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Plants produce chemical defenses that poison insect herbivores or deter their feeding, but herbivores are also accompanied by microbial endosymbionts crucial for their nutrition, reproduction, and fitness. Hence, plant defenses could target a herbivore’s beneficial endosymbionts, but this has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we studied flavonoids that are induced when rice is attacked by a phloem-feeding pest, the brown planthopper (BPH), which harbors beneficial yeast-like symbionts (YLS) essential for insect nutrition, such as by remedying deficiencies in sterols. BPH attack dramatically increased sakuranetin accumulations in leaf sheaths and phloem exudates. Sakuranetin is an antifungal phytoalexin derived from the antibacterial precursor, naringenin, via catalysis of naringenin- O -methyltransferase (NOMT). When added to artificial diets, sakuranetin decreased BPH survivorship, suggesting that it functions as an induced defense. Mutation of NOMT abolished sakuranetin accumulation and increased BPH oviposition and hatching rates. High-throughput amplicon sequencing revealed that BPH fed on sakuranetin-deficient nomt lines were enriched in YLS with only minor changes in the bacterial endosymbionts, compared to those feeding on sakuranetin-rich wild-type (WT) plants. In-vitro feeding of sakuranetin suggested that this flavonoid directly inhibited the growth of YLS. BPH feeding on nomt lines accumulated higher cholesterol levels, which might be attributed to increases in the supply of sterol precursors from the YLS, while nomt lines suffered more damage than WT plants did from BPH herbivory. BPH-elicited accumulation of sakuranetin requires intact jasmonate (JA) signaling. This study reveals that rice uses a JA-induced antifungal flavonoid phytoalexin in defense against BPH by inhibiting its beneficial endosymbionts.

Remote sensing of vegetation by its reflection of light is increasingly used to characterize trait distributions in plant communities. How leaves reflect light is determined by their structure and contents of pigments, water, and abundant dry matter constituents like lignins, phenolics, and proteins. High-resolution ("hyperspectral") spectroscopy can characterize trait variation at finer scales, and may help to reveal underlying genetic variation: information important for assessing the potential of populations to adapt to global change. Here, we use a set of 360 inbred genotypes of the wild coyote tobacco Nicotiana attenuata: wild accessions, recombinant inbred lines (RILs), and transgenic lines (TLs) with targeted changes to gene expression, to dissect genetic versus non-genetic influences on variation in leaf spectra across three experiments. We calculated leaf reflectance from field spectroradiometer measurements covering visible to short-wave infrared wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (400-2500 nm) using a standard radiation source and backgrounds, resulting in a small and quantifiable measurement uncertainty. Plants were grown in more controlled (glasshouse) or more natural (field) environments, and leaves were measured both on- and off-plant with the measurement set-up thus also in more to less controlled environmental conditions. Entire spectra varied across genotypes and environments. We found that the greatest variance in leaf reflectance was explained by between-experiment and non-genetic between-sample differences, with subtler and more specific variation distinguishing groups of genotypes. The visible spectral region was most variable, distinguishing experimental settings as well as groups of genotypes within experiments, whereas parts of the short-wave infrared may vary more specifically with genotype. Overall, more genetically variable plant populations also had more varied leaf spectra. We highlight key considerations for the application of field spectroscopy to assess genetic variation in plant populations.

Smoke-derived seed germination is an important trait for plants to colonize postfire habitats. The well-characterized smoke-derived chemicals of karrikins germinate seeds of species not known to occur after fires in nature. Hence, the ecologically relevant germination cues in smoke remain to be explored for native postfire plants. With the fire-chaser, Nicotiana attenuata, we revisit a bioassay-driven fractionation of liquid smoke to identify ecologically relevant germination cues. By combining bioassay-guided fractionation and comparative unbiased metabolomics, we developed a robust and efficient method to identify germination cues in smoke. Syringaldehyde (SAL) was re-identified as a germination cue in fractions of liquid smoke that promote seed germination. SAL was found to be produced during wildfires in the plant's native habitat, efficiently adsorbed to N. attenuata seeds from aqueous solutions and not readily leached from soil and accurately predicted the boundaries of natural fire events that reflect the occurrence of native postfire N. attenuata populations. We propose that SAL is an ecologically relevant germination cue in smoke for this species.

