Thomas Sibret, Marc Peaucelle, Kristine Y. Crous, Félicien Meunier, Marijn Bauters, David S. Ellsworth, Ivan A. Janssens, Pascal Boeckx, Hans Verbeeck
{"title":"Photosynthetic traits scale linearly with relative height within the canopy in an African tropical forest","authors":"Thomas Sibret, Marc Peaucelle, Kristine Y. Crous, Félicien Meunier, Marijn Bauters, David S. Ellsworth, Ivan A. Janssens, Pascal Boeckx, Hans Verbeeck","doi":"10.1111/nph.70076","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 </p><ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Understanding leaf photosynthetic traits and their variation in tropical forests is crucial for improving model predictions of forest productivity, and accurately representing the high functional diversity in these forests remains a challenge. Moreover, leaf photosynthesis data are lacking for the tropical forest of the Congo basin.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>We observed photosynthetic, chemical and structural leaf traits of 24 woody species in a Congolese tropical forest and studied their variance across functional guilds, within-tree crown positions and overall canopy positions defined by their relative height within the canopy.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Guild and crown position jointly influenced leaf traits, with a significant effect observed (marginal <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> > 0.43). The traditional guild classification explained a significant portion of the observed interspecies variation, revealing a clear gradient from shade-tolerant to light-demanding species. Crown position significantly affected intraindividual leaf trait variability, with bottom crown leaves exhibiting trait values at least 19.3% lower than top leaves. Importantly, the linear relationship between relative canopy height and leaf traits emerged as a robust and continuous metric, effectively integrating both inter- and intraspecific variability.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>We conclude that while guild-based classifications provide a useful framework for identifying plant functional groups, relative canopy height offers a robust and quantitative approach for capturing overall canopy trait variation, valuable for modeling canopy processes.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"246 5","pages":"2029-2045"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143798384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiangrong Yang, Yaya Chen, Tianwu Zhang, Panhong Zhang, Zengpeng Guo, Li Huang, Guorui Hu, Hui Zhang, Miaojun Ma
{"title":"Plant phenology response to nitrogen addition decreases community biomass stability in an alpine meadow","authors":"Xiangrong Yang, Yaya Chen, Tianwu Zhang, Panhong Zhang, Zengpeng Guo, Li Huang, Guorui Hu, Hui Zhang, Miaojun Ma","doi":"10.1111/nph.70132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70132","url":null,"abstract":"Summary<jats:list list-type=\"bullet\"> <jats:list-item>Phenology is a sensitive indicator of plant responses to environmental changes, and its shifts could impact community structure and function. However, the effects of phenological shifts on community stability are poorly understood.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>We conducted a 4‐yr N enrichment and precipitation change experiment to assess their effects on community stability through phenological responses. To do so, we measured phenological duration and overlap (based on leaf‐out and flowering phenology of 55 species) in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>N enrichment extended the vegetative stage of grasses, sedges, and community by 4.62, 4.72, and 11.74 d, respectively, but shortened that of forbs by 6.14 d and increased the overlap of flowering among individuals within the community. Meanwhile, N enrichment decreased species richness, asynchrony, and stability of sedges. Furthermore, N enrichment decreased community stability by decreasing asynchrony but was not associated with richness. Interestingly, N enrichment also decreased sedges stability by extending their vegetative stage and increasing the overlap of flowering, consequently reducing community stability.</jats:list-item> <jats:list-item>Our findings imply that N enrichment reduces phenological compensation and thus threatens grassland stability, which highlights the importance of phenological niches in understanding the maintenance of grassland stability under ongoing climate change.</jats:list-item> </jats:list>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143784674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karolina Jörgensen, Karina E. Clemmensen, Petra Fransson, Stefano Manzoni, Håkan Wallander, Björn D. Lindahl
{"title":"A trait spectrum linking nitrogen acquisition and carbon use of ectomycorrhizal fungi","authors":"Karolina Jörgensen, Karina E. Clemmensen, Petra Fransson, Stefano Manzoni, Håkan Wallander, Björn D. Lindahl","doi":"10.1111/nph.70129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70129","url":null,"abstract":"Trait spectra have been used in various branches of ecology to explain and predict patterns of species distributions. Several categorical and continuous traits have been proposed as relevant for ectomycorrhizal fungi, but a spectrum that unifies co-varying traits remains to be established and tested. Here, we propose a nitrogen acquisition and carbon use trait spectrum for ectomycorrhizal fungi in nitrogen-limited forests, which encompasses several morphological, physiological, and metabolic traits. Using a simple stoichiometric model, the trait spectrum is linked to the concept of apparent carbon use efficiency and resolves the contradiction that species with high supply of host carbon can maintain nitrogen transfer despite building large mycelial biomass. We suggest that ectomycorrhizal fungal species are distributed along this spectrum, with lifestyles ranging from ‘absorbers’ with a niche in high productive forests with high availability of soluble nitrogen to ‘miners’ with the ability to exploit organic matter in forests with low nitrogen availability. Further, we propose ways to test the outlined trait spectrum empirically.","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143784732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jie Cao, Qi Yang, Yaning Zhao, Shuya Tan, Shichun Li, Dawei Cheng, Ruxue Zhang, Murao Zhang, Zhonghai Li
