Environmental and Experimental Botany最新文献

{"title":"Post-translational modification omics reveals the early-stage response of Chinese cabbage to Cd stress","authors":"Lianhui Pan ,&nbsp;Dandan Wu ,&nbsp;Xiaoshuang Cui ,&nbsp;JiYun Hui ,&nbsp;Jiabao Huang ,&nbsp;Ru Li","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High concentrations of cadmium (Cd) in the soil first endanger the growth of crops and can also cause diseases to the human body through crops. Chinese cabbage (<em>Brassica rapa var. glabra Regel</em>) tends to accumulate cadmium (Cd), harming its growth and causing economic losses. Although both transcriptomics and proteomics have been used to study the molecular mechanisms of Cd tolerance, protein modification omics has not yet been used to study the tolerance mechanism of Chinese cabbage to Cd stress. Here, we used <em>S</em>-nitrosylation omics, data-independent acquisition phosphorylation omics, and ubiquitination omics analyses to found that under Cd stress, 952 differential S-nitrosylated proteins, 1863 differential phosphorylated proteins, and 122 differential ubiquitinated proteins were enriched. We identified 10 key candidates, including HMA1 and CCS, that may mediate Cd tolerance through specific PTMs. The <em>S</em>-nitrosylation of plant proteins is regulated by nitric oxide (NO), and exogenous application of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) improved the tolerance of Chinese cabbage seedlings to Cd. Exogenous application of 250 µM SNP considerably increased the antioxidant enzyme activities of Chinese cabbage seedlings, reduced the ROS and MDA content, and enhanced Cd resistance compared with the sole 1 mM Cd treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106319"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146184679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cuticle water permeability, thickness and microchemistry of conifer seedlings and mature trees at the treeline","authors":"Giuseppe Tiloca ,&nbsp;Othmar Buchner ,&nbsp;Notburga Gierlinger ,&nbsp;Gilbert Neuner","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The needles of conifer seedlings at the alpine treeline experience hotter near-ground microclimates than adult canopies, prompting the question about how their cuticles maintain water-barrier function under heat. We compared needle cuticle permeability, thickness and microchemistry between seedlings and mature trees of <em>Larix decidua</em>, <em>Picea abies</em>, and <em>Pinus cembra</em> to assess phenotypic plasticity. The minimum leaf diffusive conductance (g_min) was measured two to 24 h after sample detachment during bench drying at temperatures between 25 and 43 °C. This procedure should force the stomata to close, providing an indication of the temperature dependent cuticle's water permeability. Raman imaging was used to assess microchemistry and thickness of the cuticles. At the study site, seedling's needles reached temperatures of up to 40 °C, which is 14 K higher than that of mature trees. Among species, <em>L. decidua</em> had the highest g_min, followed by <em>P. abies</em> and <em>P. cembra</em>. Seedlings of <em>P. abies</em> and <em>P. cembra</em> exhibited lower g_min at 43 °C, indicating greater cuticular resistance to water loss, unlike <em>L. decidua</em>. Raman imaging differentiated species-specific cuticle structures: <em>L. decidua</em> being thinner and aromatic/flavonol-rich, <em>P. cembra</em> with a thicker and more lipid/cutin rich cuticle and <em>P. abies</em> was intermediate. Seedlings lacked or had an outer wax layer &lt; 300 nm, though their internal aromatic layers resembled those of mature trees. Despite the rise in cuticular permeability above ∼35 °C, evergreen seedlings maintained lower g_min at 43 °C, consistent with acclimative plasticity of cuticle architecture and microchemistry under thermal extremes. These findings link microclimate-driven heat exposure to cuticle traits and highlight that species identity and developmental stage jointly determine water-barrier performance at the treeline.