Journal of Plant Research最新文献

{"title":"A semi-hydroponic cultivation system designed for collecting root exudates from maize in symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi.","authors":"Xinhao Luo, Xiaowan Geng, Jing Zhou, Jin Chen, Beijiu Cheng, Xiaoyu Li","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01705-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01705-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The collection of root exudates, particularly those from plants symbiotically associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is notably challenging. A semi-hydroponic cultivation system (SHCS) was designed to collect rhizosphere exudates from maize in symbiosis with AMF. This system utilizes perlite as a solid support to simulate soil barriers, combined with drip irrigation to facilitate symbiosis and the collection of maize root exudates. SHCS consists of a culture bottle, a solution bottle providing nutrients, a peristaltic pump for powering the system, silicone tubes connecting all components, a flat-jaw pinchcock for operation, and a device shelf for placing all items. Then it was used to collect root exudates from maize-wild type B73 and AMF-inoculated B73, followed by metabolomics analysis using LC-MS/MS. Through comparative analysis, we identified significant differences in metabolite levels between B73 and RiB73. Briefly, a total of 54 metabolites exhibited AMF-related characteristics, and these metabolites were enriched in 15 metabolic pathways. Key metabolites include lumichrome, riboflavin, indolelactic acid, abscisic acid, gibberellin a116, and l-histidinol phosphate. Among them, l-histidinol phosphate significantly decreased after AMF inoculation, while the other metabolites showed a notable increase in content.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"519-530"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723221","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":"Flower visitors and floral traits of two sympatric Mucuna (Fabaceae) species on Iriomote-jima Island in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan.","authors":"Shun Kobayashi, Moe Tsuruta, Tetsuo Denda, Masako Izawa","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01718-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01718-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Closely related species with sympatric distributions often evolve mechanisms of reproductive isolation. In Mucuna species lacking autonomous self-pollination, animals that trigger explosive flower opening are considered the primary pollinators. Nevertheless, no comparative studies have examined pollination mechanisms among sympatric species within the same subgenus of Mucuna. In this study, we aimed to clarify the floral traits and pollinators of Mucuna membranacea Hayata and M. gigantea (Willd.) DC. (Fabaceae), which co-occur on Iriomote-jima Island, Japan. Camera trap surveys showed that the Yaeyama flying fox (Pteropus dasymallus yayeyamae) visited flowers and caused explosive flower openings, whereas birds and insects consumed nectar without triggering an explosive opening. Bagging experiments showed that neither species set fruit autonomously, indicating a lack of autonomous self-pollination. These results suggest that the primary pollinator of both species is P. d. yayeyamae. Measurements of flower morphology revealed differences in flower length and stigma position between the two species, suggesting that pollen attachment sites on the pollinator and stigma contact position differ, potentially reducing reproductive interference. Additionally, nectar volume, concentration, and flower-opening force differed between the two species, although their effects on pollination remain to be investigated.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"467-478"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147774685","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":"Fruit and seed attributes of plants derived from crossing between triploid Passionflower cytotypes.","authors":"Claudinei da Silva Souza, Marcelo Dias Machado, Alana Jeniffer Alves Dos Santos, Gabrielle Balbo Crepaldi, Elyabe Monteiro de Matos, Lyderson Facio Viccini, Ilio Fealho de Carvalho, Wagner Campos Otoni, Aryane Campos Reis, Diego Ismael Rocha, Maurecilne Lemes da Silva","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01695-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01695-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Triploid plants are usually sterile or produce non-viable seeds, but may produce fruits. This study examined the morphological and reproductive characteristics of triploid Passiflora cincinnata Masters, with a focus on fruit and seed production. Triploid plants were obtained through in vitro cultivation of the endosperm via somatic embryogenesis, whereas diploid plants were raised through seed germination. Diploid and triploid plants were confirmed by flow cytometry and cytogenetic analyses. Cross-pollination and self-pollination yielded, on average, 18 fruits per plant in the cytotype diploid, while triploids produced only 6 fruits. Diploid plants have more uniform fruits, while triploid plants showed variations in