Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.stress.2025.101215
Tetiana Kalachova , Barbora Jindřichová , Manuel Blouin , Romana Pospíchalová , Lenka Burketová , Eric Ruelland , Ruben Puga-Freitas
Plant-pathogen interactions are influenced by physiological responses and rhizospheric microorganisms, which can create disease-suppressive or disease-conducive soils affecting pathogen dynamics. This study used artificial selection to shape soil microbiota conditioned by Arabidopsis thaliana to either suppress or promote the foliar pathogen Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 (Pst). Over successive iterations, plants were inoculated with Pst, and soils were selected based on plant symptoms: enhanced resistance (suppressive), increased susceptibility (conducive), or no selection (control). A non-inoculated group (non-conditioned) was also included. Disease symptoms, Pst proliferation, and rhizosphere microbiota were monitored each iteration. Selection for suppressive soils reduced disease severity and Pst levels, while conducive soils showed the opposite. Each soil type was enriched in distinct bacterial communities. A growth-defense trade-off was evident in control soils but less so in selected soils. Gene expression analysis revealed that plant hormone homeostasis, especially salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) played key roles with SA linked to local defense and JA to systemic responses. This work highlights artificial selection as a promising strategy to modulate soil microbiota, influencing plant-pathogen interactions and microbial dynamics.
{"title":"Artificial selection of suppressive or conducive rhizosphere microbiota circumvents the growth-defense trade-off due to a foliar pathogen","authors":"Tetiana Kalachova , Barbora Jindřichová , Manuel Blouin , Romana Pospíchalová , Lenka Burketová , Eric Ruelland , Ruben Puga-Freitas","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101215","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101215","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant-pathogen interactions are influenced by physiological responses and rhizospheric microorganisms, which can create disease-suppressive or disease-conducive soils affecting pathogen dynamics. This study used artificial selection to shape soil microbiota conditioned by <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> to either suppress or promote the foliar pathogen <em>Pseudomonas syringae</em> DC3000 (<em>Pst</em>). Over successive iterations, plants were inoculated with <em>Pst</em>, and soils were selected based on plant symptoms: enhanced resistance (suppressive), increased susceptibility (conducive), or no selection (control). A non-inoculated group (non-conditioned) was also included. Disease symptoms, <em>Pst</em> proliferation, and rhizosphere microbiota were monitored each iteration. Selection for suppressive soils reduced disease severity and <em>Pst</em> levels, while conducive soils showed the opposite. Each soil type was enriched in distinct bacterial communities. A growth-defense trade-off was evident in control soils but less so in selected soils. Gene expression analysis revealed that plant hormone homeostasis, especially salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) played key roles with SA linked to local defense and JA to systemic responses. This work highlights artificial selection as a promising strategy to modulate soil microbiota, influencing plant-pathogen interactions and microbial dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101215"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tomato plants constantly encounter fungal pathogens, which trigger intricate defense mechanisms at the molecular level. Among these, upstream open reading frames (uORFs) and main open reading frames (mORFs), together with microRNAs (miRNAs), play pivotal roles in orchestrating stress-responsive gene regulation. uORFs and mORFs encode or influence the synthesis of key proteins involved in pathogen recognition, signal transduction, and immune activation, whereas miRNAs act as post-transcriptional regulators that fine-tune the expression of these defense-related genes, including those governing signaling pathways and transcription factors. Recent studies have revealed coordinated crosstalk between uORFs, mORFs, and miRNAs that collectively shape tomato defense strategies against major fungal pathogens such as Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum. This review synthesizes current insights into how uORFs and miRNAs interact to modulate immune regulation, gene silencing, and adaptive stress responses in tomato. A deeper understanding of these molecular networks offers promising avenues for developing fungal-resistant tomato cultivars through targeted genetic and biotechnological interventions.
