Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants最新文献

{"title":"Molecular characterization and development of infectious clones of cotton leaf curl disease-associated begomovirus and its betasatellite molecule.","authors":"Marimuthu Elangovan, Shruti Godara, Utpal Kumar Bhattacharyya, Bharat Raj Meena, Vivek Kumar Khare, Somnath Mandal, Pradeep Kumar, Vijayanandraj Selvaraj, Anirban Roy, Kajal Kumar Biswas","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01752-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01752-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), which is caused by a complex of monopartite, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), begomoviruses and their associated satellite molecules and is transmitted by the whitefly (<i>Bemisia tabaci</i>), poses a serious threat to cotton production. Despite advances in reverse genetics, a rapid and reliable screening method for CLCuD resistance remains unavailable. In this study, we confirmed that the presence of <i>Begomovirus gossypikokranense</i> (CLCuKoV) and <i>Betasatellite gossypimultanense</i> (CLCuMB) components is associated with CLCuD. Infectious clones were developed using partial tandem dimer (1.4 mer) and dimeric (2.0 mer) constructs of CLCuKoV and CLCuMB, respectively, in the binary vector pCAMBIA2301. Upon agroinoculation, the recombinant clones successfully infected cotton cultivars (HS6 and RST9) and <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i>, inducing characteristic vein thickening and leaf curling symptoms consistent with Koch's postulates. Using these infectious clones, we artificially screened 15 cotton genotypes under controlled conditions to evaluate the infectious clone efficiency and genotype-specific disease response. These developed infectious clones will serve as effective tools for resistance screening in cotton breeding programs and provide a platform for further studies on viral pathogenicity and host-virus interactions.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01752-0.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"1091-1105"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216414/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138731","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":"Nitrogen form substitution identifies nitrogen use efficiency management pathways in maize.","authors":"Joseph N Amoah, Claudia Keitel, Brent N Kaiser","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01753-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12298-026-01753-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plants depend on nitrogen (N) for their growth, development, and metabolic functions. However, the regulatory mechanisms modulating N assimilate allocation under varying N forms are unclear. This study examines N metabolism and spatial distribution in maize seedlings subjected to four N treatments (T1 to T4): T1, 1 mM NO₃ ^- (sole NO₃ ^-); T2, substitution of 1 mM NO₃ ^- with 1 mM NH₄ ⁺ (N form substitution, NFS); T3, 1 mM NH₄ ⁺ (sole NH₄ ⁺); and T4, 0.5 mM NH₄NO₃ (mixed N supply). The NFS treatment induced significant physiological and molecular adaptations, such as enhanced growth and total biomass under fluctuating N conditions. NFS-treated plants exhibited improved photosynthesis, increased protein and amino acid synthesis, and increased NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ accumulation. Activities of key N metabolism enzymes, such as nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT), were significantly upregulated, supporting efficient assimilation of both NO₃ ^- and NH₄ ⁺. Furthermore, spatial and diurnal analyses revealed dynamic N partitioning and adaptive regulation, with NFS-treated plants maintaining consistently higher NO₃ ^- and NH₄ ⁺ levels in leaves, roots, sheaths, and developing ears. These findings highlight the robust plasticity of maize N metabolism under NFS conditions and provide valuable insights into optimizing N use efficiency (NUE) for sustainable crop production. Future studies will focus on exploring these adaptive mechanisms across different maize genotypes and under field conditions to improve NUE and productivity in varying N environments.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01753-z.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"1011-1023"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216394/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138275","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":"Functional validation and regulatory analysis of three homeologous upstream sequences of the wheat low-affinity nitrate transporter gene <i>TaNPF7.1</i>: differential homeolog-specific expression under nutrient and abiotic stress conditions.","authors":"V Muhammed Shamnas, Samrita Garnaik, Anuj Kumar, Subodh Kumar Sinha","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01760-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01760-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Nitrogen (N) is a key macronutrient that influences plant growth and development, but its availability in the soil is a major limiting factor for crop productivity. Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.) utilizes only about one-third of the applied nitrogenous fertilizer for its growth and development, leading to a significant economic and environmental loss by unutilized applied N. Nitrate (NO₃ ^-) is the major available form of nitrogen source which wheat plants uptake and transport by different nitrate transporters (NRTs). Among NRTs, <i>NRT1.5</i> in <i>Arabidopsis</i> is involved in the nitrate root-to-shoot translocation. The present study undertakes characterization of ~ 2 kb promoter regions of three homeologs of the <i>TaNPF7.1</i> gene (A, B, and D sub-genomes) homologous to <i>NRT1.5</i> in an efficient NUE cultivar K9107. Our results demonstrated significant variations in cis-regulatory elements (CREs) and transcription factor (TF) binding sites among the homeologs and between K9107 and the Chinese Spring genotype. Functional validation using <i>Arabidopsis</i> transgenic reporter lines (<i>pTaNPF7.1-A/-B/-D</i>::GUS) under various conditions, including nutrient (nitrate, potassium) and abiotic stress, as well as hormonal treatment, revealed distinct promoter level regulation. All three promoters exhibited nitrate-inducibility in general, but the A and D sub-genomes showed potassium-responsive GUS expression, indicating crosstalk between the two major macronutrients and their coordinated signalling. <i>pTaNPF7.1A</i> showed the highest responsiveness to ABA, <i>pTaNPF7.1B</i> to drought, and <i>pTaNPF7.1D</i> to salt stress, highlighting divergence in the regulation of different stresses. These findings highlight the regulatory divergence of <i>TaNPF7.1</i> through neo-functionalization, enabling better adaptation in various nutritional and abiotic conditions, and offer novel insights into nitrogen use efficiency and stress resilience in wheat.