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Selenium is a beneficial element in agriculture, particularly for its potential to improve plant growth and stress tolerance at suitable concentrations. In this study, Phaseolus vulgaris was foliar-sprayed with selenium selenate (Se) or selenium nanoparticles (SeNP) at different concentrations during the vegetative stage; afterward, the seed yield was analyzed for metabolomics using 1 H, J-resolved and HSQC NMR data, and NMR databases. A total of 47 metabolites were identified with sugars being the major chemical class. In the control sample, the most abundant sugar was stachyose (14.6 ± 0.8 mM). Among the identified alkaloids, the concentration of trigonelline was the highest (0.6 ± 0.08 mM). Chemometric and cluster analyses distinctly differentiated the control from the Se and SeNP-treated samples. Treatments with SeNP resulted in elevated concentrations of sugars, carboxylic acids, and sulfur-containing amino acids compared to control and Se treated samples. Conversely, betaine levels were higher in Se samples. The presence of Se and SeNP significantly decreased the levels of several aliphatic amino acids, e.g. alanine. The addition of 50 µM SeNP upregulated the levels of trigonelline and syringate by 2-fold and 1.75-fold, respectively, relative to the control. Pathway analysis indicated the most significantly altered pathways due to SeNP addition were arginine biosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism. The pathways influenced by Se addition were glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism as well as glycine-serine and threonine metabolism. This study proved that SeNP are more efficient than Se in enhancing the metabolic profile of Phaseolus vulgaris which will have implications for agricultural practices, focusing on the sustainability and nutritional enhancement of crops., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The plant materials acquired from the Crop Institute, Agricultural Research Center in Giza, Egypt. These materials were planted after obtaining authorization, and the experiments were carried out in the Botany and Microbiology Department of Helwan University in Egypt. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Clinical trial number: Not applicable Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Phaseolus vulgaris is a warm-season crop sensitive to low temperatures, which can adversely affect its growth, yield, and market value. Exogenous growth regulators, such as diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6), have shown potential in alleviating stress caused by adverse environmental conditions. However, the effects that DA-6 has on P. vulgaris plants subjected to low-temperature stress are not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact DA-6 has on the growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant system, and gene expression in cold-tolerant (YJ009763) and cold-sensitive (Baibulao) P. vulgaris seedlings under low-temperature stress., Results: To simulate low-temperature stress, P. vulgaris seedlings were exposed to 5 °C, and 25 mg/L DA-6 solution applied to their leaves. This study revealed that DA-6 significantly enhanced the growth and photosynthetic performance of P. vulgaris seedlings under low-temperature stress. Specifically, DA-6 increased chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rates, reducing stomatal limitation and enhancing carbon assimilation. It also improved the photosynthetic efficiency by boosting electron transport in the reaction center. The antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were markedly increased following DA-6 treatment. After 24 h of low-temperature stress, the cold-tolerant seedlings showed a 68.95% increase in POD activity, whereas the cold-sensitive seedlings displayed a 160.63% increase in SOD activity and an 85.56% increase in CAT activity. In addition, DA-6 significantly reduced the production rate of superoxide anion radical generation, with a 25.24% reduction in cold-tolerant seedlings and a 49.38% reduction in cold-sensitive seedlings. Under low-temperature stress, exogenous DA-6 could upregulate the relative expression of antioxidant enzyme-related genes, such as PvSOD and PvAPX. DA-6 also promoted the expression of key antioxidant genes, including PvMDHAR and PvDHAR2, which accelerated the ascorbate-glutathione cycle and mitigated oxidative stress., Conclusion: Exogenous application of DA-6 effectively alleviates low-temperature stress in P. vulgaris by enhancing photosynthetic capacity and regulating the antioxidant defense system. Cold-tolerant varieties exhibited a stronger response to DA-6, demonstrating a greater ability to withstand cold stress. These findings suggest that DA-6 treatment could serve as a promising approach for improving the resilience of P. vulgaris to low temperatures., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Adenine metabolism is important for common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) productivity since this legume uses ureides derived from the oxidation of purine nucleotides as its primary nitrogen storage molecules. Purine nucleotides are produced from de novo synthesis or through salvage pathways. Adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) is the enzyme dedicated to adenine nucleobase salvage for nucleotide synthesis, but it can also convert active cytokinin bases into their inactive nucleotide forms. In common bean, APRT is encoded by four genes. Gene expression analysis, biochemical properties, and subcellular location indicated functional differences among the common bean APRT isoforms. CRISPR/Cas9 targeted down-regulation of two of the four PvAPRTs followed by metabolomic and physiological analyses of targeted hairy roots revealed that, although the two proteins have redundant functions, PvAPRT1 mostly participated in the salvage of adenine, whereas PvAPRT5 was the predominant form in the regulation of cytokinin homeostasis and stress responses with a high impact in root and nodule growth., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.)

