Plant Physiology and Biochemistry最新文献

{"title":"Enhancing drought resilience in Brassica campestris: Antioxidant and physiological benefits of Ascophyllum nodosum extract and alginic acid","authors":"Mirza Hasanuzzaman ,&nbsp;Samiha Rummana ,&nbsp;Faomida Sinthi ,&nbsp;Samiul Alam ,&nbsp;Md Rakib Hossain Raihan ,&nbsp;Md Mahabub Alam","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate change is the reason behind extreme dry weather, which is the primary factor behind reduced crop growth and yield. To mitigate the detrimental effect of drought, biostimulants like <em>Ascophyllum nodosum</em> extract (ANE) and alginic acid (AA) are increasingly used, as they have demonstrated growth-promoting effects on plant. This study was designed to delve into the role of ANE and AA on drought affected rapeseed (<em>Brassica campestris</em> cv. BARI Sarisha-17). Moreover, the study gives a comparative illustration of ANE and one of its principal polysaccharide components AA and explores AA's ability to mimic or surpass the effects of the complete extract. Drought was applied from 15 days after sowing (DAS) by keeping soil moisture level at 25 % field capacity. The control plants were irrigated as per requirement with water. Foliar spraying of ANE (0.02 %) and AA (0.02 %) were initiated after plant establishment. Data on different morphophysiological and biochemical parameters were collected at 35 DAS. Water deficit condition reduced plant growth, biomass accumulation, water balance and chlorophyll pigments. It notably increased oxidative damage by increasing lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide content, proline content, electrolyte leakage, and disrupting glyoxalase system which elevated reactive oxygen species in plants by suppressing antioxidants enzyme activities. Conversely, application of ANE and AA substantially alleviated the detrimental consequences of drought stress with AA being slightly more effective than ANE, by uplifting water balance and redox levels of ascorbate and glutathione. The activities of antioxidant defense and glyoxalase pathway enzymes were also enhanced by exogenous ANE and AA. Both ANE and AA enhanced drought tolerance but it was observed that foliar spraying of AA performed better by reducing oxidative damage and improving antioxidant enzyme activities over plants treated with ANE. These improvements play a crucial role in strengthening rapeseed's resistance to drought conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110198"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Iron oxide nanoparticles (FeO-NPs) mitigate salt stress in peanut seedlings by enhancing photosynthesis, osmoregulation, and antioxidant activity","authors":"Yi Zhang ,&nbsp;Lijie Li ,&nbsp;Haifang Dai ,&nbsp;Xiangjun Kong ,&nbsp;Mehboobur Rahman ,&nbsp;Baohong Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Zhang ,&nbsp;Yanzhong Zhou ,&nbsp;Quanyong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil salinization constitutes a major constraint to agricultural sustainability worldwide, with elevated sodium chloride levels inducing complex physiological disruptions that compromise crop productivity. As an innovative approach to abiotic stress mitigation, iron oxide nanoparticles (FeO-NPs) demonstrate unique advantages in enhancing iron bioavailability and modulating plant stress responses. This investigation systematically evaluated the efficacy of FeO-NPs in ameliorating NaCl-induced stress (150 mM) in peanut (<em>Arachis hypogaea</em> L.) through foliar application of nanoparticle gradients (0, 25, 50, 100 mg/kg), with particular emphasis on photosynthetic apparatus protection and redox homeostasis regulation. Results demonstrated that salt stress significantly reduced growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence, while elevating oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzyme activities. Notably, FeO-NP application at 50 mg L⁻¹ demonstrated optimal efficacy in counteracting salinity effects. Treated plants exhibited remarkable recovery in morphological parameters, achieving 20.13–68.67 % greater shoot/root elongation and 36.18–53.20 % higher biomass accumulation compared to salt-stressed controls. The nanoparticles significantly enhanced photosynthetic performance through multiple mechanisms: including elevated chlorophyll, restored carotenoids, higher net photosynthesis (<em>P</em>_n), alongside improved stomatal