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01760-0.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"995-1010"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216425/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138710","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":"24-Epibrassinolide modulates antioxidant regulation and redox homeostasis in soybean exposed to cadmium stress.","authors":"Furkan Demirel, Yonca Surgun-Acar","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01754-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12298-026-01754-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that severely impairs plant growth and productivity by disrupting cellular homeostasis. This study investigated the effects of foliar-applied 24-Epibrassinolide (EBL) on antioxidant capacity and redox coordination in Cd-stressed <i>Glycine max</i> (L.) through integrated physiological, biochemical, and transcriptional analyses. Seedlings were grown hydroponically and exposed to 20 or 40 mg L^- 1 Cd for 10 days, while 1 µM EBL was applied as a foliar treatment. Increasing Cd concentrations reduced plant growth and photosynthetic pigment contents, whereas Cd accumulation in leaves increased markedly. The combined application of Cd and EBL significantly improved shoot growth and pigment contents compared to plants treated with Cd alone. Cadmium stress increased hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels, while co-application of EBL significantly decreased these oxidative markers. Exposure to Cd stimulated the activities of key antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase, with EBL application further enhancing these activities, particularly at 20 mg L^- 1 Cd. In addition, EBL promoted the accumulation of non-enzymatic antioxidants, including proline, phenolics, and flavonoids. Transcriptional analysis revealed that EBL coordinately regulates antioxidant-related gene expression, supporting a gene-specific response under Cd stress. Overall, foliar application of EBL strengthened antioxidant defences and maintained redox homeostasis, thereby improving soybean tolerance, particularly at the lower Cd concentration.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01754-y.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"1151-1163"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216426/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138736","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 Rubisco small subunit of cucumber interacts with the cucumber mosaic virus movement and silencing suppressor proteins.","authors":"Reenu Kumari, Surender Kumar, Usha Kumari Rattan, Rituraj Purohit, Lakhmir Singh, Vipin Hallan","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01720-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01720-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The cell-to-cell and systemic movement of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) depends on its movement protein (MP) and 2b proteins, respectively, along with various host factors. In this study, we found that the small subunit of Rubisco (RBCS) associates with CMV MP and 2b protein of the subgroup II strain, as evaluated by yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. In BiFC, the interaction between MP-RBCS and MP-2b was mapped close to the cell borders as punctate spots. Similarly, the 2b-RBCS complex was observed near the cell borders as well as in the nucleus. Transient knockdown of RBCS in <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i> using tobacco rattle virus-based virus-induced gene silencing (TRV-VIGS) resulted in the chlorosis of TRV2:RBCS plant leaves distinct from TRV2:00 control plants. Further, TRV2:RBCS plants exhibited a significant reduction in CMV accumulation compared to TRV2:00 control plants, highlighting the importance of RBCS in CMV infection. Overall, this study suggests that the association of CMV MP and 2b proteins with RBCS may influence viral accumulation and eventually its spread.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01720-8.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"1107-1117"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216408/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138215","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":"Water deficit modulates growth, secondary metabolism, and carvacrol biosynthesis gene expression in <i>Plectranthus amboinicus</i> (Lour.) Spreng.","authors":"Abdel-Nasser El-Sheshtawy, Abeer Dahab, Hala Bayomy, Seham Almasoudi, Samah Youssef, Faisal Zulfiqar, Tamer Abd El-Ghany, Rasha El-Serafy, Nehad Elshayeb","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01737-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12298-026-01737-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant secondary metabolites provide a unique basis for medications, flavorings, and industrial biochemicals. These metabolites frequently accumulate in plants exposed to environmental stressors (e.g., drought stress), as a mechanism for adaptation and resistance. <i>Plectranthus amboinicus</i> (Lour.) Spreng is a semi-succulent Lamiaceae species valued for its curative properties and essential oil, the