Plants have to cope and respond to an ever-changing environment, including in soils. Their performance thus depends on their ability to perceive changes in the root zone and to adapt by altering resource allocation to growth, reproduction, or defense. With the majority of physiological and molecular research adopting a reductionist approach, which oversimplifies salinity as a single and uniform factor, conclusions drawn from these studies are likely to have underestimated the complex interactions that shape plant responses in field conditions. In this viewpoint, we argue that understanding root (and whole-plant) responses to soil heterogeneity, intended as the results of dynamic and multiple jointly acting abiotic stressors in saline environments, is central to salinity research. In particular, we introduce a conceptual agenda for studying roots under the dynamic and heterogeneous conditions found at the soil–root interface in saline soils, and its potential to provide new knowledge on how to deal with and adapt in a saltier world, with benefits for agriculture and natural resource management.
{"title":"Going underground: The importance of soil heterogeneity in shaping plant productivity and responses to saline soils","authors":"Hannah M. Schneider , Alon Ben-Gal , Bliss Furtado , Nuray Cicek , Eleftheria Dalmaris , Giulia Atzori , Nadia Bazihizina","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106321","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106321","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants have to cope and respond to an ever-changing environment, including in soils. Their performance thus depends on their ability to perceive changes in the root zone and to adapt by altering resource allocation to growth, reproduction, or defense. With the majority of physiological and molecular research adopting a reductionist approach, which oversimplifies salinity as a single and uniform factor, conclusions drawn from these studies are likely to have underestimated the complex interactions that shape plant responses in field conditions. In this viewpoint, we argue that understanding root (and whole-plant) responses to soil heterogeneity, intended as the results of dynamic and multiple jointly acting abiotic stressors in saline environments, is central to salinity research. In particular, we introduce a conceptual agenda for studying roots under the dynamic and heterogeneous conditions found at the soil–root interface in saline soils, and its potential to provide new knowledge on how to deal with and adapt in a saltier world, with benefits for agriculture and natural resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106321"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106314
Baozhen Sun , Bing Chen , Jianfei Song , Weiwei Zhang , Hongqiang Yang
Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential heavy metal that is highly toxic to plants. While numerous regulatory factors that contribute to Cd responses in plants have been identified, few studies focus on circular RNAs (circRNAs). CircRNAs are endogenous RNA molecules that are involved in plant growth, development, and stress resistance. However, the potential involvement of circRNAs in plant responses to Cd remains largely unexplored. High-throughput sequencing identified 401 high-confidence circRNAs from the roots of Malus hupehensis seedlings subjected to Cd stress. We identified 140 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), of which 55 were explicitly differentially expressed in more than one pairwise comparison. Notably, 37 of these DECs contained 47 binding sites for 23 miRNAs that have the potential to regulate the expression of several Cd transporters, including MhNRAMP1, MhHMA1, MhZIP1, and MhABCG25, as well as Cd-related transcription factors, through circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks. Furthermore, we identified a Cd-induced circRNA, Mh-circCWF19, negatively regulates Cd tolerance in Malus hupehensis seedlings and apple calli. Our findings uncovered the critical roles of plant circRNA in Cd toxicity.
