Plant Biology最新文献

Benzamides have emerged as potent stress inhibitors and growth promoters in plant biotechnology, particularly in the management of crop resilience. This review delves into the mechanisms of action, applications, and potential benefits of benzamides, especially focusing on their role as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. Benzamides modulate stress responses by inhibiting PARP activity, which is crucial for DNA repair and maintaining genomic stability. This inhibition prevents excessive poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, conserving cellular energy and enhancing stress tolerance. Additionally, benzamides promote alternative DNA repair pathways, contributing to the timely repair of DNA lesions and reducing mutation accumulation. In plant stress management, classical PARP inhibitors like 3-methoxybenzamide (3-MBA) and 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) have demonstrated efficacy in enhancing resistance to abiotic stresses, improving plant growth, and increasing transformation efficiency. This review also highlights the antimicrobial, herbicidal, and insecticidal properties of benzamides, which enhance plant defence mechanisms against various pests and diseases. In summary, benzamides offer multiple approaches to enhancing crop resilience and stress management, with significant implications for sustainable agriculture.

Schneider G.F., Beckman N.G. (2025) Different tools for different trades: contrasts in specialized metabolite chemodiversity and phylogenetic dispersion in fruit, leaves, and roots of the neotropical shrubs Psychotria and Palicourea (Rubiaceae). Plant Biology, 27, 681–697. https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70013

In Table 3, several of the correlation coefficients in the “Leaf” column are missing an asterisk to indicate that they are statistically significant. The four rows that are missing an asterisk appended to the coefficient, and should have an asterisk, are: “All,” “Alkaloids,” “Amino Acids & Peptides,” and “Shikimates & Phenylpropanoids.”

The corrected version of Table 3 is shown below.

We apologize for this error.

Trans-acting small interfering RNA (tasiRNAs) are a special type of endogenous small RNAs (sRNAs) found only in plants. Their biogenesis requires an initial miRNA-mediated cleavage of RNA precursors transcribed from TAS genes. TasiRNAs act in trans to silence gene expression by cleaving mRNAs with sequences partially complementary to their own. While Arabidopsis thaliana contains several TAS genes not found in other plants, the miR390-TAS3-ARF pathway is highly conserved among land plant lineages. This pathway exerts its function by silencing a subgroup of Auxin Response Factor (ARF) genes; these tasiRNAs are termed tasiR-ARFs. Many downstream auxin signals are mediated by ARFs acting as transcription factors to confer sensitivity and robustness to the hormone responses in diverse development contexts. These pathway functions are critical for plant growth, developmental timing, and correct organ patterning, such as leaf morphology and polarity, lateral root architecture, and flowering, as well as coping with stress. The phenotypes caused by mutations affecting tasiR-ARF production vary across plant species, showing pleiotropic effects, suggesting a co-opted process where the tasiR-ARF pathway evolution occurred to serve different functions, depending on plant developmental cues. One way to unify the diverse roles of this pathway would be through auxin response integration, possibly by exploring the evolution of ARF3 transcription factors and downstream genes. In this review, we discuss versatility of the tasiR-ARF pathway in land plants according to known developmental and environmental responses where the phytohormone auxin plays an essential role.

Application of iron oxide nanoparticles (NP) (Fe₃O₄-NPs) in plant biotechnology presents new opportunities for enhancing metabolic activity of medicinal plants; however, their specific effects on Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis remain poorly understood. This study examined effects of Fe₃O₄-NPs at 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg L^-1 on morphological traits, phenolic compound accumulation, antioxidant activity, enzyme inhibition, and expression of PAL, TAT and RAS genes under in vitro conditions. Seeds were germinated on Murashige & Skoog medium and cultured for 30 days. Morphological characteristics were measured, total phenolics and flavonoid content were quantified spectrophotometrically, and phenolic profiles determined via HPLC. Antioxidant activity (CUPRAC, DPPH, ABTS), enzyme inhibition (AChE, MAO-A, urease), and gene expression (qRT-PCR) were also assessed. Treatment at 25 mg L^-1 yielded the highest content of total phenolics (41.68 mg GAEg^-1 plant) and rosmarinic acid (22.10 μg mg^-1 DW), together with improved antioxidant, MAO-A (2.95 mg plant mL^-1) and urease (6.71 mg plant mL^-1) inhibition activity. Higher concentrations (75-100 mg L^-1) increased AChE inhibition but reduced antioxidant capacity. PAL, TAT, and RAS expression was upregulated in all treated groups: PAL peaked at 25 mg L^-1, RAS at 100 mg L^-1, and TAT at 75 mg L^-1. There was no direct correlation between gene expression and phenolic levels, suggesting involvement of post-transcriptional or alternative regulatory mechanisms. These results demonstrate that Fe₃O₄-NPs act as dose-dependent modulators of secondary metabolism and bioactivity in M. officinalis, offering promising tools for nanoparticle-based elicitation strategies in medicinal plant biotechnology.