Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants最新文献

{"title":"Nitrogen deficiency identifies carbon metabolism pathways and root adaptation in maize.","authors":"Joseph N Amoah, Claudia Keitel, Brent N Kaiser","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01631-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12298-025-01631-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sugars are essential for plant development, with nitrogen (N) availability playing a critical role in their distribution across plant organs, ultimately shaping growth patterns. However, the regulatory mechanisms modulating carbon (C) assimilate allocation and utilization under different N forms are not well understood. This study examined C fixation, utilization, and spatial re-distribution in the roots of hydroponically grown maize seedlings subjected to four N treatments: 1 mM NO₃ ^- (low N; LN), 2 mM NO₃ ^- (medium N; MN), 10 mM NO₃ ^- (high N; HN), and 1 mM NH₄ ⁺ (low ammonium; LA). LN treatment significantly increased soluble sugar, sucrose, and starch contents while promoting greater root biomass at the expense of shoot biomass, leading to a higher root to shoot assimilate allocation. The activities of sugar and starch metabolism enzymes were more tightly regulated under LN, indicating enhanced C utilization and increased competition for assimilates. Key genes involved in sugar (<i>ZmSPS</i>, <i>ZmSuSy</i>, <i>ZmSWEET6</i>, <i>ZmSUC2</i>, <i>ZmSTP2</i>, and <i>ZmAINV1</i>) and starch (<i>ZmAGPASE</i> and <i>ZmSS</i>) metabolism were upregulated under LN, correlating with increased root sucrose and starch accumulation and enhanced enzyme activity. Sucrose and starch accumulated predominantly in the brace and lateral roots. This pattern suggests that excess C accumulation results from inefficient C utilization in sink tissues rather than impaired C assimilation. These findings provide new insights into how LN modulates C partitioning in roots for stress adaptation, highlighting the importance of improving C utilization in sink tissues to mitigate N deficiency and enhance plant growth.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01631-0.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 7","pages":"1089-1103"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394107/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144965171","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":"Rhizobacteria and kinetin: a synergistic solution for enhanced maize drought tolerance and seed quality.","authors":"Rubaika Khurshid, Shagufta Perveen, Abid Niaz","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01629-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12298-025-01629-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drought stress substantially threatens global food security. To cope with this, a field-based trial was performed to examine the influence of PGPRs/microbial consortia <i>(Cytobacillus firmus</i> & <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>) and kinetin on the maize under full irrigation and 50% drought. The results of biochemical features of bacteria revealed positive for phosphorus, and zinc solubilization with great capacity to battle stress circumstances owing (ACC deaminase, Indole 3 Acetic acid IAA, and siderophore) production. Seeds treated with the PGPRs consortium along, with a kinetin foliar spray, greatly decreased the consequences of stress from drought on maize and improved yield characteristics, macronutrients, antioxidant enzymes, photosynthetic content production under 50% drought stress. Osmolytes and secondary metabolites were up-regulated under full irrigation when the PGPRs consortium and kinetin were used. When PGPRs and kinetin were combined, the overproduction of malondialdehyde and H₂O₂ was reduced. Water stress decreased oil, kernel sugar, protein, and moisture content in maize cultivars, but increased seed fiber, starch, and ash. PGPRs and kinetin enhanced seed sugar, oil, moisture, protein, ash, and fiber levels in maize grown under well-irrigated and drought-stress environments. Finally, PGPR (10^-7 cfu/mL) and PGR (Kinetin10^-3 M) can be employed together to boost maize production in drought-prone areas.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01629-8.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 7","pages":"1105-1119"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12394109/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144965211","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":"Citrulline enhances salinity tolerance via photosynthesis, redox balance, osmotic and hormonal regulation, and nutrient assimilation in sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i> L.).","authors":"Umer Farooq, Muhammad Arslan Ashraf, Rizwan Rasheed","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01626-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01626-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Citrulline (CITR) is a strong osmolyte and hydroxyl radical scavenger. However, no previous study has reported the ameliorative role of CITR under salinity stress. We found a significant decrease in growth, chlorophyll content, SPAD value, photosynthesis, leaf relative water content, and nutrient acquisition in sunflower plants exposed to salinity (15 dS m^‒1). Salinity caused substantial oxidative damage through elevating the levels of superoxide radicals (O₂ ^•‒), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), hydroxyl radicals (·OH), leaf relative membrane permeability, malondialdehyde (MDA) and activity of lipoxygenase (LOX). Plants subjected to salinity manifested a higher buildup of methylglyoxal (MG), further exacerbating the cellular damage. However, CITR seed priming (1, 2, and 3 mM) partially relieved the negative repercussions of salinity by promoting the activities of antioxidant enzymes and levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants. Consequently, plants