Plant Physiology and Biochemistry最新文献

{"title":"Exogenous NO-mediated microRNA398a-3p -MsCSD2-2 modules negatively regulate the drought stress tolerance of alfalfa","authors":"Qian Ruan ,&nbsp;Xiaoming Bai ,&nbsp;Yizhen Wang ,&nbsp;Chunling Deng ,&nbsp;Ying Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress is a serious natural challenge facing alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa</em> L.), seriously affecting its yield and quality. NO can enhance the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reduce oxidative damage, the core mechanism for plants to cope with drought stress. Small RNA and degradome sequencing demonstrated that exogenous NO enhances drought resilience by suppressing Ms-miR398a-3p expression, which directly targets <em>MsCSD2-2</em> encoding a Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD). Transient co-expression assays in tobacco confirmed Ms-miR398a-3p-dependent cleavage of <em>MsCSD2-2</em> transcripts. Strikingly, transgenic alfalfa overexpressing <em>MsCSD2-2</em> or silencing Ms-miR398a-3p exhibited elevated SOD activity, reduced ROS accumulation, and improved drought tolerance. Conversely, Ms-miR398a-3p overexpression exacerbated drought sensitivity. Our findings establish Ms-miR398a-3p as a negative regulator of drought responses through post-transcriptional repression of <em>MsCSD2-2</em>, while NO acts as an upstream signal to fine-tune this pathway. This study provides actionable targets for engineering drought-resistant alfalfa cultivars.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110099"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313193","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":"Biophilic plant design: (Nano)Fertilising barley in hydroponics for ‘lush space gardens’","authors":"John Masengo ,&nbsp;Jun Hong Cheong ,&nbsp;Nguyen Van Duc Long ,&nbsp;Veronica Soebarto ,&nbsp;Ranjan Swarup ,&nbsp;Volker Hessel","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant growth in space goes beyond nutrition, it enhances well-being by connecting humans to nature through biophilic design. Nutrient stress is a major constrain in Space. This study used barley as a model plant in non-circulating hydroponics with varying nitrogen levels to simulate space nutrient stress conditions and test nano-fertiliser technology. Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots were applied in solution (hydroponics) and sprayed (aeroponics) to alleviate stress and keep the plant attractive under Space stress. The leaves' greenness was assessed using the soil plant analysis development (SPAD) during plant growth. The study found that plants grown under ‘high nitrogen’ (1 mM) conditions had higher SPAD and shoots-to-roots ratio (S/R) could reach as high as 31, and 3.2, respectively. In contrast, ‘low nitrogen’ grown plants were less green and bushy, wherein the SPAD and S/R were 11.2 and 1.03, respectively. The foliar fertilisation (FF) treatment turned out to be effective for the biophilic parameters, provided it started early, i.e. after one-week of plant growth. Applying an FF after two weeks was found to be less effective because the fresh S/R increased from 1.93 to 2.94. The FF treatment slightly increased the SPAD for the ‘low nitrogen’ sample by comparison to the control sample (no FF). Regardless of the treatment, the fresh shoot weight decreased under ‘low nitrogen’, except when being boosted by a high concentration (100 mg/l) of the nano-fertiliser quantum dots. Nonetheless, the fresh shoot weight of ‘low nitrogen’ growth was almost identical to ‘high nitrogen’ growth, which were 1.88 g and 2.20 g, respectively. These findings epitomise the potential of the nano fertiliser to reduce nitrogen use in plants. The results from the best experimental data gathered (greenness, shoots/roots, leaf number/shape) were implemented in a visualisation of an early-stage idea for the Spaceship interior using an artificial intelligence (AI) SDXL 1.0 model. Plant growth experiments in a home-built spacecraft replica confirmed that the use of LN (0.5 mM) conditions can be favourably used under ‘real-space conditions’ and that the nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dot nanofertiliser is effective for creating biophilic SPAD value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110154"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279869","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 