Functional Plant Biology最新文献

Rapid wound healing is crucial in protecting sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas ) against infection, water loss and quality deterioration during storage. The current study investigated how acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) treatment influenced wound healing in harvested sweet potatoes by investigating the underlying mechanism. It was found that ASM treatment of wounded sweet potatoes induced a significant accumulation of lignin at the wound sites, which effectively suppressed weight loss. After 4days of healing, the lignin content of ASM-treated sweet potatoes was 41.8% higher than that of untreated ones, and the weight loss rate was 20.4% lower. Moreover, ASM treatment increased the ability of sweet potatoes to defend against wounding stress through enhancing processes such as increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of enzymes involved in the ROS metabolism (peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase) and phenylpropanoid pathway (phenylalanine ammonia lyase, cinnamate-4-hydroxylase, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase), and intensive synthesis of phenolics and flavonoids. These results suggest that treating harvested sweet potatoes with ASM promotes wound healing through the activation of the ROS metabolism and phenylpropanoid pathway.

Heat stress represents a significant environmental challenge that restricts maize (Zea mays ) growth and yield on a global scale. Within the plant kingdom, the AGC gene family, encoding a group of protein kinases, has emerged as crucial players in various stress responses. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of AGC genes in Z. mays under heat-stress conditions remains elusive. A genome-wide analysis was done using bioinformatics techniques to identify 39 AGC genes in Z. mays , categorising them into three subfamilies based on their conserved domains. We investigated their phylogenetic relationships, gene structures (including intron-exon configurations), and expression patterns. These genes are likely involved in diverse signalling pathways, fulfilling distinct roles when exposed to heat stress conditions. Notably, most ZmAGC1.5, ZmAGC1.9, ZmNDR3, ZmNDR5 and ZmIRE3 exhibited significant changes in expression levels under heat stress, featuring a high G-box ratio. Furthermore, we pinpointed a subset of AGC genes displaying highly coordinated expression, implying their potential involvement in the heat stress response pathway. Our study offers valuable insights into the contribution of AGC genes to Z. mays 's heat stress response, thus facilitating the development of heat-tolerant Z. mays varieties.

Detrimental effects of salinity could be mitigated by exogenous zinc (Zn) application; however, the mechanisms underlying this amelioration are poorly understood. This study demonstrated the interaction between Zn and salinity by measuring plant biomass, photosynthetic performance, ion concentrations, ROS accumulation, antioxidant activity and electrophysiological parameters in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Salinity stress (200mM NaCl for 3weeks) resulted in a massive reduction in plant biomass; however, both fresh and dry weight of shoots were increased by ~30% with adequate Zn supply. Zinc supplementation also maintained K+ and Na+ homeostasis and prevented H2 O2 toxicity under salinity stress. Furthermore, exposure to 10mM H2 O2 resulted in massive K+ efflux from root epidermal cells in both the elongation and mature root zones, and pre-treating roots with Zn reduced ROS-induced K+ efflux from the roots by 3-4-fold. Similar results were observed for Ca2+ . The observed effects may be causally related to more efficient regulation of cation-permeable non-selective channels involved in the transport and sequestration of Na+ , K+ and Ca2+ in various cellular compartments and tissues. This study provides valuable insights into Zn protective functions in plants and encourages the use of Zn fertilisers in barley crops grown on salt-affected soils.

