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Summary: Plants rely on solar energy to synthesize ATP and NADPH for photosynthetic carbon fixation and all cellular need. Mitochondrial respiration is essential in plants, but this may be due to heterotrophic bottlenecks during plant development or because it is also necessary in photosynthetically active cells.In this study, we examined in vivo changes of cytosolic ATP concentration in response to light, employing a biosensing strategy in the moss Physcomitrium patens and revealing increased cytosolic ATP concentration caused by photosynthetic activity.Plants depleted of respiratory Complex I showed decreased cytosolic ATP accumulation, highlighting a critical role of mitochondrial respiration in light‐dependent ATP supply of the cytosol. Consistently, targeting mitochondrial ATP production directly, through the construction of mutants deficient in mitochondrial ATPase (complex V), led to drastic growth reduction, despite only minor alterations in photosynthetic electron transport activity.Since P. patens is photoautotrophic throughout its development, we conclude that heterotrophic bottlenecks cannot account for the indispensable role of mitochondrial respiration in plants. Instead, our results support that mitochondrial respiration is essential for ATP provision to the cytosol in photosynthesizing cells. Mitochondrial respiration provides metabolic integration, ensuring supply of cytosolic ATP essential for supporting plant growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tall wheatgrass is cultivated for pasture in marginal areas around the world due to its tolerance to abiotic stress including seasonal droughts and floods, as well as saline and alkaline soils. However, there is concern about its biomass productivity, which often does not exceed that of natural pastures. In this work we hypothesize that tall wheatgrass is a plant more sensitive to low P availability than commonly assumed. A glasshouse sand culture experiment was conducted to analyze morpho-physiological responses of tall wheatgrass to different P availability levels: 1 µmol L−1 phosphorus (severe deficiency, P1), 10 µmol L−1 phosphorus (representative value of soil solution in the region, P10) and 500 µmol L−1 phosphorus (full P supply, P500). Our results show that both limiting P conditions strongly decreased plant development and biomass accumulation, and altered above- and below-ground morphology, in comparison with P500 plants. The latter, in turn, had relative growth rate values comparable to those of other cultivated grasses under non-limiting conditions. In both P-deficient treatments, plant development was severely delayed starting from leaf number 3, even when P concentration in the pseudostem at early stages was similar or even higher than that of P500 plants. Our results suggest that developmental inhibition of tall wheatgrass at low P supply may be the consequence of a specific plant response to P concentration in soil solution, rather than to direct P starvation in plant tissues, and underlines the need of improvement of this species to enhance productivity in this environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Apple leaf spot is one of the most devastating diseases in the apple industry, caused by Alternaria alternata f. sp mali (A. alternata). SET‐domain group (SDG) proteins function as the histone methyltransferases and participate in plant development and stress responses. However, whether SDG proteins are associated with A. alternata resistance is largely unclear. Here, we describe the pathogen‐inducible MdSDG26 gene in apple (Malus × domestica). MdSDG26 has two transcript variants that function similarly in catalyzing histone methylation and A. alternata resistance. Transient overexpression of MdSDG26 increased the global levels of H3K4me3 and H3K36me3, whereas knockdown of MdSDG26 only reduced the H3K36me3 level. Transcriptome analysis revealed that MdSDG26 affected the genome‐wide transcriptome changes in response to A. alternata infection. ChIP‐qPCR analysis demonstrated that MdSDG26 modulates the levels of H3K36me3 and H3K4me3 at both the promoter and exon regions of MdNTL9. As a negative regulator of A. alternata resistance in apples, MdNTL9 plays a pivotal role in MdSDG26‐mediated resistance to A. alternata. Therefore, our findings provide compelling evidence for the regulatory function of MdSDG26 in histone methylation and its molecular role in conferring resistance to A. alternata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The freezing temperature greatly limits the growth, development and productivity of plants. The C‐repeat/DRE binding factor (CBF) plays a major role in cold acclimation, enabling plants to increase their freezing tolerance. Notably, the INDUCER OF CBF EXPRESSION1 (ICE1) protein has garnered attention for its pivotal role in bolstering plants' resilience against freezing through transcriptional upregulation of DREB1A/CBF3. However, the research on the interaction between ICE1 and other transcription factors and its function in regulating cold stress tolerance is largely inadequate. In this study, we found that a R2R3 MYB transcription factor CDC5 interacts with ICE1 and regulates the expression of CBF3 by recruiting RNA polymerase II, overexpression of ICE1 can complements the freezing deficient phenotype of cdc5 mutant. CDC5 increases the expression of CBF3 in response to freezing. Furthermore, CDC5 influences the expression of CBF3 by altering the chromatin status through H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 modifications. Our work identified a novel component that regulates CBF3 transcription in both ICE1‐dependent and ICE1‐independent manner, improving the understanding of the freezing signal transduction in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivated tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, is highly sensitive to cold stress (CS), resulting in significant losses during cultivation and postharvest fruit storage. Previously, we demonstrated the presence of substantial genetic variation in fruit chilling tolerance in a tomato recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between a chilling-sensitive tomato line and a chilling-tolerant accession of the wild species S. pimpinellifolium. Here, we investigated molecular and biochemical components associated with chilling tolerance in fruit and leaves, using contrasting groups of "chilling tolerant" and "chilling sensitive" RI lines. Transcriptomic analyses were conducted on fruit exposed to CS, and gene expressions and biochemical components were measured in fruit and leaves. The analyses revealed core responding genes specific to either the cold-tolerant or cold-sensitive RI lines, which were differentially regulated in similar fashion in both leaves and fruit within each group. These genes may be used as markers to determine tomato germplasm cold tolerance or sensitivity. This study demonstrated that tomato response to CS in different developmental stages, including seedling and postharvest fruit, might be mediated by common biological/genetic factors. Therefore, genetic selection for cold tolerance during early stages of plant development may lead to lines with greater postharvest fruit chilling tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic modifications are crucial for plant development. EFD (ExineFormationDefect) encodes a SAM-dependent methyltransferase that is essential for the pollen wall pattern formation and male fertility in Arabidopsis. In this study, we find that the expression of DRM2, a de novo DNA methyltransferase in plants, complements for the defects in efd, suggesting its potential de novo DNA methyltransferase activity. Genetic analysis indicates that EFD functions through HB21, as the knockout of HB21 fully restores fertility in efd mutants. DNA methylation and histone modification analyses reveal that EFD represses the transcription of HB21 through epigenetic mechanisms. Additionally, we demonstrate that HB21 directly represses the expression of genes crucial for pollen formation and anther dehiscence, including CalS5, RPG1/SWEET8, CYP703A2 and NST2. Collectively, our findings unveil a double negative regulatory cascade mediated by epigenetic modifications that coordinates anther development, offering insights into the epigenetic regulation of this process. Epigenetic modifications are crucial for plant development. Here, the authors find an epigenetically mediated double negative cascade for pollen formation and anther dehiscence, offering new insights into epigenetic regulation of anther development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Water content and chlorophyll content are important indicators for monitoring rice growth status. Simultaneous detection of water content and chlorophyll content is of significance. Different varieties of rice show differences in phenotype, resulting in the difficulties of establishing a universal model. In this study, hyperspectral imaging was used to detect the Soil and Plant Analyzer Development (SPAD) values and water content of fresh rice leaves of three rice varieties (Jiahua 1, Xiushui 121 and Xiushui 134).Both partial least squares regression and convolutional neural networks were used to establish single‐task and multi‐task models. Transfer component analysis (TCA) was used as transfer learning to learn the common features to achieve an approximate identical distribution between any two varieties. Single‐task and multi‐task models were also built using the features of the source domain, and these models were applied to the target domain. These results indicated that for models of each rice variety the prediction accuracy of most multi‐task models was close to that of single‐task models. As for TCA, the results showed that the single‐task model achieved good performance for all transfer learning tasks.Compared with the original model, good and differentiated results were obtained for the models using features learned by TCA for both the source domain and target domain. The multi‐task models could be constructed to predict SPAD values and water content simultaneously and then transferred to another rice variety, which could improve the efficiency of model construction and realize rapid detection of rice growth indicators. