Current Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Pre-harvest application of sodium alginate functionalized with melatonin enhances secondary metabolism in strawberry fruit","authors":"Egli C. Georgiadou ,&nbsp;Carlos J. García ,&nbsp;Anna Maria Taliadorou ,&nbsp;Stella Gedeon ,&nbsp;Nicolas Valanides ,&nbsp;Alice Varaldo ,&nbsp;Gholamreza Gohari ,&nbsp;Marta Balsells-Llauradó ,&nbsp;Ruben Alcázar ,&nbsp;Maarten L.A.T.M. Hertog ,&nbsp;Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán ,&nbsp;George A. Manganaris ,&nbsp;Vasileios Fotopoulos","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The application of priming agents is a promising strategy to enhance the nutritional content of fruits and overall fruit quality. The current study aimed to assess the effect of the pre-harvest application of various priming agents [melatonin (Mel), sodium alginate (NaA), sodium alginate/melatonin conjugate (Mel-NaA), and putrescine dihydrochloride (Put)] on fruit quality attributes and secondary metabolite profile of a strawberry cultivar (<em>Fragaria</em> x <em>ananassa Duchesne</em> cv. ‘Felicity Q3’). The priming agents were directly applied on fruit at three successive developmental stages, namely large green (LG), small white (SW) and large white (LW). The use of Mel-NaA and Put showed promising results in improving fruit quality indicators (i.e. firmness, color), while Mel-NaA and putrescine-treated fruit were characterized by increased total flavonoid content. HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS data showed variable regulation of flavan-3-ols, hydroxycinnamic acids, and conjugates contents by the different treatments, while ellagitannins and ellagic acid derivatives were significantly enhanced following Mel-NaA pre-treatment. Priming treatments did not result in the differential regulation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in comparison with controls, suggesting that primed fruit retain their aroma quality with no aroma profile ‘penalty’. In addition, molecular analysis revealed that fruit pre-treatment with the priming agents resulted in variable transcriptional regulation of known strawberry allergenic proteins, with the Mel-NaA treatment showing no significant effect. This ‘green’ approach holds promise for advancing our understanding of the effects of NaA as a smart delivery mechanism of chemical priming agents and its potential impact on the sustainable improvement of the physicochemical attributes of strawberries during the pre-harvest stage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100515"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144662253","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}

{"title":"CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis generated elite alleles of a novel yield gene An-1 leading to increased grain number in rice (Oryza sativa L.)","authors":"Shobica Priya Ramasamy ,&nbsp;Sakthi Ambothi Rathnasamy ,&nbsp;Sudha Manickam ,&nbsp;Veeraranjani Rajagopalan ,&nbsp;Rakshana Palaniswamy ,&nbsp;Vignesh Mohanavel ,&nbsp;Rohit Kambale ,&nbsp;Manonmani Swaminathan ,&nbsp;Kalaimagal Thiyagarajan ,&nbsp;Raja Ragupathy ,&nbsp;Raveendran Muthurajan","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100511","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100511","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Domestication of rice (<em>Oryza sativa</em> L.) dates back to 8000 years ago when selection for yield traits began through artificial selection. Projected demand in rice production, yield plateau and changing climate gives us a clue that enhancing yield potential is vital for food security. Identifying genes controlling yield traits and mechanisms like C₄ photosynthesis is warranted to achieve sustained increase in rice production. In this study, efforts were made to exploit a novel domestication gene <em>An-1</em> for enhancing yield potential in rice through creation of targeted mutations using CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis. Evaluation of 312 T₀ progenies of a rice cultivar ASD 16 identified 17 multi-allelic, seven bi-allelic and four mono-allelic mutations. Evaluation of T₂ and T₃ progenies identified homozygous and transgene free mutants possessing increased number of grains per panicle. Evaluation of T₄ progenies revealed that the mutant progenies were found to possess increased secondary branches in the panicle (22.8 %), increased number of spikelets per panicle (34.8 %) and increased single plant yield (35.25 %) when compared to the wild type ASD 16. This study has identified <em>An-1</em> as a novel candidate gene for yield enhancement in rice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100511"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605744","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}

