Current Plant Biology最新文献

Esca is a grapevine trunk disease spreading in vineyards worldwide, and of rising concern since no efficient treatment is available to mitigate its impact. Trunks, grapes and leaves from symptomatic and asymptomatic Aragonês vines were collected at harvest stage to characterise plant responses associated with this fungal disease. Presence of Esca associated fungi in the trunks was confirmed by molecular methods using ITS region. Metabolomics of grapes and leaves was analysed by Gas chromatography coupled to electron impact ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-EI/TOF-MS) and GC coupled to an EI/quadrupole MS (GC-EI/QUAD-MS and showed that both organs from symptomatic plants exhibited a different metabolic reprogramming than those from asymptomatic. Symptomatic leaves present lesser content in tricarboxylic and polyhydroxy acids, and this metabolic adjustment may involve salicylic acid metabolism. On the other hand, symptomatic fruits accumulate long-chain fatty acids probably related with cuticle reinforcement to mitigate changes in water transport caused by trunk damage, and defence-related metabolites such as α-tocopherol. Symptomatic berries also presented alterations in volatile aroma compounds such as C6-volatiles, and acetic acid suggesting an impact on subsequent wine quality. Altogether this study, identified putative metabolic markers associated with Esca disease in plants with different symptomatology and contributed to a physiological understanding of this fungal disease that could help in the development of mitigation strategies for its spread.

Elicitation and precursor feeding are the effective strategies for enhancing the synthesis of bioactive compounds in plant cell suspension cultures. The present study aimed to explore an efficient elicitation and precursor feeding protocol and its effect on inducing the accumulation of α-tocopherol in Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) suspension cell culture. The tomato cell suspension cultures were treated with different elicitors (Methyl Jasmonate, Salicylic acid and Yeast extract) and precursors (Homogentisic acid, Tyrosine, Hydroxypyruvic acid and Phytol) and the effect of α-tocopherol production was studied. Significant increase in the α-tocopherol was observed on day 5 upon methyl jasmonate treatment which represented 17.7 fold increase in comparison to the control. The treatment of precursor in combination viz., 150 μM Homogentisic acid + 150 μM Phytol showed the maximum enhancement of α-tocopherol up to 22 fold on day 10 compared to the untreated control. These results suggested that the suspension cultures combining with the optimal precursor feeding and elicitors enhanced the production of α-tocopherol in economically important tomato cell cultures.

In addition to defensins, plants possess an array of defensin-like peptides that share many of their characteristics, as well as a role in plant’s innate immunity. Their involvement in the response to pathogens is well-known but the contribution in the plant response to abiotic stimuli is not fully understood. We have undertaken an in silico analysis to characterize all defensin family genes hitherto found in Arabidopsis, including genes encoding for defensin-like peptides, by detecting several peptides as candidates for further studies aiming to decipher specific responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as to their crosstalk. We performed several analyses, including co-expression and cis-regulatory elements analyses, using transcriptomic data obtained from the ARS database, which integrates more than 20,000 Arabidopsis RNA-seq libraries.

In silico analysis showed that jasmonates and ABA, together with transcription factors belonging to WRKY and AP2/EREBP families, modulate defensin and defensin-like gene expression. Indeed, the analysis performed in this study allowed to extract and organize omics data, which finally supported the inducible nature of defensins under both abiotic and biotic stresses. Moreover, in vivo expression analyses confirmed the heat and drought responsiveness of PDF1.4, ATTI1, PDF1.1, DEFL 206, defensin family genes selected for being upregulated by several abiotic conditions, at transcriptional level. Finally, the co-expression analysis provided information on other biological processes that may be correlated to the defensin induction, such as maintaining ROS homeostasis. Combining the comprehensive analysis of different transcriptional datasets with the integration of in vivo analyses emerged as a robust methodological approach to assess the proposed multi-stress responsive nature of defensin family genes.

Plants are integral components of ecosystems and key sources of food, medicine, and other resources for human societies. The interactions between micro(nano)plastics and plants have garnered significant attention in recent years due to the pervasive nature of plastic pollution and its potential impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to analyze the current understanding, critical knowledge gaps and future perspectives on the interactions between plants and plastic residues, including microplastics, nanoplastics, microfiber, and microbeads. Data was gathered from the Web of Science Core Collection database, with 1049 documents indexed from 2009 to 2023 for further analysis. Co-citation analysis combined with co-word network analysis was utilized. The findings indicate a notable increase in publication productivity on plastic-plant interactions over the past decade, with China, India, Italy, Korea, and Spain as the core research countries in the field. Chinese universities and research institutions, particularly Naikai University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, are the major research drivers. Weitao Liu from Naikai University was the most productive author up to 2023. Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Pollution, and Journal of Hazardous Materials were the top three journal that published the most articles. The most frequently cited article titled “Microplastics can change soil properties and affect plant performance” published in Environmental Science & Technology in 2019. The co-citation network highlights the interconnectedness of plant-plastic interactions, while burst analysis and thematic mapping suggest that future research will focus on the impact of emerging contaminants like microplastics and nanoplastics on soil health in the plastisphere. More long-scale and long-term interdisciplinary studies including plant species and polymer types at field condition are needed to a better understanding the plant-plastic interactions. This study offers a thorough and unbiased real-time analysis of plant-plastic interactions, highlighting current trends and outlining future research directions and priorities.