phenotypic, cytological, physiological and transcriptomic analyses of Panicum miliaceum L. provide insights into the plant dwarfing","authors":"Yang Liu ,&nbsp;Liuyan Yan ,&nbsp;Lina Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaorui Tian ,&nbsp;Shuai Zhang ,&nbsp;Yingjie Guo ,&nbsp;Yao Wang ,&nbsp;Guoqing Fu ,&nbsp;Zhenxing Zuo ,&nbsp;Xiaojie Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaoping Jia ,&nbsp;Xuehai Zhu ,&nbsp;Jincheng Yuan","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110153","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110153","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Broomcorn millet is one of the most water-saving cereal crops. However, studies on regulatory mechanisms of its plant height that are closely associated with lodging resistance and yield are rarely reported. In this study, a dwarf mutant in broomcorn millet, designated as 778, was generated by ethyl methyl sulfonic acid (EMS) mutagenesis. Its dwarfing mechanism was analyzed using phenotypic, cytological and transcriptomic methods. 778 exhibited a dwarfing phenotype throughout its entire ontogenetic cycle. Compared with the wild type 260, 778 exhibited significant increases in tiller number and the antepenultimate leaf width, alongside a significant reduction in pedicel length, spike length and <span><span>1000-grain weight</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>. Cytological analysis of the main stem revealed decreases in the length of longitudinal cells. After spraying gibberellic acid 3 (GA₃), the height of 778 significantly increased, confirming its classification as a GA₃-sensitive dwarf mutant. Transcriptome analysis showed 337 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between 778 and 260, which were mainly involved in four aspects according to enrichment of GO and KEGG. One dwarf-related gene <em>TD1</em> was cloned and sequenced, revealing that 778 lacked 58 bases before the termination codon. An antisense over-expression vector of <em>CLV1</em>, a <em>TD1</em> homologous gene, was constructed and transformed into <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>. It was observed that the height of transgenic plants was reduced, indicating that inhibition of <em>CLV1</em> expression might lead to dwarfing. Therefore, it is speculated that <em>TD1</em> mutation may be a critical factor contributing to the dwarfing of 778. This integrated analyses provides valuable insights into the dwarf mechanism of broomcorn millet.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110153"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271889","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":"Populus euphratica PeRAX2 interacts with the PeANN1 promoter to regulate gene expression and cadmium tolerance","authors":"Caixia Yan ,&nbsp;Kaiyue Dong ,&nbsp;Yinan Zhang ,&nbsp;Bing Feng ,&nbsp;Ziyan Zhao ,&nbsp;Kexin Yin ,&nbsp;Zhe Liu ,&nbsp;Yi Liu ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Rui Shi ,&nbsp;Rui Zhao ,&nbsp;Nan Zhao ,&nbsp;Shaoliang Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poplar species hold considerable potential for large-scale phytoremediation efforts and there is a growing interest in enhancing the Cd²⁺ tolerance of poplars via genetic engineering. PeRAX2, the R2R3-MYB transcription factor from <em>Populus euphratica</em>, facilitates <em>AtANN1</em> expression and Cd²⁺ uptake in Arabidopsis, but it remains uncertain whether PeRAX2 regulates Cd²⁺ accumulation and tolerance in poplars. When exposed to cadmium stress, <em>P. euphratica</em> increased the transcripts of <em>PeRAX2</em>, while decreasing the expression of <em>PeANN1</em>, which promotes the entry of Cd²⁺ in Arabidopsis. PeRAX2 was identified to interact with the <em>PeANN1</em> promoter through DNA pull-down, EMSA, Y1H, VIGS, LUC reporter assay, and transient overexpression assay. Intriguingly, PeRAX2 bound to the <em>PeANN1</em> promoter and repressed the gene expression. Moreover, PeRAX2 was shown to limit Cd²⁺ buildup by inhibiting <em>PeANN1</em> expression in <em>P. euphratica</em> leaves that transiently overexpressed <em>PeRAX2</em> when exposed to cadmium. Conversely, <em>PeANN1</em> overexpression in <em>P. euphratica</em> and <em>P. × canescens</em> resulted in increased Cd²⁺ concentrations, which led to reduced growth, impaired photosynthesis, and weakened antioxidant defenses to detoxify the reactive oxygen species. Hence, the upregulated <em>PeRAX2</em> in cadmium-challenged <em>P. euphratica</em> leads to the downregulation of <em>PeANN1</em>; this aids the poplars exposed Cd²⁺ to curtail the uptake and build-up of Cd²⁺, thereby fostering the maintenance of plant growth, photosynthesis, and ROS homeostasis in Cd²⁺-stressed environments. These findings regarding distinctive function of PeRAX2 in regulating <em>ANN1</em> expression in <em>P. euphratica</em> and Arabidopsis can be utilized to genetically modify plant species for targeted Cd²⁺ uptake and Cd²⁺ tolerance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110152"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291407","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":"Endophytic bacterial's phenylalanine and trans-cinnamic acid as exogenous precursors involved in the modulating colchicine biosynthesis pathway in Gloriosa superba","authors":"Pradeep Semwal ,&nbsp;Radha Shivhare ,&nbsp;Bsudev Majhi ,&nbsp;Shashank Kumar Mishra ,&nbsp;Sankalp Misra ,&nbsp;Ankita Misra ,&nbsp;Sharad Srivastava ,&nbsp;Puneet Singh Chauhan","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110151","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Unlocking the hidden power of endophytes reveals a novel pathway for boosting colchicine biosynthesis in <em>Gloriosa superba</em>. Metabolite analysis of endophyte culture filtrates identifies essential precursors i.e., phenyl ethyl alcohol, phenylalanine, trans-cinnamic acid, and benzoic acid participating in colchicine biosynthesis. <em>Bacilli</em>-treated <em>Gloriosa superba</em> plants demonstrated a remarkable increase in plant growth and colchicine content over untreated plants. Moreover, enhanced nutrient uptake (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn) further induced the enzymatic activities critical for colchicine biosynthesis genes such as PAL, NMT, CYP450, and OMT. The metagenomic analysis associated with <em>Bacilli</em>-treated <em>G. superba</em> plants further revealed a shift in <em>Bacillus</em> species, and the functional pathway confirmed the upregulation of precursors in colchicine biosynthesis. Our study highlights the significant role of endophytic <em>Bacilli</em> on plant growth, enhanced nutrient uptake, and shifts in the endophytic microbiome to induce colchicine biosynthesis in <em>G. Superba</em>. It offers a detailed understanding of the endophyte's potential for deciphering its role in enhancing growth and active metabolite composition. It provides valuable insights for sustainable agriculture and unlocking new possibilities for pharmaceutical applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110151"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271952","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":"S-RNase-mediated attenuation of FviPP2Ac-FviRbohH binding promotes ROS accumulation and arrests pollen tube growth in Fragaria viridis","authors":"Zhiyou Ni ,&nbsp;Jiaoyan Pan ,&nbsp;Yuting Zou ,&nbsp;Zhiliang Pan ,&nbsp;Tao Wang ,&nbsp;Linlin Xu ,&nbsp;Zhijun Shen ,&nbsp;Ejiao Wu ,&nbsp;Yushan Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Fragaria viridis</em> exhibits S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility (SI), which is governed by a polymorphic S-locus including two <em>S-RNase</em> alleles along with multiple S-locus <em>F-box</em> (<em>SLF</em>) genes. However, SI reaction in flowers triggers a complex cascade involving numerous genes unlinked to S-locus, the mechanisms underlying their mediation of SI response remain unclear. In this study, a phosphatase FviPP2Ac and a NADPH oxidase FviRbohH were observed to highly express in pollen and relate to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and SI response. Self-pollen tubes exposed to S-RNase exhibited downregulation of <em>FviPP2Ac</em> and upregulation of <em>FviRbohH</em>. FviPP2Ac played a negative role in pollen tube growth, as supplying FviPP2Ac protein with pollen culture resulted in inhibited pollen tube elongation and reduced ROS content at pollen tube tips. Conversely, FviRbohH acted as a positive regulator, since knockdown of <em>FviRbohH</em> expression in pollen using antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (as-ODN) led to growth suppression, accompanied by decreased ROS levels at pollen tube tips. FviPP2Ac bound to S-RNase in an S-haplotype-independent manner, whereas no interaction was detected between FviRbohH and S-RNase. FviPP2Ac interacted with FviRbohH and inhibited its activity, while S-RNase weakened this interaction without S-haplotype selectivity. Furthermore, we proposed a S-RNase-FviPP2Ac-FviRbohH-ROS signaling pathway model, which provides new clue for revealing a regulatory mechanism about ROS production in SI response of self-pollination in <em>Fragaria viridis.