{"title":"Identification and characterization of circular RNAs involved in cadmium response in Malus hupehensis","authors":"Baozhen Sun , Bing Chen , Jianfei Song , Weiwei Zhang , Hongqiang Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cadmium (Cd) is a non-essential heavy metal that is highly toxic to plants. While numerous regulatory factors that contribute to Cd responses in plants have been identified, few studies focus on circular RNAs (circRNAs). CircRNAs are endogenous RNA molecules that are involved in plant growth, development, and stress resistance. However, the potential involvement of circRNAs in plant responses to Cd remains largely unexplored. High-throughput sequencing identified 401 high-confidence circRNAs from the roots of <em>Malus hupehensis</em> seedlings subjected to Cd stress. We identified 140 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs), of which 55 were explicitly differentially expressed in more than one pairwise comparison. Notably, 37 of these DECs contained 47 binding sites for 23 miRNAs that have the potential to regulate the expression of several Cd transporters, including <em>MhNRAMP1</em>, <em>MhHMA1</em>, <em>MhZIP1</em>, and <em>MhABCG25</em>, as well as Cd-related transcription factors, through circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks. Furthermore, we identified a Cd-induced circRNA, <em>Mh-circCWF19</em>, negatively regulates Cd tolerance in <em>Malus hupehensis</em> seedlings and apple calli. Our findings uncovered the critical roles of plant circRNA in Cd toxicity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106314"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106317
Lili Zhuang , Yunjia Ding , Nan Yang , Luyao Wang , Zhimin Yang
Previous studies have shown that perennial ryegrass exhibits superior performance under drought preconditioning (DP) compared to continuous drought stress (DR) or even well-watered conditions (WW), however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate if changes in DNA methylation could be the mechanism behind preconditioning, particularly studying its contribution to plant physiological responses and tiller growth. Dynamic alterations in DNA methylation levels in the crowns of perennial ryegrass were detected at 14, 17, 30, 33, and 44 days under WW, DP, and DR by the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) method. DNA methylation level was significantly elevated after 14 days of drought stress. Conversely, DP treatment induced DNA hypomethylation, with MSAP% at DP30, DP33, and DP44 being lower than DR and comparable to WW. Supplementing S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a methyl group donor, counteracted the beneficial effects of DP, evidenced by reduced chlorophyll content, aboveground biomass, net photosynthesis rate (Pn), and tiller number in DPS (DP + SAM) compared to DP. In contrast, applying 5-azacytidine (5-azaC), a DNA methylation inhibitor, mimicked the DP effect, increasing leaf relative water content, aboveground biomass, Pn, and tiller number while reducing electrolyte leakage rate. Relative expression levels of DNA methylase and demethylase genes under SAM and 5-azaC treatments supported the dynamic changes of DNA methylation level in those plants. Meanwhile, expression levels of methylation genes were significantly correlated with the physiological parameters. This study provides the first evidence for the dynamic role of DNA methylation regulating perennial ryegrass physiological and tiller growth underlying the drought preconditioning process.
{"title":"DNA hypomethylation induced by drought preconditioning improved physiological responses and promoted tiller growth of perennial ryegrass","authors":"Lili Zhuang , Yunjia Ding , Nan Yang , Luyao Wang , Zhimin Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous studies have shown that perennial ryegrass exhibits superior performance under drought preconditioning (DP) compared to continuous drought stress (DR) or even well-watered conditions (WW), however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate if changes in DNA methylation could be the mechanism behind preconditioning, particularly studying its contribution to plant physiological responses and tiller growth. Dynamic alterations in DNA methylation levels in the crowns of perennial ryegrass were detected at 14, 17, 30, 33, and 44 days under WW, DP, and DR by the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP) method. DNA methylation level was significantly elevated after 14 days of drought stress. Conversely, DP treatment induced DNA hypomethylation, with MSAP% at DP<sub>30</sub>, DP<sub>33</sub>, and DP<sub>44</sub> being lower than DR and comparable to WW. Supplementing S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a methyl group donor, counteracted