Plants have developed tissue-specific defense strategies in response to various herbivores with different feeding habits. Although defense responses to leaf-chewing insects have been well studied, little is known about stem-specific responses, particularly in the pith, to stem-boring herbivores. To understand the stem-specific defense, we first conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis of the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata before and after attack by the leaf-chewing herbivore Manduca sexta and the stem borer Trichobaris mucorea. When the stem-boring herbivore attacked, lignin-associated genes were upregulated specifically in the inner parenchymal cells of the stem, the pith; lignin also accumulated highly in the attacked pith. Silencing the lignin biosynthetic gene cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase enhanced the performance of the stem-boring herbivore but had no effect on the growth of the leaf-chewing herbivore. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance results revealed that lignified pith contains feruloyltyramine as an unusual lignin component in the cell wall, as a response against stem-boring herbivore attack. Pith-specific lignification induced by the stem-boring herbivore was modulated by both jasmonate and ethylene signaling. These results suggest that lignin provides a stem-specific inducible barrier, protecting plants against stem-boring insects.

Handover, clinical discussion, and care for patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) require visual cues to a verbal "story" in an attempt to quickly understand the patient status. Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is often associated with sepsis or a toxic cause and "kidney attack" not apparent to the patient; "silent" with no pain, discomfort, or vital sign changes initially. Language, terminology, and definitions for this acute kidney injury (AKI) are a graded classification with guidelines. CRRT and dialysis techniques use the physiological principles of diffusion and or convection for solute removal providing a replacement for the basic kidney functions to sustain life until function returns. When to stop CRRT is based on clinical assessment of the patient overall status and urine production re-starting. The medical treatment is focused on the key interventions of resuscitation, remove the cause, support with CRRT or dialysis and monitor for recovery of function. CRRT requires a multidisciplinary team and quality process, local policies, education, and competency pathways to promote best outcomes and efficacy.

The discovery of static electricity in the 18th century and electromagnetism in the 19th was one of the most momentous scientific-technological events in human history. In the 21st century our way of life depends on the electromagnetic force so totally that were our electromagnetic infrastructure to collapse, our civilization would collapse virtually simultaneously. Despite this situation of profound dependency, few citizens understand the electromagnetic force, how it was discovered, how it works, and what wonders of modern life it controls. Nor do citizens understand the roles that Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and global electric circuit play in making electricity and life possible. Here, I review Earth’s natural electric environment and how electricity first began to be scientifically understood with the innovation of the Leyden jar in the mid-18th century; Franklin’s insights about electricity’s positive and negative poles, and its movement (later named a “current”); Galvani’s discovery of bioelectricity; and Volta’s seminal invention of the bi-metallic electrochemical battery in 1800. Ørsted’s discovery that an electric current affected a magnetized needle, causing it to swivel, in 1820 led to experiments with electromagnets by Schweigger, Arago, Ampère, Sturgeon, Henry, Faraday, and others over the course of the next decade. Observing how conducting wires induced magnetism in iron bars whenever the wires were electrified, Faraday and Henry separately discovered the principle of induction, whereby a moving magnetic field could reciprocally induce electricity in a coiled wire. Out of these momentous discoveries the “magneto-electric” telegraph was invented, and, within a single generation, the world was wired.

Introduction: Hyperammonemia is a life-threatening condition. However, clearance of ammonia via extracorporeal treatment has not been systematically evaluated. Methods: We searched EMBASE and MEDLINE databases. We included all publications reporting ammonia clearance by extracorporeal treatment in adult and pediatric patients with clearance estimated by direct dialysate ammonia measurement or calculated by formula. Two reviewers screened and extracted data independently. Results: We found 1,770 articles with 312 appropriate for assessment and 28 studies meeting eligibility criteria. Most of the studies were case reports. Hyperammonemia was typically secondary to inborn errors of metabolisms in children and to liver failure in adult patients. Ammonia clearance was most commonly reported during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) and appeared to vary markedly from 2 to >250 mL/min/m2. When measured during intermittent hemodialysis (IHD), clearance was highest and correlated with blood flow rate (R2 = 0.853; p < 0.001). When measured during CRRT, ammonia clearance could be substantial and correlated with effluent flow rate (EFR; R2 = 0.584; p < 0.001). Neither correlated with ammonia reduction. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) achieved minimal clearance, and other extracorporeal techniques were rarely studied. Conclusions: Extracorporeal ammonia clearance varies widely with sometimes implausible values. Treatment modality, blood flow, and EFR, however, appear to affect such clearance with IHD achieving the highest values, PD achieving minimal values, and CRRT achieving substantial values especially at high EFRs. The role of other techniques remains unclear. These findings can help inform practice and future studies.