{"title":"The consciousness of stress: Functional roles of ORFs and MicroRNAs in tomato defense against fungal pathogens","authors":"Misbah Naz, Zhibing Rui, Haowen Ni, Muhammad Rahil Afzal, Zhuo Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tomato plants constantly encounter fungal pathogens, which trigger intricate defense mechanisms at the molecular level. Among these, upstream open reading frames (uORFs) and main open reading frames (mORFs), together with microRNAs (miRNAs), play pivotal roles in orchestrating stress-responsive gene regulation. uORFs and mORFs encode or influence the synthesis of key proteins involved in pathogen recognition, signal transduction, and immune activation, whereas miRNAs act as post-transcriptional regulators that fine-tune the expression of these defense-related genes, including those governing signaling pathways and transcription factors. Recent studies have revealed coordinated crosstalk between uORFs, mORFs, and miRNAs that collectively shape tomato defense strategies against major fungal pathogens such as <em>Botrytis cinerea</em> and <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em>. This review synthesizes current insights into how uORFs and miRNAs interact to modulate immune regulation, gene silencing, and adaptive stress responses in tomato. A deeper understanding of these molecular networks offers promising avenues for developing fungal-resistant tomato cultivars through targeted genetic and biotechnological interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101194"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mineral nutrients are very crucial for plant survival and adaptation, playing a dynamic role in their growth, development, and production. Among these mineral nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) stand out as essential macronutrients due to their pivotal and interconnecting roles in supporting plant growth, development, and stress adaptation. Plants developed a transport system to maintain balanced nutrients for sustainable crop productivity and environmental resilience. Although considerable research has focused on the NPK transport system, their integrated roles in coordinating mineral nutrition and stress tolerance remain insufficiently explored in wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 42, AABBDD). In the current study, we identified 21 N-related, 45 P-related, and 43 K-related transporter genes in T. aestivum, confirmed through the presence of conserved signature domains. These NPK-transporters in T. aestivum and A. thaliana were found as highly conserved within each subgroup, supported by phylogenetic, gene structure, and motif analysis. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis suggests coordinated regulatory networks among nutrient transporters. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that NPK transporters are involved not only in nutrient transport but also in various signaling pathways. The expression profiling in response to biotic and abiotic stresses revealed the differential regulation of NPKs in T. aestivum. Three identified candidates for NPK transporters (TaAMT2, TaPHT4.3, TaKT3) were further subjected to a combined abiotic stress and NPK application assay. The results revealed that the NPK availability modulates T. aestivum adaptation to combined abiotic stresses. Furthermore, the green fluorescent protein GFP revealed that the candidate genes were localized in the plasma membrane. Our study is a foundation to identify co-regulatory candidates for developing wheat varieties that maintain nutrition and yield under the complex stress scenarios of modern agriculture.
{"title":"NPK-transporters in wheat: linking mineral nutrition with combined abiotic stress adaptation","authors":"Zhiwei Wang , Tianyou Yuan , Aimen Shafique , Muhammad Salman Mubarik , Madiha Habib , Roshan Zameer , Farrukh Azeem , Shuiqing Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mineral nutrients are very crucial for plant survival and adaptation, playing a dynamic role in their growth, development, and production. Among these mineral nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) stand out as essential macronutrients due to their pivotal and interconnecting roles in supporting plant growth, development, and stress adaptation. Plants developed a transport system to maintain balanced nutrients for sustainable crop productivity and environmental resilience. Although considerable research has focused on the NPK transport system, their integrated roles in coordinating mineral nutrition and stress tolerance remain insufficiently explored in wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum L</em>., 2n = 42, AABBDD). In the current study, we identified 21 N-related, 45 P-related, and 43 K-related transporter genes in <em>T. aestivum</em>, confirmed through the presence of conserved signature domains. These NPK-transporters in <em>T. aestivum</em> and <em>A. thaliana</em> were found as highly conserved within each subgroup, supported by phylogenetic, gene structure, and motif analysis. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis suggests coordinated regulatory networks among nutrient transporters. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that NPK transporters are involved not only in nutrient transport but also in various signaling pathways. The expression profiling in response to biotic and abiotic stresses revealed the differential regulation of NPKs in <em>T. aestivum</em>. Three identified candidates for NPK transporters (TaAMT2, TaPHT4.3, TaKT3) were further subjected to a combined abiotic stress and NPK application assay. The results revealed that the NPK availability modulates <em>T. aestivum</em> adaptation to combined abiotic stresses. Furthermore, the green fluorescent protein GFP revealed that the candidate genes were localized in the plasma membrane. Our study is a foundation to identify co-regulatory candidates for developing wheat varieties that maintain nutrition and yield under the complex stress scenarios of modern agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101187"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","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.stress.2026.101223
Alice Zambelli , Michele Pesenti , Giorgio Lucchini , Adela María Sánchez-Moreiras , Luca Espen , Fabrizio Araniti , Fabio Francesco Nocito
Nootkatone, a natural sesquiterpenoid, has recently emerged as a candidate allelochemical for sustainable weed management. However, its phytotoxic effects and underlying mechanisms in plants remain poorly understood. In this study, we present a comprehensive characterization of nootkatone-induced toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana, integrating physiological, metabolomic, and nutritional analyses. Exposure to increasing concentrations of nootkatone resulted in dose-dependent reductions in biomass and photosynthetic efficiency, accompanied by visible morphological damage. GC–MS-based metabolomic profiling revealed significant reprogramming of primary metabolism, particularly affecting amino acid biosynthesis and nitrogen-related pathways. Network analysis identified glutamic acid as an important metabolic hub, linking nitrogen assimilation to stress-related responses. Nutritional profiling and stable isotope analysis demonstrated that nootkatone disrupts nitrogen homeostasis by promoting ammonium uptake over nitrate assimilation. This shift was confirmed by 15N-labeled experiments, which showed reduced nitrate uptake and compensatory ammonium absorption. The altered nitrogen source preference was associated with increased accumulation of ammonium, free amino acids, and nitrogen-rich intermediates, consistent with typical symptoms of ammonium toxicity. These findings suggest a potential mechanism underlying nootkatone-induced phytotoxicity and underscore its promise as a bioactive compound for sustainable and environmentally friendly weed management strategies.
{"title":"Exogenous nootkatone impairs nitrogen nutrition by promoting ammonium over nitrate uptake in Arabidopsis thaliana","authors":"Alice Zambelli , Michele Pesenti , Giorgio Lucchini , Adela María Sánchez-Moreiras , Luca Espen , Fabrizio Araniti , Fabio Francesco Nocito","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nootkatone, a natural sesquiterpenoid, has recently emerged as a candidate allelochemical for sustainable weed management. However, its phytotoxic effects and underlying mechanisms in plants remain poorly understood. In this study, we present a comprehensive characterization of nootkatone-induced toxicity in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>, integrating physiological, metabolomic, and nutritional analyses. Exposure to increasing concentrations of nootkatone resulted in dose-dependent reductions in biomass and photosynthetic efficiency, accompanied by visible morphological damage. GC–MS-based metabolomic profiling revealed significant reprogramming of primary metabolism, particularly affecting amino acid biosynthesis and nitrogen-related pathways. Network analysis identified glutamic acid as an important metabolic hub, linking nitrogen assimilation to stress-related responses. Nutritional profiling and stable isotope analysis demonstrated that nootkatone disrupts nitrogen homeostasis by promoting ammonium uptake over nitrate assimilation. This shift was confirmed by <sup>15</sup>N-labeled experiments, which showed reduced nitrate uptake and compensatory ammonium absorption. The altered nitrogen source preference was associated with increased accumulation of ammonium, free amino acids, and nitrogen-rich intermediates, consistent with typical symptoms of ammonium toxicity. These findings suggest a potential mechanism underlying nootkatone-induced phytotoxicity and underscore its promise as a bioactive compound for sustainable and environmentally friendly weed management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101223"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","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.stress.2026.101221
Juncai Wang , Shengyang Xiao , Chao Ma , Yanyan Dong , Tao Jin , Yu Cai , Xiaofeng Liao , Yuangui Xie