the beneficial effects of DP, evidenced by reduced chlorophyll content, aboveground biomass, net photosynthesis rate (Pn), and tiller number in DPS (DP + SAM) compared to DP. In contrast, applying 5-azacytidine (5-azaC), a DNA methylation inhibitor, mimicked the DP effect, increasing leaf relative water content, aboveground biomass, Pn, and tiller number while reducing electrolyte leakage rate. Relative expression levels of DNA methylase and demethylase genes under SAM and 5-azaC treatments supported the dynamic changes of DNA methylation level in those plants. Meanwhile, expression levels of methylation genes were significantly correlated with the physiological parameters. This study provides the first evidence for the dynamic role of DNA methylation regulating perennial ryegrass physiological and tiller growth underlying the drought preconditioning process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106317"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The needles of conifer seedlings at the alpine treeline experience hotter near-ground microclimates than adult canopies, prompting the question about how their cuticles maintain water-barrier function under heat. We compared needle cuticle permeability, thickness and microchemistry between seedlings and mature trees of Larix decidua, Picea abies, and Pinus cembra to assess phenotypic plasticity. The minimum leaf diffusive conductance (gmin) was measured two to 24 h after sample detachment during bench drying at temperatures between 25 and 43 °C. This procedure should force the stomata to close, providing an indication of the temperature dependent cuticle's water permeability. Raman imaging was used to assess microchemistry and thickness of the cuticles. At the study site, seedling's needles reached temperatures of up to 40 °C, which is 14 K higher than that of mature trees. Among species, L. decidua had the highest gmin, followed by P. abies and P. cembra. Seedlings of P. abies and P. cembra exhibited lower gmin at 43 °C, indicating greater cuticular resistance to water loss, unlike L. decidua. Raman imaging differentiated species-specific cuticle structures: L. decidua being thinner and aromatic/flavonol-rich, P. cembra with a thicker and more lipid/cutin rich cuticle and P. abies was intermediate. Seedlings lacked or had an outer wax layer < 300 nm, though their internal aromatic layers resembled those of mature trees. Despite the rise in cuticular permeability above ∼35 °C, evergreen seedlings maintained lower gmin at 43 °C, consistent with acclimative plasticity of cuticle architecture and microchemistry under thermal extremes. These findings link microclimate-driven heat exposure to cuticle traits and highlight that species identity and developmental stage jointly determine water-barrier performance at the treeline.
{"title":"Cuticle water permeability, thickness and microchemistry of conifer seedlings and mature trees at the treeline","authors":"Giuseppe Tiloca , Othmar Buchner , Notburga Gierlinger , Gilbert Neuner","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The needles of conifer seedlings at the alpine treeline experience hotter near-ground microclimates than adult canopies, prompting the question about how their cuticles maintain water-barrier function under heat. We compared needle cuticle permeability, thickness and microchemistry between seedlings and mature trees of <em>Larix decidua</em>, <em>Picea abies</em>, and <em>Pinus cembra</em> to assess phenotypic plasticity. The minimum leaf diffusive conductance (g<sub>min</sub>) was measured two to 24 h after sample detachment during bench drying at temperatures between 25 and 43 °C. This procedure should force the stomata to close, providing an indication of the temperature dependent cuticle's water permeability. Raman imaging was used to assess microchemistry and thickness of the cuticles. At the study site, seedling's needles reached temperatures of up to 40 °C, which is 14 K higher than that of mature trees. Among species, <em>L. decidua</em> had the highest g<sub>min</sub>, followed by <em>P. abies</em> and <em>P. cembra</em>. Seedlings of <em>P. abies</em> and <em>P. cembra</em> exhibited lower g<sub>min</sub> at 43 °C, indicating greater cuticular resistance to water loss, unlike <em>L. decidua</em>. Raman imaging differentiated species-specific cuticle structures: <em>L. decidua</em> being thinner and aromatic/flavonol-rich, <em>P. cembra</em> with a thicker and more lipid/cutin rich cuticle and <em>P. abies</em> was intermediate. Seedlings lacked or had an outer wax layer < 300 nm, though their internal aromatic layers resembled those of mature trees. Despite the rise in cuticular permeability above ∼35 °C, evergreen seedlings maintained lower g<sub>min</sub> at 43 °C, consistent with acclimative plasticity of cuticle architecture and microchemistry under thermal extremes. These findings link microclimate-driven heat exposure to cuticle traits and highlight that species identity and developmental stage jointly determine water-barrier performance at the treeline.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106313"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106315