CRISPR genome-editing techniques theoretically enable us to edit any genes in any plants. However, plant tissue culture is required for generating targeted mutants in plants, except in some model plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. To modify ecologically or agronomically important traits in plants using the CRISPR system, a robust plant regeneration method and efficient genome-editing tools must be developed. This study shows the entire process of genome editing and the regeneration process for wild tobacco, Nicotiana attenuata. We delivered T-DNA harboring Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and guide RNA (gRNA) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation into the hypocotyl cells of the wild tobacco and regenerated gene-edited plants. The efficacy of genome editing was measured in N. attenuata protoplasts in which SpCas9 and gRNA were transiently expressed. Light intensity (476.66–627.00 μW/cm2, 20.69–52.21 μE) was optimized to enhance the emergence of plant shoots during callus induction, and the core step of dealing with plant tissues was recorded. In addition, we found that wounding the bottom part of mature plants was critical for root regeneration. By tracking mutation patterns and efficiency at each regeneration step, we found that the mutation was induced early on in the tissue culture process and maintained throughout the regeneration process. Genome-editing techniques have opened the way to study the function of the genes in all plants, and this study will provide guidelines for editing a gene in the plant of interest.

Argonautes (AGOs) associate with noncoding RNAs to regulate gene expression during development and stress adaptation. Their role in plant immunity against hemibiotrophic fungal infection remains poorly understood. Here, we explore the function of AGOs in the interaction of wild tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata) with a naturally occurring hemibiotrophic pathogen, Fusarium brachygibbosum. Among all AGOs, only transcripts of AGO4 were elicited after fungal infection. The disease progressed more rapidly in AGO4-silenced (irAGO4) plants than in wild type, and small RNA (smRNA) profiling revealed that 24-nucleotide smRNA accumulation was severely abrogated in irAGO4 plants. Unique microRNAs (miRNAs: 130 conserved and 208 novel, including 11 canonical miRNA sequence variants known as “isomiRs”) were identified in infected plants; silencing of AGO4 strongly changed miRNA accumulation dynamics. Time-course studies revealed that infection increased accumulation of abscisic acid, jasmonates, and salicylic acid in wild type; in irAGO4 plants, infection accumulated lower jasmonate levels and lower transcripts of jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis genes. Treating irAGO4 plants with JA, methyl jasmonate, or cis-(+)-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid restored wild-type levels of resistance. Silencing expression of RNA-directed RNA polymerases RdR1 and RdR2 (but not RdR3) and Dicer-like3 (DCL3, but not DCL2 or DCL4) increased susceptibility to F. brachygibbosum. The relevance of AGO4, RdR1, RdR2, and DCL3 in a natural setting was revealed when plants individually silenced in their expression (and their binary combinations) were planted in a diseased field plot in the Great Basin Desert of Utah. These plants were more susceptible to infection and accumulated lower JA levels than wild type. We infer that AGO4-dependent smRNAs play a central role in modulating JA biogenesis and signaling during hemibiotrophic fungal infections.

Background: Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) technique may affect circuit lifespan. A shorter circuit life may reduce CRRT efficacy and increase costs. Methods: In a before-and-after study, we compared circuit median survival time during continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH) versus continuous venovenous hemodialysis (­CVVHD). We performed log-rank mixed effects univariate analysis and Cox mixed effect regression modeling to define predictors of circuit lifespan. Results: We compared 197 ­CVVHD and 97 CVVH circuits in 39 patients. There was no overall difference in circuit lifespan. When no anticoagulation was used, median circuit survival time was shorter for CVVH circuits (5 h, 95% CI 3–7 vs. 10 h, 95% CI 8–13, p < 0.01). Moreover, CVVHD, lower platelets levels, and longer activated partial thromboplastin time independently predicted longer circuit median survival time. Conclusions: CVVHD is associated with longer circuit median survival time than CVVH when no anticoagulation is used and is an independent predictor of circuit survival.

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is intended to function continuously and is prescribed for this outcome. Anticoagulants may not always be used. Clotting and clogging within the CRRT filter stopping therapy occurs with a variability in the total elapsed time associated. This is commonly known as the circuit or filter “life”. It is very useful and important to record this time at the bedside and refer to this as a measure of success and quality. Filter life (i.e., hours) is reported in many reports investigating CRRT but is not well understood or clear for when this is considered inadequate and clinical review strategies should be considered. Failure before 8 h could be associated with inadequate renal support and “therapy”. Anticoagulation is the key intervention to prolong filter function; however, the extracorporeal circuit design and set up, access catheter profile and insertion site, CRRT machine settings, and the human interface operating CRRT are always important and the only consideration to prevent failure when no anticoagulation is mandated for CRRT.

