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Field, petrographic, geochemical, and K–Ar and U–Pb age data were used to elucidate the internal structure of the Cretaceous Hobenzan pluton, SW Japan, and the processes which generated that structure. The pluton is elongated E–W with dimensions of about 6.5 × 2.0 km (13 km 2 ), and was emplaced at ~ 95 Ma as a pluton in accretionary complexes. The pluton contains an early tonalite, but most of the body consists of later granitoids that show a continuous differentiation series from biotite–hornblende granodiorite (GD) to hornblende–biotite granite (HBG) and biotite granite (BG). The contacts between the GD and HBG are gradational. The pluton provides an exceptional cross-sectional view of a simple cooling magma body. The GD shows no vertical variations in modal and chemical compositions, whereas the HBG displays differentiation from the lowermost exposure to the top of the pluton. Initial Sr isotope ratios (SrI) in the HBG increase from the lower part to the top of the pluton. The granitoids show continuous compositional variations from 65 to 79 wt.% SiO 2 (anhydrous basis), and magmatic differentiation was dominantly controlled by crystal fractionation of hornblende and plagioclase. Field, elemental and Sr–Nd isotope data are consistent with limited operation of assimilation with pelitic rocks and fractional crystallization (AFC), in which assimilation increased with higher degrees of differentiation. The Hobenzan pluton retains a history of granitoid magma evolution in a subvolcanic magma reservoir. The GD formed as a rigid sponge, and melt fraction increases inwards from the walls, forming the HBG mush by fractional crystallization, coupled with small degrees of assimilation of adjacent schists. A more evolved and enriched low-density melt segregated from the mushy cumulate of the HBG by incomplete crystal–melt separation, and moved upwards with the assistance of gas-driven filter pressing, as indicated by the presence of miarolitic cavities, thus forming the BG at the roof of the pluton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: We review the recent progress on ABA signaling, especially ABA signaling for ABA-dependent gene expression, including the AREB/ABF regulon, SnRK2 protein kinase, 2C-type protein phosphatases and ABA receptors. Abstract: Drought negatively impacts plant growth and the productivity of crops. Drought causes osmotic stress to organisms, and the osmotic stress causes dehydration in plant cells. Abscisic acid (ABA) is produced under osmotic stress conditions, and it plays an important role in the stress response and tolerance of plants. ABA regulates many genes under osmotic stress conditions. It also regulates gene expression during seed development and germination. The ABA-responsive element (ABRE) is the major cis-element for ABA-responsive gene expression. ABRE-binding protein (AREB)/ABRE-binding factor (ABF) transcription factors (TFs) regulate ABRE-dependent gene expression. Other TFs are also involved in ABA-responsive gene expression. SNF1-related protein kinases 2 are the key regulators of ABA signaling including the AREB/ABF regulon. Recently, ABA receptors and group A 2C-type protein phosphatases were shown to govern the ABA signaling pathway. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that there are interactions between the major ABA signaling pathway and other signaling factors in stress-response and seed development. The control of the expression of ABA signaling factors may improve tolerance to environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms for plant growth restriction during stress conditions remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that a phytochrome-interacting factor-like protein, OsPIL1/OsPIL13, acts as a key regulator of reduced internode elongation in rice under drought conditions. The level of OsPIL1 mRNA in rice seedlings grown under nonstressed conditions with light/dark cycles oscillated in a circadian manner with peaks in the middle of the light period. Under drought stress conditions, OsPIL1 expression was inhibited during the light period. We found that OsPIL1 was highly expressed in the node portions of the stem using promoter-glucuronidase analysis. Overexpression of OsPIL1 in transgenic rice plants promoted internode elongation. In contrast, transgenic rice plants with a chimeric repressor resulted in short internode sections. Alteration of internode cell size was observed in OsPIL1 transgenic plants, indicating that differences in cell size cause the change in internode length. Oligoarray analysis revealed OsPIL1 downstream genes, which were enriched for cell wall-related genes responsible for cell elongation. These data suggest that OsPIL1 functions as a key regulatory factor of reduced plant height via cell wall-related genes in response to drought stress. This regulatory system may be important for morphological stress adaptation in rice under drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The giant Sarcheshmeh porphyry Copper deposit is located 65km southwest of Kerman City, southeastern Iran. Numerous Miocene porphyry stocks and dykes intruded thick sequences of Upper Cretaceous sedimentary and Eocene volcanic rocks. Hypogene and supergene porphyry Cu mineralization occurs within the granodioritic porphyry and host rock sequence, which was extensively altered to a dominantly potassic, phyllic, and argillic assemblage with interstitial to distal propylitic types. Biotite-bearing assemblages occur as both primary phenocrysts and secondary replacements showing variable size, colour, and shape. Fluorine contents (0.22 to 1.33wt.%) and XMg (0.54 to 0.71) in biotites from the potassic and phyllic zones are higher than those of non-mineralized granitoids (F=0.09 to 0.56wt.%, XMg =0.43 to 0.54), whereas their Cl contents (Cl=0.05 to 0.24wt.%) are lower than those of the non-mineralized granitoids (Cl=.0.11 to 0.45). The biotites from the phyllic zone have higher log (fH2O/fHF) and log (fH2O/fHCl) values than those of the potassic zone, as well as the granitoid and andesitic dykes. The log (fHF/fHCl) values determined for the granitoid, potassic and phyllic zones are similar, though more negative than those of the andesitic dykes. The log (fHF/fHCl) values have a similar range for biotite from the granitoid, and potassic and phyllic zones. The halogen fugacity ratios established for fluids associated with the Sarcheshmeh deposit from their F and Cl contents in biotite show that the granitoid, potassic zone and phyllic zone are increasingly affected by meteoric waters. The fluids that circulated in the phyllic zone are predominantly of meteoric origin, possibly overprinting original phyllic zone halogen contents. The Cl intercept values of biotite in the granitoid, and phyllic and potassic are similar to other ore-forming systems and tend to be more Cl-rich than Cl-intercept values of biotites in common igneous rocks. Calculated F/Cl intercept values for biotite in the granitoid and potassic zone are also consistent with many other porphyry copper forming systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABA is a major phytohormone that regulates a broad range of plant traits and is especially important for adaptation to environmental conditions. Our understanding of the molecular basis of ABA responses in plants improved dramatically in 2009 and 2010, banner years for ABA research. There are three major components; PYR/PYL/ RCAR (an ABA receptor), type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C; a negative regulator) and SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2; a positive regulator), and they offer a double negative regulatory system, [PYR/PYL/RCAR—| PP2C—| SnRK2]. In the absence of ABA, PP2C inactivates SnRK2 by direct dephosphorylation. In response to environmental or developmental cues, ABA promotes the interaction of PYR/PYL/RCAR and PP2C, resulting in PP2C inhibition and SnRK2 activation. This signaling complex can work in both the nucleus and cytosol, as it has been shown that SnRK2 phosphorylates basic-domain leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors or membrane proteins. Several structural analyses of PYR/PYL/RCAR have provided the mechanistic basis for this ‘core signaling’ model, by elucidating the mechanism of ABA binding of receptors, or the ‘gate–latch–lock’ mechanism of interaction with PP2C in inhibiting activity. On the other hand, intercellular ABA transport had remained a major issue, as had intracellular ABA signaling. Recently, two plasma membrane-type ABC transporters were identified and shed light on the influx/efflux system of ABA, resolving how ABA is transported from cell to cell in plants. Our knowledge of ABA responses in plants has been greatly expanded from intracellular signaling to intercellular transport of ABA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ohori deposit, one of the base metal deposits in the Green-Tuff region, NE Japan, is composed of two types of mineralization; a skarn-type (Kaninomata orebody) made by the replacement of the Miocene calcareous layer, and a vein-type (Nakanomata orebody). While the ore mineral assemblage of the deposit (chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite and galena) has been known for being rather simple, some Pb-Bi-S minerals have been discovered for the first time in the present study. The minerals mainly occur in the chalcopyrite-rich ores of both orebodies. They essentially belong to the Pb-Bi-S system and contain Cu and Ag in minor amounts, which correspond to the lillianite–gustavite solid solution series (phases Z and X), cosalite, neyite, felbertalite, krupkaite and Bi-bearing galena. The chalcopyrite-rich (Bi-bearing) ores from both orebodies are richer in chalcopyrite, pyrite and chlorite, and have higher homogenization temperatures (>300°C) of fluid inclusions, and higher FeS contents in sphalerite compared to the Bi-free ores. In the Green-Tuff region, Bi-minerals have been reported from many base metal deposits. Most of these Bi-bearing ore deposits are referred to as xenothermal-type deposits, and are characterized by the following common features; composite mineralization of high- and low-temperatures in the shallower environments, and close relationships with the Tertiary granitic rocks. The whole mineralization at the