Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants最新文献

{"title":"Quality deterioration and metabolic regulation during hot-air drying of <i>Rheum palmatum</i> L.: an integrated analysis of physiology, drying kinetics, non-targeted metabolomics, and enzyme activity dynamics.","authors":"Wen Luo, Yingying Chen, Jia Zhou, Mingjun Yang, Yonggang Wang","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01725-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01725-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drying is a critical post-harvest step in the processing of Chinese medicinal materials; however, the mechanistic links between key processing parameters and final product quality remain incompletely understood. To address this, we conducted a multidimensional investigation into the mechanisms of quality deterioration and metabolic regulation in <i>Rheum palmatum</i> L. during hot-air drying at 45 °C, with a particular focus on the role of slice thickness (2-8 mm). We systematically examined the synergistic effects of thickness and drying time on color evolution, key enzyme activities, and phytochemical composition. The results indicate that color deterioration occurs in two consecutive stages: an initial phase dominated by polyphenol oxidase (PPO)-mediated enzymatic browning, followed by a later stage of non-enzymatic browning. Slice thickness strongly regulated moisture migration, which in turn governed the dynamic retention of bioactive compounds, with 4 mm slices exhibiting optimal preservation of total anthraquinones. The drying kinetics of these optimal slices were most accurately described by the Wang and Singh model (R² > 0.999). Non-targeted metabolomics further revealed extensive metabolic reprogramming, identifying 652 differentially accumulated metabolites. Pathway enrichment analysis highlighted flavonoid and tyrosine biosynthesis as the most significantly altered pathways. From these data, we delineated a regulatory network involving 7 key metabolites and 10 associated enzymes, providing a mechanistic scaffold for quality formation. This study proposes an optimized drying strategy (4 mm slice thickness with endpoint moisture control) and establishes an integrated \"processing-structure-metabolism\" framework that links physical drying conditions to biochemical responses. These findings offer a theoretical basis for the precision drying of rhubarb and provide a methodological reference for the processing of other medicinal plants.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01725-3.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"693-710"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819276","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 conserved <i>CCT</i> gene family in <i>Rosa chinensis</i>: coordinating flowering regulation and environmental adaptation.","authors":"Yibo Sun, Fupeng Bian, Hui Min, Xiaojia Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01727-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01727-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The <i>CO</i>, <i>CO-like</i>, and <i>TOC1</i> (<i>CCT</i>) family genes play pivotal roles in plant growth, yet their comprehensive characterization in roses (<i>Rosa chinensis</i>) remains unexplored. Here, 25 <i>RcCCT</i> genes were systematically identified and phylogenetically classified into five clades (COL, PRR, ZIM, TCR, ASML2) alongside tandem duplications (<i>RcCCT-24</i>/<i>RcZIM2</i> and <i>RcCCT-25</i>/<i>RcZIM1</i>). Structural analyses revealed conserved CCT domains, diverse secondary structures (<i>α</i>-helices, <i>β</i>-sheets, and random coils), and tertiary structural similarities. Further investigation showed diverse <i>cis</i>-regulatory elements linked to stress and hormone responses. Tissue-specific expression profiles highlighted roles in floral development, with R<i>cCCT-05</i>/<i>RcCO</i> and <i>RcCCT-03</i>/<i>RcPRR5</i> showing induction under low temperature and light. Gibberellin treatment upregulated seven representative <i>RcCCTs</i>, suggesting hormonal interplay in flowering. Overexpression of <i>RcCCT-01</i> in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> delayed flowering by suppressing <i>AtFT</i>, underscoring its repressive role. Evolutionary divergence in <i>ZIM-like</i> gene promoters indicated functional specialization. In summary, our findings provide valuable perspectives on the role of the <i>RcCCT</i> gene family in regulating flowering and stress.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01727-1.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"785-802"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125580/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819398","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":"Integrated morphological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic profiling reveals differential development mechanisms in two weeping forsythia genotypes during tissue culture.","authors":"Yanxia He, Yanping Zheng, Jiaqi Geng, Yue Wang, Na Qi, Xu Lu, Xiaoxiao Wang, Yongjin Sun, Helong Wen, Xiaoya Liu, Xin Sun, Xianping Wang, Wangjun Yuan","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01736-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01736-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Weeping forsythia (<i>Forsythia suspensa</i>) is an important medicinal and ornamental plant. However, its tissue culture propagation is hindered by genotype-dependent performance variations. In this study, we examined the physiological and molecular basis for the inferior growth of two genotypes of <i>F. suspensa</i> with long style (FLS), FLS-1 and FLS-2, under tissue culture conditions. Compared to FLS-2, FLS-1 exhibited significant chlorosis, reduced chlorophyll, and underdeveloped chloroplasts with disorganized thylakoids. Transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct differential gene expression in FLS-1 relative to FLS-2, including 46 photosynthesis-related DEGs. Additionally, metabolomic profiling identified 563 DEMs, with significant enrichment in 15 key KEGG pathways. Crucially, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis was impaired, with downregulation of <i>NCED</i> genes and reduced precursor abundance, while its signaling pathway showed alterations, including an upregulated <i>pyrabactin resistance 1-like</i> (<i>PYL</i>) receptor and dynamically expressed protein phosphatase 2 C (<i>PP2C</i>) genes. These findings suggested that a possible genetic predisposition in FLS-1 may interfere with chloroplast development and ABA homeostasis, which together could explain its compromised growth and physiology in vitro.