipulation.
Sweet shaping of root system architecture under water deficit
(Oxford University Press, 2026) Singh, Dhriti; Awasthi, Prakhar; Sharma, Aishwarye; Samtani, Harsha; Shukla, Brihaspati Narayana; Laxmi, Ashverya
Root growth direction under water-deficit conditions is critical for plant survival. Increasing agar concentration in the growth medium simulates stress conditions, limiting water availability. Our study highlights the role of glucose (Glc) in orchestrating the root growth deviation in Arabidopsis under stress conditions. We demonstrate that Glc-TOR signaling plays a central role in modulating root growth direction under stress conditions. Conversely, cytokinin (CK) signaling reduces root deviation during water deficit. We further show that Glc downregulates CK signaling under water-deficit conditions, while CK negatively influences Glc–TOR activity. The interplay between Glc-TOR and CK signaling pathways fine-tunes root orientation by modulating auxin transport and signaling. Collectively, our findings show that in Arabidopsis, Glc-induced changes in root architecture are mediated through its antagonistic interaction with CK signaling, contributing to enhanced root plasticity and improved adaptation to water-limited conditions.
Transcriptional regulation of drought response: a tortuous network of transcriptional factors
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2015) Singh, Dhriti; Laxmi, Ashverya
Drought is one of the leading factors responsible for the reduction in crop yield worldwide. Due to climate change, in future, more areas are going to be affected by drought and for prolonged periods. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying the drought response is one of the major scientific concerns for improving crop yield. Plants deploy diverse strategies and mechanisms to respond and tolerate drought stress. Expression of numerous genes is modulated in different plants under drought stress that help them to optimize their growth and development. Plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a major role in plant response and tolerance by regulating the expression of many genes under drought stress. Transcription factors being the major regulator of gene expression play a crucial role in stress response. ABA regulates the expression of most of the target genes through ABA-responsive element (ABRE) binding protein/ABRE binding factor (AREB/ABF) transcription factors. Genes regulated by AREB/ABFs constitute a regulon termed as AREB/ABF regulon. In addition to this, drought responsive genes are also regulated by ABA-independent mechanisms. In ABA-independent regulation, dehydration-responsive element binding protein (DREB), NAM, ATAF, and CUC regulons play an important role by regulating many drought-responsive genes. Apart from these major regulons, MYB/MYC, WRKY, and nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y) transcription factors are also involved in drought response and tolerance. Our understanding about transcriptional regulation of drought is still evolving. Recent reports have suggested the existence of crosstalk between different transcription factors operating under drought stress. In this article, we have reviewed various regulons working under drought stress and their crosstalk with each other.
Understanding the intricate web of phytohormone signalling in modulating root system architecture
(MDPI AG, 2021) Sharma, Manvi; Singh, Dhriti; Saksena, Harshita B.; Sharma, Mohan; Tiwari, Archna; Awasthi, Prakhar; Botta, Halidev Krishna; Shukla, Brihaspati Narayan; Laxmi, Ashverya
Root system architecture (RSA) is an important developmental and agronomic trait that is regulated by various physical factors such as nutrients, water, microbes, gravity, and soil compaction as well as hormone-mediated pathways. Phytohormones act as internal mediators between soil and RSA to influence various events of root development, starting from organogenesis to the formation of higher order lateral roots (LRs) through diverse mechanisms. Apart from interaction with the external cues, root development also relies on the complex web of interaction among phytohormones to exhibit synergistic or antagonistic effects to improve crop performance. However, there are considerable gaps in understanding the interaction of these hormonal networks during various aspects of root development. In this review, we elucidate the role of different hormones to modulate a common phenotypic output, such as RSA in Arabidopsis and crop plants, and discuss future perspectives to channel vast information on root development to modulate RSA components.
The versatile role of glucose signalling in regulating growth, development and stress responses in plants
(Springer Nature Publishing AG, 2020) Saksena, Harshita B.; Sharma, Manvi; Singh, Dhriti; Laxmi, Ashverya
Sugars as an energy source and a signalling molecule are indispensible for growth, development and stress responses in plants. Among sugars, glucose (Glc) has been identified to perform a key role in regulating various cellular and developmental processes in plants. This comprehensive review highlights the crosstalk of glucose signalling with auxin, cytokinin and brassinosteroid signalling in controlling several aspects of plant development including root growth deviation, root waving and coiling, lateral root emergence, hypocotyl elongation, etc. through a Hexokinase 1 dependent and independent pathway in Arabidopsis. It also provides an insight on the role of Glc-mediated target of rapamycin signalling in modulating various abiotic stresses like nutrient deficiency stress, heat stress, oxidative stress etc. The review also discusses about sugar inducible FCS-Like Zinc Finger genes in modulating SNF1-related protein kinase 1 signalling to coordinate growth and stress responses in plants. Therefore, glucose signalling in concert with diverse signalling pathways and via regulating certain genes contributes to numerous cellular processes to control development and stress responses in plants.