raised from CITR-primed seeds suffered less from oxidative damage and exhibited lower generation of O₂·^‒, H₂O₂, ·OH, MG, MDA, and activity of LOX. Plants under CITR supplementation exhibited higher chlorophyll content and improved efficiency of photosystem II as evidenced by higher values of maximum efficiency of photosystem-II (Fv/Fm), fraction of open PSII centers (qL), and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP). Citrulline priming enhanced plant resilience under salinity by improving hormonal balance, promoting polyamine accumulation, and sustaining photosynthetic performance. CITR bettered osmotic regulation through increased accumulation of osmolytes such as proline, glycine betaine, and total soluble sugars. Citrulline improved nutrient acquisition and diminished excess Na buildup, preventing specific ion toxicity and osmotic stress.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01626-x.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"1027-1052"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314138/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776065","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":"Light intensity is a crucial factor that regulates growth, physiological traits, antioxidant defense, and metabolite acquisition in <i>Dendrobium denneanum</i>.","authors":"Hui Wang, Siyu He, Yijun Fan, Ting Li, Linlong Xu, Jie Ma, Junlan Wu, Haolin Liu, XuYang Liu, ChunHong Mou, Meng Zhao, Li Chen, Liangjie Zhu, Le Zeng, Aoxue Luo","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01627-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01627-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Light intensity plays a pivotal role in modulating the development and secondary metabolite production of medicinal plants. This research thoroughly examines the impact of varying light levels (50 [A], 100 [B], 200 [C], 400 [D], and 600 [E] μmol m^-2 s^-1) on <i>Dendrobium denneanum</i>, focusing on its morphological traits, physiological and biochemical responses, and secondary metabolite content. Our findings indicate that an intermediate light intensity of 400 μmol m^-2 s^-1 markedly improves stem diameter, leaf dimensions (length and width), and the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids, with pronounced effects observed during later treatment phases. At 400 μmol m^-2 s^-1, antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, POD, SOD) reached their highest levels, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were the lowest, indicating efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity. Soluble sugars and proteins accumulated significantly at 400 μmol m^-2 s^-1, supporting metabolic homeostasis and stress tolerance. Secondary metabolites (flavonoids and polyphenols) peaked at 400 μmol m^-2 s^-1. Principal component analysis (PCA) and resistance contribution diagrams revealed that 400 μmol m^-2 s^-1 achieved the highest composite scores across morphological, physiological, and metabolic indicators. This study not only pinpoints an optimal light condition for maximizing growth, ornamental characteristics, and the yield of valuable medicinal compounds in <i>Dendrobium denneanum</i> but also offers a scientific basis for precise, resource-efficient cultivation. These insights are valuable for enhancing the sustainable production and quality consistency of this and potentially other economically important medicinal and ornamental plants, supporting both the phytopharmaceutical and horticultural industries.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"895-911"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314299/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776072","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":"Intrinsic and induced metabolic signatures underpin aluminum tolerance in bread wheat: a comparative metabolomics approach.","authors":"Şükrü Serter Çatav, Emine Sonay Elgin, Köksal Küçükakyüz, Çağdaş Dağ","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01622-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12298-025-01622-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major impediment to plant growth and yield in low pH soils. Exclusion and/or vacuolar sequestration of Al with organic acids and phenolic compounds is the primary tolerance mechanism utilized by plants to mitigate Al toxicity. However, little is known about the intrinsic and Al-induced metabolic differences underlying intraspecific variability in tolerance to Al toxicity. To fill this gap, we determined root metabolic profiles of Al-sensitive (Golia-99) and Al-tolerant (Demir-2000) bread wheat cultivars treated with 0, 10, and 30 µM AlCl₃·6H₂O using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Our results showed that there were marked differences in the concentrations of numerous metabolites between Golia-99 and Demir-2000 roots under both control and Al stress conditions. In this regard, a number of metabolites from the amino acid and TCA groups, such as citrate, cysteine, glutamate, isocitrate, phenylalanine, and succinate, were found to be intrinsically higher levels in Demir-2000 than in Golia-99. In addition, Al toxicity led to the accumulation of asparagine, glutamine, putrescine, pyroglutamate, and soluble sugars in Demir-2000 roots. Furthermore, Al treatments significantly altered many metabolic pathways in both cultivar-specific and cultivar-independent manners. The major pathways contributing to the difference in Al toxicity tolerance between Demir-2000 and Golia-99 were arginine biosynthesis, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and the metabolisms of cysteine and methionine, glutathione, glycine, serine and threonine, pyruvate, sulfur, and tyrosine. Overall, our results suggest that the distinct patterns of Al-induced overrepresentation in amino acid, carbohydrate, and energy metabolism play an important role in explaining the differential tolerance capacities of Demir-2000 and Golia-99 to Al toxicity. The outcomes of this study may provide valuable insights into improving Al tolerance in wheat through breeding and genetic engineering.