size. Seeds with malformations or absence of zygotic embryos and endosperm were observed in triploid cytotypes, while remaining below 1.5% in diploid cytotypes. It was observed that the highest germination rate of 80% occurred in seeds of the diploid cytotype, compared to 53.3% in triploids. The seedlings from the cross between diploid plants contained 3.29 pg of nuclear DNA and a chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 18, while the seedlings from the cross between triploid plants had progeny with 3.37 pg of nuclear DNA and variable chromosomes numbers, of 2n = 19 (2n + 1), 2n = 15 (2n - 3), and 2n = 16 (2n - 2) chromosomes confirming aneuploidy in the progeny. Stomatal analysis showed that diploid plants displayed the highest stomatal density, whereas triploid and aneuploid plants had the greatest length and width of stomata. The density and width of pavement epidermal cells varied among cytotypes. Meiotic disturbances in triploid plants cause phenotypic alterations in the progeny, resulting in delayed vegetative development, low vigor, non-uniform germination, and death during the juvenile phase. The genetic material of aneuploids is a resource for gene mapping, enabling the modification or production of new cultivars with economically relevant phenotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"479-492"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13197292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147390286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can floral preference of insect visitors be applied to species identification of the Japanese Arisaema (Araceae)?","authors":"Tetsuya K Matsumoto, Satoshi Kakishima, Tomiki Kobayashi, Nanako Maekawa, Kotone Tatano, Junichi Ohno, Muneto Hirobe, Masahiro Sueyoshi, Shungo Kariyama, Yudai Okuyama, Yuko Miyazaki","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01707-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01707-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Species specificity in plant–insect interactions can be new diagnostic traits as an objective criterion for species delimitation and identification. To evaluate the taxonomic reliability of floral preference by specialist pollinator species, we used Japanese Arisaema species, which selectively attract different fungus gnat pollinators, as a model system. We comprehensively investigated (1) external morphology, (2) floral visitor assemblage, and (3) population genetic structure of two unidentified Arisaema populations and three candidate Arisaema species (A. aequinoctiale, A. minus, and A. nambae), and compared the performance of species identification between external morphology (conventional method) and floral visitor assemblages (alternative method). First, we selected “correct answer” for species identification of the unidentified populations from the three candidates based on 14 morphological traits, flower visitation frequency of ten major dipteran visitors, and population genetic structure. Then, we compared the identification accuracy among canonical discriminant functions consisting of morphological traits (model M), insect visitation frequency (model I), and both (model M + I). The morphological, floral visitor, and genetic similarities between populations consistently suggested that the unidentified populations belonged to A. minus. The identification accuracy of model I was comparable to that of model M, and the combination of morphological and visitor data (i.e. model M + I) maximized model performance. Although the collection of analyzable datasets of fungus gnat assemblages may impose considerable labor on plant taxonomists, this new taxonomic trait can be an alternative tool for recently diversified species complexes of Japanese Arisaema.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"385-407"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723199","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":"Consistent species roles and network structures in flower visitation and pollen load networks from a temperate pollination system.","authors":"Panfeng Dai, Jiajun Wu, Suyan Ba, Chunyan Zhao, Jiajun Dan, Qiang Fang","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01711-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01711-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurately characterizing plant-pollinator networks is essential for understanding mutualistic structure and ecological function. While plant-pollinator networks are usually constructed from flower visitation, the pollen load on pollinator body offers a complementary perspective by capturing the pollen transfer. However, whether the structural differences and species roles between visitation and pollen load networks are temporally consistent remains unclear. Here, we compared visitation and pollen load networks across five surveys in a warm-temperate forest in central China. For each survey, we constructed two types of networks and compared the network-, species-, and link-level properties. We found that pollen load networks exhibited more links, higher connectance and nestedness than visitation networks. At the species level, pollinators showed positive correlations between networks in degree, betweenness