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DELLA proteins are conserved master growth regulators that play a central role in controlling plant development in response to internal and environmental cues. DELLAs function as transcription regulators, which are recruited to target promoters by binding to transcription factors (TFs) and histone H2A via their GRAS domain. Recent studies showed that DELLA stability is regulated post-translationally via two mechanisms, phytohormone gibberellin-induced polyubiquitination for its rapid degradation, and Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO)-conjugation to increase its accumulation. Moreover, DELLA activity is dynamically modulated by two distinct glycosylations: DELLA-TF interactions are enhanced by O-fucosylation, but inhibited by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification. However, the role of DELLA phosphorylation remains unclear as previous studies showing conflicting results ranging from findings that suggest phosphorylation promotes or reduces DELLA degradation to others indicating it has no effect on its stability. Here, we identify phosphorylation sites in REPRESSOR OF ga1-3 (RGA, an AtDELLA) purified from Arabidopsis by mass spectrometry analysis, and show that phosphorylation of two RGA peptides in the PolyS and PolyS/T regions enhances RGA activity by promoting H2A binding and RGA association with target promoters. Notably, phosphorylation does not affect RGA-TF interactions or RGA stability. Our study has uncovered a molecular mechanism of phosphorylation-induced DELLA activity. Huang and colleagues uncover a key role of phosphorylation in enhancing the activity of Arabidopsis master growth regulator DELLA by promoting its interaction with histone H2A at target chromatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the mechanisms by which plants sense and respond to mechanical stimuli is crucial for unraveling the detailed processes by which plants grow and develop. Mechanosensitive (MS) channels, including MCA1 and its paralog MCA2 in Arabidopsis thaliana, may be essential for these processes. Although significant progress has been made in elucidating the physiological roles of MS channels, comprehensive insights into their expression dynamics remain elusive. Here, we summarize recent advancements and new data on the spatiotemporal expression patterns of the MCA1 and MCA2 genes, revealing their involvement in various developmental processes. Then, we describe findings from our study, in which the expression profiles of MCA1 and MCA2 were characterized in different plant organs at various developmental stages through histochemical analyses and semiquantitative RT‒PCR. Our findings revealed that MCA1 and MCA2 are preferentially expressed in young tissues, suggesting their pivotal roles in processes such as cell division, expansion, and mechanosensing. Lastly, we discuss the differential expression patterns observed in reproductive organs and trichomes, hinting at their specialized functions in response to mechanical cues. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into the dynamic expression patterns of MCA1 and MCA2, paving the way for future research on the precise roles of these genes in planta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mean daily temperature effects on plant development rates and quality of compact container-grown pepper were evaluated. Compact pepper cultivars Fresh Bites Yellow and Hot Burrito were grown in greenhouses at 18 to 26 °C (Expt. 1) and 20 to 30 °C (Expt. 2) under supplemental high-pressure sodium lighting and a 16-hour photoperiod. The number of days to first open flower, to first ripe fruit, and from flower to ripe fruit were measured and the development rates calculated by taking the reciprocal (e.g., 1/day). Temperature effects were predicted by fitting a nonlinear exponential function that included the base temperature (Tmin) and maximum developmental rate (Rmax) parameters. Plant quality attributes were measured during Expt. 2. As the temperature increased, the times to flower and fruit decreased (i.e., developmental rates increased) for both cultivars. The estimated Tmin was 13.3 °C for 'Fresh Bites Yellow', and that for 'Hot Burrito' was 9.3 °C, whereas the Rmax was similar between cultivars (averages of 0.0488 at flower, 0.0190 at fruit, and 0.0252 from flower to fruit). 'Fresh Bites Yellow' and 'Hot Burrito' grown at ≈25 °C had a relatively short crop time, compact canopy, large fruit size, and high number of fruits per plant at finish. Compact peppers are new crops being grown by greenhouse floriculture operations for their ornamental and edible value, and the information from this study can help growers schedule these crops to meet critical market windows and determine the impacts of changing the growing temperature on crop timing and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: Two pollen-preferential thaumatin-like proteins show both common and distinctive expression profiles. Precocious expression of one of them drastically disturbs timely deposition and dissolution of callose during microsporogenesis, leading to microspore death. Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), members of the pathogenesis-related protein family 5 (PR-5), are involved in plant defenses against biotic and abiotic stresses through antifungal activity and enhanced tolerance. Accordingly, studies on TLPs have focused on their responses to various pathogens and stresses and on engineering agronomically valuable crops that can be cultivated in suboptimal environments. On the other hand, the role of TLP members in plant development and their genetic regulation remains largely unexplored. Recently, we reported that the generative cell internalization after pollen mitosis I, an essential pollen patterning step for the nonmotile sperm cell delivery through a pollen tube, depends on STICKY GENERATIVE CELL which suppresses callose deposition in the nascent generative cell and interacts with a germline cell preferential GCTLP1 in Arabidopsis. Here, we additionally identified GCTLP2 which is similarly expressed in the germline cells. We generated various transgenic lines and examined their expressions and phenotypes to elucidate GCTLP functions during pollen development. Expression profiles suggest two GCTLP proteins may have common but also distinctive roles during pollen development. Importantly, ectopic expression analyses show that precocious expression of GCTLP2 severely disturbs the timely deposition and degradation of callose during microsporogenesis which is essential to produce viable microspores. Therefore, our study broadens the knowledge of TLP function and callose regulation for successful pollen development in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing and order of species arrival have been shown to be a significant factor in the assembly of biotic communities. Therefore, understanding priority effects, which refer to the impact of an early‐arriving species on a later‐arriving one, can help us better predict community assembly processes. However, little is known about the role of phylogenetic distance (PD) in priority effects and how they are mediated by the biogeographic history (BH) and the life stages (LSs) of interacting species.To shed light on the role of PD in priority effects, we conducted a multispecies greenhouse experiment. We created 10 allopatric and 10 sympatric species pairs, representing a PD gradient between early‐ and late‐arriving species from 5 to 270 Myr in evolutionary history and tested the priority effect of early‐arriving species on the late‐arriving species at multiple LSs.We found evidence of stronger