{"title":"AgriCure: A web application based layered augmentation-enhanced YOLOv8 for disease and nutrient deficiency detection in bitter gourd leaves","authors":"Kamaldeep Joshi ,&nbsp;Sumit Kumar ,&nbsp;Varun Kumar ,&nbsp;Rainu Nandal ,&nbsp;Yogesh Kumar ,&nbsp;Narendra Tuteja ,&nbsp;Ritu Gill ,&nbsp;Sarvajeet Singh Gill","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bitter gourd is an important cucurbitaceous vegetable widely grown in India and other tropical and subtropical regions and appreciated for its nutritional, medicinal, and economic values. Traditional way of detecting diseases and nutrient deficiencies in bitter gourd leaves requires significant effort and expertise whereas, precision farming and automated disease detection methods can greatly support farmers by facilitating sustainable agriculture To address this challenge a novel web based application AgriCure was developed which incorporated a multilevel approach to detect the plant disease and nutrient deficiency with high level. It uses a hybrid augmentation-based YOLOv8 DL model for image analysis. The study focuses on detecting diseases like Downy Mildew, Leaf Spot, and Jassid, as well as nutrient deficiencies such as Potassium, Magnesium, and Nitrogen Deficiency and their combinations. The initial dataset of 785 images was increased to 2430 images using advanced data augmentation. The results on the augmented dataset after 100 epochs demonstrated high effectiveness with the augmented dataset. The model achieved an impressive mean Average Precision (mAP50) of 92.9 % at an Intersection over Union (IoU) threshold of 0.50 and a mAP50–95 of 91.5 % across IoU thresholds from 0.50 to 0.95. Nearly all predicted positive instances were true positives, with a precision rate of 89.6 % and a recall of 86.6 %, which showed the capacity of the model in identifying true positives. The F1 score of 91.66 % highlighted balanced performance of the model between precision and recall, emphasising its reliability and accuracy. The model shows low losses, with a Box loss of 0.2435, a Class loss of 0.1689, and a Distribution Focal Loss (dfl loss) of 0.9024. This approach offered a valuable tool for early and accurate detection of disease and nutrient deficiency. Detection results indicate that, compared to previous methods, the proposed approach significantly improves overall performance and addresses challenges tied to limited dataset sizes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100517"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587713","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}

{"title":"Preliminary phytotoxicological screening of personal protective equipment leachates: Species-specific root growth responses in early plant stages","authors":"Enikő Mészáros ,&nbsp;Márton Szabó ,&nbsp;Kamilla Kovács ,&nbsp;Etelka Kovács ,&nbsp;Klaudia Hoffmann ,&nbsp;Katalin Perei ,&nbsp;Attila Bodor ,&nbsp;Gábor Feigl","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During the COVID-19 pandemic, the widespread use of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks and gloves, led to their increasing appearance in natural environments. These items continue to be detected in plastic pollution surveys, raising concerns about their ecological impacts, as PPE waste can release smaller plastic fragments and hazardous compounds during degradation. This study examines the effects of polypropylene mask, latex, and nitrile glove leachates on early root development in 12 species of crops, including legumes, crucifers, monocots, and other dicots. Leachates were chemically characterized using humification indices and plastic aging was assessed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed species-specific phytotoxic responses. Crimson clover showed strong sensitivity to all leachates, with reduced germination, germination index, and root elongation. Among the crucifers, radish was inhibited, while white mustard and cress exhibited root stimulation under certain treatments. Buckwheat showed high sensitivity to latex leachates, while flax showed variable responses. Monocots generally tolerated PPE leachates, rice showed minimal response, and sorghum showed growth stimulation. These differences probably reflect species-specific physiological traits and the composition of the leachates. The use of multiple plant species also highlights contrasting sensitivity profiles that are not apparent in single-species tests. This preliminary screening demonstrates that PPE-derived leachates can alter early plant development in a species-dependent manner. The findings underscore the ecological risks posed by PPE waste and support the need for further studies on the environmental impact of pandemic-related plastic pollution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100516"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144572867","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}

{"title":"Plant-microbiome responses under drought stress and their metabolite-mediated interactions towards enhanced crop resilience","authors":"Aditya Sharma ,&nbsp;Nandita Das ,&nbsp;Piyush Pandey ,&nbsp;Pratyoosh Shukla","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100513","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100513","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impacts of climate change are felt worldwide; however, drought stress poses significant challenges to global agriculture, affecting crop yields and food security. Understanding the multifaceted responses of crop plants to drought, particularly through their interaction with microbiomes and metabolites, is crucial and urgent for developing resilient agricultural systems. This review highlights the detrimental effects of drought on crop plants, including reduced water use efficiency, the production of free radicals, impaired plant growth and yield, and alterations in the photosynthetic apparatus. Additionally, this review addresses the research progress on plant responses, microbiome assemblages, metabolomic responses, and interactions under drought stress. By integrating findings from metabolomics, we discuss the “call for help” signal via root exudates in crop plants and their microbiomes during drought stress. Key aspects include the reciprocal exchange of metabolites (oxaloacetic acid, flavonoids, triterpenoids, phytoalexin, coumarin, and pyruvic acid), osmoprotectants (proline, sugars, amino acids), antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase), and phytohormones (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid), along with the activation of stress-responsive pathways. Here, we explain the forefront of deciphering plant-microbiome interactions using cutting-edge metabolomics techniques. Therefore, this review summarizes the significance of metabolic and chemical exchanges between coexisting microorganisms to combat the escalating challenges of drought conditions effectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100513"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605606","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}

