Plant Physiology and Biochemistry最新文献

{"title":"Carbon quantum dots priming alleviate drought stress in Elymus sibiricus by enhancing photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism","authors":"Yancui Zhao,&nbsp;Jiyuan Zhang,&nbsp;Fei Zhang,&nbsp;Yongsen Qiu,&nbsp;Rui Zhang,&nbsp;Wengang Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress severely restricts the growth and productivity of <em>Elymus sibiricus</em> (<em>E. sibiricus</em>). Seed priming with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) emerges as a promising strategy to enhance plant stress tolerance, yet its core regulatory mechanism in <em>E. sibiricus</em> remains unclear. In this study, we performed an integrated analysis of physiology, transcriptome, and metabolome to elucidate the mechanism by which CQDs alleviate drought stress. Seeds primed with an optimal concentration of 50 mg/L CQDs exhibited significant improvements in plant height, biomass, and photosynthetic efficiency under drought conditions. Mechanistically, CQDs enhanced drought resistance through a three-tiered synergistic pathway: photosynthetic protection, by maintaining chlorophyll homeostasis and upregulating key genes associated with photosystems I/II to alleviate photoinhibition; oxidative stress alleviation, via activating antioxidant enzymes and accumulating osmoprotectants to scavenge reactive oxygen species and sustain cellular homeostasis; and carbon metabolism reprogramming, by promoting starch degradation and the glyoxylate cycle to optimize carbon allocation and energy supply. Key hub genes (<em>EsGLCAT14A</em>, <em>EsHT1</em>, and <em>EsCBSX5</em>) involved in cell wall remodeling and energy metabolism were identified as critical regulators. Collectively, this study elucidates that CQDs confer drought tolerance in <em>E. sibiricus</em> through the coordinated integration of photosynthetic protection, redox balance, and metabolic reprogramming, providing a theoretical foundation and technical support for applying nanomaterials in stress-resistant cultivation of forage crop.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111197"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147372382","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}

{"title":"Transgenic expression of TaGR2-D provides drought and salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis","authors":"Madhu,&nbsp;Santosh Kumar Upadhyay","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111133","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111133","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Glutathione reductase (GR) belongs to the ascorbate-glutathione cycle and reduces oxidised glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH), hence contributing to redox equilibrium maintenance in the plant cells. It is accountable for scavenging the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby helping in oxidative stress management. In this study, we demonstrated the improved morpho-physio-biochemical characteristics in <em>TaGR2-D</em> expressing transgenic Arabidopsis lines during drought and salt stress, highlighting its role in stress tolerance. The transgenic lines showed improved seed germination, root growth, and morphological traits like rosette area and leaf parameters including length, width, and leaf area index. The biochemical parameter such as proline utilised as stress marker, was higher in transgenics than in wild-type (WT). The malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide accumulations were lesser in transgenics than in WT plants, which signifies lesser lipid peroxidation and ROS production in transgenic plants. Transgenic lines showed improvement in physiological parameters such as chlorophyll pigments, carotenoids contents, relative electrical conductivity and relative water content. <em>TaGR2-D</em> expression also modulates the enzymatic antioxidant activities and the glutathione and ascorbate pools, thereby mitigating oxidative stress generated during drought and salinity stress. The present work established the function of <em>TaGR2-D</em> in providing drought and salt stress tolerance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111133"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192718","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}

{"title":"In-depth analysis of potential CaAP2/ERF transcription factor related to fatty acid accumulation in Allotetraploid Coffea arabica and functional characterization of CaAP2.7 in transgenic tomato","authors":"Meijun Qi ,&nbsp;Zhenwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Qilong Wei ,&nbsp;Rongqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Lianghua Zhang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Amjad ,&nbsp;Sumera Anwar ,&nbsp;Phuangphet Hemrattrakun ,&nbsp;Butian Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111073","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111073","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coffee seed oil critically determines beverage mouthfeel, aroma retention, and oxidative stability, yet the transcriptional regulation of fatty acid accumulation in <em>Coffea arabica</em> remains largely unknown. A genome-wide identification analysis of the AP2/ERF superfamily in the allotetraploid <em>C. arabica</em> (cv. Caturra genome) was performed, followed by phylogenetic, motif, promoter, and expression analyses across four seed developmental stages. Fatty acid content and oil body dynamics were quantified concurrently. A total of 214 CaAP2/ERF genes were identified. Five genes, including the <em>WRINKLED1</em> ortholog <em>CaAP2.7</em>, showed strong positive correlation with lipid accumulation. Constitutive overexpression of <em>CaAP2.7</em> in tomato fruits increased total fatty acid content by 42–68 %, with palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids rising to 2.6-fold. Transcriptome profiling confirmed that <em>CaAP2.7</em> activates the canonical <em>WRINKLED1</em>-regulated network, up-regulating key enzymes of de novo fatty acid synthesis and triacylglycerol assembly. <em>CaAP2.7</em> is a functional ortholog of <em>WRINKLED1</em> and a potent positive regulator of seed oil biosynthesis in coffee. These findings provide the first comprehensive CaAP2/ERF genomic resource and a validated high-priority target for the molecular target of breeding <em>C. arabica</em> cultivars with enhanced seed oil content, superior cup quality, and improved nutritional value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111073"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122675","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}

