Suihua Huang , Guofeng Chen , Chunying Liu , Junyu Zhao , Kaihang Xu , Baohai Liu
{"title":"Application of glutamate: Up-regulation of GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE genes enhances biosynthesis of the aroma 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in rice under arsenic-induced stress","authors":"Suihua Huang , Guofeng Chen , Chunying Liu , Junyu Zhao , Kaihang Xu , Baohai Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111280","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111280","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE (GLR) channels respond to heavy metals, whose genes are potentially activated by glutamate (Glu) solution. Glu contributes to the 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2AP) formation and provides arsenic (As) stress tolerance in fragrant rice, but the regulatory mechanism remains elusive. A three-factor randomized block experiment of glutamic acid (Glu) and 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX, <em>GLRs</em> antagonist) under non-As and As stress for non-fragrant and fragrant rice was conducted. Comprehensive enzymatic, metabolite, and transcriptomic profiling, and genetic experiments revealed that exogenous Glu treatment up-regulated <em>GLRs</em> and improved 2AP content by 17.2% under As stress. Ornithine and glutamine in 2AP biosynthesis increased by 0.4-8.3-fold, while the activities of glutamine synthetase and proline dehydrogenase increased by 10.4% and 10.7%, respectively. In addition, <em>GSH1 and G6PD2</em> in glutathione metabolism were up-regulated to balance the reduced/oxidized glutathione that inhibited transport of As from roots to shoots by 17.6%. Multivariate analysis revealed that the activities of glutathione <em>S</em>-transferase, glutamine synthetase activity, the transcription levels of <em>DAO4</em>, and <em>GSH1</em> contributed to 2AP biosynthesis under As stress. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis indicated that differential expression genes were enriched in α-linolenic acid, nitrogen, and glutathione metabolism with qRT-PCR validations. Collectively, Glu applications provided dual functions in improving the rice aroma quality and As tolerance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 111280"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147646176","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}
Jingjing Chang , Panfeng Tu , Jinyi Wu , Nazir Ahmed , Jing Li , Yixuan Lian , Lei Chen , Baige Zhang
{"title":"Melatonin mitigates magnesium deficiency–induced chlorosis through enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant capacity in wax gourd (Benincasa hispida)","authors":"Jingjing Chang , Panfeng Tu , Jinyi Wu , Nazir Ahmed , Jing Li , Yixuan Lian , Lei Chen , Baige Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111281","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111281","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Magnesium (Mg) deficiency is a major nutritional disorder that impairs chlorophyll biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and redox homeostasis, thereby limiting crop yield and quality. This study investigated the physiological, ultrastructural, and transcriptomic responses of wax gourd (<em>Benincasa hispida</em>) seedlings to Mg deficiency and evaluated the protective effects of exogenous melatonin applied either preventively (MT + LMg) or restoratively (LMg + MT). Mg deficiency induced significant chlorosis, reduced biomass, and photoinhibition, which were reflected by marked declines in chlorophyll content, <em>Fv</em>/<em>Fm</em>, photosynthetic rate, RuBisCO activity, dry weight, and Mg accumulation. Both preventive and restorative melatonin treatments enhanced Mg accumulation and optimized tissue distribution, increased net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance, maintained chloroplast ultrastructure, protected photosystem II, and mitigated oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased contents of total Mg (by 62.1% and 29.0%), enhanced net photosynthetic rate (by 61.0% and 55.1%), and reduced levels of malondialdehyde (by 33.3% and 30.4%), compared to the Mg-deficient treatment. Transcriptome and RT-qPCR analyses further revealed that melatonin significantly up-regulated the expressions of genes related to antioxidant enzymes and stress responses. Preventive melatonin treatment triggered an earlier and more pronounced activation of antioxidant and stress response pathways, while restorative treatment primarily contributed to recovery of redox homeostasis and protein protection. Collectively, this study demonstrates that melatonin strengthens plant adaptation to Mg deficiency by improving Mg accumulation, protecting photosynthetic apparatus, and systemically activating antioxidant and stress-responsive transcriptional networks. These findings highlight the potential of melatonin as a biostimulant to mitigate nutrient stress and improve crop resilience in Mg-limited agroecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 111281"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147699568","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}
Na Liu , Bin Li , Guohua Ren , Zeyao Jing , Rong Yang , Liyuan Cui , Rongbang Yang , Ranran Bai , Xiangyang Hou