competition between closely related species, as late‐arriving plants produced less above‐ground biomass when the PD was low. However, priority effects varied across the development of late‐arriving plants, as there were no effects on seedling emergence and survival, independent of PD. Regardless of PD, the pairs of allopatric and sympatric species did not differ in their responses.Synthesis. While many studies have produced contradictory results regarding the effect of PD on plant–plant interactions, our study provides experimental evidence that priority effects can be stronger when PD is small. This effect was independent of BH but varied across different LSs of late‐arriving plants. The dependence of the effect of PD on the LS of late‐arriving species highlights the importance of the timing of interactions for the assembly of plant communities, which could also have significant implications for the fields of invasion and restoration ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The B chromosomes exhibit diverse behaviour compared with conventional genetic models. The capacity of the B chromosome either to accumulate or to be eliminated in a tissue‐specific manner is dependent on biological processes related to aberrant cell division(s), but here yet remains compatible with normal development.We studied B chromosome elimination in Sorghum purpureosericeum embryos through cryo‐sections and demonstrated the B chromosome instability during plant growth using flow cytometry, molecular markers and fluorescent in situ hybridization techniques. Consequently, using B chromosome‐specific probes we revealed the non‐Mendelian inheritance of B chromosomes in developing pollen.We disclosed that the occurrence of the B chromosome is specific to certain tissues or organs. The distribution pattern is mainly caused by an extensive elimination that functions primarily during embryo development and persists throughout plant development. Furthermore, we described that B chromosome accumulation can occur either by nondisjunction at first pollen mitosis (PMI) or the initiation of extra nuclear division(s) during pollen development.Our study demonstrates the existence of a not‐yet‐fully described B chromosome drive process, which is likely under the control of the B chromosome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: MicroRNA169 (miR169) has been implicated in multi‐stress regulation in annual species such as Arabidopsis, maize and rice. However, there is a lack of experimental functional and mechanistic studies of miR169 in plants, especially in perennial species, and its impact on plant growth and development remains unexplored. Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) is a C3 cool‐season perennial turfgrass of significant environmental and economic importance. In this study, we generated both miR169 overexpression and knockdown transgenic creeping bentgrass lines. We found that miR169 acts as a positive regulator in abiotic stress responses but is negatively associated with plant growth and development, playing multiple critical roles in the growth and environmental adaptation of creeping bentgrass. These roles include differentiated spatial hormone accumulation patterns associated with growth and stress accommodation, elevated antioxidant activity that alleviates oxidative damage induced by stress, ion‐channelling membrane components for maintaining homeostasis under saline conditions, and potential cross‐talks with stress‐regulating transcription factors such as AsHsfA and AsWRKYs. Our results unravel the role of miR169 in modulating plant development and stress responses in perennial grass species. This underlines the potential of manipulating miR169 to generate crop cultivars with desirable traits to meet diverse agricultural demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA modification is crucial for plant development and stress responses. In rice, the male sterility resulting from the deficiency of OsFIP37, a core component of m6A methyltransferase complex, emphasizes the significant role of m6A in male fertility. m6A is reversible and can be removed by m6A demethylases. However, whether mRNA m6A demethylase regulates male fertility in rice has remained unknown. Here, we identify the mRNA m6A demethylase OsALKBH9 and demonstrate its involvement in male fertility regulation. Knockout of OsALKBH9 causes male sterility, dependent on its m6A demethylation activity. Cytological analysis reveals defective tapetal programmed cell death (PCD) and excessive accumulation of microspores exine in Osalkbh9‐1. Transcriptome analysis of anthers shows up‐regulation of genes involved in tapetum development, sporopollenin synthesis, and transport pathways in Osalkbh9‐1. Additionally, we demonstrate that OsALKBH9 demethylates the m6A modification in TDR and GAMYB transcripts, which affects the stability of these mRNAs and ultimately leads to excessive accumulation of pollen exine. Our findings highlight the precise control of mRNA m6A modification and reveal the pivotal roles played by OsALKBH9‐mediated m6A demethylation in tapetal PCD and pollen exine accumulation in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study assessed soil preparation in terms of the advantages it provides in lowering the physical obstacles and their influence on soybean cultivation, with reference to its establishment, development and yield, apart from quantification of the energy demand for tractor performance. The experiments were performed in the field adopting the randomized block design with a two-factor scheme (6x2). Factor A included a variety of soil preparations performed during the off-season of the soybean crop. Sowing was accomplished using the same fertilizer deposition mechanism only, and the areas having no soil preparation done were sown using various other fertilizer deposition mechanisms from the seeder, namely: (A1) sowing without soil preparation (SSPS)+double disc in the seeder (DD); (A2) SSPS+turbo disc (DT); (A3) SSPS+furrowing rod (HS); (A4) plow harrow+DD; (A5) scarified+DD and (A6) subsoiled+DD. Soil preparations before sowing were done on days 52 and 98 days, respectively, during the first and second harvests. Factor B included two soybean cultivars, namely: (B1) Nidera 6601 and (B2) Brasmax Valente. No interaction was observed between the factors investigated. While the scarification+DD showed the need for higher fuel consumption, the results were increased productivity. For the seeder-linked mechanisms, the HS gives more extensive root development of the plants and grain yield. On the contrary, while DD and DT show the combination of the highest operational capacity and lower fuel usage, this is related to lower grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of the ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) binding protein family (AFPs), closely related to NOVEL INTERACTOR OF JAZ (NINJA) proteins, has been revealed in several aspects of plant development related to multifaceted plant abscisic acid (ABA) responses. The abundance of AFP proteins is tightly regulated, and they function as a rheostat for ABA responses through several nonmutually exclusive molecular mechanisms. AFP proteins regulate important biological processes in plants, which are tightly controlled by transcriptional repressors and phytohormone-mediated pathways, specifically ABA, gibberellic acid (GA), and jasmonic acid. In today's world, the most pressing concerns are food security and dynamic climatic conditions. Enriching our knowledge regarding plants' survival and growth strategies through addressing the inherent voids in plant AFP research might foster improvements in various crop species through genetic manipulation. During the course of terrestrial evolution, plants have developed complex networks that involve the coordination of phytohormone signalling pathways in order to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Transcription factors coordinate these responses by engaging in different protein complexes and exerting both positive and negative effects. ABA INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) binding proteins (AFPs), which are closely related to NOVEL INTERACTOR OF JAZ (NINJA)-like proteins, are known for their fundamental role in plants' morphological and physiological growth. Recent studies have shown that AFPs regulate several hormone-signalling pathways, including abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellic acid (GA). Here, we review the genetic control of AFPs and their crosstalk with plant hormone signalling, and discuss the contributions of AFPs to plants' growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review summarizes recent progress in our current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the cell death pathways in bryophytes, focusing on conserved pathways and particularities in comparison to angiosperms. Regulated cell death (RCD) plays key roles during essential processes along the plant life cycle. It is part of specific