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils poses a serious threat to food security and human health. Nitric oxide (NO), as redox-related signaling molecule, is known to promote plant growth and regulate soil quality in heavy metal-contamination soils. However, the regulatory mechanisms of NO in plant physiology and soil biochemistry have not been well-demonstrated. In this study, we investigated the role of exogenous application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as an NO donor additive on the growth performances, Cd accumulation and translocation, physiological biochemical response of plant, soil physicochemical properties, and soil microbial communities of hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. in Cd-contaminated soil. Our results showed that 100 and 200 μmol·L−1 NO addition markedly increased the plant biomass by 16.22 % and 14.85 %, and enhanced the Cd accumulation by 46.91 % and 22.08 % in S. nigrum compared to the 100 mg·kg−1 Cd treatment alone, respectively. Moreover, NO supply could mitigate Cd phytotoxicity and oxidative damage by significantly increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and osmoregulatory substances content. In addition, NO addition significantly changes the soil physicochemical properties, including changed the SOC, CEC, the NH4+-N and NO3−-N contents, increased the content of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and soil enzymatic activities, such as the 100 μmol·L−1 NO treatment increased 4.71 %, 7.45 %, 18.44 % and 29.46 % of the soil pH, EC, the content of NO3−-N and NH4+-N as compared to Cd stress alone under 50 mg·kg−1 Cd concentrations, respectively. Meanwhile, in Cd alone treatment, the soil bacterial diversity indexes were slightly increased, while the fungal diversity slightly decreased at low Cd concentrations and increased at high Cd level compared with no Cd addition groups. After NO addition, the soil bacterial and fungal diversity was enhanced compared to without NO addition. Exogenous NO treatment also significantly changed the structures of soil bacterial and fungal communities, and increased the relative abundance of soil beneficial microbial communities. Furthermore, interactions among soil environmental factors and NO addition significantly influenced dominant bacterial, and fungal taxa. These results provide proof that soil remediation with exogenous NO addition may be an effective method to improve soil microenvironment and enhance plant tolerance to metal stress.
{"title":"Exogenous application of nitric oxide promotes hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. performances, soil properties, and microbial community in cadmium contaminated soil","authors":"Juncai Wang , Shengyang Xiao , Chao Ma , Yanyan Dong , Tao Jin , Yu Cai , Xiaofeng Liao , Yuangui Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils poses a serious threat to food security and human health. Nitric oxide (NO), as redox-related signaling molecule, is known to promote plant growth and regulate soil quality in heavy metal-contamination soils. However, the regulatory mechanisms of NO in plant physiology and soil biochemistry have not been well-demonstrated. In this study, we investigated the role of exogenous application of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) as an NO donor additive on the growth performances, Cd accumulation and translocation, physiological biochemical response of plant, soil physicochemical properties, and soil microbial communities of hyperaccumulator <em>Solanum nigrum</em> L. in Cd-contaminated soil. Our results showed that 100 and 200 μmol·L<sup>−1</sup> NO addition markedly increased the plant biomass by 16.22 % and 14.85 %, and enhanced the Cd accumulation by 46.91 % and 22.08 % in <em>S. nigrum</em> compared to the 100 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> Cd treatment alone, respectively. Moreover, NO supply could mitigate Cd phytotoxicity and oxidative damage by significantly increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and osmoregulatory substances content. In addition, NO addition significantly changes the soil physicochemical properties, including changed the SOC, CEC, the NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>-N and NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>-N contents, increased the content of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and soil enzymatic activities, such as the 100 μmol·L<sup>−1</sup> NO treatment increased 4.71 %, 7.45 %, 18.44 % and 29.46 % of the soil pH, EC, the content of NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>-N and NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>-N as compared to Cd stress alone under 50 mg·kg<sup>−1</sup> Cd concentrations, respectively. Meanwhile, in Cd alone treatment, the soil bacterial diversity indexes were slightly increased, while the fungal diversity slightly decreased at low Cd concentrations and increased at high Cd level compared with no Cd addition groups. After NO addition, the soil bacterial and fungal diversity was enhanced compared to without NO addition. Exogenous NO treatment also significantly changed the structures of soil bacterial and fungal communities, and increased the relative abundance of soil beneficial microbial communities. Furthermore, interactions among soil environmental factors and NO addition significantly influenced dominant bacterial, and fungal taxa. These results provide proof that soil remediation with exogenous NO addition may be an effective method to improve soil microenvironment and enhance plant tolerance to metal stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101221"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","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.stress.2025.101189
