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Ulmus villosa Brandis ex Gamble, an economically and ecologically important forest tree, is native to the western Himalayas of Pakistan. The long pressure imposed by unsustainable utilization and market demands has resulted in the rapid decline of the U. villosa population in the wild. To date, very limited information on the genomic diversity of U. villosa is available and this can tremendously limit our understanding of distribution and future conservation of U. villosa. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess genetic diversity within U. villosa wild populations of the Hazara Division using four barcoding markers (i.e., rbcL, matK XF + 5R, matK 390F + 1326R and trnH-psbA). A total of six high quality sequences were obtained with rbcL, four with matK XF + 5R, four with matK 390F + 1326R, and fourteen with trnH-psbA. The sequenced regions contained insertions and deletions as well as several SNPs across the length of sequences, and PCR-based markers may be developed from these novel SNPs markers. The phylogenetic results supported the polyphyletic origin of the genus Ulmus, and the data indicated that multiple speciation events may have led to the evolution of U. villosa in this region. For deeper understanding of the origin and evolution of U. villosa, sequencing of the complete nuclear and chloroplast genomes will be pivotal. The results herein provide novel insights into the genomic diversity as well as phylogenetic relationships of U. villosa with other species, and may facilitate both in situ and ex situ conservation efforts for this endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medicinal plant Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. Et Zucc is rich in stilbenes (e.g., polygonin and resveratrol) and anthraquinones (e.g., emodin) for the therapy of human diseases, while how to increase the growth and medicinal composition concentrations of P. cuspidatum has become an urgent issue. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Funneliformis mosseae, on plant growth, phosphorus (P) acquisition, medicinal component concentrations, and expressions of resveratrol synthesis-associated enzyme genes of P. cuspidatum at two P levels (0 M and 0.2 M). P supply (0.2 M) stimulated root AM fungal colonization rate. F. mosseae inoculation significantly improved growth performance (height, diameter, and biomass) and root morphology (diameter, length, and projected area), irrespectively of substrate P levels. P supply and F. mosseae distinctly increased soil acid and neutral phosphatase activities, as well as root P concentrations. P supply increased root physcion and resveratrol concentrations in inoculated and uninoculated plants, along with up-regulated expressions of PcCHS1, PcCRS1, PcRS11, and PcSTS. AM plants represented significantly higher root aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, emodin, physcion, polydatin, and resveratrol concentrations than non-AM plants irrespective of P levels, coupled with up-regulated expressions of PcCHS1, PcCHS2, PcRS11, PcRS, and PcSTS. It is concluded that 0.2 M P supply and F. mosseae inoculation promoted chrysophanol, physcion, polydatin, and resveratrol concentrations of P. cuspidatum, with the increase in resveratrol associated with up-regulated expressions of related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbate-glutathione cycle is an important pathway for plants to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) under environmental stress conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the endophytic fungus Serendipita indica on biomass, chlorophyll concent, ROS levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, and ascorbate-glutathione cycle in white clover under ample water and water stress conditions. The results showed that 46 days of soil water stress distinctly promoted root colonization by S. indica. Under water stress, S. indica inoculation significantly promoted shoot and root biomass, total chlorophyll content, and activities of superoxide dismutases (SOD; e.g., Fe-SOD and Cu/Zn-SOD) and peroxidase in roots, coupled with a decrease in malondialdehyde content in roots. In the ascorbate-glutathione cycle of roots, S. indica also significantly increased the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in water-stressed white clover, along with the increase in reduced ascorbic acid and reduced/oxidized glutathione contents, thus accelerating the ascorbate-glutathione cycle in inoculated plants to scavenge more ROS (e.g., hydrogen peroxide). As a result, S. indica enhanced the tolerance of white clover in response to water stress by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities and accelerating the ascorbate-glutathione cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry Fusarium wilt, caused by the virulent fungus Fusarium oxysporum formae speciales fragariae (Fof) is a devastating soil-borne disease that causes severe production losses worldwide, including Japan. Fof is one of the top 10 fungal pathogens that threaten global crop security, and a method to effectively control this pathogen has yet to be found. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi against Fof to develop an efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly approach to improve plant health and fitness. A total of 19 fungal isolates were assessed, out of which three (SK47, SK48, and SK51) were selected based on their effectiveness in disease suppression in controlled growth chamber conditions using a soil system. Isolates SK47, SK48, and SK51 suppressed disease severity by 85.71, 61.90, and 90.48%, respectively. Molecular identification based on highly conserved small subunit (SSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and large subunit (LSU) nrRNA regions identified these isolates as DSE Exophiala sp., Exophiala pisciphila , and Cladophialophora chaetospira , respectively. The sequences were deposited under accession numbers MN811693–MN811695 in the GenBank database. Notably, our results revealed that isolate C. chaetospira SK51 possessed superior growth promotion activities as well as disease suppression by significantly increased plant growth parameters (shoot and root dry mass, chlorophyll content, flower bud initiation, and number of fruit) in comparison to control plants and other two fungal candidates. Root colonization by C. chaetospira SK51 was visualized, and it was confirmed that the symbiosis with strawberry plants occurred successfully. Our results provide new insights in the application of DSE fungus C. chaetospira SK51 as a biocontrol agent on strawberry plants could promote plant growth, flower bud initiation, and fruit formation. C. chaetospira SK51 exhibited remarkable beneficial traits for the host plant, and it can potentially be applied in the development of new, safe, and effective treatments as an alternative to chemical fertilizers and fungicides for sustainable crop protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Symbiotic association of DSE to alter strawberry flowering behaviors is proposed. • We manipulated LD photoperiod to induce flowering on tested SD strawberry. • Flower bud constantly initiated and accelerated by co-cultivation of C. chaetospira SK51. • C. chaetospira SK51 markedly stimulated the greatest flower induction (94.8%). • No significance correlation between flower-inducing and growth-promoting activities. Due to the economic importance of strawberry, many countries have established national breeding programs aimed at improving the flowering time and fruiting season to achieve year-round fruit availability. The ability of crops to produce fruits throughout the year with "flowering on command" is still a challenge in strawberry production systems. Although growth promotion by dark septate endophytic (DSE) fungi has been reported, the symbiotic association that alters flowering behaviors in photoperiodic fruit crops has not been studied. Here we established an experimental scheme for inducing the short-day (SD) strawberry cultivar Fragaria vesca to initiate flowering under a long-day (LD) photoperiod in symbiotic association with DSE fungus. We evaluated the relationship between growth-promoting and flower-inducing activities using Pearson's correlation analysis. Symbiotic association with C. chaetospira SK51 markedly stimulated SD strawberry cultivar to initiate early flowering, with the greatest flower induction (94.8%) and highest number of fruits (10.6 fruits/plant) during cultivation under a 16-h LD photoperiod at 23 °C, defined as non-flower-inductive conditions, considered as a new finding. We found that the interactions between C. chaetospira SK51 and strawberry plants markedly contributed to accelerating the earliness of the flowering time, as flower buds were initiated 90 days earlier than in the untreated control. Interestingly, we show that plant response in flowering by co-cultivation of C. chaetospira SK51 is constantly induce under various soil types and pHs. Based on Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis, we suggest that flowering behavior has a weakly non-significant relationship with growth-promoting activities, indicating that the control of flowering has a different or indirect pathway. Strawberry plants in symbiosis with C. chaetospira SK51 might be well-adapted to all regions and help preserve crops resilience against adverse climate conditions. These findings provide an essential resource and new insight for photoperiodic flowering research and innovation that can be adopted to deliver sustainable solutions that eventually will lead to extending and increasing crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]