developmental programmes and maintains homeostasis of the organism in response to unfavourable environments. Bryophytes could provide valuable models to study developmental RCD processes as well as those triggered by biotic and abiotic stresses. Some pathways analogous to those present in angiosperms occur in the gametophytic haploid generation of bryophytes, allowing direct genetic studies. In this review, we focus on such RCD programmes, identifying core conserved mechanisms and raising new key questions to analyse RCD from an evolutionary perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of biopesticides in many industries can be hampered due to their high volatility, susceptibility to degradation when exposed to light or microbial activity, and reduced activity when exposed to stressful environmental conditions. Microencapsulation of biopesticides is a promising technique to solve and address such problems. This study aimed to encapsulate and characterize the extracts produced by Penicillium chrysogenum R1 and evaluate their antifungal activity in the plant assay. The capsules were prepared with a chitosan (0.5 mg/mL) and sodium alginate solution (2% w/v), and 20% (v/v) cell‐free extract recovered from the P. chrysogenum R1 fermentation. The capsules were synthesized in a 2.5% CaCl2 solution at room temperature. The capsules were characterized by DLS and SEM. To determine the efficiency of the free and encapsulated extract, they were applied to tomato plants infected with Fusarium oxysporum. Once the symptoms were observed, the severity and incidence of the disease, as well as the morphological parameters were evaluated. such as dry weight of aerial and root biomass, plant height, root length, stem diameter, chlorophyll content, and number of leaflets. The extract produced by P. chrysogenum R1 was encapsulated in chitosan/alginate capsules with a size range of around 300 nm. The free and encapsulated extracts allowed to efficiently control the disease caused by F. oxysporum and the development of the plants. Therefore, the extract produced by P. chrysogenum R1 encapsulated in chitosan/alginate can effectively control tomato vascular wilt caused by F. oxysporum under greenhouse conditions, promoting plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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SUMMARY BARENTSZ (BTZ), a core component of the exon junction complex, regulates diverse developmental processes in animals. However, its evolutionary and developmental roles in plants remain elusive. Here, we revealed that three groups of paralogous BTZ genes existed in Poaceae, and Group 2 underwent loss‐of‐function mutations during evolution. They showed surprisingly low (~33%) sequence identities, implying functional divergence. Two genes retained in rice, OsBTZ1 and OsBTZ3, were edited; however, the resultant osbtz1 and osbtz3 mutants showed similar floral morphological and functional defects at a low frequency. When growing under low‐temperature conditions, developmental abnormalities became pronounced, and new floral variations were induced. In particular, stamen and carpel functionality was impaired in these rice btz mutants. The double‐gene mutant osbtz1/3 shared these floral defects with an increased frequency, which was further induced under low‐temperature conditions. OsBTZs interacted with OsMADS7 and OsMADS8, and the floral expressions of the OsTGA10 and MADS‐box genes were correlatively altered in these osbtz mutants and responded to low‐temperature treatment. These novel findings demonstrate that two highly diverged OsBTZs are required to maintain floral developmental stability under low‐temperature conditions, and play an integral role in male and female fertility, thus providing new insights into the indispensable roles of BTZ genes in plant development and adaptive evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocytic recycling is an intracellular trafficking pathway that returns endocytosed molecules to the plasma membrane via the recycling endosome. This pathway plays a crucial role in remodelling plasma membrane composition and is thus essential for cellular homeostasis. In plants, endocytic recycling regulates the localization and abundance of receptors, transporters, and channels at the plasma membrane that are involved in many aspects of plant growth and development. Despite its importance, the recycling endosome and the underlying sorting mechanisms for cargo recycling in plants remain understudied in comparison to the endocytic recycling pathways in animals. In this review, we focus on the cumulative evidence suggesting the existence of endosomes decorated by regulators that contribute to recycling in plant cells. We summarize the chemical inhibitors used for analysing cargo recycling and discuss recent advances in our understanding of how endocytic recycling participates in various plant cellular and physiological events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Although elevated ambient temperature causes many effects on plant growth and development, the mechanisms of plant high‐ambient temperature sensing remain unknown. In this study, we show that GLYCOGEN SYNTHASE KINASE 3s (GSK3s) negatively regulate high‐ambient temperature response and oligomerize upon high‐temperature treatment. We demonstrate that GSK3 kinase BIN2 specifically interacts with the high‐temperature sensor phytochrome B (phyB) but not the high‐temperature sensor EARLY FLOWER 3 (ELF3) to phosphorylate and promote phyB photobody formation. Furthermore, we show that phosphorylation of phyB by GSK3s promotes its interaction with ELF3. Subsequently, we find that ELF3 recruits the phyB photobody facilitator HEMERA (HMR) to promote its association with phyB. Taken together, our data reveal a mechanism that GSK3s promote the phyB‐ELF3‐HMR complex formation in regulating plant thermomorphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooding, as a natural disaster, plays a pivotal role in constraining the growth and development of plants. Flooding stress, including submergence and waterlogging, not only induces oxygen, light, and nutrient deprivation, but also alters soil properties through prolonged inundation, further impeding plant growth and development. However, hypoxia (or anoxia) is the most serious and direct damage to plants caused by flooding. Moreover, flooding disrupts the structural integrity of plant cell walls and compromises endoplasmic reticulum functionality, while hindering nutrient absorption and shifting metabolic processes from normal aerobic respiration to anaerobic respiration. It can be asserted that flooding exerts comprehensive effects on plants encompassing phenotypic changes, transcriptional alterations, protein dynamics, and metabolic shifts. To adapt to flooding environments, plants employ corresponding adaptive mechanisms at the phenotypic level while modulating transcriptomic profiles, proteomic characteristics, and metabolite levels. Hence, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomics investigations conducted on flooding stress on model plants and major crops, elucidating their response mechanisms from diverse omics perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) has crucial roles in plant growth and development. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) has multiple functions in plants, particularly having the ability to promote tolerance to a variety of adversity stresses. However, it is unclear whether H2S has a function when plants suffer Pi‐deficiency stress. DES1, encoding L‐cysteine desulfhydrase1, is a crucial source of H2S in Arabidopsis thaliana by catalysing the substrate L‐cysteine. Under phosphate starvation, the des1 mutant had a significantly shorter primary root length than the wild‐type Col‐0, and exogenous application of H2S donor NaHS could compensate for the root growth‐sensitive phenotype. In contrast, the transgenic lines DES1ox overexpressing DES1 exhibited less sensitivity to phosphate starvation in terms of longer roots compared to the Col‐0. These results demonstrate that H2S is involved in the regulation of Arabidopsis root growth under phosphate starvation. Moreover, using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction experiments to analyse the changes in genes induced by phosphate starvation in des1 mutant and Col‐0, we screened to find that the expression of the Sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol 1 (SQD1) gene was significantly downregulated in the des1 mutant. Consistently, exogenous H2S significantly promoted SQD1 expression levels in roots of Col‐0. Taken together, we demonstrate that DES1‐mediated H2S participates in alleviating root growth inhibition by promoting the expression of SQD1 under Pi starvation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nucleolus is conventionally acknowledged for its role in ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis and ribosome biogenesis. Recent research has revealed its multifaceted involvement in