{"title":"MYB47 delays leaf senescence by modulating jasmonate pathway via direct regulation of CYP94B3/CYP94C1 expression in Arabidopsis","authors":"Jie Cao, Qi Yang, Yaning Zhao, Shuya Tan, Shichun Li, Dawei Cheng, Ruxue Zhang, Murao Zhang, Zhonghai Li","doi":"10.1111/nph.70133","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70133","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 </p><ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Leaf senescence is a complex genetic process intricately regulated by multiple layers of control. Transcription factors, as master regulators of gene expression, play crucial roles in initiating and progressing leaf senescence.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Through screening an activation-tagged mutant library, we identified MYB47 as a negative regulator of leaf senescence. Constitutive or inducible overexpression of <i>MYB47</i> significantly delays leaf senescence, while loss-of-function mutants exhibit accelerated senescence. Transcriptome analysis revealed a marked suppression of jasmonic acid (JA) signaling in <i>MYB47</i> overexpression lines. Conversely, the <i>myb47</i> mutants display elevated JA levels and reduced expression of JA catabolic genes, <i>CYP94B3</i> and <i>CYP94C1</i>.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Biochemical evidence demonstrated that MYB47 directly binds to the promoters of <i>CYP94B3</i> and <i>CYP94C1</i>, upregulating their expression. Consequently, JA contents are significantly reduced in <i>MYB47</i> overexpression lines. Overexpressing <i>CYP94B3</i> or <i>CYP94C1</i> in <i>myb47</i> mutants alleviates their early senescence phenotype. Furthermore, JA induces <i>MYB47</i> expression, forming a negative feedback loop (JA-MYB47-CYP94B3/C1-JA) that fine-tunes leaf senescence.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Our findings reveal a novel regulatory module involving MYB47 and JA signaling that governs leaf senescence. By stimulating JA catabolism and attenuating JA signaling, MYB47 plays a crucial role in delaying leaf senescence.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"246 5","pages":"2192-2206"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143784675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Out of site, out of mind? Considering pesticide drift and plant mutualisms","authors":"Charlie C. Nicholson","doi":"10.1111/nph.70135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.70135","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143782637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
François Orange, Sophie Pagnotta, Olivier Pierre, Janice de Almeida Engler
{"title":"Application of array tomography to elucidate nuclear clustering architecture in giant-feeding cells induced by root-knot nematodes","authors":"François Orange, Sophie Pagnotta, Olivier Pierre, Janice de Almeida Engler","doi":"10.1111/nph.70066","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70066","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 </p><ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Plant-parasitic nematodes like root-knot nematodes (RKN; <i>Meloidogyne</i> spp.) cause great losses in agriculture by inducing root swellings, named galls, in host roots disturbing plant growth and development. Previous two-dimensional studies using different microscopy techniques revealed the presence of numerous nuclear clusters in nematode-induced giant cells within galls.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Here, we show in three dimensions (3D) that nuclear clustering occurring in giant cells is revealed to be much more complex, illustrating subclusters built of multiple nuclear lobes. These nuclear subclusters are unveiled to be interconnected and likely communicate via nucleotubes, highlighting the potential relevance of this nuclear transfer for disease. In addition, microtubules and microtubule organizing centers are profusely present between the densely packed nuclear lobes, suggesting that the cytoskeleton might be involved in anchoring nuclear clusters in giant cells.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>This study illustrates that it is possible to apply volume electron microscopy (EM) approaches such as array tomography (AT) to roots infected by nematodes using basic equipment found in most EM facilities. The application of AT was valuable to observe the cellular ultrastructure in 3D, revealing the remarkable nuclear architecture of giant cells in the model host <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>The discovery of nucleotubes, as a unique component of nuclear clusters present in giant cells, can be potentially exploited as a novel strategy to develop alternative approaches for RKN control in crop species.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"246 5","pages":"2346-2369"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143784730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in photoprotection: insights into NPQ levels required to avoid photoinactivation and photoinhibition","authors":"Guanqiang Zuo","doi":"10.1111/nph.70121","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70121","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plant photosynthesis is highly responsive to fluctuations in environmental cues. To achieve optimal photosynthetic performance, plants must accurately regulate light absorption, maintaining a dynamic balance between energy supply and consumption in the field. Understanding the potential damage and imbalances caused by excessive light during photosynthesis necessitates a comprehensive insight into the protective role of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). This