Plant Biology最新文献

{"title":"On the relationship between Photosystem II thermotolerance and irreversible heat damage in leaves of Rhizophora mangle.","authors":"K Winter, M Garcia, C R Krüger Nuñez, J Aranda, A Virgo","doi":"10.1111/plb.70223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Global temperatures are on the rise and may, together with more frequent and more intense heat waves, adversely affect plant performance and survival. Measurements of Photosystem II (PSII) chlorophyll a fluorescence are a widely used tool to assess the high-temperature limits of PSII, but information on how decreases in PSII competence relate to permanent leaf tissue damage and plant survival is limited. Temperature response curves of dark-level F₀ fluorescence were established for the tropical mangrove Rhizophora mangle. Three fluorescence parameters were determined as follows: (i) the temperature at which F₀ began to sharply rise (T_crit); T_crit is the most studied and often the only studied parameter in F₀ heat-stress tests; (ii) the temperature at which maximal F₀ fluorescence occurred (T_max); and (iii) the temperature at which F₀ was 50% of T_max = T₅₀. T_crit was 49.6 °C, T₅₀ 51.3 °C and T_max 54.5 °C. Leaf heating experiments that included 2 weeks of post-culture of leaves showed that severe tissue damage and sustained reductions in F_v/F_m, a measure of maximum quantum yield of PSII chemistry in the dark-adapted state, were associated with temperatures close to T_max, but not T_crit and T₅₀. The results improve our ability to interpret F₀-temperature response curves in the context of heat-induced leaf mortality, draw attention to the significance of T_max in assessing permanent heat damage in leaves of Rhizophora mangle and highlight the fact that in F₀-temperature response experiments, the widely used heat tolerance parameter T_crit may grossly underestimate the capacity of leaves to prevent irreversible heat damage.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147831374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plants synthesize ergothioneine, showing a link to abiotic stress.","authors":"C Kock, N Gutsche, S Walter, S Zachgo","doi":"10.1111/plb.70218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70218","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ergothioneine (EGT) is a sulphur-containing histidine derivative and a potent antioxidant that exhibits beneficial effects on human health. Thus far, only fungi and certain bacteria have been reported to produce EGT, whereas plants are assumed to rely on an uptake of EGT. Here, the presence of EGT biosynthetic genes and their functionality were investigated in Viridiplantae. The biosynthetic genes EGT1 and EGT2 from yeast were used for transcriptome and genome analyses in evolutionarily informative species across Viridiplantae. Targeted metabolomics (HPLC-MRM/MS) was used to quantify EGT in selected algae and land plants grown under control conditions and exposed to abiotic stress. EGT1 and EGT2 genes were identified in streptophyte algae, bryophytes, lycophytes, monilophytes, and gymnosperms. Targeted metabolomic profiling demonstrated endogenous EGT production in diverse algae and land plants, refuting the long-standing view that plants cannot synthesize this antioxidant. Notably, EGT1 genes do not exist in angiosperms, which likely lost this gene and the capability to synthesize EGT. After high light and heat stress exposure, EGT synthesis increases significantly in the streptophyte algae Klebsormidium nitens and the moss Physcomitrium patens, suggesting that EGT also exerts an antioxidant function in plants. Contrary to previous assumptions, various plants possess EGT genes and are capable of synthesizing EGT. Abiotic stress experiments reveal a link between EGT and the plant stress response, opening new avenues for research in stress signalling and adaptation - areas that are also relevant for enhancing crop resilience and nutritional quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147758477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transgenerational somatic mutations and epigenetic imprints on selected DNA repair gene promoters in Arabidopsis thaliana due to pesticides.","authors":"S Janardhanan, R Ramachandran, C Dominic, B Vinod, E P Amritha, A K Singh, J M Shah","doi":"10.1111/plb.70216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70216","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pesticides are known to induce genome instability. Reports on eukaryotes, including humans, mostly covers chromosomal aberrations and DNA strand breaks. Studies on scoring of the rates of loci-specific somatic mutations such as point mutations (PM), somatic homologous recombination (SHR), frameshift mutation (FSM), and transpositions due to pesticides are mostly confined to prokaryotes, using Ames test. Analogous eukaryotic model systems though are available for Drosophila, mouse and certain cell lines, reports using these are meagre, possibly due to the lethality of commercially-used pesticide doses and/or difficulty in assessing large population. DNA replication/repair being conserved among higher eukaryotes, the GUS reporter-based Arabidopsis thaliana system was used to score loci-specific mutations such as PM, SHR, FSM and transpositions. DNA repair gene expression and DNA methylation were studied using real-time PCR and methylation sensitive restriction enzyme digestion PCR, respectively. Four commercially used pesticides not only increased the rates of PM, SHR and FSM, and caused epimutations on selected DNA repair gene promoters, but also induced heritable transgenerational memory. While SHR rates were significantly high in the untreated progeny, FSM rates were high even in the grand progeny. Expression of 15 DNA repair genes increased under at least one of the pesticidal treatments. Eight of 21 DNA repair gene promoters showed altered methylation. MRE11A promoter showed demethylation in the untreated progeny due to all four pesticides. Malathion-induced demethylation was retained in the grand progeny also. Thus this work gauges the severity of various pesticides on inducing heritable loci-specific mutations/epimutations in a non-target system.