Journal of plant physiology最新文献

{"title":"An efficient genetic transformation and gene editing system mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes for Liriodendron hybrid and its application","authors":"Mingyue Xu,&nbsp;Wenbin Su,&nbsp;Delight Hwarari,&nbsp;Yinyue Zuo,&nbsp;Zhaodong Hao,&nbsp;Jisen Shi,&nbsp;Jinhui Chen,&nbsp;Liming Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An efficient genetic transformation system is imperative for advancing gene functional studies and molecular breeding in horticultural tree species. Traditional <em>Agrobacterium tumefaciens</em>-mediated methods have encountered significant technical challenges when applied to tree species, particularly <em>Liriodendron</em> hybrids. The high costs, and extended transformation cycles associated with this method have substantially limited its utility in gene functional analysis and breeding applications. In response to these challenges, this study presents the development of a streamlined, rapid, and efficient <em>Agrobacterium rhizogenes</em>-mediated transformation system tailored specifically for <em>Liriodendron</em> hybrids, an important ornamental and timber tree species. Among the three <em>Agrobacterium rhizogenes</em> strains (K599, MSU440, and C58C1) evaluated in this study, K599 demonstrated the highest transformation efficiency, reaching 46.09 % for inducing hairy roots from apical bud incisions. Further optimization of the system revealed that 2 days and two-month-old seedlings were the most suitable co-culture duration and explants, yielding a peak transformation efficiency of 60.38 %, 53.12 %, respectively. The applicability of this transformation system was validated across various <em>Liriodendron</em> hybrids genotypes and <em>Liriodendron tulipifera</em>, with transformation efficiencies ranging from 15.47 % to 60.63 %. Additionally, the system was effectively employed for subcellular localization analysis, which confirmed that the aquaporin (AQP) protein. LhAQP1 is localized in the plasma membrane and exhibits enrichment in the vascular tissues of the hairy roots. Notably, this study marks the first application of the <em>Agrobacterium rhizogenes</em>-mediated system for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in <em>Liriodendron</em> hybrids, successfully achieving targeted mutagenesis of the <em>LhAQP1</em> gene and establishing the feasibility of gene editing within this species. In addition, the hairy root-based transformation system was employed to investigate the functional role of <em>LhAQP1</em> in the improved <em>Liriodendron</em> variety ‘Nanlin-Jinsen E1’ by comparing wild-type, <em>LhAQP1</em>-overexpressing and gene-edited lines generated via the CRISPR/Cas9. <em>LhAQP1</em>-overexpression significantly promoted plant growth and drought tolerance, whereas pYLCRISPR-LhAQP1 increases dehydration sensitivity, underscoring the essential role of <em>LhAQP1</em> in water stress adaptation. Optimized transformation platform represents a crucial advancement for functional genomics and molecular breeding efforts in woody plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154639"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145377691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Protoplast isolation and transient expression in the precious and economically important tree Toona ciliata","authors":"Chunyi Ye ,&nbsp;Weijia Kong ,&nbsp;Yue Li ,&nbsp;Huiyun Song ,&nbsp;Ziyi Tian ,&nbsp;Chunxia Lei ,&nbsp;Pei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Protoplasts are widely used in the fields of genetic transformation, physiology, and biochemistry, as they can easily absorb exogenous substances. The development and an efficient protoplast isolation and transient transformation system are essential for molecular biology and related research. <em>Toona ciliata</em>, valued for its high-quality and vividly colored wood, represents an economically significant species. In order to promote efficient breeding of the precious fast-growing tree, the establishment of a protoplast isolation and transient transformation system for <em>T. ciliata</em> is particularly important.