Jinkai Chen , Tianbao Ren , Heng Xie , Wanxin Yang , Weirong Zhang , Jinling Zhang , Mingze Xu , Liucui Wu , Zehao Fan , Cheng Yi , Shanxia She , Zhongmin Hu , Chuan Jin
Understanding how water use efficiency (WUE) responds to fluctuating light is critical for predicting ecosystem function under global change. In this study, we examined photosynthetic gas exchange and leaf functional traits across 48 tropical plant species in Hainan, categorized by life form (woody/herbaceous) and light-adaptation (sun/shade). We introduced a novel suite of parameters [e.g., maximum WUE (WUEmax), rising slope (RS), and declining slope (DS)] to quantify the dynamic WUE-light response curve. Our results revealed divergent water-use strategies where elevated CO2 enhanced WUEmax in shade-tolerant species but reduced it in sun-adapted species. This negative reaction might be caused by the closure of stomata in sun-adapted plants, and its inhibitory effect on photosynthesis is stronger than that on transpiration. Using EXtreme Gradient Boosting model, we identified mean tilt angle (MTA) and leaf nitrogen content (LNC) as direct regulators of WUEmax. SHapley Additive exPlanation analysis further indicated this was a non-linear relationship, where moderate leaf inclination was associated with improved WUEmax. We further uncovered a key physiological trade-off where WUEmax was positively associated with mesophyll conductance (gm) but negatively correlated with stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic capacity. This is because high gm ensures efficient CO2 diffusion to carboxylation sites, whereas excessively high gs leads to substantial water loss. In conclusion, this study not only provides a novel framework for analyzing dynamic WUE but also reveals distinct water-use strategies across tropical plant functional groups. This finding underscores the necessity of incorporating such divergent, niche-specific strategies into projections of future ecosystem function.
{"title":"Life form and behavior type shape water use efficiency in tropical plants via leaf functional traits","authors":"Jinkai Chen , Tianbao Ren , Heng Xie , Wanxin Yang , Weirong Zhang , Jinling Zhang , Mingze Xu , Liucui Wu , Zehao Fan , Cheng Yi , Shanxia She , Zhongmin Hu , Chuan Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106315","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106315","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how water use efficiency (<em>WUE</em>) responds to fluctuating light is critical for predicting ecosystem function under global change. In this study, we examined photosynthetic gas exchange and leaf functional traits across 48 tropical plant species in Hainan, categorized by life form (woody/herbaceous) and light-adaptation (sun/shade). We introduced a novel suite of parameters [e.g., maximum <em>WUE</em> (<em>WUE</em><sub>max</sub>), rising slope (<em>R</em><sub>S</sub>), and declining slope (<em>D</em><sub>S</sub>)] to quantify the dynamic <em>WUE</em>-light response curve. Our results revealed divergent water-use strategies where elevated CO<sub>2</sub> enhanced <em>WUE</em><sub>max</sub> in shade-tolerant species but reduced it in sun-adapted species. This negative reaction might be caused by the closure of stomata in sun-adapted plants, and its inhibitory effect on photosynthesis is stronger than that on transpiration. Using EXtreme Gradient Boosting model, we identified mean tilt angle (MTA) and leaf nitrogen content (LNC) as direct regulators of <em>WUE</em><sub>max</sub>. SHapley Additive exPlanation analysis further indicated this was a non-linear relationship, where moderate leaf inclination was associated with improved <em>WUE</em><sub>max</sub>. We further uncovered a key physiological trade-off where <em>WUE</em><sub>max</sub> was positively associated with mesophyll conductance (<em>g</em><sub>m</sub>) but negatively correlated with stomatal conductance (<em>g</em><sub>s</sub>) and photosynthetic capacity. This is because high <em>g</em><sub>m</sub> ensures efficient CO<sub>2</sub> diffusion to carboxylation sites, whereas excessively high <em>g</em><sub>s</sub> leads to substantial water loss. In conclusion, this study not only provides a novel framework for analyzing dynamic <em>WUE</em> but also reveals distinct water-use strategies across tropical plant functional groups. This finding underscores the necessity of incorporating such divergent, niche-specific strategies into projections of future ecosystem function.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106315"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106316
