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Mitochondrial iron transporter (MIT) genes are essential for mitochondrial acquisition/import of iron and vital to proper functioning of mitochondria. Unlike other organisms, research on the MITs in plants is limited. The present study provides comparative bioinformatics assays for the potato MIT gene (StMIT) as well as gene expression analyses. The phylogenetic analyses revealed monocots-dicot divergence in MIT proteins and it was also found clade specific motif diversity. In addition, docking analyses indicated that Asp172 and Gly100 residues to be identified as the closest residues binding to ferrous iron. The percentage of structure overlap of the StMIT 3D protein model with Arabidopsis, maize and rice MIT proteins was found between 80.18% and 85.71%. The transcript analyses exhibited that the expression of StMIT was triggered under drought and salinity stresses. The findings of the present study would provide valuable leads for further studies targeting specifically the MIT gene and generally the plant iron metabolism.

Frataxin (FH) plays a crucial role in the biogenesis of mitochondria and the regulation of iron in the cells of various organisms. However, there has been very little research on FH in plants. In this study, the potato FH gene (StFH) was identified and characterized using a genome-wide approach, and its sequence was compared to those of FH genes from Arabidopsis, rice, and maize. The FH genes were found to have a lineage-specific distribution and were more conserved in monocots than in dicots. While multiple copies of FH genes have been reported in some species, including plants, only one isoform of FH was found in potato. The expression of StFH in leaves and roots was analyzed under two different abiotic stress conditions, and the results showed that StFH was upregulated more in leaves and that its expression levels increased with the severity of the stress. This is the first study to examine the expression of an FH gene under abiotic stress conditions.

Instruments measuring spectral reflectance are extensively used by many researchers to determine the relationship between grain yield (GY), quality, and physiological traits of bread wheat genotypes at different developmental stages. This study was carried out under rain-fed conditions in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 growing seasons in Muş province. The experiment was set up in a randomized block experimental design with 3 replicates. Except to flowering stage chlorophyll content (FSC), statistically significant differences were determined among genotypes at the level of p≤0.01 in all examined characteristics. More explicitly, G6, G8, G10, Müfitbey, Hanlı and Metin in terms of GY; Cemre, Kenanbey and Bezostaja 1 as regards quality traits; Ekiz, G8, and G9 with regard to physiological traits were found as significant genotypes. Biplot model analysis, used to determine genotype-trait and stability relationship, showed that thousand grain weight (TGW) and plant height (PH) were positively associated with both GY and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). GY was found to be related to canopy temperature (CT) and heading time (HT) negatively. Notably, NDVI were positively related to protein ratio. Hanlı, Metin, G6, G8, and G10 were established as the high-yielded stabile genotypes which are least affected from environmental conditions

Boron (B) is an important nutrient, which should be provided to growth media throughout plant life. Despite the significant roles of B in plant metabolism, there is not any information about the involvement of B in enzymatic processes. However, limited studies with relation to the direct participation of B into metabolite synthesis metabolism are present. In this review the genes associated with B toxicity or deficiency and the genes linked to the metabolite synthesis under B stresses were discussed. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

As a plant-specific transcription factor, vascular plant One-Zinc-finger (VOZ) is involved in the regulation of many biological processes. VOZ genes in tomato have not been analysed comprehensively so far. In this study, two SIVOZs were identified on a genome-wide scale in tomato and analysed using various bioinformatics methods. According to Ka/Ks ratio, SlVOZ proteins are being changed by evolutionary processes to adapt to changing growth and stress conditions. Protein structure and phylogenetic analyses also indicated that transcriptional regulations of SlVOZs were controlled in a specific manner related to developmental stages and abiotic stress conditions. Digital expression results, in particular, showed that SlVOZs are not only active during different growth status of tomato but are also involved in abiotic stress response mechanism. Nonetheless, SlVOZ1 is expressed higher in both developmental stages and under salt stress conditions, confirmed by RT-qPCR. The co-expression maps constructed using RNA-seq data showed that SlVOZ2 was associated with the genes involved in hormonal regulation, formation of fruit shape, secondary wall biosynthesis and in plant development. Overall, it can be concluded that SlVOZs are not only important for plant growth and development but may also be part of the salt stress response mechanism. © 2022 Journal of Horticultural Science & Biotechnology.

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of GA on maize seedlings as well as its antioxidative effect under copper (Cu) stress. To that end, maize seedlings were exposed to 1.5 mM GA and 1 mM Cu solutions, and the seedlings were allocated to following experimental groups: 18-hr distilled water (DI) (Control), 6-hr GA + 12-hr DI (GA), 6-hr DI + 12-hr Cu (Cu), 6-hr GA + 12-hr Cu (GA + Cu), 12-hr Cu +6-hr GA (Cu + GA), and 18-hr GA and Cu mixture (GA = Cu). The experiment was designed by randomized block design with three repetitions. The results showed that GA alone and GA + Cu treatments significantly decreased membrane damage and H

The effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization at different growth stages were investigated on durum wheat (Triticum durum L.) grain yield and yield components (with irrigated bed planting) in Diyarbakir, Turkey. N was applied at a rate of 140 kg ha-1 and distributed to one, two and three applications at various combinations with five different growth stages (i.e. sowing, seedling growth, early tillering, stem elongation and booting). This study included 13 treatments, including the control (zero nitrogen). The N application timings (NAT) of the 50% sowing + 50% early tillering and 66% sowing + 33% early tillering treatments were most suitable for durum wheat. The results showed that NAT had significant effect on flowering time, S PA D readings of the early milky ripe stage, plant density, thousand kernel weights, grain filling duration, grain filling rate, grain N content, grain yield, harvest index and grain N yield. In summary, the highest values of parameters studied were obtained from the 50% sowing + 50% first tillering and 66% sowing + 33% early tillering treatments. N fertilization application rate and time of durum wheat genotypes should consist of applying 50-60% of the total N fertilizer at sowing and 40-50% at the early tillering stage under irrigated conditions and with bed planting.

Phytoremediation is a promising means for the treatment of contamination arising from heavy metal spills. Although several species have been identified as hyperaccumulators, most of the studies were performed with only one heavy metal. Experiments were conducted with two cultivars of H. annuus exposed to different combinations of metal contamination (30 mg/kg Cd, Cr, Ni, As, and/or Fe). Cultivar efficiency was based on total metal uptake, as well as translocation and selectivity of each metal. The results for each cultivar were also compared after 0.1 g/kg or 0.3 g/kg EDTA was added to enhance metal bioavailability. The key finding was that H. annuus achieved hyperaccumulator status for multiple metals simultaneously: Cd, Cr, and As.