concentration of which is heavily impacted by irrigation levels. This investigation reveals a novel study into the physiological and molecular mechanisms of <i>P. amboinicus</i> by correlating field capacity (FC) levels with metabolite accumulation and specific gene expression. We examined the impact of six irrigation levels (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%; denoted as FC-0 to FC-100) on growth, essential oil (EO) yield, and carvacrol biosynthesis during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Data revealed that plants subjected to the FC-0 exhibited the lowest growth parameters. However, these plants also presented a higher essential oil percentage and carvacrol concentrations, in addition to an increase in polyphenols and antioxidant enzymes, with greater oxidative substances accumulation (H₂O₂ and MDA). Moreover, these plants presented higher gene expression of CYP71D178 and CYP71D180 genes. While increasing water level caused an increase in growth parameters, with a decline in the antioxidant activity. Increasing the water level to FC-100 increased the essential oil by approximately four fold but resulted in a decline in carvacrol content as compared to FC-0. Generally, water deficiency reduces crop yield, whereas irrigation increases plant productivity. However, in medicinal and aromatic plants, the relationship is distinct; in <i>Plectranthus amboinicus,</i> water deficiency showed a strong positive correlation with the secondary metabolite's generation. In conclusion, the current report provides for the first time a molecular framework for <i>P. amboinicus</i> by depicting the expression patterns of CYP71D178 and CYP71D180. We revealed that these genes elaborate as the primary molecular shifts regulating carvacrol biosynthesis influenced by specific irrigation levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"981-994"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216403/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138309","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":"Identification of the <i>BvCDPK</i> gene family in sugar beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) at a genome-wide level and analysis of the function of <i>BvCDPK8</i> under salt conditions.","authors":"Yan Nan, Min Li, Bin Cheng, Ming Wei, Guo-Qiang Wu","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01759-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01759-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) is a type of Ca²⁺- sensitive Ser/Thr protein kinase that plays a role in plant growth, development, and response to stress. However, the function of the <i>CDPK</i> gene family in sugar beet (<i>Beta vulgaris</i> L.) is still unknown. In this study, a total of 16 <i>BvCDPK</i> genes in sugar beet were firstly identified by bioinformatics techniques, and they were unevenly distributed across seven chromosomes. The <i>BvCDPK</i> genes were divided into four clusters (I-IV) by phylogenetic analysis, and members of the same family were found to have similar protein motifs and gene structures. Expression profiling under salt stress via qRT-PCR showed that most <i>BvCDPKs</i> were up-regulated, with <i>BvCDPK8</i> consistently induced in both roots and leaves. Transgenic <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> plants overexpressing <i>BvCDPK8</i> exhibited significantly improved growth under salt stress, accompanied by increased levels of proline, soluble sugars, and total chlorophyll, enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and marked reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Furthermore, the expression levels of stress-responsive genes (<i>AtNCED3</i>, <i>AtSOS1</i>, and <i>AtP5CS</i>) were significantly up-regulated in transgenic plants, with <i>AtNCED3</i> expression in the OE4 line being 3.05-fold higher than in wild-type (WT) plants under 100 mM NaCl. Together, these results demonstrated that <i>BvCDPK8</i> confers enhanced salt tolerance in <i>A. thaliana</i>, providing a solid foundation for further investigation into its molecular mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01759-7.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"1073-1089"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216422/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138722","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":"Genome-wide identification of the <i>SKP1</i> gene family in goji (<i>Lycium barbarum</i>) and expression analysis of <i>LbSKP1-14</i> related to self-incompatibility recognition.","authors":"Jiali Wu, YuXin Duan, Zijun Yang, Xiongxiong Nan, Liu Yang, Haijun Ma, Cuiping Wang","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01746-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01746-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The SCF complex, a type of E3 ubiquitin ligase, plays a crucial role in regulating various cellular processes by targeting specific substrates for degradation. These processes include cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, transcription, and apoptosis. SKP1, also known as S-phase kinase-associated protein 1, is a key component of the Skp1-Cullin1-F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. It acts as a linker protein that facilitates the interaction between Cullin and F-box proteins. <i>SKP1</i> is essential for plant growth and development, particularly in processes like pollen tube elongation and self-incompatibility mechanisms. In this study, we identified 19 genes belonging to the <i>LbSKP1</i> family in the <i>Lycium barbarum</i> genome, located on six different chromosomes. Based on gene structure and sequence analysis, we classified these genes into three types: type Ia genes are mostly intronless, type Ib genes typically have a single intron, and type IIc genes contain multiple introns. Tissue-specific expression profiling revealed that <i>LbSKP1-14</i> is highly expressed in <i>Lycium barbarum</i> pollen. The cloned <i>LbSKP1-14</i> gene shares sequence similarity with <i>PhSSK1</i>, a gene involved in self-incompatibility recognition in tobacco. Subcellular localization studies showed that <i>LbSKP1-14</i> is present in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. The results of the yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that LbSKP1-14 specifically interacts with both S₂-LbSLF4, S₂-LbSLF9 and S₂-LbSLF13. This research lays the foundation for further exploration of the role and mechanism of the <i>SKP1</i> gene in regulating self-incompatibility in <i>Lycium barbarum</i>. It also provides genetic resources that can be utilized for molecular breeding of self-compatible varieties within the <i>Lycium barbarum</i> germplasm pool.