Papers by Annamaria Genga
Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 1991
Direct somatic embryogenesis as well as somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis mediated by small... more Direct somatic embryogenesis as well as somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis mediated by small glossy calluses were obtained from immature cotyledon explants of bean (P. coccineus) cv Streamline 770 on a modified half-st~rength MS medium (Murashige & Skoog 1962) containing various concentrations of (2-isopentenyl)adenine and 2-naphthoxyacetic acid. Substitution of sucrose with glucose gave, in the range of concentrations tested, the strongest enhancement of the morphogenic process. Further improvement regarding the number of morphogenic cotyledons, the number of regenerations per cotyledon and the quality of the embryos was observed when 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid or abscisic acid were added to the medium. After cycles of micropropagation on MS medium plus 4.4/zM 6-benzyladenine and rooting in the absence of growth factors, plantlets were adapted to ex vitro conditions and grown to maturity.
Frontiers in plant science, 2016
Plants are often facing several stresses simultaneously. Understanding how they react and the way... more Plants are often facing several stresses simultaneously. Understanding how they react and the way pathogens adapt to such combinational stresses is poorly documented. Here, we developed an experimental system mimicking field intermittent drought on rice followed by inoculation by the pathogenic fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. This experimental system triggers an enhancement of susceptibility that could be correlated with the dampening of several aspects of plant immunity, namely the oxidative burst and the transcription of several pathogenesis-related genes. Quite strikingly, the analysis of fungal transcription by RNASeq analysis under drought reveals that the fungus is greatly modifying its virulence program: genes coding for small secreted proteins were massively repressed in droughted plants compared to unstressed ones whereas genes coding for enzymes involved in degradation of cell-wall were induced. We also show that drought can lead to the partial breakdown of several major resist...
Plant Physiology, 1999
The maize (Zea maysL.) Opaque2 (O2) protein is an endosperm-specific transcriptional activator wh... more The maize (Zea maysL.) Opaque2 (O2) protein is an endosperm-specific transcriptional activator whose DNA-binding activity is regulated diurnally by a phosphorylation/dephosphorylation mechanism. We show that theO2 transcript undergoes pronounced oscillations during the day-night cycle. The highest level of the O2 message is present at midday and the lowest level at midnight. The level ofO2 transcript follows a diurnal rhythm that appears controlled by the circadian clock. Two different endosperm-expressed DNA-binding proteins, PBF (prolamin box-binding factor) and OHP1 (O2-heterodimerizing protein 1), were also analyzed. While thePBF message levels oscillate diurnally, the steady-state levels of OHP1 transcript were constant through the day and night. We present data showing that the seed is not directly involved in the perception of the light signal, but presumably responds to diurnal fluxes of nutrients into the endosperm. Moreover, we show that the O2 protein is not involved in t...
Plant Physiology, 2015
Functional analyses of MADS-box transcription factors in plants have unraveled their role in majo... more Functional analyses of MADS-box transcription factors in plants have unraveled their role in major developmental programs (e.g. flowering and floral organ identity) as well as stress-related developmental processes, such as abscission, fruit ripening, and senescence. Overexpression of the rice (Oryza sativa) MADS26 gene in rice has revealed a possible function related to stress response. Here, we show that OsMADS26-down-regulated plants exhibit enhanced resistance against two major rice pathogens: Magnaporthe oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae. Despite this enhanced resistance to biotic stresses, OsMADS26-down-regulated plants also displayed enhanced tolerance to water deficit. These phenotypes were observed in both controlled and field conditions. Interestingly, alteration of OsMADS26 expression does not have a strong impact on plant development. Gene expression profiling revealed that a majority of genes misregulated in overexpresser and down-regulated OsMADS26 lines compared with control plants are associated to biotic or abiotic stress response. Altogether, our data indicate that OsMADS26 acts as an upstream regulator of stress-associated genes and thereby, a hub to modulate the response to various stresses in the rice plant.
Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 2009
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops in the world and its growth is influenc... more Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops in the world and its growth is influenced by several environmental stresses, such as drought and high salinity. In our study, we first investigated the metabolic profile in shoots and roots of two rice cultivars (Arborio and Nipponbare) through 1 H-high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR MAS) and liquid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Drought and salt stress experiments on shoot and root growth showed Arborio seedlings to be more sensitive than those of Nipponbare to these abiotic stresses. Moreover, the metabolic content of the same samples was analysed by liquid-state NMR coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. Principal component analysis highlighted a significant accumulation of amino acids and sugars in shoots and roots under stress conditions and the existence of clear differences between the two analysed rice cultivars. In particular, Arborio seedlings accumulated a higher concentration of amino acids and sugars than Nipponbare seedlings. Furthermore, we also obtained preliminary data about metabolic changes in rice following infection with the fungus Magnaporthe grisea. This study proves that NMR technique coupled with multivariate statistical analysis is a powerful tool to assess a possible correlation between differences in metabolic profile and in tolerance/ sensitivity phenotype in rice cultivars.
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Papers by Annamaria Genga