conductance (<em>G</em>_s) and PSII efficiency (<em>F</em>_v/<em>F</em>_m). The protective mechanism of FeO-NPs involved to cellular homeostasis regulation, augmented accumulation of osmolytes (proline, soluble proteins, sugars) and significant enhancement of antioxidant system components, including elevated activities of SOD, POD, and CAT. These coordinated responses effectively mitigated oxidative damage, reducing reactive oxygen species accumulation and lipid peroxidation (MDA) content relative to NaCl-treated plants. These findings highlight the application of FeO-NPs could be a promising strategy to enhance salt tolerance in peanuts through multi-faceted physiological and biochemical mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110206"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DcMYB30 negatively function in drought tolerance of Dendrobium catenatum by modulating flavonoid biosynthesis","authors":"Chenning Zhao ,&nbsp;Hongyan Hou ,&nbsp;Junxia Wu ,&nbsp;Yanqin Zhu ,&nbsp;Qingsong Shao ,&nbsp;Aimin Lv","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress is a severe abiotic stress, limiting the plant growth, development and yield. MYB transcription factor family plays a crucial role in plants response to adversity stress, particularly drought. However, a comprehensive analysis of the MYB gene family in <em>Dendrobium catenatum</em> remains limited, especially regarding the functions of two-repeat MYB proteins in response to drought stress and their regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis and accumulation. Here, severe drought stress inhibited the growth of <em>D. catenatum</em> and decreased polysaccharides and flavonoid contents. This study identified 174 MYB genes and characterized their phylogenetic relationships, protein profiles, and expression patterns. Co-expression analysis and transient expression assay revealed that an R2R3-MYB DcMYB30 was a key regulator in drought response and flavonoid synthesis in <em>D. catenatum</em>. DcMYB30 was found to localize in the nucleus and was down-regulated by drought stress. In both <em>DcMYB30</em>-overexpressing <em>Nicotiana benthamiana</em> or <em>D. catenatum</em>, flavonoid content decreased and transcript levels of multiple flavonoid biosynthetic enzyme-coding genes were downregulated. According to these findings, it is proposed that DcMYB30 may negatively regulate flavonoid biosynthesis by down-regulating flavonoid pathway enzyme-coding genes (e.g., 4CL), thereby reducing the flavonoid biosynthesis or accumulation and drought tolerance in <em>D. catenatum</em>. This study provides fundamental insights for characterizing the physiological roles of two-repeat MYB transcription factors in plant stress responses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110199"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide characterization of WRI1(WRINKLED1) gene family as a regulators of abiotic stress response in Coix (Coix lacryma-jobi L.)","authors":"Lijun Yang ,&nbsp;Tinghui Feng ,&nbsp;Lingxia Peng ,&nbsp;Hongju Li ,&nbsp;Zhiwei Wang ,&nbsp;Lietao Cai ,&nbsp;Chaojun Zhang ,&nbsp;Yuyang Zhao ,&nbsp;Yan Jin ,&nbsp;Abirami Gurusamy ,&nbsp;Dongfeng Yang ,&nbsp;Zongsuo Liang ,&nbsp;Xiaodan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110195","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110195","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coix (Coix lacryma-jobi L.), known as the “King of the Gramineae” for its nutritional and medicinal value, is a dual-purpose crop with both edible and therapeutic applications. WRI1 (WRINKLED1), an AP2 family transcription factor, plays a pivotal role in plant development and stress adaptation. Although WRI1 genes have been studied in several species, their functions in Coix remain largely uncharacterized. Here, we identified 20 ClWRI1 genes distributed across 10 chromosomes and classified them into three subfamilies based on phylogenetic relationships, conserved motifs, and gene structures. Expression profiling revealed that ClWRI1 genes are widely expressed, with pronounced levels in seeds. Transcriptomic and qRT-PCR analyses showed that several ClWRI1 genes respond to drought, salinity, cold, and heat stress, suggesting their involvement in abiotic stress responses. Heterologous expression of ClWRI1-18 and ClWRI1-20 in yeast conferred enhanced stress tolerance, supporting their functional relevance. Yeast two-hybrid