T.V. Vineeth , G.K. Krishna , K.T. Ravikiran , P.P. Gopinath , Nitish Ranjan Prakash , R.M. Francies , K. Rajesh , P.S. Philip , V. Vighneswaran , K. Bhrundha , A.G. Kiran , M.S. Parvathi
Salinity stress imposes severe limitations on rice productivity, necessitating a mechanistic dissection of tolerance traits for robust identification of elite donors. We collected an extensive array of 335 genotypes from the inland and coastal saline tracts in India. The salinity tolerance potential of the diverse rice germplasm was evaluated at the seedling stage under moderate (8 dS m⁻¹) and high (12 dS m⁻¹) stress levels. A systematic trait-based screening was carried out using 13 morpho-physiological and 7 ionic parameters under control and two stress levels. Subsequently, salt tolerance indices (STI) calculated from the recorded traits were subjected to principal component analysis, which displayed near-identical correlation across both stress levels. It was observed that biomass traits clustered together and diverged from linear growth traits. Using the principal component traits thus identified, mean membership function values (MMFV) and Multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index (MGIDI) were deployed for integrative tolerance ranking of genotypes. Regression analyses converged on root and shoot K⁺/Na⁺ ratios, and shoot dry weight as the most robust predictors of salt tolerance. Consequently, the developed ‘SalTol Reg’ model was reiterative in predicting a comprehensive salt tolerance index such as MMFV. Integration of multiple selection indices identified four previously unreported novel salt tolerant landraces, namely Neta, Arjunsal, Chovvaryan and Orthadiyan. These genotypes demonstrated superior biomass traits, tissue-specific Na+ exclusion and enhanced selective K+ translocation over Na+ to shoot tissues. Unraveling the molecular physiology underlying their tolerance will be a prudent step towards delivering promising salt tolerant donors.
{"title":"Morpho-physiological and ionic trait-based multi-index integrative salt tolerance assessment of rice genotypes from Pokkali and pan-Indian saline ecologies","authors":"T.V. Vineeth , G.K. Krishna , K.T. Ravikiran , P.P. Gopinath , Nitish Ranjan Prakash , R.M. Francies , K. Rajesh , P.S. Philip , V. Vighneswaran , K. Bhrundha , A.G. Kiran , M.S. Parvathi","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salinity stress imposes severe limitations on rice productivity, necessitating a mechanistic dissection of tolerance traits for robust identification of elite donors. We collected an extensive array of 335 genotypes from the inland and coastal saline tracts in India. The salinity tolerance potential of the diverse rice germplasm was evaluated at the seedling stage under moderate (8 dS m⁻¹) and high (12 dS m⁻¹) stress levels. A systematic trait-based screening was carried out using 13 morpho-physiological and 7 ionic parameters under control and two stress levels. Subsequently, salt tolerance indices (STI) calculated from the recorded traits were subjected to principal component analysis, which displayed near-identical correlation across both stress levels. It was observed that biomass traits clustered together and diverged from linear growth traits. Using the principal component traits thus identified, mean membership function values (MMFV) and Multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index (MGIDI) were deployed for integrative tolerance ranking of genotypes. Regression analyses converged on root and shoot K⁺/Na⁺ ratios, and shoot dry weight as the most robust predictors of salt tolerance. Consequently, the developed ‘SalTol Reg’ model was reiterative in predicting a comprehensive salt tolerance index such as MMFV. Integration of multiple selection indices identified four previously unreported novel salt tolerant landraces, namely Neta, Arjunsal, Chovvaryan and Orthadiyan. These genotypes demonstrated superior biomass traits, tissue-specific Na<sup>+</sup> exclusion and enhanced selective K<sup>+</sup> translocation over Na<sup>+</sup> to shoot tissues. Unraveling the molecular physiology underlying their tolerance will be a prudent step towards delivering promising salt tolerant donors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106316"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106312
Yeon-Ok Kim , Dream Kim , Mahpara Safdar , Jangho Kim