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The native protoplast isolation system established in this study used 0.3 g of leaves of two-month-old <em>T. ciliata</em> seedlings as the separation material, with an enzyme solution composed of 15 g/L Cellulase R-10 + 15 g/L Macerozyme R-10 + 0.6 M mannitol +10 mM MES +1 mM CaCl₂ + 0.1 % BSA. Protoplasts were isolated in the dark at room temperature with gentle shaking (50 rpm) for 10 h, yielding (89.17 ± 7.21) × 10⁶ protoplasts per gram of fresh weight with a viability of 92.62 ± 0.75 % (n = 3). For transient transformation, the optimal conditions included 40 % PEG, a plasmid concentration of 30 μg/μL, and a 30 min incubation in the dark, resulting in a transformation efficiency of 29.02 ± 6.13 % (n = 3). This highly efficient native protoplast-based transient expression system was successfully applied to determine the subcellular localization of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS), a rate-limiting enzyme in the terpenoid biosynthesis pathway in <em>T. ciliata</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The established protoplast isolation and transient expression system provides a foundation for the subsequent identification of gene function and mechanism research, and provides a reliable research platform for the molecular breeding of <em>T. ciliata</em>, supporting future genetic improvement efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154635"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145329605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The integrated function of roots in plant salt tolerance","authors":"Bing Cui ,&nbsp;Yiran Xu ,&nbsp;Yancan Li ,&nbsp;Jie Song ,&nbsp;Faujiah Nurhasanah Ritonga ,&nbsp;Jianwei Gao ,&nbsp;Jingjuan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinization is one of the critical challenges facing global agriculture, seriously affecting crop growth and yields. As the primary organs for absorbing water and nutrients, plant roots play a pivotal role in responding to salt stress. In recent years, researchers have uncovered diverse functional mechanisms underlying root-mediated salt tolerance through multi-dimensional studies, such as gene regulation, physiological and biochemical mechanisms, and ecological adaptation. This article reviews the integrated functions of plant roots in salt tolerance from multiple perspectives, including root structure and function, physiological and biochemical responses of roots, root-shoot coordination, root perception and signal transduction of salt stress, rhizosphere microbial synergy, nutrient elements, and the application of phenotypic techniques. Such knowledge is expected to provide a theoretical foundation for breeding salt-tolerant crop varieties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154638"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145409239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamics of nitrogen absorption, translocation, and assimilation depend on the growth stages of tank-forming epiphytic bromeliads","authors":"Cassia Ayumi Takahashi ,&nbsp;Rafael Silva Oliveira ,&nbsp;Helenice Mercier","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In tank-forming epiphytic bromeliads, two distinct growth stages can be easily identified, each characterized by specific adaptive traits for capturing nutrients such as inorganic or organic nitrogen sources: (a) the juvenile stage (atmospheric form), during which the bromeliad absorbs nutrients dissolved in rainwater through its leaves and roots; and (b) the adult stage (tank form), in which overlapping leaves form a reservoir that enables the accumulation of water and nutrients among the leaf bases. This study investigated differences in nitrogen absorption, translocation, and assimilation between these two growth stages of <em>Vriesea gigantea.</em> Atmospheric and tank-form bromeliads were supplied with solutions containing ¹⁵NO₃⁻, ¹⁵NH₄⁺, or [U-¹⁵N]urea. Leaves and roots were harvested at six different time points and used for enzymatic activity assays (urease, nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate dehydrogenase) and endogenous content quantifications (ammonium, nitrate, and ¹⁵N abundance). Ammonium and urea were the main nitrogen sources utilized by both growth forms. However, they were not absorbed and assimilated with equal efficiency: atmospheric bromeliads used ammonium more efficiently, whereas tank bromeliads utilized urea better. Although nitrate was the least absorbed source in both plants, atmospheric bromeliads showed faster uptake and assimilation. These findings suggest that inorganic nitrogen sources may be more readily available to epiphytic bromeliads during their juvenile phase, which could explain why they are physiologically better adapted to absorb and metabolize them. In the adult stage, organic nitrogen sources may become more accessible to <em>V. gigantea</em>, as the tank structure facilitates the accumulation of decomposing organic matter.