Ohori deposit also has a similar xenothermal character because of the coexistence of high-temperature chalcopyrite-rich ores with Pb-Bi-S minerals, which were formed by the influence of the Tertiary granitic rocks at a shallow depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses to water stress are thought to be mediated by transcriptional regulation of gene expression via reversible protein phosphorylation events. Previously, we reported that bZIP (basic-domain leucine zipper)-type AREB/ABF (ABA-responsive element-binding protein/factor) transcription factors are involved in ABA signaling under water stress conditions in Arabidopsis. The AREB1 protein is phosphorylated in vitro by ABA-activated SNF1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s) such as SRK2D/SnRK2.2, SRK2E/SnRK2.6 and SRK2I/SnRK2.3 (SRK2D/E/I). Consistent with this, we now show that SRK2D/E/I and AREB1 co-localize and interact in nuclei in planta. Our results show that unlike srk2d, srk2e and srk2i single and double mutants, srk2d srk2e srk2i (srk2d/e/i) triple mutants exhibit greatly reduced tolerance to drought stress and highly enhanced insensitivity to ABA. Under water stress conditions, ABA- and water stress-dependent gene expression, including that of transcription factors, is globally and drastically impaired, and jasmonic acid (JA)-responsive and flowering genes are up-regulated in srk2d/e/i triple mutants, but not in other single and double mutants. The down-regulated genes in srk2d/e/i and areb/abf triple mutants largely overlap in ABA-dependent expression, supporting the view that SRK2D/E/I regulate AREB/ABFs in ABA signaling in response to water stress. Almost all dehydration-responsive LEA (late embryogenesis abundant) protein genes and group-A PP2C (protein phosphatase 2C) genes are strongly down-regulated in the srk2d/e/i triple mutants. Further, our data show that these group-A PP2Cs, such as HAI1 and ABI1, interact with SRK2D. Together, our results indicate that SRK2D/E/I function as main positive regulators, and suggest that ABA signaling is controlled by the dual modulation of SRK2D/E/I and group-A PP2Cs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Miduk hypogene and supergene porphyry Cu–Mo mineralization occurs within the Miocene porphyritic quartz–diorite and host Eocene plagioclase–hornblende phyric andesitic pyroclastic and flow sequence. Both the host rocks were extensively altered by hydrothermal fluids to dominantly potassic, phyllic, and argillic with interstitial to distal propylitic types. Biotite-bearing assemblages from the proximal potassic zone are dark to light brown and have X phl from 0.56 to 0.68; F contents range from 0.15 to 1.8 wt.% and Cl contents range from 0.19 to 0.28 wt.%. Fluorine contents in the biotite negatively correlate with X phl and X Ti and Cl contents, and positively correlate with X phl and SiO2. Calculated log (fH2O/fHF), log (fH2O/fHCl), and log (fHF/fHCl) values of fluid in equilibrium with these biotites ranging from 5.5 to 6.40, 4.64 to 4.79, and −2.54 to −1.68, respectively. Established halogen fugacity ratio contour lines are transected by the steeper slope of measured values of biotite composition; this suggests the fluid composition, fO2 and fS2 of the fluids, and reaction between wall rock and hydrothermal fluids play a key role in the resultant halogen fugacities recorded in biotite that is critical to interpreting metal complexing behaviour during magmatic-hydrothermal evolution. The intercept values of F [IV(F)] and Cl [IV(Cl)] for biotite from the potassic zone are similar to those of related plutonic rocks and other porphyry Cu deposits; the IV(Cl) tend to be more Cl-rich than comparable values of common igneous rocks. F-rich to F-poor biotite crystals from the Miduk deposit show a narrow range of F/Cl intercept values [IV(F/Cl)] consistent with porphyry Cu ore-forming fluids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on various abiotic stresses such as drought, high salinity and temperature in which plants have adapted to respond for survival. It explores environmental stresses which induced expression of genes that are thought to promote stress tolerance and regulate gene expression through signal transduction pathways. It presents the molecular and genetic studies which show that dicot Arabidopsis and the monocot rice share common regulatory mechanism of gene expression.

The OsNAC6 gene is a member of the NAC transcription factor gene family in rice. Expression of OsNAC6 is induced by abiotic stresses, including cold, drought and high salinity. OsNAC6 gene expression is also induced by wounding and blast disease. A transactivation assay using a yeast system demonstrated that OsNAC6 functions as a transcriptional activator, and transient localization studies with OsNAC6–sGFP fusion protein revealed its nuclear localization. Transgenic rice plants over-expressing OsNAC6 constitutively exhibited growth retardation and low reproductive yields. These transgenic rice plants showed an improved tolerance to dehydration and high-salt stresses, and also exhibited increased tolerance to blast disease. By utilizing stress-inducible promoters, such as the OsNAC6 promoter, it is hoped that stress-inducible over-expression of OsNAC6 in rice can improve stress tolerance by suppressing the negative effects of OsNAC6 on growth under normal growth conditions. The results of microarray analysis revealed that many genes that are inducible by abiotic and biotic stresses were upregulated in rice plants over-expressing OsNAC6. A transient transactivation assay showed that OsNAC6 activates the expression of at least two genes, including a gene encoding peroxidase. Collectively, these results indicate that OsNAC6 functions as a transcriptional activator in response to abiotic and biotic stresses in plants. We conclude that OsNAC6 may serve as a useful biotechnological tool for the improvement of stress tolerance in various kinds of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ZFHD recognition sequence (ZFHDRS) and NAC recognition sequence (NACRS) play an important role in the dehydration-inducible expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana EARLY RESPONSIVE TO DEHYDRATION STRESS 1 ( ERD1) gene. Using the yeast one-hybrid system, we isolated a cDNA encoding the ZFHD1 transcriptional activator that specifically binds to the 62 bp promoter region of ERD1, which contains the ZFHDRS. Both in vitro and in vivo analyses confirmed specific binding of the ZFHD1 to ZFHDRS, and the expression of ZFHD1 was induced by drought, high salinity and abscisic acid. The DNA-binding and activation domains of ZFHD1 were localized on the C-terminal homeodomain and N-terminal zinc finger domain, respectively. Microarray analysis of transgenic plants over-expressing ZFHD1 revealed that several stress-inducible genes were upregulated in the transgenic plants. Transgenic plants exhibited a smaller morphological phenotype and had a significant improvement of drought stress tolerance. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we detected an interaction between ZFHD1 and NACRS-binding NAC proteins. Moreover, co-over-expression of the ZFHD1 and NAC genes restored the morphological phenotype of the transgenic plants to a near wild-type state and enhanced expression of ERD1 in both Arabidopsis T87 protoplasts and transgenic Arabidopsis plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MYC-like sequence CATGTG plays an important role in the dehydration-inducible expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana EARLY RESPONSIVE TO DEHYDRATION STRESS 1 (ERD1) gene, which encodes a ClpA (ATP binding subunit of the caseinolytic ATP-dependent protease) homologous protein. Using the yeast one-hybrid system, we isolated three cDNA clones encoding proteins that bind to the 63-bp promoter region of erd1, which contains the CATGTG motif. These three cDNA clones encode proteins named ANAC019, ANAC055, and ANAC072, which belong to the NAC transcription factor family. The NAC proteins bound specifically to the CATGTG motif both in vitro and in vivo and activated the transcription of a β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene driven by the 63-bp region containing the CATGTG motif in Arabidopsis T87 protoplasts. The expression of ANAC019, ANAC055, and ANAC072 was induced by drought, high salinity, and abscisic acid. A histochemical assay using PNAc-GUS fusion constructs showed that expression of the GUS reporter gene was localized mainly to the leaves of transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Using the yeast one-hybrid system, we determined the complete NAC recognition sequence, containing CATGT and harboring CACG as the core DNA binding site. Microarray analysis of transgenic plants overexpressing either ANAC019, ANAC055, or ANAC072 revealed that several stress-inducible genes were upregulated in the transgenic plants, and the plants showed significantly increased drought tolerance. However, erdl was not upregulated in the transgenic plants. Other interacting factors may be necessary for the induction of erdl in Arabidopsis under stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many plant genes have been shown to be induced by water stress and function in stress tolerance. The erd1 gene has been shown to be upregulated in response to both water stress and etiolation. Promoter studies using the erd1 promoter region fused to the luciferase (LUC) reporter gene in Arabidopsis thaliana were performed to identify the putative cis elements involved. Results indicated that the cis elements, responsible for gene expression during dehydration and etiolation, are separately located in two discrete portions of the erd1 promoter. Base substitution analysis showed that a 14-bp region from -599 to -586, and a myc recognition motif from -466 to -461 are necessary for the induction of LUC activity in dehydrated plants. On the other hand, base substitution analysis revealed that both an abscisic acid responsive element (ABRE)-like sequence (from -199 to -195) and an ACGT sequence (from -155 to -152) are required for an etiolation-induced increase in LUC activity. LUC activity measurements from etiolated transgenic plants incubated in either water, N6-benzyleadenine (BA), or a 1% sucrose solution found that while BA was able to delay the increase in LUC activity seen in