Rudan Geng, Mengran Xu, Lei Xu, Guixin Yan, Guangqin Cai
{"title":"Biological Mechanisms of Waterlogging Tolerance in Plants.","authors":"Rudan Geng, Mengran Xu, Lei Xu, Guixin Yan, Guangqin Cai","doi":"10.1111/pce.70241","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70241","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With global climate change, waterlogging is occurring with increasing frequency. Waterlogging is an important abiotic stress, which restricts plants growth and development, significantly reduces crop yield and seriously threatens the safety and sustainable development of agricultural production. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of plant response to waterlogging is essential for the food security. Here, we review the damage of waterlogging, the physiological and morphological adaptation of plants response to waterlogging, summarize the relevant genes and molecular mechanism of plant waterlogging tolerance, and look forward to the current challenges and future directions of cultivating waterlogging-tolerant varieties. This review provides a scientific basis and research direction for deepening the understanding of plant waterlogging tolerance mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145342350","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}
Natalia Guayazán Palacios, Takato Imaizumi, Adam D Steinbrenner
{"title":"The Circadian Clock Regulates Receptor-Mediated Immune Responses to a Herbivore-Associated Molecular Pattern.","authors":"Natalia Guayazán Palacios, Takato Imaizumi, Adam D Steinbrenner","doi":"10.1111/pce.70223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plants activate induced defences through the recognition of molecular patterns. Like pathogen-associated molecular patterns, herbivore-associated molecular patterns (HAMPs) can be recognised by cell surface pattern recognition receptors, leading to defensive transcriptional changes in host plants. Herbivore-induced defensive outputs are regulated by the circadian clock, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. To investigate how the plant circadian clock regulates transcriptional reprogramming of a specific HAMP-induced pathway, we characterised the daytime and nighttime transcriptional response to the caterpillar-derived HAMP peptide In11 in the legume crop cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). Using diel and free-running conditions, we found that daytime In11 elicitation resulted in stronger late-induced gene expression than nighttime. Plants with a conditional arrhythmic phenotype in constant light conditions lost time-of-day gated responses to In11 treatment, and this was associated with arrhythmic expression of circadian clock core transcription factor Late Elongated Hypocotyl VuLHY1 and VuLHY2. Reporter assays with VuLHY homologues indicated that they interact with the promoter of daytime In11-induced Kunitz Trypsin Inhibitor (VuKTI) via a canonical and a polymorphic CCA1/LHY binding site (CBS), consistent with a mechanism of direct regulation by circadian clock transcription factors. This study improves our understanding of the time-dependent mechanisms that regulate herbivore-induced gene expression.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145342311","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":"Whispering Through the Leaves: Elucidating the Mechanical Perception and Downstream Defence Response Against Herbivory.","authors":"Khrade Vero, Mukesh Kumar Meena","doi":"10.1111/pce.70247","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70247","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insect herbivory generates not only tissue loss but also a suite of biophysical and chemical cues that plants must detect and interpret. To cope with these challenges, plants have evolved specialised structures and molecular mechanisms that perceive mechanical inputs and translate them into coordinated defence responses. This review summarises the concept of mechanostimulation during insect feeding, with a focus on how plants recognise mechanical cues and integrate them into broader defence signalling networks. We outline the types of stimuli generated during herbivory, the morphological and molecular sensors involved in mechanoperception, and the electrical signalling processes that mediate intra- and inter-cellular communication of long-distance signal transmission, for which the vascular system, particularly the phloem and xylem, emerges as a critical conduit. We further discuss how mechanostimulation interfaces with hormonal pathways and transcriptional regulation, ultimately activating defence genes. This framework is further extended to non-vascular plants such as bryophytes, where mechanosensing and defence occur in the absence of vascular tissues, shedding light on how these strategies originated and evolved in early land plants. Collectively, these insights provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how mechanostimulation shapes plant defence and offers avenues for future research in enhancing crop resilience.