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01736-0.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"711-725"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125460/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147818329","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":"AgNPs-induced nanoelicitation: enhancing Eugenol, Rosmarinic Acid, antioxidant defense and gene expression in <i>Ocimum tenuiflorum</i>.","authors":"Neelam Rani, Rekha Boora, Tulsi Kumar, Sushila Devi, Yogesh Choudhary, Santosh Kumari, Sapna Grewal","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01719-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01719-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant secondary metabolites possess remarkable pharmacological properties and play a vital role in the treatment of diverse diseases. Due to their restricted biosynthesis, various strategies are required to boost their production. Although, nanotechnology offers a revolutionary technique to modulate plant metabolism, the molecular study underlaying silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as nanoelicitors still remain poorly elucidated. In this study, AgNPs were biosynthesized using <i>Catharanthus</i> leaf extract and characterized by using different analytical techniques. The elicitation potential of AgNPs was evaluated in <i>Ocimum tenuiflorum</i> treated with five concentrations (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 ppm). From the obtained results, 60 ppm was found the most effective concentration, that significantly elevating the accumulation of key metabolites and their associated gene expression. HPLC quantification indicated considerable enhancement in the content of both eugenol (57.89 µg/ml) and rosmarinic acid (50.40 µg/ml) in Tulsi leaves after treatment with AgNPs in comparison to the controls where the amount recorded was only 13.47 and 7.39 µg/ml, respectively. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis highlighted a notable increase in expression of biosynthetic pathway genes including <i>EGS</i> (6.40-fold), <i>RAS</i> (5.47-fold), <i>CAD</i> (4.71-fold), and <i>4CL</i> (2.88-fold) in comparison to control. These experimental results establish, for the first time, a mechanistic link between AgNPs-induced nano-elicitation and expression of secondary metabolite pathways genes in <i>O. tenuiflorum</i>. The study thus bridges a critical knowledge gap and emphasizes the potential of green-synthesized AgNPs as efficient nanoelicitors to increase the high-value phytochemical production through nano-biotechnological approaches.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong>Biosynthesis of AgNPs and its role as nanoelicitor to elevate secondary metabolites production in <i>Ocimum</i> as well as upregulation of related metabolic genes.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"743-759"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125585/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819688","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":"Genomic dissection of phenological and yield-associated traits in lentil (<i>Lens culinaris</i> Medik.) using genome-wide association mapping.","authors":"Yogesh Dashrath Naik, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Muraleedhar S Aski, K M Shivaprasad, Mangesh Pralhad Jadhav, Manda Sriswathi, Damaris A Odeny, Kumari Anjani, Somashekhar Punnuri, Rajeev K Varshney, Himabindu Kudapa, Mahendar Thudi","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01739-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01739-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lentil (<i>Lens culinaris</i> Medik.), a nutrient-rich legume cultivated worldwide, plays a vital role in combating malnutrition and hidden hunger. Understanding the genetic architecture underlying key phenological and agronomic traits in lentil is crucial for accelerating molecular breeding. In this study, genome-wide association mapping was conducted using 142 genetically diverse lentil accessions, evaluated across two field environments over two years. High-throughput sequencing generated 34,995 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which were used for genetic characterization and for the identification of marker-trait associations for phenological and yield-associated traits. Population structure analysis identified three subpopulations (K = 3), with UPGMA clustering showing a similar pattern. Association mapping was performed using multi-locus models and further confirmed through a single-locus generalized linear model. A total of 64 significant associations were identified, of which Chr5_342836807 and Chr6_200603138 were consistently detected across all environments for days to 50% flowering. Putative candidate genes located near these phenology-associated loci such as abscisate β-glucosyltransferase, pentatricopeptide repeat proteins, and transcription factors from the <i>MYB</i>, <i>MADS-box</i>, and <i>GRAS</i> families are likely involved in flowering-time regulation in lentil. These findings reveal novel associations between genetic variants and complex traits and identify putative genes that may be exploited in marker-assisted selection and genomic prediction strategies.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01739-x.