water-treated plants, no increase in LUC activity was seen in plants incubated in sucrose. These results indicate that the erd1 promoter contains two different regulatory systems that are involved in upregulation by dehydration stress and dark-induced senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, frost, etc., affect plant yield manyfold. These stresses can decrease the plant yield of important major crops up to 50%. The abiotic stress-related genes or other transcription factors (TFs) have multiple functions, as it increases proline content, leads closing of stomata to decrease the transpiration rate, enhances the production of some important stress-related protective enzymes, etc. and hence increases abiotic stress tolerance. Many TFs and other stress-related genes have been identified and characterized and transformed to many important cultivated plants against drought and others abiotic stresses. The transformed plants show better morpho-biochemical and physiological performances than non-transgenic plants. Many genetically engineered plants have been developed against drought stress including wheat, rice, tomato, soybean, cotton and many more. The efficiently engineered clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) system is now becoming a preferred choice of researchers to edit plant genomes for introgression natural resistance against a range of abiotic stresses. It leads genome editing by precise manure with minimal or no effect on growth and development of plants. Very limited reports are available to develop drought-tolerant plants using CRISPR/Cas9 system. Here we discuss transgenic plant technology and new [CRISPR Cas9 and Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS)] techniques to confer drought tolerance in important plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Development of transgenic rice overexpressing transcription factors involved in drought response has been previously reported to confer drought tolerance and therefore represents a means of crop improvement. We transformed lowland rice IR64 with OsTZF5, encoding a CCCH-tandem zinc finger protein, under the control of the rice LIP9 stress-inducible promoter and compared the drought response of transgenic lines and nulls to IR64 in successive screenhouse paddy and field trials up to the T6 generation. Results: Compared to the well-watered conditions, the level of drought stress across experiments varied from a minimum of − 25 to − 75 kPa at a soil depth of 30 cm which reduced biomass by 30–55% and grain yield by 1–92%, presenting a range of drought severities. OsTZF5 transgenic lines showed high yield advantage under drought over IR64 in early generations, which was related to shorter time to flowering, lower shoot biomass and higher harvest index. However, the increases in values for yield and related traits in the transgenics became smaller over successive generations despite continued detection of drought-induced transgene expression as conferred by the LIP9 promoter. The decreased advantage of the transgenics over generations tended to coincide with increased levels of homozygosity. Background cleaning of the transgenic lines as well as introgression of the transgene into an IR64 line containing major-effect drought yield QTLs, which were evaluated starting at the BC3F1 and BC2F3 generation, respectively, did not result in consistently increased yield under drought as compared to the respective checks. Conclusions: Although we cannot conclusively explain the genetic factors behind the loss of yield advantage of the transgenics under drought across generations, our results help in distinguishing among potential drought tolerance mechanisms related to effectiveness of the transgenics, since early flowering and harvest index most closely reflected the levels of yield advantage in the transgenics across generations while reduced biomass did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Many abiotic stress-inducible genes contain two cis -acting elements, namely a dehydration-responsive element (DRE; TACCGACAT) and an ABA-responsive element (ABRE; ACGTGG/TC), in their promoter regions. We precisely analyzed the 120 bp promoter region (-174 to -55) of the Arabidopsis rd29A gene whose expression is induced by dehydration, high-salinity, low-temperature, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments and whose 120 bp promoter region contains the DRE, DRE/CRT-core motif (A/GCCGAC), and ABRE sequences. Deletion and base substitution analyses of this region showed that the DRE-core motif functions as DRE and that the DRE/DRE-core motif could be a coupling element of ABRE. Gel mobility shift assays revealed that DRE-binding proteins (DREB1s/CBFs and DREB2s) bind to both DRE and the DRE-core motif and that ABRE-binding proteins (AREBs/ABFs) bind to ABRE in the 120 bp promoter region. In addition, transactivation experiments using Arabidopsis leaf protoplasts showed that DREBs and AREBs cumulatively transactivate the expression of a GUS reporter gene fused to the 120 bp promoter region of rd29A . These results indicate that DRE and ABRE are interdependent in the ABA-responsive expression of the rd29A gene in response to ABA in Arabidopsis . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the south of the Bardsir, Kerman province, Iran, the southeastern part of the Urmia-Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA), a large number of gabbroic intrusions are intruded into the Eocene lava flows and pyroclastic rocks with the form of small stocks and dykes. In this paper, geochemical variations, magmatic evolutions, and the origin of these intrusions are investigated. The studied intrusions are characterized by fine-grained margins resulting from rapid cooling and flow differentiation. They display porphyritic texture and include coarse-grained clinopyroxene with diopside compositions (Wo = 46.89, En = 40.78, Fs = 12.32), plagioclase with labradorite composition (An = 54.14), and olivine in an intergranular crystalline groundmass. Their whole-rock chemistry proves that the rocks belong to the calc-alkaline series. The abundances of trace elements and REE, depletion of Nb, Ta, Zr, Ti, and Hf, and enrichment of LILE relative to HFSE indicate that these rocks belong to a subduction zone setting. Geochemical characteristics (Sm/Yb and La/Sm ratios) show that the source rock of these intrusions was the lithospheric mantle with spinel lherzolite composition, which initially underwent partial melting (10% to 20%) events and then was metasomatized by fluids derived from the subducting Neo-Tethys lithosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between bismuth (Bi) mineral speciation and redox state in three types of granitoids from the Uetsu region, northeast Japan is investigated. Electron microprobe analysis of Bi minerals, sphalerite, Mg-Fe-bearing carbonate minerals, and muscovite, as well as sulfur isotope analysis of sulfide minerals and microthermometric study of fluid inclusions reveal that Bi mineral speciation varies according to the redox state of the granitoids. For example, native bismuth and bismuthinite are abundant and Bi sulfosalts are rare in the lowest fS and fO mineralized zones of the reduced Iwafune granite (S-type, ilmenite-series) while Bi sulfosalts (Bi) are abundant and trace amounts of native bismuth (Bi) and bismuthinite are found in the highest fS and fO mineralized zones of the oxidized Wasada granodiorite (I-type, magnetite-series). Bismuthinite is a major Bi mineral, and native bismuth and Bi sulfosalts occur in only minor amounts in the mineralized zones of the Nishitagawa granodiorite (I-type, ilmenite-series), which has intermediate fS and fO to that of the Iwafune and Wasada samples. Our study indicates that Bi mineral speciation related to granitic intrusive activity is controlled by the redox state of the magmatism, such that native bismuth is typical of reducing conditions, whereas Bi sulfosalts are typical of oxidizing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the: (1) morphological nature of the calcites in the Toki granite, central Japan; (2) the difference in chemical compositions in terms of morphological classification; and (3) the identification of the stages of calcite formation and the corresponding mass transfer between minerals and fluid owing to hydrothermal alterations and groundwater-rock interactions, which reveals the sequential variations in fluid chemistry during the sub-solidus stage. Calcites in the Toki granite were classified into four types: (1) lenticular calcite in the chloritized biotite; (2) granular calcite in the altered plagioclase; (3) intergranular calcite; and (4) fracture-filling calcite. The lenticular, granular, and intergranular calcites contain greater amounts of iron, manganese, and magnesium than fracture-filling calcites. The lenticular calcite in the chloritized biotite, granular calcite in the altered plagioclase, and intergranular calcite formed due to the precipitation of calcium, iron, manganese, and magnesium released from biotite and plagioclase owing to hydrothermal alterations. The fracture-filling calcites formed at a later stage than the lenticular, granular, and intergranular forms. In the hydrothermal fluid, the concentrations of aluminum, iron, manganese, and magnesium gradually decrease, and the concentration of calcium gradually increases as the alteration proceeds. The chemical characteristics of the fluid at the late stage of hydrothermal alteration and those of the subsequent groundwater are consistent with those of fracture-filling calcites, indicating that the fracture-filling calcites precipitated from the fluid at a late stage of hydrothermal alterations and then from the groundwater. Elements released from biotite and plagioclase owing to hydrothermal alterations were incorporated into and fastened to the calcite. Therefore, the calcites influenced the sequential variations in fluid chemistry during the sub-solidus stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Khut copper skarn deposit is located at about 50 km northwest of Taft City in Yazd province in the middle part of the Urumieh- Dokhtar magmatic arc. Intrusion of granitoid of Oligocene- Miocene age into carbonate rocks of the Triassic Nayband Formation led to the formation of marble and a calcic skarn. The marble contains high grade Cu