The cultivation of common beans has long been integral to rural economies in Italy, particularly in mountainous regions along the Apennine ridge, where the production focuses on local landraces grown by smallholder farmers using low-input methodologies. However, recent socioeconomic changes in rural communities pose a threat of genetic erosion to these landraces. This study examines the genetic diversity, structure, and uniqueness of common bean landraces in the Aniene Valley of the Lazio region to develop preservation strategies. Seventy-three accessions were investigated using morphological (seed traits), biochemical (phaseolin and phytohemagglutinin patterns), and molecular (microsatellite loci) analyses. These analyses revealed significant genetic variability within morphologically uniform seed materials and highlighted cases of homonymy and the inadvertent introduction of foreign genetic material. Among the 292 samples analyzed (four per accession), a clear differentiation between Mesoamerican and Andean gene pools was observed, with the Andean pool being predominant. Despite high levels of homozygosity and uniform seed morphotypes, genetic variability was detected in sixteen of the twenty-one landraces, suggesting that analyzing only a single or few plants per landrace may yield incomplete genetic information. The extensive morphological, biochemical, and genetic characterization of the P. vulgaris collection from the Aniene Valley provides insights for planning effective conservation strategies. These findings emphasize the importance of both in situ/on-farm and ex-situ conservation to preserve the genetic diversity and heritage of these local landraces.

This study investigates the potential of a biostimulant derived from Selenicereus undatus peel waste and enriched in betalain degradation products (BDP), to influence Arabidopsis thaliana seedling development. Notably, lower BDP concentrations enhanced seedling development, while higher dosages exhibited adverse effects. Assessment of mitochondrial activity in both seeds and purified organelles showed that the tested biostimulant did not affect mitochondrial activity or integrity, highlighting its independence from mitochondrial performance. Mechanistically, BDP-enriched biostimulant modulated ROS-signaling, diminishing H₂O₂ by regulating the enzymatic activity and gene expression of SOD, CAT, GPX, and GR. Particularly, analyzing their different isoform via qRT-PCR, the primary cellular compartment where detoxification occurred were identified. Furthermore, biostimulant was able to influence proline-accumulation, altering both the expression of metabolism (PC5S, P5CR and OAT) and catabolism (PDH and P5CDH) related genes. Finally, the BDP-enriched biostimulant altered phytohormone levels, mainly affecting ABA/ABA-glu, tZea/tZea-rib, and tZea/IAA. Concerning GAs, the increase in GA4 and GA7 suggested an involvement of GA13ox, a hypothesis encouraged by qRT-PCR analysis. In summary, this study underscores the potential of BDP-based biostimulant as sustainable promoters of plant growth, influencing critical regulatory pathways during germination. Further research is necessary to explore their extensive applications in agricultural practices.

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are crucial for enhancing plant growth and restoring soil health. Despite the excellent plant growth promoting traits, information is limited on the efficacy of Sphingomonas as a PGPR, especially in vegetable crops. In this study, we used Sphingomonas panaciterrae NB5 as a biofertilizer in leafy vegetable red amaranth in three methods: seed priming (SP), root drenching + foliar (RD + FA), and bacterial culture filtrate (BCF) foliar application. Bio-inoculation of NB5 significantly increased the plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, stem girth, total chlorophyll, vitamin C, and antioxidant contents of red amaranth in all methods of application. Bacterial treatment resulted in notable alterations to the root structure, consisting of the formation of secondary, tertiary, and fibrous roots, particularly in the BCF foliar application and RD + FA treatment.The fresh and dry biomass significantly increased both in root and shoot, resulting in improved yield. The nutritional profile revealed that bacterial application significantly increased the nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc content, with a slight increase in phosphorus content, in shoots and roots in all the methods of bacterial application compared to control. In post-harvest soil, NB5 boosted total nitrogen, available phosphorus, calcium, and sulfur, as well as soil organic carbon (SOM) and total bacterial populations, regardless of the application methods. The RD+FA treatment outperformed the other methods of application in most of the plant and soil parameters, and the next was the BCF foliar application. Multivariate analysis also confirmed the better performance of RD+ FA and BCF foliar applications. Therefore, simultaneous application of NB5 through root drenching and foliar application could be recommended to the farmers for increasing the yield of red amaranth with improved nutrients and restoring soil health and productivity.

