Plant signaling & behavior最新文献

Drought-induced osmotic stress is a significant constraint to soybean growth and yield, necessitating the development of effective mitigation strategies. Silicon acts as an important strategy to mitigate the negative stress effects of drought stress. The study was aimed to evaluate the potential of soil-applied silicon in alleviating drought stress in soybean. Two field capacities were tested: control (85% FC) and drought (50% FC), with four silicon application rates (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha^-1) applied at sowing. Drought stress significantly affected the morphological parameters in soybean as plant height, leaf area, and water potential were reduced by 25%, 20%, and 36%, respectively, while root length increased as compared to control-85% FC. However, drought stress reduced root density, surface area, and biomass as compared to control-85% FC. Additionally, drought reduced photosynthetic rates, chlorophyll a and b levels, and stomatal conductance, while increasing malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide. The natural plant defense system was upregulated, with increased activity of phenolics, soluble proteins, and antioxidant enzymes like catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase. However, silicon applications, especially at 200 kg ha^-1, significantly alleviated the negative effects of drought stress by improving morphophysiological and biochemical traits in soybeans. Compared to the control, Si₂₀₀ increased plant height, root length, photosynthetic rate, and water potential by 22%, 39%, 23%, and 17%, respectively, as compared to control. Furthermore, silicon reduced malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide levels by 21% and 10%, enhancing plant resilience. Silicon supplementation also boosted biochemical attributes, with total soluble proteins, phenolics, and antioxidant enzyme activities increasing by 30%, 55%, 19%, 24%, and 31%, respectively, under drought conditions. In crux, silicon at 200 kg ha^-1 effectively mitigated the effects of drought stress in soybean, becoming a more sustainable approach to sustain crop yield and food security.

Starch metabolism in plants involves a complex network of interacting proteins that work together to ensure the efficient synthesis and degradation of starch. These interactions are crucial for regulating the balance between energy storage and release, adapting to the plant's developmental stage and environmental conditions. Several studies have been performed to investigate protein-protein interactions (PPIs) in starch metabolism complexes, yet it remains impossible to unveil all of the PPIs in this highly regulated process. This study uses yeast-two-hybrid (Y2H) screening against the Arabidopsis leaf cDNA library to explore PPIs, focusing on the starch-granule-initiating protein named Protein Targeting to Starch 2 (PTST2, At1g27070) and the protein involved in starch and maltodextrin metabolism, namely, plastidial phosphorylase 1 (PHS1, EC 2.4.1.1). More than 100 positive interactions were sequenced, and we found chloroplastidial proteins to be putative interacting partners of PTST2 and PHS1. Among them, photosynthetic proteins were discovered. These novel interactions could reveal new roles of PTST2 and PHS1 in the connection between starch metabolism and photosynthesis. This dynamic interplay between starch metabolism and other chloroplast functions highlights the importance of starch as both an energy reservoir and a regulatory component in the broader context of plant physiology and adaptation.

To investigate the biological functions of Tiller Angle Control 2 (TAC2) in Salix psammophila. In this study, TAC2 was cloned from Salix psammophila, and an overexpression and subcellular localization expression vector for the SpsTAC2 gene was constructed. The SpsTAC2 gene was overexpressed in Arabidopsis and analyzed for phenotypic changes. The subcellular localization of SpsTAC2 was analyzed via Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression in onion (Allium cepa L.) epidermal cells. Phenotypic characterization of SpsTAC2 overexpressing Arabidopsis strains revealed that the branching angle of the transgenic strains was significantly greater than that of the wild type, and the anatomical structures of the stems and hypocotyls of the transgenic strains indicated that the vascular system of the transgenic strains developed more slowly than did that of the wild type. The subcellular localization of the SpsTAC2 gene revealed that the localization signals of the SpsTAC2 gene were mainly in the nucleus, and weak signals also appeared in the cell membrane, suggesting that the SpsTAC2 gene was mainly expressed mainly in the nucleus, with a small amount of expression in the cell membrane. This findings suggest that the SpsTAC2 gene influences the development of the branching angle of plants and xylem, and exerts its effects mainly in the nucleus and membrane. This study can help to characterize the regulatory effect of the TAC gene on the branching angle and explore its effect on the branching angle and vascular system development, and also help to explore the possible molecular regulatory mechanism, which can provide a theoretical basis for further elucidation of the mechanism of action of the IGT gene family.