plant biology, encompassing regulation of the cell cycle, development, and responses to environmental stresses. This comprehensive review explores the diverse roles of the nucleolus in plant growth and responses to environmental stresses. The introduction delves into its traditional functions in rRNA synthesis and potential participation in nuclear liquid–liquid phase separation. By examining the multifaceted roles of nucleolar proteins in plant development, we highlight the impacts of various nucleolar mutants on growth, development, and embryogenesis. Additionally, we reviewed the involvement of nucleoli in responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. Under abiotic stress conditions, the nucleolar structure undergoes morphological changes. In the context of biotic stress, the nucleolus emerges as a common target for effectors of pathogens for manipulation of host immunity to enhance pathogenicity. The detailed exploration of how pathogens interact with nucleoli and manipulate host responses provides valuable insights into plant stress responses as well as plant growth and development. Understanding these processes may pave the way for promising strategies to enhance crop resilience and mitigate the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses in agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Autophagy, involved in protein degradation and amino acid recycling, plays a key role in plant development and stress responses. However, the relationship between autophagy and phytohormones remains unclear. We used diverse methods, including CRISPR/Cas9, ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, chromatin immunoprecipitation, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and dual‐luciferase assays to explore the molecular mechanism of strigolactones in regulating autophagy and the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins under cold stress in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). We show that cold stress induced the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Mutants deficient in strigolactone biosynthesis were more sensitive to cold stress with increased accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Conversely, treatment with the synthetic strigolactone analog GR245DS enhanced cold tolerance in tomato, with elevated levels of accumulation of autophagosomes and transcripts of autophagy‐related genes (ATGs), and reduced accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. Meanwhile, cold stress induced the accumulation of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5), which was triggered by strigolactones. HY5 further trans‐activated ATG18a transcription, resulting in autophagy formation. Mutation of ATG18a compromised strigolactone‐induced cold tolerance, leading to decreased formation of autophagosomes and increased accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins. These findings reveal that strigolactones positively regulate autophagy in an HY5‐dependent manner and facilitate the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins under cold conditions in tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melatonin plays an important role in plant growth and development. However, little information is available about melatonin regulating rice panicle structure and yield. This study explored the regulatory effects and mechanisms of melatonin spraying before the panicle differentiation stage on rice panicle structure and grain quality. The results showed that spraying melatonin before panicle differentiation increased rice yield, which was mainly reflected in the increase in spikelets per panicle and the percentage of filled grains. In addition, melatonin treatment significantly increased the panicle length. The results of panicle structure analysis showed that the increase in spikelets per panicle caused by melatonin was attributed to the significant increase in the number of secondary branches, total number of secondary branch spikelets, and number of spikelets per secondary branch. The results showed that melatonin can increase the content of zeatin, auxin, and gibberellin, and reduce the content of abscisic acid. These results showed that melatonin affected panicle structure by regulating hormone content, thereby improving yield. In addition, melatonin improves the processing quality, appearance quality, and nutritional quality of secondary branch grains. The above results indicate that application of melatonin improves the number of secondary branches and the quality of grainss on secondary branches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defining plant development timing through seasonal growth and dormancy phases is a valuable proxy for studying climate change and serves as an annual bioindicator. However, current methods for determining the growing season vary due to species‐specific interpretations and differing understandings of its main drivers. Körner et al. (2023) introduced four non‐interchangeable definitions of growing seasons to clarify this complex issue. While some studies have paired different methods, none have simultaneously applied a full set of methods at the individual tree or species level. Here, I aim to present a new perspective to understanding growing season timing by focusing on all facets of above‐ground tree growth and measurable biological and phenological markers. This approach calls for simultaneous, continuous monitoring during active and dormancy periods on the same trees and across different species at a large spatial scale. The goal is to comprehensively understand each method's errors, temporal lags, and the factors determining each growing season, as defined by Körner et al. (2023, Ecology Letters, 26, 1277). Accurate estimation of growing season timing can reshape our understanding of its environmental drivers, improve terrestrial ecosystem models, assess the impact of climate change on tree growth, determine the biological zero for various species, verify remote sensing indices and forecast species distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) constitutes a group of rhizobacteria known for their ability to enhance plant growth and development, thereby playing a key role in alleviating abiotic stressors affecting plants. These microorganisms colonize the rhizosphere and deploy a diverse array of mechanisms to confer tolerance to various abiotic stresses. The utilization of PGPR as a bioinoculant stands out as an environmentally sustainable strategy to mitigate abiotic stress in plants. Consequently, the identification and exploration of highly efficient PGPR strain for application as bioinoculant is one of the thrust area to enhance crop production by ameliorating the impact of abiotic stress. This review meant to understand the ecology and diversity of PGPR, delineate the influence of abiotic stress on plant life, expound upon the response of PGPR to abiotic stress, mechanisms employed by PGPR to mitigate abiotic stress and highlight the significance of utilizing PGPR as bioinoculant to support plants in adapting to and surmounting abiotic stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The GOLDEN2‐LIKE (GLK) transcription factors act as a central regulatory node involved in both developmental processes and environmental responses. Marchantia polymorpha, a basal terrestrial plant with strategic evolutionary position, contains a single GLK representative that possesses an additional domain compared to spermatophytes.We analyzed the role of MpGLK in chloroplast biogenesis and development by altering its levels, preforming transcriptomic profiling and conducting chromatin immunoprecipitation. Decreased MpGLK levels impair chloroplast differentiation and disrupt the expression of photosynthesis‐associated nuclear genes, while overexpressing MpGLK leads to ectopic chloroplast biogenesis. This demonstrates the MpGLK functions as a bona fide GLK protein, likely representing an ancestral GLK architecture.Altering MpGLK levels directly regulates the expression of genes involved in Chl synthesis and degradation, similar to processes observed in eudicots, and causes various developmental defects in Marchantia, including the formation of dorsal structures such as air pores and gemma cups. MpGLK, also directly activates MpMAX2 gene expression, regulating the timing of gemma cup development.Our study shows that MpGLK functions as a master regulator, potentially coupling chloroplast development with vegetative reproduction. This illustrates the complex regulatory networks governing chloroplast function and plant development communication and highlight the evolutionary conservation of GLK‐mediated regulatory processes across plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient for the growth and development of plants. Root hairs are the main parts of plants that absorb K+. The regulation of plant root hair growth in response to a wide range of environmental stresses is crucially associated with the dynamics of actin