assays further confirmed a physical interaction between ClWRI1-18 and ClWRI1-20. Collectively, these findings indicate that the WRI1 gene family contributes to stress adaptation in Coix, with ClWRI1-18 and ClWRI1-20 representing key candidates for genetic improvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110195"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144518455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The gma-miR164a/GmNAC115 module participates in the adaptation of soybean to drought and salt stress by influencing reactive oxygen species scavenging","authors":"Huina Wan ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Ni ,&nbsp;Yi Wang ,&nbsp;Yuehua Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110191","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110191","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The regulatory modules formed by microRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in plant stress responses and adaptations. However, the function and molecular mechanism of the <em>gma-miR164a</em>/GmNAC115 module in soybean responses to drought and salt stress remain unclear. This study revealed that the soybean <em>gma-miR164a</em>/GmNAC115 module is involved in the response to abiotic stress. Analysis of salt and drought tolerance in soybean hairy roots and transgenic <em>Arabidopsis</em> revealed that <em>gma-miR164a</em> plays a negative regulatory role in drought and salt stress responses, whereas its target GmNAC115 positively regulates plant tolerance to these stressors. DNA affinity purification sequencing was used to identify downstream target genes of the TF GmNAC115 in the whole genome. GmNAC115 could activate the expression of the downstream target genes <em>GmWRKY21</em>, <em>GmAPX6</em>, and <em>GmPOD2</em>5 by binding to NAC recognition sequence <em>cis</em>-acting elements in their promoters. Moreover, GmWRKY21, GmAPX6, and GmPOD25 play positive roles in the adaptation of soybean to drought and salt stress. In addition, GmWRKY21 positively regulates <em>GmAPX6</em> and <em>GmPOD25</em> expression by binding W-box <em>cis</em>-acting elements. In summary, these results suggest that the <em>gma-miR164a</em>/GmNAC115 module maintains cell reduction/oxidation homeostasis by removing reactive oxygen species, thereby improving soybean tolerance to drought and salt stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110191"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144518454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biochemical characterization of Selaginella 14-3-3 protein isoforms provides insights into the evolution of their phylogenetic groups","authors":"Ilya A. Sedlov ,&nbsp;Nikolai N. Sluchanko","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Numerous isoforms of 14-3-3 proteins regulate plant growth, nutrient uptake, flowering, and signaling by interacting with phosphorylated partner proteins. Recently, the two major phylogenetic groups of 14-3-3 isoforms in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>, epsilon and non-epsilon, were found to have distinct biochemical properties, but 14-3-3 proteins in non-model and early-diverging plant lineages remain unexplored. Here, we report a comparative study of 14-3-3 isoforms from <em>Selaginella moellendorffii</em>, a lycophyte representing ancient vascular plants. We show that, like other known 14-3-3s, all <em>Selaginella</em> 14-3-3 isoforms form homodimers and bind phosphopeptides. However, the epsilon-type isoform Sm230088 displays a tendency to monomerize, as recently discovered for <em>Arabidopsis</em> epsilon-type isoforms, but to a lesser extent. Although Sm230088 exhibits lower thermodynamic and proteolytic stability and higher surface hydrophobicity than its non-epsilon counterparts, Sm439395 and Sm229825, <em>Selaginella</em> 14-3-3 isoforms are overall much more stable and form tighter dimers than those in <em>A. thaliana</em>, with notably less pronounced biochemical differences between epsilon and non-epsilon isoforms. This suggests that plant 14-3-3 proteins may have evolved reduced stability over time, while back extrapolation of this trend for each phylogenetic group indicates that, contrary to previous assumptions, plant 14-3-3 proteins likely originated from ancestral non-epsilon, rather than epsilon forms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110197"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drought-activated