mineralization that occurs mainly as open space filling and replacement. Cu-rich sulfide samples from the mineralized marble are also anomalous in Au, Zn, and Pb. In contrast, the calcic skarn is only weakly anomalous in Cu and W. The calcic skarn is divided into garnet skarn and garnet-pyroxene skarn zones. Paragenetic relationships and microthermometric data from fluid inclusions in garnet and calcite indicate that the compositional evolution of skarn minerals occurred in three main stages as follows. (i) The early prograde stage, which is characterized by Mg-rich hedenbergite ( Hd53.7 Di42.3- Hd86.1 Di9.5) with Al-bearing andradite (69.8-99.5 mol% andradite). The temperature in the early prograde skarn varies from 400 to 500°C at 500 bar. (ii) The late prograde stage is manifested by almost pure andradite (96.2-98.4 mol% andradite). Based on the fluid inclusion data from garnet, fluid temperature and salinity in this stage is estimated to vary from 267 to 361°C and from 10.1 to 21.1 wt% NaCl equivalent, respectively. Pyrrhotite precipitation started during this stage. (iii) The retrograde stage occurs in an exoskarn, which consists of an assemblage of ferro-actinolite, quartz, calcite, epidote, chlorite, sphalerite, pyrite, and chalcopyrite that partially replaces earlier mineral assemblages under hydrostatic conditions during fracturing of the early skarn. Fluids in calcite yielded lower temperatures ( T < 260°C) and fluid salinity declined to ∼8 wt% NaCl equivalent. The last stage mineralization in the deposit is supergene weathering/alteration represented by the formation of iron hydroxide, Cu-carbonate, clay minerals, and calcite. Sulfur isotope data of chalcopyrite (δ34 S of +1.4 to +5.2‰) show an igneous sulfur source. Mineralogy and mineral compositions of the prograde assemblage of the Khut skarn are consistent with deposition under intermediately oxidized and slightly lower f S2 conditions at shallow crustal levels compared with those of other typical Fe-bearing Cu- Au skarn systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, cathodoluminescence (CL) was used to show oscillatory zoning in perthitic K‑feldspars from the equigranular Toki granite, central Japan. Based on the CL patterns, two types of zoning are identified: single core oscillatory zoning (SCOZ) and multiple core oscillatory zoning (MCOZ). The SCOZ is defined by oscillatory zoning around a single-crystal core within the K‑feldspar crystal, whereas the MCOZ depicts two or more such crystal cores. The crystal cores displayed in CL images reflect the nucleation parts of magmatic K‑feldspar. The existence of MCOZ patterns in K‑feldspars indicates multiple nuclei. CL patterns reveal crystal growth behavior of magmatic K‑feldspar in the equigranular Toki granite. CL intensities are positively correlated with titanium and barium concentrations, indicating that the CL variations depend on two factors: (1) titanium concentration as a CL activator and (2) density of Al-O−-Al structural defects. The analysis of CL images revealed that albite-rich phases in microperthite and patchperthite with low-luminescence intensities cut across the CL bands of the oscillatory zoning, indicating that the oscillatory zoning in the orthoclase-rich host phase of K‑feldspar was not perturbed by the formation of microperthite and patchperthite in the post-crystallization stage. The luminescence intensities of albite-rich phases in patchperthite are lower than those in microperthite, which is due to the diferences in titanium and barium concentrations between them. In the post-crystallization stage, the mass transfer of titanium and barium occurred during the formation of microperthite and patchperthite. Therefore, the diference in the luminescence intensities between microperthite and patchperthite lamellae reflects their diferent formation mechanisms between exsolution coarsening and dissolution-precipitation coarsening. In summary, CL analyses can be used for the evaluation of the nucleation and growth not only of anhedral K‑feldspar crystals in equigranular granite but also of K‑feldspar phenocrysts/megacrysts in porphyritic granite. It can reveal the spatial extent of element partitioning between the melt and crystal, along with that of mass transfer from the melt into crystals during the magma evolution. Moreover, the CL analyses can also be used for the interpretation of K‑feldspar textural development during the post-crystallization stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ohori ore deposit is one of the Cu- Pb- Zn deposits in the Green Tuff region, NE Japan, and consists of skarn-type ( Kaninomata) and vein-type ( Nakanomata) orebodies. The former has a unique origin because its original calcareous rocks were made by hydrothermal precipitation during Miocene submarine volcanism. Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of skarn calcite and sulfur isotope ratios of sulfides were measured in and around the deposit. Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of the skarn calcite are δ13C = −15.51 to −5.1‰, δ18O = +3.6 to +22.5‰. δ13C values are slightly lower than those of the Cretaceous skarn deposits in Japan. These isotope ratios of the Kaninomata skarn show that the original calcareous rocks resemble the present submarine hydrothermal carbonates at the CLAM Site, Okinawa Trough, than Cenozoic limestones, even though some isotopic shifts had occurred during later skarnization. δ34S ratios of the sulfide minerals from the Kaninomata and Nakanomata orebodies are mostly in a narrow range of +4.0 to +7.0‰ and they resemble each other, suggesting the same sulfur origin for the both deposits. The magnetite-series Tertiary Kaninomatasawa granite is distributed just beneath the skarn layer and has δ34S ratios of +7.5 to 8.1‰. The heavy sulfur isotope ratio of the skarn sulfides may have been affected by the Kaninomatasawa granite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal chemistry of Ti-rich ferriallanite-(Ce) in syenites from Cape Ashizuri, Shikoku Island, Japan, was studied using electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Our specimens (AS001 and AS304) are characterized by high-Ti (~3.6 wt% TiO2) and Fe contents (~21.3 wt% FeO*; Fe2+/total Fe = 0.6-0.7). Structure refinements of two ferriallanite-(Ce) crystals converged to R1 = 1.50-1.57%. In both specimens, the dominant cations at A1, A2, and M3 are Ca, Ce, and Fe2+, respectively. However, depending on Ti assignment, two different schemes of the cation distributions at M1 and M2 can be considered: (1) (Fe0.72Ti0.23Al0.05)M1(Al0.82 Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed.)M2 and (2) (Fe0.90Al0.10)M1(Al0.77Ti0.23)M2 for AS001, and (1) (Fe0.65Ti0.29Al0.06)M1 (Al0.89Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed.)M2 and (2) (Fe0.76Ti0.13Al0.11)M1(Al0.84Ti0.16) for AS304. The Si2O7 group is compressed along Si1-O9-Si2 direction because of the expansions of the M1O6 and M3O6 octahedra due to substitution of large octahedral cations for Al. This compression is monitored by the atom position of O9 that shifts away from the cation at A1 decreasing the Si1-O9-Si2 angle. In allanite-subgroup minerals, the A1-O9 distance is longer and the bridging angle is smaller than those of clinozoisite-subgroup minerals. Although the A1 polyhedron is generally described as a ninefold-coordinated site, it is appropriately described as sevenfold-coordinated in Ti-rich allanite-(Ce) because of the lengthened A1-O9 (x2) distance. The cation substitutions at M1 and M3 indirectly affect the topology of the A1 polyhedron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subclass III group of SNF1-related protein kinase 2 (SnRK2) members is known to play an important role in ABA and osmotic stress signaling in Arabidopsis; however, the roles of other subclasses remain elusive. Here, we established a double mutant of SRK2C/SnR2.8 and SRK2F/SnRK2.7 to investigate the functions of subclass II SnRK2s. Microarray analysis suggested that subclass II SnRK2s regulate some drought-responsive genes involving ABA-responsive element binding transcription factors (AREB/ABF) and their targets, and quantitative reverse transcription– PCR confirmed that those genes were down-regulated significantly in srk2cf. This study indicates that subclass II SnRK2s also play important roles in drought stress signaling in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Transcription factors of the DRE-Binding1 (DREB1)/C-repeat binding factor family specifically interact with a cis-acting dehydration-responsive element/C-repeat involved in low-temperature stress-responsive gene expression in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Expression of DREB1s is induced by low temperatures and is regulated by the circadian clock under unstressed conditions. Promoter sequences of DREB1s contain six conserved motifs, boxes Ito VI. We analyzed the promoter region of DREB1C using transgenic plants and found that box V with the G-box sequence negatively regulates DREBT1C expression under circadian control. The region around box VI contains positive regulatory elements for low-temperature- induced expression of DREBT1C. Using yeast one-hybrid screens, we isolated cDNA encoding the transcriptional factor Phytochrome-Interacting Factor7 (PIF7), which specifically binds to the C-box of the DREB1C promoter. The PIF7 gene was expressed in rosette leaves, and the PIF7 protein was localized in the nuclei of the cells. Transactivation experiments using Arabidopsis protoplasts indicated that PIF7 functions as a transcriptional repressor for DREBIC expression and that its activity is regulated by PIF7-interacting factors TIMING OF CAB EXPRESSION1 and Phytochrome B, which are components of the circadian oscillator and the red light photoreceptor, respectively. Moreover, in the pif7 mutant, expression of DREB1 B and DREB1C was not repressed under light conditions, indicating that PIF7 functions as a transcriptional repressor for the expression of DREB1B and DREB1C under circadian control. This negative regulation of DREB1 expression may be important for avoiding plant growth retardation by the accumulation of DREB1 proteins under unstressed conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 6-bp sequence, ACTCAT, acts as a cis-acting element involved in hypoosmolarity- and proline-responsive expression of an