filaments, and the thick actin bundles at the apical and sub-apical regions are essential for terminating the rapid elongation of root hair cells. However, the dynamics and roles of actin filaments in root hair growth in plants' response to low K+ stress are not fully understood. Here, we revealed that root hairs grow faster and longer under low K+ stress than the control conditions. Compared to control conditions, the actin filaments in the sub-apex of fast-growing wild-type root hairs were longer and more parallel under low K+ stress, which correlates with an increased root hair growth rate under low K+ stress; the finer actin filaments in the sub-apex of the early fully grown Col-0 root hairs under low K+ stress, which is associated with low K+ stress-induced root hair growth time. Further, Arabidopsis thaliana actin bundling protein Villin1 (VLN1) and Villin4 (VLN4) was inhibited and induced under low K+ stress, respectively. Low K+ stress-inhibited VLN1 led to decreased bundling rate and thick bundle formation in the early fully grown phase. Low K+ stress-induced VLN4 functioned in keeping long filaments in the fast-growing phase. Furthermore, the analysis of genetics pointed out the involvement of VLN1 and VLN4 in the growth of root hairs under the stress of low potassium levels in plants. Our results provide a basis for the dynamics of actin filaments and their molecular regulation mechanisms in root hair growth in response to low K+ stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crosstalk of phytohormones in the regulation of growth and development and the response of plants to environmental stresses is a cutting-edge research topic, especially in crop species. In this paper, we study the role and crosstalk between abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), and jasmonate (JA) in the control of germination and seedling growth in water or in standard nutrient solution and under salt stress (supplemented with 100–200 mM NaCl). The roles of ET and JA were studied using squash ET- and JA-deficient mutants aco1a and lox3a, respectively, while the crosstalk between ET, JA, and ABA was determined by comparing the expression of the key ABA, JA, and ET genes in wild-type (WT) and mutant genotypes under standard conditions and salt stress. Data showed that ET and JA are positive regulators of squash germination, a function that was found to be mediated by downregulating the ABA biosynthesis and signaling pathways. Under salt stress, aco1a germinated earlier than WT, while lox3a showed the same germination rate as WT, indicating that ET, but not JA, restricts squash germination under unfavorable salinity conditions, a function that was also mediated by upregulation of ABA. ET and JA were found to be negative regulators of plant growth during seedling establishment, although ET inhibits both the aerial part and the root, while JA inhibits only the root. Both aco1a and lox3a mutant roots showed increased tolerance to salt stress, a phenotype that was found to be mainly mediated by JA, although we cannot exclude that it is also mediated by ABA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study involves extracting and characterizing fibers from the Typha Domingensis Pers (TDP) plant for the development of bio-composite sheets. The mechanical extraction process yielded 9.3% fibers with a high cellulose content of 70.45 wt%. These fibers also had a thermal stability of 210 °C, making them suitable for withstanding high temperatures during the composite preparation process. Using the hand layup process, three variations of bio-composite sheets were made by mixing sodium alginate and paddy husk powder in different ratios. The sheets were then tested for the basic mechanical, absorbency, and biodegradability properties. The bio-composite sheet blend 2 (BC2), which contained 50% fibers and 50% matrix, showed the greatest tensile and flexural strengths of 242 and 292 MPa, respectively, with lower moisture absorption properties. All three bio-composite sheets exhibited 100% biodegradability. However, bio-composite 1 (BC1) showed significant biodegradability within 60 days. The study revealed that fibers from the invasive Typha domingensis Pers plant can be utilized to create biodegradable composites with desirable properties, making them suitable for use as green planters and other similar agricultural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examination of effect of five inorganic chlorine salts (NaCL, KCL, CaCL2, CuCL2.2H2O and FeCL3.6H2O) on wheat seeds from three different wheat cultivars (“Enola C1”, “Tcarevetz” and “Aleksa”), was conducted in the in vitro conditions. Chloride (Cl) is one of the 17 essential nutrients required for plant growth and development. Chloride plays a major role in plant function, including photosynthesis, enzyme activation, nutrient transport, water movement in cells, stomata activity, accelerated plant development, reduced lodging, and improved disease suppression and tolerance. However some studies reveal the toxic action of chloride salts towards different terrestrial and aquatic plants. The purpose of present study was to investigate if NaCL, KCL, CaCL2, CuCL2.2H2O and FeCL3.6H2O have toxic action on germination of wheat seeds. The wheat seeds were placed in the double layer of Whatman filter paper. The papers with seeds were placed in closed plastic bags and 40 ml of the tested solution was poured on the bottom of the bags. The bags were placed in the thermostat at 22 °C for two weeks. Each bag was equal to the one test repetition; each test variant consists of five test repetitions. At the end of the test, percent germination, the length of shoots and roots were measured. Also, the visual observations for phytotoxicity (necrosis, chlorosis and deformations) onto shoots and roots were performed. ANOVA analysis was performed in order to be reveled statistically proved differences between tested variants via R language for statistical computing. The study confirm the toxic action of tested inorganic salts towards wheat and slightly stimulation effect of sodium and potassium chloride at low concentrations on wheat’s growth. Trials conform the strong phytotoxic action of ferric and especially copper chlorides on wheat seeds and plants. The conducted tests show all tested inorganic chlorine salts can strongly inhibit the germination rates of wheat seeds and growth of shoots and roots. However, some of them as sodium and potassium chloride at very low concentrations-0.01-0.05 % (m/v) can express slight stimulation effect on seeds. Ferric and copper chlorides have strongest inhibition effect on wheat seeds in the conducted research. The fact that ferric chloride can act as ISR promoter in the plants and the results in the given study that the salt in very low concentration does not effects the growth and development of the plants is promising for future researchers in this direction. No differences between tested wheat cultivars were observed towards their response to the salts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental stresses, including abiotic and biotic stresses, have complex and diverse effects on the growth and development of woody plants, which have become a matter of contention due to concerns about the outcomes of climate change on plant resources, genetic diversity, and world food safety. Plant basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) are involved in a variety of physiological processes and play an important role in biotic and abiotic stress responses of woody plants. In recent years, an increasing body of studies have been conducted on the bHLH TFs in woody plants, and the roles of bHLH TFs in response to various stresses are increasingly clear and precise. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review of the progress of the research of woody plants. In this review, the structural characteristics, research history and roles in the plant growth process of bHLH TFs are summarized, the gene families of bHLH TFs in woody plants are summarized, and the roles of bHLH TFs in biotic and abiotic stresses in woody plants are highlighted. Numerous studies mentioned in this review have shown that bHLH transcription factors play a crucial role in the response of woody plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. This review serves as a reference for further studies about enhancing the stress resistance and breeding of woody plants. Also, the future possible research directions of bHLH TFs in response to various stresses in woody plants will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explored the differential interaction between ethylene (ET) and abscisic acid (ABA) in relation to salt stress in mustard (Brassica juncea L.) plants. Significant reductions in seed germination, growth, and photosynthesis were observed with 100 mmol NaCl. Among the cultivars tested, the Pusa Vijay cultivar was noted as ET-sensitive. Pusa Vijay responded maximally to an application of 2.0 mmol ethephon (Eth; 2-chloethyl phosphonic acid-ethylene source), and exhibited the greatest growth, photosynthesis, activity of 1-aminocyclopropane carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (ACS), and ET evolution. Notably, Eth (2.0 mmol) more significantly improved the seed germination percentage, germination and vigor index, amylase activity, and reduced H2O2 content under salt stress, while ABA (25 µmol) had negative effects. Moreover, the individual application of Eth and ABA on Pusa Vijay under both optimal and salt-stressed conditions increased the growth and photosynthetic attributes, nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) assimilation, and antioxidant defense machinery. The addition of aminoethoxyvinylglycine (0.01 µmol AVG, ET biosynthesis inhibitor) to ABA + NaCl-treated plants further added to the effects of ABA on parameters related to seed germination and resulted in less effectiveness of growth and photosynthesis. In contrast, the effects of Eth were seen with the addition of fluoridone (25 µmol Flu, ABA biosynthesis inhibitor) to Eth + NaCl. Thus, it can be suggested that ET is crucial for alleviating salt-induced inhibition in seed germination, growth, and photosynthesis, while ABA collaborated with ET to offer protection by regulating nutrient assimilation and enhancing antioxidant metabolism. These findings provide insight into the complex regulatory processes involved in ET–ABA interaction, enhancing our understanding of plant growth and development and the mitigation of salt stress in mustard. It opens pathways for developing hormonal-based strategies to improve crop productivity and resilience, ultimately benefiting agricultural practices amidst a challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress represses the growth and development of plants that mainly depend on the continual propagation and differentiation of stem cells. WUSCHEL (WUS)/WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX) family proteins determine stem cell fate in plants under ever-changing environments. It is not yet known how plant stem cell homeostasis is regulated under salt stress. Methionine synthase catalyzes the formation of methionine by methylating homocysteine in the one-carbon metabolism pathway. In this work, we investigated the role of Arabidopsis METHIONINE SYNTHASE 2 (AtMS2) in stem cell homeostasis under salt stress. The results showed that AtMS2 represses the stem cell maintenance of Arabidopsis in response to salt stress. Under normal growth conditions, AtMS2 is mainly localized in the cytoplasm. However, under salt stress, it exhibits significant accumulation in the nucleus. AtMS2 interacts with the WUS/WOX protein, and, together, they repress WUS/WOX expression by binding to its promoter. The mutation in AtMS2 resulted in enhanced salt tolerance. Therefore, AtMS2 might act as a key negative regulator to repress the stem cell maintenance and growth of Arabidopsis under salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPhosphorus (P) is the second most important essential macronutrient after nitrogen for plant growth and development. Even though P is plentiful in soil, it is largely inaccessible to plants as it is strongly bound with metal ions and form insoluble metal-P complexes. Therefore, different agrochemicals are used to improve the P availability in soils and mitigate the plant need for sustainable growth and productivity of crops. However, those agrochemicals deteriorate ecosystem integrity and adversely affect the soil health. Consequently, there is a need for a more economical and ecologically beneficial P bio-fortification method by phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs). The characterization of phosphorus pools and the assessment of different microbial communities can help to improve our understanding of plant–microbe interaction and P availability. The objective of this study is to discuss the PSMs that facilitate P nutrition mechanisms, including the molecular aspects of P solubilization in soil, and to characterize their features that promote plant growth and development. We mainly focused on how PSMs constitute a fundamental resource for the release of P nutrient where described the several pathways of solubilization and mineralization. The use of PSMs is a viable resource for the future sustainable agriculture, mainly due to its application can helps to reduce the fertilizer dose of P and ultimately reduce the exploitation of fertilizer P and its resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize (Zea mays L.) sprouts growth and activity dynamics of DMDH (decarboxylating malate-dehydrogenase, Malic enzyme EC:1.1.1.40) enzyme have undergone studies under combined stress conditions developed by gamma rays, salt solution, and nanoparticles. Three different factors comprising various doses of gamma radiation (250, 500, and 750 Gy), NaCl solution (100 mM), and iron oxide nanoparticles (maghemite, γ- Fe2O3) have been in use by the study to develop artificial stress conditions. These combined stress conditions have significantly affected and delayed the plant growth compared with the control variant. The higher doses of radiation (500 and 750 Gy) have slowed down the plant growth and caused destruction. The effect of gamma radiation (250 Gy) delayed the growth of plants. However, during the combined influence of nanoparticles (Fe2O3) with a dose of 250 Gy, plant development was better than with an individual dose of 250 Gy. This difference was not evident in the medium with high doses (500 and 750 Gy) of gamma radiation combined with nanoparticles (Fe2O3) and with salt stress (NaCl 100 mM). During the first 10 days of the experiment, DMDH enzyme activity, induced in the root and leaf cells in all variants, included the control, and inhibition occurred on the 15th day. This reaction product can be due to enzyme inhibition. However, the enzyme activity was higher during the combined stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nitrogen and phosphorus are amongst fundamental macronutrients, which are crucial for the growth and development of plant. Soils of dry land of central Rajasthan are deficit in nitrogen and phosphorus content which leads to lower productivity of kasuri methi. Therefore, adequate supply of nitrogen (foliar spray) and phosphorus could enhance productivity of kasuri methi. Methods: The experiment consisted of sixteen treatment combinations including four levels of phosphorus (control, 20, 40 and 60 kg/ha) and four levels of foliar application of nitrogen (control, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%). They were under taken in FRBD with three replications. Result: Growth parameters and yield of fresh and dried leaves of the crop increased almost linearly with increasing levels of phosphorus and foliar application of nitrogen. The result indicated that application of phosphorus 60 kg/ha and foliar nitrogen @ 2.0% to the kasuri methi crop significantly increased the plant height (cm) and leaf area per plant (cm² ) at each harvest, number of nodules per plant (58.17 and 53.33, respectively) and chlorophyll content (2.32 and 2.39 mg/100 g, respectively), fresh leaves yield (139.1 and 141.66 q/ha, respectively), dry leaves yield (20.01 and 22.38 q/ha, respectively), protein content in leaves (5.28 and 5.75%, respectively) and ascorbic acid in leaves (218.15 and 222.42 mg/100 g, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enzyme C-14 sterol reductase is involved in biosynthesis of brassinosteroids (BR) and sterols, as well as plant development. OsFK1, a member of the sterol biosynthesis pathway located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), encodes C-14 sterol reductase. However, there is little research on the function of C-14 sterol reductase in rice. Compared with the wild type, an osfk1 mutant showed dwarf phenotype and premature aging in the second leaf during the trefoil stage, and abnormal development of leaf veins during the tillering stage. The osfk1 mutant showed signs of aberrant PCD, as evidenced by TUNEL staining. This suggested that high ROS buildup caused DNA damage and ROS-mediated cell death in the mutant. The osfk1 mutant also showed decreased chlorophyll content and aberrant chloroplast structure. Sequencing of the osfk1 mutant allele revealed a non-synonymous G to A mutation in the final intron, leading to early termination. Here, we identified the OsFK1 allele, cloned it by Mutmap sequencing, and verified it by complementation. HPLC-MS/MS assays demonstrated that the osfk1 mutation caused lower phytosterol levels. These findings showed that the OsFK1 allele encoding C-14 sterol reductase is involved in phytosterol biosynthesis and mediates normal development of rice plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