Although much is known about plant traits that function in nonhost resistance against pathogens, little is known about nonhost resistance against herbivores, despite its agricultural importance. Empoasca leafhoppers, serious agricultural pests, identify host plants by eavesdropping on unknown outputs of jasmonate (JA)–mediated signaling. Forward- and reverse-genetics lines of a native tobacco plant were screened in native habitats with native herbivores using high-throughput genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic tools to reveal an Empoasca -elicited JA-JAZi module. This module induces an uncharacterized caffeoylputrescine–green leaf volatile compound, catalyzed by a polyphenol oxidase in a Michael addition reaction, which we reconstitute in vitro; engineer in crop plants, where it requires a berberine bridge enzyme-like 2 (BBL2) for its synthesis; and show that it confers resistance to leafhoppers. Natural history–guided forward genetics reveals a conserved nonhost resistance mechanism useful for crop protection.

Background Tobacco rattle virus (TRV) based virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), a widely used functional genomics tool, requires growth temperatures typically lower than those of the plant’s native environment. Enabling VIGS under native conditions in the field according to applicable safety regulations could be a revolutionary advance for ecological research. Results Here, we report the development of an enhanced thermal tolerant VIGS vector system based on a TRV California isolate. cDNA clones representing the whole viral genome were sequenced and used to construct separate binary plant transformation vectors for functional elements of RNA1 (6765 nt) and RNA2 (3682 nt). VIGS of target genes was induced by transient transformation of the host plant with both vectors or by treating the host plant with sap from already VIGS induced plants. In Nicotiana attenuata the silencing efficiency of the PDS (phytoene desaturase) gene was 90% at 28 °C and 78% at 30 °C. Silencing at these temperatures was more prominent and durable than silencing induced by the widely used TRV PpK20-based pBINTRA6/pTV00 system, but was associated with a viral phenotype. Differences in the suppressor protein and RNA dependent RNA polymerase sequences between the TRV California isolate and PpK20 may be the reason for their different thermal tolerance. Conclusions The new TRV California-based VIGS vectors induce gene silencing in Nicotiana attenuata at higher temperatures than the existing pBINTRA6/pTV00 vector system, but cause greater growth defects. The new vector system opens up an avenue to study genes functions in planta under field conditions.

miR390 is a highly conserved miRNA in plant lineages known to function in growth and development processes, such as lateral root development, and in responses to salt and metal stress. In the ecological model species, Nicotiana attenuata, miR390's biological function remains unknown, which we explore here with a gain‐of‐function analysis with plants over‐expressing (OE‐) N. attenuata miR390 (Na‐miR390) in glasshouse and natural environments. OEmiR390 plants showed normal developmental processes, including lateral root formation or reproductive output, in plants grown under standard conditions in the glasshouse. OEmiR390 plants did not have dramatically altered interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Fusarium pathogens, or herbivores. However, Na‐miR390 regulated the plant's tolerance of herbivory. Caterpillar feeding elicits the accumulation of a suite of phytohormones, including auxin and jasmonates, which further regulate host‐tolerance. The increase in Na‐miR390 abundance reduces the accumulation of auxin but does not influence levels of other phytohormones including jasmonates (JA, JA‐Ile), salicylic acid (SA), and abscisic acid (ABA). Na‐miR390 overexpression reduces reproductive output, quantified as capsule production, when plants are attacked by herbivores. Exogenous auxin treatments of herbivore‐attacked plants restored capsule production to wild‐type levels. During herbivory, Na‐miR390 transcript abundances are increased; its overexpression reduces the abundances of auxin biosynthesizing YUCCA and ARF (mainly ARF4) transcripts during herbivory. Furthermore, the accumulation of auxin‐regulated phenolamide secondary metabolites (caffeoylputrescine, dicaffeoylspermidine) is also reduced. In N. attenuata, miR390 functions in modulating tolerance responses of herbivore‐attacked plants.