Mercury (Hg), a highly toxic element, poses significant risks to plant growth and human health. This study investigated the mechanisms of Hg accumulation and tolerance by exogenous cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) in rice. Here, we showed that exogenous Cys and GSH significantly enhanced Hg tolerance in rice but exhibited contrasting effects on Hg accumulation. Exogenous Cys significantly increased Hg accumulation in rice roots, primarily in the cell wall, while exogenous GSH decreased root Hg accumulation. Exogenous Cys significantly increased the expression of cell wall biosynthesis genes, particularly those involved in lignin synthesis, resulting in greater lignin accumulation in epidermis, exodermis, and stele, which correlated with increased Hg binding to the cell wall. In addition, exogenous Cys significantly upregulated several ABC transporters, particularly OsABCGs and OsABCCs, suggesting their possible involvement in Hg transport and vacuolar sequestration. In the process of cellular Hg detoxification, GSH upregulated aquaporin to maintain membrane function and water balance, Cys primarily activated peroxidase-mediated H₂O₂ scavenging. Taken together, these findings highlight novel candidate genes involved in Hg cell wall binding, transport, and detoxification, regulated by Cys and GSH, offering insights for enhancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Hg accumulation and tolerance. Furthermore, this study provides new insights into thiol-mediated Hg tolerance and offers potential strategies for reducing Hg accumulation in crops.
{"title":"Cysteine and glutathione improve mercury tolerance in rice by modulating cell wall binding, transport, and detoxification pathways","authors":"Yeon-Ok Kim , Dream Kim , Mahpara Safdar , Jangho Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mercury (Hg), a highly toxic element, poses significant risks to plant growth and human health. This study investigated the mechanisms of Hg accumulation and tolerance by exogenous cysteine (Cys) and glutathione (GSH) in rice. Here, we showed that exogenous Cys and GSH significantly enhanced Hg tolerance in rice but exhibited contrasting effects on Hg accumulation. Exogenous Cys significantly increased Hg accumulation in rice roots, primarily in the cell wall, while exogenous GSH decreased root Hg accumulation. Exogenous Cys significantly increased the expression of cell wall biosynthesis genes, particularly those involved in lignin synthesis, resulting in greater lignin accumulation in epidermis, exodermis, and stele, which correlated with increased Hg binding to the cell wall. In addition, exogenous Cys significantly upregulated several ABC transporters, particularly OsABCGs and OsABCCs, suggesting their possible involvement in Hg transport and vacuolar sequestration. In the process of cellular Hg detoxification, GSH upregulated aquaporin to maintain membrane function and water balance, Cys primarily activated peroxidase-mediated H₂O₂ scavenging. Taken together, these findings highlight novel candidate genes involved in Hg cell wall binding, transport, and detoxification, regulated by Cys and GSH, offering insights for enhancing our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Hg accumulation and tolerance. Furthermore, this study provides new insights into thiol-mediated Hg tolerance and offers potential strategies for reducing Hg accumulation in crops.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106312"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106300
A. Pichierri , S. Gargiulo , P. Sivilotti , F. Boscutti , G. Masutti , E. De Luca , Y. Zambon , L. Falginella , V. Casolo
Plant health relies on non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in plant organs and is jeopardized by different stresses, including drought. Plants may use different hydraulic strategies to cope with drought, often involving modifications in growth and NSC reserves. Our work highlighted the impact of cultivar and drought on the physiological responses at the specific organ levels, utilizing young Vitis vinifera cv. Grenache (GR) (near-isohydric) and Cabernet sauvignon (CS) (near-anisohydric) plants grown in pots and subjected to prolonged water deficit. Plants were harvested at cane maturity, and NSC were measured. The cultivar influenced NSC accumulation in cane, favoured in GR rather than CS, which also showed a reduced root biomass. Drought led to a boost of NSC concentration at the expense of biomass, confirming roots as a key organ in plant drought responses. Moreover, our prolonged water deficit enhanced starch accumulation and its degradation products (water-soluble NSC), leaving the other investigated NSC pool unchanged. In conclusion, our work offers direction on managing the accumulation of NSC in specific grapevine organs, minimizing water inputs and considering cultivar-specific traits. Under this light, the resultant plants will have elevated NSC concentrations which might enhance their resilience to future stresses.
