Plant Physiology and Biochemistry最新文献

{"title":"Natural modulators of abscisic acid Signaling: Insights into polyphenol-based antagonists and their role in ABA receptor regulation","authors":"Javier Merino ,&nbsp;María Rivera-Moreno ,&nbsp;Mar Bono ,&nbsp;Diego Núñez-Villanueva ,&nbsp;Ana González-Vega ,&nbsp;Cristian Mayordomo ,&nbsp;Lourdes Infantes ,&nbsp;Rupesh Chikhale ,&nbsp;Pedro L. Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Armando Albert","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays a pivotal role in regulating essential plant processes, including seed dormancy, germination, and stress responses. ABA signaling is mediated by PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors, which interact with clade A PP2C phosphatases to control downstream signaling pathways. Advances in structural biology have enabled the development of synthetic ABA modulators, such as agonists and antagonists, which can enhance or inhibit ABA signaling for agricultural applications. However, the high production costs and potential toxicity of synthetic modulators have motivated the search for natural alternatives. Here, we explore the potential of polyphenols, a class of plant secondary metabolites, as eco-friendly non-canonical ligands for ABA receptors. Through virtual screening and structural analysis, we identified coumaric acid and other hydroxycinnamic acids as natural ABA antagonists. These compounds compete with ABA for receptor binding, disrupting the ABA-dependent inhibition of PP2C phosphatases by PYR/PYL proteins. As a result, they counteract ABA-imposed stress responses in <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>, promoting seed germination and seedling establishment. Further chemical optimization yielded improved ABA antagonists based on hydroxycinnamic acid and natural amino acid conjugates. Their use in plants provides a sustainable alternative to synthetic modulators and opens new biotechnological strategies for crop management. In addition, our findings highlight a mechanism for fine-tuning ABA receptor activity in vivo through the interaction of ABA receptors with endogenous hydroxycinnamic acids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110155"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291408","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":"Maize ZmEREB130 transcription factor negatively regulates growth and seed size","authors":"Qiankun Fu ,&nbsp;Huaming Duan ,&nbsp;Junxin Wei ,&nbsp;Wenxi Zhou ,&nbsp;Tao Wan ,&nbsp;Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Yajie Liu ,&nbsp;Yuhan Zhou ,&nbsp;Muhammad Hayder Bin Khalid ,&nbsp;Qingqing Yang ,&nbsp;Fengzhong Lu ,&nbsp;Fengling Fu ,&nbsp;Yanli Lu ,&nbsp;Haoqiang Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110165","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110165","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The APETALA2/Ethylene Response Element Binding Protein (AP2/EREBP) is a kind of plant-specific transcription factor and plays a pivotal role in governing plant growth, ontogenesis, and stress acclimation processes. However, the AP2 members modulating plant height and seed morphogenesis remain largely unelucidated. In the present study, the maize <em>ZmEREB130</em> gene was cloned and functionally validated in modulating growth and seed size development. Our findings demonstrated that ZmEREB130 protein harbors two conserved AP2 domains, localized to the nucleus, exhibits no self-activation activity, and is a canonical AP2 transcription factor. The results of Y2H, BiFC, and split-LUC assays revealed that ZmEREB130 undergoes homodimerization via its AP2 domain, and interacts with ZmFdx1/5. The <em>ZmEREB130</em> exhibited predominant expression in maize seeds. Heterologous expression of <em>ZmEREB130</em> in <em>Arabidopsis</em> resulted in the suppression of plant growth and reduction of seed dimensions. Phenotypic analyses demonstrated that five transgenic lines manifested reduced seedling size, diminished biomass accumulation, delayed flowering, decreased plant height, and significantly reductions in seed length, width, and weight compared to wild type plants. The results of RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, and dual-LUC assays implied that ZmEREB130 binds to the promoters of development-associated genes, modulating their transcription and ultimately impeding growth and ontogenesis of transgenic <em>Arabidopsis</em>. This study provides evidence that ZmEREB130 functions as a negative regulator of plant growth and development, thereby presenting a novel candidate gene for maize genetic improvements aiming to achieve high-yield traits via genome-editing technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110165"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306276","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":"Regiospecific hydroxylase and O-methyltransferase for the biosynthesis of anticancer alkaloids in Tabernaemontana elegans (toad tree)","authors":"Scott Galeung Alexander Mann ,&nbsp;Matthew Bailey Richardson ,&nbsp;Rochelle Nicola Young,&nbsp;Ghislain Deslongchamps,&nbsp;Yang Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110161","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110161","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) are a structurally diverse class natural products with significant medicinal properties. Bis-MIAs, such as chemotherapeutic vinblastine and anti-autophagic conodurine, are synthesized through enzymatic coupling of monomeric MIAs, often requiring specific modifications to activate reactive centers. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a regiospecific enzyme pair, coronaridine 11-hydroxylase (TeC11H) and 11-hydroxycoronaridine <em>O</em>-methyltransferase (TeHCOMT), from <em>Tabernaemontana elegans</em> (toad tree). The C11-methoxylation of coronaridine activates C10 and C12 on the indole for subsequent coupling with a vobasinyl monomer, representing a critical transformation in the biosynthesis of a series of 11-methoxycoronaridine derived bis-iboga-vobasinyl MIAs in <em>T. elegans</em> root with potent anticancer and anti-autophagy activities. Biochemical analysis and homology modeling of TeC11H and TeHCOMT, along with their <em>Tabernanthe iboga</em> (iboga) homologs for coronaridine C10-methoxylation, reveal key residues at their highly similar active sites responsible for distinct regioselectivity, demonstrating how coronaridine is oriented to favour C11 or C10 methoxylation. Our discovery sheds light on the coordinated specification of active sites in metabolically linked enzymes during evolutionary adaptation in different lineages. TeC11H and TeHCOMT represent a valuable tool for metabolic engineering, offering new opportunities to biosynthesize anticancer alkaloids and explore the therapeutic potential of novel bis-MIAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110161"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313191","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 GmbHLH13-GmCHS7 module positively regulates isoflavones accumulation in soybean (Glycine max. L)","authors":"Tianyi Liu ,&nbsp;Fan Yan ,&nbsp;Yajing Liu ,&nbsp;Zibo Xu ,&nbsp;Tianliang Wang ,&nbsp;Monan Sun ,&nbsp;Yongqiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jingwen Li ,&nbsp;Le Wang ,&nbsp;Youcheng Zhu ,&nbsp;Qingyu Wang ,&nbsp;Ying Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110162","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110162","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Isoflavonoids are widely regarded as phytoalexins and plant estrogens, with applications in plant defense and human healthcare. However, the mechanism of soy isoflavone synthesis remains unclear. In this study, we identified a gene from Glycine max, designated as basic helix-loop-helix 13 (GmbHLH13), which is a member of the bHLH transcription factor family. Overexpression of GmbHLH13 significantly enhanced the accumulation of isoflavonoids in soybean seeds. A combined analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome showed that <em>GmbHLH13</em> enhanced the expression of multiple genes in the phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway, leading to increased production of downstream metabolites. We established that GmbHLH13 interacted with GmMYB12B2 and GmWD40-7 to form a MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex that binded directly to the promoter region of <em>GmCHS7,</em> further increasing <em>GmCHS7</em> expression. In addition, GmbHLH13 alone or complexed with GmMYB12B2 or GmWD40-7, positively regulated <em>GmCHS7</em> expression, however, the effect was lower than that of the MBW complex. The findings of this study provide a valuable genetic breeding resource and gene for improving soybean varieties with high isoflavone content.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110162"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490559","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":"A lateral root primordium1(LRP1) gene regulates fruit wart in cucumber","authors":"Xiaozhe Kang ,&nbsp;Yuanzuo Lv ,&nbsp;Jinshuang Zheng,&nbsp;Xiaoli Li,&nbsp;Xiaofei Song,&nbsp;Liying Yan,&nbsp;Chengzhen Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fruit wart density critically determines cucumber marketability, yet its regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, EMS mutagenesis generated the high-wart mutant 'mc-mu', which was crossed with the low-wart inbred line 'CR' for genetic analysis. Through MutMap-based mapping, we identified <em>CsaV3_5G036780</em> (<em>CsLRP1</em>) on chromosome 5 as the causal gene regulating wart density. CsLRP1 encodes a SHI/STY-family protein implicated in auxin biosynthesis. We developed a CRISPR/Cas9 editing system to investigate CsLRP1's role, generating knockout lines via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Phenotypic analysis revealed that <em>CsLRP1</em>-deficient plants exhibited significantly increased wart density and reduced basal fruit diameter compared to wild-type, without other morphological alterations. Yeast two-hybrid assays demonstrated physical interaction between <em>CsLRP1</em> and CsSCZ-21. qRT-PCR analysis further indicated that <em>CsLRP1</em> negatively regulates wart density, while bioinformatic analyses suggest its potential modulation of auxin signaling pathways. These findings advance our understanding of cucumber wart formation and provide practical targets for breeding programs focused on improving fruit quality traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110145"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297379","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":"Insights into hydrogen sulfide defense against black rot of cabbage at morphological, cellular and transcriptional metabolic levels","authors":"Jie Wang ,&nbsp;Jue Wang ,&nbsp;Zhibin Yue ,&nbsp;Tongyan Chen ,&nbsp;Jinbao Li ,&nbsp;Haojie Dai ,&nbsp;Jihua Yu ,&nbsp;Zeci Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Black rot caused by <em>Xanthomonas campestris</em> pv. <em>campestris</em> (<em>Xcc</em>) has led to severe economic losses in cruciferous crops. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), an important gaseous signaling molecule, is involved in mediating plant defense responses to various adversities. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism of defense regulation against <em>Xcc</em> in cabbage using exogenous H₂S (1 mmol/L NaHS, H₂S donor) and determined that hydrogen sulfide was effective in controlling black rot. The results showed that <em>Xcc</em> inhibited the antioxidant properties and secondary metabolite synthesis of cabbage, leading to significant disruption of cell wall and cell membrane integrity, whereas the use of H₂S effectively mitigated this inhibition and the extent of damage. H₂S treatment up-regulated the expression levels of genes involved in plant-pathogen interactions, stabilized the osmoregulatory system, improved antioxidant capacity, and promoted the GSH-ASA cycle. Furthermore, H₂S significantly protected cellular integrity, reduced morbidity, and increased the rate of substance synthesis. Our results suggest that H₂S has great potential in controlling black rot of cabbage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110129"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291406","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":"Colchicine- and oryzalin-induced hexaploidy enhances nutrient levels and is a promising way to create new germplasms for Chinese chives","authors":"Peng-Qiang Yao ,&nbsp;Li-Hua Xie ,&nbsp;Shuai-Zheng Qi ,&nbsp;Pei-Fang Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110160","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110160","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chinese chives reproduce primarily through apomixis, which greatly limits hybrid breeding efforts. Herein, germinated triploid Chinese chive seeds were used as the materials, and colchicine and oryzalin were applied to induce chromosome doubling. Observations of the growth habits and analysis of several secondary metabolites were compared between triploid and hexaploid Chinese chives. Results indicated that both colchicine and oryzalin can cause shortening and thickening of the young roots and cotyledons, with a greater survival rate observed in seedlings treated with oryzalin than in those treated with colchicine. The leaf cellulose content in hexaploid seedlings was approximately 7.6 % lower than that in the leaves of triploid seedlings, while the soluble sugar, total flavonoid, vitamin C, soluble protein, and flavour compound contents increased by 110.5 %, 27.3 %, 10.2 %, 8.9 %, and 2.2 %, respectively. Our findings suggest that oryzalin is an effective chemical agent for inducing chromosome doubling in Chinese chives and that the induced hexaploid possesses greater edible value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110160"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144335989","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":"Fes-palygorskite nanocomposite mitigated early chlorosis in direct-seeded rice improving physiological and biochemical attributes","authors":"Khushboo Rathour ,&nbsp;Anjali Sidhu ,&nbsp;Anu Kalia ,&nbsp;Vivek Sharma ,&nbsp;Ramesh Chand Kasana ,&nbsp;Ramandeep Kaur","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110159","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110159","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Early-stage chlorosis due to iron deficiency is a critical limitation in direct-seeded rice (DSR) cultivation under aerobic and alkaline soil conditions, where iron bioavailability is severely restricted. This study presents a nano-engineered FeS-palygorskite composite (Fs-Pg) as a sustainable alternative to conventional ferrous sulfate (FeSO₄), enabling prolonged ferrous ion availability under alkaline conditions. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) optimized a controlled release of 2.13 mg/kg iron over 29.6 days for Fs-Pg, maintaining higher ferrous ion content (0.43 mg/kg), in contrast to FeSO₄, which showed a rapid release (3.44 mg/kg) with lower ferrous ion retention (0.19 mg/kg) within 8.6 days at their respective optimized dosages. Korsmeyer–Peppas model (n = 0.738) was the most fitted kinetic model endorsed a non-Fickian, dual-controlled release mechanism for Fe²⁺ release, driven by diffusion and sulfide-mediated slow dissolution. Significant enhancement in seedling physiological parameters (after 30 days) included improved germination rate (8.80 %), root length (20.66 %), biomass accumulation (fresh weight: 68.37 %; dry weight: 35.29 %) and overall vigor index (47.26 %) as compared to FeSO₄. The treatment also enhanced iron uptake