Arabidopsis proline dehydrogenase (ProDH) gene. Search of the database for plant cis-acting elements revealed that the ACTCAT sequence is similar to the GCN4 motif [ATGA(C/G)TCAT] that is recognized by bZIP transcription factors. To identify transcription factor(s) for regulation of ProDH, we examined whether Arabidopsis bZIPs function as transcription factors for the ACTCAT sequence. Transient expression analysis revealed that the four proteins in Group S bZIPs, AtbZIP11/ATB2, AtbZIP44, AtbZIP2/GBF5 and AtbZIP53, formed an ATB2 subgroup that activated expression of the GUS reporter gene driven by the ACTCAT sequence while other bZIPs and different families of plant transcription factors did not. The transactivation activity of the ATB2 subgroup was enhanced in a hypoosmotic condition. In a gel mobility shift assay, the recombinant proteins of the ATB2 subgroup specifically bound to the ACTCAT sequence. RNA gel blot analysis indicated that the expression of AtbZIP2/GBF5 and AtbZIP53, as well as that of ProDH, is induced by hypoosmolarity. Moreover, we showed that the sGFP::AtbZIP11/ATB2 fusion protein is localized in the nucleus. These results suggest that the ATB2 subgroup functions as a transcriptional activator for hypoosmolarity-inducible ProDH in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation process of myrmekites in granitic rocks can help us to understand the mass transfer between minerals and hydrothermal fluids during the deuteric stage. The Toki granite, central Japan, has three types of myrmekites. Type A myrmekite is defined as a single layer. Type B myrmekite shows a composite texture consisting of two layers, namely, a myrmekite layer and an albite (Ab)-rich layer that is free of vermicular quartz. Type C has a composite texture with the following three layers: two myrmekite layers separated by one Ab-rich layer. Micropores are found in these myrmekites in the undeformed granite, which enable quantitative determinations of the volume decrease during myrmekite formation by measurement of the area of micropores. The areal relationship between the micropores and vermicular quartz in the myrmekites exhibited a high correlation (R2 = 0.8352), thus indicating that the genesis of the micropores is evidently related to myrmekite formation. We derived the reaction equations for myrmekite formation based on the singular value decomposition method. The matrices for singular value decomposition involve the following volume factors: volume change during the reaction and volume ratios of the product minerals. The singular value decomposition indicates that the myrmekites are produced through the consumption of plagioclase and K-feldspar with an inflow of H4SiO4, Na+, and H+ from the hydrothermal fluid, accompanied by an outflow of Al3+, Ca2+, and K+ into the fluid, which constitute essential mass transfers during myrmekite formation. The diference of pH in the hydrothermal fluid and inflow amounts of H4SiO4 and Na+ can explain the reason why micropores occur in the myrmekites but not in the Ab-rich rim (layer); the smaller inflow of H4SiO4 and Na+ from the hydrothermal fluid with lower pH conditions yielded micropore production during myrmekitization, and the larger inflow of H4SiO4 and Na+ from the hydrothermal fluid with higher pH conditions yielded the formation of the Ab-rich rim (layer) with few micropores. The sequential variations in the chemical characteristics of the hydrothermal fluid during the sub-solidus conditions were characterized by a gradual decrease in H4SiO4 (Si4+), Fe2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, and Na+ and a gradual increase in Ca2+, K+, H+, and F–. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compatible osmolytes are potent osmoprotectants that play a role in counteracting the effects of osmotic stress. Proline (Pro) is one of the most common compatible osmolytes in water-stressed plants. The accumulation of Pro in dehydrated plants is caused both by activation of the biosynthesis of Pro and by inactivation of the degradation of Pro. In plants, L-Pro is synthesized from L-glutamic acid (l-G1u) via Δ1-pyrroline-S-carboxylate (P5C) by two enzymes, P5C synthetase (P5CS) and P5C reductase (P5CR). L-Pro is metabolized to l-G1u via P5C by two enzymes, pro-line dehydrogenase (oxidase) (ProDH; EC 1.5.99.8) and P5C dehydrogenase (P5CDH; EC 1.5.1.12). Such metabolism of Pro is inhibited when Pro accumulates during dehydration and it is activated when rehydration occurs. Under dehydration conditions, when expression of the gene for P5CS is strongly induced, expression of the gene for ProDH is inhibited. By contrast, under rehydration conditions, when the expression of the gene for ProDH is strongly induced, the expression of the gene for P5CS is inhibited. Thus, P5CS, which acts during the biosynthesis of Pro, and ProDH, which acts during the metabolism of Pro, appear to be the rate-limiting factors under water stress. Therefore, it is suggested that levels of Pro are regulated at the level of transcriptional the genes of these two enzymes during dehydration and rehydration. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that Pro acts as an osmoprotectant and that overproduction of Pro results in increased tolerance to osmotic stress of transgenic tobacco plants. Genetically engineered crop plants that overproduce Pro might, thus, acquire osmotolerance, namely, the ability to tolerate environmental stresses such as drought and high salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Obiro deposit is located in the Tagawa Acidic Rocks (AR), Uetsu region, NE Japan. The Tagawa AR is composed of a volcanic phase of dacitic welded tuff and a plutonic phase of porphyritic granodiorite. Drill core and ore samples were collected from the deposit and examined by XRD, EPMA, and microthermometry. The drill core samples have suffered pervasively from sericite (illite) alteration, whereas pinkish K‐feldspar alteration halo occur close to veins. The results of EPMA and microthermometry is interpreted as that the magnatic‐hydrothermal fluids has changed as follows; the granodioritic magma intruded at about 1.0 kb and 700°C near the water‐saturated granite solidus; after cooling to about 500°C the fluids boiled according to a change in the pressure regime from lithostatic to hydrostatic; mixing with meteoric water led to sulfide mineralization at around 400°C or less. The main reasons for the mineralization in the Obiro deposit are as follows; the oxidized magma intruded at a shallower level, and thereafter hydrothermal fluids were boiled, resulting in a saline fluid. The saline fluid then dissolved metals such as Pb, Zn, Cu, and Bi, and these metals precipitated during cooling accompanied by dilution of the meteoric water and increasing pH, resulting in decreasing solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Increasing drought resistance without sacrificing grain yield remains an ongoing challenge in crop improvement. In this study, we report that Oryza sativa CCCH‐tandem zinc finger protein 5 (OsTZF5) can confer drought resistance and increase grain yield in transgenic rice plants. Expression of OsTZF5 was induced by abscisic acid, dehydration and cold stress. Upon stress, OsTZF5‐GFP localized to the cytoplasm and cytoplasmic foci. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsTZF5 under the constitutive maize ubiquitin promoter exhibited improved survival under drought but also growth retardation. By introducing OsTZF5 behind the stress‐responsive OsNAC6 promoter in two commercial upland cultivars, Curinga and NERICA4, we obtained transgenic plants that showed no growth retardation. Moreover, these plants exhibited significantly increased grain yield compared to non‐transgenic cultivars in different confined field drought environments. Physiological analysis indicated that OsTZF5 promoted both drought tolerance and drought avoidance. Collectively, our results provide strong evidence that OsTZF5 is a useful biotechnological tool to minimize yield losses in rice grown under drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three non-metamict chevkinite-subgroup minerals, space group P21/a, from Cape Ashizuri, Japan, (No. 1), Tangir Valley, Diamar District, Pakistan (No. 2) and Haramosh Mts., Skardu district, Pakistan, (No. 3) were studied by crystal chemical techniques. Powder X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopic observations confirmed well crystalline samples. Electron-microprobe analyses indicated the general composition [(REE, Ca)4Fe2+(Fe2+, Fe3+, Ti)2Ti2(Si2O7)2O8] known for chevkinite-(Ce). Site scattering values determined by single-crystal X-ray structure refinements suggested assignment of subordinate Nb to the octahedral M3 and M4 sites, minor Th to M1 for the Ashizuri sample and minor Mg to M1 for both samples from Pakistan. Neutron time-of-flight powder diffraction studies were applied to determine the Ti/Fe distribution among octahedral sites for all samples and Mössbauer spectroscopy served for the Fe valence assignment at the four octahedral sites. Combined results gave the simplified formulas with Ce as dominant REE: No. 1 A(REE,Ca)4M1(Fe2+,Ti)M2(Ti,Fe3+)2M3,M4(Ti,Fe2+,Nb)2(Si2O7)2O8, No. 2 A(REE,Ca)4M1(Fe2+,Fe3+,Mg)M2(Ti,Fe3+)2M3,M4(Ti,Fe2+)2(Si2O7)2O8 and No. 3 A(REE,Ca)4M1(Fe3+,Fe2+,Mg,Ti)M2(Ti,Fe3+)2M3,M4(Ti,Fe2+)2(Si2O7)2O8. The dominant iron valence at M1 of the Haramosh sample (No. 3) is ferric whereas for samples Nos. 1 and 2 iron is ferrous. The structure of chevkinite-subgroup minerals consists of octahedral layers (M2, M3 and M4) alternating with an intermediate layer containing disilicate groups, REE polyhedra and strongly distorted M1 octahedra. Increased O atomic displacement parameters within the intermediate layers indicate disorder and/or strain to fit the extension of the embracing octahedral layers. A statistical analysis of chevkinite-subgroup structures (space groups P21/a, C2/m and P21/m) indicates a positive correlation between < M1–O > bond length and M1 bond angle variance. A negative correlation is found between < M1–O > bond length and the disilicate bending angle Si–O–Si, varying between ca. 160° and 175°. Outliers of this trend are delhuyarite-(Ce) Ce4Mg(Fe3+2W)□(Si2O7)2O6(OH)2, mainly due to octahedral W6+ and vacancies in the octahedral layers associated with OH groups, and synthetic Nd end-members with strong