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106313"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life form and behavior type shape water use efficiency in tropical plants via leaf functional traits","authors":"Jinkai Chen ,&nbsp;Tianbao Ren ,&nbsp;Heng Xie ,&nbsp;Wanxin Yang ,&nbsp;Weirong Zhang ,&nbsp;Jinling Zhang ,&nbsp;Mingze Xu ,&nbsp;Liucui Wu ,&nbsp;Zehao Fan ,&nbsp;Cheng Yi ,&nbsp;Shanxia She ,&nbsp;Zhongmin Hu ,&nbsp;Chuan Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106315","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106315","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how water use efficiency (<em>WUE</em>) responds to fluctuating light is critical for predicting ecosystem function under global change. In this study, we examined photosynthetic gas exchange and leaf functional traits across 48 tropical plant species in Hainan, categorized by life form (woody/herbaceous) and light-adaptation (sun/shade). We introduced a novel suite of parameters [e.g., maximum <em>WUE</em> (<em>WUE</em>_max), rising slope (<em>R</em>_S), and declining slope (<em>D</em>_S)] to quantify the dynamic <em>WUE</em>-light response curve. Our results revealed divergent water-use strategies where elevated CO₂ enhanced <em>WUE</em>_max in shade-tolerant species but reduced it in sun-adapted species. This negative reaction might be caused by the closure of stomata in sun-adapted plants, and its inhibitory effect on photosynthesis is stronger than that on transpiration. Using EXtreme Gradient Boosting model, we identified mean tilt angle (MTA) and leaf nitrogen content (LNC) as direct regulators of <em>WUE</em>_max. SHapley Additive exPlanation analysis further indicated this was a non-linear relationship, where moderate leaf inclination was associated with improved <em>WUE</em>_max. We further uncovered a key physiological trade-off where <em>WUE</em>_max was positively associated with mesophyll conductance (<em>g</em>_m) but negatively correlated with stomatal conductance (<em>g</em>_s) and photosynthetic capacity. This is because high <em>g</em>_m ensures efficient CO₂ diffusion to carboxylation sites, whereas excessively high <em>g</em>_s leads to substantial water loss. In conclusion, this study not only provides a novel framework for analyzing dynamic <em>WUE</em> but also reveals distinct water-use strategies across tropical plant functional groups. This finding underscores the necessity of incorporating such divergent, niche-specific strategies into projections of future ecosystem function.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106315"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146075308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smaller but sweeter: The response of grapevine cultivars to drought determines organ interplay in non-structural carbohydrates allocation","authors":"A. Pichierri ,&nbsp;S. Gargiulo ,&nbsp;P. Sivilotti ,&nbsp;F. Boscutti ,&nbsp;G. Masutti ,&nbsp;E. De Luca ,&nbsp;Y. Zambon ,&nbsp;L. Falginella ,&nbsp;V. Casolo","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106300","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106300","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant health relies on non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in plant organs and is jeopardized by different stresses, including drought. Plants may use different hydraulic strategies to cope with drought, often involving modifications in growth and NSC reserves. Our work highlighted the impact of cultivar and drought on the physiological responses at the specific organ levels, utilizing young <em>Vitis vinifera</em> cv. Grenache (GR) (near-isohydric) and Cabernet sauvignon (CS) (near-anisohydric) plants grown in pots and subjected to prolonged water deficit. Plants were harvested at cane maturity, and NSC were measured. The cultivar influenced NSC accumulation in cane, favoured in GR rather than CS, which also showed a reduced root biomass. Drought led to a boost of NSC concentration at the expense of biomass, confirming roots as a key organ in plant drought responses. Moreover, our prolonged water deficit enhanced starch accumulation and its degradation products (water-soluble NSC), leaving the other investigated NSC pool unchanged. In conclusion, our work offers direction on managing the accumulation of NSC in specific grapevine organs, minimizing water inputs and considering cultivar-specific traits. Under this light, the resultant plants will have elevated NSC concentrations which might enhance their resilience to future stresses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106300"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145920862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"GABA-regulated transamination generates alternative carbon skeleton for root nitrogen assimilation of wheat under waterlogging stress","authors":"Jingwen Gao ,&nbsp;Yao Su ,&nbsp;Xihua Zhang ,&nbsp;Juanjuan Chen ,&nbsp;Feng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106284","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106284","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the mutual regulation of carbon and nitrogen metabolism under waterlogging can provide a theoretical basis for nutrient management under such stress. We conducted pot experiments using two wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em>) cultivars, AK58 (waterlogging-sensitive) and XM25 (waterlogging-tolerant), under 7 days of waterlogging and control conditions. Waterlogging treatment decreased shoot nitrogen content, dry matter, and yield compared with the control, and the extent of these reductions was lower in XM25 than in AK58. Under waterlogged conditions, root glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activities decreased under waterlogging treatment due to insufficient supply of α-ketoglutaric acid, and the decrease of root nitrogen assimilation was lower in XM25 than in AK58. In contrast, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) activity increased, and alanine (Ala) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content increased significantly under waterlogging conditions, especially in XM25. To verify the effect of GABA, we applied exogenous GABA treatment and found that exogenous GABA upregulated pyruvate kinase (PK) and GPT activity, resulting in higher ¹⁵N-Ala and α-ketoglutaric acid content. Correspondingly, GABA treatment promoted GS and GOGAT activity in roots and increased shoot nitrogen content, indicating that GABA upregulated the glutamic-pyruvic transamination to supplement carbon skeletons for root nitrogen assimilation. In conclusion, enhancing the carbon skeleton anaplerotic pathway through transamination promoted nitrogen assimilation in roots under waterlogging conditions, and GABA acts as a regulator in this pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106284"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145683293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physiological and hormonal responses underlying salinity tolerance in wild tomatoes: Insights for cultivated varieties","authors":"Susanna Cialli ,&nbsp;Giulia Carmassi ,&nbsp;Rita Maggini ,&nbsp;Stefano Brizzolara ,&nbsp;Antonio Ferrante ,&nbsp;Luca Incrocci ,&nbsp;Anna Mensuali ,&nbsp;Alice Trivellini","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinisation is one of the main abiotic stress factors threatening modern agriculture, with over 1.3 million hectares affected worldwide and causing a progressive loss of arable land. Tomatoes are among the most important horticultural crops globally, but its moderate salt tolerance restricts productivity in saline soils. Related wild species, such as <em>Solanum pimpinellifolium</em> L., which have evolved in high-salinity environments, represent a valuable resource for studying adaptive stress responses and improving cultivated tomatoes. This study compares the salt stress response of <em>S. lycopersicum</em> L. and <em>S. pimpinellifolium</em> L. to identify the processes underlying the higher tolerance in wild species. Plants were grown hydroponically in a closed-loop system using two nutrient solutions: one mimicking seawater irrigation (33 % seawater, EC = 21 dS m⁻¹), and a salt-free control (0 % seawater, EC = 3.22 dS m⁻¹). Phenological, morphological, biochemical, physiological and hormonal traits were assessed. <em>Solanum pimpinellifolium</em> L. effectively modulates the production of osmolytes and photoprotective compounds, the translocation of toxic ions, and improves leaf function which, in synergy with a more integrated and temporally coordinated hormonal network that sustain better growth, yield, and fruit quality under saline conditions. These findings provide new insights into the physiological basis of salt tolerance in wild tomato, supporting its value as a genetic resource and suggesting that seawater-based irrigation may serve as a framework for studying sustainable water management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106296"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145787634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrochar from garden waste enhances drought tolerance in sunflower via soil-plant-gene interactions","authors":"Stefano Mileto ,&nbsp;Damiano Spagnuolo ,&nbsp;Antonio Lupini ,&nbsp;Giovanna Battipaglia ,&nbsp;Viviana Bressi ,&nbsp;Claudia Espro ,&nbsp;Giuseppa Genovese ,&nbsp;Alessandro Crisafulli ,&nbsp;Domenico Viglianti ,&nbsp;Lucio Zaccariello ,&nbsp;Patrizia Trifilò","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106281","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106281","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enhancing crop drought resilience is essential for sustainable agriculture in a changing climate. Among potential strategies, hydrochar (HC), a carbon-rich product of hydrothermal carbonization, represents a promising soil amendment. We hypothesized that HC enhances drought tolerance in <em>Helianthus annuus</em> L. through coordinated soil–plant–gene interactions that modulate water retention, plant hydraulics, and drought-responsive gene networks. Using a multiscale approach combining soil physicochemical analyses, plant physiology, and transcriptomics, we assessed the effects of garden waste-derived HC on <em>H. annuus</em> under well-watered and water-limited conditions. HC application improved soil water retention without altering key chemical parameters and enhanced plant hydraulics. Across irrigation regimes, HC-treated plants showed greater biomass accumulation and photosynthetic capacity. During drought, HC mitigated stress by maintaining leaf water potential and membrane integrity, and by promoting a more negative turgor loss point via osmotic adjustment and increased cell wall stiffness. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that HC modulated drought-responsive genes, including transcription factors (e.g., WRKY51, bZIP11) and genes involved in osmotic regulation, antioxidant defense, and hormonal signaling. The distinct molecular signature in HC-treated plants under drought suggests a priming effect that sustains physiological function under stress. This study provides novel evidence linking HC-induced soil enhancement to molecular drought responses in crops, highlighting HC’s potential as a circular input for improving adaptation and productivity in climate-resilient agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106281"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145645918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Altitude markedly influenced moss functional traits and trait associations at the community level in the eastern Pamir Plateau","authors":"Dong Qiu ,&nbsp;Yue Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiao-Dong Ma ,&nbsp;Ling Dai ,&nbsp;Yuan-Yuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Su-Su Wei ,&nbsp;Okhonniyozov Mekhrovar ,&nbsp;Xue-Xi Ma ,&nbsp;Ye Tao","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106293","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106293","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mosses, as small-sized and structurally simple terrestrial pioneer plants, have gradually developed a series of key functional traits during their long evolutionary history to cope with diverse environmental stresses. However, our understanding of the environmental variability of moss functional traits at the community level, particularly in plateau mountain systems characterized by harsh conditions, remains limited. The eastern Pamir Plateau (China) was selected as the study area, where four vertical transects spanning different altitude ranges were established. Multiple community-level physiological traits and environmental factors were measured to explore the variation patterns of moss functional traits along altitude gradients and their underlying mechanisms. The results revealed that non-structural carbohydrates, antioxidant enzymes, osmotic regulatory substances, oxidative stress products, and photosynthetic pigments of mosses exhibited significant differences across altitude gradients (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), showing distinct trends with increasing altitude. Plant Trait Networks (PTNs) displayed higher network densities at low- to mid-altitude ranges (2000–2500 m: 0.626; 2500–3000 m: 0.514; 3000–3500 m: 0.604), whereas the densities decreased at high altitudes (3500–4000 m: 0.343; 4000–4500 m: 0.341), indicating that PTN structures became looser with increasing altitude. Moreover, the central traits within PTNs shifted along the altitude gradient, following the order POD → Starch → MDA → SOD → SP. Hierarchical partitioning analysis showed that at 2000–3500 m, PTN central traits were primarily driven by climatic factors (38.60 %, 33.12 %, 42.14 %) and geographical-topographic factors (34.53 %, 37.40 %, 34.06 %). At 3500–4000 m, soil factors (47.68 %) and geographical-topographic factors (43.44 %) were the dominant drivers. At altitudes between 4000 and 4500 m, both climatic factors (43.55 %) and soil factors (43.01 %) jointly drive the variation. Multiple linear regression analysis further clarified the major influencing variables within each category. This study revealed systematic variations in moss functional traits and their network structures along an elevational gradient in alpine arid regions. The central trait regulatory mechanisms gradually shifted from being primarily governed by climate-topography interactions to being jointly driven by soil-climate coupling, reflecting adaptive responses of mosses to environmental gradient changes. Overall, these findings provide important insights into the functional adaptation mechanisms of moss communities in alpine arid climates and hold practical significance for ecosystem conservation in plateau regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106293"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145734452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide association analysis revealed that GhD6PKL2 regulates cold tolerance at seed germination and seedling emergence in cotton","authors":"Weihe Shen ,&nbsp;Shuanglan Li ,&nbsp;Binghan Zhou ,&nbsp;Jinglin Li ,&nbsp;Yaxin Dong ,&nbsp;Ruihua Liu ,&nbsp;Qian Shen ,&nbsp;Shaodong Liu ,&nbsp;Huijuan Ma ,&nbsp;Siping Zhang ,&nbsp;Chaoyou Pang ,&nbsp;Changwei Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106292","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106292","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low temperature (12 ℃) is an abiotic stress factor that adversely affects cotton yield and fiber quality. Exposure to low-temperature stress during seed germination and seedling emergence significantly reduces crop productivity. In this study, 383 cotton germplasms were subjected to low-temperature stress, and the variation in seven seedling emergence-related phenotypic traits, including germination rate, was determined. Through genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), we identified 331 significantly associated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci, which were mapped to traits including hypocotyl length, total seedling length, dry weight, and germination rate. Notably, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with hypocotyl length was identified on chromosome A08 (51.91–51.93 Mb). Further analysis revealed that this significant genomic region harbors polymorphic sites within the promoter of <em>GhD6PKL2</em>. Transcriptome sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) further revealed significant differences in this gene's expression levels across distinct haplotypes. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of <em>GhD6PKL2</em> demonstrated that TRV2: <em>GhD6PKL2</em> plants exhibited hypocotyl elongation under low-temperature treatment, accompanied by reduced cotton germination rates,indicating that this gene positively regulates cold resistance in cotton. This study provides valuable theoretical foundations for the breeding and improvement of low-temperature tolerant cotton varieties.</div></div><div><h3>Summary Comment</h3><div>This study investigated the genetic basis of low-temperature tolerance in cotton by analyzing 383 germplasms under 12°C stress, which revealed 331 significant SNP loci associated with seedling emergence traits. A major QTL on chromosome A08 (51.91–51.93 Mb) was correlated with hypocotyl length, and the <em>GhD6PKL2</em> gene was identified as a critical regulator.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106292"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145734453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brassica rapa metal transporter BrMTP1 confers multi-metal tolerance","authors":"Lingxiao Zhang ,&nbsp;Han Liu ,&nbsp;Zhe Li ,&nbsp;Pei-Pei Gao ,&nbsp;Dehong Yang ,&nbsp;Hongbo Xu ,&nbsp;Han Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaoshuo Yang ,&nbsp;Wen-ju Liu ,&nbsp;Fang-Jie Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants require essential metal ions for growth and development, but excessive accumulation of these elements can be toxic. Metal tolerance proteins (MTPs) are key regulators of metal homeostasis, facilitating the sequestration and efflux of excess ions to maintain cellular balance. <em>Brassica rapa</em> is a globally important vegetable crop, yet the functional roles of its MTP family members in Zn, Co, and Mn transport remain poorly characterized. In this study, we identified BrMTP1 in <em>B. rapa</em> and elucidated its substrate specificity and transport mechanisms for Zn, Co, and Mn. Expression pattern analysis revealed that <em>BrMTP1</em> is significantly upregulated under excessive Zn, Co, and Mn stress, and subcellular localization confirmed its tonoplast association. Functional characterization assays in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> and yeast demonstrated that BrMTP1 mediates vacuolar sequestration of Zn, Co and Mn, thereby enhancing tolerance to metal toxicity. Moreover, <em>BrMTP1</em>-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines exhibited enhanced accumulation of Zn, Co, and Mn in roots and reduced root-to-shoot translocation of these metals, suggesting a critical role in limiting their systemic distribution. Present findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms of metal homeostasis in <em>B. rapa</em> and highlight BrMTP1 as a potential target for improving crop resilience to metal stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"241 ","pages":"Article 106302"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145920946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}