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01622-1.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"1011-1026"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314282/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776071","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":"A cell wall extract of a <i>Fusarium incarnatum</i> strain requires the mitochondrial POLY(A)-SPECIFIC RIBONUCLEASE AtPARN for inducing cytoplasmic calcium elevation in Arabidopsis roots.","authors":"Y N Priya Reddy, Joy Michal Johnson, Ralf Oelmüller","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01600-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01600-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ ([Ca²⁺]_cyt) elevation is a rapid response of roots to colonizing beneficial and pathogenic fungi. We have previously demonstrated that the elicitor-active compound cellotriose from a cell wall (CW) extract of the beneficial fungus <i>Piriformospora indica</i> requires the MALECTIN-DOMAIN CONTAINING CELLOOLIGOMER RECEPTOR KINASE1 (CORK1) and the mitochondrial POLY(A)-SPECIFIC RIBONUCLASE AtPARN for [Ca²⁺]_cyt elevation in Arabidopsis roots. Here, we show that CW extracts from beneficial and pathogenic <i>Fusarium</i> strains, in particular <i>Fusarium incarnatum</i> strain K23, require AtPARN, but not CORK1 for [Ca²⁺]_cyt elevation and the activation of Ca²⁺-dependent downstream responses. [Ca²⁺]_cyt elevation by the <i>F. incarnatum</i> strain K23 extract does not require the BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE1 (BAK1) co-receptor or the TWO-PORE Ca²⁺ CHANNEL1 (TPC1) but operates synergistically with the cellotriose- and chitin-induced signaling pathways. We propose a convergence of the signaling pathways induced by the CW extracts from <i>P. indica</i> and K23 at AtPARN prior to the increase in [Ca²⁺]_cyt ~ 90 s after the stimulus. Furthermore, the elevated [Ca²⁺]_cyt levels activate a mild defense response which might be used by the roots to restrict fungal propagation and to balance beneficial and non-beneficial traits in the symbiosis.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01600-7.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"851-861"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314164/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776054","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":"Green synthesis of curcumin nanoparticles, characterization, and their role in alleviating arsenic-induced oxidative stress by enhancing antioxidant defense, photosynthetic pigments, and agronomic traits in wheat.","authors":"Nimra Tahir, Minhas Elahi, Rimsha Aslam, Umar Masood Quraishi","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01615-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01615-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study evaluates the potential of green-synthesized curcumin nanoparticles (Cur-NPs) for mitigating arsenic (As) stress in wheat cultivars Barani-70 and NARC-09. Cur-NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometry, XRD (36 nm), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), revealing well-dispersed, amorphous structures and functional groups. Both cultivars were subjected to 10 mg/L arsenic stress and treated with Cur-NPs at 50 mg/L and 100 mg/L through soil and foliar applications. Cur-NPs reduced arsenic uptake by up to 65.01% in leaves and 77.32% in roots. Cur-NP treatments lowered MDA by 50% and H₂O₂ by 14%. Antioxidant enzyme activities improved; superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased by 13%, peroxidase (POD) by 5%, and catalase (CAT) by 0.5%. Proline content rose by 47%, enhancing osmoprotection. Chlorophyll a and b increased by 24% and 67%, respectively, while carotenoid content rose by 82%. Agronomic traits improved significantly, with plant height increasing by 69.6%, grain yield by 141.3%, and biomass yield by 1260.9%. Starch and total sugar content increased by 155% and 218%, respectively, while protein content rose by up to 225%. Phenolic and flavonoid contents increased by 43% and 37%, strengthening antioxidant defences. These findings underscore the efficacy of Cur-NPs as a sustainable approach to mitigate arsenic toxicity, strengthen antioxidant defence mechanisms, and enhance both physiological traits and agronomic performance in wheat, offering a strong foundation for future field-scale validation and environmental application.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01615-0.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"931-958"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314167/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776068","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":"Comparative effect of gibberellic acid and brassinolide for mitigating drought stress in pea (<i>Pisum sativum</i> L.).","authors":"Atif Kamran, Kainat Shakeel, Summera Jahan, Lubaba Komal","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01617-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01617-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drought stress significantly reduces the crop productivity, including pea (<i>Pisum sativum</i> L.), 'necessitating development of effective strategies to mitigate these losses under changing climatic conditions. This study explores the potential of foliar-applied gibberellic acid (GA₃) and brassinolide (BR), individually and in combination, to enhance the drought resilience in pea plants. A pot experiment was conducted comprising of treatments i.e. T0 (no-stress), T1 (Stress-without foliar application), T2 (0.4% GA₃), T3 (0.002% BR) and T4 (T2 + T3). Results indicated that T4 induced the most pronounced