Background Plants are able to optimize defense responses induced by various herbivores, which have different feeding strategies. Local and systemic responses within a plant after herbivory are essential to modulate herbivore-specific plant responses. For instance, leaf-chewing herbivores elicit jasmonic acid signaling, which result in the inductions of toxic chemicals in the attacked leaf (tissue-specific responses) and also in the other unattacked parts of the plant (systemic responses). Root herbivory induces toxic metabolites in the attacked root and alters the levels of transcripts and metabolites in the unattacked shoot. However, we have little knowledge of the local and systemic responses against stem-boring herbivores. In this study, we examined the systemic changes in metabolites in the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata, when the stem-boring herbivore Trichobaris mucorea attacks. Results To investigate the systemic responses of T. mucorea attacks, we measured the levels of jasmonic acid (JA), JA-dependent secondary metabolites, soluble sugars, and free amino acids in 7 distinct tissues of N. attenuata: leaf lamina with epidermis (LLE), leaf midrib (LM), stem epidermis (SE), stem pith (SP), stem vascular bundle (SV), root cortex with epidermis (RCE), and root vascular bundle (RV). The levels of JA were increased in all root tissues and in LM by T. mucorea attacks. The levels of chlorogenic acids (CGAs) and nicotine were increased in all stem tissues by T. mucorea. However, CGA was systematically induced in LM, and nicotine was systematically induced in LM and RCE. We further tested the resource allocation by measuring soluble sugars and free amino acids in plant tissues. T. mucorea attacks increased the level of free amino acids in all tissues except in LLE. The levels of soluble sugars were significantly decreased in SE and SP, but increased in RV. Conclusions The results reveal that plants have local- and systemic-specific responses in response to attack from a stem-boring herbivore. Interestingly, the level of induced secondary metabolites was not consistent with the systemic inductions of JA. Spatiotemporal resolution of plant defense responses against stem herbivory will be required to understand how a plant copes with attack from herbivores from different feeding guilds.

Most flowering plants depend on animal pollination for successful sexual reproduction. Floral signals such as color, shape, and odor are crucial in establishing this (often mutualistic) interaction. Plant and pollinator phenotypes can vary temporally but also spatially, thus creating mosaic-like patterns of local adaptations. Here, we investigated natural variation in floral morphology, flower volatile emission, and phenology in four accessions of a self-compatible wild tobacco, Nicotiana attenuata, to assess how these traits match the sensory perception of a known pollinator, the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. These accessions differ in floral traits and also in their habitat altitudes. Based on habitat temperatures, the accession occurring at the highest altitude (California) is less likely to be visited by M. sexta, while the others (Arizona, Utah 1, and Utah 2) are known to receive M. sexta pollinations. The accessions varied significantly in flower morphologies, volatile emissions, flower opening, and phenology, traits likely important for M. sexta perception and floral handling. In wind tunnel assays, we assessed the seed set of emasculated flowers after M. sexta visitation and of natural selfed and hand-pollinated selfed flowers. After moth visitations, plants of two accessions (Arizona and Utah 2) produced more capsules than the other two, consistent with predictions that accessions co-occurring with M. sexta would benefit more from the pollination services of this moth. We quantified flower and capsule production in four accessions in a glasshouse assay without pollinators to assess the potential for self-pollination. The two Utah accessions set significantly more seeds after pollen supplementation compared with those of autonomous selfing flowers, suggesting a greater opportunistic benefit from efficient pollinators than the other two. Moreover, emasculated flowers of the accession with the most exposed stigma (Utah 2) produced the greatest seed set after M. sexta visitation. This study reveals intraspecific variation in pollination syndromes that illuminate the potential of a plant species to adapt to local pollinator communities, changing environments, and altered pollination networks.

Capsidiol, a phytoalexin accumulated in Nicotiana attenuata in response to Alternaria alternata attack, plays an important role in pathogen resistance, and its biosynthesis is transcriptionally regulated by an ERF2-like transcription factor., Capsidiol is a sesquiterpenoid phytoalexin produced in Nicotiana and Capsicum species in response to pathogen attack. Whether capsidiol plays a defensive role and how its biosynthesis is regulated in the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata when the plant is attacked by Alternaria alternata (tobacco pathotype), a notorious necrotrophic fungus causing brown spot disease, are unknown. Transcriptome analysis indicated that a metabolic switch to sesquiterpene biosynthesis occurred in young leaves of N. attenuata after A. alternata inoculation: many genes leading to sesquiterpene production were strongly up-regulated, including the capsidiol biosynthetic genes 5-epi-aristolochene synthase (EAS) and 5-epi-aristolochene hydroxylase (EAH). Consistently, the level of capsidiol was increased dramatically in young leaves after fungal inoculation, from not detectable in mock control to 50.68±3.10 µg g−1 fresh leaf at 3 d post-inoculation. Capsidiol-reduced or capsidiol-depleted plants, which were generated by silencing EAHs or EASs by virus-induced gene silencing, were more susceptible to the fungus. In addition, this sesquiterpene when purified from infected plants exhibited strong anti-fungal activities against A. alternata in vitro. Furthermore, an ERF2-like transcription factor was found to positively regulate capsidiol production and plant resistance through the direct transactivation of a capsidiol biosynthetic gene, EAS12. Taken together, our results demonstrate that capsidiol, a phytoalexin highly accumulated in N. attenuata plants in response to A. alternata infection, plays an important role in pathogen resistance independent of jasmonate and ethylene signaling pathways, and its biosynthesis is transcriptionally regulated by an ERF2-like transcription factor.