Fazeelat Karamat , Alexander Vergara , Jeanette Blomberg , Tim Crawford , Nóra Lehotai , Matilda Rentoft , Åsa Strand , Stefan Björklund
Environmental changes trigger stress responses in living organisms. Although the underlying mechanisms are only partly understood, they involve intricate signaling pathways and transcription factors (TFs). Mediator is a conserved co-regulator complex required for transcriptional regulation of all eukaryotic protein-encoding genes. However, its function in abiotic stress responses is elusive. Here, we describe global gene expression changes induced by salt stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. To investigate the involvement of Mediator, we analyzed med9, med16, med18, and cdk8 mutants, each representing one of the four Mediator modules. Our results demonstrate that promoters of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for each mutant are enriched for binding sites of specific TFs. Phenotypic analyses further support the transcriptomic data: med16 and med18, and to a lesser extent cdk8, exhibit defects typical to mutations that affect abscisic acid and anthocyanin metabolism and we identify dysregulated signaling molecules, TFs, and target genes in these pathways. Our results reveal how signals from different stress response pathways are dependent on, and integrated by, Mediator subunits to coordinate a functional response to salt stress.
{"title":"Arabidopsis mutants for Mediator Head, Middle, Tail, and Kinase modules reveal distinct roles in regulating the transcriptional response to salt stress","authors":"Fazeelat Karamat , Alexander Vergara , Jeanette Blomberg , Tim Crawford , Nóra Lehotai , Matilda Rentoft , Åsa Strand , Stefan Björklund","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101189","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101189","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental changes trigger stress responses in living organisms. Although the underlying mechanisms are only partly understood, they involve intricate signaling pathways and transcription factors (TFs). Mediator is a conserved co-regulator complex required for transcriptional regulation of all eukaryotic protein-encoding genes. However, its function in abiotic stress responses is elusive. Here, we describe global gene expression changes induced by salt stress in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>. To investigate the involvement of Mediator, we analyzed <em>med9, med16, med18</em>, and <em>cdk8</em> mutants, each representing one of the four Mediator modules. Our results demonstrate that promoters of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for each mutant are enriched for binding sites of specific TFs. Phenotypic analyses further support the transcriptomic data: <em>med16</em> and <em>med18</em>, and to a lesser extent <em>cdk8</em>, exhibit defects typical to mutations that affect abscisic acid and anthocyanin metabolism and we identify dysregulated signaling molecules, TFs, and target genes in these pathways. Our results reveal how signals from different stress response pathways are dependent on, and integrated by, Mediator subunits to coordinate a functional response to salt stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101189"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","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.stress.2026.101226
Ali Anwar , Chunfeng Chen , Caizhu Hu , Mengqing Chen , Mansour Ghorbanpour , Wei Su , Riyuan Chen , Shiwei Song
Salinity stress is a major obstacle that limits plant growth and productivity. However, plants possess robust defense mechanisms to mitigate its adverse effects. In this study, we found that overexpression of SlPSAN (photosystem I reaction center subunit N) conferred salt stress resistance in both yeast and tomato seedlings. The results showed that the T-DNA mutants were susceptible to salt stress, resulting in a significant decline in seed germination rates and root length in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of SlPSAN enhanced root and shoot fresh weights, as well as root and shoot dry weights, in tomato seedlings under salt stress. In contrast, knockout (psan1 and psan2) lines exhibited increased sensitivity to salt stress and a significant reduction in tomato seedling growth. Moreover, SlPSAN overexpression enhanced nutrient accumulation, chlorophyll content (Chl A, Chl B, Chl A+B, and carotenoids) and enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (APX, SOD, POD, and CAT), while simultaneously decreasing the accumulation of ROS and MDA when compared with WT and knockout lines. Transcriptome analysis revealed that knockout of SlPSAN altered the enrichment of biological processes, including response to stimulus, immune system processes, and detoxification pathways, under salt stress in tomato. These findings suggested that SlPSAN positively regulates salt stress in tomato seedlings. This study unlocks an innovative research direction for identifying candidate genes for improving salinity stress tolerance and protecting horticultural crop production.