Licorice, the dried roots and rhizomes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., is one of the most popular herbal medicines used globally. Glycyrrhizin is the primary bioactive component of licorice, exhibiting various pharmacological activities. Herein, we grew G. uralensis seedlings aseptically on a medium in the presence of 0-1% ethanol for 10 weeks, elucidating the effect of exogenous ethanol treatment on plant morphological features and glycyrrhizin accumulation. Treatment with 0.1% exogenous ethanol significantly increased the root fresh weight of G. uralensis seedlings, whereas treatments exceeding 0.5% exogenous ethanol exhibited phytotoxicity. In addition, the application of 0.1% exogenous ethanol significantly promoted glycyrrhizin accumulation in plant roots relative to the control. Overall, these results indicate that dilute exogenous ethanol treatment positively affects root yield and glycyrrhizin accumulation in the roots of aseptically cultured G. uralensis seedlings. The findings of this study may contribute to improving the quality of cultivated G. uralensis.

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) has shown a high incidence rate in rice fields in recent years. Rice resistance breeding is considered as the most effective method for achieving economical and sustainable management of BLB disease. The essential basis for resistance breeding is rooted in the exploration of rice resistance genes and the clarification of the molecular mechanisms that underlie Xoo resistance. In our previous research, we showed that Xanthomonas outer protein XopZ and rice oxysterol-binding related protein ORP1C collaboratively regulate the compatible interaction between Xoo strain PXO99 and Nipponbare rice, but the deeper regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we successfully constructed ORP1C overexpression rice using the plant binary expression vector pCAMBIA1301. Through a series of virulence and effector translocation detections in Xoo-rice interactions, we revealed that overexpression of the ORP1C gene largely increases rice resistance to multiple Xoo strains from different countries and regions. Mechanistically, ORP1C plays a Xoo resistant role through negatively regulating transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) translocation, ORP1C has become a potential candidate gene resource for disease-resistant breeding in rice. Further studies also indicated that XopZ and ORP1C collaboratively regulate the compatible interaction of PXO99-Nipponbare by modulating TALEs translocation.

Wheat is the third most widely consumed cereal in the world, after maize and rice. However, it is regularly attacked by the wheat aphid (Schizaphis graminum), causing considerable damage to wheat crops. The acetylcholinesterase enzyme, which plays a key role in the transmission of the synaptic cholinergic signal, has emerged as a promising target for the development of pest control strategies. Inhibition of this enzyme leads to the paralysis or even death of the aphid. The objective of this study is to identify the bioactive compounds in Securidaca longepedunculata (S. longepedunculata) that are capable of interacting with acetylcholinesterase from Schizaphis graminum and inhibiting its activity. Furthermore, a computer simulation of these compounds in interaction with the key protein was conducted. First, the secondary metabolites of S. longepedunculata were selected on the basis of GC-MS data available from specific reference sources. Subsequently, the compounds were subjected to virtual screening based on their docking scores in order to identify those with inhibitory properties. The compounds with the highest scores were subjected to molecular dynamics simulation over a 50 ns trajectory. Subsequently, MMGBSA free energy calculations were conducted. The results demonstrated that eight compounds exhibited inhibitory properties, four of which (echimidine, populin, salidroside, and farrerol) demonstrated superior stabilizing effects on proteins compared to the remaining compounds. In terms of free energy by MMGBSA and molecular simulation, it was observed that echimidine and populin formed robust and stable hydrogen bonds with the amino acids of the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. This study identifies and attempts to validate the potential inhibitory activities of echimidine and populin against acetylcholinesterase, with a view to developing potent insecticides and unique treatment strategies.