The beneficial effects of plant--bacterial interactions in controlling plant pests have been extensively studied with single bacterial isolates. However, in nature, bacteria interact with plants in multitaxa consortia, systems which remain poorly understood. Previously, we demonstrated that a consortium of five native bacterial isolates protected their host plant Nicotiana attenuata from a sudden wilt disease. Here we explore the mechanisms behind the protection effect against the native pathosystem. Three members of the consortium, Pseudomonas azotoformans A70, P. frederiksbergensis A176 and Arthrobacter nitroguajacolicus E46, form biofilms when grown individually in vitro, and the amount of biofilm increased synergistically in the five-membered consortium, including two Bacillus species, B. megaterium and B. mojavensis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and scanning electron microscopy in planta imaging techniques confirmed biofilm formation and revealed locally distinct distributions of the five bacterial strains colonizing different areas on the plant-root surface. One of the five isolates, K1 B. mojavensis produces the antifungal compound surfactin, under in vitro and in vivo conditions, clearly inhibiting fungal growth. Furthermore, isolates A70 and A176 produce siderophores under in vitro conditions. Based on these results we infer that the consortium of five bacterial isolates protects its host against fungal phytopathogens via complementary traits. The study should encourage researchers to create synthetic communities from native strains of different genera to improve bioprotection against wilting diseases.

Rapid reconfigurations of intimately connected phytohormone signaling networks allow plants to tune their physiology to constantly varying ecological conditions. During insect herbivory, most of the induced changes in defense-related leaf specialized metabolites are controlled by jasmonate (JA) signaling, which, in the wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata, recruits MYB8, a transcription factor controlling the accumulation of phenolic-polyamine conjugates (phenolamides). In this and other plant species, herbivory also locally triggers ethylene (ET) production but the outcome of the JA-ET crosstalk at the level of secondary metabolism regulation has remained superficially investigated. Here, we analyzed local and systemic herbivory-induced changes by mass spectrometry-based metabolomics in leaves of transgenic plants impaired in JA, ET and MYB8 signaling. Parsing deregulations in this factorial data-set identified a network of JA/MYB8-dependent phenolamides for which impairment of ET signaling attenuated their accumulation only in locally-damaged leaves. Further experiments revealed that ET, albeit biochemically interrelated to polyamine metabolism via the intermediate S-adenosylmethionine, does not impart on free polyamine levels, but instead significantly modulates phenolamide levels and marginally affected transcript levels in this pathway. This study identifies ET as a local modulator of phenolamide investments and provides a metabolomics data-platform to mine associations between herbivory-induced signaling and specialized metabolite groups in N. attenuata.Summary statementHerbivory-elicited ethylene acts as a local enhancer of the production of jasmonate/MYB8-dependent phenolamides during the defense response of Nicotiana attenuata leaves against herbivory by the lepidopteran larva Manduca sexta.

17-hydroxygeranyllinalool diterpene glycosides (HGL-DTGs) are abundant and potent anti-herbivore defense metabolites in Nicotiana attenuata whose glycosylation and malonylation biosynthetic steps are regulated by jasmonate signaling. To characterize the biosynthetic pathway of HGL-DTGs, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferases (UGTs) and identified 107 members of family-1 UGTs. Tissue-specific time-course transcriptional profiling revealed that the transcripts of three UGTs were highly correlated with two HGL-DTG key biosynthetic genes: geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (NaGGPPS) and geranyllinalool synthase (NaGLS). NaGLS’s role in HGL-DTG biosynthesis was confirmed by virus-induced gene-silencing. Silencing the UDP-rhamnosyltransferase, UGT91T1, indicated its role in the rhamnosylation of HGL-DTGs. In vitro enzyme assays revealed that UGT74P3 and UGT74P4 use UDP-glucose for the glucosylation of 17-hydroxygeranyllinalool (17-HGL) to lyciumoside I. UGT74P3 and UGT74P5 stably silenced plants were severely developmentally deformed, suggesting a phytotoxic effect of 17-HGL. Applications of synthetic 17-HGL and silencing of these UGTs in HGL-DTG-free plants confirmed the phytotoxic effect of 17-HGL. Feeding assays with Manduca sexta larvae revealed the defensive functions of the glucosylation and rhamnosylation steps in HGL-DTG biosynthesis. Glucosylation is a critical step that contributes to the metabolites’ defensive function and solves the autotoxicity problem of this potent chemical defense.