bonds between Nd and the intersecting O of the disilicate group. The observed trends reflect the main mechanisms in the intermediate layer to adopt to the size of the embracing rigid octahedral layers formed by M2, M3 and M4 octahedra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is undoubtedly altering the atmosphere, occasioning extreme temperatures that can cause weather calamities such as droughts and floods. Among the major constraints limiting crop production, drought is one of the most important. Sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrid) is considered an important economic crop not only for sugar production, but also for ethanol generation, serving as an expandable green alternative to crude oil use. To take advantage of the use of sugarcane as renewable source for bioethanol production, it is important to increase its productivity without increasing land use, which includes cultivation under hostile conditions, such as water‐limited environments. Previously, we demonstrated that stress‐inducible overexpression of the transcription factor AtDREB2A CA conferred drought tolerance in sugarcane subjected to water deficit under greenhouse conditions. In the present work, the AtDREB2A CA transgenic sugarcane lines were evaluated in the field in two representative seasonally dry regions of Brazil. The results demonstrated that the AtDREB2A CA sugarcane lines presented higher yield and productivity when compared to non‐transformed plants under drought, representing a suitable strategy for the development of new drought‐tolerant cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water deficit is one of the main abiotic stress that affects plant growth and productivity. The GmDREB2A;2 (Glyma14g06080) gene is an important transcription factor involved in regulating the plants' responses under water deficit. In previous studies, soybean plants overexpressing full-length (GmDREB2A;2 FL) and constitutively active (GmDREB2A;2 CA) forms of the GmDREB2A;2 gene, presented higher tolerance to water deficit when compared with the conventional cultivar BRS 283. Therefore, identifying the changes in metabolite profile in these tolerant genotypes can contribute to the understanding of the metabolic pathways involved in the tolerance mechanism. In this work, the metabolic changes in roots and leaves of genetically modified (GM) soybean plants subjected to water deficit were elucidated by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Three events were analyzed, one containing the gene in FL form (GmDREB2A;2 FL) and two presenting its CA form (GmDREB2A;2 CA-1 and GmDREB2A;2 CA-2) and compared with the conventional cultivar BRS 283. The results indicated different responses between leaves and roots for all genotypes. Most of these metabolic variations were related to carbohydrate and amino acid pathways. BRS 283 stood out with higher accumulation of amino acids in leaves under water deficit. The results also showed that the events GmDREB2A;2 FL and GmDREB2A;2 CA-1 presented higher concentrations of β-glucose and fructose in leaves, whereas BRS 283 accumulated more sucrose and pinitol. In roots, the GM events accumulated higher β-glucose, fructose, asparagine and phenylalanine, when compared with the conventional cultivar. These insights can add information on how the transcription factor (TF) DREB2A acts in soybean plants triggering and controlling a network of complex responses to drought. • GmDREB2A promoted important metabolic adjustments in soybean plants controlling a network of responses to drought. • Water deficit induced more accumulation of metabolites in leaves than in roots for all genotypes. • The events GmDREB2A;2 FL and GmDREB2A;2 CA-1 accumulated higher concentrations of β-glucose and fructose in leaves. • The events GmDREB2A;2 FL and GmDREB2A;2 CA-1 accumulated more β-glucose, fructose, asparagine and phenylalanine in roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Massive and banded magnetite from GGID show distinct elemental compositions. • The banded iron ore is not classified as banded iron formation (BIF). • The massive magnetite does not seem to be formed via purely-magmatic processes. • The massive iron ore has similarities with Kiruna-type ore deposits. • The banded iron ore has similarities with magnesian skarn ore deposits. Abstract Genesis of magnetite from Gol-Gohar iron deposit (GGID) of southeastern Iran is studied with reference to elemental composition. More than 1.2 billion tonnes of magnetite ore at 58% total Fe is hosted by greenschist- to amphibolite-facies metapelites and magnesian marbles. The GGID occurs in the mainly-metamorphic terrain of Sanandaj-Sirjan geological province, with continental-margin tectonic setting. The magnetite-bearing ore is divided into two distinct types of massive and banded; the latter hosted mainly by magnesian marbles. Both subtypes of the ore bodies are associated with mineral assemblages consisting of calcite, dolomite, forsterite, tremolite-actinolite, talc, serpentine, and chlorite. The ore minerals in both subtypes are magnetite, hematite with minor amounts of pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. Concentrations of temperature-dependent elements, Ti, Al, and Ga in the two subtypes would suggest that temperature of formation was higher for the massive magnetite (with Ti = 626 ppm, Al = 69 ppm and Ga = 56 ppm, on average) and relatively lower for the banded magnetite (with Ti = 60 ppm, Al = 62 ppm and Ga = 4 ppm, on average). The multi-element diagrams, for massive magnetite, show patterns closer to those of magmatic-hydrothermel iron deposits (Kiruna-type), whereas, patterns of the banded magnetite match better with those of skarn deposits, particularly the magnesian skarns. Average concentrations of V (>1000 ppm) and Cr (∼4 ppm) of the massive subtype fall within the range of those of Kiruna-type deposits, and the in average lower concentrations of V (∼10 ppm) and Cr (∼1 ppm) of the banded magnetite match the values of skarn deposits. The average V content of the massive magnetite (1342 ppm) is consistent with the global range of magmatic-hydrothermal magnetite (up to 3880 ppm), but different from global values of purely-magmatic magnetites (up to 6600 ppm). The banded magnetites contain 0.21–25 ppm V, which is only consistent with the lowest values of hydrothermal magnetites. We contend that the massive magnetite was formed by magmatic-hydrothermal processes (i.e., Kiruna type) and the banded magnetites were generated via metasomatic reactions between iron-rich residual magmatic fluids and the magnesian carbonate host rocks (i.e., skarn type). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the importance of the soybean complex on the world economy, there is concern about the significant losses of the full production potential due to abiotic stresses, so that drought is the main challenge for production. Genetic engineering allows insertion of specific genes in order to develop more drought tolerant cultivars. This study aimed at evaluating field agronomic responses of conventional soybean cultivars (BR 16 and Embrapa 48) under water deficit conditions, in comparison to the soybean lines 1Ab58 and 1Bb2193, genetically modified (GM) for drought tolerance with rd29A:AtDREB1A and rd29A:AtDREB2A constructions. The conventional cultivar Embrapa 48 was the genotype most benefited by the abundance of water (IRR), but with no differences in yield compared to other plant materials under such conditions. Although the crossing 09D-0077 (BR 16 x 1Ab58) presented the highest leaf area index (LAI) values under IRR, such a genotype had a similar performance to GM lines (1Ab58 and 1Bb2193), including in yield, thus indicating that backcrossing and transforming elite lines showed similar responses to water deficit. Further studies are needed in order to confirm the potential of GM lines and the crossing 09D- 0077 to cope with drought under more severe water deficit conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought stress has often caused significant decreases in crop production which could be associated with global warming. Enhancing drought tolerance without a grain yield penalty has been a great challenge in crop improvement. Here, we report the Arabidopsis thaliana galactinol synthase 2 gene ( AtGolS2) was able to confer drought tolerance and increase grain yield in two different rice ( Oryza sativa) genotypes under dry field conditions. The developed transgenic lines expressing AtGolS2 under the control of the constitutive maize ubiquitin promoter ( Ubi:AtGolS2) also had higher levels of galactinol than the non-transgenic control. The increased grain yield of the transgenic rice under drought conditions was related to a higher number of panicles, grain fertility and biomass. Extensive confined field trials using Ubi:AtGolS2 transgenic lines in Curinga, tropical japonica and NERICA4, interspecific hybrid across two different seasons and environments revealed the verified lines have the proven field drought tolerance of the Ubi: AtGolS2 transgenic rice. The amended drought tolerance was associated with higher relative water content of leaves, higher photosynthesis activity, lesser reduction in plant growth and faster recovering ability. Collectively, our results provide strong evidence that AtGolS2 is a useful biotechnological tool to reduce grain yield losses in rice beyond genetic differences under field drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied a 107 Ma vogesite (a kind of lamprophyre with alkali-feldspar > plagioclase, and hornblende ± clinopyroxene ± biotite) dike in the Kinki district of the Tamba Belt, Kyoto Prefecture, SW Japan, using petrography, mineralogy, K–Ar ages, and geochemistry to evaluate its petrogenesis and tectonic implications. The dike has the very specific geochemical characteristics of a primitive high-Mg basalt, with 48–50 wt.% SiO 2 (anhydrous basis), high values of Mg# (67.3–72.4), and high Cr (~ 431 ppm), Ni (~ 371 ppm), and Co (~ 52 ppm) contents. The vogesite is alkaline and ne -normative with high concentrations of large ion lithophile elements (LILEs: Sr = 1270–2200 ppm, Ba = 3910–26,900 ppm), light rare earth elements (LREEs) [(La/Yb) n = 58–62), and high field strength elements (HFSEs: TiO 2 = 1.5–1.8 wt.