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147697047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Kinetochore size correlates with chromosome size in Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum kochii Parl., Asparagaceae).","authors":"K Panda, M Hroneš, F Zedek","doi":"10.1111/plb.70215","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70215","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chromosome segregation during cell division relies on the kinetochore, a multiprotein complex that mediates attachment of chromosomes to spindle microtubules. Biophysical considerations predict that kinetochore size should scale with chromosome size to meet increasing mechanical demands during segregation, yet empirical evidence for such scaling within karyotypes remains limited, particularly in species with modest chromosome size variation. Here, we investigated the relationship between chromosome size and kinetochore size in Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum kochii, Asparagaceae), a species from a genus with moderate intra-karyotype chromosome size variation (2.4-4.5-fold). Using immunolabelling of the conserved outer kinetochore protein KNL1 and linear mixed-effects modelling, we analysed 172 chromosomes across multiple metaphases, slides and individuals. We detected a strong positive scaling relationship between chromosome size and kinetochore size, demonstrating that cytogenetic approaches can resolve chromosome-kinetochore scaling even across relatively narrow size gradients. Our results demonstrate that kinetochore size scales with chromosome size even in species with modest intra-karyotype chromosome size variation, supporting the generality of chromosome-kinetochore scaling. Together with evidence from taxa exhibiting more extreme karyotype heterogeneity, this pattern suggests that centromere and kinetochore architecture is shaped by both functional constraints on chromosome segregation and long-term evolutionary processes such as centromere drive. Viewed in a broader context, chromosome-kinetochore scaling may also be relevant for processes beyond segregation, as evolutionary changes in centromere and kinetochore architecture could indirectly influence recombination rates through their effects on chromosome size.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147669255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anatomical adaptation mechanism of parthenocarpy tomato leaves of iaa9-3 and iaa9-5 to heat stress conditions.","authors":"I Cartika, A Nuraini, R Kirana, R Budiarto, M H I S Jaya, E Suminar, J S Hamdani, H Ezura, S Mubarok","doi":"10.1111/plb.70205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70205","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heat stress significantly constrains tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) productivity, necessitating the development of heat-tolerant varieties to sustain production amid climate change. This study investigated the leaf anatomical adaptations of parthenocarpic tomato mutants iaa9-3 and iaa9-5 in response to heat stress to understand their tolerance mechanisms. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a split-plot design with four replications under two environmental conditions: normal and heat stress. Leaf anatomical characteristics, including stomatal, trichome, and mesophyll attributes, were observed using a digital microscope and compared between the mutants and the wild-type (WT-MT). Both mutants exhibited significant anatomical changes compared to WT-MT. Under heat stress, iaa9-3 and iaa9-5 showed increased stomatal length but decreased width, guard cell thickness, and stomatal density. Additionally, both mutants displayed increased trichome length and density, reduced leaf cell density, and consistently higher thickness of the leaf, epidermis, palisade, and spongy layers than WT-MT across both environments. These findings strengthen the understanding of the IAA9 gene's role in regulating plant anatomy and physiology under thermal stress. The superior anatomical traits of these mutants provide a scientific basis for breeding new tomato varieties that are more resilient to climate change-induced heat stress.