{"title":"Enhancing genetic diversity in Coffea arabica L. through induced mutagenesis","authors":"Radisras Nkurunziza ,&nbsp;Joanna Jankowicz-Cieslak ,&nbsp;Jan Bocianowski ,&nbsp;Pooja Bhatnagar-Mathur ,&nbsp;Stefaan P.O. Werbrouck ,&nbsp;Ivan L.W. Ingelbrecht","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Induced mutagenesis is a powerful tool for enhancing genetic diversity and introducing novel agronomic traits, particularly in annual seed crops. However, its application in horticultural crops like <em>Coffea arabica</em> remains limited. Genetic improvement in <em>C. arabica</em> is hindered by its narrow genetic base, long reproductive cycle and the rapid decline of wild relatives. This study evaluated the effects of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) and gamma irradiation on seed germination, seedling growth, flowering and fertility in <em>C. arabica</em>. Seedling assays revealed that low EMS concentrations (0.2–2 %) stimulated germination, while higher concentrations (4–6 %) and increasing gamma radiation doses (20–100 Gy) progressively reduced germination rates. Long-term monitoring of mature M₁ plants showed that gamma irradiation induced stable mutant phenotypes such as dwarfism, altered leaf morphology and chlorophyll defects that persisted from seedling to reproductive stage. In contrast, EMS-treated M₁ plants appeared phenotypically similar to wild-type controls. Both mutagens influenced flowering and seed set. Gamma irradiation (50 Gy) induced early flowering and increased sterility, while EMS caused delayed flowering with reduced sterility. Notably, the altered leaf phenotypes and chlorophyll defects were also observed in the M₂ progeny, providing initial evidence of stable transmission of induced mutant traits. These findings highlight the importance of applying a range of mutagen doses to mitigate mutagen-induced infertility. They also show, for the first time, that gamma- and EMS-induced genetic variation in <em>C. arabica</em> can be stably transmitted, offering a promising strategy to broaden its narrow genetic base.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100514"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144578857","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}

{"title":"Integrative analysis reveals cold acclimation mechanisms in Bambusa multiplex with comparative insights from Bambusa ventricosa and Phyllostachys edulis","authors":"Xiumin Zhao ,&nbsp;Yalan Chen ,&nbsp;Zhewei Zhang ,&nbsp;Zishan Ahmad ,&nbsp;Krishnamurthi Keerthana ,&nbsp;Venkatesan Vijayakanth ,&nbsp;Yongqi Zhi ,&nbsp;Ming Chen ,&nbsp;Feng Que ,&nbsp;Muthusamy Ramakrishnan ,&nbsp;Qiang Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100512","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100512","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Bambusa multiplex</em> (cold-tolerant) and <em>Bambusa ventricosa</em> (cold-sensitive) were introduced to Jiangsu Province, China, beyond their natural distribution ranges, over 25 years ago. However, the mechanisms underlying cold adaptation in <em>B. multiplex</em> remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the physiological and anatomical responses of these two bamboo species under cold stress and conducted comparative analyses of their metabolomic and transcriptomic profiles under both cold and warm conditions. Additionally, we compared these datasets with those of <em>Phyllostachys edulis</em> (Moso bamboo) to gain broader insights into stress response mechanisms in bamboos. The results revealed that <em>B. ventricosa</em> has relatively large, thick leaves with high water content, which may contribute to its cold susceptibility. In contrast, <em>B. multiplex</em> has smaller, thinner leaves with lower water content and higher stomatal density, which likely enhance gas exchange and cold adaptation. Despite differences in leaf morphology, microscopic leaf anatomy (epidermis thickness, cuticle thickness, and bulliform cells) showed no significant variation, suggesting that other factors may drive cold adaptability. Distinct metabolite and gene expression profiles, including those of several transcription factors, were observed between the species under both cold and warm conditions. Specific metabolites, such as proline, catechin, and ABA, as well as stress-related pathways, such as WRKY, MYB, ABA, and proline synthesis, were highly expressed in <em>B. multiplex</em> under cold stress, indicating their role in cold acclimation. Comparisons between <em>B. multiplex</em> (8 upregulated and 11 downregulated pathways), <em>B. ventricosa</em> (10 upregulated and 21 downregulated pathways, including photosynthesis, receptor kinases, and stress pathways), and Moso bamboo (30 upregulated and 12 downregulated pathways) highlighted unique cold adaptation strategies for each species. Moso bamboo presented the most robust cold response, including the upregulation of the WRKY, NAC, MYB, HSF, RNA processing, and ethylene signaling pathways. Furthermore, comparative metabolome analysis revealed that these three bamboo species have evolved distinct adaptations in terms of enzyme activity and gene expression for cold acclimation, whereas core metabolic processes remain conserved.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100512"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144578862","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}