%, Nb = 24–33 ppm, Zr = 171–251 ppm), and the vogesite can be classified as a high-Nb basalt (HNB). The vogesite was formed by the lowest degree of melting of metasomatized mantle in the garnet stability field, and it may also have been formed at higher melting pressures than other Kyoto lamprophyres. The low degree of melting is the primary reason for the high-Nb content of the vogesite, not mantle metasomatism, and a higher degree of melting would have changed the primary magma composition from a HNB to a Nb-enriched basalt (NEB). The vogesite magma was contaminated at an early stage of its development by melts derived from sediments drawn down a subduction zone, as indicated by some geochemical indices and the initial Nd isotope ratios. The vogesite exhibits positive correlations between εSr (107 Ma) values (5.4–50.9) and its high Ba and Sr concentrations, and it has a limited range of εNd (107 Ma) values (+ 0.97 to + 2.4). The fact that the vogesite contains centimeter-sized xenoliths of chert, which are composed of polycrystalline quartz, calcite, barite, pyrite, and magnetite, indicates that the barium contamination took place during the ascent of the lamprophyric magma through the upper crust. The episode of magmatism at c. 107 Ma extended regionally from the Kinki district, through the Chugoku district and North Kyushu in SW Japan, to Korea as a result of slab roll-back at the eastern margin of Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors previously conducted thermogravimetric analyses on Zircaloy-2 in air. By using the thermogravimetric data, an oxidation model was constructed in this study so that it can be applied for the modeling of cladding degradation in spent fuel pool (SFP) severe accident condition. For its validation, oxidation tests of long cladding tube were conducted, and computational fluid dynamics analyses using the constructed oxidation model were proceeded to simulate the experiments. In the oxidation tests, high temperature thermal gradient along the cladding axis was applied and air flow rates in testing chamber were controlled to simulate hypothetical SFP accidents. The analytical outputs successfully reproduced the growth of oxide film and porous oxide layer on the claddings in oxidation tests, and validity of the oxidation model was proved. Influence of air flow rate for the oxidation behavior was thought negligible in the conditions investigated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the petrogenesis of the main magmatic rocks of the Jurassic Alvand plutonic complex, located in the northern sector of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone of Iran. The Alvand complex is made up of a wide range of rocks spanning gabbro to leucogranites, containing a diversified range of enclaves, from mafic-to felsic- and surmicaceous-type. Here we present new textural characterization together with mineral, whole rock and Sr–Nd isotope chemistry of the main magmatic lithotypes. We integrated this new data with the available ones to understand the petrogenesis of the Alvand magmas and their interaction with the Ediacaran-Cambrian crystalline basement. A legacy of the Peri-Gondwanan crust is evident in Alvand felsic rocks. The whole rock chemistry, the Sr–Nd isotope ratios and assimilation-fractional crystallization numerical models indicate their genesis partly through differentiation via fractional crystallization from the coeval Alvand gabbros coupled with a concurrent and significative mass-addition of material from the Cadomian basement. At a wider scale, this work also provides new insights into the understanding the role of the continental crust in the buildup of transcrustal magmatic systems and therefore to a better comprehension of crust growth process driven by intense magma-crust interaction events. • The magma-crust interaction is explored through field and chemical investigations. • The Jurassic Alvand Complex is as a case study to unravel continental crustal growth. • AFC modelling can quantify the crust role in the chemistry of differentiated melts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water deficit may occur at any stage of crop development, affecting productivity and causing economic losses. In response to drought, raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) are accumulated in plant tissues stabilizing and protecting cell membranes and keeping the vital functions. The enzyme galactinol synthase (GolS, EC 2.4.1.123) catalyzes the first step in the biosynthesis of RFOs. In our study, soybean events overexpressing 35S:AtGolS2 were molecularly, physiological, and agronomical characterized, under drought simulated in greenhouse and in field conditions during the crop season 2014/2015. The conventional soybean cultivar BRS 184 was transformed and five positive events were obtained. Four events transmitted the transgene to further generations and in the events 2Ia1 and 2Ia4, two to four copies of AtGols2 gene were observed. Results in greenhouse showed that the overexpression of AtGolS2 in genetically modified (GM) plants led to increased galactinol transcripts, probably resulting in changes in carbohydrate metabolism. Accumulation of these transcripts that may have acted as osmoprotectors, lead to higher drought tolerance and survival rate of 2Ia4 plants. In addition, in field conditions, higher yield was observed for 2Ia4 plants under irrigated (IRR) and non-irrigated (NIRR) treatments. This result can be due to the increased synthesis of RFOs even under well-watered conditions. This field screening showed promising results for drought tolerance, suggesting that 2Ia4 plants may be useful in a breeding program for the development of drought-tolerant plants. However, additional studies are needed in further crop seasons and other sites to better characterize how these plants may outperform the WT plants under water deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Felsic magmatism in the southern part of Himachal Higher Himalaya is constituted by Neoproterozoic granite gneiss (GGn), Early Palaeozoic granitoids (EPG) and Tertiary tourmaline-bearing leucogranite (TLg). Magnetic susceptibility values (<3 ×10 SI), molar Al O /(CaO + Na O + K O) (≥1.1), mineral assemblage (bt-ms-pl-kf-qtz ± tur ± ap), and the presence of normative corundum relate these granitoids to peraluminous S-type, ilmenite series (reduced type) granites formed in a syncollisional tectonic setting. Plagioclase from GGn (An-An) and EPG (An-An) represents oligoclase to andesine and TLg (An-An) represents albite to oligoclase, whereas compositional ranges of K-feldspar are more-or-less similar (Or to Or in GGn, Or to Or in EPG and Or to Or in TLg). Biotites in GGn (Mg/Mg + Fe= 0.34-0.45), EPG (Mg/Mg + Fe= 0.27-0.47), and TLg (Mg/Mg + Fe= 0.25-0.30) are ferribiotites enriched in siderophyllite, which stabilised between FMQ and HM buffers and are characterised by dominant 3Fe $\rightleftharpoons $ 2Al, 3Mg $\rightleftharpoons $ 2Al substitutions typical of peraluminous (S-type), reducing felsic melts. Muscovite in GGn (Mg/Mg + Fe=0.58-0.66), EPG (Mg/Mg + Fe=0.31−0.59), and TLg (Mg/Mg + Fe=0.29-0.42) represent celadonite and paragonite solid solutions, and the tourmaline from EPG and TLg belongs to the schorl-elbaite series, which are characteristics of peraluminous, Li-poor, biotite-tourmaline granites. Geochemical features reveal that the GGn and EPG precursor melts were most likely derived from melting of biotite-rich metapelite and metagraywacke sources, whereas TLg melt appears to have formed from biotite-muscovite rich metapelite and metagraywacke sources. Major and trace elements modelling suggest that the GGn, EPG and TLg parental melts have experienced low degrees (∼13, ∼17 and ∼13%, respectively) of kf-pl-bt fractionation, respectively, subsequent to partial melting. The GGn and EPG melts are the results of a pre-Himalayan, syn-collisional Pan-African felsic magmatic event, whereas the TLg is a magmatic product of Himalayan collision tectonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the major factors limiting crop productivity worldwide. Currently, the techniques of genetic engineering are powerful tools for the development of drought-tolerant plants, once they allow for the modification of expression patterns of genes responsive to drought. Within this context, transcription factors recognize specific DNA sequences in the regulatory region of target genes, and thereby regulate their expression. AREB is a transcription factor in the basic leucine zipper family, which binds to the ABRE element in the promoter region of genes induced by abscisic acid and drought. In this study, soybean plants transformed with the 35S:AtAREB1 construct were submitted to drought under greenhouse conditions. AtAREB1 expression was observed in the transgenic lines 1Ea2939 and 1Eb2889, but not in the event 1Ea15 and, under control of the CaMV 35S promoter, did not cause dwarfism and resulted in a higher survival rate of transformed plants after drought and rehydration. Moreover, 1Ea2939 and 1Eb2889 plants presented a greater total number of pods and seeds and increased dry matter content of seeds. The best performance of the transgenic lines 1Ea2939 and 1Eb2889 relative to BR 16 plants (wild type) and to event 1Ea15 might be related to mechanisms of drought prevention through reduced stomatal conductance and leaf transpiration under control conditions. Changes in the expression profile of phosphatases and kinases may also be involved. Such results suggest that the constitutive overexpression of the transcription factor AtAREB1 leads to an improved capacity of the soybean crop to cope with drought with no yield losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the magmatism of the Cretaceous Ofuku pluton and mineralization in and around the Akiyoshi Plateau, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan was investigated using a combination of field observation, petrographic and geochemical analyses, K-Ar geochronology, and fluid inclusion data. The Ofuku pluton has a surface area of 1.5 × 1.0 km, and was intruded into the Paleozoic accretionary complexes of the Akiyoshi Limestone, Ota Group and Tsunemori Formation in the western part of the Akiyoshi Plateau. The pluton belongs to the ilmenite-series and is zoned, consisting mainly of early tonalite and granodiorite that share a gradational contact, and later granite and aplite that intruded the tonalite and granodiorite. Harker diagrams show that the Ofuku pluton has intermediate to silicic compositions ranging from 60.4 to 77.9 wt.