{"title":"Smaller but sweeter: The response of grapevine cultivars to drought determines organ interplay in non-structural carbohydrates allocation","authors":"A. Pichierri , S. Gargiulo , P. Sivilotti , F. Boscutti , G. Masutti , E. De Luca , Y. Zambon , L. Falginella , V. Casolo","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant health relies on non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in plant organs and is jeopardized by different stresses, including drought. Plants may use different hydraulic strategies to cope with drought, often involving modifications in growth and NSC reserves. Our work highlighted the impact of cultivar and drought on the physiological responses at the specific organ levels, utilizing young <em>Vitis vinifera</em> cv. Grenache (GR) (near-isohydric) and Cabernet sauvignon (CS) (near-anisohydric) plants grown in pots and subjected to prolonged water deficit. Plants were harvested at cane maturity, and NSC were measured. The cultivar influenced NSC accumulation in cane, favoured in GR rather than CS, which also showed a reduced root biomass. Drought led to a boost of NSC concentration at the expense of biomass, confirming roots as a key organ in plant drought responses. Moreover, our prolonged water deficit enhanced starch accumulation and its degradation products (water-soluble NSC), leaving the other investigated NSC pool unchanged. In conclusion, our work offers direction on managing the accumulation of NSC in specific grapevine organs, minimizing water inputs and considering cultivar-specific traits. Under this light, the resultant plants will have elevated NSC concentrations which might enhance their resilience to future stresses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106300"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145920862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106302
Lingxiao Zhang , Han Liu , Zhe Li , Pei-Pei Gao , Dehong Yang , Hongbo Xu , Han Wang , Xiaoshuo Yang , Wen-ju Liu , Fang-Jie Zhao
Plants require essential metal ions for growth and development, but excessive accumulation of these elements can be toxic. Metal tolerance proteins (MTPs) are key regulators of metal homeostasis, facilitating the sequestration and efflux of excess ions to maintain cellular balance. Brassica rapa is a globally important vegetable crop, yet the functional roles of its MTP family members in Zn, Co, and Mn transport remain poorly characterized. In this study, we identified BrMTP1 in B. rapa and elucidated its substrate specificity and transport mechanisms for Zn, Co, and Mn. Expression pattern analysis revealed that BrMTP1 is significantly upregulated under excessive Zn, Co, and Mn stress, and subcellular localization confirmed its tonoplast association. Functional characterization assays in Arabidopsis thaliana and yeast demonstrated that BrMTP1 mediates vacuolar sequestration of Zn, Co and Mn, thereby enhancing tolerance to metal toxicity. Moreover, BrMTP1-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines exhibited enhanced accumulation of Zn, Co, and Mn in roots and reduced root-to-shoot translocation of these metals, suggesting a critical role in limiting their systemic distribution. Present findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of metal homeostasis in B. rapa and highlight BrMTP1 as a potential target for improving crop resilience to metal stress.