{"title":"Endophytic microbiota diversity in the phyllosphere of Sicilian olive trees across growth phases and farming systems","authors":"Dalila Crucitti ,&nbsp;Michele Sonnessa ,&nbsp;Francesco Carimi ,&nbsp;Tiziano Caruso ,&nbsp;Davide Pacifico","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the diversity and interactions of endophytic microbial communities in the phyllosphere of Sicilian olive trees, focusing on both cultivated varieties (cultivars) and wild accessions. The research aims to explore the influence of anthropogenic factors, phenological stages, and farming practices on endophytic diversity. Samples were collected from three Sicilian olive cultivars subjected to two different olive cultivation management (organic and conventional) and six wild olive accessions (natural environments), across four key phenological phases. Using culture-independent methods, bacterial and fungal communities have been characterized through high-throughput sequencing. The results indicate that phenological stages and agricultural practices significantly affect microbial communities, while the type of olive host mainly affects the fungal diversity. Winter season emerged as a key period for microbial diversity, especially for bacteria, whereas fungal diversity varied less across growth phases. Organic farming management reduced bacterial diversity compared to conventional management and wild habitats. Furthermore, interactions between bacterial and fungal communities revealed positive correlations, highlighting potential synergy among endophytes. These findings underscore the dynamic nature of olive tree microbiota and suggest that both plant–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions play vital roles in structuring endophytic communities. This study is innovative as it compares, for the first time, the complete phenological cycle of local olive cultivars and wild accessions. It also analyzes the endophytic microbial community and its relationship with organic and conventional management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100510"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534721","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}

{"title":"Heritable variation in root emergence during post-drought recovery reveals potential links to seedling drought recovery in rice","authors":"Lukas Krusenbaum ,&nbsp;Matthias Wissuwa ,&nbsp;Lam Thi Dinh","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100509","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100509","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress is a significant factor limiting rice yields worldwide. Effective drought tolerance involves both the ability of a plant to withstand water-limited conditions and the capacity to recover after rehydration. As rainfall patterns shift due to climate change, adaptation to variations in water availability during the growth period becomes increasingly important. Given the critical role of crown root number and length in drought response, understanding these traits is crucial. In this study, we evaluated the ability of rice genotypes to produce new crown roots following drought stress, using both a QTL mapping population and a diverse set of 3K-Rice Genomes Project accessions. Our results revealed high heritability (H² = 0.65) for new root number (NRN), as well as significant genotypic variation in NRN and new root length (NRL) during recovery. They are independent of general root vigor or drought tolerance under stress. A newly developed, simple screening method was validated in greenhouse and field trials, showing consistent genotype-specific responses, with a significant correlation (R = 0.73, p = 0.007). Varieties such as DJ123 and CHILE BORO maintained high NRN values under both water bath and soil-based recovery conditions, whereas IR64, despite producing many roots, showed limited recovery potential. Candidate loci associated with recovery-related root traits partially overlapped with known QTL for rooting ability and drought response, indicating both novel and previously characterized genomic regions. Our findings demonstrate that new root development during recovery is a distinct and heritable trait with potential for use in breeding programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100509"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306293","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}

{"title":"Sodium nitroprusside as a priming agent induces drought stress tolerance in Citrus","authors":"Emanuele Scialò ,&nbsp;Angelo Sicilia ,&nbsp;Angela Roberta Lo Piero","doi":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100508","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cpb.2025.100508","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Priming is a process whereby exposure to a mild stress or specific chemical stimulus enhances plants' resilience to future biotic and abiotic stresses. Signalling molecules such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and nitric oxide (NO) function as priming agents. In this study, Bitters (C22) citrus rootstock was treated with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and subjected to drought stress. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and H₂O₂ levels were measured to assess oxidative stress. Primed plants showed significantly higher tolerance to water scarcity than non-primed ones. RNA-seq analysis revealed that priming, followed by drought stress, regulated a broad spectrum of stress responses, enhancing the expression of genes involved in photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant activity, reallocating energy, and reinforcing external barriers and xylem vessels. As concerns phytohormones, analysis of gene expression clearly indicated that auxin biosynthesis and signalling were activated, whereas those involving ethylene were repressed. Moreover, the application of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) enabled the identification of genes whose expression showed positive or negative correlations with the levels of MDA and/or H₂O₂. This study provides insights into the role of priming in improving <em>Citrus</em> adaptability to water scarcity and identifying molecular strategies and candidate genes to enhance drought tolerance. To our knowledge, this is the first study correlating transcriptomic data with priming-induced drought tolerance in <em>Citrus</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38090,"journal":{"name":"Current Plant Biology","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100508"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144272489","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}