{"title":"Overexpression of SlPSAN promotes salinity stress tolerance in tomato seedlings","authors":"Ali Anwar , Chunfeng Chen , Caizhu Hu , Mengqing Chen , Mansour Ghorbanpour , Wei Su , Riyuan Chen , Shiwei Song","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2026.101226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salinity stress is a major obstacle that limits plant growth and productivity. However, plants possess robust defense mechanisms to mitigate its adverse effects. In this study, we found that overexpression of <em>SlPSAN</em> (photosystem I reaction center subunit N) conferred salt stress resistance in both yeast and tomato seedlings. The results showed that the T-DNA mutants were susceptible to salt stress, resulting in a significant decline in seed germination rates and root length in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of <em>SlPSAN</em> enhanced root and shoot fresh weights, as well as root and shoot dry weights, in tomato seedlings under salt stress. In contrast, knockout (psan1 and psan2) lines exhibited increased sensitivity to salt stress and a significant reduction in tomato seedling growth. Moreover, <em>SlPSAN</em> overexpression enhanced nutrient accumulation, chlorophyll content (Chl A, Chl B, Chl A<em>+</em>B, and carotenoids) and enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (APX, SOD, POD, and CAT), while simultaneously decreasing the accumulation of ROS and MDA when compared with WT and knockout lines. Transcriptome analysis revealed that knockout of <em>SlPSAN</em> altered the enrichment of biological processes, including response to stimulus, immune system processes, and detoxification pathways, under salt stress in tomato. These findings suggested that SlPSAN positively regulates salt stress in tomato seedlings. This study unlocks an innovative research direction for identifying candidate genes for improving salinity stress tolerance and protecting horticultural crop production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101226"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Plant viruses may enhance host tolerance to drought. Here, we used an asymptomatic strain of watermelon mosaic virus (WMV-strain Vera) in cucurbits to evaluate drought tolerance in Cucumis sativus cv. Supermarketer. Plants were inoculated with WMV and subjected to water withholding. The development of drought symptoms in WMV-infected plants was compared to mock-inoculated controls. WMV-infected plants consistently showed delayed drought symptom onset. Viral genome accumulation revealed an increased rate under drought stress. Water content analysis revealed that infected plants maintained significantly higher water content per unit mass compared to controls. Interestingly, drought tolerance was not directly associated with stomatal closure. Hormone and metabolite profiling showed substantial changes. Abscisic acid (ABA), typically associated with drought response, decreased significantly in infected plants under drought stress. Conversely, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), hormones linked to biotic stress tolerance, accumulated to higher levels in infected plants before and after stress. Several metabolites associated with osmoprotection and antioxidant activity were also present at higher concentrations in WMV-infected plants, including compounds that support osmotic adjustment, membrane stabilization, and protection of proteins and cellular machinery from oxidative damage. Proline content increased under both drought and viral infection, with an additive effect in WMV-infected plants exposed to drought. Despite enhanced stress tolerance, no correlation was found between virus-induced drought tolerance and fruit yield parameters, including fruit weight, size, quantity, or seed number. Overall, WMV infection promotes drought tolerance in cucumber independently of transpiration, through modulation of hormone signaling and accumulation of protective metabolites.