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145342274","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":"Transcription Factor FcrNAC22 Regulates Chlorophyll Catabolic Genes to Accelerate De-Greening in Kumquat Fruit.","authors":"Xinchen Shen, Xinyu Tang, Haiyang Dong, Xin Yan, Handan Lou, Yanna Xu, Sihan Bao, Pengwei Wang, Xuepeng Sun, Jinli Gong","doi":"10.1111/pce.70249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Citrus fruit de-greening, a critical process for quality and marketability, is governed by chlorophyll degradation, yet its regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we identify FcrNAC22, a NAC transcription factor (TF) in kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia), as a pivotal regulator of chlorophyll catabolism activated in response to de-greening cues. FcrNAC22 functions as a transcriptional activator induced by red light, abscisic acid (ABA), and ethephon, with both its mRNA and protein levels peaking at the fruit colour-breaker stage. The overexpression of FcrNAC22 in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, tomato (Solanum esculentum), and kumquat fruits expedited chlorophyll breakdown and upregulated the expression of chlorophyll catabolic genes (CCGs). In contrast, the interference with FcrNAC22 expression in kumquat fruits impeded chlorophyll degradation and suppressed the transcription of CCGs. Protein-DNA interaction assays verified that FcrNAC22 directly binds to and activates the promoters of chloroplast-localized STAY-GREEN (FcrSGR), chlorophyllase (FcrCLH), pheophytinase (FcrPPH), pheophorbide a oxygenase (FcrPAO), and NON-YELLOW COLORING1 (FcrNYC1), which explains the de-greening phenotypes witnessed in the aforementioned transgenic FcrNAC22 lines. These findings not only reveal FcrNAC22 as a crucial integrator of environmental and developmental signals, but also provide a theoretical basis for manipulating fruit de-greening in citrus and related species.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145342342","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}
Kai Pi, Ting Liang, Qiwei Yu, Zhenbao Luo, Jiajun Luo, Lili Duan, Jingyao Zhang, Renxiang Liu
{"title":"NtDEAH1 Modulates Gibberellin Receptor NtGID1 Expression and Negatively Regulates Leaf Number in Tobacco.","authors":"Kai Pi, Ting Liang, Qiwei Yu, Zhenbao Luo, Jiajun Luo, Lili Duan, Jingyao Zhang, Renxiang Liu","doi":"10.1111/pce.70246","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70246","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is a crop of major economic importance worldwide and also a widely used model in plant biology and genetics. Leaf number (LN) is a key agronomic trait that determines yield. To elucidate its genetic basis, we developed a mapping population by crossing the low-leaf, high-quality cultivar 'NC82' with the high-leaf cultivar 'Jiucaiping No.2' (JCP2). Bulked segregant analysis initially placed the locus controlling LN within a 6.16 Mb region on chromosome 9. The integration of competitive allele-specific PCR markers with RNA sequencing data narrowed down this region and identified a single candidate gene, NtDEAH1. Overexpression of NtDEAH1 in both NC82 and JCP2 backgrounds significantly reduced LN, whereas CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout increased LN, indicating that NtDEAH1 acts as a negative regulator of LN and is a previously unreported control factor. Transcriptomic profiling and phytohormone analyses revealed that NtDEAH1 modulates the expression of genes in the gibberellin pathway. Specifically, NtDEAH1 binds to the 5'-untranslated region of the gibberellin receptor gene NtGID1, thereby influencing mRNA stability and translational efficiency to regulate LN. These findings provide new insights into genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying LN determination, and suggest that NtDEAH1 may serve as a target for future breeding aimed at optimising plant architecture and enhancing yield.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145311968","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":"Mycorrhizal Type and Soil Nitrogen Content Coregulate Foliar Nutrient Responses to Neighborhood Functional Dissimilarity in Subtropical Forests.","authors":"Xue Zhao, Zhihong Xu, Fulin Chen, Tao Wang, Qingyong Lin, Zaipeng Yu, Zhichao Xia, Linfeng Li, Zhiqun Huang","doi":"10.1111/pce.70243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70243","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Foliar nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations are of critical importance to plant productivity. Despite global declines in plant diversity, their effects on tree foliar N and P dynamics remain uncertain, especially under different mycorrhizal types and soil nutrient conditions. Based on a large biodiversity experiment in subtropical China, we assessed how neighborhood species richness and functional dissimilarity influence foliar N and P concentrations across 794 tree individuals, comprising three arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and five ectomycorrhizal (EcM) tree species, along natural soil total N gradients. At the neighborhood scale, foliar nutrients were jointly influenced by functional dissimilarity, mycorrhizal type, and soil N availability. Among dissimilarity metrics, wood density (WD) dissimilarity was the strongest predictor. Specifically, functional dissimilarity consistently increased foliar N and P concentrations in AM trees across the soil total N level, whereas its effects on EcM trees shifted from positive to negative with increasing soil total N content. These diversity-driven increases in foliar P concentration were further associated with enhanced tree growth. Our findings demonstrate that mycorrhizal type and soil N availability jointly mediate effects of neighborhood diversity on tree foliar nutrient status, with foliar P concentration playing a pivotal role in driving productivity responses to biodiversity in subtropical forests.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145306563","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}