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"839-855"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125655/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147818385","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":"Pre-validation strategies for CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing in plants: a critical analysis of in vitro RNP cleavage assays.","authors":"Himanshu Pandey, Avinash Sharma, Varucha Misra, A K Mall, Stanislaus Antony Ceasar","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01706-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01706-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The advent of CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing has revolutionized crop improvement. However, the genome editing success rate remains a major challenge in many crops, especially those with challenging transformation protocols. We critically evaluate the integration of in vitro cleavage assays using naked target DNA and guide RNA-Cas9 nuclease (gRNA-Cas9) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes as a pre-transformation validation step in genome editing workflows. We also compare other pre-validation methods with in vitro cleavage assays and present their advantages and limitations. In vitro assays can help directly confirm target cleavage and biochemically validate gRNA specificity. This strategy may facilitate the functional screening of gRNAs for plants with challenging and low transformation efficiency. In vitro assays can also reduce the unnecessary waste of resources and time associated with intensive transformation processes using non-specific gRNAs. Researchers can prioritize effective constructs based on the cleavage efficiency and specificity of the gRNAs. However, this assay may not guarantee simulation of the natural cellular environment for in vivo editing. We also present this pre-validation approach, which is particularly helpful for polyploid crops like wheat and cotton. In vitro cleavage assays offer a reliable pre-transformation screening step to identify highly active and specific gRNAs, thereby reducing resource-intensive transformation attempts. Future studies should integrate in vitro assays with advanced computational and in vivo validation tools to create a more predictive and efficient gRNA selection pipeline.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"677-691"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125573/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819283","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":"Effects of plant growth regulators on antibiotic resistance genes transfer through conjugation and transformation.","authors":"Chang Su, Hao Fang, Nan Ye, Shuai Zhang, Yan Ma","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01730-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01730-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are exacerbated by horizontal gene transfer. Plant growth regulators (PGRs), extensively applied in agriculture, may further accelerate the environmental dissemination of ARGs. However, research on PGR influence on environmental ARG spread remains limited. This study elucidates the impact of three PGRs-indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ethephon (ETH), and gibberellic acid (GA₃)-on ARG transfer via conjugation and transformation pathways. Key results demonstrate that IAA (800 mg/L) significantly increased conjugation frequency despite reducing recipient survival by 99%. This effect correlated with IAA-induced increases in cell membrane permeability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Conversely, ETH and GA₃ exhibited no significant impact on conjugation. In transformation assays, IAA failed to enhance transformation efficiency due to ROS-induced cellular toxicity. In contrast, ETH (200 mg/L) and GA₃ (800 mg/L) enhanced transformation efficiency via moderate ROS-induced activation of competence genes. Collectively, PGR effects are concentration-dependent and pathway-specific. IAA primarily drives conjugative transfer through enhanced membrane permeability and ROS generation while ETH and GA₃ selectively boost transformation efficiency. These findings identify PGRs as potential drivers of environmental AMR dissemination, thus informing strategies for mitigating resistance spread within agricultural ecosystems.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01730-6.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"761-770"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819657","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":"Effect of various modes of zinc application and different phosphorus doses on grain quality of wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.).","authors":"Simarjot Singh, Ritu Kumari, Kanwaljit Singh","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01732-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01732-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zinc and phosphorus have an antagonistic effect on each other and hinder each other's availability to the plant and later during human consumption. To address this, our study examined the impact of P and Zn on wheat grain Zn & P content, grain protein and grain phytic acid content. The experimental design was split plot with three replications. The main plots consisted of three levels of phosphorus, namely P1 (62.5 kg/ha soil application of P), P2 (75 kg/ha soil application of P), P3 (50 kg/ha soil application of P) which were subsequently splitted into six subplots: Z₁ (no application of zinc (Control)), Z₂ (62.5 kg/ha soil application of Zn), Z₃ (1 Foliar Spray (0.5% of ZnSO₄) b/w anthesis and early grain development), Z₄ (2 Foliar Spray (0.5% of ZnSO₄) b/w anthesis and early grain development), Z₅ (31.25 kg/ha soil application of Zn + 1 Spray (0.5% of ZnSO₄) b/w anthesis and early grain development) and Z₆ (31.25 kg/ha soil application of Zn + 2 Spray (0.5% of ZnSO₄) b/w anthesis and early grain development). For various levels of phosphorus, higher grain yield (50.6 q/ha) was recorded for P₁, higher grain Zn content (40.8 mg/kg) was recorded for P₃, while grain P content (1.3%), grain protein content (10.9%), grain phytic acid content (0.8%) and grain phytate/Zn ratio (23.5) was higher for P₂. Among different zinc application methods, maximum grain yield (52.6 q/ha) was recorded under Z₆, higher grain P content (1.4%) observed under Zn₁, higher grain Zn content (41.3 mg/kg), higher grain protein content (11.0%), lower grain phytic acid content (0.7%) and lower grain phytate/Zn ratio (17.6) were observed under Zn₆. The unique relationship between Zn-P at molecular levels leads to underlying results. Elevated P levels hinder Zn uptake due to its precipitation in soil and inside plants, it binds Zn in phytates complexes limiting transport and assimilation. Hence, balanced nutrition played a crucial role in achieving higher yield while maintaining good nutrition levels of the grains.