{"title":"An asymptomatic watermelon mosaic virus variant confers drought tolerance in cucumber plants","authors":"Mikhail Oliveira Leastro , María Mercedes Porcel-Jiménez , Aída Úbeda Piera , Jorge Lozano-Juste , Jesús Ángel Sánchez-Navarro , Vicente Pallás","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101214","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101214","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant viruses may enhance host tolerance to drought. Here, we used an asymptomatic strain of watermelon mosaic virus (WMV-strain Vera) in cucurbits to evaluate drought tolerance in <em>Cucumis sativus</em> cv. Supermarketer. Plants were inoculated with WMV and subjected to water withholding. The development of drought symptoms in WMV-infected plants was compared to mock-inoculated controls. WMV-infected plants consistently showed delayed drought symptom onset. Viral genome accumulation revealed an increased rate under drought stress. Water content analysis revealed that infected plants maintained significantly higher water content per unit mass compared to controls. Interestingly, drought tolerance was not directly associated with stomatal closure. Hormone and metabolite profiling showed substantial changes. Abscisic acid (ABA), typically associated with drought response, decreased significantly in infected plants under drought stress. Conversely, salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA), hormones linked to biotic stress tolerance, accumulated to higher levels in infected plants before and after stress. Several metabolites associated with osmoprotection and antioxidant activity were also present at higher concentrations in WMV-infected plants, including compounds that support osmotic adjustment, membrane stabilization, and protection of proteins and cellular machinery from oxidative damage. Proline content increased under both drought and viral infection, with an additive effect in WMV-infected plants exposed to drought. Despite enhanced stress tolerance, no correlation was found between virus-induced drought tolerance and fruit yield parameters, including fruit weight, size, quantity, or seed number. Overall, WMV infection promotes drought tolerance in cucumber independently of transpiration, through modulation of hormone signaling and accumulation of protective metabolites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101214"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","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.stress.2025.101197
Yi Cao , Gao Chen , Shuo Yang , Wenzhuo Wang , Caifeng Yu , Zhicheng Li , Tao Xia , Shuxiang Zhang , Xiaolan Jiang
In recent years, plant growth-promoting bacteria were being valued and applied to enhance plant health and confer resistance. The tender shoots of tea plants are rich in polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate, which will return to the rhizosphere soil after being pruned. Therefore, the screening of EGCG-tolerant strains is of great significance for the development of growth-promoting bacteria for tea plants. In this paper, EGCG treatment results showed that 0.6 mg/mL EGCG significantly promoted the growth of tea plants. 16S rRNA sequencing results revealed that after 0.6 mg/mL EGCG treatment, Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota phylum were significantly enriched, and at genus level, the abundance of Burkholdeiales and Acidothermus were increased significantly. EGCG tolerance characteristics analysis exhibited that among the 75 bacteria of tea roots, 32 strains could tolerate 1.5 mg/mL EGCG. For strains Paraburkholderia (PPH), Micromonospora (FSS), and Sporosaricina (AME2), the optimal degradation concentration of EGCG was 0.6 mg/mL. With the extension of time, the content of EGCG decreased gradually. The Q-TOF-MS analysis showed that EGCG was degraded to gallic acid (GA) and epigallocatechin (EGC). Then the effects of growth-promoting and EGCG-tolerant strains PPH, FSS and AME2 on the growth of tea plants were explored. The results showed that PPH, FSS and AME2 strains all could promote the growth of tea cuttings with or without EGCG, particularly increasing the root weight. In conclusion, through comprehensive analysis, the growth-promoting and EGCG-tolerant strains were successfully identified, which hold great potential for development into microbial fertilizers to be applied in tea plantation management.