Climate change significantly affects crop production and is a threat to global food security. Conventional tillage (CT) is the primary tillage practice in rain-fed areas to conserve soil moisture. Despite previous research on the effect of tillage methods on different cropping systems, a comparison of tillage methods on soil water storage, crop yield and crop water use in wheat (Triticum aestivum ) and maize (Zea mays ) under different soil textures, precipitation and temperature patterns is needed. We reviewed 119 published articles and used meta-analysis to assess the effects of three conservation tillage practices (NT, no-tillage; RT, reduced tillage; ST, subsoil tillage), on precipitation storage efficiency (PSE), soil water storage at crop planting (SWSp), grain yield, evapotranspiration (ET) and water use efficiency (WUE) under varying precipitation and temperature patterns and soil textures in dryland wheat and maize, with CT as the control treatment. Conservation tillage methods increased PSE, SWSp, grain yield, ET and WUE in both winter wheat-fallow and spring maize cropping systems. More precipitation water was conserved in fine-textured soils than in medium-textured and coarse-textured soils, which improved ET. Conservation tillage increased soil water conservation and yield under high mean annual precipitation (MAP) and moderate mean annual temperature (MAT) conditions in winter wheat. However, soil water conservation and yield were greater under MAP <400mm and moderate MAT. We conclude that conservation tillage could be promising for increasing precipitation storage, soil water conservation and crop yield in regions with medium to low MAPs and medium to high MATs.

Rice (Oryza sativa ) faces challenges to yield and quality due to urbanisation, deforestation and climate change, which has exacerbated high night temperature (HNT). This review explores the impacts of HNT on the physiological, molecular and agronomic aspects of rice growth. Rise in minimum temperature threatens a potential 41% reduction in rice yield by 2100. HNT disrupts rice growth stages, causing reduced seed germination, biomass, spikelet sterility and poor grain development. Recent findings indicate a 4.4% yield decline for every 1°C increase beyond 27°C, with japonica ecotypes exhibiting higher sensitivity than indica. We examine the relationships between elevated CO2 , nitrogen regimes and HNT, showing that the complexity of balancing positive CO2 effects on biomass with HNT challenges. Nitrogen enrichment proves crucial during the vegetative stage but causes disruption to reproductive stages, affecting grain yield and starch synthesis. Additionally, we elucidate the impact of HNT on plant respiration, emphasising mitochondrial respiration, photorespiration and antioxidant responses. Genomic techniques, including CRISPR-Cas9, offer potential for manipulating genes for HNT tolerance. Plant hormones and carbohydrate enzymatic activities are explored, revealing their intricate roles in spikelet fertility, grain size and starch metabolism under HNT. Gaps in understanding genetic factors influencing heat tolerance and potential trade-offs associated with hormone applications remain. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to provide a holistic approach. Research priorities include the study of regulatory mechanisms, post-anthesis effects, cumulative HNT exposure and the interaction between climate variability and HNT impact to provide a research direction to enhance rice resilience in a changing climate.

The forage quality of alfalfa (Medicago sativa ) stems is greater than the leaves. Sucrose hydrolysis provides energy for stem development, with starch being enzymatically converted into sucrose to maintain energy homeostasis. To understand the physiological and molecular networks controlling stem development, morphological characteristics and transcriptome profiles in the stems of two alfalfa cultivars (Zhungeer and WL168) were investigated. Based on transcriptome data, we analysed starch and sugar contents, and enzyme activity related to starch-sugar interconversion. Zhungeer stems were shorter and sturdier than WL168, resulting in significantly higher mechanical strength. Transcriptome analysis showed that starch and sucrose metabolism were significant enriched in the differentially expressed genes of stems development in both cultivars. Genes encoding INV , bglX , HK , TPS and glgC downregulated with the development of stems, while the gene encoding was AMY upregulated. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed that the gene encoding glgC was pivotal in determining the variations in starch and sucrose contents between the two cultivars. Soluble carbohydrate, sucrose, and starch content of WL168 were higher than Zhungeer. Enzyme activities related to sucrose synthesis and hydrolysis (INV, bglX, HK, TPS) showed a downward trend. The change trend of enzyme activity was consistent with gene expression. WL168 stems had higher carbohydrate content than Zhungeer, which accounted for more rapid growth and taller plants. WL168 formed hollow stems were formed during rapid growth, which may be related to the redistribution of carbohydrates in the pith tissue. These results indicated that starch and sucrose metabolism play important roles in the stem development in alfalfa.