The cultivation of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in semi-arid regions is affected by drought. To explore potential alleviation strategies, we investigated the impact of inoculation with Bacillus velezensis, and the application of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) via foliage application (FA), which promote plant growth and enhance stress tolerance. A split-split-plot experiment with four replications was conducted, featuring two irrigation levels: full watering (FW, 100% of plant water requirements) and deficit watering (DW, 70% of plant water requirements) as a main plot, two ASA levels (No foliage application (NFA) 0 and 0.5 mM) as sub plot, and bacterial inoculation (BI) versus non-bacterial inoculation (NBI) as sub-sub plot. Results showed that the highest grain yield was achieved with the ASA + BI under FW (3270 kg ha - ¹), a 56% increase compared to the control (2094 kg ha - ¹). Under DW, the ASA + BI increased yield by approximately 30%. ASA significantly increased relative water content under deficit watering, achieving 84% with BI. Chlorophyll a content peaked at 3.11 mg g - 1 with full watering, and chlorophyll b content increased by up to 23.8% under deficit watering, indicating improved photosynthetic capacity. Malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide levels were reduced to 10.88 and 14.81 µmol g - ¹ fresh weight, respectively, in ASA + BI treatments, demonstrating reduced oxidative stress. Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly elevated in treated plants under DW. This study demonstrates the potential of microbial and hormonal treatments in boosting drought tolerance in common beans, providing a viable approach for sustaining crop performance under stress conditions., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All required permits have been received from University of Tehran. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Nitrogen (N) nutrition impacts on primary carbon metabolism and can lead to changes in δ 13 C of respired CO 2 . However, uncertainty remains as to whether (1) the effect of N nutrition is observed in all species, (2) N source also impacts on respired CO 2 in roots and (3) a metabolic model can be constructed to predict δ 13 C of respired CO 2 under different N sources. Here, we carried out isotopic measurements of respired CO 2 and various metabolites using two species (spinach, French bean) grown under different NH 4 + :NO 3 - ratios. Both species showed a similar pattern, with a progressive 13 C-depletion in leaf-respired CO 2 as the ammonium proportion increased, while δ 13 C in root-respired CO 2 showed little change. Supervised multivariate analysis showed that δ 13 C of respired CO 2 was mostly determined by organic acid (malate, citrate) metabolism, in both leaves and roots. We then took advantage of nonstationary, two-pool modelling that explained 73% of variance in δ 13 C in respired CO 2 . It demonstrates the critical role of the balance between the utilisation of respiratory intermediates and the remobilisation of stored organic acids, regardless of anaplerotic bicarbonate fixation by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and the organ considered., (© 2024 The Author(s). Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The global prevalence of iron deficiency-induced "hidden hunger" highlights a critical health concern, underscoring the pressing need to improve iron nutrition through safe and efficient means, such as increasing iron intake from plant-based foods. Yellow Stripe-Like (YSL) genes play a crucial role in long-distance iron transport between source and sink tissues in plants. Here, we report on the analysis of YSL family genes in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), an iron-rich legume crop. We identified 9 YSL genes in the common bean genome using BLAST and HMM methods. Gene duplication analysis revealed that PvYSL7a and PvYSL7b originated through tandem duplication events. Structural analysis noted an absence of conservative motifs in PvYSL3b and PvYSL7a, which led to distinct predicted 3D protein structures. Leveraging publicly available RNA-seq data from developing bean pods, the expression patterns of PvYSL genes alongside pod and seed development were analyzed. Notably, PvYSL7a and PvYSL7b, as well as PvYSL1a and PvYSL1b, exhibited diverged expression patterns in seeds, signifying their functional divergence in this tissue. Moreover, PvYSL3a and PvYSL3b exhibited divergent expression patterns in both pod walls and seeds during pod development, underscoring their distinct roles in facilitating iron transportation between pods and seeds. This study provides valuable insights into the gene regulatory basis of iron accumulation in bean pods and seeds., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing Interests: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is considered as plant growth promoter under heavy metal stress, though its specific effects on photosynthesis are rarely explored. This study investigates the protective effects of exogenous H 2 S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) on chlorophyll metabolism and photosystem II (PSII) function in 24-day-old bean plants exposed to 10 μM chromium (Cr) stress. Sodium hydrosulfide (100 μM) reduced Cr accumulation in both roots and leaves, leading to restored plant growth. Concomitantly, H₂S mitigated Cr-induced oxidative damages by decreasing reactive oxygen species levels and further enhancing antioxidant scavenging activities. This resulted in significant reductions in Cr-elevated leaf pheophytin and chlorophyllide levels by 59% and 67%, respectively. Furthermore, NaHS application increased levels of porphyrin and its precursor, 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), in Cr-stressed bean. The up-regulation in chlorophyll biosynthesis was associated with enhanced activities of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase, essential for glutamate (precursor of 5-ALA) production, as well as nitrate and nitrite reductase, leading to increased nitric oxide generation. Under Cr stress, H₂S significantly improved the electron transport rate, effective quantum yield of PSII, and photochemical quenching by 112%, 53%, and 38%, respectively, while reducing non-photochemical quenching by 50%. Furthermore, H₂S promoted net CO₂ assimilation and photosynthesis at saturating light, respectively, while reducing stomatal conductance and transpiration to maintain water balance. Exogenous H₂S restored respiration, as indicated by increased light saturation and compensation points in Cr-treated plants. Overall, these findings indicate that H₂S regulates photosynthesis in Cr-stressed bean by modulating nitrogen and chlorophyll metabolism, thereby optimizing PSII efficiency and gas exchange., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Leaf-cutting ants (Formicidae; Atta spp., Acromyrmex spp.) cut off pieces of leaves and other plant tissue and feed it to their symbiotic fungi. As this foraging behavior poses an imminent threat to agriculture, leaf-cutting ants are considered as pests of huge ecologically and economically importance. Consequently, research on leaf-cutting ants focused on their foraging decisions and interactions with their cultivated symbiotic fungi, whereas their effect on the attacked plants, apart from the loss of plant tissue, remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the consequences of an attack by leaf-cutting ants and analyzed the plants' defense responses in comparison to chewing caterpillars and mechanical damage. We found that an attack by leaf-cutting ants induces the production of jasmonates in several host and non-host plant species (Arabidopsis thaliana, Vicia faba, Phaseolus lunatus, Tococa quadrialata). Additionally, we showed in the natural host plant lima bean (P. lunatus) that leaf-cutting ant damage immediately leads to the emission of typical herbivory-induced plant volatiles, including green leaf volatiles and terpenoids. Further data exploration revealed clear differences in the defense-related phytohormone profile in plant species of Neotropical and Eurasian origin. Taken together, we show that leaf-cutting ant infestation and their way of clipping the plants' tissues induce jasmonate and jasmonates-mediated responses and do not differ from those to mechanical injury or larval feeding., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Seed development requires substantial metabolic resources and is influenced by adverse environmental conditions. However, the ability of plants to produce viable seeds under restrictive conditions suggests the existence of mechanisms that make this process less sensitive to environmental stress. Uncovering their regulation could lead to the development of genotypes better adapted to stressful conditions. Plant response to stress is complex, and the contribution of organs such as the fruit pericarp to stress tolerance mechanism may have been underestimated. The bean fruit pericarp, a photosynthetic structure that contributes to seed development, can synthesize starch from surplus sucrose, which is later degraded during the rapid seed growth phase. This metabolic flexibility may be crucial for supporting seed growth when the photosynthate supply is reduced. To explore this possibility, we disrupted phloem continuity at the pedicel level in fruits about to enter the seed reserve accumulation stage. We used the capacity of the pericarp to incorporate 14 CO 2 to investigate changes in its metabolism. Our findings reveal that, in response to reduced photosynthate availability, the fruit pericarp did not increase 14 CO 2 fixation. However, the amount of 14 C used for starch synthesis decreased, while the proportion used for soluble sugars synthesis increased. This shift resulted in an increase in 14 C-products transported to seeds was accompanied by a significant increase in the activity of cytosolic fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase. Our results indicate that photosynthate restriction accelerates the degradation of pericarp storage proteins, and the increase in cFBPase activity could be crucial in converting the carbon produced in carbohydrates., (© 2024 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Anthropogenic activities, encompassing vast agricultural and industrial operations around the world, exert substantial pressure on the environment, culminating in profound ecological impacts. These activities exacerbate soil contamination problems with pollutants such as mercury (Hg) and chlorpyrifos (CPF) that are notable for their widespread presence and detrimental effects. The objective of this study is to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of Phaseolus vulgaris L., augmented with various combinations of biochar, mycorrhizal, and compost amendments, as a sustainable alternative for the remediation of soils contaminated with Hg and CPF. For this purpose, soil from a mining area with mercury contamination has been taken, to which CPF has been added in different concentrations. Then, previously germinated Phaseolus vulgaris L. seedlings with an average height of 10 cm were planted. Electrical conductivity, pH, organic matter, CPF, and Hg, as well as seedling growth parameters, have been evaluated to determine the processes of absorption of soil contaminants into the plant. A combination of biochar with mycorrhiza has been found to be an optimal choice for CPF and Hg remediation. However, all amendments have proven to be efficient in the remediation processes of the tested contaminants., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites associated with plant seed coat and flower color. These compounds provide health benefits to humans as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. The expression of the late biosynthetic genes in the flavonoid pathway is controlled by a ternary MBW protein complex consisting of interfacing MYB, beta-helix-loop-helix (bHLH), and WD40 Repeat (WDR) proteins. P, the master regulator gene of the flavonoid expression in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), was recently determined to encode a bHLH protein. The T and Z genes control the distribution of color in bean seeds and flowers and have historically been considered regulators of the flavonoid gene expression. T and Z candidates were identified using reverse genetics based on genetic mapping, phylogenetic analysis, and mutant analysis. Domain and AlphaFold2 structure analyses determined that T encodes a seven-bladed β-propeller WDR protein, while Z encodes a R2R3 MYB protein. Deletions and SNPs in T and Z mutants, respectively, altered the 3D structure of these proteins. Modeling of the Z MYB/P bHLH/T WDR MBW complex identified interfacing sequence domains and motifs in all three genes that are conserved in dicots. One Z MYB motif is a possible beta-molecular recognition feature (β-MoRF) that only appears in a structured state when Z MYB is modeled as a component of a MBW complex. Complexes containing mutant T and Z proteins changed the interaction of members of the complex in ways that would alter their role in regulating the expression of genes in the flavonoid pathway., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Genetics Society of America.)