YABBY genes encode specific TFs of seed plants involved in development and formation of leaves, flowers, and fruit. In the present work, genome‐wide and expression analyses of the YABBY gene family were performed in six species of the Fragaria genus: Fragaria × ananassa, F. daltoniana, F. nilgerrensis, F. pentaphylla, F. viridis, and F. vesca.The chromosomal location, synteny pattern, gene structure, and phylogenetic analyses were carried out. By combining RNA‐seq data and RT‐qPCR analysis we explored specific expression of YABBYs in F. × ananassa and F. vesca. We also analysed the promoter regions of FaYABBYs and performed MeJA application to F. × ananassa fruit to observe effects on gene expression.We identified and characterized 25 YABBY genes in F. × ananassa and six in each of the other five species, which belong to FIL/YAB3 (YABBY1), YAB2 (YABBY2), YAB5 (YABBY5), CRC, and INO clades previously described. Division of the YABBY1 clade into YABBY1.1 and YABBY1.2 subclades is reported. We observed differential expression according to tissue, where some FaYABBYs are expressed mainly in leaves and flowers and to a minor extent during fruit development of F. × ananassa. Specifically, the FaINO genes contain jasmonate‐responsive cis‐acting elements in their promoters which may be functional since FaINOs are upregulated in F. × ananassa fruit under MeJA treatment.This study suggests that YABBY TFs play an important role in the development‐ and environment‐associated responses of the Fragaria genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought, an important abiotic stress factor, has a profound effect on plant growth, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigated the interactive effects of drought stress [100, 75, 50 and 25% Field Capacity (FC)] and plant development stages (20, 40 and 60 days after flowering) on pepper species (Capsicum annuumL. and Capsicum chinense Jacq.). The results show that drought affects plant morphology and reduces photosynthetic pigments while increasing phytochemicals [total phenolics (TPh), total flavonoids (TFv) and total antioxidant activity (TAa)], malondialdehyde (MDA), protein, proline, and antioxidant enzymes [catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD)] (P ≤ 0.05). Throughout plant development, a decrease in photosynthetic pigments and phytochemicals was observed, accompanied by an increase in biochemical components and antioxidant enzymes. The photosynthetic pigments of C. annuum were less affected by drought. Extreme irrigation conditions (25 and 100% FC) caused significant phytochemical changes. With increasing drought stress severity, C. annuum showed significantly higher biophysical and enzymatic values compared to C. chinense. Different stress conditions resulted in significantly higher increases in SOD, POD and CAT levels in C. annuum compared to C. chinense at all growth stages, with average increases of 1.40-fold, 1.25-fold and 1.75-fold, respectively. In addition, antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly higher in C. annuum with increasing stress severity, helping to cope with oxidative stress. In conclusion, C. annuum shows more stable morphological, physiological and biochemical performances compared to C. chinense, establishing itself as a more drought-tolerant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity is a widespread environmental stress that severely impedes plant growth and development from seed germination to harvest. Thus, the development of suitable management practices to minimize the deleterious effects of salt stress has become necessary. Among these methods, seed priming is considered as one of the potential physiological approaches to enhance seed germination in salt-affected soils. In the present research, we investigated the potentiality of gallic acid (1 mM) and hydrogen peroxide (2 mM) as priming agents to alleviate the salinity-inhibited germination of three faba bean cvs. (Najeh, Chourouk and Bachaar). The seeds were soaked in distilled water (hydropriming) or pretreated with gallic acid and hydrogen peroxide, individually and simultaneously, and then subjected to 150 mM NaCl-salinity. Our results revealed that mean germination time was significantly increased; whereas final germination percentage and germination index as well as dry weight and water content of the embryonic axes were considerably lowered by salt stress in the unprimed seeds of the three faba bean cvs. This decrease was associated with inhibited starch degradation and increased malondialdehyde contents. Our results also indicated that although all germination traits as well as starch metabolism were enhanced following gallic acid, hydrogen peroxide and hydropriming treatments to varying degrees, priming-mitigating effects were agent-dependent with regard to salt-induced oxidative damage, and osmoprotectant accumulation (proline and glycine betaine) as well as non-enzymatic (total polyphenols and flavonoids) and enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, catalase and guaiacol peroxide) antioxidant defense system. Contrarily to hydropriming treatment for which no obvious effects were observed, gallic acid and hydrogen peroxide priming significantly decreased the malondialdehyde content, increased proline and glycine betaine accumulation and enhanced the non-enzymatic as well as the enzymatic defense system to varying degrees for the three faba cvs. When compared to other treatments, simultaneous priming with gallic acid and hydrogen peroxide was more efficient in mitigating the adverse effects of salt stress on faba bean at the germination stage and may be, therefore, suggested as a potential strategy to overcome the salinity-mediated impairment of faba bean, particularly salt-sensitive genotypes, at the germination stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant architecture is shaped by the production of new organs, most of which emerge postembryonically. This process includes the formation of new lateral branches along existing shoots. Current evidence supports a detached-meristem model as the cellular basis of lateral shoot initiation. In this model, a small number of undifferentiated cells are sampled from the periphery of the shoot apical meristem (SAM) to act as precursors for axillary buds, which eventually develop into new shoots. Repeated branching thus creates cellular bottlenecks (i.e. somatic drift) that affect how de novo (epi)genetic mutations propagate through the plant body during development. Somatic drift could be particularly relevant for stochastic DNA methylation gains and losses (i.e. spontaneous epimutations), as they have been shown to arise rapidly with each cell division. Here, we formalize a special case of the detached-meristem model, where precursor cells are randomly sampled from the SAM periphery in a way that maximizes cell lineage independence. We show that somatic drift during repeated branching gives rise to a mixture of cellular phylogenies within the SAM over time. This process is dependent on the number of branch points, the strength of drift as well as the epimutation rate. Our model predicts that cell-to-cell DNA methylation heterogeneity in the SAM converges to nonzero states during development, suggesting that epigenetic variation is an inherent property of the SAM cell population. Our insights have direct implications for empirical studies of somatic (epi)genomic diversity in long-lived perennial and clonal species using bulk or single-cell sequencing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperaccumulation potential of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) and their synergistic effects were examined in relation to Christmas moss (Vesicularia montagnei (Bél) Broth., Hypnaceae), an aquatic and terrestrial moss, dosed with Cd (Cd1 and Cd2), Zn (Zn1 and Zn2) and combined Zn and Cd (Cd1Zn1 and Cd2Zn2). Zinc promoted plant growth and development, particularly in the highest Zn and combined Zn/Cd treatments (Zn2 and Cd2Zn2). The Zn treatment resulted in substantial moss chlorophyll content and highest percentage relative growth rate in biomass value (0.23 mg L−1 and 106.8%, respectively); however, the Cd2Zn2 treatment achieved maximal production of chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll (0.29 and 0.51 mg L−1, respectively) due to synergistic effects. These findings suggest that Christmas moss is a highly metal-tolerant and adaptable bryophyte species. Zinc was essential for reducing the detrimental effects of Cd while simultaneously promoting moss growth and biomass development. Furthermore, Christmas moss exhibited hyperaccumulation potential for Cd and Zn in the Cd2Zn2 and Zn alone treatments, as evidenced by highest Cd and Zn values in gametophores (1002 and 18,596 mg per colony volume, respectively). Using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry, atomic percentages of element concentrations in moss gametophores in the Zn2, Cd2 and combined Zn/Cd treatments were generally in the order: K > Ca > P > Zn > Cd. When comparing the atomic percentages of Zn and Cd in gametophores, it is likely that the higher atomic percentage of Zn was because this element is essential for plant growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]