{"title":"Comprehensive physiological and transcriptomic analysis revealed the tolerance mechanism of heavy metal cadmium in Quercus dentata","authors":"Meng Jiang ,&nbsp;Xingyu Liu ,&nbsp;Wei Ge ,&nbsp;Wen-bo Wang ,&nbsp;Jingjing Sha ,&nbsp;Yazhou Zhao ,&nbsp;Zenghui Hu ,&nbsp;Xiangfeng He","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cd contamination poses significant ecological risks. <em>Quercus dentata</em>, a tree species of high ecological value, exhibits exceptional tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. This study used <em>Q. dentata</em> as material to investigate its physiological response characteristics and potential molecular mechanisms under different concentrations of Cd stress (0, 200, 400, 600 mg/L). Results showed that with increasing stress concentration, the growth and photosynthesis parameters of <em>Q. dentata</em> continued to decline, while cell membrane permeability parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, osmoregulatory substances, and Cd accumulation in various tissues continued to increase. Transcriptome sequencing also showed significant enrichment of photosynthesis, oxidative stress, amino acid synthesis, and ion binding-related genes (RBOH, SOS, POD). Based on the transcriptomic analysis, we found that numerous transcription factors (MYB, AP2, and WRKY) and heavy metal transport proteins (MTP, OPT, and HMP) played significant roles in the molecular mechanisms of <em>Q. dentata</em>'s response to Cd stress. According to qPCR results, we identified the key gene <em>QdMTP10.3</em>, whose expression was continuously upregulated in different tissues with increasing treatment concentrations, conferring Cd²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Mn²⁺ tolerance to yeast cells. In summary, it is concluded that <em>Q. dentata</em> enhances its tolerance to Cd stress by modulating plasma membrane permeability, osmoregulatory substance content, and antioxidant enzyme system activity, while <em>QdMTP10.3</em> gene plays a pivotal role in Cd response to heavy metal stress similarly, conferring potential for genetic improvement of heavy metal tolerance in plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111038"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122710","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}

{"title":"Functional characterization of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) involved in the biosynthesis of triterpenoid saponins in Platycodon grandiflorum","authors":"Guohui Li ,&nbsp;Guoyu Wang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Aamir Manzoor ,&nbsp;Mengda Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoting Wan ,&nbsp;Irfan Ali Sabir ,&nbsp;Cheng Song ,&nbsp;Cunwu Chen ,&nbsp;Jinmei Ou ,&nbsp;Hui Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Terpenoids represent an extensive class of natural compounds with significant biological activities. Consequently, identifying the genes implicated in their synthesis is crucial for advancements in agricultural and medicinal applications. To elucidate the regulatory role of the <em>DXR</em> gene in terpenoid biosynthesis, three genes encoding <em>PgDXR</em> (<em>PgDXR1–PgDXR3</em>) were identified from <em>Platycodon grandiflorus.</em> Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that <em>PgDXR</em> genes were widely expressed across various tissues, and <em>PgDXR</em> genes exhibit significant transcriptional responses to drought (PEG6000), abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments. Subcellular localization studies demonstrated that PgDXR proteins are localized to distinct subcellular compartments (PgDXR1 in chloroplasts; PgDXR2/3 in nucleus and cytoplasm). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PgDXR1 may play a crucial role in triterpenoid saponin metabolism. Furthermore, both in situ hybridization and Western blot analysis indicated that PgDXR1 (mRNA and protein) expression is highest in the roots of two-year-old <em>P. grandiflorum</em> plants. We further analyzed the biological functions of PgDXR1 in triterpenoid saponin synthesis both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo.</em> Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays demonstrated that MYB39 binds to the PgDXR1 promoter, while dual-luciferase (LUC) assays confirmed that MYB39 transcriptionally activates <em>PgDXR1</em>. This study lays a foundation for further elucidating the molecular regulatory mechanism of terpenoid synthesis in <em>P. grandiflorum</em> and provides a reference for understanding the biological functions of the <em>DXR</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111155"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147309439","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}