Background Timing is everything when it comes to the fitness outcome of a plant’s ecological interactions, and accurate timing is particularly relevant for interactions with herbivores or mutualists that are based on ephemeral emissions of volatile organic compounds. Previous studies of the wild tobacco N. attenuata have found associations between the diurnal timing of volatile emissions, and daytime predation of herbivores by their natural enemies. Results Here, we investigated the role of light in regulating two biosynthetic groups of volatiles, terpenoids and green leaf volatiles (GLVs), which dominate the herbivore-induced bouquet of N. attenuata. Light deprivation strongly suppressed terpenoid emissions while enhancing GLV emissions, albeit with a time lag. Silencing the expression of photoreceptor genes did not alter terpenoid emission rhythms, but silencing expression of the phytochrome gene, NaPhyB1, disordered the emission of the GLV (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate. External abscisic acid (ABA) treatments increased stomatal resistance, but did not truncate the emission of terpenoid volatiles (recovered in the headspace). However, ABA treatment enhanced GLV emissions and leaf internal pools (recovered from tissue), and reduced internal linalool pools. In contrast to the pattern of diurnal terpenoid emissions and nocturnal GLV emissions, transcripts of herbivore-induced plant volatile (HIPV) biosynthetic genes peaked during the day. The promotor regions of these genes were populated with various cis-acting regulatory elements involved in light-, stress-, phytohormone- and circadian regulation. Conclusions This research provides insights into the complexity of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of HIPV bouquets, a mechanistic complexity which rivals the functional complexity of HIPVs, which includes repelling herbivores, calling for body guards, and attracting pollinators.

The ubiquitous volatile linalool is metabolized in plants to nonvolatile derivatives. We studied Nicotiana attenuata plants which naturally vary in (S)-(+)-linalool contents, and lines engineered to produce either (R)-(-)- or (S)-(+)-linalool. Only (S)-(+)-linalool production was associated with slower growth of a generalist herbivore, and a large fraction was present as nonvolatile derivatives. We found that variation in volatile linalool and its nonvolatile glycosides mapped to the same genetic locus which harbored the biosynthetic gene, NaLIS, but that free linalool varied more in environmental responses. This study reveals how (S)-(+)-linalool and conjugates differ in their regulation and possible functions in resistance.

Context Ircinia mutans Wilson (Irciniidae) is a sponge with antimicrobial and cytotoxic constituents. Objective Our objective was to characterise the cytotoxic constituents of two seasonal collections of I. mutans. Materials and methods The sponges were extracted in methanol-dichloromethane and their constituents were purified and characterised using column chromatography, GC-MS, 1 D and 2 D NMR. Anti-proliferative activities of the compounds, were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay (0.25–100 μg/mL, 72 h) against leukaemia (MOLT-4), breast (MCF-7) and colon cancer (HT-29) human cells. Results Three furanosesquiterpoids; furodysin (1), ent-furodysinin (2) and furoircin (3) and ten sterols were characterised in I. mutans, for the first time. Cholesterol (4), cholesta-5, 7-dien-3β-ol (5) and ergosterol (6) were determined in the sponge from the winter collections, while cholesta-5, 22-dien-3β-ol (7), 24-methyldesmosterol (8), campesterol (9), stigmasterol (10), γ-ergostenol (11), chondrillasterol (12) and γ-sitosterol (13) were detected in the summer samples. The steroids from the winter collection exhibited cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 13.0 ± 0.9, 11.1 ± 1.7 and 1.1 ± 0.4 µg/mL, against the mentioned cancer cell lines, respectively, while those from the summer sample, showed greater activity, IC50 = 1.1 ± 0.2 μg/mL against MOLT-4. The purified steroids showed potent MOLT-4 cytotoxic activity, IC50 values = 2.3–7.8 µg/mL. Discussion and conclusion The present study suggests that I. mutans is a rich source of cytotoxic steroids, and introduces 3 as new natural product. Considering the high cytotoxic activity of the steroids, these structures could be candidates for anticancer drug development in future research.