BZR1 reprograms flavonoid metabolism via transcriptional cascades to amplify baicalin biosynthesis in Scutellaria baicalensis","authors":"Xian Li ,&nbsp;Chong Chen ,&nbsp;Bo Cao ,&nbsp;Shan Feng ,&nbsp;Yali Zhang ,&nbsp;Tiantian Bin ,&nbsp;Xiaofang Zhou ,&nbsp;Lianjin Liu ,&nbsp;Suying Hu ,&nbsp;Bowen Zheng ,&nbsp;Guishuang Li ,&nbsp;Chengke Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental stress triggers a dual response in medicinal plants by inhibiting growth while enhancing secondary metabolite production. However, the regulatory mechanism of this trade-off remains unclear. Here, we identified SbBZR1 as a brassinosteroid (BR)-responsive transcription factor that orchestrates drought resilience and baicalin biosynthesis in <em>Scutellaria baicalensis</em> through integrated multi-omics and metabolic flux analysis. In general, drought stress upregulated BR signaling and SbBZR1 expression. Transgenic <em>Arabidopsis</em> expressing <em>SbBZR1</em> and its hyperactive mutant (<em>Sbbzr1-1D</em>) exhibited enhanced drought tolerance: 57 % greater biomass, 43 % increased root density, and 62 % reduced lipid peroxidation via antioxidant gene activation (<em>AtDHAR1</em>, <em>AtCAT2</em>, <em>AtSOD1</em>). In <em>S. baicalensis</em> hairy roots, <em>SbBZR1</em> overexpression increased biomass (68 %) and anthocyanins (2.3-fold), while upregulating flavonoid genes (<em>SbPAL</em>, <em>SbCHS</em>, <em>SbCHI</em>). Under gradient drought, SbBZR1 reprogrammed metabolism dose-dependently: mild stress (1 % PEG) elevated both glycosides (baicalin +128 %) and aglycones (baicalein +196 %), whereas <em>Sbbzr1-1D</em> prioritized glycoside production (3.42-fold baicalin; glycoside-aglycone ratio 15.02 vs. WT 3.93). Mechanistically, <em>Sbbzr1-1D</em> amplified phenylpropanoid flux via <em>SbPAL</em> and <em>SbF8H</em> (4.1–6.3 fold) while suppressing deglycosylation (β-glucuronidase<em>, SbGUS</em> 72 % down-expression). Exogenous epibrassinolide (eBL) treatment confirmed <em>SbBZR1</em> amplifies BR sensitivity, boosting baicalin yields 2.1–3.8 fold. The BR-SbBZR1 axis dynamically coordinates drought-induced transcriptional bursts (<em>SbFNSII-2</em>, <em>SbF6H</em>) with flavonoid accrual, while differentially regulating glycosylation (<em>SbUBGAT</em> up-expression) and deglycosylation (<em>SbGUS</em> down-expression). Collectively, these results first reveal the transcriptional logic of stress-driven phytochemical enhancement and provide valuable references for engineering drought-resistant crops through precision metabolic regulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110196"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional analysis of apple defense protein MdACBP and screening of interacting proteins with Penicillium expansum","authors":"Kaili Wang ,&nbsp;Tengxia Pan ,&nbsp;Meng Xu ,&nbsp;Esa Abiso Godana ,&nbsp;Yuchun Lu ,&nbsp;Qiya Yang ,&nbsp;Hongbin Chen ,&nbsp;Hongyin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the primary fungal pathogen of apple (Malus domestica) blue mold, <em>Penicillium expansum</em> severely affects the post-harvest quality of apples. Protein–protein interactions play a crucial role in plant resistance to biotic stress. Here, we re-analyse the previously obtained proteomic data from apples infected with <em>Penicillium expansum</em> and identify numerous differentially expressed proteins that may significantly contribute to their defence mechanisms. The MdACBP protein is expressed during the defence response of apples against <em>P. expansum</em> infection and exhibits a high binding affinity for acyl-CoA and phospholipids, suggesting a crucial role in the apple defence mechanism. In this study, through bioinformatics analysis, subcellular localization, yeast two-hybrid assays, and interaction site prediction, we identified MdACBP as a member of the ACBP1 family, localised in the cytoplasm. During <em>P. expansum</em> infection, MdACBP interacts with A0A0A2IS21 (Pe25) with a confidence score of 0.8783. In conclusion, our findings suggest that MdACBP and Pe25 act together to defend against <em>P. expansum</em> infection in apples, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention of <em>P. expansum</em> induced blue mold in apples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110186"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eggplant WRKY26 functions