The Dsup coordinates grain development and abiotic stress in rice

Area of Science:

• Plant Biology
• Genetics
• Biotechnology

Background:

• DNA damage poses a significant threat to organisms, exacerbated by environmental stressors.
• The tardigrade DNA damage suppressor protein (Dsup) has shown protective effects in human cells and tobacco.
• The efficacy of Dsup in enhancing radiation resistance in crops remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of Dsup overexpression on DNA damage resistance and agronomic traits in crops, specifically rice.
• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying Dsup's function in plants.
• To assess the potential of Dsup for improving crop resilience to radiation and abiotic stresses.

Main Methods:

• Generation of stable Dsup overexpression lines in rice using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.
• Agronomic trait analysis, including seed and seedling stages, grain size, and starch granule structure via scanning electron microscopy.
• RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze gene expression changes related to radiation and abiotic stress.
• Immunoprecipitation enrichment with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (IP-LC-MS) to identify Dsup-interacting proteins.

Main Results:

• Dsup overexpression enhanced DNA damage resistance in rice seeds and seedlings.
• Rice plants overexpressing Dsup showed enlarged grain size and altered starch granule structure and cell size.
• RNA-seq analysis indicated increased expression of radiation-related and abiotic stress-related genes in Dsup plants.
• IP-LC-MS identified 21 proteins interacting with Dsup, many involved in transcription and translation.

Conclusions:

• Dsup enhances DNA damage resistance and improves key agronomic traits in rice.
• Dsup appears to regulate the balance between DNA protection and plant development by interacting with transcription and translation machinery.
• Dsup shows potential for developing crops with enhanced radiation resistance and abiotic stress tolerance, offering novel insights for crop breeding.