{"title":"Brassica rapa metal transporter BrMTP1 confers multi-metal tolerance","authors":"Lingxiao Zhang , Han Liu , Zhe Li , Pei-Pei Gao , Dehong Yang , Hongbo Xu , Han Wang , Xiaoshuo Yang , Wen-ju Liu , Fang-Jie Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants require essential metal ions for growth and development, but excessive accumulation of these elements can be toxic. Metal tolerance proteins (MTPs) are key regulators of metal homeostasis, facilitating the sequestration and efflux of excess ions to maintain cellular balance. <em>Brassica rapa</em> is a globally important vegetable crop, yet the functional roles of its MTP family members in Zn, Co, and Mn transport remain poorly characterized. In this study, we identified BrMTP1 in <em>B. rapa</em> and elucidated its substrate specificity and transport mechanisms for Zn, Co, and Mn. Expression pattern analysis revealed that <em>BrMTP1</em> is significantly upregulated under excessive Zn, Co, and Mn stress, and subcellular localization confirmed its tonoplast association. Functional characterization assays in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> and yeast demonstrated that BrMTP1 mediates vacuolar sequestration of Zn, Co and Mn, thereby enhancing tolerance to metal toxicity. Moreover, <em>BrMTP1</em>-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines exhibited enhanced accumulation of Zn, Co, and Mn in roots and reduced root-to-shoot translocation of these metals, suggesting a critical role in limiting their systemic distribution. Present findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of metal homeostasis in <em>B. rapa</em> and highlight BrMTP1 as a potential target for improving crop resilience to metal stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106302"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145920946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106306
Ľubica Liptáková, Beáta Bočová, Loriana Demecsová, Katarína Valentovičová, Veronika Zelinová, Ladislav Tamás
The root tip is extremely sensitive to waterlogging, where the hypoxic conditions evoke an extensive cell death within a few hours. Using a pharmacological approach, we demonstrated that hypoxia-induced cell death in barley root tips exhibits several key features of ferroptosis, including iron-dependent ROS generation, enhanced lipoxygenase activity and lipid peroxidation. We also observed that calcium influx from the apoplast into the cytoplasm played a critical role in the initiation of ferroptosis-like cell death. In the prevention of hypoxia-induced root death, the most effective were the iron chelator deferoxamine, the lipoxygenase inhibitor naproxen and the Ca2 + chelator EGTA. Hypoxia-induced lipid peroxidation and cell death started in the root transition zone, including the surrounding meristem and elongation zones, and subsequently spread to nearly the entire root tip. Heat stress accelerated the onset and development of hypoxia in waterlogged barley root tips, consequently also accelerating the progression of root cell death. This waterlogging/hypoxia-induced ferroptosis-like cell death in barley root tips was triggered within 1–2 h, even at a moderately elevated temperature of 30 °C, indicating that climate changes leading to the co-occurrence of high temperature and heavy rainfall in the future may be detrimental to crop production, including barley.
{"title":"Heat stress accelerates the development of hypoxia and hypoxia-induced ferroptosis-like cell death in barley root tip under waterlogging","authors":"Ľubica Liptáková, Beáta Bočová, Loriana Demecsová, Katarína Valentovičová, Veronika Zelinová, Ladislav Tamás","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The root tip is extremely sensitive to waterlogging, where the hypoxic conditions evoke an extensive cell death within a few hours. Using a pharmacological approach, we demonstrated that hypoxia-induced cell death in barley root tips exhibits several key features of ferroptosis, including iron-dependent ROS generation, enhanced lipoxygenase activity and lipid peroxidation. We also observed that calcium influx from the apoplast into the cytoplasm played a critical role in the initiation of ferroptosis-like cell death. In the prevention of hypoxia-induced root death, the most effective were the iron chelator deferoxamine, the lipoxygenase inhibitor naproxen and the Ca<sup>2 +</sup> chelator EGTA. Hypoxia-induced lipid peroxidation and cell death started in the root transition zone, including the surrounding meristem and elongation zones, and subsequently spread to nearly the entire root tip. Heat stress accelerated the onset and development of hypoxia in waterlogged barley root tips, consequently also accelerating the progression of root cell death. This waterlogging/hypoxia-induced ferroptosis-like cell death in barley root tips was triggered within 1–2 h, even at a moderately elevated temperature of 30 °C, indicating that climate changes leading to the co-occurrence of high temperature and heavy rainfall in the future may be detrimental to crop production, including barley.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106306"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145920947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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