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147621252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Not only reseeder or resprouter plants: Trait syndromes and post-fire responses of three iconic Mediterranean woody species.","authors":"G Ottaviani, H Beckett, J M Costa-Saura, E Agrillo, G Bonari, C Calfapietra, E D'Andrea, P Fiorucci, M Lo Cascio, M Magnani, S Portarena, C Sirca, M Baudena, M Millan","doi":"10.1111/plb.70213","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70213","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fire can profoundly affect ecosystem dynamics, species distribution and plant traits, especially in open biomes. Post-fire strategies, namely, resprouters and reseeders, offer a useful framework to examine eco-evolutionary relationships between plants and fire. However, whether resprouter and reseeder plants are consistently formed by distinct trait coordination (syndromes) and responses to fire at the intraspecific level and when considering the role of ontogeny, remain underexplored. This is a relevant lack as, within-species, plants can adjust their functioning and trait coordination can vary considerably along ontogeny. To address this gap, we analysed intraspecific trait coordination and post-fire responses, accounting for the effect of ontogeny in three widely distributed and locally abundant Mediterranean woody species: two resprouters (Erica arborea, Quercus ilex) and one reseeder (Cistus salviifolius). We collected 12 plant functional and architectural traits, including intraspecific variability, well related to fire and drought from three sites in Italy. We ran pairwise correlation and multivariate analyses to explore trait syndromes. We conducted linear regressions to examine relationships between fire regime (time since last fire) and trait responses. We then inspected whether fire regime affects key bivariate trait coordination and if ontogeny influences some trait-fire links. Findings are highly species-specific and generally do not align with a priori classification into post-fire strategies. In most instances, we reveal how either one of the resprouter species exhibits trait patterns more similar to those of the reseeder than to the other resprouter species. Fire can strongly affect trait coordination shaping plant functioning, whereas ontogeny influences a few trait-fire links for the reseeder species while it has a weak effect on the two resprouter species. Our study, while limited to three species and three sites, emphasizes the importance of looking at plant life through a continuous and multidimensional lens which contemplates the inclusion of various sources of within-species variability. We acknowledge that a category-based or dichotomous view on plant functional strategies, including post-fire ones, remains valid and justified when working at coarse scales, whereas it can be much less so for trait-based analyses at fine scales.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147615583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The legacy of past droughts induces water-sparingly behaviour in Grüner Veltliner grapevines.","authors":"J C Herrera, S Savoi, J Dostal, K Elezovic, M Chatzisavva, A Forneck, T Savi","doi":"10.1111/plb.13620","DOIUrl":"10.1111/plb.13620","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drought is becoming more frequent and severe in numerous wine-growing regions. Nevertheless, limited research has examined the legacy of recurrent droughts, focusing on leaf physiology and anatomy over consecutive seasons. We investigated drought legacies (after 2 years of drought exposure) in potted grapevines, focusing on stomatal behaviour under well-watered conditions during the third year. Vines were subjected for two consecutive years to short- (SD) or long-term (LD) seasonal droughts, or well-watered conditions (WW). In the third year, all plants were grown without water limitation. Water potential and gas exchange were monitored throughout the three seasons, while leaf morpho-anatomical traits were measured at the end of the third year. During droughts (1st and 2nd year), stem water potential of SD and LD plants fell below -1.1 MPa, with a consequent 75% reduction in stomatal conductance (g_s) compared to WW. In the 3rd year, when all vines were daily irrigated to soil capacity (midday stem water potential ~ -0.3 MPa), 45% lower values of g_s were observed in the ex-LD group compared to both ex-SD and ex-WW. Reduced midrib vessel diameter, lower leaf theoretical hydraulic conductivity, and smaller stomata were measured in ex-LD leaves compared to ex-SD and ex-WW, likely contributing to the reduced gas exchange. Our findings suggest that grapevines exposed to drought may adopt a more water-conserving strategy in subsequent seasons, irrespective of current soil water availability, with the degree of change influenced by the intensity and duration of past drought events.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":"601-609"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13089597/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139690781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A dynamic epigenetic perspective on above- and belowground phenotypic responses to drought: Insights from global DNA methylation in Erodium cicutarium.","authors":"C Alonso, M Medrano, C M Herrera","doi":"10.1111/plb.70110","DOIUrl":"10.1111/plb.70110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is mounting evidence that plant responses to environmental stress are mediated by epigenetic factors, including DNA methylation. Understanding relationships between DNA methylation, plant development and individual fitness in contrasting environments is key to uncover potential impacts of epigenetic regulation on plant adaptation. Here, we used an experimental approach combining controlled