{"title":"OsCASP1 negatively regulates salt sensitivity and leaf senescence by modulating suberin deposition in rice roots","authors":"Xianfeng Yang ,&nbsp;Qunqing Weng ,&nbsp;Huifang Xie ,&nbsp;Kangjing Liang ,&nbsp;Jie Lu ,&nbsp;Xuebin Yang ,&nbsp;Xiujuan Zheng ,&nbsp;Xinli Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Casparian strip membrane domain proteins (CASPs) are required for Casparian strip (CS) formation. In rice, the loss of OsCASP1 leads to premature leaf senescence, increased salt sensitivity and ectopic suberin deposition. In order to elucidate the role of OsCASP1 in these biological pathways, the expression of related genes and the physiological phenotypes of the <em>Oscasp1</em> mutant were analyzed. The present study demonstrates that OsCASP1 localizes to nuclear membranes in root tips, residing at both the nuclear and plasma membranes in root elongation zones. It also was detected in the endoplasmic reticulum of protoplasts. OsCASP2 is specifically localized to the Casparian strip membrane domain of the endodermis. OsCASP1 may assist OsCASP2 in CS formation. The <em>Oscasp1</em> mutation reduces suberin deposition in the sclerenchyma and increases it in certain endodermal cells. Salt stress alters suberin deposition patterns, increasing deposition in the sclerenchyma and endodermis. Before and after salt stress, mutant roots have more passage or non-suberized cells in the endodermis compared to wild type plants. This results in an ion imbalance in the roots, stems and leaves, activating genes that positively regulate salt tolerance. However, the suberin lamellae appear more critical roles than the upregulation of these genes in the salt stress response. The combined effects of intense light stress and ion imbalance accelerate premature plant senescence. The <em>Oscasp1</em> mutation reduces photosynthesis and redox homeostasis, promoting nutrient recycling and leaf senescence. OsCASP1 regulates suberin deposition and nutrient homeostasis, thereby influencing sensitivity to nutrient stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111138"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147309476","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}

{"title":"The AP2/ERF transcription factor CsRAV1 represses CsGL2 to regulate the trichome development of tea plants","authors":"Xiao-Qin Yi ,&nbsp;Qian-Qian Mao ,&nbsp;Xiao-Huan Li ,&nbsp;Xin-Yi Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi-Ting Zhang ,&nbsp;Fang-Fang Huang ,&nbsp;Jian Ouyang ,&nbsp;Hai-Tao Wen ,&nbsp;Zhong-Hua Liu ,&nbsp;Jian-An Huang ,&nbsp;Juan Li ,&nbsp;Li-Gui Xiong","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trichomes on tea leaves play crucial roles in defending against biotic and abiotic stresses and contributing to the quality traits of tea, yet their molecular regulatory mechanisms remain relatively limited. In this study, we identified an AP2/ERF transcription factor (CsRAV1) from transcriptome data of tea germplasms with contrasting trichome densities. Its expression pattern negatively correlated with trichome density across diverse tea cultivars and tissues. Overexpression of <em>CsRAV1</em> in Arabidopsis significantly reduced leaf trichome density, which confirmed its critical role in the development of trichomes. Furthermore, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of CsRAV1 in tea leaves significantly increased trichome density, providing direct functional evidence that CsRAV1 acts as a negative regulator of trichome development in tea plants. Moreover, CsRAV1 is bound directly to the CAACA motif of the trichome developmental regulatory gene (CsGL2) promoter and down-regulates its expression. Exogenous salicylic acid (SA) application significantly reduced both trichome density and length in tea plants, accompanied by upregulated expression of <em>CsRAV1</em> and downregulated expression of <em>CsGL2</em>. Our results uncover that the CsRAV1-CsGL2 regulatory module responds to SA signals to regulate trichome development in tea plants. These findings provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanism underlying trichome development in tea plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111164"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147321881","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}

{"title":"VlWRKY71 mediates MeJA-induced terpene biosynthesis for aroma enhancement during grape berry ripening","authors":"Qiuyu Guo ,&nbsp;Minglan Chen ,&nbsp;Wenting Zhang ,&nbsp;Guohong Wu ,&nbsp;Feng Sun ,&nbsp;Cheng Liu ,&nbsp;Yuhui Zhao ,&nbsp;Yuling Li ,&nbsp;Yong Wang ,&nbsp;Changyue Jiang ,&nbsp;Hong Lin ,&nbsp;Yinshan Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111178","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) regulates climacteric fruit ripening, but its non-climacteric grape mechanisms are unclear. We treated ‘Zhuosexiang’ (<em>V. vinifera</em> L. × <em>V. labruscana</em> Bailey) grapes with MeJA at pre-veraison, tracking physiology, hormones, metabolites and transcripts. The results show that treated berries ripened faster, as shown by earlier color break and higher sugar content. MeJA triggered a transient spike in jasmonic acid-isoleucine (JA-Ile) at veraison, followed by a decline, while abscisic acid (ABA) increased gradually and remained at high levels. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified a hub gene, VlWRKY71, which binds W-box motifs in the promoter of <em>VlDXS1.</em> VlWRKY71 expression correlated with JA-biosynthetic <em>VlLOX1</em>/<em>VlOPR3</em>, suggesting a JA feedback loop. Overall, VlWRKY71 links MeJA perception to terpene production and ripening.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111178"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147365928","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}