% SiO2, but a compositional gap exists between 70.5 to 73.4 wt.% SiO2 (anhydrous basis). Modal and chemical variations indicate that the assumed parental magma is tonalitic. Quantitative models of fractional crystallization based on mass balance calculations and the Rayleigh fractionation model using major and trace element data for all crystalline phases indicate that magmatic fractionation was controlled mainly by crystal fractionation of plagioclase, hornblende, clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene at the early stage, and quartz, plagioclase, biotite, hornblende, apatite, ilmenite and zircon at the later stage. The residual melt extracted from the granodiorite mush was subsequently intruded into the northern and western parts of the Ofuku pluton as melt lens to form the granite and aplite. The age of the pluton was estimated at 99-97 Ma and 101-98 Ma based on K-Ar dating of hornblende and biotite, respectively. Both ages are consistent within analytical error, indicating that the Ofuku pluton and the associated Yamato mine belong to the Tungsten Province of the San-yo Belt, which is genetically related to the ilmenite-series granitoids of the Kanmon to Shunan stages. The aplite contains Cl-rich apatite and REE-rich monazite-(Ce), allanite-(Ce), xenotime and bastnäsite-(Ce), indicating that the residual melt was rich in halogens and REEs. The tonalite-granodiorite of the Ofuku pluton contains many three-phase fluid inclusions, along with daughter minerals such as NaCl and KCl, and vapor/liquid (V/L) volume ratios range from 0.2 to 0.9, suggesting that the fluid was boiling. In contrast, the granite and aplite contain low salinity two-phase inclusions with low V/L ratios. The granodiorite occupies a large part of the pluton, and the inclusions with various V/L ratios with chloride daughter minerals suggest the boiling fluids might be related to the mineralization. This fluid could have carried base metals such as Cu and Zn, forming Cu ore deposits in and around the Ofuku pluton. The occurrence and composition of fluid inclusions in the igneous rocks from the Akiyoshi Plateau are directly linked to Cu mineralization in the area, demonstrating that fluid inclusions are useful indicators of mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf senescence is the terminal phenotype of plant leaf development, and ethylene is a major plant hormone inducing leaf senescence. Recent studies have shown that abscisic acid (ABA) also induces leaf senescence. However, the detailed mechanisms of ABA-induced leaf senescence remain unclear. We focused on the A subfamily of stress-responsive NAC (SNAC-A) transcription factors, the expression of which is induced by abiotic stresses, particularly ABA. Gene expression analysis revealed that seven SNAC-A genes including ANAC055, ANAC019, ANAC072/RD26, ANAC002/ATAF1, ANAC081/ATAF2, ANAC102 and ANAC032 were induced by long-term treatment with ABA and/or during age-dependent senescence. The SNAC-A septuple mutant clearly showed retardation of ABA-inducible leaf senescence. Microarray analysis indicated that SNAC-As induce ABA- and senescence-inducible genes. In addition, comparison of the expression profiles of the downstream genes of SNAC-As and ABA-responsive element (ABRE)-binding protein (AREB)/ABREbinding factor (ABF) (AREB/ABFs) indicates that SNAC-As induce a different set of ABA-inducible genes from those mediated by AREB/ABFs. These results suggest that SNAC-As play crucial roles in ABA-induced leaf senescence signaling. We also discuss the function of SNAC-As in the transcriptional change of leaf senescence as well as in ABA response under abiotic stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We developed transgenic sugarcane plants with increased tolerance to drought stress. [•] GM plants presented higher sucrose levels and improved bud sprouting. [•] Genes involved in cell protection were up-regulated in transgenic sugarcane plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sulfide chimney ore sampled from the flank of the active Tiger vent area in the Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal field, south Okinawa trough, consists of anhydrite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and bismuthinite. Electron microprobe analysis indicates that the chalcopyrite contains up to 2.4 wt% Sn, whereas bismuthinite contains up to 1.7 wt% Pt, 0.8 wt% Cu and 0.5 wt% Fe. The Sn-rich chalcopyrite and Pt- Cu- Fe-bearing bismuthinite are the first reported occurrence of such minerals in an active submarine hydrothermal system. The results confirm that Sn enters the chalcopyrite as a solid solution towards stannite by the coupled substitution of Sn4+ Fe2+ for Fe3+ Fe3+, whereas Pt, Cu and Fe enter the bismuthinite structure as a solid solution during rapid nucleation. The fluid inclusions homogenization temperatures in anhydrite (220-310°C) and measured end-member temperature of the vent fluids on-site (325°C) indicate that Sn-bearing chalcopyrite and Pt- Cu- Fe-bearing bismuthinite express the original composition of the minerals that precipitated as metastable phases at a temperature above 300°C. The result observed in this study implies that sulfides in ancient volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits have similar trace element distribution during nucleation but it is remobilised during diagenesis, metamorphism or supergene enrichment processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among current strategies for the development of drought-tolerant plants, engineering transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes related to abiotic stress is promising. Soybean plants overexpressing the transcription factor AtAREB1, which is involved in abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent stress responses, were generated using biolistics. Embryos of cultivar BR16, which is considered drought sensitive, were co-transformed with two plant expression vectors, 35S::AtAREB1 and 35S::ahas. Among the lines obtained, the drought tolerance of A24.10 and A2889.12 was assessed because these lines overexpressed the AtAREB1 gene and had a low copy number of the transgene. Another line, A2057.03, was also selected because it had a high copy number of the transgene (more than 100 copies) and low levels of transgene expression. Among the two low-copy lines, the A24.10 plants exhibited a slightly lower number of leaves and a shortening of the internode length; however, no growth retardation was observed for the line A2057.03. Water stress tolerance was particularly improved in the low-copy lines A24.10 and A2889.12. Plants of these lines were able to survive a water stress period of 5 days and exhibited no leaf damage, i.e., dried areas in the leaves 3 days after rewatering. Furthermore, these lines exhibited better growth and physiological performance under water-deficit (higher relative rate of shoot length, stomatal conductance, and photosynthesis) when compared to the wild type. Our results show the potential for improving drought tolerance by overexpressing AtAREB1 in soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OsTZF1 is a member of the CCCH-type zinc finger gene family in rice (Oryza sativa). Expression of OsTZF1 was induced by drought, high-salt stress, and hydrogen peroxide. OsTZF1 gene expression was also induced by abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid. Histochemical activity of β-glucuronidase in transgenic rice plants containing the promoter of OsTZF1 fused with β-glucuronidase was observed in callus, coleoptile, young leaf, and panicle tissues. Upon stress, OsTZF1-green fluorescent protein localization was observed in the cytoplasm and cytoplasmic foci. Transgenic rice plants overexpressing OsTZF1 driven by a maize (Zea mays) ubiquitin promoter (Ubi:OsTZF1-OX [for overexpression]) exhibited delayed seed germination, growth retardation at the seedling stage, and delayed leaf senescence. RNA interference (RNAi) knocked-down plants (OsTZF1 -RNAi) showed early seed germination, enhanced seedling growth, and early leaf senescence compared with controls. Ubi:OsTZF1-OX plants showed improved tolerance to high-salt and drought stresses and vice versa for OsTZF1-RNAi plants. Microarray analysis revealed that genes related to stress, reactive oxygen species homeostasis, and metal homeostasis were regulated in the Ubi:OsTZF1-OX plants. RNA-binding assays indicated that OsTZF1 binds to U-rich regions in the 3' untranslated region of messenger RNAs, suggesting that OsTZF1 might be associated with RNA metabolism of stress-responsive genes. OsTZF1 may serve as a useful biotechnological tool for the improvement of stress tolerance in various plants through the control of RNA metabolism of stress-responsive genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arabidopsis thaliana DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN2A (DREB2A) functions as a transcriptional activator that increases tolerance to osmotic and heat stresses; however, its expression also leads to growth retardation and reduced reproduction. To avoid these adverse effects, the expression of DREB2A is predicted to be tightly regulated. We identified a short promoter region of DREB2A that represses its expression under nonstress conditions. Yeast one-hybrid screening for interacting factors identified GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR7 (GRF7). GRF7 bound to the DREB2A promoter and repressed its expression. In both artificial miRNA-silenced lines and a T-DNA insertion line of GRF7 , DREB2A transcription was increased compared with the wild type under nonstress conditions. A previously undiscovered cis -element, GRF7-targeting cis- element (TGTCAGG), was identified as a target sequence of GRF7 in the short promoter region of DREB2A via electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Microarray analysis of GRF7 knockout plants showed that a large number of the upregulated genes in the mutant plants were also responsive to osmotic stress and/or abscisic acid. These results suggest that GRF7 functions as a repressor of a broad range of osmotic stress–responsive genes to prevent growth inhibition under normal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]