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154636"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145401311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modern approaches to enhancing abiotic stress tolerance using phytoprotectants: A focus on encapsulated proline","authors":"Vanessa A. Avendaño ,&nbsp;Jimmy Sampedro-Guerrero ,&nbsp;Aurelio Gómez-Cadenas ,&nbsp;Carolina Clausell-Terol","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Abiotic stress conditions such as salinity, water deficit, heat, cold, and heavy metal toxicity severely affect plant growth and productivity. To cope with these adverse environmental conditions, the exogenous application of phytoprotectants has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance plant tolerance. Phytoprotectants such as proline, putrescine, ascorbic acid, and phytomelatonin improve physiological and biochemical responses by interacting with phytohormonal signaling pathways to strengthen stress adaptation mechanisms. Among them, proline is particularly notable for its multifunctional role as an osmolyte, antioxidant, signaling molecule, and stabilizer of cellular structures. Exogenous proline application under stress conditions has been shown to improve growth parameters, activate antioxidant defense systems, reduce oxidative stress, and upregulate stress-responsive genes. However, excessive accumulation of these compounds can produce metabolic imbalances, which highlights the need for precise management. Recent advances in encapsulation technologies provide a novel approach to improve the stability, bioavailability, and controlled release of phytoprotectants. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the roles and interactions of key phytoprotectants, with a special focus on proline, and explores how encapsulation strategies can enhance their effectiveness in mitigating abiotic stress in plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154602"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145364346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heat-induced chloroplast, mitochondria and plasma membrane ROS generation and modification of antioxidant activities in Hordeum vulgare leaves of different age","authors":"Natallia Pshybytko ,&nbsp;Vadim Demidchik","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increased temperature is one of the most important environmental factors affecting plant life. Here, the effect of heat (40 °C, 3 h) on thylakoid O₂ production and mitochondrial O₂ consumption, H₂O₂ and superoxide generation, an accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) in organelles, ascorbate peroxidase activities, redox state of ascorbate and glutathione pools were investigated in the developing primary leaf of <em>Hordeum vulgare</em> L. (4-, 7- and 11-day-old seedlings: ‘young’, ‘mature’ and ‘aging’ leaf, respectively). It was found that heat inhibited chloroplast O₂-evolving activity in the leaf of all ages. Heat increased respiration in young leaf and decreased it in 7- and 11-day-old seedlings. In chloroplasts, heat mainly increased the ROS production in aging leaf although it did not cause accumulation of MDA (marker of lipid peroxidation). These effects were accompanied by enhanced ROS production and accumulation of MDA in mitochondria in all age groups. Heat-induced generation of ROS in chloroplasts of older leaf caused activation of ascorbate peroxidase, resulting in a decrease in the amount of ascorbate. At the same time, the reduced glutathione content was increased in heated leaf of all ages with partially high levels in older leaf. Heat also activated NADPH oxidase in leaves of 4-day-old seedlings but not in older leaf that can be reminiscent of elevated NADPH oxidase activity in growth tissues. The discovered generation of ROS and other effects were analyzed in the context of the heat-induced modification of photosynthetic electron flows in the developing primary leaf of barley, which we previously revealed. Schemes of possible heat-induced reactions for different stages of leaf development were proposed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154650"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145505175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"ALA improves salt tolerance of strawberry by alleviating the negative regulation of FaMYB44 on FaCLC expression","authors":"Bo Wei,&nbsp;Jianting Zhang,&nbsp;Liangju Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154633","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154633","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Strawberry (<em>Fragaria</em> × <em>ananassa</em> Duch.) is sensitive to salt stress. The application of exogenous 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) can induce <em>chloride channel</em> (<em>CLC</em>) gene expression, which promotes Cl⁻ retention in roots with less translocation to shoots, thereby improving the salt tolerance of plants. However, the underlying transcriptional regulatory mechanism remains unknown. In this study, 23 <em>FaCLC</em> genes were identified in the strawberry genome, which were classified into two subclasses and six subgroups. NaCl stress stimulated the expression of <em>FaCLC-b1</em>/<em>c4</em>/<em>e3</em> in the leaves and roots of strawberry and ALA further promoted the gene expression under salt stress. NaCl and ALA activated the transcriptional activity of three gene promoters, as detected by using <em>β-glucuronidase</em> (<em>GUS</em>) reporter gene. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that FaCLC-b1 and FaCLC-c4 are tonoplast localized proteins. Overexpression of <em>FaCLC-b1</em> and <em>FaCLC-c4</em> in tobaccos improved the salt tolerance of transgenic plants with more Cl⁻ retention in the roots and less accumulation in the leaves. It was found that the NO₃⁻ content was increased by ALA treatment. Moreover, we identified a nucleus-localized transcription factor FaMYB44. Verification by yeast one-hybrid assay (Y1H), dual-luciferase reporter (LUC), and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) demonstrated that FaMYB44 can recognize the MBS elements of the promoter of <em>FaCLC-c4</em> and negatively regulate the target gene expression. NaCl stress induced <em>FaMYB44</em> expression in strawberry roots, while ALA suppressed its expression. Overexpression of <em>FaMYB44</em> in tobacco resulted in increased Cl⁻ accumulation in the leaves and impaired the plants. FaMYB44 can bind to the promoter of <em>FaCLC-c4</em> and depress its expression, while ALA inhibited <em>FaMYB44</em> expression, thereby alleviating the suppression of FaMYB44 on <em>FaCLC-c4</em> expression, and intercepting Cl⁻ in roots with preferential transport of NO₃⁻ up to the leaves and increasing salt tolerance. These findings provide a new perspective on the transcription regulation of <em>FaCLC</em> genes and facilitate better application of exogenous ALA in salt tolerance practices for fruit production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154633"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145329562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PpbZIP23 from a native Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) regulates osmotic stress tolerance in transgenic rice","authors":"Leilei Xiang ,&nbsp;Jingjin Cheng ,&nbsp;Zhenfei Guo ,&nbsp;Shaoyun Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A drought-induced bZIP transcription factor from a native Kentucky bluegrass (<em>Poa pratensis</em> L.), PpbZIP23, in regulating drought tolerance was investigated in the present study. PpbZIP23 is located in the nucleus and has transcriptional activation activity. <em>PpbZIP23</em> expression was induced within 48 h after treatment with osmotic stress. Overexpression of <em>PpbZIP23</em> led to delayed wilting and enhanced drought tolerance with higher levels of relative water content and lower levels of ion leakage after osmotic stress. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate-peroxidase activities and proline concentrations of proline increased after osmotic stress, with higher levels in the <em>PpbZIP23</em>-overexpressing lines than in the wild type plants. Transcriptomic analysis showed that overexpression of <em>PpbZIP23</em> led to upregulation and downregulation of hundreds of genes under osmotic stress conditions. The differentially expressed genes were enriched in multiple KEGG pathways. PpbZIP23 regulated glycerophospholipid and ascorbic acid metabolism through upregulating <em>Glycerol-3-Phosphate Acyltransferase</em> 3, <em>Choline Kinase Alpha 2</em>, <em>UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase</em>, and <em>Ascorbate-Peroxidase 3</em> expressions. PpbZIP23 regulated zeatin metabolism through downregulating <em>Isopentenyl Transferase 8, Cytokinin Oxidase/dehydrogenase 1</em> expressions and promoted triterpenes and phytosterols biosynthesis via upregulating <em>Oxidosqualene Cyclase 7</em> expression. Lignin biosynthesis was also regulated by PpbZIP23 through upregulating <em>Cinnamoyl-CoA Reductase 17</em> (<em>CCR17</em>)<em>,</em> class III <em>Peroxidases</em> (<em>PRX16</em>) and <em>PRX72</em> and downregulating <em>p-Hydroxycinnamoyl Transferase 1, CCR13, PRX1, PRX62,</em> and <em>PRX95</em> expressions. The results suggest that PpbZIP23 regulates drought tolerance through activating antioxidant defense system and altering multiple metabolic pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154634"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145313192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CpWRKY51 enhances drought and salt resistance in Cucurbita pepo via activating CpPYL2-mediated PYL-PP2C-SnRK2 pathway","authors":"Ke Xu,&nbsp;Ping Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study