Shenghua Xiao, Mingkun Chen, Lifang Zeng, Kai Chen, Mingjing Liao, Yuqing Ming, Keyi Luo, Shiming Liu, Xiyan Yang, Baoqi Li
{"title":"GhWRKY41 Confers Salt Tolerance by Enhancing Photosynthetic Capacity in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).","authors":"Shenghua Xiao, Mingkun Chen, Lifang Zeng, Kai Chen, Mingjing Liao, Yuqing Ming, Keyi Luo, Shiming Liu, Xiyan Yang, Baoqi Li","doi":"10.1111/pce.70224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70224","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cotton is a vital textile resource; however, its productivity and fibre quality are severely affected by soil salinity. Identifying salt-tolerant genes is critical for improving cotton resilience, yet the molecular mechanisms linking photosynthesis and chlorophyll metabolism to the salt stress response remain poorly understood. In this study, the WRKY transcription factor GhWRKY41 was identified as a key regulator of salt tolerance by screening WRKY family members responsive to salinity stress. Functional validation demonstrated that GhWRKY41 overexpression significantly enhanced salt tolerance in cotton and Arabidopsis, whereas gene knockdown increased the sensitivity of cotton to salt stress. GhWRKY41 directly binds to and activates the expression of two salt-responsive genes, GhMPK3 and GhLEA3. Global transcriptomic analyses revealed that GhWRKY41 and its Arabidopsis homologues regulate a set of genes involved in photosynthesis and salt stress responses. Notably, GhWRKY41 knockdown downregulated genes encoding photosystem reaction centre proteins, impairing photosynthetic capacity under salt stress. These findings indicate that GhWRKY41 enhances salt tolerance primarily by maintaining elevated photosynthetic activity in cotton under saline conditions. This study provides novel insights into the complex regulatory network underlying the response of cotton to salt stress and presents a valuable genetic resource for breeding salt-tolerant cotton varieties.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145278610","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}
Muhammad Atiq Ashraf, Muhammad Ateeq, Kaijie Zhu, Muhammad Asim, Samim Mohibullah, Talha Riaz, Xue Huang, Huiqiao Pan, Guohuai Li, Sergey Shabala, Junwei Liu
{"title":"Phytohormone Networks Orchestrating Lateral Organ Adaptations to Hypoxia and Reoxygenation in Fruit Crops.","authors":"Muhammad Atiq Ashraf, Muhammad Ateeq, Kaijie Zhu, Muhammad Asim, Samim Mohibullah, Talha Riaz, Xue Huang, Huiqiao Pan, Guohuai Li, Sergey Shabala, Junwei Liu","doi":"10.1111/pce.70242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.70242","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing severity and frequency of climate extremes threaten global fruit production. Among these, waterlogging-induced hypoxia and subsequent reoxygenation represent devastating yet understudied challenges. Major rainfall events disrupt rhizosphere oxygen dynamics, triggering metabolic dysfunction and growth impairment in economically vital fruit crops. This review elucidates cutting-edge knowledge on how phytohormonal networks-centred on auxin, ethylene, gibberellin, abscisic acid, and jasmonic acid-mastermind the plasticity of lateral organs by modulating adaptive responses such as adventitious root initiation, aerenchyma development, shoot elongation, and metabolic reprogramming during hypoxia and reoxygenation cycles. While extensive research in model plants has unveiled intricate hormonal interplay by optimising root architecture and shoot growth in stress adaptation strategies, corresponding regulatory networks in fruit crops remain poorly understood. Although progress has been made in deciphering hypoxia responses, shedding light on species-specific hormonal reprogramming and molecular insights into hormonal crosstalk, the reoxygenation phase is often overlooked. We also emphasise recent advances in understanding the interplay between hormonal biosynthesis, signalling, and cross-regulatory mechanisms that determine plant survival and recovery under fluctuating oxygen conditions. By integrating genetic, metabolic, and hormonal research, this review aims to uncover strategies for enhancing fruit crop resilience to oxygen fluctuations, offering solutions to climate-driven challenges in horticulture.</p>","PeriodicalId":222,"journal":{"name":"Plant, Cell & Environment","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145285157","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}