{"title":"Genome-wide identification of the phospholipase gene family in Panax notoginseng and functional analysis of PnPLA1-8 response to Fusarium oxysporum infection","authors":"Wenhui Lv ,&nbsp;Manqiao Li ,&nbsp;Yueyue Zhu ,&nbsp;Kuixiu Li ,&nbsp;Zihan Yang ,&nbsp;Junliang Li ,&nbsp;Fugang Wei ,&nbsp;Shengchao Yang ,&nbsp;Xuyan Liu ,&nbsp;Guanze Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Panax notoginseng</em> is highly susceptible to root rot during cultivation, severely affecting its production and quality. Phospholipases participate in plant immunity by producing free fatty acids and conjugated lipids that activate downstream signaling cascades. However, genome-wide identification of PnPL genes in <em>P. notoginseng</em> remains limited. A total of 72 PnPL genes were identified in <em>P. notoginseng</em>: 48 PnPLA genes, 9 PnPLC genes and 15 PnPLD genes. Transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses between healthy and diseased plants (CK, RⅠ and RⅡ) revealed 13 differentially expressed genes from PnPL Gene Family, 11 of which belonged to the PnPLA genes superfamily. Notably, <em>PnPLA1-8</em> exhibited sustained upregulation with worsening root rot. Further, RNA interference (RNAi) mediated silencing of <em>PnPLA1-8</em> gene increased susceptibility to <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em> that the main pathogenic fungus in <em>P. notoginseng</em>, whereas overexpression of <em>PnPLA1-8</em> gene in <em>Nicotiana tabacum</em> enhanced resistance to <em>F. oxysporum</em>. This study suggests that the <em>PnPLA1-8</em> genes exhibit potential roles in resistance to <em>F. oxysporum</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111105"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146143355","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}

{"title":"Root-zone oxygen supply improves lettuce photosynthetic function under waterlogging stress and promotes plant growth","authors":"Zhe Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunfei Mao ,&nbsp;Siying Huang ,&nbsp;Yanni Li ,&nbsp;Menglong Wu ,&nbsp;Wenquan Niu ,&nbsp;Runya Yang ,&nbsp;Zhenhua Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aerated irrigation alleviates the high soil saturation issue caused by conventional irrigation by delivering oxygen-enriched water to the crop root zone. However, whether it can alleviate plant hypoxia under waterlogging stress remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of aeration on the growth, photosynthetic physiological activities, and gene expression of lettuce (<em>Lactuca sativa</em> L.) under different waterlogging durations (0, 4, and 8 days). The results indicate that under short-term waterlogging stress (≤4d), plants reduce the accumulation of reactive oxygen species by increasing the activity of the antioxidant system, and aeration does not significantly enhance plant growth. If waterlogging lasts for more than 8 days, non-aerated treatment leads to significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (O₂⁻ and H₂O₂ increased by 50.68% and 37.76%, respectively), cell membrane damage (MDA increased by 32.31%), and damage to the photosynthetic system. At this point, aerated irrigation can significantly alleviate stress by increasing the expression of <em>Psb</em> and <em>rbcS</em> genes in leaves, maintaining normal photosynthetic function of lettuce, and increasing lettuce biomass by 36.70% compared to non-aerated treatment. Therefore, in actual waterlogging event management, aeration irrigation should be prioritized for long-term waterlogging (8d) areas. Twelve gene co-expression modules were identified using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method. Three modules specifically related to lettuce waterlogging stress were identified through correlation analysis with physiological indicators. The five hub genes (<em>HPR3</em>, <em>GGPS1</em>, <em>THI1</em>, <em>rbcS</em>, <em>G6PD</em>) in the yellow module have become sensitive genes that lead to a decrease in photosynthetic efficiency under waterlogging stress. The hub genes of brown and green modules (<em>PPC4</em>, <em>FRO7</em>, <em>ispH</em>, <em>ERF1b</em>, <em>AUF2</em>) showed an increase in expression levels with the passage of waterlogging time. These five genes may be the core genes for improving lettuce waterlogging tolerance. This study explored the molecular mechanism of lettuce's tolerance to waterlogging stress at the transcriptome level, providing deeper insights into the alleviating effect of aerated irrigation on waterlogging stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111119"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146150469","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}