characterized the function of <em>CpWRKY51</em>, a WRKY transcription factor from <em>Cucurbita pepo</em>, and explored its role in responding to salt and drought stresses. The function of the <em>CpWRKY51</em> gene was verified using a virus-mediated transient overexpression system. After salt and drought stress treatments, <em>C</em>. <em>pepo</em> plants with transient overexpression of <em>CpWRKY51</em> showed significantly milder wilting symptoms than the control group; similarly, <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em> with <em>CpWRKY51</em> overexpression also exhibited stronger tolerance to salt and drought stresses. Physiological detection revealed that under stress conditions, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide anion (O₂⁻), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in the leaves of CpWRKY51-overexpressing lines was reduced, while the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) were significantly higher than those in the control group. At the molecular mechanism level, DNA Affinity Purification Sequencing (DAP-seq) identified the canonical W-box motif (\"TTGAC\") as the core binding sequence of <em>CpWRKY51</em>. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay confirmed that <em>CpWRKY51</em> could specifically bind to the promoter of Pyrabactin Resistance 1-Like 2 (PYL2). Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay showed that <em>PYL2</em> could interact with Protein Phosphatase 2C (PP2C1 and PP2C4) in the presence of 10 μM ABA, and CpSnRK2.6 from <em>C</em>. <em>pepo</em> could specifically interact with PP2C1 and PP2C4. These results indicate that <em>CpWRKY51</em> positively regulates the tolerance of <em>Cucurbita pepo</em> to salt and drought stresses by coordinately modulating the antioxidant defense system and the PYL-PP2C-SnRK2 pathway. This study provides a theoretical reference for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying WRKY transcription factor-mediated stress adaptation in horticultural crops, and clarifies that <em>CpWRKY51</em> can serve as a potential target for the genetic improvement of crop stress resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154652"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145526210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long non-coding RNA profiling reveals lncRNA MslncLOX13S that promotes lipoxygenase gene expression and enhances the tolerance to selenium in Medicago sativa L.","authors":"Qingdong Wang ,&nbsp;Mengli Xu ,&nbsp;Meiling Xiang ,&nbsp;Yarui Sheng ,&nbsp;Huafeng Hu ,&nbsp;Tianyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jplph.2025.154629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa</em> L.) is one of the most widely cultivated forage crops globally. Selenium (Se) is considered beneficial for plants, showing a concentration-dependent dual effect that can promote and inhibit various plant species, including alfalfa. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of non-protein-coding transcripts, are involved in multiple biological processes in plants. To explore the potential role of lncRNAs in Se accumulation and tolerance in alfalfa, physiological responses were measured, and lncRNA expression was examined in alfalfa leaves exposed to Se concentrations of 0 mg L⁻¹, 100 mg L⁻¹, and 500 mg L⁻¹. Under selenium treatment, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity and antioxidant levels increased significantly. A total of 64,684 novel lncRNAs were identified, with 1414 and 1810 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) found in the 100 mg L⁻¹ and 500 mg L⁻¹ Se-treated groups, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis suggested that LOX-targeted lncRNAs could play a pivotal role in Se accumulation and tolerance. Silencing of <em>MslncLOX13S</em> resulted in a yellowing of the leaf edges and lowered levels of LOX, jasmonic acid (JA), antioxidant capacity, and Se content. In comparison, transient overexpression of <em>MslncLOX13S</em> showed the opposite effects. These findings may contribute to the development of alfalfa cultivars enriched in Se, suitable for use as feed or raw material for organic Se extraction. Moreover, this study improves the understanding of lncRNA-mediated gene expression in alfalfa, highlighting <em>MslncLOX13S</em> as a Se-responsive lncRNA that enhances tolerance against Se, potentially offering a strategy for improving Se biofortification in forage crops.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":16808,"journal":{"name":"Journal of plant physiology","volume":"315 ","pages":"Article 154629"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145313174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}