Soil salinisation is an important abiotic stress faced in grape cultivating, leading to weakened plant vigour and reduced fruit quality. Melatonin as a novel hormone has shown positive exogenous application value. Therefore, this study used wine grape (Vitis vinifera ) 'Pinot Noir' as a test material to investigate the changes of foliar spraying with different concentrations of melatonin on the physiology and fruit quality of wine grapes in a field under simulated salt stress (200mmolL-1 NaCl). The results showed that foliar spraying of melatonin significantly increased the intercellular CO2 concentration, maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII, relative chlorophyll and ascorbic acid content of the leaves, as well as the single spike weight, 100-grain weight, transverse and longitudinal diameters, malic acid, α-amino nitrogen and ammonia content of fruits, and decreased the initial fluorescence value of leaves, ascorbate peroxidase activity, glutathione content, fruit transverse to longitudinal ratio and tartaric acid content of plants under salt stress. Results of the comprehensive evaluation of the affiliation function indicated that 100μmolL-1 melatonin treatment had the best effect on reducing salt stress in grapes. In summary, melatonin application could enhance the salt tolerance of grapes by improving the photosynthetic capacity of grape plants under salt stress and promoting fruit development and quality formation, and these results provide new insights into the involvement of melatonin in the improvement of salt tolerance in crop, as well as some theoretical basis for the development and industrialisation of stress-resistant cultivation techniques for wine grapes.

The two stresses of weed competition and salt salinity lead to crop yield losses and decline in the productivity of agricultural land. These constraints threaten the future of food production because weeds are more salt stress tolerant than most crops. Climate change will lead to an increase of soil salinity worldwide, and possibly exacerbate the competition between weeds and crops. This aspect has been scarcely investigated in the context of weed-crop competition. Therefore, we conducted a field experiment on green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris ) to investigate the combined impact of weed competition and salt stress on key morpho-physiological traits, and crop yield. We demonstrated that soil salinity shifted weed composition toward salt tolerant weed species (Portulaca oleracea and Cynodon dactylon ), while it reduced the presence of lower tolerance species. Weed competition activated adaptation responses in green bean such as reduced leaf mass per area and biomass allocation to the stem, unchanged stomatal density and instantaneous water use efficiency, which diverge from those that are typically observed as a consequence of salt stress. The morpho-physiological modifications caused by weeds is attributed to the alterations of light intensity and/or quality, further confirming the pivotal role of the light in crop response to weeds. We concluded that higher yield loss caused by combined salt stress and weed competition is due to impaired morpho-physiological responses, which highlights the negative interaction between salt stress and weed competition. This phenomenon will likely be more frequent in the future, and potentially reduce the efficacy of current weed control methods.

The investigation into cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRLKs) holds pivotal significance as these conserved, upstream signalling molecules intricately regulate fundamental biological processes such as plant growth, development and stress adaptation. This study undertakes a comprehensive characterisation of CRLKs in Solanum tuberosum (potato), a staple food crop of immense economic importance. Employing comparative genomics and evolutionary analyses, we identified 10 distinct CRLK genes in potato. Further categorisation into three major groups based on sequence similarity was performed. Each CRLK member in potato was systematically named according to its chromosomal position. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses unveiled conserved gene structures and motifs within the same groups. The genomic distribution of CRLKs was observed across Chromosomes 2-5, 8 and 12. Gene duplication analysis highlighted a noteworthy trend, with most gene pairs exhibiting a Ka/Ks ratio greater than one, indicating positive selection of StCRLKs in potato. Salt and drought stresses significantly impacted peroxidase and catalase activities in potato seedlings. The presence of diverse cis -regulatory elements, including hormone-responsive elements, underscored their involvement in myriad biotic and abiotic stress responses. Interestingly, interactions between the phytohormone auxin and CRLK proteins unveiled a potential auxin-mediated regulatory mechanism. A holistic approach combining transcriptomics and quantitative PCR validation identified StCRLK9 as a potential candidate involved in plant response to heat, salt and drought stresses. This study lays a robust foundation for future research on the functional roles of the CRLK gene family in potatoes, offering valuable insights into their diverse regulatory mechanisms and potential applications in stress management.