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01746-y.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"1055-1072"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138756","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":"Genome-wide analysis of NF-Y genes and assessing their potential as miRNA targets in rice.","authors":"Arushi Jain, Mujibur Rehman, R Rakhi, Nazmir Binta Alam, Ananda Mustafiz","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01743-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01743-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Abiotic stress significantly impacts plant productivity, leading to complex responses that involve various physiological, biochemical, and transcriptional mechanisms. Nuclear transcription factor Y emerges as a crucial candidate gene in managing these stress responses. Although several NF-Y genes have been identified in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Cicer arietinum</i> and <i>Sorghum bicolor</i>, comprehensive investigations remain limited. Therefore, genome-wide exploration of NF-Y gene members across four genera led to identification of thirty-six <i>AtNF-Ys</i>, thirty-four <i>OsNF-Ys</i>, forty <i>CaNF-Ys</i> and forty-two <i>SbNF-Ys</i>. Protein structure analysis of NF-YA subunits revealed the conserved CCAAT-binding factor domain across four genera, responsible for binding to the CCAAT-box within eukaryotic promoters. Additionally, the NF-YB and NF-YC sub-families exhibited conserved histone fold domains, serving as a structural scaffold facilitating NF-Ys trimerization. Cis-Acting Regulatory Elements identified in <i>OsNF-Ys</i> were found to be associated with either stress or hormone responsiveness. Meta-analysis revealed that NF-Y genes responded variably in different environmental stress consistent with the qRT-PCR experiments that were meticulously performed at seedling and tillering developmental stages, revealing significant upregulation of <i>OsNF-YA1, A4, A7, C1</i> and <i>C4</i> in response to drought and salinity across different time points in shoot and root tissues. Eventually, we investigated potential miRNAs targeting NF-Y genes to elucidate the plausible mechanism in <i>O. sativa</i>. <i>Osa-miR169a</i> was found to target 3' UTR of <i>OsNF-YA1, OsNF-YA4</i> and <i>OsNF-YA10</i> while <i>Osa-miR2919</i> was found to target 3' UTR of <i>OsNF-YC1</i> and <i>Osa-miR5075</i> was found to target 3' UTR of <i>OsNF-YC4</i>. Exploring these interactions offered valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of NF-Ys governing stress responses in plants.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01743-1.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"941-960"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216424/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138795","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":"Unraveling the regulatory role of kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine) in modulating growth, physio-biochemical attributes, antioxidant defense, and essential oil biosynthesis in <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.","authors":"Asif Hussain Hajam, Gausiya Bashri","doi":"10.1007/s12298-026-01749-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-026-01749-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine; KN), a synthetic cytokinin, regulates various aspects of plant growth, physiology, and secondary metabolism. However, its potential role in enhancing essential oil (EO) biosynthesis in <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L. remains largely unexplored. This study evaluated the effects of exogenous KN on growth performance, physio-biochemical attributes , antioxidant defense, and EO biosynthesis in <i>O. basilicum.</i> Plants were treated with five KN concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 µM). Morphological traits, gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence, and SPAD-based chlorophyll content were measured. Biochemical assays were conducted to assess the antioxidant defense system and the activities of Rubisco, carbonic anhydrase, and nitrate reductase enzymes. Trichome size and area were analyzed microscopically, and EO composition was determined using GC-MS. Results demonstrated that the KN application significantly influenced growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and antioxidant responses. Among the tested concentrations, 5 µM KN was the most effective, leading to increased biomass, enhanced photosynthetic and enzymatic activities, and improved antioxidant defense. Scanning electron microscopy revealed substantial increases in trichome size and area, which correlated positively with EO accumulation. GC-MS analysis further confirmed elevated levels of major bioactive compounds, particularly linalool and methyl chavicol. Collectively, these findings establish KN as a potent regulator of growth and EO biosynthesis in <i>O. basilicum</i>, bridging a key knowledge gap and highlighting its potential in enhancing agronomic productivity and pharmaceutical value.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01749-9.</p>","PeriodicalId":20148,"journal":{"name":"Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants","volume":"32 5","pages":"1025-1039"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13216410/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148138283","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}