rapid photoprotective mechanism dissipates excess excitation energy as heat and is ubiquitous throughout the plant kingdom. Previous reviews have primarily focused on the regulation of NPQ amplitude, often overlooking its efficiency in photoprotection. This review outlines the significance, components, and mechanisms of NPQ, presenting fundamental equations that quantitatively describe both NPQ amplitude and its protective functions. I highlight the methodological approaches to quantify the NPQ levels necessary to prevent photoinactivation and photoinhibition, respectively. I conclude by identifying key open questions regarding NPQ and suggesting directions for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"246 5","pages":"1967-1974"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.70121","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143782638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauri Nikkanen, Serhii Vakal, Michal Hubáček, Anita Santana-Sánchez, Grzegorz Konert, Yingying Wang, Marko Boehm, Kirstin Gutekunst, Tiina A. Salminen, Yagut Allahverdiyeva
{"title":"Flavodiiron proteins associate pH-dependently with the thylakoid membrane for ferredoxin-1-powered O2 photoreduction","authors":"Lauri Nikkanen, Serhii Vakal, Michal Hubáček, Anita Santana-Sánchez, Grzegorz Konert, Yingying Wang, Marko Boehm, Kirstin Gutekunst, Tiina A. Salminen, Yagut Allahverdiyeva","doi":"10.1111/nph.70114","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70114","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>\u0000 </p><ul>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Flavodiiron proteins (FDPs) catalyse light-dependent reduction of oxygen to water in photosynthetic organisms, creating an electron sink on the acceptor side of Photosystem I that protects the photosynthetic apparatus. However, ambiguity about the electron donor(s) remains, and the molecular mechanisms regulating FDP activity have remained elusive.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>We employed spectroscopic and gas flux analysis of photosynthetic electron transport, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays for <i>in vivo</i> protein–protein interactions in the model cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803, and <i>in silico</i> surface charge modelling.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>We demonstrated that ferredoxin-1 interacts with Flv1, Flv2, and Flv3, and is the main electron donor to FDP heterooligomers, which are responsible for the photoreduction of oxygen. Moreover, we revealed that FDP heterooligomers dissociate from the thylakoid membrane upon alkalisation of the cytosol, providing the first <i>in vivo</i> evidence of a self-regulatory feedback mechanism allowing dynamic control of FDP activity and maintenance of photosynthetic redox balance in fluctuating environments.</li>\u0000 \u0000 <li>Our findings have direct implications for rationally directing electron flux towards desired reactions in biotechnological applications.</li>\u0000 </ul>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"246 5","pages":"2084-2101"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria B. Mills, Alexander Shenkin, Phil Wilkes, Mathias Disney, Susan Page, Juan Carlos Berrio, Jörg Kaduk, Yadvinder Malhi, Rolando Robert, Reuben Nilus, Terhi Riutta
{"title":"Investigating the accuracy of tropical woody stem CO2 efflux estimates: scaling methods, and vertical and diel variation","authors":"Maria B. Mills, Alexander Shenkin, Phil Wilkes, Mathias Disney, Susan Page, Juan Carlos Berrio, Jörg Kaduk, Yadvinder Malhi, Rolando Robert, Reuben Nilus, Terhi Riutta","doi":"10.1111/nph.70122","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70122","url":null,"abstract":"<p>\u0000 </p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"246 5","pages":"2004-2014"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.70122","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Brajesh K. Singh, Yu-Rong Liu, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Claudia Coleine, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Felipe Bastida, Pankaj Trivedi
{"title":"Integrating ecological and evolutionary frameworks for SynCom success","authors":"Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Brajesh K. Singh, Yu-Rong Liu, Tadeo Sáez-Sandino, Claudia Coleine, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Felipe Bastida, Pankaj Trivedi","doi":"10.1111/nph.70112","DOIUrl":"10.1111/nph.70112","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Use of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) is a promising approach that harnesses nature-based solutions to support soil fertility and food security, mitigate climate change impacts, and restore terrestrial ecosystems. Several microbial products are in the market, and many others are at different stages of development and commercialization. Yet, we are still far from being able to fully harness the potential and successful applications of such biotechnological tools. The limited field efficiency and efficacy of SynComs have significantly constrained commercial opportunities, resulting in market growth falling below expectations. To overcome these challenges and manage expectations, it is critical to address current limitations, failures, and potential environmental consequences of SynComs. In this Viewpoint, we explore how using multiple eco-evolutionary theories can inform SynCom design and success. We further discuss the current status of SynComs and identify the next steps needed to develop and deploy the next generation of tools to boost their ability to support multiple ecosystem services, including food security and environmental sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":214,"journal":{"name":"New Phytologist","volume":"246 5","pages":"1922-1933"},"PeriodicalIF":8.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.70112","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143774807","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}