Functional Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"Shaping the future of date palm (<i>Phoenix dactylifera</i>) through new genetic improvement strategies.","authors":"Nasser Abdullah Ghdayer Al Kaabi, Karthishwaran Kandhan, Faisal Hayat, Saif Ali Matar Al Blooshi, Mohamed S Sheteiwy, Mohammed Alyafei","doi":"10.1071/FP25021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP25021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conventional breeding of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera ) is inherently challenging due to its long generation time, dioecious nature, and high genetic heterogeneity. However, current developments in genomics and molecular biology offer promising avenues for accelerating breeding programs, particularly through high-throughput technologies including functional genomics. This article reviews genomic tools such as like CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats-CRISPR-associated protein 9) that may bring significant changes in date palm breeding. The CRISPR-Cas9 system enables scientists to accurately target genomic regions, which helps enhance breeding accuracy by adding advantageous traits and eliminating unfavorable genes through precision editing. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses have also explained the regulation of thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolic pathways under environmental stress. These studies contribute to enhance the knowledge of stress tolerance mechanisms, which include the secondary metabolic process of flavonoids. Genomic studies illustrating single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based diversity between cultivars from north African and the Arabian Gulf provide new genetic resources for selective breeding. The work relates genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and miRNA profiling to elucidate key regulatory networks involved in fruit development and stress resilience. The integration of such advanced technologies, especially the CRISPR-Cas9 system, is revolutionizing the landscape of date palm breeding, opening new avenues for accelerated development of superior cultivars that meet the needs of modern agriculture.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144233772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multivariate analysis reveals physiological trade-offs and synergies under light and nutrient gradients in the herbaceous species <i>Agastache rugosa</i>.","authors":"Khairul Azree Rosli, Azizah Misran, Latifah Saiful Yazan, Puteri Edaroyati Megat Wahab","doi":"10.1071/FP24323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP24323","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Agastache rugosa is an herbaceous species that shows a high degree of phenotypic plasticity in response to light and nutrient gradients, but the coordination among its leaf structural, photosynthetic, and resource use traits remains unexplored in tropical environments. We investigated the functional traits and resource use efficiencies of A. rugosa under four nutrient levels nested within two light levels. Photosynthetic rates increased under high-light, while leaf temperatures remained stable (34-37°C) across treatments, suggesting effective thermoregulation. Unexpectedly, Rubisco content was 22.4% higher under low-light, intermediate nutrient levels, indicating a compensatory mechanism. Water use efficiency increased under high-light, whereas photosynthetic phosphorus and potassium use efficiencies were higher under low-light levels. Principal component analysis showed that light and nutrients explained 71.6% of trait variation, with distinctive clustering of resource use efficiencies. Hierarchical clustering identified three functional trait groups at 90% similarity levels, comprising photosynthetic, nutrient use, and water conservation mechanisms. The species showed tight coordination between CO2 supply and demand, with strong correlations between photosynthetic traits and resource use efficiencies. Our findings demonstrate that A. rugosa employs a suite of adaptive mechanisms to optimise resource acquisition and utilisation across heterogeneous environments, advancing our understanding of plant responses to multiple resource gradients.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144247371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Flag leaf metabolomics and agronomic performance in rice cultivars under nitrogen-potassium fertilization.","authors":"Mahmoud Moustafa, Ambreen Maqsood, Muhammad Taimoor Shakeel, Muhammad Naveed Aslam, Khurram Shahzad, Idrees Haider, Uthman Algopishi, Mohammed O Alshaharni, Suliman A Alrumman","doi":"10.1071/FP25090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP25090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rice is a substantial cereal crop and staple food in several world regions. Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) are key to increasing rice growth and development, ultimately increasing the farmer's net profit. Environmental pollution also results from the careless application of nitrogenous fertilizers for commercial agricultural cultivation. Understanding the metabolic profiling underlying rice nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is still limited. Therefore screening these two cultivars on a commercial and economic basis is essential, as this would be beneficial in revealing new insights. The flag leaf metabolic expression profiles of two rice cultivars, IRRI 6 (V1) and ksk 434 (V2), collected from low and high NK treatments at anthesis were examined. The optimal doses were applied to 45-day-old transplanted seedlings. Our findings revealed that in response to the NK application, ksk 434 (V2) yielded higher values for morphological traits such as total dry weight, plant height, total number of tillers, rice flag leaf weight, total fresh weight and rice flag leaf area than basmati 385 (V1). Furthermore, N2K2 (114:104kg/ha) application significantly increased NUE, rice grain yield, chlorophyll content and metabolic expression compared to plants treated with N1K1, N3K3 and the control. Twenty-four metabolites related to photosynthetic synthesis were annotated, among which 8-Acetylegelolide, citric acid, methionine, chlorophyll a/b and (S)-2-Aceto-2-hydroxybutanoate were positively correlated with the photosynthetic cycling process. Meanwhile, UDP-glucose, 4-methylcellulose, galactosamine, L-glutamic acid and C5-branched dicarboxylic acid metabolism were positively associated with yield. Furfural, L-piperidine and (S)-2-acetone-2-hydroxybutyric acid were downregulated after nitrogen application in both cultivars compared to control. The optimum dose of fertilizer application also upregulated the expression of NAPDH, ndhA, ndhD, ATP1, psAc, ndhB and rpoB genes in the flag leaf of rice at the heading stage as compared to control plants. In future, multiomics techniques will be performed to identify key genes/pathways involved in N metabolism, that may potentially improve root architecture and increase NUE.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144233762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Iodine application induces the antioxidant defense system, alleviates salt stress, reduces nitrate content, and increases the nutritional value of lettuce plants.","authors":"Osama Abdelsalam Shalaby","doi":"10.1071/FP24273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP24273","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In light of climate change, improving plant resilience to abiotic stress is essential. Iodine application can improve plant tolerance to abiotic stress and provide humans with a nutritious diet rich in iodine and antioxidants. A field experiment was conducted on lettuce plants grown in a saline environment with four levels of foliar iodine spray (0, 3, 6, and 9mg/L potassium iodate). Lettuce plants respond to iodine in a concentration-dependent manner, with low iodine concentrations increasing their antioxidant capacity, reducing the amount of toxic compounds, improving their nutritional status, maintaining their physiological balance, and stimulating plant growth and yield. Conversely, high iodine levels disrupt physiological processes and reduce productivity. However, lettuce plants sprayed with 3mg/L iodine presented relatively high levels of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase), nonenzymatic antioxidants (vitamin C, proline, and phenols), chlorophyll, and nutrients, as well as relatively low levels of malondialdehyde, H2 O2 , and Na, resulting in increased head weight and total yield and reduced nitrate content. Thus, while low levels of iodine can increase plant resilience to adverse conditions such as salt stress, high levels can be detrimental, leading to reduced growth and yield. The higher the concentration of iodine used, the greater the inhibitory effect on plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144233771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advanced gene editing techniques for enhancing disease resistance and climate resilience in crops.","authors":"Zareen Sarfraz, Yusra Zarlashat, Alia Ambreen, Muhammad Mujahid, Muhammad Shahid Iqbal","doi":"10.1071/FP24357","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP24357","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ensuring food security and solving the issues brought on by climate change require breeding and engineering of climate-resilient crops. Despite its contributions to reducing agricultural diseases, genetic engineering has several limitations, including high labor costs, lengthy processing times, and poor productivity. Genome editing has become a potential method to provide notable opportunities to explain complex biological processes, genetically solve the causes of diseases, and improve crops for disease resistance by effectively modifying multiple traits. Genome editing techniques including TALENs, ZFNs, and CRISPR/Cas9 increase agricultural productivity by developing climate-resistant crops and promoting climate-resilient agriculture. Among these approaches, CRISPR/Cas9 shows exceptional efficacy, minimal chance of off-target effects, and improved traits such as drought tolerance and disease resistance. This study explores advanced gene editing techniques for improving disease resistance in crops and developing climate-resilient varieties to reduce food insecurity and hunger. It demonstrates that these techniques have enhanced the nutritional content and resilience of many crops by fighting abiotic and biotic stresses. Future agricultural practices could alter the genes and improve disease-resistant crops by genome editing techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144233761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"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 biochemical responses of cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i>) seedlings to NaCl stress and analysis of salt tolerance