and closeness centrality, and specialization, suggesting more stable positions between network types. In contrast, plants exhibited larger variability. In the simulation comparisons, about half of the species differed significantly in degree. Differences in partner identity and motif roles were much smaller. Our study highlights the complementary value of visitation and pollen load for constructing plant-pollinator networks and underscores the importance of integrating behavioral and functional data to understand pollination dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"455-465"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723223","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":"A comparison of interspecific and intraspecific phenotypic variation in spectral signatures of ferns with robust versus uncertain species boundaries.","authors":"Niksoney Azevedo Mendonça, Marise Helen Vale de Oliveira, Thaís Elias Almeida","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01697-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01697-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Species delimitation methods based on macromorphology are often limited by phenotypic plasticity in plants. Fourier Transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) provides a promising alternative as a non-destructive technique that measures molecular vibrations (overtone and combination bands of C-H, N-H, and O-H bonds) from plant tissue exposed to near-infrared light (780-2,500 nm). We applied FT-NIR to the taxonomically challenging Scaly clade of Microgramma ferns (94 samples, eight species), including dimorphic and monomorphic taxa, to evaluate its diagnostic potential. Using multivariate models and cross-validation, we achieved 81-100% average identification accuracy. Well-defined species (e.g., M. percussa) reached 100% accuracy, while morphologically overlapping taxa showed lower accuracy, likely due to hybridization, introgression, or cryptic variation. Dimorphic species exhibited higher intraspecific spectral variability and lower accuracy linked to differences between fertile/sterile fronds than monomorphic species. FT-NIR proves effective as a complementary tool for fern systematics, elucidating species limits and diversity patterns. Further studies should address how hybridization, introgression, and indumentum affect spectral data.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"349-364"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13197310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147377843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The reproductive biology of Dyckia scrutor (Bromeliaceae): an endangered species endemic to Campos Rupestres.","authors":"Marsal Danrlei de Amorim, Luis Gustavo de Sousa Perugini, Ana Carolina Pereira Machado, Sabrina Aparecida Lopes, Rodrigo Santiago, Lucas Benício de Castro, Bárbara Aparecida Lopes Coelho, André Rodrigo Rech","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01710-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01710-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pollinators are crucial for the conservation of endangered species, providing essential ecosystem services that support plant reproduction. Dyckia scrutor is an endangered species of bromeliad endemic to Campos Rupestres. The genus Dyckia presents species pollinated by both nocturnal and diurnal visitors, with bats and hummingbirds as the most important pollinators. However, the few existing studies about D. scrutor make it difficult to take action to preserve the species. This study aims to describe the floral biology of D. scrutor and identify the contribution of nocturnal and diurnal pollinators to the species’ reproductive success. We monitored reproductive phenology, floral longevity, nectar dynamics, floral visitors, pollinator dependence, pollen limitation, and the relative contribution of nocturnal and diurnal visitors. Although the plant produces seeds in the absence of pollinators, their presence increases production. D. scrutor showed some degree of pollen limitation, and the main floral visitors were the hummingbird Augastes scutatus and Strymon butterflies. Although we observed no nocturnal visits, the number of seeds in flowers open to nocturnal pollinators was higher than in those bagged, indicating that nocturnal pollination occurs. However, the contribution of daytime visitors to seed formation was greater. Our work highlights a case of doubly threatened interaction, in which an endangered plant species of restricted range appears to rely primarily on a hummingbird that is also endemic. These results suggest the need for special and cautious measures to preserve this interaction and consequently, the species involved.