To improve the conventional germination process and improve the nutritional quality of red kidney beans, this study employed high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) supplemented with hydrogen peroxide as a pre-germination treatment. The results showed that the 350 W-10 min treatment yielded the highest germination rate (77.09%), with its sprout length 81.13% greater than that of the control group. The 350 W-10 min treatment increased total protein, soluble protein, and ash content, while simultaneously reducing the fat, starch, and soluble sugar content. The HIU treatment accelerated the accumulation of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, ascorbic acid, and γ-aminobutyric acid. The 350 W-10 min treatment also decreased the levels of phytic acid, trypsin inhibitor activity, and tannin by 42.71%, 65.58%, and 53.18%, respectively. Furthermore, ultrasonic cavitation enhanced antioxidative capacity and improved amino acid composition and protein digestibility. Consequently, HIU serves as a cost-efficient method to accelerate the germination process and enhance their nutritional composition., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of this study have declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have emerged as global pollutants due to their extensive use across various industries, raising particular concerns in agricultural settings. This study addresses the understudied interactions between ENPs, specifically cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO₂NPs), and sodium chloride (NaCl) in agricultural crops, within the context of widespread soil salinization. 'Pinto' common bean seedlings were cultivated in sand-filled pots under greenhouse conditions, following a completely randomized experimental design for one month. Four treatments were administered: (1) control with no NaCl and no CeO₂NPs, (2) 50 mM NaCl without CeO₂NPs, (3) 200 mg kg -1 CeO₂NPs without NaCl, and (4) a combination of 50 mM NaCl and 200 mg kg -1 CeO₂NPs. Weekly measurements were conducted, and a random cohort of 20 plants, including 5 from each treatment, was destructively sampled. At the experiment's conclusion, the final cohort was dissected into above- and below-ground organs to determine the concentrations of Ce and Na, and root scans were performed to analyze root system architectural traits. The results revealed significant differences in growth including root system architecture (including length, surface area, and volume), anatomical traits, biomass (fresh and dry), and vine length. Similarly, significant differences were observed in fluorescence; Ce and Na concentrations; electrolyte leakage, with the CeO 2 NPs + NaCl treatment having 3.3-fold more leakage than the control; and chlorophyll contents, with the CeO 2 NPs treatment having 3.3-fold more chlorophyll a than the NaCl treatment. Additionally, notable interactions between NaCl and CeO₂NPs were observed in root apoplastic barrier formation, vine length, Ce uptake, and chlorophyll content and fluorescence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Lorenzo Rossi reports financial support was provided by National Institute of Food and Agriculture. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The Andean domesticated common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are significant sources of phenolic compounds associated with health benefits. However, the regulation of biosynthesis of these compounds during bean seed development remains unclear. To elucidate the gene expression patterns involved in the regulation of the flavonoid pathway, we conducted a transcriptome analysis of two contrasting Chilean varieties, Negro Argel (black bean) and Coscorron (white bean), at three developmental stages associated with seed color change, as well as different flavonoid compound accumulations. Our study reveals that phenolic compound synthesis initiates during seed filling, although it exhibits desynchronization between both varieties. We identified 10,153 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) across all comparisons. The KEGG pathway 'Flavonoid biosynthesis' showed enrichment of induced DEGs in Negro Argel (PV172), consistent with the accumulation of delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin hexosides in their seeds, while catechin glucoside, procyanidin and kaempferol derivatives were predominantly detected in Coscorrón (PV24). Furthermore, while the flavonoid pathway was active in both varieties, our results suggest that enzymes involved in the final steps, such as ANS and UGT, were crucial, inducing anthocyanin formation in Negro Argel. Additionally, during active anthocyanin biosynthesis, the accumulation of reserve proteins or those related to seed protection and germination was induced. These findings provide valuable insights and serve as a guide for plant breeding aimed at enhancing the health and nutritional properties of common beans., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Seed colors and color patterns are critical for the survival of wild plants and the consumer appeal of crops. In common bean, a major global staple, these patterns are also essential in determining market classes, yet the genetic and environmental control of many pigmentation patterns remains unresolved. In this study, we genetically mapped variation for several important seed pattern loci, including T, Bip, p hbw , and Z, which co-segregated with candidate genes PvTTG1, PvMYC1, PvTT8, and PvTT2, respectively. Proteins encoded by these genes are predicted to work together in MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complexes, propagating flavonoid biosynthesis across the seed coat as observed in Arabidopsis. Whole-genome sequencing of 37 accessions identified mutations, including seven unique parallel mutations in T (PvTTG1) and non-synonymous SNPs in highly conserved residues in bip ana (PvMYC1) and z (PvTT2). A 612 bp intron deletion in p hbw (PvTT8) eliminated motifs conserved since the Papilionoideae origin and corresponded to a 20-fold reduction in transcript abundance. In multi-location field trials of seven varieties with partial seed coat pigmentation patterning, the pigmented seed coat area correlated positively with ambient temperature, with up to 11-fold increases in the pigmented area from the coolest to the warmest environments. In controlled growth chamber conditions, an increase of 4°C was sufficient to cause pigmentation on an average additional 21% of the seed coat area. Our results shed light on key steps of flavonoid biosynthesis in common bean. They will inform breeding efforts for seed coat color/patterning to improve consumer appeal in this nutritious staple crop., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Soil salinization significantly impacts agricultural lands and crop productivity in the study area. Moreover, freshwater scarcity poses a significant obstacle to soil reclamation and agricultural production. Therefore, eco-friendly strategies must be adopted for agro-ecosystem sustainability under these conditions. A study conducted in 2022 and 2023 examined the interaction effects of various soil mulching materials (unmulched, white plastic, rice straw, and sawdust) and chitosan foliar spray application (control, 250 mg L -1 of normal chitosan, 125 mg L -1 of nano chitosan, and 62.5 mg L -1 of nano chitosan) on the biochemical soil characteristics and productivity of common beans in clay-saline soil. Higher organic matter, available nutrient content, and total bacteria count in soils were found under organic mulching treatments (rice straw and sawdust). In contrast, the white plastic mulching treatment resulted in the lowest values of soil electrical conductivity (EC) and the highest soil water content. Conversely, chitosan foliar spray treatments had the least impact on the chemical properties of the soil. Plants sprayed with 62.5 mg L -1 of nano chitosan exhibited higher chlorophyll content, plant height, fresh weight of shoots and roots, seed yield, and nutrient content compared to other chitosan foliar spray applications. All treatments studied led to a significant reduction in fungal communities and Na% in plants. The combined effect of organic mulch materials and foliar spray application of 62.5 mg L -1 nano chitosan appeared to enhance biochemical saline soil properties and common bean productivity., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Khalifa et al.)

Graphene oxide (GO) is a novel nanomaterial being applied in different fields, but was less used as foliar fertilizer in agriculture. We conducted a pot experiment to analyze the effects of foliar spraying GO from 0 (control), 50 (T 1 ), 100 (T 2 ), 150 (T 3 ) and 200 mg·L -1 (T 4 ) on the morphogenesis and carbon and nitrogen metabolism of kidney bean plants during the initiation of flowering to clarify the physiological effects of foliar spraying GO. The results showed that dry matter accumulation, the content of photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars of T 1 to T 4 treatments, were significantly increased by 40.7%-43.4%, 10.4%-80.7%, 6.4%-9.1% in kidney bean plants compared with CK treatment, respectively. T 3 treatment performed the best. Meanwhile, the activities of sucrose phosphate synthase, acid converting enzyme and neutral converting enzyme of T 3 and T 4 treatments were increased by 25.7%-45.5%, 17.4%-28.6%, and 14.7%-20.1%, and the activities of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, and glutamate synthetase of T 2 and T 3 treatments were increased by 8.1%-15.2%, 11.5%-25.0%, and 89.7%-93.1%, respectively. In conclusion, foliar spraying of appropriate GO in early flowering stage of kidney bean could increase the content of photosynthetic pigments, improve the level of photosynthetic carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and increase dry matter accumulation. T 3 treatment (150 mg·L -1 ) was the most effective in this study.