Phytohormone, particularly jasmonate (JA) and salicylate (SA) signaling, plays a central role in plant responses to herbivore and pathogen attack. Generally, SA mediates resistance responses against biotrophic pathogens and phloem-feeding insects, while JA mediates responses against necrotrophic pathogens and chewing insects. The phytohormonal responses mediating rice resistance to a piercing-sucking herbivore, the brown planthopper (BPH), remains unknown. Here, we combined transcriptome analysis, hormone measurements, genetic analysis and a field study to address this issue. Infestation by BPH adult females resulted in significant transcriptional reprograming. The upregulated genes were enriched in the JA signaling pathway. Consistently, the concentrations of JAs, but not SA, were dramatically increased in response to BPH attack. Two JA-deficient lines (AOC and MYC2 knockout) and two SA-deficient lines (nahG overexpression and NPR1 knockout) were constructed. BPH performed better on JA-deficient lines than on wild-type (WT) plants, but similarly on SA-deficient and WT plants. During BPH attack, the accumulation of defensive secondary metabolites was attenuated in JA-deficient lines compared with WT plants. Moreover, MYC2 mutants were more susceptible to planthoppers than WT plants in nature. This study reveals that JA signaling functions in rice defense against BPH.

Plant volatile emissions can recruit predators of herbivores for indirect defense and attract pollinators to aid in pollination. Although volatiles involved in defense and pollinator attraction are primarily emitted from leaves and flowers, respectively, they will co‐evolve if their underlying genetic basis is intrinsically linked, due either to pleiotropy or to genetic linkage. However, direct evidence of co‐evolving defense and floral traits is scarce. We characterized intraspecific variation of herbivory‐induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), the key components of indirect defense against herbivores, and floral volatiles in wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata. We found that variation of (E)‐β‐ocimene and (E)‐α‐bergamotene contributed to the correlated changes in HIPVs and floral volatiles among N. attenuata natural accessions. Intraspecific variations of (E)‐β‐ocimene and (E)‐α‐bergamotene emissions resulted from allelic variation of two genetically co‐localized terpene synthase genes, NaTPS25 and NaTPS38, respectively. Analyzing haplotypes of NaTPS25 and NaTPS38 revealed that allelic variations of NaTPS25 and NaTPS38 resulted in correlated changes of (E)‐β‐ocimene and (E)‐α‐bergamotene emission in HIPVs and floral volatiles in N. attenuata. Together, these results provide evidence that pleiotropy and genetic linkage result in correlated changes in defenses and floral signals in natural populations, and the evolution of plant volatiles is probably under diffuse selection.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are important regulators of many biological processes in plants, including defence against pathogens; whether lncRNAs mediate defence against herbivore attack is yet to be explored. With wild tobacco, Nicotiana attenuata, and its well-characterized interactions with herbivores, we identified a total of 1,290 significantly up- or down-regulated lncRNAs in response to a precise herbivore elicitation treatment. Of these, long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) were the most abundant. Based on their expression patterns, these up-regulated lincRNAs were classified as early (1 hr) or late (3 hr) responders. The early responding lincRNAs had accumulation patterns that tracked the herbivore-elicited burst of bioactive jasmonates (JAs) and the expression of regulator genes in JA signalling which regulate plant defences against herbivores. Silencing two of these early responders in N. attenuata (JAL1 and JAL3) significantly attenuated the accumulation of JAs, JA-mediated defensives and the plant's resistance to M. sexta attack, suggesting roles in regulating JA-mediated plant defence. By lincRNA sequencing of JA-deficient lines, many late responder lincRNAs were found to be transcriptionally regulated by JA signalling. This study uncovers a new role of lncRNAs in JA-mediated herbivore resistance.

Many plants use environmental cues, including seasonal changes of day length (photoperiod), to control their flowering time. Under inductive conditions, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) protein is synthesized in leaves, and FT protein is a mobile signal, which is able to travel to the shoot apex to induce flowering. Dodders (Cuscuta, Convolvulaceae) are root- and leafless plants that parasitize a large number of autotrophic plant species with varying flowering time. Remarkably, some dodder species, e.g., Cuscuta australis, are able to synchronize their flowering with the flowering of their hosts. Detailed sequence inspection and expression analysis indicated that the FT gene in dodder C. australis very likely does not function in activating flowering. Using soybean host plants cultivated under inductive and noninductive photoperiod conditions and soybean and tobacco host plants, in which FT was overexpressed and knocked out, respectively, we show that FT-induced flowering of the host is likely required for both host and parasite flowering. Biochemical analysis revealed that host-synthesized FT signals are able to move into dodder stems, where they physically interact with a dodder FD transcription factor to activate dodder flowering. This study demonstrates that FTs can function as an important interplant flowering signal in host–dodder interactions. The unique means of flowering regulation of dodder illustrates how regressive evolution, commonly found in parasites, may facilitate the physiological synchronization of parasite and host, here allowing the C. australis parasite to time reproduction exactly with that of their hosts, likely optimizing parasite fitness.