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"443-454"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13197304/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147774664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"CDPKs as Ca²⁺ signaling decoders in guard cell signaling.","authors":"Izumi C Mori","doi":"10.1007/s10265-026-01703-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-026-01703-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stomatal movements are essential for balancing photosynthetic carbon dioxide uptake with water conservation and defense against pathogens. These processes are controlled by complex signaling networks in guard cells, in which calcium ions (Ca2+) act as a ubiquitous second messenger. Although stimulus-specific Ca2+ signatures have been well documented, how these signals are decoded into distinct physiological responses remains a central question in plant biology. Increasing evidence highlights calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) as key signal decoders in guard cell signaling. This mini-review summarizes recent advances in our understanding of how CDPKs perceive and translate Ca2+ fluctuations into stomatal responses. We focus on the roles of CDPKs in signaling pathways triggered by diverse stimuli, including phytohormones such as abscisic acid ABA, jasmonates, and salicylic acid, as well as biotic cues such as microbe- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs/PAMPs) and pathogen infection. We also discuss how gaseous signals and metabolic cues are integrated into CDPK-mediated pathways. In addition to their established role as downstream decoders of Ca2+ signals, emerging studies suggest that CDPKs can act upstream of Ca2+ oscillations and may also function through Ca2+-independent mechanisms. Together, these findings highlight the context-dependent and integrative roles of CDPKs in regulating stomatal behavior, contributing to plant fitness under fluctuating environmental conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147774730","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":"ALS2, encoding a plastid 50 S ribosomal protein L5, is essential for early chloroplast development in rice.","authors":"Zhennan Qiu, Chunmiao Wang, Wenjiao Li, Zhenwu Guan, Peiliang Zhang, Peinan Sun, Liying Xiao, Shiyong Wen","doi":"10.1007/s10265-025-01685-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-025-01685-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plastid ribosomal proteins (PRPs) are core components of the plastid translational machinery, playing indispensable roles in chloroplast biogenesis and plant growth. While the functions of some PRPs in rice have been characterized, the biological role of the plastid 50 S ribosomal protein L5 (PRPL5) remains unclear. Here, we characterize the function of Albino Lethal Seedling 2 (ALS2), encoding the PRPL5, in early chloroplast development. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of ALS2 resulted in seedling-lethal albino phenotypes, significantly reduced chlorophyll concentration, and disrupted chloroplast ultrastructure. ALS2 is highly expressed in rice leaves and its protein is localized in rice chloroplasts. Further analysis of gene expression revealed that nuclear and plastid genes participating in chloroplast development showed notable alterations in their expression in the als2 mutants. Notably, als2 mutants accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS), particularly superoxide anions, which was accompanied by enhanced expression of ROS-scavenging genes and chlorophyll degradation genes. These findings demonstrate that ALS2 is essential for early chloroplast development in rice.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"221-231"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145998443","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":"Soil microbial composition and abundance influence the growth of Lotus japonicus.","authors":"Chiharu Ota, Masaru Bamba, Shusei Sato, Takashi Tsuchimatsu","doi":"10.1007/s10265-025-01689-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10265-025-01689-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In mutualistic symbiosis between plants and bacteria, the abundance and composition of symbiotic bacterial groups in the soil microbiota can be important for plant growth. Here, we focused on the nitrogen-fixing mutualism between Lotus japonicus and nodule bacteria to investigate whether and how much the abundance of symbiotic rhizobia in the soil microbiota of natural environments contributes to variations in host plant growth. An inoculation experiment of soil microbiota revealed extensive variations in plant growth phenotypes, even between microhabitats. We found that the local presence of L. japonicus and the relative abundance of Mesorhizobium bacteria showed positive correlations with plant growth supported by both 16S amplicon sequencing and shotgun metagenome analyses. Among bacteria investigated, the abundance of Mesorhizobium was most strongly associated with plant growth phenotypes, supporting its role as the primary symbiotic rhizobia in natural environments. Given the specificity and the selectivity of plants for favorable rhizobia, legume-rhizobia interactions could trigger a positive plant-soil feedback that enriches favorable rhizobia into the soil surrounding legume plant habitats.</p>","PeriodicalId":16813,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Plant Research","volume":" ","pages":"195-205"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12992351/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146100060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}