Background: The phosphorylation of the Light-Harvesting Complex of photosystem II (LHCII) driven by STATE TRANSITION 7 (STN7) kinase is a part of one of the crucial regulatory mechanisms of photosynthetic light reactions operating in fluctuating environmental conditions, light in particular. There are evidenced that STN7 can also be activated without light as well as in dark-chilling conditions. However, the biochemical mechanism standing behind this complex metabolic pathway has not been deciphered yet., Results: In this work, we showed that dark-chilling induces light-independent LHCII phosphorylation in runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.). In dark-chilling conditions, we registered an increased reduction of the PQ pool which led to activation of STN7 kinase, subsequent LHCII phosphorylation, and possible LHCII relocation inside the thylakoid membrane. We also presented the formation of a complex composed of phosphorylated LHCII and photosystem I typically formed upon light-induced phosphorylation. Moreover, we indicated that the observed steps were preceded by the activation of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) enzymes and starch accumulation., Conclusions: Our results suggest a direct connection between photosynthetic complexes reorganization and dark-chilling-induced activation of the thioredoxin system. The proposed possible pathway starts from the activation of OPPP enzymes and further NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase C (NTRC) activation. In the next steps, NTRC simultaneously activates ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and thylakoid membrane-located NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-like complex. These results in starch synthesis and electron transfer to the plastoquinone (PQ) pool, respectively. Reduced PQ pool activates STN7 kinase which phosphorylates LHCII. In this work, we present a new perspective on the mechanisms involving photosynthetic complexes while efficiently operating in the darkness. Although we describe the studied pathway in detail, taking into account also the time course of the following steps, the biological significance of this phenomenon remains puzzling., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The NAC family of transcription factors includes no apical meristem (NAM), Arabidopsis thaliana transcription activator 1/2 (ATAF1/2), and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC2) proteins, which are unique to plants, contributing significantly to their adaptation to environmental challenges. In the present study, we observed that the PvNAC52 protein is predominantly expressed in the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. Overexpression of PvNAC52 in Arabidopsis strengthened plant resilience to salt, alkali, osmotic, and ABA stresses. PvNAC52 significantly ( p < 0.05) reduced the degree of oxidative damage to cell membranes, proline content, and plant water loss by increasing the expression of MSD1 , FSD1 , CSD1 , POD , PRX69 , CAT , and P5CS2 . Moreover, the expression of genes associated with abiotic stress responses, such as SOS1 , P5S1 , RD29A , NCED3 , ABIs , LEAs , and DREBs , was enhanced by PvNAC52 overexpression. A yeast one-hybrid assay showed that PvNAC52 specifically binds to the cis-acting elements ABRE (abscisic acid-responsive elements, ACGTG) within the promoter. This further suggests that PvNAC52 is responsible for the transcriptional modulation of abiotic stress response genes by identifying the core sequence, ACGTG. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the further analysis of the targeted cis-acting elements and genes downstream of PvNAC52 in the common bean.

Common beans are a common staple food with valuable nutritional qualities, but their high contents in antinutritional factors (ANFs) can decrease the bioavailability of (i) fat-soluble micronutrients including carotenoids and (ii) minerals. Our objective was to select ANF-poor bean lines that would not interfere with carotenoid and mineral bioavailability. To achieve this objective, seeds of commercial and experimental Phaseolus vulgaris L. bean lines were produced for 2 years and the bean's content in ANFs (saponins, phytates, tannins, total polyphenols) was assessed. We then measured carotenoid bioaccessibility and mineral solubility (i.e. the fraction of carotenoid and mineral that transfer into the aqueous phase of the digesta and is therefore absorbable) from prepared beans using in vitro digestion. All beans contained at least 200 mg/100 g of saponins and 2.44 mg/100 g tannins. The low phytic acid (lpa) lines, lpa1 and lpa1 2 exhibited lower phytate levels (≈ - 80%, p = 0.007 and p = 0.02) than their control BAT-93. However, this decrease had no significant impact on mineral solubility. HP5/1 (lpa + phaseolin and lectin PHA-E free) bean line, induced an improvement in carotenoid bioaccessibility (i.e., + 38%, p = 0.02, and + 32%, p = 0.005, for phytofluene bioaccessibility in 2021 and 2022, respectively). We conclude that decrease in the phytate bean content should thus likely be associated to decreases in other ANFs such as tannins or polyphenols to lead to significant improvement of micronutrient bioaccessibility., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to investigate the availability of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids in mutant bean seeds, focusing on M 7 mutant lines, and their corresponding initial and local cultivars. HPLC-DAD-MS/MS and HPLC-MS/MS were used to analyze twenty-eight genotypes of common bean. The obtained results suggest that the mutations resulted in four newly synthesized anthocyanins in the mutant bean seeds, namely, delphinidin 3- O -glucoside, cyanidin 3- O -glucoside, pelargonidin 3- O -glucoside, and petunidin 3- O -glucoside, in 20 accessions with colored seed shapes out of the total of 28. Importantly, the initial cultivar with white seeds, as well as the mutant white seeds, did not contain anthocyanins. The mutant lines were classified into groups based on their colors as novel qualitative characteristics. Five phenolic acids were further quantified: ferulic, p -coumaric, caffeic, sinapic, and traces of chlorogenic acids. Flavonoids were represented by epicatechin, quercetin, and luteolin, and their concentrations in the mutant genotypes were several-fold superior compared to those of the initial cultivar. All mutant lines exhibited higher concentrations of phenolic acids and flavonoids. These findings contribute to the understanding of the genetics and biochemistry of phenolic accumulation and anthocyanin production in common bean seeds, which is relevant to health benefits and might have implications for common bean breeding programs and food security efforts.

Legumes establish symbiosis with rhizobia, forming nitrogen-fixing nodules. The central role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in nodule biology has been clearly established. Recently, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and other reactive sulfur species (RSS) have emerged as novel signaling molecules in animals and plants. A major mechanism by which ROS, RNS, and RSS fulfil their signaling role is the post-translational modification of proteins. To identify possible functions of H2S in nodule development and senescence, we used the tag-switch method to quantify changes in the persulfidation profile of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) nodules at different developmental stages. Proteomic analyses indicate that persulfidation plays a regulatory role in plant and bacteroid metabolism and senescence. The effect of a H2S donor on nodule functioning and on several proteins involved in ROS and RNS homeostasis was also investigated. Our results using recombinant proteins and nodulated plants support a crosstalk among H2S, ROS, and RNS, a protective function of persulfidation on redox-sensitive enzymes, and a beneficial effect of H2S on symbiotic nitrogen fixation. We conclude that the general decrease of persulfidation levels observed in plant proteins of aging nodules is one of the mechanisms that disrupt redox homeostasis leading to senescence., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.)

The effects of heat moisture treatment (HMT) times on the physicochemical properties of three bean flours and their starch were analyzed. The colors of L*, b* and ΔE values increased significantly with time. The adzuki bean and pea flours showed better WAI and SP, and better gelation of starch at 2 h. The rheological properties of mixed HMT dough (3:7) exhibited the typical solid-like weak gel behavior. HMT had a significantly decreased on the pasting viscosity of bean flour starch with treated time. HMT caused the starch granules damage, but did not radically change the crystal type. FTIR results showed more proteins attached to the surface of starch granules, and the short-range molecular order decreased the DO at 2 h. In vitro digestibility inferred that RDS converted into SDS and RS. These results indicated that HMT significantly affected the digestibility and physicochemical properties of bean flours., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Continuous increasing leaf photosynthesis may enhance plant yield. As an evolutionary property, plants use less photosynthetic capacity than is theoretically possible. Plant nanobionics is a bioengineering field that improves plant functions using nanoparticles. We applied orange carbon dots (o-CDs) onto the foliage of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris ) grown in hydroponics to improve their photosynthetic performance and CO2 assimilation. Photosynthesis parameters, photosynthetic pigments content, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidative activity (TAA) were measured. Results show that photosynthetic pigments remained unchanged, while photosynthesis was improved. Both o-CDs concentrations decreased TPC and TAA. The light response curve showed higher CO2 assimilation at both o-CDs concentrations, particularly at lower light intensity. Correlation analysis confirmed increased CO2 binding and assimilation at 1mg L-1 . This study demonstrated the potential of using o-CDs as a safe biostimulator through photosynthesis increase and CO2 assimilation without toxic effects on plants. This may stimulate yield increase that paves the way for their agricultural application.

Chemotherapy is still a prevalent strategy for clinical lung cancer treatment. However, the inevitable emerged drug resistance has become a great hurdle to therapeutic effect. Studies have demonstrated that the primary cause of drug resistance is a decrease in the chemotherapeutic medicine concentration. Several lectins have been confirmed to be effective as chemotherapy adjuvants, enhancing the anti-tumor effects of chemotherapy drugs. Here, we combined phytohemagglutinin (PHA), which has been reported possess anti-tumor effects, with chemotherapy drugs Cisplatin (DDP) and Adriamycin (ADM) on lung cancer cells to detect the sensitivities of PHA as a chemotherapy adjuvant. Our results demonstrated that the PHA significantly enhanced the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to DDP and ADM, and Western blot showed that PHA combined with DDP or ADM enhance cytotoxic effects by inhibiting autophagy and promoting apoptosis. More importantly, we found PHA enhanced the chemotherapeutic drugs cytotoxicity by changing the cell membrane to increase the intracellular chemotherapeutic drugs concentration. Besides, the combination of PHA and ADM increased the ADM concentration in the multidrug-resistant strain A549-R cells and achieved the drug sensitization effect. Our results suggest that PHA combined with chemotherapy can be applied in the treatment of lung cancer cells and lung cancer multidrug-resistant strains, and provide a novel strategy for clinical tumor chemotherapy and a new idea to solve the problem of drug resistance in clinical lung cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Pharmacognosy.)