{"title":"Comparisons of physiology, metabolism, and gene expression of distinct Leymus chinensis germplasms under elevated CO2","authors":"Na Liu , Bin Li , Guohua Ren , Zeyao Jing , Rong Yang , Liyuan Cui , Rongbang Yang , Ranran Bai , Xiangyang Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111290","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111290","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> concentration continues to rise, understanding the response mechanisms of key species in grasslands is crucial for predicting ecosystem feedbacks. <em>Leymus chinensis</em>, as the dominant species in Eurasian grasslands, the response of its germplasm resources to elevated CO<sub>2</sub> (eCO<sub>2</sub>) remains unclear. Using open-top chambers, we integrated physiological measurements (photosynthetic performance, enzyme activities related to carbon-nitrogen metabolism, and growth traits) with transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to compare three <em>L</em>. <em>chinensis</em> germplasms with different response intensities to eCO<sub>2</sub> (strongly responsive LC05, weakly responsive LC22 and LC52). The results showed that only LC05 had a significant increase in biomass under eCO<sub>2</sub> (+50.24%), and its photosynthetic rate, quantum yield of photosystem II and glutamate synthase activity were all significantly enhanced. Principal component analysis revealed that the carbon-nitrogen coordinated growth axis (PC2) was the key factor driving the variation in biomass. Multi-omics integrated analysis revealed that LC05 achieved an optimized allocation of defense resources by up-regulating flavonoid synthesis genes (<em>CHS</em>, <em>F3H</em>, <em>FLS</em>) and down-regulating the phenylpropanoid pathway gene <em>PAL</em> along with other lignin pathway genes (<em>C4H</em>, 4CL), while up-regulating photosynthesis-related genes (<em>LcRBCS2</em>, <em>LcPQL3</em>, <em>LcFBA5</em>) and transcription factors (<em>MYB</em>, <em>HSF</em>) to synergistically promote growth. In contrast, the weakly responsive germplasms showed carbon retention, metabolic imbalance and limited activation of defense signals. This study systematically revealed the physiological and molecular basis of the response of <em>L</em>. <em>chinensis</em> germplasms to eCO<sub>2</sub>, providing theoretical and technical support for the selection of climate-adaptive grassland varieties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 111290"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147675911","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}
Huiqiang Wang , Yuru Ma , Mei Jin , Chaoran Wang , Kaiyue Wang , Yichao Zheng , Lin Guo , Xigang Liu , Yue Cui , Hao Zhang
{"title":"Emerging trends in protein post-translational modifications of lysine associated with plant stress and development","authors":"Huiqiang Wang , Yuru Ma , Mei Jin , Chaoran Wang , Kaiyue Wang , Yichao Zheng , Lin Guo , Xigang Liu , Yue Cui , Hao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins represent central regulatory mechanisms within cells, enabling rapid and targeted modulation of protein functions. PTMs can directly influence protein activity, stability, or protein–protein interactions, while histone modifications also play a crucial role in gene expression regulation. To date, over 400 types of PTMs have been identified, with new types continually emerging. Among these, lysine lactylation (Kla), crotonylation (Kcr), and lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib) have recently been recognized as novel PTMs with critical roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Unlike previous reviews that broadly summarize plant PTMs, this article provides a focused synthesis on these three newly characterized acylations, highlighting their distinct biochemical features, regulatory mechanisms, and functional relevance in plant growth, development, and stress adaptation. We summarize recent proteomic and functional studies that uncover (i) the role of histone and non-histone lactylation in metabolic reprogramming and stress resilience; (ii) the contribution of crotonylation to transcriptional regulation, enzyme activity, and abiotic stress tolerance; and (iii) the emerging function of 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation in photosynthesis, stem development, and plant pathogen interactions. Furthermore, we discuss cross-talk among Khib, Kcr, and Kac (lysine acetylation), revealing a coordinated acylation network that fine-tunes chromatin dynamics and metabolic homeostasis. By integrating findings across multiple species including rice, wheat, maize, pepper, and fungi this review proposes a comparative and mechanistic framework for understanding how these acylations bridge cellular metabolism with epigenetic and physiological regulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 111232"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147594015","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}
Xuansen An , Wenchao Tian , Yanwei Wang , Yajuan Ren, Chenxin Xu, Qingbin Chai, Pengfei Ai
{"title":"Enhancing tomato fruit sweetness by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated SlVIF gene editing","authors":"Xuansen An , Wenchao Tian , Yanwei Wang , Yajuan Ren, Chenxin Xu, Qingbin Chai, Pengfei Ai","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In tomato plants, vacuolar invertase inhibitor (VIF) is a negative regulator of sucrose (SUC) degradation into fructose (FRU) and glucose (GLU), suggesting knockout of <em>SlVIF</em> promotes the accumulation of FRU and GLU. A dual-target vector of pKSE402-<em>SlVIF</em> was constructed and introduced into the tomato breeding parent ‘1912’ via <em>Agrobacterium</em>-mediated transformation. The editing efficiency was as high as 47%. Two Cas9-free T<sub>1</sub> lines exhibited delayed fruit ripening, significantly increased FRU and GLU levels, and reduced SUC content at the red ripe stage compared to wild-type (WT) plants, while fruit size and yield were unchanged. Additionally, in the <em>SlVIF</em> knockout mutants, the VIF protein structure was significantly altered, and VIN enzyme activity was markedly increased, which may underlie the enhanced degradation of sucrose in tomato fruits. The findings indicate that the sweetness of tomato fruit can be improved by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated <em>SlVIF</em> gene editing, which provides valuable resources for high-quality breeding in tomato.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 111270"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147646146","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}
