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In monocarpic plants, stem cells are fated to die. However, the potential mechanism of stem cell death has remained elusive. Here, we reveal that the levels of two forms of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide anion free radical ( O 2 · − ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), show dynamic changes in the shoot apex during the plant life cycle of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that the level of O 2 · − decreased and disappeared at four weeks after bolting (WAB), while H2O2 appeared at 3 WAB and showed a burst at 5 WAB. The timing of dynamic changes in O 2 · − and H2O2 was delayed for approximately three weeks in clv3-2, which has a longer lifespan. Moreover, exogenous application of H2O2 inhibited the expression of the stem cell determinant WUSCHEL (WUS) and promoted the expression of the developmentally programmed cell death (dPCD) marker gene ORESARA 1 (ORE1). These results indicate that H2O2 triggers an important signal inducing dPCD in stem cells. Given that O 2 · − plays roles in maintaining WUS expression and stem cell activity, we speculate that the dynamic shift from O 2 · − to H2O2 in the shoot apex results in stem cell death. Our findings provide novel insights for understanding ROS-mediated regulation during plant stem cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High light intensity as one of the stresses could lead to generation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants, resulting in severe plant growth retardation. The photorespiration metabolism plays an important role in producing and removing a variety of ROS, maintaining the dynamic balance of the redox reaction, and preventing photoinhibition. Arabidopsis hydroxypyruvate reductase 1 (HPR1) is a primary metabolic enzyme in the photorespiration cycle. However, the role of HPR1 in plants response to high light is not clear. Here, we found that the expression of HPR1 could be induced by high light intensity. The growth and photosynthetic capacity of hpr1 mutants are seriously affected under high light intensity. The absence of HPR1 suppresses the rates of photorepair of Photosystem II (PSII), aggravates the production of ROS, and accelerates photorespiration rates. Moreover, the activity of ROS scavenging enzymes in the hpr1 mutants is significantly higher. These results indicate that HPR1 is involved in plant response to high light intensity and is essential for maintaining the dynamic balance of ROS and photorespiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor) is a family of plant-specific transcription factors whose members are widely involved in many biological processes, such as growth, development, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. Here, 20 AP2/ERF genes were identified based on wheat RNA-seq data before and after drought stress, and classified as AP2, ERF, DREB, and RAV. The analysis of gene structure revealed that about 85% of AP2/ERF family members had lost introns, which are presumed to have been lost during the formation and evolution of the wheat genome. The expression of 20 AP2/ERF family genes could be verified by qRT-PCR, which further supported the validity of the RNA-seq data. Subsequently, subcellular localization and transcriptional activity experiments showed that the ERF proteins were mainly located in the nucleus and were self-activating, which further supports their functions as transcription factors. Furthermore, we isolated a novel ERF gene induced by drought, salt, and cold stresses and named it TaERF-6-3A. TaERF-6-3A overexpression increased sensitivity to drought and salt stresses in Arabidopsis, which was supported by physiological and biochemical indices. Moreover, the expression of stress- and antioxidant-related genes was downregulated in TaERF-6-3A-overexpressing plants. Overall, these results contribute to the further understanding of the TaERF-6-3A gene function in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]