improvement in plant height (50%), leaf area (66.4%), total chlorophyll (41%) and carotenoid contents (89%), pod fresh (57.93%) and dry weight (89%), seeds per pod (41%) with enhanced antioxidant activity (81%) as compared to T1 and T0. Additionally, the seed nutrients including crude protein, crude fibre, and nitrogen free extract were increased by 34.6%, 55.9%, and 15% respectively with T4 as compared to T1. The plants treated with T4, were comparable with control in their morphological and yield indices, exhibiting higher stress tolerance; followed by plants receiving T3 (0.002% BR). Molecular docking analysis further substantiates these findings, revealing strong binding affinities of BR (protein ID: 2PWJ; ΔG = - 6.99) and GA₃ (protein ID: KAI2; ΔG = - 7.31) with stress-relieving proteins. These interactions highlight the synergistic role of GA₃ and BR in enhancing drought tolerance through morphological, physiological and metabolic ameliorations. This study concludes that the combined application of GA₃ and BR effectively mitigates drought stress in <i>P. sativum</i> offering a promising approach to safeguard yield under water-limited conditions.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"979-991"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314174/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776066","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":"Lipoic acid and 24-epibrassinolide collaborate synergistically to boost maize seedlings resilience to osmotic stress via modulating antioxidant and glyoxalase systems.","authors":"Asiye Sezgin Muslu, Sebahat Duygu Gümrükçü Şimşek, Rabiye Terzi","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01620-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01620-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lipoic acid (LA) and 24-epibrassinolide (EBL) are versatile compounds that enhance plant stress tolerance by modulating cellular metabolism, maintaining ion balance, and boosting antioxidant enzyme activity. However, the combined effects of these two compounds in mitigating the adverse impacts of osmotic stress remain unclear. We investigated the effects of exogenous LA (12 µM), EBL (0.1 mg L^-1), and their combination (LA + EBL) on stress parameters (plant dry weight, total chlorophyll, leaf relative water content (LRWC)), oxidative stress markers (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, and methylglyoxal), activities of antioxidant and glyoxalase system enzymes and the relative expression levels of the genes coding the enzymes related to these systems in maize seedlings under osmotic stress. The results indicated that exogenous application of LA and EBL combination reduced the level of oxidative stress markers and enhanced the stress parameters, ascorbate and glutathione levels, activities of enzymes acting antioxidant and glyoxalase systems, and their gene expression. The combination of LA and EBL was also found to stimulate gene expression levels related to the photosynthetic process and hormone biosynthesis. The findings of the current study highlighted the synergistic effects of combined LA and EBL in enhancing osmotic stress tolerance in maize seedlings. Overall, the combined application of LA and EBL found to have stronger effect than their individual applications in mitigating osmotic stress. The combined use of these compounds offers promising potential for developing drought-tolerant crops in the agricultural sector.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01620-3.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"993-1010"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314304/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776074","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":"Temporal gene expression profiling suggests stage-specific regulation of apocarotenoid biosynthesis genes during stigma development in <i>Crocus sativus</i> L.","authors":"Khushboo Gupta, Mohan Singh Rajkumar, Vaishali Singh, Pooja Rani, Aijaz A Wani, Ashwani Pareek, Rohini Garg, Mukesh Jain","doi":"10.1007/s12298-025-01621-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-025-01621-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Saffron (<i>Crocus sativus</i> L.) is a sterile triploid medicinal plant and is the world's most expensive cultivated herb. Its dried red stigmas accumulate important carotenoids, which produce apocarotenoids after oxidative cleavage. Saffron produces important apocarotenoids, crocin, picrocrocin and safranal, that provide color, flavor and aroma to it. To understand the expression pattern and stage specificity of apocarotenoid biosynthesis genes, we performed RNA sequencing at six different stages of stigma development (yellow, orange, red, two days before anthesis, at the day of anthesis and two days after anthesis) using Illumina platform. Differential expression analysis revealed preferential/specific expression of many genes at the different stages of stigma development. Functional annotation identified many genes encoding enzymes involved in different steps of apocarotenoid biosynthesis pathways expressed preferentially at red and later stages of stigma development. In addition, gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed several genes involved in primary/secondary metabolic processes and reproductive development pathways, exhibiting higher transcript abundance at the later stages of stigma development. Overall, the data and results presented in this study can serve as a rich resource for understanding the apocarotenoid biosynthesis in <i>C. sativus</i> during stigma development.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-025-01621-2.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"31 6","pages":"863-876"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314296/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776075","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}