The use of bio-stimulants in agriculture has emerged as a promising strategy to improve crop growth and yield. One type of bio-stimulant that has gained attention is microalgae extracts, which are known for their high metabolic activity, bioactive compounds, and ability to enhance plant growth and development. To investigate their effectiveness, a pot experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm of Helwan University in Egypt during the 2022 season. The experiment aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Chlorella vulgaris, Nannochloropsis salina, and Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina platensis) extracts as bio-stimulants, applied through foliar spray at concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 2.0%, on common bean plants. Analysis of algal extract showed that . N. salina had the highest content of promotive growth hormones gibberellins (GA 3 ) (74.85 ± 2.7mg100 g -1 d.wt). and auxins (IAA) (34.57 ± 2.7µg 100 g -1 d.wt.) compared to Chlorella and Arthrospira..The results revealed that the application of C. vulgaris, N. salina, and A. platensis extracts at concentrations up to 1.0% significantly improved various growth parameters, such as root, and shoot length, number of leaves and flowers per plant, leaf area, and total fresh and dry weight per plant. These extracts also positively affected yield attributes, including the number and fresh weight of pods per plant, seed index, seed yield per plant, and per feddan [a unit of land area]. Furthermore, the application of these extracts increased the chlorophyll content index with the maximum values of CCI (17.95. and 17.81%) was obtained at 0.50% N. salina, followed by 0.50% C.vulgaris. In addition to increase in the capacity of both non-enzymatic antioxidants [such as total antioxidant capacity, phenolics, and flavonoids] and enzymatic antioxidants [including catalase and ascorbic oxidase]. The most promising results were observed with the application of N. salina, and C. vulgaris extracts at a concentration of 0.5%. Additionally, the extracts significantly reduced the content of oxidative stress markers, such as malondialdehyde, percentage of electrolyte leakage, and hydrogen peroxide, in common bean plants compared to the control group. Contrarily, the measured parameters were reduced, while the levels of oxidative stress markers and some antioxidants including peroxidase, ascorbic peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione transferase were increased by three algal extracts at a concentration of 2.0%, compared to control plants. Additionally, the application of these microalgae extracts improved the quality parameters, proximate composition, seed energy, and mineral contents of the harvested seeds, with the most significant positive impact was observed at 0.5% concentration of algal extract. These findings demonstrate the successful and safe utilization of extracts from C. vulgaris, N. salina, and A. platensis at concentrations up to 1.0% as bio-stimulants to enhance common bean yields and improve the nutritional quality of dried beans for consumers., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The mechanisms underlying susceptibility to and defense against Pseudomonas syringae (Pph) of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) have not yet been clarified. To investigate these, 15-day-old plants of the variety Riñón were infected with Pph and the transcriptomic changes at 2 h and 9 h post-infection were analysed. RNA-seq analysis showed an up-regulation of genes involved in defense/signaling at 2 h, most of them being down-regulated at 9 h, suggesting that Pph inhibits the transcriptomic reprogramming of the plant. This trend was also observed in the modulation of 101 cell wall-related genes. Cell wall composition changes at early stages of Pph infection were associated with homogalacturonan methylation and the formation of egg boxes. Among the cell wall genes modulated, a pectin methylesterase inhibitor 3 (PvPMEI3) gene, closely related to AtPMEI3, was detected. PvPMEI3 protein was located in the apoplast and its pectin methylesterase inhibitory activity was demonstrated. PvPMEI3 seems to be a good candidate to play a key role in Pph infection, which was supported by analysis of an Arabidopsis pmei3 mutant, which showed susceptibility to Pph, in contrast to resistant Arabidopsis Col-0 plants. These results indicate a key role of the degree of pectin methylesterification in host resistance to Pph during the first steps of the attack., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Oxygen is both product and substrate of photosynthesis and metabolism in plants, by oxygen evolution through water splitting and uptake by photorespiration and respiration. It is important to investigate these processes simultaneously in leaves, especially in response to environmental variables, such as light and temperature. To distinguish between processes that evolve or take up O 2 in leaves in the light, in vivo gas exchange of stable isotopes of oxygen and membrane inlet mass spectrometry is used. A closed-cuvette system for gas exchange of leaf discs is described, using the stable isotopes 16 O 2 and 18 O 2 , with a semi-permeable membrane gas inlet and isotope mass separation and detection by mass spectrometry. Measurement of evolution and uptake, as well as CO 2 uptake, at a range of light levels allows composition of a light response curve, here described for French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and maize (Zea mays) leaf discs., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a major legume crop worldwide, but its growth and development frequently face challenges due to abiotic stresses, particularly drought. Proper supplement of copper could mitigate the adverse effects of drought, but excessive accumulation of this metal in plants can be harmful. The suppressor of MAX2 1-like (SMXL) gene family, which plays important roles in various plant processes, including stress responses, remains poorly understood in common bean. In this study, we identified nine orthologues of SMXL genes in common bean, which are located on six chromosomes and classified into four subgroups. Basic molecular properties, including theoretical isoelectric point (PI), molecular weight (MW), grand average of hydropathicity (GVIO), gene structure, and conserved motifs were characterized, and numerous cis-elements in promoters were predicted. The expression patterns of PvSMXL genes were found to be distinct under 10% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress and 200 μM Cu treatments. Most PvSMXLs showed reduced expression in response to Cu treatment, whereas nearly half PvSMXLs exhibited inducible expression under drought stress. PvSMXL2, which exhibited a rapid response to karrikin 1 (KAR 1 ), an active form of the plant growth regulators newly found in the smoke of burning plant material, was down-regulated by both PEG-induced drought and Cu stresses. Transient silencing of PvSMXL2 resulted in enhanced drought stress tolerance without conferring Cu tolerance. These findings provide valuable insights into the functions of SMXL genes in common bean under abiotic stress conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microbial biostimulants have emerged as a sustainable alternative to increase the productivity and quality of important crops. Despite this, the effects of the treatment on plant metabolism are poorly understood. Thus, this study investigated the metabolic response of common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) related to the treatment with a biostimulant obtained from the extract of Corynebacterium glutamicum that showed positive effects on the development, growth, and yield of crops previously. By untargeted metabolomic analysis using UHPLC-MS/MS, plants and seeds were subjected to treatment with the biostimulant. Under ideal growth conditions, the plants treated exhibited higher concentration levels of glutamic acid, nicotiflorin and glycosylated lipids derived from linolenic acid. The foliar application of the biostimulant under water stress conditions increased the chlorophyll content by 17% and induced the accumulation of flavonols, mainly quercetin derivatives. Also, germination seed assays exhibited longer radicle lengths for seeds treated compared to the untreated control even in the absence of light (13-18% increase, p -value <0.05). Metabolomic analysis of the seeds indicated changes in concentration levels of amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, glutamine, and arginine) and their derivatives. The results point out the enhancement of abiotic stress tolerance and the metabolic processes triggered in this crop associated with the treatment with the biostimulant, giving the first insights into stress tolerance mechanisms in P. vulgaris .