Mark Melchior , Jan H. van den Berg , Mireille Sthijns , Carmen M. Padilla-Díaz
{"title":"Supplemental blue light and vapour pressure deficit modulate antioxidant metabolism in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)","authors":"Mark Melchior , Jan H. van den Berg , Mireille Sthijns , Carmen M. Padilla-Díaz","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111263","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111263","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spinach (<em>Spinacia oleracea</em> L.) is a leafy vegetable rich in antioxidants such as glutathione, vitamin C, vitamin B2 and carotenoids. These compounds are important for plant performance but also for human health upon consumption. In plants, antioxidants are produced to mitigate harmful metabolites generated in response to environmental stresses. Therefore, optimising antioxidant production may be achieved by modulating the environmental factors such as light spectrum and vapour pressure deficit (VPD). Supplemental blue light is known to influence carotenoid accumulation, while VPD affects various physiological processes. However, combined effects of these factors on antioxidant content have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we examined their interactive effects on antioxidant levels in spinach. In a phytotron, four spinach varieties (two green varieties, Green1 and Green2, and red-veined varieties, Red1 and Red2) were grown under standard light (ST) and supplemental blue (HB) light combined with three different VPD treatments. Reduced glutathione levels were significantly lower in all varieties under HB, whereas oxidised glutathione increased only in Green1 grown under HB. Elevated VPD was the main factor associated with higher vitamin B2 content, although HB was also contributing to a higher content. Vitamin C levels were also higher under HB. Lutein content was increased under high VPD. An interactive effect between variety and light spectrum on total carotenoid content was found, with contrasting responses in Green2 and Red2. Overall, this study highlights the novel finding that the interaction between genotype, light spectrum and VPD plays a key role in antioxidant content in spinach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"233 ","pages":"Article 111263"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147657756","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}
Haoqi Tian , Jin Li , Wenhui Liu , Hui Wang , Jin Zhang , Xiaoyu Liang , Yanan Liu , Yuanbin Hu , Jun Yi , Yang Ji , Qingping Zhou
{"title":"Insights on the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on Avena sativa drought tolerance at the early flowering stage","authors":"Haoqi Tian , Jin Li , Wenhui Liu , Hui Wang , Jin Zhang , Xiaoyu Liang , Yanan Liu , Yuanbin Hu , Jun Yi , Yang Ji , Qingping Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111092","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2026.111092","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oats (<em>Avena sativa</em>) are a nutritious and versatile crop, but they are highly vulnerable to drought, especially during the heading and flowering stages, which can significantly reduce yield and quality. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve plant resilience to drought and other abiotic stresses. However, the genetic networks underlying oat responses to drought during the early flowering stage, influenced by AMF, remain unclear. In this study, we combined transcriptome sequencing with phenotypic and physiological analyses to investigate how AMF enhance drought tolerance in oats. Samples were collected on day 60 of oat-AMF symbiosis (corresponding to day 30 of drought stress), with the 30-day drought period covering the critical water-sensitive phase of panicle initiation to flowering in oats. We found that AMF inoculation enhanced multiple drought-related traits in oats, including growth parameters, root vitality, antioxidant enzyme activity, and levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and abscisic acid (ABA). Transcriptomic analysis further identified differentially expressed genes involved in drought response, membrane integrity, and transport activities, with a focus on genes associated with stress tolerance. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction were significantly affected under drought and AMF inoculation. Further analysis showed that genes such as <em>PAL</em>, <em>PYL5</em>, <em>CRE1</em>, and <em>B-ARR</em>s were differentially expressed in AMF-inoculated oat roots under drought stress. Additionally, weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified hub genes related to plant growth and defense (<em>BGLU16, CGS1</em>), oxidative stress (<em>CAT2, RBOH</em>), phosphate and nutrient transport (<em>PHF1, PHT1-11,</em> <em>YSL13</em>), and water transport (<em>PIPs</em>). Overall, these results provide valuable insights into the complex genetic networks underlying AMF-enhanced drought resilience in oats at early flowering stage, offering potential candidate genes for future studies aimed at improving drought tolerance through mycorrhizal-plant interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"232 ","pages":"Article 111092"},"PeriodicalIF":5.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146181885","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}