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"771-783"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125326/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819695","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":"Ferrous sulfide-<i>sepiolite</i> clay nanocomposite (FSp-NC) efficiently modulated the physiological parameters of soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>) seedlings with augmented iron assimilation and antioxidative responses.","authors":"Khushboo Rathour, Anjali Sidhu, Vivek Sharma, Anu Kalia","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01729-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01729-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nanocomposite-based seed priming has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance seed germination, seedling vigor, and stress resilience through improved nutrient bioavailability and uptake efficiency. In the present study, a ferrous sulfide-<i>sepiolite</i> nanocomposite (FSp-NC) was synthesized <i>via</i> an in situ ultrasonic-assisted method and evaluated for its potential as an efficient nanopriming agent for soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L., variety SL-958). The effects of FSp-NC priming were compared with conventional FeSO₄ treatment in terms of germination performance, early growth traits, and iron assimilation. Among the tested concentrations, FSp-NC at 250 µg/g for 6 h resulted in the highest enhancement in germination percentage (93.11 ± 1.116%), shoot length (19.02 ± 1.124 cm), root length (12.65 ± 0.308 cm), seedling fresh weight (1.98 ± 0.011 g), dry weight (0.99 ± 0.004 g), and vigor index (93.75 ± 0.085). The optimized treatment significantly increased Fe content in shoots (91.36 ± 1.162 mg/ kg) and roots (68.34 ± 2.513 mg/kg) compared to FeSO₄ primed seeds, confirming superior iron bioavailability and translocation. Furthermore, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were markedly elevated, accompanied by enhanced activities of key antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase, while polyphenol oxidase activity decreased. The free radical scavenging capacity, measured by DPPH and ABTS assays, was also significantly improved in FSp-NC treated seedlings. Thus, FSp-NC nanopriming substantially enhanced germination, iron assimilation, and antioxidant defense in soybean, establishing it as a sustainable and superior alternative to conventional FeSO₄-based priming for improved seedling performance and crop establishment.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01729-z.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"893-911"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125433/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819663","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":"Plant growth promoting bacteria regulate antioxidant synthesis in wheat under chromium stress leading to stabilization in photosynthetic activity.","authors":"Modhi O Alotaibi, Sibgha Noreen, Muhammad Salim Akhter, Tariq Mahmood Khan, Suliman Mohammed Suliman Alghanem, Faizah Amer Altihani, Qafia Naz Aslam, Mohamed Hashem, Omar Mahmoud Al-Zoubi","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01708-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01708-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Soil contaminated with heavy metals, especially chromium (Cr), is a major issue worldwide due to rapid industrialization. Cr impairs photosynthesis and metabolic homeostasis, leading to reduction in plant growth and yield. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial (PGPR) serve an environment friendly biotechnological approach for remediating metal toxicity through bioaccumulation, chelation and modulation in plant antioxidant systems. The study aimed to investigate the ameliorative role of <i>Bacillus cereus</i>-SJ1 and <i>Bacillus aerius</i>-S1 on biochemical, physiological and yield of wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) varieties (Zincol-2016 and Akbar-2019) grown in 60 mg kg^- 1 chromium stress. The Cr exposure caused a significant reduction in germination percentage (- 54%) and extended mean germination time (+ 53%); the disruption in the electron transport chain and suppression of chlorophyll biosynthesis (- 39%) decreased biomass accumulation. These alterations were associated with elevated dissipation of energy fluxes (Mo, Dio/RC) and significant decline in PSII efficiency (Fv/Fm), indicating impaired thylakoid membrane integrity. PGPR inoculation significantly counteracted the adverse effects posed by Cr toxicity by maintaining chlorophyll-protein complexes, enhancing photochemical quenching, and enhancing redox homeostasis. Moreover, the bacterial inoculation lowered H₂O₂ accumulation (- 44%) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (- 24%) through upregulation of antioxidant enzymes, thereby stabilizing the metabolic and photosynthetic process, thus improving growth. The <i>B. cereus</i> and <i>B. aerius</i> inoculation remarkably decreased Cr uptake in roots and leaves, suggesting a detoxification effect mediated by reduced metal bioavailability. These findings demonstrate that these PGPR strains (<i>B. cereus</i> and <i>B. aerius</i>) can enhance Cr tolerance, photosynthetic efficiency and yield potential in wheat leading to sustainable crop production under heavy metal stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 4","pages":"857-873"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13125439/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147819133","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}