</em></div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110150"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271890","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":"Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi confer aluminum toxicity tolerance in Ricinus communis via modulating root metabolic mechanisms and the composition and quantity of root exudates","authors":"Xiaoxia Deng ,&nbsp;Dan Zhao ,&nbsp;Yueming Li ,&nbsp;Kaiyue Li ,&nbsp;Jiamiao Xia ,&nbsp;Song Yu ,&nbsp;Jinghong Wang ,&nbsp;Jixiang Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Aluminum (Al) phytotoxicity is an essential factor that severely threatens plant productivity in acidic soil with pH &lt; 5. Nevertheless, the specific interactions and functional contributions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) in the adaptability of <em>Ricinus communis</em> to Al stress remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the changes in biomass, Al accumulation, antioxidant system, sucrose metabolism, gene expression, and root exudates of <em>R. communis</em> when regulated by AMF (<em>Rhizophagus intraradices</em>, <em>Funneliformis mosseae</em>, and <em>Diversispora versiformis</em>) under Al stress (0–1.2 g kg⁻¹). Al detoxification by AMF - <em>R. communis</em> symbiosis was manifested by activating antioxidant levels, sucrose metabolism, thereby alleviating lipid peroxidation (MDA decreased 11.44 %–24.89 %) and increasing plant biomass (10.34 %–33.33 %). Meanwhile, transcriptome analysis revealed 659 differentially expressing genes (DEGs) in AMF-inoculated plants in comparison to non-inoculated plants subjected to Al stress. Furthermore, AMF colonization induced 929 differential metabolites (DAMs) from the perspective of root exudates. The integrating analysis of gene expression and root exudate changes indicating that AMF colonization under Al stress was closely related to ABC transporters, glutathione metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, cyanoamino acid metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism. Altogether, the result of this study suggest that AMF confer Al tolerance to <em>R. communis</em> via antioxidant activation, sucrose metabolism regulation, and reshaping root exudates and gene networks. The present study provides new insights into the crucial role of AMF in improving Al-tolerance of <em>R. communis</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110149"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279812","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":"Enantioselection bioactivity disturbances in the photosynthesis of Echinochloa crus-galli caused by flusulfinam, a novel chiral herbicide","authors":"Junqi Zhu,&nbsp;Jingdong Li,&nbsp;Tengfei Zhang,&nbsp;Shanbin Liang,&nbsp;Shiling Liu,&nbsp;Huihua Tan,&nbsp;Feng Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flusulfinam is a novel chiral herbicide that exists in two stereoisomeric forms. The possible enantioselective effect on <em>Echinochloa crus-galli</em> remains unknown. <em>R</em>-flusulfinam was 7.13 and 1.69 times more active against <em>E. crus-galli</em> than <em>S</em>-flusulfinam and <em>Rac</em>-flusulfinam, respectively. <em>R</em>-flusulfinam caused impairment to the photosynthetic system of <em>E. crus-galli</em> and resulted in the disruption of photosynthetic pigmentation levels. A systematic analysis of the carotenoid fraction content was conducted utilizing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This was particularly noticeable with the decline in several carotenoids, including β-carotene, α-carotene, and lycopene. Furthermore, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was employed for gene expression analysis. Treatment with <em>R</em>-flusulfinam altered the gene expression profiles of <em>E. crus-galli</em> related to photosynthesis. Specifically, the expression levels of genes encoding photosynthetic reaction center components, such as <em>PSAD</em>, <em>PSBS</em>, and <em>PETE</em>, were changed. And a significant reduction in the transcription of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis, including <em>PSY</em>, <em>PDS</em>, and <em>ZDS</em>, was observed. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde contents were determined as well as antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and POD) activity assays, <em>R</em>-flusulfinam treatment group exhibited a higher degree of oxidative damage to <em>E. crus-galli</em>. <em>R</em>-flusulfinam demonstrated greater herbicidal activity than <em>S</em>-flusulfinam by substantially inhibiting photosynthesis and inducing oxidative damage. These results contribute to understanding the potential enantioselective mechanisms of flusulfinam against <em>E. crus-galli</em> and provide evidence to support the application of enantiomerically pure <em>R</em>-flusulfinam to reduce the application rate of herbicides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110147"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279813","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":"Encapsulation of melatonin in pH-responsive β-CD nanosponges for enhanced stability and optimized delivery in agriculture","authors":"Parul Sangwan,&nbsp;Vinita Hooda","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current study focuses on the development of a pH-responsive nanosponge designed to enhance the stability and controlled release of phytohormone melatonin. The nanosponge, characterized by disulfide bridges and a stabilizer, allows for regulated release in acidic conditions typical of plant rhizospheres. Four different melatonin to nanosponge weight ratios (1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1) were prepared and analyzed using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography to quantify melatonin loading. The optimized ratio (3:1) was characterized by various techniques, including Zeta potential analysis, FESEM-EDX, FTIR, XRD and DSC. <em>In vitro</em> release studies and photostability tests confirmed the effectiveness of nanosponge in controlled melatonin release and enhanced photostability. Melatonin-loaded nanosponges significantly alleviated salinity stress in tomato plants, enhancing yield and reducing the frequency and dosage of melatonin application. This innovative approach promises improved melatonin stability and efficient agricultural use, offering a novel method to mitigate abiotic stress in plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110148"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144240106","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":"Starch-sugar metabolism in response to wound stress in apple fruit","authors":"Huiwen Deng ,&nbsp;Pengdong Xie ,&nbsp;Yong Han ,&nbsp;Xi Song ,&nbsp;Yonghong Ge","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sugar molecule is essential for plant response to abiotic stress. Leveraging previously obtained transcriptome data, this study investigated the changes in starch and cellulose degradation as well as sucrose metabolism in post-harvest mechanically wounded apples. The findings demonstrated that wounding up-regulated the expression levels of <em>MdAMY1.1</em>, <em>MdAMY2</em>, <em>MdBAM1</em>, and <em>MdBAM3</em>, which in turn enhanced the enzymatic activities of <em>α</em>-amylase (AMY) and <em>β</em>-amylase (BMY), thereby accelerating the degradation of total starch, amylose, and amylopectin. Conversely, it down-regulated the expression levels of <em>MdSS3</em> and <em>MdSS4</em>, reduced the enzymatic activities of sucrose synthase synthesis (SS-s) and sucrose synthase cleavage (SS-c). Wounding also up-regulated the expression levels of cellulase and <em>β</em>-glucosidase genes, thus facilitating the degradation of cellulose. Moreover, wound stress induced the up-regulation of <em>MdSPS1</em>, <em>MdCWINV1</em>, <em>MdINV∗DC4</em>, and <em>MdTIV1</em> expression levels, thereby maintaining the balance of sucrose metabolism. Consequently, this leads to an increase in the biosynthesis of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and reducing sugars at the wound sites. All these evidences indicate that starch and cellulose at wound sites are degraded to produce sugars, which facilitate the wound healing process in apple fruit, thereby helping to reduce microbial infections and minimize post-harvest losses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110142"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239412","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}