Drought stress inhibits the development of maize ears. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a plant hormone that can regulate the physicology metabolism under abiotic stress. In this study, maize varieties Zhengdan 958 (ZD958) and Xianyu 335 (XY335) with different filling stages were used as materials. Three treatments were set in the filling period: normal irrigation (CK), drought stress (stress); exogenous ABA + drought stress (ABA+stress). They were used to study the physiological regulation of exogenous ABA on maize ears development during drought stress. Exogenous ABA inhibited bald tip and the decline of maize plant biomass, and increased the number and weight of grains per ear at harvest under drought stress by regulating photosynthetic pigment content (Chla, Chlb, Car), gas exchange parameters (Pn, Tr, gs, Ci, Ls), Chla fluorescence parameters (Fv/Fm, ФPSII, ETR, qP, NPQ), chloroplast structure and function, photosynthetic enzyme activity, and the transcription level of genes coding SUTs (ZmSUT1, ZmSUT2, ZmSUT4, ZmSUT6). There was a significant correlation between physiological indexes of sucrose loading in maize and yield factors. This study discussed the mechanism of exogenous ABA alleviating maize ear dysplasia at grain filling stage under drought stress from the perspective of photosynthesis and sucrose transport.

The growing human population and abiotic stresses pose significant threats to food security, with PGPR favorable as biofertilizers for plant growth and stress relief. In one study, soil samples from both cultivated and uncultivated plants in various cities were used to isolate rhizobacterial populations. Using 50 soil samples from both cultivated and uncultivated plants, isolated rhizobacterial populations were screened for various biochemical changes, PGP activities and morphological characteristics. A total of 199 rhizobacteria were isolated and screened for IAA production. The strain M28 produced maximum IAA 378.44 ± 2.5 µg ml^-1, M9 formed only 34.72 ± 0.15 µg ml^-1. About 19% of IAA producers were isolated from Multan, 18% Lahore, 15% from soils of Faisalabad and Sheikhupura, while 7% from Gujrat. The 21 isolates were drought tolerant to -0.14Mpa, 14 of those were PSB and 15 were N fixers. In PGP traits, maximum zinc solubility was expressed by M4 as 2 ± 0.5 cm of zone. The strain M22 produced amount of HCN, 40.12 ± 0.052 ppm. All isolates showed diverse behavior in biocompatibility, motility patterns and hydrophobicity. Selected drought tolerant strains were genetically identified by ribotyping. Multitrait PGPR could be effective biofertilizers rather than with single trait. The strain M28 having highest production of IAA, was gelatinase, methyl red positive and was also capable of nitrogen fixation. Moreover, it had maximum swimming (8.9 mm) and swarming (8.7 mm) activities after 24 h, indicating its best PGP traits for future use.

Various metabolic and cell signaling processes impact the functions of sugarcane plant cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical regulatory roles in enhancing yield and providing protection against various stressors. This study seeks to identify and partially characterize several novel miRNAs in sugarcane using in silico tools, while also offering a preliminary assessment of their functions. This was accomplished by predicting novel conserved miRNAs in sugarcane plants using a variety of genomics-based techniques like BLASTn, MFOLD, psRNA Target, sequence logo, Weblogo, primer-3, etc. and annotated using miRBase and NCBI. For validation, RT-PCR method was used along with agarose gel. After the preparation of fourteen randomly chosen primers, they were validated by RT-PCR. Accordingly, they contain fifty specific targeted proteins with substantial targets in the structural, transcriptional protein, etc. Furthermore, the sof-miR5025a directs the heat repeat protein while the voltage-dependent anion is governed by sof-miR8005a. Similarly, the sof-miR7768b and sof-miR6249b monitor the pathogenesis-related protein and zinc finger, C₂H₂ type protein, which assist as transcription factors. Thus, the novel sugarcane miRNAs target a wide range of important genes help regulate the environment for sugarcane to generate a higher-quality crop.

Biochemical and molecular mechanisms have been essential mechanisms to reduce various insect attacks on plants. The biochemical methods are wide involving direct and indirect defenses. The defensive chemical substances are secreted effectively to the wound caused by the herbivores (insects and phytopathogens) on plants. Plants responded by producing VOCs which draw the natural enemies of the insects and phytopathogens. The progress observed in the cognition of the stimulus in plants and their potential to control the responses is characterized by the modification observed in molecular mechanisms which shifts our attention to the development of the endogenous resistance methods of preserving crops. The main objective of implementing a biotechnological mechanism in crop production is to employ durable and multimechanistic alternatives to insect pests via the stimulus the plant produces upon encountering the insect attack.