{"title":"Screening of EGCG -tolerant growth promoting bacteria and their efficiency in enhancing tea plant growth","authors":"Yi Cao , Gao Chen , Shuo Yang , Wenzhuo Wang , Caifeng Yu , Zhicheng Li , Tao Xia , Shuxiang Zhang , Xiaolan Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, plant growth-promoting bacteria were being valued and applied to enhance plant health and confer resistance. The tender shoots of tea plants are rich in polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate, which will return to the rhizosphere soil after being pruned. Therefore, the screening of EGCG-tolerant strains is of great significance for the development of growth-promoting bacteria for tea plants. In this paper, EGCG treatment results showed that 0.6 mg/mL EGCG significantly promoted the growth of tea plants. 16S rRNA sequencing results revealed that after 0.6 mg/mL EGCG treatment, Pseudomonadota and Actinomycetota phylum were significantly enriched, and at genus level, the abundance of <em>Burkholdeiales</em> and <em>Acidothermus</em> were increased significantly. EGCG tolerance characteristics analysis exhibited that among the 75 bacteria of tea roots, 32 strains could tolerate 1.5 mg/mL EGCG. For strains <em>Paraburkholderia</em> (PPH), <em>Micromonospora</em> (FSS), and <em>Sporosaricina</em> (AME2), the optimal degradation concentration of EGCG was 0.6 mg/mL. With the extension of time, the content of EGCG decreased gradually. The Q-TOF-MS analysis showed that EGCG was degraded to gallic acid (GA) and epigallocatechin (EGC). Then the effects of growth-promoting and EGCG-tolerant strains PPH, FSS and AME2 on the growth of tea plants were explored. The results showed that PPH, FSS and AME2 strains all could promote the growth of tea cuttings with or without EGCG, particularly increasing the root weight. In conclusion, through comprehensive analysis, the growth-promoting and EGCG-tolerant strains were successfully identified, which hold great potential for development into microbial fertilizers to be applied in tea plantation management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101197"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145924646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","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.stress.2025.101193
Yonggang Gao , Xinyu Li , Chaofan Han , Qiuyi Huang , Rui Wu , Cheng Zhao , Kuijun She
Photosynthesis, essential for plant productivity and global food security, is vulnerable to compound abiotic stresses like high light, drought, heat, and salinity. These disrupt Photosystem II (PSII) and Photosystem I (PSI), causing efficiency losses and yield declines. We reframe vulnerabilities via architectural asymmetries (rapid D1 turnover in PSII vs. slow Fe–S repair in PSI) and multifaceted protective mechanisms, including non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) subtypes (qE, qT, qZ, qH, qI), cyclic electron transport (CEF), and photosynthetic control (PhotCon). Mapping "ROS geography" emphasizes acceptor side over reduction (Mehler-driven Fe–S damage) and donor side imbalances (¹O₂-mediated P700 oxidation), with metrics like Y(NA), Y(ND), and EPR for phenotyping. Using cryo-EM and genetic models, we link mechanisms to assays (e.g., NPQ relaxation kinetics) to resolve debates, such as Y(ND)'s sufficiency for PhotCon. Based on evolutionary principles, we propose a hierarchical prevention framework from sensing to proteostasis and advocate synthetic plastid engineering with digital twins and optogenetic CEF/NPQ switches. This empowers development of antifragile crops adapting to climate variability, enhancing food security.
{"title":"Photosystem vulnerabilities under compound abiotic stresses: mechanisms, diagnostics, and engineering for resilient crops","authors":"Yonggang Gao , Xinyu Li , Chaofan Han , Qiuyi Huang , Rui Wu , Cheng Zhao , Kuijun She","doi":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101193","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.stress.2025.101193","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photosynthesis, essential for plant productivity and global food security, is vulnerable to compound abiotic stresses like high light, drought, heat, and salinity. These disrupt Photosystem II (PSII) and Photosystem I (PSI), causing efficiency losses and yield declines. We reframe vulnerabilities via architectural asymmetries (rapid D1 turnover in PSII vs. slow Fe–S repair in PSI) and multifaceted protective mechanisms, including non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) subtypes (qE, qT, qZ, qH, qI), cyclic electron transport (CEF), and photosynthetic control (PhotCon). Mapping \"ROS geography\" emphasizes acceptor side over reduction (Mehler-driven Fe–S damage) and donor side imbalances (¹O<sub>₂</sub>-mediated P700 oxidation), with metrics like Y(NA), Y(ND), and EPR for phenotyping. Using cryo-EM and genetic models, we link mechanisms to assays (e.g., NPQ relaxation kinetics) to resolve debates, such as Y(ND)'s sufficiency for PhotCon. Based on evolutionary principles, we propose a hierarchical prevention framework from sensing to proteostasis and advocate synthetic plastid engineering with digital twins and optogenetic CEF/NPQ switches. This empowers development of antifragile crops adapting to climate variability, enhancing food security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34736,"journal":{"name":"Plant Stress","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 101193"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号