as a positive regulator of cold tolerance by inducing autophagy","authors":"Yan Yang ,&nbsp;Jun Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaohui Zhou ,&nbsp;Songyu Liu ,&nbsp;Hesbon Ochieng Obel ,&nbsp;Yu Wang ,&nbsp;Yong Zhuang","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110188","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110188","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Eggplant (<em>Solanum melongena</em> L.), a thermophilic plant, is highly susceptible to cold stress, which significantly impacts its growth and productivity. While WRKY transcription factors are known to play key roles in plant responses to environmental stresses, their involvement in cold stress tolerance in eggplant remains largely unexplored. Here, we identified and characterized SmWRKY26, a group I WRKY transcription factor closely related to SlWRKY33 and AtWRKY26. Subcellular localization and transcriptional activating activity assays confirmed that SmWRKY26 was a nuclear-localized transcriptional activator. Expression analysis revealed that <em>SmWKRY26</em> was induced by exogenous hormones and cold stress. Overexpression of <em>SmWRKY26</em> in eggplant enhanced cold tolerance by promoting the stability of plasma membrane, maintaining photosynthetic efficiency, enhancing the capability of antioxidants, and accelerating the degradation of insoluble protein. In contrast, <em>SmWRKY26</em> gene knockout mutants showed the opposite trend. RNA-seq results revealed that SmWRKY26 mainly regulated genes in the mRNA surveillance pathway, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum and autophagy. Further experiment verified that SmWRKY26 positively regulated the expression of autophagy-related genes and facilitated the formation of autophagosomes under cold stress. These findings highlight a novel regulatory mechanism for cold stress tolerance mediated by SmWRKY26 in eggplant, offering a valuable genetic resource for developing cold-tolerant cultivars.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110188"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144501896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated genome-wide association and RNA sequencing analyses reveal key long noncoding RNAs and target genes for drought tolerance in wheat","authors":"Cheng-Wei Qiu ,&nbsp;Yi Wu ,&nbsp;Li Yao ,&nbsp;Fangbin Cao ,&nbsp;Zhong-Hua Chen ,&nbsp;Feibo Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110190","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110190","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought poses a major threat to global crop productivity, necessitating the identification of genetic components and regulatory networks underlying drought tolerance in wheat. Here, we integrated genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 334 diverse wheat accessions with comparative transcriptomic analysis of drought-sensitive and drought-tolerant genotypes. GWAS identified 45 significant SNPs (−log10(<em>p</em>) &gt; 3.5) and 281 candidate genes linked to seedling dry weight loss under drought stress. Transcriptome profiling revealed 821 differentially expressed genes, with co-expression network analysis uncovering 21 drought-responsive long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and their target genes. These targets were enriched in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation and transcriptional regulation pathways. Notably, lncRNA XR_006461531 was predicted to interact with <em>TaFBX361</em>—a gene co-identified by GWAS and RNA-seq—via a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction. Functional validation through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) demonstrated that knockdown of <em>TaFBX361</em> significantly impaired plant growth and increased oxidative damage under drought, confirming its positive role in stress adaptation. Our findings reveal coordinated coding and noncoding regulatory modules governing drought responses in wheat, with <em>TaFBX361</em> emerging as a promising genetic target for enhancing drought resilience. This study advances the molecular breeding toolkit by integrating multi-omics approaches to dissect complex traits, offering novel insights into lncRNA-mediated regulatory networks in crop abiotic stress tolerance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110190"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}