in shoots (9.58 %) and roots (10.36 %) relative to FeSO₄. Fs-Pg application markedly elevated antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase) and boosted biochemical attributes (phenolics, flavonoids, protein and chlorophyll content), contributing to reduced oxidative stress and enhanced redox homeostasis. Free radical scavenging assays further confirmed its superior antioxidative potential. Overall, this study offered a sustainable nanonutrient solution for augmented bioavailable iron under aerobic conditions in DSR, coupled with enhanced antioxidant defense, and improved physiological growth to effectively mitigate early-stage chlorosis under alkaline stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110159"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297202","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":"Silicon enhances root potassium retention in cucumber under salt stress through promoting sodium exclusion and antioxidant capacity","authors":"Guochao Yan ,&nbsp;Shuaijing Zhao ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Dong ,&nbsp;Haiying Qiu ,&nbsp;Baoyu Li ,&nbsp;Long Cao ,&nbsp;Tiantian Yuan ,&nbsp;Xuyongjie Zhu ,&nbsp;Shengming Mao ,&nbsp;Peiwen Wang ,&nbsp;Yunmin Xu ,&nbsp;Yong He ,&nbsp;Yongchao Liang ,&nbsp;Zhujun Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110156","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110156","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salt stress induces potassium (K⁺) leakage and deficiency, thereby limiting plant growth. The decrement of K⁺ leakage (also called K⁺ retention) plays a key role in plant salt tolerance. Silicon (Si) can alleviate salt stress and promote K⁺ nutrition status in plants, however the mechanisms behind remain unclear. In this study, the regulatory effects and related mechanisms of Si on root K⁺ retention in cucumber were investigated. The results showed that salt stress induced significant growth inhibition, Na⁺ accumulation and K⁺ deficiency in cucumber, while Si decreased Na⁺ content and promoted K⁺ content, thereby promoting Na⁺/K⁺ homeostasis and cucumber growth under salt stress. Moreover, Si ameliorated the K⁺ leakage induced by both salt and simulated oxidative stress, which was further confirmed by the results of selective ion electrolyte technique (SIET). Meanwhile, Si enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, total antioxidant capacity, and the expression of genes related to antioxidant system in cucumber root under salt stress. In addition, Si treatment enhanced root Na⁺ exclusion under salt stress, which could be based on the upregulated expression of <em>SOS</em> and <em>NHX</em> genes. Overall, our results show that Si can enhance root K⁺ retention in cucumber by promoting root Na⁺ exclusion and antioxidant capacity, thereby alleviating salt stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110156"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306277","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":"Potassium silicate and/or silicate-solubilizing bacteria stimulate Cuscuta campestris germination but mitigate oxidative stress induced by it on Guizotia abyssinica","authors":"Akbar Aliverdi ,&nbsp;Shahram Taheri ,&nbsp;Fakhreddin Salehi","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110157","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental and economic considerations have heightened interest in silicate-solubilizing bacteria (SSB) as an alternative to silicon nanoparticles in agricultural crop production. However, related research has not considered the response of weeds to silicon. This study, conducted at three levels: laboratory, greenhouse, and field, examines whether K₂SiO₃ and/or SSB affect the seed germination of dodder and niger, as well as their parasitic relationship. In the laboratory, a germination test was performed for each species with and without 1 mM K₂SiO₃ or 0.1 % <em>v/v</em> SSB. In the greenhouse and field studies, niger was grown with and without dodder, K₂SiO₃, or SSB. Combined use of K₂SiO₃+SSB synergistically increased seed germination for niger and dodder by 12.3 and 142.6 %, while accelerating the process by 39.5 and 43.6 %, respectively. The invasion of dodder, when paired with K₂SiO₃ and/or SSB, significantly increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase in niger. Untreated niger contained 213.6 mg silicon kg⁻¹ dry weight. Dodder alone reduced it by 38.5 %, but when combined with K₂SiO₃+SSB, a 2.2-fold increase in the silicon content of niger occurred. Dodder-parasitized niger treated with K₂SiO₃+SSB exhibited over a 3-fold increase in lignin content and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity. The highest emergence of dodder was recorded when SSB was used alone or in combination with K₂SiO₃. Although dodder-parasitized niger treated with K₂SiO₃+SSB experienced more infestation due to the increased emergence of dodder, it yielded a higher seed than untreated niger, indicating a mitigated oxidative stress induced by dodder in niger through both physical and biochemical mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"227 ","pages":"Article 110157"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490556","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}