Iron and zinc deficiencies are the most prevalent cause of global hidden hunger. Rice, being one of the most consumed crops worldwide, is suitable to target for Fe and Zn biofortification. In present study, we generated rice transgenic lines to meet the recommended dietary requirement of iron and zinc through endosperm specific expression of dicot (kidney bean) and monocot (pearl millet) Ferritins along with constitutive expression of rice nicotianamine synthase 2 (OsNAS2) gene. Visualization through perls' prussian staining and quantification by ICP-MS showed significant improvement in grain iron content in all the transgenic lines. The transgenic lines expressing any of the three selected gene combinations (PvFerrtin-OsNAS2, feedPgFerrtin-OsNAS2 and foodPgFerritin-OsNAS2), showed the potential to surpass the 30% of the estimated average requirement (13 μg/g Fe and 28 μg/g Zn) proposed for rice in HarvestPlus breeding program. Though the expression of PvFerritin along with OsNAS2 gene in IET10364 (indica) variety showed the best result, providing up to 4.2- and 3.5-fold increase in iron (30.56 μg/g) and zinc (60.1 μg/g) content, respectively; in polished grains compared to non-transgenic control. Thus, the lines developed in our study can be used for further breeding purpose to enhance the iron and zinc content in commercial rice varieties., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: High-Affinity Potassium ions represent one of the most important and large group of potassium transporters. Although HAK genes have been studied in a variety of plant species, yet, remain unexplored in common bean., Results: In the current study, 20 HAK genes were identified in common bean genome. Super-family "K&#95;trans" domain was found in all PvHAK genes. Signals for localization of PvHAK proteins were detected in cell membrane. Fifty three HAKs genes, across diverse plant species, were divided into 5 groups based on sequential homology. Twelve pairs of orthologs genes were found in various plant species. PvHAKs genes were distributed unequally on 7 chromosomes with maximum number (7) mapped on chromosome 2 while only 1 PvHAK found on each chromosome 1, 4, and 6. Tandem gene duplication was witnessed in 2 paralog pairs while 1 pair exhibited segmental gene duplication. Five groups were made in PvHAK gene family based on Phylogeny. Maximum PvHAKs (10) were detected in Group-V while group-II composed of only 1 PvHAK gene. Variation was witnessed in number and size of motifs, and structure of PvHAKs associated with different groups. Light and hormone responsive elements contributed 57 and 24% share, respectively, to cis regulatory elements. qRT-PCR based results revealed significant increase in expression of all 4 PvHAK genes under low-potassium stress., Conclusion: The current study provides valuable information for further functional characterization and uncovering the molecular mechanism associated with Potassium transportation in plants., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Sulfur (S) is an essential microelement for plants. Based on the chemical similarity between Se and S, selenium may affects sulphur uptake by plants. This work aimed at investigating the effect of foliar spray with sodium selenate, gum arabic coated selenium nanoparticles (GA-SeNPs ≈ 48.22 nm) and sodium sulfate on red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants. Each treatment was used at 0.0, 1, 5, 10 and 50 µM, alone or combination of sodium sulfate with either Se or nano-Se, each at 0.5, 2.5 and 5 µM concentrations. The effect of foliar spray on vegetative growth, seed quality, and some metabolic constituents of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants were investigated. Selenium nanoparticles have been synthesized through the green route using gum arabic (as a stabilizing and coating agent. Foliar application of different concentrations of Se, nano-Se, Na 2 SO 4 up to 10 μM and their interaction were effective in increasing the growth criteria (i.e. shoot and root lengths, plant fresh and dry weights, number of leaves and photosynthetic area (cm 2 plant -1 ).There was also a significant increase in photosynthetic pigment contents, yield (i.e., 100-seed weight), total carbohydrate, crude proteins and mineral contents in both leaf as compared to their untreated control plants. Furthermore, interaction between sodium sulfate with nano-Se or Se, each at 5 µM significantly increased the vegetative growth, 100-seed weight, and pigment contents in leaves and improved the nutritional value and quality of red kidney bean seeds., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

As a lipid-derived compound, jasmonic acid (JA) regulates growth and defense against environmental stresses. An exogenous foliar JA application was investigated in our study (HA; 0.5 mM) on kidney bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown under different salinity stress concentrations (0, 75, and 150 mM NaCl). According to the results, salt concentrations were related to an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, whereas they declined the chlorophyll content index. In contrast, JA application decreased the level of MDA but increased the chlorophyll content index. Moreover, increasing salinity levels increased proline, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, free amino acid concentrations, and shikimic acid concentrations, as well as the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). In addition, JA applications further increased their concentrations with increasing salinity stress levels. JA application increases salt-induced osmolytes and non-enzymatic antioxidants while increasing enzymatic antioxidant activity, suggesting kidney beans have a strong antioxidant mechanism, which can adapt to salinity stress. Our results showed that exogenous JA foliar applications could enhance the salt tolerance ability of kidney bean plants by upregulating their antioxidant mechanism and osmolytes., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The process of crop domestication leads to a dramatic reduction in the gene expression associated with metabolic diversity. Genes involved in specialized metabolism appear to be particularly affected. Although there is ample evidence of these effects at the genetic level, a reduction in diversity at the metabolite level has been taken for granted despite having never been adequately accessed and quantified. Here we leveraged the high coverage of ultra high performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry based metabolomics to investigate the metabolic diversity in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). Information theory highlights a shift towards lower metabolic diversity and specialization when comparing wild and domesticated bean accessions. Moreover, molecular networking approaches facilitated a broader metabolite annotation than achieved to date, and its integration with gene expression data uncovers a metabolic shift from specialized metabolism towards central metabolism upon domestication of this crop., (© 2023 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (CRKs) are a type of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) that are important for pathogen resistance, extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, and programmed cell death in plants. In a previous study, we identified 46 CRK family members in the Phaseolus vulgaris genome and found that CRK12 was highly upregulated under root nodule symbiotic conditions. To better understand the role of CRK12 in the Phaseolus - Rhizobia symbiotic interaction, we functionally characterized this gene by overexpressing ( CRK12 -OE) and silencing ( CRK12 -RNAi) it in a P. vulgaris hairy root system. We found that the constitutive expression of CRK12 led to an increase in root hair length and the expression of root hair regulatory genes, while silencing the gene had the opposite effect. During symbiosis, CRK12 -RNAi resulted in a significant reduction in nodule numbers, while CRK12 -OE roots showed a dramatic increase in rhizobial infection threads and the number of nodules. Nodule cross sections revealed that silenced nodules had very few infected cells, while CRK12 -OE nodules had enlarged infected cells, whose numbers had increased compared to controls. As expected, CRK12 -RNAi negatively affected nitrogen fixation, while CRK12 -OE nodules fixed 1.5 times more nitrogen than controls. Expression levels of genes involved in symbiosis and ROS signaling, as well as nitrogen export genes, supported the nodule phenotypes. Moreover, nodule senescence was prolonged in CRK12 -overexpressing roots. Subcellular localization assays showed that the Pv CRK12 protein localized to the plasma membrane, and the spatiotemporal expression patterns of the CRK12 -promoter::GUS-GFP analysis revealed a symbiosis-specific expression of CRK12 during the early stages of rhizobial infection and in the development of nodules. Our findings suggest that CRK12, a membrane RLK, is a novel regulator of Phaseolus vulgaris-Rhizobium tropici symbiosis.

Leukocyte phytohemagglutinin (PHA-L) is a tetrameric isomer of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) purified from the red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and is a well-known human lymphocyte mitogen. Due to its antitumor and immunomodulatory effects, PHA-L may serve as a potential antineoplastic agent in future cancer therapeutics. However, various negative consequences of PHA have been reported in the literature as a result of the restricted acquisition methods, including oral toxicity, hemagglutinating activity, and immunogenicity. There is a critical need to explore a new method to obtain PHA-L with high purity, high activity and low toxicity. In this report active recombinant PHA-L protein was successfully prepared by Bacillus brevius expression system, and the antitumor and immunomodulatory activities of recombinant PHA-L were characterized by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The results showed that recombinant PHA-L protein had stronger antitumor effect, and its anti-tumor mechanism was realized through direct cytotoxicity and immune regulation. Importantly, compared with natural PHA-L, the recombinant PHA-L protein showed the lower erythrocyte agglutination toxicity in vitro and immunogenicity in mice. Altogether, our study provides a new strategy and important experimental basis for the development of drugs with dual effects of immune regulation and direct antitumor activity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Globally, salinity and drought are severe abiotic stresses that presently threaten vegetable production. This study investigates the potential exogenously-applied glutathione (GSH) to relieve water deficits on Phaseolus vulgaris plants cultivated in saline soil conditions (6.22 dS m -1 ) by evaluating agronomic, stability index of membrane, water satatus, osmolytes, and antioxidant capacity responses. During two open field growing seasons (2017 and 2018), foliar spraying of glutathione (GSH) at 0.5 (GSH 1 ) or 1.0 (GSH 1 ) mM and three irrigation rates (I 100 = 100%, I 80 = 80% and I 60 = 60% of the crop evapotranspiration) were applied to common bean plants. Water deficits significantly decreased common bean growth, green pods yield, integrity of the membranes, plant water status, SPAD chlorophyll index, and photosynthetic capacity (F v /F m , PI), while not improving the irrigation use efficiency (IUE) compared to full irrigation. Foliar-applied GSH markedly lessened drought-induced damages to bean plants, by enhancing the above variables. The integrative I 80 + GSH 1 or GSH 2 and I 60 + GSH 1 or GSH 2 elevated the IUE and exceeded the full irrigation without GSH application (I 100 ) treatment by 38% and 37%, and 33% and 28%, respectively. Drought stress increased proline and total soluble sugars content while decreased the total free amino acids content. However, GSH-supplemented drought-stressed plants mediated further increases in all analyzed osmolytes contents. Exogenous GSH enhanced the common bean antioxidative machinery, being promoted the glutathione and ascorbic acid content as well as up-regulated the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione peroxidase. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of exogenous GSH in alleviating water deficit in bean plants cultivated in salty soil., Competing Interests: Magdi Abdelhamid & Othmane Merah are Academic Editors for PeerJ., (©2023 Abd El Mageed et al.)