The trihelix transcription factors (THX TFs) play a crucial role in light responses and are involved in plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, we have identified 35 trihelix TFs in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), which is one of the most widely grown C₄ cereal crops in tropical semi-arid regions. Identified PgTHXs (Trihelix members of P. glaucum) were classified into 5 subgroups (GT1, GT2, GTγ, SH4, and SIP1) based on phylogenetic analysis, and these subgroup members shared similar gene structure and motif distribution pattern. Collinearity analysis exhibited gene duplication events of trihelix family members in pearl millet across the genome. Gene ontology (GO) annotation and cis-regulatory elements (CREs) analysis of PgTHXs suggested their involvement in diverse biological and molecular functions associated with plant growth, development, and stress responses. RNA sequencing data and expression profile displayed differential expression patterns of PgTHXs under abiotic stress and phytohormone treatments. The induced expression pattern of the PgTHX4, PgTHX5, PgTHX24, and PgTHX30 suggested their potential involvement in abiotic stress responses through phytohormonal signalling pathways. Among these, PgTHX24, a GT-3b member, was localized in the nucleus with self-transactivation ability. Overexpression of PgTHX24 positively regulated expression of stress-related markers in transformed pearl millet calli under drought stress conditions. Promoter activity analysis also highlighted the stress-inducible nature of PgTHX24’s promoter. Overall, our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of PgTHXs with a framework for further functional characterization to understand their regulatory role in pearl millet’s growth, development, and stress responses.

Key message

Thirty-five trihelix TFs were identified in pearl millet, and a comprehensive expression profile highlighted their functional diversity. Overexpression of PgTHX24 exhibited its potential involvement in abiotic stress responses.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important cereal crop, playing a pivotal role in global agriculture and food systems. Drought has a significant impact on barley growth and yield productivity. In the current study, core drought stress responsive genes were investigated using an integrative approach. First, we determined the core differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in multiple RNA-seq experiments using a p-value combination approach. Then, machine learning approaches including four weighting algorithms were harnessed for prioritization and determination of signature genes. Moreover, predictive models were optimized using tree induction and naive Bayes algorithms. Finally, the functional importance of the core DEGs and signature genes and pathways were dissected using gene ontology, KEGG enrichment, and protein-protein interaction network analysis. Results showed that the core DEGs participate in carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, carbon fixation, biosynthesis and degradation of amino acids, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. Notably, the C4.5 algorithm, boasting a remarkable 100 % accuracy, pinpointed two genes of particular importance including HORVU.MOREX.R3.1HG0063740, encoding the endo-1, 3–1, 4-beta-D-glucanase, and HORVU.MOREX.R3.1HG0083720, which encodes the bifunctional inhibitor/lipid-transfer protein. This comprehensive analysis contributes significantly to understanding of the core drought responsive genes and pathways. Moreover, these findings lay the groundwork for further research aimed at developing drought-resistant barley varieties and utilizing predictive models in field screening programs.

Many people around the world are overexposed to cadmium through their consumption of plant products. A model predicting Cd content in crops would improve risk assessment and cultural practices. As no such model exists, we evaluated different methods to simulate the root uptake of Cd and its translocation to the aerial parts of maize.

Using non-equilibrium thermodynamics, the Cd flux ($J_{A,B}$) from one compartment (A) to another (B) was considered to be proportional to the difference in electrochemical potential between the compartments and given by an equation of the type $J_{A,B}={\beta }_{A,B}\ln (K_B{C}_A/K_A{C}_B)$, where ${\beta }_{A,B}$ and $K_B$ are constants and $C_A$ and $C_B$ the actual Cd concentrations in compartments A and B. The compartments considered were rhizosphere solution (Rh), root cortex (Co), xylem sap (X) and aerial tissues. The model was evaluated against the experimental uptake of Cd by maize exposed for 8 h to a constant Cd concentration in the rhizosphere solution.

The formalism made it possible to describe the flow of Cd from the rhizosphere to the root cortex, with ${\beta }_{\mathrm{Rh},\mathrm{Co}}$ = 8.7E-11 mol m⁻² s⁻¹ and $K_{\mathrm{Co}}$ = 73. This questions the common use of Michaelis-Menten kinetics to model root absorption over the long term (throughout the cultivation period). In this case, the apparent validity of the Michaelis-Menten uptake kinetics is probably more closely linked to the root growth than to the Cd internalization mechanisms. To take into account the resistance to the ion transport linked to crossing the root cortex, thermodynamic and diffusion formalisms had to be associated, which enabled the prediction of the Cd flux towards xylem, with $K_X$ = 12.48 and a diffusion coefficient