thresholds.","authors":"Lupeng Sun, Xin Cai, Dianjun Chen, Yang Cai, Fenghua Zhang","doi":"10.1071/FP24204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP24204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soil salinisation is increasing in extent and area, which seriously limits the growth of crops. In this experiment, we investigated the differences in physiological responses and salt (NaCl) tolerance thresholds between salt-tolerant ('Xinluzao 53') and salt-sensitive ('Xinluzao 60') varieties of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum ). Peroxidase activity of 'Xinluzao 53' and 'Xinluzao 60' increased by 29.37% and 59.35%, compared with the control, respectively. Catalase activity of 'Xinluzao 53' and 'Xinluzao 60' was 101.00% and 61.59% higher than that of the control, respectively. Overall increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the leaves of 'Xinluzao 53' was less than 'Xinluzao 60', which was lower in 'Xinluzao 53' than 'Xinluzao 60' under the salt treatments of 8g kg-1 (32.59% lower) and 10g kg-1 (35.27% lower). Net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of 'Xinluzao 60' was reduced by 13.31%, 22.83%, and 21.52% compared to 'Xinluzao 53' at salt concentrations of 2, 8, and 10g kg-1 , respectively. 'Xinluzao 53' protected the cell membrane structure by maintaining higher antioxidant enzyme activities, lower MDA content, and electrolyte leakage under salt stress. Higher SPAD values, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and photosynthetic rates were further maintained to safeguard normal physiological metabolism and photosynthetic system, higher salt tolerance than 'Xinluzao 60'. The orrelation analysis and quadratic regression equation established an integrated, comprehensive, and reliable screening method for cotton seedling salt tolerance threshold in combination with the actual growth of seedlings. The salt tolerance threshold of salt-tolerant 'Xinluzao 53' seedlings was 10.1g kg-1 , and the salt tolerance threshold of sensitive 'Xinluzao 60' seedlings was 8.5g kg-1 .</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143965029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decoding the expression patterns and characterisation of calmodulin and calmodulin-like gene families in watermelon (<i>Citrullus lanatus</i>) under abiotic stresses.","authors":"Ali Aslam, Ruimin Zhang, Muhammad Waseem, Zhang Huang, Ashir Masroor, Munazza Kiran, Temoor Ahmed, Muhammad Tayyab, Rabia Nawaz, Muhammad Azam, Muhammad Naveed Babur, Sher Muhammad, Muhammad Khuram Razzaq, Zainab Ahmad, Qinghua Shi, Ammara Tahir, Idrees Khan","doi":"10.1071/FP25023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP25023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calmodulin (CaM) and calmodulin-like (CML) gene families are important in combating stress conditions in plants. A total of 36 CaMs/CMLs were identified and found to be randomly dispersed over the 11 chromosomes of Citrullus lanatus (watermelon). Domain analysis verified the presence of characteristic four EF-hand domains in ClCaM proteins and 2-4 EF-hand domains in ClCML proteins. Most of the ClCML genes were intron-less, but all the ClCaM had introns. In the promoter region, 11% of the cis -regulatory elements were identified belonging to abiotic stress. Collinearity analysis suggested that the ClCaM/ClCML gene family expanded due to segmental duplications. Synteny analysis of 36 ClCaM/CML exhibited 31 pairs of collinearity with Arabidopsis thaliana . Twelve miRNAs were predicted to target one ClCaM and eleven ClCML genes. Analysis by real time quantitative PCR indicated all genes expressed under abiotic treatments. Among the analysed genes, ClCML1 is the most highly expressed gene, especially under cold stress, suggesting its strong involvement in stress response mechanisms. ClCML5 and ClCML27 showed consistent upregulation under salt and drought stresses, highlighting their potential roles in the salt and drought tolerance mechanism. These findings will facilitate the subsequent experiments in exploring the calcium signalling channel under stress situations and pave the way for further exploration of molecular mechanisms involved in defenses against cold, drought, and salt stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144127139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of key pathways and associated transcription factor-miRNA-gene regulatory networks driving heterosis in cotton (<i>Gossypium</i> spp.).","authors":"Rasmieh Hamid, Bahman Panahi, Feba Jacob","doi":"10.1071/FP25041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP25041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, represents a pivotal phenomenon in cotton (Gossypium spp.) breeding, enabling substantial advancements in yield, stress tolerance, and fiber quality. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of this phenomenon are still largely unexplored. To address this issue, we performed RNA-seq meta-analysis using a P -value combination approach to identify key molecular signaling pathways associated with heterosis in root and bud tissues of hybrid and parental lines. In addition, the regulatory miRNA-transcription factor (TF) gene interactions associated with heterosis were further constructed and dissected. This comprehensive analysis identified 591 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were consistently observed in all datasets. In particular, 435 root-specific, 130 bud-specific, and 159 shared meta-DEGs were identified, revealing the intricate interplay between tissue-specific and shared molecular pathways. Functional enrichment analysis of identified meta-DEGs highlighted critical roles of specific biological processes, including circadian rhythm regulation and water transport, alongside essential metabolic pathways such as glutathione metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism in the heterosis phenomenon. Genes pivotal to growth and development, such as GhFT (flowering regulation), GhXTH9 (cell wall modification), and GhSUS4 (energy storage), were identified as key players in the heterosis phenomenon in cotton. The associations between several miRNA-TF-gene interaction networks such as Ghi -miR164-NAC and Ghi -miR166-HD-ZIP as heterosis driving regulatory interactions were highlighted by systems level analysis. This study provides a comprehensive framework for dissection of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms underlying heterosis in cotton and offers new insights for targeted breeding strategies to improve the performance of hybrids in modern cotton breeding programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144181783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Past trauma, better future: how stress memory shapes plant adaptation to drought.","authors":"Md Mezanur Rahman, Sanjida Sultana Keya, Mallesham Bulle, S M Ahsan, Md Abiar Rahman, Md Shyduzzaman Roni, Md Mahmud Al Noor, Mehedi Hasan","doi":"10.1071/FP24355","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP24355","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Can plants remember drought? Emerging evidence suggests that prior stress exposure leaves an epigenetic imprint, reprogramming plants for enhanced resilience. However, the stability and functional relevance of drought memory remain unresolved. This review synthesizes recent advances in epigenetic modifications, transcriptional reprogramming, and metabolic priming, critically assessing their roles in plant stress adaptation. DNA methylation dynamically reshapes chromatin landscapes, yet its transient nature questions its long-term inheritance. Histone modifications, particularly H3K9ac and H2Bub1, may encode stress signatures, enabling rapid transcriptional responses, whereas small RNAs fine-tune chromatin states to reinforce memory. Beyond epigenetics, physiological priming, including osmotic adjustments, antioxidant defenses, and hormonal crosstalk, introduces further complexity, yet its evolutionary advantage remains unclear. Root system plasticity may enhance drought resilience, but its metabolic trade-offs and epigenetic underpinnings are largely unexplored. A critical challenge is disentangling stable adaptive mechanisms from transient acclimatory shifts. We propose a framework for evaluating drought memory across temporal and generational scales and highlight the potential of precision genome editing to establish causality. By integrating multi-omics, gene editing, and field-based validation, this review aims to unlock the molecular blueprint of drought memory. Understanding these mechanisms is key to engineering climate-resilient crops, ensuring global food security in an era of increasing environmental uncertainty.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modulation of key sterol-related genes of <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> by phosphite treatment during infection with <i>Phytophthora cinnamomi</i>.","authors":"Aayushree Kharel, Mark Ziemann, James Rookes, David Cahill","doi":"10.1071/FP24251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/FP24251","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phytophthora cinnamomi is a globally destructive pathogen causing disease in over 5000 plant species. As sterol auxotrophs, Phytophthora species rely on host-derived phytosterols for reproduction, yet the effects of pathogen infection on plant sterol biosynthesis remains unclear. We utilised a soil-free plant growth system to analyze the impacts of P. cinnamomi on Nicotiana benthamiana roots, a new model for studying P. cinnamomi -plant root interactions. Our results show that P. cinnamomi successfully infected all ecotypes tested, but infection was inhibited by the systemic chemical, phosphite. While phosphite is traditionally associated with the activation of plant defence mechanisms, we show that phosphite also modulates plant immune receptors and phytosterol biosynthesis. qPCR analyses revealed a two-fold upregulation of the N. benthamiana elicitin receptor, Responsive to Elicitins (REL ), and its co-receptor, suppressor of BIR1-1 (SOBIR ) during P. cinnamomi infection when compared with infected, phosphite-treated plants. Furthermore, key genes related to plant sterol biosynthesis were upregulated in their expression during pathogen infection but were suppressed in phosphite-treated and infected plants. Notably, the cytochrome P450 family 710 (CYP710A ) gene encoding a C22-sterol desaturase, involved in stigmasterol production, a phytosterol known to be linked to plant susceptibility to pathogens, was downregulated in phosphite-treated plants, independent of infection status. These findings reveal novel insights into the role of phosphite in modulating plant immune responses and sterol metabolism, with potential in managing diseases caused by P. cinnamomi .</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"52 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144077249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}