In recent years, fermented foods have attracted increasing attention due to their important role in the human diet, since they supply beneficial health effects, providing important sources of nutrients. In this respect, a comprehensive characterization of the metabolite content in fermented foods is required to achieve a complete vision of physiological, microbiological, and functional traits. In the present preliminary study, the NMR-based metabolomic approach combined with chemometrics has been applied, for the first time, to investigate the metabolite content of Phaseolus vulgaris flour fermented by different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts. A differentiation of microorganisms (LAB and yeasts), LAB metabolism (homo- and heterofermentative hexose fermentation), LAB genus ( Lactobacillus , Leuconostoc , and Pediococcus ), and novel genera ( Lacticaseibacillus , Lactiplantibacillus , and Lentilactobacillus ) was achieved. Moreover, our findings showed an increase of free amino acids and bioactive molecules, such as GABA, and a degradation of anti-nutritional compounds, such as raffinose and stachyose, confirming the beneficial effects of fermentation processes and the potential use of fermented flours in the production of healthy baking foods. Finally, among all microorganisms considered, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum species was found to be the most effective in fermenting bean flour, as a larger amount of free amino acids were assessed in their analysis, denoting more intensive proteolytic activity.

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), one of the most important legume crops, uses atmospheric nitrogen through symbiosis with soil rhizobia, reducing the need for nitrogen fertilization. However, this legume is particularly sensitive to drought conditions, prevalent in arid regions where this crop is cultured. Therefore, studying the response to drought is important to sustain crop productivity. We have used integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis to understand the molecular responses to water deficit in a marker-class common bean accession cultivated under N2 fixation or fertilized with nitrate (NO3-). RNA-seq revealed more transcriptional changes in the plants fertilized with NO3- than in the N2-fixing plants. However, changes in N2-fixing plants were more associated with drought tolerance than in those fertilized with NO3-. N2-fixing plants accumulated more ureides in response to drought, and GC/MS and LC/MS analysis of primary and secondary metabolite profiles revealed that N2-fixing plants also had higher levels of abscisic acid, proline, raffinose, amino acids, sphingolipids, and triacylglycerols than those fertilized with NO3-. Moreover, plants grown under nitrogen fixation recovered from drought better than plants fertilized with NO3-. Altogether we show that common bean plants grown under symbiotic nitrogen fixation were more protected against drought than the plants fertilized with nitrate., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Common bean is the world's most important directly consumed legume food crop that is popular for calories, protein and micronutrients. It is a staple food in sub-Saharan Africa, and a significant source of iron for anemic people. However, several pests, soil and weather challenges still impede its production. Long cooking time, and high phytic acid and polyphenols that influence bioavailable iron also limit the health benefits. To inform population improvement strategies and selection decisions for resilient fast cooking and iron biofortified beans, the study determined diversity and population structure within 427 breeding lines, varieties, or landraces mostly from Alliance Uganda and Columbia. The genotypes were evaluated for days to flowering and physiological maturity, yield, seed iron (FESEED) and zinc (ZNSEED) and cooking time (COOKT). Data for all traits showed significant (P≤0.001) differences among the genotypes. Repeatability was moderate to high for most traits. Performance ranged from 52 to 87 ppm (FESEED), 23-38 ppm (ZNSEED), 36-361 minutes (COOKT), and 397-1299 kg/ha (yield). Minimal differences existed between the gene pools in the mean performance except in yield, where Mesoamerican beans were better by 117 kg/ha. The genotypes exhibited high genetic diversity and thus have a high potential for use in plant breeding. Improvement of FESEED and ZNSEED, COOKT and yield performance within some markets such as red and small white beans is possible. Hybridization across market classes especially for yellow beans is essential but this could be avoided by adding other elite lines to the population. Superior yielding and fast cooking, yellow and large white beans were specifically lacking. Adding Fe dense elite lines to the population is also recommended. The population was clustered into three groups that could be considered for specific breeding targets based on trait correlations., Competing Interests: NO authors have competing interests., (Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.)