alteration of epigenetic features with exposure to stress. Two provenances of Erodium cicutarium were exposed to a demethylating agent (5-azacytidine) and recurrent drought, and effects on above- and belowground phenotypic traits related to early development, phenology and fitness assessed. Application of 5-azacytidine significantly reduced DNA methylation in leaf and root tissues. This slowed plant development, delayed flowering, and reduced the number of inflorescences produced, independent of water regime. Recurrent drought reduced final above- and belowground biomass and inflorescence production, regardless of the 5-azacytidine exposure. Increased fruit and seed-set were the only adaptations to drought in E. cicutarium, together with an increased number of flowers per inflorescence in water-stressed plants previously treated with 5-azacytidine. Epigenetic effects can desynchronize plant growth, flowering and senescence in both favourable and adverse environments. Future studies should focus on understanding intraspecific variation in ability to change the plant methylome in response to stress, and transgenerational transmission of such responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":"722-731"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13089588/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145068647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Legacies from early-season hot drought: how growth cessation alters tree water dynamics and modifies stress responses in Scots pine.","authors":"N K Ruehr, D Nadal-Sala","doi":"10.1111/plb.13760","DOIUrl":"10.1111/plb.13760","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tree responses to drought are well studied, but the interacting effects of drought timing on growth, water use, and stress legacy are less understood. We investigated how a widespread conifer, Scots pine, responded to hot droughts early or late in the growing season, or to both. We measured sap flux, stem growth, needle elongation, and leaf water potential (Ψ_leaf) to assess the impacts of stress timing on drought resilience in Scots pine saplings. The early summer hot drought had peak temperatures of 36.5 °C, while the late summer hot drought peaked at 38.2 °C. Soil water content during both periods declined to ca. 50% of control values. The early-season hot drought caused growth cessation already at Ψ_leaf - 1.1 MPa, visible as an almost 30 days earlier end to needle elongation, resulting in needles 2.7 cm shorter, on average. This reduction in leaf area decreased productivity, resulting in a reduction of 50% in seasonal transpiration. However, the reduced water use of early-stressed saplings appeared to enhance resistance to a late-season drought, as reflected in a smaller decline in Ψ_leaf and lower tree water deficit compared to saplings that did not experience early-season stress. In summary, we observed persistant drought legacy effects from early-season hot-drought stress, as evident in a 35% reduction of leaf area, which impacted tree water use, stress resistance, and productivity. These structural adjustments of leaf development and reduced bud mass from early-season stress could be critical in evergreen conifers, whose long-lived foliage influences future water use and growth potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":"610-621"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13089592/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142982092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reduced soil moisture drives leaf anatomical shifts more than chronically elevated temperatures in European temperate trees.","authors":"M Didion-Gency, J Deluigi, J Gisler, T Juillard, M Schaub, A Tuñas-Corzon, C Grossiord","doi":"10.1111/plb.13745","DOIUrl":"10.1111/plb.13745","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic reductions in soil moisture combined with high air temperatures can modify tree carbon and water relations. However, little is known about how trees acclimate their foliar structure to the individual and combined effects of these two climate drivers. We used open-top chambers to determine the multi-year effects of chronic air warming (+5 °C) and soil moisture reduction (-50%) alone and in combination on the foliar anatomy of two European tree species. We further investigated how these climate drivers affected the relationship between foliar anatomy and physiology/chemistry in young downy oak and European beech trees. After 4 years, reduced soil moisture led to development of thinner leaves with a narrower epidermis and lower gas exchange for oak and beech, but to a lesser extent in the latter. In contrast, prolonged warming did not affect the anatomical and physiological/chemical traits in either species. Warming also did not exacerbate the impacts of dry soils, highlighting soil moisture as the key driver in leaf anatomical shifts. While soil moisture altered oak foliar anatomy, and the physiology and chemistry of both species, our work revealed a limited acclimation potential towards more drought- and heat-tolerant leaves as conditions become drier and warmer, suggesting potentially high vulnerability of both species to future climate predictions.</p>","PeriodicalId":220,"journal":{"name":"Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":"738-746"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142613362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}