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the major cause of global mortality, accounting for 31% of deaths worldwide. Healthy eating habits based on the consumption of bioactive molecules present in plant-based diets can contribute to the prevention of CVD. In this context, the consumption of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is relevant. There are several species of beans, all of which provide proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds. More recently, the complexity of phytochemical components has expanded, including the role of antinutritional factors in nutrient bioavailability and immune responses. Experimental and clinical studies have shown that the consumption of beans results in less food consumption, control of body weight, and improvement of metabolic biochemical parameters. Thus, the consumption of beans is associated with a decrease in CVD risk factors. To date, there have been no interventional studies assessing CVD outcomes, such as hospitalization, infarction, and mortality, in the context of bean consumption. Furthermore, studies on the effect of bean consumption on metabolomics and intestinal microbiota are lacking. The purpose of this review is to explore the nutritional properties of beans and discuss the main effects of the consumption of beans on cardiovascular health. In conclusion, eating habits based on the consumption of bioactive molecules present in beans can contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, there is a large gap in the literature regarding the consumption of beans associated with clinical outcomes, such as hospitalization and mortality., (Copyright © 2023 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mineral stress is one of the dominating abiotic stresses, which leads to decrease in crop production. Selenium (Se) seed priming is a recent approach to mitigate the plant's mineral deficiency stress. Although not an essential element, Se has beneficial effects on the plants in terms of growth, quality, yield and plant defense system thus, enhancing plant tolerance to mineral deficiency., Methods and Results: The present research was accomplished to find out the effect of Se priming on common bean plant (SFB-1 variety) under phosphorus (P) stress. The seeds were grown invitro on four different MGRL media which are normal MGRL media as control with non-Se primed seeds (Se -  P + ), non -Se primed seeds grown on P deficient MGRL media (Se -  P - ), Se primed seeds grown on normal MGRL media (Se + P + ) and Se primed seeds grown on P deficient MGRL media (Se + P  - ). The various morphological and biochemical parameters such as proline content, total sugar content, polyphenols and expression of proteins were analyzed under P stress. The results showed that Se priming has significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected the morphological as well as biochemical parameters under normal and P stress conditions. The morphological parameters-length, weight, number of nodes and leaves of Se + P + , Se + P - root and shoot tissue showed significant increase as compared to Se - P + , Se - P - . Similarly various biochemical parameters such as total chlorophyll content, proline, total sugar content and polyphenols of Se + P + , Se + P -  increased significantly as compared to Se - P + , Se - P - . The differential protein expression in both Se + P + , Se + P - and Se - P + , Se - P -  plants were determined using MALDI-MS/MS. The differentially expressed proteins in Se + P + , Se + P -  plants were identified as caffeic acid-3-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and SecA protein (a subunit of Protein Translocan transporter), and are found responsible for lignin synthesis in root cell walls and ATP dependent movement of thylakoid proteins across the membranes in shoot respectively. The differential expression of proteins in plant tissues, validated morphological and biochemical responses such as maintaining membrane integrity, enhanced modifications in cellular metabolism, improved polyphenol activities and expression of defensive proteins against mineral deficiency., Conclusions: The study provided an understanding of Se application as a potential approach increasing tolerance and yield in crop plants against mineral deficiency., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Main Conclusion: PvSYMRK-EGFP undergoes constitutive and rhizobia-induced endocytosis, which rely on the phosphorylation status of T589, the endocytic YXXØ motif and the kinase activity of the receptor. Legume-rhizobia nodulation is a complex developmental process. It initiates when the rhizobia-produced Nod factors are perceived by specific LysM receptors present in the root hair apical membrane. Consequently, SYMRK (Symbiosis Receptor-like Kinase) becomes active in the root hair and triggers an extensive signaling network essential for the infection process and nodule organogenesis. Despite its relevant functions, the underlying cellular mechanisms involved in SYMRK signaling activity remain poorly characterized. In this study, we demonstrated that PvSYMRK-EGFP undergoes constitutive and rhizobia-induced endocytosis. We found that in uninoculated roots, PvSYMRK-EGFP is mainly associated with the plasma membrane, although intracellular puncta labelled with PvSymRK-EGFP were also observed in root hair and nonhair-epidermal cells. Inoculation with Rhizobium etli producing Nod factors induces in the root hair a redistribution of PvSYMRK-EGFP from the plasma membrane to intracellular puncta. In accordance, deletion of the endocytic motif YXXØ (YKTL) and treatment with the endocytosis inhibitors ikarugamycin (IKA) and tyrphostin A23 (TyrA23), as well as brefeldin A (BFA), drastically reduced the density of intracellular PvSYMRK-EGFP puncta. A similar effect was observed in the phosphorylation-deficient (T589A) and kinase-dead (K618E) mutants of PvSYMRK-EGFP, implying these structural features are positive regulators of PvSYMRK-EGFP endocytosis. Our findings lead us to postulate that rhizobia-induced endocytosis of SYMRK modulates the duration and amplitude of the SYMRK-dependent signaling pathway., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Redroot Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) is an important weed that is highly competitive with common bean. Photosynthetic pigments, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, the relative expression of a number of antioxidant enzyme and light response genes, were studied in three of common bean cultivars and in V4 and R7 stages under Redroot Pigweed free and infested. The presence of weeds reduced the content of chlorophyll, relative chlorophyll and anthocyanin of common bean leaves. With the increase of weed competition, the expression of antioxidant genes and enzymes increased, which indicates the increase of their activity in order to reduce the amount of reactive oxygen species. Among the studied antioxidant enzymes, the activity of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase produced in the leaves was higher than that of superoxide dismutase. With the increase of weed interference, the expression of phytochrome interacting factor 3 (PIF3) gene as a positive regulator of light signals is increased and the expression of phytochrome rapidly regulated1 (PAR1) gene as a negative regulator is decreased. Chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (CAB1) and auxin-responsive protein IAA8 (IAA8) genes also down-regulated with increasing competition. Along with the decrease of CAB expression in the conditions of competition with weeds, the chlorophyll a, b content also decreased. Correlation between gene expression and physiological traits related to them highlights the prominent role of CWCP in maintaining yield potential., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most consumed legumes in the human diet and a substantial source of dietary protein. A major problem for this rainfed crop is the decrease in grain yield caused by prolonged drought periods during the reproductive stage of plant development (terminal drought). Terminal drought remains a prevailing threat to the farming of this staple, with losses reaching >80%. Based on the high correlation between the resistance of common bean to terminal drought and efficient photoassimilate mobilization and biomass accumulation in seeds, we aimed to identify mechanisms implicated in its resistance to this stress. We used two representative Durango race common bean cultivars with contrasting yields under terminal drought, grown under well-watered or terminal drought conditions. Using comparative transcriptomic analysis focused on source leaves, pods, and seeds from both cultivars, we provide evidence indicating that under terminal drought the resistant cultivar promotes the build-up of transcripts involved in recycling carbon through photosynthesis, photorespiration, and CO2-concentrating mechanisms in pod walls, while in seeds, the induced transcripts participate in sink strength and respiration. Physiological data support this conclusion, implicating their relevance as key processes in the plant response to terminal drought., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Legumes associate with Gram-negative soil bacteria called rhizobia , resulting in the formation of a nitrogen-fixing organ, the nodule. Nodules are an important sink for photosynthates for legumes, so these plants have developed a systemic regulation mechanism that controls their optimal number of nodules, the so-called autoregulation of nodulation (AON) pathway, to balance energy costs with the benefits of nitrogen fixation. In addition, soil nitrate inhibits nodulation in a dose-dependent manner, through systemic and local mechanisms. The CLE family of peptides and their receptors are key to tightly controlling these inhibitory responses. In the present study, a functional analysis revealed that PvFER1, PvRALF1, and PvRALF6 act as positive regulators of the nodule number in growth medium containing 0 mM of nitrate but as negative regulators in medium with 2 and 5 mM of nitrate. Furthermore, the effect on nodule number was found to be consistent with changes in the expression levels of genes associated with the AON pathway and with the nitrate-mediated regulation of nodulation (NRN). Collectively, these data suggest that PvFER1, PvRALF1, and PvRALF6 regulate the optimal number of nodules as a function of nitrate availability.

The protein kinase (PK) superfamily is one of the largest superfamilies in plants and is the core regulator of cellular signaling. Even considering this substantial importance, the kinome of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) has not been profiled yet. Here, we identified and characterised the complete set of kinases of common bean, performing an in-depth investigation with phylogenetic analyses and measurements of gene distribution, structural organization, protein properties, and expression patterns over a large set of RNA-Sequencing data. Being composed of 1,203 PKs distributed across all P. vulgaris chromosomes, this set represents 3.25% of all predicted proteins for the species. These PKs could be classified into 20 groups and 119 subfamilies, with a more pronounced abundance of subfamilies belonging to the receptor-like kinase (RLK)-Pelle group. In addition to provide a vast and rich reservoir of data, our study supplied insights into the compositional similarities between PK subfamilies, their evolutionary divergences, highly variable functional profile, structural diversity, and expression patterns, modeled with coexpression networks for investigating putative interactions associated with stress response., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In our previous study, two crude polysaccharides from red kidney bean and small black soybean (RK, SB) have shown the alleviative effect on type 2 diabetic mice. Meanwhile, hepatic dysfunction usually accompanied with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and closely related to glucose and lipid homeostasis. Therefore, this time we further investigated the protective effect on hepatic dysfunction of RK and SB. Results found that both crude polysaccharides had the protective effects. In addition, investigation on purified polysaccharides identified that the polysaccharide was the biofunctional component basis in crude RK and SB. Subsequently, further research investigated the regulating mechanism of two pure polysaccharides (RKPH and SBPH) on hepatic metabolism and lipid metabolism. The results showed the improved different metabolites of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) by RKPH and SBPH to affect glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway might be involved in the improvement of the glucose, lipids homeostasis and liver function in T2DM., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Cold temperatures can be detrimental to crop survival and productivity. Breeding progress can be improved by understanding the molecular basis of low temperature tolerance. We investigated the key routes and critical metabolites related to low temperature resistance in cold-tolerant and -sensitive common bean cultivars 120 and 093, respectively. Many potential genes and metabolites implicated in major metabolic pathways during the chilling stress response were identified through transcriptomics and metabolomics research. Under chilling stress, the expression of many genes involved in lipid, amino acid, and flavonoid metabolism, as well as metabolite accumulation increased in the two bean types. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was lower in 120 than in 093. Regarding amino acid metabolism, 120 had a higher concentration of acidic amino acids than 093, whereas 093 had a higher concentration of basic amino acids. Methionine accumulation was clearly higher in 120 than in 093. In addition, 120 had a higher concentration of many types of flavonoids than 093. Flavonoids, methionine and malondialdehyde could be used as biomarkers of plant chilling injury. Transcriptome analysis of hormone metabolism revealed considerably greater, expression of abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), and jasmonic acid (JA) in 093 than in 120 during chilling stress, indicating that hormone regulation modes in 093 and 120 were different. Thus, chilling stress tolerance is different between 093 and 120 possibly due to transcriptional and metabolic regulation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)